Ink it up

Grab your pigment pads and try these three new methods for inking!

1. Create a colorful image outline

First, apply a rub-on image or sticker, then ink over the image entirely. Allow to dry. Next, remove the sticker or using Scotch tape, remove the rub-on image. What’s left is an outlined and inked image! Tape off the edges to create a perfect square or go just go free form.

2. Ink up flowers and ribbons

Use ink to stamp page elements like ribbons and flowers, or ink just the edges for an naturally-aged look.

3. Make faux leather

Tear off small pieces of masking tape and layer them onto a sheet of paper. The more rough edges, the better. Then ink the masking tape, rubbing off any excess. Crumble the entire sheet of paper and then lay flat. Get the leather-look in no time flat!

Go ahead and give these new methods a try.   You might just be inspired to invent your own new ways to use classic materials!

Your friend,
Mary

Family Background

Benjamin Franklin once said, "The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results." Well if that’s true, then this method for creating the Family Card background is completely off its rocker!

You can use a stamp you’ve inked up who–knows–how–many times to create something entirely unexpected… a custom background using inexpensive cardstock and a bit of creativity.

Start with plain cardstock and choose an ink color (this works for cards, scrapbook pages and other projects, too). I started with teal paper and used a contrasting blue ink for the circle background and stamped text.

Paper/Ink Variations:
1.    Try using similar ink and paper colors for a subtle tone-on-tone look. 
2.    Use clear embossing ink and powder to create a raised tone-on-tone effect.
3.    Watermark inks will produce subtle stamp designs.
4.    Use pigment ink pads in contrasting colors to make the design really pop.
5.    Experiment with metallic inks for a shimmery look.

Now for my favorite part… picking the stamp! I picked two sizes of a circular stamp with a scalloped edge. Stamp randomly for a modern look (I don’t mind if you steal my design one bit). Create stripes by using a small stamp in vertical or horizontal lines across your paper. Make polka dots. Try turning your stamp 90 degrees each time for a random pattern.

This is a method you can use time and time again and achieve different results each time.   Now that’s not so crazy, is it?

Your friend,
Mary

Creative Photography 101

“Say cheese!”

You’ve heard it a million times, and most of us are guilty of saying it, too! Usually when you “say cheese”, that’s exactly what you’re going to get…a straight-on, cheesy photo. While these photos are usually adorable, it’s fun to switch it up a little. Try a new angle and create a masterpiece!

Simple and fun photography angles:

•    Lay on the ground to shoot at ground level or shoot above you
•    Take a knee to get a little different angle than usual
•    Use a chair or ladder to change perspective
•    Offset your subject to the side of the frame
•    Shoot close up photos of your subject’s face
•    Tilt your camera from side to side, backwards and forwards
•    Shoot your subject in profile
•    Shoot your subject in action

Here are a few examples from my friend who is an amateur photographer. See how she’s captured her daughter from different angles to create fun and dynamic shots? Imagine the great scrapbooking pages she’ll be able to create with these!

Get creative with your photography and I promise you’ll enhance your pages and projects. Just don’t forget to put on your best smile for the camera!

Your friend,
Mary

Get Hooked on the Look of Rub-Ons

Hiya scrapbooking friends!

I was introduced to the wonderful world of rub-ons a few years ago when my friend made an album to document her honeymoon in Mexico. The results were incredible! The pages looked professional, chic and super charming. From that point on, I was totally hooked on rub-ons.

Here’s a few things I’ve learned about these sometimes tricky, always fabulous little embellishments:

1. Mistakes will be probably be made, so it’s important to order extra sheets. You can easily remove any rub-on with a rubber eraser. A little scotch tape will also take up any extra rub-on pieces.
2. Cut out designs and apply them one at a time. It takes a little more time, but avoiding accidental transfers from neighboring designs is worth it.
3. Popsicle sticks work just fine to apply rub-ons, but the Basic Grey’s new rub-on roller works like a dream! You can also use your handy dandy bone folder.
4. Apply even pressure over the entire rub-on. Keep in mind you can damage the rub-on if you rub too vigorously.
5. You’ll notice that as you transfer the design, the rub-on will become transparent.
6. If you are working with larger rub-ons, I suggest attaching the clear sheet to your page using removable tape. That way you can lift the sheet up to make sure you’ve transferred the entire design without shifting it.

Rub-ons may seem tricky when you first start, but a little practice will go a long way and the results are totally worth the effort.

Your friend,
Mary

Plethora of Flora

Put away those dirt-covered gardening gloves, because today we are going to sew the seeds of creativity and grow a garden of customized flowers!

Easy 1-2 Flower Method:

1.    Assemble your petals…use various punches, trace templates, use paper flowers or utilize silk flower petals.
2.    Next, plant a button, jewel, brad, sticker, clock hands, an old earring, or even a special photo right in the center of your scrap happy bloom.

I am totally hooked on making these easy accents for my pages and projects. They’ll grow on you, too!

Your friend,
Mary

PhotoShop Tips & Techniques

Getting your way can be difficult sometimes, but I’ve learned that a little flirting can help.  From batting your eyelashes at the cop to get out of a ticket to smiling sweetly at the furniture movers who are going to carry your best china, flirting can get things done.

This week I’m bringing that sense of fun to the scrapbook world! There are lots of ways you can flirt with different photography techniques to add drama to everyday pictures. Take black and white photos for example.  There’s just something about black and white photography that has a timeless effect, don’t you think?

There are actually a few options for creating these timeless images.  For one, you can try using the black and white setting on your digital camera or using special black and white film in your 35mm camera.  Or there is another way you can cheat a bit! Normally I wouldn’t condone such scandalous behavior, but in this case, I wholeheartedly agree that cutting corners is a-okay. My friend Eric, who I consider an Adobe® PhotoShop® expert, told me how to modify color photos to black and white.

1.    Open your image in PhotoShop.
2.    Go to Image, Adjustments, Desaturate.

Eric says:  “This will pull all of the color information from the file and simply display the black and white parts. Basically, it converts color into grayscale values.”

 

Feeling a little more confident to tackle a bigger PhotoShop project? Then try this method for making comic book style photos of all your little super heroes!

1.    Open an RBG image in PhotoShop.
2.    Go to Filter, Artistic, Poster Edges.
3.    Adjust the value settings, thickness and intensity as desired.
4.    Click OK.
5.    Go to Filter, Artistic, Cutout.
6.    Set the number of levels to 4. Adjust other settings as desired.
7.    Go to Layer, Duplicate Layer.
8.    Click OK.
9.    Go to Filter, Noise, Dust and Scratches.
10.     Set the radium to 1 pixels and the threshold to 10 levels.

Eric says: “You can achieve completely different results by changing the settings and intensities for each different filter.”

It takes a bit of time and a little know-how, but the results are totally worth the effort. Oh, and if you don’t have PhotoShop, hop online and try out some different photo editing sites. My new fav is befunky.com!

A big thank you to Eric for all his help! And I didn’t even have to flirt with him to get the low down!

Your friend,
Mary

Make Your Own Frames

Scrap-a-doodle-doodle-do! Wake up your pages using this super fast framing method! Use your paper trimmer to create 6" x 6" photo mats for all your finished pages.

1. Start by cutting a piece of 12" x 12" paper in half.

2. Next, cut one half in half again, so you end up with a 6" x 6" piece of paper.

3. Now using your paper trimmer, you’re going to remove only the center of the paper. Flip the arm of your paper trimmer up. Align the outside edge of your paper 1" from the trimmer blade slot. Lay the arm back down.

 

4. Carefully cut from the 1" mark to the 5" mark.

5. Repeat for all four sides.

And as easy as that, you’ve got a 6" x 6" frame with a 1" border! It’s a great way to use scrap paper as well.

Your friend,
Mary

Chalking Tips and Techniques

Let’s talk chalk! I don’t mean those big pieces of sidewalk chalk you used to draw hopscotch with (or maybe you still do, I’m not one to judge). I’m talking about the box of artist chalks.

I’ve had the same box since my early days of stamping and card making, and I still love to add chalk to my projects. This inexpensive medium is a fast way to add color to your pages and projects. And you don’t have to have a lick of artistic talent to achieve impressive results. 

Here are some of my no-fail tips: 

Tip 1: Fill in Stamps
After you’ve stamped an image or letter set, fill in the background with chalk. Easy as pie!

Tip 2: Grab some Stencils
Lay your stencil on your project and then fill in with chalk.

Tip 3: Add Highlights and Shadows
Apply chalk around the edges of chipboard shapes, photos and backgrounds to add a touch of fancy. On a journal card, add a little chalk around a few words to highlight your message. Chalk is perfect for adding rosy cheeks, too!

Tip 4: Applicators
The little foam brushes are the best, but cotton swabs will get the job done too.

Tip 5: Light then Dark
Fill in all the lighter colors first and then apply darker colors. It will keep everything crisp looking. When working with darker colors, it’s best to apply in layers. You can always add more!

Tip 6: Blending is the Secret
Blend the edges of your chalked creation with a cotton ball or your fingertip. You can also blend two colors using this method.

Tip 7: Keep it Clean
Chalk can be messy, so keep a wet paper towel nearby for messy fingers and tools. You can always grab your dust buster, too. That will clean up all the little particles of dust from the chalk.

Tip 8: Set It
You’ll need a good scrapbooking fixative – a.k.a. acid-free hairspray. Spray all the chalked elements of your page or card to keep the colors bright.

Until we meet again, let’s rock the chalk!

Your friend,
Mary

Font Family Tree

I’m not bold, I’m a size 12 and I don’t hold any surprises.

My name is Times New Roman. I’m the most familiar font style you know.  Oh sure, I come standard with all your computer programs, but it’s my spicy cousin Cooper Std Black and my sassy sister Lucida Bright who always get noticed. Have you met my girlfriend Curlz MT? Her bubbly personality always grabs everyone’s attention.

As for my aunt Wingdings, well, you might want to keep your distance. It’s hard to get a read on her sometimes.

But for the sake of your scrapbook, branch out your font family tree! No need to keep using exhausted Times New Roman.! I created this page to mark another end of the school year, and gave it a font–tastic twist!

Here are some simple tips you can use to incorporate fun font treatments into your layouts:

Tip 1:
Make each character about the same height and width. You can mix a lot of different looks this way.

Tip 2:
It has to be readable. No one wants to struggle to read your journal cards, so pick something fun, but still easy to decipher.

Tip 3:
Don’t combine too many similar-looking fonts. It will just look like you ran out of a certain letter when you were piecing together a sticker headline. Make it noticeable.

Tip 4:
Mix mediums. I mixed stencils, magazine cutouts, chipboard fonts and stickers to create this “Clownin’ Around” page. Use extra letters from rub-on sheets, greeting card headlines, stamps, stickers and more.

Tip 5:
Use your PC. I mixed font styles, sizes and colors to create bold headlines for all sorts of occasions. Many color printers will even print directly onto your 12 x 12 paper. Use the font to enhance your page’s theme. You can find lots of free fonts online, too.

Now, what does your font have to say for itself.

Until next week!

Your friend,
Mary

P.S. May 2nd is National Scrapbooking Day! Do you have your supplies and plans ready to go? I’m getting together with a few friends at our local crafting store to take a “Punch & Stitch” class. How are you celebrating?

Stamp Cleaning 101

Of all the things I look forward to this time of year, spring cleaning isn’t one of them.  And while I tend to put it off, I’m always happy once things are clean and (relatively) organized.  The same is true about my scrapbooking supplies.  Take stamps for example.  I tend to use and abuse them, but I know that taking care of them will help them last longer.  Plus, clean stamps keep ink pads and stamping projects stay true to color.  So today I’m sharing my tips on the best ways to clean and care for stamps to help you protect your crafting investment. 

Rubber Stamps
For wood-mounted stamps, start with Ranger’s Cleans It! Work the cleansing foam pad into all the little nooks and crannies. Then grab some foam-bottom stamp cleaning pads (these are miracle workers!) and move your stamp in light circular motions to scrub off all the cleaning solution and ink. Allow to air dry.

Acrylic Stamps
To remove permanent inks and pigments, use Ranger’s Cleans It! or alcohol-free baby wipes. Both are great methods for keeping clear stamps and clear blocks crystal clean. To use baby wipes, lay a clean wipe flat on a paper plate and dab your stamp until it’s clean. Dry on a paper towel or allow to air dry.

Foam Stamps
Ink can do a real number on foam stamps, so some staining can occur. But all you need to do to get them clean is dab off any excess ink with a paper towel and then use stamp cleaning pads to work off any remaining ink. Stamp cleaner can help remove any stains.

A Few More Handy Tips
•    Don’t clean your stamps too vigorously. It can damage the pattern.
•    Store stamps only when clean and dry.
•    Avoid soaking wood-mounted stamps due to warping.

Cleaning stamps beats washing the windows any day. 

Your friend,
Mary