Thursday, March 31, 2011

new layouts and sneak peeks...






Here are some of my new layouts on ebay, as well as some sneak peeks at some of my paper piecing patterns to be released on my new website on Sunday... can't wait! :)

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Tuesday tip...

Today's tip is quick and simple... I told you before about inking around the edges of your pieces before putting paper piecings together. Well, you can also use those same inks to ink around the edges of your photo mats to give a nice finished look. It just adds a little something to the final look of the layout. If you use acid free ink it also adds a nice touch to the actual photos as well! Happy scrapping!

Monday, March 28, 2011

Ignoring my blog... oh no!




I completely forgot to post my layouts for Sunday, so I am doing it now. Website is coming along and as soon as tech support helps me work out one last thing I think it will be ready... I can't wait! Happy scrapping!

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Tuesday Tip...

I almost forgot about my tip today!

Today I will go over how I size my paper piecings in the SCAL program (you could probably use the same principles in your cutting program). I don't care for lots of math, so I came up with my own method.

First I visualize the size of the area I have to fill on my layout. Then I open up the pattern file I want to use. Using the squares on the mat (each square = 1 inch) I add the size of the body up in my head (such as 2 inches on the legs, 3 for the body, 1 for the head etc...). If this is too large or too small, I size it up or down a little by pulling the corner (always lock the proportions first!)

Sometimes I will 'ungroup' the piecing and put it together on the screen to see the size better.

Now, say I am using a set of patterns and I want them all to match. If I am using a set of bears, once I have the first one sized and cut. I delete all the pieces except for the head. I pull the head off the cutting mat and bring in the next bear. I pull the old head over and size the new one to match it.

This may not be the easiest way to do it, but it works for me. Happy Scrapping!

Tuesday, March 8, 2011

Tuesday tip...

Today my tip is for all of you who love to paper piece or want to learn how. Once you have all your pieces cut out, it is a good idea to chalk or ink around the edges of each piece. inking around the edge of the pieces not only help to separate them when put together, but give the piecing an overall finished look.

I like to keep it simple... I use a 'cat's eye' ink pad in the color of 'Chestnut Roan' for just about everything. I use a light blue ink for white paper, and a white ink pad for black paper. The chalk ink pads are really the best for this type of inking because they come in softer, muted colors. I find pigment ink is too thick and dark, while dye ink pads don't usually have a nice soft surface to brush along the paper.

And this is an important tip to remember.... I always let the ink pad dry out a bit before using it. A saturated ink pad will leave a big mess on your paper. I test the pad on scrap paper before using it to make sure it isn't too 'wet'. You can always add more ink to the paper... but you can't take it away! :)

Happy Scrapping!

Monday, March 7, 2011

Sure Cuts A Lot...

I am excited to now offer you the SCAL program that I use to cut all my paper piecings with on my Cricut. You can click the logo on the right side of my blog to go to the Sure Cuts A Lot website to buy this great software. I just can't scrapbook without it! (it really has taken my scrapbooking to a whole new level)

With this program, you can cut any SVG file on your Cricut and it comes with some basic shapes along with hundreds of true type fonts. There is no more need to buy the expensive font cartridges.

Happy Scrapping!

Tuesday, March 1, 2011

Tuesday Tip...

Today I think I will discuss scrapbooking on a budget. Some people ask me about this and with the gas prices skyrocketing I thought it would be a good topic.

When my friends and I shop together we always say we are bad together because we tend to spend more money! It is almost like that feeling you have in middle school when you just 'have' to have the things your friends have. I remember begging my mom to buy me a pair of 'Guess' jeans and a 'Liz Claiborne' purse... lol (dating myself here)

Anyway, to get to my point, we have to remember that scrapping is not a competition! Try to tell yourself to only buy what you will actually use. (I know it is hard... there are so many cute things)

So here are a few of my tips for scrapping on a budget (if you have some, feel free to leave a comment and share with us)

1. When buying paper, try to imagine your photos on the layout and just pick a few pattern pages. You don't HAVE to have the entire collection! (okay, here is where I need to take my own advice!)

2. New tools are cool, but when you really think about what some of them do, do you really need it? I try not to duplicate tools... for example, I have a Big Shot Express for my die-cutting... and that means I have no need for a Revolution or a Cuddlebug. I don't understand having multiple tools that do the same thing.

3. Save all your scraps! Scraps are great for making cards, paper piecings, tags, and more.

4. Since I bought my Cricut and the SCAL program, I no longer buy alphabet stickers, or lots of other stickers. I cut my own titles and embellishments. It is a larger initial investment that will pay off for sure! (And if you add a little glitter or flocking, they can look just as nice as the store-bought ones!)

5. Shop around! I look in all kinds of places for things I can use in my scrapbooks. Discount stores and hardware stores are great places to find little accents to add to your pages. Always use you coupons! And when shopping online, look for suppliers that offer free shipping.

6. Just be creative and have fun with your pages! No matter what your budget may be it is possible to make great layouts with some creativity!