Paper Scrap Fish

Summer is here!  As the mom of a school-aged child, that means less time scrapbooking and more time doing kid-friendly projects together with my son.  Here's a fun project we made recently using 12" scraps.

From Flamingo Scraps: Fancy Pants patterned papers
Other: googly eyes

To make one fish, you will need 6 strips of 1x12-inch paper.  They can all be the same, or you can use two different colors.  I'd recommend using two different colors the first time you try this. Once you're confident in the technique, then you can switch to a single color. You'll also need scissors, craft glue, and a googly eye.

 

Fold all six strips of paper in half.  Interlock 2 strips (one of each color) as shown.

 

Add the next strip of paper by weaving it under the upper half of the folded strip and around the lower half of the folded strip. 

Weave the third strip the same way as the first.  You should have the beginning of a checkerboard pattern.

 

Do the opposite for the next strip.  

 

Weave the final strip the same way as the first strip.  Push all the strips tightly together. Because they are interlocked, they will hold together. Check front and back to be sure that there is a checkerboard pattern on both sides.

 

Cut off the middle strips flush to the edge of the checkerboard.

 

Glue down all the edges.

 

Make diagonal cuts on all four remaining strips.  They can be straight or gently curved. 

 

Add a googly eye and your fish is done!

  

Aren't they fun?!  You could add one to a sand bucket to make a cute tag for a summer birthday present.  You could also make a mini version of the fish as an embellishment for a swimming or beach page.  The possibilities are endless!

ReInking Distress Pads

I have had a few people ask me in the past how to re-ink a stamp pad.  We all know that if you add too much you get a soupy mess.  If you don't add enough -  well - you know!

While I can't speak for all stamp pads (since it is specific to manufactorer standards), I can speak for the Ranger Distress Pads. 

I recently took a class with Tim Holtz and he gave a demonstration on the mystery of how much ink to use and technique for refilling your Distress Inks.

First it is important to understand the ink pads themselves. Dye based ink pads are made of felt that is compressed and then laminated with a fabric topper. The fabric keeps the felt together. The felt helps to "suspend" ink.  Think of a sponge you fill it with water and it appears dry until you press it and the water bubbles to the top.   This is exactly how the ink pads work. The ink is suspended in the pad until the stamp presses it and the ink floats to the top and is applied to the surface of your stamp.  With that said -  the Ink will not absorb into the pad without the pad being pressed.

Here are the simple steps:
Verify that you are using the correct ink for the right pad (you laugh that I say this, but my walnut ink lid was on my tea die pad and let's just say I now have 2 walnut pads).

Second the Ranger Reinker bottles are designed SO THAT THE DROPPER holds the perfect amount of ink needed to reink 1 pad.   Fill the dropper with ink and apply all over the top of the pad as demonstrated below...

Next -   Use an old gift card/credit card and scrape the ink into the pad.  You need to apply pressure, and move down the pad, then across the pad until all the ink is absorbed.  This may take a few minutes and seem hopeless at first! 

This is what your pad will look like when all the ink is absorbed.  Notice there are a few drops of ink around the lid? 

Simply wipe around the perimeter of the pad with a baby wipe or moist paper towel. Return the lid to the top.   Your ink pad is now re-inked.  Tim suggests heavy used pads be re-inked every six months to a year. 

One other helpful hint:

There is a myth that ink pads should be stored face down, so that the ink flows to the top of the pad rather than the bottom.  Since we learned at the beginning of this blog that the ink is suspended inside the pad - we know this myth to be false.  You may store your inks in any direction you like for the type of storage system you have.

Thanks for stopping in today - hope this helps!

Maya Road Laundry Room Banner

I have lived in my house for 12 years, and for 12 years, the state of my laundry room has made me crazy!!  I had shelves built and a sink installed, but never got around to painting it.  And then Pinterest and spray paint empowered me!!!  It still isn't finished, but the washer/dryer area is painted in bright, fun colors.  Which led me to tackle another project that had been waiting -- a little bit of home dec to tie the room together!

As soon as I saw the Maya Road Canvas Laundry Day Set, the Vintage Wooden Spools, and the Sew Cute Chipboard, I knew I wanted to make a banner!

I alternated Laundry Day shapes with Canvas Flag Banner pieces and wooden spools strung on narrow ribbon.  The canvas pieces were attached mini wood clothespins.

I had a ball decorating each canvas shape with wash day words and images.  Stymied as to how to make a laundry basket -- I settled on the birdcage from the Tim Holtz Movers and Shapers set -- PERFECT!!!  My most favorite ever Pink Paislee chippie letters and more Maya Road embellies -- Mini Ruler, buttons, Laundry Day Mini Chipboard, and Heart and Hand Chipboard!

I raided my stash for safety pins, charms, and the awesome overall fasteners!  I have had those for years and years, saving them for the perfect project!

My laundry room is now a pleasure to work in -- the valance is a tension rod with Dollar Tree napkins draped on it -- and I am on to the next project!!

Thanks for Looking!

Father's Day Wallet

I was out blog hopping yesterday and Heidi Swap had the cutest project on her home page.  She made a cute little Father's Day wallet.  I decided that this wallet would be perfect to include in another mini album, in a pocket on a scrapbook page, or as a gift card holder for my husband.

So here is my version:
I wanted mine to have a "grunge & mixed media" tone so I settled on kraft card stock for my base.  I painted some of the panels with red paint and patina Rub & Buff for some. I pulled out distress stains, distress inks, and archival inks and went to town.  For texture & patterns,   I used the "Ultimate Grunge" Stampendous stamp set from Tim Holtz.  The cool thing is you are only limited by your imagination. I decided I needed a little more pop, so I added black magic paint (metallic black) from Folk Art to packing bubble wrap and used that as a stamp. I sprinkled a few tiny quotes and elements as embellishments, and sewed buttons to flaps for a closure.



This view shows the flap opened - I used my Dymo Press Label maker to type this quote "A Dad Puts Pictures Where His Money Used to Be."



On this view you can see how the wallet starts to open  - I used my Pink Paislee Daily Junque stamps that I got from Flamingo to create a small pocket.   The photo is my Daughter, Brittany, in her High School play - The Little Mermaid.



In this view, you can see that I added pictures of my husband with each of our children.  I tried to include memorable pictures from this past year throughout the wallet.



I even included a picture of our dog, Angel who has been in the family for 12 years.   This view is the wallet completely opened.  It is  fun to see the changes in our children in just a few months time.  I placed Tim Holtz Tissue on all of the creases on the inside (make sure you glue under the tissue tape so it stays down), and then stitched over the top of that with my sewing machine.



This is a view of the back of the wallet. 



So how do you make it?
I have a video that explains everything...




Thanks for stopping in today,

Mixed Media Layout - Start to Finish

I've been in a bit of a scrappy rut lately and wanted to try some different things to see if I could stimulate a little creativity.   As Pablo Picasso once said "Inspiration exists, but it has to find you working."

I pulled out some supplies that have just been sitting for a while; such as, some of my Glimmer Mists, Stamps, Stencils,and Goosbumps from Tsukineko. I even reached down deep in the hoard vault and pulled out my Strawberry Kiss - Raspberry Lemonade paper from Prima. I was inspired when I bought them, but haven't used them since. I set out to make a canvas, but decided on a layout instead.

This is my Niece Addie - running towards me during a photoshoot at Easter Time.

From Flamingo Scraps: Prima: Green Lace, Floral Stencil, Valentine Vine, Stamps: Hexagon, Build A Baubble, & Script, Paper: Script, Packageing, Strawberry Kisses - Raspberry Lemondae, Printery - Chipboard (Bird & Bird Cage), Wooden Ticket - Happy, Flowers; Tattered Angeles Glimmer Mist: Jack Frost (blue), Wheat Fields (brown), Perfect Peach, Sweet Clover (green), Cosmos (Pink); Ranger: Distress Stains - Tea Dye, and Walnut Stain. Rock Candy Distress Stickles; Other: Gesso; Tsukineko - Goosebumps; Hymnal Page: Jesus Loves the Little Children, Chipboard Letters Pink, 2012 - Party Confetti, Burlap

I ripped a page from a hymnal to use on the layout and was pleasantly surprised to read "Jesus Loves the Little Children" was the song. Devine intervention? Maybe, but regardless - I feel it was a sign that God was speaking to me.

Here is a closer look at the embellishments:

I have prepared a Step by Step video of the process for making this layout:

Thanks for stopping in today,

A Pocket (Purse) Full of Miracles

I have been dying to use Heidi Swapp's Sugar Chic Collection from the first sneak peeks!!! I also wanted to do a project more involved than a layout, the better to utilize the FABULOUS papers and even MORE FABULOUS embellies!!! A mini was the obvious answer! A dear friend of mine from high school is winning her brave battle with cancer, so I thought a sentiment mini for her was perfect! The title of this post refers to one of our group's pet names for a handbag -- a "pocket purse."

 

My absolute fave -- Heidi Swapp's Sugar Chic papers and embellies and
an adorable Maya Road Clutch Purse Chipboard Album!

Dyan Reaveley's Dylusions Stamps are perfect for sentiment albums --
her pithy, irreverent, and poignant sayings themselves have inspired projects for me!

I painted the interior of the album with teal paint, inked and distressed,
 then adhered some paper, and applied Mod Podge to seal.

I Mod Podged paper on the outside of the album,
distressed and inked it and sealed with another coat or two!

The album comes with 8 pages, but with my lumpy embellishing style, I chose to use only four.

Exterior of the finished album -- in addition to the Sugar Chic --
Prima bling, flowers and leaves, Maya Road Trinket Pin, FabScraps Charms,
Tim Holtz bauble, pink tulle fastens the book --
glue stiffens the ends and allows easy opening.

Page 1 -- Maya Road Organza Rose Trim and Webster's Pages'
Perfect Accent on a Gluber, Maya Road Spool Sentiments Stamp.

Pages 2 & 3

Closeup of the Heidi Swapp Destination Trim -- this stuff is SERIOUSLY cool!!!!
 I kept giggling as I heated it with a heat gun and saw it wiggle and curl!!!

Page 4 -- Tim Holtz Tickets, Webster's Perfect Accent Buttons.

Page 4

Pages 5 & 6 -- Gluber and Maya Road Tulle Trim, Metal --
American Crafts Dear Lizzie, Maya Road Chipboard, Frantage Embossing Enamel Kit!

Page 6

I am going to tuck a picture of our group of friends from high school into the album and send it winging its way to Donna, hoping that she will think of friends who love her and that she will smile whenever she sees her Pocket (Purse) Full of Miracles!!

Thanks so much for stopping by!!

Welcome Sophia Elizabeth!

Some dear friends of mine from church recently welcomed a new great-granddaughter, Sophia Elizabeth, born Feb. 14!  I was going off to Scrap and Spa, in Union Pier, Michigan, for my annual scrappy weekend and a mini album was the perfect project to take! 

I started with an 8x8 acrylic album I have had so long I don't remember the brand! I chose Crate Paper's Emma's Shoppe collection with lots of embellies from Flamingo Scraps and my stash.

I really love working with acrylics though it can be a challenge to work out both sides looking neat!!

This is my finished cover -- I fussy cut the princess, added Prima bling, buttons, and made a charm of their songbird tiles!

I just love the Studio Calico Wood Veneer Potty People on this page -- a Four Generation picture is so special!

I recently found an old manual typewriter at a thrift store -- $5 and a new ribbon and I was in business!
Here I made jewelry hang tags with time, weight, and length on them.
I made plenty of tags of all sizes to tuck behind photo mats and on pages!

The page on the left is Webster's Pages Sunday Picnic with Prima flowers and leaves.  It coordinated beautifully with Emma's Shoppe!

Prima Trinkets by Marion Smith, seambinding, garment pins, pearls, Maya Road Trinket Pins, Crate Paper Bingo Chips, and miscellaneous embellies and trims ornament these pages!

On the back cover, I used a Maya Road stamp.

One of my favorite things about making minis is lavishing ribbon and trims on the binding rings and tucking in charms!

My friends loved this little book and I had such fun making it!!  I got some other projects done while in Michigan -- can't wait to share them with you!  Thanks for Looking!