May kit - patterned paper

The May kit features patterned paper from the Laundry Line of papers from My Mind's Eye. Here are two layouts (and more hopefully to come.)
I cut a 5" piece from Coastal curious for the top part of the other paper (small dots). One row of large dots was cut and then matted with the rose colored cardstock. Mat one picture in the same cardstock. Cut a heart from the Coastal Authentic paper. Tie a small ribbon onto the center of the heart and attach a label with dates, names, quote, etc.

This second layout still needs something but have not found what I want to do. Simply it is the base cardstock with a 1" strip of the Coastal curious. Cut two blocks of the patterned paper to balance out the other pictures (each block is the same size as the pictures beside it.) I matted a clear Happy Birthday sticker onto a small piece of the cardstock.

There are many fun patterned papers in this kit that can create a large number of layouts. Very economical!

April kit - Invisibles and masks

There are so many possibilities with this kit it is hard to narrow down to the one that you want to do! This kit uses Heidi Swapp Invisibles, paper that has resist material already on it in a pattern. Swipe it with chalks, ink pads, glimmer mist, watercolors, or any other medium to color the areas except the pattern of the resist. Additionally in the kit is the Heidi Swapp mega masks in heart shapes.

Layout 1. Chalks and Cats eyes chalk ink pads: You color my world

Use the circle frame invisible paper for the above layout. I chose cats eyes chalk pads in a turquise, lime green, and magenta. I took the medium sized heart mask and placed it on the lower right side of the layout over part of the circle frams. I used the Tim Holtz alcohol ink applicator and added chalk colors to the felt material and rubbed it into the paper, blending it where two colors met. After lifting off the heart mask, I took 6 of the smal hearts and placed it across the white heart (underneath where the medium heart mask was intially). I used a tiny pom pom to add a darker blue colored chalk to the white area left by the medium heart mask. Be sure to go around the little hearts carefully to get chalk all the way up to the little heart masks. Once done, the little heart masks can be lifted off and you have the layou above as show. Adhere your pictures and print title and journaling on the white cardstock.

Layout 2. Using glimmermist by Tattered Angels
*This layout is not yet finished and will be updated when the information about the picture has been found out from my Grandma.
Trim 1/8 inch from 2 sides of the Invisible paper. We will adhere it to the black cardstock when we are done. Take the large thin heart frame mask and place it on the invisibles paper. I used glimmer mist in wheatfields to spray on the invisibles paper. Give it swome time to soak in and carefully blot the excess off and let sit to dry. I also had to iron the paper to smooth out by placing face down on a sheet of cardstock and ironing the back carefully. Adhere your picture, journal and title. This photo really does not do the layout justice. The glimmermist leaves a shimmery layer to the paper.

March technique kit - KI Memories lace paper

I have been wanting to play with lace paper. Paired with the great texture of Daisy Bucket paper, this is a fun kit. Lace paper can be easily altered with paints, inks, or chalks. I chose to keep mine unaltered and instead, cut in pieces for the layout as well as cutting flowers out of the Daisy Bucket papers.

The lace paper was cut following the way the flowers would be cut if it were not a whole sheet. I cut out about 30% of the paper. This was adhered to the pink cardstock.I cut out some of the flowers and paislies from both Daisy Bucket papers. The quote was printed on the blue paper drom the backside of the patterned paper and matted in yellow cardstock. the pictures were matted in blue color core cardstock.

Use the leftover cardstock, KI lace paper, and Daisy Bucket paper to make a few cards. A greeting needs to be added to each one, but you get the idea...
Tags: scrapbooking, scrapaholix

February Flock kit

Have you played with flock. It's a whole bunch of fun and adds great texture to a layout!

Background on Flock
Add texture and a velvety feel to any project with Flock! Flock is a very fine fiber that is used to add dimension and fuzzy accenting to scrapbook, stamped, or other projects. It comes in a variety of fun colors for any of your projects. Glitter can be mixed in with the flock to create sparkly accents for a dramatic effect. Pre-mix different colors or added glitter before flocking the project. Flock can be adhered to a variety of materials simply. Use on small areas and items or large areas of patterned papers for a great effect. Used on portions of an image can make the details of the image really pop.

• Use a glue pen or glue adhesive (high tack glue works the best) to outline or fill areas you want flocked. This can be used on an already stamped image, a portion of patterned paper, or on a hand drawn image you create. Keep the amount of glue as even as possible on the surface so the flocking will adhere evenly as well and not look lumpy. Spoon the flocking powder over the glued area and tap off the excess. Press the flock lightly into the glue with your fingers. Flock can be layered with a variety of colors. Start with your darkest color first and apply the lightest color of flock last. For more dimension, create layers of flocking with the same or a different color. Flock as described above. Once dry, add another thin layer of glue to the flocking and add more flocking on top following the same procedure.
• Flocking looks wonderful with double sided stickers or images you cut from red tacky tape/sheets. Use on single sided stickers (such as flourishes) by pressing the sticky side into flocking and tapping away the excess. Use glue on the other side to adhere to your project. Thin red tacky tape can be used to create flocked stripes on a project. Flock one sticky side of the tape by pressing flock in with your fingers. The other side of the sticky tape can be adhered to the project.
• Enhance punchies by using red tape sheets (double sided adhesive sheets) on cardstock that matches your flock. Punch out your shape, Press the sticky side into the flock and tap off the excess. Peel off the release tape on the other side to adhere to your project.
• Use flocking on chipboard shapes to add dimension. Use double sided sticky tape or high tack glue. Stack layered shapes for even more effect.
• Flocked areas can be stamped using a permanent ink pad. Flock your object first. Make sure the flocking has had a chance to dry and the excess has been tapped or brushed off. Stamp your image into the surface of the flock.
• Flock your brads! Use an embossing pad, high tack glue, or sticky powder to adhere flock to the surface of the brad.

A common use for flocking powder is in a stamped project. To flock an image, the following methods are suggested:

Using a glue pad:

• Stamp the image using a pigment ink, VersaMark, or embossing pad on to your paper.
• Pour the flocking fibers over the stamped image and tap off the excess.
• Let it sit to dry. To speed up the drying process, a heating tool can be used by heating through the underside of the paper and away from the flocking (the fibers may blow off if heated from above.)

Using sticky powder:

• Stamp the image using a pigment ink, VersaMark, or embossing pad on to your paper.
• Pour sticky powder such as Heat & Stick from Stamping Up or Stamp 'N Bond embossing powder over the image. Tap off the excess powder.
• Heat the image until the powder turns to glue (starts to turn shiny.)
• Immediately sprinkle flocking powder over the image and press in lightly with your fingers.
• Let dry completely. Tap or brush off the excess flocking.

Cautions:

• If highlighting with chalk on the same project, be careful not to let the chalk near the flock. Once it settles on the flock, it is impossible to remove.
• Let dry completely before adhering to your layout.

For the project:
From the Cosmo "Gothic" paper, two of the black images are cut to flock as well as two 4" x 12" strips for the layout. Use liquid glue to fill in the black patterned areas of the cut images. Spoon flock over top, pressing flock into the glue. Brush off the excess and set images aside to dry. Print a title on "Burning Embers" cardstock using a computer and fill in lettering with glue and flock as above. Trim and ink edges as desired.

Cut two 2" x 12" strips from the "Burning Embers" cardstock. Cut the Cosmo "Ominous" paper in half into two 6" x 12" strips. Layer the "Gothic", "Ominous", and "Burning Embers" pieces onto the "MacIntosh" cardstock as shown in the layout leaving a slight margin at the top and bottom of the two pages. Mat pictures with black cardstock and assemble layout as shown. Be sure the flocked images are dry before adhering to the layout.

Tags: Flock, Scrapaholix

January Fingertip Craft Knife kit

I am much better these days at not needing the latest and greatest tools. I have bypassed many a tool that has caught my eye. When it was decided that we would be using the fingertip craft knife for January kit, I was skeptical. Boy was I wrong!

This knife is great! I remember printing on reverse and using an exacto knife to painstakingly (or do I mean painfully?) cut out the words.

Back to the fingertip craft knife. It puts control in your hands much like using a pencil. Use your hand's natural motion and weight to make cutting easier. Just loop the craft knife over your index finger for a more controlled cutting experience.

For this layout: I used the light blue cardstock as the background. I also took this great green paper by Crate paper and cut it in half with the craft knife. I took the right side piece (that I was not going to use) as a template to cut out a duplicate on the cream cardstock. I pieced together and cut a thin curve from brown cardstock to cover the seam.

From the patterned paper, I cut out several designs using the craft knife. the two large flourishes fit perfectly to make a heart and hte other pieces served as anchors on the layout. I wrote "41" on the cream cardstock and used the craft knife to cut out around it. The rest of the wording was done in marker.

The craft knife was so easy to use. There were no numb spots on my fingers and the cuts were much smoother than using a conventional craft knife. I am sold on this gadget and you will love it too!

Tags: Crate paper, Scrapaholix, Fiskars

December Scrapaholix kit

I love this kit! Rarely do we do a holiday theme. The chipboard and papers from Sandylion are perfect (these are also discontinued by Sandylion but we have them for the kits!) I created this cute one page layout and several cards. I still have enough materials leftover for 3 cards. The coredinations burgundy cardstock is beautiful and sanding the edge gives a nice effect. I think the rest of the layout is self-explanatory as one paper is cut down to see the burgundy cardstock, and the other paper is torn as an accent piece. Chipboard pieces and brads round out the layout.

Here is the image of the cards:

You can use the materials and the chipboard to create tags for presents or decorate containers to make little gift containers for presents!

Embossing kit

This months kit includes a template and two embossing tools. We are using the coredinations cardstock which has a different color core than the outside. To do the layout, choose a section of the template you want to emboss and place it on the front side of the cardstock. Turn it over and emboss those areas. You can rub the embossing tool on waxed paper to make it glide easier on the cardstock. When finished turn it over and sand the embossed raised areas. A neat trick is to take a glue dot and place it on the head of the embossing tool and then stick a small piece of sandpaper there. Your embossing tool has now become a small sanding tool! I used the black coordinations as the embossed accent strip and the grey and black coredinations and white bazzill bling as backgrounds. It is hard the see, but I also embossed hearts in the title.