Monthly Archives: November 2013

Nov5

Stenciled Background

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Stenciled Background

One of the great techniques from Julie Fei-Fan Balzer’s True Scrap Class Dirty Fingers Clean Design, (affiliate link) is this fun one using a stencil and paint to create a one of a kind background.

stenciled background

Don’t you just love how only three colors of paint and a foam sponge make this stenciled background rock? A few incidental stamps and a fussy cut focal image, and this card is DONE!

If you want even more ideas for things you can do with stencils, you should also check out Lain Ehmann’s class on stencils. (affiliate link)

Today’s quick tip: Don’t let a lack of specific word stamps or letter stickers keep you from creating a one of a kind sentiment. Use a label maker or individual alpha stamps or rub ons to create your own sentiment. You could even create a sentiment on your computer, and print and trim it to add to your card. Experiment!

Don’t forget, if you want to get a card in the mail, make sure you’re on my email list!

Nov4

Basic Technique Number One

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Basic Technique Number One

Once you’ve mastered the basics of stamping, there are so many ways you can use it. (If you are new to stamping, or are having problems with stamping, sign up for my email list. There’s a great (if I do say so myself) PDF and video on what the most common mistakes are in stamping, and how to avoid them.)

One of the most fun things to do with stamps is to create your own background papers. One of my very first blog posts from way back when shows you the basics. It’s even part of Julie Fei-Fan Balzer’s Dirty Fingers Clean Design True Scrap Class. (affiliate link) It’s definitely one of my go-to techniques when pulling out the stamps.

simple background stamped card

A quick tip for you: to create a sophisticated look for your background, use a stamp with strong structure that lends itself to a tiling motif, and use an ink pad similar in color to your paper. For a more subtle look, you could even use versamark ink, which creates a lovely watermark effect.

Don’t forget, if you want to get a card in the mail, make sure to sign up for my email list!

Now, I’m off to make more cards. If you’ve got a technique or design question, or a tool or supply that stumps you, comment below, and I’ll add your request to the card-making queue.

Nov3

Giving a Sketch a Twist

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Giving a Sketch a Twist

You’ve already seen two cards based on this sketch from Becky Fleck’s Page Maps 2. (affiliate link) Let’s look at one more version, shall we?

card 3 from skecth

Obviously different from the two previous cards, right? But if you look at it, it’s still patterned strips to one side, and focal point on the other. This time however, it’s rotated 90° and the strips are the sentiment, instead of the focal point.

The other two cards in comparison:

card from sketch 1  card 2 from sketch

Today’s tip is all about improving image quality when you stamp. Before I stamped the sentiment banner, I tested it out on a scrap piece of paper. It’s ALWAYS a good idea to test stamp when you’re breaking out a new to you stamp.

I am so glad I did because I discovered this:

imperfect stamp

What’s that? Why yes, there are low spots in the stamp! Sometimes it doesn’t matter how good you are at stamping, because you’ve got an imperfect stamp! This was a fairly easy fix. I used a fantastix from Ranger and added ink to the spots that didn’t transfer from the stamp. You could also use something like a small, stiff, paintbrush or a fine tipped foam makeup brush to fill in the missed spots. The final image looks fine, don’t you think?

card 3 close up

 

Let me know if there are any design rules or techniques you’d like me to cover for you this month.

And if you want to get one of the cards I make in the mail, make sure you’re one my email list by signing up here.

Nov2

Adaptable Punches

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Adaptable Punches

Day 2, Card 2!

As I said yesterday, today’s card is also based on a sketch from Becky Fleck’s Page Maps 2. (affiliate link)

The main reason for that is to show you how you can closely interpret the same sketch and get two different cards.

Now there's glitter on the sketch!

Now there’s glitter on the sketch!

Just to compare, here’s yesterday’s card:

card from sketch 1

You can tell they are based on the same sketch, but with different supplies and different techniques, they each have their own vibe.

The fun tip for today concerns those lovely decorative corner punches you’ve been putting off using. The Martha Stewart ones work well for this, as well as any punches that are designed with removable paper guides. (EK Success springs to mind at the moment.) You don’t want one with fixed guides. Well, you could use one, but that would make it more complicated.

Start by taking a strip of paper (I find scraps from previous projects ideal for this) and insert it completely into a decorative corner punch. You want the flat end of the strip to be flat against the back of the punch so the design comes out straight when you punch the paper. It’s okay, even more than okay, if your strip is wider than the punched design. After you punch the decorative corner out, you can cut off the excess sides with your paper trimmer or scissors, or even an exacto knife and ruler. You could even be a rebel, and leave the excess around the punch, so the negative image becomes the focus.

I cut my strips to different lengths, but again, this is something you can do or not do according to your own whims and design sensibilities. Just think of the possibilities of this technique. You could never have plain, boring journaling strips ever again!

Tomorrow’s card will use this sketch again, and then we’ll move onto some more fun card ideas.

Don’t forget, if you want to get a card in the mail, make sure you’re on my email list. Sign up here!

Nov1

Welcome to November!

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Welcome to November!

It’s November, and this year, that means cards. Lots and lots of cards!

Why cards? This is after all a SCRAPBOOKING site.

Well, there are lots of reasons. Mostly its because cards are a great way to practice new techniques and design principles in small, easily digested doses. Design principles that work for cards, also work for scrapbook pages, they just don’t feel as overwhelming with the smaller size. Techniques that you can practice and star on a card make excellent embellishments and backgrounds for scrapbook pages.

Make sense? Shall we get started then?

Today’s card (and the next two days as well) is based on a sketch from Page Maps 2. (affiliate link)

Wait, is that glitter on there? It really does get everywhere.

Wait, is that glitter on there? It really does get everywhere.

As you can see it is a very close interpretation of the sketch. But if you look closely at the sketch and break down its components, you’ll see there are many different ways you can use this to inspire a card, or even a page.

You can interpret the bottom half as strips of scrap patterned paper, washi tape (as I did here), or even as one big piece of patterned paper. The border can be anything from a piece of ribbon, to enamel dots to nonexistent. The sentiment can be words, or a focal image, with all sorts of embellishment options.

Today’s tip: You can make a typical sized card by cutting any piece of 8.5 x 11 paper in half, and then folding it. You can make a card front to adhere to your card base by cutting a piece of cardstock to 4 x 5.25. (You can get four of them from an 8.5×11 piece of paper, and six from a 12×12.) Having a card front means you can experiment with techniques without ruining a base, and you can hide things like the ends of ribbons or brad legs. No awkward ends or sticking out hardware makes for a more finished and professional looking card.

Don’t forget! If you want to get a card from me in the mail, make sure you’re on my e-mail list. Sign up here!