Category Archives: techniques

Feb25

Some Days Just Make You Happy

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Some Days Just Make You Happy

This. This page. This is why I do LOAD:

Live Laugh Play doodle! || noexcusescrapbooking.com

This page started with the photos. I love these glorious, hovering in mid-air pictures. They aren’t perfect by any stretch of the imagination, but they really capture how much fun the kids were having.

The next piece I decided to work with was the die cut pocket page card from Simple Stories. I love so much of their work. Lots of happy colors in their collections. I decided I wanted to use kraft cardstock as the background, and then discovered I had run out of the 12×12 paper. So then I pulled out some white, but that looked so anemic in comparison to the colorful photos that I pulled out some black instead.

There! That worked. But then I got hung up again on patterned paper. I wanted colorful and happy to go with the happy pictures, but throwing a lot of patterns together just made everything entirely too busy. And I really wanted to use the chevron/multi-color stripe paper, but I also loved the letters and arrows on the back.

Handy dandy paper trimmer to the rescue!

Rather than layering various papers on top of each other, and matting focal photos, I decided to keep it super simple and  cut one three inch strip, which I then cut into 4 inch pieces. Flipping one piece over, so the reverse pattern would show, I put everything into a simple grid arrangement, and walked away for a bit to get a fresh eye.

When I came back, I knew what I needed. Doodles. Lots of doodles. And maybe some enamel dots as well.

Why is doodling so much fun?

It’s definitely a happy page for a happy idea. And something I noticed, after I uploaded, and got a good distance view of the page? Can you see a heart? Let me know if you see it too. Maybe I’m imagining things.

I love how totally unplanned things make everything look like it was completely intentional.

So. Are you making anything you want to share? I’d love to see it!

Jan20

What’s inspiring you today?

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What’s inspiring you today?

The other day I was feeling out of sorts, if you will. Like I hadn’t made a page in years. Like if I didn’t get inky soon, I was going to implode.

When I have days like that, it means I need to switch gears, and move from the writing side of creativity to the messy side of creativity. Luckily, that day Noell Hyman from Paperclipping started posting her videos from CHA, which included demos from Julie Fei Fan Balzer, Dina Wakley and Dyan Reaveley.

If you’ve never seen any of their work, you really need to. Their art is messy and free and gorgeous. I love their philosophy of more is more, at least when it comes to layering on inks and paints. Every time Julie Fei Fan Balzer says, “But wait, there’s more!” my heart just gets happier and happier.

So, inspired by those lovely ladies, I created this. Three different brands of spray inks. (Dylusions, Mister Huey, and Fireworks). A stencil from Martha Stewart crafts, and a barely visible one from Julie’s Crafter’s Workshop line.  Ranger dauber paints dry brushed on. Some of my favorite stamps. A few distress inks. Faber Castell india ink markers. Lots of alphas. (Thickers, Tim Holtz, Scenic Route, and Making Memories.) And a felt silhouette I got from a scrapbooking kit club years ago.

all work and no play || noexcusescrapbooking.com

Do you like it? It really satisfied my need to create.

So what’s inspiring you now? Are you letting your inspiration motivate you to create? Give yourself permission to make something today. The dishes can wait. You need time to make messes too!

Dec26

Sharing Some Sparkle

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Sharing Some Sparkle

Today’s giveaway is a video tutorial about pearl powders. There are two major sources for pearl powders: Ranger Industries, and Jaquard. I use both in the video, although I do use more of the Pearl Ex powders from Jaquard, simply because that’s what I have more of. The major difference in the two brands is the formulation. Ranger’s Perfect Pearls has a binder mixed in that allows you to just use water to adhere your pearl powder. If you use Pearl Ex you need a binder, like Ranger’s Perfect Medium, or a liquid glue, or gum arabic.

I hope you find the video fun and useful! There are four ways you can add shimmer to your pages in this tutorial. It’s slightly less than 15 minutes, and, since it is on Vimeo, you can download it for later viewing if you so desire.

Pearl ex powder page from Heather Dubarry on Vimeo.

I’ll be back tomorrow with another giveaway for you!

Nov30

Thank YOU!

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Thank YOU!

This month has been so much fun! I hope you found some inspiring and useful information in this month’s card series.

Let’s finish up with a quick and simple card:

thanks you card

The card base was stamped with a large background stamp in an ink close to the color of the card base to create a tone on tone look. A single piece of patterned paper, with a piece trimmed off and reversed to create a contrasting line became the main structure, and a single phrase banner stamped and trimmed out became the focal point of the card. A few self-adhesive gems, and the card was done!

Which brings me to the main idea behind this card, and most of the cards I make:

Simple is lovely. While cards with lots of layers and papers and embellishments and techniques are fun, it’s not necessary to have it ALL on one card. Choose a technique or embellishment, and let that shine.

When you have time, and extra postage, play with adding lots of techniques and stash. When you want to get a lot done in a short amount of time, keep it simple.

Thank you so much for playing along with me this month! Let me know what your favorite card was.

If you signed up for my mailing list after the first of November, or if you haven’t sent me a reply to the sign-up email, you’ll be getting another email from me tomorrow. If you want to get one of these cards from me, make sure you reply and share your snail mail address with me. I can’t mail them if I don’t have an address to send them to! Cards will be going out on Monday!

Nov29

Spreading Some Sunshine

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Spreading Some Sunshine

One more card inspired by Raisin Boat’s True Stamp class:

sunshine card

This one started with yellow brayered onto the background. (More Dylusions ink.) After running it through the Sizzix in a Tim Holtz embossing folder, I then rolled on some orange on the raised surfaces. The orange was Studio Calico’s Mr. Huey’s in hot dog. That didn’t work as well. It didn’t flow as easily as the Dylusions did.

A sentiment done with a label maker (dictated by my son) and some Stickles stars, and the card was done.

Today’s tip: If you like to donate cards to Operation Write Home, you need to remember a very simple rule, for the safety of our troops. Do NOT send any cards with glitter on them. Glitter easily rubs off, and if it sticks to someone it could actually create a safety hazard. This card will not be going to Operation Write Home. Maybe I’ll send it to you, if you’re on my mailing list. 😉