Wednesday, June 27, 2012

Mini Girly Purse Scrapbook



A mini with some blingy.


Howdy partners in craft crime!  This here little doozy of a project will have the whole town up in arms.  OK, maybe not the entire town. Hehehe...I'm not sure if girly scrapping gets much more fun than this book.  It might take ya a little longer than an afternoon to put it together.  It's not that the difficulty level is so high, just that there are a lot of elements involved.  I would encourage scrappers and crafters of any level to give it a try.


You start off with this white, template.  (I can scan it for you and send it via e-mail or Facebook and then you have to enlarge it.) or you can just free draw it.  There are three patterns.  The hour glass shape, the page and the flap.  All three are here in white.  Trace over them in the colors you like.  I kept my book fairly rigid and made it with good card stock, but I used cheaper paper for the inserts and adhered them back to back.






The bright, green card stock is the basis of the book.  I chose a matching, bright, girly patterned paper for the inserts and to decorate the outside of the purse.  I used both double sided tape and glue.  I typically use double sided tape around the outside and then glue in the middle if I'm using stronger paper such as card stock.

No worries if your pages are not perfect, but I do line them all up and snip a little here and there to see that they are approximately the same size.





Use a hole punch to make three small holes in the crease outlined by the black dotted line on the pattern.  You can use eyelets or in this case, brads.

I used three large brads.  It gave a little more freedom when it came to the depth I needed for my inserts.  This picture is an excellent illustration of where you need to score your inside pages.

My first page is one heck of an opener!  I just love it.  Many of these papers used in the book are from a 6x6 book I bought at a discount store and because the inserts are so small it gave quite some left overs and that was a big part of my embellishing technique.




Keep in mind as you are designing your book that some pages are going to be upside down when in the book.  It took me a bit to figure that one out.  This top page with the pink ribbon and flowers was supposed to be the bottom of the page (in my deranged mind), but after applying it properly, it turned out on the top.  I thought it still looked great.  So, I didn't make any changes.  Go with the flow.

Gems and ribbons are just screaming, "GIRL!"  I did use a lot of them throughout this book.  When coordinating how I was going to set up the pages, I kept in mind, the next page.  So that when the pages are back to back and the book is opened, the book coordinates.  Like you see to the left.  A little strip of the top page is on the bottom page.  Each page is softened by ribbon.
                                 

Another little strip from the two previous pages is applied here.  A little injection of that bright green is sporadically used throughout the book to continue the coherence.  The flowers on the top page were from one of those confetti sets and I just used my smallest hole punch for the centers.  Some flowers were doubled up and some were doubled up with paper punch flowers.

The fabric flowers on the bottom page adds more warmth and texture which contradicts the cooler silver frame giving a little obvious contrast.  Soft and warm with fabric and cool and hard with metal or metallic.
 My latest craze are pearls.  They just add that perfect touch of elegance.  I received these pearl strands at a workshop.  It was a small container full!  I hope I will be able to find them somewhere when I run out.  There's that touch of green again.  This time coupled up with some cute buttons in coordinating colors and a lace look that brings a bit of old to a more modern style.

This little frame was a synch to make.  The 6x6 pattered paper was just this grid of cuteness.  I cut a square out of the middle that fit on my page.  Some sequins here and there for more glitz, a cute little butterfly and a big, blingy flower makes a serious statement.
This is the last page.  However, I would suggest not decorating the last page and adhering it to the basis of the book.  Oopsy...there are some upside down hearts here.  I thought the page was really cool and had some very interesting aspects, but the book would be much better if you glue down this last page.
You may have to cut your flap a little bit smaller to fit like this on your cut out.
Here is how I chose to close my book.  If you use a bit heavier embellishments it may automatically hold down your flap.  You could use magnets, velcro, a clasp, ribbon, a tiny Glue Dot...there are many options for you to choose.

I don't know about you, but embellishing is my favorite part of scrapbooking.  This cover was really fun.  Here is what I used.  A large circle, a large flower, then a smaller one, then a brad and then a tiny hole punch from super, blingy, glitter paper.  Which is just what those tiny, pink, circles are with even tinier silver dots layered up.  My trusty Elmer's Craft Glue pen and some Glue Dots to adhere.  TIP:  I use the bottom end of this handy pen, which is a wide tip, to fill in larger spaces and the top tip is super tiny which makes gluing minuscule bits a snap.
For the back cover of the book, use a strip of paper to cover over your brads, eyelets or whatever you used to fasten your pages in the book.
Of course, you could use a larger piece of paper to cover the back as well.  I thought the green was really great and eye catching.  So, I left most of it exposed.





Ah!  It's really coming into shape, but what's missing?  The handle or strap can be made in many ways.  You could use a small, light, chain, ribbon, wire...The possibilities are endless.  That's one of the great things about this book.  There are just so many options.  Styles, textures, colors, themes, they are are all limitless with this project.


 Here is an inside look at the brads as well as how I fastened the ribbon of the handle to the inside of the book.  A simple knot is all it took. Keep in mind of the limited amount of space in this crease to not only fasten your pages, but your strap as well.
 I was a bit surprised how fast the strap came along.  Thread one end of the ribbon through a small hole in the top of the purse (and eyelet if you choose) then tie a small knot.  Then go up a couple of inches, tie another knot and then begin adding your beads.  I made a fixed pattern because I'm a kind of symmetric freak.  When you have the amount of beads you want, tie another knot.  Thread the other end of the ribbon through the hole in the top of the purse, tie the last knot and voila!  I used enough beads to measure the width of a typical, feminine hand.
 Here is how I covered up the brad pins from the big flower embellishment on the flap.  I could have used a flower, but I felt like I used enough of those already and chose another shape that was repeated in the project.TIP:  Where it's appropriate, I put a flower over the back of the brad pins and if the pins are colored then you turn the brad and fix the flowers so the the two pins look like petals from the flower.




Here are some more supplies used in this crafty endeavor.  More up-cycling with cards to make tags.  Check out that awesome glitter paper!  Cut in an oval, decked out with a blingy brad, some ribbon, dimensional butterfly and the word, "Fun" I snipped from an old birthday card.  Check out all of the useful fonts on that card.  I'll be using that again.  A little glitter glue is applied in dots in the word, "Fun" to pump it up another level.

Below is the back of the "Fun" tag.  More fun!  A little ribbon is used to cover the brad pins and the embellishments were backed on to black paper to make for more pop.


  


Add some metal elements and charms for even more excitement.

This really is a great project and an eye popper.  So many people love this when I give it as a present.  Give it a try and post your end results. and keep on keep'n on!

Friday, June 22, 2012

Heirloom Book from Graphic 45


Happy Friday!

Today I'm sharing a fairly large project with you.  It's an heirloom Book I started last year in a workshop I attended in Kortrijk, Belgium at a hobby shop called Tiny's.  You can imagine how excited I was when I found out the instructor was from America?!  She had with her an abundance of goodies from Graphic 45 and Tattered Angels.  Our supplies seemed unending.  Everyone was oohing and awing at all of the wonderful things that were placed before us.  

The project was a bit ambitious, but the end result was fabulous.  It took me forever to get this one done.  I put it away after not finishing at the workshop and did a million other projects in-between. After going through all of the wonderful things again I jumped right back on the project and finished it all up at once.  I couldn't believe I would let such fantastic materials sit in that lonely little zip loc, in the closet.  What the heck?!



The cover is to die for!  So many embellishments and products that I would normally not use.  Like the lace at the bottom.  I might jump to say that it isn't really my style, but it is.  It is!  How can it not be when it looks so great?!  The dimensional flowers, blingy brad and the pearls.  The PEARLS!  I love the pearls! I will definitely make pearls a permanent part of my embellishment stash.  They just finish the look perfectly.


The cover and the first page were very labor intensive.  So many layers, textures, colors...and now we are inking.  Inking!  I don't ink!  I do now!  The ink also gives a more polished look. Here was my rub-on disaster.  My rub-ons often don't any more which leads me to cutting them out.  At least it's an option.


What a special treat?!  Scrapping these old, family photos.  People who I didn't know when they looked like this.  Whom I could hardly recognize due to their youth and vitality.  Such young, innocent faces.  A fantastic experience for me.

Until I placed these pearls, this page just seemed so boring.  Not any more.


On this page you can see we used a stencil and some glitter spray.  We were not able to take that home with us, but I could copy it by using a splattering method with some paints and a brush.  Of course it was not nearly as easy and it was twice as messy.  I made an attempt at making my own bling. Hehehe...I used my Elmer's craft glue pen and squeezed out a few small dots of glue, then buried them with blingy glitter, let dry and voila! I plan on using this technique a lot more.


The page with my uncle in the tree is one of my favorites.  We also made this page at the workshop, but with no photos at the time.  All of the layering and the contrasting little stamps looks great.  Check out the page torn from an old book.  I am so going to the thrift store and getting a huge, old book with weathered pages so I can continue this strategy on other pages.  It's fantastic!


My layout with grandma on it, creeps me out.  According to my father she was a terrible mother.  This picture proves his story, in my opinion.  I also had no idea they had colored pictures in the late 20's.  How fortunate was I that there were pages in this Once Upon A Spring Time collection, that matched so perfectly?  Great!  I do plan on inserting information on some of the pages about the people in the pictures.  (I had to temporarily delete this photo due to it's upcoming publication in Scrapbooking Magazine.com.  Sorry for the inconvenience.)


How cute?!  All the little bunnies!  My pops and his two brothers.  Such lovely embellishments all coordinating so magically.  Anyone can make a fabulous page with these kinds of products.


Does it get any easier than the layout above?  A beautiful paper from the collection, a fancy frame, a few flowers, greenery and pearls and it's finished.  That simple.  Despite its simplicity, I really, really like this page.


I left some space on the bicycle layout for information.  My printer is out of ink, again.  That's a paper doily I had left over from a dinner I had ages ago, fancied up a bit with some antique white paint.  I rubbed in a little paint around the edges of the page to make it look a bit more older, used and loved.


The gang's all here!!!  Loving the TV!  More brushed on paint, cut outs from the collection, another gorgeous butterfly, pearls, ribbons and the torn effect.  Man, this stuff is easy!


Another very simple look.  A rustic, brassy frame, applied gold paint for further cohesion, flowers, pearls and ribbons brings the book and the look of this layout all together.  What do you think of the spattered paint look?  The page just seemed a bit too plain without it.


I've seen this peek-a-boo look a while back in a scrap magazine and I couldn't wait to try it out.  Doesn't it look just great on this page?!  More doilies and torn paper finishes this one up.


Straight lines and like colors and hues brings it all together.  Repetition with flowers, ribbons and pearls goes throughout the book.


Did I over do it?  A little over the top?  Tacky?  The pink mesh is a totally different touch, but somehow it seemed to work here.  I love this pinky orange color, too.  It adds a nice little kick of color.


I could not be more pleased than with the above layout.  My pops in his pram, rattle in hand.  Love it!  Cluster arrangements around the picture add a rich, luxurious feel to this.  More gold spatters to carry the  panache to the next level.


Well, you made it to the end.  This is the last page.  It looked a tad bit washed out until I added the blue-green color injection.  Using fabric, pearls and this awesome, detailed butterfly makes it look like you spent a fortune on this page.


The back cover incorporates many of the styles,colors, textures, etc from the entire book.  With repetitive use of papers and colors it gives the book a coherence and lifts the book to a higher level of quality and style.  Use these kinds of techniques in your projects to raise the bar and push your crafting skills.

Oh, the purse! I still didn't give you the purse!  I'll try to squeeze that in next week.  Until then, happy scrappy trails to you...until we meet again....

Thursday, June 14, 2012

Paper Wreath
















Hello Happy Scrappers!

There are very strange things going on with Blogger this morning, but I'll keep trucking on.  If it looks a little strange, I apologize.  Someone didn't have their coffee this morning, maybe? I know they often make adjustments or updates in the middle of the night which is what it is in the U.S. Hehehe...

So, what do you think of this paper wreath?  It wasn't really my original idea.  I saw it on the TipJunkie's blog.  I love that blog!  They have a lot of freebies and tons of great ideas.  This is a rendition of one of their many tutorials on paper wreaths.  It looked simple and guess what?  It was!  I had this puppy finished from top to bottom in under 2 hours.  Can you believe it?!

As you can see in this photo below, I used a very rigid piece of cardboard that I kept from the backing of calendar packing.  I nearly went through my entire kitchen looking for just the right size circle.  Every plate, pot lid and salad bowl.  Finally, I got the right size for the outside of the circle and then a lid from a pot for the inside of the circle.  I just eyeballed it as usual, penciled around the edges and cut it out with my kitchen shears.  




I cut the large circle all the way through for easier and more accurate cutting, then taped it up when I was finished.  The tape will be covered up by the circles anyway.


Below you will see the stash I chose.  I was just looking for things with like, harvest colors.  Nothing too modern or rigid, but more softer natural things.  I didn't use all of this stuff, but thought you might be interested in the process of choosing embellishments for your projects.  This is how I do it.  I group all of my papers and embellishments in some kind of color order and style set.  Stickers, ribbons, letters, frames, etc.


I used a gorgeous paper from this fantastic collection from Simple Stories.  This was one of those collections that I saw in a magazine, Creatief Met Fotos and I had to have it.  Someone on their staff made a brilliant scrapbook using this collection and I plan on pretty much swiping the entire idea.  It was brilliant!  This is an excellent sample of all the goodies you get in the set.  For me, it was a must have.  As you know, I rarely buy anything that is not on sale, but I just couldn't resist.


Here are all of the papers I used.  When choosing my papers, I took the Destinations pack with me to my enormous Pamper's box full of papers, which is conveniently organized by rainbow colors for faster searching.  I pulled colors out of the collection that were as close as possible to those in the collection and chose the gold for a bit of blingy glamour and warmth.


Below you can see the cardboard circle is nearly covered by the brown and burgundy circle base.  Notice the pattern? Over and under.  You can choose any pattern you like or none at all, but I played around with it and thought this pattern looked the best.  I used double sided tape, right in the middle so that it wouldn't go over the edges and stick to everything else.  It also leaves a lot of room if you choose to slide another circle slightly under another.


You can see the design paper from the collection.  Most of the papers are plain for this project and I wanted one, good, design paper that would help make it pop.  I used my handy, Fiskars shape cutter which cut a ton of time off of the project. (Punny, eh?)


Here are some of the embellishments for on the wreath.  Some are from the Destinations package (The heart, 100% Real Life Ticket and the Good Times Ticket.) and some are from my own stash.  All keeping with a Fall theme and all warm and cozy colors.


 The wreath is really coming along nicely.  All of the circles have been cut in various sizes and with different, coordinating papers.  I thought the circles with no centers was a neat touch and I only used a few.  The base was planned and thought out, but for the rest of the layering circles, I just moved them around until I got the look I liked.  I did the same binding technique as I did for the base circles so I could slide underneath another circle.  I fooled around with the few embellishments I used until the desired look was achieved and designed the two circles that dangle from the top.

Also displayed for you are the adhesive supplies I used.  In the bottom right hand corner is my center-less circle with tiny Glue Dots.  Just make sure that the Glue Dots end up adhering to paper.  TIP: If ya goofed a little, which we all do at times, then rip off a small piece of the paper backing from the Glue Dots and stick on the dot or part of the dot that is not adhered to paper.  This way it won't stick any more.


Choose a ribbon to dangle or hang. A wreath hanger could work or use a few Glue Dots to hang your wreath. It's really, really light. Voila!


 If you want to add a more personal touch to your craft, then add some family photos like I did here, below.


Thanks again for checking out my blog.  I also have a FaceBook Page that I keep up to date, daily.  Feel free to comment or post on my wall.  Hope to see you there and join us again for a new blog.  I have a super, duper, girly purse I made that poses as a mini scrapbook.  You have to check it out!

https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Cherry-On-Top/322708647766995?ref=tn_tnmn
www.tipjunkie.com
www.gluedots.com
http://simplestories.typepad.com
http://www.creatiefmetfotos.nl
http://www3.fiskars.com

 Tah!