Teacher Gift - Altered Wine Bottles

Vicky blogging today... I am sharing a little project I did using the gorgeous brand new Grandma's School Book collection from Pion Design. This was a fantastic collection to use to alter wine bottles to give to my son's teacher as a thank you gift. I used the Helmar 450 glue (holds anything really nicely to glass) for this project. I also added some beautiful Green Tara trims and flowers to compliment these papers. I used an Epiphany Crafts tool (the "25 round" tool and sample product for making these) to create the pretty epoxy charms out of the Pion paper. Just a quick post today!

Reminder: Contributor Artists Deadline

Hi all I am reposting my original post about seeking new contributors... emails are due by the end of June 30th..

Ideas For Scrapbookers is looking for fun, creative, new contributors for the blog. We are a blog with so many things to offer: sketches, templates, tutorials, project ideas, challenges, and so much more. We love to chat and being a contributor is drama free! I love the contributors on the team, I feel so lucky to have them!!

Being a contributor is not a design team member. Contributing artists can contribute as little or as much as they like. They can also take off time without permission. It is very easy and fun because each person can get involved as they want (contributors tend to post 1-2 times per month).  Each contributor will sign up as much as they like on a calendar each month. They also send in pages for the designer showcases each Wednesday when they have projects that fit the theme. Contributing artist are allowed to promote the companies they work with, they can even use the posts they create for another site as long as it is ok with that other company/blog/etc.  Does this sound like something you might be interested in?

We are looking for people who like to contribute, have fun, and share ideas. Do you have a new idea for the blog that you would like to share? Or sketches, templates, page ideas, or tutorials? We are looking for something that you are passionate about! I am also looking for someone who would like to pin things on to our pinboard (maybe in addition to creating posts?).

To be considered for a contributing artist, please submit the following:
-Email Pam at scrappingpam73@yahoo.com with the subject "CONTRIBUTING ARTIST"
-A link to any galleries, blog, etc (you do not need a blog to be considered for position)
-Tell us what you would like to contribute. (You may also send in links to posts you have done or an example post you would do but this is not a requirement.)
-Three examples of your favorite projects.
-Anything else you would like to add is fine!

Please send in your email by June 30th. I will be announcing the new contributors by July 3rd. If you are not selected please know that you will be considered for the future. I am usually looking to add more contributors a few times a year. New contributors will be selected based on how their ideas fit in with our current goals and themes. This is not a contest. Thank you, good luck, and I can't wait to see the submissions!

Designer Showcase: Old Supplies

Happy Wednesday!  For some of us that means the middle of the week, half done and half the week to go!  Cathy here with another Designer Showcase. This week we are serving up some projects that use older supplies.

If you are anything like me, you've got a drawer, or box, or shelf that has some of the papers, flowers, stickers, etc that you fell in love with and just "had" to have. But then, you were afraid to use them on a project because you didn't want to run out of them, or you wanted to make sure you used them for just the right page or card. Yeah - you know, that stash!

Lesley has this amazing page to share. The paper she used is a Basic Grey line. As Lesley put it, there was a time when she just had to "buy every line they put out".  Lesley scrapped a picture from when her daughter was younger.  I love the way she set the photo off against the strips of paper. The banner snipping of the edges really adds character to school theme of the layout as well.

Just as Lesley, I used to love to collect Cosmo Cricket papers. I still love to, but I tend to get the digital version more now.  Some times though, it's really fun to work with paper.  I've had this line sitting in my bin for several years, when I was making a card recently, I decided it would be best to use these papers and share their beauty with others. They really aren't getting their just due sitting in my box!

Even older than the Cosmo Cricket papers are the papers that I used for this card. Would you believe they are by Prima? Pretty bold and sassy for Prima, wouldn't you say?

Come on - you know you have some old lovelies stashed away! You're just like all the rest of us, hoarding all those beautiful papers and embellishments. Well, it's time to get them out and put them to good use!  Have fun using some old supplies. Besides, using them up creates all the more space to fill with newer supplies!

A template with vertical Waves!

Hi, Dolores here today to share a new template with some fun vertical waves.  I like the look of movement on many of my pages so waves are often in the mix when I design a page. I often like to break up the background on a page and dividing the page with waves does a nice job of accomplishing that look.  Here is my layout.

I created this page with a lovely kit by Kim Broedelet called Mulberry Fields.  I love these rich colors paired with the beautiful pastel and earth tones.  Below is my sketch for this page.

For our digital scrapbookers you can download the template I created in Photoshop from either of the two file sharing sites below.

4Shared:  ds-template-23.psd

MediaFire:  ds-template-23.psd

Hope you enjoy the sketch and template.  I'd love to see some of your creations!

Creating a Unique background Paper

Hi, it's Marlene here.  I hope everyone had a nice weekend, I got to spend part of mine scrapbooking so I'm happy.

Thursday, June 21, Nancy posted a marbling tutorial on IFS.  It gave me a idea.  I wanted background paper reminencent of mahogany bark for a page about my adventure into a rain forest so I used a similar technique to make my own.  The two pager I had planned was 12 x 12 and my non-stick craft sheet (like Nancy used) was too small.  I have only managed to accumulate 3 distress inks and all 3 are the wrong colors. I improvised with the back of a Cricut mat and alcohol inks.

 With the 6 different colors of alcohol inks, I randomly applied dots of color, like this first illustration.  When I had the mix I wanted  (you have to work quickly because alcohol ink dries quickly), I pressed a sheet of white paper on the wet ink.  The colors were a little bright for the natural look I was going for so I applied Staz On Dove Gray ink with a rubber brayer to muddle the colors some.

I used this technique two different times for the two pager I had in mind and here is the result.

Update- Color Challenge

Hi everyone!  Nancy here today with a quick reminder about the color challenge sponsored by the Sampler kit club.  You have until June 30th to enter for your chance at some wonderful prizes.  Just link your design here or on the original post to be entered.

Hugs.

Nancy

Creating a Layout with Mini Album

Hi it's Lesley here. Because of my son in-law being in the military and only a few months away from being posted from WA way across to VA, they had no choice but to sell off their Caravan which has held so many good times for them.  Because of this I thought I would grab a few of my favorite photos of my grandson on 2 of those camping trips they've had and put them into a mini book on a page.  This of course isn't intended to be put in an album because of the bulk, but rather, is being put into a shadow box frame.

On the page I have cut around Henry for effect on the title.  The front of the mini book is covered with Pan Pastels which have given the sunset affect, and then over that I used a Versamark sticky ink pad to be able to emboss the stamped image.  I used a fine detail black embossing powder.  Title and embellishment on the book cover have been raised with pop dots for effect as well.

The following pictures are from inside the book.  Firstly page 1 and 2.  Page 2 I have created a pocket to put the photo in and the orange paper behind it is also a pocket so another photo can be popped in there.  The page is actually a folder so inside it are the pictures 3 and 4 in the attached pictures enabling 4 pictures to be shown on this one small page.

The following pictures are inside pages 3 and 4, with page 3 having a pocket with a small piece of ribbon attached to pull out the picture which you can just see sitting inside the back pocket.  Pages 5 and 6 have only the one photo as I have reserved page 5 for journaling and the green paper which I have written on is also a pocket so more journaling can be placed in it.  Page 5 is also another folder so when opened out you can see 3 more photos on the 2 sides of the inside folder.

I hope you enjoy this, I know we always aim to have flat pages for practical reasons within our albums, but sometimes you need to make an off the page item, with my intention of this is to allow Henry access to it now as an interactive book.

Distress Stains - Marbling

Hi everyone, Nancy here today to share with you another technique using your Tim Holtz Distress Stains. (warning, tutorial = photo heavy, hee hee)  But I promise, it is easy to do.

Begin by selecting a few distress stain colors to work with, and of course a tag.

 Apply the distress stains to your craft mat.

 Run the tag over the stain.

Here you see the tag after its quick trip over the mat.

 You can use a heat tool to dry the tag.

 Spritz the tag lightly with water to allow the stains to move and blend.

 And here is the finished tag.

I added a Prima Trinket as well as some shrink art I had made in a previous tutorial that you can see here.

I hope you enjoy playing with your Distress Stains as much as I do.

Hugs.

Nancy

Designer Showcase: Dimension/Texture without Bulk

Happy Wednesday!  It's Cathy here with you today to bring you this weeks Designer Showcase. Do you love to add texture to your layouts? But not like all the bulk that goes with it?  We've got a few ideas to share with you that add yummy texture, but keep your layouts on the then side, able to fit nicely in your albums.

Cindy created this really sweet page with some neat tricks to give it dimension. She used tone-on-tone to add dimension to the circles, banner, star and journaling. Gives a really nice deep look without the bulk. Nice, huh?

Check out this two pager. Cindy created a really deep look and gave lots of texture to this page by using a few well coordinated colors. She repeated the pattern at both ends of the page which gives both the look of depth, as well as the feel of texture. There is some hand stitching that really gives nice texture too.  Cindy calls herself a "bulk-phobe" (so cute!), she loves the look of dimension, but not the hassle of bulky layouts. So she finds lots of ways to trim down her layouts. The title on this one is made from chipboard letters. But, Cindy peeled off the bottom layers of them to make them thinner.  So cool!

Doesn't this page by Nancy look so rich and deep? It makes me just want to reach out and touch it! Nancy has some buttons and brads on her page, which area always a great way to add dimension to a page.  The real depth to this page is accomplished through the layering of the papers.  The patterns and colors play together nicely, and the really cool part is the bit of shape that Nancy added to them, She trimmed a pennant edge to the papers. Great way to add detail, dimension and texture to a layout, while still keeping it skinny!

If you've been following our blog, you know that Vicky is well known for you bulky textured dimensional beauties. She even came up with a layout that has lots of detail and texture without a lot of bulk.  Vicky used doilies as the background of your design. They add so much to the page. She also used some thin chipboard and die cuts too. By repeating the pattern of the doilies on teh page, Vicky has created dimension and texture and set up a visual stimulating page!

Lesley has some great techniques for for making your page textures without bulk.  She used a punch to create a border which gives the page intricate detail and texture. She added another border on the left side of the photo mat and ran that through her Cuttlebug to emboss it to give added dimension. Lesley added great dimension and detail to her background paper. It started out white, then she blended Pan Pastels and added some Glimmer Mist. What a great way to add the feel of texture without any bulk.  The title and verson on her page were added using stamps - another great way to add the look of layers and dimension as well as the feel of varying textures with no bulk at all!


Another tip that Lesley shared is that although this page appears to be 5 layers of paper, she actually cut away the hidden parts of paper behind each layer. Making her finish page only 1 paper of thickness!  Clever idea!  Plus you can then use those scraps for other projects!

Sometimes you might have a piece of memorabilia that you want to add that is bulky.  Like I did on this page. I wanted to include the cozy wrap from my coffee.  To keep the page from being too bulky, I carefully pulled apart the cozy and spread it across the page as a large element.  I also included a used gift card. By not layering my elements too much on top of each other, I was able to keep the page from getting too bulky. Ohhh, I used to love coffee. I gave it up cold-turkey 18 months ago.  Glad I made this page before I quit that habit!

Another way to keep your pages skinny is to make hybrid pages. By hybrid, I mean a combination of digital and traditional paper scrapping. That's how I created this page.  The background of this page was created digitally. It includes the large photo at the top merged on to the digital paper on the bottom with the honeycombs, "paint" spray, journaling, smaller photo and date.  I then printed that out as one piece of paper. I layered that on a 12x12 Kraft paper.   The only "bulk" to this page is the pocket that I created for the lower right corner. I again designed that digitally and printed it so it is one piece of paper. I then glued 3 sides of it to the lower layer. I was able to stuff our tickets and wrist bands from this great exhibit into the pocket and still was able to place this layout inside a sleeve in my album. Sorry the photo is so wobbly. I was laid up following surgery when I finished this and actually took the photo while it was laying on my lap!

We would be remiss if we didn't mention digital scrapping as a way to accomplish dimension, and texture without bulk. I created this layout completely digitally.  I created a lot of layers on this page and used elements that have the look of rich grungy, and sharp textures.  The secret to getting this look digitally is playing with shadows.

We hope we've given you a few ideas on how to help your pages lose the bulk, but not the look!

New Sketch and Template with Arrows!

Hi, this is Dolores and I have a sketch and template to share today the uses large arrows to accent your page.  The arrows give the background some interest and allow you to use multiple colors or patterned paper with ease.  I have two layouts to share using the template.  First is a vintage looking layout about the special things I recall of my Grandmother, thus my title "My Wish for Vintage Charm."

The arrow shapes here are reminiscent of quilt pieces and the intricate stitching my Grandmother did to create them.  I used a lovely kit by Sherwood Studio to create this page called Thriftique.  My second layout is a complete turnaround from the feminine to the masculine.  Here is a page with a picture of my husband hiking.

I rotated the template 90 degrees counter clockwise and got a whole different look.  Now use your imagination for a moment, don't those arrow shapes remind you of tire tracks from an off road vehicle.   This page was created using two coordinating kits from Sherwood Studio, they are Colorado Springtime and Colorado Springtime in the Canyon.  Living in Colorado and loving the outdoors I couldn't resist these two.  Here is the sketch of my page.

The template I created in PhotoShop can be downloaded at either of the two file sharing sites below.

4Shared: ds-template-21.psd

MediaFire:  ds-template-21.psd



Have a great time scrapping those layouts.  Hope you enjoy the template!

Reader's Page

Happy Monday to you all.

I have a great reader's page to share. It was created by Cheryl H. She used my template Circle Rays Template which you can download or so the sketch here.

Cheryl's page is filled with so many fun photos. Notice how she used a lot of the spots for photo rather than just patterned paper. It is a great way to display so many great memories. I also like the banner on this page, it really goes with the flow of the layout!  The kit she used was Chelle's Creations 'Hole in One' kit at Scrap Orchard.

Thanks Cheryl for sharing your fun page!!

Looking For New Contributing Artists...

Hi everyone, it's Pam! Before I do my post today, I just wanted to remind everyone, don't forget to participate in the color challenge Nancy posted. There aren't many giveaways on the blog and this is a great way to get involved and you have a chance at a prize :).

__________________________________________________

Ideas For Scrapbookers is looking for fun, creative, new contributors for the blog. We are a blog with so many things to offer: sketches, templates, tutorials, project ideas, challenges, and so much more. We love to chat and being a contributor is drama free! I love the contributors on the team, I feel so lucky to have them!!

Being a contributor is not a design team member. Contributing artists can contribute as little or as much as they like. They can also take off time without permission. It is very easy and fun because each person can get involved as they want (contributors tend to post 1-2 times per month).  Each contributor will sign up as much as they like on a calendar each month. They also send in pages for the designer showcases each Wednesday when they have projects that fit the theme. Contributing artist are allowed to promote the companies they work with, they can even use the posts they create for another site as long as it is ok with that other company/blog/etc.  Does this sound like something you might be interested in?

We are looking for people who like to contribute, have fun, and share ideas. Do you have a new idea for the blog that you would like to share? Or sketches, templates, page ideas, or tutorials? We are looking for something that you are passionate about! I am also looking for someone who would like to pin things on to our pinboard (maybe in addition to creating posts?).

To be considered for a contributing artist, please submit the following:
-Email Pam at scrappingpam73@yahoo.com with the subject "CONTRIBUTING ARTIST"
-A link to any galleries, blog, etc (you do not need a blog to be considered for position)
-Tell us what you would like to contribute. (You may also send in links to posts you have done or an example post you would do but this is not a requirement.)
-Three examples of your favorite projects.
-Anything else you would like to add is fine!

Please send in your email by June 30th. I will be announcing the new contributors by July 3rd. If you are not selected please know that you will be considered for the future. I am usually looking to add more contributors a few times a year. New contributors will be selected based on how their ideas fit in with our current goals and themes. This is not a contest. Thank you, good luck, and I can't wait to see the submissions!

Last Minute Father's Day Gift

Hi, Vicky blogging today! My project today is something you can actually create REALLY FAST with your kids - homemade tinted bath salts for HIM. Men like relaxing baths too! For this project I used my June Swirlydoos "antiquities" kit (featuring Bo Bunny products) and a recycled glass Kraft brand jam jar (plus some SUPER Helmar glue - see details below). BTW - Helmar is having a GREAT blog hop TODAY with fantastic prizes to be won!

Close-up of the card glued together using Helmar's Craft and Hobby PVA Glue.

Close-up of the jar decor glued using Helmar's 450 Quick Dry glue.

Bath salt recipe (mix together very well):

2 cups epsom salts

1/2 cup coarse salt or sea salt

A few drops of food colouring

A few drops of essential oil (optional - for aromatherapy)

(these make super teacher gifts too :)