Banners, banners, everywhere!
It's no secret that I love to include banners on my projects :) Banners have been such a popular element in papercrafting for the past few years . . . and I think they will stick around for awhile.

Here are two layouts that I used banners on. For this first layout, I first placed the October Afternoon letter stickers on the pattern paper then trimmed around them, leaving an extra long length at the bottom. Then I snipped triangles out of the bottom of each rectangle for a pennant shape.

You can also use the corner of a square punch to cut out the notch in the bottom of the shape.

On this layout, I cut out triangles from the star pattern paper and then matted them for extra dimension. Adding the buttons between each triangle makes it look like they are connecting the banner together.

One of my favorite ways to enhance a banner is to stitch along the top.

Sometimes the embellishments aren't "stitchable", so I use a little liquid adhesive and add twine instead.

Hope you have fun adding banners to your projects!

Melanie

Have you ever put a sticker onto your layout and decided that the placement, angle or overall appearance is completely WRONG?  Then, when you carefully try to remove it, you damage your whole project in the process.   I have made this mistake so MANY times.  There is nothing more frustrating than ruining a layout after putting all that time and effort into it.

I have an awesome little trick that has taken away all of my sticker anxiety!  Check it out.

• Adhere your sticker onto a coordinating piece of cardstock, then cut around the edge of the sticker creating a mat.  This takes a little more time, but the effect is worth it.
• Matting your sticker on cardstock, will allow you to reposition it until you find that PERFECT spot where you want to glue it down.

Here are some other things to try.

• If you use a contrasting color cardstock/paper to mat your sticker, it will make the embellishment stand out and keep it from getting lost in the background.

•  If you mat your sticker on paper or cardstock, you can easily turn it into a dimensional embellishment by adding some foam adhesive to the back.  Having the cardstock on the back will keep the sticker from from partially collapsing and sticking to the background.

• Try matting alphabet stickers to cardstock.  This will allow you to find the perfect position for your title or caption without ruining your project.  Try having your title or caption overlap your photo.

I hope that you will give these little techniques a try.  I think that you will find that matting your stickers will allow you so much more freedom when using stickers to embellish your layouts, cards and other projects.

Do you have a favorite sticker technique?  If you do, leave a comment on this post.  I am always looking for new ways to use my stickers on my projects.  If you would like to share a project you created using one of these techniques, post a link to it in your comment.

Happy Scrapping!

It's tutorial time!  I love sewing and love using my sewing machine to add little details to my layouts and projects.   I know that the idea of a sewing machine can be intimidating.  It is easier than you think - thread your machine, plug it in and go to town!  Once you try it - you will want to use it on every one of your projects.

There are so many different ways to incorporate machine stitching into your layouts.  On my "THAT LOOK" layout I sewed around the edges of patterned papers.  I also wanted to spruce up the title, so I added some stitching across the alphabet stickers as well.  Both of these additions add texture and interest to my layout. 

Another way to use your sewing machine on your projects is to use it without tread. The finely pierced holes make great borders.  If you don't own a sewing machine, and don't want to invest in one, WE R MEMORY KEEPERS has a rotary stitch piercer which creates perfectly aligned holes, just like a sewing machine.  You can also get the same effect by piercing holes with a paper piercer or needle.  Some rulers have piercing holes - which will make spacing your hand pierced holes perfectly spaced.

Sometimes I don't want to go through the effort of getting my machine out - and I don't have time to hand pilot the holes, but I really want to add stitching to my project.  On these occasions I just using a journaling pen and draw stitches directly onto my project.  This is quick and easy - and it adds a nice touch.

Another way to add stitching onto my layouts is to hand stitch with a needle and embroidery thread.  On the layout below,  I printed the title onto paper and placed it over the the cardstock I wanted to stitch onto.  Then I pierced pilot holes using my paper piercer.  Afterwards, I took needle and thread and hand stitched my title on the cardstock.  On the same layout I added a few cross stitches to finish it off.

One quick tip before sewing directly onto your project, make sure to take a piece of scrap piece of paper and do some test stitching beforehand to make sure the settings of your sewing machine are correct and that it is performing properly.  You don't want to ruin your project by having your sewing machine act up.  it is always better to be safe than sorry.

Give stitching a try - you will be so glad you did!

It's the time of year when we are wrapping up Holiday gifts and making them pretty. I love to make my own gift tags for my presents out of scraps I have left over from my scrapbooking stash. it's the perfect way to utilize scraps and it really dresses up your packages!  Tags also look great on scrapbooking pages!

I start by making my tag bases. I like my tags to be about 4" long and 2.5" wide. They can always be bigger or smaller, but I find that this size tag is the perfect "working space" for me. Start by cutting strips of 4" x 2.5" cardstock on a paper trimmer. Then mark off corners with a pencil at  1/4" at the top and sides at the tag. Use a pair of scissors to snip off the corners.

Measure and make a dot with a pencil in the center of the tag at the top (1.25") and use a hole punch to tie string through. Now you are ready to decorate your tags! Note: Almost all the product I used for these tags are in the new November Hip Kit (I live just around the corner from the store so I always get my goodies first! :)

Die-cut chipboard embellishments are great on tags and add dimension.

I thought this little snowman could use a scarf so I tied some bakers twine around his neck.  He looks so warm and toasty!

This is my "Three Trees" tag. You can make Christmas trees by cutting triangles out of scraps of patterned paper. Don't be afraid to mix and match patterns!

This is an elegant tag with a scallop lace border on the bottom.  I put a fancy brad through the hole at the top.

Hopefully these ideas have inspired you to add a little personal touch to you holiday gift giving this year.

Happy Holidays!

Buttons are a fun way to add dimension and color to your projects. Here are some simple, easy ways to dress up your buttons to add even more pizzazz to your pages.

1. Thread with embroidery floss or twine. Using the thicker strands gives even more dimension.

2. Tie a bow or knot on top of the button. This adds a playful element.

3. Place a gem or some bling in the center of your button.

4. Adhere a punch-out circle or die cut to your button, giving it a bit of design.

5.   Some other fun ideas: place rub-ons on the top of your button; stamp on your buttons (with a water-solvent ink); write on your button or add dots with a permanent marker (i.e. sharpie).

Have fun dressing up your buttons!

Hi everyone.

I gave a lot of thought as to what project I wanted to share in this week’s tutorial.   I finally decided to show you how you can use origami when scrapbooking.  I love making mini albums, but I don't have any special binding tools. 

I wanted to make a inexpensive base for my mini album,  and I found a way to use origami to make a little awesome little "booklet".   After you finish folding the booklet, all you'll have to do is slide your pictures and/or decorated pages into the little pockets.

I hope that my pictures and explanations are clear. I loved making this mini,  and I am going create more of these little books in different sizes.

0kay, here we go…

First , take some wrapping paper (I used kraft wrapping paper) and cut out a rectangle 19”x 8”.

Put a pencil mark every 2³/_8” along the longest side. This will come in handy when folding the paper.  Fold your paper 8 times so that your sheet ends up looking like an accordion.

(hint:  when folding, always fold the paper just beneath the pencil marks. If you don't the last fold won't be the same size as the others.)

Fold your paper accordion together, fold each corner as shown in the photos below.

You will end up with this:

Now open up each fold and push it down.

It will look like this. Do this for all the folds.

The last step:  open the first segment and fold the tip of the triangle inwards. Turn the next segment and do exactly the same.

Once you have completed this step, you will end up with this:

Now you can add 4”x6” photographs and/or decorated pages.  You can also make a cover for the front and back. Here is my mini album. I wasn't quite sure sure how this project with turn out, but after I completed it, I really liked it.  This mini album has that “wow” factor.  I will definitely will be making more of them!

(Here are 2 pictures of my mini. I will posting all of them on my blog shortly.)

I hope you enjoyed my tutorial.  These little albums would make fabulous holiday gifts as they are inexpensive but they don’t look like they are.  I hope you will give it a try.

Have a lovely day.

Lilith

Hi there!   Today I am going to show you how to make these adorable spiral rose buds and leaves which can be used to embellish your pages, cards or any project.  They are very easy to make.

So let’s get started…

These are the supplies you will need:  Glue (any glue will work or pop dots), embossing stylus, ink, a circle and a leaf.  This circle is just about 2 ¾ wide.  The circle does not need to be perfectly round.  The larger the circle is, the larger your flower will be.   I just hand cut the leaf.

Getting started…  You will need to cut the circle in a spiral.  Your spiral doesn’t need to be even.  The wider the spiral is, the taller your flower will be.  In this case I cut the spiral thin, so I will have a shorter flower.

This is what your flower will look like when you are done cutting the spiral...

Next, you will need to roll the spiral.  Start at the end and roll until you reach the center. I used tweezers to do this. It makes it a little easier to roll, but it can also be done using your fingers or the point of your scissors.

This is what your flower will look like when you are done rolling it.  Next, you will need to shape the rose a bit.

Once you have shaped your rose, you will need to add glue to the center. After the rose is glued you can use your palm to press the rose down to give it some folds and more shape.

Below,  you will see the finished rose. Now, let’s get stared with the leaf.  You will need a mouse pad, corrugated cardsboard or anything to give some form of cushion under your leaf. I used cardboard.  Take your stylus and emboss the veins of the leaf. It does not have to be perfect.

Once you have created your leaf, take your ink pad and ink the edges of the leaf. You can pinch the leaf to give it character.  This is what it will look like when you are finished.

Now you have these adorable flowers!  I hope you enjoyed this tutorial and that you will give these little flowers a try!   Eva