November 30th, 2013
Inside: how to make a Christmas advent calendar to countdown the days until Christmas! Since I was a kid whenever I had an important event coming up I always made a table with the number of days I had to wait and I crossed off each day counting down the days remaining. It was such a thrill to see fewer and fewer days that needed to be crossed off and that whatever I was waiting for almost here. With the holidays and Christmas fast approaching I imagine many such tables or advent calendars are popping around your homes. WHAT IS AN ADVENT CALENDAR Advent is an important part of the Christian calendar. It means ‘coming’ and it’s the period before Christmas, which celebrates the birth of Jesus. It is all about preparing for Christmas Day. An Advent calendar is a special calendar used to count the days of Advent in anticipation of Christmas. Since the date of …
November 16th, 2013
It’s fun to be a Basically Bare Design Team member because you get to play with cute chipboards like these camera chipboards from the Paparazzi set. When I saw these cameras I just knew they will be a mini album! To add to the fun I also created a cute camera box to house the mini album. I created the pages by tracing the camera chipboard onto thin chipboard and papers and then adhering them. Then I embellished the pages with photo theme embellishments such as stickers, cogwheels and film strip and stamps. I created flaps and pockets to allow more room for journaling and photos. I created the box from chipboard parts and covered it with patterned paper. For full instructions on how to create the mini album and build the box check out the video tutorial. This was so much fun! I got to combine two of my greatest passions in crafts: mini albums and paper engineering! You …
November 14th, 2013
Hanukkah is just around the corner! In two weeks we’ll light the first candle and start the eight days holiday which is one of my favorite holidays. Here’s the first card I created for the holiday, first of many I still need to do… This card tells the story of Hanukkah through it’s bright yellow and red colors which mimic the colors of the candle’s fire. It will also look great next to the Menorah because it can stand on its own. For this card I used papers from the amazing Sunset collection by Prima. I created the front of the card with one of my Spellbinders embossing folder Numbers and letters. This embossing folder I so easy to use and has such an amazing effect! I cut strips of paper to create the candles and added flames I cut from the same paper. To finish the card I added a big 8 and a title. Don’t wait until the …
November 9th, 2013
Inside: how to transfer a photo to paper I cherish all the photos I take but making scrapbooks and mini albums can sometimes be boring. So I try to find new ways to make craft projects with photos or combine them with what I create. HOW TO TRANSFER A PHOTO Photo transfers were once a complicated, sometimes hazardous process. Then, technology made it possible for anyone to scan, copy, and print photos from the comfort of their home or studio. Images printed on inkjet printers are much safer to use and easier to transfer. There are many image transfer methods and they differ depending on the surface you’re transferring the image to. TRANSFER A PHOTO TO PAPER METHODS There are two methods to transfer an image to paper: LASER PRINTED PHOTO TRIM THE PHOTO – you can cut around the photo in a rectangle or square shape or you can fussy …
November 2nd, 2013
A while ago I caught my grandfather and son on camera while they were completely immersed in a live conversation. These two can talk for hours about science, machines and philosophy. There is something magical going on between this 90 year old man and his 11 year old great grandson that I wanted to capture on a layout. In order to create a conversation theme I wanted to use letters and text. I started by layering three patterned papers with text pattern on them after tearing them into the desired shape. Then I added letter stickers and a lot of them. I wanted to created a waterfall of letters symbolizing a flowing conversation. I added a little mixed media magic with glimmer mist spraying and stenciling with gesso and distress ink. I finished the page with flowers and chipboard embellishments. You can watch the video for a step by step tutorial on how I created this page. This was such …
