August 23rd, 2015
Inside: easy technique to bind a book without any sewing! If you read a little about me you know I started scrapbooking because of my grandfather (you can read the full story here). But that is not the only thing I learned from my grandfather… he also taught me all about how to bind books, which he learned from his father. Every time I bind a book I think about all the history, tradition and craftsmanship in this task and it makes me smile. Binding books is indeed fun but it is also time consuming and not for everyone’s patience. So I wanted to come up with a way everyone could enjoy binding and make their own books. BIND A BOOK TRADITIONALLY Traditional book binding almost always involves some kind of stitching or sewing and that makes the process technical and time consuming. It doesn’t mean it’s not good or that you shouldn’t try it …
July 31st, 2015
Inside: how to make your own washi tape Have you ever been in the middle of making a craft project and you needed a specific supply and didn’t have it? It is the most frustrating situations because it can put the entire project on hold and if you’re like me you have zero patience when it comes to finishing a project. What’s the answer? Make your own! This is what happened when I needed some washi tape for a project I was working on and didn’t have the right color and pattern. So I made my own!! WHAT IS WASHI TAPE Washi tape is a decorative adhesive tape made from traditional Japanese paper that’s great for craft or journaling. The name washi can be translated to “Japanese paper” simply meaning wa (Japanese) and shi (paper). Unlike western paper which is made from tree pulp, it’s made from Japanese shrubs so its benefits are many: No …
July 7th, 2015
Inside: how to make an interactive brag book from one piece of paper AND in 5 minutes I was so busy I FORGOT to buy a gift for a baby shower I was invited to! I remembered only a few hours before I had to go and there was no time to go to a store. But I didn’t panic because I had an emergency DIY gift I could make for any occasion. It’s an fun and interactive mini album that is not only perfect as a brag book for all those cute baby pictures it is also really fast to make! WHAT IS A BRAG BOOK A brag book is a collection of graphic elements, like pictures and embellishments, thoughtfully placed together to build the best story about those things you love the most. Traditionally brag books are used by professionals in job interviews to best position themselves as the best candidate for the …
June 28th, 2015
Inside: how to make a textured mixed media canvas Making mixed media canvases is one of my favorite projects to make. I love the creative freedom I have when I create not only of what I can add to it but how high can I go. Unlike cards or scrapbook pages when I make a mixed media canvas I don’t need to worry about keeping it thin or not bulky so I can add texture and a lot of it! HOW TO ADD TEXTURE TO MIXED MEDIA CANVAS Makig a textured mixed media canvas is easy and you can make it with a lot of materials: Modeling paste Chipboard Found items Fabric Paper embellishments Art stones Beads Paint And more… To learn more about how to make mixed media projects with texture you can check out: How to make an art journal page with textured background Make a textured steampunk frame Add texture with …
June 23rd, 2015
Inside: how to use paper scraps to make embellishments for scrapbook pages, cards, art journals and more. I recently came to the realization that I have too many paper scraps. So instead of taking new papers for my projects I decided to try and use my paper scraps and reduce my pile. as it turned out it is not as difficult as I thought because once you challenge yourself to do something you come up with really creative ideas! HOW TO ORGANIZE PAPER LEFTOVERS When you have piles or drawers full of pieces of paper you first need to organize them so you’ll be able to efficiently use these pieces for the right project. The best way to organize these pieces is by size because that is the main factor you’ll need to consider when using them. The larger pieces can be tags, cards or even mini album pages and the smaller pieces can be …
June 9th, 2015
Inside: how to make a DIY paper bookmark with a magnet When I was about 8 or 9 years old I used to read a lot of books, so many that I had a special position in the library. I was selected to be a special helper to the librarian and as part of my job I arranged books on shelves and mended torn books with masking tape – I guess I had good hands even back then 🙂 That job made me feel so important and accomplished and I think it was one of the most positive experiences I had as a child. Today I don’t read so much but books have a special place in my hearts. I could never read a book on Kindle or on the computer and if I do read a book its always a hard copy. If there is one thing I hate is that people mark their …
June 7th, 2015
Inside: fun and easy doodling and simple drawings ideas to make in your art journal without any special drawing skills For someone who doesn’t know how to draw I try to draw as much as possible because I want to practice and I like it. I’m not embarrassed by the lack of satisfaction or finesse of my drawings and I am contented with the simple and naive look they have. DOODLING AND SIMPLE DRAWINGS Doodling or simple drawings are sometimes ridiculed or not even considered as art. You might think whatever you want but when it comes to art journaling and making expressive pages that say what you feel I say there are no rules and you can make any art you want! HOW TO MAKE DOODLING AND SIMPLE DRAWINGS When you don’t know how to draw you need some tricks to help you make the doodling and simple drawings: Keep it small …
« Previous
1
2
3
4
Next »
