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 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 …
October 26th, 2013
Inside: how to make a mixed media canvas with found objects that create amazing texture I thought a lot about what to give my sister for her birthday. Ironically, in the past I used to buy her gifts, never thinking of making her one myself. This year I decided to change the tradition and create her gift myself! I wanted it to be really special and beautiful so I created a collage mixed media canvas with a photo of us when we were kids. This is her favorite photo of us so I was sure she will like it. MIXED MEDIA COLLAGE CANVAS MATERIALS A lot of people ask me where I get the materials to make such type of canvases and how they can get them too. The main principle you need to know is that every object you use on this canvas should have texture. It means that flat objects are less recommended …
October 19th, 2013
Inside: how to make a steampunk shadow box with a romantic style to it I think shadow boxes are just magical. They combine two things I love, the first is boxes. I love them, I collect them, I buy them even if I don’t need them. You can put all your treasures, memories and secrets in a box. The second thing is touching. One of the reasons I love traditional scrapbooking and not digital is you can feel the page. You can touch it, go over all the elements with your hand and bond with them. Bond with the story. Shadow boxes are the same because you can touch everything in the box and feel the story. WHAT MAKES A STEAMPUNK SHADOW BOX UNIQUE There are many styles of shadow box you can make like you would scrapbook pages, cards or mixed meia canvases. A steampunk shadow box has an industrial mechanical look that is …
September 28th, 2013
Inside: how to make layers on your art journal page When I started art journaling I made horrible pages but not because they were not pretty because they were wrong! I know I always say that there is no wrong and right in art journaling and it’s true BUT if you want to make an art journal page with an emphasis on the word art there is a very important thing you need to master – LAYERING. Making layers on your art journal page is the basic and fundamental technique you need to make art journal pages and without it your pages will be in a journal but they won’t be art. Mastering the art of layering can be confusing but we’re going to unravel that mystery together! WHAT IS LAYERING Layering is working in layers adding a layers of paint, texture or pattern one on top of the other. The techniques and tools of …
August 24th, 2013
Inside: how to alter a tin box steampunk style with the best mixed media technique My oldest boy likes a type of chocolate that is sold in tin boxes of different shapes and sizes. I can hear you now… “knowing her, she probably keeps all of them…” and you’ll be completely right. I can’t help myself, I love boxes and I just have to keep them. My plans for these boxes are great, but most of the time they just sit on a shelf waiting for me to notice them and do something… Altering boxes is part of a large craft genre called altered art. ALTERED ART Altered art is a popular form of craft where you take an existing object and change it into something else. This recycling and reusing of objects is versatile and can include almost any household item or a 3D object. Sometimes the change is dramatic, for example when you …
August 17th, 2013
Inside: how to make an exciting mini album with pockets for extra photo space I always prefer pants with pockets because it’s really comfortable when you need to keep something handy like your phone. My mini albums are no different! Making mini album with pockets is not only fun and pretty it’s also very handy when you want to add more than one photo per page. Mini album with pockets is a type of an interactive mini album that has “moving” elements in it that engages the viewer and allows for more space for photos and journaling. These elements can be pockets, flaps, windows and more. Find out how to make 20 interactive mini album pages! WHY MAKE MINI ALBUM POCKET PAGES It allows you to add more than one photo to a page You can also add journaling cards, memorabilia, tickets and more. It gives your mini album a professional look. Adding pocket …
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