inspiration

More Picnic Blanket

I have a couple new layouts for you again this morning, and a couple of fun "Kit Tips" as well!

Kit Tip: If you don't like the colour of your buttons, flip them over and paint or spray them! I sprayed mine with some Ranger Colour Wash, but you can use anything you have on hand.

 

Kit Tip: A little glitter goes a long way! When I want to "dress up" my paper and die cuts, I tend to pull out the glitter. These die-cut flowers and confetti looked pretty plain, until I smeared some Stickles on...and now they look fabulous!

Remember...die cuts and punches really help stretch those papers in your kit! And they layer well with the embellishments provided to give new combinations and new looks on every page!

Happy Creating!    Love Lisa

Crafting on a Budget - Mini Album

Hi there! Recently, we received the new Heidi Swapp lines in store. Included in each of these lines was a super cute mini albums! They are perfect for including full-sized photos with a mini album, and still have some scrapbooked pages as well!

And I thought...I bet I could make my own! So I did! And it didn't take a lot of extra supplies...or money!

If you want to play along you will need:

- American Crafts 4x6 photo protectors

- one 12x12 sheet of pattern paper (thicker weight)

- Stapler

- Trimmer and scorer

Step One: Cut your 12x12 sheet into two pieces, each measuring 5" by 12"

Step Two: Cut one piece down to 8.75". Score at 1.5". Cut the other piece down to 7.25" and score at 1".

Ultimately, the shorter piece is going to make up the front (cover) of the album, and the longer piece is the back.

Step Three: Grab the shorter piece, and apply some adhesive to the fold.

Wrap the small fold over the back of the longer piece and press down. 

This is how it should look from the front:

And on the inside:

Step Four: Grab some 4x6 photo protectors. I'm using four, but you can always use more. If you want to add some more pattern paper inserts, now is the time to cut those pieces. Measure the photo protectors and cut the pattern paper to the same size.

Line all of your sheets up with the far right inside fold of the back piece. Then fold over the piece of pattern paper that will cover the binding and staple all of the pieces together.

That's pretty much the bones of the album. You can decorate the cover in whatever style you would like...

*****

I also threw together an even simpler album when I was finished with the one above.

Cute two pieces of pattern paper (or cardstock) to the total size of your 4x6 photo protectors. Line up one photo protector with the front cover and mark the holes. Punch holes in the front and back cover. Use two large brads to secrue the pages and the covers together. And that's it!

I have two fabulous albums, and lots of photo protectors left for another project!

Happy Creating! Love Lisa

Party with Pebbles and Sandee

The layouts this week were created by Sandee. You might remember her as Chantel and KC's cousin, and from working our Late Night Crops!

Today's Tip: Use your foam 3D adhesive to add dimension to an otherwise flat page by "pop-dotting" a paper element or two!

Happy Creating!    Love Lisa

Pinterest Top Five Thursday

It is looking a little dreary outside today and it makes me wish I was relaxing at some cute tea shop sipping on something warm! But since I am stuck at work the least I can do is surf pinterest and gaze longingly at some crafty tea displays.

Blue Cricket Design

Tumblr "Tiny White Daisies"

Kristina Comer

College Life DIY

Originally from Sew Kids

Tumblr "Bella Faye Garden"

Have a GREAT week!

Website Wednesday

Hi

If you remember, and liked, the days when graphic arts was lettraset, exacto knifes and edible glue then this online museum is worth a visit just for the nostalgia.

http://www.forgottenartsupplies.com/

 

Picnic Blanket & Little Girls

Last week I showed how Picnic Blanket can be used for layouts about boys. And this week I want to show you a few layouts I made featuring Sugar & Spice & Everything Nice!!

Scarlett is famous around these parts for asking any available Auntie or Grandma for a "power pout", which is a fancy way of saying "lip gloss." Jill taught her this and I think this is Auntie Jill's "power pout" she is destroying in these photos!

Kit Tip: A simple way to add texture and dimension to a "flat" page such as this is with some simple stitching. I used my sewing machine, but hand-stitching with some embroidery floss would look just as fabulous!

 

I had to dig deep into the photo vaults for the pictures that appear on these next two pages! It's Little Me!!

kit Tip: Making your own pinwheels is easy! Cut out a sqaure of paper. Now fold it in half corner-to-corner twice. No it looks like there is an X in your paper. Cut along those lines, stopping just before you reach the centre. Now fold in every other tip.

I think this kit is also kind of perfect for those vintage snapshots we've all got laying around waiting to be scrapped, when we get a moment! The colours and patterns are reminiscent of times gone by, without being too kitschy!

Happy Creating!    Love Lisa

We Miss You Victoria!

Our good friend and co-worker Victoria moved to Australia back in January! She and her husband are planning on working and living there for about a year...experiencing all that Australia has to offer and having the adventure of a lifetime!

We still love to hear from her, and we all follow her on her blog (you should too!) We sent her some of the *NEW Pnk Paislee to play with and she sent back these gorgeous layouts! Doesn't life look fine in Surfer's Paradise!?

The detail on the Pink Paislee paper and chipboard is so beautiful! You barely need any embellishment! A little well-placed bling goes a long way.

Thanks again Victoria, for sending us this little piece of you all the way from Australia! And for all of you Canucks out there, stop by TM and check out the new Pink Paislee!

Happy Creating!    Love Lisa

Pinterest Top Five Thursday

We are working on some top secret displays for the store that will be revealed in the next few months, and it has me thinking about different compartmentalized storage. I thought I would share some of my favorite examples off Pinterest.

Sundance Furniture

Apartment Therapy

Obaz

Black Pool - Tumblr

Design Sponge

Website Wednesday

http://butdoesitfloat.com/index/

New American Crafts...Meet Lisa's Gesso

I LOVE bright, bold colours! LOVE THEM! But sometimes, they just don't work for me on a layout. Sometimes I've got so much else going on, that anytime I try to add some pattern paper, or a bright background, my photos seem to disappear.

Enter GESSO. Gesso is essentially a paint primer. It comes in different colours, but I always keep my big jar of white on hand for art journaling, mixed media canvases, and - just recently - scrapbooking. You can buy it at any craft or art supply store...heck, TM even carries the stuff!

I started this layout and was really loving it...until I went to glue the photos down. They just didn't mesh with all the colours and patterns I had going on in the background. So I grabbed my trusty Gesso and scraped it across the entire background!

Then I added a couple of splatters of spray ink (Lindy's, Ranger, Studio Calico, whatever you have on hand) and let those wander around. I wanted a little bit of colour, not the whole rainbow!

The embellishments add the little pops of colour I need without being too overwhelming.

So if you've started a page and the colours are screaming at you, try giving it a little gesso wash to tone it all down! And remember...it never hurts to get a little messy when crafting!

And for those of you who don't like getting messy (Victoria, I'm looking at you), check out this layout I completed using the same American Crafts line...without the paint!

I didn't think of it before, but the Gardenia paper line is perfect for Easter and spring photos! Bright colours mixed with pastels in sweet patterns, with quirky fonts & doodles thrown in for good measure! YAY!

I started some other layouts with this line, but never finished them...hmmm. You'll have to watch my blog for the rest of them!

 

Happy Creating!

Love Lisa