Q1. How can I use stencils and templates on my pages?

A1. There are many ways to use these on a layout. They can be laid on the paper so the design can be traced with a marker. When used with an ink pad the image is transferred onto the paper by pressing the ink into the crevices. By using a light box the image can be embossed onto the page with an embossing tool to create a raised impression.

 Q2. What’s the difference in die cut machines?

A2. There are only a few major differences in machines and which one you purchase greatly depends on what you want to do with it. Some of them are electronic and require the use of cartridges (carts) Others are used with electronic design cards ( sd cards) or can be hooked up to a computer to obtain additional images and others are manually operated through the use of a hand crank. These require the use of dies to cut the image. These machines will also emboss the item you have cut out. Many of them will cut various items such as paper, chipboard and even fabric.

Q3. My ink smears when I color my stamped image. Do I have the wrong markers or pencils?

A3. Once your ink has become permanent what you use to color the image can be anything of your choice. The most important key to good stamping and coloring is to choose the right ink. Dye inks are good as they dry quickly. Stazon Inks are good to use because they work on pretty much every surface.

Q4. What are the sizes for layouts?

A4. While it is a matter of preference, the basic layout sizes include 8 x 8″ and 12 x 12″. Some choose to do an 8 ½” x 11″ layout. There aren’t any “right choices” in what size you decide to do, but it helps in choosing to keep in mind the amount of time you want to spend on the layout (remember the bigger the layout the more it will need on it and the more time you will spend). If you have done a lot of one size, create a different one for a change. You may not like part of the paper design so cut it off! This will create a smaller paper for you to use and get rid of what it is you don’t like. That’s ok! Remember it’s all up to you.

 Q5. There are so many tools out how do I decide what to buy?

A5. For me, I have a rule of thumb when I’m looking to buy something…I must be able to come up with 2 ideas for using it first. It doesn’t mean I won’t purchase it; it just means that I have to have those ideas first. If I can’t come up with those ideas I look online to see how others are using the tool.

Stamps are great for motifs or words that you use often in your crafting projects. They all don’t have to be store bought. Your own customized foam stamps are easy to make. Start making your own stamp stash with this easy project. Use up your left over foam shapes. These really work and are re-useable.

Craft Materials

• foam shapes/letters
• white glue
• scissors
• polystyrene food tray

A good idea would be to make stamps of the child’s name and other family members names or for words that you will use often. Words that come to mind for this are ‘Joy, Love, Happiness, Cute’.

Making the Stamps

Sort out the shapes you want to make stamps from.

When making words turn the letters upside down and placing the letters from right to left and glue them onto some kind of base to make a mirror image.

I used a a polystyrene food tray for this. Find out more about foam meat trays.

Cut around the shapes or words to make individual stamps.

Using the Stamps

Apply paint to stamp with pieces of kitchen sponge for quick, even coverage.

Cleaning the Stamps

Rinse under cold water and dab them dry, or just let them drip dry.

Further customization

Make your own shapes with stencil templates and foam sheets.

Find an image, silhouette you like and trace shapes with an old used-up ballpoint pen

Foam craft sheets are great for making your own shapes with. They are easy to cut with scissors. There are plenty free printables for shapes and outlines. Here’s a sheet of basic outlines to begin your own stamp stash collection with.

Download Foam Stamp Shapes Template

A heart, star, hand, bird, arrow, sun and moon. Finding other shapes is easy. Do an online search for silhouettes, shapes, outlines and stencils. You may need to resize them according to your needs.

Have fun with these… Happy Crafting!

Q. Is there a way to write on dark cardstock?

A. A good way to get your journaling to show on dark colored cardstock is by using a gel pen.  White, pastel, metallic or neon, often referred to as fluorescent, inks show up well.  They are archival safe, waterproof and permanent to prevent bleeding through the paper.  The ink smoothly flows onto the paper and dries quickly.  Some pens are made with glitter in the ink to give an added sparkle to your writing.  They can, also, be used for doodling, drawing in items such as the center of a flower or to create a pattern on your dark cardstock and don’t forget if it already has a pattern that you can use the pen to highlight it and make it pop out even more.

Q. Are there scrapbooking/card making products that are recycled?

A. There are many products that are made from recycled items and can be recycled themselves such as paper scraps.  One easy way to find out the endless choices is by searching the word, “recycled” at CreateForLess. You will be able to find anything from paper to flowers and more there that have been made through recycling.  There are even books such as “Pulp Fiction” by Mark Montano at CreateFor Less that will help inspire you to recycle items found around your home into craft projects. 

Q. My ink pad seems dry.  Is there anything I can do about it?

A. A good way to keep your ink pads from seeming dry is to store them upside down when not in use. This allows the ink to flow to the top of the pad instead of settling into the bottom.  Make sure that the caps are always on tightly and closing the ink pad up right after use will help to keep them from drying out, too.   If the ink pad is older or has been used a lot you may need to purchase a new one.  There are some, such as Distress Inks by Ranger, that allow you to purchase a bottle of ink, known as a re-inker, to give life back to your ink pad by adding a few drops to the pad.  When purchasing these be sure to match the name of the re-inker to the name on the ink pad. 

 Q. Is there any easy way to get my punch lined up? 

 An easy way to make sure your punch is lined up is by flipping it over and working from the bottom until you are used to the punch and how it is lined up.  One way that I have found handy is to put the paper in while looking at the bottom of the punch making sure the edge of the paper is even with the metal open area so that it punches right to the edge of the paper.

Next, you can either line up the pattern looking at the bottom of the punch or flip it over and line it up with the pattern on the top, making sure that the last punched edge is still inside the punch.  If it looks like the picture on the right where you see half of the punched area you need to move it into the punch so that it continues to punch all of the areas. 

Q. Is there a good way to get glitter to stick on my cards and layouts?

This is one thing that can be frustrating to many, but there are some simple ways to keep the glitter on your project.  A glue pen, such as the Quickie Glue Pen by Sakura, allows you to place a line of glue exactly where you want it and while the glue is still wet apply the glitter.  Once dry it creates a permanent bond.  Another great way to adhere glitter to a large area is by using a sheet of adhesive from your Xyron machine.  Simply run your paper through your machine with the side down that you want to apply the glitter to and adhere the adhesive.  Remove it from the machine, flip it over and cover with the glitter.  You will now have a large glittery area to create on.  You can, also, follow these steps and then use a punch to punch out glittered embellishments or letters.  For an area that is too large to use a glue pen and too small to use your Xyron, try a double sided tape.  They come in many different widths to fit your project.  All you need to do is adhere one side of the tape to your project and remove the protective coating on the top side of the tape and pour your glitter on and it will stick.  These are really easy ways to add that glittery bling to your projects!

Q. I’m looking at buying my first paper trimmer, but am confused on the differences between them. Can you please explain the differences?

A. There are 3 basic trimmers: the Rotary trimmer, Fixed Blade trimmer and Guillotine trimmer.

The rotary trimmer has a blade that turns as you move it down your paper to make the cut. With this trimmer, you can also remove the cutting blade and put in a decorative blade that makes a different cut such as a wavy or scalloped one. A rotary trimmer can cut through multiple sheets of paper of lighter weight paper. Many of these have swing out arms that allow you to cut a 12 x 12″ sheet of paper.

A fixed blade trimmer has a blade which moves on a track from the top to the bottom to cut the paper. Some of them come with a wire guide so you can make sure your cut is lined up. These are good for smaller projects like making cards. They are also more portable.

A Guillotine trimmer has a handle that you raise and lower to cut the paper. These allow you to cut multiple sheets of paper at one time and are good to cut heavier weights of paper.

Q. What are the most common card and envelope sizes to use?

A. Cards can be any size you’d like them to be, but you need to keep in mind when making them that the larger and heavier the card the more postage it will need. The 2 most common sizes seen are 4 1/4″ x 5 1/2″ which is referred to as an A2 sized card, and 5 1/8″ x 7″ or an A7 card size. A7 envelopes are 5 1/4″ x 7 1/4″ and A2 envelopes are 4 3/8″ x 5 3/4″. Premade card bases and envelopes are the easiest way to create cards, but can, also, be made by cutting cardstock into the size you need.

3. What are the differences in inks for stamping?

There are 4 ink types: pigment, chalk, archival and dye.

Pigment inks, such as Ranger’s Distress Inks, allow you to stamp on different mediums such as paper and clay. They’re a slower drying ink making it easier to use for embossing. These inks are fade-resistant, acid free and archival safe. Pigment ink looks like what you see when you look at the stamp pad and will look the same on paper. These inks won’t dissolve in water.

Chalk inks, such as Colorbox Fluid Chalk Inks, give a softer look to what you are stamping and are fast drying. They can be used on many mediums and can be heat set to make more permanent.

Archival ink won’t smear when used to stamp an image; then colored in with a marker or water based dye ink. It is more permanent and fade resistant and works on all types of paper, as well as, glass, fabric, plastic, metal, clay and more.

Dye ink is water based and will dissolve which makes them good for coloring in areas because they blend well. These inks dry faster and work on all types of paper. They are a more concentrated ink so the color will be bolder when dried. It is a more general purpose ink which makes it good for basic stamping.

Q. There are so many adhesives, which one should I use?

A. There are a lot of adhesive types on the market and which one you use will depend on your project. The two you will use most will be a dry adhesive such as a tape runner to adhere your papers and embellishments and a wet adhesive (an all purpose glue is recommended) to adhere things like ribbons and flowers. Tape runners come in refillable or can be thrown out when empty. You can also purchase repositionable ones that allow you to take your item off and move it around on your projects.

Q. What is wet and dry embossing?

A. Wet embossing is where an image is stamped with ink and embossing powder is poured on the image and is melted to the paper using a heat tool. The heat tool is the most important thing to your creation along with the correct ink.

Dry embossing is done using tools such as a stylus that is rubbed over the paper and texture plate. An embossing machine and embossing folders is another good example of dry embossing.

I love the snow and am already looking forward to it so I just couldn’t resist creating a card using the new Bo Bunny Snowfall paper line and stamps. When I find a beautiful piece of paper, I often have trouble cutting it to fit to the normal card size so I will use it on a card that I know I won’t be mailing so that I don’t have to worry about the larger size. This is one of those cards and you can make one to give to someone that you know that enjoys the cold, frosty winter, too.

Supplies Used:

• Blue Cardstock
• White Cardstock
• Bo Bunny Snowfall 6 x 6 Paper Pad
• Snowfall Clear Stamps
• Father Christmas Clear Stamps for the greeting
• Martha Stewart Snowflake Stamp & Punch
• EK Jolee’s Hotfix Tool
• Hotfix Jewels
• White Ink
• Faded Jeans Distress Ink
• Picket Fence Stickles
• Glue
• Paint Brush
• Clear Stamp Block
• Tape Runner

Start by cutting a 7 ½” x 12″ piece of blue cardstock and fold it in half. Ink the edges first with the white ink pad working it towards the center of the card a little bit. Next, use the Faded Jeans ink pad and ink just the edges of the card enough to show on top of the white.

Take a piece of the snowfall paper and trim it just enough to allow a small edge of the blue cardstock to show on each side. Adhere it to the cardstock using your favorite tape runner.

Again using the white ink pad, the stamp block and the Snowfall clear stamps stamp them onto the patterned paper. Place the “Happy Holidays” stamp from the Father Christmas stamp set onto the block and ink with white ink. Stamp it onto the lower right corner. If some of the stamped image is lighter or darker that’s ok because remember you want a frosty look to the card and this helps to create that look.

Punch 2 snowflakes from the white cardstock with the snowflake punch.

Place a small dot of the Picket Fences Stickles in the center of the snowflake and using the paint brush work it out onto the rest of it making sure not to tear the paper. Repeat with the second snowflake and allow both to dry.

Once they are completely dry, place a small dot of glue in the middle of one snowflake and then arrange the second snowflake on top so that they are off center from one another and allow the glue to dry.

Glue the snowflake onto the card under the holiday sentiment and dry completely so it won’t move when applying the jewels.

Place one of the Hotfix Jewels in the center of the punched snowflake, the center of the large stamped snowflake and in the centers of the two small snowflakes and adhere using the Hotfix tool.

You now have some frosty holiday wishes to share. Happy Holidays!

I’m a big fan of giving gifts that consist of going somewhere or doing something rather than material items. With Christmas approaching, many are going to start getting their gifts together, and with the economy the way it is, the less expensive the present the better. Creating a Christmas weekly wishes jar requires using only a few items, but the finished product can help you strengthen your relationship with a loved one. It’s a cost-effective gift that you can perfectly tailor to the recipient.

What you need:

• Jar or container with a lid
• Christmas themed scrapbook paper
• Red, white or green cardstock
• Rubber stamp
• Scissors
• Mod Podge
• Double-sided tape
• Green ribbon
• Christmas embellishments
• Paper scraps
• Pen

Step 1. Choose a jar or container with a lid. You can find one for a low cost at a craft store, thrift shop or dollar store. Clean it out, then let it air dry.

Step 2. Cut the scrapbook paper to fit the front of the jar, then use double-sided tape to adhere it on. Using the double-sided tape allows the recipient to remove the paper and reuse the jar after finishing with the present.

Step 3. Stamp the cardstock with a rubber stamp that says “Merry Christmas” or some other holiday greeting. If possible, use an ink pad that is the same color as the cardstock. Cut a circle or oval around the greeting, then, using Mod Podge, attach it to the center of the jar on top of the scrapbook paper.

Step 4. Put Christmas embellishments on the front of the jar, then tie a green ribbon around the lid.

Step 5. Cut paper into 52 even strips so that each one is two or three inches wide, then fold each strip in half. Use any paper you like as long as one side is blank – consider using all white paper, a mix and match of scrapbook paper, or even scraps of Christmas wrapping paper. On each blank side, write something you would like to do with the recipient. For example, on one write “See a new movie”, on a second write “Play a board game”, and on a third write “Learn how to cook a new food”.

 Each week, the recipient can choose one piece of paper from the jar and the two of you can do that activity together. Fold all the pieces, then put them into the jar.

Q. What is the difference between acrylic and cling stamps?

A. Acrylic stamps, also known as clear stamps, are made of a clear polymer that is flexible which allows them to be placed on plastic sheets for easy storage. Since they do not come with a handle like a wood mounted stamp does a reusable acrylic block is needed to use this type of stamp. The image has been etched on and die cut closely so they are the easiest to use as you can see through them to know exactly where you are placing your image. Cling stamps are rubber stamps without the wooden block. They have been trimmed around and a piece of cling vinyl has been placed on the foam mount to attach to the stamp where normally the wood block would be. This vinyl which is very sticky sticks to the acrylic block allowing it to be the handle of the stamp and can be removed after used. These stamps are the actual size of the image which allows for easier placement on your projects.

Q. What is a scoring board?

A. Scoring (or score) board is used to create a grooved line into the paper (score line) which helps in getting a crisp, clean fold. They are a handy tool for card makers to get a clean fold of a card and also can be used for creating the folds in handmade envelopes and boxes, as well as, other projects.

Q. What is fussy cutting in paper crafting?

A. A lot of people know this term from quilting, but it has also spread into paper crafting. There are two ways of doing a fussy cut. One is when you use scissors or a craft knife to cut closely around the edge of a particular image; a stamped image for instance. The second way, which may not be thought of as often, is when you use a die and die cut machine to make a cut around an image in a piece of patterned paper.

Q. I want to use the cards I received on my layout, but how do I do that?

A. You can add a re-sealable bag to your layout and then add embellishments to the outside that match the theme of your layout or you can create a pocket out of cardstock or scrapbook paper by cutting it to a size to fit the widths and heights of the cards with an additional 1/2” added to these measurements on the sides and bottom to score and fold towards the layout which allows it to be attached to the scrapbook page. Both ways allow your cards to stay intact and removable to read again and again.

Q. Any ideas where I can find some inspiration?

 A. A great place to start is the Think Crafts blog, but you may also be interested in the great books that CreateForLess carries.

I adore Halloween so I’d thought I would share a Halloween themed idea to get a jump on all of Halloween’s goodness. This card is fast and easy to make.

Materials and Tools:

• Scissors
• Cutting mat
• Suggested Halloween Stickers:
• Jolee’s Boutique – Witches and Cats Stickers
• Jolee’s Pumpkin Embellishment Stickers
• Spooky Tree sticker
• Martha Stewart Punch Around the Page Punch – Eyelet Lace
• Bracket punch
• Spooky Caption sticker
• Bazzill cardstock in white, orange, yellow and black
• Halloween Patterned cardstock

Trim white card stock with Rotary cutter to 8″x10″. Score the card stock in the middle at the 5″ line and use a bone folder to crease the edge of paper to form card 5″ x 8″.

Using Rotary cutter trim Halloween patterned card stock to 5″x8″ and use large Zots or glue to adhere to front of card.

Punch out two orange, one yellow and one black eyelet lace border strips 8″ long. Glue single orange strip to top of patterned Halloween paper. Glue black, then yellow and finally orange on top of each other making sure to overlap pieces so you can see each color. Glue to bottom of patterned paper.

From yellow card stock trace and punch out three yellow brackets. Glue to upper top of patterned card stock making sure to evenly line up the three brackets. Place stickers on each yellow piece to create a scene. Add caption sticker to complete card.

Sometimes a simple act of kindness such as receiving an unexpected card in the mail can bring a bright spot into someone’s day.  It’s nice to know that someone is thinking of you during those trying times.  What better way to let someone know you care than by creating this special card for that special friend.  Do you know of someone who could use a kind word or a special thought?  Create this special card and drop it in the mail to brighten someone’s day or change the sentiment and make it into a birthday card or even send it as a get well card.  The choices are endless. 

Supplies Needed:

• 12 x 12 Dark Green Cardstock
• 8 x8  Paper Pad-Le Romantique Collection by Graphic 45  
• Light and Dark Colored Pink Cardstock
• Light Bluish Grey Cardstock
• Vintage Photo Distress Ink
• Color Box Pigment Ink- Turquoise
• ColorBox Pigment Ink-Fresh Green
• Autumn Leaves Card Sentiments Stamps
• Stamp Blocks
• Spellbinders Labels 4 Dies
• Martha Stewart Butterfly Punch
• Hotfix Crystals
• Hotfix Tool or Battery Operated Hotfix Tool
• Distressing Tool
• Favorite Tape Runner
• Favorite Paper Glue (I like Tombow Mono Liquid)

Start by cutting the green cardstock to 10″ x 7″ and folding in half.  The fold will be the top of the card.  Distress the 3 open edges and ink them with green ink.  Cut a 6″ x 4″ piece of Loves Labyrinth (the one with the roses) paper from the paper pad and distress all of the edges.  Ink the edges using the Vintage Photo Distress Ink.   Adhere it to the card base using your favorite tape runner.

Punch 2 butterflies from the light pink cardstock and 2 from the dark pink cardstock.  Glue one light pink on top of one dark pink using your favorite paper glue and repeat with  the other 2 butterflies.  Glue onto the patterned paper with your favorite paper glue.  Place 3 crystals in a small curve behind the butterflies and adhere using the Hotfix tool.  Run the bluish grey paper and the 3″ x 2″ Labels die through your die cutting machine.   Stamp the “Thinking of You” sentiment or the sentiment of your choice onto the die cut paper using the Turquoise ink and a stamp block.  Place sentiment die cut on the card using your favorite tape runner. 

The next time you know that someone special to you could use a kind thought or a smile in her day you will be able to create this beautiful card to send out just to say I’m thinking of you or by using some of the other sentiment stamps in the Card Sentiments Stamp Set you can say happy birthday, hope you’re feeling better or even hi to that special person and bring a smile to her. 

I’ve been looking for a fun fall decoration for my coffee table at home. I like to display photos of my friends, family and pets, but wanted something more decorated than just a frame. I was looking at the Spellbinders Idea Gallery, and the Apple of My Eye box was just what I wanted to make! It’s cute, fall themed and I get to use my die cutting machine. Perfect project!

This 4½ x 4½” box is a cute way to display photos. By attaching the ribbon to top and botton of the box, and adding your photos to the ribbon, the photos cascade down when you open it! Then you can decorate the box however you like. This box is decorated using the Nested Apples and Labels Twelve dies to the embellish the top of the box.

Supplies used:

• Small Paper mache box
• Classic Squares Large Die
• Labels Twelve Die
• Nested Apples Die
• Fall Patterned Paper
• Core’dinations, Pistachio Nut Chocolate Cardstock
• Fall Background Stamps
• Brown Twill
• Brown Ink
• Twine
• Red Felt for Trim
• Buttons

I really love all the aspects of Halloween from the creepy designs to the art of doing costume makeup. I enjoy the holiday so much that I give my loved ones little bags of treats. Although Halloween isn’t typically thought of as a gift-giving holiday, there are plenty of opportunities to use a creepy spider gift tag. Whether you’re giving a hostess gift or a bag of treats to your child, the recipient can also use the tag as a bookmark.

WHAT YOU’LL NEED:

• Orange gift tag
• Ultra fine black glitter
• Mod Podge
• Red glitter glue pen
• Spray glue
• Spider punch
• Newspapers

Step 1. Punch three medium-sized spiders out of black cardstock, then use the Mod Podge to adhere them haphazardly onto the gift tag.

Step 2. Use the red glitter glue pen to make bright red eyes on the spiders. You may have to do this step two or three times so that the glitter shows up well enough. Avoid using regular red glitter – when working with such limited space, the glitter could flake off or bunch up into a single pile.

Step 3. Start from the hole of the gift tag and make a swirly and squiggly line from the top of the gift tag down to the bottom. Make certain parts of the line thicker than others; don’t worry if the line is a little jagged in some areas.

Step 4. Over a spread out sheet of newspaper, sprinkle ultra fine black glitter onto the glue line – don’t sprinkle it all over the glue, only sprinkle it in spots and let some of the red glitter show through. The line will appear as if it’s a thick, disgusting looking worm.

Step 5. Tilt the tag back and forth so the glitter sticks onto the glue and also spreads over the rest of the tag. Considering how fine the glitter is, it may not move easily so tap the tag a bit to shift it. Let the tag sit untouched until it is completely dry.

Step 6. You could leave the fine glitter spread on the tag as is, or if you prefer, use a very light coating of spray adhesive to ensure it sticks on. Don’t touch the tag until it fully dries otherwise you could leave fingerprints.

Although there are a lot of beautiful cards on the market, it’s hard to find one that’s exactly what you’re looking for and that the recipient would like. A little encouragement can do wonders for someone who isn’t feeling at their best, and this bright card in cheerful colors can lift the their spirits.

What you’ll need:

• Blank card
• Cardstock
• Scrapbook paper
• Ribbon Bow
• Rubber stamp
• Ink pad
• Embellishments
• Glitter glue pen
• Scissors
• Book
• Mod Podge

Step 1. Fold the blank card in half, then using Mod Podge, adhere the scrapbook paper onto the front of it. Press it down, then place it in between the pages of a heavy book for an hour so it flattens. Make sure no glue is leaking from the edges of the card otherwise it will stick to the pages of the book. When it’s dry, trim the excess paper.

Step 2. Use the Mod Podge to attach an embellishment onto the left side of the card. I chose a bright orange butterfly to match with the fall colors, but any type will do.

Step 3. Glue the cardstock onto the right side of the card, press it down, then let it dry before you trim off the excess; it doesn’t matter if the cardstock side is less than the left side. Choose a bright solid color cardstock that accents the scrapbook paper. It should be a light enough color that you will be able to clearly see the writing when you use the rubber stamp later on.

Step 4. Use the glitter glue pen to draw a vertical line along where the cardstock and paper connect.

Step 5. Glue a bow onto the top right side of the card. Match the bow to the other colors on the card.

Step 6. Choose a rubber stamp that has a positive quote, then stamp it under the bow.

Tonya used her Grand Calibur Machine to die cut and emboss the larger pieces of this beautiful 5″ tall bird hose. She used the Labels Four Die for the roof, front and back. The Standard Circles Die once cut and embossed becomes the hole in the front.

Spellbinders Die Nestabilities Labels 4

Then Tonya embellished her little home with bling, and decorated it using her Presto Punch Machine. She used the Petal Pack, and the circle, flower, leaf punch templates included with the machine to create the blooms.

• Standard Circles Small
• Labels Four Small
• Grand Calibur Machine
• Presto Punch Machine

Additional Supplies:

• Self-Adhesive Jewels
• Patterned Paper
• Decorative Brads
• ColorBox Antique Pewter Pigment Ink
•  Your favorite adhesive

Hello Again!

It’s time for CHA Sneak Peek Round 2. This time I will be sharing with you all of the hottest products coming out for Scrapbooking and Paper Crafting. It gets its own separate post because there was an abundance of great new products at this show. It’s going to be an awesome year for Paper and Scrap!

Lets start from the “bottom and work our way up” shall we? PAPER!

We saw some great new collections from K&Co, Bo Bunny, and Imaginesce. Die Cuts With a View had a couple of new lines outs. The one that got the most buzz at the show was their “Immortal Love” collection. That’s right crafters vampire themed paper. Sure to have the inner tween girl in you just aflutter. The only questions I have is whose team are you on? Team Notion or Team Belle (my two puppies)?

DCWV Immortal Love coming soon to CreateForLess!

Paper Accents has some great new products that debuted at the show. Their new One Sheet Wonder and Detail blending papers are perfect for your inks and Copic Markers and their felted Chalkable cardstock was great. I also really liked their new Denim and Stonewash jeans textured papers. Their most popular new line is Glitz. This is a superior line of glitter cardstock. It is low odor, low rub-off and it can easily be used with most hand punches and die-cut machines. It is available in 18 fantastic colors in both 12×12 and 8.5×11. Get some today!

Working our way up lets talk about inks and other liquid mediums. Ranger has released a new line of Distressed Stains by Tim Holtz. This line offers a fast and easy way to cover a large area with distress color and they are fully compatible with all of your regular distress inking products.

Tattered Angels is a new addition for CreateForLess. Their Glimmer Mist, Glimmer Glam and Glimmer Glaze are all great products. This versatile line makes it easy to add just a hint of sparkle up to a rich dimensional bling on all of your projects.

We also saw some great new line additions from Colorbox Inks, ClearSnap Smooch and Glitter Shakers.

Now lets get some embellishments on those pages and cards! EK Success has a plethora of great new stickers. The most popular line at the show was their line of Cabochon Dimensional Stickers. They look great and are an easy way to add depth.

Tim Holtz Ideaology brings us some awesome new metal, glass and acrylic embellishments. Great for all projects these will especially appeal to those of you that enjoy steam punk themes.

Jenni Bowlin brings us a great slice of vintage Americana. Her chipboard shapes were amazing as were all her embellishments and kits.

We also saw some amazing new lines from Bo Bunny, Imaginisce, K&Co, and Stampendous. The best part is you can find all of these wonderful products at CreateForLess!

Do buttons with the shank on the back turn you off while paper crafting? I have wire cutters to cut them off, so that they will lie flat on my project (and I always wear glasses when I cut them.) But if they are metal, cutting them off is a no-go. So I decided to take advantage of this little speed bump (because the button is a VERY neat one!)

I embraced the dimension and added my metal button to the butterfly. I cut a small hole in the center of my die cut butterfly and pushed the button through the hole.

Then I pushed 2 decorative pins through the button hole.

I adhered the butterfly to my card with Therm O Web glue dots.

Decorative pins add such a cool touch to butterflies. I hope you give this a try, I’d love to see what you create!

I always like to add a little dimension (or a lot) to my cards. I have to admit that ribbon sometimes intimidates me because I feel that if I don’t have the perfect bow and loops it’s a flop. One of my resolutions for 2011 is to learn how to tie a bow! That’s what I like about Pom Pom Ribbon – no tying required! I also find it pretty easy to adhere with Mini Glue Dots or a strong Liquid Adhesive. If you are going for a vintage look you can always use staples. On my card I wanted the ribbon to look pretty loose so I adhered unevenly to the card.

To create this card:

• Create card base from patterned paper.
• Cut smaller rectangle from snowflake paper and adhere to lower part of horizontal card.
• Adhere sticker strip to top portion of card. Don’t worry if you don’t have a sticker strip, a strip patterned paper works just as well!
• Adhere ice skate or other winter sticker to card.
• Adhere Pom Pom ribbon below sticker strip.

I love to use circle templates, but because I make a lot of cards and smaller projects – often I do not use the entire circle. On this card I cut the circle in half and saved the other half for a future project. There are a variety of circle templates available or you can also trace a small plate or other items around your house.

To create this card:

• Create the card base from white cardstock. The card size is 4 1/4″ x 5 1/2″ so I cut an 8 1/2″ x 11″ piece of white cardstock in half on the long side and now have a second card base to use for another card. You can also purchase premade white card bases.
• Cut a piece of patterned paper slight smaller and adhere.
• Cut circle from patterned paper, cut the circle in half and adhere.
• Add ribbon to the flat side of the circle.
• Add alphabet stickers and the sticker strip to the card.
• Add flowers and rhinestones above the ribbon.

I love to look at each stamp image in a way that is not expected. It’s a challenge for me…and it makes creating more rewarding, I think anyways.

I started with a stamp set that was intended to create a scene with a tree…I took it a step further and made a pattern with the tree trunk. First, I saw it as a branch, so I turned it horizontally. I wanted a patterned panel, so I stamped and turned the tree stamp.

But what I chose to do is a really easy technique but one that you may not think of…making a flower from leaf stamps. A poinsettia to be exact…so here you go.

Start by stamping the leaf.

Re-ink the stamp…overlap the smallest leaf, continue around a circle.

You will end up with a flower that you can cut out to use as an accent, so don’t worry too much about imperfect edges (unless you are not cutting out the accent flowers). I folded each flower petal for added dimension.

Add a brad, pearls, jewels or button to the center. Chang the ink colors for different flowers. Use scissors to round the edges of the flowers. Use single leaves as well. Try this with punched leaves too. Just take a closer look at your stamps, you never know what you will see when you take the time to challenge yourself.

Do you love experimenting with your stamps, how about your inks?  Have you ever tried the “rock and roll” technique before?  It’s an easy way to add interest to your stamps.

A stamped wreath in one color would have been just fine, but it’s even prettier with some darker green ink added to the outside edge, doncha think?

It’s best to choose inks that are close in color, monochromatic. Your inks will blend with eachother just a little, so be aware of that.  If you are afraid of messing up your inks, you can use blender pads or Q-tips to apply inks

Start with the lightest ink color.  Ink the entire stamp, but don’t press it onto paper…yet.

While your stamp is wet, tap the edge of the image with the second ink color (that is a shade darker than the base color) but wait…don’t press your stamp onto your paper, just yet.

Add a third ink color if you have one.  Just lightly tap the edges of the stamp image.  Keep the lightest color in the center of the image.  You are gently creating depth.

Naturally, I chose the image with the “rock and roll” sentiment on it.  You can use this technique for any image.  Imagine how beautiful flowers look with this fun technique?

Do you ever miss happy mail? You know, going to the mailbox and pulling out something other than a bill or piece of advertising? I sure do, and I know for certain I’m not the only one, with email so dominant, this year I decided my treats for Halloween were going to be something that would bring a smile at the mailbox. I’m sending postcards!

As I was cleaning up my craft table the other day, I noticed that some foam letters had arranged themselves in a group that looked very like the beginning of a skeleton. Ooh, I thought. Could you make an entire skeleton using them? The answer was YES, and in a few minutes I’d created a skeleton stamp.

If you’d like to make one, too, you’ll need:

Foam alphabet stickers, all caps, about 3/4″-1″ tall:

• 1 Q
• 2 E’s
• 2 P’s
• 4 L’s                      
• 2 I’s
• The centers from 2 O’s

A backing/support for your skeleton. I used the lid from a whipped topping container, which was translucent.

Arrange your letters something like this:

The original thought was to add a hat, but I decided to leave it off.

As you can see, only two of the letters need to be reversed–one E, and one P–to form the left sides of the ribcage and hip bones. Those two you will glue to your support piece, rather than using the sticker’s adhesive.

Cut tiny triangles from the O centers to create fingers.

You can play with the positioning of the arms, legs, and head, until you find a pose you like. Keep in mind that if you’re arranging the stickers with the adhesive side down, your stamp will be a mirror image of what you see. If you want to see it as it will stamp, turn the letters face down. Once you’ve created the pose you want, peel off the protective papers and stick the letters to the support/base, starting with the head, and working down. For the two letters that you’ll glue, make sure they’re exactly where you want them before you remove the papers; otherwise, they’ll stick to your fingers when you try to move them and not let go! (And yes, that IS the voice of experience, lol.) Once the glue on those two letters is dry, you can pat a little talcum powder on them, which will take away the stickiness.

You now have a skeleton stamp to play with!

To make a postcard using my new stamp, I took some cardstock I thought had that “Halloween feeling”, and cut it to postcard size. (USPS allows a maximum size of 6″ X 4.25″, and a minimum size of 5″ X 3.5″, or 15.2cm X 10.8cm and 12.7cm X 8.9cm)

Then I stamped the skeleton on it, using three of my new word stamps to say “Happy Boo Day”. The first time, I used black ink for everything, but then decided I’d like the skeleton better white, after all. I took a stiff bristle brush and painted on white craft paint, and over-stamped the original skeleton. (You have to love a stamp base you can see through!)

Of course, after that, I had to see what it would look like if I just used the white, without the black underneath:

Personally, I like it better with the black under it, as the skeleton seems to show up better.

Last step: Turn your new postcard over and divide it in half so you have one side for the address, and the other for a brief message. You can simply draw a vertical line, or use another stamp:

For another easy card, cut a postcard-size piece of cardstock that pumpkins would look good against. I chose one that looked kind of “vine-y”. Now cut three or four circles of pumpkin-Design paper or cardstock. Arrange them on the card in a pleasing arrangement. Placing the larger disks near the bottom of the card, with the smaller ones nearer the top will give a sense of distance, as your mind interprets “smaller” as farther away, and “higher” as being the far horizon.

Once you’ve decided on your placement, you can pencil in jack o’ lantern faces on each of them, and then black in the features. Glue them in place on the card and write or stamp, “Oooooooooooh” in a curvy line across the card. Last step is to turn the card over and divide it in half as you did the other one.