One of the “in” and fun thing is to use a sketch to create your layouts.   They’re  helpful when you aren’t sure just where to begin or need a little inspiration for a page. This is a simple sketch and layout I created.  The one fun thing about using sketches is that your embellishments don’t have to match the ones on the sketch the butterflies here are 2 flowers and 1 butterfly on my layout.  You can turn the elements in any direction you’d like. Card makers use sketches, too! 

The following products can be found at CreateForLess:

• K & Co. Spring Blossom Paper Pad
• K & Co Abrianna Chipboard Chipbox
• Paper Accents Variety Pack Cardstock
• Fiskars Punch Everywhere Starter  Set
• Marvy Uchida Clever Lever Spring Flower Punch
• Paper Trimmer
• Green Brad
• Favorite Marker
• Favorite Taper Runner
• Click to Download Fun with Sketches PDF
  

  Fun with Sketches

Once  you have the paper and embellishments to create the layout,  you will want to print out the sketch and the pictures.  First trim the pictures according to the sizes listed on the Fun with Sketches PDF.   Next, trim the background  paper (yellow Paper Accents Cardstock) to be a little larger than the pictures.  Here I left those measurements up to you because you may have a piece of patterned paper that doesn’t have a large pattern  such as the tulips in the right corner.   My background papers measured 6 ½” x 4 ¼”  for the large photo and 1 ½” x 1 ½” for the smaller ones.  Adhere to photos and the background paper to the layout using your favorite tape runner.  Be sure to keep the sketch design in mind. 

Punch 2 flowers using the Spring Flower Punch and the yellow cardstock and 1 flower from the green cardstock.  Layer the green and one yellow flower on top of the last yellow one and put the green brad through the center.  Attach the flower on the layout where you’d like it.  Remember the fun thing about using a sketch is it’s ok to put things in different places. 

Trim a piece of yellow cardstock for your “title” square that measures 2 ½” x 3″ and lay it aside.  Trim a piece of green cardstock that measures the same size.  Center it in the Fiskars Punch Everywhere as shown in the picture.

The punch is made to punch once to set the pins and then you will have to push down a second time a little harder to make the cut.

You will now have a piece that looks like this.

Place some adhesive on the back of the frame and attach it to the yellow cardstock you trimmed. 

Adhere it onto the layout and write in your message.  Notice on my layout, I turned my frame sideways.  That’s ok because I’ve still used the element of the sketch and made it my own.  Add the flower and butterfly to the layout where you’d like them and your layout is now finished. 

Be sure to use the sketch and create your own layouts!  For even more fun join the CreateForLessFacebook page and share with everyone what you have created. 

Q1. How do I create a vintage look on a layout or card?

A1. A good starting point to achieving a vintage look is by inking the edges of your projects in a brown or sepia ink. Another easy thing to do is to distress the edges of your paper. Once you have them distressed you can ink the distressed edges or leave them alone. If you are doing any stamping on the project you can stamp the image in the brown or sepia ink to give it an old look. Using tan, yellows or brown papers, too, is another great way to achieve a worn, vintage look.

 Q2. Do you have any organization tips?

A2. CreateForLess carries a large selection of organizational and storage items for all of your craft supplies. Some of them are created to fit into your craft space to store things like small tools, ink pads, embellishments and other things in. There are some storage pieces that are designed to help you store your paper especially those 12 x 12 sheets. Don’t forget that sometimes you will want to take your supplies with you so those made with handles and divided sections are good for on the go.

 Q3. What can I use to temporarily mount unmounted stamps?

A3. Tack ‘N Peel are reusable sheets that help your rubber stamps cling to the acrylic or wood block and are the perfect answer to using those unmounted stamps. The adhesive side creates a bond between the sheet and the block which helps keep the sheet from moving and when the stamp is applied you don’t have to worry about it falling off or moving while you stamp the image.

 Q4. How do I keep the intricate pieces from sticking in my dies?

A4. The answer to this is an easy one.  Blue Painter’s Tape.  Since it’s made not to permanently stick and won’t harm surfaces it’s a great choice to use on your dies.  Simply cover the intricate areas on your dies before placing the paper over the top.  Run it through your die cut machine and once you’re done pull the tape off.  Those little pieces pop right out!

Q5. I like to use my distress inks and spritz them with water to use on things, but my paper curls up.  What can I do about that?

A5. The first thing is to make sure that you are not oversaturating the paper.  Watercolor paper is good to use for this technique as it is made to hold water without becoming too wet.  It is made so that when water is placed on it the water sits on the surface and doesn’t bleed the color into the fibers making them less intense and since all the liquids aren’t absorbing into the paper it doesn’t have the chance to saturate and cause the paper to curl.

I knew just the thing to work on this afternoon to get me out of my manic Monday…the Mango Frost Stack & Embellishments!  The colors in this stack are gorgeous…tangerine, yellows, melon pink, greens and blues. A super versatile line of stuff if you ask me!!!

I really love this line because of all of the fun embellishments that coordinate with it!! It’s like candy in my scrappy candy store

Used a 1 3/4 circle punch to punch out circles to fill my 12×12 page. I punched 2 circles from each pattern and got a total of 49 circles.

A great way to get the adhesive on all of these little circles, my Xyron Creatopia Machine! LOVE THIS THING!!! Had no idea all of the things it could do!!

This is how it came out of the machine, just peeled back the clear top and all had a perfect layer of adhesive.

It’s just too pretty, had a hard time covering any of it up!! This is definitely a “happy stack”

And here is the finished page! Just added 3 pictures and 2 embellishments. Love how different this layout feels because of the circles. It’s like making your own patterned paper!

Looking to share your layouts? Enter your scrapbook layout in our Scrapbook Layout Contest to win a shopping spree! The entered layouts will be voted on by the most Likes on our Facebook page to determine the top 3 prizes. Like CreateForLess to stay in the loop!

Enjoy these creative layouts!

The New American Crafts Neapolitan Dear Lizzy Collection is so scrumptiously fun that my imagination went wild when I received it.  I am so excited to share some of the fun new things in the line with all of you!  I know once you see it you’ll have to have it.  I heard recently the colors of this line being described as candy coated and after hearing that I knew the perfect picture I had to use to create this layout. 

Many years ago, I went to school and became a Certified Chocolatier and had this picture of one of my chocolate pieces lying around waiting to be scrapped. After hearing the comment about the colors in this paper line I knew I wanted to use it to go with this picture.  Think of all of the fun pictures that you have waiting to scrap yet and you will soon find that many of them are just waiting for the new American Crafts Neapolitan line, too! 

The New American Crafts Neapolitan Dear Lizzy Collection Used Here:

• American Crafts Neapolitan Dear Lizzy Patterned Paper- Lucky Laugh & Cheerful Notes
• American Crafts Neapolitan Dear Lizzy Large Tags
• Thickers:  Neapolitan Dear Lizzy- Splendid
• American Crafts Neapolitan Dear Lizzy Brads
• American Crafts Accent & Phrase Stickers Book
• American Crafts Ruffle Paper
• American Crafts Neapolitan Vellum Sheet:  Sparkling Smile
• Additional Craft Tools Used:
• EK Success 1″ Circle Cutter
• Martha Stewart Travel Trimmer
• Martha Stewart Scoring Board
• Favorite wet glue: I used Tombow Mono Aqua Glue
• Favorite Taper Runner

Often striped paper just isn’t the look we are wanting on a layout, but it could be and we just don’t think about it.  Turn the striped paper so the stripe runs horizontally.  This will always give your layouts a new and creative look because we often don’t think of turning a striped paper in a different direction.   The pastel stripes in the Neapolitan line make it fun to do that! 

I love the new Ruffle Paper in the line.  It can be used as a whole sheet for the background of a layout or trimmed down like I did here and used as an embellishment strip.  It is easy to use in a paper trimmer and can be trimmed as long or wide as you want it.  How fun is that? 

I used my Martha Stewart Scoring Board to score the Ruffle Paper every 1″ and then folded peaks and valleys so that it would stand up off the paper to create a raised dimensional look.  I added two strips of wet glue on 2 of the peaks and glued my picture which was adhered to the dotted paper from the Cheerful Notes sheet. 

I punched a circle from the Sparkling Smiles Vellum sheet and put one of the fun matching brads through it to create a layered look and to fill an empty spot on the layout.  I love that the paper punches so easily and the additional look that is added by using the brads in it! 

The stickers are fantastic!  There are so many different sayings and pictures to add just the right touch to any card or layout.  I had no trouble finding a saying that would work with my chocolate shoe picture.  In fact, I had trouble deciding what one to use so I included several and by adding one of the tags (you get 12 in the package) it allowed me to add more stickers.  

I can’t say how much I love the letters.  The whimsical cursive letters are perfect for titles or whatever you imagination dreams up!  The smaller foam ones add a sharp contrast to the cursive ones to make a statement.  It just doesn’t get any more fun than that! 

The new American Crafts Neapolitan Dear Lizzy line is so much fun all you will want to do is to create with it and not do anything else!

I have fun experimenting with different scrapbooking materials and one bad habit I have is to save the packaging from the embossing folders that I buy. One day, I came across them and decided to try making my own embellishments with the leftover packaging. I used my Cuttlebug Embossing Machine, a floral embossing folder, my favorite color of Stickles & viola

Supplies Used:

• K & Company Spring Blossom 12 x 12 Paper Pad
• Yellow and Blue Cardstock
• Stickles:  Glam Pink, True Blue, Firefly and Yellow
• Tombow Mono Liquid Glue
• Weathered Wood Distress Ink Pad
• Martha Stewart Monarch Butterfly Punch
• Fiskars Fingertip Craft Knife
• Self Healing Mat
• Cuttlebug
• Fancy Corners Embossing Folder Set
• Favorite Tape Runner
• Scissors
• Ruler

Remove the packaging from the embossing folders and cut a piece large enough to fit the folder with a pair of scissors.  Run the folder through the Cuttlebug using the “A” plate and 2 “B” plates.

This is what you will have after doing this step. 

On the reverse side, the debossed side, color in the pattern using the Glam Pink and Firefly Stickles.  Allow to it to completely dry.  If you have some areas that you missed you can go over them again to fill them in.  Use the Yellow Stickles to put a dot for the flower center on the embossed (top) side of the piece.

We often use a mat behind the photo, but I have a second way that I like to bring on the attention…by adding a frame around the picture.  Begin by measuring just the picture; not counting any border that you have left around the outside. The photos I used measured 2 7/8″ x 2 7/8″ so I cut a 3 ½” x 3″ piece of yellow cardstock.  Next, measure the photo from the edge to the side of the actual photo and then measure that on the all sides of the cardstock and connect the lines.  It will give you a frame that looks like this. 

Using the penciled in lines as your cutting guide, cut the inside of the square out using the Fiskars Fingertip Craft Knife and self healing mat.  Remove the center piece.

Adhere the photos using a tape runner and put the frames over the photos using either a dot of Tombow Mono Liquid Glue or a little tape from the tape runner on each corner.  Also, adhere the dried Stickled embellishment you created to the center of the layout using small dots of glue on the areas colored with the Stickles so it’s not seen. Let dry.   

Punch 8 butterflies using the Martha Stewart Butterfly punch and blue cardstock.  Ink the edges of 4 of them with the ink pad.  Layer the pieces to create 4 butterflies and add the True Blue Stickles to create the bodies.  Once these are dry, glue them to the corners of the frames using the Tombow Mono Liquid Glue. 

You know have a finished layout using recycled items. It’s a great way to create fun embellishments and to recycle the packaging from the tools you buy.

April 22^nd is Earth Day.  How are you celebrating this year? One part of helping the earth and celebrating Earth Day is by recycling.   I’ve done several projects this year for that day so I began thinking about what we’ve done to help the earth.  I decided to do this scrapbook layout to show some of the activities that my family has done to help celebrate.  It, also, got me to thinking about the things I use for those projects.  Are they eco friendly?  

One thing I did was to find paper that can be used on my project that is recycled. Of course, my first choice was my favorite kraft paper.  That way I can help keep it out of the landfills and create some fabulous projects with it.  Did you know that if you type in the word “recycled” in the search box at CreateForLess it gives you a large amount of items in all craft types to choose from?  Try it!  It’s fun to see what you can find to use.  I found this really cool recycled symbol done in rhinestones that I can imagine on several projects.  It could be ironed on a shirt or a piece of material and then sewn onto a layout or card. 

This year, my son wanted to plant a garden and wanted to start the seeds himself.  While looking for Earth Day activities that we are doing, I realized that he was doing one by planting a garden for us which will give us enough to use with no waste and no packaging from the stores to go to the landfill.  We have the containers for the seed starters that are plastic but we will use them again next year thus keeping them out of the trash.  Another thing I decided to grow this year was our own flowers.  This will help beautify our area and the seeds I get off these plants will be used for future plants.  We can give back to the earth by planting a tree.  They are important to the ecology in many ways and they provide us with things like shade so you can’t go wrong by planting a tree to celebrate Earth Day, 2012! 

Join the celebration this year.  Plan what your family can do to help the earth.  Start by looking for crafting supplies that are recycled and use those.  Don’t forget to scrapbook what you do because just like giving back to the earth when we plant a tree or pick up garbage, we give back to our families in the future by scrapbooking our activities. 

 Products Used:

• Recycled Kraft Paper
• Paper Accents Cardstock in Apple Green and Lilac or their Variety Pack
• Red Cardstock
• Green Cardstock
• Martha Stewart Flower Stamp Punch
• Martha Stewart Branch Punch
• Favorite Markers- Green and Blue
• Colorbox Ink -Deep Grape
• Colorbox Ink – Mud Slide
• Indie Cricut Cart
• Cricut Machine

After a while we tend to start giving our layouts the same look or have the same sized pictures so they start looking like the ones we’ve done before. The same numbers of embellishments are on each one, everything is smooth on it or has only one layer to it and they become boring.  How do we change this? 

 I started thinking about the things I’ve learned and used it to create this layout.  One of the first things I was taught is it is more pleasing to the eye to have 6 to 7 items in a grouping.  If you notice in nature flowers most often have 5 or 6 of petals on them and that’s what makes them pleasing to the eye.  For the layout, I grouped 7 flowers using the Que Sera Sera Cardstock and Acetate Die Cuts by K & Co. together.  One thing to note is most packages of embellishments contain an even number of items so it is always best to buy 2 packages so you have that odd number in case you want it. 

Another way to give your layout its own personality, is to give it texture even if it’s on the paper you are using.  Here I was able to match the dots of the Watercolor Bouquet Paper Pad to the Wild Raspberry Flowers and Butterflies patterned paper (the backside of the paper is the one I used) for my layout.  I also added more texture by running my letters through the Cuttlebug using the Swiss Dots Embossing Folder which helped take away the smooth, plainness of the paper.  The background paper is already smooth so by creating a texture on the letters it will help tie it all together. 

Layering items and adding items of different sizes including pictures layered on other pieces of paper will add more of a visual effect to the layouts.  Something sticking up off the page always draws attention. A photo lifted off the paper or chipboard pieces such as the butterfly from the Abrianna Chipboard Chipbox by K & Co. are great things to use to add dimension.    

One of the most important elements to creating a scrapbook layout is color.  If the colors are inviting to the eye the more time that is spent looking it over and enjoying it.  Too many colors that don’t flow together can be too overwhelming.  A good rule to go by is to pull the colors from the photos.  There doesn’t need to be a lot of different colors in the photo, but even 2 colors that are utilized are a good starting point.  Remember that you can also choose just a couple of colors and do various hues of those colors to add interest like I did with this layout. 

Remembering these 4 simple things will help you in giving your layouts a personality of their own.

Add a touch of whimsy to your paper projects with these Pink Doodle Frames.

The Pink Doodle Frames come six to a page, and are oval in nature. They are fairly large and you can have them lined or unlined.

Pink Doodle Frames for Scrapbook Layouts

If scrapbooking is your thing, use the frames to hold your journaling for those photos that have been taken in sequence or photos covering the same theme. Looking at your photos, pick out the main points or ideas to write about and use a different Pink Doodle Frame for each.

Download Pink Doodle Frames Lined

Possible Scrapbook Themes:

Think:

• Princess
• Baby Girl
• Romantic
• Wedding
• Engagement
• Anniversary
• or just something super cute!

Download Pink Doodle Frames

Other Uses for Pink Doodle Frames

• Use the Pink Doodle Frames in the middle of homemade cards to hold that special message or verse.
• Gift Tags
• Labels for containers or books
• Thank You tags for gifts you have received
• Make a small book to hold special sayings or inspirational words

Sometimes you may have an idea for a layout inspired by a picture or pictures that you have and have several papers and embellishments you’d like to use on it, but don’t know where to start.  A good starting point is by layering your papers on and then adding the embellishments around those papers.

Products Used On This Project:

• Retro Stash Grunge Paper By Tim Holtz
• Fish and Friends Stamps by Inkadinkado
• Acrylic Block
• Alphabet Stencil
• Tear Edger
• Kraft Cardstock
• Colorbox Inks:  Mudslide and Fluid Chalk Ink Queue-Pumpkin Patch
• Earth Tone Colored Marker (brown, dark green, etc.)
•  Tape Runner

Choose three pictures and trim them to be 2 ½” x 1 ¾” then adhere them with the tape runner to the rectangle paper pieces from the Retro Stash Grunge Paper. 

Next, using the sheet in the above picture from the Retro Stash Grunge Paper by Tim Holtz cut the dotted and small squared pieces off. 

Choose one of the solid pieces from the paper and adhere the patterned pieces to the top left and bottom right corners of the solid piece. 

Now find the sheet that contains the strips of patterned paper and trim off the dark green piece and fasten it vertically in the middle of the solid piece.  It will cover up the edges of the patterned paper on those sides, but that’s ok. 

Cut a small piece of Kraft cardstock to be 3 ½” x 3 ½” and using the tear edger tear approximately ½” off each side.  Once that is done, ink the edges using the Dark Moss ink from the Fluid Chalk Queue generously ink the edges inward making sure that there is ink towards the center of the paper. 

Next, turn the Mudslide Ink Pad so it is flat in your hand ink just the edges of each side of the paper. 

Prepare the alphabet stencil by placing a piece of tape over the letters that will not be used.  This helps to prevent ink getting into those areas and ruining your creation.  Place the stencil over the top of the Kraft cardstock and begin pressing the Amber Clay Ink Pad from the Fluid Chalk into the letters that you are using to spell out your title.  Lift the stencil off carefully and reposition for each letter you need.  Attach the title piece to the upper right corner of the layout once the ink has completely dried.  Print the location of where you layout was from using the earth tone marker. 

Stamp the seahorse and seaweed images from the Fish and Friends Stamp Set onto the bottom left corner using the Mudslide Ink Pad and an acrylic block.

Attach the pictures using your favorite tape runner to the upper right corner, lower left corner and in the center of the layout. 

The next time you can’t decide which paper to use you won’t have to…use them all and have fun layering them!

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.

One of my favorite things is vintage style.  Growing up, I was raised around antiques and still today love old things.  It has become one of my scrapbooking styles that I’d like to do more of in my projects.  What about you?  Is it one of your favorite styles? Do you like the old look in your layouts?  Would you like to make this layout with your own pictures?  Go for it and enjoy the fun of the vintage style!

Products Used:

Martha Stewart Double Edge Bangle Chain Punch
Kraft Cardstock
White Cardstock
Tim Holtz Paper Stash Retro Grunge
Swiss Dot Cuttlebug Embossing Folder
Die Cutting/Embossing Machine
Petal Power Flower Die by Sizzix
The Crafter’s Workshop 6 x 6 Template:  Capricious
Inks by Colorbox:  Mudslide and Copper
Paintbrush or Stippling Tool
Favorite Wet Glue
Favorite Tape Runner

Begin by converting the photos you will be using to the Sepia color using a photo editing program that allows you to change the color.  Next, print the photos and trim them to be 4″ long by 3 ½” wide.  Adhere them in the left and right corners of the medium brown patterned paper from the Retro Grunge Paper Pad by Tim Holtz.  

Take the Crafter’s Workshop Template and place it on the left bottom corner of the patterned paper. Holding the template down tightly with your hand or a repositionable tape, stipple (the process of dabbing paint or ink on to something) the Mudslide Ink by Colorbox onto the template with a paintbrush or stippling tool making sure that the ink covers the open areas and transfers onto the paper.  The heavier the ink is applied the darker the pattern will be.  It can, also, be applied heavy to light just by not adding more ink onto the brush to give a contrast in the design.

Punch a 12″ long by 1″ wide decorative strip from the Kraft Cardstock using the Martha Stewart Double Edge Bangle Chain Punch and glue it to the center of the layout.

 Die cut 10 of the small petal and a center piece from the white cardstock using the Petal Power die and your die cut machine.  Run the pieces through your embossing machine using the Swiss Dot embossing folder. Assemble them to form a flower using the wet glue.

Once the flower is assembled, use the paint brush dipped onto the Mudslide Ink Pad to add some color to the embossed pattern.  For the center of the flower, brush the Copper Ink on to cover the center which will add more depth to the flower. 

While holding the flower cupped between your hands lightly push up on the petals to shape it into a little bowl shape.  Adhere it to the layout in the corner with some of your favorite wet glue. 

You now have a simple and elegant vintage style layout to show off some of your favorite pictures.

Here’s a set of Clever Cats Tags to print and cut out. Use them as gift tags or journal tags in your papercraft projects. Print out a set for that cat lover you know!

Download Clever Cat Tags – White

Ways to Use the Clever Cats Tags

• Gift Tags
• Journal Tags
• Card Toppers
• Book labels
• Scrap pages
• Clip art
• Write your cat’s name on them and stick them to the cat house or cat basket

Download Clever Cat Tags – Black

Just cut and write. Punch a hole to thread string or ribbon through and you’re ready to go!

Download Clever Cat Tags – Black Label

These black tags are for those who want a label for writing on the front of the tag.

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.

In all of the craziness of the holiday don’t forget to help Santa out and let him know what you would like for Christmas.  He reads a lot of letters so make yours into a layout with pictures from your favorite craft store like CreateForLess so he knows just what to get you and where to get it. 

Santa Claus is going to make an extra delivery to one lucky CreateForLess customer this holiday season! Enter our Dear Santa Sweepstakes and you could win up to $100 of what you’ve been wishing for this holiday season! Simply pick out your wish list at CreateForLess and enter HERE!

Supplies Needed:

• Corner Rounder
• Christmas Tree Punch
• Graphic 45 Christmas Emporium Paper Pad
• Red Stickles
• Yellow Stickles
• Fired Brick Distress Ink
• Vintage Photo Distress Ink
• Heritage Cricut Cartridge
• Cricut Machine
• 3-d Adhesive
• Green Cardstock
• Smooth White Cardstock
• Smooth Beige Cardstock that works in your printer
• Black Marker
• Your favorite tape runner

The first thing you will want to do is to punch the Christmas trees using the tree punch and green cardstock  and then put the red and yellow Stickles dots on them.  Set them aside to dry.  Next, go to your favorite online craft store like CreateForLess and find some things on your wish list.  Copy and paste them into a document and print them off on the Smooth Beige Cardstock.  Keep in mind to size your photos so they will fit onto the 8 x 8 patterned paper once they are cut out.  After cutting around each photo, round the corners with the corner rounder and ink the edges using the Fired Brick Distress Ink.    Also, round the corners of the “Toyland” patterned paper from the Graphic 45 Christmas Emporium Paper Pad.  Attach the pictures with the tape runner to the patterned paper making sure to tilt some of the photos to add attention to the layout. 

Using your Cricut machine set the size to cut to 3 ¾” and cut the scroll from the Heritage cart.  Ink the edges using the Vintage Photo Distress Ink to give it an old world paper look and adhere it to your layout.    Write your letter to Santa with the black marker on the scroll and add the trees to the layout using the 3-d adhesive so they pop off the page. 

You now have your letter to Santa finished and can help cut his work time down by showing him where he can find the tools on your Christmas wish list!

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.

The holidays are full of traditions that lend themselves to the perfect pictures. When our son was growing up we would travel to family members houses for the holidays and most of the time was spent on the road to get there. My husband and I both wanted our son to have holiday memories of being home, too, so we began the tradition of having our own Thanksgiving meal the weekend after the holiday. As our son grew up, he began to cook the meal with us using the recipes my husband had handed down to him and that is part of the inspiration for this layout. In the pocket are copies of those recipes that our son will be able to use in years to come. This holiday season, let the traditions your family has be an inspiration to you, too.

Supplies used:

• Tan Cardstock
• K & Company Halloween and Fall Paper Pad
• Inkadinkado Clear Mini Stamps-Borders
• Vintage Photo Distress Ink
• Spiced Marmalade Distress Ink
• Martha Stewart Pumpkin Patch Border Punch
• Alphabet Stamps
• Stamp Block
• Paint Brush
• Score Board
• Paper Trimmer
• Favorite Tape Runner

The first thing to do is to print several photos that you would like to use for your layout that show your family traditions. Also, make copies of the things that you would like to include in the pocket of your layout. Here I used copies of the recipes that we use for our meal.

Cut a piece of tan cardstock that is big enough to hold your copies making sure to add ½” to each side and the bottom. The pocket I made is 5″ wide by 5″ long so the paper I cut was 6″ by 5 ½”. Next, score ½” on each side and the bottom and trim the little square that is created by the score lines from the bottom of the paper up to the score line so that it can be folded in. Fold the sides in and the bottom up adhering where they meet at the bottom.

Punch the top using the Pumpkin Patch border punch. Trim the pumpkins off that are on the folded pieces. I left the ones that were right at the edge of the folds and made a slight cut at the base of them so that they stayed attached, but did not fold them over when I folded the side pieces in to create the pocket. Attach the pocket onto your layout using your favorite tape runner. Stamp the leaves and the name of your layout onto the pocket.

Using the paint brush, run it across the Spiced Marmalade ink pad and then across the pumpkins from bottom to top to add some color.

I stamped some leaves on the corners of the recipe copies to help tie them to the layout and I placed them into the pocket.

There are many straight lines in this layout and I wanted to add some fun so I cut around my photos to give them different shapes. Here I used my paper trimmer and trimmed the corners. You can use dies from your die cut machine, templates or even a corner rounder to just round the corners, too. There are many ways to give your ordinary rectangular photos a new and fun look. Lastly, adhere your photos to your layout and enjoy your new completed project.

This holiday season be sure to capture those family traditions and save the mementos to scrap those memories.

Many years ago, I had rescued a poor little purple mum from the store. It hadn’t been water and was already half dead, but I purchased it on clearance for $2 and brought it home anyways and planted it. I babied that plant and watched it grow to be a beautiful mum bush every fall. When we moved I wished I would have been able to bring it with me, but we moved in the middle of winter in a blizzard so there was no way of finding that mum in the snow. The first fall we lived in our new house we planted more mums, but they quickly died where we had them planted. In the fall of last year, my family planted more in a different area and this year I am again enjoying some beautiful bushes. This time, I decided to document those gorgeous flowers in this layout.

I added the accordion fold flower to it because it reminded me of the same shape of the mums and helps draw your attention to the layout. They are really easy and fun to make, too.

Supplies Used:

• K&Co 12 x 12 Fall & Halloween Paper Pad
• Score Board
• Paper Trimmer
• i-rock Tool
• Adhesive Rhinestones
• 1″ Circle Punch
• Favorite glue and adhesive

First cut 2 strips of 1 ½” wide by 12″ long strip. Score both of them in ½” increments. Fold them accordion (also known as peaks and valley) style. Glue the ends together so they overlap and the peaks and valleys when folded together match up.

Punch 2 circles and put glue on one of them to adhere the flower on. Start by grabbing the top edges and folding them in and down to the center as shown in the picture.

Once they are folded downward and the flower has been formed, place something on the center to help hold it down until the glue dries.

When it is dried place glue on the second circle and glue it to the center of the flower. You can now decorate it with anything you’d like. Here I used the Imaginisce i-rock Tool and adhesive rhinestones. Adhere to your layout using your favorite adhesive. I, also added some of the adhesive rhinestones around the corners of the pictures to add a little sparkle to those.

Do you have a favorite flower or bush in your yard? Is it something that is tied to a special memory for you such as it being planted on the day your child was born or given to you by a dear friend? Why not document it, too? Those are all a part of the special memories that you have had and should be shared with future generations. Who knows maybe that bush that they just planted is a piece of the one you owned and they will know through your scrapbook pages what it meant to you.

One thing I love about Halloween is being able to decorate for it.  Each year I try to add something new and different to my things.  My son and I have even had fun making our own decorations to hang in the windows.  This year I was fortunate to find several new things and thought it would be fun to start taking pictures and making them into layouts to see how much the decorating changes every year.  I decided to add to the fun by using the new Echo Park Apothecary Under Your Spell paper and Alphabet Stickers.

I started by taking pictures of the things I’ve added this year and printed them out to 4″ x 6″.  I, then, trimmed the white edges off the pictures to make them look even spookier.  I chose some Orange Bazzill Cardstock and trimmed it to be 4″ x 6″.  Next I used the Pumpkin Patch Punch by Martha Stewart  and punched the top of each piece of cardstock.  The details on this punch are fantastic and I wanted it to stand out more so I rubbed a q-tip over the Black Soot Distress Ink Pad and rubbed the ink onto the pumpkins and then turned the q-tip around, gently rubbing the ink into the grooves of the paper which also helped to remove some of the excess ink off the paper.  It not only helped to highlight the pumpkins, it gave them a shadowed look, as well.  I, then, adhered the pictures to the background pieces and onto the 12 x 12 piece of Under Your Spell paper.  I placed the patterned pumpkin from the Echo Park Apothecary Emporium Elements sheet between the 2 pictures to add some more interest to the layout.  I found that I had some of the Making Memories Toil and Trouble Foam Icons Stickers left from last year and decided that the stars would be great to add a glittery effect to the page.  I knew I was close to being done, but it still needed something more besides the title. 

Since most of my pictures showed my favorite pumpkins I realized I needed to use my newest Halloween punch which is extra special to me because I was able to help name this 1″ Lever Punch by Fiskars.  It’s called, “Laughin’ Jack.”  I used some yellow Bazzill and punched 2 faces out and adhered them to the layout using some mini Pop Dots cut in halves to fit onto the face areas.    The last thing I did was included the title using the Apothecary Alphabet Stickers and what should Halloween decorations say to those who see them? “Happy Halloween!”  of course, so that’s what I named this layout. 

Often as we decorate for the holidays we don’t think to take pictures and scrap them, but if you think about it that’s also a part of what our family memories are so the next time you snap a few pictures of the cute little costumes your children wear be sure to snap a few pictures of the decorations you have put up.  It’s all a part of the fun of the holiday!  Have a very Happy Halloween everyone!