Think Crafts Blog – Craft Ideas and Projects – CreateForLess

By Cardmaking & Scrapbook Layout Contributor, Peg from the blog Peg’s Crafting Corner.

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. 

Enter to win a prize pack from DCWV! This prize from DCWV includes The Glam Rhinestone Stack Neutrals & Brights! We are celebrating National Scrapbooking Day all month long at Think Crafts. Look for Scrapbooking prizes for Free Stuff Friday all of May!

 The Glam Rhinestone Stack includes 24 sheets of 12″x12″ printed cardstock, with rhinestones on every page! Comes with 24 sheets; 2 of each print. The Glam Rhinestone Stack has array of flowers and geometric designs, all highlighted in shades of olive green, butter-cream yellow, coral red, and robin egg blue.

Every Friday we’ll post a giveaway on Think Crafts and all you have to do is comment on the blog post answering the question of the week. We’ll pick the winner and contact them via email. Deadline is midnight tonight and the winner will be announced Monday. One entry per person please.

Question of the Week: Are you following CreateForLess on Pinterest?

If the comment box is not below, scroll to the top and click “comments”.

By Cardmaking & Scrapbook Layout Contributor, Peg from the blog Peg’s Crafting Corner.

In spring and summer time I love the pastel colors you start to see.  There’s just something special about the pinks, light greens, blues, etc.  This time of year, there are also a lot of celebrations that take place…birthdays, baby showers and even bachelorette parties and more which makes this card and its color versatile for many occasions.  

• White Cardstock
• Pink Cardstock
• Echo Park 6 x 6 Victoria Gardens Paper Pad
• Petaloo Hydrangea Roses
• Colorbox Tutti Frutti Queue Ink Pad
• Inkadinkado Wine and Tags Stamps
• Acrylic Block
• Bo Bunny Trinkets
• Favorite Tape Runner
• Tombow Mono Aqua Glue
• Mini Pop Dots
• Martha Stewart Precision Scissors
• Martha Stewart Deep Edge Scroll Punch
• We R Memory Keepers Crop-A-Dile Corner Chomper
• Imaginisce i-rock Hot Rocks Jewels
• i-rock Tool

Start by cutting a piece of white cardstock to measure 11″ x 4″ and fold in half.  This will be the card base.  Round each corner of the card base using the ¼” side of the Corner Chomper.   Next, cut a piece of the pink patterned paper from the Victoria Gardens Paper Pad to measure 3 ½” x 5″ and round the corners.  Adhere it onto the base. 

One nice thing about acrylic stamps is that you are able to place them on the stamp block with the ends higher than the middle because they do have a little give to them as seen in the picture.  Place the “Let’s Celebrate” stamp from the Wine and Tags Stamp Set onto the acrylic block with the ends curved a little upward.  Ink the stamp using the Pinkolicious ink pad from the Tutti Frutti Queue Ink by Colorbox and stamp in the center of the patterned paper. 

Take the Martha Stewart Scroll Punch and pink cardstock and punch a row of the hearts.  Trim 3 of the hearts with scissors to fit on the bottom of the card, making sure the largest heart is centered with the center of the card and that the edges of the hearts on the sides are a little rounded to match the curve of the rounded corners.  Glue on using the Tombow Mono Aqua Glue. 

Place the Petaloo flowers onto each of the top corners using 2 mini pop dots that have been stacked onto one another for each flower.  Also, add the Bo Bunny trinket using 2 more stacked pop dots to the center top of the card.  After heating the i-rock tool, affix a green Hot Rock Jewel onto the center of each flower. 

Now, let the celebration begin and use these as invitations to your special party!  Write the important information on the inside or use this really cool Party Invite stamp set by Inkadinkado!

By Paper Crafts Contributor, Lauren Romano.

Having flowers in the home isn’t always possible, especially when there’s kids or animals who can easily get at them. In that case, a better option is to make paper flowers, which is an especially cute craft idea to do with kids. It requires only a handful of items, but you can end up with a small window box of adorable paper flowers that everyone will love.

What you’ll need:

• Rocks
• Colored paper
• Tissue box
• Mod Podge
• Green pipe cleaners
• Scissors
• Pencil

Step 1. Draw petals on various colors of paper, then cut them out. You can mix and match, do single colors or a combination of both.

Step 2. Cut out circles for the middle of the flowers.

Step 3. Glue the edges of the petals onto the back of the circles to form flowers, then give them ample opportunity to dry.

Step 4. Trim the top off a tissue box, then fill the box with rocks.

Step 5. Use Mod Podge to adhere a single green pipe cleaner onto the back of each flower. You can use the pipe cleaners to also make leaves or you can leave them without.

Step 6. Stick the flowers into the rocks. If they start to fall over, use the rocks to hold the stems in place. Make sure all of the flowers fully stick out from the box.

By Cardmaking & Scrapbook Layout Contributor, Peg from the blog Peg’s Crafting Corner.

I have to admit that National Backyard Games Week was new to me when I first heard about it.  I searched the internet to find out that it is used to observe the unofficial start of summer and comes the week before Memorial Day every year.  This year it’s May 18^th – 25^th.  

The week is used to promote physical and social activity amongst family, neighbors and friends all while playing the games that we grew up on such as pillow case races, H-O-R-S-E and many others.  One idea to celebrate the week is by having a party or a carnival.  A good place to start for that is by creating invitations to send to friends and family telling them to come join the fun.  This is a quick and easy invitation that even your children can help you make. 

Begin by using items that will represent some of the games that you used to play and will be playing at the carnival.  It will add an element of excitement to the receiver of the invitation when they remember what games they used to play and for kids trying to guess what games will be there. 

Using a piece of green cardstock that measures 9 3/8″ long x 6 1/2″ wide and fold in half.  Next, punch the rope, using the EK Success Braid Punch, to represent the game of tug of war at the bottom of the front flap. 

I have been using the new American Crafts Dear Lizzy Neapolitan line and loving it.  The line had the perfect elements I was looking for to include on this invitation.  I began with using the Accents and Phrase Sticker Book and chose the bicycle to represent a bike parade, the arrow for a bow and arrow contest and of course you have to include some fun so I used the “fun” ticket sticker.  One of my favorite pieces is the 3 tickets stickers because on them they say, “Here’s the scoop” and I used a black marker to write on the lines, “You Are Invited.”   I, also, included a the measuring tape piece from the Sunny Skip patterned paper to represent a jumping contest and the ice cream cone from the First Date patterned paper to include an ice cream eating contest. 

Since the celebration is all about being outdoors I just had to use the Silver Lining Vellum for some clouds.  I didn’t just want to stick the entire sheet on because it just didn’t fit correctly into the design so I used my Xyron Create A Sticker Machine to make them into stickers after cutting them out.  This helped to adhere them onto the invitation without have the adhesive show. 

In order to make the clouds into stickers, simply run them through the Xyron Create A Sticker Machine, peel them off the adhesive and stick them to your project. 
Now that you have an idea for the party invitations, start inviting your family and friends to join you for the unofficial kick off to summer and have fun playing the games you played as kids with your children and their friends!

By Cardmaking & Scrapbook Layout Contributor, Peg from the blog Peg’s Crafting Corner.

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.

By Paper Crafts Contributor, Lauren Romano.

Many girls love the color pink, so what better way to decorate the packaging of a special gift than to use a handmade girly gift tag. It takes only a few items, but before long, you can have a perfect gift tag the recipient will adore.

What you’ll need:

• Pink cardstock
• Gift Tag
• Pink scrapbook paper
• Pink ribbon
• Hole punch
• Mod Podge
• Silver glitter glue
• Puffy sticker

Step 1. Use the Mod Podge to adhere a section of the pink scrapbook paper to the pink cardstock.

Step 2. Cut the piece into the shape of a gift tag.

Step 3. Cut a piece of ribbon that fits horizontally across the top part of the gift tag, then cut another piece large enough to make a bow. Attach the horizontal piece first, then follow it up by attaching the bow on top of it.

Step 4. Punch a small hole just above the bow.

Step 5. Use glitter glue to go over any designs that are on the scrapbook paper to make it pop.

Step 6. Attach a puffy sticker in the center of the gift tag.