Scrapbook Outlet NZ

at 11:52 AM

I came up with the concept for this album almost 2 years ago but never completed it. I must have been waiting for the MM Vintage Findings collection!

The idea started as an idea for a mini travel album made from postcards while away on a trip. I am terrible at journalling but thought I was able to handle filling out a postcard each night to summarise the day. Also I thought if you were actually overseas you could send them home and then you would get stamps and postmarks from where you visited. We were only going to Taupo but we did lots of day trips and most places had postcards featuring their attraction. I also thought it was good way of getting 'pictures' to supplement the photos I took.

When I got home however I also had quite a bit of memobrilia which was too big to bind with the postcards without being folded. So my idea evolved and I decided to include some pocket pages to put in the memobrillia. Using the gorgeous double sided papers from the MM Vintage collection also provided room on the back of each pocket page. That made me think that it would be cool to put random photos from the trip in there as well. So the mini album has turned out to be a complete summary of our trip - daily journaling on the postcards, memobrillia in the pocket pages and photos from the trip as well.

The pocket pages I made to fit the different pieces of memobrillia so they are different sizes. Also I let some of the memobrillia poke up the top and some I made the back of pocket bigger (at the top) than the memobrillia. This gives the album an eclectic feel. The trick with the pocket pages was to make them wide enought to fit the memobrillia and still have room for the binding. Basically I cut a width of paper and then folded up an appropriate amound of paper to create a pocket. I then glued the edges of the pocket. With some of the actual pockets I folded back the top of pocket to create a border and one I shaped with a scallop punch. The possibilities are endless!

The cover I made from some cardboard and distressed and decorated using the Vintage Findings Travel collection. The papers and embellishments thorughout the album are from the MM Vintage Findings collection. The letters (Taupo) are Thickers and the script stamp on some of the pages is from the Glitz Design Distressing 2 stamp set.

at 9:53 PM

Crafters Workshop has awesome templates which can be used in many different ways. They can be found in the shop here...

http://scrapbookoutletnz.co.nz/shop/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=1387&sort=20a&page=1

I have been playing with the Flower Frenzy 12x12 one which is very very cool. A tip is to put a little removable adhesive on the back of it and adhere it to your background and it stays in one place while you use it.

For my first play I traced it with an ink pen, then with my fiskars shape cutter cut out parts of it. I then coloured it using chalks and a blender pen.

I have to admit it was pretty time consuming although I loved the effect. I got thinking that it might be quicker if I traced the template and then colour in parts with black pen instead of the cutting. This time I coloured in with twinkling H2o's and soufle pens.

Both these techniques are very effective but you do need some time to execute them.

One of my favourite things with these templates (and it is very quick!) is to use them as a mask. It is as simple as putting the template on your background cardstock or pp and spraying with Glimmer Mist. Carefully remove the template and you have a very quick and easy background.

I hate to waste the glimmermist which remains on the template so I 'stamped' the template onto another piece of cardstock. I then cleaned off any remianing glimmer mist off the template. Put the template back over the 'stamped' image and sprayed with a different colour.

My next thing on my list is to trace onto to acetate and use maybe alcohol inks to colour! There are so many ways these templates can be used.

at 9:37 AM

When looking at the trends that came out of Summer CHA, chipboard buttons were one thing on the trendy list. And the cool thing is that they are super easy to make! I remembered seeing somone mentioned making some on sistv awhile ago and had thought to myself at the time I must try that one day!

For a basic chipboard button you need chipboard, scrap patterned paper and dimensional magic.

If you have a punch that can punch through chipboard, punch a shape (it doesnt have to be circle!) from chipboard and then one from scrap patterned paper.

Glue the two pieces together.

Punch two small holes in the middle (I used a cropodile). To get the holes even in the middle I used a large normal button I had and used that as a template.

Then if you have some Dimensional Magic, carefully put over the 'button'. Leave to dry. It gives a nice glossy finish. I tried PVA glue as well, which dries clear but doesnt give quite as a glossy finish.

You dont have to use patterned paper. You can ink, paint, kindy glitz, stamping, embossing. Your imagination is your limit. I havent even began to start playing with the endless possibilities for making chipboard buttons.

I have used a circle punch with thin chipboard and preshaped chipboard circles for making these buttons.

And a layout using some of the buttons.

at 6:53 AM

A quick and easy way to transform plain paper flowers with some embroidery floss and some cutting!

Take a needle, some floss, some scissors and some paper flowers.

And transform them like this.....

Take a approx 10cm length of floss and tie a knot in one end (I used 3 knots for these). Thread onto a needle.

Using the needle and thread 'sew' the piece of floss throught the flower with the knot side on the top of the flower. Trim both ends as required.

For a little more dimension take 2 flowers and cut each petal down the middle 3 to 4 mm. Sew the thread through both flowers. Trim as rquired. To make buds take the flowers and scrunch them all up after you have put the floss though.

I used this technique on this layout where I have used the August kit. Full layout can be seen in the gallery.

at 9:28 PM

There is new design team work in the Gallery.

Kate using the K&Co Madeline range.
http://scrapbookoutletnz.co.nz/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=2922

Raewyn with the MME Pretty Please range.
http://scrapbookoutletnz.co.nz/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=2920

Lainie with the Collage Press Knave of Hearts range.
http://scrapbookoutletnz.co.nz/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=2924

Lesley with the Cosmo Cricket Early Bird range.
http://scrapbookoutletnz.co.nz/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=2925

Ruth with the MME Andrea Victoria range.
New layouts will be linked soon. Here are the first two gorgeous layouts using this range.
http://scrapbookoutletnz.co.nz/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=2907&start=0

at 8:25 AM

I love how in the Fancy Pants collections there is a sheet of patterned paper called 'Cards'. It is double sided with one side being patterned and the other 12 awesome little cards.

http://scrapbookoutletnz.co.nz/shop/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=11010

This sheet of little cards is so versatile. You can use them as journaling cards, matts, patterned paper, backgrounds for ATC's and more. I love to make little books out of them because they provide such a cool background to work with.

For this little book I cut out 4 x 2 cards and folded them in half. I rounded the ends with a corner rounder. I placed them inside each other and then bound them with a ribbon from the middle to the outside (pierced two holes first). I just added photos and captions and it was all done. A little book for my daughter with some of the things that make her smile / happy. Here are some of the pages.