Scrapbooking 101: stretch your supplies by making cards with scraps
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Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Monday, February 22, 2010
Layouts To Cards
I always tell myself to make cards with the leftovers from a layout, and lately I'm actually doing it. It's a no-brainer - the papers and embellishments chosen for the page all match perfectly and can be easily put together to make some cards. I love having birthday and thank you cards on hand, and it's a lot cheaper to make them yourself. Sometimes I even wrap up a few cards for a last-minute gift. Plus, using up those scraps means less to put away at the end of a scrap session. Win/win!
Here's a look at some recent layouts I did, followed by cards I made with the same supplies. On the last one, I got 6(!) cards done.
Scrap on!
Here's a look at some recent layouts I did, followed by cards I made with the same supplies. On the last one, I got 6(!) cards done.
Scrap on!
Saturday, February 20, 2010
Spongebob Finallydonepants!
I thought I'd whip this sucker up for Hannah's birthday, giving myself 2.5 days to get it done. It actually took one whole day more and just about did me in! I was almost done today when I realized I had sewed his legs on upside down...doh! She loves him, and I have to admit he's pretty cute. And one of a kind, because never again will I be taking that on.
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Thanks For Making Me #1!
I just want to say a great big thank you to everyone who is supporting my efforts in my new venture as a writer for examiner.com. It's all new to me and there is definitely a learning curve, but I'm trying to be patient and see where it goes. I truly appreciate you taking the time to read my articles...your efforts have made me the #1 Reno Examiner for the last two days!
I'll keep writing, you keep clicking! You can even subscribe to my feed so you don't miss a thing - hey, this is riveting stuff, right?
If you ever have an idea for an article, have a blog or etsy shop you would like me to showcase, or are interested in learning more about something crafty, please don't hesitate to email me: tracyway@live.com
-Tracy
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Ami Elephant
I made this little cutie for a little girl's birthday present. I rarely buy gifts for kids' parties any more, unless it's one of those, "Mom, I've got a party to go to tomorrow" kind of things. My kids friends know that I crochet so there is usually a special request. I found the pattern for Flora The Elephant on ravelry, whipped it up in a couple of days. The downside of making amigurumi - I have a blister on my thumb from working with such a tight crochet.
She's pretty cute, no?
She's pretty cute, no?
Monday, February 8, 2010
Saturday, February 6, 2010
Friday, February 5, 2010
Melted Crayon Wax Technique
I love using melted crayon wax in my projects - it's colorful, adds texture, and is cheap! The bargain brand crayons work just fine, I think I paid about $2.00 for a box of 64. Think about how much 64 bottles of paint or 64 stamp pads would be!
Step 1: Melt The Wax
Chose the crayon you want to use, peel off the paper, and break into small pieces. I use a mini muffin tin lined with foil to hold the wax, for easy clean up. You could also just shape some foil into a little cup.
Use a heat gun to melt the wax. Heat until liquid, but not to the point of smoking. You want to do this in a well ventilated area and avoid breathing in the fumes. You can also melt the wax in a warm (250 degrees) oven, but that takes a bit longer.
The wax doesn't stay liquid very long. If it hardens up while you are working with it, just reheat briefly.
2. Stencil Technique
Place some type of stencil over a piece of cardstock and brush with melted wax.
The finished product. Note that black crayons make a bigger mess than most, and kind of rub off a little bit.
Then, your stencil can be used like a "stamp" by briefly heating the wax left from brushing in the last step and then pressing it onto cardstock.
The result is the reverse image of the stenciled piece above. Cool!
3. Splatter Technique
Super easy. Just dip a q-tip into some melted wax and (carefully) flick it onto your paper.
I love the way the yellow crayon looks like pollen on this card:
4. "Wax Seal" Technique
Pour melted wax into a little puddle on a piece of cardstock.
Choose a small stamp and ink it up with clear embossing ink. This is not absolutely necessary, but it does keep it from sticking.
Press the stamp firmly into the wax and hold for a couple seconds before removing.
Ta-Da! Let the "seal" harden, then carefully peel off the paper and trim the excess wax if you like. If it didn't turn out like you want, just re-melt the wax and start over.
Use a glue dot or other strong adhesive to adhere the embellishment to your project. Of course, this would look cool as an actual seal on an envelope.
5. Wax Paper Sandwich Technique
Using an old cheese grater, grate crayon colors of your choice onto a piece of waxed paper. You could also use a knife to chop it up really small.
Put another piece of waxed paper over the crayon bits and heat with the heat gun until melted. The colors will mix and blur. An iron works well for this job too.
Here, I sewed the waxed paper "sandwich" onto an ATC, trimmed the excess and embellished.
Have fun with it!
Step 1: Melt The Wax
Chose the crayon you want to use, peel off the paper, and break into small pieces. I use a mini muffin tin lined with foil to hold the wax, for easy clean up. You could also just shape some foil into a little cup.
Use a heat gun to melt the wax. Heat until liquid, but not to the point of smoking. You want to do this in a well ventilated area and avoid breathing in the fumes. You can also melt the wax in a warm (250 degrees) oven, but that takes a bit longer.
The wax doesn't stay liquid very long. If it hardens up while you are working with it, just reheat briefly.
2. Stencil Technique
Place some type of stencil over a piece of cardstock and brush with melted wax.
The finished product. Note that black crayons make a bigger mess than most, and kind of rub off a little bit.
Then, your stencil can be used like a "stamp" by briefly heating the wax left from brushing in the last step and then pressing it onto cardstock.
The result is the reverse image of the stenciled piece above. Cool!
3. Splatter Technique
Super easy. Just dip a q-tip into some melted wax and (carefully) flick it onto your paper.
I love the way the yellow crayon looks like pollen on this card:
4. "Wax Seal" Technique
Pour melted wax into a little puddle on a piece of cardstock.
Choose a small stamp and ink it up with clear embossing ink. This is not absolutely necessary, but it does keep it from sticking.
Press the stamp firmly into the wax and hold for a couple seconds before removing.
Ta-Da! Let the "seal" harden, then carefully peel off the paper and trim the excess wax if you like. If it didn't turn out like you want, just re-melt the wax and start over.
Use a glue dot or other strong adhesive to adhere the embellishment to your project. Of course, this would look cool as an actual seal on an envelope.
5. Wax Paper Sandwich Technique
Using an old cheese grater, grate crayon colors of your choice onto a piece of waxed paper. You could also use a knife to chop it up really small.
Put another piece of waxed paper over the crayon bits and heat with the heat gun until melted. The colors will mix and blur. An iron works well for this job too.
Here, I sewed the waxed paper "sandwich" onto an ATC, trimmed the excess and embellished.
Have fun with it!
