Must Haves - 2014

Paper crafting is like having your first baby...you attend the expos & are awed by the amazing selection of tools & neat stuff that you think you HAVE to have to make your paper crafts look like they came out of a department store.

Alas, after actually spending time with your "baby", you realize that most of the shiny new toys you bought are actually not necessary and some are downright money wasters. Really...who actually used that stupid changing table top electric bottle warmer after they realized that the microwave did the job just as well in less time?

Tried & true, here is our list of items that we have found to be well worth the money in making your paper crafts really special:

#1 - Corner Rounder - cheap, easy, but packs a big punch (no pun intended). They come in small or large meaning the degree of rounding is much greater on the large one. I got my Paper Company small corner rounder from Hobby Lobby. Note: I don't know why the reviews are so low - I LOVE mine!

#2 - Small Ink Pads - Also referred to as "cat's eye ink" you use these to ink the edges of any layered embellishment you put on a card. I'm embarrassed to say I just started doing this - I never thought it was necessary until I did it once & saw what a huge difference it makes! It's kind of like taking an hour to do your makeup then leaving the house without lipstick. You can definitely get by with two - brown & black - but I ended up getting a multi pack with a 40% off coupon & I find myself experimenting with some of the other colors. These also work well for smaller rubber stamps.

#3 - Adhesives- First, you need a good tape runner. This is the ONLY way to go on adhesives! Do not use liquid glue - you're regret it. I've been using MyStik for the past 3 years & find it to be the best quality & easiest to use. Next, you need some glue dots for small embellishments. I have regular 1/2" & mini & regularly use both. But if you only get one, get the mini - it's easier to add more than to have icky glue hanging off the sides of your embellishment. Lastly, you need some 3D adhesives to make your embellishments "pop." You can use foam squares or 3D glue dots - whatever strikes your fancy. In this case, if you don't get regular and mini, go for the regular - they can be trimmed with scissors.

#4 - 3D Medium - Oh my! This little bottle of "magic sauce" adds so, so much! You simply accent little areas of your cards (perhaps stripes or dots on your paper, flower centers, etc.), allow it to dry for a few minutes & you have a beautiful, shiny little 3D accent. Easy-peasy. There are lots of them out these, but I use Ranger. A little goes a long way.

#5 - Scoring Board - I admit I once thought this was one of those unnecessary money wasters, but I have come to embrace the versatility of my scoring board. You can make your own boxes for custom note cards, make your own envelopes, make score marks for your custom cards and even make your own rosettes. You can even score embossing marks on your cards for detail. Again, there are lots out there, I just happen to have Martha Stewart's. A note: other users said that the plastic boning tool included with this board will wear over time, become sharp & tear through your paper. They were right. As a matter of fact, it takes a light touch when scoring. I purchased s round ended stylus & it works much better.

#6 - Seam Roller - Nothing fancy here! Just $2 at your local hardware store will get you this tool that is absolutely vital to adhere your layers together. As a matter of fact - get two as they tend to get glue on them.

#7 - Baby Wipes - the cheapest ones you can get. They are versatile for wiping off your rubber stamps, hands & work area.

#8 - Rotary Paper Trimmer - Get the best on you can here. You get what you pay for. If you want straight cuts, spend more. Be sure the numbers are easily visible, the blades are changeable & it cuts up to 12".  I have this one by Carl. It's sturdy, not too cumbersome & makes nice cuts.

Know of another tool or item that you use every day & can't live without? Leave a comment & tell us about it.

We're baaaaaack with David Tutera Products & Sanding Techniques

We're back! 2013 was a c-r-a-z-y year, but the good news is, we've learned a lot of new techniques to share!

First off, David Tutera has come out with his own line of card making supplies. Not only are they beautiful, but they are so easy to use. Best thing is...you can start making cards right away with a few basic supplies - no fancy cutting machines or embossing machines necessary!

DT's stuff comes in lettered "layers." For example, you choose an A package of card bases. Then you add a B package of pre-due cut or pre-embossed layers. Finally, you finish off with one or more package C embellishments. That's it! The line is made fool proof & everything coordinates beautifully.

You can purchase these items from your local JoAnn or online at JoAnn.com. Be sure to visit the David Tutera site for tons of inspiration ideas & videos.

Speaking of videos, here's a great one that shows a new technique we've been trying out - sanding. Seriously - who knew? Investing in a cheap little sanding block will elevate your projects & add a ton of dimension. Click on this link to view a demonstration. Choose the "Super Cute B-Day Card" video.

Let us know what else you'd like to see!

Creative Touches With FREE Fonts

I am all about the free...especially since paper crafting is such an expensive hobby!

My wonderful husband surprised me with a Cricut for Christmas. Needless to say, I have been glued to my computer the past several days trying to find low cost & free ways to make my creations shine.

Thanks goodness for free fonts! My two favorite websites are www.dafont.com and www.fontquirrel.com. Both sites have fonts that you simply download with the click of a button - when you open a new document in Word, they are there for your use!

Fonts are great - instead of spending needless money on a bunch of stamps for your cards, simply design sentiments or monograms & either print them directly onto the base card before embellishing it or print them onto the paper of your choice then cut them out using a pretty shape & the center point feature on your Cricut machine. Voila! Cheap & elegant embellishments!

Stuck for an idea for you sentiment? Visit www.brainyquote.com or www.quotegarden.com. Both sites have quotes searchable by category (friendship, love, sympathy, etc.).

Spa Party

I threw a spa party for my daughter's 9th birthday. I know some of these aren't paper crafts, but it really was a lot of fun to do, so I thought I'd share everything with you.

The first thing I did was set the mood with these cute invitations. These are sleep masks that I made by printing the details on white card stock, then cutting them out & gluing them to a piece of pretty scrapbook paper. I outlined the front with blue ribbon. I made each girl's name on a Cricut & added a flower & gem detail (also made on a Cricut). If you don't have a Cricut, this step is not necessary. You don't need it to make the main body of the invite. Finally, I punched holes to the sides & added blue ribbon ties. I think they turned out really cute!

 

 

I packaged the invites in a cello bag & added a set of cute toe spacers. I sealed the bag with a glue dot & another Cricut made flower, but you can use stickers if you like.

 

 

The girls were greeted by a welcome sign & fresh scented candle. The sign was just letters cut on a Cricut & glued to a 12 x 12 piece of scrapbook paper. I propped it on a large plate stand in my entry.

 

 

There was a table set with personalized goody bags & spa water. The goody bags were filled with nail polish, lip gloss & a loofah. The girls made crafts at the party to add to the bags.

 

The spa water is simply mini bottles of water wrapped with colorful duct tape.

 

 

The first activity was a table set with a bucket of white flip flops & a basket of ribbon cut to 6" lengths. The girls made their own spa sandals by tying the ribbon to the flip flops.

Didn't they turn out pretty?

 

Next, the girls were treated to facials & manicures.

 

The facial basket was filled with face mask, hair towels (which went into the goody bags at the end of the party), a spray bottle of water & cotton pads for cleaning. There was also a sheet of face jewels for them to apply after their facials.

 

The nail bucket had polish, files, lotion, cuticle sticks, polish remover & cotton pads.

 



 

After facials, the girls moved to the kitchen where they made their own Peppermint Candy Sugar Scrub, Rosemary Lavender Bath Salts & Lavender Green Tea Facial Toner. All of the recipes are readily available on the Internet. I got mine from Pinterest. I bought the 8 oz mason jars at the groccery store for $8 a dozen. I laid out baskets with precut material for the jar tops & homemade tags to tie around the jars.

 

Here's the dipped marshmallows I made. The base that they are in is styrofoam outlined with the same duct tape as the water bottles. I wrapped plain candy sticks with Washi Tape to make them colorful. There are strawberry & plain marshmallows dipped in blue & yellow candy melts & covered with sugar sprinkles.

 

 

I LOVE how my face maks cheese ball turned out! Again, Pinterest!

 

My daughter is not a cake eater, but she loves cupcakes, so I made 2 dozen & set them out with jars of frosting & a tray of candy so each girl could decorate her own. The cups are plastic shot glasses from Walmart!

 

That's about it! I hope I've inspired you to explore your inner Diva!

Girly Birthday Card - Green & Black

Here's the card I made for my Mom's birthday. This one was incredibly easy & required no special supplies. I used premade cards from Hobby Lobby, scrapbook paper, glitter, & scrapbook embellishments...simple yet beautiful!

The paper I used inside the card was the reverse of the paper on the outside, so it matched perfectly.

Amazing what you can do with some stick on gems & glitter glue!

Little Girl Cupcake Birthday Card

I made this card for my daughter's 9th birthday using Copic Pens & glitter paper.

The cupcake was done with a set I purchased from Krazy Kreations. There is a video on our blog under the Copic Markers post (see below).

You will need the following supplies:

Glitter Paper Starter Set

Elizabeth Craft Stickers

Copic Markers (refer to our blog post Copic Markers for color & shading demos)

I have found that a cutting mat & Xacto knife work well for cutting close on finely detailed items. Just a little tip!

Once you create your glitter accessory, attach it to a card with adhesive foam squares to make it pop up. I use plain white premade cards from Hobby Lobby. They're easy to dress up with scrapbook paper. The yellow strip is cut from plain scrapbook paper that I edged with those decorative scissors you can get in the scrapbook aisle of any craft store. The "Happy Birthday" is stamped with a glue pad then covered in ultrafine semitransparent glitter from Sparkle & Sprinkle. The number 9 & the flower accent are cut from the Wild Things cartridge on a Cricut & attached with foam squares & a small rhinestone accent. The dots on the 9 are done with  a Stickles.

I embellished the envelope with my favorite Washi Tape & cotton twine technique - a homemade flag banner - and my daughter's name cut from a Cricut & accented with a Stickles. I also made another Cricut flower.

You gotta love Pinterest!

Pinterest is addicting! I was looking for a unique gift for everyone for Thanksgiving. I settled on homemade Pumpkin Spice Sugar Scrub for the girls & Rosemary Mint Shaving Cream for the guys. Both were super easy & a big hit.

My only changes were: sugar scrub - double the spices or you won't smell it; shaving cream - I substituted vegetable oil for the jojoba oil - MUCH cheaper!

Notes: I bought my 8 oz mason jars at Winco for about $8 a dozen. I got the coconut oil at Super Wal Mart for $6 for 32 oz.

The tags were made on MS Word. I just did 2 tag shapes - one slightly smaller than the other - & typed in the text. I cut the tags out, applied the smaller one on top of the larger one with a foam tape square, then punched a hole in the end. I tied the tags to the mason jars with raffia, using cinnamon sticks & ornamental rosemary as embellishments. The jar lids are covered with a piece of paper that I cut out using the lid as a guide.