Adhesives

Last week for Tool Tuesday we talked about what basic supplies you need to start scrapbooking, what we didn't talk about was adhesives. So today we will tackle that topic and I will share what adhesives I use and love. I will also share where to get these adhesives for the best price.
Adhesives are really important in scrapbooking. You want something that will hope your pages together, something that is acid free and meant for archiving your memories. I also like adhesive that is easy to use (yes there is some out there that are hard to use!) Sometimes you will also want an adhesive that will give your layouts a little pop. I use three different adhesives every time I scrapbook. I use an ATG adhesive gun, glue dots and 3-D Foam Tape. Occasionally I will use a spray adhesive to help with really little things that are hard to get traditional glue onto.

I LOVE my ATG gun. It took me a really long time to decide to get one, but when I started going through 2-3 tombows in a day I knew that I needed something different. I got my gun on Amazon (click here). I get the refills for it on Tape Jungle. This adhesive is one that I use to glue most all of my photos and papers to my layouts. This is my go to adhesive.

I also use Glue dots a ton! I sell them through Close to My Heart (1772), but I do NOT recommend you get it from me. I know I just told you to not buy something from me, crazy I know. You can get these cheaper at any craft store, and most craft stores allow you to use a 40% off coupon as well. I use these to adhere ribbon and other embellishments. These are also great for smaller papers or things that you have stamped and are hard to use the tape gun on.

The last adhesive that I wanted to talk about is the 3-D Foam Tape. I use this one on almost every layout. It allows to me to add some dimension, to make my embellishments or my stamped images pop off the page. It is also really great and easy to use when I want to "hide" things behind other things. To do this I just put some of the 3-D tape on three of the sides. That way I can slide something, either journaling or another photo, behind an element on my layout, usually a photo . You can get other adhesives to do the same thing, but it is usually more expensive and not as easy to use, or it comes pre-cut which doesn't allow you to use it the way you might want to. The other thing that I love about Close to My Heart's is that it comes with two thicknesses, a skinny roll and a fat roll. It really makes it perfect for everything.

I hope this has helped to better understand adhesives and how to use them and what the best deals are. Let me know if you have any questions!

Challenge Monday

This past weekend was pretty busy over here and I did not get a chance to scrapbook. So I thought I would share a layout that I have already shared on Instagram but that I haven't shared here. It is a layout I did of a backpacking trip I took with some girlfriends. It was amazing! I ended up using some scraps from the Timberline Workshop on the Go and some chocolate card stock. Sometimes it is really fun to use a colored  cardstock as your base. I usually stick with White Daisy or Colonial White just because they are cheaper but having a colored background can make a big difference in the look of your layout. So here is a challenge for the week: scrapbook something and use a colored cardstock or patterned paper as your base.

Favorite Friday

So today is Friday and I thought I would share a few of my favorite things again. This week I have been playing around with the new ShinHan Twin Markers.

I bought the whole set of markers back in July and have only used them a couple of times. I will admit that the idea of coloring with alcohol markers scared me. I thought I had to use special inks to stamp the images in, and that getting them to color just the way I wanted would be hard. As I have played with them though I have learned that I don't need a special ink to stamp my images with before I color them (though using one that doesn't bleed is recommended). I have also learned that they are super easy to color with. Now these markers are one of my favorite things! They allow me to add color and dimension and fun little details (like the ombre affect) with ease.

A couple of days ago Close to My Heart posted an Instagram video showing just how to add the ombre affect to things. Here is a link to see the video and to get the step by step instructions (there are only 3 steps, so super easy!) While making a card for today I decided to use this technique on a butterfly that I wanted to attach to my card. It was so easy and I LOVE how it turned out! (PS I did the ombre on the bigger butterfly, just in case you were having a hard time seeing it, because it is a slight affect it isn't going to be crazy noticable, but I do think it adds a little something.)

I used the Scaredy Cat paper (X7185B), Thistle cardstock (X5769), some glitter paper from the Black and Grey collection (Z1829) and some Colonial White paper (1388) to make the card. I also used some 3-D foam tape (Z1151), (I love this product and will talk more about it on Tuesday!), some and Bitty Sparkles (Z1263) to add some dimension and sparkle to the card. I used the stamp set Your Own Kind of Wonderful (D1627) (which is also becoming a favorite because of the fun butterflies and sentiments). I used my black ink pad (Z2105) and my Marvy Uchida Journaling Pen (Z1979). I followed the last card in the Make It From Your Heart Volume 2 (9042). I also used the basic tools of a paper trimmer, micro tip scissors and adhesvie. If you have any questions just ask. Hope you all have a great weekend!

Halloween Treat Bags

I have 15 piano students and I love getting them little treats for all their hard work. This year when I got my Close to My Heart Idea Book and saw the Cut Above Halloween Treat Bag Kit I just knew that that is what I would be giving out this year. They are super cute and only $14.95 for 10 so it fit into my piano treat budget. Here is a picture of what comes in the kit:

It comes with the 10 fun pre-printed treat bags, 10 clear bags to hold the candy, 10 circles that are the right size for a stamp, 5 sheets of stickers (to put on the candy), and 12 3-D foam squares. It also comes with instructions on how to make the bags (found on the back of the picture that shows you what you bought).

You will need a few other supplies to finish these treat bags to look like mine, or the ones in the Idea Book. I used Thistle ink (Z2640), Black ink (Z2105), Slate ink (Z2173), and the Sweet Salutations stamp (B1466). I also used a clear block, I recommend the 2x2 block (Y1003). I also used a stapler. You won't need as many ink colors as I used if you don't want to. That is what is really fun about these Cut Above kits, you can use what you have and make them the way you want to.

I just followed the instructions and used Hershey Kisses as the candy (and planning on Starburst for those that are dairy free). You could also use Rolos, or small Peanut Butter Cups etc. These are so fun and easy and I am super excited to hand them out to my students at the end of this month!

What's new Wednesday

With a new Idea Book comes a lot of new products. This Idea Book is no exception. In fact due to the change in Idea Book format (one annual book, with a few seasonal brochures), there are a ton of new products. Today I am going to focus on the new 5 colors that Close to My Heart has come out with. These new colors allow Close to My Heart be current and on trend. So without further ado here they are:

First up is Thistle

This is a really fun purple to play with. It isn't super purple or deep and it goes well with the Scaredy Cat paper. In fact I used it in the layouts I shared earlier this month.

Second is Glacier

This is a really beautiful blue that reminds me of the time I spent in McCall Idaho looking at the ice sculptures when I was a little girl. I am super excited to play with this color in the coming months!

Third is Flaxen

Flaxen is a a different color in my opinion. It isn't really a neutral, but it isn't a green, it also isn't yellow. This is a color I played with a little in the Chalk It Up Workshop on the go. It is really an easy color to match other paper with, so maybe it is more of a neutral. Either way I like it!

Fourth we have Canary

This is a great yellow and I am super excited about it being added to our arsenal of colors. It isn't too bright, or too dull. It seems to me to be a perfect yellow, plus it makes me smile every time I look at it.

Last is Pixie

How could I not be excited about a new pink. I think I work with more pink than any other color. Probably has to do with the three girls that I have and the fact that they love to wear pink as well as to color with it. This pink is a fun soft pink and will be great with spring time layouts as well as any other girly layouts you might be needing to put together.

This new colors are all available in cardstock, ink pads, re-inkers, as well as pigment inks. You will also find them in many of the new paper packs and embellishments. Just click here to order any of these new colors in inks, or re-inkers. To get them in cardstock just click here and scroll down to the bottom of the page. If you have any questions just let me know. I will be back on Thursday to talk about and show you what I am giving out to my piano students for their Halloween treat.

What do I need to start scrapbooking?

So you want to start scrapbooking, but you just aren't sure where to begin. You pick up a scrapbooking magazine and either they have a really long list of things you need, or nothing to help you get started. You turn to the internet and do you find what you need? Not really. I decided to start my new series called Tool Tuesday with a list of the basic tools that you will need to start scrapbooking or cardmaking.
1. Paper trimmer (Z1783)

A paper trimmer will allow you to cut your papers in nice straight lines. The easiest way to cut using a paper trimmer is to line the top of your paper up with the top of your paper trimmer. Line the left side of your paper with the number at the top of the trimmer. For instance if I am cutting a square 4x4 I would line the left side of my paper with the 4 at the top of the trimmer. Next turn your paper so that you are lined up with your other dimension, so for my example I would turn my paper and line it up with the 4 again and cut. You should then be left with a piece of paper the correct dimensions.

2. Scissors

Scissors are so useful in scrapbooking. I use mine to cut out images that I have stamped, to cut ribbon, to cut other embellishments, as well as to cut my 3-D tape. The best scissors for scrapbookers and cardmakers are micro-tip, this will give you are really small tip which is great for cutting out small images. Close to My Heart has some wonderful micro-tip scissors (Z1836) that are also non stick.

3. Ruler (Z1471)

I love having a ruler to scrapbook my layouts. It makes lining up the paper perfectly easy. I scrapbook a lot of layouts from the Make It From Your Hearts as well as the other How-To books that Close to My Heart has. The ruler allows me to line up my papers with the directions in those books. Close to My Heart has two rulers. I like the one that is a ruler, though the stick guide is nice as well. The ruler also has holes that you can punch through to sew straight lines as well as zig zag.

4. Embossing and piercing tool (Z2046)

I use my piercing tool for a ton of reasons. The first being to punch little holes when and where I need them and second it is very useful in getting sticky embellishments right where I need them. Close to My Heart's embossing and piercing tool is such a great value, an embossing tool and piercing tool in one.

5. Sanding kit (Z1294)

A sanding kit is really nice to help give your projects nice edges and dimension. I mainly use my sanding kit to edge the edges of my paper. This allows the white in Close to My Heart's cardstock show through, which gives my projects just a little texture and dimension. A sanding kit can also be used to smooth out any edges of embellishments or to rough up any embellishments that need a little more texture.
I hope that you enjoyed Tool Tuesday and that what I had to share was useful. If you have any questions just let me know!

Scaredy Cat

 

I love the way this layout turned out. My favorite part might be the bats flying off the page. It also might be the moon and stars. I just can't decide! Anybody recognize the stamp set used to do the title? Yes it is the Handwritten stamp set and I love it! To make the bats look like they were flying off the page I just did some random stamping with just one of the bats from the bat border found in the Halloween Greetings stamp set (D1605). I found it easiest to put one bat on a block and leave the other bats just hanging. That way I only inked the bat that I wanted inked and I didn't end up with a ton of weird black ink marks on my layout. Also in case you were wondering I am always terrified to stamp directly onto a layout, but I faced my fears and did it anyway with this layout and I am so glad that I did. It ended up looking just the way I wanted it to. I hope you enjoyed your weekend and I look forward to posting tomorrow for Tool Tuesday!