Archive

Archive for the ‘Tutorials’ Category

an FYI re: Post-It Note Stands

December 2nd, 2009

EDIT: I’ve added a little Q&A at the end of this post b/c I’ve already got some more questions on these so I wanted to answer them on the posting for all to see. Be sure to scroll down to check ‘em out. Thanks!

I’ve had quite a few inquiries about these. They are a big fave among the Craft Fair attendees by the way! I really think they make a versatile gift that you can give to almost anyone.

I ran into an issue when I first started doing these, where I didn’t have any place to put the pen. I thought about resting it on top of the post-it, in between the post-it & the ribbon/embellishment at top - but when you have 20+ of these at a craft fair booth, and you are trying to keep everything together, it doesn’t really work.

The other issue I run into at fairs is kids who like to touch everything! :) They mean no harm, but kids are kids - and in particular there is something very attractive to walking up to the table and flipping through the whole post-it note pad. It was starting to make them get dingy - and I was cringing & having to rearrange all the time.

So I decided to go & buy some inexpensive sheer ribbon - and simply tie a knot around the post-it pad. I then take the matching pen and insert it underneath the ribbon. Voila! This not only holds the pen in place, but it somewhat protects the post-it pad from the “flippers” :).

Here are some photos so you can get a better look:

120209_01

120209_02

The other question I get a lot is what do you do when the post-it runs out? Well, I say just go ahead & stick another one right on! I tell people that I would add some adhesive to the bottom of the pad, as the adhesive on the post-it notes themselves aren’t always sticky enough.

All in all, this gift is fun, versatile & what I like is that it’s re-usable. If the post-it falls off, all you gotta do is re-stick it. If you run out, just add more. It’s a great gift for teachers or co-workers.

Hope this helps some of you, let me know if you have any more questions. Thanks!! :)

More Q&A’s from your comments (I will add to this as I get more questions):

Q: Where do you get the frames to make these?

A: I get mine at the Christmas Tree Shops. I either buy the 3.5″ x 5″ (pictured above) or the 4″x6″ frames. They are 69 cents & 89 cents a piece. Can’t beat that price!

Q: What adhesive do you use to stick them down?

A: I just use my ATG gun. I run some on the back of the post-it pad. I tell people at my fairs that when it runs out to just use some double sided tape, or a glue runner to tack a new pad down.

Q: How do you get the paper INSIDE the pen?

A: Funny you ask this…I was intimated by this technique too. It’s actually super simple, just takes a bit of practice to get the paper rolled up just right. Once it’s rolled, I actually keep the pen inside the paper & just shove it in there! My Stampin Up Demo Michelle has a great little video about this. It might help you!

Q: Is that big NOTES a stamp?

A: Yep! It sure is. One of my new faves actually. It’s from the “Take Note” stamp set by PaperTrey Ink.

Q: I know that they always sell for you so I was wondering how much you charge for them?

A: I charge $4 for these. They sell very well. I’m sure you could get away with charging $5 even. If you think about it, that is still a very reasonable price for a gift for a Teacher or Co-Worker.

Altered Stuff, Craft Fair, Tutorials

Video Tutorial: Rudolph’s Spares

November 8th, 2009

hey everyone, I’m back!! Sorry it’s been so quiet around here lately…it took me a little bit to catch up from vacation.

Anyway, I thought I would post a quick little video that I did showing you how I created these Rudolph’s Spares treats. I sell these for $1.50 each at my craft fairs - and so far they seem to be a good seller! They make a really fun stocking stuffer.

Inside the tins are Red Hots candy. These are the tins that I used. You can get them in the wedding section of your local craft store.

Oh, and something I didn’t show in the video..I added a tiny bit of Crystal Effects to the red nose to give it just a little bit of dimension & interest.

Here is the video, hope you enjoy!!

Altered Stuff, Craft Fair, Tutorials, Videos

Video: Top Note Gift Card Holders

October 23rd, 2009

Hi everyone - I was fiddling around with Gift Card Holders in my scraproom last weekend & I decided to make this quick video to show how I made them. I’ve seen people use the Top Note to make gift tags & I’ve always loved the way it looks.

102309_01

I used Basic Grey Designer Paper on these…their Christmas line is really pretty this year. The cardstock is from SU - Close to Cocoa.

Much like the ornament gift card holders, you just slide the gift card in the back…

102309_02

102309_03

and here’s the video of me creating these! Head on over to YouTube if you want to watch it all nice & big in HD. Thanks!!

Cards, Craft Fair, Tutorials, Videos

Video Tutorial: Hot Cocoa Sliders

October 6th, 2009

woah, 2 videos 2 days in a row? I must be nuts! :)

Here is the requested video for all you awesome Blog Readers of mine. You guys are THE BEST & I want you to know that I TOTALLY appreciate all of your comments & questions, keep ‘em comin’! If I haven’t answered something in the comments section, send me an email. I will try & get back to you as soon as I can.

I hope this video explains how I did these. They are super easy, and the thing is you can do them SO many ways. You don’t have to layer the cardstock if you don’t want to (you can stamp on it, or just leave plain, etc.) You can embellish however you like - you can also make them pull out sideways instead of up & down like I did.

Dimensions used in this video:

  • Base Cardstock = 7 3/4″ x 5 1/2″
  • Designer Paper = 7 3/4″ x 4 1/2″
  • Scored @ 3 5/8″, 1/2″
  • Size ribbon to however long you want, as long it’s long enough to hold Hot Cocoa & tie in a bow/knot.

dsc_7980

Watch Below…or watch in HD over at YouTube.

Thanks for checking it out. I will be back yet again this week with more Halloween stuff. I’m still crankin’ away on Craft Fair goodies. I’m going to post a link with all the show info soon too!

Altered Stuff, Craft Fair, Tutorials, Videos

Craft Fair Goodies: Witch’s Hat Treats

October 5th, 2009

Hi everyone - I’ve got a lot of good stuff to share with you this week! (I promise a video on the Hot Cocoa sliders, it’s already been filmed!!)

Saturday was a super rainy day here in MA - so I headed over to my LSS to pick up some supplies. I was checking out when I noticed the cutest thing on the counter…it was a mini sized Witch Hat, and inside was a mini Reeses PB Cup. I decided I HAD TO MAKE THIS when I got home!

I didn’t have any mini Reeses…but I did have Hershey Kisses. So here is what I came up with. I shot a super quick video to show you how to make these. I think I will sell them for like 25 cents a piece. It’s a great way to use up your scraps…

100509_01

100509_02

100509_03

and here is the video! If you want to watch in full HD, head on over to YouTube. Thanks!

Altered Stuff, Craft Fair, Tutorials, Videos

Product Review: 3M’s Post-It Craft Paper

September 23rd, 2009

The lovely people over at 3M sent me some samples of their new Post-It Craft Paper to play with. This paper comes in all different colors, is a bit thinner than cardstock, but has a sticky back to it so that all you have to do is cut, peel the backing off & stick onto your project. I thought I would share a video of my experiences with it, and some project ideas I had for it.

You can currently find this product at Joann’s.

Here are some pics of the projects I made, be sure to watch the video for details on a few of them…

Paper Pieced Card:

dsc_7368

Simple card made using punches, adhering Craft paper straight to the card:

dsc_7373

using the Craft paper as a mask:

dsc_7369

Overall I think it’s very useful, especially in your Cricut. (Provocraft actually endorses this paper). I am sometimes hesitant to use my Cricut for paper piecing because it involves lots of pieces, glue & patience, LOL. So the fact that this paper comes off the cutting mat with adhesive already on it works great for me.

Anyway, here is the video - hope you enjoy!!

Product Review, Tutorials, Videos

Quick Video: How to tie a bow…

September 22nd, 2009

had a few requests from people asking how I tied my bow on this card. Here is a super short video, hopefully it’s helpful to some of you!

You can watch it in HD over at YouTube.

Tutorials, Videos

a different kind of card

July 29th, 2009

So I thought I would switch gears for a minute - away from the super bright & summer-ish cards I’ve been sharing lately. (WARNING: this post is quite long!)

Like many of you, I am a total craft blog/YouTube Craft Video ADDICT. One of my very favorite subscriptions is the lovely Jennifer McGuire - or the TwoPeasInaBucket YouTube Channel. Jennifer & Kristina do videos on this channel all the time & I love them!

My latest favorite series is the “Thinking Inking” classes offered by Hero Arts & Tim Holtz. It has totally enabled me to go out & beef up my collection of Tim Holtz Distress Inks. Last week I picked up a bunch of inks & distress crackle paint when my LSS had a 40% off sale. So I decided to play around with them these last few nights. So far I am LOVING the outcome! It’s amazing what these inks can do. I really do love the distressed, aged look you get from using these products. It really is fun to do & gives a bit of variety in the way that I stamp. I find it fun to get away from the same ol’ stamping & card making that I do most of the time.

This card below is my first creation with these new products. It was made with extra special time & care. It’s for my dear friend Erin - she is leaving my company this week & I wanted to make her a special card to let her know how much we will all miss her! I am not sure what the heck I will do around the office once she is gone. It’s going to be lonely :(

072909_011

OK - so there’s a lot going on in this card. Like I said, I spent a lot of extra time on it because Erin is one of my favorite people :)

Let’s break it down…

First, I used some Very Vanilla SU! Cardstock and stamped these swirls using Versamark Ink. I clear embossed over them and then used some Tim Holtz Distress Ink to smudge ink all over the paper. (Ink colors are Broken China & Peeled Paint). The embossed swirls resisted the ink and it allowed the Vanilla cardstock to show through. Once all the ink was blended, I used a mini mister to spritz water on the paper, giving it some small splotches. I finished it off by roughing up the edges a bit & sponging them with some Tim Holtz Walnut Stain Ink.

072909_04

The image was colored using Copic Markers. I also sponged the edges of the images, mounted on some Kraft Cardstock from PTI and sponged that as well. Then…I broke out my crackle paints!! :)

I had some decorative chipboard that was already pre printed with colors & designs - but I just painted right over that with the Crackle Distress Paint. In this picture below, you can see the blue & brown chipboard elements behind the flowers. I let them dry & used the heat gun to speed it up just a bit. They crackled right up! I then took my Walnut Stain ink and sponged it between all the cracks. So fun.

072909_02

The flowers were plain vanilla colored paper flowers. I inked up the same stamp that I used on the background paper, with the Broken China & Peeled Paint inks. I also sponged the edges of the flowers to add interest. The buttons were matte brown - and I thought they needed some shine to really fit in with this card. To do this, I just embossed them with some clear embossing powder & my heat gun. I really like the way they turned out & tied everything together.

I wanted to mount my Bella on another layer, but was finding that the Choc. Chip cardstock was a bit *too* dark & didn’t really match. So I did some more distress crackle paint on it & then wrapped some twine around w/ a bow. Not sure if you can see the crackles in this photo, but it’s the same color that I used on the chipboard element so it matched everything up nicely.

072909_03

Here is another example of a card that I made last night with Distress Crackle Paint. This card goes t show you that these inks & paints are not all dark, dull colors. There are some very vibrant & pretty colors in this line.

072909_05

It’s funny - as I was making this, I wasn’t sure how it would turn out. But I actually really like how it came together. I started by once again taking chipboard I had lying around that I was never going to use, because I didn’t like the pattern printed on it. I painted it with some Crackle Paint & let them dry & crack. I also painted a tag that I had cutout with my Cricut months ago. Once they were nice & cracked, I inked them up with some Walnut Stain Distress Ink. I then stamped some polka dots using PaperTrey Ink’s Polka Dot basics stamp set on some Old Olive Cardstock. I sponged them edges & then stamped a sentiment on Very Vanilla CS. I inked the little Prima flower, ribbon & added a button to complete the look. This card was quick but really fun to make.

A closeup of the crackle-ness:

072909_06

So overall I am really pleased with these inks - I am sure I will be buying more soon! The best part about them is that they are not all that expensive - especially since you can get them at a Joann’s or AC Moore with a 40% coupon. If you have not checked out these videos by Jennifer McGuire, definitely head over there & watch them. She does a wonderful job at explaining all the ways you can use the inks.

If you read this entire post, you deserve an award - WOW that was long! :)

Cards, Tutorials

Laminated Bookmarks: Tutorial

May 8th, 2009

Hi everyone - as promised, I have a new video for you!

If you remember this post from a few weeks back, I shared these bookmarks with you:

042109_01

I decided to make a video to show you how quick & easy these are to make. In the video I do not use any Designer paper, but you can choose to use some DP, or just plain cardstock.

The key for these quick bookmarks are those awesoem Die Cut Stickers from We R Memory Keepers. Seriously, how cute are they? There are so many to a sheet, and you just easily stick them on the cardstock. I got these at my LSS.

Here is the video. Don’t forget to choose High Quality when you watch. Enjoy!

Altered Stuff, Tutorials, Videos

Tutorial: Altered Mailboxes

March 26th, 2009

So I feel like I’ve done enough of these now where I have it down to a science!

dsc_0003

These mailboxes are so much fun to alter - and the best is that they are only $1 each at Target! I grabbed a bunch more of these this February during their Valentine’s Day Sales. I decided to film a video and show you how I go about altering these. They are fun to stick candy or gift cards into and give as a gift. I’ve sold lots of these at my Craft Fairs. They are a HOT selling item!

I hope you enjoy the video! I think I sound corny on camera, and I had a cold when I filmed this, making my voice even worse! blah!

**NOTE: It’s really best to watch in High Quality. Once you click Play you will see the little HQ in the bottom right corner. Click on that!**

Supplies: Tin Mailbox from Target, We R Memory Keepers DP, SU! & American Crafts Ribbon, Sticky Strip, ATG Adhesive, Exacto Knife.

Altered Stuff, Tutorials, Videos