Distress Paper Edges Video Tutorial, Scrapbooking Sketch and a Vintage Card

Sunday's Weekly Round-Up 14th February 2010

I've been quite busy lately. Made a video, made a card, made a digital 12x12 scrapbook page. and made another card (for Valentines day!, although I haven't photographed that yet).

I have also made a Tearooms Update too!

So here's the list...

February Tearooms Update!

Video Tutorial - How to Distress Paper Edges to Add Interest (to Scrapbook pages and cards)

Scrapbooking Sketch and Challenge - February 2010
This shows the digi Layout above - I used the Feb SSN sketch!

Another Vintage Style Birthday Card by SundayL

How to place Text directly on your Photographs Before printing

Hi there all !

Well there I was poised to create my montage video of my trip to the Stitch and craft Show last week, and low and behold... there is something wrong with my video editing software since my laptop went in for it's new hard drive! Are we all standing in amazement... not really... we've all come to expect that PCs, just like cars can go into fix one thing and come out with something else wrong!

So my montage will have to wait - along with my other videos due to be done this week - till my IT expert (!) can help solve the problem!

Till then, I am sincerely hoping it will be very soon, I am posting another HOW TO VIDEO from the SimplyScrapbookingNow.com archives (lots more over there too!).

It's about how to place a white title (or any text) onto a photograph before printing it using MS Word.

I hope you find it useful - click here to see the written article and video there or watch below.

Freebie Downloadable Journaling Blocks for your Scrapbooking Pages

Hello!

As promised here is the link to the article on the SimplyScrapbookingNow.com website which gives you 3 downloadable journaling blocks which I created by my own fair hand.

Not only that, but the article also shows how to make use of them. AND how to print on your scraps!

They are suitable for printing out and using on a traditional layout, and/or for use on your digital scrapbooking pages too.

These appeared in the December issue of the Newsletter.

I hope you enjoy using them.

Merry Christmas - a different greetings card

Firstly Merry Christmas to all, and for those not of the same calendar... good wishes to you anyway and always. And thank you for stopping by whether a regular visitor or if this is your first time visit!

This is a card (front) I created in Photoshop Elements using the "Enchanted Forest" FREEBIE digital scrapbooking kit from Vicki's Blog (it's a collaboration kit with Sweet Blossom Designs too).

This was my card to my husband and I wanted to create something different from the usual traditional or "funky" Christmas cards that are available. I just didn't like what's on offer in the shops!

So I made this quickly on the computer and adhered it to the front of a tall thin card with a white fibre on the spine and little metal wreath embellishment inside the bottom ring of sparkles.

Another Hybrid creation!

So thanks Vicki and Sara for getting me out of a hole!!!! LOL

Scrapbooking layout using FREEBIE journal block

This is an 8x8 layout I made really quickly as an example of how to use one of my free downloadable Journalling blocks.

I printed this one directly onto some Bazzill Basics cardstock and my journaling AND title are incorporated on it.

Very simple, effective page.

This journal block is one of 3 I have designed and is avaiable for subscribers to my newsletter to download (via an article in the December newsletter).

They are suitable for traditional scrapbooking (just print out and use - technically called hybrid scrapbooking) and for digital scrapbooking.

Sign up to the newsletter via this blog (top left) or via SimplyScrapbookingNow.com.

If you have left your name and email address on the EasyRibbonHolder.com (or .co.uk) websites, then you are already a subscriber!!

A Hybrid Scrapbooking Page - what do you think?

A short while ago I showed you a video of how I made a background paper using pencil shavings and my colour home photocopier.

Well this is a page layout made using the resulting background paper. You may notice that it is an A4 sized layout. I just thought it worked this way, what with the brwn background paper and the big word "Smile" - which I didn't want to lose.

So although the homemade "shavings" paper did actually come out around 8x10" I trimmed it to fit, I thought 12x12 would be to big.

Of course, the background paper already being lined, rather leant itself to direct written journaling... always a bit nerve wracking when you've done the whole of the rest of the page!

Anyway... would you say this was a traditional layout, or a hybrid one?

What it IS though, whichever you decide, is a multi-photo page layout!

Hybrid Scrapbooking page layout

This is a hybrid scrapbooking page layout!

It's quite a simple page, using shaped background papers (the light pink colour I "inked" digitally) and some matching accents such as the ribbons and bows, plus the title.

I then added 5 brads, a large flower ad buttons for the centre of the flower and finally edged the printed layout with cardstock to bring the page up to A4 size and to give it a uniform edge

Materials used...

Brads - Basic Grey
buttons - various
flower - Bazzil Basics
Bazzill Cardstock

Digi papers, ribbons and bow - by Verena Karolyi "My first flowers" kit.

Free Fonts
Title - "Oh Photo Shoot" and "Patterns and Dots"
Journaling - "Cathies Hand"

Freebie Scrapbooking Kit - digital

I have just downloaded a lovely kit from "A Work in Progress - Designs by Vicki".

It's called "Wild Child" and the kit starts with the papers which are a few posts back, but as a whole it consists of papers, embellishments and an alpha (which is today's post).

These are definitely not my usual colours, and as I have mentioned in my comment on Vicki's blog, they are 'way' out of my comfort zone! But I am strangely looking forward to making something up with this kit.

But how generous is it that we can download such things for free?!

There really is no excuse for not giving digital scrapbooking a try with all the freebies available... not to mention the fact that you can print all this stuff out! and it's all great for quick cards!

Just fantastic... thanks Vicki!

Kit Kat wrappers - or Candy Wrappers!

Common place in the US, I didn't quite understand the fascination with candy wrappers, until recently.

I wanted to give the carers/teachers something on my daughter's last day at nursery and for some reason I thought it would be nice to "personalise" these chunky KitKats!

So for any of you reading who are on a diet, my apologies!!

My hubby had eaten one of the packet of nine before I got a chance to tell him that they were gifts and not for eating!

Anyway, I digress...

I simply made a few measurements of the chocolate bar and put up a piece of paper in Photoshop Elements. I added some digital scrapbooking embellishments and some text, leaving a gap for Honey to sign her name, and it was done.

What you can see in the bottom picture is the print out of 4 to an A4 sheet of paper, but that was out of "Word".

That's because I saved the Photoshop file as a jpeg (picture file) and just inserted the picture into the Word page 4 times (copy and paste).

When I have time I will upload a version for you to printout and use, maybe just saying "Thank You"... what do you reckon?

Wedding Anniversary card - using a "Quick Page"

It's my wedding anniversary today!

16 years Miles and I have been together - in marriage that is! We've actually been "together" for 18 and a half years!

So here is the card he received this morning.

The title was cut using my trusty Craft Robo, eventually! That was because I had forgotten how to set it up in the program, and for some reason (probably because of the UK Scrappers changes to their whole site) my favourite link to the helpful article in the Craft Robo forum doesn't work any more!

Isn't it always the way when you want to do something quickly! I made the card last night!!!

There is a bit of ribbon and a "gem" brad of course but here is the clever bit you might want to remember!

The background is actually a downloadable digital "Quick Page"!! That means (for those unfamiliar with the term) that the page is done for you and it is actually just a picture file a PNG or even a JPEG - just like the ones from your camera).

The designer, in this case Retrodiva, designs a whole page and leaves a "hole" for you to put your picture in!

Most of these quick pages come in 12x12" size but, of course you can resize! I resized to 5.5" square so that I could place the finished "page" onto an A5 sized card - I obviously cut the bottom off the base card to make it square!

But quick pages are GREAT for cards... I have used a few recently for cards and just added embellishments... effectively making them Hybrid cards!

And the beauty of it is that you can do the same using any program (such as a word processor even) that supports the use of pictures!

So you see it can be worth dabbling in digital, especially when some of these things are free! (I will point out that this one wasn't free but was a mere $5.99 (£2.70) for 5 quick pages! Just over 50p each!

Circle Journal - "Favourite Group" finished pages

Well here is the double page layout for the Circle Journal, as they look in the CJ itself.
I much prefer to cover the whole page when making an entry into a Circle Journal, but as this journal is going to be bound with a "Bind it All", there are many holes all the way down instead of the usual 3 or 4!

So for ease of entry, I decided to stop my scrapbooking pages just short of the holes.

It mucks up the design a little, but I couldn't be bothered to hand punch all those holes! LOL

As for the "sign in" tag... this was made by photocopying the official ticket and then covering the provided blank tag with an area of the ticket, adding a large eyelet and some ribbon and there it is!

So the scrapbooking layout is fully digital and the tag is traditional/hybrid (hybrid due to the use of the photocopier/scanner)

Digital Layouts for a Circle Journal

Well I managed to complete the digital scrapbook layouts in time to put in the latest Circle Journal and deliver to the next person on the list... hello Katy!

So here are the digital files...

The first is the left hand page and the second is the right hand page (obviously!).

These were made using the ScrapBook Max scrapbooking program which I am currently reviewing and will be posting that review on here shortly. But suffice to say, it's a jolly good program to get you into the world of digital scrapbooking.

Anyway, more of that later!

This my friends is a true multi-media production! Well multi something!

The photographs on the right hand page are off the internet (from the official Bon Jovi Site).

The ticket on the left hand page is a scan of my concert ticket and the photo of me and family was taken on my phone!

I'm sooooooo technological now, don't you know! LOL.

Digi Supplies;
Background paper - Cinzia Loosemoore
Leaf - no idea as file name a bunch of numbers!
stitching freebie - KsharonK Designs(will have to let you know!!)
stapled journaling strips - E Kipler
Hessian style material graphic - J Horsford.
"Enjoy" embellishment - S Carling




Anyway, I will post a picture of how the pages look in the book and the "sign in" tag (that goes into the sign in pages usually at the back of a circle journal) next time.

Cute quick page

I'm still on a course in London today!!

No, I'm not a slow learner... it's a 2 day course!! LOL

So here is another quicky post.

For those of you into digi scrapping, you already know what a "quick page" is. This is a lovely download for you from Creative Escapade Nathy's blog.

For traditional scrappers, you can still download it, print it and add your picture.

Although frustratingly I can see whether it is jpeg file or not, cos it's in a zip file that I can't test download because I am not using my computer! How frustrating!

So, if it's not a jpeg (it may be a .psd file which is for use with photoshop or PSE) then you can just use it as a page to scraplift.

I just liked the lovely softness of the page.

Holiday snaps - badge album

A quick post here tonight! Why... well mostly because my internet connection seems rather intermittent this evening!

Anyway, I have been on hols... went to Majorca for a week.

I have recently downloaded a freebie from Digital Freebies... their "Friday Freebie" in fact, from last week. It is a little set of six 2.5" x 3" approximately simple layouts (business card size - referred to as "China Tea Badge Album - Digital Couture").

Had a quick fiddle with these and a couple of "snaps" fresh from holidays!

Hard to think that less than two days ago I was enjoying an evening drink poolside!

Second picture has two other digi items -

flower = lriordan_funkyfloral_flower

Quote = SimplySarah_WA_GreatMen

When I get my act in gear and organise my digi stuff properly I will be able to tell you the designers!!! tut

But thank you to those designers, as I think both items were freebies.

Oh and by the way, the 6 "badge layouts" are different clours, I just happen to post 2 of similar colour here!

Hybrid Scrapbooking - first entry in Random Album

Well if you read the post last Thursday, you'll know that these are print outs of a digital page.

I ended up printing two out because in the first attempt (on top in the picture here) I noticed that the word "Deep" was going to end up with a hole right through it when I put the rings in it to start my "Random" album!

So I printed another, once I had shifted the offending word over a bit.

So as I had two copies I decided to stick them back to back and make a pocket. I added some ribbon and buttons to embellish and below is the finished Hybrid page and tag - upon which I will write later!

The tag, by the way, was just some of the same digital patterned paper printed onto some cardstock.

Simple Digital Scrapbooking Page

This is a very simple 6x6 scrapbooking page!

Or so you would think!

It's a classic case of "simple when you know how"! LOL

On the back of the hybrid pages I made for the circle journal (see Monday and Tuesday's posts) I decided that my pictures were a bit "washed out" once I had "Blended" them with the background paper.

So I decided to have another go and chose some patterned paper by Amy Teets "Sunporch" collection and this picture of my husband, Miles!

I googled for some more Photoshop Elements tutorials (good old Google, now a verb!) and found this tutorial from Photoshopessentials.com.

This information, couple with that from a tutorial from ScrapGirls I managed to work out why my pictures hadn't been clear and managed this layout with a clear image of my hubby's face, gently blended into the patterned paper.

I have printed it out and will embellish a little - thereby it will become a hybrid scrapbooking page. I am then using it to start a "Random Images" album, of no particular size thanks to the idea from Ali Edwards (see this post).

Circle Journal - "The Little Things" - my pages

I finished my double page layout for the last Circle Journal in my group.


Again, it's something that turned out unexpectedly nice! LOL


I did indeed decide to attempt some more hybrid scrapbooking and this is the result!


The digi part is the background paper merged with a photo on each page. And the journaling paper on the right hand page is also digital.


The oval tag on the left page is a digital element onto which I placed the title for the DPS, but I printed it separately and cut it out, to then embellish and adhere to the layout using foam pads.

The journaling reads...

Little Things that Lift My Heart
To just watch the wildlife in the garden - oh to be
absorbed by the simplicity of the moment.To experience the calm and serenity of
gazing upon fish slowly gliding through clear waters.To see raindrops on roses
and to smell their perfume, which seems that much sweeter when they are picked
from one’s own garden.To be outside on a still warm summer’s night and gaze at
the stars.To hear the first song of the Skylark in Spring, singing of the
certainty that summer is on it’s way.
Such things I am grateful for now and always.

Now I was going to list all the items I have used here but the papers and elements have cryptic file names and I can't remember from where I bought/downloaded them... so apologies to the designers! And maybe some designers names in the file names wouldn't go amiss!

I will have to make sure I rename the files (if necessary) when I separate the kits next time!


More detailed pics tomorrow.

Printables

I was looking for something to do with digital scrapbooking last night and came across a site which has a lot of "printables".

For those of you who don't know what that is, it's where you can download a file (usually a Jpeg) that you can just print out using your own printer, then cut out and make up a craft project of some sort.

This particular site seems to have a large amount of printables (there are lots of other products too) and there are lots of different types or printables, from straight forward cards through to complex boxes and whole kits, such as party kits to include invitations, labels, thank you notes and more... check out the site, It's called daisiecompany.com

And, if the files are jpegs... this means that you can easily insert the files onto a page in something like Word, you don't have to use a photographic program. And even in a word processor you can use a text box to personalise items before printing them!

Simply Visual Scrapbooking Freebie!!

Well this is my first foray into the world of giving away my own digital creations!! So hopefully, you will be able to download this freebie!

This is the background paper (12x12) which I designed using my own daughter's nursery painting! The paper is called Stormy Twilight and I am hoping to make up a whole FREE kit based on the colours of this paper! So watch this space!

So HERE is the link for the download... if you download... do leave me a comment, some feedback maybe!

Technically this paper should be suitable to print out "as is" and use in traditional scrapbooking!

Hybrid Scrapbooking - What's that again?

I was surfing around the web... as you do... and found this blog.

Di Hickman's blog has a link to a free template as a temptation to visit the Prima Hybrid website.

I haven't had a chance to take a good look at the Hybrid Scrapbooking site myself yet as I only found it today, and I believe it only actually launched yesterday, so a brand new site.

Hybrid scrapbooking is the mixture of digital and traditional scrapbooking, so it will be interesting to see what this and other sites will come up with for us scrapbookers.

I do believe that hybrid scrapbooking will grow a lot in the coming months as more and more people try out digi scrapping! I shall be checking out the sites and reporting back to you all.