Three Thursdays - Tips, Tricks, Techniques...

TTT #28 - Baby Powder for Stickers

fidjiti — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 15:01:00 GMT

Supplies:

Therm O Web foam squares
Baby Powder
Craft mat

Ever wonder how to add dimension to your projects with cardstock "stickers" or adhesive embellishments so that they don’t stick down to other parts of your projects? All it takes is baby powder!

Instructions:

1. Put your foam squares on, but be sure to leave the protective layer.

2. Sprinkle baby powder over entire cardstock sticker. Flick remaining baby powder off of cardstock sticker.

3. Now you're ready to peel the foam square's protective layer and adhere to your project.

Bonus: If you have Glue Dots instead, then simply put the glue dots on first and then with your finger rub the baby powder on the areas without the glue dots. Be sure not to get any on the Glue Dot itself.

To see the entire project by ScrapbookDestination click here.

TTT #27 - Creative Folding

fidjiti — Thu, 08 Nov 2007 20:23:00 GMT

When I was in elementary and middle school our art teachers would have us create these cute pictures, which had 1 image on one side when looked at an angle and another image on the other side when looked at from the opposite angle. There's a company who manufactures this style of paper in different themes. But because we're scrapbookers and cardmakers I figured it wouldn't be too hard for us to do. Create these unusual framed embellishments for your cards in minutes by just folding.

Supplies:

Ruler
Trimmer with Straight Blade & Scoring Blade
2 papers or photos same size
1 solid piece of cardstock over double the width of the 2 papers
Adhesive
Photo Mat (optional)

Instructions:

Cut 2 sheets of paper in 1/2" strips.
Score and fold at each 1/2" interval forming a valley fold for the first crease and a mountain fold for the next repeating the two folds to the end. Make sure you have the left and right sides which can be glued down to your project and enough 1/2" strips to cover your entire project.
Adhere the 1/2" strips of the 1st paper/photo to the left side of the folds. Leave the far left side blank to adhere it to your project.
Adhere the 1/2" strips of the 2nd paper/photo to the right side of the folds. Leave the far right side blank to adhere it to your project.
Adhere the left and right side flaps to your project. For example, if you have 5 Mountain Tops, you should have 10 total sides and 2 flaps (or half mountains) which can be glued down on each side. Cut off any excess paper from either the left or right sides.
Now, as you turn your work from one side to the other side you should be able to see alternate images.
Embellish as you wish, even use ink on the edges of the paper or sand the edges to give it a distressed look.

Have fun and I hope you like this project. I sure do!

TTT #26 - Save your Foam Brushes

fidjiti — Thu, 08 Nov 2007 12:26:00 GMT

Do you ever use acrylic paint and hate having to wash out each brush when you're all done? Or maybe you're using several colors and one of them dries. I hate it too. Acrylic paint on your brushes can go rock hard in about twenty minutes and will ruin your brush.

Short Term Storage: If you'll be working with several colors at a time, simply get a dish with water in it and lay your brush in it while you work with the other colors. Preventing your brush from drying out. Remember to lay your brush in it, not stand it up on the head of the brush.

Long Term Storage: I've found that if you save your brushes in a zip lock bag and put them in the freezer you'll be able to use them next time you need them. Note: Label the baggies with the name of the color you used. Yes, they'll stay wet (with the paint) and won't freeze. You'll be able to dive right in next time you need your acrylic paint.

TTT #25 - Cover Plain Chipboard

fidjiti — Thu, 01 Nov 2007 19:43:00 GMT

I've had several people ask me about how to cover or "dress" plain chipboard. Here are a few techniques to try.

Using Paint:

Get your favorite acrylic paint and use some newspaper to cover your work surface.
Using a foam brush, apply a thin coat of paint to the front of the chipboard. You may also want to paint the edges to cover it completely.
Sand the edges of the chipboard to make it look distressed or leave it as is.

Using an Xacto Knife or Blade:

Put adhesive on the front of the chipboard.
Turn your patterned paper over so the white is facing you.
Put the sticky side of the chipboard down.
Use an Xacto knife to cut it out.
then you can either sand or ink the edges.

Using Sand Paper:

Put adhesive on the front of the chipboard.
Set the paper on it (not necessarily cut out in the same shape as the chipboard)
Then use sand paper and sand the edges of the chipboard. Note: The paper will get thinner and eventually "cut" off.

*This makes it look a little more natural than cutting out the shape and then gluing it on.

Usually, if the the chipboard is "undressed," meaning it's just plain brown, you can dress it up with paint, glitter, chalk, markers, paper, rub-ons, etc. Your imagination is the limit on covering it.

Good luck and Happy Scrapping!

TTT #24 - Patterned Paper as Gift Wrap

fidjiti — Thu, 01 Nov 2007 18:06:00 GMT

Have a lot of unused pattern paper? I do, so I've found yet another way to get rid of the ones that I may not use on a layout. Use your pattern paper as gift wrap and embellish it as you would any other gift. Use ribbon, stickers, rub-ons, buttons… The possibilities are endless. There's only one down side, because the paper is only 12x12 you'll only be able to wrap smaller gifts. But that's okay you have wrapping paper for the rest of them. At least you can have fun with the small ones.

TTT #23 - Recycle Greeting Cards

fidjiti — Thu, 01 Nov 2007 18:03:00 GMT

Don't throw away your old greeting cards, recycle them! Cut out your favorite piece and use it as an accent on another card. With the Holiday season approaching you'll be able to recycle several cards. You can save the pieces you cut out or remove in a special place if you can't use them all right now. Then you'll be able to come back to them later. :)

TTT #22 - Add Glitter for some Bling!

fidjiti — Fri, 26 Oct 2007 01:44:00 GMT

The best way I've found to adhere glitter, instead of the old fashioned globs of glue, is to use spray adhesive.
To adhere glitter, coat item with spray adhesive, sprinkle with glitter and allow to dry.

Remember, spray glue is like spray paint, it gets everywhere. So pray it outside or cover your work surface and project so you don't get it all over the place. :)

TTT #21 - Adhere your Letters

fidjiti — Fri, 26 Oct 2007 00:28:00 GMT

There are a few of ways to adhere your letters to your projects without getting glue all over yourself or your work surface.

Use a glue pen and pick up the letters with tweezers.
If your letters are super tiny. Take a scrap and pile some glue from my glue pen, and then paint the glue on with a very tiny artist's brush. Works well and keeps the glue from getting everywhere. I pick them up with tweezers.
Xyron sticker makers! Basically you'd cut out your letters then run each letter through your Xyron to convert it into a sticker.
A glue stick will work great if you have a large enough space on your letter to keep you from getting glue all over your fingers.
Mini Glue Dots are also great if you don't mind putting on each dot separately.
My Favorite besides the glue pen is using an adhesive roller. Get a scrap piece of paper and place all of your letters face down, roll the adhesive roller on the back of all of the letters, then pick up the letters with tweezers and apply them to your project. Yes, you'll end up getting some adhesive on your scrap piece of paper, but it's okay. You would have wasted more if you would have used your Xyron sticker maker.

Good luck and let me know which is your favorite method and why. :)

P.S. These techniques work great with the letters you cut out from your Cricut Machine or any digital or manual die cutters.

TTT #20 - Types of Ribbon

fidjiti — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 18:08:00 GMT

There are so many types of ribbon out there, I figured I'd fill you in on the types of Ribbon Fidjiti sells.

Grosgrain - A closely woven silk or rayon fabric with narrow horizontal ribs. These ribs give this ribbon a wonderful texture and is the most popular type of ribbon used in card making or scrapbooking. This ribbon also has a great sheen and catches the light beautifully.

Organdy - A plain woven fabric that is fine and sheer, with a crisp finish.

Gingham - Is a fabric made from dyed cotton yarn and has no right or wrong side regarding color. Gingham is woven into a checkered or plaid pattern and has a matching edge or trim color.

Twill - A flat twill-woven ribbon of cotton. Also known as twill tape. This twill has a herringbone weave, the fibers come from the sides and run diagonally into the center. This ribbon is durable and completely washable. You can stamp on twill, dye twill, use rub-ons on twill, sew twill or just use it as-is.

Satin - A smooth fabric, as of silk or rayon, woven with a glossy face and a dull back.

Fidjiti sells prepackaged ribbon, ribbons on spools and ribbon by the yard!

TTT #18 - Punch Out Several

fidjiti — Thu, 18 Oct 2007 21:15:00 GMT

If you use your favorite punch on most of your projects, I suggest punching out several at a time from your favorite colors.

Cut them out from cardstock or old swatch books you may not need anymore. Doing this simple thing could save you hours of time in the long run. Just get your stack ready for punching, sit down and catch up on some of your favorite shows. It really doesn't take very long, just depends on how many scraps and different punches you have. You can even put them in a glass container to easily pick out the color you need. Put them close to your work area so you'll be reminded to use them.

Note: You can even do this with alphabets!

TTT #17 - Liquid Glass

fidjiti — Thu, 18 Oct 2007 19:52:00 GMT

While at a card exchange I learned of a new product, called Liquid Glass. It looks like clear puff paint. Unfortunately I don't sell it, but not because I don't want to. It's a Close to My Heart product and they only sell through consultants. Regardless of who sells it, I felt it was definitely worth telling you about.

What's Liquid Glass? Liquid glass is a liquid in a bottle which is poured onto a surface to make images shine, look 3-D, embossed look and pop off the page! You can add liquid glass to any stamped image or text. Just squeeze it out to cover the desired area and it dries in about 10-15 min. The thin tip/nozzle allows you to apply thin lines over your stamped images or trace the lines of letters instead of thick globs.

What color is it? It's clear! This allows you to use it over any stamped color. Perfect for those of us who don't have the rainbow in embossing powders. You also don't need the heat tool. :)

Well, what are you waiting for, go get yourself one. It's way cute and makes you look like a pro scrapper and stamper.

www.closetomyheart.com

TTT #19 - Keep Ribbon From Fraying

fidjiti — Thu, 18 Oct 2007 17:56:00 GMT

I hate it when my ribbon frays, but I've found a few ways to solve this problem. Try any of them and let me know how you liked it.

If the end won't show on your finished project you can just use a piece of tape to cover the end of the ribbon.
You can Melt the ends of your ribbon. Melting simply involves a match or a lighter. Carefully hold the flame far from your ribbon while still being able to melt the edge. You can always melt a little more so it is better to go slowly. Also make sure to do this in a well ventilated area as the melting can give off a strong odor and also do this above your sink in case you burn yourself and accidentally drop the ribbon or lighter/match. Remember, you do this at your own risk, try not to burn the house down for this. :)
If you would prefer to fix the ends you can dab the ends of the ribbon with glue. Use a glue which will dry clear and is washable if you are using it on clothing. The only downside to this method is waiting for the glue to dry completely which usually takes several minutes to a few hours depending on the glue.

TTT #16 - Adding Dimension

fidjiti — Thu, 11 Oct 2007 18:58:00 GMT

One good way to add dimension to images or embellishments is to use double stick foam tape or 3-D Glue Dots. These literally allow items to pop out adding realism.
To Use Foam Tape: Simply, cut the foam tape into whatever shape and size you want. Then, attach to shape onto your scrapbook page. Double stick foam tape is available at Wal-Mart.
To Use Glue Dots: Remove a dot from the roll and place it onto your embellishment. You can also put the embellishment right on the dot, then pull the embellishment off with the dot attached and adhere onto your project.

TTT #15 - Pattern Paper

fidjiti — Thu, 11 Oct 2007 18:54:00 GMT

I love patterned paper! Patterned paper can be used for backgrounds, mats, borders, and embellishments. Often plain white or solid backgrounds look a bit dull. Patterned backgrounds add a touch of excitement to your page. You can even use patterned paper for your die-cuts and punch outs.

TTT #14 - Adhering Vellum 2

fidjiti — Thu, 11 Oct 2007 18:47:00 GMT

Okay, I've just learned a new way to adhere vellum. I think you all will love this. With most adhesives you'll get a cloudiness effect caused by gluing, instead of applying the glue in the center of the vellum try applying only a thin line of glue along the edges of the vellum. You will see a slight shadow only along the very edge, but that's okay becayse it'll look like a border to the vellum. What do you think? Great huh?