1st July, 2009 - Posted by VexedAngel - No Comments
Or, uh, perhaps a less-complicated title would have been “How-To: Masking with Stamps.” LOL On this layout, I added a fun stamped woodgrain background inside the talk bubbles coming from the birds’ mouths on the tag under my title. Here’s a step-by-step look at how I did it.
1) Choose the item you’d like to embellish. I started with this adorable tag that I had packed in this layout kit… (I wish I knew who made it! Probably an Etsy seller. Any ideas?) I knew I wanted to use it, but wanted to add a pop of color to it somehow. So I decided to try masking in some texture.
2) Use post-its to mask off everywhere you DON’T want to stamp. I got a little lazy when I tried to mask around the little pointy ends of the talk bubbles. Instead of tracing the talk bubbles onto my post-its and cutting out those little pointy ends before I stuck the post-its on, I just tore and layered a ton of post-its. This resulted in the stamped texture not quite reaching into those points. But s’ok, I liked how it turned out anyway! 
3) Choose your stamp and ink ‘er up! I’ve been adoring woodgrain lately, and this tag really needed a nice shot of pink, so I used Ranger Worn Lipstick Distress Ink. BTW, I find it easier to ink large stamps like this one by laying the stamp flat on the table and swiping and pressing the ink pad all over it. That way, I can see where I’ve inked and ensure consistent coverage.
4) Use a clean brayer to press the tag onto the inked stamp. To do this, leave the stamp laying flat and lay the tag across it. You may need to huff on the stamp a bit to remoisten it if you delay too long after inking.
5) Remove all the inky post-it bits. At this point, I could tell the stamp hadn’t really reached down into the pointy ends of the talk bubbles since I had such a crazy thick MASS of post-its accumulated there. But I decided the sloppy masking just supported my layout’s topic of messiness.
Voila! Here’s the stamped tag:
And here’s the final embellished tag on the page:
Thanks for looking! If you get a chance to try this out, link in the comments! I’d love to see.
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29th June, 2009 - Posted by VexedAngel - No Comments
Instant Idea: Don’t be afraid to mix patterns. Simply vary the size of each. Here, the stripes are the largest pattern, followed by medium-sized polka dots, and then small music notation on the tags and file folder. (Also don’t be afraid to mix colors–the maroon in the polka dot paper is picked up in a small stripe and the red in the file folder is picked up in a larger stripe.) For a close-up of the title and the hidden journaling, click on through!
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27th June, 2009 - Posted by VexedAngel - No Comments
(Here’s a layout I made from the kits I packed on Thursday! It’s the one in the upper right.)
Instant Idea: Try out temporary tattoos on your next page–they come in super cool designs, plus they’re cheap and easy to apply. Simply place the tattoo wherever desired, then carefully use a baby wipe to saturate the backing paper. (Don’t be scared to really soak the backing paper of the tattoo–the moisture won’t transfer to your layout as long as you keep the baby wipe only over the backing paper, and the better it’s soaked, the better the transfer!) Next, rub using a rub-on tool or bone folder and carefully peel away. The little silver and black heart design behind the title is a temporary tattoo. Here’s a close-up:
Click here to see the back, where I recorded the song lyrics that I took the title from.
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25th June, 2009 - Posted by VexedAngel - 2 Comments
After a previous post, Judi left an intriguing comment. Judi writes:
“I’m just taking a break from organizing my scrapping stuff, so [your post] is very apropos. My daughter and I are going on another scrapping weekend next Friday, and I’d like to be more prepared this time, instead of spending half of my time organizing and then buying things to finish layouts because I couldn’t find the ones I had or I forgot them at home.”
Judi, I so understand! I enjoy going to crops–it is a nice time to see friends and scrap. When I first began going to crops, my stash had grown enough that I didn’t have enough room to pack everything I owned. This frustrated me to no end. I would take a stack of pictures, and cram as much of my stuff as I could into my tote and drag it all into the store. Then I would sit and talk to my friends, eat some snacks, push pictures around on a piece of cardstock, and complain about how everything I needed was at home.
Arghhh! Sound familiar???
Well, I turned to my old pal the Internet. I found Rockester’s method, eHow’s take on the situation, and got a lot of great advice from my favorite scrapping messageboard. After absorbing all of this information, I came up with my own system. I’ve used this at a bunch of crops, but have also found out that it makes me enormously more productive at home, and I’ve made great inroads into my stash, making new and creative combinations for my pages.
1) I pick up some photos. Maybe it’s the new envelope I just picked up from the printer’s, or maybe it’s a project I’ve had on the burner for weeks now, but I usually start with my photos. I separate these out, into layouts. (And I usually just do this on the floor. My kitties have learned not to step on any of Mama’s goodies when kit-packing is happening.) Another step here? Put a post-it or two with your pics. More on that later.
2) I check out any obvious themed items that I can add. If there is an obvious theme to the story I want to tell with my photos, now’s the time to acknowledge it. This is where I make the biggest dent in my stash. I dig out my ol’ PSB, my little embroidery floss box full of lumpy themed items, and any stamps I own that relate. This is when I have made the most startling re-discoveries of items I’ve forgotten about. I don’t take too much time fretting over whether or not I’ll definitely use the item–if it relates to the theme and style of my story (casual, formal, funky, etc.), it goes in the pile with the pics. If there is no obvious theme, then I skip this step.
3) Now I choose my background. If you’re wondering why I chose themed stuff before background, it’s simply a matter of logistics–I want to use up the themed stuff, and I want to be able to accomodate those colors with my background. If I picked the background first, it may limit my choices. So, now, I pull a few sheets of cardstock and patterned paper that will work well with both my themed items and my pictures. Again, don’t make any final decisions yet–just pull what speaks to you and add ‘em to the pile.
Also, now’s a good time to sketch any layout ideas you have (here’s where that post-it comes in handy). Again, don’t overthink this–just do it if the feeling’s right.
4) Next is embellishments. You may think we’ve already covered that in step 2, but again, that was only theme-specific items. Now we’re looking for some basic elements. Think mini-brads, ribbon, photo corners, or generic stamps and diecuts. Keep in mind that anything you add to your pile needs to further refine and clarify the style of your layout. If you pulled primarily casual, whimsical papers, you probably won’t want an elaborate, fussy, lace trim, even if it’s the perfect match to your picture. Here, you may notice a more tailored, refined style developing for the first kit, a funky one in the second, and a vintage vibe in the third. Be picky about what you take. Remember, it’s your stash. It’ll still be there when you get home, just in case you absolutely do need that pink Hambly owl rub-on that you decided not to pack.
5) What about lettering? As you look at your little pile of goodness, does the perfect title pop into your head? Jot it down on your post-it. Is there a font in your stash of stamps, dies, or stickers that you just NEED for this page? Grab it! Don’t forget your journaling! Grab some journaling spots or stamps that would work well with your page, or print your journaling and add it to the pile.
6) Finally, get your tools. Doing any techniques that dictate specific tools? If you pulled stamps out earlier, now’s the time to narrow down your ink choices, pack your acrylic blocks, markers, and baby wipes. Decide if you’ll be doing any heat embossing or if you’ll need a portable die-cutter. This is where we get into the logistics of packing. You’ll want to put your tools into your tote, not adding them to the piles, since you are likely to use your tools on several of your projects. Plus, since they are usually fairly bulky, they’ll need to go first in the tote to manage space.
7) Now it’s time to pack up your kits! I use a $5 13″ x 13″ accordion folder that I found at Wal-Mart. There’s also a variety of 12×12 plastic pockets on the market. Some people pack supplies directly into page protectors so the finished layout will have a home. Pick your poison and pack ‘er up.
Try this out next time you are ready to scrap and see what you think. Be aware, this process does take some time–BUT, I love how much time it saves me when I am in the mood to scrap–I can just pull out a kit and away I go! Come back on Saturday when I share a layout created from this kit-packing session for my Instant Idea feature!
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