So, I realized after I made and uploaded this video that there are MANY other uses for grid paper. How do you use grid paper? :)

Don't you love the holidays?! I've been listening to Christmas music all day! Love it!

This morning's card and tutorial was a request from a few weeks back. How do you use the Color Spritzer? Well, here's a quick how to on just that!

I mostly use the spritzer to just get a soft texture to the card stock. I generally do not use the spritzer as a means to create a focal point on a card. The tool has been around for a quite a while, so if it's over-used it can easy make your card look dated. By careful with it--less is more!

I've also wondered if you could use the Color Spritzer with a Versamarker. Does anyone know? It would be awesome to use it to add little speckles of glitter! If you know if this works (or doesn't work), leave a comment and let the rest of us know. :)

Thanks all! And have a wonderful day!

Holiday Card - Block Party stamp set, kraft card stock, Whisper White taffeta ribbon, and glitter (Stampin' Up!); patterned paper (Basic Grey); glue pen (Martha Stewart Crafts); ink (ColorBox).

Hi kids!

I took a calligraphy class many years ago and, as one of the projects, we learned how to create custom monograms for embossing. It was a cool technique and every once in a while, I want to try it out again.

Anyway, here is how you make a custom monogram for embossing. The second video is how to use the same monogram, but with traditional heat embossing.

Some things to note:

- You want to choose a font or lettering with wide openings. This prevents little pieces from breaking off.

- Because you're cutting over all the edges, there's a slight problem with some letters. Letters with enclosed areas such as an 'o' and uppercase 'R' do not work with this technique. There is a way to remedy this problem with a quick fix, but I'll leave that for another video if ya'll are interested. :)

- You do NOT have to have a light table to dry emboss. Try holding up your card stock and monogram to a well-lit window!

I've been on your case for a few weeks now... Get out (or buy) a Stamp-a-ma-jig! It's a stamper's best friend.

For a quick tutorial on using this awesome tool, check out the video tutorial below:

By special request, today's post focuses on Heidi Swapp masks.

I'd never used one of these masks until ScrapFest last month when I took a Heidi Swapp techniques class. These masks are actually pretty cool. And for those of us who love paint and ink, it's awesome!

So far, I haven't been able to get a clean and crisp edge to the images, but I'm not sure that's the intent. Also, if you use an acrylic ink and make sure the edges are really stuck down, I bet you could get a nice edge.

Anyway, here's the tutorial. I really like how the card turned out. I think it might be one of my recent favorites. :)

BTW, thanks to everyone who has purchased my calendar design. I really think you'll like it.

Thanks - Kraft card stock and Chocolate Chip wide grosgrain ribbon: Stampin' Up!; mask and chipboard letters: Heidi Swapp; brads: American Crafts; ink: ColorBox.

I hope this entry is informative. It took a long time to type! Anyway, here's a video for you tonight, and then we'll get to some answers to some of your questions, and end with the winner for yesterday's giveaway.



Mentioned in the video:
Basic Grey Precision Filing Set (buy here)

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Answers to your Questions:

Christine: How is your cake decorating class coming?
My class was great! It was only four weeks so it's been over for a while now, but I can't wait to bake some cakes this holiday season.

April: I actually am on a DT for your cousin Mandy and she got me hooked on your blog!
Okay, so that wasn't really a question, but I want to respond. I LOVE Mandy! She's adorable. Seriously, ya'll need to go check out her albums. My aunt (her mom) visited us from Arizona a couple months ago and brought one of the albums with her. She was working on an album for our grandparents. Totally cute. Check it out!

Lisa M: What markers do you use for your projects?
The only markers I use on a regular basis are from Stampin' Up!, specifically Stampin' Write Markers.

Sarah: Currently, I subscribe to Paper Crafts magazine. By chance, do you happen to have any recommendations on other magazines that I shouldn't miss?
I subscribe to Memory Makers, Scrapbooks Etc., and Creating Keepsakes. All three are great scrapbooking magazines, but I also like to browse through Cards and Paper Trends (both by Northridge Media).

Rhonda: What type of transparancy sheets do you use?
I use regular run of the mill transparency sheets. I got them at Office Depot and they're the Office Depot brand.

Susie: Any differences between the SU! textured and Bazzill's?
I don't notice a huge difference besides the fact that Stampin' Up! textured card stock is guaranteed to match all the inks and ribbons.

Sandi: Why do you use StazOn vs. [Stampin' Up!'s] Basic Black?
I use StazOn only in certain cases: I'll be watercoloring, using a blender pen, or I need to a good whiff of almond extract. ;) Seriously though, I'll use whatever is nearest. If I happen to have StazOn closer than my Basic Black, I'll use StazOn. I haven't tried coloring in stamped images with markers, but I imagine StazOn would work a bit better than Basic Black. Anyone have more experience with this? Leave a comment and let me know.

Maryjo: I do love the smell of Stazon also. Are we crazy?
No, not crazy at all. I love the smell of almond extract. It makes me think of baking cookies. Yum. :)

Mercedes: Are you waiting anxiously for Battlestar Galactica Razor?
Ya know, I know practically nothing about it! Can you believe that? My brother and dad just recently mentioned it and I was all, "What?" I'm not a regular Sci-Fi Channel watcher, so I didn't know about it.

Lisa: For some reason my [origami] box lids are always too big. You can never see the bottom part of the box.
The top and bottom of the box are pretty much the same size. :) When I put them together, I just don't push the top all the way down. That way, the pattern on the bottom can be seen.

Pattie T.: Are the edges indeed sewn (see card here)? I'd like to see how this is done. I can't imagine a machine not bending the paper.
No, I used faux stitching on that particular card. Faux stitching is when you use a paper piercer (or needle or some other pointy object) and pierce holes in the card stock. Then connect the dots with a while gel pen. BUT! I have sewn on card stock with a sewing machine (see an example here). It take a bit of getting used to, but it can be done and it won't bend the paper.

Two questions from Sharon: (1) Is there a reason you work on a cutting pad? (2) I also noticed you stamp the background the same way I do, basically "eyeballing" the placement. But I was surprised you took the time & effort to use your stamp placement thingie...you don't eyeball that too?
I usually work on Stampin' Up! grid paper, which is on top of the cutting mat. I use the black cutting mat for videos only since it's sometimes hard to see white cardstock on the grid paper. As for using the Stamp-a-ma-jig, I use it quite a bit when I need a stamped image in a particular spot (letters, images on a super small piece of card stock, etc). But for backgrounds and images that will be punched or cut out, I'll "eye-ball" it.

Danielle: Do you really use your stampa-ma-jig a lot? Do you buy extra sheets for it or just clean it off somehow?
Yes, I use it quite a bit. I like the imaging sheets that come with the Stamp-a-ma-jig (and clean them off with a spray of of stamp cleaner), but I also like to use vellum card stock. With the vellum, you can stamp every letter in an alpha stamp set, and then keep the sheets in the box with the stamps. Then they're always there and ready to go!

Renee: How did you set up your camera [for video]? Did you use one of those posable tripods?
You'd laugh if you saw it! It's really pathetic actually. I have an architect's lamp on my desk (with positional arm), so I tied my camera to the top with some ribbon! It looks atrocious, but you guys would never know. :)

Lisa M: Ok I have to ask.... where do you get all of these awesome stamps?
Lots of the my stamps are Stampin' Up!, but I do have some from other various companies. I'm an avid online shopper--I mostly buy from twopeasinabucket.com, amillionlittlethings.com, and scrapbook.com.

Marie: I'm actually curious if you could show me the inside of the card where the YoYo yellow is adhered (on this card). I'd like to see how you "finish" it, and if you do it the way I do, which is to just adhere it there and leave that strip of color visible.
I don't have a picture for you, but that's exactly how I finished it. I just left the strip showing.

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Winner of Giveaway #6: Mary, who commented at 10:04 this morning. Mary, I'll email you shortly.

Giveaway #7: It's the last giveaway! It's been so fun to read all your comments all week long. Love them! Anyway, the seventh winner will receive American Crafts ribbon. See which ribbon here.

Leave a comment on this entry and I'll draw a name tomorrow night. :)

As requested, here's a quick tip on setting eyelet evenly in a row! By the way, I mention that the Crop-A-Dile setting for a 3/16" eyelet is B-2, but I was wrong. It's actually A-1. Sorry!



And today's card:



Giveaway #1 - Winner is Melanie (Batgirl), who commented at 11:44 this morning! Congrats! Melanie, I'll email you shortly so you can reply back with your mailing address.

Giveaway #2 - Two packs of American Crafts MiniMark Rubons! See which ones here (in Color 2) and here (in Black).

Keep those comments coming! As I did tonight, I'll close comments at 7:00 p.m. tomorrow night. Good luck!

COMMENTS ARE NOW CLOSED! I'll draw a name right now! I have a new entry all written, I'm just waiting to draw a name.

Sweet Pea - textured card stock (Bazzill); Certianly Celery and Whisper White card stock, Event Full stamp set, blender pen, and Wild Wasabi ink (Stampin' Up!); ribbon (American Crafts); Jet Black StazOn ink.

Hi all! Some of you asked for a tutorial on how to make the origami box in my last entry. Here it is!

You will need:

- 11-1/2" x 11-1/2" piece of patterned paper (this will be the top of the box)
- 11" x 11" piece of patterned paper (the bottom of the box)
- 2" x 11" piece of card stock (scored at 1-1/4", 3-5/16", 7-1/2", and 9-5/8"
- 2 pieces of ribbon cut to approx. 12"

And on to the instructions:

Hi all! I tried my hand at a little video editing tonight? Whadda think? Do you like video tutorials? Leave a comment!

BTW, the song in the video is Orba Squara's Perfect Timing (This Morning).

P.S. As Marie lovingly pointed out, I am a bit "blue" in this video. :) The benefits of using Apple's blue background for my iMac's screen.

This one isn't *really* a tutorial. I'm pretty sure ya'll can figure out how to make it as long as you have the dimensions. So, here's a PDF with all the dimensions and stuff.

But before I get to that, I have to make a note that you're going to cut a standard-size file folder in half (where it folds). You will have one side that is 11-3/4" x 8-3/4". The other half will be slightly larger which can be set aside or trimmed to 11-3/4" x 8-3/4" if you're making more than one tag book.

On to the dimensions!

You're Absolutely Fabulous - All supplies from Stampin' Up! Absolutely Fabulous, Three for You and Wanted sets; Polka Dot background; Bashful Blue, Pumpkin Pie, Old Olve, Real Red, and Whisper White card stock; Bashful Blue, Old Olive, and Pumpkin Pie ink; 1-3/8" Circle, 1-1/4" Circle, Scallop Circle, and Star punches; Certainly Celery wide grosgrain.

Supplies needed:
Star stamp that fits star punch (Wanted stamp set) Star punch
1-1/4" circle punch
1-3/8" circle punch
Scallop circle punch
Card stock:
- Pumpkin Pie: 2-1/2" x 4-1/4"
- Whisper White: 2-1/4" x 2-1/4"
- Real Red: 2-1/2" x 3"
- Bashful Blue: 2-1/4" x 2-1/4"
- Standard size card base in Old Olive
Dimensionals
Mini Glue Dots

 

STEP 1: Punch 1-3/8" circle in Pumpkin Pie card stock.

STEP 2: Punch star in Whisper White card stock. Apply adhesive around edges of square.

STEP 3: Adhere Whisper White star square to Pumpkin Pie card stock, centering star in circle.

STEP 4: Punch 1-1/4" circle in Real Red card stock.

STEP 5: Center Scallop circle punch over circle you just punched. Punch. You should now have a scallop circle frame.

STEP 6: Cut some Stampin' Dimensionals into smaller pieces and apply to scallop circle frame.

STEP 7: Carefully center the frame over the whisper white circle and adhere.

STEP 8: Tie ribbon around Pumpkin Pie card stock.

STEP 9: Position your 1-3/8" circle punch as shown above. Push in the card stock as far as it will go and punch.

STEP 10: Apply Stampin' Dimensionals to back of Pumpkin Pie card stock.

STEP 11: Carefully position Pumpkin Pie card stock over card base--WATCH THE HOLE IN THE CARD. Make sure the punched star has no Old Olive card stock peeking through.

STEP 12: Stamp star on Bashful Blue card stock. Apply Mini Glue Dots in all four corner on front.

STEP 13: With card front face up, carefully adhere Bashful Blue star sqaure to inside of card.

Yesterday at the SLC Regional Training, Carrie Cudney presented a pop culture book she made. This is my take on her album but in a smaller size. Instructions below.

Pop Culture Mini Pocket Book Supplies - Patterned paper and chipboard pieces (Scenic Route); stamps and stamping ink (Stampin' Up!); brads and pens (American Crafts); ribbon (Stampin' Up! and American Crafts).

INSTRUCTIONS - Mini Pocket book

Gather your supplies:

1 sheet 12x12 patterned paper
Alternate piece of patterned paper (6x 2-1/4)
Sticky Strip
1-1/4" circle punch
stapler
bone folder (for scoring)
brads

After making the basic shape of the mini book, make tags that fit inside each pocket. :)

This project was designed by another demonstrator in my group. Her name is Mary and she was so sweet to let me take some photos of her project to share here at kwernerdesign. Thanks Mary!

YOU WILL NEED:
Symphony candy bar
Tagger's Dozen Stamp Set
So Very Stamp Set
Happy Hearts Stamp Set
Double-sided paper (6x6, scored at 1-3/4" and 2" from two parallel sides)
Ribbon (15 inches)
Nuetral Card Stock (5-1/2 x 2")
Colored card stock (2" x 3")
Ink Pad
Gold mini brad
Small Tag Punch
Tag Punch
Word Window Punch
1-1/4" Circle Punch
1/4" Circle Punch
Rectangle Punch
Crimper
Sticky Strip (2")
Stampin' Dimensionals
Adhesive

INSTRUCTIONS:

Assemble the candy bar sliders like so:

I've had a few questions about my process for photographing my cards and pages, so I thought I'd write up a few little things about how I photograph and what I use.

First things first, lets cover how I shoot:

Camera Body - Canon Digital Rebel XT
Lenses - I mostly use a 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 lens. I have other lenses, but this is my favorite lens for everyday use.
Photo Software - Photoshop CS3

QUICK TIPS:
1. Use only natural light
2. Take lots of photos
3. Try different angles. Move around the subject, bend your knees so you're lower, stand on a chair.
4. When you're getting ready to press down that shutter, take a deep breath, let it out slowly, and then press the shutter. This reduces camera shake.

TIPS:
...First of all, KNOW YOUR CAMERA. I cannot stress this enough. The reason why many of my shots work out is because I've played around with my camera and learned what worked best for me. Also, take a LOT of photos. Generally I'll take 15 shots and only 2 or 3 are real options to choose from.

... Never use a flash unless you have lots of experience (and success!) using a flash. I don't, so I never use a flash.

... Low-light situations cause problems no matter how expensive your camera is. Most point and shoot digital cameras do not handle low-light situations well, and manual SLR cameras have to be on the correct setting. To alleviate some of the problem, photograph near a window. This will also give you the most correct colors.

... If you're taking photos at night (like I usually do because I work late most nights), make sure you have a good positional lamp. Generally they have a softer light (unlike a flash). I use a regular desk lamp that's attached to my drawing table. It swivels and turns so I can get just the right angle.

... If you can adjust the white balance on your camera, do so. Make sure that if you're using a lamp like the one mentioned above that you select the "tungsten" option.

PHOTOSHOP TIPS:
... I try to take the best picture possible so that I don't need to use Photoshop, but most of the time I do need to change some things. When I do make changes, they are minimal and I try to keep them simple. I generally do only three things:

1. Crop the photo so that it's showing only what I need.
2. Adjust the Levels. I do not recommend selecting Auto Levels (though I do sometimes). It's better to adjust the levels manually so you get exactly what you want.
3. Auto Color. Sometimes I skip this step if it alters the coloring too much.

Anyway, those are some basic tips. Hopefully that answers a few questions. :)

The image above is the card my stamp club members will be making this Thursday at our meeting. I based this card off scrapperaddict's card (found here). I had to modify it so that it would be easier to make. And so here's a quick tutorial...

Circle Window with Frame

1. Gather your supplies:

pencil
1-1/4" Circle Punch
1-3/8" Circle Punch
Stampin' Dimensionals (or foam tape)
Card stock cut in the following sizes:

3-1/2" x 4-5/8" (Cocoa color)
3" x 4-1/8" (Celery color)
2-7/8" x 4" (Patterned tan color)
2-1/2"x 2-1/2" (white square with stamped image)

2. Take the 1-1/4" Circle Punch (the smaller one) and position it on the celery card stock. Punch. If you're using a SU! punch, the card stock is size perfectly to be flush against the inside of the punch and you'll get a precisely centered circle.



3. Place a small amount of adhesive (just for placement during the next step) on the celery card stock, and gently press the patterned tan card stock on top. Carefully turn over and trace the punched circle.



4. Separate the tan and celery pieces. Center the 1-3/8" Circle Punch (the larger one) over the traced circle on the tan card stock. Punch.



5. Adhere the tan patterned piece over the celery.

6. Prepare your white square card stock by placing foam mounts on each corner.



7. With the image still facing up, take the punched card stock pieces and carefully place over stamped image, centering it in the window.



8. Turn over and place two foam mounts on bottom corners. Also apply adhsive on the white card stock.



9. Turn over and position over cocoa card stock. Press down to adhere.

I've been asked how I created the circular edge on this card. So here's the tutorial:

Circular Edge

1. Start by cutting your card base. I cut a 4" x 8" base (folded 4" x 4"). Measure in about 1.5" and draw a vertical line (usually I would draw this in pencil so it could be erased later, but I drew it in pen here so it would show up in the picture).

2. Line up Coluzzle template so that the outer circle intersects at the points where the vertical line meets the top and bottom of the card front. Cut.

3. You should end up with something like this:

If you don't have a Coluzzle, you could use a dinner plate or bowl and trace the edge and then cut it out. I used both before I bought a Coluzzle. :)

Since I've been on a punched flower kick, I thought I'd do a quick tutorial...

Circle Punches



1. Both kinds of flowers start with this basic template drawn on the back of the punched circle. This makes it easier to space out the individual punches.



2. Using an 1/8" punch, punch on each line. Then punch in between those punches with the 1/16" punch.

Cut Petals



1. Start with the same template drawn on the back of the punched circle.



2. Cut slightly into the center of the circle using each line as a guide. Then cut slightly to the right of each cut, making a triangular shape that will fall off creating petals.

Hope that helps! I love making these flowers.

To see how to make the faux metal using only silver embossing powder and rubber stamps, please visit splitcoaststampers for a tutorial.

Kim asked:

"I see circle cards in magazines, and am just never sure how they do it--leave a bit to fold it on and cover up with ribbon, punch holes and tie together with the ribbon? How did you make it?"

That's just about how I did it. The above photos of the card might clear things up, but more specifically... I fold the card stock and then cut the circle out leaving a bit of the fold. Then to cover the fold, I tied a bit of ribbon around it.

Thanks for the question, Kim!