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Archive for the ‘creativity prompt’ Category

Sharing More Layouts

Wednesday, April 7th, 2010

Sometimes I just feel like creating with no reason or rhyme. No specific order. No specific theme. Just putting memories onto pretty paper.

Birthday

Supply

  • Cardstock: American Crafts “Earth Tones
  • Patterned Paper: Sassafras “Sunshine Lollipop” wee bundle.
  • Letter Stickers: generic from the 1 Dollar bin at Target.
  • Journaling tag: Creativity Prompt. (free)
  • Decorative tape: Anna Griffin Border Stickers [I used the Valentine collection]
  • Sticker: KI Memories.

Purim

Supply

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Have you been scrapbooking lately? Please leave a comment and share your thoughts and experiences.

Unleashing The Creative Child Within You

Is It Spring Yet – Sharing A Layout And A Techniqe

Tuesday, April 6th, 2010

Is It Spring Yet

Supply

  • cardstock: Bazzill
  • Patterned paper: My Minds Eye “Home” (pale blue), Autumn Leaves (text)
  • Adhesive: Fabri Tac by beacon; Glue Glider Pro by Glue Arts; 2 Way Glue by EK Success.
  • Letter Stickers: American Crafts “Lullaby” Thickers (white), Generic from the Dollar bin at Target (turquoise), Jenni Bowlin Tiny Circle Stickers.
  • Tools: Punches: EK Success (scallop border punch), Martha Stewart (starburst); Stapler: Tiny Attacher by Tim Holtz.
  • Journaling tag: Creativity Prompt.
  • Ribbon: American Crafts (Dotted), Generic and o-l-d (seafoam thin satin)
  • Jewels: generic.

How To

Pleated Ribbon

  1. Attach the edge of your ribbon with 2 tiny staples.
  2. Apply a line of fabric glue. Fabri Tac is WONDERFUL. (I wish I was endorsed by Beacon. I am not)
  3. Pleat the ribbon along the glue line irregularly to create a messy look. don’t worry about the pleats opening up at this stage.
  4. Go back and apply a bead of glue underneath each “pleat” to keep it in place.

Ribbon Flower

Also Known as – what to do if you run out of ribbon while pleating but happen to have a similarly colored ribbon at hand…

  1. Put a drop of fabric glue where you want your flower center to be at and adhere the tip of your ribbon strip to it.
  2. Apply some more glue around the glued edge and start turning your ribbon around it, flipping the ribbon occasionally.
  3. Keep applying more beads of glue around and building your “flower” until you are satisfied with its size.
  4. Cut off the excess ribbon and tuck the end underneath one of the pleats with another bead of glue.

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Is it spring yet? Share your thoughts by leaving a comment.
If you give the techniques a try – pweeeeeze share 🙂

Make Your Own Planner Workshop
Check out Creativity Prompt’s self paced workshop: “Capture Your Dream”. In this workshop you will capture, follow and make your dream come true as well as document your journey in a fabulous mixed media mini album.

Do You Know An Angel – Journaling Prompt + How To Make Personal Digital Word Art

Monday, April 5th, 2010

not All Angels Wear Wings

[Digital Kits: KD Cardstock Essentials, KD Blakely & KD Capture + Record – All by Karla Dudley]

Do you know an angel?

I know one.

My angel has a pure heart and beaming eyes.

My angel only knows one feeling. My angel knows LOVE.

My angel doesn’t envy. My angel isn’t mad. My angel doesn’t compete. My angel doesn’t hurt. My angel doesn’t lie. My angel doesn’t swear. He NEVER does. Ever.

My angel doesn’t wear wings, does yours do?

[In this layout is my nephew Shoham, 9 years old.]

Digital Tip

I created the word art in this layout my self. This is how I did it:

  1. First, I wrote my words on a white paper with various pens (both plain black pens and black calligraphy pens).
  2. Next, I scanned my paper in high resolution (600 dpi) and saved it as a JPG file.
  3. Then I opened the file with my Photoshop Elements and cranked up the levels [ctr+L/CMD+L]. Turning the “black” dial all the way to the first peak and the mid-tones dial all the way to the black one. The effect you are looking for is to have all the black parts REALLY black and all the white parts REALLY white.
  4. Then I turned my background layer into a simple layer, by clicking on it twice and opened a new layer beneath it.
  5. I made sure that I am on the original layer and picked up all the white parts with the Quick Selection Tool. I then pressed “delete” and the transparent layer showed up where the white used to be. I picked each of the small cavities inside the letters (e.g. the O’s and A’s) individually and deleted these white parts too.
  6. Then I merged the two layers together (merge not simplify!) and saved the file as a PNG file to keep the transparent attributes.
  7. Once your text is on a transparent background, you can select each word and each letter individually with the selection tool and then adjust its height and width with the move tool.

Give it a try, it is so simple and it lets you inject some personality to the digital layout. No tablet is necessary!

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Who is the angel in your life? share your thoughts by leaving a message.

Are you planning on giving the digital word art a try? If you do, please share your work with us.


Unleashing The Creative Child Within You

Simple Cards To Create In Minutes

Thursday, April 1st, 2010

Thank You Card

Thank You Card

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How-To Pointers

  • For the greeting, all I did was to open a new 8½” by 11″ document at 300dpi and write “Thank You” in black with the text tool. Than I duplicated the layer a few times and changed the size by dragging the edge of the bounding box. I Positioned each layer randomly and changed the opacity of each layer. Then I printed it on white cardstock, punched it and sprayed it with Glimmer Mist (immediately absorbing the excess liquid, so the ink won’t spread).
  • For the flower accent, I just adhered the dew drop on a Basic Grey paper with some Diamond Glaze. I’ve found it easier to put the glue on the dew drop and then press on the paper than to do that the other way around. Ranger Glossy Accents will also work great. I love it too. After the glue dries up, I cut around the dew drop, which also acts as a weight to help the gate-fold card stay shut.

I Love You Card

I Love You Card

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How-To Pointers

  • The self adhesive fun foam wouldn’t go through the punch, so I punched a scrap piece of paper, adhered it to the backer of the fun foam (as the shape is symmetric), and cut around with precision scissors.
  • To attach the vellum greeting I used the Tiny Attacher and tried to aim the staples to the lines of the letters… almost successfully… I concealed the back of the staples with a strip of patterned paper I adhered to the back.
  • For the faux stitching box, I first marked it with a pencil, using a T-Square ruler and then went over it with American Crafts brown precision pen and erased the pencil marks.
  • This card isn’t standard. It’s a square card, measured 4¼” by 4¼”. It started as a standard card, but after finishing it I felt a smaller size would look better. Trial and error, that’s the way to go.

Thanks Card

Thanks Card

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How-To Pointers

  • I made the flower from used dryer sheets and Glimmer mists. You may find the video tutorial here.
  • I used the scoring board to make the pleated cardstock “ribbon”. I just scored repeatedly in intervals of ½” and 1/8″ and folded the scoring lines later to create the pleats. A mountain fold after each ½” mark and a valley fold after each 1/8″ mark. Down and up and down and up… I attached it to the patterned paper with a line of glue runner, then supported it with 2 tiny staples that also attached the felt ribbon to it.
  • For the funky greeting, I first penciled it on the paper lightly (using 2 pencils held together to create the broad line), then I went over the lines with a black pen, erased the pencil marks and cut around it with precision scissors. I adhered each letter with a tiny foam dot to add dimension.

My favorite card is the first one, with the “photoshopped” greeting. Which one is yours?

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Have you recently made a card to show you care? Share your thoughts by leaving a comment or share your card on the Creativity Prompt Flickr Group.

Unleashing The Creative Child Within You
Back when we were kids creativity came naturally to us. Everything was possible and our prolific imagination was the only limit we knew.
Through the years we have grown apart from our inner creative child and along with that – have lost our pristine and utter joy of creation.

In this e-book I will pave your way back to your inner creative child, brick by brick.

“Unleashing The Creative Child Within You” will explain why you became distant from your core creativity and will reveal the secret to getting it back.
With exercises designed specifically to help you find the inner child within you, regain its confidence and unleash it – you are bound to get your mojo back faster than you think.

Your inner creative child wants to come out and play, so don’t disappoint it and get “Unleashing The Creative Child Within You“.

A Blast From The Past – Revisiting Childhood

Thursday, March 25th, 2010

A Memory Is Born

[Font: KD Everyday; Digital Kits: KD Spring 10, KD Cardstock Essentials 1 – Both font and kits are by Karla Dudley]

This week my mother in law sent me a wonderful surprise e-mail with a fabulous attachment – a few pictures of Nadav as a 1 year-old. I was so happy to receive these pictures, that I have never seen and it combined wonderfully with Karla Dudley’s new release: Spring 10 Kits:

KD Spring '10KD Spring '10 miniBOOK

The vintage springy color palette was perfect for these old photos from the early Eighties and with Nadav’s FABULOUS golden hair. I only wish the quality of the scans was better, so I could have zoomed in and showcase his bright and big blue eyes.

Pictures are triggers of memories and the great thing about them is that you can never know what memories they will bring up. It always starts with the obvious scene that is showcased in the picture but the flight of imagination pushes you deeper and deeper into your past and reminds you of a person who used to be present but had passed away (such as Nadav’s grandfather, Israel, who’s shown here). It reminds you of a place you used to live in or visited often and may be gone or perhaps your memory of it is way different than the way it is right now. It may remind you of a favorite (or not so favorable) piece of clothing you used to wear. A hairstyle you used to have or a relative had. So many memories – one photo…

I remember the first time I revisited a park I used to spend hours in it while I was a kid. I was so disappointed. The humongous part in my head was nothing but a few hundred squared feet. How could I have spent hours playing hide and seek back then?

You see? I am already deep in “reminiscing mode”.

[Nadav, by the way, didn’t even recognize the small dude in the picture at first. So maybe it’s just a ladies’ thing, I don’t know…]

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Have you had the chance to go through old pictures lately? What memories do they bring? Do you get “a blast from the past” too? Please. Do share. Just leave a comment. It’s easy and it makes my day.

Gate Fold Thank You Card – Because You Care

Wednesday, March 24th, 2010

Thank You Card

I caved in. I admit it.

I thought a scoring board is redundant. Unnecessary.

But I bought one anyway…

…and i LOVE it!!!

When I buy new patterned paper, I usually store it immediately in my very own papers’ necropolis. However, when I buy new tools – I usually try them right away (sometimes they’re getting buried too). Same happened here, as soon as I got Martha Stewart’s scoring board I had an urge to score me some cards – it was so easy, so addictive.

So here I am, living with a small stack of blank, prescored cards and not doing anything with them. For a couple day. Then came the epiphany – use a journaling label for the greeting!

Simple. Easy. Striking. (If you don’t mind me sayin’…)

Thank You Card

Step By Step Instructions

  1. Cut your cardstock base at 8½” by 5½”. Score at 2 1/8″ and at 6 3/8″.
  2. Cut 2 panels of patterned paper, 5½” by 2 1/8″ each. I used Cosmo Crickt’s 6″ by 6″ Material Girl paper pad.
  3. Adhere the above panels to the panels at the front of the card.
  4. To print on the journaling label, I first printed the greeting on a plain paper (Erika Ormig font, 60Pt.) Then I adhered the label with removable adhesive to the plain paper, on top of the greeting and ran it through the printer again. [This specific labels set will be posted on the blog on Friday, so stay tuned]
  5. I adhered the printed label on another piece of patterned paper from the same pad and cut around it, leaving a nice fat gap. I used Fiskars spring-action scissors for that. They are very easy to manipulate around the curves.
  6. I applied adhesive to only half of the greeting “tag” and adhered it to the left panel – centering it between the two panels.
  7. Then I stuck on a Prima flower and a pearl and called it a happy day.

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Have you bought a cool tool lately? What is your favorite tool? Please share – I want to know 🙂

Make Your Own Planner Workshop
Check out Creativity Prompt’s self paced workshop: “Capture Your Dream”. In this workshop you will capture, follow and make your dream come true as well as document your journey in a mixed media mini album.

Using Up OLD Patterned Paper – Creativity Prompt

Sunday, March 21st, 2010

I am not sure about you but I have got a TON of patterned papers. When I say a ton I mean a few shelves full of it plus an overflowing scrap basket.

Only a small part of my paper stash has been purchased recently [and I am waiting for one more order with a couple 6 by 6 packs to arrive on Monday].

Most of my papers have been accumulated over time ever since I started scrapbooking a while back. That means I have some pretty old paper.

Why do I have so much paper? Well…

First, I love papers. I am drawn to their patterns, colors or the overhaul happiness they confer.

Second, I am afraid to use pretty paper. Yes, I admit. I’m silly like that. What good will the paper bring if I don’t use it, I don’t know. But I’m still afraid to take a beautiful piece of paper and cut it or stick stuff on it. To make things worse, a few years back I used to buy every pattern at least twice (occasionally in several colors). Beware, don’t think it made me use it more often. I just have double-trouble right now…

Lastly, when I was working as a lawyer back home I used to compensate the lack of free time with excessive supply shopping. Every time I had a few minutes to spare on my lunch time I would go online and look for cute scrapbooking supply – and between us crafters, what scrapbook supply isn’t cute and inviting?

To make a long story short, I have A LOT of papers. Most are old. Many are “out of fashion” [some have made a come back, though].

So what do I do now?

Simple.

Steering clear of my new stuff and start pulling the old stuff. Here’s what I made this weekend:

What is on your mind layout

What’s On your mind Layout

Patterned paper: Chatterbox
Letter stickers: Doodlebug Designs
Rub ons: American Crafts Remarks
Marker: American Crafts
Flowers: handmade
Button: Autumn Leaves
Tools: Tiny Attacher by Tim Holtz; Doily Lace punch by Martha Stewart.

Boys will be boys layout

Boys Will Be Boys Layout

Patterned paper: Background – Pebbles Inc.; Cut flowers – Autumn Leaves.
Letter stickers: Doodlebug Designs
Paper Frills: Doodlebug Designs
Marker: American Crafts
Gems: Zva
Tools: Precision scissors

Sometimes sad but mostly happy layout

Sometimes Sad But Mostly Happy Layout

Cardstock: Bazzill
Patterned paper: Chatterbox
Letter stickers: American Crafts Remarks “JFK”
Marker: Uniball white gel pen
Button: Autumn Leaves
Tools: Corner Chomper by We R Memory Keepers; Heart punch by Martha Stewart.

Very happy layout

Very Happy Layout

Cardstock: Bazzill
Patterned paper: Chatterbox
Letter stickers: American Crafts, Jenni Bowlin
Marker: American Crafts, Uniball white gel pen
Chipboard button: Love Elsie by KI Memories
Stickers: KI Memories
Rub ons: DCWV
Tools: Corner Chomper by We R Memory Keepers, Precision scissors.

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Have you been piling up your stash too? What type of supply do you tend to accumulate most? Share by leaving a comment. I’d LOVE to hear I am not the only one.

Make Your Own Planner Workshop
Check out Creativity Prompt’s self paced workshop: “Capture Your Dream”. In this workshop you will capture, follow and make your dream come true as well as document your journey in a mixed media mini album.

Scavenging My Scrap Basket – Creativity Prompt

Monday, March 8th, 2010

My scrap basket is a disgrace. I seem to only use it one way – dumping more and more bits and pieces inside. I have scraps of papers from companies that no longer exist… (not that it’s that difficult in our economy, but I am talking about Chatterbox and the like…).

A scrap basket isn’t supposed to act as a burial place for broken 12 by 12 sheets… It is supposed to live symbiotically with the rest of the supply. Complete and enrich each other.

This is not the case, unfortunately.

My total lack of time drives me repeatedly to my stash of paper pads and loose leaf papers because it is easier, fresher, more approachable. Not the most economically and environmentally friendly way of working with papers… I know.

Sometimes I am determined to work with my scraps, and I usually love the result but it doesn’t happen frequently enough.

This weekend I felt like pulling out my scrap basket and see what treasures I can find inside, here is what I made –

Sunshine Boys Layout
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Patterned papers: Black River, Sassafras, Chatterbox.

Letter stickers: American Crafts, Making Memories.

Embellishments: Paper frills by Doodlebug Designs, buttons by We R Memory Keepers, Crochet flowers – handmade.

Journaling tag: Creativity Prompt.

Tools: Tim Holtz (Tiny Attacher + Scissors), We R Memory Keepers Corner Chomper.

Goodog Layout
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Patterned papers: Black River, KI Memories.

Cardstock & letter stickers: American Crafts.

Embellishments: Ribbon: American craft (orange), Other (lace). Chipboard accents: Making Memories. Jewels: Basic Grey.

Journaling tag: Creativity Prompt.

Tools: Tim Holtz. (I absolutely love the Tiny attacher. I was skeptic at first, but it goes through the chipboard like butter)

Home Field Layout
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Patterned papers: vintage textbook paper.
Cardstock: Bazzill (dark brown) DCWV (red).

Letter stickers: American Crafts, Doodlebug Designs; White gel pen: Uniball Signo.

Punches: Martha Stewart (Heart + Doily Lace), Fiskars (Threading Water + Scallop Sentiment), Other: Small heart.

Journaling tag: Creativity Prompt (will be posted soon).

Other: colored pencils (Prisma)

Share

Have you been working with your paper scraps lately? What relationship do you have with your scrap basket/ drawer/ tray? Please share and leave a comment.

If you have any question, suggestion or remark – don’t hesitate to contact me – either leave a comment here, use the contact form or start a new thread on the Creativity Prompt Flickr Group!!!

I would also be very happy to see your own creations, so don’t be shy and share 🙂

Make Your Own Planner Workshop
This year you can really make your dream come true!

“Capture Your Dream” workshop is a self-paced, six weeks long workshop, that will walk you through a journey of capturing your biggest dream and making it come true.

In the process of making your dream happen – with lots of inspiration and guided self-exploration, you will also create a mixed media mini album from scratch and learn many tips and techniques – including some photography pointers that will add character to your photos and will help you take better pictures of your projects.

The workshop includes 30 printable PDF lessons with step-by-step pictures and instructions as well as several printable templates you may use in other projects too.

I am confident you will enjoy it and find it helpful so I also offer full money back guarantee while the workshop lasts.

Build A Scene OR Paper Piecing Card – Creativity Prompt

Saturday, February 27th, 2010

Paper Piecing Card

Way back, when I was a wee kid, my sister used to tell me the most wonderful made-up stories. I was completely mesmerized by her stories, not to mention extremely gullible…

My favorite stroy was about a magic typewriter, hidden in a secret compartment inside the wall (I used to spend HOURS looking for it). Everything you type on it with the words: “I wish” at the beginning, comes true. You could write short sentences such as ‘I wish I had ice-cream with hot chocolate sauce…‘ and immediately enjoy the treat, or you may materialize imaginary worlds, built from scratch with the power of your words (These were my favorite types of stories).

In crafts, as in creative writing or story telling, you may build imaginary worlds from scratch and go as far as your imagination and creativity go.

Go ahead and build a scene. Let your inner creative child guide you through the labyrinth of your vast imagination.

Step by Step Instructions

  1. Adhere a vintage text paper onto a plain, non-textured cardstock using glue stick.
  2. Stamp your image a few times on different patterned papers, including on the vintage text paper. Use as many patterned papers as the number of pieces you want to combine together.
  3. Cut each piece of your image with precision scissors.
  4. Start assembling the “scene”: Adhere the “flat” pieces with a glue pen and the dimensional pieces with foam dots.
  5. For the “hill” – cut a piece of patterned paper in a curve.
  6. Draw some freehand clouds on your leftover text paper and cut the out with precision scissors.
  7. Spritz your “clouds” with Glimmer Mist.
  8. Stamp or punch the little heart on a reddish patterned paper. Apply some Glossy Accent. Let dry and cut out. Adhere to the image with a foam dot.
  9. Stamp the greeting in a curve, by laying it that way on the acrylic block.
  10. Add some gems for the finishing touches.

Share

If you have any question, suggestion or remark – don’t hesitate to contact me – either leave a comment here, use the contact form or start a new thread on the Creativity Prompt Flickr Group!!!

I would also be very happy to see your own creations, so don’t be shy and share 🙂

Make Your Own Planner Workshop
Check out Creativity Prompt’s self paced workshop: “Capture Your Dream”. In this workshop you will capture, follow and make your dream come true as well as document your journey in a mixed media mini album.

Hybrid Cards – Mix Fancy With Funky

Tuesday, February 23rd, 2010

Hybrid Cards - Mix Fancy With Funky

I was looking at Shimelle’s new kit: Write It Down Ornate Frames, which “aired” today on Two Peas In A Bucket, and thought it would be just perfect for making a bunch of hybrid cards.

At first I thought to edit them on photoshop, add the greeting with one of my gazillion fonts, print out, add a ribbon, or some gems and call it a day. A great way to make a bunch of coordinating classic cards.

Then I thought, lets take it up a notch… It would be really cool to mix Shimelle’s beautiful, classical, traditional ornate frames with some funky patterned papers and a funky – non-traditional – design, and that’s exactly what I did.

I hope you like it and will give it a try. (Shimelle’s kit costs just 99 cents…)

Step by Step Instructions

Hybrid I Love You Card

  1. Use a photo editing program to lay the frame on the right side of a letter size document. Size it to measure 4″ by 5¼”. Print out the document on textured white cardstock, using the borderless settings of your printer.
  2. Cut the cardstock in half – to 5½” and fold in half at 4¼” to create a standard size card.
  3. Print out Creativity Prompt’s free classic journaling tags on plain non-textured cardstock. Cut out one of the tags and cut off about an inch from its right edge.
  4. For the letters I used plain and glittered fun foam that I cut with my Cuttlebug, using QuicKutz Moonlight dies, and adhered it with Tombow Mono Multi glue you can also use American Crafts Thickers.
  5. Adhere the journaling tag to the bottom right edge of the card using foam squares.

Hybrid Thanks Card

  1. Use a photo editing program to lay the frame on the right side of a letter size document. Size it to measure about 3½” wide (keep its proportions). Print out the document on textured white cardstock, using the borderless settings of your printer.
  2. Cut the cardstock to 5¼” by 4″.
  3. Use a craft knife to cut off the oval center of the frame.
  4. Cut a textured yellow cardstock to 8½” by 5½” and fold in half at 4¼” to make a standard size card.
  5. Cut a piece of a funky patterned paper at 3½” by 3½”.
  6. Lay the printed cardstock on the yellow card base and trace the oval window with a pencil. Adhere the patterned paper where the window will lay, over the pencil marks.
  7. For the letters I used plain and glittered fun foam that I cut with my Cuttlebug, using QuicKutz Moonlight dies, and adhered it with Tombow Mono Multi glue you can also use American Crafts Thickers.
  8. Adhere the printed cardstock with foam squares.
  9. Adhere the hearts. I Cut the heart with a Cuttlebug die from the glittered fun foam. (I used a VERY old punch for the small heart)
  10. Adhere the button (I would have used a yellow button if I had one…) with a couple mini glue dots.
  11. Adhere the line of yellow gems below the greeting.

Share

If you have any question, suggestion or remark – don’t hesitate to contact me – either leave a comment here, use the contact form or start a new thread on the Creativity Prompt Flickr Group!!!

I would also be very happy to see your own creations, so don’t be shy and share 🙂

Make Your Own Planner Workshop
“Capture Your Dream” workshop is relaunching as a self-paced workshop. Isn’t this the perfect time for you to capture your dream and make it happen?