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 Friday, October 10, 2008
It's time for Halloween decorations!
With Halloween just around the corner it is time to start decorating if you have not already!
While I do not do a lot of decorating for Halloween, I do always like to have some decorations around the front of the house or at least on the door to greet all the trick-or-treaters.
I mean the house with the best candy in the neighborhood needs to at least have some Halloween spirit going on!
Last year I decorated some candles to go on either side of our front door.
That probably was not my smartest move as there were too many flowing princess gowns and Batman capes that came scarily (pun intended) close to the flames.
I have decided to take a safer approach this year and go with a simple door hanging.
And I would like to share it with you!
That is black tule used to hang the project and also tied at the bottom.
It is so simple to make this!
1. Cut squares of chipboard (the bigger square measures 2 inches and the smaller square is 1.5 inches).
2. Cut patterned paper to same size as your chipboard squares and adhere to chipboard.
(I like to sand the edges down to smooth it out and make the edges even)
3. Adhere smaller squares onto larger squares.
4. Now embellish with transparencies, alphabet letters, brads...whatever you want!
5. Use a paper piercer to poke small holes at the top and bottom of your squares.
6. Now attach squares together with small rings. If you do not have rings, thin ribbon, string, or twine would work!
7. Tie tule at the top of first square to hang your project. Make sure to use enough to be able to hang from a doorknob!
8. Tie a smaller piece of tule at the bottom of the last square just to embellish.
And you are done!
Supplies: patterned paper (Prima, Heidi Swapp), cardstock (Prism), brads (Little Yellow Bicycle), chipboard letters (Heidi Swapp), rings (Junkitz), misc: black tule, raw chipboard
All products (except for rings) are part of October kit from Scripts, Scrap Etc.
Happy Halloween!
gretchen
Gretchen McElveen
10/10/2008 1:57:38 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00) 
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Thursday, October 09, 2008
Cream Puffs = Scrapbook Pages?
 I love this photo. I know its a simple, homemade cream puff. But it represents so much more than just a pretty pastry on a plate. The Fall season is upon us in the Denver area, leaves are changing, the air is cooler, and I have been baking more than usual. Something about this time of year that always bring out the baker in me. What came with the baking was a flood of thoughts and memories. - Baking as a little girl with my mom
- her telling me the most important ingredient in cooking/baking is love
- never letting my height (short, short, short) inhibit me (the bowls & spices were always out my reach but I found a way)
- cooking with my grandpa Tucci and missing him so
- pouring my own love into the foods I make
- cutting pasta on the counters and it hanging drying every where
- my kids' favorite foods that I make/bake from scratch
- family dinners as a kid and bringing that to my family
- knowing we didn't have much money as a kid but also seeing a simple bag of flour could be made into so much more
- making cookies for the kids to have after school
- traditions in cooking that I am keeping alive and are passing down to my kids
and the list could go on and on. The thoughts were consuming me, so I grabbed a piece of paper and just wrote them down as they came. And then I realized how they could be turned into scrapbooking pages. After all what are we doing but capturing memories and moments of time?
Ronda Palazzari
10/9/2008 1:58:09 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)
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Wednesday, October 08, 2008
Unique Flowers Fast
One of my favorite things about scrapbooking and crafting is finding new ways to use my supplies. I have always loved all the cool tapes and book cloths on the market. I have rolls and rolls of them. Instead of just using them as a pretty border on a page, I like to layer them on a thin chipboard square and run it through my die cutter. It's so easy and you will get the coolest patterns and textures to your die cut projects. Here is my latest flower using this technique. I used 7gypsies Tape, Cuttlebug Die Cutter with Big Shot dies for a big die cut look. It does work well even with the tiny Sizzix Sidekick. Layer up your flowers with more die cuts in coordinating patterns and colors. Add a cool chipboard piece or button to the middle.  Easy Steps to Quick Tape Flowers 1. Cut thin chipboard or cardstock to size of die. 2. Cover completely with tape of your choice 3. Run through Die Cutter and Voila! Pretty and Unique embellshments for your projects! Have fun and Enjoy! Love, Melissa
Melissa Blair
10/8/2008 9:20:04 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)
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Tuesday, October 07, 2008
Making It Pop
Hi! I thought I'd share one of my favorite stamping tricks with you today. I love the look of white on darker colors, but found that whenever I used white ink, it simply wasn't vibrant enough. Then I discovered white embossing powder. It makes everything just pop! I begin by stamping with a white pigment ink. I like Stampin' Up's best. Then I sprinkle on the powder and heat it. It's amazing to see the image 'come alive' as the powder melts.
Here is a photo comparing the same image. The first one has been embossed and the second one hasn't been. What a difference!!!
Once you have your image, the rest is up to you. Here is a card I made by cutting out the flourish and adding it as a border. I cut the front right side of the card a bit shorter so you can see the scalloped border on the inside.
So, the next time you want to add some 'pop' to your stamped card or layout, pull out the white embossing powder. It really makes a difference!
Have a great day!~Anabelle
Anabelle O’Malley
10/7/2008 2:08:29 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)
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Monday, October 06, 2008
Taking note.
I was walking through my garden this last week taking note of what worked and what didn't. I took some pictures of the pots that stayed looking good all season, wrote down what flowers where in them and I also wrote down what flowers did not last or got too big for their pots. Last I wrote down changes I wanted to make in the flower beds next year. The best part about gardening is that there is no real right and wrong, there is a lot of trial and error though, luckily you get to start over every spring! While doing this for my garden I had a revelation - why not use this same process to look back at what I had scrapbooked this last year and list what worked, what I liked, what didn't work and what I did not like. I thought it would be a great way of refining my style and maybe even help me be more efficent when I scrapbook. So I took a look at the layouts I had done so far this year and made some notes: what jumped out at me, what colors I liked to use the most, what embellishments do I tend to use over and over, which layouts did I not like and why, what size phots do I use most often and most importantly was I happy with the stories I was recording. I really enjoyed going through this process, in a way it's liberating - you zero in on what YOU like and what works for YOU, after all the pages you do are ultimately done to make you happy, so if you love to use mostly blue and green cardstock then do it!
Here are a few of the things I discovered about what I like:
-For my backgrounds I like to use White or Kraft Cardstock or ledger paper .
-I love to ink the edges of all my patterned paper.
-Mixing patterned paper, my absolute favorite thing to do!
-I use typewriter type fonts A LOT!
-Circle punches - I just love my circle punches!
-I gravitate to either one large photo or 3-4 smaller photos in a row.
-I enjoy playing with paint and my stamps.
-Liner type layouts just feel "right" to me.
Not to say that I don't like to experiment or try new things but having a grasp on what always makes me happy with MY finished project makes scrapping a little easier and faster. So take some time to peruse your layouts you may be surprised at what you find out!
I thought it would be fun to do a layout using a lot of my "favorites" and this Big Bug layout is what I came up with.
An easy way to make a painted border like the one I did in my Big Bug layout, is by cutting a scrap piece of cardstock to the size you want the border to be and running paint along the edge with a foam brush. Carefully lift up the cardstock and you have a great painted border.
I will be on vacation next week so have a great couple of weeks!
 
Supplies: Cardstock, Bazzill. Butterfly punch, Martha Stewart. Border Tape, Anna Griffin. Journal Tag, Collage Press. Patterned Paper, Scenic Route, Tinkering Ink. Dream Street. Basic Grey. Foam letter stickers, American Crafts. Paint, Making Memories.
Christine Drumheller
10/6/2008 9:26:24 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)
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Sunday, October 05, 2008
FUN WITH CHIPBOARD
I love the dimension and texture you can achieve by adding chipboard to a project. I was playing around this afternoon, and stumbled upon a fun technique. I took a chipboard flower, ran it under water for just a couple of seconds, and then peeled layers from each petal to the center. When dry, it holds this new shape nicely. (You can either let it air dry or use a heat gun to speed up the process.) Finding new ways to use the supplies in our stash can be bring a fresh perspective to our craft. Next time you are stuck for an idea, take another look. Unexpected and wonderful things may happen! Have a great week! Kim  (Supplies: Cardstock by Prism, Chipboard by Rusty Pickle, Patterned Paper by
BasicGrey and Piggy Tales, Rub-on Sentiment by Melissa Frances)
Kim Frantz
10/5/2008 7:59:46 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)
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Gallery Inspiration
When I look through online galleries and magazine for layout inspiration I often deconstruct layouts sometimes finding the littlest details to inspire me. I spotted this layout by Heather Hines in the gallery and used it as my inspiration piece.
I was inspired by the shape and decided to make this circular clear project. Some of the obvious elements I pulled from Heather’s layout are the black and white photo and DYMO label. Although it might not be so obvious the white and teal polka dots on Heather’s layout inspired me to stamp the flowers on my project and top them off with teal gems.
Supplies Used: Clear Circle Frame (Page Frames), Cardstock (Core’dinations), Patterned Paper (Tinkering Ink), Stamp (Tinkering Ink), Ink (Staz On), Rhinestones (Kaizer Craft), DYMO Caption Maker, DMC Floss, Buttons (SEI), miscellaneous ribbon, Cricut by Provo Craft (used to create the large circle element)
So now that you have seen how the 09 Masters tackle scraplifting it’s your turn. Find your inspiration and let your creative juices flow.
Cheers,
Summer Fullerton
10/5/2008 2:02:33 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)
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Saturday, October 04, 2008
Love these layouts!
I have been browsing the gallery over the past week like the other '09 Masters have been.
WOW! The gallery is full of great layouts and awesome inspiration!
I want to share a few that really jumped out at me.
This layout is by Becky Cutshaw.
It is a digital layout and I love how the flowers and charms in the corner give the layout such dimension and texture even though it is digital.
I love the design of this layout also!
Here is another one that really caught my attention.
This one is by Shelley Haganman.
She did this layout on a piece of clear acrylic that she cut with an Accucut machine.
I love the unique shape of the layout and how she used a large picture cut to fit that shape.
Very, very cool!
Since it is October I had to check out the Halloween gallery and this layout rocks!
This one is by Jenni Baeder.
It is another digital layout and I love how she used cool digital elements to decorate her already incredible picture.
I love how she did the title and journaling also!
Thanks for all of the inspiration ladies!
Now I am off to scraplift!
:)
gretchen
Gretchen McElveen
10/4/2008 7:38:28 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)
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Friday, October 03, 2008
In a Year(s) Layout
There is so much inspiration in the gallery, love looking thru it to see so much creativity! I loved Dunia's layout as soon as I saw it in the idea gallery. She did such an amazing job of capturing her son in 2007-look at that cute little face change, so adorable! :) A quick way to create a layout about a year or event is to use mutiple pictures of an event, person, trip, etc. You can cover one year or a few years over time, there is no limit!
I love to use 2x5 photos for these type of layouts. It is a great way to fit a lot of photos on one page to create a timeline on your page. Here is my lift on Dunia's Year in Review layout:
Supplies: Adhesive: Therm-o-Web;Cardstock:Bazzill;Chipboard: American Crafts;Labels: DYMO;Misc: Duly Noted Uncut Paper;Paint: Making Memories;Pattern Paper: October Afternoon and Scenic Route; Rubons:Jenni Bowlin;Stickers: Doodlebug;Tag: Elle's Studio;Transparency: Hambly Overlay
Have a great weekend!
xo
Veronica Jennings
10/3/2008 3:11:41 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)
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Layout Sketches/Templates
In the scrapbooking world, we all have the occasion when we know we want to create a layout but just can't seem to get started. One way to get jump started is to use a sketch or template as a guide. In the digital realm, a good number of modern templates are created as layered Photoshop files. This file then allows the user to use the template to create a layout by simply adding papers and elements on the predefined layers to create a finished product in minutes. This is one great way for anyone not used to the digital environment to get a little more accustomed to it, as well. Here is one such example (maybe a little crazy!) that took literally 15 minutes to complete the layout after figuring out goodies. It's pretty much plug and play - the most time consuming parts are figuring out what photo(s) you want to use and what elements!! Layout Credits: Amanda Resende at After 5 Designs. If you are interested, please feel free to download this layered template HERE and use it in either Photoshop or as a more traditional sketch! Happy scrapping.
Amy Martin
10/3/2008 12:44:55 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)
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Thursday, October 02, 2008
Same Layout, different Lift
While strolling through the gallery here, I found this beautiful digital layout by Beth Santos-Gugol. I was discussing it with the other Masters, when Jamie & I realized we picked the same layout. Upon Annabell's suggestion, Jaime and I decided to show you how 2 lifts of the same layout can be different. the original Beauty & Wonder by: Beth Santos-Gugol  I love that the focus is on the photograph. To me this layout represents complicatedly simple. I can see the many layers and the work that went into the layout, yet it is beautifully simple. I love how bright and cheery the layout feels!  So here is my lift. Like Anabelle, I changed the girl them to a boy theme. I love this picture I took of my nephew with those killer blue eyes. I wanted him to remain the focus. I flipped the layout so the photo was on the bottom right. I loved the flowers on Beth's digital page so I threw one on (and I am totally ok with flowers for boys!). I wanted to keep the ideas of simple layers but also knew I wanted to add in my own thoughts so I placed the journaling down the side leading to the picture. Even though we were both inspired Beth's beautiful layout, Jaime & I came up with two different layouts, putting our own touches on the lift. Thank you Beth for providing us inspiration! supplies: All supplies by Fancy Pants Designs except Black pen by EK Success, Ink by Ranger
Ronda Palazzari
10/2/2008 4:37:15 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)
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I couldn't choose just one!! MM Gallery Inspiration
Good Thursday morning everyone!! I have to say, there is so much inspiration in the gallery here at Memory Makers! I was blown away! In fact, I couldn't choose just one layout to pull inspiration from so I narrowed it down to 2 of my favorites:
Beauty & Wonder by: Beth Santos-Gugol
and, 2 Sisters by: Laurel Lakey
I loved the way each layout used white space (my favorite!) and I loved the beautiful blues and yellows, the flourishes, the flowers, and, well, all of it! These two layouts definitely make me want to try digital scrapping some more!!
Here is what I came up with:
I stuck with the blue & yellow theme and I also pulled the smaller index photos idea from the 2 Sisters layout. I loved the distressed look that both layouts had so, I inked up my papers and did a bit of distressing! I ended up with a layout that I totally love - thanks so much to Beth & Laurel! Your layouts were amazing and so inspiring!
(Supplies: Embellishments: Heidi Swapp Bling, Making Memories Rhinestone Brad, Me and My Big Ideas Glitter Word; Ink: Ranger; Misc: HP Copy Paper; Patterned Paper: Pink Paislee)
Warmest Wishes,
Jaime Warren
10/2/2008 9:40:54 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)
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