Scrapbook Soup

Show 209 is online until Friday noon EST @ www.scrapbooktv.com   This is what you'll be seeing on this show:

During the open I shared a digital storybook/scrapbook I made for my daughter and a journal my sister made for my husband - years before scrapbooking was a trend.  I love photography and digital storytelling/scrapbooking is a natural creative addition to my hobby.   On each of the pages I used one photograph as the background then layered additional photos on top.  In the past, I've also created pages where I've scanned actual items, like a smocked dress my mum made for me when I was 7 years old.  I used this for the background to a black & white photo of me wearing the dress.  This wasn't even a digital page!  I printed the background then put the photo on top and placed it in an album.

The first project was designed to show some new, creative uses for Painter® markers and regular white glue from Elmer's.  I used the Painters to trace patterns onto acetate so I could create a design on top of tie dyed glitter paper.  For the second technique I showed how you can mix white glue with paint, sponge it on to foam board then sprinkle with glitter for a matching background for my page.  Then, as you can see, I framed the whole page (which was glued to the foam board) with a wood laser frame (from Michaels).

Susan Lenart Kazmer joined us next with a project that also celebrated mixed media art.  Watch the show to see how she combined mica, metal, ribbon and more for this elaborate steampunk style, mixed media journal.

Nancy Hill from Die Cuts With a View shared her grandmother's 100 year old scrapbook then showed us more recent journals it had inspired.  Scrapbooks, Journals, Smash Books, Jot Journals, Diaries and more are all ways we keep track of our daily lives.  They are places for photos, notes, ticket stubs - whatever you like and lots of fun to look back on 25, 50 or even 100 years from now!   

Our final segment was Party Time!  Julie and I are always up for a party and this collection was designed by Julia Sandvoss for Glue Arts.  You can find instructions for all the projects we showed on our website.

And finally we shared one more journal at the end of the show.  This one was designed by Ann Butler.  You can find information about how to create this journal on her blog @ http://www.creativitystirsthesoul.com/ 2012/01/journaling-with-designers-craft.html

Since December is the gift giving month of the year, I have another giveaway for you, but this time it's a mystery box, full of products you've seen on the show.  Enter to win by watching the show then commenting here about your favorite projects.  Don't forget to check our FB page @ http://www.facebook.com/ScrapbookSoup to see whether you are a lucky winner or not!  Enjoy the show and y'all come back now!

Yours truly

Julie :)

KEEP CALM AND CARRY ON CRAFTING!

Handmade Christmas Crafts

It's First Monday and Designer Crafts Connection is posting handmade projects for Christmas.  I'm sure most of you have already finished decorating, but maybe you're like me and still unpacking boxes!

As usual, I needed something that could be "Made in Minutes" since I'm behind as usual.  I should know by now that it takes a lot longer than I think to fix the lights on the reindeer.... if you get my drift.  On top of that, it's been 80˚ degrees here in Texas (not exactly weather that's gets you in the Jingle Bell mood) and it's been very windy - you know that's true when the reindeer actually fly......

Anyway, here's a simple project I hope you'll enjoy!  My daughter loves anything red with white polka dots, so I just knew I had to do something for her with this tissue paper I found.  I cut a 12" x 5" piece of Smoothfoam™ and glued the paper around it with DecoArt®, DecoPage. Because, as its name suggests, Smoothfoam™ is nice and smooth, I didn't have prep the surface.  I let it dry for a few minutes then coated the top of the paper with DecoArt Crystal Craft Twinkles to give it a bit of bling.  Next I wrapped ribbon around the center then glued pre-decorated letters on top.  I found these at Michaels in the seasonal dept.  I glued the ends of a piece of ribbon to the back for a hanger, then added a bit of a Christmas embellishment with a quilt pin (this way I can change it out, if I find something better when I unpack my Christmas stuff).  Voilà, I now have a sign for her kitchen!

TIP:  I cut the Smoothfoam with a craft knife and a metal ruler.  I sometimes have a problem with the blade sticking into a regular cutting mat, so I always cut on a glass surface.  I use a 13x13 glass mat, which used to be available from EK Success.  If you can't find one,  you can use a piece of glass from a frame.  Be careful however, because the glass probably won't be tempered like my glass mat.

Well that's it for now.  I'll be featuring more handmade Christmas decorations as I unpack next week.  It's always been a family tradition for us to make something new every year, so I have quite a few ideas to share.  Hopefully it will inspire you to start your own handmade Christmas traditions!  Better hurry though, Christmas is only 3 weeks away!  Boy, do I ever need to get a move on.........  Enjoy!

BTW, I'll be posting notes later this week about Scrapbook Soup, show 209.  There'll be a giveaway too, so y'all come back now......  Regina Hamilton won last week's giveaway - Becky Fleck's Page Maps 2 and the matching dies from Spellbinders!  Hmmm, wonder what the next giveaway will be...

Yours truly,

Julie :)

KEEP CALM AND CARRY ON CRAFTING!