Sunday, December 28, 2008

Fun December ad

The design team was inspired by this fun ad! The December kit worked great with it. Feel inspired? Create your own layout and upload it into our gallery.




"time flies"
Becky Thackston


"winter delight"
Holly Pittroff

Monday, December 22, 2008

Heidi Swapp Mirrored Album

This is one of the December kits' altered items - the Heidi Swapp Mirrored Album. The cover is a mirror and it comes with multiple acrylic pages for the inside. I even used one of the acrylic pages combined with a Heidi Swapp patterned paper to create the cover look. This project is really different - I had a lot of fun making it. TFL!

Spread your Wings Cover







Products from the December kit:
Heidi Swapp Dining Room/the lounge, old linen, grandma's dishes
MM Blossoms
American Crafts Jewelry Box Shapes
Heidi Swapp Mirrored Album
Heidi Swapp Clear Pages
Heidi Swapp Dining Room stickers
Snow Writer
From previous kits:
Ribbons
Button
MM acrylic paint (honeydew)
Decorative brad

Friday, December 19, 2008

December sketch challenge!

Our DT is using one sketch this month and here it is! This multi-photo Becky Fleck sketch can easily be turned into any themed layout (or card). Check out what Becky, Gina and MJ created! Feeling inspired? Create your own layout using this sketch and upload it in our gallery.


Gina Johnson
"Fall fun"


Becky Thackston
"ephs"



Mary Jo Johnson
"Capture"

Wednesday, December 17, 2008

Give me some SNOW!!!

Did you know you can really have a great "SNOW" look on your cards and projects??? Part of the December I Am a Scrapaholic kit is this bottle of DecoArt Snow Writer. Use it straight from the bottle and when it dries, it has a "snow" look. It dries with a rather dull, bumpy finish.
My card also has a scallop bottom edge on the front and the back of the card because I cut a piece from the scallop edge paper. I so love the wood grain look of this particular piece of patterned paper by Heidi Swapp. Since the paper is 12", my card is 6" tall.
I added an additional "SNOW" feel with a brush of glitter that I added to the velvety snowflake and the Snow Writer touches. I used glitter kind of glue by DecoArt called Glitter Twinkles. It just brushes over the surface and dries with a great amount of glitter. It was fun to add that to my snow look.

Thanks for visiting, Linda

Saturday, December 13, 2008

Using "Scrap Dots" adhesive

December's Little Pill kit has a really fun adhesive to use on your cards or layouts. It allows you to create lots of dimension on your projects without the mess of sticky glue dots or pop dots that come off a few months after you use them! We all know how annoying THAT can be!

With the Helmar "Scrap Dots", you can add as much height/dimension to your layouts that you want! It's so easy to do--just simply layer the Scrap Dots onto your project, wait a few minutes, then add another layer onto the original to create height.




On my embellishment cluster, I added several layers of Scrap Dots under random items to give it a variance in height.



Happy Scrapping!!

~~Kary

Gina Johnson's Altoid Mini Album

Gina Johnson, our December Visiting Therapist, has made the cutest little mini album with an accordian album, an altoid tin and our December kit! Check out her creation!


I love making these for gifts for so many different reasons! They’re small and don’t take long, they’re easy to personalize for whoever you’re making it for and they can stand a lot of beating. That last fact is really important if you’re making it for a grandma or someone who is going to throw it in their purse and take it everywhere!

Ok, to start off you’re going to need a piece of cardstock 10 5/8 x 3 ½, a Altoid tin, scraps of patterned paper, Modge Podge, and acrylic paint and embellishments (if desired.)

To start off I painted the top of my tin with white acrylic paint. If you don’t want to do this you can also just wrap a ribbon around the exposed edge after you’re done with everything else. It’s ok if the top is streaky because you’re going to cover it anyway. I was mainly painting it to get the edge covered since it didn’t match my pp.




To decorate the top of the tin I cut a piece of the yummy Heidi Swapp Grandma’s Dishes paper to 3 3/4 x 2 3/8 and glued it down. Don’t be too worried about gluing it well as we’re going to be sealing it with Modge Podge.

Next I inked the edges and then adhered the American Crafts Thicker elements and the stamped image. (For all my inking on this project I used Broken China Distress Ink and then Close To Cocoa SU ink for the darker edging.) I used perfect pearls mixed with clear embossing powder to stamp the “family traditions” and then inked and distressed the edges. Once you have everything you want on your lid put a generous coat of Modge Podge over it. You won’t loose any of the sparkle or shimmer as the Modge Podge will dry totally clear.


Now that your tin is done set it aside to dry and we can get started on the album. Once you have your CS cut you’re going to score it at 2 1/8, 4 ¼, 6 3/8, and 8 ½.
After you’ve got it all scored, accordion fold it and use your bone folder or fingernail to make sure the creases are all crisp.
Your next step is to round the corners. I find it easiest to hold two pages together and round the corners that way.


That’s it! You’re ready to decorate your album as desired. I used the rub ons from the December kit as well as some of the glimmer chips (these ink up great!) and the amazingly cute Heidi Swapp paper. I also found that the Core-dinations cardstock was perfect for this project because of the contrasting color when I sanded the edges of the album.

Also, a little tip, to make this easier to remove from the tin, add a little ribbon to the bottom page and always tuck it up so it’s sticking out on the top when you put it in the tin, then you can just pull on it and the whole album comes out. (note how the ribbon sticks out)

Here is my finished album.


This is the outside of the tin.


The Deco Art Snow Writer that comes with this month’s kit is AMAZING!!!! I think I’m
in love!!! I used it for all the snow on the back of the mini and it looks just fantastic!

Friday, December 12, 2008

Another Christmas/Winter card from the December Kit

I know I have said this before, but I just love how Lynn puts together the I Am A Scrapholic kits. The ingredients just "go together"!
The blue/swirl patterned that goes down the length of the card is actually a big circle on the patterned paper. I just took advantage of that design and used a portion of it for a card. I added Broken China Distress Stickles by Ranger to accent the swirl pattern. It is the perfect color and I love adding sparkle for a Christmas or Winter themed card. (another portion of this circle design was cut and used as an accent on my layout in the previous blog post regarding the "ad" challenge)
The snowflake is a Glimmer Chip that is part of the kit. I sprayed it with Silver Glimmer Mist to add a little more sparkle.
Thanks for visiting, Linda

Wednesday, December 10, 2008

December Ad Challenge

This month our DT is using ads to get inspired and create with the kit. That you Elisa for this fun ad! Take this challenge and post your creations in the gallery - we'd love to see what you come up with!



'Starbucks'
Linda Beeson


'mmm...good!'
Holly Pittroff



'Winter Wonderland'
Elisa Kammerdeiner

Tuesday, December 9, 2008

Paper Christmas tree

This is one of my favorite projects for make for the holidays, and December's kit made it super fun!




Start out with a 14" styrofoam cone and paper cut into 2" X 4" strips.


Fold the paper strips and use straight pins to secure into the styrofoam cone.















Then I added the seasonal chipboard from the December kit.











OK, now the really fun part! I used the DecorArt Snow Writer from the December kit to create snow on my tree.










And snow has to sparkle, so I added clear beads to the SnowWriter gel.







Add some pine cone embellies from the kit, and you have a fun holiday centerpiece or a homemade gift to give!










Close up of the "snow".






Saturday, December 6, 2008

Silvery Snowflake card

The December I Am A Scrapaholic kit has the most yummy colors in it.
I just had to pull out this wonderful patterned paper by Heidi Swapp and it just seemed like it was made to go with this fabulous, velvety snowflake.

I combined the velvety snowflake with a BIG button and the black, scrolly circle punch-out to create a little center piece to my card. I added the button with little silver brads. I mounted these pieces to a silver metallic paper and punched that out with a scallop punch and I sprayed the entire thing with Silver Glimmer Mist by Tattered Angels. You can just barely see the little bit of gleem that the silver cast on the whole card.
Thanks for visiting, Linda

Wednesday, December 3, 2008

December is here and are we ready for winter...


Well the December kit certainly is with snowflakes, mittens, and snowmen. But don't worry, we have flowers as well. It's funny how this kit came together. I was planning on a wintery kit and then started in another direction and ended up with a 'twisted' wintery kit.
*
I think flowers work on a layout year round. But I actually picked the Making Memories jar because I like the flowers -their shapes and patterns, and the buttons. Of course Elisa didn't help when she said she wanted pink in the kit. So I was torn. So it's Elisa's fault that we have the Rosie kit (Little Pill #3). BUT I admit, I love those as well. Lovin' the pink tones with the Heidi Swapp Dream Dining Room PP.
*
Oh, I know I teased everyone by mentioning the Liquid Scrap Dots would be in the December kit for at least 3 months and now they aren't. I'm sorry. I have been ordering them for 4 months now and simply could not get enough for the kits. So they are being sold separately -at a discount of course. The original thought was that it would work nicely with the Tattered Angels chipboard pieces. I do have it on good authority that this product is being reintroduced in January from a new distributor. So it will be readily available then...it's just very hard to get right now.
*
During the course of playing I found a remnant of white leather that creates a snowman or snowflake with fantastic dimension and texture. And I love love love the crushed velvet embellishments. I couldn't resist making butterflies with the burgundy and loved the way it looked with the papers. So see the kit isn't all wintery.
*
And I started an Acrylic Mitten album at least a month ago but have no new photos for it -because we haven't had snow yet. And I've used every single one from past years on other projects. However, I thought this would be a perfect month to feature it as a Little Pill kit.
*
For those of you who don't have very many wintery photos don't despair. There are so many way to alter most of the items to be able to use them on non-winter layouts. The only item I can't really think of a way to use other than on a winter layout is the Moxxie "Let it Snow" rub-on. You could always use the words "let" or "it" as part of a title or journaling. The Tattered Angles chipboard pieces can be altered by cutting them, painting them, or covering with paper. Please let us know if you would like some items on other ways to use certain elements of the kit, and we'll be happy to help.
*
I hope you all enjoy this kit as much as I am.
~L

Saturday, November 29, 2008

Something special from November's Card Kit

I love the pre-cut cards and matching envelopes that come in the Card Kits each month! Here is just one example of a combination you might see.
Using a minimum of product from the Nov kit, I was able to turn this into a special Christmas wish for someone I love this season. TFL!



Products:

SEI Alpine Frost Yuletide, Dust of Snow, Chocolate cardstock
IAAS Card and Envelope die cuts

Bo Bunny Oh Christmas Tree Rub-ons
Kaiser Holly Swirl Wood Flourish
Making Memories Holly berries
Ranger alcohol ink - Lettuce, and Stickles - Candy Cane

Thursday, November 27, 2008

Photo Shoot Mini album

Are you ready for some Christmas projects???
Part of one of the I Am A Scrapaholic's kits for November is an accordian style album by Melissa Frances. It comes with a kraft colored paper ready for you to paint or cover with paper or just leave as it is.
I wanted my photos to really shine in my little album, so I left the album as it came and printed my photos out 4" x 6" and then trimmed them a little bit so that some of my patterned paper would show.


I loved the SEI papers that came in this month's kit because they are not loud and busy prints making them the perfect backdrop to my album and my photos.

The snowflake is chipboard and is part of the kit. I covered that with a good coat of Stickles. I love that stuff because you get lots of bling without loose glitter ending up all over the place. You can also see the rhinestone word by Kaiser Craft that is part of the kit. It wasn't going to show off real well against my patterned paper so I just put a swipe of white paint on the paper first and that created the perfect backdrop to my word.

Thank you for visiting the I Am A Scrapaholic blog, Linda

WONDER – MINI ALBUM
November I Am A Scrapaholic kit
Materials list:
4”x6” Paper Mache’ Foldout book/Melissa Frances
Rhinestone word WONDER – KaiserCraft
Patterned papers – SEI Alpine Frost collection
Printed Poinsettia – Making Memories
Ric-Rac trim
White paint