31 Days to Branch Out: Day 7

Today is the last day of paper crafts! But tomorrow starts fabric crafting! (One of my new favorite past times!)
So I thought I would post a wonderful tutorial from Bloesem Kids that I'm totally going to do for my M&M's room...as soon as I can get outside and gather some sticks. I really should get on that.

31 Days to Branch Out: Day 6

Hand made cards are always what I prefer...is it easier to pick up a card from the grocery store...yes, but it will mean a million times more if it's handmade!


Craft Obsession has wonderful handmade cards as well as card sketches which are great if you're having a creative lapse.  I love how simple this card is but it sure is lovely!

The Frugal Crafter has a great tutorial on how to make your own bakers twine because for some reason it's kind of pricey. But plain white string is a lot cheaper and you can customize it into any color you'd like!





Branch out and be crafty!!

31 Days to Branch Out: Day 5

Oh the many many uses scrapbook paper. They sure do not have to just be used for scrapbook pages.

For instance:
A Sprinkle of This and That

Casos e Coisas da Bonfa  (This one is in Portuguese but has wonderful pictures)

Enchanted Sisters: An Etsy Shop 

House Revivals 

Swap-bot Blog (Awesome templates!)

Chica and Jo 

I hope these are motivate you! I am DEFINITELY doing the rolled up Christmas tree one for our house!

Thanks for joining us today and keep on crafting!

31 Days to Branch Out: Day 4

I know its day four but my husband just got a fantastic new job today and we're having my parents over for ribs and champagne!

So sorry but you'll have to come back tomorrow for some fantastic "Make your own cards" ideas!

Thanks!

31 Days to Branch Out: Day 3

So,  I hope your first scrapbook page came out well or that you found some interesting ideas. A somewhat new trend in the scrapping world is DIGITAL SCRAPBOOKING. It is the paper crafting without the paper. There are so many amazing options out there that you can have all of the embellishments of regular scrapbooking saved away on your hard drive in nice neat folders...which I can't say for my actual scrapbooking items.

But, since this is paper crafting week, we'll touch on tangible embellishments. You can go here to find a huge array of embellishments that you can order online. There are also half off coupons for Hobby Lobby on different types of embellishments each week. You can pick from stickers, 3D stickers, pre made paper embellishments, and don't forget ribbon.

Go forth and be creative!!

31 Days to Branch Out: Day 2

So what exactly is a Scrapbook?

Well, according to Scrapbook 101, A scrapbook is simply a decorated photo album that also preserves the stories behind the photos (called journaling), it can also hold memorabilia (tickets, certificates, letters, etc.). You might have a family album as well as smaller theme albums for vacations, home improvement or a baby’s first year. Some scrapbookers create an album for each family member.
By using acid-free and lignin-free papers and adhesives, photos can be preserved beautifully and safely. The papers and accessories available now give us lots of creative options for doing more than just filing photos in an album—scrapbooking is a creative hobby!
It’s really all about getting those photos out of shoeboxes and attics and into albums where they can be seen and shared. Best of all, no experience or expertise is required—it’s as simple as cutting and gluing.
Are you looking at those big boxes filled with photos, wondering how you’ll ever get around to all of them? Where to start? It’s best to begin with your most recent photos.
If scrapbooking seems like a monumental task, don’t worry—it’s really not. All you need are a few basic materials and some ideas.

So, the first step is to pick your photos! I have a brand new motivation for my pages so for the last four months I have been picking girlie pictures!

Next, pick your papers. Place your picture against the paper and pick something that accentuates features in your picture and matches the theme you're wanting!

Something to remember when you're scrapping is that you should always mat your photos with a solid color if you're using patterned paper. This will help to eliminate the pattern stealing of the glamour of your photos.

Next, layout your page BEFORE gluing anything down. If you're using stickers cut them out and arrange them before taking them off its backing. You can go to PageMaps to get some amazing inspiration on how to layout your pages!


 Finally, add your journaling which is the most important part of the scrapbooking process. Don't worry about having perfect handwriting, your kids and grandkids will not be talking about that. Also Dont forget to put the date on your pages!


Here is one of my favorite pages! Good Luck!!

 

31 Days to Branch Out! Day 1

So, you all should know by now that my mind changes faster than south Texas weather. My original 31 days was already taken and I was inspired to do something else anyway- more of what I want this blog to be about anyway so it's October 1st: TAAADAAA!!!

For the next few weeks we'll be covering the basics of crafting! We'll cover Paper Crafts, Fabric Crafts, Knitting and Crochet, Holiday Crafts, and UpCycling!

I really hope everyone will check in every day to see what you can learn! So, basics in paper crafts!

TOOLS!!

So, first things first:

 

These are scissors! :-) Just kidding, I know you know what scissors are...but if you're not familiar with the paper crafting world, these are not just scissors: these are Cutter Bee scissors. You'll pay a smidgen more for these babies but they are sharp all the way down to the tippy point and can cut very small details out of your paper. Really handy when you're cutting out something you've traced. 

 Next is this baby! The Fiskars paper trimmer. I love this one because the ruler that pops out there on the side is extremely sturdy and the numbers wont rub off when you use it a lot (you'd be surprised how many trimmers I've had to toss because I couldn't read the numbers any more). Also, it has this great little wire thing where the slidy cutter goes so you can line up where the blade will go. Perfect if you're cutting pictures or something that's not an exact measurement.

The crop a dile! This little beauty sets eyelets (or grommets if you're more familiar with that term) which are these and really makes it a lot easier than trying to work a hammer.

 

Adhesives are important too. I like these value packs because you get a bunch of different ones that will adapt well to your different projects! Always make sure your adhesive is ACID FREE. 

 CLICK THE PIC for free printable scrapbooking paper!

And of course you have paper!!! Any kind of paper will do for just about anything. ACID FREE is a term you'll find a lot in paper crafting due to the nostalgic nature of scrapbooking. It means the things you create won't yellow from age like all those old photographs and papers from your grandmothers house. If you find something that you want to use that is not ACID FREE there are sprays you can get from your local hobby stores.

BIT OF ADVICE: Do not use original old photos. Make a copy of it and store the original in a safe place. You don't want to possibly ruin the only picture of your Great Aunt Maude because you used the wrong glue.

Feel free to ask any questions that come up as we go along in the days and weeks. I'm not an expert but I know some things and I will certainly do my best to find the answers for you.