20% Off Queen & Co. and Topline Creations Products

All Queen & Co. and Topline Creations scrapbooking supplies are currently available from my online scrapbooking store Everlasting Scrapbooks at 20% OFF.

Here is a quick look at some of the beautiful products that are now available at 20% off from these two manufacturers.

Queen & Co.

Felt Fusion

Sprinkles Brads

Chic Charms

Jewels 50 pack

Topline Creations

Runway Monograms
Hot Fudge Scrapbooking KitsPhrasezChipboard Shapes

Finding Your Muse

Every scrapbooker has one of those days now and again when it's impossible to create a decent page. As hard as you try, you can't get the pictures to look good on the page. Another situation is finding yourself in a rut. If every page starts looking then same, its time to take a break and get over your scrapbooker's block-find some new inspiration.

Inspiration is all around in the world. Turn on the television to check out your favorite celebrity's latest fashion, and this may lead to a new color scheme for one of your pages. Read a magazine and you may see a cute way of placing photographs and text on the page together. Billboards, advertisements, movie posters, and simply the scenes of your neighborhood can all become sources of inspiration if you look at the world with a scrapbooking eye.

Pictures are not the only things that can inspire a new page idea-words have a way of working themselves into your pages as well. A funny or moving quote can be used on a page as an embellishment, or perhaps a catchy phrase can become the theme and title of your layout. In any case, you may just need a break from the visual arts for awhile. Some of my best page ideas come to me when I'm doing something totally unrelated to layout design, such as reading. Take a break and walk away from your scrapbooking space. Perhaps a simple the change of scenery will motivate you to get back into the groove of creating original pages.

Friends can be a good source of inspiration as well. Ask for advice on your layout or, if they scrapbook as well, browse through some of their albums. You don't have to flat out copy their ideas, but perhaps a few of the elements you see on some of their pages can be put together to create a page of your own. You can also achieve this by browsing through scrapbooking publications such as magazines and books. Again, you don't have to create exactly what you see, but the mark of a good designer is the ability to make a technique his or her own.

The best source of inspiration should be your photographs. Pull colors from those in the pictures, and use the number and sizes of the pieces to determine what kinds of layouts are possible. Use your subject matter to inspire you as well. Children and pets work especially well for this, and with a little determination, you'll be back in the cropping chair again in no time.

Author: Tom Ambrozewicz is one of the pioneers in using breakthrough audio technology on his web sites. You can read, listen to professional narrator reading to you or having MP3 file ready to download if you hate printed files. Check spectrum of scrapbooking tips on http://www.ask-how.info/scrapbooking

New Products from Basic Grey, Queen & Co. and Cosmo Cricket

I have added some new and exciting scrapbooking products to my online scrapbooking store Everlasting Scrapbooks. The new scrapbooking supplies are from manufacturers Basic Grey, Queen & Co. and Cosmo Cricket and include products such as rub-ons, 12x12 paper, paper pads, felt, die-cut shapes and tags and monograms.

Here is a sample of some of the new products now available.

Basic Grey Infuse Collection - Custom-brewed from only the finest ingredients, Infuse collection is satuated in a color blend of garden green, hibiscus pink, and coffee bean brown. Immerse yourself in our rich, new house blend.

Basic Grey Infuse 6x6 Paper Pad

Basic Grey Infuse Die Cut Shapes

Basic Grey Infuse Mini Monograms

Queen and Co. Felt Fusions -Self-adhesive felt embellishments add dimension and texture to any craft or done decor project. Versatile 1-yard strip. Easy to use on fabric, cardstock, metal, wood and plastic.

Queen and Co. 2.7 inch Flet Fusion Floral - Hot PinkQueen and Co. 1.6 inch Felt Fusion Vine - BlackQueen and Co. 2.7 inch Flet Fusion Star/Swirl - Red

Cosmo Cricket Cogsmo Collection - Fun and fresh, the Cogsmo Collection from Cosmo Cricket is sure to please the boy in your life. This bright color pallet along with hip and happy designs makes boy projects a hit all over again whether it?s birthdays, summer afternoons or video game playing.

Cosmo Cricket Cogsmo Cardstock StickersCosmo Cricket Cogsmo Cogs 12x12 Double-sided paperCosmo Cricket Cogsmo Journal Cards

Scrapbooking: Computer-Aided Scrapbooking

There are infinite options for scrapbooking. It is just up to you on how beautiful your scrapbook will look when finished. Older generations have done theirs using the basic art materials available even to schoolchildren. But now in the digital age, computers will change the look of scrapbooks. Today, it is almost impossible to achieve anything without the use of computers. If magazines are not available to make up for a desired text to go along with the concept, graphics editors can do everything. The only requirement is the skill to do it.
Computer is the best tool for scrapbooking in the 21st century. How can computers aid in pre-designing each page of your scrapbook. Here are the pointers on how to use the best-known scrapbooking tool.
USE COMPUTER SOFTWARE:
Third party scrapbooking softwares commonly used around have ready-made pages to choose from. If the designs are satisfactory, why buy from books stores if you can print your own? Of course, the printing itself may cost, but using softwares, the designs can even be enhanced. These image-ready applications are very user-friendly and designed for people who don't have too much skill in primitive graphics design.
HELP YOURSELF WITH POPULAR GRAPHIC ARTS EDITOR:
If you find other ready-made designs from applications too impersonal, then you can do your own with the aid of graphic arts software. You can scan your old picture or take a shot with digital camera, make layouts from different backgrounds, combine multiple photos from your collection, and adjust how it will look on your page.
Graphic Arts Editors have built in good fonts to choose from. In this case, you can use any to satisfy your design liking. For professional outcome, this is only applicable to those who have the skill to use the editor. People whose works are inclined to digital arts have the advantage for creating very modern scrapbooks.
Graphic Arts Editor can enhance photos, correct lens errors, clean dust/specks, blur and sharpen images, change the color and many other corrective measures.
PRINTED FINISH
There are ways of accomplishing scrapbooks with the aid of computer printers. You can start a semi-finished scrapbook with bordered boxes for photos, or you can do a complete printable scrapbook with no more mess. In other words, you can print a designer page or the complete digital scrapbook.
What comes along is the choice of paper to use. Specific inkjet paper with varying thickness, surface and texture can be accommodated by branded printers. The scrapbook can be printed double-sided or one-sided.
RESOLUTION
When complexities started with computers, the most important aspect in doing printed materials with computer starts with resolutions. If the user is not so familiar on resolution behavior seen on screens versus the printed output, then it is the time to start asking an expert and have some background info on how it can affect the print from the start of the layout. For people with background on graphic arts, this is still not an average issue. It is a very crucial one in order to have the best print using a specified appropriate paper.
In conclusion, scrapbooking must adhere with modernization. The greatest advantage of using computer as basic tool is the capability to back up the file and keep it for future printing. Or even if you have done a conventional scrapbook, computers still can manage the scanning and reproduction of scrapbooks.
Article by: NICHOLAS TAN

Making a Kusudama Rose

Today I came across this blog Paper Craft - All About Papers where the owner Fernanda Gomez creates amazing things from paper like teacups, animals, clothing and beautiful flowers using origami, twilling and paper molding.

As soon as I saw the flower above I wanted to know how to make it, luckily Fernanda has posted instructions on how to make this Kusudama Rose. There wasn't any other instructions for her other other paper pieces, hopefully more will be posted one day! This is definitely one blog worth looking at to see some some amazing paper crafts.

Now once I get some time up my sleeve I am going to attempt to make this beautiful Kusudama Rose to add to my own scrapbooking page or paper craft project.

My Angel Scrapbooking Layout Instructions

Here is another beautiful layout for you to create using products from GCD Studio. I love using GCD Studio products, the colours for each collection match perfectly with each other, and their papers, ribbons and embellishments are all made using the highest quality products. I love the way all their patterned papers match with the cardstock, and also the self-adhesive ribbon and self-adhesive chipboard make it so much easier to complete quick and easy scrapbooking and paper craft projects.Materials:
1 sheet Whoop De Doo cardstock
4 sheets Whoop De Doo patterned paper
Whoop De Doo rub-ons
Whoop De Doo chipboard
Black glitter letter stickers

Instructions:
Use your cardstock as your base. Trim one piece of patterned paper to 8 3/8x7 inches and adhere to the cardstock.

Trim the second piece of patterned paper to 10.5x3.25 inches and adhere it to the cardstock.

Trim the third piece of patterned paper to 10 7/8x2 inches and adhere it to the cardstock.

Trim the fourth sheet of patterned paper to 3.25x9.5 inches and adhere it to the cardstock. Embellish with the chipboard, rub-ons and letter stickers.

Aussie Scrapbooking Product Challenge

I am currently a sponsor for Aussie Scrapbooking, which is a great site to visit to get lots of inspiration for your scrapbooking projects and to find out about the latest happenings in the scrapbooking industry.

This month I am sponsoring their August Product Challenge, and the winner will receive this great scrapbooking pack from GCD Studios.

To find out whats involved to win this awesome prize pack read this August Product Challenge post at the Aussie Scrapbooking website.

Melanie

Ten Top Tips Thursday

Another 10 tips to help you with creating your scrapbooking layouts and paper craft projects.

1. Create a title by swiping acrylic paint across letter stickers. Carefully remove the letter stickers to reveal the title.
2. Use mini file folders to hide journalling on your layout.
3. Print your photos on textured cardstock to create produce an artistic and creative result.
4. add intrigue to a layout by enclosing messages to min-envelopes on your layout.
5. Add depth to a photo by printing your journalling on vellum then layering it over your photos.
6. When cutting out a stencil font with a craft knife you can also use the frame over patterned paper.
7. A great way to fit many photos onto a layout is to overlap each photo slightly.
8. Print lines of journalling on different pieces of cardstock and affix them to your layout.
9. Scrunch, sand and ink alphabet stickers before adding them to your layouts for an aged look.
10. For a really unique look enlarge a photo and colour copy it onto a piece of clear cardstock.

GCD Studio Little Red Dress Scrapbooking Layout

The following instructions will help you create this very cute layout "Little Red Dress" using products from GCD Studio, all products used are from their Whoop De Doo Collection.
Materials:
2 sheets 12x12 cardstock from Whoop De Doo Collection
2 sheets patterned paper from Whoop De Doo Collection
Whoop De Doo ribbon
Whoop De Doo epoxy
Whoop De Doo chipboard
Blue glitter letter stickers

Instructions:
Use one piece of cardstock as your background. Trim the second piece of cardstock to 10x10 inches and adhere it in the center of the other piece of cardstock.

Trim one piece of patterned paper into a 1x9-inch strip. Adhere the strip to the page. Cut the second piece of patterned paper into one 6-inch circle and one 3.5-inch circle. Adhere both circles to the page. Trim a piece of ribbon to 7.75 inches and angle the ends. Adhere the ribbon to the page. Choose a large chipboard shape for an accent. Embellish with the epoxy and chipboard.

Scrapbooking Sale Still On

This is just a quick post to let everyone know that the scrapbooking sale at Everlasting Scrapbooks as mentioned in this post is still on. All scrapbooking supplies are on sale at 20-50% OFF. I am going to keep this sale going for 2 more weeks, the sale must end on the 6th August 2008, so get in quick to grab a bargain.

Melanie

A Gift Made of Scraps

Perhaps the most rewarding type of scrapbook you can make is one that you intend to give as a gift. Scrapbooks make special gifts for almost every occasion, because there handmade touches show that you care about the person. When someone receives your scrapbook as a gift, he or she may be inspired to create a scrapbook as well, and in this way you can spread the scrapbooking bug to friends and family members.

There are many different types of scrapbooks you can make for the recipient. One of my favorite types of themes makes a good gift for a graduate or someone moving away-use pictures from throughout the years of the person growing up and end with a recent picture and some blank pages so the album an be continued. Pages made as a continuation make good future gifts as well. This is also a good idea for couples celebrating their wedding or anniversary. Instead of just having a traditional wedding album, include pictures of both people from before they met and then create pages of their life together.

Gathering pictures for these albums might call for you to be a bit sneaky. Talk to friends and family members. Remember, never scrapbook using a person's original photographs without asking first. Instead, make high-quality color copies at your local photocopy center. If you use the machine correctly, you shouldn't be able to tell the different between the originals and the copies. By careful to replace the photographs exactly as you found them, not only to prevent the recipient from finding out the surprise, but also as a common courtesy. Even some people who do not do scrapbooking have very precise systems for keeping their photographs in order.

If you don't have access to photographs or want to give a gift to someone who likes to do the scrapbooking on their own, try making a layout album for the person. This is an empty album of sorts-you do all the page designing and let the person crop and add their own photographs. They can use the album as given or remove the pages in groups or singularly to add to an album they are currently creating. Perhaps your best bet for an avid scrapbooker is not an album, however, but a box full of supplies or a gift certificate to a local craft supply store. You can still personalize this gift by choosing papers to coincide with specific events in a person's life-for example, buy beach-themed paper for someone who recently bought a beach house, or buy letter stamps that spell out specific names. With a little creativity, you can use your love of the craft to give a perfect gift to anyone.

Article by Tom Ambrozewicz, one of the pioneers in using breakthrough articles audio technology on his web sites. You can read or listen to all scrapbooking tips at http://www.ask-how.info/scrapbooking

Pop Up Letters For Fleurish Box

In my last post I gave you instructions to make a Fleurish Box. My fleurish box has "pop-up" letters in the centre - here are the instructions to make the pop-up letters.


All you need is chipboard letters, I used TLC Monograms Outerwear and mounted them onto TLC Monogram Chips. Now get some small scraps of chipboard (about 1 inch by 1/4 inch wide), for the letter "R" I have used one strip, and for the letter "K" I have used 2 strips.

Score and fold these strips of chipboard at a 1/4 inch in and adhere the 1/4inch fold to the bottom of your chipboard letter so the letters can stand up on their own. Adhere the the 3/4 section of your chipboard strip to the centre of your fleurish box.

Instructions to Make a Fleurish Box

Fleurish boxes (or explosion boxes) are a unique way to display a variety of photos, they can be made for gifts or as a cool coffee table display. They look like they would be hard to make, but really they are quite easy. Here's some instructions to make your own.

Materials:
4 pieces of cardstock (or patterned paper)
Double-sided tape (or glue)

Instructions:
1. Choose 4 pieces of 12x12 Cardstock (you can also use patterned paper). If you want the lid to match the outside of your box, 2 of the pieces need to match.

2. (To Make Lid) Choose the cardstock you will use for your lid. Create your lid following this pattern this pattern.

1. Measure and trace according to pattern dimensions. 2. Score on dottod lines. Cut on solid lines. 3. Fold the centermost scored lines up towards you. 4. Tuck the extra flaps to the adjacent lid edges and secure with glue or double-sided tape. 5. Fold the remaining 3/4 inch down and secure.

3. (Making the box) Choose the cardstock for the outside of box. Do not cut, but score the paper every 4 inches (10.2cm) until 9 quadrants are formed. Turn to the side and score every 4 inches again. You will have 9 - 4 inch sections scored on your paper. Cut the four corners off so that the paper looks like a cross. (see diagram below)

4. Repeat process of step 3 with the two remaining cardstock sheets but in descending sizes - 3 3/4 inch squares (9.5cm) - 3 1/2 inch squares (8.9cm).

5. Layer your papers largest on the bottom to smallest on top. Glue the pieces together at the center square (see image in step 3).

6. Fold all pieces upward toward you to form the box.

7. Embellish each page with photos and other embellishments. Also decorate the outside of box and lid as you wish. The flower I made for the lid was made using the instructions from Aussie Scrap Source - Little Box of Love off the page kit.

To make the "pop-up" letters in the middle see my next post here.

Ten Top Tips Thursday

Here's another dose of tips to keep you going for the week.

1. Use a line from a song to as the title of your layout.
2. Make a pocket using the same paper as the background, then stitch around it in a contrasting colour.
3. Cut patterned paper into strips, place it randomly on the page and sew the edges for definition.
4. Cut flowers from patterned paper and stain and crinkle them, then ink the edges when dry.
5. Swipe acrylic paint against the grain of the cardstock to create a rippled effect.
6. Sketch out your layout first, to make it quicker to put together.
7. Take a photo of the environment your subject is based in, to enlarge and use as printed paper or embellishments.
8. Write journalling in a semi-circle rather than the traditional box.
9. Scrapbooking your child's artwork is a great way to display and preserve it.
10. Mount letter stickers to patterned papers and trim leaving a border to create titles.

New Scrapbooking Products Online

I have just added lots of new products to my online website Everlasting Scrapbooks. The new products that have been added are from Manufacturers SEI, Heidi Swapp, We R Memory Keepers and Cosmo Cricket.

ALL Scrapbooking Products are still 20-50% Off, and that includes all new products.

Some New Products from SEI

Some New Products from Heidi Swapp

Some New Products from We R Memory Keepers

Some New Products from Cosmo Cricket

Decorating Wooden Doorhangers

Materials:
Wooden doorhanger
Patterned Paper (I have used GCD Studios Rose Colored Glasses - Droopy Vines)
2 different coloured ribbon
Wire stem flowers
Letter stickers (I have used GCD Studios Letter Stickers - White Glitter)
Mod Podge
Sandpaper
Varnish (optional)

Instructions:
1. Paint your wooden doorhanger in your chosen colour, the front will be covered with paper so you only need 1 coat, do 2 coats of paint for the sides and back of doorhanger. Leave to dry.

2. Mark the outline of your doorhanger onto your patterned paper, then cut out your doorhanger shape. It doesn’t have to be really neat as we will sandpaper the paper later.

3. Using your Mod Podge adhere your cutout doorhanger shape to the front of wood doorhanger.

4. Once mod podge is completely dry, sand the edges to get rid off the overhanging paper, this is really easy to do and gives your end result a professional finish.

5. Varish or use your mod podge to seal the doorhanger. Wait to dry.

6. Once dry it is time to embellish your doorhanger. Get two lengths of different coloured ribbon and wrap it around the top of the hanger and tie a knot, twist two wire stem flowers around the ribbon at the knot. Do the same at the bottom of the doorhanger, if you tie the knots tight enough you shouldn't need to glue ribbon down, if the ribbon is a bit lose just add a little glue to the ribbon at the back of the hanger.

7. Use alphabet stickers to add your child's name to the center of the doorhanger.

Finished! You can decorate your doorhangers using a variety of different embellishments, here's a couple of examples using stickers, chipboard, ribbon and a photo.

Give Your Album Some Flow - Scrapbook Themes

Scrapbooking starts when someone has a lot of pictures that he or she wants to organize in an eye-pleasing way. To do this, you can start creating pages on a whim and produce a random collection of photographs mounted on paper, or you can take the more effective approach and plan out a theme to your album. There are many album themes to consider when choosing the option that will best fit your needs.

The most often used theme for your album really isn't much of a theme at all-chronological order. Most beginning scrapbookers use this method of organization because it is convenient to use if you are trying to get all of your photographs out of boxes and into acid free albums. Chronological scrapbooks also make it easy to keep up with the album as you get new pictures developed. However, this is not the only type of album that can be created, and you should weigh all options before starting to scrapbook.

Consider creating a birthday or holiday album, which work especially well for scrapbookers with children. Rather than including pages with all your pictures throughout the year, choose one holiday and start an album with one layout for each year. The result will be a book that shows the progression of a child from year to year, and these make excellent graduation gifts or can become keepsakes as your children move out of the house. These are on-going projects, so you will need to devote many years to an album before it is complete.

Another theme that makes a beautiful album is people. This works nicely with the random pictures you may have that were not used in your chronological album. To make this kind of album, create one layout for each person, and show them throughout the years. Alternatively, if you take many pictures, you can create a single album all for one person. An album themed by people makes a good gift for someone with many grandchildren or for someone moving away from a group of friends.

However you chose to theme your album, think of its function before you start. Who will be looking at the album? Are you giving this album as a gift? What kind of pictures do you have available? Scrapbooking according to theme creates well-organized albums, and by choosing a theme before you start creating pages you can make an album that works well in your collection or as a gift.

Article By: Tom Ambrozewicz is one of the pioneers in using breakthrough audio technology on his web sites. You can read, listen to professional narrator reading to you or having MP3 file ready to download if you hate printed files. Check spectrum of scrapbooking tips on http://www.ask-how.info/scrapbooking

Massive Sale 20% - 50% OFF All Scrapbooking Products

Everyone loves a bargain, so for a short time only I am having a massive sale on all scrapbooking supplies in my online website Everlasting Scrapbooks. All products have been heavily discounted with at least a 20% discount, with many products at 50% Off.

All Rub-ons now 20% OFF


Scrapbooking Kits and Off The Page Kits up to 50% OFF


Embellishments up to 30% OFF

These bargains and heaps more are now available online at Everlasting Scrapbooks, but remember this sale will only be on for a short time!

Melanie