Photo Expressions

Easy inexpensive Gift Ideas - Wall Art

 

Easy-to-Make Wall Art

Make this easy wall art by using your die-cutting tool to cut multiples of your favorite design in coordinating papers. Leftover stickers that you love also will work. Simply fill the 4x6-inch mat openings in a frame. To make it the perfect gift, choose a theme and color palette that suits your recipient.

Note: PE has lots of die cuts to choose from and die cutting systems for you.  You can also come and use the Accucut Die cut center for free with a paper purchase at PE.  And of course PE also has great frames to choose from.

 

Family Frame

Give a memory that lasts. Use silly photos and bright patterned papers to create this gift. Decoupage the photos and papers onto wood discs and arrange them in rows on a sheet of white cardstock, leaving the middle open for a chipboard title. Give this fun display a shot of personality by embellishing with quirky accents.

 

Easy Gift Idea - Pretty Handmade Recipe Book

Pretty Handmade Recipe Book

Need the perfect gift idea that's easy to make in multiples, try this beautiful handmade recipe book idea from Scrapbooks Etc.

 

Recipe Book Instructions

1. Cut a 5x7-inch piece of decorative paper. Use adhesive to attach the decorative paper to the chipboard cover.
2. Use a corner rounder to round the corners of the pages, including the cover.
3. Place an adhesive label on the front of your cover.
4. Trim the flaps off 4x6-inch envelopes. You will need one envelope per page. The envelopes will keep different-size recipe cards together neatly.
5. Use adhesive to attach one envelope to the front of each chipboard page.
6. Punch a hole in the upper left-hand corner of each page, including the cover, using a small paper punch. Punch the hole in the same place on each page.
7. Stack the pages together with the cover on top, and insert a screw post (available at PE) through the hole and screw on the backing.

Grownup Birthday Pages

Do you struggle when it comes to doing grownup Birthday pages? Here are some great ideas from Scrapbooks etc.

Embellish Your Page with Ribbons and Stickers

Design by Susan Weinroth

Scraps of colorful grosgrain ribbon dress up the bottom and right-hand edges of Susan's scrapbook page. Use up leftover letter stickers by picking same-color ones to finish a title.

Editor's Tip: Save space with typed journaling. When you have a lot to say (or list!) give yourself a break and type it. It will look tidier and you will be able to fit more words into the space.

Be Playful when Placing Photos

Design by Caroline Ikeji

At a friend's birthday party, Caroline zoomed in on the candle instead of her friend. She took another shot of the birthday boy in focus and included both versions, haphazardly overlapping the same-size photos for an artistic twist.

Editor's Tip: When you don't have enough space, divide a word in two. Splitting one word of your title, like the word "happy" in this scrapbook page, on two sticker labels totally works.

Use Your Leftover Scrapbooking Supplies in a Fun Way

Design by Tracy Kyle

Tracy gathered ribbon scraps and an assortment of buttons and acrylic accents to create the candles on her pieced birthday cake. The shapes and sizes were similar, so she could easily mix and match them.

Editor's Tip: When creating a bold and colorful page, convert your photos to black-and-white. They'll coordinate with any colour scheme you choose and still get the attention they deserve.

Save Your Birthday Cards to Use as Journaling

Design by Candi Gershon

Nothing accompanies a picture of you blowing out your candles better than the well wishes of others. Scan the cards you receive, or type up the sentiments and print them to use on your scrapbook page.

Editor's Tip: Embellish your journaling with ribbon. Each little note on Candi's page received an extra punch from folded ribbon. To make your own, simply cut a 2" or 3" length of ribbon, fold it in half, and staple it to your scrapbook page.

Scrapbook Your Old Photos

Design by Greta Hammond

Greta used a neutral colour palette to keep the focus on her photos. Old photos aren't always the best quality, so keep them small and group them together to highlight their best features.

Scrapbook Your Thoughts with Hand-Journaling

Design by Janna Wilson

Janna wrote her wishes, hopes, and dreams on strips of lined patterned paper. Cutting out each line allows you to arrange the strips in a free-form pattern.

Editor's Tip: Add girly accents. Sparkly stickers, flowers, gems, and ribbons embellish the flirty edge of her wavy-cut lined patterned paper.

Scrap Candid Party Photos

Design by Candi Gershon

Candi used a trio of identical-size photos to line the bottom of her scrapbook page and accented the top right-hand corner with a photo of a friend. Candid photos are a great way to show guests' personalities.

Editor's Tip: Set a casual tone with your journaling. Don't focus too much on the "who, what, where, when, and why" of an event; instead, pretend you are talking to your very best friend.

Record an Event in Detail

Design by Erin Roe

In her journaling block, Erin explained the details of her husband's birthday, including the menu for his favorite dinner and the gifts he received.

Editor's Tip:  Embellish your birthday scrapbook page with a handmade gift tag. Erin used a tag for a clever spot to include accent patterned paper and her husband's name

Commemorate a Milestone Birthday Party

Design by Michelle Rubin

For this scrapbook page about her grandparents' joint 90th birthday party, Michelle grouped her page elements to form an abstract gift. Papers with vibrant but sophisticated hues reflect the page's maturity. The large "90!" in the center of the page highlights this impressive milestone.

Editor's Tip: Draw attention by repeating an element in your design. Bracket rub-ons on either side of Michelle's page help link the journaling with a strip of supporting photos.

Kaisercraft Wooden Advent Calendar

Back in stock (and only a few left already! These are hard to get) is the Kaisercraft Advent Calendar.  Create a wonderful calendar for your favourite little ones or "big ones" to use to countdown to Christmas(it is so fun to fill the little boxes) or use them as a "bits and pieces" decor item for everything from a little girl's room, to sewing or craft notions or bits and pieces of little tool bits.  The possibilities are endless.

Here is a gorgeous example that Marilee made last year

and the original post where Marilee tells how she made the advent calendar

Here are a few samples from Kaisercraft

 

Crushed Satin Technique

Here is just one of the ideas you will learn next Friday November 19th,  when Julia Andrus, owner of Eco Green  Craft Products is at PE. She is a wealth of crafting information and techniques.  Make sure you don't miss it! She will be demoing 9-12, 2-5, and 7-9. You will learn lots!

 

Classic Christmas Card Ideas: Create a Simple Holiday Wreath

via www.scrapbooksetc.com

Create a Simple Holiday Wreath

Design by Gabriella Hunter

The centerpiece of this holiday card is a wreath Gabriella made by overlapping various-size circles punched from metallic-sheen papers. She used adhesive foam to add dimension and interest to the layered pieces.

Editor's Tip: Add simple finishing touches, like the ribbon that accents the wreath on this card, to complete the look.

Santa Card Idea

Such a cute card!

via www.scrapbooksetc.com

Use Santa Claus for Holiday Card Inspiration

Design by Erin Roe

Fold down an 8-1/2x11" sheet of paper to make this easy card base. Cut a rectangle the length of the card base and a square smaller than the height. Trim out the inside of the square, then add a small rectangle to form the buckle.

Editor's Tip: Keep envelope sizes in mind when handcrafting cards. This card will fit in a standard-sized letter envelope.

November Page Maps

Page Maps is a wonderful FREE resource for ideas.  Pick a "map", some supplies and create!  Here are a few of the new November layouts.  Click here to see more.

 

Halloween Party or Treat Ideas

The Accucut Website has some great Halloween Ideas. Some of them are here.  You can create most of these on our Die Cut Center which is free to use when you buy the paper at PE (or a nominal charge if you bring in your own paper.  Spice up your parties, or give a treat to someone special in your life.

 

 

 

Capture a years worth of memories in one simple album! Anyone can keep up with this!

 

 

 

Year-in-review....photo-a-day....layout-a-month....however you describe it documenting your everyday memories is one of the hottest trends in scrapbooking and the innovative new Simple Stories system allows your customers to document a years worth of memories like never before!

 

 Introducing Life Documented....The Simple Stories Life Documented collection allows you to capture your monthly memories with as little as 6-8 photos per month, using theour innovative pre-designed element peices.  Simply insert element pieces into divided page pockets - along with 4x6 photos - for quick and easy scrapbooking! Works perfectly with albums from We R Memory Keepers and American Crafts (Pebbles).

 

The Life Documented kit includes all of the materials needed to create an entire year-in-review album, January through December.

 

Also available as a School kit to record K-12!  Simply, easily.

 

Treat Bag

Here is an adorable tutorial from the Cosmo Cricket blog on how to make a treat bag.  Perfect when you need to give a little gift.

How to Fold a Treat Bag Video Tutorial

Do you ever need a treat bag without notice? No matter how I try to keep some around, I never seem to have one when I need it! Well, never fear. I'll teach you how to make one out of a sheet of paper.......... 'cause I'm pretty sure most of you have that on hand! ;) .

Here's how they turn out:

I love how the Circa 1934 mixes with the Matilda Mini Deck and Chipboard! If you do too, watch the video to see how to make some for yourself. You can whip them up in less than 10 minutes.... if making the goodies to fill them were only that painless!

 To see how to do this, visit the Cosmo Cricket blog here.  It is easy!

 

Cute Teacher cards

Video: Teacher Cards By Jennifer McGuire Show a teacher that you think they are special by giving them a set of personalized cards.

Instructions: Print the personalization on the Daffodil folded cards. Stamp the note paper image with black ink on a piece of Snow layering paper. Cut out and punch holes as shown. Attach to the Daffodil folded card. Score the folded card to create the edging detail. Stamp the apple image with Punch chalk ink. Add color to the stem and leave with Copic markers. Cut out the image and attach to the folded card with foam adhesive. Add the "A+" with a red marker. Visit the Hero Arts Website to see a video

Creative Die Cutting Ideas

 

Add Glitter to Die-Cut Adhesive Sheets

Design by Robyn Werlich

Robyn made her die-cut bird, damask shape, and "J." Then she cut identical adhesive sheets to layer over her pieces. She sprinkled glitter over the sheets to add sparkle to her page.

Editor's Tip: To keep glitter from spreading across your page, seal the finished die cuts with a spray adhesive.

Use Die Cuts as a Mask

Design by Vicki Boutin

Vicki inked her background, masking some areas with butterfly die cuts. She painted die-cut pieces and folded them to make it seem as if the butterflies were fluttering on the page.

Editor's Tip: Use solid and intricate die cuts in your scrapbook page layouts to create diversity.

Turn Transparency Sheets into Creative Embellishments

Design by Irma Gabbard

Irma used a black solvent ink pad to better define the edges of her flowers. She also applied lime acrylic paint to the leaves to add a touch of color and make them stand out against her scrapbook page.

Editor's Tip: Boost transparent die cuts by attaching them to the page with adhesive foam. Cover the foam sections with decorative accents such as buttons or patterned cardstock.

Sprinkle Die-Cut Fabric Flowers Across Your Scrapbook Page

Design by Nichol Magouirk

Nichol used her die-cutting tool to create these cute flowers. She selected a button for each one and sewed them to her scrapbook page.

Editor's Tip: Be careful when you use thick fabrics with your die-cutting machine, as it may break or jam it.

Add Flock to Die-Cut Adhesive Shapes

Design by Tracy Kyle

Tracy die-cut pieces of double-sided adhesive Then she applied flock to the adhesive and rolled over it with a brayer to help the powder securely attach.

Editor's Tip: If you have difficulty die-cutting the adhesive paper, press down twice with the die-cutting tool to assure a clean cut.

New Spellbinder dies- Preorder and save

From July 13-20th, Spellbinders is releasing new products!  Pre-order them at PE and save 10%. Club members save another 10% on that too! They are also hosting a contest where you can win big.  (Details on the Spellbinders blog) Each day will feature a different blog (their designers are amazing!) where you can see and enter.  We'll also update you here with the dies.

From Debbie Olson's blog

S4-290 Labels Fourteen Die Templates

Price: $29.99

Dimensions:
1: 5/8 X 1-1/8  
2: 1-1/8 x 1-3/4  
3: 1-3/4 x 2-3/4   
4: 2-3/8 x 3-5/8  
5: 2-7/8 x 4-1/2

Here are the beautiful things Debbie made:

And Julie Overby introduces

  S4-283 2010 Heirloom Ornament

Retail: $29.99

Dimensions: 

1: 5/8 x 7/8"
2: 1 1/4 x 1 3/4"
3: 2 1/8 x 2 7/8"
4: 2 7/8 x 4"
5: 3 3/4 x 5 1/8"

Here are some of her gorgeous creations:

Great idea with letter stickers

Here is a great entry from the Scrapbook and Cards today blog - use some of those letter stickers you have lying around!

Designer inspiration with Lisa!

Good morning!  I am back with you today to share with you something you probably know about me.  I'm a bit of an alphabet addict! I never met a set of letter stickers I didn't like! As a result, I'm always thinking up new ways to use them creatively in projects. Recently, I've been experimenting with using the alphabet as a border. I like to insert words into the borders, too. I have a fews examples here to share. The first is a layout called "Lovely Lily-Belle":

 

I created a curved border using little letters, then added Lily's name and age in a different colour for emphasis.

The second example is also about Lily, it's called "Nape".

 

I used small letter stickers as a border, this time using capitals for her name.

This is technique could also be used on cards, birth announcements, or home decor projects. So start putting those alphabet to word, I mean, work!"

~ Lisa Kisch