Imperfect Photos

Those of us who are scrapbookers are forever in pursuit of the perfect photos for our layouts, whether someone else is behind the camera or we take the pictures ourselves. Unfortunately, life isn't perfect and sometimes neither are our pictures. Think back to the days before digital photography. We could snap rolls and rolls of film, get them developed and every single shot have something wrong with it i.e. bad framing of the shot, poor lighting, a trashcan in the background, red eyes… you name it! And if you’re anything like me, you didn't throw out too many of those prints.

So what do you do when the only pictures you have of a memorable event aren't very good? Well, you use them on your layout of course! Such was the case with the pictures from my 20-year high school reunion. Since that event was almost 16 years ago, I have no idea where the pictures came from and whether they were taken with my camera or someone else’s. All I know is that the pictures were awful; they were dark, a little fuzzy, and I could barely make out the faces. But you know what? Those four pictures were the only ones I had, so after much soul-searching I decided to make a layout using them. I suppose I could have taken them to a photo lab to see if they could improve them, but I just wasn't up for all that. I matted the photos on light paper in an attempt to help improve their visibility a bit but that was really all I could do. And I’m okay with that because I no longer wanted to leave those pictures sitting in a box and needed them to capture a precious memory. So, without further ado, here is my [Week 3 iClassygirl From Desk to Done] layout:

So today's takeaway is simple: if it's the memory you are trying to preserve, you might have to use pictures that are less than perfect, and that's okay.

Thanks for looking!

WrinkleFreeDiva!

Make it Fit

Yesterday evening, I participated in Classygirl's Pajama Party on Spreecast. Prior to the party, we were provided with a sketch and a list of what supplies that were needed. You know me, I am all about using sketches! This is the second pajama party I've participated in and I love watching Classygirl as she gives us insight into her thought processes when creating layouts and cards. It's also fun chatting with her and the other participants as we all work simultaneously on our layouts.

I had a lot of difficulty with the broadcast last night, and as a result didn't get to see or hear much of what she did. So I was kind of left to go it alone with the sketch which is okay because a sketch can be followed exactly or it can simply be a starting point.

Anyway... I made my layout and chose some Thickers for my title. In the evenings, the lighting in my craft room is not as bright as I would like it to be AND my eyes are aging quite a bit. So, after I had already adhered the Thickers to my layout, I realized that the blue lettering was not the greatest match. So I darkened them up with a little Bundled Sage Distress Ink. The yellow letters were also a little bright, so I used a little Mustard Seed Distress ink. It didn't quite mute the yellow enough, but it's a little better than it was. After I complete this post, I might try it again with Scattered Straw.

I also pulled out my Cricut to make the basketballs and found some transparencies in my stash. I decided to try the Aleene's Crystal Clear Tacky Spray on the transparency with the arrows and while it did dry clear (as promised), it also left a faint film that kind of muted the colors in the picture. My fault, I should have tested the product first. So here is my completed layout.

So our lesson for today:

1. Have letters or embellishments that could work for your project if you could just modify them in some way? Try it! Inks, sprays, paints, markers, glitter, whatever...! Make it fit for your project.
2. When trying a new product, test it first on something similar before using it on your project.
3. Sketches!

Thanks so much for looking!

WrinkleFreeDiva

Choosing From Your Patterned Paper Menu

Have you ever been to a restaurant where there were 100s of items on the menu? Jerry's Famous Deli in Marina Del Rey comes to mind. They boast of having a menu containing over 600 items! I've been there... once. It took me about 1/2 hour to decide what to order. Sometimes having too many choices can be more debilitating than having just a few.

While putting together page kits for Classygirl's upcoming Summertime and the Scrappin' is Easy workshop on Sunday, I decided to use patterned paper solely from my single sheets (in an effort to use it all up), instead of from stacks such as DCWV. Because my single sheets of paper run the gamut of patterns, colors, textures, etc. and much of it dates back ten years or more, finding two or three sheets of patterned paper that worked well together AND that I liked was tough. Back in the day when I used to buy single sheets of PP (ten of the same sheet!), I just bought what I liked (or what was on clearance) with no idea of how it was going to be used or whether it matched anything else that I was purchasing or had in my growing paper collection. In addition, several years ago I was a CM Consultant and often bought packs of paper just to satisfy my quarterly quota, whether I liked the paper or not. So I had amassed quite a collection of patterned paper. Once I moved to Arizona I began purchasing paper stacks because I realized that for "patterned-paper challenged" people like me, it was so much easier to coordinate papers if they were part of a stack.

In a fit of purging this past spring, I donated the equivalent of two boxes of paper and embellishments at CKC when it was here in April. But yesterday, I decided that I wanted to move my divided Jetmax cubes (which contained albums, unfinished projects, and notebooks etc.)  from the bottom of my configuration to the top, but in order to do that I was going to have to get rid of more paper, or at least find other storage for it, since the paper would fit much tighter in the divided cubes than it did in the open cubes. I really didn't want to have to allocate any more storage space to paper. The open cubes were at the top with my cardstock and patterned paper, but the paper tended to fall over when I pulled a handful out to search for something. So last night I decided to switch them which of course then became a paper-purging event as well.

My patterned paper filled up an entire open cube so I went through all of it, not once, not twice, but three times and this is what I have decided to give away. I was chatting with someone on SOC last night and jokingly told her that I had about 12 inches of paper stacked up already. OK...so I was about 8 1/2 inches off, but if you count what I donated in April, it far exceeds 12 inches!

After purging, all of my patterned paper fits in three sections of one cube and I was able to make more room for my cardstock.

I was choosing paper this morning for another one of Classygirl's From Desk to Done layouts, and it was so easy peasy because I didn't have to sift through so much non-coordinating and mostly disliked and outdated patterned paper.

So the take away for today is this:

• It's much easier to coordinate/match patterned papers if they are part of a collection from the same manufacturer or part of a paper stack.
• When buying patterned paper, it helps if you already know how you're going to use it.
• Once your storage space for a particular item is full, it is time to purge. Make your stash fit your storage; not the other way around.

Thanks for checking in today!
WrinkleFreeDiva

Mixing Art and Faith

Yesterday I said "the art world is not an exact science like mathematics, yet our faith in the artistic outcome of our projects is often tested and we sometimes get in our own way when it comes to trying to shape that outcome." My faith was tested once again when Classygirl (yes, the very same Classygirl who put me through my paces with From Desk to Done..) hosted Friday Night Challenge over at Scraps of Color.

The first challenge was to create a mixed media layout using textured paper, mists, metal and a stamp. We could use any other items we liked as well. Let me just say that I am so NOT a mixed-media girl. I have always pegged myself as a fairly plain and simple scrapper. Well that was not to be on Friday night. After some initial anxiety i.e. I have to choose pictures! What do I do? How do I make textured paper? Argh! I took a deep breath, stopped to think and remembered that I had put together a second kit for the From Desk to Done challenge earlier that week. Why not pull it out and make it work for this challenge? The only thing I needed to add was the textured paper, metal and stamp. So, I got to work beginning with painting over (and paint wasn't even one of the requirements!) some really ugly flocked pattern paper. It was in my stash and I have NO IDEA why I purchased it other than it was on clearance...duhhhh... I wonder why!? I added the flocked paper and the other requirements using the same layout used for the From Desk to Done challenge. And here is my layout... I don't think it's too bad for my first mixed media layout...

The second challenge was to create a mixed media card using paint, distressed edges, and piece of newspaper/book or magazine. We could include any other items we liked. I just used some of the same paper I used for my layout and came up with this card: 

Having faith has been a prevailing theme in my life a lot lately. Everywhere I go, everything I do, I'm reminded that I must not only HAVE faith but WALK in faith and know that all is going to work out exactly the way it is supposed to, for me....with my job or career, my health, my family, my life, and my art. Does this mean I can just sit back and wait for things to fall into place or just happen? No, because as it says in James 2:17, "In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead." This means that, depending on the situation, some action may be required.

So... when it comes to our art, what does this mean? It means keep your hands moving, even when you are unsure of the outcome. Have faith that what you produce will have beauty and be meaningful.

Have a great week and thanks for visiting with me today.

WrinkleFreeDiva

Trusting the Process

Last week, in an effort to get more scrapbook pages done, I decided to participate in Classygirl's From Desk to Done in Just 5 Minutes challenge. Pretty funny, since I can't do ANYTHING in 5 minutes when it comes to scrapbooking. I admit it, I have commitment issues - everything from deciding on patterned papers, arrangement of said papers and photos, what embellishments to use, should they be 1.5 or 2 inches from the edge - I think you get my point. I refuse to say that I have a Type A personality, but I will admit to being a B or B+.

That said, I really thought that following this was going to be easy. The first day I was to choose two photos that could be cropped to 4 x 5. Easy peasy! My photos are well organized so that took me about 10 minutes. Always being the overachiever I chose two different sets. Day 2: choose two pieces of colored cardstock and three pieces of patterned paper. OK... managed to do that in about 10 minutes. On Day 3 I was supposed to choose embellishments to use on my layout; that's when things started getting shaky. I have commitment issues, remember? AND tons of embellishments! I struggled to find embellishments that matched my theme(s) and not knowing how they were going to be used on the layout made it hard. Choosing embellishments probably took me an hour. On Day 4, we were told how to cut our papers. The analyzer in me wanted to know where they were going on the layout, the orientation, etc. so that I could decide which pattern I wanted to use where. Not having that information gave me a bit of the crazies for a moment. I had to stop, breathe, just go with the process, and trust that it would all come together just fine.

Day 5 was the put it all together day... And this is what I came up with.

Not bad, not bad... I even did a little altering of some of the rosettes with Inka Gold Metallic Rub because I didn't like the words that were on them. *Note to self...Glimmer Mists warp paper! Don't use on layouts anymore! 

I must say that sometimes we teachers are the most difficult students! I was given instructions in little bits and pieces; this made it really hard for me to trust the process since I didn't know where we were headed. Yet, as a middle-school math teacher, I want my students to trust the processes I teach them and have faith that those processes will lead them to the right answer.

The art world is not an exact science like mathematics, yet our faith in the artistic outcome of our projects is often tested and we sometimes get in our own way when it comes to trying to shape that outcome. (More on that in my next post where I'll share the second layout!)

So... having said all of that, let's get to our lesson for today which is simply learn to trust the process. And that lesson applies not only to your crafty projects but to your life as well! 'Nuff said!

Thanks so much for hanging with me today!

WrinkleFreeDiva

Summertime and the Scrappin' is Easy!

All of my crafty friends... check out iClassygirl's  Summertime and the Scrappin' is EASY! Workshop. I've already registered and can't wait to see what Tiare has in store for us! I hope you'll consider hanging out with me and the rest of the class for a summer of crafting and creativity!

Here's a GREAT $10 off coupon code for you to use. The code is 4U10 and must be entered at checkout to receive the discount. Offer expires 7/7/2013.

Enjoy and I'll see you in class!

See What It Can Do!

This weekend I was quite productive in the crafty sense. And I'm just tickled pink (and green!) about it.

Last fall I purchased a Silhouette Cameo but hadn't had lots of time to play with it. Well this past weekend it was all about the Cameo and coloring digital images.

First, I colored my images (a larger size than needed) using Copic markers. Next, I scanned them into my computer, saving them as JPEG files. Then I brought them into my Silhouette software, traced then resized the images. Finally, I printed the images (using registration marks) and then cut. *I could have actually cut out the space between the little girl's neck and the stem of the flower, but time was an issue and I didn't feel like fooling around with it. Next time though, I'll be a little bit more meticulous!* A BIG thank-you to Miss Alice B for offering the suggestion to do it this way because now I not only have the images stored in my computer for future use, but I can resize them for use on any project. I am very slow (and not very patient) when it comes to coloring so this might actually motivate me to color more and help me to build up a collection of colored images for use on projects.

Both images are from Robert Jackson

 I used the first image to make a card for my soror's 40th birthday which we celebrated last night.

And the second image is for my cousin's birthday card.

So today's lesson is especially for those who have expensive die-cutting machines, other crafty tools, and heck...even computers! We've shelled out megabucks on all of these toys and many times we only use 5% to 10% of their capabilities. So today, commit to learning a new feature on one of your crafty toys. You can use the manufacturer's user's guide or website, YouTube, discussion groups and forums, google it or just sit down and start playing around with your machine. You just might be surprised at what that toy can do and how it can enhance all of your craft projects!

A Tour of Wrinkle-Free Diva's Workshop - Part II

...and here is Part II of the tour of Wrinkle-Free Diva's Workshop.

When thinking about your craft space and how to organize it, take a good, hard look at your workflow and the space you have available to you. Check out videos, blogs and other crafters' organizational tips to find ideas that will work for you. When considering how to store something, think about whether or not that item is something that you will probably acquire a lot of (i.e. rubber stamps or punches) and determine if you will need room to grow for that particular item. 'Cause I have to tell you, it really bites to come up with a way to organize something only to have to re-do it because you've run out of space. And.... it's really helpful and more efficient if you can keep like items together. If memory serves me correctly, this is the 5th or 6th different way I've organized my rubber stamps. I've lived with this system for a year and love it because of how easy it is for me to find them, use  them, and then put them back where they belong. And more importantly, as I continue to acquire stamps, whether they be wood mount, clear or cling, I have lots of space for them and can move them into their storage space as soon as I bring them home.

It took me a long time to get this room organized in a way that feels comfortable and puts almost everything I work with most often at my fingertips. With limited crafting time, especially when school is in session, it is important that I be able to put my hands on anything I am looking for quickly and without having to move a bunch of stuff out the way. I am one of those people who is very visual and needs things out in the open as much as possible in order to remember that I have them. If I can see my stuff, I will remember that I have that stuff. If I remember that I have that stuff, I will USE that stuff. See how this works?

As time goes on, I will continue to share more of my organizational tips. If you have thoughts about things you'd like to see me post about, please share your comments.

As always... thanks for looking!

WrinkleFreeDiva

A Tour of Wrinkle-Free Diva's Workshop - Part I

Well... here it is... Part I of the tour of Wrinkle-Free Diva's workshop. Without further ado, here it is. Enjoy!

There is a lesson for today by the way, and that is...when videotaping, it doesn't work when you turn the camcorder the same way it does for a regular camera. Your image will be sideways!

Thanks for looking!

WrinkleFreeDiva

JUST DO IT! (or My Video is Done!)

Pudder says "Hah hah...gotcha!"

I bet you thought you were going to check in today and see my video(s). Not! I just wanted to let my faithful followers know that I had taken the first step thanks to Angela B. over at Scraps of Color. I was chatting with her this morning and told her that I was dragging my heels about making this video. Why? Not because I didn't want to make the video, but because it was just something new and different (I've never EVER used a camcorder before) and I was afraid. She said... JUST DO IT! So I wanted to let you know that it's done but I need to do some editing and figure out how to upload it. Hopefully, it won't take me too long and you'll get to see the fruits of my labor within the next few days.

Until then...STAY TUNED!

WrinkleFreeDiva

Lots of Tips Today (and a Layout Too!)

I have lots to share today so I hope this post doesn't get too long. If you're like me with adult-onset ADD (self-diagnosed of course!) then you don't have the attention span to read a long drawn out post. So let's get right to it!

I was working on a layout with lots of pictures, and as I most often do, began with a sketch. I decided that I was going to use some pretty green glitter cardstock as my background paper which means I would have needed two full 12 x 12 sheets. I don't know about you, but when it comes to pretty AND expensive cardstock, I hate to use full sheets only to have most of it covered up. Since this layout called for lots and lots of pictures and strips of paper, I came up with a solution that would allow me to minimize the amount of green cardstock used.

I have a package of Recollections white cardstock purchased for another project and which I really don't like to use for scrapbooking because it is so flimsy. So I used two of those to place my strips of cardstock, patterned paper, and pictures on since they would be totally covered up.

In the finished layout, none of the white cardstock was left showing. I've also been known to cut a square (to save for later use) out of the middle of background cardstock, especially when another piece is being layered on top. I also save the white cardstock that comes in scrapbook album pages for these types of uses.

The sketch called for two 4 x 6 portrait-oriented photos. Digital photos are usually printed at 4 x 5.33. So I double-matted my photos to make them fit the space.

I also added a little white acrylic paint to the edges of the 2 x 2 photos so that they would stand out on the page without having to be matted first.

Once everything was laid out, I struggled with what letters to use for part of my title. I didn't have the color or size that I needed, and didn't want to cut them with my diecut machines, because at that small of a size they wouldn't have cut well. Computer to the rescue!

Using WordArt in MS Word I created the portion of the title needed in several colors so that I could try them out on my layout. After making my selection, I hand cut a banner and inked the edges (inking hides a multitude of cutting mishaps).

Finally everything came together (or so I thought!) and I adhered everything to the layout. But something still seemed to be missing! I hadn't inked the journaling box and it looked so stark on the page. Looking at the theme and story of the page, I thought hmmmm, how about stitching?! Rub-ons to the rescue! I added some to the journaling box and, not wanting to throw the leftovers out, added some to the bottom of the banner as well. And here is the completed layout!

Die-cut clothing is from the Silhouette Online Store. Alphas (Thickers)

Now... if you're still with me, here are the take-a-ways for today:

1. Consider using inexpensive cardstock for the base of your layout when it's going to be all covered up anyway.
2. If only a small amount of your background cardstock is going to be showing (i.e. a one- to two-inch border) and it's going to be covered by another piece of cardstock, cut out the center of the background piece. That will leave you up to a 10 x 10 piece for another project.
3. When using a sketch, don't be afraid to change it up. Don't force your elements into the sketch; make the sketch fit your elements.
4. Create a mat around your photos by using acrylic paint.
5. Use your computer to create titles.
6. Inking edges hides cutting mistakes or imperfectly sized borders!
7. Stitching creates instant borders. Hate to sew? Try rub-ons, templates or do it yourself!

Thanks so much for hanging with me today!

WrinkleFreeDiva

**P. S. I'm getting the video camera warmed up! Stay tuned for a video of WrinkleFreeDiva's workshop. 

Challenging Myself

On Friday, June 14th I hosted FNC over at Scraps of Color. I love Friday Night Challenges because they really help me to hone my crafting skills. I especially enjoy hosting because it forces me to try different techniques in order to prepare fun challenges for the participants.

The challenges and my projects were as follows:

Challenge #1 - Create a card (shape and size your choice) using a sponge and two or more colors of ink to make a background on white cardstock. Then stamp an image on it using a RUBBER stamp. Add some bling, ribbon, a corner punch and a sentiment. You may mat your sponged cardstock if you desire; however, NO PATTERNED PAPER ALLOWED!

Challenge #2 - Create a card (shape and size your choice) using white cardstock, two or more background stamps and no more than two colors of ink. If you don’t have any background stamps, you can sponge through a template onto the cardstock as well.Then stamp one or more images (they can be the same or different) on it using a RUBBER stamp and BLACK ink. Add ONLY a sentiment and mat to the white cardstock. No bling, ribbon, brads/buttons or other embellishments. Again, NO PATTERNED PAPER ALLOWED! (I got this idea from Stampers Sampler Take Ten magazine and managed to make two cards for this one!)

Challenge #3 - Use the following sketch to create a Father’s Day card. That’s it…added touches are up to you!

And finally, there was a challenge that participants had a week to complete. They were to use one of Classygirl's sketches to make a layout. I struggled a lot with making my pictures fit the sketch, but that's the beauty of sketches, you can rotate or flip them to suit your needs. And sometimes, the sketch really is just a jumping off point that gets your creativity cranked and cookin'!

If you've read this far, sorry... I have no profound lesson today. Just me and my sketches in this post!

Thanks for lookin'!

WrinkleFreeDiva

Taming Your Titles, Part 2

Last week I participated in Classygirl's June Scrapbook Pajama Party. It was truly a lot of fun watching Tiare talk us through her creative process while the rest of us worked diligently to keep up and get our layouts and cards done. We began with a sketch (good for me 'cause you know I am ALL about using sketches) and threw in some paint splatters for good measure. However, you know me... the slowpoke... the overthinker... I struggled to keep up and didn't get my card done, but I am proud to report that I finished my layout... the next day!

When choosing letters for my titles, I always want to make sure that they will fit in the space and fit the mood of the page. That's easy when you're using die-cut letters. You can move them around until you get them just how you want them. But with self-adhesive letters like Thickers, once you remove them from the backing, you need to stick them to something whether it be your layout or something else. This is where the packaging comes in handy.

After peeling off my letters, I stuck them on the cellophane packaging and moved them around on top of my layout until I was satisfied with the placement.

Once I was happy with the layout, I simply removed them from the packaging and stuck them on my layout! While I was at it, I managed to pull some old stuff out of my stash and use those items on my layout as well. I really like the way the distressing and paint splatters look on the background paper...in person it looks almost like batik cloth. Thanks Tiare for helping me get outside of my comfort zone.

So remember, when you're layout out self-adhesive letters for your title, use the packaging they come in to help you figure out the placement. If you don't have the cellophane packaging, wax paper also works nicely (I actually keep a roll in my craft room). Easy way to make sure they'll fit before adhering them permanently to your project!

Thanks for taking the time to stop by!

WrinkleFreeDiva

Those Shifty Fibers

I recently took an online stamping class over at My Creative Classroom, and just as with all of the other online crafty classes I take, I fell behind. I did manage to get a few of the assignments completed. This one involved using the Versamark Watermark Stamp Pad on darker paper and then layering the same stamp on top. I stamped the forward most tree with Forest Moss distress ink and heat embossed the image. I've never used Versamark before and was quite pleased with the way the card turned out.

The little tip I want to share with you today involves getting your fibers to stay in place. For this card I used some really old paper raffia from my stash. Generally when I add twine, floss, other fibers, and sometimes ribbon to cards or layouts, I use plain ol' ordinary scotch tape to hold it in place in the back. That keeps it from shifting around when I flip the card over to tie it in the front. No need to use costly adhesives because it's not going to show on the finished project.

Taping it in back makes it easier to tie it exactly where I want to in the front.

And here is the finished card! This one was from the staff at my school and went to our principal who resigned at the end of this school year.

So today's tip? Tape those fibers in place in the back to keep them from shifting around.

Thanks for looking!

WrinkleFreeDiva

Adhering Vellum (or Spray Adhesive to the Rescue)

The other day I went to Michaels with my honey. He picked up a can of this repositionable tacky spray adhesive and with his silly self sprayed it all over his hand, ostensibly to see how tacky it was. Apparently, it worked the way he wanted it to (he wanted to use it on his softball bat grip and I think his golf clubs too) so off to the cashier we went, he with his glue spray and me with my pretty paper box. As we were walking to the car, I thought hmmmmm.... I've got lots of different adhesives, but I don't have any spray adhesive. Wonder if I should have some in my stash? *You know how we crafters can figure out a need for anything!* Well...I got an opportunity to try it today.

I made this card for my nephew who will be graduating from high school this Friday. After putting the whole card together, I decided to do the inside sentiment on vellum. Next problem, how to put the vellum on the cardstock. I didn't want to use brads, eyelets or staples, and although I have some adhesive squares made just for vellum, I'm not thrilled with how they look when they're applied. Then I remembered honey's spray adhesive. Now mind you, I have lots of other adhesives made by this manufacturer and really like them (great for gluing on bows!) but I didn't know they had a spray. Am I the only one?

Can I just say, that I LOVE this spray? Application was clean and quick and my vellum adhered to the cardstock with no bubbles, marks or anything else! Looks like I will finally have a way to adhere and use up all of the vellum sentiments in my stash! My dear sweet man said I could use his can of spray but nahhhhh....I want my own! Next up, I'll try it on a transparency. So, here's the card...

The sentiment was typed on both the cardstock and the vellum.

Graduate die-cut, Silhouette file; 2013, American Crafts Thickers; and a little Glossy Accents to make his shoes shine.

So for today's lesson: If you have an element that could be marred by using regular adhesives, either because it is too sheer or too flimsy, try a spray adhesive.

Thanks for looking!
WrinkleFreeDiva

Printing Card Sentiments

For the longest time, whenever I needed to type an inside sentiment for a card, I'd type it into my computer, insert my 8 1/2 x 11 cardstock into the printer, and then trim it down to the size needed for the inside of my card. Inevitably, after cutting it down to size, my printing would be off center or the text would be too large or too small for the space. Sometimes, I'd print it again and other times I'd just say to heck with it and leave it the way it was.

There had to be a better way. Then it dawned on me! I could cut my paper first and then print on it, instead of the other way around. For this card, I needed the white inside piece to be 5" x 3.75". I went into MS Word's page layout and changed my paper size to custom, entered the paper dimensions, changed my margins to 0.5, and typed my perfectly-sized text into my document.

I cut my cardstock to the same size, inserted my paper into the printer, adjusted my paper guides accordingly and printed! Voila! A perfectly sized and typed sentiment!

I used it inside of this slider card (the cut file came from the Silhouette Online store)...

Bazzill cardstock in white; DCWV Dots, Stripes and Plaids; RYAN sticker and metal dots (really old from my stash);
American Craft Alpha rub-ons, 

So today's lesson is this, let your printer do the sizing work for you when making the sentiment panels for the insides of your cards.

1. Decide on the size panel you want.
2. Go into your word processing software and change the paper size. Adjust your margins if you'd like.
3. Cut your cardstock the same size.
4. Print! 

And that's it!

I want to close by saying that today is my only offspring's 12th birthday. Happy Birthday "Skootch!" aka "Delawoo!"

Thanks for stopping by!

WrinkleFreeDiva!

Tame Your Titles

Although I have not updated my blog recently, I really HAVE been crafting and hope to get some of those creations posted real soon now that school's OUT FOR THE SUMMER!!!!! Can y'all hear me shouting through your computer screen? Hope so, cause I am one happy camper who hopes to remain camped out in her craft room throughout the summer. Heck, most of the days are going be well over 100 degrees; no point in going outside unless I have to. But I digress. You're here for some crafty tips.

So...the other day I offered to make a card for our PTO because they have done so much for the teachers at our school. I needed it to be big so that everyone on the staff could sign it so I decided to use a 22 x 28 poster board to make a gate-fold card.

I made most of my cuts with the Cameo and wanted to make sure the letters were straight and evenly spaced on the front. After cutting them out, I took the negative piece and taped it to my table over the die-cut background.

I used that as the template to place my letters.

And when I was finished, I simply took off the negative piece and voila! All of my letters were straight and perfectly spaced!

And here is the 22-inch tall card...

And the inside...

So our lesson for today is don't forget that when you die-cut letters, you can use the negative space not only as part of your card or layout, but also to perfectly place and space the letters (if that is important for that particular project).

Thanks so much for looking and I hope to be back more often now that SCHOOL'S OUT FOR THE SUMMER!

WrinkleFreeDiva

Liebster Award

Hello everyone!

I have spent much of the day working on the card I posted about earlier, along with my regular Sunday chores like laundry and washing hair. The weather is beautiful outside; it's about 92 here in my little AZ neck of the woods, and I really should be outside enjoying the sunshine and soaking up Vitamin D.

A day or two ago, I got a surprise email from Edie, one of my sister-friends over at SOC. She recognized my l'il ole blog with the Liebster Award! That was such a nice surprise, especially since as bloggers, we sometimes wonder if anyone is reading our blogs and/or paying attention to our work.

So I want to thank Edie over at http://www.ediewarren.blogspot.com/ for gifting me with this special award.
I absolutely love Edie's work and I know that you will too!

Here are the details about the award:
                                                               
This Award was designed to be a blog award in the "Pay it Forward" fashion. Once you have been nominated you award it to five blogs that you like that have fewer than 200 followers to encourage visitors to their blog.

Rules for Acceptance.

Thank the person who gave you the award and link back to their blog. Post the award onto your blog. Give the award to five bloggers that have fewer than 200 followers. Leave a comment on their blog letting them know that you have given them this Awesome Award. Pay it Forward.
 
Here are some blogs that have caught my eye and I think deserve this award. Please check them out. Their work is beautiful and their styles are so unique!
Treva's Craft Corner
A Taste of DC
Divine Scrapper
Cassie's Craft Cafe

The other is a fairly new blog started by one of my sorors who is a teacher. So all of you educators out there, show her some love!

Ms. Mikle's Teacher Chronicles

Thanks for reading!
Karen,
Your Wrinkle Free Diva!

If at first you don't succeed...

So today was my first experience with the "print and cut" feature on my Silhouette Cameo. I watched a great video on Youtube and had no trouble importing and preparing my images to print with the registration marks and then cut. When it came time to cut, that's when I nearly said to heck with the whole project. My Cameo wouldn't (or couldn't) detect the registration marks. I looked at Silhouette's support page and a checklist on the Silhouette Plus forum and checked and double-checked everything they told me to, or so I thought. First thing I missed was that my Cameo had switched from "load mat" to "load media." Don't know when or how that happened since I never told it to do that. OK... problem solved, or so I thought... again! Still no registration mark detection after NUMEROUS trys and adjustments. Finally, I decided to just turn the darned thing off, let it rest a moment and then start it up again. Voila!!!! It detected the marks and cut like a charm! So what you see below is a card made with my very first "print and cut" images. Big hugs to Alice B. and Charice for sending the files to me.

This card if for my honey-do's friend. Said honey-do used to sing in a band, and his friend, who's name is Sol, used to love to hear him sing Mustang Sally. So I thought it would be cute to make a play on words for this card. I didn't know the lyrics so I looked them up online and used one of the line's for the inside sentiment: "Guess you'd better slow your mustang down! Happy Birthday" It's kind of hard to tell, but I pop-dotted the new mustang to add some dimension.

So today's lesson is this: If at first you don't succeed with your die-cutting machine, go to YouTube "university," check out the manufacturer’s support page, look for any forums related to your machine… and, when all else fails, turn your machine off, let it rest for a minute and then turn it back on!

Thanks so much for looking... I promise I'll be back soon!

Karen,
Your WrinkleFreeDiva!

Don't Be Hasty

Lately, I’ve been purging in my craftroom and have toyed with the idea of getting rid of my Copic markers, among other things. I admire all of my crafty friends who are able to perform magic with their Copic markers. Sad to say that even after several online classes and hanging out at YouTube University, I am not one of them.Then I got an email from a local scrapbook store that beginning in April, they will be hosting a series of Copic classes taught by someone featured in several of the Copic books on the market. So my interest was peaked and I mentioned it over in the Copic group on SOC. Alice challenged me to dust off my Copics, just get to colorin’ and the skill would come. So I let out a big sigh, dusted off those markers and got to work this past weekend.

My “adopted” Granny is turning 90 tomorrow (the same day my maternal grandmother would have turned 110 had she still been living) and I needed to make a card and get it in the mail to her by Saturday morning. She's still sharp as a tack and when she goes out, more often than not she's in leather pants with boots that coordinate! I ordered this digital stamp from Robert Jackson and had it in about five minutes. I used a sketch and the card went together rather quickly. I had intended to color the boot more of a red/maroon, but my first attempt with those colors didn’t go well. I struggle with blending the reds. So I switched to using some of the browns.

Yesterday, I spent my birthday EXACTLY the way I wanted to, scrapbooking at Michaels. I was the only person who showed up, so it was just me and the Michaels staff member. That’s okay with me… more room to spread out and work! I was able to get this card, which also contains a Robert Jackson image, completed while there. This one was for an impromptu challenge over at SOC and is a birthday card for the science teacher on my team whose birthday is on Tuesday. I used another sketch, paper from a Recollections stack, cardstock scraps, Glossy Accents for the flowers, and Stickles.

We as crafters are ALWAYS buying stuff especially when a new technique or crafty fad hits the market. Every now and then we have to purge to make room for the new stuff. If you’re an organization nut like me, you sometimes want to give away stuff that you haven’t used in awhile not thinking about the investment (can we say Cricut and its many cartridges???) and the fact that as soon as you give it away, you’re going to wish you hadn't.  Several of my scrappy friends said DON’T get rid of your Copics; you’ll be sorry! They are probably right, especially since I have so many. Can’t quote the number here (‘cause my momma reads my blog and I don’t want her eyes to bulge) but suffice it to say, I have about 2/3 of the Sketch markers available.

I actually found some therapeutic value in coloring this weekend and know that after I get my hands-on training and practice, practice, practice; I’ll be so glad I hung on to them.

So the lesson is this, before you get rid of your crafty stuff, think about what you’ve invested in those items and consider whether or not they are things you might want to use again one day when you have more time or experience. If you've searched your soul and know that you’re moving on and you never want to revisit that technique or those supplies/embellishments/tools again, then by all means remove them from your craft space forever. 

And now, I must get some rest and prepare to deal with my little darlings for this last week before Spring break. Thanks for reading and y’all pray for me!

WrinkleFreeDiva!