Scrapping Cents

Stamps don't always have to be bought...let's look at 'found' or made stamps, this week.

First, look around at everyday objects. The bottoms of cups and bottles will make great round stamps...for ink or paint. I have a square candle holder and children's wooden blocks...more great shapes. Imagine making your own patterned papers...fun!

Also, consider making your own stamps. fun foam is super cheap...and easy to cut. If you have a die cut machine-like a cuttlebug...you can make stamps in the shapes of all your favorite dies. Just cut, ink and stamp! If you don't have a die cut machine, consider hunting the internet for simple, graphic images- coloring pages are great for this. Then print them off, and use them as a template.

Last idea-- consider looking around for 'texture stamps'...things you can imprint texture from. Sponges, make up brushes, even wadded up yarn dipped in ink and pounced on your paper can make the niftiest effects. Be creative...and have fun!!

Scrapping Cents Sightings:

BL is having some killer deals. McGraw Hill punches are making it to some BL- at $4 a punch. These are the big ones that are still in HL for $20. Also, some great alterable items at great prices.

HL continues its killer reset...BG roller tools, Nestabilities, and Grungeboard have even been seen. AWESOME!

Gift Bag

A dear friend went in for surgery a couple of weeks ago- yes, she's fine...but, I made this as part of the gift. Love the way this bag turned out! The window is simply the saved packaging from a misc product...I love saving the clamshells!! The paper is all from a K&Co paper pad, and this was definitely one of my favorite pads. I think I used almost every page! Have a great weekend!!

Splish, Splash!

The DT over at Scrapbook Express has been having a blast working with 7 Gypsies, this month...lucky us!! These papers are from the bea-u-ti-ful Nottinghill Collection....Yummy!! I also cuttlebug embossed the clear plastic for a fun water-y look...love the way that turned out!!

Scrapping Cents

I love rolodex ideas...I want a rolodex, darn it! Isn't this one a wonderful idea for storing your dies?! A couple of other ideas for you: I have seen these used for sketch storage- just print your sketch really small, or hand draw, and file... This would also work really well to store your dolloar stamps from M's...just adhere the pouch to the card, and you could flip through. This would also be great for building a file of your stamps, punches, and die cut dies...just stamp on a card, and file, punch out a punch, adhere and file, etc. Think of how handy it would be to have a handy inventory of available embellishements at your finger tips, the next time you get stuck in a project!!

Scrapping Cents Sightings:

T's: Clearancing dollar spot- at 75% off.
J's: KI Memories reported on clearance.

New Look!

So, what do you think of the new look? Love it? Hate it? I definitely am liking it better! It was so time for a change! My thanks to Shabby Princess for the digital kit...it was so fun to put this together!

Chosen

Time to show you another project using my Apple Blossom Studio Stamps. this one uses 2 stamps- the scalloped oval in the background, and the tag on the front. such fun ways to use these versatile stamps!! The Challenge word for this week was chose/choose- I confess, I changed it to chosen. I lpve the idea that we are chosen by the God of the universe--how cool is that?!!!

Scrapping Cents

Now, if you are like me- you love, love the look of those scallop edge papers...but hate the price. Especially cardstock...I never have the color I want, it is always so frustrating to me. Irene has the simplest solution...you are going to wonder why you never thought of it. I know I did!! Here is a tutorial for making your own scallop edge paper- on any paper, of any size...with any size scallop--without buying special tools! How cool is that?! Have fun!!

Scallop Edge tutorial

Scrapping Cents Sightings:

Target: Check out Target!! They are clearancing out the scrapping aisle, again. Great prices have been reported on MM page kits, Fiskars, Xyron and more. I also saw many boxes in the Dollar Spot area of mine, last week. Woo-hoo!!

Want to save a ton of money on magazines for Scrapping inspiration? Scrapbook News and Review has just published its 5th issue- and is packed with over 300 projects!! For 4.99 you get access to EVERY issue SNR has EVER published- for one month. All the projects, all the tutorials, all the tips and trick, all the great articles. This is one of the best scrapping mags on the market, and it is pennies a day. Take a look- you'll be blown away!!

Scrapbook News and Review

Oh...My...Word! I swear to you, I have a new love! Today, I am showing you my first card for Apple Blossom Studios Stamps...the source of my new love affair. Now, I know what you are thinking. You are thinking that I am about to tell you how wonderful these stamps are, because that is what I am supposed to do. Well, you're right...and you're wrong! I am going to tell you how wonderful these stamps are- cause they are! These are the best acrylics I have worked with- and I have a large collection! They are thick, really deeply etched, cling like a dream...and are really nicely sized. The border stamps are actually 11 1/2 inches long- no repeating the patten needed. And, they stamp like a dream, too. And- no. I am not saying these things because I am supposed to- it really is true! I am in love with these stamps- try them and you will be too!!

Laugh by Anne House Supplies: Cardstock: Hobby Lobby; PP: K&Co, MME; Paper Studio; Embellishments: Fancy Pants Chipboard, Kaisercraft Pearls Stamps: Apple Blossom Studios, Studio G; Ink: Clearsnap, Versafine; Other: Straight Pin, button, thread, Zig Roller Pen

Count on Me

This month, the Design Team at Scrapbook Express is working with 7 Gypsies...how lucky are we?! I made this envelope album into a counting book for my kids. Each page has a number, in each envelope is that number of items to count...held together with the 7 gypsies metal binding ring. So the children can easily hold and count each item. Each page is also accented with the 7 gypsies Nottinghill Paper Clips--how perfect!!


The paper used for this project is the Nottinghill Collection and the Kaiser Jade's Garden Collection. I also used Basic Grey Number Pile, and a bunch of other yummies from the store.

Anyway, I am not an author, but here is the text:

Out for a walk and what do we see... one little elephant wants to walk with me!

One little elephant knows just what to do...grabs his monkey friends, 1 and two.

Two little monkeys, silly as can be...finds a few giraffes...1, 2, 3!

Three tall giraffes just want to join the fun...see 4 lions, so they run, run, run!

Four lion friends decide to play along, hear 5 frogs croak a little song.

5 croaking frogs look up in the air...see 6 buttleflies fluttering way up there.

Six pretty butterflies stop to take a rest, find 7 flowers, but like the red the best!

Seven happy flowers just growing in the sun, see 8 kittens having fun, fun, fun!

Eight playful kittens having a great time...came one more and then there were...9!

Nine hungry kittens looking for a treat find 10 yummies to eat, eat, eat!

& The Hunt is On!!

This month's sketch has been posted over at My Sketch World...too fun!! This one was a 2 page sketch- with the option of using one side or the other. Well, I cannot remember the last time I did a 2 pager- so I chose the right side of the sketch. And had a blast with it!! I had been dying to use this wonderful- and cheerful- AC paper. This layout was perfect for that!


Supplies: Paper: American Craft,
Hobby Lobby; Letters: AC Thickers, Target; Brads: Spare Parts;
Pen: Zig Uniball; Font: Sybil Green




Journaling:

Every year, Carrie asks the same question....it usually starts early In the
day...and there are different approaches...but it is always the same.
When can I open my presents? Wouldn't it be a good idea to do it
now, and get it over with? Can I open them before dinner? Yada,
Yada!


This year, I was ready for her, though. This year, I planned her presents
for her Cookie Party...way early. Afternoon, in fact. The girl thought she had hit the jackpot! Until I told her the 'catch'. She could open them...but she had to find
them first!


I was nice, I provided clues. It was so not my fault a parent picked up
as she was finding them. Also, not my fault when he decided to stay and watch the fun, either. It was really not my fault she proved to be a less then stellar clue decoder. The clues weren't hard. Well, not THAT hard.

Scrapping Cents

How great of an idea is this?! (Seen on Scrapbooks Etc website). Imagine sorting paper by theme, kit or color into baggies- then hanging on these. You could then take a strip of wood, add cup hooks down it, hang the wood vertically down a wall, and have room for multiple hangers. Or, I have seen these hangers used for ribbon storage. Just hang a different color on each bar-- either on the roll or loose. What about chipboard storage? You could have a bag for cursive fonts, one for type fonts, one for decorative shapes, one for frames, etc... Or magazine storage- one bag for each title, multiple issues per bag. Or an idea file- one bag for sketches, one for pages torn from mags, etc. So many uses-- and these babies are no more than $5 each at your basic super store. Free if you steal it from the closet, lol!

Scrapping Cents Sightings:

BL: Martha Stewart products are starting to show up in BL's across the country. These seem to be the products clearanced from M's last season- but if you missed it then, you have a second chance.

TJ Maxx/Marshalls: A couple of WRMK alphabets have appeared in these stores. A small tub of pink/brown chip, and various metals.