All Paper Arts

At least twice a year I take all four of the girls to the Botanic Gardens to do portraits of them. I have a deep love for photography especially black & white. Everyday, I pass by this set of scrapbook pages out in my work room. I have neglected to put them up after showing them to a potential client. I haven’t written about them because I was worried about not being able to scan them all well. After passing them again today I decided to just scan as much as I could. Most of what isn’t showing is just simple background. The colors in the papers and the fact that this is a story is what truly makes these pages work. Instead of a normal 1 or 2 page layout this is a 4 page layout.



You will notice the only embellishments in this whole spread are the two small pieces of ribbon on the first page. The paper and the photos are the main focus. Each page has 5 to 8 different patterns of paper. The pages were also inked with distressed rubber stamp ink to give them more texture and a bit of a rustic edge.

paper arts, paper crafts, scrapbooking, card making, rubber stamping, atc’s, paper gifts

Last week I talked a little about ATC’s, Artist Trading Cards. I mentioned how even my girls were doiing them in art. Well, here are two that my eight year old did. The inspiration for these were John Audubon. On the back of her cards it gives a brief history about Audubon. I just wanted to show you how ATC’s can span across the age spectrum. Whether you are young or young at heart.

paper arts, paper crafts, scrapbooking, card making, rubber stamping, atc’s, paper gifts

Remember my favorite can live with out but don’t wanna items? Yes, that fabulous tool the crop-a-dile. The wonder tool of paper arts. It can go through chip board, cds, and many layers of cardstock just to mention of few things. Well, word on the street is the makers We R Momory Keeprs (r) have decided to torture me. They no longer just have it in pink. Now there is a purple. But that’s not all my friends. Now they have a case. Alleluia on that. The minute I see one I am buying it. Yes, I know there is such thing as online shopping which I do, do. However, I have this really weird thing about being able to handle something before I buy it. My husband says it is an illness. I can’t just buy something by looking at it. I literally have to hold it in my hands or fingers. I think it is my thing with texture. Or maybe it is from all those Charmin commercials when I was a child. Mr. Whipple saying, “Don’t squeeze the Charmin!”
But see the crop-a-dile not coming in just pink is not the really big thing. The fantastic deal HSN is the big thing. The above purple crop a dile along with the case and 400 eyelets is only $29.95. Am I going to get it? No, I have the pink but I don’t mind letting all of you know about this fantastic deal. Nor would I complain if I got it as a gift. Just do me a favor don’t tell me when you see the lime green crop a dile. Yes, there is a green one too so I hear, so you see. If I see a green one I might not have control not to buy it. I am pretty sure it would not hurt to have just one more. Besides with 4 other females in the house it is nice to have more then one of any essential paper art tools. Yes, yes, yes. I know I said I could live with out the crop a dile but I also said “I don’t wanna!”
Paper, back to paper. Hobby Lobby has all their scrapbook paper on sale for half off this week! That would be until March, 3rd. I really like their selection of individual papers I just wish they had more. However, they do carry a lot of my favorite brands like Basic Grey and I believe I bought some rusty pickle paper there before. They have a lot of cool retro looking paper as well. Just so you know I am not getting anything out of telling you about these deals. I just thought they were pretty great and wanted to pass them along to you my blog readers. I hope you enjoy the info.

Okay, I couldn’t take it anymore. I had to redeem myself for yesterdays card. I like this card much better. I figured out what was missing….some good paper. Then as I was cleaning up there was this paper I should have known it was the paper that was missing. I am a self proclaimed paper addict that is. I had been hoarding. Luckily, it only took a little of the paper so I still have some. Not that I don’t have enough paper or that I won’t buy more.
The inside of the card has a pull out. On the back of the pull out I made a pocket for my Dads gift card.

All the coffee talk has me jonesing for a cup of Joe! By the way the cute stamp set is my favorite stamp set of the moment. “like it a latte” from Stampin’ Up. I just got their mini spring catalog in the mail two days ago. Oh what fun. Below is the card without the insert. click to enlarge image

I am not happy with this card. I am sure I will make more just because I am not happy with this one. I think it is because it doesn’t have a lot of flair. I have to remember it is for my dad. So as cute as I think brown and pink or brown and light green are together he probably wouldn’t.

My dad’s birthday is on the 25th and this is his gift. No, I’m not that cheap it will have a gift card to Starbucks in it. See it is a gift card, card. Not very personal you are thinking? Actually, he will absolutely love it. He loves Starbucks. He has already used up the one we got him for Christmas. He made sure to point that out to my mom and me. He also retired this year so he likes to take the train to Sundance Square (Downtown Fort Worth) and walk to the Starbucks there. So that is another reason why he will love it. Maybe I should put a train pass in with it.

This is a simple Tri-fold card. However, on the inside I have another tri-fold card that I adhered to the first card. I then made a pocket with the bottom fold. That is where the gift card goes. I tried to show you that the coffee cups on the inside are actually 3-D. I used a paper folding technique to make them stand out. Only because I didn’t want to get up from my spot to get foam or glue dots which is easier.
Oh well. Maybe it just one of those days where my creative juices are on the fritz. I always feel creative. It is just sometimes I can’t get what is in my head to come out right when I try to make it.

Have you ever known or met someone that just really has an inspiring nature? Someone who you might not even know very well but you enjoy seeing them because they just seem to always have a happy glow to them? My friend Angie (on the right side of the pic) is somebody like that. She is just one of those people you feel deserves all the happiness she has in her life. Actually, her entire family is like that from her “heck of a great guy” husband to her very clever and funny two boys. Although most of Angie and mine encounters are church related, I find her such an inspiration to my everyday life. She is one of those people that just makes you want to be a better person, friend, wife, and mother to those in your lives.

This past winter Angie and I had shared a table together at a craft show. We also had another friend of mine Mecca sharing that table with us who was not pictured because she had already sold out of what she had made. I had different paper arts mostly stocking stuffers like snowman soup and reindeer noses.

Angie had the beautiful pillows she makes and that are on the table in the picture above. I call them door pillows because they have ribbon to be hung by. Also, the one I have is on the door to my husband and mines bedroom. These pillows are so beautiful you really want to display them where everyone can see them. They make wonderful gifts. Each of them is handmade by Angie and has an inspirational phrase or word embroidered on them.

You don’t have to ask Angie where she gets the inspiration to make these beautiful pieces of art because the answer is obvious. She gets the inspiration from her strength which would be her husband, her boys, and most important her personal relationship with God.

Each pillow that Angie makes has not only her time and talent in them but also that happiest I mentioned. She obviously does sale her pillows but she does not produce them in a fast fashion. If she does not feel she has the time to put her all into a pillow while still having time for her family life then she will be completely honest about it. Refreshing isn’t it? Isn’t that how we should all be with our art?

When I do any of my paper arts for my clients I try to remember Angie’s approach. The truth is my art is apart of whom I am and the only way I can give my clients my best work is by giving it my whole heart. It is like my grandmother’s cooking she put love in everything she made and that is why even her simplest meals tasted better then something from the most expensive restaurant.

Where do you find your inspiration? Are you remembering to give everything you do your whole heart? I know for me sometimes to get back to inspiration I have to get back to my creating. It is then that I am really reminded to count my blessings. It’s true whether I am doing something for my own family or for a client. Of course, seeing the door pillow Angie made for me that says ironically enough “We are Blessed” helps, too.

ATC’s have become very popular. Artist Trading Cards usually measure 2.5″ X 3.5″. They are original works of art that you make. The great thing about ATC’s is you can use any medium you wish or even mixed medias because it is your own artwork. There are many, many sites out there that go into much detail about ATC’s. ATC’s have become so popular as a matter of fact that my girls are making them in art at their school. Here are I have a few samples of some of mine. I hope the colors come out well. I was on a bit of a heritage kick when I made these.

I plan to make my next batch in brighter colors. Maybe even spring inspired. The important thing to remember about ATC’s is to give them each original titles. Your info should be on the back of the card. You can find some good rubber stamps out there to stamp the backs of your ATC’s with. As a matter of fact Stampin’ Up has a set I plan on buying the next time I order.

Another, great thing I love about ATC’s is you can make a small and quick sample of your work. These are great for using not only for the purpose of trading but also for slipping a little something to a friend or anyone that you run into who you think might enjoy them.

paper arts, paper crafts, scrapbooking, card making, rubber stamping, atc’s, paper gifts

The fever bug is still at our house and has gone from my 6 year old to her two sisters. Luckily, we were told that it is not salmonella; which the doctor’s office and we were worried about after the 6 year old was walking hunched over and after finding out that we had a jar of the recalled peanut butter. (My 6 year old makes a peanut butter sandwich for lunch almost every day.) Needless to say I have not had much time to work with my paper arts this weekend. I had to cancel Friday Clubs since my daughter was out of school on Friday, too. (I hate letting down kiddos down but I didn’t have any other choice). Luckily, we can still do the project I had planned this coming Friday.

I have a fever too. Well… a fever to create that is. Since I won’t be getting much cleaning done today (it is president’s day and DH is home) I do hope to get some projects done. A few of the projects I am working on are: a paper bag album, some ATC’s (Artist Trading Cards), my dad’s birthday is this week so I am trying to find an extra special card of sorts to put his Starbucks gift card in, and I also had some inspiration for some mini books for a few of my friends that are expecting. I have more projects going on and even more in my head but I think this is a good start for right now. Hopefully, I can get a lot down through the week so I can work on some family scrap booking at a crop I plan on going to this Friday. I can’t wait to share what I make with you. And may the only fever you get be the fever to create.

Last month I made a challenge to my Girl Scout Troop. I told them that for February’s meeting they need to bring something they have made out of recycled products. Now, everything on their project doesn’t have to be recycled but at least one item does. Many of them looked at me like this was a challenge they were ready and eager to take on. The other half looked at me like I was crazy. I had them split into groups and wrote three everyday items on the board for them to brainstorm ideas for. Each group had different items written down. It was fun to hear their ideas. I believe each group came up with birdhouses and wind chimes. My 8 year old immediatly started collecting soda cans when we got home.

Sometimes, I think a lot of us believe recycling has to be something that we save from the trash pile. Really anything can be recycled and I believe in the paper arts area almost everything we do has recycling going on. Here is just a quick list of items that can be recycled and used for paper art projects. The funny thing is some of these things are so popular now that they are being manufactured to be bought new. But wouldn’t you feel better if you could give something a second life? Here is what I mean:

Playing Cards (all sizes)
- I am always finding lost playing cards around my house. I use to just toss them thinking there is no way all 52 cards of the set will ever be found.
Dominoes
- even if your set is actually used like ours, then why not go to second hand stores, garage sales, or estate sales, etc and buy them there? Sometimes this is where you will find the really unique looking or even vintage dominoes
Ribbon
- did I really need to list that? Ribbon is everywhere. Recycle the ribbon on gifts or at the end of a roll you are using for a special project.
Material- material is a great item that can be cut into thin strips, spooled, and then used in the same places you might use ribbon.
Office or school supplies
- library cards/envelopes, paper clips, brads, divider tabs, the items are endless and can be used in endless ways as well.
Artificial Flowers
- have an old silk flower arrangement that is out of date? Take the petals apart these make great embellishments and they already have holes in the center so you can use brads or eyelets to set them on your project. (Just make sure to dust them off first! hahaha)
Tissue paper- used tissue paper from gifts can be used to apply texture to a project. Ball the tissue up and then dab it in paint or ink and then stamp your paper. Tissue is also great for decopouge projects or to stuff your handmade boxes and bags.
Buttons
-I know this is a given, buttons have been used for projects for ever.
Match Boxes-the actual box kind are great to cover and turn into little gift boxes
CDs/DVDs
-thats what is used for the project on this page. (This is my 6 year olds round nature album. She can write notes or adhere pics to it. Right now it is 3 cds but she can add more as she fills them up). You can also make cute coasters with cds/dvds
Broken Jewelry
-costume jewelry has great pieces that can be used for embellishments. I especially like vintage jewelry pieces
Small toy (doll) accessories
-before you vacuum it up of throw it away because you are tired of reminding your kiddo to pick it up. Examine that micro sized skirt or necklace or whatever it might be. I just could be what you need for that scrapbook page you’ve been banging your head over.

The list is endless but I’ll stop here. I know what you are thinking. These are great ideas but where am I suppose to store these items? How about canning jars… such as an old spaghetti jar, giant pickle jar, and small jelly jars. Check out the pic of some of my jars. I have these on my worktable. That is until I finally get my craft area more organized by hanging some shelves.

I hope you use some of these ideas. Who knows you might already do many of these yourselves. Great minds do think a lot you know. If you have any other ideas or things you like to recycle for paper arts please share. Remember, when we go green with our paper arts then we can say we are doing are part to help our world! Wink wink. Who could possibly argue with that!

Is that annoying little Flu Bug going around where you are? Schools have closed in the metroplex here because of it. One of the classes at my daughters’ school was missing 8 children yesterday. So it seems that the bug may be near my house. Or even more fearful in my house. I was awakened this morning by my 6 year old screaming “mommy” over and over. It didn’t stop when I jumped out of bed, or when my dog growled at me for stepping on her, or when I said I am coming. No, it did not stop until I flung the door open and said, “What is it?” Then came the words I have been dreading. “I don’t feel well.” I told her to run to the bathroom. Sure enough she was shaking and had really rosy cheeks. I took her temp and it was 101.6. “Do I have to go to school?” No, I think not. However, we still had to take my 8 year old to school. You could tell she was very envious of her two younger sisters still in their P.J.s. The sick one bundled under a blanket with her favorite bunny. Especially since the night before was recorded as being the coldest night this season. My scare is that the bug will make its way to my 8 year old, whom informed on the way to school a little boy in her class has been out of school because of the flu. He was even taken to the ER because his temp was so high. My biggest fear is that if this is the flu and my girls do get it that my biggest kid of all will get it, my husband! He is just about useless when he is sick. One of him sick is worse then all three of the girls being sick at the same time.

So, while my mind is occupied with the bug, I have changed my focus on what paper art project to talk about today. Instead, I am displaying some get well cards that were made by me but designed by friends of mine at past Card Parties. Unfortunately, I can not remember whose card is whose but if they are reading this they are welcome to chime in. I know the top card is Tammy’s’. She used a versa mark pad to stamp with and then silver embossing powder.

!!!Happy Valentines Day!!!
Here is the front of one of the mini journals I am making for the girls teachers. I found mini composition books for .79 at the supser discount center. I got the traditional black and white. I will cut this down to fit just right after I have covered the journal with another piece of decorated scrapbook paper. SInce I have some 3-D embellishments I will probably either use double sided tape or my xyron adhesive machine to adhear this to the book. If I didn’t have 3-d embellishments then I would use mod-podge (or glue and water mixture will work).

My fingers are covered with adhesive from working on all the Valentines for my girls class parties. I am making cute little notebooks for their teachers. I will post them tomorrow when they are finished. I have had several people asking me to put a couple of samples of my scrapbooking on here. One of the reasons I haven’t yet is because my scanner doesn’t scan 12X12 which is what my own albums are. SO here are a couple of samples but please be advised the pictures aren’t so great. I tried using my digital camera and then cropping them on my computer but the crop still wouldn’t get the whole page. So you get the scrapbook pages with the background of my messy desk and bed and all. I tried displaying some techinques you may not see everyday. Enjoy!

What can I say it is Monday. So let’s make this short and sweet. Here is a pendant I made as a sample for Friday Club last week. The girls all loved it. It is pretty easy. Hardest thing will be finding microscope slides. I looked everywhere down here and ended up buying the last pack from a hobby store. 12 slides for about $4.00 so that is 6 necklaces. Not an arts and crafts type of hobby store either. I am talking about a model planes and trains type store. Online you can find them much easier but frankly I needed them now.
Here is the list of supplies:
2 microscope slides per pendant (I used glass)
Copper stain glass tape
1 eye pin (jewelry making supply)
2 pieces of paper smaller then the glass (any kind you want)
Stamps & ink pad or stickers

I used my “like it a latte” stampin’ up set to stamp my paper. First I stamped the coffee beans and then I stamped over that with I Like it a Latte phrase stamp. I stamped both pieces of paper. With double sided tape I placed the pinhead in between the pieces of paper wrong sides together. I then sandwiched my paper in between the two microscope slides and used the copper tape to tape all the edges. Use a popsicle stick or bone folder to get the tape smooth. Pretty easy.

In clubs the girls used some stickers I had brought and they all came out really well. The glass is what adds all the pizzazz. Mine was just a sample for 3rds graders so I kept it pretty simple. I thought putting small foil confetti shapes inside the glass would be cute. For this one it would be especially cute if I found coffee bean or coffee cups confetti. You can then thread ribbon through the eye pin and tie for a necklace.

I have another party this weekend! Okay, really my 3rd grader was invited to a Valentine Making Party. But it is a Mom and Daughter party so technically I am invited, too. I think I am as excited as my daughter. It has been awhile since we have made Valentines with anyone else. My two younger daughters didn’t seem too phased by the news of their sister and me going to a party. You can never tell sometimes. I am sure it is because they are secretly plotting when they will ambush me to work on their classes Valentines. I am trying to make them all, this weekend. I don’t want to be up on Tuesday evening gluing over 40 Valentines. Yes, I could take the easy road and go buy the pre-made cards but my daughters would be crushed. I remember when my oldest was in 1st grade and we didn’t get to making our own Valentines. She was devastated. To this day I can’t remember why we didn’t make them. I know the two younger ones and I made some for the museum school classes. Oh, well I have been making up for it every since. I even enjoy making Valentines for my own friends.

So far one of my very favorite Valentines I’ve made were the ones I made for my oldest Ballet Classmates when she was three. They reminded me of Victorian Valentines. I had some beautiful thick watercolor paper. I cut little rectangle or actually more tore them so it had that unfinished edge. I believe they were about 5X4. Then I had some old wool felt in shapes of pink, purple, and red that I cut into rectangles just about 1/2″ shorter then the watercolor paper. I glued the felt rectangles on to the watercolor paper. I then punched a hole on each top corner (shorter width) and placed some beautiful ribbon through the holes to make a little hanger. I can’t remember for sure what I placed in the center of these little cards I think it was different things like a vintage button, a heart charm, or a flower that I pulled of an artificial flower bush I had. I used a glue gun for the centers. This was before I had some many gadgets and embellishments so I can imagine with what is available today the same cards could be even more elegant.

If you are looking for something much easier for kids there are a number of great sites out there. Many of them have the same ideas like the lollipop mice. This is simple and if you are a paper hound like me they can look so much nicer then the plan ol’ construction paper ones. What you want to do is cut out a heart. (I use my biggest sizzix heart die). I would try to make the heart about 3 of 4″ high. The cool thing about this is if you are like me and cut better hearts by folding the paper then you have just done 2 steps in one. After you have your heart cut out you want to fold it over the sucker part of the lollipop. Then you glue the sides together. The stick makes the tail. You can add googly eyes if you want. Also, you can make ears out of two teeny hearts folded over.

Heart dollies are still a classic and one of my favorite Valentines. I think it is because it reminds me of my childhood and using them not only to make Valentines but for decoration on our boxes. It seems like no matter where I lived when I was in Elementary School we always made mailboxes (usually out of shoeboxes) for our classmates to drop our Valentines in. Does anybody still do that? My oldest had to make one for her Kindergarten year but since then both her and her younger sister has only had paper bags they decorate in class. Where is the tradition people?? heehee! Speaking of tradition what traditions do you remember or love for Valentines?

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Okay, this one is way too cute. It is also too easy and too addictive. My friend Lori showed me this idea and I think I have just become obsessed. Truly, when I first saw them I thought that’s cute and just that. Lori said her daughter and her are going to make these for Valentines. I thought yeah maybe I’ll try some and make them for one of the girls’ class. They looked easy enough and I had pretty much all the materials on hand. Plus bookmarks seem to last a little longer then candy. So today I remembered to go to that super discount store to get some of these giant paper clips. I got 15 in a plastic box for .97. Not bad. I got three boxes now I am wondering why I didn’t buy more. (Although, since I got up to the register and couldn’t find my debit card it is a good thing I didn’t buy more but that is a whole other story).

I brought them home and constructed this one very simple but cute bookmark. While I was constructing it I started thinking about all the different dies, paper, ribbons, and stamp sets I have and I already have tons of different ideas.

Here is my first one. Sorry to be so short today. I am just so excited I want to go make more. I promise to post more pictures. I am sure they will become more and more elaborate as the day goes on. If you decide to take part in making some of these I’d love to see them. I am warning you now they might be too easy and too fun. Also, if you plan on making this with any children maybe you should get double the supplies so they can actually make some. LOL!

Ewww! I just had another idea. Wouldn’t these make a cute teachers gift or Valentine gift for someone who works in an office. Give them several maybe even a whole box worth and then they have hand designed paper clips! Just a thought.