WRMK Albums Made Easy...PART II

Hi crafty heads, 

Here is Part II for the WRMK LINEN ALBUMS. As I had mentioned in my last post these albums are great for keeping photos, layouts, etc with the help of page protectors. So here i am with a layout. Photo layouts or scrapbook layouts are best way to jazz up a photographed memory. You can use pattern papers, chip boards, stickers, flowers or any embellishments to give any photo a new look and the page protectors even save your work from getting damaged. 

For the layout you can choose a theme to work around your photo. Here i took a beach photo and trimmed into 2 inch wide stips. 

I started with layering using lovely pattern papers from  Mixed Company pattern paper and  Maggie Holmes pattern paper.

{ Itsy Bitsy silicon glue is one very strong adhesive and sticks almost everything }

Next I used the new Irregular Dot stencil from IB store.

Another new entry to the IB store are some amazing stamps. These stamp crisp images. 

I have used hope and smile stamp set

I have used this gross grain ribbon from American Crafts..and used the silicon glue to help form these pleated folds.

I have also distressed and inked the edges of this layout before sticking it to the final 12x12 inch paper. And now comes the embellishment time..and there is no right or wrong to this..you can choose embellies in line with your theme. 

Used these kraft printed flowers alongwith some paper flowers. Hand painted the little chipboard bird .Looks like it flew from Rio :)

For "LIFE" i have used gem alphabets.

To keep it along the lines of beach I made this fishnet. And its very easy to make..

Here is a little tutorial for fishnet,..

Take jute twine of desired length and string it among two points. You can tie it or just tape to the surface.I kept it flat to the surface. 

Take another piece and fold it in half and tie the girth knot. Repeat for the entire length of the horizontal string.

Grab one string from one length, and another from the one next to it; forming a triangle.

Knot them together.

Continue the process.

When you reach the end  tie one vertical string on to the end single string. 

Continue along row by row until you reach your desire fishnet length.

Here is your fish net.The size will depend on how close you tie the knots.

The WRMK linen album come with D-ring binder and page protectors. Here is how these look. You can store around 100 pages in one album. 

Here is the completed layout

And filed in the album. 

Hope you liked it. 

Would love to hear from you.

Keep crafting!!

Supplies Used:

WRMK linen album
Maggie Holmes pattern paper
Mixed Company pattern paper
page protectors 
gem alphabets
paper flowers 
kraft printed flowers
chipboard designs

silicon glue

Irregular Dot stencil 
hope and smile stamp set
gross grain ribbon
jute twine

Beautiful Cards - Tejal Shah

Hello Crafty friends, we have a very special guest designer on our blog today, it’s none other than the very talented crafter / blogger Tejal Mehta Shah! An extremely dynamic & talented crafter, Tejal has done some elegant & stunning creations despite some health issues in the family! We deeply appreciate it Tejal & thank you for being our guest designer! Hop over to our blog friends & leave your valuable comments for Tejal.

Hello everyone,

Its Tejal here from Creative Expressions (www.tejalcreates.blogspot.in)

It is my pleasure to be posting on the Itsy bitsy blog today. It was during the blog and website relaunch that Itsy Bitsy team got in touch with me and very generously sent me some amazing products to review.

My post was due to go live during the Sizzix fest last month but due to some health issues I was unable to do so. And I really appreciate the team for understanding and giving me this extra time to post. Thanks guys.

Here is what my amazing gift pack held. Amazing pattern papers, beautiful embossing folder set from sizzix and Versacolor ink pads. Perfect for a cardmaker like me.

The first card - 

I have embossed the white panel with the stars embossing folder and then used the pigment inks to ink up the raised area of the panel. I absolutely love how soft it looks.

So those ink pads can also be used for blending, other than just stamping!

I also used the cake embossing folder to emboss the cake on the rectangle panel. Colored it with my zig markers and popped it on a foam.

The sentiment is stamped with the Versacolor ink pad.

The second card -

In this card, I simply embossed the stars embossing folder with Blue cardstock.

Cut out a circle and embossed the cupcake on it.

Colored the cupcake with my copics (to be very honest, my niece who was visiting me wanted to help, so its actually her coloring! And I am amazing how neat she was..she is only 8)

I die cut the birthday greeting in black and white and offset to get a cool shadow effect.

Finished the card off with some sequins.

The third card -

I loved the Magenta PP that was sent...even though it was plain, I wanted to see if it had a white core..and voila!! it did

I simply embossed the PP and used my nail filer over it lightly...Wherever the edges were, the white core came out...and such a fantastic effect! 

I also used some butterflies and colored them with....yup...the Versacolor inkpad. I just smooshed it on a plastic sheet and picked up the ink with my paint brush. I attached them at just the centre so the wings of the butterflies are lifted up.

I cut the panel on a diagonal before embossing and white heat embossed the sentiment.

Finished the card with some glitter and glossy accents.

And the final project that I will share soon (As soon as my health permits to finish it up) But I could not let you go without a sneak peek of it! 

Thank you Team Itsy Bitsy. And I do hope you enjoyed my few inspirations. 

List of Products

Cardstock - http://itsybitsy.in/scrapbooking-paper-crafts-tools?categories=15942&product_type=16060

 Sizzix Birthday Surprise Embossing Folder - http://itsybitsy.in/search/?q=656257

Versacolor ink pad - http://itsybitsy.in/search/?q=versa

Big shot die cutting machine - http://itsybitsy.in/search/?q=Big+shot

White embossing powder - http://itsybitsy.in/search/?q=WOW#/page/1

Crafter In The Spotlight 9 - Itsy Bitsy

Hello friends!! Itsy Bitsy brings you "CRAFTER IN THE SPOTLIGHT" – a unique way of encouraging and appreciating the talented crafters. We recognize talented crafters week after week, turn the spotlight on them & feature them in our "CRAFTER IN THE SPOTLIGHT"! We love what you talented crafters create & are amazed at each of your unique creations every single day! We love the way you use Itsy Bitsy products & give life to those products.

We are delighted to announce this week’s Crafter In the Spotlight – August 2016 “ SUMAN PANDIT” !  A Commerce graduate by academics, this extremely talented crafter & blogger got into the creative world mainly to help her son in school projects! She is not just a crafter but also a vaastu consultant, a voracious reader & a writer with many best -selling books to her credit! Way to go Suman. Mixed Media is her favourite craft & she loves the freedom it provides! To find out more about her favourite artists, her all – time favourite quote & what she would do if she had magical powers, please visit our blog & leave your valuable comments.

CONGRATULATIONS Suman Pandit! Wishing you loads of success on your creative Journey!

Here are excerpts of my interview with Suman:

Rashmi Closepet, MD, Itsy Bitsy: Tell us a bit about yourself &  your background

Suman Pandit: I am an Economics graduate, a writer (with five best-selling books, all more than ten editions each) and an Astro-Vastu consultant with a busy practice. Wife to a Management consultant and mother to two loving sons Devaansh aged 21 and Ritvic, 14 yrs. I am a voracious reader and we are surrounded by books in our house on all topics !

RC : How did you get into crafting?

SP : I started my blog on March 2013 on an impulse. I had been doing some quilling with handcut strips and trying out with glass colors on bottles before that. Mainly started following some blogs with an idea to help my son in his school projects but then got more and more involved. I am so happy to have joined this beautiful world and for the generous support and love from so many of my blogger buddies. All my learning has been from the generous sharing by bloggers around the world and I like to repay my bit by doing tutorials and WIP pictorials whenever I can.

RC : What is your favourite type of craft?

SP : Love mixed media for the freedom it provides!!

RC : What are your favourite products at Itsy Bitsy?

SP : I love the beautiful range of embellishments, handmade flowers and gorgeous products from the Little Birdie Brand of itsy Bitsy. I also love that you have a wide range of simple craft supplies for school projects, hobby kits, party return gifts, baking supplies, home décor………… to the latest gadgets, tools and supplies for scrapbooking and Mixed Media. It is amazing that I can buy everything from a set of Needles for book-binding ………..to a Big Shot and latest dies and stamps here.

RC : What products from Itsy Bitsy do you think are must have’s for a crafter?

SP : For a beginner paper crafter, craft mat, cutters, set of brushes, paper stacks, Black archival Ink, Itsy bitsy stamp sets, sentiment stamps, card stock, stencils, handmade flowers, butterflies and some super value packs of embellishments would get one to a good start. As one wants to explore more, one can go on adding inks, dies, mixes media mediums etc

RC : What product would you like to see at Itsy Bitsy?

SP : Latest trending designs of Dies and stamps, Mixed Media supplies, in-house developed products in more and more categories (as these are so  reasonably priced, easy on the pocket and great quality )

RC : You draw inspiration from?

SP : Art for me is more about a personal exploration and learning experience. I enjoy the process of observing, researching, the constant probe within and the dialogue with self while creating.  I have a long list of favorites and I like Andy skinner, Alisa Burke and Betty Krause’s works; I follow a lot of mixed media artists.

RC : What are your other interests?

SP : Have plenty on my plate….home, kids, friends, reading, baking, face book J and movies!!

If you had magic powers, how would you contribute to the Crafting world?

The magical power to actually create all the projects ideas stored in one’s mind J

RC : Your prized possession in your craft stash?

SP : My paints, stencils and brushes!!

RC : How would you describe your style of crafting?

SP : Instinctive, intuitive, textural………….

RC : How do you organize your time for crafting?

SP : I fit in crafting and art in whatever free time I get, even if I try bit of background making or shaping a petal, I make sure to learn and do something new each day. Some days it can be a start- to- finish project too…esp when the deadline for a Design team project is very close J

RC : Tips for people who want to craft?

SP : Go with the flow and remain true to your own self. Art is first for your own soul and later for others !!

RC : Your all -time favourite quote?

SP : “Art speaks its own language –Soul-to-Soul, Heart-to-Heart” Ana Tzarev

Here are a couple of Suman's awesome creations :

Many congrats Suman for being the CRAFTER IN THE SPOTLIGHT - ITSY BITSY :-) :-)

You will receive Rs 500/- Itsy Bitsy gift voucher :-) :-) & a Crafter in the Spotlight badge, which can be proudly displayed on the side bar of your blog.

Also, visit our Youtube channel to view & to know more about this crafter – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M8QY8K9ueeY

Looking forward to many more creations, Happy Crafting!

Passport Holder - With Love

Fellow Crafters,

This is Remya here and today, we would have a look into a crafty Passport Holder. 

While you are on travel, one thing that you do not want to miss is your Passport - the only document to prove your existence outside your motherland. You may also want to keep it very safe. Have seen lot of people trying many ideas to make sure that you don"t miss your Passport - right from a passport cover till keeping the passport in bag hanging around ones neck. This gave me an idea to create some thing unique - Passport holder - With Love. How pleasing it would be if you carry your proof of identity in a holder hand made by you. Here the Passport Holder has been made with nothing but Pattern Paper & Cardstock. 

Cutting to the chase, lets discuss on how to make it.

Step by Step Procedure

All starts with the Cardstock which is going to be your basic raw materiel in this project. As a first step we need to create the base of the Passport Holder. Cut a Cardstock measuring 8 x 5.75 inches - detailed measurements marked in the picture

Then comes the inner pocket for the holder for sliding the start and end pages of your passport. For the inner pocket cut two Cardstock measuring 1.75 x 5.75 inches

Since the inside of the pockets would also be visible in this project, before attaching the inner pockets paste pattern paper on the side using Silicon glue. It adds to the beauty and brings in a completeness !  

Unlike the usual CAUTION Message, this time couple of words on the Silicon glue

With the vast supply of adhesives available, silicone adhesives stand out. It offers flexibility and the being bottled with high nozzle , making them idle for application on any surface without getting messy and has a delayed hardening time which helps you do minor alterations to your plan if it does not get executed as expected.

Once the interiors are done , time to work upon the external beauty of this passport holder. Used Pattern papers from the Mixed company paper stack to decorate the front and rear flaps !! I would suggest to pep up your creative mind to identify which Pattern Paper suits your style and likes. I chose denim pattern for mine here.

Once the Pattern Papers are stuck on to the card stock, we would obviously have to start decoration of the pages. Decorated the front flap using some gorgeous Itsy Bitsy embellishments like tags, flowers, Epoxy stickers and a cute little button too. I love the simplicity it exudes by itself. Moreover, since this is a Passport Holder and would be frequently used when you are travelling, we should chose the embellishments which may not get damaged with frequent usage.

A Passport and Passport Holder would be connected to lot of good things and may be a gateway for some fond memories, all of which, would be very dear to you and close to your heart. If you were planning to gift this to a friend or acquaintance, you may not want to gift am empty holder. Here I have made a cute card with pattern papers stuck on to the Cardstock, which measures a tad higher than the size of the Passport front page - 5.5 x 3.75 inches. Have used the Epoxy Stickers and some ribbon along with some self adhesive beads to enhance the beauty of the card.

Passport sits cosy inside the holder along with this sweet little card.

A few more snaps of this Passport Holder

Hope you enjoyed this !!

Happy Crafting !!

Hugs,

Remya

Materials Used

• Pattern Paper - Mixed Company 12x12 inch Stack Pack
• Decoupage Paper
• Assorted tag pad
• White Cardstock 
• Silicon glue
• Embellishment - Epoxy Stickers
• Ribbon
• Flowers

 

A Starry Stitch Mini

Hello & Good Morning...

This is Gopi & today I will be sharing a cute little Mini Album with a beautiful binding technique. I call this mini album ‘A Starry Stitch Mini’.

The look of the spine is totally inspired from an International crafter Stacy Koo of Doraecyscraps. You can check out her creations here.

So lets get started...

Front & Back Cover and Spine: 

I have cut the chipboards to the desired size and then painted all the 3 pieces with white gesso on both the sides & edges and let it air dry for few hours. Another way is to cover the chipboards with white cardstock.

Chipboard Sizes:

For the front & back cover – 5” x 6”

For the spine – 2 1/2” x 6”

Mat the covers & spine with pattern papers. I have used Love Notes Paper Pad by We R Memory Keepers. It is a wonderful paper collection, perfect for expressing love & care.

Pattern Paper Sizes:

For the front & back cover – 4 7/8” x 5 7/8” (inside & Outside)

For the spine -  2 1/2” x 6” (only Outside)

I have used the Scrapbooking glue to adhere the PP to the Spine so its easy to pierce holes through it.

To give a subtle look to my cover I have further mat it using Vellum. Vellum being translucent, it is always tricky to adhere it as the adhesive is visible from the front. So the best way out is to first embellish it and then glue it by hiding the adhesive behind the embellishments. The embellishments I have used are shaped chipboard, resin frame, butterfly from the handmade flowers pack & pearls.

Chipboard Trick: The floral branches on the cover have been created using a single pack of shaped chipboard. This is the trick. Firstly I trimmed out the branches from the tree. Then soaked each piece for about 15-20 seconds i water and immediately dried it on a paper towel. Then while the chipboard still wet, peel the layers carefully without breaking it. Here I have peeled it into 3 layers. Lastly keep it aside for drying. You can also heat dry it to speed up the process.

Once dry, apply gesso & then paint the pieces with acrylic colours.

Front Cover

Binding: 

A binding is the most integral part of any mini album. For this album I have used a stitching technique to bind all the pages. Stacy Koo calls this a Double Star Stitch.

Once the spine chipboard was ready after sticking the PP, I pierced holes using the piercing tool from the Deluxe Paper Crafting Tool Box.

For the hinges I have used white CS.  Size:  2 1/2” x 6”  Score @ 1” &  1 1/2”. Both the sides of the hinge was punched using a border punch. We need 5 such hinges.

For binding i have used American Craft Hemp Twine and a Needle. I started the binding from the last hole in the middle column. Holding the hinge behind the spine and matching the holes, pass the twine throught the hole. Then follow the diagram & instructions given below. Keep attaching the hinge from behind when u pass through a hole in the respective column.

Pages:

For the pages I have used White cardstock. Size: 4 7/8” x 6”. Mat the pages with pattern papers from Love Notes Paper Pad by We R Memory Keepers. We need 4 such pages.

Once the pages are ready, attach them between two hinges.

To embellish the pages, I have cut two frames out of the white CS, drew stitched border using a red pen and adhered them using double sided foam tape. The bottom frame has the top side open to slide a photo in it. Topped it with a flower from the Itsy Bitsy – Little Birdie Mini Embellishments Pack. The Inspirational quotes were printed on the white CS and then to strips. The American Craft Premium ‘XOXO’ ribbon was given stiffness by attaching a strip of CS behind.

The Quote wheel on the inside of the covers are again print & cut and the layers with CS, Pattern Paper & flowers.

Finally the pages look beautiful...

Supplies Used:

WhiteChipboard

WhiteCardstock

Vellum Sheet

Love NotesPaper Pad by We R Memory Keepers

AmericanCraft Hemp Twine

AmericanCraft Premium Ribbon

Deluxe PaperCrafting Tool

Itsy Bitsy –Little Birdie Mini Embellishments

ShapedChipboard - Tree

ResinEmbellishment

ScrapbookingGlue

Tacky Tape

Double SidedFoam tape

Gesso

Hope the tutorial will be helpful. Trust me you’ll enjoy this binding as much as I did. Would love to see your version... Thanks for all the patience while reading through this super long post. Do leave some lovely comments...

Happy Binding!!!