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Saturday, September 10, 2011
SWAP IDEAS Day~!
If you have any great ideas to share on crafting.....share them in the comment section.....if we get to at least 20 ideas, there will be goodies.
If you are going to stamp something and then emboss that stamp, but only have dye ink, there is an easy way. Just put your stamp (while clean) onto your embossing pad (I use versamark) first and then the dye ink. Stamp your image, sprinkle with the clear embossing powder and heat set. Perfectly embossed stamp in exactly the color that you want. :) Gale
my idea is if you are not very good at colouring you can print on to coloured card which brightens up a black and white picture, and saves you coloured printing ink, love christine in italy xx
I saw something recently before that was an eye opener for me. You can turn plain brads into gorgeous brads with heat embossing. I saw it done by using the heat gun to heat up the brad - then dipping the brad top into embossing powder. After that, you heat the brad from the back with the heat gun until the embossing powder melts. It was beautiful!
Need to make your own twine for an emergency? Wrap a ruler in masking or painters tape (so you don't mark up the ruler). Take #10 Crochet Thread and wind it almost snugly (you need to be able to slide it just a LITTLE bit) around and around, being careful not to place layers on top of each other. You need to end up with nice flat rows of thread. Take your cheapest markers and draw lines down thge rows of threads, marking at a slight diagonal. Let dry thoroughly. Fun & easy.
I learned something a few weeks ago. I am a huge bargain crafter and I read a suggestion regarding ribbons. If you check out your fabric store's selection of sewing trim, it looks just like ribbon, but for a way better price!!
Did you know you can change a plain silver or gold brad, eyelet or charm to any color! (2 ways) #1- dab versa mark onto metal than sprinkle with a colored embossing powder. #2- use alcohol base marking pens, REALLY! they do not rub of when dry.
I'm giving a second hint! I buy only white pearls. I color them with my Copics. The color stays and always a match, not an almost match, to my project.
Homemade cheap Pop Dots. I buy a piece of craft foam that is sticky on one side that is sticky on one side and then run it through my Zyron. Then I can cut them to any size that I need.
Decorating Chalks are a fabulous colouring medium - especially for vintage images.
You can use almost anything to apply them, cottonbuds (Qtips), eyeshadow sticks, pom poms, paintbrush, and even FINGERS! If you apply too much, you can remove it with a white eraser. They can be used dry, or wet, and last forever! I've been crafting with chalks for over 10 years, and still have my original set!
When stamping, I always have a sheet of printer paper for practice and testing colors. When I am finished or the paper is covered, I use my envelope template and make an envelope from the practice paper. The random designs and words make a fun and unusual envelope -- sometimes it even matches the card I made.
Those annoying junk mail credit cards included with mail offers can be cut to any size and used as glue and/or glitter nudgers. Great for working in small areas.
LOL!! Kelly I was about to say the same thing as you! I bought some white hat pins the other week but my card needed cream (the white was way too stark) so I coloured it with my Copics - perfect!.... OK now I have to think of something else...
ok how about this (I'm sure everyone already does it)...but it's specific to using digi images so may help someone! To paper piece a digi image without wasting a whole piece of pretty dp, print the image (on a word doc) in draft (economy) on plain photocopy paper. Place a small piece of dp (just larger than the section you need) over the printed image, tacked on with a little sticky tape. Run it through your printer on the normal setting and it will print without you having wasted a whole sheet of your 'good' paper! Hope that made sense?
When I design a card on my computer I save it as a template image (in paintshop pro this is .psp image). I then copy all the layers as individual images and then print them out (squeezing as many as I can on an A4 sheet). I can then layer up when I make the actual card. I also print a copy of the full image to guide me when I am layering up.
If like me you don't use telephone directories anymore and put them in the recycling - stop right there!!
How many times do we colour with a scrap piece of paper underneath our image, or do some messy inking or glueing with scrap paper etc, even for sprinkling glitter or embossing powder and scooping it back into your pot. You can rip out the pages you have used and have the rest to hand all tidy. You may even be lucky enough to come across an advert that would be great to use on a card for professions etc.
i have already added a tip but just want to say thank you to everyone for all the useful tips, plus the biggest tip is enjoy yourself when creating, have fun, love christine in italy xx
Thanks for the great tips! My advice is to apply glitter glue with a cotton stick - with better control you don't get too much of it on your project :)
I left a comment, but it never posted. My stupid connection. Use a coloring stump and odorless mineral spirits on your image that has been colored with water color pencils and the printer ink won't run. How do I print all these great tips?
Here is a storage tip from me. I love my flat gems/pearls but found it hard to store till my friend asked me if I need Tic-Tac box(little menthol sweets) ever since my storage been sorted, they are see through and can be stored next to each other or top of each other. hugs Ildiko
I didn't post a tip. my disease is kicking my back side again (makes it hard to think). I would like to thank everyone that did. They all really helped. I am sure this is a dumb question but what is dp?
Kathleen you should be able to push control P on your keyboard and it will print the whole page.
Ok I know it's late but here is a tip from me. When I am stamping with ink or chalk that dries fast and I am going to use the stamp more than once, I cover the inked stamp with a baby wipe to keep the stamp wet.
If you are going to stamp something and then emboss that stamp, but only have dye ink, there is an easy way.
ReplyDeleteJust put your stamp (while clean) onto your embossing pad (I use versamark) first and then the dye ink. Stamp your image, sprinkle with the clear embossing powder and heat set. Perfectly embossed stamp in exactly the color that you want. :) Gale
my idea is if you are not very good at colouring you can print on to coloured card which brightens up a black and white picture, and saves you coloured printing ink, love christine in italy xx
ReplyDeleteI saw something recently before that was an eye opener for me. You can turn plain brads into gorgeous brads with heat embossing. I saw it done by using the heat gun to heat up the brad - then dipping the brad top into embossing powder. After that, you heat the brad from the back with the heat gun until the embossing powder melts. It was beautiful!
ReplyDeleteNeed to make your own twine for an emergency? Wrap a ruler in masking or painters tape (so you don't mark up the ruler). Take #10 Crochet Thread and wind it almost snugly (you need to be able to slide it just a LITTLE bit) around and around, being careful not to place layers on top of each other. You need to end up with nice flat rows of thread. Take your cheapest markers and draw lines down thge rows of threads, marking at a slight diagonal. Let dry thoroughly. Fun & easy.
ReplyDeleteWhen using glimmer mist, I keep seambinding close by to wipe up the overspray. Now I have matching ribbon.
ReplyDeleteI use an old fashioned ice pick to punch holes when I'm crafting. The nice thing is that the holes can be punched anywhere on the project.
ReplyDeleteFor tiny holes I use my paper piercer as a hole punch.
I learned something a few weeks ago. I am a huge bargain crafter and I read a suggestion regarding ribbons. If you check out your fabric store's selection of sewing trim, it looks just like ribbon, but for a way better price!!
ReplyDeleteDid you know you can change a plain silver or gold brad, eyelet or charm to any color! (2 ways) #1- dab versa mark onto metal than sprinkle with a colored embossing powder. #2- use alcohol base marking pens, REALLY! they do not rub of when dry.
ReplyDeleteI'm giving a second hint! I buy only white pearls. I color them with my Copics. The color stays and always a match, not an almost match, to my project.
ReplyDeleteHomemade cheap Pop Dots. I buy a piece of craft foam that is sticky on one side that is sticky on one side and then run it through my Zyron. Then I can cut them to any size that I need.
ReplyDeleteCari
Decorating Chalks are a fabulous colouring medium - especially for vintage images.
ReplyDeleteYou can use almost anything to apply them, cottonbuds (Qtips), eyeshadow sticks, pom poms, paintbrush, and even FINGERS!
If you apply too much, you can remove it with a white eraser.
They can be used dry, or wet, and last forever! I've been crafting with chalks for over 10 years, and still have my original set!
I save the sleeves from my espresso drinks and use them in my die-cutter. They make wonderfully textured flowers, tags, etc.
ReplyDeleteWhen stamping, I always have a sheet of printer paper for practice and testing colors. When I am finished or the paper is covered, I use my envelope template and make an envelope from the practice paper. The random designs and words make a fun and unusual envelope -- sometimes it even matches the card I made.
ReplyDeleteThose annoying junk mail credit cards included with mail offers can be cut to any size and used as glue and/or glitter nudgers. Great for working in small areas.
ReplyDeleteLOL!! Kelly I was about to say the same thing as you! I bought some white hat pins the other week but my card needed cream (the white was way too stark) so I coloured it with my Copics - perfect!.... OK now I have to think of something else...
ReplyDeleteok how about this (I'm sure everyone already does it)...but it's specific to using digi images so may help someone!
ReplyDeleteTo paper piece a digi image without wasting a whole piece of pretty dp, print the image (on a word doc) in draft (economy) on plain photocopy paper. Place a small piece of dp (just larger than the section you need) over the printed image, tacked on with a little sticky tape. Run it through your printer on the normal setting and it will print without you having wasted a whole sheet of your 'good' paper!
Hope that made sense?
When I design a card on my computer I save it as a template image (in paintshop pro this is .psp image). I then copy all the layers as individual images and then print them out (squeezing as many as I can on an A4 sheet). I can then layer up when I make the actual card. I also print a copy of the full image to guide me when I am layering up.
ReplyDeleteIf like me you don't use telephone directories anymore and put them in the recycling - stop right there!!
ReplyDeleteHow many times do we colour with a scrap piece of paper underneath our image, or do some messy inking or glueing with scrap paper etc, even for sprinkling glitter or embossing powder and scooping it back into your pot. You can rip out the pages you have used and have the rest to hand all tidy. You may even be lucky enough to come across an advert that would be great to use on a card for professions etc.
i have already added a tip but just want to say thank you to everyone for all the useful tips, plus the biggest tip is enjoy yourself when creating, have fun, love christine in italy xx
ReplyDeleteThanks for the great tips! My advice is to apply glitter glue with a cotton stick - with better control you don't get too much of it on your project :)
ReplyDeleteI left a comment, but it never posted. My stupid connection. Use a coloring stump and odorless mineral spirits on your image that has been colored with water color pencils and the printer ink won't run. How do I print all these great tips?
ReplyDeleteHere is a storage tip from me. I love my flat gems/pearls but found it hard to store till my friend asked me if I need Tic-Tac box(little menthol sweets) ever since my storage been sorted, they are see through and can be stored next to each other or top of each other.
ReplyDeletehugs
Ildiko
I didn't post a tip. my disease is kicking my back side again (makes it hard to think). I would like to thank everyone that did. They all really helped. I am sure this is a dumb question but what is dp?
ReplyDeleteKathleen you should be able to push control P on your keyboard and it will print the whole page.
Ok I know it's late but here is a tip from me. When I am stamping with ink or chalk that dries fast and I am going to use the stamp more than once, I cover the inked stamp with a baby wipe to keep the stamp wet.