Vintage Mini Album or Signature Book

Today's post is a long one! Its full of photos, details, instructions, and 3 videos!! My grandmother turned 85 yesterday. We had a huge "reception" party for her. Very fancy. I offered to make a book for guests to sign. Well, let's just say that the vintage style of my book was a complete contrast to the decor to put it mildly! However, my grandmother LOVED it!

This book was a signature book, but could just as easily become a mini album with other decorated pages instead of the lined papers I used.

Front cover is below.

Inside Front Cover is below. Each ad was significant to my grandmother!

 

Back Cover is below.

Front Cover Detail is below. I LOVE these metal frames. 

 

Prima Say It With Pearls – cut off and use just the portion you want! See photo below.

Technique for the embellishment on the Front Cover: Emboss Resist

The technique I used for the cover is called Emboss Resist. Here are the instructions for what I did:

1. Ink and distress the background cardstock or designer patterned  paper that you will want to show through. I inked (to age) and stamped an image that I wanted to show through. Using patterned paper will work great too! Just remember that what is on the base below the embossing powder will show through in the end. Make it something dramatic!
2. Before you do the next step, rub an Embossing Buddy (corn starch puff) over your cardstock/paper. I ALWAYS forget to do this and end up with a paint brush trying to remove the excess embossing powder. Ugh! I used a stencil (the cheap kind of paper stencils from the hardware store) for the numbers on the background paper. You could use a stamp instead! I laid the stencil down and inked the area with VersaMark ink. If you use a stamp, just ink the stamp with VersaMark! I then removed the stencil.
3. Cover area with CLEAR embossing powder and heat emboss.
4. Rub a darker color ink (any color) all over the paper and the embossed area. You can do this in a distressed fashion or more solidly. Wipe the excess ink off the clear embossed area. You will now have a "peek thru" to the base paper! Super simple!

Here's a Hot Tip for those of you who are new to distressing and inking edges. Using more than one color creates great depth! Use a lighter color to rub in a bit around the border, maybe 1/2 or 1" deep. The second color should be darker and you only apply it to the edges, barely allowing it to come onto the top surface of the paper. You could use 2 shade of red or two shades of green. Match it to whatever you are doing!

Here is the quote from the Tim Holtz Visual Artistry stamps that I used.

Here is the pdf version of the lined paper I used for the signature book. This is loaded on scribd, but you can also email me for a direct copy at creativepzazz at gmail dot com.

Thanks for stopping by today!

Leslie

Charm Swap

These are the charms from the charm swap with Cindy from Life on the ScrapBeach. If you aren't a member, click on the link in my right side panel and join. It's FREE, and there are tons of great ladies on there that are so helpful! Plus, giveaways, videos, and swaps are available each month!

I love these charms. They are so pretty! I can't decide which is my favorite! More importantly, these charms inspired me in directions I wouldn't have thought of going otherwise!! Check out the video of the charms. Enjoy!

Thanks for stopping by today.

Oh, can you give me your opinion of the sound quality for the videos? I know I mumble at times, but in general is it loud enough?

Thanks, Leslie

Pretty Woman Tag

I made my first tag!! Well, I have made Christmas tags before, but this is what I call Tag Art. I won't be using these tags as tags. I plan to place them in a book, sort of like a mini album of tags! Remember: click on the photos to see a larger view!!

            

Carlene the Pink Scrapper hosted a swap for August, and the theme was Pretty Woman. I decided to use a photo of my grandmother. I love things from the 40s. I think it is my favorite decade. So, I thought a photo of her from 1944 would be great!

I used pearls below the photo on the swap tags and black beaded trim at the base. I didn't have enough of the tiny trim I used below the photo on the tag for my grandmother or the vanilla trim I used at the base of her tag. It all worked out well though! They both look great! To me, at least.

My tag was themed around her as inspiration to the rest of us. I added a hope ribbon charm because she has survived kidney cancer (they gave her 6 months to live over 6 years ago) and bladder cancer (three times so far)! I am inspired by her strength, so I decided to add the definition of inspire and the word inspire stamped on the tag. Besides cancer, she has survived atrial fibrillation (abnormal heart rate), where they have to shock you with the "paddles" to get it back in rhythm. She went through that 3 times. It never worked. It basically kills you for a second or two, not to mention the pain of an all over extreme body contraction! She has a pace maker (recently placed) to help keep her heart rate from going so slow too! She had two strokes and was still 100% the same as before the strokes. She just had another stroke two weeks ago, which she is still recuperating from, but she should recover completely from it too!

Here is a video with all the tag details. I also have a video for the flower coming tomorrow!! For any further info about what I did or how, email me at CreativePzazz at Gmail dot com.

Did you lose count?

• Cancer X 4 (with a death sentence of 6 month over 6 years ago)
• Stroke x 3 (and still the same after all)
• atrial fibrillation (basically killed by the defibrillator paddles 3 times)
• Pace maker

Amazing, right? She is strong and it is all because of her faith in God. So, I dedicate my tag to her!

Thanks so much for stopping by today! Hope you enjoyed the video!

Leslie

DIY Charms

There are two posts today! There is a card posted after this series of videos! Enjoy!

Today's project is to show you how to make your own charms to go on your tags or scrapbook pages, or to hang on mini albums.  I made these charms for a charm swap that I entered on the Beach. See my link on the right panel or go to Life on the Scrap Beach and join for FREE. I think there are a couple of spots left for this charm swap, if you are interested in joining!

Basically, I was supposed to make 8 charms, they needed to have a bead or button, and they had to have a pin or something to attach it with. I used the pins I made in yesterday's post as the attachment because I didn't want any beads on these particular charms. To meet the requirements, I added some spacer beads and seed beads on some safety pins (that I did not alter like yesterday's pins), and I will send those for each participant as well.

For full instructions watch the video. Sorry there are two parts, but I wanted to share all the tips I learned by doing this process!

Supplies used:

• Ultra Thick Embossing Enamel (UTEE) in platinum
• Versamark Ink Pad
• Heat Gun
• Needle tool or Tweezers

To make the Heat Proof Tile:

• 12" ceramic tile (don't go to any expense here, the cheaper the better, in case it breaks)
• Flat backed marbles (from Michael's)
• E6000 glue (or other industrial strength glue, such as Gorilla Glue, Goop, etc.)

So after I prepared these charms, I found out that the rest of the ladies in the swap were making charms that were more like Bling than vintage, so I am making different ones! Here is the video about those.

Here is a video showing all the charms, both styles, completed! Plus two things I was working on Sunday afternoon.

Please leave me a comment here or on my YT! Look for a video about more flowers maybe next weekend. Thanks for stopping by today!

Leslie

DIY Tim Holtz Embellishment Pins

Today's project is to show you how to make my own home made version of the Tim Holtz embellishment pins. While I would love to buy EVERY Tim product there is, the reality is that I have to pick and choose. I had been wanting some pins like these, but just couldn't let myself get them. Well, now I can make my own, and so can you!

Supplies used:

• Safety pins (any size—the cheaper the better, check the dollar store or your sewing kit)
• Alcohol ink ( I used black)
• Zipper style bag (learn from me and check to see if it has leaks before you start!)

Leave me a comment here or on YT! Thanks for stopping by today!

Leslie

What's Up?

What is going on in the world of CreativePzazz? Well, I thought I would take today and ramble a little.

Mini Albums              I am planning to make a video to show a mini I made. It has combination of a paper bag mini plus an envelop mini. The reason is that I want variety in the pages. I don't want each page the same. I am thinking that I will make it look like a purse, when I finish it.  I saw one that Laura of FollowthePaperTrail on YouTube made for a customer. It was so super gorgeous and fun on the inside! I loved the colors too! She used greens and aquas!  I take color spells. I love blues and aquas, pinks and browns, black, red, and whites. Those combos really inspire me.

Flowers- Paper and Fabric              I have a couple of videos I want to do. I have made some lollipop flowers, an alteration to the lollipop flower, some paper flowers, and an alteration to the paper flowers. I want to share the tips I learned by making these and the new different versions I made.I have made oodles of lollipop flowers from fabric. I hope to sell these in the store, because they are great as a pin, in your hair, and on your purse or bag! Plus I may add an Etsy store soon. A couple of people are really pushing me to open an Etsy store to sell things too. As you know, it is my biggest fear to get overwhelmed with work. Crafting is my love, and I don't want it ever to seem like work; plus, when I get overwhlemed I get stressed, and that makes my MS worse. So I definitely do not want that. I also have a couple of videos I would like to do about some techniques for mini albums that I have made and about closures for mini albums.

Tim Holtz Dies            I have a wish list that I will hopefully get to buy soon: a couple of glimmer mists and Tim Holtz Tattered Florals Sizzix Die for the Big Shot.  I bought a couple of chipboard die cuts from the various TH dies and a couple of others that I have been wanting from a lady on Etsy. That way I can decide if I REALLY want them or not. I think they were $2.00 each, but they were BOGO when I ordered them. Yippee!!! I am super excited about these!

Glimmer Mists and PAPER       I also really want some glimmer mists. I can't get any though. Luckily, I have some Pearl Ex powders and Gum Arabic left over from another project long ago that I was going to do (don't ask what that project was or if I did it because I don't remember and no I didn't). I am going to make some Glimmer Mists using these supplies. I will make a video about that too. I want the glimmer mists so I can change some patterned paper that I hate it so much!! I thought that spritzing it with glimmer mists, rubbing inks over it, stamping it, and altogether changing the looks of it that maybe I would like it and use it. I am banned from purchasing any patterned papers until I use a good chunk of what I have already.  Well, ok. I am allowing myself one paper purchase… the Tim Holtz Lost & Found set and two new sets from STampin Up: Newspaper and Vintage something. I LOVE THEM!!!  So, I am trying to use and used it! I would love to get the blue and cream papers of K&CO, the MAMBI collection with the birds, and the black and white collection by anybody! I can't have them until I use what I have.

Why am I not posting?                  My crafting and posting has been hampered by the girls being home for the summer. There is a lot of going and doing with them being home. Plus, I have had several orders and a vacation to fill my time too. The next two weeks are full as I teach the summer reading program at the Opp Public Library. This is my only chance to teach, since I had to retire because of MS. It is fun! Val don't forget to bring the girls! Presley is so excited!

Well, thanks for hanging in for the rambling.  Thanks for stopping by today!

Leslie

My Digital Studio Transparency!

Thank you all for the prayers and well wishes! I am much better! I can actually do things now; I am not stuck in bed! I haven't created anything yet with paper, like I am dying to do, because I am so far behind everywhere else in my life. hopefully this weekend I can show you a few things. I have some great ideas flowing in my mind that I cant wait to do! Plus, I have some AWESOME hauls that I got. Let's see, I got some things from Mike's, Target, Joann's, Scrapbook.com, and of course my favorite, Stampin' Up! I am so excited! I had been saving some money from Christmas and then got paid for a job, so I just had to spend it all… What? It was burning a hole in my pocket… Ok, so fine. I did all this ordering and shopping over a 2 week period. As soon as I made the final order, the following day my dishwasher died. So now I am washing dishes by hand for a few weeks. Do I regret my craft purchases? No, but don't tell anyone!

Anyway, today I was looking at some things online, watching videos on youtube, and fell in love with these transparency pieces that a girl used in a mini album she made. I can't remember what she called them, but they were small pieces that looked stamped or printed. She used these small pieces as overlays, of course, but also as a belt-like piece or as pockets to hold tags and journaling. It was so cute! That led me to think that I could make some awesome transparency pieces using the stamp sets included in My Digital Studio! I could even make some that are colored!

Here is what I came up with! There are borders and tags and more, oh my! Each sheet is 8 1/2 x 11 and is printed on a thermal transparency sheet (clear on both sides), because I scrap in an 8x8" size, but I mainly make mini albums. They are so fun! Each of these items are things that I thought would be great to use for scrapping.

To use them all you do is cut each one out individually using scissors or a craft knife. Attach them to your project with glue Tombow multi glue, then hide the glue in the corners using an embellie, or better yet, attach them using brads or eyelets! You can also hide the glue behind the areas that are printed. The most important thing to remember about transparencies on a scrapbook page or card is that they should be layered over something to get the full effect of a transparency. They are nice alone, yes, but if you wanted it alone, why didn't you print it on cardstock? Some of the elements that are in color have a white background. Just email me, if you are interested in purchasing, and I will let you know.

I was thinking about selling these transparencies, so if you are interested, please let me know. I will have to figure out a price, but if you are interested, I will work that up! They will be sold separately and as a group, so you can order what you would like! I will mail all of them in a padded envelope with a piece of chipboard as added protection. With My Digital Studio, we are allowed to sell 150 projects in one year. So I won't be breaking any rules in selling these. I can't wait to print my own!

Without further ado…

Thanks so much for stopping by today!

Leslie Jones

Canvas Wall Art

Today's project has only one Stampin' Up! product used on it and no stamping,  but you are going to LOVE it anyway!! I want to show you what my next project is: I will be preparing several Wall Art panels to go in a store here in my hometown.  Southern Style, has unique gifts and products that you can have monogrammed. Well, now you will be able to purchase my Ceiling Tile Wall Art (you can see samples here), and I am adding a new product line for Dancing Ballerinas!

What do you think of this?

I took 2 pictures because you just can't see how poofy that tu-tu really is in the photo! These are "Tu-Tu Canvases" that you can have an initial painted on, add a Decor Elements vinyl letter, or attach a photo of your favorite ballerina to the front! They have straps at the top that hang from a small wire hanger that I made (couldn't get it to show for the photo). Aren't these so cute! 

I use 5x7, 8x10, and 11x14 canvases, but the area for the initial or photo ends up being a square area because of the tu-tu. I used a staple gun stapled the tulle as I scrunched it across the front. I did the hot pink first then the light pink.  I finished it off with black polka-dotted ribbon to hide the staples and create a waist band for the tu-tu. I used Pretty in Pink ink and rubbed it across the edges of the canvas. I then took a sponge and blended it in a bit, leaving the center a bit lighter.

What little girl wouldn't love to have this in their room?

I have seen people use canvases as their cover for a mini album. What a great mini album cover this would make! I may have to look into making one of these a mini-album!!

Thanks for stopping by! Oh, and Creative Pzazz products will be in Southern Style on April 10th!

Mini-Album!

I made this mini-album for an order and fell in love with it. I made a second one for my mom that was even better. I will show photos of it soon (Translation: I forgot to take photos of it before I gave it to her. Now I have to wait for her to actually give it to me for 5 minutes so I can take photos of it.) In the mean time, you can look at this one. It was so easy to make!

Here are the steps:

1. The tin was 4 7/8 x 5 1/2".
   
2. I cut 8 pieces of paper that would fit in the tin. (Actually for this first tin, I had a 24" piece of cardstock that I cut to fit, leaving each piece connected to the next, creating a continuous piece.)
   
3. I then cut a 1 1/2 x 3 1/2" piece of cardstock to be the connection between each piece of paper. You could also use a small strip of ribbon between each piece too, hidden by a piece of cardstock or other embellishment.
   
4. Once I had the bindings glued together, I inked and stamped each piece. I used two stamp sets: Medallion and Baroque Motifs. These are both great for backgrounds, plus Baroque Motifs has two word sentiments, kind and cherish.
   
5. Then I cut pieces of cardstock to make pockets for each page. I altered the size and direction of the pockets for interest. I used patterened paper, inked cardstock, and texturized cardstock (using the Big Shot and Texturz Templates #1).
6. Finally, I added stickers, rub-ons, and some vellum quotes. These were not Stampin' Up! They were things I had left over from another project from years ago. No current products used.
   
7. I added die cuts from the Chirping Machine and put them on the front of the tin. I wish I had thought of using the alcohol inks to ink up the tin before placing the die cuts. AmyV has a great video tutorial here on how to use alcohol inks. She learned them from the master Tim holtz, himself!
8. I added a piece of ribbon to pick up the album from the tin and a strip on the front of the tin.

I am looking for a tutorial on how to use the Crop-a-dile to set eyelets. When I do it, the eyelet looks okay in the front (not great), but the back is split open and sharp. Perhaps this is the way it is supposed to be, butI wanted to be sure. I used to have a hammer type eyelet setter that made it look perfect on the front and the back, but I lost it and can't seem to get the same results with the Crop-a-dile. Don't get me wrong, the Crop-a-dile is worth its money! It will cut right through these tins without any extra elbow grease!!
Thanks for stopping by today.