Creating Pinwheels with Izzy

Hi everyone!  We're kicking off the last week of June with a fun technique from Design Team member Izzy Anderson... pinwheels!

Here's Izzy...

The June Creative Kit comes with a brad set that includes two adorable little pinwheels.  I thought it would be fun to make my own pinwheel as well.  Below is the pinwheel I made (with the Laugh brad in the center).

Pinwheels are really quick and fun to make.  You can make them any size.  Just start with a square of double sided patterned paper.

I used a 2-inch square punch but you could also cut your own square or use a die cut machine.  Once you have  your square (whatever size you want), fold the square to the corners, then fold again to the other corners.  This gives you crease lines to guide your cuts and folds.

Use the crease lines to guide you and cut halfway to the center.  Then fold down every other corner.  Add a brad or decorative center to complete the pinwheel.

Flower Tutorial and Techniques with Carla

Hello everyone!  We hope you've had a very nice week.  To kick off the weekend, Design Team member Carla Marchee is sharing a fabulous flower tutorial plus some bonus flower-altering tips!

Here's Carla with her tutorial...

I adore to just punch out flowers.  So now I have to share already another awesome flower made with this creating design, and with pleasure and fun I want to share with you how I have made this.

Supplies - what you need to make this awesome flower:

** Cartel scissors

** Paint brush

** Flower punch

** Tweezers

** Glimmer glam two colors

** Distress ink

** Glue or Dots

STEP 1: Punch some flowers out- middle size and little size

STEP 2: Cut at the top of the flower with the Cartel scissors for ruffle effect.

STEP 3: Lubricating the flowers then in with glimmer glam to give them extra glitter and also stiffen the flower.

STEP 4: Do with the tweezers pinch in middle of the petal

and curl the little bit inwards (see picture please).

STEP 5: Ink the edges of the tops of the flowers.

STEP 6: Glue or with dots all your layers together and push the small flower into the middle and place at last a pearl in the center.

Here is the closeup when it's finished.

Next, what I have done with this beautiful neutral Prima flower that came in the Main Kit.

I just wanted to match the color of my shirt so what I have done into the center of the flower is colored first with Copic marker.  Because it's now too delightful and glaring over there, with gesso made little bit softer color.

I am now having a new fave LOL :) to play with glimmer glam.

What I have done to create depth in the flower is painting following the veins.

As you head into your weekend, we hope you'll give some of Carla's flower techniques a try!

Using Embellishments as Templates with Rachael

Hello everyone!  The weekend is almost here... woohoo!

Design Team member Rachael Elliot used the large numbers that come in the June Limited Edition kit in such a creative way... as templates!

Here's Rachael to tell us about it:

The big black numbers that are in the June Limited Edition kit are great for adding to pages but they also make perfect templates.

I wanted to create some numbers with depth so I drew around the number 1 onto the patterned paper as it was and then trimmed off the cream border and traced around it again creating a slightly smaller number.

I then inked the edges of the numbers and layered them together using pin flair glue gel.

Just in case you missed our post yesterday, we have a call out for designers for our sketch blog!  You can find all of the details here.

Hope you'll visit us again tomorrow for some more tips and techniques from the design team!

My Creative *Sketches* DT and GDT Call!

My Creative *Sketches* is thrilled to announce our call for designers for our sketch blog!

We’re looking for talented designers and guest designers who love to create scrapbook layouts based on our sketches and who will enthusiastically promote our site.  This call is open to everyone.

If being a valued part of a wonderful group of scrapbookers on an established site is something you think you might be interested in, please read on.

Expectations/Requirements:

- Complete one layout each month based on the sketch provided

- Provide quality photos of work to be posted on the My Creative Sketches blog

- Post your monthly sketch layout on your blog, facebook, and online galleries

- Promote My Creative Sketches and My Creative Scrapbook kit club on your blog and facebook

- Demonstrate open communication skills

- Meet deadlines

- Be a flexible team player

- Have a consistent style

In return you will receive:

- A warm welcome into our friendly, caring, supportive family

- Your photo and bio on the My Creative Sketches blog

- Monthly sketches provided well in advance of deadlines

- Opportunities to be featured on our company blog

- My Creative Sketches blinkie to display on your blog

To Apply:

Submit the following to MyCreativeScrapbook@yahoo.com with “Sketch Blog DT Call” in the subject line:

- Full name and email address

- Link to your blog/website and online gallery

- List of your current design teams or link to your current scrapbook resume, if applicable (note: previous design team experience is not required)

- Tell us a little about you and why you would love to be a part of My Creative Sketches

- Attach 3 samples of your recent layouts which best showcase your style (please keep images under 500kb in size)

The deadline for applications to be received is Tuesday, July 10, 2012 at midnight EST.

The selected designers and guest designers will be notified via email and announced on the blog and message board shortly after.

New design team members will serve a 6 month term beginning in August 2012.  Guest designers will serve on a monthly basis.

Questions about this call may be sent to MyCreativeScrapbook@yahoo.com.

We can’t wait to see your applications!

Hi girls,
Quick note we are having a server update on Wednesday June 20th at 8:30 am , so the site will be down for a bit.We are updating our site to better serve you. This update will take a couple of hours to complete. So check back later today, Thank You!

To place an order e-mail us at MyCreativeScrapbook@gmail.com or if you have any questions.

Shimmer Accents with Delaina

Hi everyone!  Today Design Team member Delaina Burns is sharing her fun technique for achieving balance on her layout.

Here's Delaina...

I added a little shimmer accent to my fussy cut flowers using a Viva Decor Pearl Pen.  I simply added dots randomly over the flowers.  I wanted to balance the effect the glitter banner pieces were giving on my page.  You can also achieve this using Stickles or glue dots with a little glitter added.

Give it a try!

Check Out Our June Challenges *PRIZES*

We'd like to start the week by telling you about our fun June challenges.

Would you like to win this fabulous prize?

Well then, we invite you to enter our June sketch contest!

This contest ends on July 14th.

Find the sketch and all the details... here.

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How about a chance at ANOTHER wonderful prize?

Design Team member Alicia Giess is hosting our

June technique challenge... BANNERS!

This challenge ends on July 5th.

Here's Alicia to tell you about it:

I'm hosting the challenge through the month of June and it is an easy one, especially considering how popular banners are right now.  It seems like you can't browse through a gallery anywhere without seeing a "banner" of some sort.  There are lots of different ways to use banners so your challenge is to make a page or a card using a banner...or two banners, if you'd like.

Check out these fantastic banner samples from Alicia!

Find the challenge and all of the details on our message board... here.

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Let's not forget about our huge PRIMA contest!

This is the incredible Grand Prize...

we have more prizes to give away, too!

This contest ends on June 30th.

Find the contest and all of the details... here.

Come join in the fun... and have chances at the beautiful prizes!!!

Liquid Applique, Lace, Punchwork, and Mist with Romy

Hello everyone!  We have some treats for you today, as design team member Romy Veul is sharing several wonderful techniques.

Here's Romy...

On two of my layouts (Playing and Awesome cute beautiful girl) I added some texture using liquid applique.  I'll show you how I did it.

I used a mask as a template to apply Liquid Applique to my layout.  I used a chickenwire mask, but any other mask will work too!  I usually add a thick layer of Liquid Applique to my sponge to apply it to my page.

Then heat it with your heat gun.  The longer you heat it, the more the pattern will 'puff'.

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To add an extra layer of texture to my layout 'Playing' I used the gorgeous lace that is part of the main kit.

I simply cut pieces of lace and adhered them to my layout with tacky glue.  It was a lot of work to get them all in the perfect sizes, but in the end all the pieces made a perfect square.

You can cut away the inner square to save some paper for another layout.  I added a layer with punched edges on top of the lacing:

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On this layout I used double punchwork to create some extra dimension.

 I simply punched a couple of strips of paper in different sizes and adhered them behind a square with punched edges, to create this layered punchwork look.

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The white flowers in the main kit are perfect for altering.  You can use glimmer mist, paint, glitter etc. to decorate them in the desired way.

 

To add a little extra to the flowers on this layout, I sprinkled some glimmer mist on the flowers.

Altering Flower Color with Melissa

Design team member Melissa Vettorel is sharing a fun technique for altering the color of flower embellishments!  Here's Melissa...

I just wanted to share how I colored the Prima Flowers that came in the Main kit this month.  It's super easy and the flowers come out really cute :)

First, I carefully pulled all of the layers apart.

Then, I sprayed the bottom and top layers of the flower with Sunflower Glimmer mist and dried them with my heat gun.

Lastly, I just glued all of the layers back together and added a bow made out of thread.

Cut-Out Technique with Zoe

Hi everyone!  Let's kick off our June techniques with a fabulous one from design team member Zoe Nemburt!  Here's Zoe to tell us about it...

Hi ladies I wanted to show you how I did the cut out technique on this page.

First of all you need a template.  I have made my own over the years if I receive a die cut piece of paper I will just trace the edges onto a piece of Bazzill cardstock or cardboard.  This is a bracket shape from my stash!

 Trace around the outline of the shape you are using.

Next cut it out.

I made a couple of arrows so I would know which way the original shape fit into the outer shape.

Next trim off more from the inside and outside shapes.  This will allow the background paper to show through some more.

Next we are going to make the edges wet so we can manipulate them easily.  I use Pearl Glimmer Mist (I'm a sucker for shine!) you can use water if you don't have a top coat mist.

Here is a close up of how much I sprayed on... the more pliable the better.  Don't worry about warping we will stitch it all into place.  Curl the edges and scrunch them between your fingers the more you play the more creases you will get. :)

Once your edges have dried a little glue them with a little glue into place on your background sheet.  I decided I wanted to show more of the background layer so I trimmed off about 1/4 inch on each edge and used the same technique on the outside edge.

Lastly I sewed all edges into place it was a tricky shape to sew actually but because of the shabby chic nature to this technique I didn't think it mattered :)

Hope you enjoy making some fun backgrounds.