Yes!
Finally. It all comes together, even better than hoped.
I spent hours yesterday trying to buy a few select items and ran up against wall after wall of "not currently in stock" and paying $5.00 or more for each shipping charge, adding up to over $20.00 for less than $15.00 worth of product.
I started out the day with a positive attitude. After about an hour of searching the wheels began to
grind down... again. Time to take a break. I set back out after the house
quieted, not really expecting results. And then, jackpot!!!
Scor-Tape. Bingo!
Flying off the shelf Prima mask. Gotcha!
Photo corners. Done deal!
I am tickled pink. But... the best was yet to come. I've lusted after a
Graphic 45 collection called "Once Upon a Springtime" that I believe retired
about the time I came into the craft. Through sheer perseverance I
managed to collect the tag, frames and sticker pages, and all but two of
the pages from the12x12 paper pad.
Tonight I found the two pages, they are ordered, and mine all mine!
I've resigned all hope of finding the full 8x8 pad. Notwithstanding, this is the absolute BEST. Now(!) all the Prima flowers,
lace and crystals I've been hoarding will have a place to call home.
Right after I finish the other three albums in line. Poo. The important thing is having the set together when time comes. I think to buy
another safe to keep my most treasured papers protected in the event of a
fire; either that, or find a place to stash that other junk taking up valuable
safe space: birth and marriage certificates, diplomas, etc ;P
The next Graphic 45 quest is the Olde Curiosity Shoppe line. It's newer
and hardly a challenge to find. Just that money thing, which always
gets in the way of fun. This will be the September allowance.
I still can't figure out why the big hobby stores aren't carrying Scor-Tape. And why I haven't heard about it until now? The red sticky tape meets all demands, but gets to be
down right expensive at $3.00 for five yards. The Scor-Tape does the
exact same thing, but for a few dimes more buys twenty-seven yards.
Every album created so far has cost over $10.00 in tape alone. Throw in
the-up front paper investment and a few embellishments... and one of these books costs
almost $35.00 to create - of course I still mess up a whole bunch in the process. What was it I read a few months ago?
Scrapbooking is the art of spending $20.00 decorating a ten-cent
photo... too funny.
So.
I've finished the full mock-up of the next album and decided the binding. Or so I thought until
watching a new batch of YouTube videos. There are quite a few out there that use greeting card size pull-outs for pictures. Not a bad idea,
actually; most of the fun of the mini's is the interaction, and it also
provides a quick way out of figuring where to put the 5x7's collected
over the years.
I'm content. There's enough work laid out now to last until Christmas. It's going to be a fun three months.
Showing posts with label adhesives. Show all posts
Showing posts with label adhesives. Show all posts
Friday, August 17, 2012
Wednesday, June 6, 2012
Persistence
Persistence pays, but oh boy at what a cost!!
I've decided mini-albums fit our lifestyle better than the 12x12 inch layouts. Everything has a place and purpose, so I'll never totally abandon the larger version; perhaps the "best of the very best" annual album, or something along those lines. From now on, most of my creative energy will go into the mini's.
With that thought in mind, I've come to the solid conviction made-from-scratch mini's are probably best left to professionals. I hate, (scorn, despise, revolt, etc) putting out inferior products. There are allowances for skills not yet mastered, but not by much. There has to be an exponential learning curve to scrapbooking skills, but more rational people would try to master one before going on to the next. Not I, heavens no! I want to master it all in one horse pill sized, gagging swallow.
If there's a mistake to be made, almost corrected, and the same mistake made again, I'll do it every time; hands down. Subsequently, a weekend project for most will take the weekend and the following week - and that's if I'm lucky. It can be so very discouraging. Fortunately, persistence runs in my DNA or this hobby would have been abandoned months ago.
At present I'm learning everything possible about book binding. There are as many techniques as skilled crafters out there, but a couple of methods keep popping up as the most reasonable and flexible. Maybe, if I can calm my butt down, I'll get reasonable skilled at this. But not today. Oh, no, not when this skill was critical to the project. In common fashion, I'll have to put the project aside for a few days and practice this new skill until proficient. That's why the weekend project takes ten or more days to complete. Every project taken on has a whole new area of discovery, and learning.
On a more positive note, I've mastered a few skills; which makes a significant advancement for timely project completion. (Down from three weeks to ten days.)
I've discussed adhesives before. It comes as a surprise to learn there's more to learn. When using the highest quality adhesives, there are tricks to make a tighter bond. Burnishing goes a very long with with tape adhesives, and the brayer does a great job with wet glues. The demands on adhesives are taken to new heights with all the moving and swing parts of the mini. This was yet another hard learned lesson.
It's no secret I'm totally smitten with Graphic 45 papers. I kept running into BoBunny projects and couldn't resist picking up a pack at one of my last hauls. The colours are very soothing and even the brighter packs have a subtle tinting. I simply can't wait to tear into this first package! Someone special on my list will receive a very, very nice Christmas present this year.
It's possible I forget to post the adapted shoe organizer photo.
Just for kicks I decided to begin hanging some of my favourite embellishments on the 6x2 cork board running along the desks back panel. I've only just started, but it's way too cute not to share.
I've decided mini-albums fit our lifestyle better than the 12x12 inch layouts. Everything has a place and purpose, so I'll never totally abandon the larger version; perhaps the "best of the very best" annual album, or something along those lines. From now on, most of my creative energy will go into the mini's.
With that thought in mind, I've come to the solid conviction made-from-scratch mini's are probably best left to professionals. I hate, (scorn, despise, revolt, etc) putting out inferior products. There are allowances for skills not yet mastered, but not by much. There has to be an exponential learning curve to scrapbooking skills, but more rational people would try to master one before going on to the next. Not I, heavens no! I want to master it all in one horse pill sized, gagging swallow.
If there's a mistake to be made, almost corrected, and the same mistake made again, I'll do it every time; hands down. Subsequently, a weekend project for most will take the weekend and the following week - and that's if I'm lucky. It can be so very discouraging. Fortunately, persistence runs in my DNA or this hobby would have been abandoned months ago.
At present I'm learning everything possible about book binding. There are as many techniques as skilled crafters out there, but a couple of methods keep popping up as the most reasonable and flexible. Maybe, if I can calm my butt down, I'll get reasonable skilled at this. But not today. Oh, no, not when this skill was critical to the project. In common fashion, I'll have to put the project aside for a few days and practice this new skill until proficient. That's why the weekend project takes ten or more days to complete. Every project taken on has a whole new area of discovery, and learning.
On a more positive note, I've mastered a few skills; which makes a significant advancement for timely project completion. (Down from three weeks to ten days.)
I've discussed adhesives before. It comes as a surprise to learn there's more to learn. When using the highest quality adhesives, there are tricks to make a tighter bond. Burnishing goes a very long with with tape adhesives, and the brayer does a great job with wet glues. The demands on adhesives are taken to new heights with all the moving and swing parts of the mini. This was yet another hard learned lesson.
It's no secret I'm totally smitten with Graphic 45 papers. I kept running into BoBunny projects and couldn't resist picking up a pack at one of my last hauls. The colours are very soothing and even the brighter packs have a subtle tinting. I simply can't wait to tear into this first package! Someone special on my list will receive a very, very nice Christmas present this year.
It's possible I forget to post the adapted shoe organizer photo.
 |
| Most stamps & some punches |
Just for kicks I decided to begin hanging some of my favourite embellishments on the 6x2 cork board running along the desks back panel. I've only just started, but it's way too cute not to share.
 |
| Embellishments! |
Sunday, May 27, 2012
Take a Breath
There's been such a flurry of activity lately is seems almost impossible to sit down and get anything done. Not true, I've finished four 12x12 layouts, got the new organizer in place and well stocked, and have accomplished quite a series of hauls.
Most everything revolves around an incredible discovery at TM. They had retail packs (24 each) of almost then entire "A Proper Gentleman" collection. Martin actually stumbled across this treasure, bought two packs, and made the mistake of telling me they had stacks of other G45 retail packs in different designs. At the end of the quest I have twelve full 12x12 pads of this collection, minus two pages... for less than what a single pad would have cost. Profit time!!! We were also able to pick up almost half the "On the Boardwalk" collection in retail packs. I think we've exhausted the bonanza. There were arm fulls of book board, but I stopped at six sets. They had Tim Holtz Grunge Paper sets, retailed at $40; I paid $8. Finally, a 5 inch Xyron. A couple of adorable embellishments and the run ended there.
I decided to hit JoAnn's because we were in town it's rare we make it that far south. Phew! Almost all paper crafting supplies are 50% off this week, plus a coupon in the paper allows an extra 10% off from the total purchase. 60% savings?! Heck, yeah!! I managed some control and walked out of the store with only two large bags. A wider variety of adhesives, the first alcohol inks, specialty paper, and yes a Crop-A-Dile II (Big Bite).
The stamps, ink, paper, embellishments, etc never quit coming in; however, it's hard to imagine any other tool needed to carry on this business. Maybe a Zutter Cutter for the extra weight chipboard? Maybe, but not a necessity.
I'm attempting to design my first, original mini-album. It's sketched out, roughly, but I'm finding it hard to cut that first page; there seems to be so little room for error, which, in itself, is an error. How, besides looking amateurish, can a person go wrong with G45? For sure it won't be the best album I'll ever create, and will quickly prove true, but it's all part of this glorious process called creative expression.
Most everything revolves around an incredible discovery at TM. They had retail packs (24 each) of almost then entire "A Proper Gentleman" collection. Martin actually stumbled across this treasure, bought two packs, and made the mistake of telling me they had stacks of other G45 retail packs in different designs. At the end of the quest I have twelve full 12x12 pads of this collection, minus two pages... for less than what a single pad would have cost. Profit time!!! We were also able to pick up almost half the "On the Boardwalk" collection in retail packs. I think we've exhausted the bonanza. There were arm fulls of book board, but I stopped at six sets. They had Tim Holtz Grunge Paper sets, retailed at $40; I paid $8. Finally, a 5 inch Xyron. A couple of adorable embellishments and the run ended there.
I decided to hit JoAnn's because we were in town it's rare we make it that far south. Phew! Almost all paper crafting supplies are 50% off this week, plus a coupon in the paper allows an extra 10% off from the total purchase. 60% savings?! Heck, yeah!! I managed some control and walked out of the store with only two large bags. A wider variety of adhesives, the first alcohol inks, specialty paper, and yes a Crop-A-Dile II (Big Bite).
The stamps, ink, paper, embellishments, etc never quit coming in; however, it's hard to imagine any other tool needed to carry on this business. Maybe a Zutter Cutter for the extra weight chipboard? Maybe, but not a necessity.
I'm attempting to design my first, original mini-album. It's sketched out, roughly, but I'm finding it hard to cut that first page; there seems to be so little room for error, which, in itself, is an error. How, besides looking amateurish, can a person go wrong with G45? For sure it won't be the best album I'll ever create, and will quickly prove true, but it's all part of this glorious process called creative expression.
Sunday, May 20, 2012
Finishing Touches & Adhesive Lessons
I've gotten a bit of scrapbook work done in the new craft room during the last week, and there's no comparing the before and after differences. Any kinks have now been worked out to all satisfaction! Now, having said that...
During the weekend of transition, my loving husband wanted to put in a new system for punch storage. NO! I couldn't take another thought of more arranging. He wasted no time today to rectify this and went out and purchased/assembled the adapted wooden shoe storage unit. It's more than adequate to store my entire, extremely limited, punch inventory, with plenty of room to spare. Tomorrow this system goes into place with minimum disruption. He also bought and put in place an additional unit to organize the laser printer, printer paper reams, with an additional small shelf area for quick mailing supply access. After completing this last small task, there will be no more talk of reorganizing for months, perhaps even years; however, the flesh is weak.
Miracles of miracles, the mini-album is 99.9% complete. One major mistake made in the beginning was punching holes in the book board (homemade) before tearing a single page out of the pad. In all fairness, the video never mentioned the need, and as a novice, I didn't realize how important this would be until much too late. So the book was finished, sans holes. No problem, we'd drill small holes into the completed covers and make up hole reinforcements to cover the blemishes. No problem. Except! The front cover came out exactly as prescribed; the back, no so much. The holes were drilled on the wrong side. I'm so disheartened at the moment. There doesn't seem to be a viable solution, unless crying counts. A solution does exist. I just don't know what that might be as of now. So much fussy cutting on the back, no more paper to replace it with; blah, blah. Inspiration will come, hopefully soon. Regardless, this is a lesson that will never be forgotten. That's part of the learning experience; but at such a great cost. *moan*
I learned a great deal during the construction. Yes, the greatest error was the holes; but less dramatically was adhesive function. LO's tend to be very forgiving, no moving parts, no stresses, and the page protectors contain/protect whatever might come loose. Conversely, mini-albums with all their pockets and tags, pages turning, etc, demand a higher degree of adhesive mastery.
I learned:
Remember: that which does not destroy us, makes us stronger!
During the weekend of transition, my loving husband wanted to put in a new system for punch storage. NO! I couldn't take another thought of more arranging. He wasted no time today to rectify this and went out and purchased/assembled the adapted wooden shoe storage unit. It's more than adequate to store my entire, extremely limited, punch inventory, with plenty of room to spare. Tomorrow this system goes into place with minimum disruption. He also bought and put in place an additional unit to organize the laser printer, printer paper reams, with an additional small shelf area for quick mailing supply access. After completing this last small task, there will be no more talk of reorganizing for months, perhaps even years; however, the flesh is weak.
Miracles of miracles, the mini-album is 99.9% complete. One major mistake made in the beginning was punching holes in the book board (homemade) before tearing a single page out of the pad. In all fairness, the video never mentioned the need, and as a novice, I didn't realize how important this would be until much too late. So the book was finished, sans holes. No problem, we'd drill small holes into the completed covers and make up hole reinforcements to cover the blemishes. No problem. Except! The front cover came out exactly as prescribed; the back, no so much. The holes were drilled on the wrong side. I'm so disheartened at the moment. There doesn't seem to be a viable solution, unless crying counts. A solution does exist. I just don't know what that might be as of now. So much fussy cutting on the back, no more paper to replace it with; blah, blah. Inspiration will come, hopefully soon. Regardless, this is a lesson that will never be forgotten. That's part of the learning experience; but at such a great cost. *moan*
I learned a great deal during the construction. Yes, the greatest error was the holes; but less dramatically was adhesive function. LO's tend to be very forgiving, no moving parts, no stresses, and the page protectors contain/protect whatever might come loose. Conversely, mini-albums with all their pockets and tags, pages turning, etc, demand a higher degree of adhesive mastery.
I learned:
- Murphy's Law applies to scrapbooking in general and adhesives specifically
- Zip Dry paper glue means paper-on-paper
- ATG glue buckles under stress/movement
- You get what you pay for; super strong double-sided red tape pays for itself in reduced frustration levels, measured in seconds
- Glue dots are woosies
- Wet glue does not include Elmer's School glue
- All glues take longer to set than expected, except when attaching large pieces onto pages within a precise 1/4 inch border, in which case, at that very moment, all glue becomes instantaneously and irreparably bonded to paper
- There exists a substantial "bite" difference between the textured and smooth sides of paper
- It's highly recommend not to Superglue your tongue to the lips, and keep in mind some glues are highly flammable (especially important if interested in keeping eyebrows nice and smooth) *kidding folks! except for the Superglue part*
Remember: that which does not destroy us, makes us stronger!
Tuesday, April 17, 2012
Cricut Mat Rescue The One That WORKS
I've watched way, way too many YouTube videos talking about the best method for removing the yunk off a a less-then-sticky Cricut cutting mats. There always seem to be many arduous steps involved in the process, not to mention extreme commitment of time. Some claim these steps are easy... anyone could do them with great results. Well, I've tried all the methods and they all involve WORK!
Have I ever mentioned how handy my husband comes in at the oddest moments? He stood back and watched yet another promised technique utterly fail. He walked out of the room and came back in with a bottle of of GOO GONE, and said, "try this." I did.
I generously sprayed the mat and let it sit for a minute. I took paper towels to remove almost all the oogie-gooy glue and tiny bits of paper scraps . I re-sprayed the mat, and one more wipe produced a virgin mat... except for all too-deep cuts. No kidding, this took less than five minutes, start to finish. I washed they mat with dish washing soap and hung it to dry; ready to spay adhesive.
After cleaning the first set of mats - well overused by this time - using this method, subsequent cleanings became a breeze.
Some might panic and say, this harsh chemical will harm the mats. I've now processed each mat four times, and nothing gets harmed... and cleaner much quicker
______________________________________________
Successfully completed the pastel-based ocean page. Thus far, I've only captured a fair representation, but it's not worth submitting anywhere but here.
Have I ever mentioned how handy my husband comes in at the oddest moments? He stood back and watched yet another promised technique utterly fail. He walked out of the room and came back in with a bottle of of GOO GONE, and said, "try this." I did.
I generously sprayed the mat and let it sit for a minute. I took paper towels to remove almost all the oogie-gooy glue and tiny bits of paper scraps . I re-sprayed the mat, and one more wipe produced a virgin mat... except for all too-deep cuts. No kidding, this took less than five minutes, start to finish. I washed they mat with dish washing soap and hung it to dry; ready to spay adhesive.
After cleaning the first set of mats - well overused by this time - using this method, subsequent cleanings became a breeze.
Some might panic and say, this harsh chemical will harm the mats. I've now processed each mat four times, and nothing gets harmed... and cleaner much quicker
______________________________________________
Successfully completed the pastel-based ocean page. Thus far, I've only captured a fair representation, but it's not worth submitting anywhere but here.
Thursday, March 8, 2012
Adhesives, Photography & Lessons Learned
I've selected some of my best pages (best in my opinion) and began photographing them. Certainly a skill set of its own! I've noticed some of the pages set out in the house as temporary decorations throughout the year warped. Too much heat? Not enough support? Really, there was no clue as to what factors, or combination therein, cased this discernible warping. The largest concern was that once warped the page could not be straightened or photographed properly.
I just LOVE the internet. There's absolutely no question that anyone can ask that the internet can't provide an answer. However did we live our lives without it? A couple of inquiries solved the riddle about warping.
The key seems to involve the amount of adhesives used on the page. The more glues, the more certainty to warp. Well... that's a problem since almost everything on the page requires taking down onto the page.
Early on I understood different sorts of glue were on the market, and many not suited for scrapbooking due to acid or other chemical content. Fortunately I have a niece with years of experience in the hobby pound this information into my head before I ever picked up a pair of scissors, and nothing was ever ruined or threatened by paper- or photo-toxic adhesives.
Without a little experience in this craft it's difficult imagining how many, many different types of adhesives are available specifically for scrapbooking. There are dimensional dots that raise an element off the page. There are liquid glues for paper-to-paper bonding. Glue runners, where a line of rubbery glue bonds many types of elements together. All stickers come pre-glued. And finally, for purposes of discussion, there are glitter glues.
(Upon reflection the previous two paragraphs probably been posted previously... if so, whoops. It's not as if anyone happens on to the page anyway.)
So! Is it the weight of the glues or the types of glues that cause the warping?
The project in question begins with a heavy paper, or what I consider card stock. In this case I used the Cricut to cut out "Give Thanks" in 3 inch letters to mount on the page. (Side note: the size of the script was primarily determined by the skill set I had at the time in working with the Cricut. Today I could easily bring that down to 1 inch.) This element was also heavily decorated with glitter, since this was my first work with the stuff and I wanted to experiment. And, because the glittered element was never to actually come into contact with the photo page, I cheated and used regular Elmer's Glue from a bottle. (Covering a 3 inch phrase with glitter requires a whole lot of glue!) There were several dimensional stickers added to balance the height of the overall page. Finally, since the page was created to decorate a holiday table, it was placed on a plate holder for a full month.
When described as such, retrospect tells me I probably did everything possibly wrong to the page. The tip offered here is: watch the use of glue and the quantity used.
Live and Learn!!
_________________________________________
In a huge departure of my buying philosophy "never pay full price for anything," I did just that. Not once, but twice!
Paper companies come out with full lines of accessories in almost all collections. This usually includes: 12x12, 8x8, and sometimes 6x6 inch paper pads, individual sheets, stickers, chip board sets, perhaps coordinating ribbons, alphabet stickers, stamps and possibly more. The longer a collection has been out in the market, the harder it is to find many of the accessories. Thus and therefore, to assure the option of buying collection accessories, it has to be bought early on, and usually at full price. This lesson came painfully when I found an older collection and discovered nothing but the one pad and a sticker set remained. That was after I conducted the most extensive internet search possible.
Graphic 45 specializes in nostalgic 1920-30's images in incredible colours. It's a great paper to work with be that scrapbooking, or in creating home decor; some pages are nice enough to frame as is. It also runs on the expensive side. Thus far, I found the paper line too intimidating to use in everyday scrapping. What I have worked with has been found at greatly reduced prices with limited accessories, if any. This year they came out with a line called "Little Darlings." It was love at first sight. I knew this was a collection applicable to so many pages I want to scrap, but had not found paper to do the intended photos justice. I bought the FULL line, except the 3 different stamp sets and the 8x8 paper pad; however, I bought extra copies of some of the accessories. I all but fell over when the price totaled over $50, but every scrap of this stuff will be used for years. I may go back and make up for the accessories not originally purchased my next allowance cycle.
Then I found a completed layout from scrapbooking.com featuring a different company line. I used restraint and didn't go all out and buy the full collection, but did purchase enough of the coordinating supplies to pull together a couple of antique photo pages. Again at full price.
This is the type of post (very chatty) where there's not much I can't do for the day. Obviously, this is one of those days.
I couldn't resist putting an image of the collection here!
I just LOVE the internet. There's absolutely no question that anyone can ask that the internet can't provide an answer. However did we live our lives without it? A couple of inquiries solved the riddle about warping.
The key seems to involve the amount of adhesives used on the page. The more glues, the more certainty to warp. Well... that's a problem since almost everything on the page requires taking down onto the page.
Early on I understood different sorts of glue were on the market, and many not suited for scrapbooking due to acid or other chemical content. Fortunately I have a niece with years of experience in the hobby pound this information into my head before I ever picked up a pair of scissors, and nothing was ever ruined or threatened by paper- or photo-toxic adhesives.
Without a little experience in this craft it's difficult imagining how many, many different types of adhesives are available specifically for scrapbooking. There are dimensional dots that raise an element off the page. There are liquid glues for paper-to-paper bonding. Glue runners, where a line of rubbery glue bonds many types of elements together. All stickers come pre-glued. And finally, for purposes of discussion, there are glitter glues.
(Upon reflection the previous two paragraphs probably been posted previously... if so, whoops. It's not as if anyone happens on to the page anyway.)
So! Is it the weight of the glues or the types of glues that cause the warping?
The project in question begins with a heavy paper, or what I consider card stock. In this case I used the Cricut to cut out "Give Thanks" in 3 inch letters to mount on the page. (Side note: the size of the script was primarily determined by the skill set I had at the time in working with the Cricut. Today I could easily bring that down to 1 inch.) This element was also heavily decorated with glitter, since this was my first work with the stuff and I wanted to experiment. And, because the glittered element was never to actually come into contact with the photo page, I cheated and used regular Elmer's Glue from a bottle. (Covering a 3 inch phrase with glitter requires a whole lot of glue!) There were several dimensional stickers added to balance the height of the overall page. Finally, since the page was created to decorate a holiday table, it was placed on a plate holder for a full month.
When described as such, retrospect tells me I probably did everything possibly wrong to the page. The tip offered here is: watch the use of glue and the quantity used.
Live and Learn!!
_________________________________________
In a huge departure of my buying philosophy "never pay full price for anything," I did just that. Not once, but twice!
Paper companies come out with full lines of accessories in almost all collections. This usually includes: 12x12, 8x8, and sometimes 6x6 inch paper pads, individual sheets, stickers, chip board sets, perhaps coordinating ribbons, alphabet stickers, stamps and possibly more. The longer a collection has been out in the market, the harder it is to find many of the accessories. Thus and therefore, to assure the option of buying collection accessories, it has to be bought early on, and usually at full price. This lesson came painfully when I found an older collection and discovered nothing but the one pad and a sticker set remained. That was after I conducted the most extensive internet search possible.
Graphic 45 specializes in nostalgic 1920-30's images in incredible colours. It's a great paper to work with be that scrapbooking, or in creating home decor; some pages are nice enough to frame as is. It also runs on the expensive side. Thus far, I found the paper line too intimidating to use in everyday scrapping. What I have worked with has been found at greatly reduced prices with limited accessories, if any. This year they came out with a line called "Little Darlings." It was love at first sight. I knew this was a collection applicable to so many pages I want to scrap, but had not found paper to do the intended photos justice. I bought the FULL line, except the 3 different stamp sets and the 8x8 paper pad; however, I bought extra copies of some of the accessories. I all but fell over when the price totaled over $50, but every scrap of this stuff will be used for years. I may go back and make up for the accessories not originally purchased my next allowance cycle.
Then I found a completed layout from scrapbooking.com featuring a different company line. I used restraint and didn't go all out and buy the full collection, but did purchase enough of the coordinating supplies to pull together a couple of antique photo pages. Again at full price.
This is the type of post (very chatty) where there's not much I can't do for the day. Obviously, this is one of those days.
I couldn't resist putting an image of the collection here!
 |
| Graphic 45 Little Darlings Main Image Page |
Monday, January 16, 2012
Spellbinders & New ATG
Finally, and at long last, I broke down and bought an ATG. It was getting wearisome constantly refilling the small adhesive applicators. Using it still feels a bit clunky, but practice will make perfect.
I love working with Spellbinders dies. The collection is still rather limited, mainly because they're so doggone expensive. Most of what I've bought are the Nestibilities... squares, rectangles, ovals, just very basic shapes, all on sale. Unfortunately, Spellbinders don't go on sale very often, and when they do it's not by a large percentage. I've yet to buy any of the Grands because doing so will mean buying a Grand Caliber machine and I can't justify the expense at this time, especially considering Grand dies cost between $50-60. Each set.
Before going forward there's a tip I'd like to share. Before opening the acetate package, cut down the right, side of the package, just inside the sealed seam, and then cut the bottom fold to create a reusable envelope. Keeping the acetate packaging for storage is a winner as most of their products are susceptible to damage by accidental bending. When finished using the die, place it back into the package for protection, and if cut correctly you'll have a snap-tight envelope. I didn't know about this for the first few sets bought and I've had to adapt stiff packaging to overcome this oversight. It's truly worth the initial time and effort. This technique works equally well with other thin dies such as QuikCutz.)
Package already cut as described, locked back into place
Demonstration of the opened envelope created. (Forgive image quality, I only had so many fingers and hands available.)
Hobby Lobby has a small area of the store where real bargains can be found. Lately, they've been throwing a few Spellbinder sets in the pile. I found a charming full-size Borderability set at about 1/2 off. It's even hard finding a good deal on Ebay, but apparently a lady scavenged a few hundred from an earthquake sale. I bough four sets of the petite Borderabilities for the same price one would have cost elsewhere. (I'm honestly hoping this was a scavenge sale and not a theft! Can you imagine the police coming to the door demanding the merchandise returned? Egads!) I had found a set of their Classic Scallop Edgeabilites on sale at HL months ago and love incorporating these dainty cuts into my cards and scrapbook pages. And again, the earthquake sale lady had another set of the postage stamp Edgeabilities. These are still in transit, but once these arrive, I'll have accumulated half the Edgebilities sets currently available. The very best aspect of the Edgeabilities is that they are all interchangeable.
The only sets I don't particularly care for, or see much value in, are the Shapeabilities. Maybe that's because I haven't played with the enough, or I don't find much use for the couple of sets acquired; but they just come out looking blah. The Impressibilities provide a soft embossed touch, great for matting photos, but the size is very limited and it's difficult, if not impossible, trying to repeat the pattern on the same piece of paper.
Any of the Spellbinder dies afford a flexibility to shape paper into almost limitless possibilities. It's a shame that some of these possibilities never enter my mind. What helps the most is my little Miss or other scrapbookers playing with the dies sets. That is when so much possibility opens up! Everyone always comes up with something different.
It would be positively wonderful to have a monthly scrapbook meet somewhere in the area. Why there isn't anything like this available now is a shame. Perhaps it's time I step out and give it a try.
I love working with Spellbinders dies. The collection is still rather limited, mainly because they're so doggone expensive. Most of what I've bought are the Nestibilities... squares, rectangles, ovals, just very basic shapes, all on sale. Unfortunately, Spellbinders don't go on sale very often, and when they do it's not by a large percentage. I've yet to buy any of the Grands because doing so will mean buying a Grand Caliber machine and I can't justify the expense at this time, especially considering Grand dies cost between $50-60. Each set.
Before going forward there's a tip I'd like to share. Before opening the acetate package, cut down the right, side of the package, just inside the sealed seam, and then cut the bottom fold to create a reusable envelope. Keeping the acetate packaging for storage is a winner as most of their products are susceptible to damage by accidental bending. When finished using the die, place it back into the package for protection, and if cut correctly you'll have a snap-tight envelope. I didn't know about this for the first few sets bought and I've had to adapt stiff packaging to overcome this oversight. It's truly worth the initial time and effort. This technique works equally well with other thin dies such as QuikCutz.)
Hobby Lobby has a small area of the store where real bargains can be found. Lately, they've been throwing a few Spellbinder sets in the pile. I found a charming full-size Borderability set at about 1/2 off. It's even hard finding a good deal on Ebay, but apparently a lady scavenged a few hundred from an earthquake sale. I bough four sets of the petite Borderabilities for the same price one would have cost elsewhere. (I'm honestly hoping this was a scavenge sale and not a theft! Can you imagine the police coming to the door demanding the merchandise returned? Egads!) I had found a set of their Classic Scallop Edgeabilites on sale at HL months ago and love incorporating these dainty cuts into my cards and scrapbook pages. And again, the earthquake sale lady had another set of the postage stamp Edgeabilities. These are still in transit, but once these arrive, I'll have accumulated half the Edgebilities sets currently available. The very best aspect of the Edgeabilities is that they are all interchangeable.
The only sets I don't particularly care for, or see much value in, are the Shapeabilities. Maybe that's because I haven't played with the enough, or I don't find much use for the couple of sets acquired; but they just come out looking blah. The Impressibilities provide a soft embossed touch, great for matting photos, but the size is very limited and it's difficult, if not impossible, trying to repeat the pattern on the same piece of paper.
Any of the Spellbinder dies afford a flexibility to shape paper into almost limitless possibilities. It's a shame that some of these possibilities never enter my mind. What helps the most is my little Miss or other scrapbookers playing with the dies sets. That is when so much possibility opens up! Everyone always comes up with something different.
It would be positively wonderful to have a monthly scrapbook meet somewhere in the area. Why there isn't anything like this available now is a shame. Perhaps it's time I step out and give it a try.
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