“Feb Challenge & A Tutorial! “

The end of January, where did it go! Welcome February 🙂

I am lucky enough this month to be a Guest Designer @ http://homeandscrapped.ning.com/   I really enjoyed my four months last yr as a DT and getting an extra month is a bonus!  My challenge for you is to create a layout using some decorative tape; home-made or bought 🙂

As you all know by now I am a Washi Tape-aholic! I can’t get enough of the stuff! 🙂 Even though the rolls of gorgeous tape are not expensive, it is always nice to be able to save a few pennies on scrap supplies! That is why I have done this tutorial for you on how to make your own ‘washi tape’ 🙂

You don’t need many supplies to make some tape and you probably have them in your stash! 🙂

Supplies needed!

Masking Tape

Non stick craft mat or baking paper

paint, Stazon ink, mists, stamps, mod podge

acetate sheet or a page protector for storing your tape 🙂

Step 1.  Tear strips of tape off your roll and apply them to your clothes to make them low tack.  This is so the tape wont tear your paper or card-stock if you need to lift and re-apply on a layout or card. 🙂 Then lay several strips of tape across your mat to use 🙂

Step 2.  There are a few ways I decorated the tape! a) Stamp directly onto it with Stazon as this dries quickly. b) Paint your tape with, or mist then stamp over it.  You will need to use a heat gun if you mist and use dye inks. c) Apply Mod Podge over strip and adhere pattern paper! d) Use Crackle paint and watch the crackle appear!  e) Apply glue along the strip and add some glitter. f) Stamp with a versamark pad, apply emboss powder and heat 🙂  Just use your imagination! 🙂

On these pieces I stamped with Black Stazon and adhered a strip of Vintage music sheet! 🙂

Step 3. Get to it and have fun creating your own tapes to match your projects and enjoy!! 🙂

As you can see after the strips dried I lifted them from my craft mat and adhered them to the page protector to use on my layout! 🙂 You can also cut up pieces of toilet roll holder and wrap the tape around to store.

Step 4. When you can stop making this addictive stuff I would love to see what you came up with and see it on your layout! 🙂

And this is what I came up with 🙂 I masked the background with a Hexie mask, embossed some pp with a folder and sanded it back, added my photos, made the banner using washi.  Using strips of the washi I made, (the black grunge and the blue cogs), I put them at the bottom and top of the photos and made the flowers.

A close up of the flowers I made by punching a circle of card-stock and the adding the tape ruffled around the circle and securing with a brad. 🙂 Really easy to make as your tape is already tacky and you don’t have to worry about messy glue. 🙂

Well, I hope you feel inspired to have a go at my challenge and have some creative fun!

TFL 🙂 Kerri x

“Washi Swatch!”

As I am getting a little bit of a ‘stash’ of washi tape I thought that I needed a way to keep track of them, so when I run out I know the name of the design and where I bought it from! 🙂

I got an idea from Pinterest and it is featured here on this lovely blog: http://www.marcypenner.com/?p=7553

I used shipping tags,  as I have a few left over from swaps I thought I would make one!

Didn’t take long to get done and now I just need to add my new ones lol!!!

I think I will be going to hell lol!!   I am bad!!!!!

TFL 🙂 Kerri x

“How To Use Washi Tape!”

As you know I love this stuff. I have had a few of you ask me about it and how to use it! Like you I wasn’t sure what to do with it at first, but once you find out you will be addicted and use it all the time like me! 🙂

So I thought I would put together a bit of a list to get you started!

     Ideas for using Washi Tape

1. On the edges of cards, strips on tags.
2. As a border or even just a bit as photo corners anchors the picture and adds interest in the overall design
3. Put small, ripped pieces across the fronts of cards. They look so gorgeous sitting in a bowl or on a stand!
4. Use 3 rows of different washi tape instead of patterned paper to make quick thank you cards
5. Making Washi Tape banners… little folded flag pennants on your pages.
6. In a SMASH/ jouranl.
7. Use them in rows of three for a photo mat or, in teeny pieces for little photo corners
8. Use it as a border…
9. Pleating it to give my page a little texture. It is SO much easier than pleating ribbon or paper – and it comes right up if I make a mistake.
10. Use them to hold up Polaroids or baker’s twine in your layouts.
11. Adhere photos to my layouts or to photo mats with them.
12. Cut them at a diagonal to create mitered corners.
13. Fold little strips over a thin strip of patterned paper at the very top or bottom of a layout for an easy layered look.
14. Anchor photos, make flags for banners, strips of tape just underneath and along the side of a photo, on the edge of mini albums and  pleat strips to add texture.
15. I have made some cute pinwheels out of it
16. Use washi under your embellishments to ground the embellishments on your card.
17. Make a chevron border with some and most recently sliced the tape the long way to use it as a kind of faux stitching over some banners.
18. I love using it as an accent on my cards or to hold dies in place when I am cutting them with my Big Shot
19. I LOVE covering things with it!
20. I’ve used them to connect tags together to make a mini tag book. I also like to make tiny flags.
21. I {..} love how Tim Holtz makes rosettes with tape.
22. I love to use them on packaging!
23. Great for making little flags with toothpicks!
24. Can be used for all sorts of things including banners, journaling lines, decorative element on plain envelopes and I also use them in plain journals as tabs or to edge the paper to give it some color.
25. Use in place of pp on card borders, to kind of act as re-positionable tape when inking stuff, stamp on some of them and make your own patterns.
26.  Make party giveaways with wooden clothes peg.
27. Make a one of a kind phone cover! I have also cover or on the outside of a small vase to hind the contents inside.
28. Make flowers
29. Seal envelops.
30. Label stuff 🙂
31. Fill In gaps on a layout
32. Make a chevron pattern
33. Cover seams where pp joins
34. Make a photo frame
35. Use it to wrap presents and make tags
36. Dress up Home Decor items
37. Decorate Binder and paper clips
38. Decorate you computer or Iphone

As you can see I have been working on embellishing my journal! I find the washi the easiest to use as it is self adhesive and there is no bulk!  Here I just added some different pattern strips and I even had a go at making a couple of ruffles along the page!!

Yep, this is me with my washi tape ‘necklace’ and using some of it! As I have just ordered a few more different designs I thought I wouldn’t feel so guilty! Hope you have got some ideas and have a go with it. So much fun and I bet you will get  addicted too!!!

TFL 🙂 Kerri 🙂

“Weekend Project!”

Sorry I haven’t been around for a few days! I have been enjoying watching the Australian Open Tennis, the usual jobs that need doing, organizing for J and Cody to stay here with me for a bit while their dad gets himself settled, enjoying time with the boys as school goes back here on Wednesday, visiting mum and dad, keeping out of the heat, getting my car fixed, and visiting a couple of friends.   🙂 Not much really!!

And……..mum and dads house has been sold in record time and I am wrapped it will all soon be settled! 🙂

So this weekend I have been enjoying a bit of time out and a ‘off the page” project!  When we were cleaning the house I rescued a set of old cassette drawers that were going out as I thought I could make some sort of scrap storage out of them! 🙂 I wasn’t sure what to use them for, but after a bit of blog hopping for some ideas and asking a couple of friends on Facebook for their ideas I came up with this! 🙂

As you can see they are old-looking and a bit bland but I had

a plan……

With some pattern papers and some washi tape, I transformed them! 🙂 I took the old wood grain laminate stuff off and they look much better! 🙂

This shows inside the drawers. I used some cardboard  from cereal boxes and the inserts from some packets of SU DSP, cut to the size of a cassette case and wound my ribbons, twines etc on them and secured with pins! 🙂

And this is now my useful drawers on my desk and in arms reach! My craft caddy sits on top also. All sorted by colour, labeled and ready to use.  It was amazing what I had forgotten I had! It will be nice to use some of the lovely ribbons and trims that I have received through friends and swaps 🙂

I wonder what you have at home that you can transform! 🙂

TFL 🙂 Kerri x

“Sale-A-Bration is Finally Here!”

So happy, it is going to be amazing!!!

For the uninitiated, it is our biggest promotion of the year and there are 3 ways you can take advantage of what’s on offer. It runs from 22/1/2013 to 22/3/2013 🙂

Here are the 3 ways you can make the most of SAB 2013.

1. As a customer, every $100 you spend will entitle you to pick a free product from the new SAB freebie catalogue. Catalogues are available from me, or  you can view it online.
2. As a Hostess, the SAB benefits are huge this year! Host a $300 workshop/party in your home this year between Jan 22nd and 22nd March, and you will receive your normal hostess benefits ($50 to spend on products of your choice) PLUS a pack of Silver Glimmer Paper. (This is to celebrate Stampin Up’s 25th Anniversary) BUT if you host a $600 party (easy to do in SAB!) then you will get the glimmer paper PLUS $100 to spend PLUS a half price item PLUS a product pack consisting of a SAB stamp set, the DSP, and the ribbon and button pack! That’s an additional 3 SAB items just for hostesses! Of course the benefits go up for even more successful workshops, but I think that is VERY cool!  This is the best time of year to host a party!
3. Join Stampin’ Up! as a demonstrator during SAB and you will get and additional 25% value in your kit. That means for the small amount of $169, you will get to choose $294 worth of products! And they are your choice! Of course all the “normal” benefits apply… ongoing 20% discount, and access to lots of perks as a demonstrator.  There is literally nothing to lose, but a LOT that can be gained.

So that’s a quick summary for you. I would love to help you get some of these great ‘FREEBIES’ on offer as they only come around once a year~

Feel free to contact me and I can send you a brochure to have in your hot little hand, place an order, or if you would like organised a workshop, you get to play with the new products!!

You can see the brochure online if you click the SAB image in my side bar! 🙂

Get in quick for all the new SU goodies!!! I certainly will be 🙂

TFL 🙂 Kerri x

“Mid Week Sketch # 3!”

I have been have a great weekend scraping away! Making the most of it before my study ticks around and it all comes to a halt! 🙂

It was nice and quiet here this arvo with big son at work and little son amusing himself as he does! 🙂

Heather is back from her holiday and she has another sketch up for us! 🙂  I am planning on doing all Heather’s sketches this yr! 🙂

http://scrapysketches.blogspot.com.au/2013/01/mid-week-sketch-03-13.html

This was a fun one, with a bit of layering, and stamping. I used some of the free pp with this months issue of Australian Scrapbook Ideas. They are very cute and thought they suited my cute pup photos! lol! 🙂 Our pups chewed there first baskets to bits and we never really worried about getting them new ones! As Willo sleeps on my bed at my feet, and I prob don’t sleep well knowing she is there. I decided to get her on the floor next to me. I bought them both a new soft bed and she loves it! She goes to her bed and snuggles in for the night and I don’t hear her, except when she snores! 🙂 That is why she is Miss spoilt!!!!

TFL 🙂 Kerri x

“Our Show Off!”

I am having a lazy Sunday as not getting any sleep from inconsiderate neighbors will do that to you 😦

Met My BIL and nephew around at the house for them to pick up a couple of things and then came home and finished off my layout!

Nitro is pretty clever and he sits up like this quite often just to ‘show off’ lol! Had to of course take a photo and make a page!

Used some Kaiser papers I got awhile ago for 50 cents and thought they wold be good being ‘pet themed’ 🙂 I found these alpha stickers and was missing an S and a t so used an 8 and a J! lol! Some circle punched shapes and a bit of messy stitching using my cool little machine 🙂

TFL 🙂 Kerri x

“Mid Week Sketch #2”

I finished one layout and decided to scrap these two pics of Cody and Willo!  I thought I would use Heather’s second sketch for 2013 over at her sketch blog here; http://scrapysketches.blogspot.com.au/2013/01/mid-week-sketch-02-13.html

I slightly altered the design to incorporate my portrait photos.  That is what a sketch is for to put your style and ideas to it! It is a base to get you started!!

I am really pleased, with the Cake Crumb card stock I used with some retired Frightful Sight DSP, a smidge of washi tape, inking with Midnight Muse Classic Ink, stamping and the scallop banner with a few embellies!!

I love using sketches, give them a go you might be surprised!! 🙂

TFL 🙂 Kerri x

“Fan Fair!”

I had these photos from the day we went to Melbourne last March with my niece and her friends for her birthday! Thought I might like to use one of our new DSP from the 2013/14 Catalogue called Fan Fair to scrap them! I don’t think I will ever get to Paris so Melbourne will have to do! 🙂

This was a fun one to create, and I used some lovely flowers from my stash made by the lovely Heather Waldron and Christine Wormald! 🙂

                                                          Bit of a closie of the flowers!

TFL 🙂 Kerri x

“Double Layout!”

Hi Everyone,

Hope you are coping with the heat here in Aus atm! We are lucky in Vic, not too bad and cool again today! Started a layout a couple of days ago,but as it was 40 degrees yesterday it got left on my desk until today to finish!!

I had these photos from my weekend visit to my sister in Ballarat last Nov and thought I had better get them in an album!! Didn’t just want to plop them all on one page so decided on a double! 🙂 We had a great weekend, and went to the Spring Festival that is held every year around their lake! It was a good day, browsed the markets and spend some time together 🙂

This was a fun one using up a bit of my stash and the sketch that I pinned onto my 4×6 Board over at http://pinterest.com/pin/190699365443329574/

TFL 🙂 Kerri x