Top 10 Tools

When looking at the tools I've purchased I think the best buys I've made, the ones that I use alot are as follows: 1. Craft knife (this gets alot of use, especially when I'm cutting chipboard off old notebooks etc and only cost $2.00) 2. The Friskars cutting system (I got a Circle, Diamond, Rectangle, Alphabet and Numbers templates witht the cutting blade and self healing cutting mat for $49.99 and I use this all the time, especially for titles) 3. Making Memories Alphabet Stamps (This was around $24.99 but is well worth it cause you can use paint or ink on these stamps to create some great titles) 4. Heidi Swapp edge distresser (This was $2.00 and even though I've only had it a few days I can see lots of layouts getting this treatment) 5. Creative Memories Wave Cutter (This is a fabulous cutter, it creates a really clean cut line very easily. It is a little more expensive than other cheaper brands at $34.00 but it lasts alot longer!) 6. Set of Inks and Frame Stamps (There is no name brand on this set, but it was a great christmas gift and cost $24.99 from a department store so great value for money. The kit comes with three shades of blue, three shades of green, two shapes of pink, one purple, one yellow, one orange, one black, two shades of brown and one red. The stamps that came in this kit are also very versatile with two different frame sizes two corners and a variety of stamps for making cards like: "Congratulations" and "Just married" etc) 7. Alco Paper Trimmer (This set came with a wavy, straight, fold line, and skip line and only cost $18.99) 8. Alco 40 piece punch set (This set is fantastic and is how I make most of my own embellishments as there is at least one punch for every occaision I've needed and in some cases two or three. This cost $49.99 from the department store and as it's all on a "Lazy Susan" type carosel function is easy to store and find all my punches) 9. Xyron Create a Sticker (I love this! It's very easy to use and comes with replacement cartidges. At $14.95 this is a well priced tool. I use mine mostly for adhering ribbon and chipboard to my layouts.) 10. Staedtler triplus fineliner 12 piece set. (This is one of those tools I don't know what I did without! The set of twelve fineliner pens come in every colour required for my layouts and the fine line means any journalling I do is neat and tidy and easy to read. I've also done some doodling and the odd title using my stencils. At $12.95 from a local department store I definitely think this was a worthwhile purchase!) Please not this is only my list of favourite tools and shouldn't be viewed as a must have list. I have several other tools that I love that I haven't mentioned here because they don't get as much use such as my: PaperScissorsRock Mini Punch Set, Fiskars Shapeboss Embossing System, The Five Mile Press Lettering Book, Chatterbox Doodle Genie #72935 - Breezy, Fiskars Texture Plates II (Assortment Pack of 12 including Free Texturing Tool), Making Memories Liquid Acrylics, Hand Inspired Scrapbooking 36 piece mini alphabet punch set with gun, RoyalCoat Dimensional Magic.

Christmas Provides Free Storage Devices

Well Christmas is over. I love Christmas. It's my favourite time of year. I especially love what it does for my scrapbooking supplies. This year I was obviously a very good girl cause Santa (aka fabulous hubby) bought me some stamps and inks, an eyelet setter, a new paper cutter (with several blades so I can do fold lines, wavy lines and even zig zag lines!) I also got some letter stickers and some embellishments. So all in all I did quite well.

Then I went through the rubbish from the packaging the kids presents came in and discovered a few fantastic storage devices. From one of the presents there were several boxes I'll use for off the page projects and then my son got a packet of several cars that came in an excellent clear plastic box with dividers. This is my new storage device for scraps of ribbon and fibre.

I prefer to use clear plastic storage devices whenever possible as they allow me to see whats inside easily for quick location of the supply I'm searching for.

So go back through all the packaging this years' presents came in and see if there's any useful storage devices. The more you save on your storage the more you can spend on yummy embellishments, paper and ribbons.... etc etc

Scrap with a Friend

Well I haven't posted for a little while. Due to a combination of problems. My husband is always on the computer... getting ready and organised for Christmas and I'm suffering a summer flu at present. I haven't stopped scrapping though and will have some layouts to show you in the next couple of days.

Anyway yesterday I did my favourite kind of scrapping. Scrapping with a Friend. I'm really very lucky. I have a girlfriend I've known since the fourth grade who has kids the same ages as mine (roughly). So we try and scrapbook at each others places and let the kids play together while we do it.

So yesterday Chris came over and I showed her the tools I got from my hubby for my birthday and she gave them all a go. Unfortunately she now wants all of them too! The thing I love about this kind of scrapbooking.... even though I rarely get a layout finished at one of these sessions is the chance to look through her work and get ideas. I love the shabby chic and distressed touches she adds to her layouts. She's also very adventurous with her paper mixing. I think I tend to be a bit boring. If I have a patterned paper with three colours on it I will only use that one patterned paper and then three plain papers in those colours. Whereas Chris is able to use two even three different patterned papers (not from the same range) and make it work. I admire that and have decided my new years resolution for my scrapbooking is to be more adventurous with my backgrounds.

The other thing I love about this kind of scrapbooking is the chance to try out tools I don't have. For instance yesterday I tried out my friends' heat embossing gun.... I usually use the toaster if I do it at all..... and wow it really does make such a difference so I'll be adding an embossing gun to my wishlist. Mind you my wish list is getting ridiculously long.

At the top of my list is a personal cutting system. I'm trying to decide between the Xyron Wishblade and the Cricut and would love to hear opinions from anyone who owns these machines. The Cricut is now available for sale in Australia but I haven't seen the wishblade so if I get one I have to get it from overseas.

At present I'm leaning towards the Wishblade only because it seems that you don't have to buy lots of templates (you can use the font's on your computer? Is that right?). Anyway please post a comment if you have an opinion either way on either machine I'd love some feedback.

Using Found Objects

I recently went on a lovely holiday to the Sunshine Coast (home of Steve Irwin, recently deceased) with my family..... My husband took some photos' and I foraged some shells and then I put this layout together.

This is a very cheap layout as it uses alot of scraps of paper from other projects and some stickers from a gift I was given.... then there's the shells.. FREE..... so all in all its a very cheap layout.... Hope you like it!

I'd love to see some other ideas for beach layouts.

Using only paper for a layout

This layout was done by Anne of Virginia. I'm posting it because I thought it would give you all ideas of innovative ways to use only paper in your layouts so you achieve a very cheap page.

Planning A Scrapbooking Layout...Part 1.

I noticed on alot of the message boards that people were unsure how to start a page. Most Newbies' mentioned that they had their photo's and would pull out all their supplies they'd hoarded and sit and look at them helplessly then put them all away again.
SO... I decided the best way to help was to do a video showing you how I plan a page, how I match my papers, pick my theme etc etc...

I hope you find this useful and it gets you over the hump as it were and gets you scrapping.\

Scrapbooking and time management

I'm often asked how I find the time to scrapbook? I think the keys here are to have a space you can leave a layout in progress sitting on. I also find the 12 x 12 paper bags my supplies are packaged in at the scrapbooking store invaluable for this. I place all the items in this bag and label it with my tittle so I can come back to a "layout" anytime in the future when I've assembled all the pieces I want.

I often pull out a few photo's for a layout then I pick a design. I may then take a week of TV time to cut out different things or make the embellishments, trim and mat my photos etc etc so when I finally sit down at my desk all the elements of my page are ready to glue down. I've even taken supplies to work with me and on my lunch break I'll stamp a title while eating my lunch or write my journalling.... anything I can take away with me is left aside for this purpose.

So in effect a page may actually take a week of 10 minutes here, an hour there before it's ready to officially start.

You don't have to sit down and do a page from start to finish in the one sitting. Also sometimes this way of breaking it down into smaller parts allows you time to come up with innovative ideas.... Give it a try and let me know how you do...

Do The Words Cheap & Scrapbooking Go Together...

Cheap and Scrapbooking are two words that don't usually go well together. That's mainly because so many of the supplies aren't that cheap. I guess that's why I can understand those people who may really want to get into scrapbooking but don't because they're intimidated by the associated costs. So I thought I'd make another list of scrapbooking supplies that I've used that are Free or cost next to nothing.... Just to hopefully prompt someone into starting scrapbooking who would of otherwise remained a scrapbook virgin.

Well as per my last post; Chipboard is free or nearly free if you collect all the chipboard that comes into your life but even better if you have friends and family saving theirs for you too.

Storage devices from the supermarket. Donut packets and spinach leaves etc etc. (see earlier blog)

Paper towel, toilet paper, tissues, tissue paper, wrapping paper, gift ribbons, cards, buttons (you usually get some free with every outfit you buy), Old and broken jewellery, used postage stamps, writting paper, old money (as long as it's not valuable) maps, postcards, as well as fabric samples off ruined outfits (these are great to do a layout of a photo containg this outfit) seeds, labels, foil seals from coffee cans and tin seals from formula tins, clothing tags, shopping bags, paper bags, bottle tops, stones, shells, grass, flowers, gumnuts, bark, twigs, leaves, sand and dirt.

Paperclay is one of my favorite mediums and you can make it yourself really cheaply (anyone wanting this recipe just email me for a return email containing this recipe.

Your kids artwork? This can be a great background paper especially if you're scrapping a photo of them painting it.

Their are free items available everywhere if you're looking..... What's your best Free find?

Did Someone say FREE Chipboard?

FREE CHIPBOARD: I can't believe I haven't mentioned this one before. I get all my chipboard free off the back of notebooks etc.... even my photo developers give me a free piece everytime I get an enlargement. I then use stencils and die cut machines (friends stuff and the ones at my local scrapbook store by hiring a table for an hour or two) and even some chipboard letters I've purchased at the discount variety stores for like a $1 or $2. These are traced around and I use my craft knife to cut out the letters from my free chipboard. I know this takes longer but it saves you so much money. By not having to buy slides and tags and letters etc I'm saving alot on my layouts yet still giving them a lovely fashionable look.

Happy Birthday To Me...

PRESENTS FOR ME...... Well it's my birthday. I'm now 36... WOW... It's a bit scary really cause I don't feel like a grown up yet. Anyway for my birthday I was a very lucky girl. I got loads of scrapbooking stuff! I have a wishlist that I add to and subtract from and my husband was a very good shopper this year and purchased me two tools off my wishlist and two he just thought I needed. The best thing is he was right. So it's nice to see he's paying attention to what I'm doing.

A wishlist is a great way to expand your supplies. I have a girlfriend with a scrapbooking addiction and she and I always buy each other supplies. We always give each other some papers out of the bulk buy packets we get and then some embellishments. This year my girlfriend got me a great little embellishment pack in pink and then a whole lot of fibres! She's into ribbons and fibres and is trying to get me as hooked on ribbon as her. This is great cause it opens up my supplies to some creative challenges. A couple of the papers she has given me aren't what I would normally buy but they're really pretty so I'm looking forward to trying them out.

So I urge all scrapbookers to create a wishlist your family and friends can peruse. The best thing is you can do this online now with google.

Thanks ... What a Great Idea!

"themrs" left a comment that it's also a good idea to share tools as well as scrapbooking supplies. I think this is a great idea. If you have a friend you scrapbook with regularly this might be an excellent way to double your tools immediately. You may also be able to pool your resources to buy larger items. Maybe you could purchase a Sizzix machine and share ownership of it? One week at my house and one week at yours?

Here's Some FREE Storage Ideas...

These are two more examples of free storage devices. The one on the left is a container the supermarket sells mini pavlova cases in and the one on the right is ideal for storing punches. I'm not really sure what came in this .... I think it was a computer hard drive or something? But you get my point. Keep your eyes open. In my house everything goes into a box which I look through first before it makes it's way to the bin.

More Storage Ideas...

Free storage devices? Well I talk about free storage devices and have spoken previously about the container my cinamon donuts come in... So I thought I should show you what I'm talking about and here it is. As you can see I have poked a small piece of ribbon out of the edges so when I want to use a certain ribbon I simply cut off the length I want. I think this is the ideal way to store your ribbon. It's free. It's easy to access your supply and you can always see how much of anything you have.



This is the container that my local grocery store sells baby spinach leaves in. I use these on a shelf to store stamps and inks. Because the container is completely clear it is really easy for me to find anything I'm looking for.

I really do suggest that you look at the containers all your grocery items come in. That way you get to save the money you would of spent on storage devices and put it all towards supplies.