Tutorials

$Crafty Math$

A man has one hundred dollars
and you leave him with two dollars.
That's subtraction.
~Mae West

Are you good with numbers?

I'm trying to remember what I learned from my math classes in school, and, seriously, the only thing I can recall is that my geometry teacher had really good penmanship.

Then there was my infamous carpet project. Dad wanted to give me a chance to apply math to real-life so he asked me to measure the room he was building for me in the back half of the basement and calculate how much carpet he should buy.

I know, "basement" bedroom conjures up images of Harry Potter's closet room in the Muggle world, but, really, it was nice. I spent the better part of a Saturday afternoon trying to figure out how much carpet Dad should buy. Thankfully, Dad was better with numbers than I was and over ruled my numbers. My calculations would have covered the floor AND the walls and ceiling of the entire basement, and probably would have required a second mortgage to pay for it all.

Dad also had a good sense of humor and of course never let me forget the carpet project.

If you've followed me for even a little while (God Bless You), you know I love lots and lots of layered mats on my cards. See? This little dinosaur birthday card from the other day has at least eight layers.

Yes, it's kind of scary how long it took me to figure out the math to make these matted layers.

But, thanks to my perfect-penmanship geometry teacher and good humored Dad, I figured it out and now I have it down to a science.

Here goes.

If you want your pretty stamped, colored and now gorgeously embellished, glittered and embossed square to have a delicate little 1/16 inch border around it, you double the size of the border (1/16 inches times two equals 1/8 inches) and add that to the width and length of the square.

Scared yet?

I usually start my projects with a sketch. I print out the sketch and then start scribbling my calculations. I start with the size of the card and deduct the size of each border until I get to the center panel.

For dinosaur-spot-of-tea card up there, I started with standard 5-1/2 inch by 4-1/4 inch card.

I wanted a 1/8 inch space between the edge of the card and the first, blue, layer. So, I deducted 1/4 inches from the 5-1/2 inches and from 4-1/4 inches to make a mat that was 5-1/4 inches by 4 inches.
I wanted a little 1/16 inch border between the blue mat and the red mat.
And then, I wanted another 1/16 inch border between the red mat the the thunder-cloud-stars blue patterned paper.

So here it is . . . My Craft Math!

Are you still with me?

Good, because now the fun really begins. After I cut the 5 inch by 3-6/8 inch thunder-cloud-stars blue patterned paper, there was no more calculating or measuring, just cutting. I did all the rest with the Perfect Layers tool. This tool is so smooth – like buttah!

Photo credit

The Perfect Layers tools have options from 1/16 inch (my personal favorite) to 1 inch borders.

Photo credit

Here's how the magic works. The Perfect Layers tools have these "catch lips" that hook onto the side of your picture or project edge.

Photo credit.

Once you decide how big you want your border to be, you adhere your top layer to the next layer, line up the lip with the edge of your top layer and cut down the side with a hobby blade. Turn the piece and repeat until you've cut out all four sides.

If you want another layer, just repeat the process with the next border material.

I had not yet adhered the layers to the card base when I took this picture (that's the very, very last thing I do with a card). But, you can see already see . . . perfect layers every time, even for a geometry dunce like me.

Here's my really big news!

I bought my Perfect Layers tool about a gazillion years ago when it was carried by Stampin' Up! I was so sad when Stampin' Up! quit carrying it because I really loved sharing this crazy fun tool. The Perfect Layers tool just seemed to disappear off the planet. Let me tell you, I'd be pretty freaked out if I lost mine. But, They're Back!

Once I found them again, I contacted the Perfect Layers geniuses to tell them how much I love their tool. Guess what! Those nice people want to make it easier for me to make it easier for you to get your hands on this tool. Such really nice people they are.

You can use this LINK to view an instructional video and purchase your set of Perfect Layer Rulers with a Catered Crop discount. Use the promo code catered5% when you check out and you'll save five percent on the rulers and get flat rate priority shipping.

That puts a dinosaur-size smile on my face.

So, back to my original question. Are you good with numbers? Well, I used to be really bad with numbers. But not so much any more.

I married a mathematician.

Now that the Design Team from My Favorite Things (MFT) and I have teased and tempted you all week long, it's almost time to grab all your favorite Brand Spankin' New products from MFT.

But first . . . it's time for the Die-namics Feature and Pre-Release PEP Rally! The Design Team' has saved the best for last. Here's an in-depth look at this month's Die-namics, with an opportunity to revisit the amazing sets being released tonight at 10pm EST RIGHT HERE.

And while we're at it, how about we make your life even easier with a "cheat sheet" of all that's new? Head over to the MFT Blog to print out a shopping list.

Here are the details about the upcoming release on October 4 at 10 PM EST:

The MFT release is on October 4 at 10:00 PM EST. You can attend the release party from 8:00 to 10:00 PM EST here in the forum for fun, games, and prizes! All the new sets and dies will be available October 4 at 10:00 PM EST.
Be sure to check in on the guest designer contest to see who will be my successor. The announcement is made in the release party thread and the guest designer contest thread in the MFT forum on SCS.
If you'd like to see all the teasers for today, just click on over to Kim's blog now! Be sure to leave comments as you go for a chance to win one of two $10 vouchers being given away daily, just for leaving a comment.

Gardenias were my Mother-in-Law's favorite flower, so, you know, I went a little crazy with the new Rolled Gardenia Die-namic. By now, you've become accustomed to my craziness, right? I made it to go along with this card that featured the new stamp sets, "Sincere About Abundance" and "Inspired by Autumn."

If you want to roll up your sleeves and roll a lot of Gardenias, here's the DIY how-to.

Supplies:

Vase
Styrofoam ball that fits and fills the top of the vase
Fabric to cover your styrofoam ball.
Paper, felt and/or fabric to make your flowers.
The Rolled Gardenia Die-namic (or any of the rolled flower Die-namics)
Glue Dots, Tacky Glue, glue gun – whatever you prefer to glue your rolled flowers (I use Tacky Glue)
Straight Pins

And, for extra credit . . .

Liquid glue
Glitter
Old mouse pad
Stylus
(Optional) brads to put in the center of your flowers

For my bouquet I used a 6" by 6" paper pack by My Favorite Things (Lost and Found). I was able to get four flowers to each 6 x 6 page. Paper packs are perfect because of the small patterns and variety.

Cover your styrofoam ball with some fabric that will camouflage well under your flowers. I covered mine with muslin by just wrapping the ball with the muslin, gathering it at the bottom, and securing it with a rubber band. Then put your ball into the vase with about 1/2 to 1/3 of the top of the ball showing above the vase.

Run your paper, felt, fabric, etc., through your die cut machines with the Rolled Gardenia Die-namic. You can use almost any kind of fabric as long as you adhere it to some paper before you cut it out. I used two-sided adhesive sheets to adhere my muslin to tissue paper before I cut them out.

For extra credit (and to make your flowers really pop) . . .

Grab some glitter (I used German Glass glitter); some clear, liquid glue (Zig 2-Way glue); an old mouse pad; and a stylus.

Add some glamour to your flowers by putting a little glue on the tips and sprinkling some glitter over the glue.

We're going to give the flowers a little extra shape.

Turn your die cut upside down on the rubber mouse pad.
Press your stylus into the center of a petal and move it in a stirring motion pressing down on the stylus as your stir.

This will loosen the paper fibers and the shape will cup up around your stylus. Do that with each of the petals.

The cupped shape on your petals will help your petals fold back into a lovely Gardenia shape.

You're ready to roll your flower – just like any of the other rolled flower dies from My Favorite Things. Arlene did a wonderful video here with some great tips to help you roll your die cut into a flower. You know what, you can do this "extra credit" technique with any of the rolled flower dies. You can add brads to the centers of your flowers or, like I did, just one flower to be your focal point.

Now, using straight pins, stick your rolled flowers into the fabric covered styrofoam ball.

And there you have it. Of course the number of flowers you create to fill the bouquet will depend on the size of your ball and vase. I'm clueless when it comes to arranging flowers, but the shape of the styrofoam ball makes this pretty fail-proof.

I hope you all have had as much fun with MFT as I have this month. I'll see you at the release party and the after-party Product Tour.

October 3, 2011 | Filed Under: Autumn, My Favorite Things, Tips and Techniques Tagged With: My Favorite Things, Tutorials | 24 Comments

Magnetism, as you recall from physics class,
is a powerful force that causes certain items to be attracted to refrigerators.
~ Dave Berry

I found these fun six-petal bottle caps by Bottle Caps, Inc. at my local scrapbook store last weekend, and they reminded me of how much fun it is to play with bottle caps. Next to them was something called cabachons I'd never heard of before, but am totally hooked on now.

[kab-us-shon] – noun. 1. a precious stone of convex hemispherical or oval form, polished but not cut into facets.

Cool, huh?! Only, my cabachons were acrylic, not precious gems. I love the dimension they add and how they protect and magnify the image underneath. I've used flat-bottom glass marbles for the same purpose, but these cabachons don't have the imperfections the marbles do, and they're less cloudy. Using them is easier than melting Ultra Thick Embossing Powder (UTEE). But, attaching the cabachon can be a little tricky, and I had a bit of trial and error before I got it just right. I thought I'd share some of my trials and errors so you don't make the same mistakes.

To make your bottle cap magnets to attach to a card (or refrigerator), grab your ingredients . . .

BasicGrey Magnetic Snaps. (Please, keep these away from children and pets because any magnet can be dangerous if they swallow them.) They're just 1/32" thick, so they can slip between layers of paper unnoticed.
A one-inch circle punch.
A bottle cap. You can find them with jewelry making or scrapbooking supplies, but also in your refrigerator. Any bottle cap will do. If you use an older bottle cap, just scrape out the cork.
You need a liquid dimensional adhesive that dries clear, like Stampin' Up!'s Crystal Effects, Ranger Glossy Accents, Sakura Crystal Lacquer, JudiKins Diamond Glaze, or JudiKins DG3 Art Gel. I used JudiKins DG3 Art Gel, which worked like a charm.

Step 1 – Hidden within the four layers of this circle, circle/scallop, sentiment circle, and cow circle (just under the cow) is one of the BasicGrey magnetic snaps. Place the other snap under the image you want to put into the bottle cap. (Be sure to test them to make sure you have the positive/negative charges facing in the right direction, so your magnets attract reach other, not repel each other.)

Step 2 – Put just a tiny, tiny dot of your liquid lacquer in the bottle cap.

Step 2 – Place your top layer over your tiny dot of liquid adhesive.

Step 3 – Add a larger, pea-size amount of your liquid adhesive over the image. Thankfully, Copic Markers won't run when you put a liquid adhesive over them.

To avoid air bubbles -

Do NOT shake the bottle.
Do not hold the bottle at an angle. Hold it straight up and let the lacquer fill the tip of the bottle applicator.
Squeeze as much as you need without stopping. If you have to squeeze and release more adhesive a second time, you'll introduce air bubbles.

The trick is to use the right amount of the liquid dimensional adhesive.

Too little gives you shadows:

Too much, and you're more likely to get air bubbles and a cabachon that looks like its floating in a swamp.

You want just the right amount to get a clear image. To help you see the right amount more easily, I highlighted the adhesive on the right.

Some liquid dimensional adhesives will look cloudy while they're wet but dry clear.

Step 4 – Press the cabachon into the bottle cap so the adhesive spreads to cover the bottom of the cabachon. Resist the temptation to play with it for a few hours until the adhesive dries (yep, a few hours).

If you have a 1/16" hole punch, you can punch a small hole in the top of your bottle cap, add a jump ring or split ring, and turn your bottle cap into a pendant for a necklace, bracelet or key chain. Or, you can add it to a card.

So, pop a top, grab a bottle cap, make like a sheep and raise the bahh on your paper crafts. (You knew I was gonna sneak in at least one bad pun, right?)

April 9, 2011 | Filed Under: All Occasions, DeNami Designs, Gift Sets, Tips and Techniques Tagged With: Copic Markers, DeNami Designs, Tutorials | 3 Comments