Make it: Handmade Paper

Make it: Handmade Paper

Materials:
10-15 sheets of scrap paper (do not use glossy or magazine paper)
dried flower petals and/or leaves
blender (dedicated to papermaking)
papermaking screen*
papermaking box frame/mold*
papermaking plastic drainage tray*
medium-size storage tubs work well
cookie sheet or other tray
blotting/couching paper*
press bar*
towel
sponge
parchment paper
iron
cotton cloth to use as a pressing cloth

*These items can be purchased as a kit from www.arnoldgrummer.com

1. Tear scrap paper into 1"x1" squares. Include colored paper or cardstock in the mix to add color to the finished paper.

2. Place a few handfuls of paper squares in a blender. Add 3 c. water and liquefy the paper, pulsing in 10- to 15-second pulses. Continue until the paper is broken down into pulp.

3. Unlatch the box frame portion of the paper frame and assemble the screen and plastic drainage tray.

6. Pour half of the liquidized paper pulp into the water-filled tub. Lift the box frame out of the water, but keep it positioned over the tub.

7. Add any additives, such as dried flowers, leaves or confetti. Push additives into the pulp. Use your fingers to press the pulp mixture into an even layer.

8. Over a cookie sheet or tray, release the screen and the plastic drainage tray from the box frame. Top the pulp with the topper sheet from the papermaking kit. Press down on the sheet and pulp with a sponge to remove the excess water.

9. Invert the paper on a towel and remove the screen. Using blotting, or couching, paper, absorb any additional water by pressing the paper with a press bar.

10. Lay the paper on a piece of parchment to dry for at least 8 hours. When the paper is completely dry, sandwich it between two pieces of cotton and iron gently with a dry iron.

Make It: Two Ways to Seal Envelopes with Wax

With wedding season just around the corner, I started thinking about wax seals again. I have two techniques that work great for wax sealing. The first technique uses traditional wax sticks that are melted with a flame. The second, uses wax "hot glue" sticks. The sticks are not hot glue, they are a wax that melts in a glue gun.

These sticks are from Scribes Delight.

Make It: Sealing Envelopes with Wax Sticks

This is from the Global Shipping episode of Creative Juice

Materials:
coffee - cooled
sealing wax stick
metal seal
envelopes
paper
matches
optional: metallic stamp pad

Steps:

1. To create an antique look, wrinkle up an envelope and soak it in a coffee bath for a few seconds. Blot to remove excess moisture and set aside to dry.



2. Light the wax stick's wick and tilt the stick at a slight angle over the envelope, lit end facing down.


3. Holding the stick over the area for the seal, let the wax flow onto the envelope until there is enough wax for a seal (10 to 15 seconds of melting wax should produce enough wax for an average 1/4"-diameter seal). Be careful not to get soot in the wax.



4. Press the seal into the wax; remove by lifting straight up. If the wax won't let go of the seal, rest the seal on the wax until it's completely cool, then lift the seal off.


5. Highlight ink (from a metallic stamp pad) can be used on the seal before embossing to help the wax release the seal, as well as to create a dimensional look. Or you can add a little ink to a paintbrush and brush it into the seal.

________________________________________

These sticks are from Save-on-Crafts

Make It: Sealing Envelopes with Wax Glue Sticks

Materials:

wax glue sticks
metal seal
low-temp glue gun (dedicated for this type of project)
paper
optional: metallic stamp pad

Steps:

1. Insert a wax stick into a standard-size low-temp glue gun (use a second wax stick in the gun to help advance the first stick). Bring the gun to the desired temperature and rest it on a piece of foil to help reduce drips or wax strings on the work area.


2. Use a few test pulls to get a feel for the quantity of wax to use with the seal. Two firm pulls of the trigger will produce a full seal for larger sealing coins. Waiting for 10-15 seconds before embossing the wax with a seal will create a better definition in the wax. Experiment to find the correct waiting period based on temperature conditions.


3. Emboss with a seal; remove by lifting straight up out of the wax. If the wax won't let go of the seal, rest the seal on the wax until it's completely cool, then lift the seal off. Highlighting ink (from a metallic stamp pad) can be used on the seal before embossing to help the wax release the seal, as well as creating a dimensional look on the seal.

Tips and Tricks: Alternating 1" plugs of different colors of glue-gun wax sticks can create a unique marbling effect. Glue plugs can be created by cutting the glue sticks into sections with craft scissors.

Make It: Shipping-Tag Scrapbook

Make It: Shipping-Tag Scrapbook

Create a mini brag book with shipping tags. This one was created with photos and postcards from my Honeymoon in Australia. Featured on the Global Shipping episode of Creative Juice.

Materials:
16 large shipping tags
grosgrain ribbon
1 yd. decorative ribbon
acid-free heavy-duty paper glue
photos of family and friends
scrapbook embellishments
rubber stamps
fun papers
pigment inkpad
funky fibers & yarns


Steps:

Rub the edges of the shipping tags along the inkpad to create an antiqued appearance.


Lay eight of the tags 1/2" apart on a work surface.


Using heavy-duty glue, adhere a strip of grosgrain ribbon across the center of all eight tags.



3. Glue the remaining eight tags on top of the tags already attached to the ribbon; this creates a surface with two sides to decorate.


Decorate each shipping tag to create a mini scrapbook page.


Tie fibers through the hole at the top of each tag to make a hang-tag.

make it: $1 Store Notebook Revamp

Make it: $1 Store Notebook Revamp

This project we designed for Plaid!

With a little Mod Podge and a few scraps of paper and ribbon, you can transform a plain $1 bin notebook into a cute and sassy place to store all you notes.


We used the NEW Hologram Gold Mod Podge. It has such a soft and pretty shimmer. I just saw the glitter and shimmer Mod Podge at Michaels.

Materials:
Mod Podge ® Glitter - Hologram Gold, 8 oz.
Hardcover spiral notebook
1 Sheet owl themed scrapbook paper
Foam paintbrush
Velvet ribbon scrap
Chipboard letter
Paper clamp
Ruler
Scissors
Tacky glue

Steps:
1. Trim the scrapbook paper to fit on the cover of the notebook.

2. Attach the paper to the notebook cover using a thin coat of Glitter Mod Podge. Apply a 2 top coats of glitter Mod Podge to the cover. Allow for drying in between coats.

3. Use tacky glue to attach a strip of velvet ribbon down the side of the notebook. Use the same glue to attach a chipboard letter to the lower front side. Clip a paper clamp to the top to attach notes to the inside of the notebook.

Clean Sweep Magazines

Mod Podge Magazine Holder

It is time to get organized and clean out your magazines. Store the the ones you can't part with in this Mod Podge Magazine holder we designed for Plaid. Visit this link for step by step instructions.

Where Women Create - Click to Enlarge

Make tear sheets of projects, recipes, color palettes, design ideas or anything inspiring and place the sheets in a file folders or 3-ring binders. Organize the your tear sheets by subject so you can easily track down ideas. Visit my blog post to see the whole Where Women Create story and see my organized office.

Ready to ship!

Make re-cycled packing materials with what you want to discard from the magazine by shredding them in a paper shredder. The perfect cushion for shipping etsy and ebay items. Visit my blog post on this here.

make it: Delightful Doggie Bags

Fall Leaf Doggie Bags

We always make extra food so our Thanksgiving guests can take a little home to enjoy. Tin foil and take away containers are perfect for sealing leftovers, but a little boring to look at. We like to decorate kraft paper gift bags for each guest to take home their goodies in.

Fall Leaf Bags:
Use leaf shaped rubber stamps and metallic inks to decorate kraft paper gift bags. To add texture to your stamping, emboss with sanded embossing powder. For extra pop, tie silk flowers and paper clay leaves to the handles. Make guest place cards or thank you notes by stamping onto folded blank note cards.

Make it: Ticket Bowl

Ticket Bowl from the Where Women Create Feature

Materials:
roll of "fair/carnival" tickets
Mod Podge - gloss or matte
foam paintbrushes
rubber bands
small piece of felt
Fabri-Tac glue

1. Unroll the top five layers of tickets. Apply Mod Podge to the backs of these tickets and reroll back together. Keep the roll tight; these tickets will form the brim of the bowl. Use rubber bands to secure, if needed, while the glue dries.

2. Use your fingers to press the roll into a bowl form, pushing in the center and gently pulling on the sides to form a bowl shape.

3. Apply Mod Podge to the outside and inside of the ticket bowl.

4. Let dry; repeat with two more coats of Mod Podge.

5. Cut a piece of cardstock the size of the bottom of the bowl. Glue to the bowl bottom with découpage medium. Cut a piece of felt the same size and attach with Fabri-Tac glue.

Recycled Record & Rock and Roll Projects

Take a sneak peek at the paper folded cd covers project!

Creative Juice - Episode # 202 - Record Mania

Pull those old records off the shelf, and let's rock! Cathie Filian and Steve Piacenza are tackling some fun music-inspired crafts, including a groovy room divider made from old LPs; a vintage-looking faded rock T-shirt; photo scrapbooks made from nostalgic record sleeves; and customized CD covers that put a new spin on record mania.

Record Album Room Divider

Bleached Pen Rocker Shirts

Paper CD Cover

Record Album Scrapbook

Visit the Record Mania page at cathieandsteve.com

Creative Juice Global Shipping

Creative Juice - Episode # 302 - Global Shipping

We are sending out a message. Get crafting! A shipping-tag scrapbook makes for a unique way to hold on to cherished vacation memories. A caddy decorated with vintage stamps and labels helps keep all your supplies organized and wax sealing techniques give your letters a little extra personality. In the lounge, we are recycling water bottles into mailing vessels.

shipping tag scrapbook

Supplies:
16 Large shipping tags
Grosgrains ribbon
Decorative ribbon – 1 yard
Heavy-duty paper glue – acid free
Family & Friends photos
Scrapbook Embellishments
Rubberstamps
Fun Papers
Pigment Inkpad
Funky Fibers (by Fiberscaps)

Steps:
1. Rub the edges of all the shipping tags along the inkpad to create an antiqued edge.

2. Lay out 8 of the tags on your work surface and separate them about 1/2 inch. Glue the strip of grosgrain ribbon across the center of all 8 tags using a heavy-duty glue.

3. Glue the remaining 8 tags on top of the 8 tags with the ribbon. This creates a platform for decorating on both sides.

4. Creating the pages: Make each shipping tag into it’s own mini scrapbook page.

5. Tie funky fibers through the hole at top of each tag.

Vintage Stamp Shipping Caddy

Supplies:
Vintage “Train case” suitcases
Large assortment of stamps
Mod Podge
Small Paint brush
Foam paintbrush
Large tag shaped punch
Medium stamp sized punch
Scrapbook paper
Letter Rubber Stamps
Ink Pad

Steps:

1. Stamps can be bought in bulk from online auctions for just a few dollars.

2. Apply the stamps: Use the paintbrush and Mod Podge to glue the stamps to the train case, be as neat as possible. Allow to dry.

3. Using the scrapbook paper, punch out the tag-shaped punches, as many as there are letters in your name.  Then punch out the same number of stamp punches.

4. Stamp each stamp-shape with a letter.  Next, decoupage the stamped-stamp to a tag stamp, until you’ve spelled out your name.

5. Apply each tag shape with decoupage medium to affix to the case.

6. Fill with shipping supplies: stamps, tape, markers, scissors, labels.

embellishing wax seals

Wax Sealing with Sealing Wax Candles

Supplies:

Sealing Wax Candle – by Seven Gypsies

Metal Seal – by Seven Gypsies

Envelopes

Paper

Matches

Optional: Metallic stamp pad

Steps:

1. For an antique look, wrinkle up your envelope, then let it soak in a coffee bath for a few seconds.  Give it a pat dry and set aside to dry.

2. Light the wick and hold the wax stick at a slight angle (lit end down).

3. Holding the stick over the area where you wish to make your seal, let the wax flow onto your project until you have enough wax to press your seal into - 10-15 seconds of melting the wax should produce enough for an average 1/4" diameter seal. Be careful not to get soot into the wax.

4. Emboss with your seal and lift straight up. If you find the wax won't let go of the seal, simply let your seal rest on the wax until the wax is completely cool, then lift your seal off.

5. You can also use highlighting ink (a metallic stamp pad) on your seal prior to embossing to help the wax release the seal, as well as creating a dimensional look on your seal.

6. You should be able to make 10-14 seals from one stick of our sealing wax candles.

Wax Sealing with Wax Glue Sticks

(This is the Glue Gun Style)

Supplies:

Wax Glue Sticks

Metal seal

Low temp glue gun – dedicated for this project

Paper

Optional: Metallic stamp pad

Steps:

1. Insert your wax stick into standard sized low temp glue gun. Use a second wax stick in the gun to help advance the first. Bring the gun to temperature. Resting the gun on a piece of foil will help keep any drips or strings off of your work area.

2. Use a few test pulls to get a feel for the quantity of wax you would like to use with your seal. Two good pulls of the trigger will produce a full seal for the larger sealing coins.

3. Waiting for 10-15 seconds before you emboss the wax with you seal will create better definition in the wax. Experiment to find the correct waiting period for the conditions in your area.

4. Emboss with your seal and lift straight up. If you find the wax won't let go of the seal, simply let your seal rest on the wax until the wax is completely cool, then lift your seal off.

5. You can also use highlighting ink (a metallic stamp pad) on your seal prior to embossing to help the wax release the seal, as well as creating a dimensional look on your seal.

6. Alternating 1" plugs of different colors of glue gun wax will create a unique marbling effect. You can create plugs by cutting the glue sticks with craft scissors.

message in a bottle mailers

Supplies:Plastic bottle with a secure screw top lid
Sticky address & return address labels
Letter
Ribbon curls and confetti
Postage

Steps:

1. Fill the bottle with confetti and ribbon curls or anything that is light and fun. (Glitter pom-pom balls, sequins and small toys are great)

2. Roll the letter into a tight roll.  Secure with a piece of ribbon (optional). Place in the bottle.

3. Secure the lid onto the bottle (use tape if necessary) and attach the address labels. Have the bottle weighed at the post office and attach the proper postage. Pop in the mail.