Kid's Crafts Carnival!!

Be sure to visit these blogs and tell them Craft Critique sent you! Leave them all lovely comments! :)
Wait till you see some of these great ideas! Did you
find yourself listed here? We welcome your link to THIS carnival from YOUR blog. Thanks so much! :)

Sarah hosted a crafty birthday bash where the girls made cute bracelets.

Marie is just full of great ideas for kid's crafts. She often teaches kid's classes and has some great ideas. And a lot of her 3D projects would also work well for kids, with a little bit of supervision of course.

The Wokking Mum (how cute is that) in Singapore has a full site of great crafts she's done with her kids. Check out The Little Craft Box.


Marcy has a great idea for how to use up all those leftover, broken crayons.


Laura and her daughter started a craft and writing journal that they share together. Read more about it and start one for you and your kids.


Whip Up has 42 different great children's crafts along with some kid's craft book reviews. Make sure to click on the title to see the full article and pictures.

Julia made a great mini-book for her daughter's friends. Check out the step-by-step tutorial.

Did we miss something??? Feel free to leave any links we missed from YOUR BLOG or other great ideas in the comments below! As always there will be another carnival soon (keep an eye on the sidebar for all the details).

Paper Beads

Reported by Melissa Norris

Now I will admit that my daughter is only a year and a half so I haven't yet faced the "how to keep them busy during the summer" dilema. But to help all of the rest of you out I am going to give you instructions for a craft that I did with my mom during the summer, and all the supplies you need are already in your home! This is perfect for a rainy day when the kids can't head outside and you don't have the items you may need for another project on hand. So lets make some paper beads!!

Supplies you will need:

• Paper: magazine pages, wrapping paper, thin designer paper (not cardstock), basically any thin, pretty paper


• Adhesive: Mod Podge, regular school glue, clear nail polish, whatever you can find around the house


• Some type of stick: toothpicks, skewers, embroidery needles, etc.


• String: dental floss, elastic cord, fishing line, etc.


• Paper trimmer, rotary cutter, or scissors


• Wax or Parchment paper


• Paint brush

Start by cutting your paper (I used magazine ads) into strips. The base needs to be about an inch wide and tapering off to a point at the top to make a long triangle. Once you practice the basic bead concept you can then change the widths and shapes of your strips to make different style beads.

Once you have all of your paper cut grab your stick (I used bamboo skewers) and start rolling the large base onto the stick. Younger children may need help here getting it started.

Then roll it up until there is an inch or two left on the pointed end. Then, while holding the rolled bead tight, lay the end down on your wax paper and put some glue on the end of the paper strip.

Then roll it the rest of the way up. Once it is all rolled up coat the bead completely with your adhesive to finish it. Slide the bead off and place on a sheet of wax paper to dry.

Repeat this process over and over until you have your desired number of beads. Once the beads are dry you can add extra layers of Mod Podge to make it stronger. Or you can also choose to paint your beads, coat them in glitter, trim them shorter, whatever makes you happy. I have also seen people dip them in a Melt Pot full of Ultra Thick Embossing Enamel. These beads are fun and easy and once you learn the basic technique there are so many different things you can do with them.

Thread your finished beads onto your string to make necklaces or bracelets. They're especially cute when you do 2 or 3 strands of them.

This is my best friend's daughter Kaia modeling the necklace we made together.

Making Paper Beads is a great project for a few kids or many kids. Definitely great for Girl Scout troops, slumber parties, or a Moms and Daughters group. So get together with your friends and kids this summer and make yourself some jewlery!

Kids Craft: Decoupage

Reported by Donna Lannerd

As far as crafting with children go, decoupage is one of the easiest you can do and is a very inexpensive craft to introduce kids to. Basically the concept of decoupage is to glue items usually paper or fabric to an object. You can also use items such as stickers or petals from artificial flowers. The paper can be almost anything like tissue paper, magazines, napkins, newspapers or you can even use paper maps. Your item to decoupage can be just about anything you are able to glue items to. It's a great way to recycle an old vase, box or bottle.

It's easy to get started. You probably have a lot of the supplies around the house and the only skill you need to show kids is how to brush on the glue. They usually catch onto this pretty quick. Just follow the basic instructions below and see the projects to get some ideas.

To begin you will need some basic supplies:

• Mod Podge by Plaid - this is a water base glue that has been around for 40 years and is non-toxic and nonflammable
• An assortment of papers and/or fabric and stickers
• Foam paintbrush
• An item to decoupage

Basic steps:

1. Make sure your item is free of dirt and debris especially if you are recycling a food container or you are wanting a stained glass effect.


2. Pre-cut or tear pieces of paper or fabric.


3. Using the foam paintbrush, apply glue to the item.


4. Place paper or fabric over the glue.


5. Brush glue over the paper or fabric you just glued down.


6. Add other pieces as desired repeating steps 3-4.


7. Apply a thick coat of glue over entire design. Allow to dry.


8. Repeat step 7 as desired. The more coats the thicker the finish.

Although all the projects I'm showing are very easy, the first one below uses the fewest supplies. This has been made by cutting a piece of tissue paper in a rectangle about 2 inches higher than the height of the terra cotta flower pot and about 1 inch longer so that the paper overlaps when wrapped around the outside of the pot. Apply the glue to one small area at a time as you place the paper on the pot. Glue the top edge to the inside of the pot and the bottom edge to the underside of the pot. Don't worry about the paper crinkling and folding - it's part of the charm. The tissue paper used on this one is printed and had to be cut just right to get the pattern to show in a certain way. For very young crafters a solid tissue paper would be easier to handle and then add stickers or silk flower petals as desired.

The next two photos are an easy way to get a mosaic or stained glass effect. The candle globes were purchased. Pieces of tissue paper were cut into pieces for the globes. I added some yarns and beads to give it a more boutique look. My daughter has given both of these as gifts.

This vase is simply an empty Arizona tea bottle.The vase's tissue paper pieces were torn to give it just a little different look.

The next project is a wall decoration my daughter made for her room. The plaque is a purchased paper mache one from Michaels. It has been covered in tissue paper. I stamped the "MEOW" for her onto tissue paper. The paw prints and quote are stickers. The cat is a cut-out from a magazine. Unfortunately the tissue papers bled together making it hard to see the stamped image but my daughter still thought it was good.


The last project is a paper mache box from Hobby Lobby. The bottom is covered in tissue paper. The top is covered in pieces of fabric I picked up at a quilt show by RJR Fabrics. I purchased them in a sample pack of 5" squares. I still have bunch left in different colors. I did most of the work on this one. My daughter was getting a little tired and I was having too much fun. It was nice to used some of my cool fabrics without the work of washing them, cutting them into precise little pieces and sewing them up.

Kid's Craft Carnival!

Would you like to participate in our next carnival and reach our growing readership?

This week's Carnival is a Kid's CraftCarnival! We are looking for your Blog Postings; projects & articles about crafts that are appropriate for children. Do you have a favorite craft you do with your children, or maybe something crafty your kids like to do independently? We wanna see! This could be an item already posted to your blog; or a post created especially for the Kid's Craft Carnival.

Just Email us a link to your related post. If selected; your blog will be included in our Wednesday, May 30th Kid's Craft Carnival! You will be asked to link back to the Carnival post in exchange for your participation.

Please have your Carnival submissions in by Midnight (CST), Tuesday, May 29th. Tell all your favorite bloggers!

Pipe Cleaner Fun!

Reported by Amy Westerman

My kids are long past the stage of sitting down with Mom making crafts! They weren't that big on making crafts in the first place, but when we did sit down together, it was often painting or coloring that made them the happiest! If I had known about Giant Chenille Pipe Cleaners by Westrim Crafts when they were little, we would have had a blast making all sorts of fun creatures together!!

I purchased the Giant Chenille Stems by Westrim Crafts at my local Michael's store. Each stem is approximately 14 inches in length, and fat! The package retails for just under $10 US and contains 50 giant stems per package, in many different colors; pink, yellow, orange, blue, black, brown, purple, etc. The package comes with instructions for 12 different projects you can make with your kids! They are easy to understand, and come with bright colorful photos of each project.

In less than a hour, we managed to make at least 5 things with our giant chenille pipe cleaners. We made a dinosaur, a flower, a butterfly, a tall skinny man, and a lollipop. I was able to snap pictures of the first four items we made but the fifth got taken by our little neighbor girl because she loved it so much!

Another huge benefit of playing with giant chenille pipe cleaners....no sticky, icky mess to clean up afterwards! That's always wonderful for Mom! Your kids will have many hours of fun with these Giant Chenille pipe cleaners by Westrim Crafts! I could not find a picture of the box or any additional information about the product online, so this picture of part of the box will have to do. At least by seeing this, you'll know what to look for at your local craft store!

It's so long I couldn't get the full box in the viewfinder of my camera!

Here's a closer look at our dinosaur....

Here's our little man....(sorry, didn't have any wiggly eyes sitting around the craft room!)

And our pretty little butterfly...

And we can't forget my adorable pink flower!

If your kids like crafting, these Giant Chenille pipe cleaners from Westrim Crafts will be right up their alley!

More Inspiration!

Our reporting team thought it'd be fun to share some fun blogs/websites we like to frequent. We hope you enjoy this list... grab a cuppa joe and get comfy!



Amy Westerman's selections:

This Art That Makes Me Happy
This woman is amazing! Vicki makes BEAUTIFUL things with paper

Taylored Expressions
Taylor is an amazing designer! She comes up with the most beautiful cards ever!

Oodabug Alley
Not only is Charmaine adorable, her work is top notch! Her cards are amazing!



Donna Lannerd's Selections:

Betz White
The felt queen of the blogosphere. She has even done a stint on Martha Stewart. Makes the best felt pincushions

Sunshine's Creations
A super crafty site with great little tutorials and lots of ideas for lots of different crafts.

The Black Apple
Although she is a cool artist she leans to the crafty side especially when it comes to altering clothing and supplying recipes. She loves Alice in Wonderland and hedgehogs.



Melissa Norris' Selections:

The Inkblog
Nicole Seitler has tons of great info and tutorials. And her creations are beautiful!!

Primrose Design blog
Featuring a wonderful "stitch school" to learn embroidery stiches and techniques

Crafty Daisies
Ton's of great ideas and a huge variety!



Julia Stainton's Selections:

Capture the Moment
Nicole Heady's fabulous new blog. I've been a huge fan of Nicole's designs since I first noticed her designs in Papercrafts a few years ago. Captured Moments is her blog that features her new Papertrey Ink stamp line and has lots of great tips and behind the scenes peeks.

Paper Trufflez
Julie Ebersole has a fabulous unique style and a great sense of humour. I always love reading her blog and it is actually the first I ever started reading. If you've never checked it out, you need to!

Running With Scissors
I love Leslie's fabulous style. She always makes my jaw drop! Gorgeous cards and you'll find beautiful pics of her fabulous garden as well

Embellished By Jacksonbelle
Jacksonbelle is one of the top five Papercrafts Idol finalists, a fabulous designer and wonderful friend. Check out her blog for fabulous papercraft designs.

Thinking Inking
Debbie Olsen has a fabulous blog that I visit daily. With lots of fabulous designs, ideas and inspiration, Debbie never disappoints!




Colleen Schaan's Selections:

My Inky Fingers
Cindy Brockes Blog. Cindy's blog is full of great techniques, wonderful examples, and good humor.

My Time, My Creations, My Stampendence
Lauren's blog is one of my favorites. She is such an inspirational women. She shares tidbits of her personal life along with amazing examples of her work.

Quacking Creations
Angie's blog is AMAZING! Her intricate and detailed work simply defies explanation...you must see it for yourself.

Stampin' When I Can
Allison's blog is the mother of all blogs...the place to visit when you want to find out who is having candy contests, who has new tutorials out, and what new blogs are worth visiting. Allison does a great service to all the bloggers out there!


Sue Mylde's Selections:

Sisterhood of Scrap
A group of ladies inspiring the scrapbooking world.

Pencil Lines
A great place to pick up sketches to use for your scrapbooks!

Kristina Werner
Kristina Werner's Design blog - really fabulous, crisp designer.

Kristina Contes' Sounds of Science
A wonderful, talented scrapbooker with her own enigmatic style...

Journalers Junction
Dare to Journal! Here are some great challenges to inspire you!

Elsie Flannigan's A Beautiful Mess
Elsie's blog with her creative scrapbook ideas, and lovely photographs.

Anna Griffin Papers

Reported by Sarah Moore

It was during the planning of my wedding in 2000 that I discovered Anna Griffin papers. I had been scrapbooking... trying my best to make my pages look beautiful... but you know how it used to be... my pages were filled with stickers, papers that didn't really match, and well... looking back at those early pages now is a bit embarrassing.

I completely remember the day when I discovered the Anna Griffin heritage style line of papers... they were all in my wedding colors! Sage green and ivory... with a hint of pink... very shabby chic without being too shabby! The matching embellishments, ribbon photo corners and rich looking bows (which she still makes by the way) were such a step up from my current work. I spent TONS of money on sheets and sheets of that lovely paper... and I found it even matched my home decor... Seven years later; I still love those papers... how often does THAT happen?

Then to be honest, I had lost track of Anna G for a bit. I have moved away from scrapbooking and find I now enjoy making cards and giftables more. Like many women I also focus a lot of creative energies on my home, and I love to make decorative items to display. My personal style is very eclectic; but I gravitate toward a vintage look; and often find myself purchasing home accessories that are really intended for children's rooms; lamps, pillows, frames... My taste is so varied.

A few months ago I was shopping at my local scrapbooking store and peeked in on my pal Anna. She still makes the traditional scrolled, floral, damask and toile style patterns; with matching accessories... but now she has this NEW look... retro inspired lines that are bright, stylish and somewhat comical. I had to have them!

My favorite... the "Bailey" line







The newest "Mackenzie" line.

And look at this new line... even her traditional patterns have made an upgrade... with bold back and whites and those same Damask patterns but now in HOT pink!

*NEW* The "Dorothy" Collection

The Anna Griffin collection of course includes a full line of papers, die cuts, stickers, and various embellishments. I especially love the fabric covered brads, pre-tied ribbons and new flocked stickers. Her other paper designs are MUCH more on the traditional side; so she really has something for everyone. You can see HERE for a list of places to buy Anna Griffin Papers. Also don't miss the Outlet store. QVC also features Anna's wonderful goods. They have some more unusual items there too; combo kit's and what-not.

The paper is super smooth and soft... almost on the fragile side. I wrote the company for specifics on the weight of the paper but have not yet heard back; I will update this post when I do. The papers take ink well also; they are not coated or glossy in any way. Use this product with confidence! :)

I created this project especially for this article. After using my Xyron to apply the paper to this pressboard vase (by Prima... purchased at Target), I applied some White Craft ink (direct to paper). I completed the protect with this big bow and a vintage button. Because the paper is so soft; it is ideal for projects such as this one where a very light weight paper is better suited.

Get Inspired!

Today I thought I'd chat a bit about inspiration... where to find it and how to get it! We would enjoy reading your comments below... tell us how and where you find inspiration for your craft! Here are some places I find inspiration...

Cool Hunting
Craftzine
not-martha
Apartment Therapy
Buzzville
Design Sponge
Designspotter
The Sampler
Instructables
Craftster
Junior Society

You can find inspiration here on Craft Critique too! Have you learned to use out Tag List yet? Look at the side bar on our Main Home Page. Scroll all the way down... you can click on one of our many categories and see all that articles that fall within that category! Cool right?

Stampin' Up! Papers

Reported By Colleen Schaan

Paper...it comes in an array of weights, styles, textures, patterns, sizes, and finishes and can add character to any crafting project. As we continue to celebrate it this week, I would like to share some information and my own opinions on Stampin’Up! brand paper products.

First the facts. Stampin’ Up! (referred to as SU from this point forward in the article) may best be known for its exclusive color families. There are 4 basic color families (Bold Brights, Earth Elements, Rich Regals, and Soft Subtles) with 12 colors in each family. That means there are 48 unique colors to choose from. In addition, there is a neutrals line, an In-Color line that consists of 6 very trendy colors that are available for only one year (before being retired and making way for the next year’s color grouping), a number of designer paper lines (I’ll talk about these more later), and a specialties paper line. So with all that said, SU offers a huge variety of paper products...something for everyone!

The Recollections patterns coordinate with various stamp sets and add an elegant touch to this card.

Let’s start with cardstock...the basic supply for card makers and scrapbookers. SU’s exclusive cardstock comes in packages of 8 1/2 x 11 or 12 x 12 and is dyed so it has pure color throughout. This means there is no white core! You can rip or tear the cardstock and not have to worry about having that glaring white show through. The cardstock is 80lb. weight and I like that is is heavy enough to use as a card base and light enough to layer. SU’s cardstock comes in all 48 exclusive colors in addition to the six In Color colors and also comes in neutrals (black, white, vanilla, sand, brown, and grey). All of these have a smooth, flat finish to allow for clean, crisp stamping.

True Thyme and Buckaroo Blue work together with Sahara Sand and the Journeys designer paper.

SU also offers a specialty line of papers. This line includes watercolor paper (140 lb., 100% cotton, cold-pressed), confetti white and vanilla (80 lb. with flecks of color throughout), glossy white (80 lb. with a shinny surface), gold, silver, and copper metallic (92 lb. with a metallic shine throughout), shimmery white (89 lb. with shimmer on both sides), mulberry (white), and vellum (regular or cardstock weight). The specialty papers are a bit more spendy, but well worth the price to add some elegance to your projects. One final note about SU’s cardstock and specialty papers...all of them are acid free with the exception of the shimmery white.

Lastly, SU offers up an array of Designer Papers. There are 18 original assortments in the regular catalog with many more being offered throughout the year. Each collection of Designer Papers comes 12 sheets per package (2 each of 6 designs). Each pattern matches SU’s artwork and coordinates with their exclusive colors to make creating projects a cinch. The single-sided Designer Papers are much lighter at 70 lb weight while the double-sided is a much stiffer 100 lb weight.

Three different patterns from the Sarah designer paper series meld together to create a delightful card.

Them’s the facts...so what do I think?

I believe SU is keeping up with the papercrafting market by offering fresh new cardstock colors and patterned paper with fun, bold colors and simple, elegant designs. I LOVE the fact that SU exclusive colored cardstock perfectly matches their inks and coordinates with so many of their other products. It is super simple to pick a designer paper and find some matching cardstock to completely coordinate your project. I really like to use the single-sided papers for altered items. They are thin and flexible enough to cover like a dream. I don’t often use the double-sided papers for altering items because they are a bit stiff and it takes a really strong adhesive to get them to stay put, but I love mixing and matching the patterns on cards and scrapbook pages. I like that SU’s cardstock is thick enough to use as a sturdy cardbase, and I like the fact that it takes ink so well. The only exception to this would be the whisper white. I do think it is a bit thin to use alone as a cardbase. When I do use it as a base, I always layer another color onto the card to give it a bit more stability.

The bold, bright patterns of Dots and Dashes help to create this "sweet" altered tin and matching beaded pen.

Overall, I am very pleased with the paper quality and selection from Stampin’ Up! For even more information about SU’s products or a glimpse at their on-line catalog, please click HERE.

Die Cuts With a View Paper

Reported by Melissa Norris

I recently discovered Die Cuts With a View (DCWV) paper on a dig through the clearance bin at Michaels. Some of their Card Kits in a Stack had gone on clearance and I loved the patterns on the paper so I decided to try grab a stack. DCWV has a large variety of paper products, with a lot of it being stacks or kits full of coordinating papers, cardstocks, and accessories.

The Card Kit in a Stack package that I purchased includes everything you need to make 20 5.5"x5.5" cards. The cardstock cards are pre-scored and are made of textured cardstock. The kit also includes 2 sheets of stickers and 5 sheets of coordinating paper. Now, since I don't have any large square envelopes I chose to trim the pre-scored and cut cards down to a standard 4.25"x5.5" (A2) card. Plus by doing that you have more scraps of coordinating cardstock to use. Another thing to note about the DCWV textured cardstock is that it has a white core. This makes it a great cardstock for sanding to reveal the white inside.

This is the card I made using the DCWV Card Kit in a Stack. I chose the "Congratulations" kit because of the great colors and retro style designs. This card also features a Stamping Bella stamp and cardstock and stamps from Stampin Up.

I also purchased a DCWV Assorted Box of Cards. These boxes come in several sizes and styles including ones with scalloped and ric rac borders. This box I chose includes 5 each of 10 different styles. Each card is made of textured cardstock with the white core and features a printed front and coordinating solid back. I chose to cut one of mine in half so I had to pieces of paper to use on my card. Again as with the other DCWV pack I got the colors and patterns are fun and whimsical, which is just my style.

This is the card I made with the Box of Cards. It also features stamps by Stamping Bella and Gina K Designs.

Overall I really think DCWV has a great product. The cardstock isn't as heavy and some so you may want to add it to a heavier card. But the texture makes it look great and the coordinating sets really take a lot of the guess work out of it for you. Their products can be found at major retail stores like Michael's and JoAnn's and at some local stores. I would definitely recommend picking up a pack the next time you're out and giving it a try for yourself.

Scenic Route Paper Company

Reported by Julie Fei-Fan Balzer

Scenic Route Paper Co. is a relative newcomer to the scene. The company was started in 2004, but their beautiful paper was immediately snatched up by scrapbookers. I can totally understand why.

This is what I have come to expect from Scenic Route:

Double-Sided, Heavyweight Patterned Paper
- You can create folded objects where both sides look good.
- You can use the paper as pages in a mini album, no need to glue two single sheets back-to-back.
- Scenic Route does a very good job of using coordinating, but unexpected patterns on each side.
- You have two times the choices.

Fun and Colorful Designs
- As someone without children yet, I appreciate the bright and colorful, but non-specific designs. I can use them to document my adult life, and another scrapper can use the same paper for a child-centered album.
- The patterns are often whimsical choices, such as birds and flowers.
- Scenic Route paper has clean lines, often using geometric shapes.
- It doesn’t have a grungy, distressed look.
- Scenic Route coordinates each paper collection to include patterns of different scales and shapes (i.e. large flowers, small circles, stripes, and a plaid). This makes anyone look like a superstar at coordinating patterns and colors!
- The patterns are often layered (a background pattern with a motif on top), this allows you to cheat a bit. The paper looks like you might have stamped a design onto it!

Scenic Route has an excellent website. Beyond the usual product photos, you will also find a gallery (many projects have instructions on how to recreate them), you can sign up for their monthly email newsletter, and they run a monthly challenge in which the winners are sent goodie boxes!


In addition to their wonderful papers, Scenic Route offers an array of chipboard (alphas and printed shapes), die cut arrows, stickers, and cardstock.

I hope you'll give Scenic Route a try!

Here are some projects I made with Scenic Route:

Looking for a Few Good Reporters!

Are you a crafty blogger? Do you love to write and feel like you have something to say? Well we want to hear it! Craft Critique is currently looking for a few good Reporters.

At this time we are looking for crafters that have some experience in papercrafts and at least one other area of craft; all over creative dabblers are welcome to apply. You must have a blog and have had the blog for at least 60 days; 50% of your posts must be craft related. Novice crafters are welcome to apply.

Commitment is flexible... there is no pay... you might get some free stuff sometimes but no promises. What's the benefit? Well, you can help increase traffic to your blog and it's fun. Plus it's something to put on your resume... and it will keep you out of trouble! :)

We are looking for 2 kinds of reporters. "Staff Reporters" must commit to writing at least 2 articles per month according to our deadlines and chosen topics. Occasionally staff reporters may receive free product for vendor reviews. Staff reporters will appear on our sidebar with a link to their blog. Due to stipulations with future vendor reviews, staff reporters must reside in the US or Canada.

"Feature Reporters" can submit articles according to topics they select, or on our featured topics... they only are required to write one article per month. After writing two articles they will be listed on our sidebar as a reporter and will remain listed there as long as they continue to write for Craft Critique.

If you are interested, please email the Craft Critique Team. Write "CC Reporter Submission" in the subject line. Include a link to your blog, a description of your crafty interests and anything else we might want to know about you. Please include your City and State/Country.

This call is ongoing and we will respond to all submissions within 30 days.

Michael Miller Memories Fabric Paper

Reported by Donna Lannerd

Recently while attending a class on fabric postcards I was introduced to fabric paper. While not technically paper it is manufactured by Michael Miller Memories , a spin off of Michael Miller Fabrics, which can be found in many quilt stores. Basically they have taken some of their fabric lines and stiffened it and cut it into 12" x 12" sheets geared mostly to the scrapbooking industry. I was very intrigued by this new product especially since I love fabric, so, I went looking for some.

Unfortunately it was a little hard to find and I eventually found it online, of course. My local scrapbooking store had not heard of it. It is available in single sheets and in ensemble packages like the one I used shown in the photo. It contains 7 - 12" x 12" sheets and 7 - 5" x 7" sheets for $16 US. The name of the package I used is Resort Floral. I did not find it in single sheets except for an Australian web site.

Since I was working with fabric paper and I have been inspired by the paper quilts I recently viewed while reporting from the International Quilt Show , I tried out a few methods of manipulating the "paper" to test it out and make my own little quilt. The package states that it acts just like paper only better. I found that it isn't necessarily better but different. For example, I had a difficult time using a paper punch with this. It took a lot of pressure to get the punch to cut through. I don't have a die cutter but it would have been probably a lot easier to use than a punch. The package also says you can rip it. This also is much more difficult than ripping paper but you can rip it like you would rip fabric to make fabric strips. The strips have less fraying than regular fabric because of the stiffening but they also warp more and have to be pressed if you need them straight. It actually cuts really well with the rotary cutter trimmer I have. If you are a quilter and not a scrapbooker you will not want to use your regular rotary cutter and ruler because it is slippery compared to non-stiffened fabric.

One of the things I really liked was the ability to put it through the printer. The quote on my little quilt was printed using my basic ink jet printer. I decided not to put machine sewing on this sample but it does sew better than paper because the needle of the sewing machine does not tear this "paper" but hand sewing the buttons on was difficult especially through 2 layers of the stiffened fabric. I used an eyelet setter to place eyelets in the top corners to add a ribbon hanger. The fabric was too flimsy to simply hang so I backed it with a piece of cardstock. Also, I glued all the pieces down, but when I use this product again I will back the sheets first with fusible web and then fuse all the pieces in place. I like the ensemble packages but being a more of a quilter it does not have enough contrasting values in the prints. For the little quilt above I only had the green for my darkest value and the remaining prints were very close to each other so I could only use them as the lighter value in my design.

In the next photo, I tried stamping on the "paper" and it did really well. I have tried to stamp regular fabric without much success of getting a sharp image. I especially like the heart wreath I stamped and did some sponging around the edges to give it an antique look.

The last photo is two flowers I made using a large Marvy flower punch. I punched 2 flowers for each flower I made then offset them and sewed together with a button. Michael Miller Memories also has a line of flowers made from paper fabric.

There is also a book by the company as well, Fabric Paper Party, published by C&T Publishing but I have not viewed this book yet. The description on the publisher's web site is "Make 3-D crafts and scrapbooks with versatile fabric paper."

This product has a lot of potential. The colors are very vibrant. The company has gone to great lengths to provide prints that are fun and colorful. The prints can be found as regular non-stiffened fabric too and their regular lines of fabric are just as whimsical as the "paper".

Basic Grey Paper Line

Reported By Julia Stainton

An article on Basic Grey paper line hardly needs an introduction. A long-time top favorite of papercrafters, there are few that have not heard the name Basic Grey. Basic Grey has a fabulous paper line of very distinctive designs. It is made up of an eclectic mix of modern and vintage designs…many with layers of texture, swirls or flowers. The papers are highly original as well as, edgy or sophisticated and are extremely easy to work with. The designs are so interesting and exciting; one hardly wants to cover them up. In fact, I have heard of some fans even framing the paper itself as a work of art.


Basic Grey markets their papers in Design lines in which all the papers work well together. They released four of their most beautiful design lines to date at Winter CHA 2007 a few months ago. Stella Ruby, Phoebe, Perhaps and Scarlet’s Letter have been flying off the shelves since they hit them. I know that I had to hunt them down as soon as I could! Lifetime Moments has a great feature from CHA that showcases the fabulous new Basic Grey line.


Basic grey papers are mostly single sided 12 x12 inch square papers designed for the scrapbooking market. The paper from each line is sold separately as well as together in packs. Each pack includes each of the eighteen papers in the line as well as tags and coordinating alphabet stickers. All of the papers in each line coordinate well with each other. I love how they include a mixture of patterned papers with gorgeous designs with simpler patterns that closely resemble distressed cardstock. This is fabulous for layering and for matching up papers when you desire a simpler look. The paper is a wonderful 65 pound, heavy weight that makes it ideal for any type of papercrafting project. Tags, monograms and other die cut paper is printed on 80 pound weight paper. The Basic Grey paper line is acid free and printed on white core paper. A great effect is to distress the edges or surface with sandpaper and create glimpses of this white inner core for interest. These papers retail for approximately $.65 USD per sheet or from $15 - $20 USD per paper pack.


Recently released from Basic Grey in the past year, is their new 6x6 paper pack format. All of their newer lines have been released in this format as well as the original standard size. These are perfect for the card making enthusiasts, as well as for smaller scale scrapbooks and small layers. I have been just thrilled with this new format as I primarily design cards for my papercrafting projects. The best thing about the smaller paper pads is the scaled down size of the prints. A long-time frustration for card designers has been beautiful 12x12 patterned paper that is scaled perfectly for scrapbooking but is just too large in pattern to work well with the smaller design projects. The other fabulous thing about these smaller sized pads is the cost. Retailing for approximately $6.00 US, you can have two of each paper design in the line quite affordably. If you are at all like me…you like to have it all!

Besides their gorgeous paper lines, Basic Grey is also known for their Rub-on transfers, coordinating ribbons and fibers, undressed chipboard and fabulous cutting edge tools. Each of these products is extremely high quality, very versatile and easy to use. I know this from personal experience. I, (most selflessly, of course) have personally tested almost all of their products so that I could share this information with you. (wink)

The Basic Grey company opened its doors in July 2004 and is located in Layton, Utah. The company has been phenomenally successful in the past three years. I can hardly believe their achievement in a highly competitive market. I recently conducted a very informal survey among almost two hundred papercrafters, asking them their favorite paper company. Basic Grey was the incontestable winner by a fairly large margin. With so many other creative & high quality companies on the market, this is high praise direct from the consumer. I recently contacted the company by e-mail and was amazed at their level of customer service. Within minutes, I had a lovely e-mail responding and answering my questions.


If you are looking for added inspiration with the Basic Grey line, their online gallery is a fabulous resource of ideas. If you are a Basic Grey fan and would like to stay on top of their new releases and great ideas, Basic Grey has a free on-line newsletter that you can sign up for on their site.


What would I like to see more of in the Basic Grey line? Having a houseful of boys, I think I'd like to see some more masculine designs in their product lines. I also like to see them come out with a cool new embellishments...I can never get enough of those and paired up with Basic Grey style...I'm sure they'd be fabulous! Basically...I'd just like to see more and more Basic Grey! They have become a staple in my papercrafting supplies.


Basic Grey has a fabulous rich, organic look and an inimitable style. I love their look with just the right amount of distressing and depth. Each item is a work of art. I can't wait until the next Basic Grey product release as I know, they won't disappoint! Basic Grey has this quote on their web-site...

YOU SEE THINGS; AND YOU SAY "WHY?"BUT I DREAM THINGS THAT NEVER WERE; AND I SAY "WHY NOT?"-George Bernard Shaw

I'm loving every thing that Basic Grey dreams up and they in turn are inspiring dreams of creativity in my mind and those of papercrafters everywhere. If you haven't tried out Basic Grey...what are you waiting for?!

The Wonders of Watercolor Paper

Reported by Amy Westerman

Many stampers enjoy using the watercolor technique for their handmade stamped cards. It’s a technique that adds beautiful, serene-like images to a card, each one itself a piece of treasured artwork.

What makes this technique even more beautiful is using paper designed specifically for use with water. Sure, you can use plain card stock. But watercolor paper creates a beauty that is unattainable with regular card stock!

Watercolor paper comes in three surfaces; Rough, Hot-pressed (HP), or Cold-pressed (CP). Rough watercolor paper is just that, rough. It has prominent indentations in the paper that allow colored water to pool in its crevices. Using a rough paper will result in a totally different look than painting on a smooth card stock surface will. Hot-pressed watercolor paper has a very fine, smooth surface with almost no “tooth” (texture) and paint will dry very quickly on it. Cold-pressed watercolor paper has a slightly textured surface, somewhere in-between Rough and Hot Pressed. Cold-pressed paper is the paper most often used with serious watercolor artists.

The thickness of the paper is indicated by its weight. The standard watercolor weights are 90lb, 140lb, 260lb, and 300lb (these weights represent what 500 pieces of each paper thickness would weigh). Obviously, the 90lb paper is very thin, the 300lb paper, very thick). Manufacturers recommend that any paper less than 300lbs be “stretched” to avoid buckling of the paper, but for our purposes, merely laying your dried water colored image under a book for several hours would do the trick to cure the buckling! Serious watercolor artists wet and stretch their paper on fancy mechanisms designed to take the buckle out of the paper prior to painting. For stamping purposes though, the 140lb paper works just fine!

There are many manufacturers of watercolor paper, so for this article, I am not focusing on any one maker of watercolor paper, only on the different surfaces available. I went to Michael’s and purchased a watercolor paper sampler pad on sale for $10.50. It contains 13 sheets of watercolor paper, sized 10.5 x 14.5. It’s a big pad of paper! There were 6 different types of watercolor paper in the pad, from rough to smooth, from 80lbs to 140lbs.

For this experiment, I stamped the same beach image on all four different surfaced papers; rough, cold-pressed, hot-pressed, and regular card stock. The images are stamped with black StazOn, and were painted with my aqua painter pen and various colored inks. Once I was finished painting the images, I spritzed water all over the paper to blend the colors together. (Note: I am NOT a professional watercolor artist, so my painting might be lacking slightly!). At this point, each of the papers immediately buckled because they became wet (by buckling, I mean the middle rises up so the paper looks arched), or, in the case of the regular card stock, became wavy all over. They all took only 10-20 minutes to dry, and by the time they were dry, all but the regular card stock laid flat!

I have to say, the images that were stamped and colored on any of the three watercolor surfaces have a quality and a depth about them that is absent on the regular card stock. I think my favorite results were found using the rough watercolor paper.

The colors have a very translucent and dreamy effect too them. Both the hotpressed and coldpressed watercolor papers produced acceptable results as well.



Least impressive results were achieved using the regular card stock. There is no depth to the image whatsoever, and it lacks the dreamy quality effect so noticeable with the watercolor paper.

In conclusion, if you are planning on doing lots of water coloring on your cards in the near future, I would highly recommend investing in a good pad of watercolor paper. It outperforms regular card stock by miles. It’s relatively inexpensive, but will make your artwork look like a million bucks!

My Cricut, My Friend

Reported by Michelle Laycock

Since receiving my Cricut I have been in love. The Cricut Personal Electronic Cutter by ProvoCraft is everything I expected and more. This little machine is portable, easy to use, and well worth its cost.


Cricut is a diecut machine that is designed to cut cardstock or vellum into shapes, letters and images. One of the major selling points for me was the option to change the size of the diecut images to fit the project I’m designing. In the past, I’ve used diecut machines that simply cut the image in one size. If you need an image in a smaller size for a greeting card or a larger size for a 12 by 12 scrapbook page, you must make do with the size of the diecut as it is. With my little Cricut, I can change the machine settings to cut a 2 inch flower for a greeting card or the same image as a 5 inch flower for a scrapbook page.

Cricut cartridges are available in many styles. Each cartridge is jam-packed with diecut options which are all illustrated in user guides that come with each cartridge package. In this article we will be using the “George and Basic Shapes” cartridge:

Here are a few pages of the “George and Basic Shapes” cartridge:




Allow me to walk you through the procedure to make a flower.

I will make a cutout of “Flower1” and I’d like this flower to be a silhouette flower. On this page in the guide, “Flower1” is the 7-petal flower. Notice the squares next to it. There are ways to customize this flower. I’m choosing the option in the lower left corner.


Put your paper onto the adhesive mat.


The LCD Screen walks you through the steps.


Line your cutting mat into the machine and press “Load Paper”. You will also press the flower key.


There is a silhouette key on the left that will change your flower setting to silhouette.


Adjust the size knob to the size you’d like. In this case I wanted my flower to be 2 inches.


I am using Stampin’ Up! Cameo Coral paper for my flowers, so I increased the blade pressure to “5” which is appropriate for Stampin’ Up! Papers. You can see in the photo that the lower knob is for adjusting pressure. The top knob is for adjusting speed, which I left at “4”. Press the “Cut” Button.


Here is the result:


The cuts are crisp, accurate and perfect. After using my Cricut for 3 months, I have yet to be disappointed in this fabulous machine.

Thanks Cricut, for being a girl’s best friend!




Additional Cricut Resources:

Cricut product website with excellent resources

Cricut Demo At Scrapbook101.com

Family Crafts Product Review

Scrapbooking.com Review

Families.com Review

Altered Paint Cans

Reported by Sarah Moore

For me, part of the fun of altering items is the impressive result you can achieve with very low cost items and products you already own or that are easy to find. Since the altered paint can has become so popular among crafters a few companies even sell paint cans designed just for crafting. Provocraft, and Oriental Trading to name a couple. While these tins are lovely; smaller pint size cans, pristine and white... in my opinion $5.00 US is too much to pay for an item you can buy in the gallon size at your local hardware store for under $2.00 US.

Most hardware stores will also provide the can opener "key" for free as well... essential to making this a great item for gift giving. Plus, I personally don't like the white matte look of the cans designed for crafting. Unless you plan to paint the tin, this seems a bit unnecessary and sort of takes a way from the look of it being a PAINT CAN. Also... you can't fit much inside a 6" tall can. Go for the gallon size!

TIP: Many small neighborhood hardware stores will order empty paint cans for you in bulk; if for example you were purchasing multiples for party favor totes, craft shows or a class. Just ask the manager if he/she can get you a deal on a CASE of cans. I was able to do this at my local store and paid around $1.30 US a can!

Covering the Can
Usually you see these cans covered completely. Sometimes the crafter creates a template to help them work around the handle. When I used to use this method I found the easiest way to cover the cans was with 12X12 patterned paper (cardstock may work... but I find it's a bit too thick).

Just measure around your can and divide that number in 1/2. Add an inch for the overlap at the seams. Measure your can top to bottom and cut 2 pieces of paper to size. Wrap the back piece of paper around the can first and mark where the handle will hit. Then either cut out the space for the handle by hand... OR look and see of you own a circular paper punch that will do the trick! Do the same with the other side, then run the paper through your Xyron Machine (for best results) or use sticky strip or other STRONG double sided tape to adhere the paper on. Standard tape runner adhesives and wet adhesives are not desirable for this project.

OR... if you want to do it the EASY way...
Take a 12"X12" piece of paper and cut it into two 12"X 5 1/2" lengths. Then I cut two 3/4" X 12" strips from a second piece. I ran the paper through my Xyron and then I affixed it to the can... starting with the back side. The paper is practically seamless; and I like how the tin shows a bit... It's funkier! Plus with this method you don't have to worry about cutting holes for the handles.

After you apply the paper; embellish the can, tie some cute ribbons or fabric scraps onto the handle and your done! I find that Glue dots worked well to hold on the heavy embellishments like the chipboard. Some people also like to decorate the lid... your choice!

Tip: If you need to hold something REALLY heavy; use Glue dots and heat up the dot with your heat tool for a few seconds before you stick on your embellishment... this will help create a better bond.

More details on this can can be found HERE.

Altered paint cans can be used for a ton of cool gift concepts. Here are just a few...

Kids Crafts: fill with children's crafts supplies or even store purchased kits.

Note/journal Can for teens: Create a matching journal and beaded pen to fits inside. Teens can keep all the notes from their friends inside!

New college Student Can: fill with food, quarters for laundry, correspondence materials, phone card.

Money Can: fill with crumpled $1 Bills!

Bath Can: Fill with bath favorites, bubbles, neck pillow, soaps, scrunchy bath scrubbie thingy (?)...etc.

Hostess Can: have a few ready over the holidays. Fill with favorite brownie mix, tea towels, gourmet tea or coffee, candies...

Cookie Can: fill with cookies or baked goods.

Rainy Day Can: fill with boredom busters for children; slinky, jacks, yo-yo, silly putty...etc.

Cupcake Can: fill with cupcake/frosting mixes, paper cups, sprinkles and attach recipe to handle

Wedding Day Can: fill with everything the bride will need on her wedding day; clear nail polish (for runs), small snack, sewing kit (make sure to include thread that matches her dress and the bridesmaids... and black for the groom), mini scissors, Tums, Tylenol, hem repair tape, bobby pins, lipstick, pocket mirror, phone book with important numbers... etc.

Baby on the Way: fill with your favorite baby essentials. Can doubles as a baby memento holder! Make a photo album or scrapbook to match.

New Daddy Diaper Can: Fill with clothespin (to clip nose) diapers, changing supplies,protective paper gown, mask, eye goggles, metal tongs, garbage bags, rubber gloves... etc.

Labor Basics: fill with things mom will need in the hospital See my Blog for more details.

Other samples:

Details HERE.

Details HERE.

Altered Letters

Reported by Colleen Schaan

Welcome to another altered items article. As a crafter, there are thousands of items available to alter and thousands of ways to alter them...the only limit is the imagination. My favorite item to alter is letters. Wooden ones, metal ones, chipboard ones, big ones, little ones...you name it and I love to alter it.


On any shopping trip to a craft store you will find a variety of alterable letters available. The most common ones (and therefore the most popular ones) are wooden. A cruise down the woodworking aisle will fill your shopping cart with a multitude of sizes ranging from tiny (1” tall and 1/8” thick) to large (12” tall and 1” thick). Once you have chosen a size, you will be faced with choosing a style. Some are fancy and scripted while others are sturdy and blocky. My suggestion is to think about how the final product will be used. If you are creating a wall hanging, then a thinner, lighter letter will work well. If you are hoping to create a stand-alone decorative piece, then you want to look for something with a solid, sturdy base.

One product that I have found delightful is the Embellished Word Kit by Colorbok. The kit includes a number of die cut letters (solid pressboardor fiberboard), coordinating patterned paper, rub-ons, embellishments, ribbons, sandpaper, and an instruction booklet. The instructions show how to create one look...go with that or be creative and change it up for a look all your own.

I like these kits because the letters are pre-sanded and ready to use. I like the fact that they are solid and blocky, quite heavy actually, so they can stand on their own as a decorative piece. I don’t always like the decorative papers included, but it is very easy to change them up and use paper from my own stash. The embellishments given are fine, but I like to kick it up a notch with the addition of stamped images and even more hardware. Altering letters is simple...just follow a few simple tips:

• If the letters are not smooth,lightly sand and wipe off any resulting dust.
• Paint the front, sides, and/or back of the letters using an acrylic paint. I like to use Delta Creamcoat.
• Trace the letter onto the patterned paper. I like to trace the letter onto the BACK of the patterned paper...but it is then necessary to flip the letter BACKWARDS to have it come out correctly. (Trim as close to the letter as possible.)
• Adhere the paper to the front of the wooden letter. Any type of liquid adhesive is good for this. I like to use a thin layer of Modge Podge applied to the letter.
• Lightly sand the edges of the paper. This will eliminate any excess paper and also give a nice distressed look.
• Embellish as you wish using ribbon, buttons, flowers, stamped images, and/or anything else you can get your hands on.
  

You can use altered letters in a number of ways...spell out words to celebrate a holiday, use the letters in your last name to create a family wall hanging, decorate a child's room with their altered first name, or even make a visual definition of an abstract noun for inspiration. The possibilities are endless...

Here are pictures of two Colorbok kits I have completed for the holidays.



Cindy over at Imagine. Dream. Create created this beautiful altered letter name.


Now let's see what you can do. Add some definition to your life...alter some letters and make them meaningful.

Altered Giant Clothespin

Reported by Melissa Norris

I think besides coloring or projects in school, some of the first crafts I ever created were of altered items; mostly personalizing picture frames or projects for school. My love for altering has definitely grown from there. The choices are endless when it comes to purchasing blank items that are begging for some Mod Podge or paint, but for this article I decided to go with giant clothespins.

The one I'm altering came from Michaels for $1.99US and is made by Provo Craft but they can also be found from places like Oriental Trading Company and Eclectic Paperie. They can be found in plain wood or already finished in white or another color so choose what would work best for your project.

I started by tracing the large flat side onto the back of my paper. I also chose to cut out the 1/4 inch where the wire sits because I wanted that look but you could also cover it completely. I brushed some Mod Podge on with a cheap foam brush and placed my paper. Here's an important tip; make sure you take some sort of flat edge (bone folder, ruler, I used a Pampered Chef scraper) and run it along the paper to get all the bubbles out. Keep running it over a few times so that the glue gets tacky and holds the paper down. Repeat this step for the other side.


For the sides I used the reverse side of my designer paper (2 sided Au Chocolat by Stampin' Up) for a nice contrast but you could keep it the same if you like or not cover it at all. I cut 3/4 inch strips, which is the widest part of the side, then traced the shape on the back side. After tracing the shape, I held the cut out piece onto the clothespin to make final trims so that it fit well. Then again I attached it with Mod Podge and ran the scraper over it to remove the bubbles and did both sides.


After letting it dry for a few hours (while I watched Greys Anatomy *hehe*) I came back and sanded the edges with a fine grit sanding block to remove any bits that went over an edge and to give it a more finished look. It also makes it more smooth to the touch. After sanding, make sure you wipe the clothespin down with a towel to remove any dust. After this I covered the entire clothespin with another coat of Mod Podge to seal it. Put as many coats as you feel is necessary. My clothespin will be used in my kitchen to hold recipes, so I put 3 light coats of Mod Podge since there will be steam and food splatters and stuff.

After the final coats are dry comes the fun part, embellishing. I chose to limit my embellishments to a few ribbons since I have a 1 & 1/2 year old running around who thinks these are super fun and likes to grab them off the counter. But you could add ribbons, chipboard, flowers, and any number of fun items.


I really enjoyed making this clothespin and am working on another one for my office. They are so handy for holding quick things like notes or recipes or could be used alone to hold pictures or the cards you've made or received. So go pick one up and pull out those scraps of designer paper and make something beautiful!!

Altered Book Frame

Reported By Julie Fei-Fan Balzer

This is a very easy project with wonderful results. I like to give these altered book frames as gifts. People are always delighted with these unique pieces. You can easily put your own spin on them, but here are the instructions to recreate my version:

1. Buy or recycle a hardcover book.
a. Make sure it’s not a valuable one.
b. I like to buy mine for a $1 from libraries or bookstores that are trying to clear their shelves.

2. Remove the dust jacket (if there is one) and discard.

3. Use a pencil and ruler to draw the size of the opening you want on the front cover of the book.
a. It should be about the size of your photo.

4. Using a metal ruler and a box cutter or other knife, cut out the opening.
a. Use a self-healing mat or a glass mat under your book cover
b. Make many, many small cuts until you get all the way through it.

5. Measure ¼ inch in and cut your mat from the interior pages.
a. No need to use a mat. Make one cut without a mat, which will cut through several pages. Simply remove the entire cut area. This will create a bit of depth.
b. You may want to remove the first page or two of the book so that your mat will have text. Simply use your knife to slice off the unwanted pages (about half-an-inch from the book spine).
c. If the text doesn’t extend all the way to the edge of the opening you’ve cut, glue another page from the book in and re-cut the opening. It’s an easy illusion.

6. Using mod podge or any other decoupage medium, glue pages from the book or patterned paper into the opening you’ve cut.
a. Start on the backside of the cover and bring the paper through the opening and onto the cover.
b. You’ll want to glue them down and then give them a thin coat on top to seal the project.

7. Apply rub-ons or other decoration to the front cover, spine, and backside.
a. You could use buttons, rick-rack, ribbons, stickers, flowers, fabric, metal, stamps, etc.
b. You can even decorate the pages. While the book is closed, use a stamp to decorate the page edges.

8. Glue your photo into the book.
a. The easiest thing to do here is glue the photo to the first page in the book that doesn’t have a cut-out.

9. Place parchment or wax paper over your photo and glue all of the previous pages together.
a. The paper protects your photo from the drippy decoupage medium.

10. Once dry, remove the wax or parchment paper and use a dry adhesive to glue the photo page to the previous pages.

11. Voila! You’re done!

The altered book frame will stand up on its own. Just open it slightly and display. I’m sure you’ll enjoy making these and I hope you’ll share your innovations and creations with me!

Happy National Scrapbooking Day from Martha!

No, not THAT Martha... she isn't the only Martha around with something new to say about scrapbooking... (wink)

Today we have a Special Scrappin' Guest! Please welcome my pal and fellow Chicagoland Craft Collective Organizer Martha Bonneau! Let me say I am such a fan of Martha's style... her pages have a very unique look. As far as I know, she never puts her pages into albums... they are each individual works of art, and she almost exclusively scraps her babies, and her babies are her two adorable Pugs; Opie and Mugsy... she also has a kitty... Ivo! She says she comes from a long line of crafty people but that she had suppressed her inner craftiness until receintly. Martha supports her craftiness with her job in retail management. She and her husband Bob have been married for 7 years.

Martha is actually pretty new to the world of scrapping, which in my opinion adds to her unique vision. She incorporates found objects into her pages and has no worries about what is or is NOT Acid free... she is a scrapbooking RISK taker, and a perfect example of what Craft Critique likes to promote. She scraps because she loves to create!

Martha also has a love for felt... after she started using it in her scrapping she began making really cool Felt Tote Bags and Pug Plushies too! She has an awesome Blog; Mugsy Boo, and also an Etsy Shop you can visit. You can see the bulk of her Scrapbooking Pages on her 2 Peas Gallery HERE. You may need a hankie to wipe the drool off your keyboard.

I asked Martha to write a bit about how she came to use such unusual objects on her pages... where she acquires it all and what she digs. Enjoy!

Creative Scrapbook Supply Shopping
Reported By Martha Bonneau

Anyone who is a serious scrapper knows that half the fun of the hobby is the stuff, the delicious papers and brightly colored bits & bobs call to us. We are always on the search for that perfect embellishment that will take our LO to the next level. Over time I have found that a combination of traditional scrapping items sprinkled with a dash of non-traditional really stretches me creatively when I am working on a page. What are these non-traditional scrapping items and where do I find them you ask…let me show you the way!

Ephemera & Vintage Goodies

What is ephemera you ask? It is defined as a printed or handwritten item normally discarded after its intended use; items such as postcards, ticket stubs, valentines etc. Well as it turns out, instead of being discarded, these items were put in boxes, attics & basements and eventually they made their way to estate & yard sales to be purchased as potential scrapping supplies. Items I have used on LOs include vintage place-cards, pages from children’s books, old playing cards, & Christmas seals from the 40’s and 50’s all of which have a cool retro look that I love. An example of ephemera used in a LO is the banana pie recipe from an old magazine that I used on this LO

Estate and yard sales are also a terrific source for buttons and vintage trims, my favorite of which is ric-rac which is no longer available in the fabulous palette that it once was, but there is plenty of the good stuff out there to be found. One of my favorite sources for Ephemera during the cold winter months when there are no yard sales is Etsy. There are several sellers that have put together packs of goodies that are perfect for scrapping.

Office Supply Store

One of my favorite places to find scrapping supplies is the office supply store or the office supply aisle at stores such as Target. I love index cards and shipping tags, they can be stamped and used for journaling or as an embellishment. I also adore graph paper & those fab “hello my name is…” tags.


Gift Wrap as Patterned Paper
One of my favorite places for cool paper is Paper Source. They have the most unique wrapping papers that are perfect for scrapping and for the amount you get, it is a fraction of the cost. One of the images you see a lot in scrapping right now is robots, but there is no robot scrapbook paper to be found, I ran across this great robot wrapping paper though!


Scrapping Kits
So you want to use some of these unique items on your LOs, but just don’t know where to start…might I suggest going to Zingboom. She puts together a monthly scrapping kit that is a combination of the funkiest traditional scrapping supplies mixed with packets of fun and unusual stuff, some of it vintage, some new, but all of it cool.

Altered Ikea Magazine File

Reported By Donna Lannerd

The idea behind altering the Knuff magazine file ($3.99 US) has been with me a long time. In fact, every time I go into that store I find myself drawn to the whole office organization section and this file in particular is always asking to go home with me. I see it basically as a blank canvas just waiting to be transformed into something spectacular.


This particular project was also inspired by the pile of my daughter's school work that she insists cannot be tossed into the trash. I decided this file would be the perfect place to put some of that work and serve as a school memory box. I used a great variety of items including trims and buttons from my sewing leftovers and also some rickrack from my mom's old things I've hung onto. I also used iron-on transfers. These are the white phrases "School Days", "Picture Day", "learning is fun" and "going for the grade".


Before I started cutting and gluing the paper down I first made a template. I used dressmaker's pattern paper but you could use just about any paper that you could fit the file on. I placed each side of the file down on the paper and traced around so I would have an exact shape. I then decided what layout I wanted the paper to be then drew the lines on my pattern and used these to cut my background papers. After gluing on the paper it was just a matter of laying down trims and objects to see how I wanted it to look. You could also do this before gluing down your paper.
As you can see in the photos 3 of the sides are very much in a scrapbook/collage style while a fourth side is much more simplistic. I left this side this way to show you how just a few touches can transform a simple object into a designer piece, plus, I really like it. In fact the only purchased items (besides the file) on this fourth side is the paper. How cool is that? And, you could do this with many objects you can find in your local discount or craft store. A few trims, paper and glue can go a long way.




Materials used:
Sheer Frame by Making Memories (around the graduation picture)
Colorboard Stickers by Making Memories
Making the Grade stickers by Karen Foster Design
Ticket Stickers by EK Success
Iron-On Attitude Sayings by Prym-Dritz
Paper by The Paper Studio and My Mind's Eye
Miscellaneous buttons, ribbons and trims

Altered Items Carnival!

Sorry for the delay yesterday! But here we are... with a Carnival for you! This SHOULD make you all happy inside... right?

Be sure to visit these blogs and tell them Craft Critique sent you! Leave them all lovely comments! :) Wait till you see some of this cools stuff... this is our best carnival YET!

If you find yourself listed here? We welcome your link to THIS carnival from YOUR blog. Thanks so much! :)

Kendra Giles has a great Altered provocraft Tin HERE.

Amy Hoffner's Altered Scrabble tile... into a cool charm!

Robin Bartoletti of Urban Debris... she alters pretty much EVERYTHING. Look around!

The dragonlady has the coolest Altered garden items... from junk! Wowza!

Erika Martin has some great Altered Books.

Amazing Altered Art by Amy

Cathy Indelicato's Altered Items (features Target $1 spot stuff)

The Scrappin' Librarians' altered recipe tin

Altered Frames by Lisa Sommerville

Sabrina has an altered Recipe Box... Pics Here... Blog here.

Angel Alters a Cheese Wiz Jar, and a bunch of other cute stuff! Look around for MORE!

Multiple altered items and 3d projects by Jenifer Benner

Julie Ebersole alterers a "Shelly Case" by Creative Imaginations

Colleen Laux shows us how to turn Coasters into a cool book.

Cindy McVey has a Gift Tin HERE and a Card Box HERE

Craft Critique's Own Julia Stainton has an Altered frame HERE and HERE.

Lauren Meader's "Time for Tea" gift set

Lisa Johnson's Altered Mirror

Michelle Lane's Altered Starbucks frap bottles.

Michelle Skillicorn; Multiple altered items and 3d projects

Hinged coaster box and Gift Card Tins by Nancy Elrick

Altered tins by Nicole Cooke

Altered Items by Sharon Harnist

Two cool projects by Julee Tilman

A full gallery of altered clipboards at Splitcoaststampers

5 galleries of different altered items at Splitcoaststampers

Altered DVD Tins by Sara Frawley

Scraptime: The first episode features an Altered Valentine Candy box

Shannon Lawrence: A whole collection of beautiful altered items (2 pages!)

Sherry Cheever: Altered hinge top box

Taylor VanBruggen: Taylors altered items

Tracy Houghton: Tracy had a contest...check out these items!!

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Altered Metal Star

Reported By Amy Westerman

About a year ago, I was browsing the Two Peas website for ideas, like we all do from time to time. I was so excited when I ran across the picture of an altered metal star by Two Peas Garden Girl Sande Krieger. It was beautiful, and believe it or not, it looked like a fairly easy project to tackle!

It took me a while to find a star that I could alter. I ended up finding one at Kirkland’s Home, a home store here in Minneapolis. It measured about 18 inches, tip to tip, and cost only $9.99. Unfortunately, it sat around my stamp studio a few weeks before I decided what designer paper to cover it with. When the new spring line of Basic Grey papers were released, I knew the Phoebe line would be PERFECT for my star! I couldn’t wait to get started.

Designer Sande Krieger outlines in perfect detail on Two Peas how to complete this project, so I will not go into detail in this article. This is the link directly to the Altered Star instructions! The basic supplies needed are, of course, the star, as well as glue, tracing paper, and dark brown ink. Sande also used a sealer to cover the paper once it had been adhered to the star, but I did not do this step with mine. She recommended using Crafters Pick-The Ultimate Glue to adhere the paper, but I used Mono Metal Liquid Glue instead and it worked just fine.



There are just a few steps to creating this special star and I’ll quickly outline them here, but be sure and click on the link above for more detailed instructions!

First, lay the tracing paper over one of the star points and trace it with a pencil. Next, cut out the pattern and then trace around it on the backside of a piece of designer paper. When you cut it out, make sure you cut about a ½ inch larger than the pattern to allow for folding under.

Next, apply your glue to the backside of the designer paper. I spread my glue around with the tip of the bottle, but Sande recommends using a foam brush, which is a great idea. It gets messy at this point, so a foam brush might keep things a little neater! When you’ve glued up the backside really well, flip the paper right side up and adhere it to the star tip. You want to make sure it overlaps all edges so the paper can be adhered to the back of the star. I used my Pampered Chef little brown scraper to smooth the paper down onto the star, which worked amazing. Sande used her bone folder, which is another great option!

Once you’ve smoothed down the paper onto the front of the star, flip it over and adhere the flaps to the backside of the star. You might need some extra glue to accomplish this. I used my little brown scraper to smooth down the edges on the back as well, which was a good idea, as sometimes these flaps liked to come unglued at times! Just use more glue and more force to keep them down if necessary!

I followed this same routine for all the star points. Once you get the hang of it, you’ll have the star finished in no time! When I finished all the points, I took my brown stamp pad (I used my ColorBox Fluid Chalk Ink pad in Chestnut Roan) and rubbed it all over the star, most notably along the edges. Feel free to do this as much as you like! I think the more distressed, the better.

I had so much fun making my altered star! In fact, I liked doing it so much I made another one last weekend for my sister-in-law’s new kitchen. I hope you get inspired to try one of these stars for yourself sometime soon!