PenScore Foam

Reported by Sara McKenzie

Penscore Foam is a man-made material that softens significantly when exposed to heat from a standard heat gun. When it is soft, impressions can be made in the foam using 3-D objects- and the impressions will remain until the Penscore is heated again. It is a great toy to play with when you have some time to experiment.

I bought my package some time ago- and the packaging has changed a bit, but the material remains the same. When I Googled "Penscore foam" I came up with tons of online sources, too numerous to mention here. The sheet stock (which is approximately 8" X 10") sells for upwards of $6.99 for a package of three sheets. You can also purchase it in 4" X 3" blocks for about $1.00 each.

Keeping in mind that this is not the toy to pull out when you are in a time crunch to create a stamp or a gift, it is a wonderfully fun thing to play with!! When you are in an artsy mood and ready to experiment, pull out some Penscore. Look at the everyday objects around you with a different eye: what is the texture of that thing? What will it look like if I make an impression of it? I recommend using a piece that is about the size of the blocks that they sell. The reason is that it takes a bit of time to heat it up, and if you are using too large a piece, it starts to cool off before you have a chance to heat the entire surface up uniformly. So stick with something no bigger than 5" X 4" (a suitable size for a background of a greeting card). Below is a picture of the surface of the foam- this is an 8" X 10" sheet that I already cut in half.

Collect some ordinary, everyday things from around the house to make impressions from. They can't be delicate, because you have to exert some pressure in order to make the impression in the foam deep enough. Below is a picture of some of the things I tried: a handful of raffia, a plastic fern, a large paper doily, some fabric netting, an old key, and a dry kitchen sponge. You can also make impressions of existing stamps- keeping in mind that you will end up with a reverse of the image; ie words won't work!

Here are my individual experiments, and the results. For all of them , I used Tsukineko's Kalieidacolor rainbow ink pads to give a little more interest to the image. The first is an impression of the key and the fabric netting.

Below is the dry kitchen sponge.

Here is a handful of raffia and the image it produces.

Finally, this is a combination of the plastic fern and the doily.

I had a really good time using this last piece as inspiration for a collage, which is shown below. You can get the details of how this came together on my blog, clicking here.

I hope you can see that I really enjoyed myself while I was playing with the Penscore Foam!

Overall, here is my assessment:

Pros:

• It calls upon your creativity! You can go anywhere you want with this.
• It is an inexpensive toy to play with.
• If you end up with something you really want to keep, you can! The image stays intact until you heat it again.
• If you get something you really hate, you can heat it up to "erase" the image, and start again.
• It does not take a long time to get to a usable impression: a few minutes to heat it, then about 20-30 seconds to make an impression, and you can use it right away.
• You can use dye inks, pigment inks, and even paint. I have not tried solvent inks- they might well eat-away at the foam. Try it on a small piece before you commit.

Cons

• You have to press REALLY hard. I mean, REALLY hard, to get your impression. Thus, you cannot use anything delicate as the image.
• The sheets are thin- only about 1/2". It makes them a little difficult to use as a stamp. I ended up attaching mine temporarily to an acrylic block in order to get an even impression.
• I've not seen it recently in brick-and-mortar stores. You might have to order it online.

For me, the Pros definitely outweight the Cons, and I'll be reaching for this toy again soon! What do you think? Have you ever used it? Are you inspired to try? Let us know by leaving a comment below, and Keep creating!

Tim Holtz Adirondack Alcohol Inks by Ranger

Reported by Kristine Fowler

If you’re looking to add color to surfaces other than regular paper, you might want to try Tim Holtz Adirondack Alcohol Inks by Ranger Ink. Widely available in both online and brick and mortar craft and stamping stores, the inks come in 24 colors, and are sold both individually and in 3-color sets. Pricing is fairly consistent at all of the locations I checked, with the individual bottles priced around $3.49 US and $9.99 US for the sets of three. Four (4) Metallic Mixatives round out the palette (gold, silver, copper and pearl) which are a little more expensive at around $4.99 US each.

Since I wanted to begin at the beginning so to speak when researching this article, I started my journey with a visit to the Ranger Ink Website to see just what they had to say about the Adirondack Alchol Inks. Here is the description I found there.

“Acid-free, fast drying, transparent Earthtone dye inks specially formulated to create a colorful, polished stone effect. Use on glossy paper, dominoes, metal, shrink plastic, glass, and other slick surfaces.”

Ranger goes on to list the following details:

• Acid-Free
• Fade-Resistant Dye Inks
• Multi-Surface Inks
• .5 fluid oz. bottles
• Precision Tips
• Coordinating Colors
• Available in eight 3-color kits and individual bottles of 24 Earthtone colors

Surprisingly, the Adirondack Alcohol Ink line is not featured on Ranger's Tips and Technique page. Honestly, I had at least expected to find a tip sheet and perhaps a tutorial here on exactly how to use the inks to create the polished stone background that they mention in their product description -- but that wasn't the case. In the video section however, you can find 2 short clips demonstrating the product, one featuring Tim Holtz himself – and the other by Ali Edwards of CK fame. While both are helpful from a how-to perspective, neither one worked particularly well to ‘sell’ me on the product.

What did work though (and the reason I have some of these inks in my stash) was to see these inks demonstrated live – and to see the beauty of the art created with them in person. In my opinion photographs and images on video tend not to do these products justice (Please keep this in mind while reading this article). I think you will find that seeing them up close, and experiencing the versatility of the line for yourself would be well worth the effort.

The next step for me in preparing this piece, was to collect several different test surface materials. I chose plain paper, glossy paper, a tranparent plastic charm, a flat metal word, a 'lumpy' metal embellishment, some 'bling', gold & silver foil and an old CD. On all test surfaces, I used some combination of Red Pepper, Oregano and/or Mushroom Adirondack Alcohol Inks. I also used Adirondack Blending Solution in some cases (more on that later). You will see below that for the most part, the Red Pepper seemed to overpower the other two colors though -- but this is more than likely my error, and not the fault of the inks themselves. Perhaps if I had used less of the Red Pepper ink I would have seen a different result. (Ya think?)

Here's what I found.

1. Paper -- While plain paper wasn't listed by Ranger as a suitable surface for inking, I gave it a try anyway. The result ---- not great. While the ink will transfer (why wouldn't it right?), it permeates the paper, making blending literally impossible. Here I used a combination of Red Pepper and Oregano Inks and then applied Blending Solution. Not so pretty. It's very very splotchy.
   
   


2. Glossy Paper (CTMH) -- Love it! If the inks are applied on their own, you may at first get something that looks a little splotchy....but by applying Blending Solution, you can really smooth this and the result is a really beautiful background that can be stamped on, or used on it's own. (Remember though when stamping on glossy that you need to use something other than a dye-based ink. Try an oil based ink or something labeled 'archival'.) In creating the background for the simple card below, I used Red Pepper & Oregano Alcohol Inks along with Copper Metallic Mixative all applied with Blending Solution. Remember what I said about these backgrounds not photographing well? It's next to impossible to recognize the metallic in here, so you'll just have to trust me. It's much nicer in person.
   
   


3. Transparent Plastic Charm (CTMH) -- This is definately one of my favorites. The charm remained transparent even after the ink was applied which means that if I was to place this on a scrapbook page or card, the background colour would show through. Very cool. (Here I used Red Pepper Only)



4. A Flat Metal Word (by Making Memories) -- Another winner. Applying Red Pepper Alcohol Ink I was able to transform the piece which was initially silver, entirely. Interesting to note though is that the ink does not appear at all marbled on the metal word as it did on the plastic. This, I cannot explain.



5. A Lumpy Metal Embellishment, a Bookplate from HodgePodge Hardware by SU -- This metal piece took the ink very differently than the flat one as it does in fact appear a bit marbled. (You might not be able to see this in the picture). This piece started out copper-colored and while it has definately taken on a red hue, it almost looks antiqued or worn. It was also a bit more difficult to apply the color to this piece as it is 'lumpy'. Getting the ink into the 'depressed' areas was a bit tricky. (Red Pepper Ink only)




6. Gemstones, by Hero Arts -- As suggested by Tim Holtz in the Ranger video, I used the alcohol inks (Red Pepper only) to add color to the bling. As you can see, the acrylic Gemstones took the color beautifully. They dried fast and retained their shine. This is definately a keeper trick! Again, these unfortunately didn't photograph well, and they look MUCH better in person.



7. Gold & Silver Foil Sheets (CTMH) -- For these, I used all three of the Alcohol Inks, along with the Blending Solution, and something quite interesting happened here. First off, the red definately took over moreso on the foils than with any other media (not sure why). More imporantly though, I noticed right away that the two samples didn't wind up looking all that much different, and the Gold that I expected to see on the Gold Foil piece was practically non-existent, only truly visible along the edges. Investigating further, I discovered that the Blending Solution was the culprit -- interacting with the Gold surface on the foil sheet, essentially removing it. Guess what? The surface below is silver -- thus the similarities in the two samples.
   
   


8. Last but not least, I colored the surface of an old CD. Why? Well, why not? I suppose I could use this as a decorative element on a scrapbook page, or embellish it further and it would officially become altered art. For this I used all three colors yet again, along with the Blending Solution. {This probably photographed the worst of them all, due mostly to the fact that the CD is really shiny}

So what does all this mean?

Essentially it means that Adirondack Alcohol Inks do exactly what Ranger promises they can -- add color to non-porous surfaces. Are you surprised? I'm not -- but I did learn the following key lessons while testing.

1. Always do a test patch before applying alcohol inks to any project surface. Even different metals will react/respond differently when alcohol inks and/or Blending Solution is applied.
2. It can be tricky to get off your hands, so you might consider wearing gloves while playing. (You can if you wish use a bit of the Blending Solution to assist in removal, but wash thoroughly with soap and water when you're done as the solution is a chemical.)
3. The Blending Solution (sold seperately) is a must have to create the polished stone backgrounds that Ranger promises the Inks to be designed for creating. This is particularly true if you use the Metallic Mixatives which are highly concentrated and don't blend well without it.

Pros:

• If you stamp on a transparent surface (like plastic, glass, or vellum), the material remains transparent even after the ink is applied. Think custom embellishments here!
• You can create beautiful unique backgrounds for stamping and scrapbooking projects that are unlike anything you can create with dye-based inks or reinkers.
• Colors coordinate with other products in the Adirondack line, like the Colour Washes & Paint Daubers.
• Because the inks dry incredibly quickly - there is no creative 'down-time' while you wait for things to set.

Cons:

• Adirondack Alcohol Ink line are all Earthtones. What this means is that while they will coordinate with all other products in the Adirondack line, what you won't find are brighter hues like say those you might find in a crayon box. Bright Reds, Vibrant Blues, Sunny Yellows and so on.
• While you can use them on their own, Blending Solution is recommended (and in my opinion necessary) to achieve optimum blending potential. This is a con simply because it means addtional investment beyond the inks themselves.
• Since they are not water-based inks, they will stain any surface they come into contact with. So....make sure you protect your work area with a non-stick craft mat.
• While not a huge deal, it is worth mentioning that the bottle tops are not color-marked making it possible to 'mix' them up. In his video Tim Holtz suggests marking the bottle tops with a punched out piece of cardstock that has the ink applied so that mixing them up can be avoided. Wouldn't you think that if it was important enough for Tim to suggest, that it perhaps should be done 'before' I buy them?
  

Where can you buy them? Well, as I mentioned earlier they are widely available both online and elsewhere. Here are a couple of places that I found.

• JoAnn.com
• scrapbook.com
• discountscrapbooksupplies.com (but remember prices there are in Canadian dollars)

In general, I rate Adirondack Alcohol Inks a 9 out of 10 because most importantly they do what they promise, and the potential is there to create incredible art if you embrace them. I considered rating them slightly lower initially due to their price tag, but when I considered that there was enough ink and blending solution in those little bottles to create literally hundreds of projects - on a per project basis, the cost is marginal. One bottle of Adirondack Alcohol Ink is after all less expensive than most ink pads on the market.

Last but not least if you're not yet convinced and are looking to see more samples of backgrounds made with Adirondack Alcohol Inks, check out this website that I found while surfing. And remember if you can -- see if you can find a live demonstration somewhere in your local area. Try your local scrapbook/stamping store, hobby store or a craft expo. I'm sure you won't be disappointed. As I said before, the art created with them really needs to be seen to be fully appreciated.

Have you tried Adirondack Alcohol Inks? Do you love them or hate them? Have you made the investment and they sit idle on your shelf or do you rely on them frequently when you craft? Let us know. We always love to hear what you think!

Dove of the East

Reported by Mary Chong

My review today is on Dove of the East products. There is a niche market out there for ethnic theme paper especially with the increase in world travel, adoption abroad, not to mention the fact that scrapbooking and cardmaking are international hobbies. Personally, when I scrap trips to Mexico I don't want tacos and sombreros all over my pages - it just isn't my style - but the gorgeous patterns of the Mexican culture - NOW that would be gorgeous. Also, I am of Asian descent and I've always found it difficult to scrap old family photos because there just aren't that many "nice" Asian theme papers out there. Don't get me wrong - you see them but often they are stereotypical with rice bowls and chopsticks etc.

That's why I was overjoyed when I found Dove of the East papers at my local scrapbooking store Scrapalicious.

When you visit the Dove of the East website it is clearly organized by their lines of product — each entitled "Journeys"

• Russia
• Japan
• India
• China
• Beach Baby - Love

To be honest, I don't really understand the new "Beach Baby - Love" line because it doesn't go with the "journey" theme plus it consists entirely of charms - odd?

All papers are acid free, elemental chlorine free and come from commercially managed forests. They also have coordinating ribbon, rub-ons, stickers, charms and stamps.

The really neat thing that they've done is they have these "Treasure" boxes for the Russia and China line. Each box contains an assortment of embellishments. Now if only I could get my hands on this gorgeous item - this would look awesome in my scrap room!

In fact all of the Dove of the East embellishments are packaged in organza bags or mounted on printed cards, designed so that even the packaging can be used in your projects.

The colors and patterns are so gorgeous and intricate I actually have a hard time using them for layouts because I don't want to cover the patterns up with photos!

The other great thing is that on the China paper they have both Chinese characters PLUS the English translation of the poem. I can only read/write English (sorry Mom and Dad) and so the translation is super helpful because I always want to know what is written on the paper to match it to the appropriate photo/theme.

Here is an example of a layout from a past trip to India. The papers in the India line remind me of the beautiful silk saris we saw throughout the country.

(Paper is called "Tamarind")

Just because you aren't a world traveller or of a certain ethnicity doesn't mean that you can't use these papers. The colors and patterns are rich and vibrant and work beautifully for cards or other types of layouts. Just use your imagination and creativity!

(Paper is called "Lotus Lake")

Pros:

• nice quality
• heavy paper weight
• rich, vibrant colors
• coordinating rub-ons, ribbon, stamps and embellishments
• all papers are acid free, elemental chlorine free and come from commercially managed forests.
• unique reusable packaging

Cons:

• not a well known scrapbooking line so it may be difficult to find in your LSS
• they do not have their own online store
• limited pattern selection and availability

Price points are comparable to other manufacturers.

To find a list of online and brick & mortar stores that carry Dove of the East products:
http://www.doveoftheeast.com/04_store/store_locator.html

Have you seen these papers before? Do you like them? I'd love to hear from you....

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Prism Cardstock

Reported by Katie Skiff

When it comes to paper crafting, you must always start with a base. Whether you are scrapbooking or cardmaking, you most always use cardstock as that base. I have come to love Prism’s cardstock. This cardstock has a slight texture to one side, giving your projects that extra dimension, while smooth on the other side.

This photo shows the texture of the papers as well as the three shades available in a Prismatic Pack .

This cardstock is heavy weight, not at all flimsy. It is acid and lignin free making it perfect for your papercraft projects. The various colors of cardstock are sold in both 12x12 and 8.5x11. As usual, this cardstock is available individually. It can also be purchased in multi-packs, which are three shades of each color. This makes working on your projects much easier. Prismatics Accent packs are also available. Those are 6x12 paper packs of coordinating cardstock colors for each multi-pack. Once again taking the guess work out of it for you.

Another feature I found on their blog is the company is working hard to create similar color combinations for various designer paper companies. Thus making it easier to coordinate your cardstock with your favorite designer papers.

I have used this cardstock for many of my scrapbook pages. It’s a very sturdy base to start with and the accent packs help by taking the guess work out of the color combinations.
I used it as the base on this layout of my daughter. The rich chocolate brown is one of my favorite packs, and it coordinates well with other companies papers.

Supplies: Prism Cardstock – Suede Brown Dark; Piggy Tales designer papers – Cinderella; Piggy Tales ribbon; Piggy Tales rub ons; American Crafts thickers; various flowers and chipboard.

Pros

• Heavy duty cardstock, works well on all projects.
• Many varieties of colors and color schemes.
• Texture of paper takes well to the various adhesives.

Cons

• As far as cardstock, I am not aware of any problems nor was I unhappy with anything about this paper. I would however love to hear your comments about this.

These papers are now available to Notions Marketing and should be available at your local craft store. Online you can find them at:
Cornish Heritage Farms

All That Scraps

Memory Villa

Prices
Single 12x12 sheets retail at 50 cents each; 8.5x11 sheets retail at 35 cents each
12x12 Prismatic Pack, containing 12 papers in 3 shades retail for about $6.50 each

In the end I would rate this paper at a 10. The quality is great as well as the quanity and price. The paper is very user friendly and would make a great addition to your projects. If you are a fan of Prism Cardstock, let us know. We are anxious to hear about your projects using this cardstock.

Online Beginner Digital Scrapbooking Class: Up and Running w/Jessica Sprague

Reported by Kim Fox

If you are interested in learning the basics of digital scrapbooking, then you should consider taking Jesscia Sprague's beginner online class "Up and Running with Photoshop". This self-paced course will give you everything that you need to become proficient with Photoshop and/or Photoshop Elements, on a Mac or a PC, even working with the Vista operating system.
This course is great for digital scrapbooking, hybrid scrapbooking and some basic touching up of images. The cost is $45 and it does not include the software. The course is available whenever you are ready to dive in. Meaning you can get registered right now and gain instant access to all of the course materials.

There are a minimum of four projects to complete for this course. Sprague's delivery in the videos is easy to follow and understand. If you have questions, there is a forum where you can post a question. Someone from Sprague's staff or a class mate will respond to your query.

At first I thought that I could teach myself how to use Photoshop; there are a wealth of videos on the web. But there are so many tips and techniques offered in the Up and Running course that it proved invaluable for me.

I took the course earlier this year and I liked that I could pause the video if I needed more time to figure something out or to locate a tool. Or I could go back and view the instructions multiple times if needed. Also, although the lessons are mapped out, there is still room to improvise on your projects, you know, add your own creativity.

All of the digital kits were easy to download and Sprague walks you through that process as well. She makes it all seem so easy and the next thing you know, you've completed a digital layout.

Pros:

• detailed, step by step instructions via several short videos
• lots of freebies to compliment the course
• fast feedback to questions via the course forum or via email
• excellent price for what you get
• videos and digital kits are available infinitely; love that

Cons:

• purchasing the software along w/the course at the same time could be a bit costly (but an awesome investment)
  

Register for the $45 self-paced course at JessicaSprague.com, where you can also find of wealth of information to help you get started with digital scrapbooking. Oh, and there are a few free digital kits to download too.

Ease of use: Moderately easy - I feel very comfortable on the computer and it was really exciting to venture into a new arena and see such nice results

Value: Excellent value. If you sign up to take a course at the local community college, it might be around $99 and you have to drive there too on a particular day of the week. With this course, it is very convenient for you to view the videos when it is best for you. Additionally, there are lots and lots of freebies as a part of this course.

Rating: 10, Sprague and her crew have been at this for a while. They know what they are doing and are quickly responsive to issues, concerns and questions.

So are you an alum of a Jessica Sprague course? Feel free to share your experience with taking the Up and Running with Photoshop course or other courses offered via Jessica Sprague's website.

Berwick Offray Ribbon

Reported by Heather Strenzwilk

If you have purchased "store brand" ribbon or holiday bows from Target, Walmart or JoAnn's, chances are they made by Berwick Offray. In 2002 Berwick industries bought out Offray and continues to produce ribbon under several names. Offray ribbon has held Olympic medals, wrapped Godiva chocolates and Williams-Sonoma cookware and blue ribbons. The company also produces Cleo brand gift packaging products as well.

Recently, I relocated to the Hagerstown, MD area and I learned that there was a processing plant and an adjoining outlet store. Before my move, I owned about 20 rolls of ribbon (coincidentally many of them were Offray ribbon.) The prices in the outlet store are excellent and I quickly acquired 300 rolls of ribbon. I am not the only "local" with ribbonitis- local resellers, florists, crafters and scrapbookers are frequent visitors, too. As you can see, I am extremely partial to polka dots!



Adding ribbon has been a simple and cost effective way to recycle clothing. I recently decorated my daughter's plain white cotton shirt with flowers made with polka dot grosgrain ribbon and I added satin ribbon for the stems and trim around the sleeves. The project required a small amount of hand sewing to attach the flowers and trim. To prevent the ribbon from unraveling, I lightly dabbed the cut ends with clean nail polish. I have washed the shirt by hand without any problems.

Highlights of a visit to the Berwick Offray ribbon outlet in Hagerstown include:

• Large bins containing 10-cent rolls of ribbon- Rolls can contain anywhere from a few feet to 12 yards. These bins contain overruns, discontinued, defective or private label ribbon. For example I recently purchased rolls of Halloween ribbon labeled for the defunct Rag Shop. The selection varies from visit to visit and if you needed a large quantity of a particular ribbon it might not be available.
• Multiple tables of ribbon priced by the roll- The ribbon is roughly sorted by type- holiday, wire edged, organzas, velvets, etc. Great way to save money on shower or wedding favors or other large projects.
• Grab bags of pre-cut ribbon- Value priced and always a generous quantity of 2-3 styles. Prices range from 35 cents to $1.29 for the "stuff a bag full of ribbon remnants" option.
• Large bins of pre-made package bows- If you visit the store with children let them pick and choose their own bows to fill a plastic grocery size bag. For 25 cents per bag this is a very cost effective way to entertain kids while you shop.
• Large bins of scrapbooking embellishments- Cute bows, printed ribbon, flags and much more are priced from 50 cents to one dollar. Plan to spend some time "digging" into the pile.

You might wonder- do the extremely low outlet prices for ribbon speak for its quality? Many E-Bay resellers refuse to sell "Offray outlet ribbon". I consider myself a careful shopper because I inspect things before I purchase them. The Hagerstown facility doesn't manufacture the ribbon but rather it dyes and prints on it (12 million yards per week). Thus, I have seen very small lots of ribbon with misspelled words, misaligned polka dots and inconsistent color and it is priced accordingly. The inconsistent color might appear as variations between dye lots or satin ribbon that is darker along one edge than the other (I actually like some of those rolls!) For the most part, the ribbon appears defect free.


Several people have asked me how I organize my ribbon. I am in the process of removing it from the rolls and storing it in an Iris chest sorted by color. I have grand dreams of creating a master swatchbook which includes samples, color names and item numbers. For now swatches of some of my favorite ribbon adorns the spirals of the book.

Probably my biggest issue with ribbon in general (not just Offray) is that sometimes I don't have the right color for my project. I have used various online tutorial and have custom dyed ribbon with reinkers and inkpads. Both satin and grosgrain ribbon from Offray take color extremely well and I am partial to the 3/8 inch white satin ribbon for many projects.

Pros:

• Diverse product line- wide variety of colors and widths
• High quality product/ great value for the price
• Widely available in major chain craft stores
• 2 outlet stores with discount pricing

Cons:

• Very traditional styles- nothing very "trendy"
• No coordinating paper line

I have used Offray ribbon for many years and I have been very happy with their consistent quality and reliability. Offray ribbon is available at most major chain discount and craft stores, outlet stores in Berwick, PA and Hagerstown, MD and online at RibbonDeals.com. Before moving to Hagerstown I rated Offray: 8/10. Now that I have discovered their outlet store, I rate them 9.25/10.

Have you used this brand of ribbon for many years like me? Let us know what you think!

Wacom Tablet

Reported By Julie Fei-Fan Balzer

Warning: Do not read any further if you are averse to glowing reviews…

Several months ago, I began digital scrapbooking. I kept reading about this Wacom Tablet thing that people were raving about. And then a gal I scrap with brought her laptop and tablet to a crop. She let me try it out. I felt like a three-year-old learning to hold a pencil for the first time, but I was hooked!

I bought a Wacom Intuos 3 Graphics Tablet (6x8), which retails for $329. It is compatible with both Mac and PC (including Windows Vista). The box contains the following:

- Intuos3 6X8 pen tablet
- Intuos3 Grip pen
- Intuos3 five button mouse
- Pen stand
- Replacement nib set: 1 stroke nib, 1 felt nib, and 3 standard nibs
- CD with Quick Start Guide
- CD with tablet driver software for installation
- Software DVD, which includes Adobe Photoshop Elements 4, Corel Painter Essentials 3, and Nik Color Efex Pro 2 IE.

I have never used the mouse, the replacement nibs, Corel Painter or Nik Color Efex Pro. But, I use the tablet and pen every single time I open Photoshop.

Here’s how tablets work (regardless of the size or model): The pen tool becomes your mouse. Whatever you do with the pen and the tablet, your mouse does. But the really cool part is that the tablet is smart. If you pick up the pen and move it through the air to another area of the tablet, the mouse will follow! You do not need to drag it across the surface of the tablet.

My second favorite feature of the pen and tablet are the programmable buttons. You can program a series of keystrokes into each button. For instance, instead of having to choose “Layer>Arrange>Bring to Front” or type in the shortcut key strokes (“shift-open apple-closed bracket”), you can simply program one of the buttons on either the pen or the tablet and press it instead! This has made my life so much better! I am able to work more quickly and more efficiently, because I have programmed my most used combinations into my tablet.

This brings me to my only complaint: I wish that there were more programmable buttons. I recognize the ridiculousness of this request, but it doesn’t keep me from wanting more. They’re just so cool!

Beyond the fact that I enjoy using the pen tool and tablet, I have been able to do some very cool things that would have been very difficult, if not impossible, with a mouse. Check out these layouts…


Above: I drew the frame and the title. It's so great to be able to integrate your own handwriting into your digital work. Below: The pen allowed me enough control to create the unique (and very handmade looking) hearts on this layout.


Below: I created this layout without a single purchased digital element. From the paint to the handwriting to the doodles to the stitches, this layout was entirely created using my tablet!


Even if you don't draw, the tablet makes tasks like rotating and resizing significantly easier. Check out this layout:


From manipulating all those ribbons to creating the lace alphabet paper (a lot of rotating and sizing), my Wacom Tablet made it easy and ergonomic!

Let me add that I abuse my tablet. I drop crumbs on it. I travel with it (cram it into a backpack). I drop it. And yet, it still keeps ticking! I wouldn't advise abusing your tablet, but I wanted to let you know that it has taken a beating and survived.

The bottom line is that I cannot imagine doing any digital work without a tablet. If you're at all serious about digital scrapbooking, a tablet is a very good investment. They have less expensive versions, including the new Bamboo Fun, which is only $79.

Do you digi-scrappers and artists use a tablet? Let us know what you think about yours!

Silpat - not just for cooking anymore...

Reported by Dana Vitek

Actually, I've never used it for cooking. But I have used it a TON in my crafting exploits. The Silpat holds a place of honor on my craft table (namely, under whatever stack I'm shifting from one place to the other to find whatever implement/embellishment/uh, stickerment, I've lost). Seriously, I use it as the base for all of my projects. It protects my work surface from inks, high heat, cleaners, polymer clay, alcohol (recreational and otherwise), and cleans up with a baby wipe. What's not to love?!

Originally designed for lining cookie sheets, the Silpat is French, and very ooh la la. It is thick and heavy (when compared to teflon-coated "craft" sheets), and lays flat on my work surface with no wrinkles or folds to flatten out. Its silicon coating is durable; I've yet to leave a stain on it, and I'm really not all that vigilant about keeping my area clean (I know, you can hardly believe it).

Its best feature, non-stickability, can also be its worst, though, if you're not careful. Since ink that is overstamped around the sides of your project does not dry, it transfers readily to the next piece of cardstock that you lay down. No big deal if you're not persnickity, or if the back won't show, but I can't tell you how many custom invitation reply postcards I've had to recycle because I forget about this "feature." The argument could be made that operator error is hardly the fault of the Silpat, but I'm the one writing this article, and I'd prefer not to look sloppy or forgetful.

I suppose you could turn the bug into a feature by laying down some ink on purpose and creating a monoprint. Here I used VersaMagic chalk ink Dew Drops directly to the Silpat, spritzed it once with water, placed a piece of Stampin' Up! Whisper White cardstock face down (where is my brayer, anyone?), squished it flat with the backside of my Stampin' Scrub because it was sitting right there, and voila, instant, one-of-a-kind background papers.

(ignore my mother's hand in the picture, I don't know how it got there, she wasn't even here.)

And can you see that canvas-like texture? A happy accident! The Silpat has fiberglass mesh at its core, and the pattern transfers along with the ink. Look how much work it looks like I did! Elapsed time, 20 seconds.

(Stamp: Stampin' Up!-Only Ovals; Cardstock: Stampin' Up Whisper White and Orchid Opulence, PaperTrey Ink Stamper's Select White; Ink: VersaMagic Dew Drops - Spring Pansy, Pretty Petunia, Brilliance - Pearlescent Purple; Ribbon: Offray.)

I also use it a lot with my polymer clay work. The Silpat has a surface that isn't exactly tacky, or sticky, or gritty, but it has a little "tooth" to it, if you will. Just enough to let friction hold your work in place. Here's a photo of the Silpat going right from my work surface, straight into the oven (on a cookie tray).


I love not having to transfer uncured clay from one place to the other; it gets less mangled this way. As in not mangled at all, which is great, because my polymer clay skills need all the help they can get.

(Stamp: PaperTrey Ink - Wise Owl Bellies; Clay: Sculpey III - Translucent & Purple Granitex; Ink: Brilliance - Pearlecent Purple)


Pros:

• Non-stick surface with just enough tack to hold your stuff still.
• Flat, flat, flat. No wrinkles. Did I mention that it's flat, because it is.
• Durable. I've abused the daylights out of mine, and it still looks (and works) great.
• Wipes clean with a baby wipe. I'm considering getting my kids' hands dipped in silicon.
• Multiple sizes to fit your work surface.

Cons:

• Price. It's not that $20 is a lot for all this thing does, but since it's not a traditional craft product, it's not available at craft stores where you could use a 40% off coupon. And I'm cheap frugal. Just ask my husband.
• That ink transfer issue I talked about above.
• You know, I've seen prettier colors.

You can find the Silpat at kitchen stores like Linens & Things, Bed, Bath & Beyond, and Williams-Sonoma, as well as Amazon.com.

I love my Silpat, and definitely recommend it to anyone looking to not just protect their work surface, but add a tool to their arsenal. What do YOU use to protect your work surface? Leave us a comment and let us know! Also, if you know where my brayer is, you can mention that too.

Recipe Idea Box by Elsie Flannigan

Reported by Nancy Beyer

The Love Elsie recipe Idea Box, published by KI Memories includes 100 "recipe" cards for layouts with designer tips, index and color coding. The "recipes" are divided into art, home decor, books, fashion, music and movies.

To put it plainly: I adore this extremely inspirational and original "book".

Her "book" is seriously an amazing concept. She has captured the heart of what we paper crafters like to do: gather inspiration from our world, with or without kids. I so wish Elsie Flannigan would create more books like this because her ideas are truly unique.

I found the best way to use the Recipe Idea Box is to go through each recipe and examine which one you would like to do and create two piles: Pile A:I must do these layouts RIGHT NOW! Pile B: Okay, I can wait a bit on doing this layout because either I don't have the right photo, or I really need to think about how to do this layout.

After going through these cards, I found out that my pile of "I must do this layout right now!" grew to 30 cards! I basically wanted to do every Movie and Book idea. I would have chosen more art, fashion and home decor cards but neither my closet nor my house was in any shape to be photographed. The hardest idea cards for me were the music ones. I was never the one to listen to the words of a song, hence I really had to think about how to do those layouts - not that I didn't want to do them, these layouts were just going to take me a bit longer than usual.

As you can most likely imagine, I had the hardest time figuring out which layouts to do because - as I said - I had a stack of 30 cards begging me to be scrapped and limited amount of time to complete this article! I settled on my favorite subject - movies.

"The Early Years"
Sometimes we all get in a rut with pictures. The best part about these inspirational idea cards? One can take a trip down photograph memory lane. I found pictures that I forgot about or never saw that were quite literally older than me. Also, the cards give you ideas on what type of pictures you should take for these layouts. When you get in a picture or "no scrap mojo" rut, these cards will pull you right out of it!

Here is my version of this Recipe idea: Your inspiration is to take a romantic movie quote and create a layout with buttons and doodling. Mine was, "You had me at Hello" from Jerry Maguire.

Paper: Sassafras Lass Serendipity"Sunshine Lollipop" Sugary Love, Fruit Slice Land. Embellishments: Stickers: Creative Imaginations Narratives by Karen Russell Antique ABC, 12x12 Quote Cardstock Sticker Sheet Buttons and folder vintage. Ribbon unknown. Zig Silver metalic marker

Remember, the idea cards are created on the concept of a recipe - cooking time(estimate on how long it will take you to complete the layout), ingredients (what embellishments, paper etc. did the layout use), recipe (how to do the layout) and a Designer tip (or hint/inspirational note on how to make your layout dazzle).

How I "read" the recipe was by first looking at the inspiration (i.e. the designers tip), and then I did the "recipe". I only reviewed the "ingredients" when I wanted to know what specifics about an embellishment. Personally? I would have liked the order to be Designer Tip first, Recipe second and than Ingredients last. However, I understand "why" it was edited this way - and let's face it, the whole idea around this is to find inspiration and to learn new techniques. In regards to the cooking time, I took longer than usual but that is due to the fact that I sometimes get lost in the layouts details.

Back to the layout, I located a great engagement picture of my parents that needed some cleaning up. Since the tint of the photo was way off and was very hard to clean up electronically -I decided to mimic it in the paper. Per the instructions, I tucked another picture behind it - but I went off instruction and included a more recent and bigger photograph behind the first picture. The doodling aspect was fun and I found this challenge very inspirational.

That is why I love Elsie Flannigan's style - it is the details that make the project most fun.

Pros:

• Cards are easily portable, I took them to work and read them on the train! :) (Hey a working girl has to squeeze her scraping time in somehow!) Also I really like the fact that these can be used at crops. I don't know how many times I feel like I am taking my whole craft room with me to a crop - these idea cards makes your plan for your crops!
• The book delivers - every "recipe" is inspirational.
• Love the whole concept of an "idea box", I wish Elsie would make more of these types of "books".

Cons:

• One out of the 5 designers featured I couldn't quite understand what her inspiration was behind the "designer tip".
• I would have preferred the layout of the recipe cards to be - "Designer Tip", "Recipe" than Ingredients but I can understand why they chose to edit the book this way.
• An instruction type of card at the forefront of the book would have been extremely helpful. Basically a "how do I use this book" type of card.

This item retails for $24.00 USD and is at times hard to find. You will have the best luck at finding this book at a high end local scrapbooking store (CraftFancy, ScrapInStyleTV.com and Archivers.

Do you have this product? Let us know what you think. What are your tips and tricks for making it work? We can't wait to hear from you!

Cosmo Cricket Blackboard Albums

Reported by: Martha Bonneau

One of my favorite things to make lately has been mini-books, so I was excited to try one of Cosmo Cricket's Blackboard albums. The albums are available in several different shapes, for my project I chose Jack's Album, there are 6 other shapes available.

What is Blackboard you may ask, well it's just what it sounds like. Instead of the traditional grey-ish brown chipboard albums, this one is black and has the appearance of a blackboard. It is solid core black, so you can sand or distress the surface and edges and not lose the black.

The tips on the back of the packaging give you several ideas on how to use the albums and I gave a couple of those a try. The first thing I did was try colored pencils and a white Signo. I was very happy with how well the white Signo looked against the black, the colored pencils went on a little washed out so I found I had to really press down if I wanted brighter colors.

I then tried paint on the album. I tried a couple of things, the first of which was using a Heidi Swapp mask to apply circles onthe album. I had to try it a couple of times and learned that I had to apply the mask very, very lightly or when I removed it I would end up with fuzzy areas where the mask was removed.
I also applied paint to one entire page of the album. When I applied the paint (acrylic), I kind of started to worry as the page started to warp considerably. It went down as it dried, but I still ended up with a page that has a slight curl to it.



This did not affect my finished project as I was using the painted piece as my cover

All in all, I really loved working with this album. It is easy to alter, staple, sand etc. With a regular chipboard album I feel as though I need to paint or cover all of it to hide the chipboard, with the Blackboard, I love having glimpes of the black showing. I also like the variety of fun shapes they come in

Pros:

• Love the black surface, very striking.
• Solid core
• Surface is easy to alter
• Fun variety of shapes available
• Ideas on how to use album on packaging is a nice touch

Cons:

• When painting entire surface of a page, it tends to bend and stay that way.

The Jack's Album that I used for this project was purchased at Archiver's for $4.99 and I was able to use a coupon. A variety can also be found at Scrapbook.com, Scrapbooking-Warehouse.com, and Scrapbook Express.

So have you tried the blackboard albums? What are some of the things you did with it? Let us know!