Snippets by Lain Ehmann

Reported by: Reyanna Klein

When I first read an excerpt from Lain Ehmann's book, Snippets, I must say... I was intrigued. It read like a witty blogpost. You know the ones I mean... you snicker or laugh out loud, nodding your head in agreement, and then make a mental note to check back for blog updates. I was definitely interested in taking a gander.

The official title, Snippets: Mostly True Tales from the Lighter Side of Scrapbooking, however, did make me raise an eyebrow. "Mostly true?" That made me giggle.

It's true though... we all embellish (sure, pun intended). We all poke fun (light-heartedly) at this hobby we so much enjoy. Lain takes this to a *whole* new level: expanding our imaginary horizons and deepening our wonderings of what happens in other people's scrappy lives. And she does it in a way that is humorous, and sometimes, even heart-warming. :)

The 114-page book contains 25 creatively-clever essays (each one being only a few pages long). A great book for reading a little bit at a time. I mean, I suppose you *could* read it in one sitting, but I think it's best enjoyed a few short-stories at a time. Besides, who has time these days to sit down and read a whole book cover-to-cover? I mean, I can barely get through one chapter of Twilight before my dogs start crying for attention or my husband comes in asking to be fed. So this book? A breath of fresh air in that department. :)

I also really enjoy the smaller (more manageable) size of the book. It measures approximately 4" x 6", and I love that I can just stick it in my purse. Waiting at the doctor's office? Getting your oil changed? Perfect! Whip out this book and read a chapter or two, and before you know it, you find yourself snickering along with Lain and daydreaming (even more...) about crafting!

So what exactly does Lain *write* about, you ask? Well, she pretty much covers every scrapbooking arena... and then some.

In Chapter 10, Scrap Couture: The Height of Fashion, she writes how maybe in the future, clothes will be tailored specifically for the scrapper. "I'd even settle for a reversible t-shirt that I could whip off and turn inside-out," she jokes, "concealing any tell-tale glue smears, when the clock strikes 2:30, and I'm steaming out the door to pick the kids up from school." Thinking of what a great idea that *would* be, I had to chuckle.

One of my other favorite chapters, Chapter 17: On the Run, offers "a list of sports that complement your scrapbook addiction." Just reading that description makes me laugh. Lain's imagination and creativity come together masterly in this chapter, and I found myself laughing out loud several times in just four, small pages.

From healthy scrapbooking habits "if your scrapbooking tote weighs more than 50 pounds, give yourself credit for strength training," to maintaining a scrapbooking budget "items that include the words 'As seen at winter CHA' are exempt," to creatively making time to scrap "Contract a debilitating disease," she touches on it all with humor, wit and a fun bit of sarcasm (okay, a lot of sarcasm... tee hee).

Pros:

• Small size.
• Short essays perfect for reading when you only have a few minutes to spare.
• Silly and fun.
• This may sound weird, but I think it would be great as a bathroom book. It's the perfect size, and the chapters are the perfect length to be read in just a minute or two.
• The price is right for a book you can go back to and read... over and over.
• A handy elastic strap to keep it closed.
• An attached bookmark ribbon to save your place.

Cons:

• Scrapbooking humor may not be for everybody.
• If you don't like fantastical stories about this hobby of ours, you probably wouldn't like it.
• Beginner scrapbookers may not appreciate it as much as "seasoned veterans."
  

At $9.99, it's reasonably priced and available at these retailers:

1. Amazon
2. Barnes and Noble
3. Scrap and Paper Corner

Have you read this little gem? Leave us a comment and let us know!

**Edited to add:

Would you like to win a copy of Snippets?! Just leave a comment with a little snippet of your favorite crafty story. You have until Friday at Midnight to enter. Email subscribers click here to enter.**

Ranger Ink Liquid Pearls

Reported by Suzy Haghighi

I sometimes think that I make the world's most expensive cards. I started this hobby to SAVE money - I hate to think about how much goes into each little work of art after I add all the layers and embellishments. Hallmark is pointing and laughing at me right now. I hear you laughing too! While I refuse to give up my costly embellishments, I do have at least one inexpensive weapon in my card making and scrapbooking arsenal: Liquid Pearls by Ranger Ink.

Liquid Pearls by Ranger Ink is a dimensional paint-like medium with a subtle pearlescence that is used to embellish, paint, or glue paper and fabric projects. Imagine pearlized 3D Puff Paint with a super fine applicator tip bottle allows that you to control flow to write, draw, or create even the tiniest of polka dots. The product comes .5 ounce size bottles, and is available in 13 colors.

Talk about cheap thrills: I can create SO many different kinds of embellishments and detail work for my cards, for about $2 a bottle. With the economy the way it is, we are all looking for ways to save, and this definitely fits the budget. The color I use most is White Opal, which is like an off-white pearl, or Platinum, which has just a touch more ivory in it. The names of the colors can be tricky – for example, Gold is really more of a yellow, and Silver is more a light gray. Most of the colors are light or pastel (Ruby Red and Emerald Green being the exceptions); I do wish they would come out with deeper, more metallic colors.

Project Ideas
Despite the limited color choices, Liquid Pearls is so versatile. Here are just a few of the things I have done with it:

Hellebore Flowers by Magnolia Stamps with White Opal Liquid Pearls

My most common use for Liquid Pearls is applying it in dots onto my cards in place of faux flatback pearls on my projects. To the left you can see that the applicator tip allows you to do dots of different sizes, even fine detail work (Stampin Up! stamp with Ruby Red Liquid Pearls).

I also love to embellish flowers with Liquid Pearls as you see in the photo above.

Images by Magnolia Stamps and Stampin' Up!

You can create rosettes with Liquid Pearls too! Here I swirled Ruby Red Liquid Pearls into a blob of Pastel Rasberry with my paper piercer, then added "leaves" with markers and a bit of Mint Green.



The white flowers are another embellishment I created by shaping paper punched flowers and topping them with rosettes. Note the tiny dots of different sizes; the applicator tip allows you great flow control.

Inkadinkado Stamp with White Opal Liquid Pearls and Cinnamon Stickles

Apply and swirl Liquid Pearls with a toothpick to get a puffy froth or whip cream finish for coffee and cocoa. Swirl in a tiny drop of brown dye based ink or Cinnamon Stickles Glitter Glue (also made by Ranger).

Try “painting” paper flowers or die cuts with it, then sprinkling glitter. Liquid Pearls doubles as a glue that binds the glitter to the flower. You can create your own flourishes or write letters with it too. I die cut letters then paint them with Liquid Pearls for puffy letters. Add glitter, or even a dusting of cinnamon for a scented card.

Working with Liquid Pearls

Always make Liquid Pearls the last step in your projects because of the long drying time (at least 1-2 hours, more if you apply it thickly). I can't tell you how many projects I have ruined due to impatience.

Liquid Pearls has a tendency to apply to paper in a pointy cone shape when you separate the product from the applicator tip. To prevent the pointy look of the Liquid Pearls when it flows from the nozzle, apply then gently flick the back of the paper until the Liquid Pearls is rounded. Try this on copy paper first as you need the right pressure. Make sure to hold the paper evenly as well; if it is tilted the Liquid Pearls will move in the direction of tilt.

Control the size of the dot/thickness of your line by squeezing the bottle: the more you squeeze the greater the flow. Always start on copy paper – sometimes a thick glob of the Liquid Pearls comes out at first. To avoid my bonehead move that I do ALL THE TIME, throw away that darn copy paper or cover it with another sheet of paper. I always end up ruining the back of my card by placing it on copy paper that has the slow to dry Liquid Pearls on it. @$*&(*% AHHH every time!

A final tip to remember is that the applicator tip can become clogged. This is easily fixed by inserting a pin down the tip carefully and wiggling it around (not too much as you can stretch/tear the tip easily). Usually I can just pull the dried Liquid Pearls straight out of the tip with my fingers - it has an elastic quality that holds together when you pull it out.

Pros:

• Versatility: draw, dot, outline, color-in or write on paper and fabric
• Inexpensive way to embellish your projects.
• Sticks well to your project: no more faux pearls falling off!
• Fine point applicator tip allows you to write, draw, or make even the tiniest of dots
• Acid-free and non-toxic
• Works on fabric (requires 24 hour drying time and 3 days before you can wash the fabric)
• waterproof

Cons:

• Limited color selection
• Applicator tip can become clogged
• Separates from the applicator tip in pointy cones
  
• Long drying time
• Even after it is dry, Liquid Pearls can be ruined by pressure – for example if you touch it with your nails the pressure mark can remain. I have also had thicker applications of Liquid Pearls "smoosh" during mailing.
  
• Can freeze in very cold weather, or dry out if unused for a long time or left uncapped
  

Where to buy:
Sweet ‘n Sassy Stamps (online, $2 US; ships internationally)
Ellen Hutson (online, $2.25; ships internationally)
JoAnn Fabric and Craft Store (retails for $2.29)

In conclusion, I rate Liquid Pearls a 9 out of 10; it is a fun and versatile embellishment tool for the crafter, and is easy on your budget. I use it almost every day in my card-making to give my project an extra dimensional pop; that says a lot for the product as I am quite fickle and tend to move on to other shiny new crafting toys with great speed.

What has your experience been with Liquid Pearls? How do you use it on your projects? Our readers would love to hear YOUR tips and ideas!

Quickutz Silhouette Digital Craft Cutter

Reported by Julia Stainton

I told myself I did NOT need a digital craft cutter. When they first became prevalent in the scrapbooking market I thought... "Cool...but not for me." Fast forward to two weeks ago. I still had absolutely no intention of purchasing one. I mostly stamp. When I scrapbook I love using chipboard and felt sticker letters. Not for me. Until armed with a rather large scrapbook store credit after a very successful scrapbooking garage sale, the last QuicKutz Silhouette in the store caught my eye. I shook my head and moved on. But I came back. After all, it was almost half price and I really wasn't paying for it out of pocket. Hmmmm.... I went and purchased loads of adhesive and some paper goodies and went home to ponder. I was back a couple days later to purchase some much needed storage and thought I'd save the rest of my credit for paper and goodies spread over the next 6 months. But that little sale sign must have had the equivalent of neon lights on it as I had to walk by it again. What ARE those cartridge things? I don't want to get sucked into buying a pile of those! And I've been there, done that with the die-cut thing. I really don't need to revisit the die-cut sneeze look on my pages from 8 years ago. At which point, Jen the lovely salesperson very kindly gave me a few ideas of what it could do. Cut through vinyl you say? Use fonts and dingbats from the internet. Make large letters for school projects. In almost ANY size. OK, OK...I'm a mom. That sold me. I wasn't buying another tool for me. I was selflessly spending the last of my credit on my children. I'm a good mom, right? And let's not forget Craft Critique! I hope you'll all be beholden for ever (wink) as you were just dying to read this review.

I toted my prize home to the family... this thing that I was never going to buy. My oldest child thought the technology was pretty cool. My little boys were thrilled to have their names cut out in letters to play with. My daughter is not technically inclined and hasn't worked up the courage to touch it. Hubby and child number three could not care less. As for me...while it wasn't love at first sight, it was definitely love at first try!




The Silhouette Digital Craft Cutter by QuicKutz looks and works very much like your home printer, only it cuts rather than prints. It takes up less space than a printer and easily hooks up to your home computer or laptop with a USB cable. Instead of an ink head, a similar contraption holds a small blade that can be adjusted easily with the accompanying plunger tips for various thicknesses of paper and other flat material. This blade swivels and cuts your image one line at a time with the document feeds through the machine. This is a different process than your traditional die cut machine that uses a metal die and pressure to punch out an image. The Silhouette blade feature allows you to cut out any shape or size without the use of dies. Many craft cutters on the market require you to use cartridges that you must purchase for the specific shapes that you wish to cut out. The Silhouette uses software on your computer and while you can purchase extra images for this machine, you can design them yourself or purchase them individually via the internet. The Silhouette machine itself is extremely easy to use. Simply plug it into your computer and the only button is for power on and off. A feed knob on the left side makes it simple to insert your cutting sheet, much as you would paper into a typewriter. Everything you need to get started right away is included.

Included in the package:

• Silhouette Digital Craft Cutter machine
  
• all necessary power and USB cords
  
• ROBO Master software
• 50 cutting designs as well as basic shapes
  
• blade & plunger tips
  
• cutting sheet
• instructions
  

An essential part of the Silhouette cutting process is the software. ROBO Master is the software included with the package. It is very easy to use. Simply install on your computer and drag a template from your library onto the work-surface or create your own custom shape or pattern. Shapes and templates can be altered by adding extra shapes (see example below) or by changing the size or skewing it wider or taller. The text is easy to cut out as well by just typing in your phrase and printing. While this program does not include measurement increments along the sides of the workspace, you can add a grid to the workspace by selecting view, then grid. Depending on your preference, you can set the grid size to 1", 1/2", 1/4" or other increments to best suit your needs. The default is 1/2" grid which would mean that every two squares equals one inch making it easy to size the shape to the desired measurement. Once you are done designing the cutting pattern, click on the Craft Robo icon and the program will guide you through set up and which blade cap best suits your cutting surface.

Screen Shot of Robo Master software with downloaded QuicKutz
pillow box template altered with circle to create window

Cutting out these fabulous shapes is quite addictive. One of the things I love best about the Silhouette is the QuicKutz approach to adding to your template library. I'm not a fan of expensive cartridges, and what sold me on this machine is the option of using any true-type font that is installed on your computer. The options and sizing on them makes for almost limitless possibilities. In addition, QuicKutz has a very cool offering of on-line templates easily accessed from your home computer. You don't need to leave the house when you need the perfect finishing touch to your project...just download it! All the templates are very reasonably priced at $1.99 USD, and this works so much better than purchasing a cartridge that you may only use some of the templates on. It's also quite addictive as they release new designs each month, making it a fabulous marketing concept. I love how fresh and on trend these templates are and I must confess...I've been back to visit (and buy) at least three times over the past couple weeks. My current favorites are the mini-box templates and the lace paper cutting templates. Gorgeous! Next on my wish list...some more vinyl to make custom wall art.

Vinyl cut out for wall art or window application

Things you can do with the Silhouette:

• cut images
• design your own die cuts
• change the sizes of your images
• Use the negative image of your cutting for a different look
• cut out text for layouts, projects, decorations etc.
• cut out mini boxes
• create your own lace paper
• cut out perfect circles
• cut out scalloped shapes for stamping or matting
  
• cut out vinyl wall art
• cut out any digital brush or design
  
• cut magnet sheets
• cut you own custom envelopes
  
• use cut vinyl shapes to create masks for etching glass
  
• create you own masks for paint and ink
• draw shapes with a marker
• create decorations
• create custom embellishments
• pierce a design for stitching
• optical sensor will allow you to print and cut die-cuts perfectly
• create table decorations and party favors
  

Mini Octagonal box template purchased from QuicKutz on-line store
paper by Graphic 45
Stamps by Cornish Heritage Farms

Media you can cut:

• cardstock
• patterned paper
• transparencies
• vinyl film
  
• vellum
• specialty papers
• adhesive backed paper or stickers
• magnetic paper
• wood paper
• iron-on transfer paper
  

Geometric lace cardstock cut on Silhouette from white cardstock

Now I know writing this that I'm going to get asked for a comparison of the Silhouette with other Digital Craft cutting machines. I honestly have never tried another machine. Remember...I'm the girl who DIDN'T want one! I did however do a little research for you before writing this article as I like to be able to give you as much information as possible. I, girl reporter, want to turn over every rock to help you make an informed decision. I came across this great comparison chart right on the Silhouette web-site comparing the Silhouette to the Cricut. I was totally impressed with the amount of information on that site. Now obviously there are other cutters out there on the market. The Pazzles Creative Cutter is one. Now it's not included on the chart but seriously...if you want to spend that kind of money of a craft cutter...go right ahead. It's a totally different league and not one I need to be part of.

Damask download cut from Prima patterned paper.
The reverse shape can be used as a window or a mask.

Because I bought the Silhouette just a couple weeks ago, I've only had the time to try out a few projects but I did try to cover a few different ideas for this machine. I'm particularly thrilled with the darling little box templates and the scalloped shapes. Letters and words cut out like a dream. When cutting out the above Damask template, the reverse image (what was left behind) was so gorgeous I decided to use that. Cardstock and patterned paper both cut exceptionally well. I did try cutting out a transparency but the kind I have on hand are exceptionally sturdy and didn't cut right through. Auto trace is one of the coolest features on this program. I tried it in two different ways. Basically if you have skills in Photoshop, PSE or any other soft of photo editing program you can cut almost anything you can design. To make this work, simply same the design you've created as a jpeg or bitmap image. In Robo Master you can make a new document and the open your file. The auto trace command will then map out a cutting line that is editable. I tried this out with both a digital element I designed and also a silhouette image of one of my children at the beach. Very cool.



Pros:

• easy to use
• very professional fine cuts
• doesn't take up much room
• cuts a wide variety of products and various weights of paper
• almost endless possibilities if you want to design your own ideas
• don't need to purchase expensive cartridges to expand unit
• can easily purchase new elements on-line in single units
• excellent service...computer program updates available for free
• extremely flexible product...can draw as well as cut
  

Cons:

• Maximum size for paper is 8.5 x 11. This is very comparable to other electronic cutters on the market and is pretty much the industry standard, so it is not much of a drawback.
• Lack of portability: While a new Silhouette model will soon be on the market, this current model must be hooked up a computer to cut. For me this isn't even an issue as I rarely leave the house anyway! And really... I just don't get the portability option of the soon to be released Silhouette 2
• You must have a computer to use this machine. Obviously...not an issue for myself and most of the population.
• Cutting out intricate shapes can leave you with lots of tiny pieces of paper to clean up...but trust me...it's worth it.
• Software only works on PC computers... edited to add: You can use the Silhouette with a Mac if you have Adobe Illustrator and download the plug-in from QuicKutz
  
• replacement blades and cutting sheets are expensive
  

Where you can buy it:

• 2 Peas in a Bucket - carries the latest Silhouette SD version

• Amazon.com -carries the Silhouette on sale for $199.99

• Scrapbook Express - carries the Silhouette on sale for $149.99 & the new Silhouette SD for $249.99

• try your local scrapbook or craft store

Basically...the original Silhouette may be a little harder to find but in my opinion...if you can find it for a great deal...it's a fabulous product. If you can't find it or you're more interested in portability issues, the Silhouette SD is now on the market as well. It is pretty much identical except for the portability features.


When I'm looking at purchasing a crafting tool, I take a look at a few things... durability, flexibility, practicality, ease of use and whether the product is on trend. I give the Quickutz Silhouette high marks for all of these and rate it a 9.5 out of 10. The Silhouette is extremely well designed and a tool I'm thrilled to own. If you're looking for more information, QuicKutz has a fabulous resource site Silhouette Machines, filled with ideas, tutorials, troubleshooting and basically, almost everything you want to know.

I'm sure you're like me and have purchased products and tools that you've been excited about but didn't live up to your expectations. This product surpassed all my expectations and is totally worth the investment for me.I initially purchased it as something to play with and as a tool for my kids projects. But here I am...eating my words and totally happy to be doing so. The more I use it, the more possibilities I see. I love my Silhouette and it's fast becoming one of my favorite tools ever.

Do you own the QuicKutz Silhouette or other digital craft cutter? We'd love to hear your thoughts as well!

Sizzix Texturz Plates

Reported by: Megan Lock

Before I start the actual review of this product, I would like to say this product is made by Sizzix, but also has different designs supplied through Stampin' Up! The one I've used here is from Stampin' Up, though other designs are available at Michaels, Amazon, or at your local scrapbook store. They retail for $9.99.

Sizzix Texturz plates are made of hard plastic that is six inches wide--which for us Cuttlebug users, means it will fit. Of course, you can also use the plates with the Big Shot. There are two different designs on either side of the plate. The set I bought came with three plates, therefore there are six designs. It's important to note that these are not entirely like Cuttlebug Embossing folders. There are not a positive and negative sides to reinforce the design. As a result, the impression these plates leave is not as "deep" as the embossing folders. That said, these still offer the ability to add some texture to your paper. In my samples below, I used a die cut flower for my samples and I used three different techniques.

1. I used this sandwich in the cuttlebug (from the bottom to the top):

-A Plate

-Texturz embossing plate

-Cardstock or Patterned Paper

-Tan Mat (I use the Spellbinders tan mat, clearly I'm not devoted to one company)

-C Plate

2. Using the same sandwich, mist your cardstock or paper with water. I won't judge you if you use your rubber stamp cleaner because it's in a spray bottle, already on your table, calling your name, but I would never do that.

3. Tap your ink pad on the plate and immediately run it through your machine, using the same sandwich as before.

All three techniques will work, it just depends on what you want to do with your project. The first leaves a faint impression, though it shows some soft texture. The second is a little hint if you want a deeper impression. And the third adds a little depth to the texture.

Pros:

• Durable
  
• Numerous designs, and you get many with one purchase
  
• Variety of techniques can be used
  
• Affordable
  
• Compatible with the Cuttlebug and the Big Shot

Cons:

• Not as deeply etched, if you're accustomed to Cuttlebug folders
  
• They're not available at all large chain retails
  

All in all, this is a quality product that achieves its purpose, regardless of of similar product comparisons. Do you have a set of these? Do you like them? Would you recommend them to another crafter? We'd love to hear from you!

Giveaway winners!

Happy Saturday! We hope you all have great crafty plans for the weekend!

Here is the winner from the Ribbon Ring giveaway:

 Tamikko said...

I love what you've done with yours on the scalloped wire. I love the idea of the ribbon hanging in all its colourful beauty out in the open. So looking forward to getting this system.

1:03 PM

And we still haven't heard from the Earth Day giveaway winner:

Tonya! Who shared fabulous ideas for carnival!

Wait till you see all the great ideas Tonya has to share! Clever, clever!

Please send us your names and addresses at info@craftcritique.com

Stay tuned for more chances to win in the coming weeks!

Teaching Time: Blog Tips and Tactics to Improve your Craft Business

Today marks the second of our regular series for our readers called "Teaching Time"! You have been asking... sending us countless questions about blogging, twittering, facebooking... etc. You want to know how to get started blogging, or how to use your blog to help your craft business. This new series is for you!

In our quest to bring you an expert viewpoint, today Craft Critique brings you Bob Beacham. Bob is a full-time crafter and craft business consultant. The Crafts Blog has all kinds of useful free information for craftspeople selling, or thinking about selling online. He also has runs the Small Business Blogging Course which will be of interest to those who want more in-depth, one-to-one help with starting blogging.




Blog tips and tactics to improve your craft business.

Written by Bob Beacham

Hello again. First can I say thanks to all the people who took the time to post a comment or ask a question last month. Seems quite a few of you are interested in the benefit a blog can bring to your craft business so let's hope I can help you in the right direction!

I'll just address one specific question before we get to this month's tips, and that's the one of content. Some people are worried they won't have enough to say to maintain a proper business-like blog. Really? Trust me, you do.

For one thing, there's absolutely no point posting five times a day when your blog is new. Two or three times a week is fine. More than four or five and to an extent you are "wasting" posts. You won't have huge numbers of visitors at the start, and once you've posted on a subject once it's not easy to revisit it. So gently does it. Rome - and a good craft blog - weren't built in a day!

As for what you're going to say, start with the foundations of your craft. Imagine that you are explaining what you do to a friend sat next to you. Type it up. That's a post. How many different things are there to explain to your friend before they'll understand in detail what you're doing? How many different tools and techniques can you describe? Each is a post.

When you've got through that lot, have a look at what others in your craft are saying and doing. Would you do it differently? That's more posts. What's your take on the latest developments in your craft? More posts... Not got enough to say? I doubt it. ;-)

You know sometimes short answers turn out to be not as short as you think! Let's get on to what I wanted to cover today. As it turns out, that question ties in quite well.

I wanted to look at posts and pages, because they two are different beasts, and it's important not to confuse them.

A post is the usual article you write. Almost always these are in date order and will drop down your blog, eventually to disappear into the archives. Down at the bottom of most blogs you'll see a link, along the lines of "older posts..." and often in the sidebar you'll see archives... February 2009, March 2009... sometimes going back years.

The trouble is, sometimes you have something important you want to say and you don't want it to fade away. You could argue that people will search through the archives, but frequently they won't. If you want as many people as possible to see this particular item you don't want to leave it to chance.

There are ways to keep a post prominent but usually a page is better. A page behaves pretty much like a traditional website page. You write it like you would write a post, but once you're done and you publish it, it's fairly permanent. I don't mean you can't alter it, you can edit it as much as you like. What I mean is it won't appear in the usual run of posts, so it won't eventually disappear. Instead it will have a separate heading or title bar somewhere obvious near the top of your screen. Just like normal website navigation, people will click it and go to that page.

So why would you use a page, not a post? Well you might be running an online store from your blog. Wouldn't be much use if that disappeared, would it! You might be offering a craft ebook. You might want a contact form (they tend to get you less spam than giving someone your email directly). One common use for individual crafters' blogs is an "About" page, which helps build trust in your visitors.

It's for anything that you want to be permanently - and easily - accessible.

Having said which, pages can also be invisible! I do like to keep you on your toes you know :-)

Why would anyone want an invisible page? Well let's say you have an ebook for sale and people get a download right after they've paid. You wouldn't want everyone to see the download page - they'd all get your ebook for nothing! Here your "hidden" page becomes that download area. Only available once you've got the cash.

Another example is if you have a membership blog. People get a certain amount of information free, but to access the premium content - let's say a set of knitting patterns or candle recipes each month - they need to become members. Again your "hidden" pages handle that for you.

They're for anything that you want people to have access to after they've performed some other kind of action. A lot of people give away a something useful in return for people signing up for their newsletter. Again a "hidden" page would be where your visitor went for delivery.

Of course not everybody needs pages at all. Our friends here at Craft Critique are a news blog and for them, pages aren't appropriate. Now should they ever start doing a range of t-shirts or mugs or something like that, and need an online ordering system, they would more than likely put up a page for it.

It's another example of the flexibility of blogging for your craft business. A craft blog can do all the things a traditional website can do and so much more. I hesitate to use the phrase "old-fashioned" when the internet is still so young, but I really feel that's the way normal sites are heading.

Next time we'll look at some of the peripherals. Adverts, links, little blinking boxes and the like.

Until then, have a great month!

Please send your crafty blog questions to Bob here at info@craftcritique.com or just leave a comment!

Vendor Spotlight: Ribbon Ring (Day 3, Post 2)

Reported by: Dana Vitek

Okay, you've already read all of the particulars about the Ribbon Ring by my fellow reporters, so I'll just jump in with my story saga. Once upon a time, my ribbon storage consisted of whatever Michael's/JoAnn's/A.C.Moore's bag they were in when I bought them. Not so classy. Then, Nichole Heady made her ribbon all beatimous, and I thought... "I can do that!" so I spend upmteen hours (and 238 clothespins) making my ribbon beatimous too.

aren't you pretty, all the way up here on the top shelf...

And it lived happily ever after on my highest shelf (so that my kids didn't get into the glass containers and wreak havoc). Guess what? I never used it. It was such a pain to get up there, sort through the container, get the clothespin I wanted, pull the stick pin out, lose the stick pin, get all tangled in ribbon, and then not put the container back, because, hello, I just got down from there, I'm not getting back up there again. I would rather pull a used tissue out of my pocket and use that on a card than deal with my ribbon, beatimous or not.

Plus, after my initial ribbon-rolling marathon, I couldn't be bothered to keep it up with the new ribbon I acquired, see Exhibit B: Hot Mess:

I have twill tape? Who knew?

Well, all that's changed now! My ribbon has gone from the "Please DO NOT touch" museum to the "bohemian chic" Ribbon Ring System, and I LOVE IT! It's like I released the inner flower child in my ribbon, and we're all much happier for it!

no, this is not all of it, and no, I don't want to talk about it.

Like my fellow reporters, I didn't heed the "1-yard-length" recommendation, but since most of my ribbon is narrow and sheer, I was able to fit a lot on each card. I managed to get 30 yards (!!!) of greenish-gray ribbon on one of the 2" cards. Yes really.

I'm storing mine on an Ikea Grundtal rack that is hanging in my craft room in the photo "light box" area. It's working out great! If I were worried about dust, I'd throw a drycleaner's bag over the whole thing, but I don't worry about dust. I don't fret about sunlight either, but if you're a fretter, you could very easily hang your system on an over-the-door-hook in a closet, thusly:

this is not my closet, but let's pretend, m'kay...

Pros:

• Clean, simple, easy to use
• Saves space, and time, and I need more of both.
• Lets your ribbon's freak flag fly

Cons:

• I am seriously mad that I didn't think of this first.
• My daughter thinks at least one of those rings should be hers to run around with and shout "Whoo hoo! It's BUN!" (she's 2, and still working on her "F" sound ;-)
• What am I going to do with all these glass jars?

you tell her no, because I'm all out of no.

I'm officially a convert. My ribbon is no longer trapped under glass, but is still tidy and infinitely more usable this way. You can buy it right from Melissa at Ribbon Ring at www.ribbonring.com because she's the bombdiggity. Or, throw it on your shopping list at Taylored Expressions. But get a set... you won't be sorry!

So that's all of our Ribbon Ring articles... leave us a comment to enter our Ribbon Ring prize package drawing!

Vendor Spolight: Ribbon Ring (Day 3, Post 1)

Reported by Suzy Haghighi

When it comes to ribbon, I have different forms of organization to suit bulk, spool and scrap ribbon. My spool ribbon, the easiest to organize, is organized on a rack side-by-side. No problem there, but I find the bulk of my ribbon stash is purchased in loose 3-5 yard increments that I wrap around old fashioned wooden clothespins, organized into large jars according to color. As I use up the ribbon on the clothespins, however, I am left with smaller lengths of ribbon that really have no where to go. *Shakes fist at those pesky stragglers* Too short to wrap, too long to toss, these stragglers cost me a ton of space and organizational chaos that just drives me nuts. When I was asked to give the Ribbon Ring a spin, I thought, why not?

The Ribbon Ring is a ribbon organizational system that consists of metal rings (the sizes begin at .75 and go up to 3 inches) and slotted plastic tags. The tags have a textured, matte side (the front) and a shiny, smooth side. Each tag can hold more than one ribbon, depending upon width: the slot on the Standard Tag is 1.125’ wide; the slot on the Jumbo Tag is 2” wide. The picture above shows the 30 Standard Tag Bundle and two and three inch metal rings, which are purchased separately.

The Ribbon Ring Starter Set is $8 U.S. and comes with one 2 inch metal ring & 30 Standard sized tags. This package held about 60 yards of ribbon for me (2 yards of ½ inch ribbon side by side on 1 tag). You can buy both the Jumbo and Standard tags in bulk (without the rings), as well as different sized rings to fit your needs. Ribbon Ring recommends the length of ribbon used in their system to be about one yard. The packages include black inventory dots to use as a reminder for the extra ribbon you cut and store.

How the Ribbon Ring System works:

• Hold a tag with the hole for the ring on top, textured side as the front.

• Insert an approximately 1 yard length of ribbon into the bottom slot of a tag from the back to front (1 in the picture above), fit it through the top slot from front to back (2), then into the middle slot from back to front (3), then back down the bottom slot from front to back (4). That sounds so confusing, doesn't it? Thankfully, every package comes with a piece of ribbon fit into a tag so that you can see exactly how it’s done in person. Trust me; it’s very easy once you are looking at it. Weaving your ribbon through the slots ensures it stays in place on the tag.

• Put your ribboned tag on the ring. You can also combine the smaller rings that hold the ribbon onto one larger ring so more than one bundle can stay in one place.

How you choose to organize your ribbon is up to you. I used the Ribbon Ring to organize ribbon for my “inspiration station” – the corner of my craft room where I collect seasonal, matching papers and embellishments for easy access. I find that I tend to work according to seasons, so having my ribbon organized this way has really streamlined my creative process. I also keep a neutral ring for the neutrals I tend to use the most: different types of ribbon in black, white, brown and gray.

Pros:

• Inexpensive way to keep ribbon easily in view and at hand, so you are more likely to use it.
• Compact, easy solution for storage that is attractive- who can resist strands of luscious ribbon dangling on the wall, beckoning, like craft Sirens, to be used?
• Great way to tame the unruly ribbon monster – it keeps the ribbon tangle free
• Room to grow – as your ribbon collection grows, you simply add more tags and rings.
• Great for travel - take your ribbon stash to your next crop!
• Did I mention how purty it looks hanging in your craft room??
  

Cons:

• Initial organization takes time (what system doesn’t though?)
• Left uncovered, your ribbon could get dusty (unless you USE IT *wink*)
  
• The slot could potentially crimp/wrinkle delicate ribbon such as silk and velvet
• Not for sizes a lot smaller or longer than 1 yard
• The sticker dot system is ineffective for lazy, unorganized people like me who will forget to add a dot. I also can't bear to cut ribbon unnecessarily - it's a thing I have.

The Ribbon Ring system is available only online at the moment at Ribbon Ring, and at other online retailers such as Scrapbook.com (currently sold out). Shipping is inexpensive and available globally at the Ribbon Ring store; no U.S. sales tax is charged.

In conclusion, I would rate this product a 9 out of 10. I recommend the Ribbon Ring as part of a ribbon storage system because it is simple to use, inexpensive, effective and pretty. I must say all the bright happy lengths of ribbon look so attractive hanging on the rings, and I am now more likely to use those yard length pieces as I can actually see them and have them at hand to easily test against a card. Before I had to dig it out, unroll it, hold it up. This saves a lot of work. Because of length limitation, it is not the only ribbon storage solution you will ever need, but I have yet to find one that is.

How do you currently store your ribbon? Would the ribbon ring be useful to you? How would you organize your ribbon? By color, type, brand, collection, or season? Inquiring, disorganized minds want to know!

Vendor Spotlight : Ribbon Ring (Day 2, Post 2)

Reported by Heather Strenzwilk

My name is Heather and I am a ribbon and fiber addict. Offray ribbon has an outlet store near my home and I have over 200 rolls of ribbon and fibers and yarn. Some of my favorite ribbon and all of my fibers are squeezed into Iris chest drawers. They are stuffed full and I to find what I needed I had to unload half a drawer.

When I first saw the Ribbon Ring (and dramatic before and after pictures) I knew I had to try it too. The Ribbon Ring is a way to not only tame and organize your ribbon, but to display it as well. The system is comprised of standard and jumbo ribbon tags, assorted size metal rings and inventory dots. Essentially you thread a yard of ribbon or fibers through the tag and hang it on a metal ring. When the metal ring is full you hang it on the wall, allowing you to decorate your work area and see your ribbon. If you have more of that ribbon, affix an inventory dot to the corner of the ribbon tag as a reminder.

I decided to begin with my Halloween ribbon so I'll know what I have for the Fall. My daughter's ribbon was in a huge tangled mess so I organized her ribbon as well. I also took some ribbon samples that came on punched cards and slipped them onto a ring as well. It took me a little over an hour to go from mess to success. We have already used some of our newly organized ribbon. So far I have devoted one ring to holiday ribbon, one to my daughter's ribbon and another for fibers. If I change my mind later, I'll simply transfer ribbon cards to another ring.

My next project was my long neglected fibers and yarns drawer. Fibers were very popular several years ago and I still have an extensive stash. Because they aren't shiny and smooth like ribbon, I find they tend to tangle faster. Since fibers are narrower than most ribbon, I was able to fit 5 or 6 fibers on a ribbon tag. As a bonus, I discovered some long forgotten fibers as I organized my collection.

If I had to change one thing about the ribbon ring system it would be to expand the inventory dots from one color to a three color system. Currently, the black dot denotes that you have "more" inventory of that ribbon. I would use the three colors to more accurately show inventory such as: "lots more", "1 more yard (or so)" or "scraps only". An improved color coded inventory system would prevent me from searching through my rolls or ribbon to find out how much I had left. But I have an unusually large supply of ribbon and this would probably not be an issue to the average crafter.

Pros:

• Ribbon tag packs come with a sample piece of ribbon threaded through the tag. I am visual learner and this helped me get it correct from the start.
• The individual components are very sturdy and are able to withstand the weight of ribbon or fibers.
• Flexibility- it is easy to rearrange ribbon cards and reorganize from colors to brand or type of ribbon. You can easily add to the system or remove pieces as you use your supply.

Cons:

• The recommended manageable length for ribbon is 1 yard and shorter pieces might be missed.
• Long term I'm concerned that my wire edge, organza and satin ribbons might crease or fade over time from their direct exposure to light.
• Supplies are not available in retail stores and must be ordered online.

The Ribbon Ring is available directly from their website and from Scrapbook.com. The components are available individually or in a starter kit.

As the owner of a large ribbon supply, I found the Ribbon Ring system to be a useful and flexible way to organize and display ribbon and fibers. The components are sturdy and can accommodate ribbon up to two inches wide. Since most crafters use some sort of stringy stuff in their work, the Ribbon Ring would be a great gift. I found the Ribbon Ring system to be a practical (and attractive) tool in my craft room and I recommend it. I rate it 8.5 out of 10.

Let us know what you think about the Ribbon Ring and if you think it will work for you! We want your opinions too!

Vendor Spotlight : Ribbon Ring (Day 2, Post 1)

Reported by: Tracy Schultz

My ribbon storage system had gotten out of control. It was to the point where I could no longer find what I was looking for! So I consider myself pretty lucky that I got to review the Ribbon Ring. Now my ribbon is back under control- and best of all, out in the open so I can finally SEE and use what I have.

The Ribbon Ring is a very simple system. It's a series of metal rings on which hang small plastic tags. Each tag has three slots through which you weave your ribbon. This keeps the ribbon from falling off of the ring when handling.

The standard tag holds ribbon up to 1.125" wide. But there is a new jumbo tag that holds ribbon up to 2" wide. With each tag set you also get small black inventory dots. These are handy as they let you record when you have more ribbon tucked away somewhere in case you run out.


Now, let's get back to my own ribbon disaster- I mean, story. Above you'll see my ribbon storage solution prior to the Ribbon Ring. I had FOUR drawers that I purchased from a home improvement store. Each was loaded with rolls of ribbon. It started out simple enough: I arranged my ribbon by color in these drawers. But I found when I added new ribbon I had to constantly rearrange my rolls as I filled up the rows in my drawer. It was a pain!

As I started crafting more, I quickly outgrew my system. I started stacking rolls on top of one another. I even bought ribbon storage cards and started winding smaller lengths of ribbon onto them. But the clips would often fall off and I would find my ribbon unwound in the drawer. Or worse- when I took it out to use, the ribbon was all crimped!


When I got the Ribbon Ring system in the mail, I immediately set out to organize my ribbon. It's advised that any ribbon you have more than one yard of be cut into one yard lengths to hang on the tags. I didn't heed this advice and quickly learned the hard way. It's too difficult to tame your ribbon and sort through it when you have these random long strands hanging. So be sure to cut your ribbon- I just cut an arm's length and that worked fine. Then I affixed an inventory dot to the tag so I knew I had more somewhere.

I found sorting my ribbon by color to work best. I hung two, or sometimes three, different types of ribbon on each tag. That way I could fit my whole inventory on this system. Melissa was nice enough to include extra metal rings, so I was able to put one color family on each ring. And then put those rings onto the giant metal ring included.

Pros:

• Reasonably priced
• Metal rings and tags are sturdy
• Inventory dots let you see when you have more ribbon in storage
• Can fit multiple ribbons on one tag
• Ribbon fits securely on tag and doesn't fall off, even after handling

Cons:

• Standard tags only accommodate ribbon up to 1.125" wide
• Doesn't come with enough inventory dots- I ran out!
• Still need to store ribbon rolls somewhere
• No system on which to hang the Ribbon Ring

I'm glad to say that USING the Ribbon Ring is so easy. I wasn't sure how I'd feel about having my ribbon out in the open. But I love it! Whenever I'm working on a project I can glance over at my ribbon and see what colors would work best. If I want a closer view, I can bring the entire system to my desk. Or I can just pull off the color family that I'm interested in. And removing ribbon to use is simple. I just open the ring, slide the tag off that has the ribbon I want to use on it, tie it around my card/project, then put the tag back on the ring.

I've been using this system for over a month and I haven't had to refill any ribbon on the rings yet. And best of all, I'm using my ribbon more. I'm mixing colors and patterns on my projects that I never would have when my ribbon was in a drawer.

My only big con for this entire system is that I wish there was some sort of hanger for the ribbon rings themselves to go on. I have mine hanging on a random nail in my studio. But I would like something that allows me to see and MOVE the ribbon around without having to worry about it falling off the wall.

All in all, I think this is a great system and it's at a great price. I'd give the Ribbon Ring an 8 out of 10.

You can purchase the Ribbon Ring online at their store and a starter kit costs only $8. Or you can find it at Scrapbook.com, Taylored Expressions, and other online vendors.

Do you own a Ribbon Ring? We'd love to hear what you think! Remember there is a Ribbon Ring in it for you!

Vendor Spotlight : Ribbon Ring (Day 1, Post 2)

Reported by Heather Voinski

Over the years, I have gone through several different ways to organize my ribbon and so far none of them have worked for me. My ribbon always ends up being an uncontrolled mess or the out of sight out of mind thing happened. When we got the chance to review the Ribbon Ring, I jumped at the chance.

The Ribbon Ring is a system consisting of plastic tags that have three slots on them. You slip your ribbon through the slots. The plastic tags are then held together with a metal ring. The package recommends, "when you have super-long length of ribbon, we recommends you cut it to a manageable length (we like 1 yard). Then, affix our inventory sticker to the corner of the ribbon tag". Each pack come with a package of "inventory dots" that you place on the plastic tags if you have alot of the same ribbon and are using several tabs. A little reminder for you that you have more on another tag.

Okay, I'm going to show you my before pictures. Viewer discretion is advised!! ha ha :)

Before shot number 1:
My first way was to put my ribbon and fibers in cute little jars on the edge of my desk. That worked until I had to dig to the bottom to get the ones I wanted and then I had to try to get them UN-knotted. It was a mess.

Before shot number 2:
Then...I got an idea from a friend to wrap them around some wood clothes pins. They did end up looking really cute. But then they got stored in two shoe boxes on the other side of the craft room and they were covered until I remembered they were there. Keeping them in order after that was time consuming and below is a picture of the end result.
So like I said, I jumped at the chance. The first step to ribbon rehab for me was getting my Ribbon Ring package in the mail.

I made myself comfortable on the floor of my scrap area and got to work. The directions tell you to simply slip your ribbon from back to front through the top slot, then take the opposite end and thread it through the middle slot pulling them to an equal length. Lastly, you thread both ends through the bottom slot. Simple as that. After you have your ribbon on the plastic tags you put them on the metal enclosed metal ring and you are done.

It took me about 2 hours to get done with all of my ribbon but I have alot. It was very simple and I was very pleased with the end result. It even worked on all of my fibers!!

After Ribbon Ring:



I think this system is a keeper for me. I've found a spot in my scrap area to hang it and I think it is really going to keep my ribbons and such handy for me to actually use. I also think it looks great too! All of the colors to me are very inspiring.

Pros:

• Easy to use system
• Works for Ribbons and Fibers
• Easy system to add to

Cons:

• You will need a place to hang it
• Only available online

You can get your own Ribbon Ring system by visiting their website or online at Scrapbook.com.

So, what do you think? Is Ribbon Ring something that will help you tame you ribbon? and What do you think I should do with the 50-something clothes pins I have left over?

Vendor Spotlight : Ribbon Ring (Day 1, Post 1)

For the next 3 days we will feature articles by our reporters about the ribbon organization system, Ribbon Ring. Here is a little information about Ribbon Ring from owner Melissa:

As president of Chicory Chic, Inc., I am dedicated to providing the best storage solutions for ribbon. Located in Hood River, Oregon, I have been scrapbooking since 1996. Over the years I had become more than disappointed with the ribbon organization products on the market. I spent time and money on these products only to find they didn't work for me. I wanted my ribbon accessible, tangle free, wrinkle free and space efficient. I came up with a solution of my own. Ribbon tags hung on a metal ring. Ribbon Ring. Pretty. Practical. Accessible.

So check out the reviews by our great reporters, and leave your comments. Let us know if you have a Ribbon Ring and how it works for you. All comments will be entered into a giveaway for a Ribbon Ring Starter Set, which includes 30 ribbon tags which will hold 60+ yards of ribbon (depending on ribbon width), one 2" metal ring and 15 inventory dots. This set will tame your ribbon monster!

And if you don't win the giveaway, don't fret! They just lowered all of their prices! So everyone can get their ribbon in order!

Reported by Sara McKenzie

This is my take on the Ribbon Ring, a new way to "tame your ribbon". The product consists of a metal ring and plastic "ribbon tags". The user is instructed to cut lengths of ribbon to about one yard to load up on the ribbon tags, which are then hung on the metal ring. If you have more than one yard lengths of any type of ribbon, you are provided with little black adhesive dots to apply to the ribbon tag. This is your "note to self" that you have more of that particular ribbon stashed elsewhere.

Here is my "Before" picture, and the reason I thought I could use Ribbon Ring:

This is a mid-sized plastic container from The Container Store (their "Men's Shoe Box" - which is bigger than a standard shoe box, but smaller than the sweater box). I have been collecting rolls of ribbon, and also throwing in the loose lengths of ribbon that came in various kits or subscriptions that I purchase. While it is a see-through container, I still had the "out-of-site-out-of-mind" problem with the ribbon, with it all smooshed up together, and not particularly organized in any way.

Here is the "After" picture, following organization of all of these loose ribbons using the Ribbon Ring:

All of the ribbon that was loose in the box above was threaded onto 45 ribbon tags, and now hangs on three rings, in sight, in my studio.

And a close-up of a few ribbon tags below:

As you can see above, I found that I could not only put two different ribbons on one tag, but also I could thread more than one length of each ribbon. It made me feel better to load up the tags as much as possible. It took me a couple of evenings to load up the 45 tags (while watching TV).

Pros:

• You can organize your ribbon by color, style, size, or all of these, making it easier to find just the right one for your project.
• Your organized ribbon can hang in sight - I don't know about you, but this helps me and even can inspire me, to have my supplies visually available while I am designing.
• The rings don't take up too, too much space, even when loaded up.

Cons:

• I think it is a little pricey for what it ultimately is.
• You need a place to hang the rings. Not everyone may have this type of hanging storage readily available.
• Unless you only buy one-yard lengths of ribbon, you still need a way to store the rest of your ribbon, whether bought on rolls or in bulk.

The Ribbon Ring starter kit is available for $8.00 through their website, and that includes 1 metal ring, 30 ribbon tags, and 15 inventory dots. Additional tags, rings, and dots are available for your needs.

Me? I like the Ribbon Ring. And I think I will continue to use it. Unfortunately, I am no where near done with organizing my ribbon stash!! I have another box to unload, not too mention the yards and yards I have of bulk ribbon and I don't know how many rolls. Ah well... in the end it will be worth it.

Have you used the Ribbon Ring? Or do you have another way of organizing your ribbon? Let us know!