Make Your Own Cuttlebug Folder 2

I showed this earlier in my blogging, but wanted to share it again for new readers, and I've made a few changes along the way...This time, instead of three layers of card stock, I cut a 4 inch rose from thin chip board. Using glue dots, I glued the background piece to one side of a piece of folded acrylic.

The carefully laying the rose into the hole, place more glue dots on top of the rose, and close the folder. This way it will be perfectly aligned.

Place your paper into the folder, and run through the Cuttlebug. My "sandwich" consisted of the A plate, a B plate, then the new folder, and a piece of fun foam as a shim, then the second B plate. The thickness of your chipboard or cardstock, plus your acrylic, will determine if you need shims to make it emboss deeply. Try it, and you will see how easy it is! You can do borders or all over designs.

Cuttlebug Camp Challenge #2

This handled box was a great project, which I made some modifications to. I don't have nestabilities, so I made mine with one sheet of 12x12 paper, cut to 6x12, scored at 4" panels, and the 4th side was cut at 4 1/2". The 1/4 inch sides were scored. A 1/2 inch bottom was scored on all 4 panels. All 4" panels were embossed with the Swirls and Birds folder. Then I used Tacky Strip to attach the 4th side to create the box. Snip the score lines, and fold up the bottom edge, add tacky strip and attach a 4" square to the bottom to complete the box. Easy!! Next I added a 12" handle with tiny brads, and accented with fall ribbon and a leather button. I learned a few tricks along the way....1) it is easier to color the embossed design BEFORE you tape it together (learned the hard way!) 2) thanks to Barb Rose for telling me about using my Xyron to adhere aluminum foil to cardstock to create mirror paper!!! That's how I did the bird and limb decor on the side of the basket, and colored it with alcohol inks. The front panel is a CTMH stamp. All edges are inked in MS brown. It was fun! check out the Cuttlebug Challenge, and give it a try!!

Taking Photos of Cards

Okay, some of you have asked how I take pictures of my cards to post here! So, here is a picture of part of my scrap room. It looks kind of scary in this picture, but it's not - just really "user friendly"!! The first thing you need is a good light like the Ott light over my desk.

Next I set up four pieces of black 12x2 card stock. Easy, just put two on the desk, and two leaning up against the shelves. The light shines down from above.

Now I set the card in the center, and I set my camera on the close up setting. It doesn't use flash and wash out the colors this way. Easy! Hope it was helpful! By the way, my cricut, etc. is on the desk to my right. My scrap area is U-shaped, and works really well for me :-)

Now, here's the card I was working on! On the inside it says "So, how many lives do you have left? Wishing you the very best birthday ever!" Tori and I were laughing because this cat reminds us of Azrielle, the cat on the Smurfs! It is on the Paper Dolls Cartridge. Love it!

I've made a promise to myself to use more of my cricut cuts for my cards, so keep watching to see what comes next! Thanks for checking in!

Make Your Own Cuttlebug Folder!

Spiders are three layers of cardstock thick, and the "negative" or the part that would be left on your mat after cutting out the spiders, is two layers thick. This should make the instructions a little bit easier to understand!




I saw the new Cuttlebug Folders that PC will be introducing this fall. I also chatted with some of the girls on the mb, and this is my idea on how to make your own folders for embossing with the cuttlebug! I cut three images. This time I used Doodlecharms cartridge, the spiders, on the border setting, because it gave me interlocking designs. This isn't necessary, but easy for beginning. I wanted to make an edge embossing design, not an all-over page design, but the concept would be the same. Glue two negative images (the part left on your mat after you take out the spiders) one on top of the other. Fold a piece of plastic packaging, such as a cuttlebug folder package, or some other heavy acrylic. Crease it tightly. Insert the negative image and glue onto one side. Carefully place one positive image (the spiders) into the negative "hole". Next put adhesive onto another positive and CAREFULLY glue it to the first positive image, then glue another positive image to the second layer. Now add adhesive, so that the positives glue to the other side of the folded plastic. This will give you two negative layers and three positive layers. It will all be lined up evenly, and ready to emboss in your cuttlebug. I found that the "sandwich" needed to be a C-plate, B-plate, folder with cardstock, piece of fun foam on top for thickness, then the second B-plate. It worked like a charm! (Sorry the black spiders don't show up too well with the stickles on them in the photo, but they are really cute!) Please post comments, and let me know how it works for you!!!

Birth of a Queen Bee

The world's largest adhesive roller is now a Queen Bee! It has been great fun transforming the ATG tape guns into decorator pieces of art, and I have been motivated by Okie LadyBug to get going! Surely BettyBee must have hers done! Next comes the other side which will have more bling, and my name on it! Watch for the next edition. You MUST get one of these! They are awesome, and will save tons of $$ for the seriouse scrapper!

Identifying People in a Group Photo

This is how I have found to be the best way to identify individuals in large group shots. First I took a piece of tracing paper or vellum and made a tracing of the outline of the people in the photo. Then I reduced that on a copy machine. I numbered each head. Then I typed a coordinating log with everyone's name on it. I used coordinating colors, chalked the head sketch paper to blend with the background "wallpaper" and placed it on "dead space" in the sky of the photo. Hope this is helpful to you.