Scrapwest

#79 Kate's Accordian Book

For this Accordion book you need:
4 Sheets of Contrasting Cardstock (I used 4 different colours but it works well with 2 of each colour too)
2 Sheets of Patterned Paper
Small Amount of Chipboard
1 Large Brad or Button
Chipboard Letters
Elastic Cord (you could use a hair bobbin) or Ribbon
Ink
1 Eyelet
DS Tape and/or glue

First thing to do is cut your cardstock.

From two sheets of Cardstock cut:
Four 5 ½ x 8in pieces
Two 1 x 12in pieces
Four 5 12 x 4in pieces

From the other two Contrasting Sheets cut:
Two 8 x 12in pieces
One 4 x 12in piece
One 5 ½ x 4in piece

Ok now cut your chipboard pieces. You need to cut Two strips 8 x 1in.
Stick them down in the middle of the 1 x 12in pieces and lap over the pieces at each side. Put these to one side until later on.

Now take your five pieces of 5 ½ x 4 in pieces and cut them in half lengthways so you now have ten pieces.

 

Score each piece down the middle and ½ an in either side of the centre.

Then fold them like an accordion.

Put tape/glue on two of your accordion folded pieces (making sure that the accordion part has two folds facing outwards!) and then take a piece of 5 ½ x 8 in card and place it on top.
 

Keep doing this for all four pieces of card, using two accordions each time
And finally finish off with two accordions at the back (the back cover will be attached to these later).

The top and bottom covers are made in exactly the same way.
Using the 8 x 12in piece of card, score a line 5 ½ ins down from the short side and again at 6 ½ ins, in the gap you have just made stick one of your pieces of card covered chipboard. This is now the base of your file attach this to your accordion folded paper piece.

Attach your cover to your file folder.

Make another piece exactly the same; this will be the front of your folder. Trim aout ½ in of the bottom of the front part so that it won’t cover all of the front.
Decorate with Patterned paper, I also inked the edges of mine.

Make a small hole and attach an eyelet to the back of this piece and thread through your elastic.

 

Then attach your cover to the back of the folder using DS tape for strength.

Put a brad/button at the front of your folder to attach your elastic to and decorate as you wish.

You can use it for Photo storage (as I have done) or as a mini album.

Hope you like the class and I can’t wait to see your version of this.

#78 Eva's Simple Tags & Cards

Following on from Annamarie's  theme of wrapping paper we are going to look at tags and matching cards.  These are great for a little hand-crafted feel which take only a few minutes to do. All you need is plain cards stock, punch's or templates of shapes, a few buttons, white and black pen.

As you can see above the tags are very simple. What makes them a little different is the flower shape goes over the edge of the tag, the flower shape is highlighted with a red marker and the title is on foam pads. Use the white gel pen to highlight the button. And thats it!

Use the sample principles of the tag to make the card. Keep it as simple as possible!!!

If you don't have time to hand-craft a gift, use these tags for a yummy bottle of you favourite bottle :)

Above is another tag, for someone a little more special :) The same principles apply.

The ideas are endless, use up scraps of card stock, make a number of them and keep for those last minute gifts. Enjoy! 

 

#77 Annamarie's DIY Wrapping Paper

"Brown paper packages, tied up with string ....", there's even a song about it and I have to admit that I love Kraft paper either in layouts or used as wrapping.

Last Christmas, all of my pressies were wrapped in Kraft paper stamped with some gorgeous shimmering images and tied with string.

If, like me, you have loads of rubber, foam and acrylic stamps and inks gathering dust, then this is a great way to get some use from them.  It's also cheaper than buying wrapping paper, plus you can get the kids involved especially when the present is for one of their school friends.

1.  The first thing is to decide if you want to stamp the whole sheet of wrapping or do you just want to stamp the front of the parcel.  In this case, because the parcel was a square box I thought it would be nice just to stamp the front panel with a couple of stamps just overlapping the sides.

2.  Next I cut a sheet of brown paper to fit my parcel and wrapped the parcel without sticking down any of the seams. 

3.  By wrapping the parcel and then unwrapping it you can easily see where the stamps should go.

4.  Start stamping your images.

5.  Build up your images using as many colours as you like.  The good thing about kraft paper is that you can use any colour ink with it.

6.  Rewrap your parcel and stick down the seams.

7.  Tie it up with a length of string and you're finished.

8.  If you're a rub-on addict (like me!) you could also add some rubons to the paper for a really professional look. 

* As an addition you could even buy a pack of kraft luggage tags (available in most stationery stores) and stamp them to match your wrapping paper!

#76 Ruth Class ...Anything but paper!

 Anything but paper!!!

This week I have done a LO and have tried not to use paper! The background is cardstock but the
rest is all material scraps. Before you put that bag of clothes in the charity bin have a peak and keep  bold bright patterns and cut out pretty flowers and background patterns for your Layouts. Buttons, ribbons and even lining material can be used for a  textured effect which can look much nicer than using paper especially if it is for a framed LO.

In this LO I have used left over fleece material. I have cut out flowers from the material and mounted them and added a button. The purple material is old lining which I have frayed at the side and have used the frayed threads to make a nice bow which completes the LO. Happy wardrobe raiding!!!

#75 Noelle's Class

A Paper Basket

This basket has many uses, you could use it to store your ribbons, blossoms, unmounted stamps, etc, or you could fill it with sweets or use it as a gift basket, the possibilities are endless.  You can also adapt the basic design to suit yourself.

Supplies

1 sheet of 12 x 12 cardstock (or heavyweight patterned paper)

Pritt Stick (or similar)

Double sided tape

Ribbon  (I used 2 18cm pieces)

Flower embellishments (or eyelets or brads or gems, etc)

Method

Cut strips from the cardstock as follows: 8 strips 2cm wide, 10 strips 1cm wide, 4 strips cm wide

1. Using the 2cm wide strips, create the base of the basket as shown, using pritt stick to secure each strip in the centre.

2. Continue until you have used all 8 strips as shown.

3. Using a small piece of double sided tape attach the 4  cm strips together to make one long 120cm (approx) strip and begin weaving.  Start about 5cm from the centre and attach your first strip to one of the 2cm centre strips with a piece of double sided tape or with pritt stick.

4. Fold up the 2cm pieces as you go along.  Make sure you skip a weave at the end of each row to keep the weaving pattern.  (This won t be noticeable on the outside of the basket).  When you get to the end of the cm strip continue weaving using the 1cm strips attaching the ends together with double sided tape.  Leave  at least 4 of the 1cm strips for the finishing of the basket.

5. Measure around the top of your basket, it should be between 20cm 24cm depending on how tight or loose your weaving is.  If it s 24cm cut each of the remaining 1cm strips to 12cm each (or accordingly).

6. Take an 18cm piece of ribbon and attach it to the inside of one of the strips  at approx 4cm and 8cm, then using double sided tape attach another of the 12cm strips on top of this sandwiching the ends of the ribbon inside.  Repeat with the remaining two 12cm strips and the other piece of ribbon.

7. Decorate these strips with blossoms, brads, eyelets, or gems as shown above and attach to the outside of the basket just above the last row of weaving.

8. Trim the excess strips to just under the top of the trim

9. If you have any left over 1cm strips stick them with double sided tape to the inside top of the basket to cover the trimmed edges.  (I didn t do this on my first basket)

10. Instead of using paper strips for the weaving you could use ribbon as in the photo below.

# 74 Jackies tutorial..Quick Note cards.

   

For my tutorial this week I am showing how to make two very simple cards that are handy to make for a quick note ,Childrens Party invitation or a gift card etc.The finished cards are approx 5x4 inches. If you give it a try post your blog link in the comments section so we can see your version.

There are more variations of this card on my Blog,

http://jackies-space.blogspot.com/

Hope you join in would love to see your ideas.

For these cards you will need one piece of card cut to 4 x 12 for base one piece of plain card for insert and some patterened paper for front flaps .

Both cards are made with the same measurements.

Trim a small piece from the large flap to make it fit neatlyunder the smaller flap.

 

#73 - Audrey's See Through Greeting Card

This weeks class shows you how to create a beautiful greeting card using Alcohol Inks, stamps and acetate.  You make up the card and then attach it to a folded piece of acetate/transparency for a really unique look.

We'd also like to wish our friend and ScrapWest team member, Lainey a very Happy Birthday on the 7th!!  Have a good one Lainey!!  Audrey chose this class specially as it was your birthday weekend and I think she might have popped the card in the post too :-)

All of the ScrapWesties would also like to say thanks and Happy Retirement (from SW only!) to the very talented Carrie.  Carrie has been a member of ScrapWest from the start and is an absolute genius with all things altered, inked and distressed.  Due to increased demands on her crafting time, Carrie has made the tough decision to retire  from ScrapWest and we'd just like to say thanks for all your inspiration and you'll be missed :-(

And now, here's the class.  If you're inspired by the class please leave a comment or a link to your own card in the comments section:

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Instructions:

Apply distress inks to slightly glossy card using damp cotton wool in gentle circular motions.

Try blending different colours to get different effects.

Choose a background colour and apply script background stamp with ‘Blue Iris’ chalk ink, set with a heat gun.

Chose a suitable image, cut out around the silhouette and ink edges to define the image.

Chose other elements to suit the piece, I used acetate pieces secured with eyelets.

Matt the background on a darker backing, glue a mini bloom in her hair, to give a 3D effect and attach the finished piece to a scored and folded sheet of transparency / acetate. Attach a piece of plain card stock (of the same size) to the transparency at the reverse of the image – you can use this to write your message.

Finish with a greeting. I’ve used a metal tag with ‘friends’ on ........

to wish my friend Lainey ... a Very Happy Birthday!!!

#72 Kate's Inspiration Jar

This weeks class is from Crafty Kate and what a fantastic idea!  Thanks for sharing it with us Kate :-)

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This is to help you when you have a "Scrapblock".   All of us get them every now and then so hopefully this little jar of inspiration will put an end to that and hopefully it’ll get you using up stash that you may have forgotten about or just haven’t gotten around to using yet.

What you need:

• Any type of Jar/container or box (whatever you have handy).  My jar is from a jar of sweets that I was given and I loved the jar so much that I just had to keep it and use it for something.
• Scraps of Patterned Paper, Cardstock (whatever you have in your scrapbag)
• Punches, Big Shot/ Sizzix Machines, Cricut machine or if you haven’t got any of these you can download a template for a file folder that I used from here http://ruthannzaroff.com/mirkwooddesigns/images/minifolder.gif
  You can use luggage labels too, any sort of tag.

I wrote down some different ideas like “Use paint on your LO”, ”Use 10 buttons”, Use Pencil Lines Sketch #20” and then I thought anytime I was stuck for an idea for a LO, I can pull out a tag or a combination of tags and use the ideas on my LO.

Here are some ideas for labels. You could decorate them too if you wanted.
With this one I just stamped a circle and cut it out

And then I wrote on the other side

Or this is using the file folder

and this is the inside

You could also add flowers, buttons etc. to the jar for inspiration and to make it look pretty!!

Or for another idea you could cut out LO ideas from magazines and put them in the jar.

That’s it!  Really simple, but I hope it will “inspire” you!!

Kate xx

Happy St. Patrick's Weekend

Happy St. Patrick's Weekend from all the ScrapWesties. 

Hope you enjoy the weekend wherever you are in the world.   

As everyone was out partying we've no class this week, but please check in next week at the normal time.

#71 Journal by Caroline Moore

You will need :

A4/A3 paper

Cardboard for covers

Paper/inks/embellishments/stamps to decorate

This journal can be made with A4 or A3 paper, depending on the size you wish.

Instructions

1.      Fold your page in half long ways and open out.  Fold in half again side ways and open out.  Take the edges of the paper and fold back into the centre, you should now have 3 peaks side ways and one long ways, and all the peaks should be on the one side (mountain folds). Open page fully.

2.      With a craft knife, slit from the first peak to the third peak along the centre fold (long ways).

3.      Again, fold your paper in half long ways with the peaks on top and you should have a diamond shaped opening at the top, (see photo below), bring your journal together and decorate with photos or stamps and embellishments etc.  You can stitch the pages together and make pockets and folds, add tags, hide secret messages etc.  This is such a lovely little journal, I have lots I keep in my handbag so I can jot down quotes/notes etc.

4.      Cut out 2 rectangles in cardboard ½ centimetre larger on all sides than your closed journal and cover with your chosen papers (or you can ink or paint the covers).

5.      Join the two sides of the journal with fancy ribbon leaving around ½ inch gap in the centre. 

6.      Cover the inside with co-ordinating paper.  Place the journal inside the covers and using ribbon or card tie it around the cover to secure it.

7.      Decorate your cover.

8.      Have fun filling and decorating the inside.