GELLI ARTS® - I really enjoy using my Gel Printing Plate to make prints - using stencils with the acrylic paint and gel plate is a way to create lots of dimension. Here's a tip for making your own stencils. Take a die cut - one you've purchased, or one you've cut with a machine and put several layers of decoupage paste or gel medium to both sides of the die cut and you can use it over and over again as a stencil without it falling apart!
XYRON® Machines - CREATOPIA® OR STICKER MAKER, or others that have the white slick paper remaining when you peel off your items...SAVE THE SHEETS! They are super for lots of uses in your studio! IDEAS: GelliArts® printmaking; use them as a base when you are gluing things with a roll-on or wet glue; put them between pages that are still a bit damp after decoupaging or gluing; or use them as a paint palette -
I'm sure you have lots more ideas you could share.
Need adhesive on BOTH sides? After you run your item through a Xyron machine, take off the clear cellophane, flip it over and run it through again. Both sides will have edge to edge adhesive!
HELPFUL VIDEOS: Be sure to go to this link to view wonderful techniques from Close to My Heart®. You will be glad you did!! MyCraftChannel videos from Close To My Heart
PROBLEM? I made this album for my niece to use as a Guest Book at her wedding. The guests could sign the pages or the tags that I included on almost every page. We ran into a problem. The pens I bought to use with the book quit working after a number of people had added their signatures or messages. I couldn't figure out how ALL of the new pens we bought quit working. On the drive back to Michigan, I think I figured it out. The "misting" products I used on each page and almost every tag must have clogged the pens with their fine sparkle. What do you think? Let me know. I may try an experiment with this next week.
BINDING HOLES: Oh dear, you've covered the chipboard album pages with your card stock and now you realize you covered the pre-punched holes!! Oh yes...I've done that many times instead of punching the holes once I have one side of the chipboard covered. Have no fear....if there are holes there, you can easily find them without ruining your paper. Rub the largest round end of an embossing tool, or the eraser end of a pencil, along where you think the holes are and it will indent at the hole site! Press in so you can easily see it, then punch! Happy binding!--------------------------------------------------
JOURNALING: Sometimes I like to hide my journaling, or at least leave a place where I can add journaling later. I go through stages where I journal immediately and then sometimes I procrastinate, so I leave secret spots on my layouts. (Finding spots on your page to purposely hide journaling is fun too.)
If there is a photo or layered cardstock on your page, only glue three sides of it, then you can slip a tag or a smaller piece of cardstock behind it. You can write on it later or have someone else add a comment to that page. I also slip journaling between the 2 page layouts that are in the same page protector.
----------------------------------------------------DAUBERS and TAGS: The small finger dauber we use to apply product to paper and embellishments is an exact fit to the hole protectors on the manila tags we all use. Just tap the circle with the ink-loaded dauber ....voila!.... it matches your project!!
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STAPLING: I've not been a huge fan of this even though the coated
staples are supposed to be archival. The looks is kind of cool but I
figure that the recipient might think the staples are a cheap, fast
solution. PLUS, I wanted to find a way to hide the back of the page that
has been stapled. Today I did it although it's a bit tedious. I took a
piece of Waxy Flax (Close to My Heart) and with a narrow needle wove it
in and out of the back loops of the staples. The backs popped up
sometimes but I just pushed them back and it's working out great in the
album. The paper I am using is wonderfully handmade and can take some
abuse.Of course you could use the waxy flax on the front of the staple as you staple but I wanted something to perk up the exposed staple backs....
How about sharing some tips of your own??
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