Handmade Fun: October 2012

Sunday, October 28, 2012

Accordion File Folder

by AJ Otto

Turn a file folder in a beautiful tag book.

Supplies

File Folder (8.5" x 11"), left tab

Three 3 1/4" x 7" pieces of cardstock, Vanilla Cardstock used here

One 3 3/4" x 7" piece of cardstock, Vanilla Cardstock used here

Three 3 1/8" x 6 7/8" pieces of colored cardstock , Burgundy and Sage Cardstock used here

Patterned papers

Die cuts (optional)

Corner Rounder

Sponge

Scissors

Adhesive

Bone Folder

Embellishments to decorate

Step-by-Step

Step 1

Open the file folder so that the tab is in the top right corner. This is important!
Step 2

Fold the bottom of the folder up about 4" to create the pockets.

When you fold the bottom up, the left side of the folder must match up with the cut out tab.
Step 3

Fold the left side toward the center until the straight part touches the center line.

Important: The tabbed portion will overlap the center line. It's okay!
It should end up lining up like this.
Step 4

Fold right side over to the left side until the "binding" matches up.

It is very important that the binding of the book lines up evenly.
This is how the spine or binding should look.
Step 5

The folder completed and laid out flat ready to embellish.

Notice the farthest right panel is larger than the others. This is how it should be.
Step 6

Decorate the inner pages.

From Splitcoaststampers.com
Step 7

Decorate front of folder.

Video!

Saturday, October 27, 2012

Friends are Forever

Diemsions 5.50 by 4.25
Cartridge used Pagoda
Colord card stock cut at 3.00 and all layers
Embossed fans shape
Glitter glue
Chalked fan
Added flower
Satmped freinds are forever on card

Friday, October 26, 2012

Dimension 5.50 by 4.25
Back ground paper paper cut at 5.00 by 4.00
White back ground paper 4.00 by 3.75
Green back ground paper at 3.75 by 3.50
Cartridge used Pagoda
Shape cut at 3.00 and all layers
Embossed ,pearl, ribbon and glitter glue

Wednesday, October 24, 2012

Party Time

Dimensions 5.25 by 4.25
Pattern Paper used for back ground cut at 5.00 by 4.00
Cartridge used for shape is Accent Essentials cut at 3.00
Embossed shape and Glitter Glue
Cartridge used for note was Quarter Note with all layers
Note shape cut at 2.50
Stamped saying on card front

Tuesday, October 23, 2012

Links to Cricut Handbooks

Cricut recently made some changes to its website and, unfortunately, they removed the cartridge library. You can still find links to the cartridge digital handbooks by going to the specific cartridge via the shop and scrolling to the bottom of the page. For those of us who refer to the digital handbooks often, this is a pretty labor intensive protocol for comparing multiple cartridges. I thought it might be helpful to have the links back in one place so I have posted a list of the cartridges I have reviewed on this site so far and linked them to their handbooks. I will update this list with each new cartridge overview.

CRICUT CARTRIDGE HANDBOOK PDFS

Monday, October 22, 2012

Gift Card Holder

Stampin' Up Dawn shows how to use Stampin Up to create original gift card holders and sleeves in this craft tutorial. The tutorial shows how to create the Bashful Blue gift card holder. However, it should be noted that the Certainly Celery card does not utilize the scalloped edge design. The third style, Elegant Eggplant, uses ink #10510 and card stock #105126. You will need a strip of bashful blue card stock cut 4.5" by 7 3/4" scored at 3/4 and 4 1/4. Fold the score lines to create the sleeve. The whisper white card stock is cut to 3 1/4" by 9 3/4". Score it at 2" and 6 5/8". Fold at the scores to create the gift insert. On the edges, use the scalloped border punch to create a scalloped design. use a flower punch in the center to create a flower design. Add adhesive to seal the sleeve. Slide the white paper into the blue sleeve. Where the opening of the flower is on the blue card stock, stamp a petal design on to the white paper. Add ribbon and a silver brad to finish off the gift card holder.

Saturday, October 20, 2012

Favorite Things

Dimensions 5.50 by 4.25
Blue card stock 5.50 by 4.25
Dude cartridge used to make card
Cuts made at 3.00 and layers
Glitter glue
Marker used to highlight areas on cut
Sticker used for saying

Thursday, October 18, 2012

Baby

Dimensions 5.50 by 4.24
Accent Essentials Cartridge use to cut label on bottom
Size of label blue 2.00
White label size is 1.50
Ribbon
Pen
Accent Essentials used to make white shapes at 1.50 cut 4 of them
Cartridge used to cut brown paper circles was Simply Sweet
Circles from Simply Sweet cut at 1.25,cut 4 of them
The New Arrival cartridge used to cut baby items in circles,cut 4 of them at 1.00
Stickers used to spell out baby
Stitched by hand a round baby
Cut pattern paper 5.50 by 3.00

Tuesday, October 16, 2012

You Rock

Dimensions are 5.50 by 4.25
Embossed cream card stock
Cream card stock cut 5.25 by 4.00
Red card stock 5.25 by 2.00
Cartridge used Quarter Note
Cut image at 3. 25
Cut cream card stock for saying at 1.50
Glitter glue

Thursday, October 11, 2012

Thank you

Dimensions 5.50 by 4.25
Cut circles at 2.00 in different colored card stock
Big yellow circle cut at 2.25
Catridge Accent Essentials
Stamping on yellow circle
Glitter glue added

Congrats

Dimensions 5.50 by 4.25
Cut whit card stock at 5.00 by 4.00
Cut reddish card stock at 3.50 by 3.00
Cartridge used Damask Decor cut at 3.50
Ribbon,liquid pearls,gemstone
Stamped saying on white card stock

Tuesday, October 9, 2012

Thankful Card

Dimensions 5.50 by 4.25

Cut two pieces of pattern paper in half

Added ribbon to cover where they meet

Spellbinders fold and cut die

Used Thanksgiving cartridge to cut out shape and layers

Cuts were 2.25

Glitter glue

Stamped on card Thankful

Saturday, October 6, 2012

How to make composition notebook into wonderful giftsamballi

I use composition notebooks for so many things. Composition notebook can be found at most stores. This is one of my favorite ways to make them for gifts and such. It looks more professionally done than the typical way of doing it. The edges on these are more polished and put together. Look at the finished project:

Here is how I make my regular, everyday altered journals: How to alter a composition notebook journal. The professionally done book is similar but has a few more steps. I am only going to demonstrate the additional steps in this post. Here is what you will need.

Supplies
Composition Notebook
Coordinating Cardstock
Strong Adhesive such as Xyron 900 Permanent Adhesive , Krylon Spray Adhesive, or Snail Adhesive
Paper Trimmer
X-Acto 
Ribbon
Decorative elements

I have made many of these over the years and what I have discovered is that all composition notebooks are not equal in size. They vary from 1/5 of an inch to 1 1/4 inches. For that reason I am not providing measurements. When covering the front of the composition notebook you will need to have about 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch excess on all sides.

I usually just eyeball it and cut off some of the excess.

The next step is to cut three snips around the corners just like this:

The next step is to put some of your glue or snail strip on the corner and begin folding those snips inward.

This will make the paper curve around the edges on the corner and give you one straight edge to glue down on each of the sides. Glue those down next.

Once they are all glued down this is what your corners and edges will look like. She’s pretty, huh? 

Then to make the inside look more polished simply glue a piece of paper in the center like this. Afterwards you can glue a more narrow strip along the edge on the inside. You will see it in one of the following photos.

Next, measure out a 4 inch strip to cover your side binding. Then we will place the binding cover on the side of the notebook. I start by placing it on the book (no glue) and get it how I want it and into that shape. Once the paper is shaped where I want to affix it then I add my snail adhesive to it and put it in place.

Next find some coordinating ribbon to make it even prettier. Once you have the ribbon you like wrap it around the book vertically and leave a few inches on each side for tying a bow. Use sticky strip to adhere it as shown.

Tie it into a bow and cut off the excess ribbon.

Inside:

Back:

From amballiss.com

I have been making these for years.