GCD Studios: Save Time and Money on your Next Craft Projects

Like many papercrafters, I have two passions with regard to this hobby, making projects with paper and collecting supplies to make those projects. Most papercrafters will tell you that part of the hobby is buying the supplies and as much as we may enjoy spending all that time and money making our selections and purchases, I've gotten to a point where I have so many supplies to choose from when I sit down to craft that it's often more time consuming to choose the supplies for any one project than it is to actually make the project itself!

If you've been in that same situation before, then I've got an idea that I hope may inspire you in a way that will allow you to save both time and money on your next papercraft projects. For me, the warm summer months find me spending a lot more time outside enjoying my family and engaging in summer activities, so when I do find time to craft I don't want to spend a lot of precious minutes sorting through my supplies, I just want to craft and staying focused is key!

I maintain that focus by first choosing a theme, like the End of Summer one I used for these projects, an inspiration photograph like the one above, and most importantly, select a limited set of supplies (that's what saves both time and money!).

The ONLY supplies I used to create my projects included: Patterned paper from GCD Studio's The Great Outdoors Collection by Heather Tozzi, specifically Picnic Table (that matches the red in the inspiration photo) and S'mores (that loosely matches the brown in the photograph), as well as cardstock in two shades of blue and the lighter brown from the color combination and white. Other supplies included the Vintage Picnic stamp set by Papertrey Ink, Vintage Picnic Basket die, one border punch, inks in coffee and black, watercolor pencils to color the images, one rectangle and one scalloped rectangle dies by Spellbinders, as well as red ribbon and red and white Baker's Twine. That was all the supplies I used to create all three of the cards I'm showing you today.

Once you've selected your supplies vow to yourself that you will not go back to your stash to choose anything new for your projects (that's the time saving part!). Believe it or not, it is still possible to create a variety of projects that can be both fun and fabulous, using only the supplies you have chosen and a bit of imagination too!

The next time you are in your craft room, try challenging yourself to use a set number of supplies along with your favorite selection of GCD Studios patterned papers to save time and money when creating your next papercraft projects... it's also a great way to use up your stash!

GCD Studios: Sweet Treat Bag Topper Tutorial with the Cricut

I love kids, GCD Studio's darling Fun House Collection, and my Cricut....and kids love sweets, so it seems only natural to combine all of those elements to create a uber-adorable Sweet Treat Bag Topper with my Cricut to make a darling little bag of treats for a child that features Fun House Collection Stickers and patterned paper.

To create a Sweet Treat Bag Topper, you'll need a selection of your favorite Fun House Collection paper and stickers, your Cricut, the Winter Woodland cartridge, white cardstock, ribbon, a five inch wide clear treat bag, adhesive, a scoring tool and a hole punch or ribbon hole punch.

With the Shadow feature selected on your Cricut cut two snowflakes (page 35 of the Winter Woodland booklet) at 5 inches. Cut one of the snowflakes from white cardstock and one from Fun House Collection patterned paper. I chose to use "The World's Greatest" for this project, because of the fun patterns and colors.

Adhere the patterned paper snowflake to the white cardstock.

Make a score mark down the center of the snowflake.

Fold the snowflake in half with the patterned paper on the outside as shown.

Embellish the treat bag with a darling sticker from the Funhouse Collection.

Fill the bag with assorted sweet treats and then place the snowflake over the top of the bag and punch with a ribbon punch. (Alternately you may punch two holes close to each other with a hole punch.)

Thread the ribbon through the holes so that both ends are positioned on the front of the bag.

Tie the ribbon into a bow and you have a quick and easy, yet very adorable gift to present to a child! :-)

For an extra special gift you can also add a card made from matching Funhouse Collection patterned paper that includes a gift card holder cut using the Plantin Schoolbook cartridge. I cut the envelope using the Tall Ball feature at 3 3/4 inches, the perfect size to hold a gift card.

GCD Studios: Using Color Combinations to Inspire Your Scrapbook Layouts

Sometimes finding inspiration for your next layout is simply a matter of looking at a pleasing photograph and using it to create a color combination that will spark your creative energies.  I loved the bright and refreshing yellow and green in this picture combined with the muted grays and pink.

To get started, I printed the photograph and selected cardstock that coordinated with the colors in the photo then went to work selecting patterned paper from GCD Studios that matched, to create this "The Sister Bond" layout of my oldest and middle daughters.




I paired a pale gray cardstock background with patterned paper from the GCD Studios, Melody Ross Homespun Chic Collection "Vintage Birdie" with smaller cuts of the Melody Ross Soul Food Collection in "Soul Daisies" and "Soulful" to create this ultra-girlie layout. Die cut flowers from pink and green cardstock that coordinated beautifully with the patterned paper topped with rhinestones were set in the classic triangle on the layout to help move your eyes around the page.  The double-matting in light and dark grey for the photograph highlights it on the page.

The raw chipboard title sets ontop of a die cut scalloped oval in yellow topped with soft gray cardstock that was also used for the journaling strips. A simple green and cream sticker is tucked under the photograph to date the picture and a rhinestone added to the center of the letter "O" finished the project.


Other Supplies Used:
Cardstock: Papertrey Ink: "Sweet Blush", "New Leaf", "Soft Stone", "Smokey Shadow" and 12 x 12 sheet of Bazzil cardstock for the base.
Embellishments: Rhinestones: Kaisercraft: "Split Pea", October Afternoon: "Thrift Shop Stickers"
Dies: Cheery Lynn Designs "Judy's Blooms", "Oval Stackers"
Other Tools: EK Success: Border Punch "Deco Scallop"

For more inspiration, tips and tricks using GCD Studios products visit the blog today!

GCD Studios: Happy 4th of July!

Nothing says "Summer" to me more than camping and the 4th of July, so when GCD Studios asked the Design Team to create Summer-themed projects, it seemed only natural to combine a project that included a 4th of July theme with fun and "campy" designer papers like that of The Great Outdoors Collection by Heather Tozzi.

For this projected I used three fun red, white, blue and gray designs from The Great Outdoors Collection including "Happy Camper", "Picnic Table" and "Bandana" (even the names of the paper say "camping-fun" don't they?!). 

I totally love the grid lines and gray hues on of the reverse-side of "Happy Camper" and featured that color by using a scallop circle die cut of that patterned paper behind the image I stamped onto white cardstock. To further play up the gray hues, I then stamped the stars and flag basket topper with black ink and heat-embossed it with silver embossing powder and rubbed gray chalk around the bottom of the basket to ground the image on the circle die cut. A little blue chalk rubbed around the top of the image gives the feeling of a "wide-open" summer-sky.  I colored the basket with my Copic Markers in earth-tones and used a light hand on the flag with some pretty Spica Glitter Pens in red and blue.

Instructions to recreate this card: 

1. Create a 5 1/2 by 4 1/4 card base from white cardstock.
2. Cut piece of red and white patterned paper "Picnic Table", border punch, wrap with Baker’s Twine and tie twine into bow; adhere to card base.
3. Cut piece of "Picnic Table" red patterned paper and adhere to card front.
4. Cut piece of  blue and white patterned paper "Bandana" and adhere to card front.
5. Die cut circle from white cardstock stamp image; heat emboss and color.
6. Stamp image again on cardstock, color flag, cut out and adhere to colored image with dimensional foam adhesive.
7. Die cut scallop circle from "Happy Camper" patterned paper; adhere to back of stamped image circle and adhere to card front with dimensional foam adhesive.
8. Die cut banner from white cardstock, stamp with sentiment and adhere to card.
9. Adhere Glam Rocks with I-Rock tool.

Supplies Used:
Patterned Paper: GCD Studios: The Great Outdoors Collection, “Happy Camper”, “Picnic Table”, “Bandana”
Cardstock: Papertrey Ink “Stampers Select White”
Stamps: Papertrey Ink “Vintage Picnic” (image and sentiment)
Ink: Memento “Tuxedo Black”, Stampin’ Up “Real Red” 
Fiber: Kraft Outler “Blue Baker’s Twine
Embellishments: Imaginisce: Glam Rocks “Masculine”
Dies: Spellbinders: Standard Circles Large and Scallop Circles Large, Papertrey Ink: “Double Banners”,
Other Tools: Imaginisce: I-Rock tool, EK Success Dotted Lace Border Punch, Pop Dots, Ranger: Embossing Powder "Silver", Copic: Copic Sketch Markers and Spica Glitter Pens and blue and gray chalk from my stash.

For more inspiration using GCD Studios products, visit the blog today!

GCD Studios: Stamping with Paint on Scrapbook Layouts

Acrylic Paint Stamping

You can achieve a whole new look on your scrapbook layouts with just a bit of acrylic paint and stamps from your collection. To get started stamping on your layouts, you'll need acrylic paint in the color(s) of your choice and one or two (or more!) of your favorite stamps.  Test drive your stamp and paint on scrap paper before stamping on your layout, just to make sure the image stamps as you expect it.

Keep in mind when selecting stamps to use with paint, that it's best to choose stamps that do not have a lot of detail as paint does not transfer as clearly as ink. Also, when stamping letters, like I did for the title on this layout, use clear stamps or a stamp alignment tool to ensure your letter positioning is accurate.

Apply Paint with a Paint Dabber or Paint Brush

First apply a layer of paint onto your stamp using either a paint brush or a Paint Dabber as I did here. A Paint Dabber will create a more uneven look than what you can achieve with a paint brush... I happened to like the uneven distribution of paint created from the Paint Dabber as well as the fact that I didn't have to clean a paint brush when I was finished!

Stamp onto Your Project and Heat Set with a Heat Gun

Stamp the image onto your layout and then dry and set the paint with your heat gun to greatly reduce drying time.

You can use this stamp with paint technique to add both embellishments and titles to your next papercraft project like I did for this layout.

"Home Wrecker" Layout by Beth Moore

I really like the rustic results that paint and stamps achieved on this "Home Wrecker" layout that features the youngest addition to our furry family members.

GCD Studios supplies used to create this layout include, Material Girls Collection, "It's in the Bag", "Kiss and Make-up", and "Sugar and Spice," as well as The Little Lovebirds Lace Cut from the Sweet Surrender Collection.

Other Supplies:
Paint: Jenni bowlin Acrylic Paint Dabber "Chewing Gum"
Stamps: Jillibean Soup "Home Tweet" and KI Memories "Alphabet Stamps", Papertrey Ink: 2009 Autumn Tags
Cardstock: Bazzill: "Kraft", Papertrey Ink: "Vintage Cream"
Ink: Stampin' Up: "Regal Rose"
Embellishments: Pebbles Candydots: "Brown" and decorative tape from my stash
Other Supplies: Scallop and Circle Punches and Fiskars Top Crest Border Punch

To get other great tips, tricks and techniques visit the GCD Studios blog today!

GCD Studios July Kit Give-Away

This is going to be an exciting month at GCD Studios, because this month GCD will start a new kit give-away. Each month GCD Studios will offer a kit that two Guest Designers and one Design Team member will work with and all GCD readers (like you!) will have a chance to win that kit! How exciting is that??!!

Over at the GCD Studios blog, you'll find a link to each give-away every month.  All you need to do to enter is play along with that month's challenge (all the info you need will be found at the link). The link will look similar to the one I have shown below and will be located in the righthand sidebar of the blog... click here to follow the link now and get entered to win!

GCD Studios June Technique: Define Your Style and Pinwheel Tutorial

I am always envious of scrapbookers who can immediately respond to the question, "What is your scrapbooking style?" Despite the fact that I started scrapbooking way back when you only had some cardstock and a few stickers to choose from, and now with all the great patterned paper and embellishments choices we have available... I do believe I am still struggling a bit with what my "style" really is...

BUT... when faced with this month's GCD Studios Technique project to "Define Your Style", I found myself pulling out a pile of my favorite layouts from the past and taking some time to really study them. (I recommend this for anyone who is still trying to find their own style!!)  I discovered that... from what I can tell, I have a tendency toward a more Classic-Clean style. That's not to say that I don't make an effort to jazz things up a bit now and then, because once in a while I do (although it doesn't come naturally by ANY means)... Still, for the most part the layouts I create and feel most pleased with are very similar to what I have to share with you here today. Which is good... since that's what this month's technique is all about... defining your own style!

I started this layout with a 12 x 12 sheet of Kraft cardstock and paired that with both the front and back sides of "Trick Pony" from the Fun House Collection by Tina Higgins, that complimented the main colors in the photographs (especially my grandson's bright orange shirt). For additional interest, I added chipboard flags and topped my handmade pinwheels with elements from the FunHouse Collection Chipboard Shapes.

With my computer and printer, I typed up a journal block onto Spring Rain cardstock (Papertrey Ink) and cut it out using Tim Holtz Alterations "Tags and Bookplates" die. The finished size of the tag is just slightly larger than three inches wide and I cropped my photos with my trimmer to three inches so that all four elements would fit across the 12 x 12 page. I then placed all my elements onto the page....and...ta-da, one Classic-Clean layout... am I right?

Now before you run off to take a look at your own layouts to determine your style (you are going to do that, right?)... I want to show you how I created the cute little pinwheels I used on this layout.  The directions are quick and so easy too!

Simply start with a square piece of two-sided patterned paper.  For my large pinwheels at the bottom of the layout I used 2 x 2 inch pieces and for the smaller pinwheels I used 1 1/2 x 1 1/2 inch pieces.

Fold your square into a triangle two times as shown.

Unfold the paper so that you can see the "X".

With scissors, cut each one of the lines almost to the center.

Place a small dab of glue on the center of the paper and fold one corner of each of the cut sides toward the center allowing the glue to hold each piece firmly.

Add an embellishment of your choice to the center of the pinwheel to hide the glue and then apply to your project! Note: I stick the end of a pencil into each one of the loops to fluff them up a bit after the glue has dried completely.

That's all there is to it...  and by the way, "what's your scrapbook style?"

GCD Studios: May Technique: Using White Space as a Design Element

I recently had the pleasure of taking a "Back to the Basics" Layout a Day (LOAD) class led by Lain Ehmann. One of the challenges was to create a scrapbook page that utilized white space. Lain explained that white space is defined as, the empty spaces in a design and that it is not always white, but rather the empty parts of the page that lack graphics or text in a layout. She went on to say that, "Space should be treated like a design element on your page, just like the title, the journaling, your photo… don’t just think about, it, make room for it! Let your other page elements BREATHE."

I love that she then went on to say that it wasn't until she'd become more comfortable with scrapbooking that she was less likely to cover the entire sheet of cardstock with something." For myself, I've only recently been "playing" with the idea of "white space" in my scrapbook layouts, so I was delighted when I learned the technique we would use on our May GCD Studios Design Team projects was this very technique...White Space!




Using White Space

 Now remember, I said that I'm pretty new at using this whole "white space" thing, so I opted to literally use white cardstock as my "white space" (I'm original like that... ha). I started by printing my journaling out (using my word processing program) on a 12 x 12 sheet of cardstock and cutting it down to fit the space I wanted as the "white space" in this layout. I then paired the white cardstock with patterned paper from two different and delightful  GCD Studios collections.

The foundation for the layout and the patterned paper mat under the photograph are "Sunday Morning" and "Chocolate Bunnies" from the Youthful Eggsuberance Collection (who says you can't use Easter-themed papers for more than just Easter, right?!!) and for added interest, I used bits of  "Test Your Luck" and "The World's Greatest" from the Fun House Collection. With the exception of the simple banner (created with a triangle punch) at the top left of the page, I chose to group the photo and other elements together to create the white space in this layout.

I have to admit, I'm starting to feel a bit more comfortable with this whole "white space" technique, next time I might even try creating it with something other than white cardstock.... because, I'm daring like that... kinda.

GCD Studios May Theme: Mother's Day

Mother's Day was last month's theme assignment for the GCD Studios Design Team members and I'm now delighted to finally share one of the first projects I created since my recent selection to this fabulous group!

I created my card using Soft Stone cardstock (by Papertrey Ink) that perfectly compliments the delicate  "Sweetie" glitter patterned paper from the Sweet Surrender Collection by Tina Higgins shown on this card.

The pretty little buttons I used to embellishment the die cut circle are also from the Sweet Surrender collection. I loved how the buttons are threaded onto the cardboard they are packaged with and decided to simply trim around each one to keep the thread intact. This meant there was no need to root around on my craft desk to find my reading glasses to thread my own needle and the cardboard backing was the perfect place to dab on a bit of hot glue to attach them to my card too! Bonus!

To recreate this card:

1. Create a 4 1/4 x 5 1/2 inch cardbase from Soft Stone cardstock.
2. Cut piece of "Sweetie" patterned paper 4 x 5 1/4 and adhere to cardbase.
3. With word processing program print "Happy Mother's Day" using "French Script" font onto Soft Stone cardstock; die cut into circle and adhere to card front.
4. Die cut border from Soft Stone cardstock and adhere to card front.
5. Wrap card front with white ribbon and tie into bow;trim ends of bow.
6. Adhere pre-threaded buttons.

Other supplies used to create this card:
Ribbon: Papertrey Ink: "Soft Snow"
Dies: Spellbinders: "Standard Circles, Large" and "Parisian Accents" border.
Cardstock: Papertrey Ink: "Soft Stone"
Other tools: computer, printer, and Big Shot die cut machine

GCD Studios Assignment: Pile on the Layers/Handmade Embellishment

One of the first GCD Studios Design Team 2011/12 assignments was to create a project that incorporated a handmade embellishment with lots of layers. I've just been looking for an excuse to scrap a photo I took of my oldest grandson Jack with his mother (my middle daughter; Cait) on her twenty-first birthday back in January, but the color of Caitlin's shirt was posing a bit of a challenge for me to find just the right patterned paper to use on the layout. I loved the bright colors of the photograph and didn't want to change the photo into a black and white or sepia-toned photo like I might normally do in cases such as these.  At any rate, when I recently recieved my GCD Studios Design Team supplies and saw the bright patterns featured in the Homespun Chic Collection by Melody Ross, I knew this would be the perfect collection to use when creating a layout that featured this photograph.

I matted the photograph on deep royal blue cardstock (from American Crafts Winter Collection) that coordinated well with the blue tones found in the Homespun Mod flocked patterned paper I added at the center of the layout and matted that onto a piece of Petit Blossoms paper. I also added a small strip of the reverse side of the Homespun Mod paper and layered a row of tiny pearls on top of that, to the right of the photograph, because this layout was all about layering.  I used large pieces of the reverse side of Homespun Garden paper on both sides of the layout to create interest and balance.  A tag from the blue cardstock and glittered alphabet letters on white cardstock made the title pop on the page.  I printed a quote from Agatha Christie onto white cardstock that I cut into strips and layered onto the patterned paper.  Handmade pearl-topped flowers, a brad from the Melody Ross Homespun Collection, Homespun Brad set,  stamped leaves and Parisian Accents (Spellbinders) cut from the blue cardstock completed this layered project.

I used Die-namics (My Favorite Things Stamps) Rolled Rose and Rolled Flower dies to create the handmade flowers from blue cardstock. Other supplies included: Certainly Celery Ink from Stampin' Up, Turning a New Leaf die and stamp set and a tag die by Papertrey Ink, Pearls from Hero Arts and Pink Paislee "Sweetness" Glitter Alphabet Stickers. The Raspberry Fizz ribbon used on the tag is also from Papertrey Ink and tied together with Pink and White Baker's Twine purchased at Really Reasonable Ribbons.

GCD Studios Spring Spin-off Contest with Prizes

This contest is a spin off contest for the Brave Girls Camp Contest and it runs through April 1, 2011.

Rules:

1) create a project (it can be anything you want), but keep the theme "spring" in mind.

2) You must use the chipart tool on it somehow (if you don't have it, it can be found in many stores)

Michaels
HSN
Artsy Findings

3) submit your projects by April 1, 2011 to: Chipart_contest@gcdstudios.com and here is the prize for our Spring Spin off Contest with Fiskars.

The value is over $200 in punches, paper, Chipart tool, trimmers and much more :)

and here's the prize for the actual Brave Girl Contest... full details are available at the GCD Studios website right here.

Happy News from GCD Studios!

I am wildly excited to share some good news that I got last Friday... but you know, I had to keep the secret on the down low until the official announcement was made on the GCD Studios blog today!  I've been invited to join the GCD Studios Design Team for the 2011-2012 DT year and I am just tickled pink to have this wonderful opportunity to work with so many talented Designers! You can meet all the Design Team for GCD Studios right here!