Snowflake Serendipity

I picked up this snowflake punch the other day, hoping to use it for accents on some of this year's cards. Though the punch itself is fine, the flakes turned out too flimsy for what I had in mind, but while punching, I made a discovery that delighted me! In other words, the punch will be useful, albeit in a way other than originally intended.

Like most paper artists, I'm thrifty. For example, when I punch, I like to find the most effective way to use the paper, so that I throw away as little as possible.

While trying to find the most economical punching layout for the snowflake, I lined the edge of the punch with the center of the hole left over from the previous snowflake. To my utter delight, I discovered that my approach created a gorgeous punched border.

Pretty Pegs Tutorial

The last couple of evenings, I've been pulling the punches on leftovers from my paper stash and making mountains of these little paper flowers and clothes peg (USA: clothes pins) clips. They are so easy to make and a great way to use even small scraps of paper, and you can use the finished pegs for all kinds of things.


You'll need:

• wooden clothes pegs ( I picked up 50 for one euro at the el cheapo.)
• paper scraps
• glue stick
• the same type of flower punch in two sizes
• brads
• sticky foam pads.

To prepare the pegs (pins):

1. paint the sides of the pins (optional)
2. cut paper strips the width of the pegs
3. glue the paper strips onto both flat sides of the pegs.
   

To make the flowers:

1. punch two large and two small flowers
2. glue them together (Prevents the petals from moving and coming to lie directly on top of each other.)
3. punch a hole in the center
4. push through a brad, and
5. add a sticky foam pad on the back
6. stick a flower onto each peg.

I'll be using the pegs as Xmas decorations, both on the tree and to hang up my Xmas cards. I'll also be giving them away as "little extras" when I sell my handmade cards and albums at this year's local craft fairs.

Star Book

I'm making star books for sale during the run-up to Christmas. This is one of them.

There are several ways to make star books, some of which require a fair amount of technical skill, but for my particular purpose, I chose this version, as it doesn't use as much material as more complex versions and is fairly easy to make, meaning, I can make more of them (a) with less material and (b) more quickly. (I've included a link to the instructions at the end of this post.)

If you can cut and fold paper accurately and have the skill and patience to run what seems like miles of double-sided sticky tape along the edges of card stock and papers, you can make a book like this in under an hour. I do them in batches, which makes things a little quicker.

Most of the books I'm making this year have a cuttlebug embossed panel on the each of the covers. Back in July, I was lucky enough to find an online store here in Germany that stocked the holiday embossing folders! I'm also using a lot of die-punched flowers, both large and small. (I included a link for the large ones in my previous post.)

Star Book Tutorial

http://www.making-mini-scrapbooks.com/starbook.html

First Day of School Album

Earlier this morning I posted on the Art in a Carton blog, and I noted that it had been several weeks since I last posted anything on Art Angelix. Wow. But don't think I've been chilling out. As it happens, I've been extremely busy lately, making various art objects for Art in a Carton and also piles and piles of various styles of photo albums for the approaching Christmas fair season.

One of my granddaughters started school last week. It's a tradition in our family that I take photos and create a small "First Day of School" album for each child. This is the one I created for Megan.

This is a "square around" mini album with pockets, which I found on the "Making Mini Scrapbooks" website. I've included a link to the Tutorial below. While you're there, take a look at the other albums tutorials on site.

The flowers on the covers are made with punched "folk hearts". I've included a link to the tutorial below.

For the inside, I used mainly Karen Marie Klip papers in shades of pink. I trimmed and matted the photos, then affixed some to the "walls" and tucked others into the pockets. This album provides a lot of space to work and is exciting to unpack, as you can glue photos to the outside of the pockets as well as hiding others in the pockets themselves. Just the thing for curious children!

To finish off, I applied rub-ons and stickers that I've had in my stash for a long time (the kind of stuff you can only use on albums for little girls), and added some brads and ribbons.

Square Around Mini Album
By Jaine Drake
http://www.making-mini-scrapbooks.com/square-around-mini-album.html

Folk Heart Punch Flowers
http://inspirationaltechniquesandtutorials.blogspot.com/2008/06/two-ways-with-funky-pink-hearts.html