Explosion Box Tutorial

This will take 4 pieces of heavy cardstock.

1) Take a piece of 12x12 heavy cardstock and and score it at 4 inches on all four sides. Then score the four corners as seen in the picture below.

2) The next two 12x12's will be made into the "T" you see below.
The first one should be 11 1/2 x 11 1/2 and score at 3 3/4 on all four sides.
The second one should be 11x11 and score at 3 1/2 on all four sides.
Then cut out the corners so that it looks like the picture below.



3) Decorate all the pieces you have prepared already, then glue the two "T"'s to the center of the original 12x12.

Now to make the lid...

4) Cut a piece of heavy cardstock to 7 1/8 x 7 1/8 and score at 1 1/2 on all four sides. Then score the 4 corners like the picture below.




5) Now, fold up the sides of the lid and glue the corners...using paperclips to hold it until they dry.

Family Album

CTMH Colors In DMC Embroidery Floss

SPRING HARMONY
Amethyst - 210
Baby Pink - 818
Heavenly Blue - 3761
Key Lime - 772
Sunkiss - 445
Taffy - 754

SPRING BLOSSOM
Breeze - 964
Kiwi - 472
Lilac Mist - 341
Orchid Bouquet - 3608
Pink Carnation - 3708
Spring Iris - 156

SUMMER CARNIVAL
Clover Meadow - 703
Holiday Red - 349
Hydrangea - 333
Orange - 970
Star Spangled Blue - 312
Sunny Yellow - 727

SUMMER CELEBRATION
Bubblegum - 957
Citrus Leaf - 907
Dutch Blue - 334
Ocean - 3812
Topiary - 3347
Watermelon - 602

AUTUMN HARVEST
Autumn Terracotta - 3862
Barn Red - 918
New England Ivy - 936
Outdoor Denim - 823
Pansy Purple - 327
Sunflower - 725

AUTUMN GARDEN
Garden Green - 3364
Goldrush - 976
Hollyhock - 3731
Indian Corn Blue - 932
Olive - 3052
Vineyard Berry - 315

WINTER CLASSIC
Buttercup - 745
Cranberry - 347
Garnet - 3858
Moonstruck - 797
Ponderosa Pine - 890
Smokey Plum - 3740

WINTER COZY
Blush - 3354
Crystal Blue - 519
Sweet Leaf - 3348
Honey - 3821
Petal - 3836
Twilight - 931

BASIC ANTIQUE
Bamboo - 3782
Black - 310
Desert Sand - 611
Grey Flannel - 3072
Grey Wool - 414
White Daisy - White

BASIC TIMELESS
Brown Bag - 3064
Chocolate - 632
Cocoa - 839
Colonial White - Ecru
Parchment - 951
Vanilla Cream - 739

Comparison of CTMH colors to SU colors

Close To My Heart - Stampin' Up

Autumn Terracotta - Really Rust
Baby Pink - Pretty In Pink
Black - Black
Bamboo - Sahara Sand
Barn Red - n/a
Breeze - Pastel Tempting Turquoise
Bubblegum - Pixie Pink
Buttercup - Barely Banana
Chocolate - Chocolate Chip
Citrus Leaf - Green Galore
Clover Meadow - Green Galore a little lighter
Cocoa - Basic Brown
Colonial - White Vanilla
Cranberry - Ruby Red
Crystal Blue - n/a
Desert Sand - Kraft Brown
Dutch Blue - Ballet Blue
Garden Green - Mellow Moss
Garnet - n/a
Goldrush - More Mustard
Grey Flannel - Going Gray
Grey Wool - Darker Grey
Heavenly Blue - Bashful Blue
Holiday Red - Real Red is darker
Hollyhock - Rose Romance
Hydrangea - like a Purple Crayon
Indian Corn Blue - Brocade Blue
Key Lime - Gable Green
Lilac Mist - n/a
Moonstruck - Brilliant Blue
New England Ivy - Handsome Hunter
Ocean - Taken With Teal
Olive - Old Olive
Orange - Only Orange a shade darker
Orchid Bouquet - slightly lighter than Marvelous Magenta
Outdoor Denim - Night Of Navy
Pansy Purple - n/a
Parchment - Blush Blossom
Pink Carnation - a little darker than Regal Rose
Plum Mist - right in the middle of Pale Plum and Perfect Plum
Ponderosa Pine - Forest Foliage
Seafoam - Sage Shadow
Smokey Plum - Perfect Plum
Spring Iris - n/a
Star Spangled Blue - n/a
Sunflower - Summer Sun
Sunkiss Yellow - Yo Yo Yellow a shade darker
Sunny Yellow - Yo Yo Yellow
Sweet Leaf - Certainly Celery
Taffy - Blush Blossom is slightly lighter
Topiary - a brighter Mellow Moss
Vineyard Berry - Baroque Burgundy
Watermelon - Pink Passion
White - White

Dahlia Fold Tutorial

For the Dahlia fold by Donna Moore click on the link below...

Dahlia Fold Tutorial

Scratch & Sniff

"Scratch & Sniff"

To make scratch & sniff watercolor paint simply mix equal parts of unsweetened powdered drink mix and warm water. Simply brush the concoction over the area you would like to make Scratch & Sniff and then allow to dry overnight before scratching to sniff.

~~ Curtosy of Shannon Buck ~~

Paper Bag Album

Paper Bag Album
*******************
Article by Darcy Baldwin


Step By Step Instructions:
1. Lay 2 or more paper bags together, alternating ends.




2. Fold the bags in half and you have a "spine." I found it easiest to sew a single line up the fold line to help hold the book intact while I worked on other features.




3. Punch holes along the binding area of the book. Do not place eyelets here until you have put on your "binding" if you choose to do one.




4. At this point, you are ready to decorate!

Below are more tips...

Paper Bag Album Continued

Ideas for Binding:

Ties - Use bits of ribbon, fabric or fiber tied in knots in each hole. This method can be seen on the Valentine's Day album below.

Paper Binding - Create a binding with a strip of coordinating paper. You can then re-punch your holes for perfect placement, then add any of the binding ideas. Paper binding shown here with brass brads.

Lacing Ribbon - Lace ribbon in a zig-zag fashion through the holes, coming back in the middle with a bow.

Metal Binding Clips - Found in the office supply stores.

There are a lot of hiding spots for journaling tags or extra pictures in your book. Each open end of the bag now can be used as a pocket to slide tags or pictures into. What once was the bottom flap of the bag now serves as a hidden journaling feature. Either use it as a lift the flap type of feature where you hide journaling under it, or open it, cut a slit along the fold line, and insert a tag (narrow tags work best here).

Above all, have fun decorating your new album to fit your theme. They make great brag books for grandparents or friends, special memory books for birthdays or anything you can dream up!

A special note about paper bag albums: Paper bags are not acid-free, meaning that over time, they will break down much faster than acid-free, lignin-free papers. They are also not as sturdy as a cardstock album. So please remember to only use duplicate pictures when making your albums. Precious, one-of-a-kind photos can be printed out, color copied at a quick copy shop or duplicated at your neighborhood photo lab.

Sample Paper Bag Mini-Scrapbook:

One Page Mini Book Instructions

Mini Book Instructions
*******************


This mini book is folded from one sheet of paper. You can use any size paper.




1. Fold in half from top to bottom, and then in half again. Unfold.


2. Fold in half from side to side, and then in half again. Unfold.


3. Now you see the 16 blocks of the diagram, divided by the fold lines. Each of these blocks will be one page of your book.


4. There are 3 BOLD horizontal lines on the diagram. These are your cutting lines. It doesn't get much easier than this. Cut in 3 blocks from the left on top and bottom fold lines, and cut the center fold line 3 blocks in from the right.


5. When placing text or art on your pages before cutting and folding, you'll want to note that every other row is upside-down. Pay close attention to this model so that when your book is accordion folded, everything will be where you want it.


If you cut and fold a blank piece of paper, this will work out all by itself. You will have a blank book which can then be decorated as desired, page by page.


NOTE: This book only works with paper decorated on ONE side. Any pictures or text on the back side will be completely hidden by folding of pages.)


6. (folding) Hold the paper so page 1 is upright and begin accordion folding: Fold 1 over 2 and continue. When you get to page 5, it will fold UP underneath page 4, and so on. (Because this changes directions during folding, I believe this has been called a "meander" book.)


7. Adhere your book cover to the top side of page 1 and the back side of page 16.

Caring For Acrylic Stamps

Helpful Information on our Acrylic Stamps
How to use them:

1. Using the side of your thumb or forefinger, gently peel the stamp from its carrier sheet.(for larger images, we suggest loosening the stamp on all sides before pulling it from the sheet.)

2. Center the image on an appropriate sized block.(When using alphabet stamps, we recommend placing each letter on the line guide for accurate spacing and alignment.)

3. Ink the stamp with your ink pad, checking the image through the top of the block to verify even coverage.

4. The clear block allows you to determine exactly where you place each image.Looking through the top of the block, place the image in your preferred area then apply even downward pressure.


My Acrylix Care and Cleaning:

As part of our My Acrylix durability studies we've done extensive research on the best ways to clean and care for our new stamps and mounting blocks. For best results, we recommend the following:

1. Clean your stamps (and the block if needed) immediately after use. The longer ink remains, the more difficult it will be to remove. (Pigment inks such as Close To My Heart Archival Ink and Staz On will permanently discolor the stamp image. As was the case with rubber, you will also notice that over time darker inks like reds and purples will also cause some discoloration.)

2. Use My Acrylix Spritz or Stamp Cleaner and the Double Scrubber for regular cleaning. These products are the most effective at removing residual ink, and will not damage My Acrylix regardless of use. We recommend cleaning the stamps while still on the blocks. (Wash your Double Scrubber pads in the dishwasher to remove excess fibers.)

3. Use soap and water to restore tack. Dust, dirt, and oils may cause your stamps to become less sticky over time. If you find they seem less adhesive, simply wash the stamps with dish soap and water to restore their original "stick." (Continual use of soap and water will eventually cause a build-up. We recommend using this method occasionally, only as needed.)

4. Use alcohol to remove residue. If you notice a residue on the back of your stamps, rub them with alcohol using a non-abrasive, fiber free cloth. DO NOT USE ALCOHOL ON MY ACRYLIX BLOCKS. (Extensive use of alcohol is not recommended. Use this method occasionally, only as needed.)


The following are answers to several
Frequently Asked Questions
in regards to the care of My Acrylix:

♥ Q. Will Staz On ink or cleaner damage My Acrylix?
♥ A. Staz On ink was designed for permanently decorating non-porous surfaces such as glass, metal, and ceramic, not for use in albums or with paper crafts. The ink has no effect on the stamp or block, other than discoloration. We recommend cleaning your stamps with the Spritz or Stamp Cleaner as outlined above, immediately after use for best results. Staz On Cleaner was designed to erase mistakes or residual ink on your stamped surface before the ink dries. Although it is safe to use on your stamps, we do not recommend using Staz On cleaner (or any oil based cleaner) on My Acrylix blocks.

♥ Q. Will alcohol damage My Acrylix?
♥ A. As discussed above, alcohol is okay for the occasional cleaning of stamps only. We do not recommend cleaning My Acrylix blocks with alcohol-based products, as the alcohol may cause hairline fractures in the material.

♥ Q. Is the My Acrylix Spritz Cleaner different from the Spritz Cleaner previously available?
♥ A. No. Although we changed the name and packaging to reflect the My Acrylix brand, the product is the same. This cleaner is the preferred method of regular cleaning.

♥ Q. Can I use dish soap and water instead of the Spritz or Stamp Cleaner to clean My Acrylix?
♥ A. As mentioned, soap and water is very effective at removing the dust and dirt that can reduce "stickiness" over time. Continual use however, will cause a build up on your stamps. To remove ink, we recommend using the Spritz or Stamp Cleaner and the Double Scrubber as outlined.

♥ Q. Can I use acetone to clean My Acrylix?
♥ A. We do not recommend the use of acetone on any stamping product.

♥ Q. I often use the bleaching technique. Will this harm my stamps?
♥ A. Using the bleaching technique will not harm your stamps. We recommend that you use bleach with caution however, and immediately remove it from your stamps with the Spritz or Stamp Cleaner.

♥ Q. I sometimes get ink on my block when stamping. What's the best way to clean it?
♥ A. Clean My Acrylix blocks immediately after use with the Spritz or Stamp Cleaner as needed. Do not use alcohol or oil based cleaners.