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I just got done making a girly girl page starring my sister about a tea party we went to before I moved out of state. I threw a little a slide show together so you could see it!
Will there be a video eventually? Who knows! You'll just have to wait and see! MWAH HAH HAH HAH!
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I just uploaded Part Two of the Seaquarium Mini Album to my YouTube channel. I actually wasn't going to post this video until Sunday or Monday, but I decided to get it up early so it could be enjoyed over the weekend!
I've been getting lots of questions about which products I use in my videos, so I am going to include links for those who are interested in seeing what was used. I'm not promising that I'll be doing this for every video, but I'll try to at least do it for the videos where the supplies used are new{ish} and readily available in stores and online.
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I know you were all expecting this next video to be about page kits, but since you liked the mini album so much yesterday, I decideto bump my Seaquarium Mini Album up in the queue. So, I just uploaded the first video to my YouTube channel. This is a 5"x7" tabbed Grungebook that I embellished with the Cosmo Cricket Snorkel line, and I have to say that I am very proud of this little book. It's definitely one of my favorite creations! Normally by the time I finish a mini album, I am a little bit sick of it, but I can't stop looking through this little book ~ it's just been so much fun!
I've been getting lots of questions about which products I use in my videos. While I'm more than happy to answer them, most of the time the products I use in my videos are so old that you really can't get them anymore. However, this album uses mostly new stuff, so I am going to include links for those who are interested in seeing what was used. I probably won't do this for every video going forward ~ just the videos where the supplies used are new{ish} and readily available in stores and online. I will also always be happy to answer any questions on any of the videos, techniques or products used!
Hi, everyone! Welcome back to Life on the {Scrap}beach!
I just finished putting together a new little mini. I filmed video of this mini coming together, but the videos won't be ready for posting for a while, so I thought I'd show you a little slide show in the meantime!
Hi, everyone! Welcome back to Life on the {Scrap}beach & happy Memorial Day!
I just uploaded a new video over on my YouTube Channel. This is a random thoughts kind of page. I incorporated some memorabilia, but I mostly wanted to do a fun layout to highlight something that interests me. I like to do non-event pages as well as event pages for my scrapbooks.
Hi, everyone! Welcome back to Life on the {Scrap}beach!
For about six months now, I have been contemplating getting a die cutter. The way I see it, I have four three options left:
1. Get an electronic “die” cutter. 2. Get a manual die cutter. 3. Get both an electronic AND a manual die cutter. 4. Do nothing.
This is the third part in a series of posts regarding electronic cutters and manual die cutters. In Part One, I gave my general opinions about cutter and explored electronic cutters more specifically. In Part Two, I explored my interest in manual cutters.
Option Three:Get both an electronic AND a manual cutter. I think that if I were set on following this course of action, I would start with a manual cutter and then add an electronic cutter into the mix at a later date. In fact, I'm pretty sure that's what I'm going to do!
Option Four:Do nothing. It seems as though I can create just fine without a diecutter, so why mess with perfection? :D In all seriousness, though, is it worth it to get something that may make my scrapbooking easier/faster but will it also provide an endless variety of ways to drain my bank account?
It was tough to decide, but I have asked for a Big Shot {manual, not the express} for my birthday {coming up at the beginning of July}! This will allow me to ut all the dies that I want {the nestabilities, the cookie cutters, the border dies} and doesn't break the bank too much at first. If I really dig this die cutting thing, I will think about asking for a Cricut Expression as a Christmas present.
Thanks so much for all your recommendations, advice and information! It has been SO helpful! I loved it!
Hi, everyone! Welcome back to Life on the {Scrap}beach!
For about six months now, I have been contemplating getting a die cutter. The way I see it, I have four three options:
1. Get an electronic “die” cutter. 2. Get a manual die cutter. 3. Get both an electronic AND a manual die cutter. 4. Do nothing.
In Part One, I explored my interest in electronic cutters in general and the Cricut Expression more specifically. With this post, I want to move on to manual die cutters.
Option Two:Get a manual die cutter. There are several reasons why I am drawn to manual die cutters: embossing folders, nestabilities, QK border and cookie cutter dies and their overall simplicity, to name a few.
Embossing Folders: Several companies are now making embossing folders for die cut machines and I love them! They are such a quick and easy way to add texture and interest to cards, pages and more. I would just love to be able to add some of these textures to my projects.
Nestabilities: Okay, so if you've been watching my videos, you know how much I love my big Marvy Uchida scalloped circle punches. My only complaint about them is they don't go up in size in 0.25" increments ~ they increase in size in 0.5" increments only. This is a little annoying to me because I would love to be able to layer them more tightly together & have an eighth of an inch border all the way around instead of a quarter of an inch border.
That's why I love the Nestabilities so much. They would allow my to layer frames and shapes in the way I'd like, AND they give me more options for less space/money than those huge Marvy Uchida punches. Plus, they'd be less hard on my hands, which is always a plus. Sometimes I struggle with those big punches.
QK Border/Cookie Cutter Dies: I love the 12" border dies that QK has. They have a huge bracket that I would just love to get my hands on. Lots of great shapes for my to play with. And their cookie cutter alphas are nice and big and come in really great fonts ~ I'm already half in love with a few of them {Stardust!Mary Jane OMG! Love them!}. But these dies are so long that they won't work in my die cut machines, so that is certainly something I need to consider.
Simplicity: I am the kind of person whose creativity is hampered by too many choices. This is one of the many reasons why I scrap from page kits instead of directly from my stash ~ I need to limit my choices or I will never accomplish anything. While the idea of "no limitations scrapping" presented by an electronic cutter appeals to me on one level, it concerns me on another because I don't want my creativity stifled by too many choices. I don't want to be spending all my scrapbooking time choosing the perfect font from 1000 other fonts ~ I'd rather choose the perfect font from 10 other fonts and then get back to work.
I used to be on a local scrapbook store's design team {before moving to Miami} and used the diecut machine there frequently. They had one of those big Accucuts, which I loved, because it could cut chipboard pages for mini albums in seconds. I remember it was easy to just choose a die, choose some paper and run it through. Done in literally seconds!
I definitely feel myself leaning toward a manual die cutter over an electronic one at this point. The question now becomes which one? I think I will hold off on a decision until I see the QK Epic 6, since I would love a die cutter that can cut all QK dies and all competitor dies. Unless the Epic 6 has some major problems, I anticipate going with that one over any other. If the Epic 6 does have major problems, I will probably end up with either a Cuttlebug or a Big Shot AND a QK Revolution {gotten cheaply on clearance, I hope, once they bring out the Epic 6}.
Hi, everyone! Welcome back to Life on the {Scrap}beach!
This is the first post in what will be a three part series about die cutters, both electronic and manual. I hope you don't get too bored with my musings!
For about six months now, I have been contemplating getting a die cutter. The way I see it, I have four options:
1. Get an electronic “die” cutter. 2. Get a manual die cutter. 3. Get both an electronic AND a manual die cutter. 4. Do nothing.
So far I have been doing an awesome job with Option Four! But I have decided I want to stop thinking about die cutters and make a decision already so I can start to budget for one {if I decide to get one} OR decide not to get one so I can stop rehashing this issue at least once a month until I drive myself completely insane and get woken up at 3:00 a.m. by my husband who is begging me to stop screaming "Quickutz" because I am having a nightmare about cookie cutter dies.
So, setting my rapidly diminishing mental stability aside for the moment, I’ll break out the pros and cons of the four choices above as I see them. Maybe I can finally make a decision about this issue!
Option One:Get an electronic “die” cutter. An electronic cutter certainly provides more flexibility and images for less money than a manual die cutter. There's just not question about that. However, electronic cutters are not without their own issues. I know them well, for I once owned a Cricut Script which I hated with the fire of a thousand suns.
{Okay, so that may be a slight exaggeration. But I did find the machine so frustrating that I hardly ever used it & eventually gave it away to someone who actually wanted one. I know they get a great deal of use from it, and that makes me happy.}
My problems with the Cricut Script included: paper tearing {I could never seem to get the blade set right}, the mats {either too sticky or not sticky enough}, limited fonts {I didn’t love any of the fonts/images on the cartridges out at the time}, and more. I now know that all these problems have solutions. There are plenty of Cricut message boards with “cheat sheets” for blade depth and cutting speed. There are ways to make the mats more or less sticky. And there are Cricut Design Studio and Sure Cuts A Lot {SCAL} to weld images for continuous titles, as well as open up a wide variety of fonts already stored on my computer.
{I know that most of my problems with the Cricut were pretty much my own fault. I just didn’t care enough about the machine to find all this out at the time. Which makes me wonder if I care enough now to utilize all the resources available to the owners of my hypothetical electronic cutting machine?}
Anyway, moving on: let’s assume that I have decided to buy an electronic cutter. The next question is, which one would I purchase? There are so many. In my recent research into the land of electronic cutters, it seems to me as though the Cricut Expression + Sure Cuts A Lot {SCAL} is king. It cuts images as large as I could want {up to 12”x24”} which would enable me to make my own “diecut” 12”x12” paper and borders {you know how I love my diecut paper and scalloped borders}. The addition of SCAL to the Cricut, while voiding the warranty, would allow me to cut any TTF {true type font} on my computer as well as any I download going forward. It will also allow me to cut any SVG files as well. These are all very good things that open up a ton of possibilities. And, of course, there are always the cartridges if any catch my eye. I could even make my own "chipboard" letters by cutting multiples of a letter and layering them like I did in my Easter Eggs videos ~ only not by hand!
But it’s … pricey. Even if I could find an amazing deal on this machine, it would still be a large investment. Then there's the added expense of the software, cartridges, etc. And I had a Cricut before and really didn’t like it. I’m better educated now about the available features and programs, but would I really take advantage of them? I can’t be sure. Plus, there’s the time factor. It seems to me like it takes more time to design and program an image for an electronic cutter than it does to run a die through a manual cutter. I already spend enough time on the computer as it is between photo and video editing and whatever else. It just seems so much easier just to put some American Crafts Thickers on the layout and call it a day {I love Thickers!}.
In many ways, the simplicity of a manual die cutter is much more appealing at this point. Maybe I need to look more closely at the manual cutters and forget about the electronic cutters. Or maybe my problem is that I am lazy...?
Hi, everyone! Welcome back to Life on the {Scrap}beach!
I have a new video available on my YouTube Channel. This is a quick 12"x12" layout that works well for those times when you have a long story to tell since there's plenty of room for lots of journaling.
The layout itself is super simple and easy to complete. In fact, it's so quick and easy that the video is actually presented in real time. Sort of.
This is on of the rare times that I do my journaling on the computer. In this layout I wanted to write about the history of the Biltmore Hotel. There was a great deal to write and not a ton of space to do it. Thanks for watching ~ I hope you enjoy it!
Hi, everyone! Welcome back to Life on the {Scrap}beach!
Probably the most common question I get asked regarding my videos is, "What is that grid paper you are using?" The vast majority of my projects ~ at least 80% of them ~ use patterned paper from the the Scenic Route Paper Co.'s Background Papers Collection. Now, I don't want to sound overly dramatic here, but these papers have totally changed my life!
Okay, so maybe they're not life-changing, but they definitely changed the way I scrapbook!
Before I learned about these papers, I did all of my journaling on the computer. I spent a great deal of time on formatting, choosing the right font, finding the perfect piece of cardstock, cutting it down to the perfect size, printing it out, etc., etc. My journaling looked great, but it was very time consuming and often frustrating. I love my own handwriting but I have trouble writing in a straight line. It was very difficult to draw lines in pencil, journal, erase them, etc., so I just used the computer.
When I first saw these papers, I was in a scrapbook store. I turned down an aisle and there they were, bathed in an ethereal golden light. I think I actually heard a choir of angels singing, too, although I can't be sure about that. I knew that the way I scrapbooked was going to change. The papers were neutral enough that they would work for any layout or project, and they would help me write in a straight line. Now when I journal, all I do it grab one of these papers, cut it down to the size I need and start scribbling. Voila! Instant journaling!
My layouts come together so much faster now, and I like the look of them so much better. There is a little piece of me on every page ~ right there and part of the design. And the perfectionist in me is not bothered by crooked writing! It's a win-win! I now only use the computer if I have a ton to write on a particular topic and there is just no way to get it all on there with my writing.
Hi, everyone! Welcome back to Life on the {Scrap}beach!
I just wanted to do a quick post about the schedule for the next couple weeks video-wise, as well as let you know about a giveaway on another blog.
First, the paper bag album series is finally wrapped up! So what's next? Well, I have two new 12"x12" layout videos coming up! Those will be followed by the long-awaited and much-requested page kit tutorial. {gasp!} Yes, I finally got my act together enough to make some new page kits and was able to film a little bit of the process to show you how I put it all together!
Following those three new videos, I have another mini album series for you guys! I used the 5"x7" Tabbed Grungebook that I just got from Two Peas In A Bucket as the base for the album, and embellished it with papers, chipboard and ribbon from the Cosmo Cricket Snorkel collection. It looks so cute ~ it's definitely one of my favorites!
After that, who knows? Not me! I am making this all up as I go along! {scary!}
Now for the giveaway! Adrienne Kennedy is giving away a Clip-It-Up on her blog! To enter, you just need to go here and leave a comment by midnight MST on May 21st telling her how you would use it in your craft room. That's it! Good luck, everyone!
Kathryn Life's a beach. Scrapbook it.
P.S. Have you guys noticed that I use way too many exclamation points in my blog posts? :D
This is the final installment in my paper bag album series. I'll show you the completed album ~ with all its little goodies ~ and talk about what I did.
Hi, everyone! Welcome Back to Life on the Scrap{beach}!
Often in my videos and blog posts, I will refer to a particular item as being in my "Scrapbooking Top Three" and I wanted to do a post about those three items. These are also the three items about which I receive the most questions. So, I'm going to go over which three items are in my Scrapbooking Top Three, tell you a little bit about them, and go over why I feel they are so important in my scrapping.
1. Epson Photo Stylus R1900: (wide format printer) I love this printer. This is an extremely high-quality color printer. The pictures I get from this printer are so much better than anything I ever had developed before from local print labs. It has crisp, brilliant colors, sharp edges, great skin tones -- it really made me a believer in the quality of home photo printers.
In addition to producing gorgeous photos, this printer has revolutionized my scrapping. Because of this printer I now understand Adobe Photoshop Elements. I know how to resize, change colors, and apply effects to my photographs. I also use odd shaped photos in my scrapbooks. I love making collages. And I can print out my digital scrapbook pages since the printer candle handle up to 13" across and several feet in length if you're using a roll of paper.
I just love this printer. I produces beautiful photos, I always have something to scrap, and I am more creative in my scrapping because of the unlimited options for picture sizes. And, yes, I did pay over $500.00 for it -- that price is not a mistake. It was worth every single penny.
2. 3M ATG 700: (tape runner) If you've been watching my videos or reading my blog for any length of time, you're sure to have heard me mention this gun. "ATG" stands for "adhesive transfer gun" and the gun is, very simply, a large tape runner. The ATG has been trusted by professional framers and photographers for years and it has begun to filter into the scrapbooking industry.
Despite costing $40.00, the ATG holds a place in my Scrapbooking Top Three for being THE BEST tape runner in terms of quality AND value. The adhesive comes off the roll easily and smoothly, is super strong and very economical. These refills are the cheapest on the market, so the gun will pay for itself in adhesive savings. It will also never get lost on your desk under a pile of supplies.
I wrote in detail about the 3M ATG 700 in this post, and gave a tutorial on altering the ATG in this post and this post. If you want additional information on the 3M ATG 700, please check out those links.
3. Rotatrim Professional M15: (paper trimmer) I've heard a paper trimmer that actually cuts straight every time referred to as the Holy Grail of scrapbooking. We all search high and low for a trimmer that cuts straight every time. Well, for me the search is over -- the Rotatrim M15 is it for me.
Like the 3M ATG 700, the Rotatrim has been in use for many years by professional photographers, graphic designers and other artists and design professionals. This baby is huge and it's solid and I love it. I stumbled across it when I ran into a problem caused by my Epson R1900. Since the paper I use in the Epson R1900 is 13" across, I had to cut all my photos out with a ruler and an X-Acto knife -- very time consuming. So I was in search of a trimmer wider than 12".
This trimmer is solid. It cuts straight every time. It comes in a variety of sizes (the "15" in "M15" stands for "15 inches" or the length of my trimmer). You can cut chipboard and acrylic and the tiniest slivers off of cardstock and patterned paper. It is everything a trimmer should be.
For most scrappers, the Rotatrim Professional M12 is sufficient. The only reason I needed the M15 was because of my oversized photo paper. The Rotatrim Professional M12 is usually available for around $200 + free shipping on Amazon.com.
I don't think it is a coincidence that all three of the items in my Scrapbooking Top Ten are not inexpensive and that I had to save for them. I also don't think it is a coincidence that none of them were developed by scrapbook manufacturers. These are high quality, long lasting products that have been proven to perform consistently in other industries. And, yes, I did pay a premium for that kind of quality, but these items will last forever and have already saved me quite a bit of time, money and energy in my scrapping.
Hi, everyone! Welcome back to Life on the {Scrap}beach. I just got my order in from Two Peas In A Bucket and it's a big one! {Goodbye, state tax return!} Watch the video to see what I got. Individual products are linked below since I had to go kind of fast in the video!
I hope you enjoyed seeing everything. For those of you who really like the shopping videos, this will probably be it for a while. I might have some new stuff to show you in July if my husband gets me some scrap stuff for my birthday, but otherwise I am going to try not to buy any new scrap stuff until the fall. We'll see how that goes -- wish me luck!
Hi, everyone! Welcome back to Life on the {Scrap}beach! I have the winning comment from the National Scrapbooking Day Giveaway!
And the the winner is...
Danz said... That was so nice of your Mom to give you a gift of creativity! I got into scrapbooking when I was 14, I used to stick photo's and memorabilia in a book and then when I was 18 I saw a show with Anna Griffin (I believe) on QVC, since then my style has changed a lot, but it's nice to go back and look at my old 'scrapbooks'. For national scrapbook I spent time on Tally Scrapper with my online friends, doing challenges, scrappin' and chattin', you should come over and check us out, we have sooo much fun!
Sunday, May 03, 2009 6:06:00 PM
Danz, if you could email me your mailing address at thescrapbeach@gmail.com, I'll get the book in the mail to you! Congratulations & I hope you enjoy it!
Hi, everyone! Welcome back to Life on the {Scrap}beach! I wasn't planning on uploading Part Two of the Paper Bag Album Series until Saturday, but since you were all so excited to see the next part of the paper bag album, I have posted it as an extra special Friday treat!
This is part two of a series I am doing on a paper bag album with a family theme. I've finished constructing the album itself and it's now time for the fun part -- decorating the pages inside!
Thanks for watching & I hope you enjoy it!
Kathryn Life's a beach. Scrapbook it.
P.S. Don't forget to check out this post from National Scrapbooking Day and leave a comment before 9:00 Eastern tonight to be entered to win the LOVE album.
Hi, everyone! Welcome back to Life on the {Scrap}beach!
Before we get into altering the ATG, I wanted to alert you to a new feature on the blog. On the right sidebar, I've added a "Project Request List" so you can see which projects have been requested. If you requested a project and don't see it there, please let me know -- I didn't leave it off on purpose! This is not the order in which they'll be done -- I just wanted a place to keep a running list.
Now that you've prepped your ATG for paint, the third step in this alteration process is to prime and paint your ATG. I recommend applying the primer and then waiting twenty-four hours before painting. Most spray paint cans say they dry more quickly than that, but I want to make sure that I have a nice, strong hold. The ATG will be handled quite a bit, and I don't want to have to worry about the paint wearing off.
1. Prime your ATG. Spray your ATG with the primer. You don't want to get too close to the gun because you risk drips. You want to use a side to side motion to spray the gun. The coverage should be more like a fine mist that will take several passes. Spray one side of the ATG completely, then let the primer dry thoroughly (consult the spray can for the specific drying time). Flip it over and repeat the process on the other side. You can omit this step if you will be using Krylon Fusion or another spray paint formulated for plastic to paint your ATG. (remember that I am using extra Krylon fusion as a primer ~ that is why mine looks black at this point)
2. Paint your ATG. Once you have allowed your ATG to dry thoroughly, you need to repeat the above steps to cover the primer with the paint color you've chosen. Use the same side-to-side misting action to cover the primer on one side of the ATG. Allow to dry thoroughly, and then flip the ATG to spray the other side. Depending on the color you chose & your own personal preference, you may want to add another coat of paint. Once the ATG is completely covered, I'd recommend waiting another 24 hours before continuing on to the next steps.
3. Glitter the ATG. If you LOVE BLING as much as my mom, then you probably added the Krylon glitter spray to your shopping cart. Repeat the steps above to cover the paint color on one side of the ATG with the glitter spray. Allow to dry thoroughly (consult the back of the can for optimal drying time) and then flip over the ATG and repeat the glittering on the other side.
4. Peel the painter's tape off the ATG. Once you're finished painting and all the layers of the paint are completely dry, carefully remove the painter's tape from the ATG. Slow and steady is the way to go here -- you don't want to risk chipping any of the layers of your paint.
4. Reattach the dispenser wheels. Using your phillips head screwdriver, reattach the pieces of the dispenser mechanism that you removed earlier.
Now comes the fun part: step four is to embellish your ATG! This part is totally personal. It's your ATG, so make it look the way you want it to look!
1. Bling it up! I started embellishing by placing the bling first. I learned my lesson about this the hard way from my own ATG. If you glue the embellishments down first, you might end up with a situation where there are embellishments in the way of where you wanted the lines of bling to go. It's much easier to work around the bling, than it is to work around the embellishments.
2. Add your rub-ons. Rub-ons are nice and sturdy and they'll stick to pretty much anything -- even glass! That makes them perfect for your ATG, since it will be in and out of crop bags, buried under stash on your desk, and basically handled to death. That's what it was designed for, so don't worry!
3. Add any other embellishments. I used some individual rhinestones to draw more attention to the flower rubons. If you're going to be using some embellishments like that, you can't rely on their adhesive to keep them stuck to your ATG. You need to attach them with some heavy duty adhesive like E6000. Be careful with this step! The E6000 will take up the paint on your ATG, so plan out exactly where you want the embellishments to go & apply the E6000 sparingly to the embellishment -- you absolutely don't want too much adhesive or it will leak out the sides and take up the paint. If some does leak out, be sure to wipe it up immediately.
4. Take a picture! Take a picture of your finished ATG and post it here, or email me at thescrapbeach@gmail.com, so we all can see how well it turned out!
5. Enjoy your shiny new ATG!
Kathryn Life's a beach. Scrapbook it.
P.S. Don't forget to check out this post from National Scrapbooking Day and leave a comment before 9:00 Eastern tonight to be entered to win the LOVE album.
Hi, everyone! Welcome back to Life on the {Scrap}beach! In today's post I'm going to address what supplies you will need to decorate your ATG and make it pretty! uch as I love my ATG, I am willing to admit that the darn thing is ugly. Also, I've got an update to my YouTube channel as well.
This past Mother's Day I gave my mom a 3M ATG 700 as a gift. She is a scrapbooker and was complaining about the high cost of adhesive refills and how quickly they run out -- I'm sure we all know how that feels! So I decided to get her one of the guns, and before I gave it to her, I altered it to make it just her style. I took some pics throughout the process so you could see the gun coming together.
The first step in altering your ATG is to gather your supplies. Believe me, this is not a project you want to stop halfway through to go find something you need. Spray paint dries fast & it doesn't give you much time to run around like the proverbial chicken. I know this because when I altered my ATG, I sprayed Krylon Fusion on my engagement ring and had to rush around like a madwoman trying to find something to clean it off before it bonded to the diamond permanently. This is all because I forgot to bring baby wipes. Good preparation is the key to a smooth ATG alteration.
You will definitely need the following supplies: 1. Scotch ATG 700 or 714 by 3M. The ATG comes in two sizes, and the size refers to the adhesive width, not the size of the gun. The 700 fits 1/2" and 3/4" width adhesive out of the box, and 1/4" width adhesive with an adapter (sold separately). The 714 fits 1/4" width adhesive only.
2. Spray Paint. The ATG is made of plastic and plastic doesn't do so well with spray paint, unfortunately. You will either need to use a can of Krylon Fusion, which is specially formulated for plastic, but, sadly, does not come in very many colors OR you will need to spray your ATG with a plastic primer first and then use any can of spray paint you like. For my mom's ATG, I used Krylon Fusion as a primer because I had plenty leftover from when I altered my own ATG. After letting the Krylon Fusion dry, I painted it a lovely shade of watermelon pink.
3. Painter's Tape. The ATG has a few surfaces that you may not want covered in paint. We will use good old blue painter's tape to ensure that the spray paint goes only where we want it.
4. Phillips head screwdriver. We will need to remove a few pieces of the ATG to get the best paint coverage possible, so make sure you have a screwdriver handy.
5. Newspaper/Posterboard/cardboard box. Many spray paints are toxic, so it's important to complete the painting portion of this project in a well-ventilated area. I worked outside. To keep my asphalt paint-free, I worked on a piece of posterboard.
6. Baby Wipes. It's good to have these or some other form of personal cleansing cloths on hand if you need to correct a mistake or clean something. Spray paint usually dries pretty fast, so you don't have much time before it becomes permanent. Also, don't wear jewelry while altering your ATG. You have been warned.
The following supplies are optional: 7. Krylon Glitter paint. My mom LOVES BLING, so after I finished applying the paint and letting it dry, I sprayed the whole thing with some silver glitter paint. The paint also contains a fixative, which hs helped the paint job hold up to plenty of handling without rubbing off or making a mess.
9. Bling. Remember that my mom LOVES BLING, so just glitter was not enough! I also used some Heidi Swapp bling to decorate the ATG & really made it shine!
10. Other embellishments. I used epoxy stickers on my ATG. If you're going to be using some embellishments like that, you can't rely on their adhesive to keep them stuck to your ATG. You will need to attach them with a heavy duty adhesive like E-6000.
The second step is to prepare your ATG for paint. For this step you'll need your ATG, screwdriver and painter's tape handy. We'll be removing some small pieces from inside the ATG to get good paint coverage, as well as covering parts of the exterior with painter's tape to protect it from the spray.
1. Remove black wheels from inside ATG. Using your screwdriver, loosen the screws holding the black plastic wheels which hold the tape and remove them. We'll be painting the interior of the ATG, too, and we don't want to get paint gummed up in the actual dispenser mechanism.
2. Cover applicator tip with painter's tape. It is easier to cover the applicator tip than it is to remove it altogether. I know this because I've tried to take it apart & discovered that the applicator tip is also attached to one of the gears inside the ATG & is, therefore, impossible to remove without a great deal of pain and agony. So, while you're taping off areas you want untouched, make sure to include this part as well. I forgot to take a picture before I started painting, but you can see how I used tape to cover the applicator tip.
3. Cover trigger with painter's tape. I've seen the triggers painted on other ATGs, but I am concerned about doing anything to the ATG that might impair functionality down the road, so I left my trigger unpainted.
3. Cover clear lid with painter's tape. This step is optional and all about personal preference. I didn't want the lid to be painted because I like to be able to see how much tape I have left without opening the lid. I only painted a small portion of the lid -- everything but the black strip that reads "Scotch ATG 700" was be covered with tape on mine. If you want the lid of your ATG to be painted as well, then omit this step.
4. Take your ATG to a well-ventilated area. Take your ATG and your posterboard or newspaper to a well-ventilated area. It is best to work outside on a day that is not too breezy. If the day is breezy, make sure you have somehow anchored your posterboard or newspaper so that it doesn't blow away. Also, make sure you are standing upwind from the spray paint.
You are now ready to get painting. Check out the post "Altering an ATG, Part Two" for the rest of the instructions!
This is part one of a series I am doing on a paper bag album with a family theme. In the interest of full disclosure, I will admit that I have never liked paper bag albums before. {gasp!} I've made one prior to this and I hated everything about it.
Anyway, I received a request for a paper bag album tutorial and I kind of groaned inside because I really do dislike them. At least, I did. But I decided that if I was going to do a paper bag album tutorial I would have to find a new way to use the bags -- a way that I would actually like. I think I have come up with a pretty unique configuration & I'm actually really happy with how this turned out! So, thanks to AJ Ballet Slippers I have gotten over my bad paper bag album attitude.
Thanks for watching & I hope you enjoy it!
Kathryn Life's a beach. Scrapbook it.
P.S. Don't forget to check out this post from National Scrapbooking Day and leave a comment before 9:00 Eastern Friday night to be entered to win the LOVE album.
And why will I not just shut-up about it already!?
Hi, everyone! Welcome back to Life on the {Scrap}beach!
If you've been watching my videos or reading my blog for any length of time, you're sure to have heard me mention the 3M ATG 700. I would say that the most commonly asked question in the comments on my videos has got to be "What is the tape runner you use?", so I thought I'd just write all about it here in case anyone else was wondering. "ATG" stands for "adhesive transfer gun" and the gun is, very simply, a tape runner.
The ATG has been in use for many years in the framing industry. Professional framers use this gun to mount photographs in mats. The 3M 908 Gold, which is the adhesive I use in my ATG, is acid free and archival safe. The ATG has been trusted by professional framers and photographers for years and it has begun to filter into the scrapbooking industry.
The ATG is not a small investment to make. The gun itself is pricey, and while it it very light and easy to handle, it is also larger than any other tape runner on the market. Despite that, the ATG still holds a place in my Scrapbooking Top Three, and the only regret I have is that I didn't purchase it sooner. The adhesive comes off the roll easily and smoothly, is super strong and very economical. It will never get lost on your desk under a pile of supplies, and the adhesive refills are extremely easy to change -- the directions are even etched right into the gun's plastic.
When I first considered buying the ATG, I was thrown off by the price. I was sick and tired of constantly running out of adhesive, but the idea of paying $40.00 for a tape runner was tough to swallow. In the end, it was math that convinced me. I did a cost-benefit analysis for myself & I thought I would share it with you!
If you were to buy a 3M ATG 700 + 12 rolls of the 60yrd 3M 908 gold acid-free adhesive refills (that's 2160 feet of adhesive -- 0' from the dispenser and 2160' from the refills) from www.framingsupplies.com today it would cost $146.64 (includes $8.79 in S&H). That is $0.067 a foot.
If you were to buy a Tombow permanent adhesive dispenser from www.scrapbook.com today and 9 of their six packs of adhesive refills (that's 2145 feet of adhesive -- 39' from the dispenser and 2106' from the refills), it would cost you $193.40 before S&H. That is $0.09 a foot.
The Tombow order from www.scrapbook.com is $46.76 more expensive for 15 fewer feet of adhesive than the 3M order from www.framingsupplies.com. That means that the ATG has already paid for itself with your first order!
Now, if you're like me and scrap often and with generous amounts of adhesive, that much tape will last you for about six months. Which means that before the year is out, you will need to place another adhesive order. This is what the cost breaks out to for the second order:
12 3M 60 yrd 908 Gold acid-free adhesive refills from www.framingsupplies.com: $103.31 (includes $8.51 S&H) for 2160 feet of adhesive OR $0.047 a foot.
9 Tombow six pack 39' acid-free permanent adhesive refills from www.scrapbook.com: $187.11 (does not include S&H) for 2106 feet of adhesive OR $0.089 a foot.
Total costs for adhesive for the first year: 3M ATG: $249.95 for 4320 feet of adhesive (includes cost of gun and S&H) Tombow: $380.51 for 4251 feet of adhesive (includes cost of dispenser but not S&H)
In the first year of ownership, the ATG would save you a total of $130.56 on adhesive -- that's three times the price of the ATG itself! It pays for itself immediately and it just keeps on saving you money after that.
Anyway, just something to think about. I'll try to stop talking about how amazing my ATG is, but I can't make any promises! I don't get any money for selling these guns -- I don't own stock in 3M or anything like that! I was just so frustrated by the cost of adhesive refills and the poor quality of the dispensers. I took a leap of faith on the ATG and I absolutely love it! I don't want any of my friends to be paying for high-cost, poor-quality adhesive ever again! The gun is sturdy, easy to use & never gets lost on my desk. The adhesive refills are archival safe, high quality and very economical. My ATG definitely deserves its place in my Scrapbooking Top Three.
Whatever you decide, happy scrapping & stay tuned for a blog post on how to alter an ATG once you own one! Another good thing about the ATG is that it's pretty easy to make it pretty!
Kathryn Life's a beach. Scrapbook it.
P.S. I don't know if www.framingsupplies.com has still got the best price on the ATG these days. When I researched mine, they had the best price around for both the guns and the refills. I continue to buy from them because their customer service is amazing and their shipping is quick!
P.P.S. Don't forget to check out this post from National Scrapbooking Day and leave a comment before 9:00 Eastern Friday night to be entered to win the LOVE album.
Hi, everyone! Welcome back to Life on the {Scrap}beach! Happy National Scrapbooking Day!
So I finally placed my tax return order at Two Peas in a Bucket last night & it was a big one! I am so excited and I can't wait for it to get here!
I decided to do a little scrap shopping today, so I popped over to Michael's to check out what was there and got some really cute stuff! Wanna see? Well, then check out this video!
Happy scrapping!
Kathryn Life's a beach. Scrapbook it.
P.S. Don't forget to check out this post from National Scrapbooking Day and leave a comment before 9:00 Eastern Friday night to be entered to win the LOVE album.
Hi, everyone! Welcome back to Life on the {Scrap}beach & Happy National Scrapbooking Day!
In honor of the "holiday," I thought I'd tell you all how I got into scrapbooking. I was married in August of 2006, and one of my shower gifts {from my mom} was a scrapbook album kit and some things like adhesive, stickers, decorative scissors, etc. I remember thinking when I opened the box "What the heck!?" I was not a scrapbooker or a crafty person. Creative? Yes. Artistic? Maybe. But not crafty in the slightest.
I endeded up ignoring the box of scrap supplies until the fall after the wedding. I came across them again as we were merging our households and thought that I should at least use what was given to me. Number one reason on my mind was that my mom would ask me about the stuff and then I would feel bad if the answer was "Oh, those? They're under a pile of extra towels in the bottom of the linen closet." So I started messing around with them. My first pages are ... really bad. Really, really bad. They're fun to look at & they've shown me how much I've grown, but they are definitely not going to win any awards.
It's my personality to research things in which I'm inexperienced, so I requested {and received} Scrapbooking for Dummies for Christmas 2006. I read the entire book, and it taught me about archival safe products, design principles, etc. I started applying what I read and I got a little bit better. From there I found DIY Scrapbooking with Sandy Genovese on HGTV and recorded them on my DVR and watched loads of those episodes after work. I got even better.
Next I turned to the Internet for inspiration and found Scrapbooks, Etc.'s "Scrapbook Lifestyle" webcast. I loved those! This was scrapbooking like I had never seen it before -- artistic, thoughtful and really creative. It wasn't just about putting photos down in an elaborate album. It was about expressing myself creatively and enjoying the entire process not just the end result! I couldn't get enough! Sadly, the show ended, but not before Angela Daniels mentioned Two Peas in a Bucket on one of the episodes.
That's when I discovered the wealth of information online -- message boards, galleries, blogs, YouTube videos, etc. It was exciting! I got carried away with all the products and techniques and eventually I was in deep! I applied for and was accepted to a design team, I made wonderful friends & it was all great, but the money I was spending was just too much.
When we moved to Miami this past September I was sad because I lost all my scrapping buddies, so I decided to reach out to other women through the mediums I so enjoyed: the internet and videos. I got my groove back and I am having more fun than ever and I am so glad to be sharing it with all of you!
Once again, I just have to say how grateful I am for your support and your kind words. You have made this National Scrapbooking Day seem more special than ever! And, if you've made it this far into the post you certainly deserve a reward! So to thank all of you, I've decided to do a little giveaway! Do you guys remember the "Love" mini album from these videos?
Well, I never personalized the album, so I think I will give it away to one of my readers instead! {Because I LOVE you guys, of course!} Just leave a comment on this post by 9:00 PM EST on Friday, May 8, 2009 with what you love about scrapbooking, or how you got into the hobby, or what your National Scrapbooking Day plans are, or just say "hi!" and I'll use a random number generator to choose the winner and post their name & comment next Saturday!
Hi, everyone! Welcome back to life on the {scrap}beach!
I have a little confession to make. I am an inking addict -- I love inks of all kinds. Pens, markers, chalk inks, distress, alcohol, etc. You name it, I love it. Inking the edges of paper, letters, tags, etc., has become one of my favorite scrapbooking techniques.
My ink situation was starting to get a little out of control, so I made the decision to simplify my inks and limit myself to just three kinds: Colorbox Fluid Chalk Ink, StazOn (White and Black) and Versamark (Watermark). The Colorbox Fluid Chalk Inks I have in every color and that provides more than enough color variety for my needs. StazOn I have in white and in black because there is nothing else that works quite so well on slick or shiny things. And I use the Versamark almost exclusively for embossing. You will see me use other kinds of inks in my videos -- those are inks I had purchased before I started this system & so I will be using them until they are all gone.
There are two tools I use with my ink pads to change the look of the ink and to preserve the life of my ink pads. These tools are very inexpensive and very easy to come by: spouncers and make-up sponges. I prefer to transfer ink from my ink pad to my layouts with one of these two "tools" because it prevents my ink pad from getting chewed up by the edges of my paper and chipboard and it gives a more subtle, softer look than taking the ink pad directly to the paper.
Direct to paper look:
Sponge transfer look
Spouncers are, very simply, sponges on the end of a stick. They are a stenciling tool, and can be found at any craft store. They come in various styles, but I prefer the tightest sponges (few & smaller holes) as they are best for the type of edging/blending I like to do. I keep all my spouncers in a jar on my desk, and I use them for blending my four most commonly used Colorbox Chalk ink colors: Chestnut Roan, Creamy Brown, Dark Brown and Charcoal.
I used my Dymo labeller to mark which spouncer goes to which ink so I don't contaminate the spouncer by using a darker color.
I buy the make-up sponges in large variety packs for very little at beauty supply stores. These I see as disposable, and I use them for ink colors other than my four most commonly used. I cut the larger ones in half to get more use out of them and I toss them in the trash after I complete the project. This is easier than trying to have spouncers on hand for each of my 40 inks pads -- that many spouncers would be hard to store!
The soft look I get from these sponges is wonderful, and I save my ink pads from getting damaged, which helps them last longer for stamping! What non-scrapbooking tools do you routinely employ in your scrapping? Let me know since I'm always looking for new ideas!
