So, I wasn’t among those lucky enough to enjoy the California sun during this year’s winter CHA (Craft and Hobby Association) show. (Although, a large photo of me did make it to the convention center....see below, top left.) But I’m still excited--and not the least bit bitter even though all I got to enjoy was an ice storm--to hear all about the trip, the show, the fun times and the hot new scrapbooking trends.
Visitors flocked to the F+W booth to visit and do make-and-takes with several of the 2008 Memory Makers Masters in attendance. They also enjoyed author signings with We Dare You co-author Genevieve Simmonds, Page Maps author Becky Fleck and Paper + Pixels authors May Flaum and Audrey Neal.
Memory Makers magazine executive editor Beth Williams reports that trends this season include zoo animal motifs; chipboard albums in various shapes; motifs of owls, birds and mushrooms; embellished papers (varnished, flocked, glittered); papers using the fresh, modern quilt fabric look; and complete lines of party items. Jessica Strawser, the managing editor of North Light Craft and Memory Makers Books, says plastic is also a hot item this year, everything from Plexiglas hanging displays to printed transparency overlays and plastic embellishments.
I was recently introduced to
the world of beeswax collage. Since I’m most familiar with paper and scissors,
I thought it would be fun to add a new medium to my artist’s toolbox. I was
giddy with delight when I found a class at my local art supply store.
Beeswax is not as scary as
it looks. It’s actually quite easy to work with and gives your work a
dream-like quality, along with a fabulous textural effect. Beeswax can be used
to adhere various bits of paper, ephemera and botanicals within a collage surface and
its soft nature makes it easy to alter images and colors.
On this small 4" x
6" (10cm x 15cm) canvas, I first painted the exterior with a few swipes of
a rich royal blue acrylic paint. Once dry, I applied a thin coat of wax to the
surface as a base and then selected a few pieces of ephemera to layer on my
background. Since all the materials in the class were provided, I had to select
my ephemera from the clippings and cut outs provided. It was a bit of a
challenge to find pieces that I found both visually appealing as well as
symbolic of my own unique character and persona. But it proved to be a good
exercise in thinking outside the “hive” and letting my creativity flow.
I layered my paper ephemera
and then applied a few more thin coats of melted wax to the surface. I then
used a heat iron to embed a few dried botanicals into the wax. The heat iron
also came in handy for adding additional color. I simply used the iron to heat
the tip of crayon and then blended the resulting color into the wax for a
dreamy mixture of blue and raspberry tones. My beeswax collage is my Valentine
to myself this year. I love my own fresh color scheme and floral images, which
to me symbolize hope and renewal.
I’m always looking for ways to give my photos a little
something extra for my layouts.I
recently learned an easy technique for giving photos a vintage look.When I think vintage, I think soft and romantic,
the perfect look for Valentine’s Day projects.Here’s what I did to give my photo a romantic glow, using Photoshop
Elements 5.
1. Open
your photo in Photoshop. Go to Layer>Duplicate Layer.
2. At the
top of the Layers palette (on the right side of the screen), click on the
drop down menu that says Normal and change it to Soft Light.
3. In the
Layers palette, click the eyeball icon next to your Background layer. Then
click on the Backgroud copy layer and go to Layer>Duplicate layer. You
should now have three copies of your photo in the Layers palette.
4. Click
on the middle layer in your Layers palette and go to Enhance>Adjust
Color>Remove Color to make it black and white. Duplicate that middle
layer (Layer>Duplicate layer). You should now have a top color layer, two
middle black and white layers and a bottom hidden background layer.
5. Then
go to Layer>Flatten image. Adjust the brightness and contrast in your
photo as needed (Enhance>Adjust lighting>Brightness/Contrast. To
soften your photo a bit more, go to Filter>Blur>Gaussian Blur and
adjust the pixels until you achieve your desired look.
Want more photo tips and tricks?Check out the digital scrapbooking forum to
discuss all things digital.And don’t forget
about the free techniques and projects available on the S+P homepage.Come back next Tuesday for more techniques and tips.
elcome to the Scrapbooking + Papercrafting (S+P) blog! Here, we hope to share what’s going on in the world of scrapbooking and papercrafts as well as a little insight into the book departments at Memory Makers, North Light and David & Charles. Visit the blog often for weekly challenges, book features, tips and techniques, and posts about the team’s own projects and things we’re loving. And be sure to check out the S+P group page to view tip and techniques and free projects from our books.
Kristin, Associate Editor, Memory Makers Books
“When I joined the MM Books team, I was astonished to learn about the amazing inspiration, ideas and talent in the scrapbooking community. I’m thrilled that my job involves poring over gorgeous scrapbook layouts and keeping in touch with the papercrafting world. I started scrapbooking back in junior high when I made an “all about me” album for my grandparents. My albums escalated to slightly more sophisticated endeavors with patterned paper, photo corners and handwritten captions. But it wasn’t until I came to MM that I really began loving scrapbooking and all the yummy product out there (my favorites are letter stickers). I’ve also recently discovered the art of digital scrapbooking, so you’re likely to see quite a number of digital projects from me. Aside from scrapbooking, I love sewing and decorating my new house, and I also try to make time for reading, watching Project Runway, planning a trip to Italy, and spending time with my new husband.”
Stay tuned to meet the third member of the team in the coming weeks. In the meantime, happy crafting!
