Trend Talk: Ruffles

03/31/2010 at 5:00 am | Posted in General Inspiration, Hot Trends | 7 Comments
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-Megan Hoeppner, creative editor, and Lori Fairbanks, editor

March/April 2010 Issue: An Insider’s Look

03/11/2010 at 3:52 am | Posted in General Inspiration, Insider's Look, Uncategorized | 57 Comments
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Hey there! Are you as antsy for spring as I am? If so, make sure you check out the March/April issue of Creating Keepsakes. It’s got so many great ideas for spring-themed pages and techniques to try on them that you’ll be thinking warm, sunny thoughts, even if it’s still a bit chilly outside.

Here are three of my favorite items from this issue, along with a couple of tidbits from our team:

1. Stamping with a template and spray ink

Spritzing and stamping? Ooh la la! Stamping makes me happy, so I was so thrilled to learn about this technique from Liz Hicks, education coordinator for Tattered Angels. I love how Dream Team member Kim Watson interpreted the idea on her page. Want to learn more? Get step-by-step instructions in this month’s “CK Shows You How” column on page 23, and  see Liz’s video demo.

"She Has Spring in Her Step" by Kim Watson, as seen in the March/April 2010 issue of Creating Keepsakes, page 26

2. Lots and lots of beautiful pages

If you need a little scrapbooking eye candy, then you’re going to love our “Scrapbook Your Life” article as much as I do—it’s packed with fantastic layouts like this one from Shelley Jaquet. I love how she fit 17 photos on her layout and that they show so many fun family activities.

"Our Family . . . Everyday Life" by Shelley Jaquet, as seen in the March/April 2010 issue of Creating Keepsakes, page 72

3. Cool ribbon techniques

Jennifer McGuire always has many creative ideas for using products, and this month’s “Tools & Techniques” column is just too much fun. Check out the grass on this darling “Monster” accent—can you believe she created it by fraying green ribbon? Too clever! (You’ll find additional tips from Jennifer on getting more from ribbon in her column.)

"Monster" by Jennifer McGuire, as seen in the March/April 2010 Creating Keepsakes, page 106

Here are some fun tidbits about this issue from the team:

  • Creative editor Megan Hoeppner designed the adorable layout featured on our cover—didn’t she do a fabulous job? What you may not know is that the photo on the layout was taken by reader/contributor Brigid Gonzalez. She e-mailed it to us at editorial@creatingkeepsakes.com, and it was chosen for this cover! If you have a great photo with strong eye contact and good lighting, send it in for consideration. Your photo could end up being featured in a future issue!

  • Reader/contributor Stacy Cohen found a way to use her instant-coffee purchase on a layout about her morning fix. See the idea on page 108.
  • Editor-in-chief Jennafer Martin had a ball working with contributing writer Mou Saha on the “Spring Is in the Air” feature for this issue. “Mou had so many creative ideas and her enthusiasm for this springy topic brightened up the dreary fall when we worked on it,” says Jennafer. See more of Mou’s work in future issues of CK or on her blog.

  • There’s more than one way for your page to be published in CK. Fresh Face Donna Creedon, whose “Cheeky Grin” layout is featured on page 96, had originally posted the amazing layout on her blog, where creative editor Megan Hoeppner spotted it. It fit so well with the “Spring Is in the Air” article that we snatched it up right away. You never know when one of your layouts will be spotted by our roving talent reporters!
  • Accident or accent? After dropping an ink applicator on her page, reader/contributor Iris Uy turned the unfortunate ink spot into a really cool embossed accent. See it on page 16.
  • April Fools for photos. In the editor’s note, Jennafer Martin wrote a sidebar mentioning a couple of sites to play with your photos. “We didn’t end up publishing it, but I played with my photo on Faceinhole.com to become one of my favorite superheroes. You can be anyone you want to be by putting your head on a photo there,” Jennafer says. Try it today!

What were your favorite items about this issue? Leave us a comment by Friday, March 26, 2010, and you could be one of three lucky winners to receive a sampling of some fun, new scrapbooking products.

—Lori Fairbanks, editor

Happy Hanukkah! Special Guest Blogger: Stacy Cohen

12/11/2009 at 9:29 am | Posted in guest blogger, Holidays, How-Tos | 37 Comments
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Hi, everyone! My name is Stacy Cohen, and I’m thrilled to be the guest blogger today!!

Hanukkah starts at sundown tonight, and I’m finally finished with my shopping. My family follows the tradition of opening a present every night during the eight nights of Hanukkah, so I had numerous presents to buy and wrap. My daughters are very easy to shop for. My husband, not so much. Luckily, we started a fun tradition a few years ago: rather than buy each other big gifts, my husband and I buy eight small Hanukkah gifts for each other—gifts that have to come from the 99 Cents Store!

The past 99-Cents-Store gifts have run the gamut from practical and personal to downright hilarious. I’ve received items like scrapbooking embellishments, a picture frame, and a tube of toothpaste (not my regular brand, unfortunately). I’ve given my husband gifts such as tools, a flashlight, and socks. (He loves those socks!) One thing is for sure: every year our 99-Cents-Store gift exchange ends up creating lots of laughter in our house. I can’t wait to see what my husband has picked for me this year!

In honor of the holiday, I created a Hanukkah layout to share with you today:

"Handmade Menorahs" by Stacy Cohen. Supplies Cardstock: Bazzill Basics Paper; Patterned paper and sequined gems: Prima; Letter stickers: American Crafts; Trim: Junkitz; Canvas paper: Ranger Industries; Embroidery thread: DMC; Paint: Shimmering Products.

Pleated Paper How-To
I love to add pleated paper ruffles to my layouts. Here’s a little step by step for you to try at home:

1. Cut strips of paper about 1″ wide.


2. Use scallop scissors to create a decorative border on one long edge of each strip. Alternatively, you can freehand cut scallops or curves—they don’t need to be perfect since you’ll be pleating the paper.

3. Starting at one end of each strip, use the edge of a ruler to make a fold in the paper. The size of your fold will depend on how big you want your ruffles to be. I usually make my front folds about 0.75″ wide.

4. After the first fold, make a small fold (about 0.25″ wide) going in the opposite direction. Note: I always eyeball the width of the folds, but you can mark your fold lines with a pencil and a ruler if you want to be more precise.

5. Repeat the folds back and forth as the pictures above shows. It doesn’t matter where on the scallop pattern you make your folds, because once the strip is fully pleated, the scallops will blend together nicely.


6. Trim the cardstock base of your layout to remove just less than the width of your paper strips from each side; here, about 0.75″. Once you have your paper strips pleated from end to end, use a strong adhesive to adhere them to the edges of the backside of your cardstock. In my experience, Fabritac, Zip Dry Paper Glue and a Scotch ATG gun all work well.

7. As a final step, you can add some sparkly paint to your ruffle. I used Blingz paints from Shimmerz.

Voilà—you have a pretty pleated ruffle!

Thank you, Creating Keepsakes, for having me as your guest blogger today! It’s been an honor! Happy Holidays, everyone!

Hanukkah Product Giveaway

Shalom Scrapper has generously donated three prize packages for the CK blog readers. Just leave a comment on this post by December 13 sharing your favorite Hanukkah tradition. Three lucky winners will be randomly selected.

Free Font Friday

P.S. As part of Free Font Friday, you can download the CK Hanukkah font for free here.

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