Japanese Bound Notebook Tutorial

Hello!  I hope you all enjoyed your long weekend.  We had a pretty low-key weekend and I was so thankful for that since my allergies are going crazy.  I am so happy to share this tutorial with you today.  This tutorial was created for the Paper Maniac Newsletter, so if you are subscriber, you may have already seen this.  This tutorial is very detailed and includes lots of step-by-step photos.  I'm a visual learner, so I tend to go a bit overboard on the details.  I guess it's better to have too many details instead of not enough direction.  If you decide to make a notebook, I would love to check it out.  Here's the link to the tutorial:

Japanese Bound Notebook Tutorial 

Have a great day!!!

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Paper Maniac Wednesday - Tree Ornament Tutorial & Tag

Hello! I wrote this tutorial for the Paper Maniac Newsletter and thought I would post it here. There is also a bonus idea at the very end. Enjoy!!!

This is an easy ornament to make with your kids. In fact, that’s how I came up with this idea to begin with. Both of my kids needed an ornament for their classroom tree last year and of course they needed them the next day. I made one first, and then gave them the supplies and they copied mine. I hope you enjoy this tutorial and get to make a few of these with your kids. The finished ornament can be easily attached to a tag or on a card.

Supply List:

Floss or String

3 Squared of Patterned Paper (the paper I used came for the Basic Grey Collection Nook & Pantry)

Snail Adhesive

½” Strip of Brown Card Stock about 6” long

Star Sticker

Directions:

-Apply adhesive to the backside of squares and fold to form 3 triangles.

-Arrange triangles on brown cardstock as shown to create tree and trunk. Glue into place.

-Take the excess brown card stock at the top and fold it over to create loop.

-Thread the floss or string through the loop and tie. Place the star atop the tree. Use the string to hang the ornament on your tree.

Now, here's a bonus idea. I took the ornament and used it as an embellishment on a 3" x 3" tag. Perfect to accompany a gift. You just peel the tree off and use it as an ornament on your tree. The string is rolled up behind the tree.

If you like this tree, check out this tag and this card. Don't forget to check out the Paper Maniac Blog for more holiday ideas.

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Die Cut Paper Ornament Tutorial

Hello! I'm here today to share with you a tutorial that I recently created for Paper Maniac and it was published in their weekly newsletter.

Supplies:
Spellbinders Nestabilities Label 9 (or your choice)

Patterned paper
Adhesive
String
Beads

1. Select what size Spellbinder Die to use, depending on how large you want your ornament. I used the 3rd largest die of the Labels 9 pack. Then pick your patterned papers. I chose three patterns from the Graphic 45 collection Christmas Past.

2. Cut 12 shapes. I made 4 cuts from each of the three patterned papers I had selected.

3. Fold each die cut shape from center point to point. If you are using a double-sided paper, the pattern you want to be seen should be on the inside of the fold.

4. Start gluing the outer sides together.

5. Continue adding pieces, always gluing the outside of the folds to each other. Do NOT glue the last two pieces together yet.

6. Now the main part of your ornament is almost finished. Let’s start working on the string. I used some red floss and tied a knot at the bottom. String three beads starting with the smallest at the bottom.

7. Slip the string inside the center of your paper ornament with the beads dangling at the bottom.

8. Now that the string is running up the center of your ornament, glue the papers together to finish your ornament. You don’t need to glue the string.

9. See the hole that is left at the top? We are going to add some beads, mimicking the beads at the bottom.

10. After your beads are strung, make a loop at the top with your string so you can hang your ornament.

Wasn’t that easy?

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And here's a little something else I'm excited to share with you:

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Flower Petal Card + Tutorial

Hello! It's Paper Maniac Wednesday! This week the DT girls are making cards with black, white and a pop of color. I was inspired to make this card after seeing the patterned paper I used on Monday's card. The petals are just squares with two rounded corners. Easy peasy, right? Well it will be for you since I took care of the measuring for you! I will apologize up front for the length of this tutorial. I hope I didn't over-complicate such an easy card!!!

Here are the sizes of paper and card stock you will need:

(the colors I used are in parenthesis)

1 - 5" x 10" piece of card stock, folded in half for your base (white)

1 - 4.75" (black) square

4 - 2.25" (white) squares

4 - 2" (patterned paper) squares

4 - 1.25" (white) squares

- This is the 5" square card you will be using as your card's base.
- Adhere the 4.75" square panel to the card base.
- Off to the side, arrange the four 2.25" squares like shown.- Using a corner rounder punch, punch the corners shown.

- Now, take your four 2" patterned paper squares and punch the same corners as before. Layer on top of the 2.25" squares. You do not need to adhere these just yet, we're just laying it out first.

- Take the four 1.25" squares and punch the same corners. Layer these on top of the patterned paper. Place these toward the center of your flower.- Now we can start putting the flower together. I used snail adhesive between the patterned paper and the largest petal. - Then I used foam dimensionals to pop up the smallest of the petals.

- Now you should have four complete petals.

- Turn them over and add foam dimensionals.

- Now you can start adhering them to your card. The one thing to remember here is to arrange your petals first by gently laying them on the card stock. You should be able to move them around. When you get the petals the way you like, then press down on each petal to secure them. Your card should now look like this.

- You can decorate the center of your flower any way you like. I used two circles of paper and a button I painted using this tutorial. I used foam dimensionals to adhere to the center of my card.

- Here's what the finished card looks like.

- And here is a close-up shot showing all the dimension.

Now head on over to the Paper Maniac Blog and check out what the rest of the DT made using black, white, and a pop of color. Thanks for stopping by today!

{Flower Petal Card}

Card Stock: Black, Solar White (Neenah)
Patterned Paper: Black & White 8 x 8 Paper Pad (Making Memories)
Accessories: Corner Rounder Punch (EK Success), Circle Punches, Button, Foam Dimensionals

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Button Tutorial....and a card...

Hello! I did not set out to make a tutorial this morning, but I had a happy accident and thought I would share it with you. I wanted to make a card today for yesterday's sketch challenge at SCS and wanted to use Everyday Button Bits. My first thought was to use the apple stem and leaf images and have three "button apples" as my focal point. I searched for some red buttons to use as the apples and couldn't find any that were the right color or the right size. I happened to have a bottle of burgundy nail polish in my craft area. So........I painted my buttons with nail polish!!!!

Here's a brief tutorial:

I found the perfect size buttons to fit my card. They all happened to be white. I made a handle to my fingers wouldn't smudge the polish.Here's what it looked like before:
And here is after. I used Sally Hansen's Insta-Dri in Cinna-snap. It only took one coat and not very long to dry.
Here's the three buttons drying. I like the swirly one the best.
And here is the finished card.
I love these buttons!!!
I hope you enjoyed today's card and mini tutorial. I have so many colors of nail polish. I can't wait to try this 'technique' again!

{You're so sweet}

Stamps: Everyday Button Bits (Papertrey Ink)
Card Stock: Kraft
Patterned Paper: Polar Expression (imaginisce), Domestic Goddess (Graphic 45)
Ink: Ruby Red, Close to Cocoa, Certainly Celery (SU)
Accessories: Scallop Square Punch (SU), Buttons, Nail Polish, Glue Dots, Parakeet Brads (Bazzill), Foam Dimensionals, Circle Punch (SU), Hemp Twine (SU)

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