Buttons! Buttons! Buttons!

I have a thing for buttons; an addiction really. I'm like the Ellis Island of button-keepers. I don't care about color, shape, size, or even if they are grubby. I want 'em. And the chances of them ever leaving this house are pretty slim. I can't help it. They are like tiny drops from a rainbow, and each new hue ads to the collection.

Here's another thing, my little boy is my Chief Button Sorter. He will sit down with a bag of buttons and painstakingly sort each one, carefully cradling each button in his tiny hands until he decides exactly which color it belongs with. It's a very sweet process to watch, and he is a pretty cheap worker. He works for. . . what else?! Buttons. He picks a few favorites out of each bag and shoves them into his pockets. I have yet to see his collection, but I am pretty sure it is beginning to rival my own.

Now the daughter, on the other hand, is not so interested in the sorting of the buttons. She goes straight for the sparkly, the pink, and the big. And, unlike myself, she is absolutely okay with gluing them to any surface that will hold still. She adheres to the "if you love something, set it free..." adage, or at least, "if you love something, put a glob of glue on it and stick it to something else." Either way, I'm going to try to be more like her and let go of a button or two. Three at the most.

2009 Christmas Cards

Okay, so it's been forever since I have posted on this blog. I have been a bad, bad blogger. However, I did want to get started again (honestly, I'm new to blogging, so this thing is an experiment in the unknown) and I would like to start back by posting pics of my 2009 Christmas cards. I think I made 12 different styles in all, but these two are among my favorites. Enjoy!

3-D Cards

This Christmas, I decided to scrap all of our family cards. This was a great idea, but i now see I should have started in May... However, with the help of my Cricut and the Joys of the Season cartridge, I am now moving along at a pretty good pace. I am really into 3-D paper crafting right now, so i decided to use that in my cards as well.



For those folks who don't know how to do the 3-D layering, I am going to walk you through it... By the way, I always layer the pieces before i glue it to the project. That way, If i mess up, i only mess up a little and not the whole project.

For any image you want to 3-D layer, have at least 2 copies of the image. If you are using a die cut, just cut out 2 of the exact same images - same size, same cut. If you want to 3-D a store-bought sticker, those are fine, just have 2 of the same on hand.

Die Cuts:
1. Decorate the top layer of the die cut with whatever you choose. (chalks, markers, ink, buttons, brads, etc.) The bottom layer doesn't need as much decoration because it will be covered, but i would suggest decorating the edges in the same manner.

2. Next, peel one side on the paper off of a 3-D foam dot. Place the dot on the bottom layer of the diecut. I place my dots about 1/4" in from the edge of the design (so they don't show at the edges). I use a foam dot about every 1/2" around the edge, and then I just place a few throughout the inside of the die cut.

3. Now, remove the top paper from the dot and gently press the top side layer onto the squares. Then, you are ready to adhere it to your project.

Stickers:
1. First, you are going cut the sticker for the bottom of the project out of the paper INSTEAD of peeling it. (This will let you peel the sticker when you are done layering and using the back adhesive to attach it to your project.)

2. Next, you are going to peel one side of your 3-D foam dot and place it on top of the sticker you have cut out. Continue placing dots, about 1/4" in from the edge and about every 1/2" or so around.

3. Peel the second sticker off it's backing. You are going to take a paintbrush and dip it in baby powder. Gently brush the powder over the back of the "peeled" sticker until it is no longer sticky. This will make sure that the sticker pops back up, instead of sticking to the lower sticker if it gets squished.

4. Now, you are going to peel off the other paper on the foam dot and place the top sticker carefully. Now, peel off the cut out sticker from it's backing and place in on your project.

Enjoy!

My First Post (Yay)!

I created this blog to journal my adventures in paper-crafting. I am a self-admitted paper addict who spends her spare time creating scrapbooks, cards, and all things paper-related. Please stick around through construction, with the promise of much to come. I will be posting my layouts, designs, and cards here from time to time. Also, a few techniques that I love and maybe just a note or two. Thanks for coming! Visit again, soon.

Tara