February Crafting Project--Make Your Own Paper!

I thought I would have a February project for all y'all, but class is just keeping me so busy. The great thing about art classes is at least I can share a new techinique--papermaking!

If you're like me, you hate anything going to waste and you love being thrifty. Papermaking is the ultimate combo of recycling and thrift, plus it's easy to do if you don't mind a little mess. It doesn't require any special equipment to get started, and you can even buy starter kits from a company like Arnold Grummer with everything you need. There are whole books and lots of videos on papermaking--the possibilities are truly endless--so I'll just give a high-level overview here.

Here are some of the items you'll need:

• A mold
• Scrap paper, newspaper or cardstock
• An old blender specifically designated for papermaking
• Small cup or measuring cup
• Sponges
• Two tubs with a flat bottom
• Absorbent paper for couching
• Screens
• Wastewater bucket
• An old shirt or apron
• Nitrile or rubber gloves
• Plastic tarp or old tablecloth to cover your workspace

Cautions and Warnings Pulping paper in a blender may release dyes that may stain. Wear an old shirt or apron and cover your workspace. If you use a purchased dye, be sure to read all instructions before opening the package. Don't throw wastewater down your sink. Paper fibres can settle in your pipes and create a clog. Collect wastewater in a pail and dump outside. Some types of specialty paper won't pulp--foils and any plastic-coated paper--for example.

Here are some of the steps I take to make paper:

1. Gather your scraps! I used Night of Navy, but you can try mixing colours too, although black and grey scraps tend to turn everything black or grey. If you experiment doesn't work out, you can always save it as a sample or re-pulp it.

2. Rip it up! This part is kinda fun--and you can do it while watching TV! You don't have to go this small however.

3. Blend and pour into your mold. This is where things can get a little wet--but you'll have the makings of a piece of paper after swirling the pulp and water around. As you become familiar with the proces, you'll discover how much water to add to the blender.

4. Screen and dry. In the photo below, I've screened out the water and am ready to couch the new paper between two absorbant sheets to speed up the drying process. When the sheet is dry, it will appear lighter than the original cardstock--but you can still stamp, sponge and cut it like it was a factory-made piece.

I hope you enjoyed this brief insight into papermaking. If you try it, you'll soon fall in love with the world of possibilities, such as layering sheets, adding embellishments like glitter or flowers to the pulp and maybe even sculpting with it. Whatever you do, it will be unique because you made it!

What Happened to Whisper White?

Now that you've had a chance to peruse the new catalogue, you may have noticed a little product name change. Whisper White has been replaced by Basic White. Unfortunately the paper mill that produced Whisper White cardstock closed down last year. Whisper White has always been a favourite for its smooth surface and crisp stamping, but don't fear, Stampin' Up! found a similar replacement. As 2020 taught us, some things are beyond our control--even if you are a large craft company! Here's a video explaining the difference (embedded below).



Always keeping you in the loop...

Try Something New With Vellum!

You may have a pack of vellum in the stash, but have you ever thought about trying different things with it? You may already know that it’s great for layering or toning down a busy background, but its transparent properties can be used in so many other ways!

I encourage you to make your own little sample folder, even if it means sacrificing a sheet to trial and error. Experience is the best teacher, after all. Vellum can be intimidating because of its precious nature. It is easy to mark it in unintended ways, but don’t let that discourage you.

What materials can you use with vellum? Vellum is not as porous as other papers, so it won’t absorb as much moisture as plain paper or cardstock. You can stamp with Memento, Staz-On or SU’s Classic Stampin’ pads. You can even take advantage of vellum’s transparent properties by stamping on both sides, or stamping on one side and colouring on the other. Different inks may take longer to dry on vellum, so don't be too eager to work with the stamped piece right away!

A stamped image on vellum using Gray Granite

You can draw on vellum with pencil or pencil crayons. Just be careful to watch your pressure—too hard and you may leave an imprint. You can gently shade with the side of a pencil crayon or colour in an area. Watch out for flecks of colour though.

Alcohol markers like Stampin’ Blends work really well on vellum and leave smooth coloured areas. Water-based markers will leave a different effect, but it depends on the size of the area to be coloured. Water-based markers may take longer to dry as the colour sits on top of the paper. 

Click on any of the images for a closer look

You can combine all the above techniques in one image too! Here I have stamped on one side, coloured with alcohol inks on another side and outlined the image with pencil on the facing side.

You may accidentally bend vellum. It’s almost impossible undo a crease—but you can creatively rip it to make a visually interesting edge or use it as a stencil.

A torn piece of vellum

You can mark vellum in a good way! Embossing folders can leave an interesting texture and look on both sides of vellum.

You can punch and die cut vellum too! Here are a couple of punched dragonflies:

Here is a die cut piece. In my experience, large, solid shapes work well in a die cutting machine as opposed to delicate ones. Delicate dies may need several passes and then still not cut completely. 

And lastly, layering shapes under vellum can boost the look. For example, a simple punched white circle brings the center of the stamped image to life!

There you have it—a crash course in vellum. Working within the limits of vellum can really add that special touch to a card to scrapbook if you don’t mind a little trial and error first!

February Stamping Project: Lovely Swan Centrepiece or Decoration

LOL you may have expected a Valentine’s Day card or project this month, but instead I present a project that is just as full of romance and love as any card. When I saw that display stampers were wanted for for OnStage, I literally jumped at the opportunity to apply. And I had to jump because I only had a few things that qualified for the three cards, one scrapbook page and two 3-D objects.

This idea materialized somehow except that I was lying in bed thinking about it and had to get out of bed to quickly sketch it before I forgot. When the Lovely Swan stamp set appeared in last year’s Occasions catalog, I knew I had to order it not just because it featured a bird - but because it looked so versatile for any card that needed a touch of flowers or nature. I will get around to updating this post with some instructions and a supply list - I didn't really keep track of how I made it!

Click image for larger

New Catalogue Favourites Part 2

My next favourite product from the new Stampin' Up catalogue is the circle tab punch. A collective oooooh went up from the crowd at OnStage when it was revealed! It's easy to forget that punches still exist in this whiz-bang world of cutting dies, but they are still very versatile and easy for little hands to use. What can you do with a circle tab punch? Plenty:

• Make tabs for your planner, sketch book or index cards
• Make quick holders for your Stampin' sponges
• Affix other die cuts to the tab for pocket cards
• Hole punch to make tabs for a mini album
• Just use as a fun shape!

There is also a matching stamp set called Tabs for Everything.

Click for larger!

May Stamping Project: Quick and Easy Project Life Dividers

Sometimes stamping projects don't have to be greeting cards - they can be other fun ideas too! I bought a Project Life 6x8" album and quickly realized what it was missing - dividers! This is such a great chance to just have fun with new stamps and stamp all over a page. Tip - Project Life supplies won't be carried over into the new catalogue.

Supply list for 5 dividers

• 2016-2018 In-Colour cardstock (1 8.5x11" sheet per colour)
• 2016-2018 In-Colour inks
• Your favourite stamps!
• Craft knife, cutting mat and ruler or Stampin' Trimmer
• Hole punch

How I made the dividers:

1. Measure a 6x8" album page protector against the sheet of cardstock and make a small mark where to cut. Trim the sheet of cardstock down.
2. Trace the holes in the Proejct Life page protector and punch out with a hole punch. I had to punch two overlapping circles.
3. Load up your favourite stamps with ink and just stamp all over. Go crazy!

Simple supplies!

 

Simple stamping fun!

Annnnnd that's pretty much it! You could create layers or labels or tabs as well. I only mention this project because it's so quick and simple and great for kids. Instead of cutting each sheet down to size, score and fold where you would cut. Bend the paper backwards and stick down the edges to create a pocket behind the divider. Have fun!