Flocking

All of us at ICE want to send our deepest condolences to all who lost homes in the horrible SE Boise fire last night, and to Dr. Mary Ellen Ryder’s family. Please know that our hearts, thoughts and prayers are with all those directly and indirectly involved.

For those not local here is some info..http://www.ktvb.com/news/localnews/stories/ktvbn-aug2508-major_fire.117ce9e5.html

I recently had the pleasure of scrapping a friends photos. A group of scrappy friends each year swap photos and let someone else scarp their pages. It’s a fun swap I look forward to doing every year.
I wanted to find a way to scrap her photos that would display the many senic and detail photos without overwhelming the page. In the end I ended up with a fairly simple layout. I needed something wow.
I remembered these fun flocking powders and stickers by Doodle Bug, I’ve and wanted to use them for ages. (always gotta find a great way to excuse scrap shopping right?) So I headed to Just Scrappin and picked up my flock & stickers, I was so excited to play!

The flocking was SOOOOO fun. Much like glitter, but fuzzier. I used some cool swirls and layered them with some star rub-ons and a few fun felt flowers. It didn’t take away from the simplicity of the LO, yet it gave it that umph it needed to wow.

Here are a few tips on how to use this new unique technique.

Flock is much like glitter. You can use it on anything “sticky”. Doodle Bug makes some great double sided stickers that make creating super easy. but you can use liquid glue to color in areas, or draw your own patterns.

After your adhesive is down place your project under a sheet of scrap paper, and pour out the flocking liberally.

I found with using the stickers, by using a finger and gently rubbing the flock ina circular motion into the sticker gave better coverage and a smoother even application.

Tap off the excess flocking onto your scrap paper. The paper will be useful to help funnel the flock back into the container.

Next I took a darling Bella image (one of my new obsessions check them out at www.stampingbella.com) and used a liquid glue on the cuffs of her boots, hat and on the little fuzzy balls. The glue I used (SU! crystal effects) leaves a slight raised effect . Add the flocking and I had a neat dimensional effect.

Flocking comes in many fun colors, and I already have ideas galore running through my head. I think this will easily become a favorite technique on my scrapbook pages and cards alike.

***Heather ***

Back to my childhood

I remember going to a birthday party when I was young and we cut out and baked shrinky dinks. It was so much fun! I had not thought about them much in many years, then saw an article on them in the last scrapbook magazine I got. I thought now that would be fun to make my own embellishments. I bought a package of the materials and then cut out some using my Big Shot.
I had a bunch on a sheet and took markers to give them some color.
I also stamped some onto the material and then cut them out.
Then I stamped on some that I had cut out already.
Following the instructions, I put them all on a baking sheet and in the oven they went for a couple minutes. It was fun watching them curl up and then shrink back down.
Even though the instuctions show you how much they are going to shrink, it is still amazing to see them after they are heated, and how small they really come out to be.
I had a lot of fun doing this project and have lots of materials left to do more. Now if I have a special layout I am working on and need an embellishment to go with it, this will be a great way to get one. I just have to remember to make them much bigger to start with!

Nancy

Favorite Photos Album

When your going through your pictures deciding what to scrap, do you ever come across a really special picture? You know what I mean, the one that makes you go tap someone on the shoulder and say "Hey look at this one. I just LOVE this picture!" Then, your scrapbooking creative juices start kicking in, and you start thinking in your mind what you can do to make that picture really stand out on the layout. You start to calculate the dollars and dollars of scrapbook supplies you might spend to create a masterpiece worthy of supporting that special picture. Or you may dig that extra special patterned paper out of your stash, that paper you've been saving for something really special.


I'm sure you can relate. We all have them - Our Favorite Pictures. A few years back after hearing the suggestion from a fellow scrapping friend, I started a "Favorite Pictures Album". I must admit, this is my favorite album. The one I break out first to share with family and friends. The one my own family enjoys the most.


My first step was to decide what size album I wanted. I knew I didn't want a 12 X 12 album, thinking that would be too big, since most of my layouts would only have one photo. I also thought that, for me, a 6 X 6 would be too small. So, just like Goldilocks, I found the album that was "Just Right!" I selected a 8.5 X 11 album with a landscape (horizontal) orientation.


Selecting the album was probably the hardest decision in this process. From there, all "rules" from my other family albums were put aside. In this album, the layouts aren't chronological, I don't do double page spreads, and I don't even journal on all the layouts. I just find that photo that "speaks to me" and I scrap it! Simple and easy as that! At first I started off simple getting used to the new orientation. I found it so fun to whip out a quick layout in a matter of minutes.

Then I got to thinking more about this album, and a way to make it even more special. I decided that in this album I'd take the opportunity to tell my kids how wonderful I think they are, what I think is special about them, or give them words of advice. I direct the journalling right at the subject, saying "You, we, us" Where as in my other albums I tend to summarize and journal in the 3rd person. I also decided that on this album, even though I hate my own handwriting, I'd write some of my own journalling. Have you ever ran across a note or letter handwritten by a loved one. You know how it makes you warm and fuzzy inside, and makes you think of that person, actually "feel" that person - I wanted to do that here. So someday when my kids look back on this they'll be able to feel Mom's love.

Sometimes, when I create a layout all I have to do is just enlarge the photo to 5 X 7 and plop in down onto some beautiful patterned paper! I love how quick some of these layouts go!

I hope this blog entry inspires you to maybe consider making your own Favorite Photos Album! If any of you out there have a similar album, we'd love to see your layouts too! Please e-mail them to info@iceescape.net. Also please share your comments, ideas, and feedback on our blog or message board!

Happy Scrapping!

Tracy

WINNER, WINNER, WINNER!

Ok so I am a bit forgetful. just blame it on a zombie like state I lived in for a week or two after ICE '08.

I offered a prize for comments on this blog entry, http://iceescape.blogspot.com/2008/06/life-after-ice.html and sadly I forgot all about it. So a girls gotta live up to her word right-better late than never I say.

So guess what? Everyone who posted a comment to that post...YOU ALL WIN! Yeah! I have to go shopping (oh darn) but be watching your mailboxes!

Make Your Photos **POP**

If you’re like me I see all these amazing photographers out there who have this modern, intense color, edgy look. Have you wondered how to get such amazing pictures? How do they make the colors so vivid,? How do they get that edgy look? Well today I’m going to teach you how…well with the help of a GREAT photography blog and tutorial I found.

The look I’m talking about is called Lomo Photography. Most of you are like me and saying Lomo…what? Ok , Lomo is a type of camera. It was manufactured in Russia, and wasn’t a very good camera. It created pictures with a strange vivid look and a characteristic vignette. However over time this camera has somewhat become legendary for the look it produces, which is now known as Lomo photography.

Well someone (sorry don’t know who to give the credit to) came up with a way to reproduce the Lomo Photography look using Photoshop. ( I love digital!) Here is the link to the step by step directions…

http://digital-photography-school.com/blog/how-to-make-digital-photos-look-like-lomo-photography

Now when I came across this tutorial a few days ago, I was more than excited to try it out and see. I was a little unsure if I was going to get all the steps to work since I unfortunately don’t have the full version PhotoShop but rather only Elements. So if you’re like me and can’t afford 800.00 to get the good PhotoShop (you can get elements for about 80.00) I’ll also leave you with a few tips.

Tips for PSElements Users:
*When you get to the step to create your vignette you will find the “levels” under layers +adjust layers

* when creating the “s” you will need to go to enhance, +adjust color curves, + advanced options.

* When creating the new layer you want to make sure to check the box group with new layer. You will want to adjust your opacity to 40 (or whatever works for your photo…see examples) BEFORE applying your paint bucket (and make sure you have the black color selected for the paint bucket beforehand also)

*Make sure to merge your layers THEN go back into layers, + adjust layer, + hue & saturation

* When doing the unsharp mask I totally bypassed all the color lab, and channel stuff everything you need is under enhance, + unsharp mask.

Here’s what I came up with….

Before

After applying the Lomo Photography technique. This was my first attempt at this, I almost wonder if my vignette is a little too thick- but since its the first step in the process I wasn't going back LOL!

Before


After
My second attempt at the Lomo technique. I may have done a slight less opacity so my whites poped a bit more, but I didn't learn that lesson till attempt #3.

Before

After
Attempt 3. I learned that when doing the paint bucket layer that 40 opaticy can be too much especially in photos whith a lot of white. In this photo I only used a 15% opacity and I think it worked much better. In addition to the Lomo technique I also cropped the photo for tighter & cleaner look.

I think lesson I learned was this toturial ROCKS! However if your unexperienced in PhotoShop (like me) take time to play (the edit button can be your friend!) However don't feel traped to all the exact levels and numbers stated, every photo is different, if it needs something different-go ahead you have creative licence.

I challenge you to try this out. Send me your before & after pictures to info@iceescape.net and the ICE team will choose a winner- plus we'll post your creations here with all the due credit!

****Heather****

Guest Designer!

Inspiration Tuesday Guest designer, ICE Vendor'08, Becky Robers of Stampin' Up!
Card:
Cardstock: River Rock & Chocolate Chip, Ginger Blossom Designer Series Paper
Stamp Set: Year After Year, All Holidays
Accessories: Blender Pens, White Gel Pen, Chocolate Chip Satin Ribbon, corner Rounder

Explosion Box:
Cardstock: Chocolate Chip & Very Vanilla, Ginger Blossom & River Rock Designer Series Paper
Stamp Set: Year After Year, Fast & Fun Notes, Little Flowers
Accessories: Vanilla Wide Grosgrain, Vanilla Grosgrain, Eastern Elegance Rub-Ons, Stampin’ Dimensionals, 1” Circle Punch, 3/4” Circle Punch, ½” Circle Punch, ¼” Circle Punch, Boho Flower Punch


The pattern is on the Score Pal Website http://www.scor-pal.com/dec_magazine/index_files/Page327.htm

Becky Roberts
Stampin' Up! Demonstrator, Manager
(208) 629-8702
yasou@cableone.net
Blog: inkingidaho.blogspot.com
http://www.beckyroberts.stampinup.net

Coffee Creations....

ICE is all about inspiration and this is Inspiration Tuesday, so I am thinking that I should be doing something here that will inspire you. I have been racking my brain to come up with a project and take pictures of each step and so on…as has been on this blog many times. But that so isn’t me! Then I think “wait, this is my time on this blog, I can do whatever I want here..I can break the rules” (ah, we don’t really have any rules, but you know what I mean, where you just think you should be doing something a certain way.)

I don’t consider myself to be “off the top of my head” creative, or as “scrappy” creative as both Heather and Tracy. I really have to think to get the creativeness out! This is why it takes me so long to scrapbook a page or do anything remotely creative. I have to say that lately I have been much more into decorating my house than scrapbooking so I thought of something that mixes the two. I promise, if you stay with me here, I will inspire you to do something!

This started with my addiction and love of coffee and decorating my new house. I tend to ramble sometimes so forgive me if I do. Do you think some of this rambling could be caused by too much caffeine?

So, yes, the addiction and love of coffee…besides my many trips to the coffee shops, and along with my own espresso machine, my wonderful husband gets up every Sunday morning and drives to the nearest Starbucks to get me a latte.

What is really amazing is that my husband does this for me. Not so much that he goes and gets something for me, but this is a very macho man that I speak of. Just to imagine the words “Grande Vanilla Latte “coming from his mouth is almost unthinkable. But somehow he always comes home with right drink!

My house decorating…I was in my house for 6 months before a single decorating idea finally came to me…..then it kind of started snowballing….I have lots of ideas for the house, but it is one piece at a time and many times something that I just run across, and think, that would be perfect for that spot.

This is what happened with my cookbook holder. Now, to anyone that knows me…this is funny because cook, I do not! Ah, but the cookbook holder was so cute and I had the perfect spot for it. It just needed to be painted to match my red and black, coffee, with a few flowers, themed kitchen. Now of course as you can see, I could never cover up the top part of this with an actual cookbook of all things! Besides whatever went on here it had to match everything else!

Here is where the ideas started coming out. I had to make something to go on the cookbook holder. I have never done an acrylic album before, but oh wouldn’t that look good with a coffee theme?! And the book was just the right size. I actually have some of these prints on my kitchen walls, but downsized them for the book. I considered putting recipes in here, but then thought, why bother? Here is what I ended up doing.

I am very happy with how it turned out, and you can still see the top of my cute cookbook holder and it is not sitting there looking empty. Best of all, everything matches which is the most important thing. I used rub-ons, and different embellishments. My book did not have any tabs on the pages so I made some of my own with cut out coffee cups. As an after -thought, it would be fun to cut out these cups in acrylic and paint them instead of just using a picture.

If you are still with me, I am sure you are inspired by now….either to make your own acrylic album, decorate your house, make a run to Starbucks, or possibly to tell me to just get to the point!

Nancy