Two Peas in a Bucket

Mini Album with Anya

Today Guest Blogger Anya is sharing how she adapted the December Daily album concept into making a mini book all about her summer.  We love her style and adaptation - and what's more, this could be applied to any season of the year!  Here is Anya...

---

I've been joining Ali Edwards and hundreds of other scrapbookers in December Daily challenge for three years and I always loved it. This year, I really wanted to highlight our summer in a separate mini album. I wanted it to be a project of its own. I wasn't going to make a page for every day of the summer, but wanted to highlight some little everyday moments that would bring memories back when we look through the book. I have about 30 pages all together in it.

For the longest time I wanted to add sewing to my mini books but didn't know a good way to do it, since sewing shows on the other side. So I came up with an idea that solves that problem - folded page. I started with a 12x12 pattern paper and trimmed four inches off the top:

and then folded the piece in the middle, which gave me an 8x6 page:

For the base of my album I used a collection of kraft colored paper from My Mind's Eye:

I added lined paper to each side of my page for easy journaling, and punched holes:

Identifying those little stories, picking out a photo and arranging it with a little pattern paper to make it more fun was my favorite part of the project: 

After adding a photo, I stitched around white paper on all of my pages, and randomly added more stitching on other elements of design:

Since most of my design happened to be on the outside edge of the page, I used a piece of paper to glue inside the folded page, which served two purposes - it gave the book a little more even shape and reinforced the holes:

Here are a few more pages from the album:

I also added a kraft envelope to the album:

It includes some memorabilia like a drawing from my four year old or a note from my teen, or a business card from the place where we ate:

I wanted this project to be quick and easy, so I'm adding a hand written journaling to the book, unlike any of my other projects.

---

Thank you so much for giving us an inside look at your amazing album, Anya!  Check out Anya's blog, My Creative Corner, as well as her Two Peas gallery for more fun ideas and inspiration!

Organic Effects with Vivian

Vivian Keh here today, totally jazzed about guest blogging for Two Peas!  In addition to being a great source for my supplies, Two Peas is my daily virtual escape where inspiration and gorgeous projects abound.  Today, I want to share with you a bit of my own inspiration with details of how I made the tag below.  The simple techniques which I utilized have brought me much grungy joy in recent projects, and I hope you'll give them a try, too!

Die-cut a tag from a neutral sheet of cardstock. Note that most of the pattern will not ultimately be visible in the final project.  Lightly paint the tag with gesso, making sure to leave random areas of the paper underneath exposed.  By doing this, you create interesting variegations in the ability of paper surface to absorb the media you will later apply.

Once the gesso dries, prepare your surface for heat embossing by wiping the tag with an anti-static pillow.  If you don't have one, you can also use a dryer sheet - this prevents embossing powder from sticking in undesirable places.

If you've never heat embossed, it's quite easy, and no matter how many times I do it, I always experience a child's wonderment as I watch my project transform under my heat tool's blast!  To heat emboss, stamp with a nice, sticky watermark ink, sprinkle with embossing powder, tap off the excess, and heat using a craft heat tool.

Here I used a bold Hampton Art/7 Gypsies Harlequin Background Wood Stamp to create some geometric background shapes that will balance a striking, organic composition.  When your heat tool has done its magic, you are left with your stamped pattern...

The pattern will now resist the application of various mists/spritzes you choose to apply.  Since clear embossing powder was used, the patterns underneath will also be retained.  Next, adhere your die-cut chipboard shapes using a strong adhesive - I used hot glue with butterflies I had cut from an old box .

Various mixed media books and magazines encourage the use of masking tape in various ways - it's a great, affordable way to add texture to your project.  I love wrinkling it up as shown and arranging the ragged strips to create a sense of movement in my projects.

After lightly applying gesso and allowing it to dry...

... it's time to spritz!

Do you see how the color pools on top of the resist that I created?  This ought to be carefully daubed off using a tissue to reveal your beautiful pattern.

I've been playing with my hot glue gun, and wanted to see how liquids would settle around vascular patterns I created with this under-appreciated tool.

After the hot glue dried, I shoved the nozzle of a copper colored mist right up into the most gnarled areas and sprayed.  This way, the effect was not diffused, but concentrated. I then tilted the tag to guide the beautiful liquids down the crevices my wrinkled masking tape had created.

Finally, to exaggerate these organic textures, I highlighted the raised areas with pigment inks and added my text, which I had also die-cut and painted.

Once all was dry, I added a bit more stamping, and voila!

I am delighted to have blogged with you here today, and hope that I was able to inspire you to try out some of these simple techniques!  Until next time. -Vivian

---

Who's ready to get messy with their supplies and play?!  You can find more inspiration from Vivian on her blog and from her Two Peas gallery.  Thank you so much for sharing these techniques with us, Vivian!

A Thinking of You Card Without Words by Krista

How do you say 'I'm thinking of you' without any words?  

October Afternoon makes it easy-peesy with the Woodland Park Ship N Sticks!

I wanted to create a simple card that was small in size to accompany a gift for a friend.  To keep the focus on the sweet bunnies, I chose not to use a sentiment or words in any way.

The thought bubble is just that...used to show a thought.  So, it is sorta perfect for 'I'm thinking of you' themed cards!

The bubble I cut from cheapo printing paper.  The rest of the papers are from my Woodland Park 8x8 Paper Pack.  I also used the Woodland Park Washi Tape to add a little more eye-catching pattern to the circle cut-out.  With a few foam stickies to add dimension and a little spray of field flowers by my bunny, my card was ready to mail out!

That's it-- a super simple, totally sweet way to use no words to say a lot:).

---

Thanks so much for this sweet card idea, Krista!  You can find Krista blogging her love for cardmaking and digital stamps from here, and her Two Peas gallery here.

Birthday Photo Album Scrapbook with Monica

I’ve got a secret...I hate scrapping birthdays! SHHHH! Don’t tell my kids! I love planning, decorating, and hosting their parties but with two boys born 12 days apart by the time the end of March rolls around I’m just done. The last thing I want to do is scrap it all. So I’ve come up with a quick and easy way to get the party scrapped. Allowing me to move from the “have to” scrapping to the stuff I want to do! Let’s give a round of applause to...the Birthday Photo Album Scrapbook!!

I found this adorable birthday 2 up 4x6 photo album at Target, but you could use any 4x6 album. Instead of a photo in the front window I decided to put my son’s name and birth info. Then on the title page I added a photo of him on the day he was born and a birthday poem. To find the poem I simply did a google search for birthday sayings. Then I typed it up in Photoshop Elements, added a frame, and printed it out. This album will house birthday memories from birth until my son is 18 (yep I counted and there is enough pages for that)! This poem just reflected that so well.

To keep it quick and easy my album follows the same structure each year. I begin with a title page. This is where I really let the theme of the party take over. But since my canvas is only 6x8 it’s done quickly! Love that! The right side of the page holds two full 4x6 photos, one of the cake and one of the moment where my son blows out the candles. Then the second spread houses the details of the party. Using 4x6 digital templates allows me to get a lot of pictures in a small space. On the left I highlight the people and the activities of the party and on the right I focus on the gifts.

I kept the journaling blocks very simple. Using my digital die cutting machine I cut out the titles so that the paper behind shows through. That way I could cut a whole bunch at the same time (enough for all 18 years in fact...yeah my machine got tired with that one)! To be sure I don’t lose my journaling blocks I stuck the entire set in the last page protector of the book. That way, each year when it’s time to pull the layouts together I know right where to find them.

I’ve got to admit, these little albums have become my new favorite project. Imagine that?!? Going from a topic I hate to scrap to one I love! Awesome!

---

We love this you-can-do-it approach to a themed album.  Thanks so much for the inspiration, Monica!  You can see more of Monica's work on her blog, and check out her Two Peas gallery as well!

Creating Your Own Washi Tape Tutorial with Liva

Are you a washi tape fan?  Ever wonder how to create your own designs?  Guest blogger Liva is here to show you how!

---

1. Cover thick transparency with double sided tape - choose whatever width works. Mine was about 1 1/2'' wide. It is possible to adhere tape in whatever direction as well, but I chose horizontal this time.

2. Remove the backing paper from tape and cover all surface with thin coat of gesso. Let it dry.

3. In any image editing software prepare an image you wish for your washi tape. In my case, I'm using Photoshop and have added several of my own digital patterned papers on one sheet.

4. Print you prepared image onto gessoed sheet and your washi is ready. It may not be as thin as washi or sometimes it is not so easy to tear it, but still it's quite transparent and you can have whatever image you wish to complement the design of your project.

I made a quick card using my new washi tape as small banners on twine.

---

Thanks so much for this cool tutorial, Liva!  You can see more of Liva's work and her designs on her blog.

Silhouette Cameo Clipboard Project with Fleur

Hi everyone, I was so excited to get my Silhouette Cameo a few weeks ago and I haven’t been able to stop playing with it since.  There are so many amazing things you can do with it.  One design that caught my eye was a clipboard design created by Jillibean Soup.  I had so much fun creating two projects with it. 

For the first project I created a back to school countdown.  I cut the clipboard and the binding clip designs from Jillibean Soup corrugated cardboard and I cut the note paper design from the Stirred Elements paper.  I glued the notepaper onto the base of the clipboard then attached the binding clip with foam tape to make it pop up. I then cut a piece of Kraft cardstock and added the “Back to school in” title to the top.  For the countdown I made several smaller pieces of cardstock and added them below with a staple so you can rip them off as you countdown to back to school.  This was then attached to the centre of the notepaper.  To finish the project off I added a piece of twine to the binding clip.

For the second project I made a Christmas Nice List.  I cut the clipboard and the binding clip designs from Jillibean Soup corrugated cardboard and I cut the note paper design from Kraft paper. 

I created a smaller piece of Kraft with printed lines in Microsoft Publisher to add the names of the people who make my nice list this year.  These were then glued onto the centre of the clipboard base.  Again I added the binding clip piece to the top with foam tape.  To decorate my project I cut out some presents from the Jillibean Soup patterned paper and used foam tape to attach them to the bottom of the project.  I also finished this project with some twine around the binding clip.

These projects were so much fun to create.  If you would like to see more details on how I made these projects I created a video which you can see here:

 

Thanks for stopping by. - Fleur

---

Thanks for sharing such cute clipboard ideas, Fleur!  Are you a fan of Fleur's style?  Hop on over to her blog for more of her work, and swing by her Two Peas gallery as well!

Paper Earrings Tutorial with Sarinda

I used to make jewelry before I started doing glass work. So I am always looking for different ways to create jewelry.  I have been loving the paper line from Basic Grey What's Up.... and the colors are perfect for some jewelry. This is so very simple... I promise.

All you need is a few basic paper supplies and two jewelry hand tools. Wire snips and barrel tip pliers or needle nose pliers will work.

Paper: Basic Grey What's Up?  Cut strips of  the paper, I did mine 1"x6".
Glossy Accents Glue
Small wooden dowel or toothpick
Razor Blade 
Wire or Headpins with the loops at one end
Earring wires
Wire snips
Needle nose pliers

Step 1:
Cut your strips of paper to your desired length and thickness. Mine are 1"x6".

 

Step 2:

Cut the wooden dowel or tooth pick down the center with the razor blade.... PLEASE be so so careful when you are doing this.You are creating a channel to place the paper in to wind it into a cylinder.

 

 

This is what it should look like when you are done.

 

 

Step 3: 

Slip the paper into the slot you made and start to wind it around the dowel. This is the hardest part is to get it going. But once you start you might not stop. ;D

 

Step 4:
Glue the edge with Glossy Accent... This image is not quite accurate... I had a hard time holding the camera and the glue at the same time.... I opened up the cylinder about half of a wind and place the glue. Then once the glue is set you can remove the cylinder from the dowel. 

 Then repeat so that you have two.

 I was on a roll and made a whole bunch......

Step 5:
Slip the head pin with the loop at one end into the paper cylinder. 

Step 6:
Make another loop at the end to secure the paper cylinder to the wire.

Step 7:
Attach the looped end to the earring wire and close. Repeat...

There you have it now you can go out on the town with your new jewels... ;D

I made the bracelet just because I was a nut and made so many of these little guys.  These would also make great embellishments for a card or a layout.

Enjoy-

Sarinda

---

Thanks so much for the inspiration, Sarinda!  Who's inspired to add to their jewelry box now?  Or make some Christmas gifts!?  Keep up with Sarinda on her blog, and take a look at her Two Peas gallery for more of her work!

Neon Starburst Technique with Ashley

I'm in love with neon. Not sure how long this love affair will last, but it's burning day-glo bright right now!

When I saw these Hero Arts neon ink pads at 2Peas, I had to have them. I bought both the yellow and orange (only because the pink was not available, def going in my next order). I tried them out as soon as my order arrived, and woooo-boy! are they ever neon. Like the juiciest, brightest, most awesomely intense highlighter you ever could have wanted.

I also really liked the texture the ink pads created on the paper when I swiped them on directly to sample the colour, and it inspired me to try a new technique to create a sunburst pattern on my page. I made a little video to demonstrate, but it really is quite easy! And it does create an awesome texturizing effect on the page.

Photo of my beautiful Addie Blue on her 8th birthday. She is so cute and so sweet and so INTENSE about so many things. She's all kinds of awesome. 

You can see the texture of the ink pad on the page in the photo above. I've included a few more detail shots below after the video.

 

Love it when I find an easy technique that not only uses a favourite product, but (I think!) looks so much more than how easy it was! This was such a fast way to add a huge impact on a page.

Love these glittery pink Thickers! I punched some small hearts from pale pink and flourescent pink paper and sprinkled them around one of the white spaces between the neon rays.

I love the cross-hatchy texture of the ink pad directly on the paper. The text confetti was punched from an old dictionary.

There is so much variation in the texture depending on how the ink pad was applied to the paper and how much coverage is achieved. 

These Heidi Swapp embellishments are so cute! I loved them so much more in person than I did when I saw them online. The Sugar Chic bows are big and made out of nice heavy weight, slightly glossy cardstock. And the Sugar Chic Stix are also much bigger than I thought they would be. They are double-sided, too! Bonus! 

I really love the way the grey OA Icebox Sprinkler looks next to the neon yellow!

Here I used Studio Calico wood veneer stars as confetti and photo corners punched from an old book page. 

I hope you will give this sunburst ink technique a try! If you do, please link me up to your page, I would totally love to see it! 

Supplies: cardstock (We R Memory Keepers); ink pad (Hero Arts); wood veneer (Studio Calico); punches (the Paper Studio, Martha Stewart); tags (Avery); bow (Heidi Swapp); decorative stick (Heidi Swapp); chipboard letters (American Crafts); paper clips (Tim Holtz); misting ink (October Afternoon); pen (Sakura).

 

---

Thanks so much for passing along this technique, Ashley!   Follow Ashley on her blog here, and be inspired by all the projects she has up in her Two Peas gallery!

 

How to Make Your Gallery Uploads Sparkle with Laura

For my tutorial I’m going to step out my process for photographing and editing the photos of my cards for web display.  This is a topic that comes up fairly regularly on the message boards so I thought I’d step out my own process, which involves natural light and some post processing in Photoshop Elements.

The first thing you have to do is find the right spot:

I’ve tried many different spots in my house and this is where I get my best card photos, on these steps with the light coming in at the side from these windows and using a white t shirt for a backdrop.

If the stairs in your house aren’t the best spot you can use the side of a cardboard box to drape the shirt over.  If I am photographing a scrapbook layout and need a backdrop taller than the step I use a cardboard box with the shirt draped over the side and sit it on the landing.

The camera I use is a Nikon D70 with a fixed 35mm f2 lens and I keep the flash turned off.  This is an 8 year old DSLR with 5 megapixels.  I don’t think you need a DSLR to take good project photos, but you need to keep the camera very steady when taking pictures indoors without the flash to get a sharp picture.  I don’t use a tripod, but I do lock my elbows at my sides and hold my breath before I hit the shutter.  I also like to take my pictures at a slight angle to show off any dimensional elements on the card.

After taking the picture open it in Photoshop Elements:

I’m using Version 9 of Photoshop Elements.  Prior to 9 I had Version 6 and the editing steps were the same, so I’m assuming the steps are the same in all of the recent versions.  If you don’t have Photoshop Elements and aren’t sure if you want to buy it, you can download a free 30 day trial from the Adobe website and try it out to help you decide.

Now to get rid of the gray dinginess:

From the dropdown menu hit Enhance > Adjust Lighting > Levels

This box pops up on the right

Click the white eyedropper, then click the whitest part of the white t shirt backdrop (I’m clicking the lower right corner) and here is what happens:

Now it’s looking good!

To finish it up click Enhance > Auto Sharpen

Then crop the image to your liking (the crop tool is along the left side, next to the “T”)

Then File > Save for Web

    

In Save for Web some defaults come up that you need to change:

Change GIF to JPEG then change Selective to Very High or Maximum

In the New Size block change the width from whatever number is in the box to 550.  The height will auto adjust.

Now hit OK and here is what you’ve got:

Now you’ve got a clear, bright photo of your card at a good file size that is ready to upload to the 2Peas gallery!

---

Thanks so much for sharing your process with us, Laura!  Now we hope to see even more inspiring projects in our gallery. :)  

Find more inspiration from Laura including cardmaking and scrapbooking from digital to hybrid to traditional papercrafting on her blog.  You'll find she also regularly updates her Two Peas gallery too.  Thanks again, Laura!

Be Inspired by Pinterest with Ashley

Our guest blogger, Ashley, is inviting you to play along in a challenge today - create a Pinterest-inspired page or project!

"...use an unusual colour combination inspired by one of your Pins. Use any type of pin you feel inspired by, and use your colour inspiration however you wish. It doesn't have to be a crazy out-there colour combo, just something that you've wanted to try and is maybe not a combination you would have come up with on your own.

I loved this image the second I saw it. The lovely calming pastels all held down with a tiny bit of neon tape. Love the randomness and feeling of a collection in the works here, too.  

I used the blue/white/light tan colourway from my inspiration image, and added in neon yellow and neon pink. The neon products here are Heidi Swapp neon tapes, and neon pink and yellow labels from Avery.

I punched confetti from the neon pink labels in three different sizes and added to a glassine envelope. I adhered a few pieces to the front of the envelope, too.

The yellow chevron tape is by Bella Blvd. One of my most-used tapes.

Love vellum! Love the way this blue vellum looks partially over the scallop tag and the patterned paper behind the photo. Thought it did a good job of recreating that pale blue calming feel in the inspiration image.

I punched this photo corner from a neon pink Avery label just left on the backing paper. 
Love layering tape! Especially with tapes like these that are a bit transparent. 

Link up your Pin-in colour combo layout here. Challenge will be open for one week. I will draw one random entry for a 5.00 gift certificate to 2Peas and announce it on my blog next week on September 28th!


Supplies: patterned paper (Studio Calico); vellum (the Paper Studio); tags (Avery); punches (Martha Stewart, Fiskars); punches (Martha Stewart); labels (Avery); photo corners (Heidi Swapp, Canson); tapes (Heidi Swapp, Bella Blvd.); pen (Sakura)

---

Thanks so much for sharing with us and for the challenge, Ashley!  We love how you rocked the neon colors.  Follow Ashley on her blog here, and be inspired by all the projects she has up in her Two Peas gallery!