Rainbow Loom Layout for Practical Scrappers

I'm super excited about today's project -- it's a fun outlet for my latest "other" obsession -- Rainbow Loom bracelets! I bought my boys each a Rainbow Loom for Christmas and lots of band colors and an organizer case. They did have fun with it for a bit -- but I must admit, it was me who was the most excited to play with it. LOL.

So this month's Frugal Finds feature for Practical Scrappers is Rainbow Loom bands. I love the monthly Frugal Finds challenge, because you get to create something awesome with items you probably have around the house. Luckily, I have a ton of Rainbow Loom bands...

For my project, I created a super, super long Rainbow Loom bracelet in colors to coordinate with the Our Lil Monster collection from Bo Bunny. Then I used the bracelet to create a fun page border for my layout:

Isn't it bright and colorful and awesome? I used the original weaving pattern and just used jump rings to attach each bracelet to each other until I got a long enough bracelet (I created six bracelets total). Then I just stapled the bracelet right to my page using my Tiny Attacher.

Okay, I love this technique -- and I love this new collection from Bo Bunny! What a fun combination. I hope you are inspired to try using Rainbow Loom bands on your next project. Head on over to Practical Scrappers to see what the other designers came up with for their Frugal Finds projects.

Stay crafty!
Lissa :)

How To: Cookie Cutter Background

Hello all! I'm here today to share a quick tutorial for making your own unique background papers. This is part of the Frugal Finds feature this month for Practical Scrappers. I love this monthly challenge -- to use something you probably have around the house to create something beautiful for your scrapbooks or home.

This month, our theme was cookie cutters. There are so many things you can do with cookie cutters -- I decided to use a star cookie cutter to create this beautiful and unique background paper:

Creating this background is super easy, even if it is a bit messy. :) Glitter does tend to get everywhere, but it's a small price to pay, right?

1. To get started, choose your cookie cutter, background paper, glitter, and an acrylic paint that will match your glitter. That's right -- instead of using glue or tape to hold the glitter, we're going to use acrylic paint.
2. Make a small pool of your acrylic paint, then dip your cookie cutter into the paint, covering all the sides. A small paintbrush can help get the paint onto your cookie cutter.
   
   
   
   
   
3. Stamp your image. This can take some finagling and practice, depending on your cookie cutter. And it won't be perfect -- but that's part of the charm.
4. Sprinkle the paint-stamped image with glitter, then shake off the excess.
   
   
   
   
   
5. Admire your work. :)
   
   
   

Super easy! Now, just repeat the design across your background paper. I love how it turned out -- just the right amount of glitter with a shabby chic look.

With this paper as my background, I put the rest of my layout together, using papers from Webster's Pages and bits and pieces from my stash. I also cut out the Christmas title with my Silhouette Cameo, using a word from this cut file set from Miss Kate Cuttables.

I encourage you to try this technique -- it's fun and easy, and I love that it uses items you probably have at home. If you create something with cookie cutters, be sure to link it up over at Practical Scrappers. We would love to see your projects.

Until next time,

Stay crafty!
Lissa :)

Frugal Finds for Practical Scrappers

I have a fun project to share today as part of the Frugal Finds feature at Practical Scrappers. This month's theme was book pages, and the designers have lots of great ideas about how to use book pages on your crafty projects.

For my project, I decided to keep using up my January kit and create some handmade paper snowflakes, just like the ones we used to make when we were kids.

Aren't they pretty? I love the texture these book page elements bring to my page. And, really, they're super simple to make:

1. To start, punch a circle from your book page. (I used a 2 1/2" circle punch.) 
2. Fold the circle in half, and then in half again, and then one more time (or more if you can manage it).
3. Use your sharpest scissors to cut little notches out of the edges of the folded circle.

4. Unfold, and voila, a lovely snowflake. Pretty soon, you'll have a little pile of them...

5. Then, just use your mists and glitter glue to give them sparkle and shine...

To add them to my page, I lined them up and sewed them down, cutting a few in half to let them float right off the page.

The papers and stickers on this layout are all from the Winter Wishes collection by Echo Park, except for the white woodgrain background which is from TPC Studios. I used my Kiwi Lane Designer Templates to create the vertical layered border (Chestnut Drive 1A and 2B). I also added a strip of icy blue polka dot washi tape as another border layer.

I love how this layout turned out. Those book page snowflakes are one of my most favorite things I've made so far this year (okay, it's on January, but still!). And these photos are precious to me -- we still have that sled and my boys are 10 years old! This was one of the first times they were out in the snow.

I hope I've inspired you to try using a frugal find on your crafty projects -- book pages can be made into almost anything, and they add such great texture to your projects. Be sure to head over to Practical Scrappers to see lots of other ways to use book pages...

Until next time,
Stay crafty!
Lissa :)