SQUEEEEE! I have a tutorial published on SCS!

Paper Beads with DSP - Some of you may remember that I promised a tutorial several months ago for this fun project. It's taken a while because I couldn't share it until Beate had it posted on SCS, but here it is now! Be on the look out for my fancy fold tutorial as well!

Paper Beads are a fun way to use up scraps of DSP, and it’s not just for crafters, it’s a fun “mommy & me” project to do with the “littles” as well!

Supplies: Pretty Designer Paper, Toothpicks, Glue, Diamond Glaze, Bone Folder, Scissors/paper trimmer


NOTE: Diamond Glaze gives the paper beads a nice shiny/glassy look, however you could use Modge Podge, Shimmer Paint, or VersaMark and UTEE to finish the beads as well, anything that dries clearly could be used.

Step 1: Cut DSP into ½” x 4” strips


Step 2: “Curl” the DSP using your bone folder, this will help as you begin to wrap your beads.


Step 3: Put a thin strip of glue on one end of the DSP. You don’t need a lot of glue, but don’t skimp either, a thin line of glue on the last two inches should do.


Step 4: Beginning with the end with no glue, start wrapping the DSP tightly around the toothpick. The glue will ooze out as you get to that end, just wipe off excess glue. (Tip, you may want to keep wet wipe next to you to wipe any excess glue off your fingers)


Step 5: Place toothpick across a narrow container (SU Build a brad container used here) or poke the toothpick into a piece of Styrofoam if you have some.


Step 6: Continue rolling beads until you have the number you want.


Step 7: Place a quarter size dollop of Diamond Glaze (SU Crystal Effects used here) onto a disposal plastic “palette” (An old CD or plastic lid works great)


Step 8: Carefully roll the bead into the diamond glaze to coat, being careful not to get any onto your toothpick.
TIP: You can get really creative now, try wrapping metallic string/embroidery floss, sprinkling glitter, mini confetti, etc, on while the diamond glaze is still wet to give the beads some texture or added dimension.


Step 9: Once you have all your beads rolled allow them to dry (walk away, do the dishes, watch a movie, do not attempt to heat dry diamond glaze it just won’t dry looking right)


Step 10: After at least one hour come back and carefully slide your beads off your toothpicks.


Step 11: String your beads as you wish


Step 12: Use beads as a decorative element


Option 2, Step 1: Cut DSP into triangles 4” long by 1” across at the widest edge.


Option 2, Step 2: Roll as stated in steps 2 – 10 above starting with the one inch edge.


Option 2, Step 3: You’ll have long, tapered beads this way


Option 2, Step 4: String and use!

Shimmering Pastels! OR Faux Mother of Pearl Gets a New Look

Anyone remember Lumiere and Pearlex? I loved that stuff and I was totally bummed when SU! retired it!!! But this fall they brought out "Shimmer Paint" in a lightbulb moment I got to wondering if I could re-create the Faux Mother of Pearl look with this. Although the steps are all the same, the results aren't quite the same! The "glitter/glimmer" element in the Shimmer Paint gives a totally diffent texture and although you can use ink, I found I preferred doing this with my chalks!

So sit back and enjoy "Shimmering Pastels!"

Step 1: Gather Glossy cardstock, a wad of Saran Wrap, and some Shimmer paint (Any color, I don't think it'll matter whether you use White, Champange, or Silver, although I used Champange here)and a palette of some sort, I used a scrap of clear transparency sheet.


Step 2: Use your wadded up Saran wrap as a "pouncer" and pounce the Shimmer paint randomly on the glossy cardstock. You don't want to competely cover the c/s you want some "veins" of the white glossy to show through.


Step 3: This is the hard part...Let your paint dry!


Step 4: Take a sponge (don't look at my stained one, it really is clean) and some chalks and rub the chalk over the entire piece of c/s.


Step 5: It should look something like this and now you just use this anyway you want!


Here's what I did! The first one is what the butterflies are made of. One butterfly is Bravo Burgundy chalk and the other is Pumpkin Pie chalk. I stamped the butterflies, cut them out, and popped them up on the card! I love butterflies!



On this one the background is Lovely Lilac and the hearts are Pixie Pink. The entire color combo here is Kraft, Lavendar Lace, Black, Lovely Lilac, and Pixie Pink. Not a combo I normally reach for but I like this unique Valentine-ish look!



If you do this, give me a holler and let me see your creations!!!

Faux Ribbon Roses

Faux Ribbon Roses

I cannot take any credit for this, unfortunately I don't remember where I originally saw it either, so I'm re-creating it in the way that I did it.


See my little ribbon roses in the lower right hand corner? That's what I'm going to show you how to do! {tip, add some green leaves ;) I forgot them!)


1. Punch some 1/4" holes, but keep your punched pieces you'll need them at the end. I used Almost Amystest cardstock here.


2. Now punch 1 1/4" circles, centering your 1/4" circle in the middle.


3. Now cut your circles into spirals, starting on the outside and cutting in toward your littlest hole. The width of your spirals will determine how "thick" or high your FRR will stand. {Another tip, twist a paperclip to look like mine}


4. Now slide one end of the cardstock into the loop on your paperclip, spiral your C/S around that loop.


5. Keep spinning the C/S around that paperclip, adding some Mono-Multi as you go to keep it together.


6. They should look like this (sorry about the crappy photo)


7. Now take that 1/4" circle you saved and glue it to the bottom of your FRR.


8. This is what the bottom will look like, use a glue dot to adhere it to your project now! (again sorry about the crappy photo)


9. You can now "kick" it up a notch by adding some glitter to top edges of your FRR or you could "rough" up the edges using your edge distressor, play with it and see what you can do!

Magic Tissues

What do all of these cards have in common? They were made with a napkin!!!! Scroll on down and I'll tell you how I did it!

1. You need a pretty printed napkin, kleenex, paper towel, you know some kind of tissue.

(Note, no you will not be able to use tissue paper you've stamped on, unless you've stamped with all waterproof ink - or you like the runny ink look that's your choice - but you can use stamped tissue paper with the HOT CARD technique which is linked at the very bottom of this post)

2. You'll need to know how many "ply" that tissue is, in this unsuspecting napkin's case it's a 3 ply napkin.

3. Crumble up that tissue to make the tissues easier to separate, you only want the top layer.

4. Water down some cheap, washable, school glue, just a little not much. (you're gonna get messy, you WANT something that's easy to clean up!)

5. Spread that glue all over a piece of GP 110 Cardstock from Walmart.

6. Now glue the top layer only of the napkin onto the cardstock.

7. Yes some glue will seep through the tissue that's normal, BUT now is time to add the magic.

8. Sprinkle glitter, pearlex, or other shimmery/sparkly medium over that wet glue.

9. Now let the whole mess dry and come back in an hour.

10. Okay it's been an hour - cut the whole thing apart and make your focal images to use just like a stamped focal image!

Or you could just use the>>> "Hot Card" <<<>

Wanna Camp?

As some of you may know one of my favorite things after stamping and scrapping happens to be camping! Well my friend Tracy (aka TracyM. - don't forget the period) over at SCS sent me this card

Well I had to try to figure out how to make it myself and for lack of knowing the appropriate name I'm calling it a Tent Card because it kinda looks like a Tent as it's going together.

I tried to do a picture tutorial here, I hope you can figure out what I did!

Start with an 8 1/2 x 5 1/2 piece of CS, score at 4 1/4" and again at 5 3/4"

Turn and score at 2 3/4"

Score at a diagonal to a point (see the pencil lines) between the 4 1/4 and 5 3/4 score lines.

Fold your score lines as shown.

See it's starting to look like a tent.

Flip the fold lines in an up, till you start to see a diamond on the front.

Before decorating it should look like this.

Here's another view

And Ta Da! When you're all done you should get this!!!!