We have reached our 6th and final day of Boot Camp.
 

Thank you for joining us this week! We laughed, we cried, we journaled, we designed, we stamped, we edited, and we had a ball. Yes, we were inspired in Boot Camp, but we never perspired!

It's not over yet! Here's today's schedule:

06:00 Stamping Drill
Nichol Magouirk will take you on a emboss & resist journey that will inspire you to dust off those tools (or buy some new ones) so you can create these looks yourself! Utterly amazing.



Our morning sponsor is us, Ella Publishing and we are offering a $50 gift certificate.

12:00 Lunch Break
Pop back in to the Boot Camp Barracks for Wendy's final storytelling segment.




18:00 Photo-Editing Drill
Maggie Holmes will share insider secrets for how to make your subject's eyes really sparkle! Her steps will bring dark eyes into the light or give a good pair of peepers that extra punch to make them REALLY shine. And as a bonus, you'll also learn tricks for whitening your subjects' teeth! (Without dental trays or any messy chemicals. ;)



Our evening sponsor is Shutterfly who is giving away a $25 gift card and Big Picture Classes who is giving away a spot in Doable DIY Decor, a new self-paced class.

If you're already registered, don't forget that you have until October 1 (one week from today) to enter our daily giveaways. So keep following that inspiration, creating your pages, and uploading them for your chance to win.
 

We have LOVED seeing your work so far, and hearing your reactions to our 10 previous drills and 5 lunchtime inspiration sessions. If you'd like to register now and play catch up all next week (at your own pace), we'd love to have you. Wouldn't you like to enjoy firsthand everything you've seen here on the blog this week?

Over and out!

First of all, let us say,

Happy Elephant Appreciation Day!

Have you hugged an elephant today?

In honor of this once-a-year event, please use code ELEPHANTSRULE to save 10 percent on any purchase today only! Boot Camp recruits can use code ELEPHANTASTIC to save 20 percent on any purchase (must be logged into your user account for the code to work)!

And also, Boot Camp continues! We're having SO much fun in the barracks, with inspiring new ideas posted daily.

Here's today's schedule:

06:00 Stamping Drill
Nichol Magouirk shares everything you ever wanted to know about stamping with word and phrase stamps! You'll see layouts, tags, journaling spots, file folders, titles, the works! It's amazing, fun, and inspirational.



And our morning sponsor is Lawn Fawn, who's giving one lucky winner a package (valued at $64) that includes some of their newest sets: Many Thanks, Happy Haunting, Pa-Rum-Pa-Pum-Pum, Making Frosty Friends, and Winter Fox.
 

12:00 Lunch Break
Pop back in to the Boot Camp Barracks for a bonus inspiration video from "Storytelling Sergeant," Wendy Smedley. Every day this week, Wendy shares a fun and inspirational nugget about storytelling. Here's the layout she discusses today:




18:00 Photo-Editing Drill
This evening, Maggie Holmes is back to show you the hard way AND the easy way to add that oh-so-popular urban effect to a photo. (And with Maggie showing you how, the "hard way" really isn't that hard at all.)



Our evening sponsor is maggieholmesdesign.com, who is offering her awesome Color Mix Action Set (for either Photoshop or Photoshop Elements) to one lucky Boot Camp Recruit. Valued at $35.

Yes, you can still sign up. Since you have until October 1 to turn in your projects to enter the daily giveaways, it will be EASY to play catch-up all through next week. PROCRASTINATORS ARE WELCOME! Register for just $33 now.

If you're already registered, log into your user account and visit the page http://www.ellapublishing.com/bootcamp11. (You must be registered and logged in for the link to work.)

Thanks everyone for joining in! We're having an amazing time!

Note from the Editor: We're thrilled to share with you this awesome, FREE, professional how-to video, where Renee Pearson shares tricks for using digital brushes (the digital equivalent of stamping) in Photoshop Elements 9.



Thanks for viewing my video! I hope you learned a little something new about working with Photoshop Elements 9. If you don't have this program, download a free trial here and try this yourself! (Note: Sunny Side Brush Set by Anna Aspnes. For free brush sets to try on for size, check out this brush article by Celeste Smith.)

I’d also like to give away a registration in my self-paced workshop for beginners to one commenter! Just leave your comment by Wednesday, August 31, and we'll pick one lucky winner.




Back to Basics: An Introduction to Photoshop Elements for Crafters

Here's the class description:
Six years ago, when Renee wrote the first Digital Designs for Scrapbooking, computers were not yet an essential tool for mainstream scrapbooking. As the popularity of digital scrapbooking has grown, so has the need for easy-to-follow instructions. That's why she developed this workshop.

Renee will lead you through the fun, fast and easy lessons designed specifically for the beginning digital scrapbooker or crafter. Using Adobe Photoshop Elements and the digital kits and templates provided, you'll be whipping out digital scrapbook pages in no time.

About Renee Pearson
Renee Pearson is a digital designer, illustrator and educator and the owner of reneepearson.com. An established authority in the digital crafting world, she’s the author of two digital design books and former Associate Editor of “Digital Scrapbooking” magazine.

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Die cutting is experiencing a resurgence in popularity in the paper crafting world. Whether you are using a manual cutting machine, like a Big Shot or a Cuttlebug, or a digital one, like a Silhouette or Cricut, you can produce some very cool effects for your pages and cards.
Manual die cutters can cut and emboss a variety thick materials in addition to just cutting paper. Digital cutters offer flexiblity is size of cut image and the ability to cut computer fonts. Whichever you choose to use, die cutters are and extremely versatile too. Today, along with the help of Ella Friend Monika Wright, I’d like to share a few of my favorite die cut projects and maybe inspire you to dust off your machines & try something new.

Create a Textured Background
With some basic embossing folders and nesting shapes you can create your own textured cardstock. For this page, I created the circle background by first embossing some 4 x 6 panels with a few different patterns. I then cut the panels with a nesting circle die. I deliberately kept the color of the die cut area neutral so that attention would be focused on the texture and photos. This is a great technique for a card base, too!

materials: cardstock: Bazzill, American Crafts; patterned paper: Pink Paislee, Studio Calico; tags: Studio Calico; stickers: 7 Gypsies; buttons: Graphic 45; letter stickers: Basic Grey, American Crafts by Valerie Mangan

Page & Card Embellishments
For this card I used another 2 step process. First I wove strips of coordinating patterned papers into 4 x 6 panels then used the same nesting circle cutters to cut the shapes. I stitched the edges to hold the assemblies together. This is a great technique for mixing a lot of pattern in a small amount of space.

Materials: cardstock: Bazzill; patterned papers: Crate, Studio Calico, Cosmo Cricket, American Crafts; letters: Pink Paislee; string: Martha Stewart by Valerie Mangan

Ella Friend Monika Wright had this to say about her quick & easy die cut cards:

“We've been sending tons of mail to my son, who's away at Navy Boot Camp, and that's where the star card{s} come in: fun, but not too frilly or embarrassing. {At least I don't think so!} I knew I wanted to use the bracket-shaped die in some way and it seemed the perfect backdrop for the star-punched garland I strung together using baker's twine. Die cut, punch stars and holes, string with twine, adhere and you're done! Quick and simple summertime design.”
“For the card on the right I folded my die cut in half, glued more baker's twine to mimic the shape of the die cut and layered three paper punched star shapes, with pop dots in between. Think outside the box here...small note card, place card, gift tag or a great way to label all the dishes on a buffet table. “Great ideas for using that die, Monika!

Emboss Wood Veneer
Thicker materials can also be embossed and make really cool mini album covers. I made this one by first embossing the wood veneer panel then running it through the machine again to cut the bracket shape. The pages for the album are cut from the same shape die but you could certainly mix shapes here for a more playful book. (This mini album was inspired by the new Ella Publishing’s List It! Everyday Edition and will eventually contain snapshots some keepsakes in my home that make me smile.)

Materials: wood veneer: Stampin’ Up; cardstock: Bazzill; patterned papers: Crate, Studio Calico; letters: Pink Paislee; tin pin: October Afternoon; butterfly: Making Memories; string: Divine Twine by Valerie Mangan

Some other cool things you can try with your die cutter:
·         Accentuate the negative: use the leftover/negative cuts for page elements and masking
·         Run a little panel of woven or stitched fabric through die cutter
·         Cut vintage material: maps, vintage cards, sewing patterns, etc
·         Emboss a thick material like wood veneer or plastic, apply a light coating of paint and use as a stamp.
·         Make dimensional shapes by stacking multiple cut outs.
·         Experiment with embossing using unconventional materials like leaves, window screening, drywall tape, etc…
·         Smash things, like metal bottle caps  (please check to make sure your machine can handle this first before     attempting…)

Are the wheels turning yet? I hope I’ve inspired you to break out that die cutting machine and put it to good use!

Welcome to day twelve of Spring Training! HAPPY (inter)NATIONAL SCRAPBOOKING DAY! Everyone is free to participate in our daily blog challenges and giveaways from this entire week. If you're going to a crop today, these past six blog posts offer six great ideas to try while you're there.

And yes, you can still sign up and become a craft-lete.  Sign up here to enjoy access to all the videos, downloads, and bonus content through June 30th! There's still time to enter all of the second week's amazing giveaways...

If you're already registered, click here to visit the Craftnasium. (Note: must be signed in to your user account for the page to load.)

Note from the Coach

"Paper Piecing is the topic for today with me, Tammy Tutterow, the Spring Training technique coach. With so many electronic die cutting machines out there paper piecing from scratch may seem obsolete. Today I share how easy it is to create your own patterns from photographs and line drawings. By knowing how to make your own patterns, you can skip the expensive cartridges and have the ability to create what you want, super detailed or way easy any time you want! If you are intrigued, you will want to watch today's video and see what I mean! "


Interested in the full lesson? Click here to learn more.

FREE Bonus Inspiration

For more examples of this challenge to help you with today's exercise and challenge, check out Keshet's entry on Write.Click.Scrapbook.

Today's Giveaway

Pacrticipate in today's challenge for a chance to win a $25 gift card to Shutterfly.com!
A second winner will receive a free copy of 8 is Enough by Studio Calico!

Daily Discount

Today only, save $1 on 8 is Enough  by  April Foster and Studio Calico.
Use the code SPREIGHTat checkout.

Today's Challenge is...

Paper piece an accent or main visual for a layout. Or, if you're a registered Craft-lete, you can simply share the writing exercise that Tammy challenged you to try in the full video! You can share this writing exercise in the comments section below. Have fun!

Welcome to day eight of Spring Training! Everyone is free to participate in our daily blog challenge and giveaway, so join in the fun below. Or register for FULL access to all past and present videos, downloads, and bonus content here. Price just reduced to $30 for those joining us during week two!

Sign up here

If you're already registered, click here to visit the Craftnasium. (Note: must be signed in to your user account for the page to load.)

Note from the Coach

"Hey everyone, it's Tammy Tutterow here!  I am the technique coach for Spring Training.  Today I shared just how quick and easy it is to create your own backgrounds for layouts and projects using stencils.  In the class video I made a whole layout with just white cardstock, a stencil, and a couple of colors of mists!  Don't think you could make a page from just white cardstock, think again and check out this video to see how!"


Interested in the full lesson? Click here to learn more.

FREE Bonus Inspiration

For more examples of this challenge to help you with today's exercise and challenge, check out Donna Januzzi's  entry on Write.Click.Scrapbook.

Thanks to today’s sponsor, Jenni Bowlin Studio

Jenni Bowlin Studio is our sponsor and they are offering a papercrafting kit (shown below)  to one lucky winner who enters today's challenge!



A second winner will win a copy of UR2Cre8ive by Stacy Julian

Daily Discounts

Today only, save $1 on the best-selling eBook, UR2Cre8ive by Stacy Julian! Use the code SPRCREATIVE at checkout.

From Jenni Bowlin Studio a coupon code that saves you 10%. Use the code ELLA at checkout. Codes expires May 8, so hurry!

Today's Challenge is

Create a layout featuring your own custom-designed background

Welcome to the final installment of "In Stitches," where we're sharing the various ways Ella friends Brenda Johnston, Jennifer Larson, and I add stitching to our projects. Click on any of the images below for a larger view.

Faux Stitching

Faux stitching gives the look & appearance of real stitches. The simplest way to achieve this look is to simply draw the stitches in with a pen. Here are a few examples of how to achieve the sewn look without actually sewing:

Paper piercer + pen
This project features faux stitching around the edges. I simply drew the stitch lines around the perimeter of the cards, and then poked a hole in each end of each line. Instant stitches! (This technique also adds a subtle texture.)

Pen stitching
On these cards, Brenda did a variation on the straight ‘faux’ stitch. “Faux stitching is a great technique when you are short on time. Instead of the traditional straight stitch look, try adding a dot or two in-between each straight stitch. It adds a little something different and is eye-catching.

Quilter’s wheel & paint
This technique utilizes a tool from another hobby – a needlecrafter’s tracing wheel. Simply dip the wheel into a little acrylic paint and roll it onto the project. The wheel makes a neat, uniform line of dots. You can pierce them or not.




Other Tools:
As I mentioned previously, there are a lot of products that will help you add stitching to a project. Relatively new to the stitching scene is this tool from We Are Memory Keepers. It combines the pattern making ability of the stitch guides with the ease of the tracing wheel.


Don’t forget the multitude of stamps, rub ons, stickers and other faux stitched products out there. There is something for everyone!

With so many options for all skill levels, we hope we’ve inspired you to add some stitching to your projects, today!

Welcome to day two of "In Stitches," where we're sharing the various ways Ella friends Brenda Johnston, Jennifer Larson, and I add stitching to our projects. Click on any of the images below for a larger view.

Hand Stitching

Hand stitching on a layout is an ideal way to add texture to a project. The nature of embroidery floss makes this kind of stitching a little more dimensional. In addition, you can hand stitch with a variety of materials, including ribbon and bakers’ twine. With hand sitching you have more control over where the stitches go, allowing you to accent specific shapes & details.

On Brenda’s “May page – we see the impact a little hand stitching can add:.


Brenda says, “Add stitching to your embellishments to make them pop! I stitched through only half of the sun rays, I thought all of them might be overkill. The hot air balloon is a cardstock sticker from Echo Park. I love the bright colors! I first adhered it to a piece of thin computer paper, then cut it out. I thought this would make it easier to stitch through--the back was pretty sticky and I didn't want it to be hard to push a needle through. I then adhered the embellishment with dimensional adhesive--if I hadn't the embellishment wouldn't have laid flat in most places and would have looked sloppy. “



I love how Brenda combines stitching and ribbon in a clever way on this layout:



“Go one step beyond the straight stitch and add a lot of interest to a layout,” comments Brenda. “Adding an "x" stitch over a piece of pom pom ribbon adds a fun element that is sure to attract the eye. I used a contrasting color of thread to make this visual stand out. “



Stitch templates
Stitch templates take the worry out of hand stitching. The translucent plastic cards have holes punched at even intervals in various stitching patterns. Simply line the desired pattern up on your project, pierce the holes with the guide and you are ready to stitch. Jennifer used this technique for her page “Me 2011“:


Jennifer says, “One of the easiest ways to stitch is to use stitching templates. Some of my favorites are the Bazzill stitching templates, especially the flourishes. On this page, I sneaked a few flourishes in around the title and the photo to add some spunk to this page about my spunky kid.”

Freehand Stitching
Making your own custom stitch patterns is simple. For this project I drew the steam swirls from the coffee cup logo onto the project, then went back with a paper piercer to punch the stitch holes. I erased the pencil lines after I stitched with coffee-colored floss. To keep the stitching bold, I used all of the strands in the floss bundle. (You can decrease the number of strands when you need less dimension.)

Jennifer offers some great tips for freehand stitching: “Get a foam pad from a craft store, plus a paper piercer (a push pin would work too). Lightly hand draw a line in pencil--curved, straight, etc.--then punch holes about every quarter inch (closer will destroy the paper). Erase the light pencil lines, then thread a needle with floss--I use three strands of DMC--and do either a running or backstitch. Other types of embroidery stitches can be done; here's a helpful free stitching guide and here's another one.

The French Knot
French knots are a great dimensional, hand-stitched accent. They can replace a brad, serve as a small page accent and provide texture. On the card on the left, I stitched green French knots on the branches to simulate buds. On the right I used metallic floss to make ‘French knot rain’ for this shower card:


French knots are easy and add a lot of impact. A great tutorial can be found here.

Tune in to our "In Stitches" series again tomorrow (Saturday), when we'll share how to get the look of stitching without the needle and thread.

Hi all! Val here to talk to you today about a technique that is near & dear to me & the Ella friends: stitching. For me, stitching on my projects, whether it’s by machine, by hand or drawn in with a pen, is my signature. I can use as much or as little product as I like, but once the stitching gets added, the project is uniquely mine.

I know the idea of sewing on pages can be intimidating, especially if you don’t consider yourself a sewer. Since there are a variety of methods to get stitching onto a page, this versatile technique is do-able for everyone at every skill level. For the next three days, we’ll take a peek at the various ways I and Ella friends Brenda Johnston & Jennifer Larson add stitching to our projects.

Machine Sewing

Machine stitching is by far, the fastest way to sew on your projects. It is precise and fairly low profile, depending on the thickness of thread you use. The lines created with machine stitching are extremely effective for framing areas on your projects, outlining elements and adding movement across a project. Even with only the straight and zigzag stitches, used at varying lengths, you can achieve a multitude of looks.

I love to stitch through whatever I can. I also love how stitching through a product can transform it. Here, I sewed through the wood veneer flowers in order to unify the element, secure them to the page and mimic the curved blue lines printed on the paper. (NOTE: click all images to see a larger view.)



A side bonus of machine sewing is that it acts as a permanent adhesive. Sewing on your pages will allow you to cut down on the need for large amounts of adhesive. Here’s an example of a project where the adhesive on the letter stickers failed. I remedied the problem with a line of stitching right through the type. I love the added dimension from the curled letters and the movement from the stitched lines. (These letters are never coming off now!) The same color stitching frames out the page. The curvy stitch lines are a great compliment to the linear design of the patterned paper and letters.



It doesn’t all have to be straight or zigzag with machine sewing. You can do a more ‘freestyle’ form of machine sewing (also called free motion/embroidery sewing) if you lower the feed dogs of your machine. If your machine has this option, the manual will guide you through the process. Once you are in free motion sewing mode, the possibilities are endless.

On this page, I mimicked free motion sewing by sewing the background circles. I actually traced a plate with pencil and stitched on my line. Then I erased whatever pencil lines were still visible after sewing. A quick note of advice: when sewing in a circle or curve, slow down. You will have more control.



On this page, I added spiral stitching on my handmade embellishments. The intentionally haphazard lines lend a playful feel:




Some good things to know about machine sewing:
1. If you are new to your machine, make sure you follow the threading directions. Even a slight deviation can cause major issues with your stitches.

2. Try not to sew through adhesive. Especially any kind of glue dot. This is a sure fire way to gunk up the works and destroy the needle. For best results, dot the project with a light adhesive to tack down the parts you want to sew – trying to avoid the areas where you plan to stitch.

3. There are no paper-specific needles. I usually use a needle designed to sew through cotton and I like to keep a bunch on hand. Your manual should have a chart to help you choose. Brenda adds this great advice: “. . . keep a needle reserved for your paper projects. Paper will dull your needle and is best to not use it again on fabric. These days I don't have time for fabric projects, so I just leave my "paper needle" in my machine at all times! (Me, too Brenda!)

4. If you are not sure you will be able to stitch through a thicker material (chipboard, plastic, etc) proceed slowly with a few test stitches.

5. Keep some clear tape handy to secure loose stitches on the back of your project.
 

Tune in again tomorrow, when we'll talk about the different ways to hand stitch, and Saturday too, where we'll share how to get the LOOK of stitching without the needle and thread.

Hello again Ella readers. I’m Carol Strine (a long-time Ella reader and Ella fan), and I’m back today still trying to save a few bucks by pulling out some old tools that I had tucked away. (Check out last week's post here.) I’m sure that you have a few of these dusty scrapbooking tools from days gone by that you would like to use to breathe new life into your layouts and cards.

Today we are going to look at simple ways to use some of your old and new punches. Here are a few of the tools that I used on my recent layouts.

In preparation to begin my layout, I was searching my old tool bin and I came across my Making Memories Tag Maker. I realized that I hadn’t used it in years, so I grabbed a circle punch to cut an apple out of patterned paper. I created the apple tag to resemble the half-eaten apple that my son is holding in his hand. I covered it with Alene’s Paper Glaze to give it a finished look.

I then grabbed a few more circle punches and punched a large circle for my title block and punched a smaller circle inside to add a contrasting color give further interest to my title. The circle punches were attached to other circles and tabs with dimensional foam and placed around the layout in a visual triangle to lead your eye around the page.

The border was created by punching random holes in varying sizes with my Provo Craft punch kit and my Crop-A-Dile. Once the holes were punched in a wandering border, I backed them with green cardstock to coordinate with the photos.

Still wanting to utilize some different punches and techniques, I created my next layout using a border punch, a corner punch, a rick rack punch and various sized circle punches. The border punch was used to focus your eyes on the photo and journaling. I used my rick rack punch to act as a bottom border for the photo and as a trail for the star accent. The corner punched was punched on each corner of a square piece of green cardstock to provide a base for the black circle punch and the number 5 sticker to rest on in the title block. This layout mixed and matched five different styles and types of punches without creating a random or distracting look.

I hope that I have inspired you to pull out some of your older, less used tools and reintroduce them back into your rotation of tools that you use to create layouts and cards. Who knows, maybe one of them might even earn a spot in your tool caddy and become your next go-to option.

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Thanks for guest posting these last two weeks, Carol! If you have a fabulous idea for a blog post and you're interested in sharing your thoughts with the Ella audience, please send an email to submissions@ellapublishing.com with "Guest Blogger" in the subject line. We'd love to have you!