Die Cut Machines: Which One is Right for You?

There are several scrapbook die cutting machines on the market that you can use right at home. They range in price from $70 to $500. Different types of die cut machines have different functions. In order to choose a machine that is right for your needs you will need to know the functions of the machines. Some of the most popular scrapbook die cutting machines used by avid scrappers are:

Sizzix

The Sizzix die cutting system easily cuts a variety of materials like paper, rubber and fabrics, using the Sizzix originals die cuts. The Sizzix machine has a handle you push down to cut your scrapbooking die cut shapes and letters. This die cutting machine is a great starter machine for beginning scrappers.

Xyron

This computerize personal cutting system is a revolutionary die cutting machine that can cut almost any shape you can load on to your PC. It is portable and easy to use. The Xyron cuts shapes, fonts and images in 3 sizes.

Xyron Wishblade

The Wishblade, an upgrade of the original Xyron personal cutting system, is a computerized die cut machine that hooks to your personal home computer and uses computer software to electronically create different scrapbook die cuts. The Wishblade will cut any font you can find on your computer. Although this scrapbook die cutting machine costs approximately $450, most die cut enthusiasts say it is worth the investment.

Cricut

The Cricut die cutting machine is an electric machine that uses cartridges for the die cuts and doesn’t require a computer. The cartridges fit between two pads and the die cuts are cut out clean and easy. There are a variety of cartridges available and most scrappers agree this is a versatile, portable machine.

Cuttlebug

The Cuttlebug is one of the newest die cutting machines. This little scrapbook die cutter easily grips to your surface so you can cut your dies with ease. It will also emboss your dies with the click of a switch. The Cuttlebug is compatible with cartridges from most of the major brand scrapbook die cutters on the market. You can conveniently take the Cuttlebug die cut machine anywhere without bulk. The Cuttlebug will cut paper, chipboard, thin metal, mesh and more. This scrapbook die cutter has earned “rave” reviews from scrappers everywhere.

Personal cutting systems are a great addition to your scrapbook supplies. When you decide what system is best for your scrapbooking needs, you will be able to create many adorable die cuts for scrapbooking.

Scrapbooking Team Sports

by Gwyn Calvetti (Jun 21, 2005)

Point guard. Red card. Spiker. Sweeper. Pickle. If reading any of these terms makes you think immediately of a ball field, hockey rink or indoor court, it?s a safe bet you are a fan of team sports. Maybe someone in your family is goalie for your soccer or hockey team. Maybe you get out every Thursday night for sand-court volleyball yourself. If so, it?s also a safe bet you have photos and memorabilia from your team involvement. Read on for some fresh ideas for photos and scrapping projects to remember your team.

Photo Tips

Each particular sport has unique challenges in photography. Some are easier to overcome than others. In all sports, capturing action is a key element. Here are some strategies to help you do just that.

Pre-focus on a location into which your athlete will move, then snap at the precise moment.
Use a combination of a high film speed and fast shutter speed to freeze action.

Follow your athlete by panning your camera slowly with the movement. This is particularly artful when done well, blurring the scene around and creating a sense of motion.

Lighting is the second sports photography challenge you will probably face. If your sport occurs outside in daylight, you will have the best luck at capturing well-lit shots. Other sports fans aren?t so lucky. Here are some ideas to consider.

If you are into hockey, curling or other ice sports, keep in mind that with that expanse of white ice, you run the risk of overexposure. Try setting your aperture for a half stop less or bracket your shots.

Indoor arenas and gyms can really be deceiving. It will appear bright to your eye, but it is very typical to have these shots underexposed. Add a half stop to your exposure setting.
Outdoor night sports, such as a night game at the football stadium, will look best with fast film. Remember that unless your flash is a professional-grade off-camera one, it will not provide enough light to reach your subject on the field. Shooting at a film speed of 1600 will increase your chances of getting the photos you want.

Click here for more sports photography tips.

Photo Ops You will want to capture some classic sports shots, if you can. Look to the photos you see featured in your local sports section of the daily paper for inspiration.

Some examples include:

The team high-fiving after scoring or a win
The physical contact of opposing players scrambling for the ball or puck
The focus on a players face before serving the ball or making a free throw
The batter slamming the ball, or sliding to base

Do not forget the fans, or the quiet moments in the sport. Sometimes, trying to capture action will be impossible, but you can still capture an essence of the sport. One of my favorite photos was taken as several of the boys on my sons 7th grade football team were walking back to the locker room. Their helmets were off, and their backs were to me, but they were clearly engaged in a discussion of the game just played.

Saving the Glory Days

Each scrapbooker will make her own decision about where to include any layouts about team sports. Most of the ones I have done for my two sons are part of their chronological albums. However, I have a son who has become a real soccerhead, allowing that to define who he is right now in his life. That deserves an album all its own, one that he might be able to share with his own soccerhead child someday.

Consider smaller albums or even less typical designs, such as accordion foldouts that can be displayed on a shelf in your athletes bedroom or dorm room. Older boys tend to be less interested in a photo album, but a cool-looking piece of art is something they can display along with trophies and medals.

Most often, you will design your layouts and albums in a more or less chronological fashion; 7th grade football, 7th grade basketball, 8th grade football and so forth.

Consider taking another approach that may help you look more deeply at what is gained from playing a team sport besides speed and muscle. Look at the sport from the standpoint of lessons learned, and create layouts to illustrate these lessons. This is a great way to gather up random shots that are from a number of events. A layout could be designed around the theme of ?hard work goes into a winning team, or mentor-coach. Be creative and ask your child what is important to him or her about the sport to help guide you.

Design for a Great TeamThere are as many design possibilities as there are team mascots. Your personal style will likely dictate your approach, directing you to go shabby or clean. Using team colors is an obvious choice, and can be especially effective if you decide to do an entire album. It will help coordinate the overall look, and if you work with color photos, it is highly likely you?ll be able to match your products to your photos, no matter if they were taken during the first game of the season or the state playoffs.

Take a look at the wide range of sports-themed papers and products available as well. Many of the major paper companies have developed whole product lines around most major sports. Some have a modern feel, others are funky retro. Many have accompanying embellishments to further enhance your design, such as football-shaped charms or stickers and overlays.

Do not be afraid to use some of these products for your basic scheme, and then add items from your own stash to give your design a unique look. The title page for my soccerhead?s album combines Karen Foster soccer paper with a kente cloth design from Grassroots. Using an international pattern underscores something I have discovered in my world travels soccer is a bridge across cultures.

One approach that is especially fun is to create a layout with the look of a newspaper or magazine feature. Digital designers can search their photo editing software to find pre-made templates with a magazine cover look or design one of their own. Younger kids in particular enjoy seeing themselves in that context.

Enjoy the game!Use some or all of these ideas to capture and save team memories. Enjoy the process, but do not get so caught up in saving the memories that you miss experiencing your childs first touchdown or goal first-hand. There will always be more, but that first one is priceless.

Source

New Cricut Releases!

What an unbelievable week of new releases from our favorite companies! Our personal fave is the Cricut products introduced at Summer CHA. The exciting releases include magnetic "paper", Embossing kits that you create from your Cricut shapes and use in your Cuttlebug, and stamp material to create your own acrylic stamps! What an amazing line of products from Provo Craft!

We started Pre-selling many of the items on the website already so check there for images. The Cricut Message Board also has a great selection of images you can scout!

Check back soon for my blog about the new lines being brought to "The Closet"!

Give me some feedback ladies!! What do you think is the best release for merging scrapbooking and the other create mediums?

Adhesives for Scrapbooking

Types of Adhesive:

Lines--little bits of double tape for ribbon

Dots--3d effect for pictures, journaling, etc.

Photo Corners--will keep pieces in place that can be removed, great if you need more duplicate photos. Use clear ones if you might remove the piece permanently.

Scrapbooking glues work great for adhering paper to paper just as a background mat to the scrapbook page. Craft glues also work well for adhering die cuts or punch outs. Glues with a fine tip - such as the EK Success Two-Way Glue - Fine Tip - can easily put one drop on a small item so it can be placed on your scrapbook page without making a mess with the excess glue! And there is even a metal glue to adhere metal to your scrapbook pages.

TIP: Do not put a page protector on your page for 24 hours after using any kind of craft glue.

Paper Adhesives include the photo mounting squares, double-sided tapes, the popular Hermafix dispenser and refills and pop-up squares for creating dimension on your scrapbook pages.
Photo Corners are perfect for heritage albums or for a fun look on newer photographs. They are also great if you think you may need to remove the picutre from the scrapbook album in the future.

Glue sticks are great all-purpose adhesives for scrapbooking. They work best on paper; however, they can be messy. Be careful not to transfer glue from your hands to your photos, and be sure your glue stick is acid free.

Adhesive dots are small, clear sticky dots that you simply peel from a roll and use for just about anything from jewels and buttons to fibers and fabric. They come in different sizes, including pop-up for dimension.

Glue pens also work well for mixed media like fibers, etc. They’re just what you need for applying glue to tiny accents and hard-to-reach places since many of them have a chisel tip.

Glue and tape rollers adhere paper and photos without wrinkling them or making a sticky mess. Rollers are a good investment since you can purchase refills and continue using them for as long as you like.

Mounting tabs and photo stickers are perfect for adhering photos—they’re easy to apply and you don’t have to worry about getting glue on your prints. Many come in a repositionable form so you can move photos around if you change your mind or need to take them out of your album.

Vellum adhesive is a wonderful creation that allows you to adhere all types of vellum without the adhesive showing through. No more secretly positioning the glue behind a sticker or other embellishment to tack down vellum!

Source

How to Use Brads

Mark the spot you want to place the brad lightly with a pencil

On a self-healing matte (or piece of cardboard!) cut a small slice in your paper with an exacto knife (make it just wide enough for the prongs of the brad to slide through)

Insert the brad in the hole.

Turn over your paper and bend the prongs of the brad flat - one in each direction.

You can leave them as is or secure them further with tape or glued cardstock.

NOTE:The prongs on mini brads can be VERY SHARP. Be careful when separating them - try using the tip of your exacto knife or something else that's flat & hard.

What Can You Do With Brads?:
Attach vellum - no glue mark!
Instead of cutting out the center of letters use a brad for the center.
Hang tags, notes, & embellishments from your projects.
Make moveable paper dolls.
Use them for the center of wheels or flowers
How about using black brads for watermelon seeds or the spots on a lady bug.
Hold picture mats in place.
Secure ribbon and wire.

Source

A Fun Way to Use Old Business Cards

The back side of a card is a mini canvas waiting to be embellished. You can decorate them with brads, buttons or even add eyelets to the card and attach to your page. Put several cards together to use as a Color Block. Use letters or rub-ons on the card to give it that extra something. You can also attach several side by side to make a border. The possibilities are endless. Let your imagination go.

Easy & Clean Scoring Every Time

If you have a paper trimmer, use a pen that has run out of ink to score your paper. You can line it up so you can measure exactly where you want the score, and the blade track will keep it perfectly straight.