Wednesday, April 28, 2010

Coverall + Fabric= Adorable Mini Album!

Ahhhh.....Spring is FINALLY here! It has been a long Winter here in the Midwest! When I saw this fabric I knew it would make a great cover for a little mini album. It made me think of Spring and everything green. I love to incorporate fabric into my projects whenever I can and Zutter Cover-Alls are great for just such a project. They are easy to cover and look great too!!


To cover a Cover-All you will need to cut a piece of fabric the length and width of the Cover-All you are using and add about 1/2 inch extra on each side. Lay your Cover-All opened onto the backside of your cut fabric. Using a good adhesive adhere the edges to the inside of your coverall. (I use clothespins to hold my fabric to my Cover-All until it is dry) Make allowances when covering the area where the album part slips into the inside cover pocket. Now cut a piece of chipboard just a little smaller than the front and back inside covers. Cover these with fabric and then adhere to the inside covers. Now your album is ready to embellish however you would like! I also used Zutter Chipboard Covers and just painted them and added patterned paper. I also used a piece of clear plastic and hand stitched a heart on it. Baby Pink Owires were just perfect for this little album about an adorable little girl! Happy creating with Zutter!!


Zutter products used: 
  • Bind-it-all
  • 7.5x5 Cover-All (curved spine)
  • 7.5x5 Chipboard Covers
  • 3/4 inch baby pink owires
  • Rivets
  • Pound-it-all

Zutter Zister DT Member Shelley Haganman

Sunday, April 25, 2010

4 X 4 ACRYLIC ALBUM


Now don't be getting all skittish on me at the mention of ACRYLIC!! Really is is not as hard to work with as you think...as long as you take a moment to think it out!!

Supplies:
Bind-it-All
1/2" Round-it-All
4 x 4 Acrylic covers (2 pkgs)
3/4" Baby Blue OWire

Wallet size Photo
Bo Bunny "Kitchen Spice" Collection
Trim and Bling
Staz On Ink
Studio 490 Stamps
White Pen
Glossy Accents

I first spent an evening fussy cutting the flowers for this album while watching some mindless show on TV, great busy work!

Next, I chose two large background stamps from Studio 490 and stamped on the Acrylic with Brown Staz On ink...(and it must be Staz On ink or it will just wipe off leaving a horrible mess!)

Using my Round-it-All, I rounded the edges of all 4 corners on all pieces....oh the ease of it all! Remember, the Round-it-All can handle rounding the corner of not only acrylic, but chipboard, multiple sheets of cardstock, and even the Zutter Clipboard Wood and Canvas Artboard.

I punched my binding holes using the Bind-It-All. I just eyeballed the pieces in the center of the machine and punched.

Now for what everybody thinks is the hard part....I laid out the album, thinking "through" every page.

To create interest on the "look through", I matted each of the photos with the double sided Kitchen Spice collection.

I sparingly adhered the photos to the album, thinking about where the photos would be on the back side. Added my embellies and lace. I wrote on the B &W photos with Ranger's White Pen.....AND THERE YOU HAVE IT...now that wasn't so hard after all!!



So do give working with Acrylic Albums a try....you will be sooo happy you did!

Zutter Zister DT Member Lynne Forsythe

Friday, April 23, 2010

Help Haiti - Online Benefit Class at My Creative Classroom

Isn't it wonderful when scrappers and crafters band together to do good? I know, we are a big hearted group.  And, here is another great, creative, and EASY way to Help Haiti and take an awesome class from 10 amazing instructors.  It's a virtual buffet of techniques, inspiration and styles - a 3 week online class for only $20.  This course starts April 27.

If you've never taken an online course, you're in for a treat and what a great class to start with!

Our own OZZ DT Diva, Jennifer Priest is teaching a Bind-it-All segment to the class: "Go Green" as we create a *mostly* recycled Mini Book using Zutter Cardboard and Donna Salazar's new paper line. We'll bind the book with the Zutter Bind-It-All tool. Yeah Jennifer! We are so proud of you!

All proceeds from this class will go to a wonderful organization.....Haiti by Hand. Haiti By Hand is an artisan group of Haitian women begun by Rebecca Sower. Just days before the earthquakes of January 2010, Rebecca was in Haiti working with this group of women. This etsy shop was established to showcase and sell the handcrafts of the Haitians, as well as a shop to sell items donated by artists and crafters who want to help this group of Haitians rebuild and establish themselves after the devastation of the earthquakes.

Visit the Haiti by Hand blog

Read more about it and register today here.  I know I am!

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Glimmer Mist Sampler Book


I love playing with Glimmer Mist! It is so fun and cool to use but when you spray it on different mediums sometimes it gives a different color than what you are expecting. I decided to create an album so I can reference the colors of my mists and what they look like sprayed on white cardstock, chipboard and ribbon.



To create the cover I used the Zutter Cover-Alls and made a rainbow by creating my own mask from a clip art. I printed a rainbow I found online and cut the colors into strips then pulled each strip back one at a time and sprayed a color. Just make sure to let it completely dry before putting the mask back on top of it or your colors might run. I also sprayed the Basic Grey white chipboard letters with the Glimmer Mist to match the rainbow.



For the inside pages I found this cool canvas paper and sprayed one side with Glimmer Mist and used letter stickers for the name and for the backside I sprayed some shapes and ribbon. I added extra blank pages as I plan on expanding my Glimmer Mist collection.


So break out your mists and have fun creating a sampler book - with your Bind-it-All of course!

Zutter Zisters DT Member Fleur Smith

Sunday, April 18, 2010

Team Twilight!


Sorry, all. I've been very absent from the BIA blog the last several months but I'm hoping these new Twilight-themed projects will to your liking. My daughter and I will be attending our very first Twilight Convention April 23-25 and made these just for the occasion - autograph book, event book and spinner album centerpiece (for a contest at the convention).


Autograph Book - filled with four pockets, each with a double-sided card for autographs



Event Book - This larger book will hold photos, memorabilia and other items that I might pick up along the way. There are four pages with pockets.


Spinner Album Centerpiece - This project is my baby of the three Twilight-themed projects. It took about 2-3 weeks to complete and I totally love it! Though I don't expect to win the centerpiece contest, I'm hoping this will make a good showing. =)





I used a lot of unconventional items in my projects - mostly home decor trims, buttons and comic book banking boards for the lighter pages in the spinner album. Take a chance and use non-scrappy items for your next project. (Note: None of the pictures included in the projects are mine. All of the pictures in all three projects are available on the internet on various Twilight sites.)
Photos of the completed (with photos, autographs, etc.) will be posted to my blog in May. Come by to see the finished results. =)

OZZ Design Team Member Lea Sanders

Friday, April 16, 2010

Distrezz-it-All 101 With Donna Salazar Starts Next Week!

And there is still time to enroll!
What's all the hub bub about the new tool that is the talk of the season - designed by Donna
Salazar and the engineers at Zutter, the new
Distrezz-it-All ! Come see in Distrezz-it-All 101 - designed to give you the lowdown and everything you need to know.

Learn the basic usage and capabilities of this amazing tool.  This 4-week course guides you through using the Distrezz-it-All from the very basic of projects to uber creative, technique-filled albums that only Donna Salazar can design!  Use your own papers, or order
the optional paper kits from Donna Salazar Designs!  


Class starts April 21. Click here to enroll.
All online courses are instructor led, but self paced.  You access the lessons when you wish, on your own time.  All online classes are suitable for either the original blue Bind-it-All or the pink V2.0.  You have access to forums, student galleries and teacher feedback.  For more information about this and all Bind-it-All and Zutter classes, click here.


See you in class!

Tuesday, April 13, 2010

Whether the Weather Be Good....

Having moved Down Under, the Beloved and I have been avid fans of the weather.... Back in Singapore where it was sunny all year round, it has been an education in itself learning about how the weather can be so extreme - all within 24 hours.

So this Date and Weather Chart was created for the benefits of the students in my sister's class so that they will learn the dates, seasons, weather and days. Best of all, this was easy to create and it incorporates loads of wonderful Zutter products!

I printed out the dates and weather details and attached them to pattern papers. For the top row, these were easily attached to the top of the board. Do note that I chose to use two boards so that this chart can easily be propped on a table so that the children can reach for it easily.

For the middle row, to keep the labels straight, I hammered a couple of Zutter Rivets into the board which served as a prop for the labels. It also helped to have the wonderful Hang-It-Alls strategically located there as well! Using the BIA, each day label was punched and hung from the Hang-it-All. The remaining days were kept in a Pre-Punched PagePprotector, bound at the back of the board for easy access.


So whether the weather be good, or whether the weather be bad, do have some fun creating a weather chart for the fun of it!

smiles
sophie=)

Zutter Zisters DT Member Sophie Sim

Saturday, April 10, 2010

BIA: 4 Projects in 4 Weeks Online Course Starts April 14

Bind-it-All: 4 Projects in 4 Weeks

April 14 - 4 week course
Register Here - you still have time to join in!

Are you ready to get your punching and binding mojo cookin’? This course is for the experienced (or BIA 101 graduate) who wants to crank out FOUR awesome projects using the Bind-it-All and a bevy of other Zutter tools and products. You will be given the creative freedom to theme your projects as you wish, but will be provided the instruction and inspiration to create personalized masterpieces. Not only that, but once you learn the easy techniques for these projects, you can repeat them again and again and modify to your creative-heart's content!

1.Accordion Album: What is one of the BEST things about using the BIA? The ability to make amazing projects using supplies and scraps you already have in your stash. The first weeks lesson is just that. Using scrap cardboard (or Zutter's new Corrugated Cardboard) and your choices of patterned papers, we will create a fun accordion style album, held together with the BIA and Zutter’s too cute Perfect Closures.

2.Coffee Table Masterpiece: Have you ever made a mini album or book that you wanted to show off…but when you left it on the coffee table (or your desk at work) it got shuffled and covered by magazines and other incidentals? No! Showcase your cherished photos on the Zutter Display-it-All with a custom-bound photo flip album, using the NEW Pre-Punched Movable Page Protectors. This album will not be ignored!

3.Star Album BIA Style: So much you can do with your favorite photos, papers and the Bind-it-All. Create a unique star-shaped album sure to dazzle and delight. Bonus project this week too! Fun

4.Custom Zutter Spinner Album: Using the all-in-one kit from Zutter, we will be making a one-of-a-kind spinner album. Whether you want to make a recipe spinner, address book, calendar or memory spinner – this lesson will explore all the creative options for making it your own (or for someone else!) I will be theming mine "Dictionary of Me" and will provide journaling prompts for this theme if you wish to follow along.


Class Fee: $25
Class Begins: April 14, 2010
Tools Needed: Bind-it-All V2.0 OR Original Blue BIA
Prerequisite: Bind-it-All 101, or confident experience with the BIA
All online BIA classes are appropriate for either the original blue BIA, or the pink V2.0.
Classes are instructor-led, self paced; access the classroom at your leisure, on your own time.

You can enroll here and get access to the classroom forums, student gallery and regular interaction with ME in the classroom.

For information on all current online Zutter and Bind-it-All courses, click here.

Thursday, April 8, 2010

Why I Love My Bind It All

I love my Bind-It-All!
No, they do not pay me to say that ;)

As a papercrafter and instructor there are alot of options available to me (and to you too) for binding books: I could use binder rings ... I guess I could sew some paper bags together and make a book that way ... or just buy a pre-made book and wrangle with the binding in order to decorate the pages ... or learn to make coptic stitch journals but I hear it takes a long time ... nope, I always reach for the Bind-It-All. It's because my trusty Bind-It-All is tried and true, always ready for me to use in a snap!

So, what makes the Bind-It-All more attractive to me over other binding options?

Compact
-
-the Bind-It-All stores easily and it has a small footprint. I can leave it out on my table while I am crafting and it won't be in my way. It's easy to take to crops, classes, and events, especially when stored in my Bag-A-Bind. Also, since it is compact, I can store it within easy reach of my scrap table.


Versatile
-- You can choose the size of your book, you can easily mix pages of different materials and sizes, and you can choose how much o-wire to use to make your book stable. With Binder Rings you'd need about 6 - 8 of them to bind the book I show you later in this post. And then you'd have to figure out how to line up the holes--yikes! This is because the book I am going to show you incorporates pages from 4x6 all the way up to 6x12. Here's another book that uses 6x6, 6x8 and 6x12 pages:


I can create the most custom books using my Bind-It-All--you can't buy this book from any store ;) Also, the O-Wires come in so many colors and sizes, I can always find something to match my project. Colored binder rings are difficult to find and pricey (in my experience).

Economical
-- I can use as much or as little binding wire as I want--I decide how many loops to use. And I can really get alot of bang for my buck--just one length of o-wire costs about $1 retail (for the large sizes, small sizes are under $1 each) and I can easily make 3-4 books out of one length of wire. You can use more O-Wire if you book needs more stability or as little as 1-2 loops if you're creating a wall hanging or other non-book project. And if you're out of O-Wires, use ribbon, fabric, tulle...anything flexible can be used to bind books with the Bind-It-All! Here's a book I bound using ribbon and my Bind-It-All:



To demonstrate how easy the Bind-It-All is to use and how useful it is for creating, I created a mini book in just under an hour. I created this not-so-mini 6x12 book about our road trip to Arizona last summer -- I plan to give it to my sister once I am finished using it as a sample ;)


This mini can be made in just about an hour. Here's the steps:

Create A Base:
I like to use 5-6 pieces of 6x12 chipboard. For each piece of 6x12, you'll need one sheet of 12x12 patterned paper to cover. You can also cut the chipboard down to other sizes like 4x6, 6x6, 6x8, and 6x9.

For this book I used:
  • 3 pieces of 6x12 chipboard
  • 3 pieces of 12x12 patterned paper
  • 6x9 chipboard
  • 6x6 acrylic pages x 2 -- from Zutter
  • 2/3 sheet of patterned paper (to cover both sides of the 6x9 chipboard)
  • 3 pieces of 4x6 chipboard
  • scrap paper to decorate 4x6 chipboard
  • 1 sheet of Donna Salazar's ARTISTIC PAPER
Cover the 4x6 chipboards with Artistic Paper cut down to 4x6 and with photos. If your photos are digital prints like mine (5.3" wide, not 6" wide) then use a scrap of patterned paper to cover that last little bit of chipboard on each page.
Prep Time: 10-15 minutes

Decorate The Base:
Inking, painting, and misting are all things you want to do before you bind the book--doing them afterwards can result in pages getting stuck together or the wet medium getting on things where you didn't want it. I painted all the edges of my chipboard with a beige paint to bring in the colors from my photos and then I misted it all with a couple colors of spray ink. After the pages are dry, you're ready to bind.
Prep time: 10 minutes

Bind with the Bind-It-All:
Start with the largest pages, 6x12 in this case. Set the Bind-It-All on the C Setting (for use with books that measure in 1/2" or full inch increments i.e. 6", 6.5", 7" and so on).

Punch the top and the bottom of each 6x12 page on C. Then use the peg on the black stop guide tab to insert into the holes you've punched (for proper spacing) so you can fill in the middle with binding holes.

Inner pages that are various sizes (like mine) are a little tricky but here are some tips!

For the top 4x6 page, insert it into the Bind-It-Allso the top of the page butts up against the stop guide tab (on C Setting).

For the bottom 4x6 page in it into the Bind-It-All so the bottom of the page butts up against the stop guide tab (on C Setting).

For the middle 4x6 page punch on C setting then punch on extra hole on the top and one extra hole on the bottom using the peg on the black stop guide tab to insert into the holes you've punched (for proper spacing).

For the 6x9 and 6x6 pages, punch them the same was as the middle 4x6 page.

Stack your pages in the following order:
  1. Back Cover (inside facing up)
  2. Front Cover (outside facing up)
  3. 6x6 page
  4. 6x9 page
  5. 6x6 page
  6. 6x12 page
  7. 4x6 pages
Thread the o-wires through the pages from the bottom. Then close using the Bind-It-AllMachine. I used 1" Antique Brass O-Wires on my project. Flip the back cover back to the back of the book.
Prep time: 15 minutes

Decorate!
Add journaling, photos, ribbons, and embellishments to your pages as desired. To easily mat my photos, I cut some Donna Salazar Artistic Paper into the 4x6 journaling cards that are printed on the paper, following the outline of the cards. If you have a Dreamkuts machine you can run the paper through there to get a perfect cut. Ink the edges of the journaling cards and apply them to the page perpendicular to your photo orientation. For example, if my photo is landscape (horizontal) then I placed the journaling card in a portrait orientation (vertically) on the page. This way a piece of the journaling card peeks out from behind the photo for an instant journaling spot.

An easy way to decorate your O-Wires is to tie ribbons, tulle, and trims to just 2-3 of the wires at the top of the book.

Cut titles with a diecutting machine. Use the same font throughout the book for a unified look. If you used an electronic diecutting machine to cut your titles, use the same font in a Word processing program to create extra journaling or subtitles. I used Honey Script (free at dafont.com) for the titles and subtitles in this mini book.
Prep time: 15 minutes

Here are some of the inner pages of my book, ready for my sister to add journaling:








Hope this inspires you to make some minis. Really you can create this whole book in about an hour -- you don't need to spend days on a project and whoever you give it to will appreciate the love you put into it, even if it did only take an hour. And you'll create books faster, more economically, and with more options using your Bind-It-All!

OZZ Design Team Member Jennifer Priest

Saturday, April 3, 2010

Magnetic Photo Holders

I love keeping photos on my fridge and on my locker at work so I decided to come up with a way to hang them and keep them protected!

Supplies you will need: Zutter Acrylic Covers (I used 3x4 but you could use any size you would like!), Zutter Rivets, Zutter Pound-it-All, Zutter Rivet Setter and Hammer, and some strong magnets!
Place two acrylic covers on top of each other. Punch a hole in each corner of each page. Now set your rivets using your Pound-it-all. Next you are ready to add your photo. You may have to trim it just a bit to slide it in between the two clear covers. Now you have a cute little frame that protects your picture. You are also able to switch out the photo for another one whenever you want! Now just add a magnet on the back behind your photo and it's ready to hang!! These would make great gifts for grandparents who like to keep photos of their kids and grandkids!

Make a couple to tuck into Easter baskets or inside greeting cards! Fun and thoughtful!

Happy creating!

Zutter Zister DT Member Shelley Haganman