Tutorial - resizing images and a card from 2 Cute Ink!!!

Digital Image Tutorial

Using 2CUTE INK

By Chris Sather

 (http://cattsscratchingpost.blogspot.ca/)

1.      Open up Microsoft Word.

2.    Click on “INSERT”, “PICTURE” , “FROM FILE” (wherever you have your digis saved is where you will collect it from)

3.    Double click image you want to use, and it will appear on your Word document.  It may not be the size you want, so I’m going to teach you how to change that!

4.    When I insert the BABY PANDA image from 2Cute Ink, this is what my screen looks like.  

5.  Now, to save paper, I always try to print 4 images to a page, so  

     I will need to CROP this image before I resize it.  

In mid-crop:

Cropped:

6. RESIZING:   Click on your image so the lines are showing around it (as in picture above).  Put your cursor on one of the 4 corners – you will see a diagonal arrow – this will keep the shape of the image without distorting it.  Drag the arrow/corner OUT to make your image larger or IN to make your image smaller. 

  

            

7.  Once you have your desired size, you are ready to PRINT! 

(I just have a Canon MP240 – nothing fancy and it prints great.  The ink dries quickly and works well with alcohol based markers)

8.    Now onto the fun part – making a card with these ADORABLE images!!!

9.    I have coloured Baby Panda with Copics (tons of tutorials on colouring so I won’t bore you with those details!)

10.                       Using my Nestabilities and my Cuttlebug, I have cut out my image using Classic Circles, and a background piece of cardstock using Classic Scalloped Circles. 

11.       Sponge the edges of your circle with ink (I have used Mellow Moss from Stampin’ Up) – the sponges are round art sponges that I cut into chunks (from a Dollar Store).

    

12.                       I have cut a 5” x 5” card base out of Kraft.  The yellow designer paper is cut at 4.75” x 4.75”.  I am going to use a very simple layout so that I can showcase the adorable image!  I have also chosen neutral colours so this card can be used for any baby!

13.                       Using a scallop border punch and a 5” x 1.5” piece of Kraft paper, punch along one edge of the Kraft piece.

14.                       Attach punched piece about 1” up from bottom of card.  Attach ribbon or ric rac along the top of the Kraft piece.  Snip off edges with ribbon scissors.

15.                       Using pop dots, pop up image and place in center of card, about halfway down the Kraft piece.

16.                       Using green pearls (or rhinestones), attach 3 on each side of scalloped circle. 

17.                       Add 2 more green pearls to each side of the Kraft strip on your card.  Stamp sentiment below scallop in a dark green.

18.                       Add Crystal Lacquer to the baby bottle for a 3 dimensional effect. To add a bit more texture, add some Sakura Stardust Gelly pen to the stars and moons on the blanket. 

     

19.                       All done!!!!

Thank you to Heidi at 2Cute Ink
for encouraging me to put together this tutorial for you and for letting me use Baby Panda! I had a lot of fun making it!!!

I hope you enjoyed this tutorial!  Please stop by the 2Cute Ink shop (http://www.shop.2cuteink.com/) to check out the other adorable images that Heidi has for sale! 

I am entering this into the Top Tip Tuesday challenge which is Lavishly Luscious Layers!

Hugs,

Chris

Paper Bag Albums

I made these albums for a Christmas Farmer's Market last year and they sold REALLY quickly. I thought I would make some more to sell at the regular Farmer's Markets. They are unique and make neat gifts - all they have to do is add their own photos, journalling and mementos inside the pockets!! This first one is a "cat" album - all the pages are decorated with cat items. The main colours are orange and yellow to try to keep it neutral for boy and girl cats!! LOL Here is the front cover and 2 pages inside the "dog" album. This album is my favourite! Next, I made 2 travel albums, here they are & a couple of pages inside: And last but not least, a "love" album.

The directions are really simple:

Supplies and Tools you will need to complete the paper bag album:

* 4 paper bags, brown or white (lunch bag size)
* scissors
* adhesive (tape runner, glue, pop-dots, glue dots,
foam tape, etc.)
* paper trimmer
* ribbon, brads, eyelets, staples, etc. for binding your album
* patterned paper (of choice)
* cardstock (of choice)
* embellishments (of choice) (this where you will want to decide on a theme ahead of time so you can take in consideration what you might want to add to the cover and pages)
NOTE: There will be 14 pages inside the album when finished, so make sure you choose enough cardstock or patterned paper to do the pages. There will also be 4 pockets that you can slip yet another page in or use for mementos.

Instructions:

1. After gathering your supplies together, stack all four bags together alternating open (top of bag) end, closed (bottom of bag) end.

Fold bags in half.

2. Bind bags together at seam however you like…. brads, eyelets, ribbon (punch holes then thread ribbon through), staples, and sewing a seam with your sewing machine. I went in ¼” from the edge to give myself maximum room on the pages when the book is open.

3. punching holes to bind with ribbon (you can just use a simple hole punch, an eyelet setter or a Crop-o-dile)

4. Measure front & back cover and cut 2 pieces of cardstock ¼” smaller on all sides. Adhere one square to the front of the book and the other to the back of the book. These will be your book covers and make the covers sturdier than just using patterned paper on top of the paper bag. You can cover these with patterned paper or use as the base of your cover design.

5. Now you are ready to cover the front and back of your album. Cut two pieces of patterned paper ¼” smaller than the cardstock on both covers and adhere to the front and back of your album.

6. Go ahead and decorate the front cover of your album with whatever themed items you have chosen. I got a lot of my things from dollar stores.

7. You can now decorate the inside covers the same way. Adding cardstock first then patterned paper will help make your book a bit sturdier, but is certainly not necessary!

8. You will also have four pockets that you can make pull out pages for. Insert tags or additional cardstock "pages" into the open end of each bag. You can even create unique pull tabs with ribbons or cardstock tabs. I used the Round Tab Punch from SU!

You will need to cut the page for the pockets at about 4-1/4" x 5" (this measurement will depend on how far in your binding goes, so measure first!!) I suggest using cardstock as a base if you wish to use patterned paper. Cut 4 pages for the pockets. Decorate however you like.

Suggestions for the pockets: Journaling, additional photos, memorabilia (ticket stubs, tags, notes, receipts, etc.), photo CD’s (they fit perfectly in the pockets!), etc. The options are limitless!!

REMEMBER, PAPER BAGS ARE NOT ACID FREE, SO BE SURE TO USE DUPLICATE COPIES OF PHOTOS!

Ideas for album themes: Gardening, Baby’s first Christmas, animals/pets, trips, All about ME, Grandma’s/Grandpa’s brag book, I love you (mine was Love you to pieces, and I used puzzle pieces to decorate the pages!), summer camp, holidays, vacations, special visits, etc. The options are really as open as you want them to be….. think of this as a mini-scrapbook & make it your own!!! Add as much or as little as you want!!

I would LOVE to see any creations you make so post with a link to your paper bag album!! ENJOY!!!

Neat fold card....my first picture tutorial!!!

I received a card like this in a recent SCS swap I was in, not sure the name of it, but it is like a slider card, so I recreated it. IF anyone knows the real name of the tutorial and who I can give credit to, please let me know!!!! I will try to give directions as best I can. It was hard to take a picture of it too, as it wouldn't stay closed properly. So, here is what it looks like from the front: Ok, so here goes! The first piece of cardstock is your base (mine is Always Artichoke). It is 11 x 5 1/2, score at 3 1/2 and 7". This picture shows how to fold the first piece. Panel 1 is in the front foreground.

The second piece, is also Always Artichoke and it is 6 1/4 x 5 1/2, score at 2". This second piece gets glued to the front panel with the 2" piece sticking out towards the middle panel of piece 1. (Are you with me so far?) I left it open a little so you could see where it is glued together. That front piece with 2 layers is now the FRONT of your card. The little 2" piece will be the little slider that moves when you open the card.

This is the card opened up flat, with the front on the far right side. I used my 1 1/4" punch and punched through the 2 layers on the front panel. (sorry it's blurry!) Then in the middle panel, I traced the hole so it would match up and punched another 1 1/4" hole. Here it is standing up, looking at the inside view of the card. Gosh, I hope this is making sense!!!

Here is a top view of how the card should be put together so it slides properly...the 2" piece will go between panel 2 & 3, so when you open the card, the 2" piece will slide in front of the middle panel hole.

Now for the stamping part! Decorate the front cover however you wish. I used my scallop punch and 1 1/4" punch to make the border around the front hole. I didn't decorate the middle hole but you could!

<-- I stamped the Hoppy Birthday on white then glued it ON the 2" piece. Then I cut a 2 1/4 square piece of paper and glued it on the BACK INSIDE of the card (panel 3) - you can kind of see the white CS in the top view photo above. I closed the card, stamped the frog THROUGH the hole so it was lined up properly, coloured him, and I was done! So, when the card is closed, you see the frog through the front hole. When you open the card, the 2" slider piece moves forward into the view of the 2nd hole you punched in the middle panel, covering up the frog.

IF anyone tries this, please let me know how the directions are, if I forgot anything, or if something is confusing! I didn't have a tutorial to follow, just the sample, which made it easier! Post a comment with a link to your card if you make one!! It is a really cool card, I love how it slides!!!

I hope you enjoyed my first photo tutorial & I hope it made sense!!!! Have fun with this card - it is perfect for those "little" stamps!!! You could always adapt the size of hole too, or make it a square, oval, etc.

Supplies:

cardstock: Always Artichoke, white, chocolate chip

ink: Always Artichoke, koh-i-noor pencils & gamsol

stamps: Simon Says Stamp (Frogs jumping for joy); Clear Dollar Stamps (pond accessories-sentiment); Linen background (SU)

accessories/tools: 1 1/4" punch (SU); ribbon (Michael's); scallop punch (SU); scor-pal;