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Saturday, December 26, 2015

THE NEVER ENDING CHALLENGE


Hello, Crafty Peeples!

Here is a simple tutorial for DIY coaster inserts.   At the bottom of the page is a link up that will allow you to show us your projects.  As with all APTS  links, it will be active until December 31, 2016.    I would love to see your projects!

THE GREAT COASTER SALVATION

This tutorial is all about the salvation of four coasters from "The Man Cave"

BEFORE SALVATION
Well, to be fair to my husband and my grandson, two of them did have a little cork left, but I had already ripped that out before I remembered I needed a picture.  I had been staring at these bad boys for a while and thinking that I needed to purchase new coasters for the cave.  Finally it dawned on me, "hey, idiot, you have like a cajillion pieces of scrap paper up stairs and some of it is viny and some is cork.  Get busy, girl!   This project was so successful, hubby found a coast set at the good will and brought it home for me to SAVE!  GO FIGURE!

 THANKS, to my wonderful husband, Asa Binyomin, for these fabulous photos!

SUPPLIES

TUTORIAL

1.  Remove cork and thoroughly clean the coasters.

2.  Paint the interior of coasters with Earth Safe Finishes®Chalk It Up™ Licorice Paint.  (I first used white gesso,but that is not necessary with chalk paints.  If you decide to use an acrylic paint, I would recommend using gesso first.     

3.  Measure the interior of your coaster and select the appropriate circle die to fit the diameter of your coasters.

I used the 3rd die, which should work on most coasters.

4.  Select your materials and cut.  Make sure you check the sandwich arrangement for your particular cutting machine.  The sandwich configurations are printed on the Big Shot Platforms:
BIG SHOT PLUS
 BIG SHOT PRO
BIG SHOT STANDARD

My Main coaster inserts were cut from vinyl wall paper samples. 
I wanted to reduce my paper stash, so I rummaged through my scrap pile and cut smaller circles to fit in the center of my coasters.   I was not so particular about the painting on the inside of the coasters since it would be covered by the inserts.  
After the glue dried beneath my paper cut out, I placed a piece of parchment paper over them and applied heat using my crafting iron.  This smoothes out any wrinkles or air pockets that may have formed during the drying process and ensures that the paper will not peel away. 
Allow the inserts to cool and then apply two coats of Mod Podge™ allow to dry between coats.  After I applied my second coat of Mod Podge™, I allowed my inserts to dry overnight.  Finally I applied two coats of varnish (always allow sealants to dry between coats, this will avoid over stroking.)   When you are sure every insert has dried completely,  apply glue to the bottom and insert into coaster base.  I used a heavy copper cylinder to apply even pressure to each coaster and avoid buckling.
This puppy is filled to the brim with pennies and weighs a ton.  It is sealed on both ends. I use it to seal and flatten a lot of things! 
Thanks, to The "Engineer" Hubster, I have all kinds of fun and unique toys in my studio.


Would love to see your projects, if you use this tutorial.
Hugz,
Chana Malkah

Click here to add your project.


Friday, December 25, 2015

Paper Sizes

Hello, Crafty Peeps,

Today we are going to talk about paper sizes.   Here is a chart that will help new paper crafters understand some of the references you will see in various challenges.

The most difficult part of any undertaking is learning the "lingo."  Even crafting has it's own language that can be confusing to the uninitiated.  As you begin to participate in challenges, you may be baffled by unfamiliar terminology.  Or, if you are following a tutorial that was made in the UK, the metric system may be your stumbling block.  We will try to de-mystify the paper speak and help you get started crafting instead of cruising the net looking for answers.

American paper sizes

The US and Canada do not use the international standards but instead rely on the paper sizes below. The ANSI standard was added in 1995 to create a set of sizes that are based on shared dimensions. It lacks however the consistent aspect ratio of the ISO A-series.
Millimeters
Inches
Points
Width
Height
Width
Height
Width
Height
Letter (ANSI A)
215.9
279.4
8.5
11
612
792
Legal
215.9
355.6
8.5
14
612
1008
Ledger (ANSI B)
279.4
431.8
11
17
792
1224
Tabloid (ANSI B)
431.8
279.4
17
11
1224
792
Executive
184.1
266.7
7.25
10.55
522
756
ANSI C
559
432
22
17
1584
1224
ANSI D
864
559
34
22
2448
1584
ANSI E
1118
864
44
34
3168
2448

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Half Fold

The easiest card in the world to make is the Half Fold.  You simply fold an 8 1/2" sheet of paper in half either vertically or horizontally.  Your finished card will measure 4 1/4" x 5 1/2.



Quarter Fold

The quarter fold is merely a half fold that is then folded in half vertically.




In card making, rather than folding on the dotted lines, the paper is cut either vertically or horizontally and then folded.  You can make two cards using one sheet of paper.  If you want to use the French Quarter Fold, it is possible to print sentiments on all panels.  But we will discuss that when we get into actual card making.



Basic Card Folds

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A5

A5 is a paper size that is often used for notepads or pocket books.

Dimensions

A5 measures 148 × 210 millimeters or 5.83 × 8.27 inches. In PostScript, its dimensions are rounded off to 420 × 595 points.

Part of the ISO 216 standard

A5 is part of a set or range of page sizes, called the ISO A or ISO 216 standard. This international standard is based on the German DIN 476 standard from 1922. A5 is actually often referred to as DIN A5. The Japanese have adopted the same range of paper sizes in their JIS P 0138-61 standard.
A0, A1, A2, A3, A4, A5, A6, A7 and A8By folding an A5 in two along its shortest side, you create an A6 document. Two A5 pages next to each other in a spread equals the A4 paper size. This way a range of paper sizes are created from A0 (which has a surface of one square meter) to A10. The height/width ratio remains constant (1:1.41 or the square root of 2) for all sizes. The dimensions always get rounded to the nearest millimeter.



Thursday, December 24, 2015

IN THE BEGINNING WAS STAMPS AND SCISSORS

Hello, Crafty Peeps

You will get here faster than you can imagine!  That's part of the Fun!

  I hope this Challenge Community will help you overcome some of the fears that come along with entering the world of crafting.   

Well, let's just get right into it.  
Here are some basic tools and other crafting supplies you will definitely need  to get started.
I have linked to Amazon because it is just easier for me to find most items there.  I am, however, recommending the brands that are specified in the listing below.   I use these products everyday and can vouch for the quality and value.  The cheapest choice is not always the best choice.

Paper Trimmer  

Scissors

Craft Knife
This is the knife I use.  I would be lost without it.  Cost a little more..but worth it.

This is my second knife!

Bone Folder

Score Board
(This is not an immediate need, since you can score your projects using your Paper Trimmer)

Die Cutting and Embossing - Manual
** Visit our page on Manual Cutting Machines to read about the differences in these machines. 
I would recommend purchasing the Big Shot Plus.

Dies - Metal and Steel Rule
I would recommend purchasing the basic shapes first.
Squares, Ovals, Rectangles, Circles
Sizzix, Tim Holtz, Spellbinders, and Memory Box are among my favorite Die companies.
You may want to purchase a few decorative dies, but, in the beginning you should probably only purchase one or two.  A lot will depend on your design aesthetic.

Paper - Card Stock//Cover Stock
**You need good, heavyweight paper #24 or higher.  I often use Cover Stock which is heavier than Card Stock.  Card Stock is good to start.

Designer Papers
This is a matter of personal taste.  I would recommend not purchasing too many of the Paper Stacks.   I would look for places that sell paper by the sheet and purchase a few that I like for specific projects.   Until you start making large numbers of cards, you may find yourself stuck with paper that your never use.  I speak from experience.  
As a matter of fact, from time to time, 
I may try to unload some of my stash on you guys! :D

Here is a place that sells by the sheet.  They also have a lot of discontinued stock.
 I also recommend:
Oozak is a great place to purchase Copic Markers  (more about that later)
I am an Amazon Prime Member so I purchase quite a bit from them, however,  I always comparison shop.  Remember to always factor in shipping and taxes.
Miscellaneous Supplies
Double-sided Tape
Liquid Adhesives**
Masking Tape/Painters Tape
Of course you will need a few stamps.  Acrylic or Wood Block Stamps. 

This page will be updated as needed!