New Year Card - by Annie Zorzo

Welcome everyone to 2011.  I sincerely hope this year has already started well for you and will continue to bring you lots of laughter and happiness.  This year is a year of big change in our family as we have lots of new adventures and new additions that await us.  It is also with some sadness that some wonderful things come to an end in 2011, like Scrap n Craft with T.  Tanyah, along with past and present design team members have been inspiring you for some time now and we hope we've made an impression on your creative journey.  Remember Tanyah is still selling off her stock at massively reduced prices, so if you missed some Boxing Day sales - head on over to Scrap n Craft with T now to snap up a few scrapping bargains.

For the first project of the new year, with some of us still suffering from the massive Christmas and New Year festivities, I thought I would create another simple one for you.  Seriously, those who have seen my blog entries know I am not a self-proclaimed card marker...but this time I'm actually pretty happy with it!! (2011 the year of surprises LOL).  As New Year invariably has some sort of firework display, I've made a card with some firework starbursts. 

For this weeks project, you'll need some:
- Black Cardstock
- Alpha Stickers
- White Gel pen
- Bright multi-coloured Scrap Paper - I've used October Afternoon Farm Fresh Hay Barn
- Glimmermist

To make the card:
1. Cut your card stock to 8.5 x 5.5" and score along the middle
2. Using alpha stickers, use your sentiment letters and position in place. 
3. Using a White Gel Pen, trace around them.  Once the pen is dry and won't smudge, remove the stickers.  You can reuse them on another project!
4. Go over the letter outline again making a jaggered fuzzy outline - similar to what you would see with a sparkler.
5. Cut a 2.5x 2" strip of scrap paper
6. Cut narrow 2mm fringe strips of paper down to one end, leaving about 2mm from cutting all the way through.
7. Using a thin needle, twist the paper around the need from cut end to secured end
8. Repeat for all fringe strips
NOTE:  Doesn't matter if they are uneven (as no two starburst are the same) or if the fringing breaks off
9. Once you have some done, tear off about 8 fringes, positioned the secured end in a circle so the fringing comes out in all circular directions.  If only a few have broken off, stick them down individually or in what-ever grouping you have.  It really doesn't matter.
10. Stick down and repeat creating a number of 'Firework starbursts'

11. Once you've finished all your starbursts, spray the front of the card with Glimmermist to create the little lighting flashing in the sky from the fading fireworks.

12. Put a New Year message inside the card and your done.

I apologise for the lack of quality in the photos - the ones I took during the day are not loading for some reason.  I'm continuing to have problems with my working but suffering camera after the waterlogging incident!  But you can see where I was going with this card.  Hope you like it - enjoy making some firework starbursts for your own projects and continue to be fabulously creative in 2011.

Using LO Sketches for Cards - By Annie Zorzo

Still considering myself a relative new comer to the world of scrapping, I have dabbled very little into the world of card making.  I'm not sure if this is the norm....are scrappers also card makers and card makers also scrappers or does everyone stick to what they know and very rarely do they cross over?

Well today I'm branching out and I thought I would show the scrappers out there that they too can become a card maker by using a LO sketch.  And for the card-makers among you, here's another little tool in your tool box when your grappling for some new inspiration....using a scrappers LO sketch.

Here we go...and you must know that I'm writing this before I've even started.  I've picked this LO sketch from the Scrap N Craft with T Sketch Gallery.  I've choosen it purely because of the tearing along the bottom and the little bits of stitching, two things I love to do.  I have no idea how it will translate onto a card but that's the fun of it isn't it!  Remember, sketches are a starting point, you don't have to add all the elements and you can adjust the orientation and placement of embellishments so it fits you're project.  Also remember that because you're working on a smaller surface, it's a great time to bring out your scraps and use them up.

For my card I used:
some left over scraps from the Fancy Pants About a Girl paper range.
Paper Flowers
Brads
White Gel Pen
Sam & Lucy Teeny Tiny Letter Stickers.

And here is what I came up with:

It's not the prettiest card, but the Fancy Pants About a Girl range lended itself to be quite bold, a bit funky and something that would suit a pre-teen.  To make the card I started with:
1. A strip of green placed along the bottom edge of the card to show through the tear
2. Cut a rectangle from the main paper I wanted to use and made a teared 'V' towards the bottom.
3. Next with a white gel pen, I made stitch lines across the main paper.  The About a Girl paper range has dark lines that I used as a guide rather than use the circle from the sketch.
4. From the About a Girl boarder strips and cards I cut out two phrases to take the place of the photos on the sketch and then cut the star and saying to take the place of the torn lined paper on the sketch.
5. The final touch on the outside of the card, I attached some layered paper flowers with brads and some cross stitch marks with a white gel pen.
6. And lastly for a sentiment on the inside of the card I used the Sam & Lucy Teeny Tiny Letters.

So there you have it, a card made from a LO sketch.  The pinnacle of card making might still be a little out of reach for this self-proclaimed scrapper, but it's a starting point for other like-minded scrappers out there to dabble in card making.....particularly with christmas coming up.  Now that's an idea....I'm going to challenge all of you out there to use this sketch or another LO sketch from the Scrap n Craft with T Sketch Gallery and make some Christmas Cards.  Have a go and show us what you come up with in the Gallery, we'd love to see it.

So off you go, get card making, scrapping or go and enjoy your Sunday with the family.  I hope it's warm and sunny where-ever you are.

A last minute Father's Day Card - by Annie Zorzo

Happy Father's Day everyone!  Hope you're already enjoying your day where-ever you are and were organised with cards and gifts for dad when the kids climbed into bed!   ....But, not to worry if things got on top of you this week and you're not quite there, here's a simple little card that you can make up with the kids in no time.  Just grab the kids, go hiding for a while and come back surprising dad with this.

Materials you’ll need:

• some cardstock to make the card and a frame.  For next time, you can be prepared and use a card and envelope pack which Tanyah has in the shop.
• scraps of paper
• versa colour ink 
• felt tip pen 
• a computer and printer

How to do it:
1. Cut your Cardstock 21cm high x 15cm wide and score across the middle to fold.  This size will fit into a standard C6 office envelope.
2.  On a separate piece of paper or cardstock, cut out an 8x8cm square.
3. Grab a whole heap of your scrap paper.  I’ve used all blue scraps but there is no reason why you can’t mix up the colours and make it a bit funky.
4. With strips of scrap paper, tear along the bottom edge.  You don’t want your strips to be higher than 1.5cm or longer than 8cm.  You actually want them in varying lengths to mix it up to create some visual interest.  You can also use a edge punch or shaped scissors to create some different edges - Tanyah has lots of different edge punches if your looking for something different.
5. Ink the bottom edge of each strip, whether torn, punched or cut.  Darker inks work better, I've used Versa Colour Pinecone.
6. With your 8x8cm square and starting from the bottom edge working upwards, start sticking your strips down being sure to over lap them and start from various points.  Don’t worry if they overlap the edge of your 8x8cm square, you’ll be trimming it later.

7. Once finished, turn over to the back and use the 8x8cm square to trim of the overlapping pieces.  Then turning back to the front, use your finger nail to distress the edges to create some volume and texture.
8. Next cut a 8.5x8.5cm square from some coordinating coloured cardstock.  Measure 0.8mm in from all sides to create a smaller square.  Cut out a smaller square, creating a frame.  Note: If your doing this with your children, they might need help with this bit, especially if your using a craft knife.
9. Ink the edge of your frame and then glue the frame over your finished collage of distressed, inked scrap strips.  

10. Glue the framed strips to the front of your card to one side.

11. Ink the edges of your card and using a zig pen, draw stitch lines around the edge of the card and the inner and outer edge of your frame.  I find faux stitching works better as a craft activity with children and when you're in hurry, better than getting the sewing machine out or a needle and thread…but the choice is yours.

12. Now, on your computer, select a font and type your sentiment.  You can enlarge the font and change the colour to match your card.

13. Print on some heavy paper or cardstock and then cut out.  Kids can cut in straight lines rather than curvy ones.

14. Ink the edges and then with mounting tape/squares, fix to the card. 

15. You can stamp a sentiment on the inside like I have with one of the many stamps available from Tanyah or leave it blank for your own sentiment. 

So that’s it, a simple crafty card made in a flash so you can go and enjoy the rest of your day with Dad.  


What I love about this card is that you can adapt it to other occasions as well.  You might like to try these and show us in the gallery what you've come up with.

• Red and green scraps in the shape of a Christmas Tree;
• Yellow scraps and some glitter in the shape of Christmas ornaments;
• Red scraps in the shape of a love heart for Valentines Day; or
• Any colour in the shape of a cake and candles for a birthday.

Enjoy your day and don't forget some photos of Dad's special day so you can scrap them later!