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Archive for October, 2007

What you should know about quilting, piecing, layering, and binding

Sunday, October 21st, 2007

There are so many different things that you can do when it comes to quilting. If you are just getting into quilting and want to know about the different techniques that are used in a quilt here is some information on what you should know about quilting, piecing, layering, and binding.

The first thing you should know about quilting, piecing, layering and binding is that they are all part of the quilting process. If you are making a quilt you will probably use at least two of these if not more on each quilt you make. For example if you make a quilt you will start by either quilting it, piecing it, or layering it and then when you are done you will bind the edges or at least the corners depending on what your preference is.

The second thing you should know about quilting piecing, layering, and binding is what each one is. When you quilt something it is when you take a piece of fabric and you have a front and a back with batting in the middle and by either hand quilting or machine quilting or even tie quilting you sew the whole quilt together with a pattern. If you piece a quilt together this is done if you are going to be using different colors o blocks that you are going to sew together to make a blanket or you have different shapes that you are incorporating into your quilt. Piecing pretty much means that you are taking different pieces of fabric and sewing them together to make a bigger piece. Then there is layering. Layering can be done a couple different ways.

One way that layering is done is when you are using a shear piece of material on your quilt. If you are using a shear piece of material you will usually layer it over another piece of material to give it a certain look. Once you have put the layer of sheer over the other piece of material you will want to sew that together to secure it so it won’t move every which way when you are trying to get the rest of your quilt put together. The next thing is binding. Binding is the process of sewing the edges of your quilt together. If you have made a quilt and you have quilted the middle and all around the edges you can still see the batting coming out and all of the little strings that are at the ends of the fabric you bind it together so you are not longer able to see those things. The binding is what finishes your quilt to give it the look of being completely done. You can bind your quilts together by folding the material and tucking into the inside of the quilt and then hand stitching is closed so the stitches are not that noticeable, or you can machine sew it together and be able to do a little pattern around it to give it the look of a border.

These are just a couple of things on what you should know about quilting, piecing, layering, and binding. If you want to get into more detail or find out how you can see different examples there should be places in your community where there are quilting classes available. You can s logo online and see if you can find different demos of these techniques being preformed. This will help you to get a better idea of when you are quilting what you should know about quilting, piecing, layering, and binding.

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Tips for making your toddler scrapbook unique

Sunday, October 21st, 2007

Making a scrapbook for your toddler to remember the early years of life is a neat way to keep records and entertain your child both in his youth and as he ages. As your child grown out of infancy, he begins to develop more distinct likes and dislikes. He begins to recognize objects, sing songs, and cling to his favorite toy. There are first haircuts, teeth, and many more milestones that happen during these precious first years of life and you want to make sure that you record them all.

One of the easiest ways of making your toddler scrapbook unique is through the journaling. Journaling in a scrapbook is the writing that you add to describe a certain picture or memento or just to record a significant event or fun fact that you will want to look back on and remember as you go through your scrapbook. Many people with toddlers are pressed for time, journaling is even more ideal because you can always jot down ideas at your leisure when you do not have the time to set up a larger scrapbooking project.

Here are some specific ideas for how you can incorporate journaling and the unique characteristics of your child in your toddler scrapbook:

    Write down your child’s favorite word or phrase and use that word or phrase on a scrapbook page by writing them inside of a speech bubble or using as the title and theme for your page.
    Another theme for a toddler scrapbook page is a page with all of his favorite things. This could be a favorite TV show, movie, song, favorite toys, colors, foods, etc. There are all kinds of favorites that you can use to make many different pages.
    Scrapbook a day in the life of your child. Start by taking a picture when he wakes up, eats his breakfast, goes outside to play, watches a movie, takes a bath, his nighttime routine, etc. Then create a sequence of pages that follows these actions.
    Toddlers have many milestones. In addition to the common first word, first haircut, etc. ones, think of some more unique milestones like the first time he slid down a slide or the first time he played catch with dad. Don’t forget to include the dates!
    Use your toddler’s artwork as the backdrop for some of your pages. Or you can use a scanner to shrink pieces of artwork down to a more manageable size.
    Ask for your toddler’s input when you are creating a page. Give him his own materials and see what he does. Ask him questions and record both the questions and the answers in the book.
    Include pictures and descriptions of other people who are important to your toddler. Make sure to include pictures of family members, including extended family, as well as common playmates that he may have.
    Cut out illustrations on cards that your toddler gets for birthdays or other holidays and use them on pages that share the same theme.
    Experiment with different angles on your camera when you are taking photos of your toddler. Take photos that are close up and photos of your toddler looking upside-down through his legs. Try to see the world through the eyes of your child and you may be inspired that way.

There are so many things that make your child unique that it should not be hard to translate that into a scrapbook. Remember that other people may use the same paper or embellishments as you, but no one knows as much about your child as you do and no two kids are exactly the same. Pay attention to the details and let those things be what makes your toddler scrapbook unique.

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What kinds of beads should you use for jewelry?

Saturday, October 20th, 2007

When you are making jewelry out of beads the main type of bead that you are going to be using is a decorative bead. These beads are specifically designed for making jewelry but are also used for other purposes. Most of your decorative beads are a type of glass bead because of the way that glass beads look. Like all other types of beads decorative beads come in a variety of shapes and sizes, as well as in a variety of color. Depending on what kind of jewelry you are going to be making will depend on what kind of bead you will be using and what size beads you will be using.

Glass beads:
Chevron beads – these types of beads are a special kind of glass bead that was originally made for the slave trade in Africa. They are made up of many consecutive layers of colored glass, with the core being formed as a star shaped mold and can have anywhere from five to fifteen points. Also the layers of glass can be of any color, but are traditionally red, white, and blue, but can come in a variety of color patterns.
Dichroic beads – these are glass beads that have multiple layers of micro-thin metals on top of the glass.
Fire polished beads – these beads are another type of glass bead, except they are faceted and are very popular to use when making jewelry. They come in sizes from 3 mm to 22 mm. The pattern of the edges is always the same, which is why they can be confused with lead crystal beads.
Lampwork beads – these are another form of glass beads that are made by using a torch to heat a rod of glass and spinning the resulting thread around a metal rod covered in bead release. After the base bead has been formed other colors of glass are added to create numerous designs.
Millefiori beads – these types of glass beads are made of plain wound glass bead cores and thin slices of cut cane which are pressed into the bead surface. This technique forms mosaic like patterns
Pressed glass beads – these type of beads are a glass bead that have been made from a mold to give it its shape. These beads can have holes punched into in pretty much any direction.

Other types of beads used in jewelry:
Shell beads – these types of beads are made from sea sheels from a variety of different shelled fish, such as oysters, abalone, etc.
Seed beads – these beads are pretty much uniformly shaped, meaning that they are all the same shape which is a spheroidal shape. They range in size from under a millimeter to several millimeters. This type of bead is a generic term that refers to any small type of bead that is rounded in shape. These kinds of beads are most often used for loom and off-loom bead weaving, but can also be used for simple stringing or as spacers between others beads when making jewelry. The larger beads are used in various fiber crafts as a type of embellishment or are used in crocheting with fiber or wire.
Lead crystal beads – these beads have a high content of lead oxide, which makes them crystal rather than glass. Because they are crystal they sparkle more than glass beads and are often multi-faceted so that the resemble gemstones.
Faux natural beads – these beads are basically any kind of imitation of original material such as gemstones, pearls, rocks, minerals, precious metals and ivory.

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Uses of crochet?

Friday, October 19th, 2007

Crochet is a great hobby that men and women alike have been doing for years. It’s relaxing and productive- you always end up with something that you can use; something to wear or something to clean with. This article endeavors to explain the virtues of crocheting- it will discuss the uses of crochet and a bit about how it’s done.

Crochet is a process of creating fabric to make shapes or clothing from yarn or thread. Crocheting is similar to knitting as it consists of pulling loops of yarn through other loops. It differs from knitting in that only one loop is active at one time, and that a crochet hook is used instead of two needles.

Here’s how crochet is done: crocheted fabric is begun by placing a slip-knot loop on the end of the hook, pulling another loop through the first loop, and repeating this process to create a chain of a suitable length. The chain is either turned and worked in rows, or joined to the beginning of the row with a slip stitch and worked in circles, or rounds. Rounds can also be created by working many stitches into a single loop. Stitches are made by pulling one or more loops through each loop of the chain. At any one time at the end of a stitch, there is only one loop left on the hook.

To start, you’ll need a crochet hook and some yarn. Since you might not be sure what kind of hook or yarn to buy, here are some suggestions.

There are many types of crochet hooks available. Crochet hooks range from 3.5 to 0.75 millimeters in the size of the hook, or from 00 to 14 in American sizing. These hooks are used for fine crochet work. Aluminum or plastic crochet hooks are available from 2.5 to 19 millimeters in hook size, or from B to S in American sizing. There are many artisan-made hooks, too, most hand-turned of wood, sometimes decorated with semi-precious stones or beads. These crochet hooks will all vary in prices, ranging from only a few dollars for aluminum or plastic hooks, to over twenty-five.

Next, you need to find some yarn. There are five classifications of crochet yarn. They are: super fine (sock, baby and fingering yarn); fine (baby and sport yarn); light (light worsted and DK yarn); medium (worsted, afghan and Aran yarn); bulky (chunky, craft and rug yarn); or super bulky (roving and bulky yarn). These types of yarn will also vary in prices, from only a few dollars a skein, to well over fifteen and even more. Luckily, you can often find great sales on yarn that will bring the cost significantly lower.

Well, now that you’re familiar with how to crochet, let’s talk about some of the uses of crochet. Basically, if you can imagine it, you can crochet it. This doesn’t mean that you’ll be able to find a pattern for it- you may have to be creative and make your own pattern. But the possibilities are endless with crochet. You can make any article of clothing, from sweaters and hats to gloves, jackets or even pants. You can make blankets. You can make pot holders and dish rags. You can even make bags and grocery totes. Many people crochet doll clothes or the dolls themselves. Others make pet accessories (such as hats or sweaters for their dog) or pet beds.

There are many uses of crochet. You’ll find that the more proficient you become at crochet, the more creative you are able to become. So sit back and get creative! It will be worth it!

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Where to find free knitting patterns

Thursday, October 18th, 2007

ybody loves to receive stuff for free and people who knit aren’t any different. In fact if you do knitting for a hobby or as a relaxation technique you are probably always on the look out for new knitting patterns. Some of your best resources to find knitting patterns are through magazine subscriptions, there are numerous magazines that are dedicated to the world of knitting, or you can attend knitting classes for a small registration fee. But if you don’t want to spend money on obtaining knitting patterns the good news is that there are ways to get the ideas for free.

Here are some tips on where to find free knitting patterns.

Tip one:
One of the best places to find knitting patterns for free is online through the use of search engines. The internet is a great resource when it comes to looking for any type of knitting pattern. There are numerous websites that offer free knitting patterns for every age and for every level of knitting, whether you are a beginner or an expert. All you need to do to find these websites is to type in "free knitting patterns" into a search engine and you will get back thousands of results. Some websites might require you to register with their website for free (meaning no paid dues or memberships) in order to access their information, but it could be worth it.

Tip two:
Another great place to find free knitting patterns is on television. There are numerous day time television shows that offer craft segments or that dedicates their entire show to a variety of different craft ideas, including knitting. You can usually get the instructions and supplies that you will need from the television show directly. Since with knitting there can be a pattern involved in order to get the pattern you will probably have two choices: you can mail in a request or you can print the pattern from the television or craft shows website. Some craft shows will show you what they are knitting, but not provide a pattern, these are usually for more advanced knitters but some times beginners can also pick these up and draw their own patterns.

Tip three:
Another great place to find free knitting patterns is at your local fabric or craft stores. Many times they will have fliers that offer classes (sometimes these classes are for free) that will teach you how to knit or provide lessons for learning a new knitting technique and these classes most of the time will provide you with free patterns. Or you can find other people to talk to inside the stores who are as interested in knitting as you are and you can exchange patterns, you can also do this with family members who are interested in knitting. Often times craft stores will put out a calendar that offers a list of the classes that they will be having that month, and some of them include free instructions. But keep in mind that not all of your craft or fabric stores will do this.

Tip five:
If you don’t currently have a subscription to a crafting (these will sometimes include knitting patterns so don’t count them out) or knitting magazine you can still find out what is inside the issue. One of the best places to go to read and look at magazines thoroughly is the library; they will even let you photocopy the pages you need. But the best thing about libraries is in addition to the magazines they also carry numerous books on the subject. Libraries will also carry books that include patterns for knitting; the pattern books will be available for a variety of different levels. You can also find books at the library that teach you the different tips and tricks on knitting.

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What tools do you need for metal crafting?

Wednesday, October 17th, 2007

In these modern times we have several options available to metal crafters. A wide variety of tools are available for almost every aspect of punching, riveting, bending, rolling, and producing decorative scrolling in metal.

Punch and Shears

This type of tool is available in both a Practical version and a Master version for business owners. These machines combine a hole punching facility with a guillotine for cutting mild steel strip, square hare and wire to length.

The Practical varieties can accommodate 20mm x 3mm flat strip, 5mm square bar and 5 mm round bar/wire for shearing. Punching can handle up to 3mm diameter hole in up to 3mm thick material.
Some of these machines are portable and are well suited to "on-site" work, and have an adjustable punch platform with four available cutting edges on a small shear blade.

The Master variety handles a more sophisticated work load.

Riveting/Bending/Rolling Tools

This type of tool can normally be found in an "all-in-one" capacity. By combining all three functions into one tool, it offers quite a bit of appeal to a crafter.

The riveting function eliminates a need for welding, making this a safe and easy way of joining metal strip and scroll work together, and it gives the finished job an authentic and traditional appearance.
The bending function of these tools allows you to bend all manner of components out of flat strip, square bar and round wire. This is essential in producing frameworks for decorative work.

Finally, the Rolling function enables crafters to create circles and arcs to be consistently rolled, all with no need to pre-heat any materials. You may also find some varieties equipped with end stop screw and nut fitted for producing consistent bends and circles/arc when rolling.

Scroll Formers

This wonderful tool can be used to create all the beauty of traditional scroll work! It can be found in several different sizes depending on the size of material they handle, as well as smaller hand-drawn versions. They are generally easy to use and can come equipped with a special starting lever to for initial part of scroll when using a heavier gauge material, and tube forming components.

Twisters

This type of tool adds a decorative twist to steel bar. These are very reliable in producing consistent results in square and flat metal bar because the metal is twisted without heating it before hand. It is common to purchase these tools with adaptors that can be used in place of the standard collar to allow rapid twisting, or basket making attachments which produce beautiful ornamental baskets that can easily be formed using pre-welding clusters of four 6mm or 8mm square bars. Typically, longer twists can be achieved with care by moving the twisted section through the machine and then twisting the next section.

You can generally purchase these tools individually. They can also be found in complete sets or packages, or tailored to your specific requirements and budget. Most tools can usually be found in both Practical and Master tool varieties. The Practical variety is more suited to crafters intending to produce smaller scale items involving small or intricate scrollwork. This does not mean that these tools cannot be used to make a larger scale project such as gates or furniture. The Master variety tools are more geared toward projects of larger size and/or volume. These tools allow a stronger material to be tackled more easily. These tools do tend to take up more room, but offer a greater versatility overall.

There are several options open to metal crafters today, and wide variety of products. This makes producing beautiful metal art projects easier and safer. Shopping around for tools may allow you to find exactly what you need and want to become an expert craftsman.

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Where to find great paper craft ideas–free!

Tuesday, October 16th, 2007

Everybody loves to receive stuff for free and paper crafters are no different. In fact if you do paper crafting for a hobby you are probably always on the look out for new paper craft ideas. Some of your best resources to find these ideas are through magazine subscriptions, there are numerous magazines that are dedicated to the world of crafting, or you can attend crafting classes for a small registration fee. But if you don’t want to spend money on obtaining paper craft ideas the good news is that there are ways to get the ideas for free.

Here are some tips on where to find great paper craft ideas for free.

Tip one:
One of the best places to find great paper craft ideas for free is online through the use of search engines. The internet is a great resource when it comes to looking for any type of project idea. There are numerous websites that offer free craft ideas for kids and adults; they also offer numerous craft ideas for a variety of different levels. All you need to do to find these websites is to type in "paper craft ideas" into a search engine and you will get back thousands of results. Some websites might require you to register with their website for free (meaning no paid dues or memberships) in order to access their information, but it could be worth it.

Tip two:
Another great place to find free paper craft ideas is on television. There are numerous day time television shows that offer craft segments or that dedicates their entire show to a variety of different craft ideas. You can usually get the instructions and supplies that you will need from the television show directly. But if you need patterns or other items to complete the craft you have two choices you can mail in a request or you can print the pattern from the television or craft shows website. Keep in mind that many of your day time news programs will also provide craft ideas during holiday seasons.

Tip three:
While this might not seem entirely ethical to you it happens rather often in the crafting world to help people get ideas, so you shouldn’t feel guilty. Besides the fact most of these ideas are available in craft stores or online as well. But what some people will do is go to boutiques or craft shows at the fairgrounds to see what other people are making. By looking at what other people are making you can get new ideas of your own or you can think of ways to improve what others are making. Or you can simply make what others are making.

Tip four:
Another great place to find paper craft ideas for free is your local fabric or craft stores. Many times they will have fliers that offer classes (sometimes these classes are for free) that will teach you how to make certain crafts. Or you can find other people to talk to inside the stores who have the same passion for paper crafting that you do and get ideas for them. Often times craft stores will put out a calendar that offers a list of the crafts they will be focusing on that month, and some of them include free instructions. But keep in mind that not all of your craft or fabric stores will do this.

Tip five:
If you don’t currently have a subscription to a crafting magazine you can still find out what is inside the issue. One of the best places to go to read and look at magazines thoroughly is the library; they will even let you photocopy the pages you need. But the best thing about libraries is in addition to the magazines they also carry numerous books on the subject.

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How to Decoupage like a Professional

Monday, October 15th, 2007

You can decoupage like a professional in just a small amount of time. Decoupage is a simple yet deceptive craft. Depending on what you make, the finished product can be so stunning that it appears to be professionally painted. By looking at the finished product, you would think that decoupage would be a complicated and time consuming project, but it isn’t. It actually is quite simple! All it requires is a little cutting and pasting.

The basic technique for decoupage is basically cutting out pictures and gluing them onto an object and then covering the object and pictures with a few coats of glue or decoupage medium to protect it. It’s that simple!

Decoupage Supplies

You can begin this simple project by gathering supplies that you probably already have lying around your house. You first need something to decoupage a picture onto. This can be anything, furniture, frames, vases, mirrors, etc. Next you need pictures to decoupage. These can be cut out of magazines, books, old pictures, almost anything you want. You can also buy designer paper made especially for decoupage. Scrapbook paper is also a good idea. You also need few more items such as white glue, a damp rag, cotton balls or something to spread around the glue. You may also want a sealer such as acrylic spray as a final coat to your decoupage. You may purchase items that are made especially for decoupage for a more professional finish.

Directions on How to Decoupage like a Professional

First you need to make sure that the surface of what you are going to decoupage is clean. If you plan on painting this surface you do this first and make sure it is completely dry.

Next, you cut out the pictures you want and arrange them according to your desires. They can be in any design or pattern you desire-this is your project!

Then continue by coating the back of the pictures with glue or decoupage medium. Also put a little dab of glue on the surface where you will be putting your picture. Next put your picture on your surface and gently push down the picture, pressing any wrinkles or excess glue. A popsicle stick is a good instrument for this technique. Continue doing this until all your pictures are glued to your surface. Let your glue dry completely before moving to the next step.

Your next step to a professional decoupage is to coat your surface with diluted white glue (about 3 parts glue to 1 part water) or a decoupage medium. Continue to let dry completely.

For your last step you may continue to add coats of the diluted glue of use another form of sealer such as acrylic spray until you get the desired results you want. Most professional decoupages have smooth edges, so you may have to do several coats to achieve this look.

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How to use the Cricut scrapbooking machine

Sunday, October 14th, 2007

Introduction

The Cricut scrapbooking machine is made by Provo Craft. The Cricut is a machine that cuts shapes of various sizes out of paper. In essence, the Cricut is a die-cut machine. The Cricut scrapbooking machine requires the use of cartridges to make the various shapes and letters. The Cricut machine is most popular among scrapbookers. However the Cricut machine is great for teachers to use to decorate classrooms, for card makers, almost anyone who has a need to decorate something can benefit from the Cricut.

Instructions

The Cricut scrapbooking machine has been designed to be very user friendly. By following some very simple steps you can make beautiful cut-outs of any shape that is contained in the cartridges that you have. Below is an outline of these steps in easy to follow instructions as well as more details about the items used in each step:

Steps to using the Cricut machine

1. Choose your Cricut cartridge – The Cricket machine comes with one or two basic cartridges so you will need to buy more cartridges for different shapes. Cartridges range in price from about $60-88 depending on where you buy them.

2. Insert your Cricket cartridge into the Cricut machine – There is a place at the front of the machine in the right corner where the cartridge will need to be placed.

3. Insert the paper – Insert a piece of paper that is not too wide for the Cricut machine but wide enough for whatever size graphic you choose to cut out. Cricut offers a line of Cricut papers that you can buy that are cut to the exact size of the mouth of the machine.

4. Put on your coordinating key board face plate – There is a faceplate that coordinates with each Cricut cartridge. Each faceplate has small pictures of the graphics on that cartridge so it is easy to choose which graphic you want to cut out. Just push a button.

5. Pick a size – The Cricut machine can cut your letter or shape out in any one of 12 sizes that range from 1" to 5 ½". Choose the size that you would like.

6. Watch the Cricut go to work – The Cricut blade will cut out the shape that you selected form the cartridge in the size that you specified.

The downside to the Cricut machine

Although the Cricut machine has the possibility to cut out many thousands of different shapes in different sizes, you have to purchase adScrapbooking terms for beginners
Meta description: Scrapbooking is quickly gaining popularity in the United States. Many individuals are drawn to this creative way of preserving photos. If you are a scrapbooking beginner there are some terms that you should familiarize yourself with.
Key words: scrapbooking, terms, beginners, tape, scissors, embellishment, punch, crop, adhesive, page, protector
Tags: scrapbooking, terms, beginners, tape, scissors, embellishment, punch, crop, adhesive, page, protector

Scrapbooking is quickly gaining popularity in the United States. Many individuals are drawn to this creative way of preserving photos and other important memories. If you are a scrapbooking beginner there are some terms that you should familiarize yourself with.

Scrapbooking: The process of arranging photos and other mementos on a page of an album. Other accessories such as ribbon, stickers, and decorative paper are used to embellish the pages in the album.

Scrapbook page: A scrapbook page can come in all different sizes. The two most common scrapbook page sizes are an 8×10 page and a 12×12 page.

Crop: To cut a photo or piece of paper to a smaller shape or size to emphasize a focal point in the photo or to re-size a photo or paper so that it fits better with the layout of the scrapbook page.

Embellish: To use paper, stickers, ribbon, brads and other accessories to add dimension, detail and decoration to a page in addition to any photos or writing.

Brad: A brad is a piece of metal that is used as an embellishment in scrapbooking. Two prongs are inserted into the paper and are separated and bend to be flush with the back side of the paper. This secures them in place. Brads come in all shapes, colors and sizes in addition to the traditional round shape.

Eyelet: A round metal embellishment that is added to a page by punching a hole and hammering down the back so that the eyelet is securely fastened to the paper.

Die-cut: A shape that is cut out of paper by a machine. Much like a cookie cutter cut-out, but for paper.

Punch: A whole punch that can take almost any shape imaginable. Punches can range in size and there are also paddle punches that allow for a certain shaped hole to be punched out of any part of the paper (even the middle where traditional hole punches do not reach).

Acid-free: A term used to describe scrapbooking materials that have a pH balance of 7.0 or higher. If a product is labeled as acid-free, the acid is removed during the manufacturing process. Most every paper that has been deemed appropriate for scrapbooking is acid free. Newspaper and construction paper are not acid free.

Decorative scissors: Scissors that cut anything but a straight line. These scissors are used to give visual interest to otherwise simple straight lines.

Embossing: Creating raised edges on a piece of embellishment.

Journaling: The words or descriptions included in your scrapbook that explain any of the mementos or photos contained on that page. Journaling is an important part of the recordkeeping purposes behind scrapbooking.

Mounting squares: A small square of double sided tape-like adhesive. Mounting squares are typically dispensed from a box and make it easier to quickly adhere papers and photos to a page.

Page protector: A scrapbook safe plastic sleeve that covers and protects each page in a scrapbook. The page protectors contain the holes through which the scrapbook is bound together.

Sticker: A picture or drawing with a backside that is self sticking.

Tape runner: A dispenser containing many small pieces or one continuous strand of double sided sticky tape. A tape runner is useful for adhering ribbon and very small objects to paper. A transparent tape runner is especially useful for adhering transparent items, such as vellum, onto your scrapbook page.

Vellum: A transparent paper that clouds the paper that it covers. Vellum can be printed on for journaling that does not cover as much of the pattern on the decorative paper you may be using.

Hopefully this short introduction to the beginner’s scrapbooking terms helps you to better understand what types of techniques and tools are available for today’s scrapbookers.
ditional cartridges in order to have all of these options. With the Cricut ranging in price from $250-300, and each cartridge being an additional $60-88 on top of that, the whole Cricut system can become quite expensive.
Additionally, you will have to make sure that you cut a piece of paper to the right size before putting in the machine so that it does not move while the blade is cutting it and so that the entire shape fits on the paper. A common complaint among early model Cricut owners is that the size of paper that you have to put in the machine is often so large that on a smaller cut out you have a lot of scrap paper left over. The Cricut blade is powerful so it can cut through your heavier cardstocks, but some users have found that the blade tend to be harder on thinner papers as it pulls lightweight papers out of place during the cutting process.

Conclusion

Despite the disadvantages, if you are the type of person who spends a lot of money on paper supplies or die-cuts, if you are going to use this machine as part of a business, or if you do not mind the hefty price tag, then it is definitely worth your while.

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What are the uses of beads besides jewelry?

Saturday, October 13th, 2007

If you have ever looked at any type of jewelry you will notice that beads are a popular item for making jewelry. But if you have ever been to a craft fair or to craft shows you probably already know that beads have other uses besides making jewelry. Beads can be used for a variety of different things; it all depends on the person who is using the beads and their imagination. The reason that beads can be used for such a wide variety of activities is because of how versatile beads are. Beads come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Not to mention the fact that beads come in a variety of different types, such as glass, crystal, plastic, etc. Not only do beads come in all of those different varieties but they also come in every color you can imagine, as well as in patterns. While working with beads can be time consuming and tiring, the craft itself is made rather easy because of all of the variations when it comes to beads.

One of the most popular uses for beads besides jewelry is decoration. You can string, sew, glue, or tape beads on to almost anything you can think of. One of the most popular beads for decorating purposes is glass beads. These beads are used for embellishments because of how pretty they are and how they look when they sun hits them. But trade beads are also used to embellish certain things, such as crocheted plant hangers or even sweaters.

Another use for beads is for crafting. You can make so many different types of craft projects with beads that the possibilities seem endless. You can make wall hangings or embellish your crafts, such as photo album covers or picture frames with a variety of beads. Many people who make crafts for weddings or babies use a lot of beads to embellish their work.

Another popular use for beads is to simply string beads. There are numerous things that you can use stringed beads for. You can use large stringed beads to create a type of curtain. You can string small beads to create chains for pens or glasses so that you don’t lose them. Or you can string crystal beads so that you can hang them in the windows as a type of decoration that is used to catch the sun and play off the reflection.

Here are some ideas for the uses of beads other than using them for jewelry.
flys for fishing
to decorate greeting cards
dollhouse miniatures – such as vases, lamps, lightbulbs, hatboxes
to adorn dolls
to hang on draperies
to sew on quilts
to decorate purses
to put fringe on purses
to put on ends of curtain rods
to hang on fan chains
to decorate frames
fringe on scarves
game pieces
a customized rosary
meditation beads
wine identifiers
on spines of handmade books
tassels

These are only some of the different ideas that beads can be used for. In fact beads can be used on just about anything. In fact at one point in time beads were used as currency to buy slaves from Africa, which is how slave beads came about. You can also use beads in certain art projects. For example instead of painting a picture you can take different beads and glue them in a certain order to create a picture. You can even use beads to make Christmas tree ornaments or decorations.