Tips & Techniques: Glimmer Mist

As promised on our Facebook Fan Page, today I will show you the mystery embellishment I used to make Easter grass on our upcoming Easter Pages (Saturday, March 17th from 1-3pm).

Here's what the pages look like:



(To register for the class or have a kit saved or shipped to you, click here.)

I wanted something that looked like Easter grass for the basket, but I didn't want to use the plastic Easter grass on my pages. So I grabbed some "Basket, Box & Bag Shred" in white and some Glimmer Mist in Key Lime and got to work!



After putting down a tablecloth to protect my work surface, I took a small handful of the shred and sprayed it generously with the Glimmer Mist. (I had to use a handful since I needed to make enough for all the kits, but for just one project you'll only need a few strands.)  I flipped it over and sprayed the other side, then sort of "tossed" it around like you would a salad to make sure it got nice and mixed in. You might even spray it a couple more times just to make sure it's mostly green, but again I was working in a larger batch.



I spread it out to let it dry before putting it on my page. To adhere it, I put a couple strips of Tacky Tape down (glue dots would work as well! Anything that's super sticky!) and smooshed it into the tape. Then I used foam squares to adhere my eggs and basket.



Another fun way to use Glimmer Mist is called the Resist technique. Basically you put ink or Glimmer Mist over an embossed image, so that the embossed part stays white (or whatever color it was originally) and the ink sticks to everything else.

Here I used some white embossed Easter egg paper:



I sprayed it first with a pink mist (S.W.A.K. to be exact)...




...and then immediately wiped off the excess with a paper towel:



I repeated those same two steps with Key Lime and Daffodil:




This was the end result:



It reminded me of dying Easter eggs. :) It also looks like tie-dye!

You can get the same effect by stamping an image in Versamark ink and embossing it with clear embossing powder. Then just ink or spray over the embossed image and wipe off the excess.

That's it! Hope you have fun playing with some Glimmer Mist! Just a warning, you will get a bit dirty, but it's worth it! :)

Happy Scrapping!

-Jess

Tips & Techniques: Making mini banners with a square punch

It's been too long since I've blogged any tips or techniques, so this week I wanted to show you one I've been using a lot of lately!

My new favorite little accent on a card or page are mini banners. There are various forms of them out there now, from flag banners (probably the most popular one) to rectangular banners, to shaped banners, like the new butterfly paper garland we just got from American Crafts! Too cute!!


But the one I seem to go to a lot is the rectangular one with a notch cut out of it, and I'm going to show you an easy way to make them! You can use them in groups or by themselves. They look great turned sideways with a fun sentiment stamped across them on a card, or as a background for a title on a page. I used them in a group across the front of this Spring card for this weekend's Spring/Easter Card Class.



There are two ways to make them. You can do it with fine tip scissors, or a square punch. Almost any size square punch will work, as long as you get it even, but we will get into that further down this post. ;) Here I used a 3/4" punch.



To make them with fine tip scissors, cut a straight line diagonally from one corner to the middle. I usually just eyeball the center but if you want to get super fancy you could measure it and mark it with a pencil. I'm not so good at measuring and don't like to fuss with it, so I just eyeball it. :)



You'll repeat the same thing on the other side.



And there you have your little banner. Do this on the the opposite edge of a longer rectangle for a nice horizontal banner for your titles/sentiments! This one was made using "Blush Dotted" paper from the My Mind's Eye Lost & Found 2 collection.



A quicker, easier method is with the square punch. You'll want to turn your punch upside down so you can see what you're doing.



Place the bottom edge of your paper halfway into the square, making sure to line up the edges so the point of the square is in the middle of your paper (as pictured below).



Then just punch it and voila! A mini banner. :) This one was made using "Heart Song" from the American Crafts Dear Lizzy Neapolitan Collection.



Both methods are pretty simple and fun, and they make a great  addition to your layouts. Leave them straight and crisp like a flag, or wrinkle them up and distress them for a more textured look.

You can use them on more than just pages and cards....think "party decor" and use them as labels! How cute would they look wrapped around toothpicks and stuck into hors d'oeuvres or cupcakes?!

Just make sure you are careful with your punches. They can take a toll on your fingers when you do too many! This is what happens when you punch 60+ mini banners....yikes!



I hope you learned something new and got a little bit of inspiration for your craft projects! We would love to see your creations using this technique, or something similar! You can post a link to your own pic in the comment section, or post it directly to our Facebook Fan Page!

Happy Scrapping!
-Jess

Presidents Day Sale

We're making room for all the product that's rolling in from the CHA show (new lines every week!) so we are having a Presidents Day Sale this weekend!!

Friday, Feb. 17th - Monday, Feb 20th all Holiday product is 15% off, and everything else in the store will be 10% off! Grab it up before it's all gone!

While you're here, see the new lines that have already started coming in! We have one from Imaginisce called "Sole Sisters", and two from Authentique, "Genuine" and "Celebrate". Pick up the cute purse mini album that Angie created with the Sole Sisters line, or the gorgeous 2-pg kit that Melissa designed using the Genuine line! A 2-pg kit using the Celebrate line will be coming soon - perfect for birthday pages!

And speaking of CHA, here are a few pics Angie was able to get of some gorgeous layouts using some of the products we ordered!













Happy Scrapping!

-Jess

An update and some upcoming events you won't want to miss!

Hello again, Capture fans!

It's been a while since our last blog post, so we hope everyone had a great Holiday season and a wonderful New Year! We have been busy getting ready for all the great things to come in 2012, and we can't wait to share them with you.

I just got back from vacationing in New Zealand:


 Mike and I in Hamilton, NZ.



 The view along the drive from Hot Water Beach to Cathedral Cove.



The beach at Cathedral Cove.


 The view as we walked around Mt. Maunganui.


My friend Kat & I enjoying some Black Forest Martinis.


We had the time of our lives and I can't wait to scrapbook it all!

Angie is currently in L.A at the CHA Trade Show, scoping out all the wonderful new Spring/Summer collections! She was able to bring her daughter, Taylor with her this time, and Taylor had a blast meeting Teresa Collins and Tim Holtz. Teresa even blogged about Taylor! You can check it out here on Teresa's blog. 



Now that January is pretty much over, we are looking forward to some great upcoming events in February and March!

Mark your calendars for Friday, February 10th for our Love Potion Croptini! Spots are filling up FAST for this one, so be sure to register online at www.shopcapture.com or give us a call at 970-484-0595. We'll have great food and prizes, as well as a special valentine-themed martini!



You'll also want to start organizing your unwanted craft items to sell at our Semi-Annual Garage Sale, going on Saturday, March 31st & Sunday, April 1st! Rent a table for $10, price your craft and scrapbooking supplies, and sell them for store credit! You MUST register in store or over the phone so we can assign you with your own seller's i.d. number. The Garage Sale is always a huge success, so start purging your stash now to make room for new stuff!

If you haven't become a fan of our Facebook Page yet, now is the perfect time! Click on over and hit "Like" for some great exclusive deals, promos and announcements, including our newly revised Facebook Fan Of The Week promo! Each week a new Fan will be chosen to receive 25% off the item (or class) of their choice! The more you interact with our page (liking, commenting, posting) the better your chances are of winning!

That's all for now, but keep checking back as I hope to post photos from Angie at CHA soon, as well as other fun Capture events!

Happy Scrapping!

-Jess

Christmas Card Kits

If you are behind on your Christmas cards this year (or just overwhelmed!) why not pick up a couple of Christmas Card Kits to make this holiday season a little easier?

Choose from a variety of individual card kits at $3 each, or pick up a class kit and get 4 cards, all pre-cut and ready to assemble! What could be easier? We can even ship the kits to you!

Take a peek at what we have available now:


Individual Card Kits: $3 ea.


Christmas Cards (4 different cards in one set): $12


Tim Holtz Inspired Christmas Cards: $15 for the set of 4 



There are more to choose from in the store!

Don't have time to assemble them? Let us do it for you! Just an extra $1/card! 
Visit www.shopcapture.com or call 970-484-0595 for details.
 

Looking for an inexpensive and unique gift idea? Check out our assortment of personal journals, just $5 each!


And you won't want to miss our Handmade Items & Craft Storage Sale, going on Dec. 19th - 24th! Take an extra 10% off all handmade items and craft storage! They make wonderful gifts!
(Sale excludes custom orders and cannot be combined with any other discount offer)


Have a safe and fun Holiday season, and as always, Happy Scrapping!
:-)
-Jess