Tutorials

Christmas In July and Paper Gingerbread Houses

July 29, 2019 By Lynn Leusch 7 Comments

Christmas In July?

Have you heard of the phrase “Christmas in July”?

In winter, many of us are dreaming of summer, but it is the opposite in winter. Sometimes Christmas revelries seem too far away. Christmas in July galas and events are promoted throughout the month with no specific time. The Christmas in July festivities are thought to originate in the 1930 s when a summer camp put up a Christmas tree and feasted on holiday menus in July, which gained attention. However, a Hollywood film entitled Christmas in July , released in 1940 was the first time the mainstream public was introduced to this phrase. The movie, performing actors Ellen Drew and Dick Powell, is not peculiarly Christmassy; it is more of the relevant recommendations of the Christmas mentality. At Christmastime, beings are happier, expend more, and just seem to be in the festive and giving spirit. The assertion of the movie is that the main character comes into money and celebrates as if it were Christmas. However, the quotation has been adapted from this and become what it is known today as a term of celebration.

As a scrapbooker and card maker I have heard this phrase fondly used and shared in many of the creative communities I participate in. As the summertime heat approaches it makes for a great way to take our minds off of the hot weather outside of our craft room doors. In addition, as creatives it is another great opportunity to “get our craft on”. Yes, It’s a reason to party. If you haven’t yet heard this term, simply put, it gives us creatives another reason to decorate and celebrate and get a jump start on our Holiday card making, begin gift making projects as well as a time to inspire us to catch up on finishing projects that have been sitting on a shelf waiting to be finished.

Attending My FIRST Christmas In July Crop Event

I have been to several crafting events and crops, but had never been to an official Christmas in July Crop until this year. I had the great joy of participating in a Christmas in July Crop, hosted by my dear friend, Tracy. Living in Arizona, this was especially appreciated because we were experiencing many days of 110+ degree weather. So having the opportunity to craft in the luxury of a well air conditioned hotel for a 3 day retreat was a Christmas gift all by itself. I spent a wonderful long weekend, along side many wonderful women who all have the same love and joy of being creative.

There was an abundance of talent, laughter, and food all weekend long. One of my stand out memories is that when women get together with a single mission, they are loving and caring beyond belief. I especially enjoyed just connecting with these beautiful women. Many ladies got a lot of projects completed and some (my hand is raised), with visions of completed projects dancing in their head, were just happy to enjoy the friendship and inspiration of everyone in the room.

So What is the difference between a regular crop and a Christmas in July crop? Ambiance, my friend, festive ambiance.
That AND, well…
Christmas decorations
Festive holiday food
Holiday attire
Christmas PJ crop night – Yup, that was fun! It’s kind of tough to find Christmas PJ’s that can be worn in the summer heat
Christmas music
Daily gifts from the Santa hostess that we got to unwrap
Gingerbread House Decorating

Being that this was a paper crafting event, the Gingerbread Houses were made out of…paper. Everyone was given a basic Gingerbread House template. We all knew about this ahead of time, so had the ability to bring some decorating elements of our choice. However, our event hostess, provided an embellishment bar with a variety of goodies to select from and decorate our beauties. It was fun to see the creation process in action.

My biggest take-away moment is being reminded that even starting out with a blank canvas, the crafting possibilities are endless. There was definitely no shortage of creativity in the room.

Since this was a contest, we had to vote for our favorite. I will say that I LOVED them all, but there had to be a winner. There were so many fun details in the winner’s Gingerbread House.

The template that was provided for our Christmas in July event, was a SVG file and cut out using an electronic die cutting machine. There are many Gingerbread House templates that you can use if you’d like to adapt this activity.

July is now coming to an end, but the holiday season is just beginning. I hope you are inspired to do something similar.

Ideas for hosting your own Paper Gingerbread House Decorating Contest:

Host a holiday event and invite your friends
Host an event for your kiddos and have them invite their friends
If you teach crafting classes, this would be a great project that can remind your students that creativity is in all of us
If you are a school teacher, consider this for a fun activity – Every student can be a winner

Until next time, keep Creating.
Hugs,
Lynn

Page Protector Hacks

July 9, 2019 By Lynn Leusch Leave a Comment

Over the years I have accumulated many page protector sleeves in a variety of sizes. Though, in the past I have mostly used them to protect my scrapbook pages I am always open for new ways to put them to use.

As a crafter I am inspired by the many ways page protectors can be used beyond their original intention and I thought it would be fun to explore and share some of those creative ways that they have been re-purposed and re-shaped to offer you creative options.

The following finds utilize a variety of crafting tools, some of which you may already have on hand in your craft stash. Some of these creations are for use in your photo albums and some are great ideas to add to your journals, planners . I also discovered some fun gift items that you can create with mini page protectors.

As you take time to look at these creations, keep your mind open to how YOU might want to use these in your next projects.

Make Divided Page Protectors – Using Sewing Machine or Washi Tape

First up is a tutorial on how you can make divided page protectors that are perfect for scrapbooks or any type of album for that matter. Of course you may already know that divided paged page protectors are available for purchase, but can sometimes be a bit more expensive. I like the ability to be able to improvise and create my own, with my own sized dimensions and make pockets that fit whatever item I want to protect and showcase. Knowing these tricks, you can create pockets for your card creations, ATC cards, Wedding Invitation, etc.

Tools needed: sewing machine to create the pockets, but also has an alternate way of creating the pockets using Washi Tape. A ruler, craft knife and craft mat are also vital to making adjustments to the pages.
Make Divided Page – Protectors

Make Divided Page Protectors – Using Heat Tool

The following video also shows how to make a divided page protector using a heat tool. The tool used in the video is called Hot Marks by Walnut Hallow, but you could get the same effect by using a a Fuse Tool by We R Memory Keepers. I found this video to be a bit slow paced and it has odd music, but it gave some really good tips on how to plan your divided page and then use the heat tool to seal the pockets.

Tools needed: ruler, heat tool, craft knife and mat
Make Divided Page Protectors – Video

Make Any Page Protector Work In Any Album

I’ve personally had this happen where, I picked up a pack of specialty page protectors only to find that they did not fit the album that I was working with. In the moment of finding a good deal, we sometimes forget to look at those vital details. This video has some good tips on how to simply adjust your page protector to fit the album you are using. Of course, the hole placement is one of the most important things to take note of, but this video has some other good insights for making adjustments to your page protectors.

Tools needed: Cropodile (hole punch)
Make Any Page Protector Work In Any Album – Video

Make Custom Page Protectors

In this video, Melody walks through how she creates custom sized page protectors for projects created by her kiddo so she can safely add them to her scrapbook albums. Several different techniques are presented which offer a variety of ways to protect beloved kiddo creations. Of course, you can simply adapt this to any type of document or memorabilia that you want to protect for years to come.

Tools needed: ruler, scissors, Cropodile, Washi Tape
Make Custom Page Protectors – Video

How to: DIY Traveler’s Notebook Clear Folder

If you are a fan of travelers notebooks this how to video will be a fun watch. It will show you how to make a clear traveler’s notebook folder out of a page protector. You will learn how to customize it with colorful Washi Tape.

Tools needed: scissors, Washi Tape
DIY Traveler’s Notebook Clear Folder – Video

DIY Travelers Notebook Pocket Dashboard Insert

Yet, another way to re-purpose a page protector, the following video tutorial will walk you through how to create a traveler’s notebook dashboard insert. I imagine this same technique could be used to make journal dashboards as well. Watch through to the end of the video and you will have access to a tutorial on how to create a zip pocket page as well. I found the presenter to be a bit hard to understand, but she does a very nice job in the recording visually walking you through the steps.

Tools needed: ruler, craft knife and mat, scissors, corner rounder, hot glue gun
DIY Travelers Notebook Pocket Dashboard Insert – Video

DIY Pocket Pages For Your Midori – Recipe Storage

So what is a Midori you ask? Great question…Ultimately a Midori is a fancy name for a Traveler’s Notebook. I realize I’ve already shared several great tutorials and resources using page protectors to create pockets to fill a Traveler’s Notebook or Journal. Though this tutorial is similar in that it is about creating insert pockets I think it has a bit of a creative twist that you might find interesting to learn about.

Tools needed: sewing machine, ruler, craft knife and mat, clips to hold pages in place while sewing, scissors
Pocket Pages For Your Midori – Video

Make Page Protector Pocket To Hold Cash Or Receipts For Your Planner In Under A Minute

This 4 1/2 minute video shows you how to quick and easily make a page protector pocket to hold your cash or receipts. Very simple and easy to re-create.

Tools needed: scissors, hole punch
Make a page protector cash or receipt pocket for your planner

Add Flip Pockets to your Project Life Pages

Another tutorial from DesignsbyMelody where she teaches how to create three different flip pocket pages utilizing page protectors. It walks through the process using many tools that you likely already have on hand. All three of the techniques are a fun way to bring your memory albums to life by making them interactive. Melody does a lot of scrapbooking by creating Project Life Pages, but simply put, you can use these ideas for any page protector project you want to create.

Tools needed: trimmer, scissors
Add Flip Pockets To Your Project Life Pages – Video

Scrapbooking Making a Die Cut Storage Notebook

Lisa (LisaEDesign) shares a a fun organizing technique that you can use to create pockets out of your page protectors to store your die cuts and flat embellishments as a way of organizing your craft space. From my own experience, I know that when I am not organized I don’t enjoy creating as much, because I’m too busy trying to find where everything is. One of the best things we can do for ourselves as crafters is to be as organized as possible, to enjoy the creative process. This is a really cool idea.

Tools needed: sewing machine, Sharpie, ruler, scissors
Make A Die Cut Storage Notebook – Video

Make Mini Books Using Page Protectors

This video is mostly for inspiration as there is no tutorial on how to create these mini books by using ATC sized pocket protectors. I am adding them to this great list, because of the many creative gift options you can make these for. The video creator, Debbie walks through the process, but again, there is not a visual tutorial to create them. Debbie’s enthusiasm for this project just may get you pumped up to make some gifts for upcoming events and holidays. These have potential to also be a really good craft fair item by making generic mini books that simple pictures can be added or add inspirational quotes to bring a blessing to someone.

Make Mini Books Using Page Protectors – Video

Photo Brag Book

If you have kiddos, grand-kiddos or even fur pets that you love to brag about, page protector project will be one you will enjoy creating these Photo Brag Books. This project idea has been around for quite a few years, but feel it is the kind of project that never goes out of style. Of course creating one for yourself is a great idea, but when you see how easy these are to create, you won’t want to stop there. These make great gifts for ALL occasions as well as make for super easy craft fair and boutique items if you are looking for ideas on making some extra money for your creations. These brag books are made by using 4×6 pre-made photo albums that you can find at the .99 stores. This tutorial by Amber gives a very basic step by step process on how to transform these inexpensive photo albums that have multiple page protectors sewed together. Amber states she has been making these for years and provides a variety of inspiration videos that are listed in her comments section of this video.

Tools needed: since these are pre-made photo books, the tools needed are based on the inserts that you will create to scrapbook your brag book
Photo Brag Book – Video

Name Badge Album

We have reached our last page protector project and I have to say this is probably one of my favorites. I found this gem several years ago and just think it is so creative. This mini album is created by using a unique page protector. It’s unique, because it uses Name Badge protectors. This specific video tutorial by TVWeekly gives very simple mini scrapbook page layouts to finish a complete little mini album. It is finished off by connecting the name badge holders together using ring clasps or ribbon.

If you would like more Name Badge Mini Album inspiration please check out my Pinterest Board.

Note that Name Badges come in a variety of sizes and orientations. This project idea can be adjusted to fit your needs and available badge holder inserts that you have on hand.

Tools needed: ring clasps and whatever you choose to use to create your page inserts
Name Badge Album – Video

How To Read A Ruler

June 30, 2019 By Lynn Leusch 1 Comment

NOTE: This article will explore How To Read A Ruler in inches. We will explore ruler measurements in centimeters in another post.

Reading a ruler is a valuable skill that you will use almost every day, both on and off the job. As a crafter, a ruler or tape measure just might be one of the most important tools used in the creation process, yet there are so many people who don’t know how to use one. I was one of those people for the longest time. I’ve always felt a bit intimidated by all of those little tic lines.

Before learning the secret to cutting measurements I would struggle to create. This severely limited my creativity. I would do my best to keep all my measurements in 1/4″ increments. I comfortably knew the 1/4″ and 1″ increments. Pretty pathetic, right? If I was ever following a tutorial that needed a 1/16″ or 7/8″ cutting measurement I would either fudge the measurement or had to go research what little line I needed to use, which just delayed my creative process.

Though I don’t remember the lessons in school on how to read a ruler, I’m pretty sure I was taught what those little marks on the ruler were.

If you have ever been frustrated and are struggling to Understand how to read a ruler, ruler measurements and what those little marks on the ruler mean, I hope the information below will give you the skills you need to become confident in your measuring skills which, I believe, will help you improve your paper crafting, card making, scrapbooking and general crafting enjoyment and creativity.

The trick to understanding how to read a ruler is to understand what each little mark on the ruler represents.

A ruler is typically 12 inches long (aka one foot long) while other measuring tools can be longer (tape measure)
Measuring tools can be found in increments of 1/4″, 1/8″ and 1/16″ marks
Each tic mark represents a fraction measurement and with fractions we always want to keep it at the lowest common denominator. Don’t worry, we won’t go any deeper than that when it comes to fractions. LOL!

The smallest unit of measurement on the ruler below is 1/16″ which is represented by the smallest tic mark|
The individual tic mark lines get incrementally larger, representing a larger measurement
By counting all the lines between the inch marks (5 – 6) you will see that there are 16 tic marks
Since this ruler is in increments of 1/16″, each tic mark is in the same incremental amount
Each line to the right is another 1/16″ mark
The smallest lines are in 1/16″ increments
The line to the right of the 1/16″ mark are the 1/8″ marks
To the right of the 1/8″ marks is the 1/4″ marks
Viewing the image below will show you the measurements
The tic marks are put into a fraction using its lowest common denominator
Example: 12/16″ would be reduced to 6/8″ which then would be reduced to 3/4″

ruler measurements — image via Teachers Pay Teachers

The YouTube video below was originally published in 2011 and for me, is probably one of the best videos explaining how to read a ruler out there. In fact, many of the comments on the video were from people of all ages, saying they wished they had learned this in school, many years ago. I urge you to watch it and see for yourself how this will build your confidence in learning how to measure.

Ruler Resources

Here are some resources that you might find helpful:

HOW TO READ A RULER POSTER
If you are either wanting a quick and easy reference sheet on How To Read A Ruler for yourself or to help teach others (crafters, kiddos, etc), you might consider going to the Teachers Pay Teachers site and pick up this very inexpensive digital poster as a helpful reference and teaching guide.

How to use this resource:
Personal use and reference in your creative space
Classroom Teachers on math bulletin boards
Homeschool Teachers on math boards

This poster illustrates the different fractions of an inch on a ruler, making it clear and easy to identify measurements on their rulers. The Activity Guide provides supporting activities to practice measuring.

RULER PRINTABLES
Another resource from the same organization at Teachers Pay Teachers is a downloadable printable that can help teach the ruler reaching skills to others. This inexpensive printable would be great to print and download for each student to have their own copy and practice filling in measurement marks. As we know, the more we practice, the easier it becomes. Eventually it will become an automatic skill.

How to use this resource:
Personal learning
Teachers in the classroom
Quilt and Craft instructors

Printable Rulers (all to scale): templates in both cm ruler templates and inch ruler templates. The inch rulers come in sets of half inch, quarter inch, one eighth inch, and one sixteenth inch increments. The metric rulers are available in mm and cm increments. Each page has five rulers and they are to be printed on 8.5 x 14 (legal) sized paper.

FUN RULER GAME
This last resource is just a fun way to improve your ruler reading skills. It’s called The Ruler Game and is an easy to use site for learning and practicing in both inches and centimeters There is nothing to download and challenges you to continue practicing until you can respond quickly and measure without even thinking. Give it a try…just for fun!

Fun interactive game to practice using a ruler or measuring tape

Reading a ruler is definitely a valuable skill that you will most likely use in many areas of your life. This skill could be used in your job, in your hobbies, and in your personal life. The more comfortable you are in using them can certainly help you be a more confident measurer (yup, I kinda just made that word up).

HUGS!
Lynn