Search Results for: topic tag adds

Overweight in Alabama

Every so often, I see a news story that just brings me up short. This one caught my eye today. Apparently, the state of Alabama is trying to crack down on obesity by hitting its employees where they live – their pocketbooks. That’s right – if you work for the state of Alabama and you’re overweight, you’ll soon be paying $25.00 more per month for your health insurance as opposed to the employees who are not overweight. This adds up to $300.00 more per year. The state is calling this a financial incentive to lose weight. I haven’t decided yet … Continue reading →

Adding a Bit of Flair on Layouts With Chalk

Chalks, also known as pastels are so much fun to use on your scrapbook layouts. The vast variety of color choices means that you can match it to almost any color of cardstock or embellishment making your pages true ‘wow’ pages. There are definitely some fun and unique ways to use chalk on your layouts. A favorite way is to use it to color in stamped images or clip art. It gives it a light shaded look and depending on the applicator you choose, can be soft or hard color. There are a variety of applicators available, including sets that … Continue reading →

Fun Techniques: Sculpting Paper

Paper sculpture has been around a long time. However I found a new and creative way to use it in your paper projects from card making, to altered art and of course to scrapbook layouts. The technique is easy and only requires paper and water. First, it is easier to use a spray bottle, because you will have control over what areas you get wet. It does not matter if you choose to do this with cardstock or patterned paper, but the thicker the paper, the easier it is. Begin my spraying your paper on both sides and then crumpling … Continue reading →

Using Ink Pads to Distress or Add Dimension to Your Layouts

Ink pads are such a versatile supply. They are one of those things that were created for a specific use, to use with your rubber stamps, but they can go so much further than that. They are perfect for adding distressing or adding dimension to your scrapbooking layouts. There are a lot of different ways to use ink pads to create these amazing effects on your pages, one of my favorites, which certainly adds a bit of dimension is to create backgrounds. These papers were made by multiple ink pad swipes across the page. I chose complementary colors that went … Continue reading →

How To Use Distressing On Your Layouts

Distressing your layouts adds dimension and appeal to your scrapbook layouts. It gives the layout an aged look, or a weathered look. There are several ways you can obtain a distressed look, and different materials you can use. Here are a few of the most common. Sandpaper – Sandpaper is fun to use to distress especially if you are using a piece of cardstock with a white core. Sand the cardstock or an embossed image on your cardstock with the sandpaper. Try using different grades of sandpaper to achieve different effects. Inks – There are special inks designed especially for … Continue reading →

Tips For Reusing Digital Elements

There is a definite perk to creating scrapbook layouts digitally. Among the cost of the items being much less, the ability to reuse items is an added bonus which I feel adds to the whole frugal scrapbooking thing. However, I was surprised to learn that many digital scrapbookers do not know how to reuse their elements and feel as if they will be creating the same layout over and over if they use the embellishments again. This causes them to purchase more and more kits of similar items that are slightly changed in appearance. This is not even close to … Continue reading →

Affairs and STDs

You often hear people talk about the psychological issues they suffer after finding out a spouse has had an affair (namely lack of trust), and there’s the other kind of fallout that manifests (counseling and divorce), but what about the health issues? How many affairs result in the contraction of an STD? Perhaps it’s a weird thing to wonder about. (Then again, I’m prone to that. “How Do Monkeys Keep Their Nails Clipped?” is proof.) But there you have it, I’m wondering about it. I blame Wayne. Not because he cheated and gave me an STD, but because of his … Continue reading →

Home Week in Review: August 6 – 12

If you missed anything this week, don’t feel bad. I missed a couple days myself, and had to backtrack to catch up. My area has been experiencing one of the worst heat waves in years and we had to conserve energy during the day to avoid power outages. There were days I had nothing on but air conditioners and fans (and sometimes the lights would still blink, making my heart race). With the heat index topping 115, I did not want my family to be without air conditioning. At that extreme, it goes beyond simple comfort and is more about … Continue reading →

5 Fabulous Frugal Tips for the Kitchen

1. Get organized in the kitchen. Take an inventory of what you have, what you use most often, and where you keep it. If you haven’t already done so, create a master shopping list with items you most frequently buy. For me, I have two master shopping lists – one for the grocery store, and one for the discount chain. The reason for this, is toilet paper, paper towels, baggies, and wraps are all cheaper at the discount chain – as well as detergents, fabric softeners, cleaners and a load of other products. Don’t waste your hard-earned money picking these … Continue reading →

Working With Scraps: Part One

I think most scrapbookers have a pile of scraps that have accumulated in their scrapbook room. Everything from paper scraps, to sticker remnants, ribbons, fiber and so much more. Thanks to ingenious organizing, I now have all mine separated in my scrapbook room and they are in nicely organized containers (something I will discuss in another entry). However, I really have a lot – probably too much. Since I tend to be on the frugal side in my everyday life, I’m trying to carry it over to my scrapbooking and crafting as well. The most often heard piece of advice, … Continue reading →