by Linda | Dec 15, 2011 | DIY printables, my creative journal
Want a cute little mini airmail design in fresh colors for your papercrafting project? Lately, I’ve been noticing the light blue and pinkish red combination of colors for the Christmas season. I’m more drawn to the palette that is light, airy, fresh and snowy…rather than the traditional classic red and green. Somehow seems more peaceful and quiet happy.
So, I decided to update my airmail stationery to these colors for a little tiny gift card design. You can see my printout on my december daily page below:
Really small and cute, nothing fancy. Matching card with little envelope.
Download the Christmas Airmail Stationery Printable PDF for your personal papercrafting projects.
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by Linda | Nov 30, 2011 | DIY printables
For those that celebrate Thanksgiving, I’m sure the holiday weekend was a fun-filled frenzy. Above all, it’s definitely a season to spend with loved ones and to be reminded of all the things we are thankful for. I think that sentiment of Thanksgiving goes worldwide though…it’s never a bad thing to think about gratitude and give thanks. I decided to create a scrapbook page of 11 thanks for the year 2011 – a great way to use a whole bunch of number stickers as well. But as an American, even though I live in Italy now, I wanted to celebrate Thanksgiving in my own way.
I immediately had the idea of a countdown in my mind, but needed some tags to write in my thoughts. So went ahead and designed some up for myself to print out. I thought it would be nice to share those banner tags with everyone – you can use them in digital scrapbooking or print to use on paper pages as I did above.
Download Banner Tags ZIP
Let me know if you find these useful! I find myself creating these simple elements for myself, because I just don’t have them on hand and it’s just the little thing I need for the project or page in mind. I suppose, I’m definitely thankful to be able to design these elements myself and print them out for use. Pretty cool…
by Linda | Nov 22, 2011 | DIY printables
After posting my printable journaling cards, I realized that I needed horizontal variations! I happen to have a stack of clear pockets in that format, so I went back into Illustrator and created a new set of journaling cards. These cards are specifically designed to be horizontal in format. A mix of designs to help you record those daily thoughts and notes…
Download Horizontal Journaling Cards ZIP
You can actually use these in your digital scrapbooking layouts, as with all my digital products. However, I also love to print out digital designs to use them in crafting projects as well as traditional scrapbooking. Enjoy and let me know what you think.
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by Linda | Nov 1, 2011 | DIY printables
Need some journaling cards for your digital and/or paper projects? Lately, I’ve really been obsessed with journaling cards of all kinds. So I’ve been drooling over various products out there and creating some of my own as well. I’m not sure if the idea came from Becky Higgins Project Life, but it sure gained a lot of momentum from her products, I think. Cathy Zielske and Paislee Press has posts about printing them and many other designs who have digital journaling cards as a product.
I like to have a whole bunch on hand, so that I can jot down my thoughts in the moment – or at least as close to the moment as possible. I don’t want to lose my immediate thoughts on a memory or event. It’s so much more vivid and true when I can write down my thoughts immediately, rather than reflecting on it. Having that journaling card also spurs me to go ahead and get it scrapped as well. Win-win situation I think.
So I dug up some of my own paper designs and created a few journal cards. Feel free to download for your personal use below.
Download Journal Cards Freebie ZIP
They can certainly work for those that use the Project Life system, but a journal card can also go on any layout (digital or paper). One thing I’ve realized is that variety is the spice of life for me… I want to have lots available, so I can grab the one that fits the mood. Then everything seems to flow after that. Hope you enjoy!
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by Linda | Oct 3, 2011 | DIY printables
I know that toothpick flags have been around for a while now and it’s no wonder how popular they are in scrapbooking and cardmaking. Toothpick flags are just so darn cute!
The supplies I like use are often difficult to find here in Italy. So I’ve decided to create my own through trial and error. Toothpick flags seem pretty straightforward to tackle. A simple idea, but you can create unique variations and combinations the DIY way!
Step 1 – Find some toothpicks!
I only have the plain jane ones. However, I’ve seen examples with little fork shapes and decorative tops as well. You might consider coloring them or using variations to create different types of flags.
Step 2 – Choose the material for your flags.
I’ve seen the flags made with patterned paper, ribbon and decorative tape (those washi tapes are all the rage). But I’m sure there are other materials that can be used. I’ve actually created my own designs and printed them on regular paper at home. Feel free to download the designs your own personal use below.
Download Toothpick Flag designs ZIP file
Step 3 – Cut and Fold Flags
Although you technically only have to create one side of the flag for a flat layout, I like creating the real thing for the full effect. This also gives you the freedom of flipping the flag around when using it in your projects. You can see from my designs that there are a variety of flag shapes as well. Experiment with the design, shape, size and length of your flags.
Step 4 – Glue Flags to Toothpicks
That pretty much finished the job. Tah-dah! I’ve found liquid glue to be stronger for this type of embellishment, but it really depends on your flag material. Just get those toothpicks to stick to the flag and you’re all set.
When using your toothpick flags, I’ve found that tucking the flag behind photos or journaling blocks helps to hide the adhesive used to attach the toothpick in place. However, sometimes I just put adhesive under the flag part and show the entire flag and toothpick. I’ve also seen ribbons and embellishments tied around the toothpick part as well.
Some more ideas
Once you’ve got the basic process of creating the flags down, you can start thinking about embellishments and fancying things up! Consider using fancy borders for your flag shapes as well as adding 3D embellishments onto the finished piece. The possibilities are really endless and even better, you can always use scraps of leftover paper to create a matching flag embellishment for your projects – pretty cool!
Let me know if you have any other tips, tricks or ideas regarding toothpick flags. I would be happy to try them out. For now I’ve created quite a collection for my papercrafting needs and having a lot of fun incorporating them into my work. Have fun!
