How to Make Your own Art Supply of Paper

Hi, how would you like to learn how to make some of your very own papers and save money for other art and craft making supplies?  Well, here is my tip:  SAVE all those Christmas and other Holiday gift wrappings that you or someone you know will be getting and turn them into great paper and bases for future projects.

I have been making a lot of my own papers for card making, and other paper crafting for a couple of years now.  It all started when I joined the Arnold Grummer Paper Making Design Team and I got my very own Paper Making kit.  I learned the AG method very quickly and I was on my way.  Today I share this tip over at the AG blog (click here).

Over the last few years many many of the projects I have posted with paper projects have been made mostly with this handmade paper.  Over at the AG blog, ALL my projects are made with my handmade paper.

Every sheet of handmade paper is unique and lends itself to different results with each application.  So it makes for a really fun medium to work with in my Mixed Media.  Most of my attempts at using my own handmade papers have been successful, a few though were not so good.  Handmade paper is a bit more fragile sometimes and cannot get as wet as some mechanically made papers, so just remember that.  It takes practice to be able to have success with these papers when using very wet mediums.

So what can you save to make your own papers?  Just about anything that you can blend in a blender essentially.  Yes, if you can shred it and blend it with some water then you can make it into paper.
I save junk mail, gift wrapping, envelopes, magazines, etc.  If it was made from paper to begin with it can become new paper again.  It is also possible to make paper out of cotton linter which is sold as such.

Once you get started making your own paper it is addictive and leads to many creative opportunities.

Thanks for stopping by.

See You at CHA

  The CHA Social Committee has put together the See You at CHA Blog Hop event that has been going on this week as a way to share the excitement so many of us in this industry have over the upcoming CHA Mega Conference and Trade Show in January, 2016!  We are a group of Designers, Professional Crafters, Manufacturers, Educators, etc working in the Crafts and Hobby Industry.  We love what we do and we love to share that enthusiasm with all of you.   We are so excited that there is even a contest!

That's right.  Here is your chance to win a Visa gift card (which will be valid in the winner's country) worth over 600$ USD.   Now, that's exciting!!!!

The rules are simple:

1. Check out my blog post (mandatory)  leave a comment and answer the following question:  "What is your favourite  "Can't Live Without" craft tool or supply?"
2.  Tweet about the giveaway.  (Use #CHAshow).  The more you tweet the more chances you get.
3. Answer a multiple-choice poll about how you "Cre8time"for crafting (double entry value)

Anyone and everyone in The USA and abroad is eligible to enter.  Including participants and their teams.  CHA staff are not eligible though.

Now, getting ready to go to CHA  entails alot of preparation for me . It will be my 2nd time at CHA and  I plan as much as I can in advance.  My time there is short and packed, so I try to be prepared as much as possible.  Here are some of the things I do:

1.  Follow the See You at CHA Facebook Group.  There is a lot going on there and people are exchanging ideas, making plans, and sharing.

2.  Write out my itinerary either long hand or digital.  Making notes of reservation numbers, scheduled meetings,  when and where of social activities, classes, etc.

3. Print out copies of Hotel and Airplane information and confirmations.  Or/ and keeping digital copies of this information on my devices.

4.  Use apps on my iPhone to simplify my travel.  I like to use the Air Canada app to check on my flight(s) information, confirm my booking, pick a seat, etc... (So I don't have to do everything in number 3, even though I still do most of that just because people and digital systems are not fail proof).   By the way this  app makes check in a breeze, I can bypass the line and go straight to security, if I have no luggage to check.

5.  Make sure to have my passport and identification ready and easy to access, along with my iPhone to check in electronically at the airport.

6.  Bring my Planner!  That baby follows me everywhere.  In there I keep all the information I have already mentioned, just in a compact version. Plus I like to write in it, take notes, doodle and decorate it while waiting or sitting for a while.

Speaking of planners.....
 I will be doing a Make and Take of embellishments for your planner, in the Designers in Action section on the show floor at CHA.  I will be there on Saturday January 9 at 2pm, for one hour.  I will have a limited amount of product to use for this very quick and easy Make and Take.  I hope to see some of you there.  Thanks to Little B and Deflecto for their generous contributions.

 You can also check out the many talented Designer's Displays and Work at the Show, including mine. Our displays will be set up in the Designers in Action Section, for the duration of the show.


Now, to see the other posts on this hop you can click here:

Thanks so much for stopping by.

###If you are looking for my post for Creative Paperclay™ it's here.###


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Glittery Snowballs

Hi, here is my second post for today.   It is a quick how to for the Creative Paperclay® blog where I am on the Design Team.  To read the full post just click here.

To make this I up cycled an old decoration that had seen better days with some Creative Paperclay Delight, a very light weight air drying modelling material.

Supplies used:
Repurposed tacky gold ball/decoration (my own)
Paperclip (Staples)
Ric-Rac in gold (my stash)
Acrylic snowflakes (my stash)
Piece of white and gold cord (my stash)
Glitter Mod Podge (Plaid)
Glue (Tombow)
Delight™ (Creative Paperclay®)


***************Don't forget to check out my See You at CHA post for today also.**************

Thank you for stopping by.

Christmas Flower

Here is my handmade paper Christmas Poinsettia Flower Ornament that I made as part of the Design Team over at the Arnold Grummer Paper Making Blog.CLICK HERE

To make this I used several sheets of handmade paper I already had in my stash.  It is possible to make this with any kind of paper you have.  It came together quite easily by using the  Sizzix Die that I have had for years.  I used the same die to cut out two green petals to make leaves.  I also used my new Tri-Tone colouring pencils to add some interest to the leaves.
I find that using a glue stick when sticking handmade papers together to be better than wet glues.  In the end Ii  did use my Ad Tech glue gun to use some hot glue to attach the finished flower to a large clothes pin.  The clothes pin now makes my flower easier to attach to our Christmas tree or even to a gift.

Thank you for stopping by.


Supplies:
Koh-I-Noor Tri-Tone Multi colored lead pencils
John Bead Corp Ltd. Gold coloured glass beads
Sakura 3D Crystal Lacquer
Studio Glue Stick
AdTech Hot Glue
Richard Wood Clothes Pin
Papers All Handmade following the Arnold Grummer Paper Making Method
Sizzix #655222 Die Flower Petals & Center