February Paperthreads Poll

BigRed (AKA Sally) said "I told somebody one time that my hobby was collecting scrapbook supplies!"

Beloved K (AKA Lori) said "I have so much stuff I shouldn't go ever again in my life time or yours! But that isn't the case - all three craft store managers know me on a first name basis!"

debenj (AKA Deb) said "If I can't get to a craft store, there's always online shopping!"

Eddita said "I normally am picking up paper and glue or sewing supplies but always with a coupon...good thing my husband, dogs, children and fish are all signed up on the store mailing lists so I have a few whenever I find I need something"

The challenge to pick one person out of so many on the forum came to me this month. This is always very difficult since I feel, along with all of the other designers, that everyone on the forum is so wonderful and helpful! One name, however, did come to mind.

I am talking about our friend, Scott (sabarrett). Since his wife was into scrapbooking and paper-crafting, they purchased a Silhouette machine back in January of 2008. As soon as they got the machine, Scott jumped right into it, learning how to use it and asking questions along the way. It appears he was a pretty quick study, since he shared a print & cut file for a Christmas page only a month later! He also shared a cute picture of a card they made for their daughter featuring the super cute character, "Cindy Lou Who"

In addition to sharing files he and his wife have created, Scott keeps up on all the software. He also shares any information he comes across with others whether it's on software or font managers, cool fonts, clip art or vector sites. His last big find was what he called the "Ultimate link for a font Junkie!" where you can convert your own handwriting into a True Type Font at no cost. If you haven't yet visited it, be sure to check it out.

Congratulations on being the Forum Member of the month, Scott. To say thanks for being so helpful, you will receive my "Keys and Locks " file for your helpful keys to unlocking so much great information!

I have received a lovely, warm welcome to Paperthreads over the last month, but I have also received quite a number of questions about my style of template design, which is mainly sliceforms, pop-up cards and 3D objects.

My initial passion was for 3D paper crafting. However, unless your recipient lives close by, it is difficult to safely get the design you have taken hours to create to them in one piece.

I, therefore, turned to pop-ups and sliceforms. These allow me to create 3D objects that fold totally flat, allowing you to include them in a card or scrapbook and easily mail them to the ones you love. These objects then pop back into their 3D form again, either by just opening a card, or by gently lifting the sliceform.

Historically, sliceforms are geometric designs constructed from interlocking pieces of cardstock or wood that slot together at right angles to form 3D models. These are used widely by Universities to help people understand mathematics and architecture. One of the most famous sliceform designers is John Sharp who is a famous mathematician and artist. I decided to take the concept of sliceforms and turn them into something that was more suited to card-making and scrapbooking.

Initially the concept of making up a sliceform can be quite scary. This is because the final result can look very impressive, and therefore, you assume it is difficult to achieve, when actually it is quite the opposite. You don't need any glue. Rarely do you need any dashed or pounced lines. You don't need to separate or resize anything, and you can normally cut the whole design from the same colour of cardstock. Just insert the sheet of cardstock in your cutter and cut. All you have to worry about is how you will decorate your finished design and to whom will you give it when you have finished.

The easiest way for me to explain how simple these can be is for me to share one with you. You can cut it out yourself, and then I can show you how to assemble it in a short video. I've provided you with a free sliceform Birdcage template, along with a 4 minute video. Why not give it a go?

I hope you found that helpful and perhaps you will consider using, or even designing sliceforms in the future. There are other free sliceform templates in the forum for you to try and of course you can purchase my templates from my store at Paperthreads.

Well, you all know I love a challenge, so I agreed to take on this project. I think the biggest thing you have to take into consideration about designing a three dimensional file is what are the pieces that you need to make this item and how are you going to make those pieces fit together. Look at the project as if it's a puzzle and what do you need to solve it? When looking at this photo I realized I needed four sides, a top and a bottom and I just went from there. I will admit it took several test cuts and a little tweaking here and there but, all in all, I think it turned out quite cute!

February Sketch: Eat Cake!

by Diana Weber, Diana's Designs

I'd like to share with you a sketch I made for my grandson's first birthday layout!

I wanted the focus to be on the cake. So I used "EAT CAKE" as the title. I also added "Zachary's 1st Birthday." You can do that with your child's name, or just use the words Happy Birthday.

Below is the layout I did from the sketch. I followed the sketch pretty closely, but you can add more photos or more embellishments than I did. I chalked the scalloped edges with an orange ink, and then inked around the edges of the paper with Vandyke brown ink. I used a sponge so I would get a softer edge.

I also wrote a poem just for my grandson, below is the poem. You may use it if you wish.

My birthday cake is just for me, I love the candle glow.
The cake looks good and sweet, you see. I'll like it, I just know.

So hurry up and sing that song, I really want a slice.
Just don't sing way too long, or my tummy will pay the price.

I love the icing, soft and sweet, I love the insides too.
I hope I don't have to be too neat, 'cause my face is covered with goo.
-Diana Weber

The files I used in this sketch are available for free in this newsletter. Just CLICK HERE to download the files! I'd love to see what you make with this sketch or the files so please share pictures of your creations in the Paperthreads Gallery.

Photograph Your Work Like A Pro

by Jan Bryson, Sam & Hailey Designs Posting your work in online galleries, like the Paperthreads Gallery, is a fun and rewarding way to both share and get ideas. Do you sometimes get frustrated that your photographs don't reflect your projects' true beauty? Here are some tried and true methods for bringing the best out of your photographed work. Lighting is Everything: Natural light is better than anything for taking photographs of just about any subject, including paper crafts. Morning sunlight in a sunny room works great for indoor photos. Afternoon sun can be a bit harsh and can cast unwanted heavy shadows across your work. Don't use your camera's flash, if at all possible. Granted, sometimes you just can't get enough light to get the shot you want. If you need to use the flash, try making your own diffuser by taping layers of tissue or paper over your flash. Keep adding layers until you get the right amount of light. Stay Out of the Shadows: Where there's light, there's bound to be some shadow. Arrange your work so that the light source doesn't cast odd shadows across your work. Most importantly, don't catch your own shadow or that of your camera strap in the shot! Create Your Own Studio: If you want a professional looking photograph, try setting up a mini photo studio. This can be as simple as a solid colored sheet or blanket draped over a chair, a stack of books or pillows, or even pinned up on a wall. You can also add some indirect lighting by placing lights at angles to your work. Just make sure that the lights aren't casting a yellow glow. Place your object a few inches away from the back "wall" of your makeshift studio for a more natural look. If you need to prop up a card or other object, try using a still life item like a small vase. Using props related to the theme of your project works well. For example, use a small stack of baby blocks to prop up a new baby card. The Eyes Have It: When photographing a three dimensional object like a box, bag, or card, keep your angle the way your eye would naturally view the item. You'd want to snap your picture of a chandelier lamp shade cover from slightly below it as that's the way you'd see it in real life. For a box, take the picture from just slightly above it, like you'd view it sitting on a table. Cards look best from straight on to just a bit above it, which is the way you'd look a the card if you were holding it in your hand. Pin It Up or Lay It Down: Scrapbook pages always look best photographed straight on and this can be a challenge! Try using some poster putty to hang your layout at eye level on a blank wall. Stand as close as you can while getting the whole page in the camera frame. You can also get good results from laying your layout on a sheet on the ground. Stand above it on a step stool or chair and take the photo pointing straight down at it. This method works best when your light source isn't directly above you. Try your best to get your shot straight on. Use your camera's viewfinder or screen's edges to make sure that all the sides are parallel. Time for a Close-up: When photographing your work, or just about anything else, try to minimize any background noise in the shot. A good rule of thumb is to get close; then take another step closer! Use your camera's macro function for really close shots. If your camera has an Aperture Priority setting, usually marked as "A" on the function dial, use it to get a nice crisp picture of your items in the foreground while leaving the background out of focus. Get Rid of the Clutter: Take a look around your camera's viewfinder or screen to see if anything weird is lurking in the corners. You don't want that can of soda or tube of glue in your shot unless it actually belongs there! Angling for a Better View: For a very dramatic look at one particular portion of your work try getting very close and taking the picture on an angle. This technique is especially nice for capturing the look of glitter and other sparkly enhancements. Take a Stand: Do you have a camera tripod? Use it! When you aren't using a flash, you are more likely to get blurry shots. No tripod? Set your camera on a stack of books and use the timer feature to eliminate any camera wiggle from pushing the shutter button.

Spruce it Up:
After downloading your digital pictures to your computer, really use the features of your photo editing software. Crop out any unwanted space around the edges of your shot. Brighten or lighten up the color a bit. Add a frame or watermark to give a finished look to the final shot. Don't forget to use your software's "Save for Web" feature when you are done. There are special settings there that will greatly reduce the size of your file, thus eliminating those pesky "file too large" errors when uploading to the gallery!

Dissatisfied with your photographs? Nevermore! Put these practices to work in your next photo session and you'll be snapping shots like a pro in no time! You'll get so good you might even be inspired to send some photos of your work off to crafting magazines for publication! In the meantime, don't forget to post them in the Paperthreads Gallery for us all to admire!