Thursday, January 29, 2009

KrewTips for you ...

... Well, the whirlwind of CHA is now over and you should start seeing the fruits of your local scrapbook store owner's labor and tough decision making in the weeks ahead. You'll get to see, touch, taste and buy the latest and greatest very soon!

So while you wait patiently for your LSS's UPS man to arrive, I thought I would start posting some KrewTips every now and then to help make your scrapbooking and papercrafting faster, easier and more fun. I have been scrapbooking since 1998, but I am still amazed by some of the "Well, duh! Why didn't I think of that?" tips and tricks I get from other scrappers. So below is the first KrewTip... more will follow every few days. I am always looking for tips from other scrappers. If you have one you think would be great to share, email it to me at jessica@kits2remember.com, I'll take some photos showing off the technique and then I will post it, giving you full credit for the KrewTip. And then I just might snail mail you a pair of acrylic covers...

This weekend I will be kitting a number of classes, with the help of my Mom. Some of you may have met her at the booth cash register of you have been to a Scrapbook Expo. She's one of the most organized people I know, so kitting will be cake. If you are in the Southern California area, I still have some classes available, so log on to the Kits2Remember calendar to see if one of the projects piques your interest and fits into your schedule. Can't make it to class but need some inspiration? If you are looking for fun, fresh ideas for acrylic, metal and more, be sure to log on to the Kits2Remember Design Krew's blog. The Krew is great about posting something new every couple of days, so check back often!

And don't forget to post a comment to the blog post below. I will be giving away two CHA care papckages to two lucky, random winners. Comment today and check back tomorrow!

Last but not least, here is the first KrewTip of the series:

I have seen a lot of people dismiss a ribbon that they really like because it is wired and wired ribbon doesn't always work so well on scrapbook layouts and other projects. Well, don't be so quick to pass that ribbon by! There is a quick trick that takes the wire right out. First of all, I don;'t recommend trying this technique on ribbon longer than one yard. Shorter lengths are easier to use, so if you know how much ribbon you want to use ahead of time, say 12 inches, clip the 12 inches of the roll first.

Then slide the edge of the ribbon down the wire to expose the tip of the wire in the tiny channels on either side of the ribbon.

Gently grab the end of each wire and pull slowly until the wire is completely removed.

Be sure to carefully dispose of the wire because it can be very fine and tough to see in carpets and such. You don't want anyone hurting themselves on the tiny, sharp point. Then feel free to use the no-longer-wired ribbon to your heart's desire.

Got a quick KrewTip of your own? Email it to jessica@kits2remember.com. Be sure to add your name and location. If your tip is chosen, we will mail you a pair of acrylic covers.

11 comments:

Naomi Ockeman said...

I am super jealous! I so wanted to be @ CHA...next year! that is my goal...
thanks 4 the chance to win...

Anonymous said...

gosh, I just love your stuff!!!
thanks for all the sneak peaks..

Jenn Christman said...

I LOVE doing that too! I think that the best tip that I have actually came from a former Krew Design member, Stacy Cohen, that is to use stickles on the edge of the ribbon to keep it from fraying. And it adds a little bit of bling.

Caroline said...

Ahh yes that is the reason I don't use ribbon with wire,but now I know and thanks to you now I will!!!!
Thanks Jess.

AFScrapperMom said...

Thanks for the tips and the great blog posts!

Anonymous said...

It is so great to hear about CHA... now all I need to do is get there next year!!! Lookin' forward to all your new creations!!

Jessica Guthrie said...

Thanks, ladies... yeah, the ribbon thing was something a scrapper showed me a few months ago - it opened up a whole new realm for my ribbon obsession!

dorism6220 said...

Great idea - I have some ribbon in the trunk of the car to try this on.

BethW said...

Or if you're compulsive like me, you carefully wrap the wire around a pencil and save it to use in future projects. It can really come in handy and the wider the ribbon, the thicker the wire-so you end with up different gauges also.

Anonymous said...

I never thought about that before and probably because I have stayed away from wired ribbon but now I don't have to! Thanks for the tip!!!

Ceesa aka Lisa said...

I just recently found your site from purchasing some of your kits2remember. I love your blog I will be following it now.