Many people ask me how I make my printables.

My answer is: one layer at a time…

This is how you work with Photoshop.

You start thinking in layers.

I try to come up with shapes and styles and then, by trial and error, I create these on photoshop with the shape tools and all the masks and filters Photoshop has to offer.

Then I add other layers with lines, graph paper, patterns and brushes…

Today I wanted to share how I make one of these brushes I am talking about – a doily brush.

The same technique works with any other flat object. Lace trimmings? Why, yes!

So, without further ado:

I hope it was helpful and that you’ve enjoyed my tutorial.

Check out Creativity Prompt’s unique self paced workshop: “Make Your Own Planner”. In this workshop you will make a beautiful handmade planner for 2012. Not only will you get the planner kit for instant download, but you will also get a high resolution video tutorial as well as printable instructions to guide you on each step of the way. Either treat yourself or get it to create wonderful gifts for your family and friends.
Join now – for only $12

Back when we were kids creativity came naturally to us. Everything was possible and our prolific imagination was the only limit we knew.
Through the years we have grown apart from our inner creative child and along with that – have lost our pristine and utter joy of creation.

In this e-book I will pave your way back to your inner creative child, brick by brick.

“Unleashing The Creative Child Within You” will explain why you became distant from your core creativity and will reveal the secret to getting it back.

With exercises designed specifically to help you find the inner child within you, regain its confidence and unleash it – you are bound to get your mojo back faster than you think.

Get “Unleashing The Creative Child Within You” for your Kindle
for only $4.99.

You can read the Kindle book on Kindle devices, on your smart phones or on your PC or MAC.

Many of you asked how to resize or recolor the printables I am sharing with you.

I have posted a written step-by-step tutorial before, but there’s nothing better than seeing what I actually do – I am a visual learner too…

So I have made a video tutorial for you guys and I hope that answers all your questions.

Check out Creativity Prompt’s unique self paced workshop: “Make Your Own Planner”. In this workshop you will make a beautiful handmade planner for 2012. Not only will you get the planner kit for instant download, but you will also get a high resolution video tutorial as well as printable instructions to guide you on each step of the way. Either treat yourself or get it to create wonderful gifts for your family and friends.
Join now – for only $12

Back when we were kids creativity came naturally to us. Everything was possible and our prolific imagination was the only limit we knew.
Through the years we have grown apart from our inner creative child and along with that – have lost our pristine and utter joy of creation.

In this e-book I will pave your way back to your inner creative child, brick by brick.

“Unleashing The Creative Child Within You” will explain why you became distant from your core creativity and will reveal the secret to getting it back.

With exercises designed specifically to help you find the inner child within you, regain its confidence and unleash it – you are bound to get your mojo back faster than you think.

Get “Unleashing The Creative Child Within You” for your Kindle
for only $4.99.

You can read the Kindle book on Kindle devices, on your smart phones or on your PC or MAC.

I am revisiting the idea of micro journaling, not because I didn’t keep up – but because I filled up every single page of my last journal.

Micro journaling is so easy. Nothing profound needs to be written (although some great revelations have occurred). The prompts are provided and are repetitive so you don’t have to think much before documenting a day in your life. Thanks to the ease of keeping up, I now have a treasury of micro memories to leaf through.

Here’s how you can make one for yourself:

Supply

• Free printable: Front | Back [right-click on the link and opt for "save target as"]
• Cardstock – I cut each 12″ by 12″ piece into 6 photo-sized pieces. Use as many as you wish – the thicker, the better.
• Chipboard – you need 2 pieces measured: 4″ by 6″ each.
• Hole punch – to punch through the chipboard I use the crop-a-dile.
• Patterned paper – to cover the chipboard. I used Basic Grey’s Out Of Print paper.
• Letter stickers – for the cover. I used American Crafts’ fabric Thickers.
• Adhesive – I used tape adhesive to adhere the paper and liquid adhesive to secure the letter stickers.
• Book binding rings – to bind the journal. You can also use thread or ribbon, but leafing through will go less smoothly.

how-To

1. Cut the cardstock to size. First cut the cardstock in half, to 6″ by 12″ then cut each strip at 8″ and 4″, to make 6 pieces, measured 4″ by 6″ each.
2. Feed the stack of cut cardstock through your printer, the same way you would put photo paper to print photos at home. I found that using the software that came with the printer is better then using the default printer driver. Start by printing the front page on all pages, then flip the pages (back-side-front) but keep the same orientation they had when you printed the fronts (up-side-up). You might want to try it on a demo page before printing on all your pre-cut cardstock.

   In case you cannot use 4″ by 6″ paper with your printer, or if you simply don’t want the hassle, you can just send the 4″ by 6″ files you downloaded to your favorite printing-service.

3. Punch the holes, as marked on the printable. I use the bigger setting in my Crop-a-Dile and align the bottom of the punch with the bottom of the marked circle, to stay farther from the edge.
4. Cut the chipboard to size. The best tool for it is a plain box-cutter… But any sharp knife will do.
5. Cut the patterned paper to size and adhere to the exposed chipboard.
6. Adhere the letter stickers to the cover. I put a dab of liquid glue on each letter, despite using self-adhesive letter stickers, to secure it in place. After all, it is a journal that is meant to be used – often.
7. Bind all the pages together with the book binding rings and start recording.

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What are you currently doing?

Check out Creativity Prompt’s self paced workshop: “Capture Your Dream”. In this workshop you will capture, follow and make your dream come true as well as document your journey in a fabulous mixed media mini album.

I wrote these words as a comment on a blog post on Write. Click. Scrapbook and thought I must share the memory and actual photo with you guys!

Back when we were kids creativity came naturally to us. Everything was possible and our prolific imagination was the only limit we knew.
Through the years we have grown apart from our inner creative child and along with that – have lost our pristine and utter joy of creation.

In this e-book I will pave your way back to your inner creative child, brick by brick.

“Unleashing The Creative Child Within You” will explain why you became distant from your core creativity and will reveal the secret to getting it back.

With exercises designed specifically to help you find the inner child within you, regain its confidence and unleash it – you are bound to get your mojo back faster than you think.

Your inner creative child wants to come out and play, so click here to get “Unleashing The Creative Child Within You” now.

When you ask him something you never know what kind of answer to expect.
And after he leaves a room, you never know what you’ll find there.
I decided to record those funny quirks so I’ll always remember him by it.

To do that I took a few screen shots of our Google chat, our main line of communication while he’s at work.

In those chats you can find one of his accurate but useless answers,
(“when will you come home” “when I’ll get there”)

one of his funny answers
(“we need to eat dinner early today” “So start working on that” “but I don’t have my pots and pans with me…”)

and a snapshot of something only he manages to do – leaving the sofa with one slipper on it and one on the floor…

I love him.

Supply

• Uni Ball Signo Gel Pen Broad Point.
• Sweet Threads 12X12 Element Stickers by Basic Grey.
• Background cardstock is by Bazzil Basic Papers.
• Baby Trims Stickers By Basic Grey.
• Limeade Fantastic Enchanted Dear Lizzy Foam Thicker by American Crafts.
• Vanilla Forest Wood Campy Trails Thickers Stickers by American Crafts.

Back when we were kids creativity came naturally to us. Everything was possible and our prolific imagination was the only limit we knew.
Through the years we have grown apart from our inner creative child and along with that – have lost our pristine and utter joy of creation.

In this e-book I will pave your way back to your inner creative child, brick by brick.

“Unleashing The Creative Child Within You” will explain why you became distant from your core creativity and will reveal the secret to getting it back.

With exercises designed specifically to help you find the inner child within you, regain its confidence and unleash it – you are bound to get your mojo back faster than you think.

Your inner creative child wants to come out and play, so click here to get “Unleashing The Creative Child Within You” now.

In the layout you can see how there is no equality in our house when it comes to hot chocolate.
I get the big HUGE mug!

In this layout I tried to convey the warmth of the hot chocolate and spices with “comfy” patterns and a lot of colors.

Supply

• Sweet Threads 12X12 Collection Pack By Basic Grey (patterned papers and stickers).
• Baby Trims Stickers By Basic Grey.
• Portrait Collection 6X12 Border Stickers By Crate Paper.
• Black Doll Fabric Chipboard Peachy Keen Thickers By American Crafts.
• Neutrals 12×12 AC Cardstock Pack By American Crafts.
• 3 Piece Black Slick Writer Set By American Crafts (I like the added interest of using the different widths of the markers).
• Uni Ball Signo Gel Pen Broad Point.

This year you can really make your dream come true!

“Capture Your Dream” workshop is a self-paced, six weeks long workshop, that will walk you through a journey of capturing your biggest dream and making it come true.

In the process of making your dream happen – with lots of inspiration and guided self-exploration, you will also create a mixed media mini album from scratch and learn many tips and techniques – including some photography pointers that will add character to your photos and will help you take better pictures of your projects.


The workshop includes 30 printable PDF lessons with step-by-step pictures and instructions as well as several printable templates you may use in other projects too.

I am confident you will enjoy it and find it helpful so I also offer full money back guarantee while the workshop lasts.

What makes you feel at home? What warms you up during winter and what keeps you cool during summer?

Supply

• Background cardstock is from Neutrals 12×12 AC Cardstock Pack By American Crafts.
• The New Plaid 12X12 Sweet Threads Paper By Basic Grey.
• Sweet Threads 12X12 Element Stickers By Basic Grey.
• Title is cut with a Sizzix die out of cheap fun-foam.
• Paper frills are by Doodlebug Designs.
• Scallop Sentiment Border Punch By Fiskars.
• Uni Ball Signo Gel Pen Broad Point.
• Neighborhood Collection Border Stickers By Crate Paper.

Check out Creativity Prompt’s self paced workshop: “Capture Your Dream”. In this workshop you will capture, follow and make your dream come true as well as document your journey in a fabulous mixed media mini album.

Last December we were trying to figure out our goals for 2011.
To get me into the New-Year’s mood, my husband told me to envision what would be a perfect day for me.
He told me that I should get down to the littlest of details and start from the moment I wake up.
So I went on and on, trying to see this perfect day in my mind’s eye.

The following day, I woke up and my husband was fussing at the kitchen.
I asked him what was going on but he told me to sit still and steer clear of the kitchen.
After about 30 minutes he called me and on the table waited the perfect breakfast.
The same one I envisioned the day before.
(or a close version thereof)
made with what we had at hand.
He even tried to make “specials” by mixing the peanut butter and jelly in a bowl and also mixing some sun-dried tomatoes with cream cheese, a-la-tapas…

I couldn’t believe my own eyes.
My husband whose recipe for a fried egg is: “Avital, I want a fried egg”,
initiated and executed all of that.

He wanted to teach me a lesson.
A lesson very well taught:

The road to making your dreams come true,
the alleyway to the perfect day,
exists.

All you have to do is take what you have at hand and go get it.

Lesson learned.

Supply

• Background cardstock by Bazzil Basic Paper.
• Black Doll Fabric Chipboard Peachy Keen Thickers By American Crafts.
• Hand Lettering Tiny Type Stickers By Cosmo Cricket.
• Patterned paper from Basic Grey’s Mellow collection (oldie but a goodie)
• Sweet Threads Element Stickers By Basic Grey.
• Basics kraft label stickers by Basic Grey.
• 3 Piece Black Slick Writer Set By American Crafts.
• Red and white ledger paper is by October Afternoon from the Road Map collection.

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How does your perfect day look like? Please leave a comment and share.

Check out Creativity Prompt’s self paced workshop: “Capture Your Dream”. In this workshop you will capture, follow and make your dream come true as well as document your journey in a fabulous mixed media mini album.

Supply used

• Background paper by Bazzil Basic Papers.
• Patterned paper from “Out Of Print” 6X6 Paper PadBy Basic Grey.
• The orange paper is from Oxford Collection 6X6 Paper Pad By BasicGrey.
• The polka dot paper is actually cut from an old packaging.
• Lemon Expressions Cushies Foam Alphabets By Pink Paislee.
• Meringue Expressions Cushies Foam Alphabets By Pink Paislee.
• 3 Piece Black Slick Writer Set By American Crafts.
• Starburst punch by Martha Stewart (pinked circle) [I used it to create the scalloped edge, the same technique I used on a different layout I shared this monday]

Have you ever scrapped the same photos and same memories more than once, from different perspectives? Please share!

Back when we were kids creativity came naturally to us. Everything was possible and our prolific imagination was the only limit we knew.
Through the years we have grown apart from our inner creative child and along with that – have lost our pristine and utter joy of creation.

In this e-book I will pave your way back to your inner creative child, brick by brick.

“Unleashing The Creative Child Within You” will explain why you became distant from your core creativity and will reveal the secret to getting it back.

With exercises designed specifically to help you find the inner child within you, regain its confidence and unleash it – you are bound to get your mojo back faster than you think.

Your inner creative child wants to come out and play, so click here to get “Unleashing The Creative Child Within You” now.

Supply used

• Background paper by Bazzil Basic Papers.
• Patterned paper from Basic Grey’s “Sweet Threads” collection.
• Old paper frills by Doodlebug Designs.
• Old pink grosgrain ribbon with white stitch.
• Salmon Fantastic Enchanted Dear Lizzy Foam Thicker Stickers By American Crafts.
• 3 Piece Black Slick Writer Set By American Crafts.
• Tiny Attacher By Tim Holtz.

I am always trying to use a mix of new stuff and old stuff on my layouts. This way I can use new and exciting products as well as utilize my old stash and sometimes rekindle my love for a forgotten gem.

Do you use your old stash often?

Back when we were kids creativity came naturally to us. Everything was possible and our prolific imagination was the only limit we knew.
Through the years we have grown apart from our inner creative child and along with that – have lost our pristine and utter joy of creation.

In this e-book I will pave your way back to your inner creative child, brick by brick.

“Unleashing The Creative Child Within You” will explain why you became distant from your core creativity and will reveal the secret to getting it back.

With exercises designed specifically to help you find the inner child within you, regain its confidence and unleash it – you are bound to get your mojo back faster than you think.

Your inner creative child wants to come out and play, so click here to get “Unleashing The Creative Child Within You” now.