Design Tip: Sanding

I love to sand the edges of my photos & papers! I actually started sanding & distressing the edges as a way to hide my imperfect cutting skills! ;)

I have often been asked how I sand my edges - it seems a lot of scrappers hold their paper and their files in the air as if they were inking the edges of their papers or photos. I actually lay my papers or photos on a cutting mat that I use specifically for sanding because it leaves the cutting mat dirty.

I use the inexpensive nail files or more recently I have discovered the Basic Grey Precision File Set - which is AWESOME!!! I own two of the BG file sets & if there is ever talk of them discontinuing them, I will stockpile them! :)

Here is a close up of a mini book cover sanded edges. I sanded the photo edges with a file & instead of cutting the paper around the scalloped minibook, I just used the small rounded metal files in the BG file set.


Here is how I file the edges of paper & photos:


If you have any questions, just let me know!

I hope you give sanding a try & post your work in my Design Tip thread so I can check it out!

~Carolyn

3/18 Inspirational Challenge

This Weeks Inspiration is about Photo's with a twist.

Photo's are my inspiration-

My challenge is to take this beautiful photo

Make a layout/project based on what the photo inspires to create. It can be anything as your inspiration like a color, shapes, lines, theme etc.

Here is mine:

I was inspired by color, waves, tree, and sun.

Thanks for checking out my challenge, I can't wait to see what everyone creates. Have fun!!

Design Tip Number 1 . ..

Hello CP blog followers . . . it's a pleasure to meet you. My name is Andrea Tuttle, and I am an excited member of the new CP Design Team. One of my first assignments is to share a design tip with you.
Recently I was published in Simple Scrapbooks latest specialty issue titled: Scrapbook Play with Photos. My trick with the photo play was to create a silhouette of a person using a profile picture of them and then using the silhouette to create a really cool layout.
Here is one of my examples:

Note: This is not the published layout!!

To create this layout, I simply took profile pictures of my daughters. Then I blew up the images to 5 x 7, I even shrank some to wallet size for another project that I did, too. Then I carefully clipped the photo to a piece of black card stock. I used my extra sharp scissors to cut out the profile of my daughter. I found a quote, wrote it on a rectangle sheet of white card stock and then mounted that on to a frame that I hand cut out of another sheet of black card stock. I adhered the whole project to a brightly colored piece of card stock and then added a few embellishments. Easy and fun!!

Here is another project that I created using the same designs only on a smaller scale:
And here is the layout that was published:
Thanks, and I hope that you'll try this quick and fun design tip!!

The new product just keeps rolling in!!!

Ok, it was only a few posts ago that I told you we hit 900 new products - well now we are well beyond 1100 in the last 45 days!! If you haven't stopped by Paradise lately you are missing: Quickutz, Carolee's Creations (Adornit), Queen and Co., Little Yellow Bicycle, Daisy Bucket, DCWV and more!!! Go check them out at CroppinParadise.com!

Great submissions for the DT!!!

I just wanted to take a second and publicly thank everyone that has submitted for our DT!! We have had a great response and we love all the great submissions to the gallery as well as great resumes that are on the forums. Thanks everyone! The CP Team is reviewing all the entries and we hope to post the winners soon. Good luck!!

Design Team

Everyone - don't forget that this Saturday is the deadline for the Design Team call. If you want to be a part of our design team, follow this link to our forums for the instructions. We have had a great response so far and I am really excited about all the new talent in Paradise! Come be a part of this great community!

Over 900 new products in Paradise!!!

Holy cow!! I can't believe it! We have over 900 new products in the last 45 days and we are just getting started! There are some great designs, embellishments, kits and more that are now available in Paradise!!

Click here to see what's new!

Don't be alarmed! I know there are pages and pages, but just take a look and you will be hooked!