Storing Digital Supplies

Storing Digi Supplies

When you download digital stamps, digital papers or scrapkits it's a very good idea to organise them on your computer otherwise you will loose track of them all ... believe me.

First - where are your downloaded kits/stamps/papers?
Most computers automatically place them in your users directory - check my documents/my downloads etc...

Set up a directory for your digi items somewhere on your computer and have sub directories for the different types (e.g. stamps and scrapkits). It is a good idea to set up sub directories for each store/designer.

Depending on your computer you can either rightclick on the zip files and extract (or unzip) them, or double click to open them. Then move the files to your storage area.

It is a good idea to keep all the files in the same folder as the designer created them (e.g. a different folder for each product). And DO keep the all the files including the preview and very importantly - the TOU/licence files.

Tagging Digi Files
I won a fancy file management system a few years ago, but you can also use Windows Explorer to tag your files for you.

Why tag? It helps you to find something. You can tag by designer name, colour, theme, pattern, element type (eg ribbon or star). Then when you need something specific you can use Windows to help you find it.

How to tag (depends on your computer, but one of these should work)
* right click on the file and select tag - then type in a tag(s)
* right click on the file, select the properties option. Select the Details tab, there will be a line for adding tags.
* double click on the image to open it in Windows explorer, look to the right hand side or the top bar and find the tag option, type in your tag(s)

How to use tags to find something (again there are a few different ways to do this)
* click on the start button, there is a text box, type your tag and press enter on your keyboard. A list of files will diplay.
* open windows explorer, click on the search button, enter your tag(s) and the files will be displayed
* open windows explorer, find the search box and enter your tags into it, the files will be displayed.

TJ Folding Napkins

I have a short video to share with you today, my little TJ folding napkins for the Dinner Table.

The video was filmed live so there's loads of background noise sorry.

Many blessings to you all.

Printing Digis in MS Word

If you are new to digital stamps you will be pleased to know that you don't need any fancy graphics software to use them. You can easily resize and print them from inside MS Works and MS Word. (For MS Works see the previous tutorial.)

I'm using MS Word 2000, I'm assuming they havn't messed with the software too much and this will work in older and newer versions the same.

This will work for digital stamps, digital papers, and digital scrapbooking elements/stickers in jpg and png formats.

* Open MS Word, make sure you have the page setup the size of paper you normally print on.
* go to the menu bar, click on insert, then picture, then from file
* select the digi stamp you want to print
* click insert
* select the image you have now successfully put on your page
* go to the menu bar, click on format, then picture
* click on the tab that says size
* now enter the size you want your stamp to be
* click on the Layout Tab
* select square from the options
* click OK
* drag the image to the place you want it to be on the page
* (optional) put more stamps on the page if you want to
* print

Printing Digis in MS Works

If you are new to digital stamps you will be pleased to know that you don't need any fancy graphics software to use them. You can easily resize and print them from inside MS Works and MS Word. (for MS Word see the next tutorial.)

I'm using MS Works 9.0, I'm assuming they havn't messed with the software too much and this will work in older and newer versions the same.

This will work for digital stamps in jpg format , and digital papers

* Open MS Works Word Processor, make sure you have the page setup the size of paper you normally print on.
* go to the menu bar, click on insert, then picture, then from file
* select the digi stamp you want to print
* click insert
* select the image you have now successfully put on your page
* go to the menu bar, click on format, then object
* click on the tab that says size
* now enter the size you want your stamp to be
* click on the Layout Tab
* select square from the options
* click OK
* drag the image to the place you want it to be on the page
* (optional) put more stamps on the page if you want to
* print

Fabrizio's Coffee Cup Card

Hello everyone, please help welcome a very talented card maker to the blog today. Fabrizio is going to show us, step by step, how he made this fabulous card.

Hi Angela and all your lovely followers, I want to thank you very much indeed for giving me this opportunity to guest on your fab blog. I thought I would share this fun mock mug of coffee using patterned papers from EK Collections and Hot Off the Press templates as well as their dazzles (peel-offs/outline stickers), I've also had fun using panpastel to highlight with white since it's a transparent medium it's perfect to use on lettering where the pattern doesn't make it that obvious.

I've used a couple of collections from EK Success range (sadly no longer available) but any patterned paper with polka dots and stripes will do. Make sure you use a double sided paper for the coffee mug. Two templates from Hot Off the Press 'Easy Scalloped Frames' and ' Sweet Treat Pockets'. Also you can see the dazzles 'Coffee & Tea Stickers' plus the pot of white panpastel and an Stanpin' Up applicator.

Cover the front of a 5X7 card with some black texture cardstock ( either Bazzil or DCWV or any favourite one - to add dimension you could distress it on the edge if it has a white core).

Mat and layer two contrasting paper so that you have a nice background to set your cut our coffee mug and side embellishment.

Cut out using a black marker (which will make the cut outs pop on your card) the mug and the foam in two different papers, do not forget to use a double sided paper for the mug when you fold it over the pattern of the pocket will contrast.

Now cut out the side embellishment, it makes sense to use the same patterned paper as the mug cut out.

Add the filigree peel-off/outline sticker

Highlight it with white panpastel or any transparent pastel you have.

Do the same with the sentiment applied on the flap in front of the mug after you've glued them to the front of the card making sure the handle overlaps out of the card and adding the foam silhouette on top.

Thank you Fabrizio.

Christmas Stars

Tea Bag Folding is really easy, and looks really impressive. As well as focal points for cards etc it can be used to make wonderful paper stars for your Christmas Tree or anywhere else you want to hang them.


For this tutorial my daughter and I are using the teabag folding tiles from the Toucan Scraps Christmas Card Making Kit.

The stars are made with the Kite Fold. For each ornament you need 2 stars, each star uses 8 teabag tiles.

The teabag folding bit
Cut out the square teabag folding tiles.

For each square:
1. fold the square in half down the diagonal

2. open out
3. turn over
4. fold the side corners into the middle fold to form a kite


For each Star
1. take 8 kites (can be 8 the same or 2 lots of 4. If using 2 tiles then alternate them as you stick them together)
2. Turn the first kite face up.
3. Apply glue/adhesive to one section of the widest part of the kite.
4. Stick a 2nd kite to the 1st one

5. Repeat with the remaining kites until a star has been formed.


For each ornament
1. Take 2 stars

2. Stick them together back to back
3. Punch or pierce a hole in the top

4. thread with ribbon/twine/lace/string
5. secure with a good knot

Scrapbook a Card

I wanted to do something a bit different for my Parent's Christmas card this year and scrapbooked the front. Each of the photos is on a pocket. I got the children to write their names on the tags tucked inside each pocket.

Today I'm going to show you how I put this card together. Stamps (both rubber and digital) or decoupage etc. could be used to replace one or more of the photos.

I used a ready made card base in dark green. The folded card is 17.7 x 12.6 cm (approx 7 x 5 inches).

I took the hybrid approach to this card, but you could easily use traditional paper crafting supplies for it. I used a kit by Meredith Cardall that she sent to me and my daughter as a gift called Christmas Wishes.

For hybrid set-up your software page to just slightly smaller than the card base (17 x 12 cm for me).

Choose some patterned papers and layer up as shown below. Add a greeting along the centre-top. If you are going hybrid then remember to add drop shadows to the upper paper layers and the letters.

Stick onto the card base with dry adhesive or double sided tape.

Cut 3 pockets approx 5.5 x 4.5 cm.

Layer papers and photos etc onto the pockets. My photos were cropped to 5 x 4 cm.

When the pockets are ready, place thin doublesided tape along the 2 sides and bottom of the pocket and then stick to the card.

Cut 3 tags to fit inside the pockets, punch holes and add ribbon or string etc.

Add any finishing touches and embellishments.

As I'm using a dark colour for the card base, I made an insert to stick to the inside.

This style of card can be used for many occasions with different titles, pictures and papers etc, have fun and I'd love to see any that you make. Blessings to you all from Angela.

Blended Photo using Craft Artist

One of my favourite digital scrapbooking techniques is blending a photo into the page background. Here's an example using a kit from By Becca called Love Grows Here.

Today I'm going to show you how easy this is to do in Serif's Craft Artist Professional (CAP) and it's Predecessor Digital Scrapbook Artist 2 (DSA2). The photo is blended using the Transparency tool. (Note that this tool is disabled in the cut down versions.)

1. Place your photo onto layer 1 and resize it etc.

2. With the photo selected click on the Transparency Tool button - it looks like a glass.

3. The click on the dropdown box that currently says none and select radial.

4. Click on the black dot in the centre of the circle and drag it to where you want the main focal part of the photo to be.

5. Click on the white dot at the edge of the circle and drag it outwards or inwards to adjust the transparency of the photo edges.

In my example I place a background paper behind it and then added more photos and elements on top.

Have fun, and I'd love to see what you create. Blessings to you all from Angela.

Emily's Crochet Candy Canes

Today I have great pleasure in introducing you all to a lovely young lady called Emily from Scotland. Emily is going to show us how to make these cute crochet candy canes. She is such a wonderful teacher and has included simple to follow instructions so that even complete beginners to crochet can complete this project.

What you will need for this project:

• Scissors
• Wire Cutters
• Round Nose Pliers
• 2mm Gauge Garden Wire
• 2.5mm + 4.25mm Crochet Hook
• Red and White Double knit Yarn

1. Start by taking the 4.25mm crochet hook and white yarn. Make a slip knot and do 50 chain stitches.

-To make a slip knot-

Lay yarn open end pointing up on your left palm.

Make a loop by taking open end of yarn from right to left over itself.

Grab top of loop and pull down over end of yarn attached to the skein of yarn.

With the crochet hook pull through yarn now in centre of loop. Pull tight on hook.

-To make chain stitch-

Using 4.25 hook pull end of yarn attached to skein through loop on hook from slipknot.

Repeat until you have 50 chain stitches.

2. The next step is to make the spiral by first holding the chain stitches to the left.

In second chain stitch from hook do three single crochet stitches. Repeat until all chain stitches have three crochet stitches.

-To make single crochet stitch-

Put hook into chain stitch and pull through yarn.

This creates two loops on crochet hook.

Pull yarn through both loops.

That is one single crochet stitch complete.

Repeat in same chain stitch two more times to make a total of three.

3. You will begin to see a spiral take shape.

Once at the end tie off leaving some extra yarn, this will be used later.

4. Repeat above steps with red yarn.

5. Measure out approx. 19cm of your 2mm gauge wire.

This should leave enough to curl edges and also leave a bit of length for error.

Curl one end of the wire with needle nose pliers.

6. Twist two yarn spirals together with red excess yarn on one end and white excess yarn on the other.

7. Twist both spirals around the wire starting at the end of the wire which has been curled. There should be wire left sticking out of the spiral.

8. Using the 2.5mm crochet hook conceal wire at curled edge using excess yarn. (A large eyed embroidery needle can also be used.)

Once securely in place make your candy cane stripes as even as possible. Cut extra wire about 3/4cm from edge of spiral.

Again using the round nose pliers curl edge of wire. Use excess yarn to secure and conceal wire end. Bend into a candy cane shape.

9. Take a small length of yarn and thread through candy cane to create a loop. Tie end.

You have a complete candy cane ornament which you can put on your Christmas tree or give as a gift this Christmas.

Thank you Emily.