I hear it often, “I’m a scrapbooker so I don’t stamp.”  I’m here to tell you – YES YOU CAN! Whether it’s titles, embellishments, boarders, or backgrounds; stamps make a great addition to scrapbook pages.  While prepping for a Close to My Heart gathering for a group of scrapbookers, I set out to create a [...]

Iris Folding originated in Holland, where crafters made their designs using patterned paper cut from the inside of envelopes.  Today we will be using a lightweight paper.  You can also use wrapping paper, origami paper, foil and ribbon.   As you become more comfortable with this technique you will see your creativity come to life. [...]

This wonderful project is beautiful and simple.  It is a great gift idea that is inexpensive and from the heart.  If you are not looking for a gift then make this a rainy day or any day craft project.  Here, we are walking through the steps of “how to” with my own 5 year old [...]

Sadly, I only have one card to share this month (pout).  I realized on the Friday before card club that I had committed myself to not one, not two, not three, but FOUR things for Sunday!  I had to choose between card club, Grove City’s annual Soggy Doggy, watching the US Men’s National Soccer team [...]

There are millions of stamps and just about as many ways to organize and store those stamps. You could store them on a shelf . . . You could store them in baskets . . . You could store them in drawers . . . You could store them in clear plastic containers . . [...]

Last OCD with Amy D, I showed you how I organize my smaller scraps, but what about the larger pieces?  And the pieces that cannot be cut down to 5×5 or smaller?  Originally, I kept a clear 12×12 folder for each color and carried all of the folders in this great bag.  It worked for [...]

It can be everyone crafter’s nemesis – scrap paper.  What do you do with it?  Keep it?  Throw it away?  Roll it up and smoke it?  Well . . . maybe not that last one . . . I use to just throw it away (gasp!).  That was until someone appealed to my OCD.  I [...]

Yes, I have a shirt that says, “Paper is my weakness.”  That’s why OCD with Amy D needs several blogs just to show how I organize my paper! After last week’s blog, follower – TaffysMommy – commented about how she organizes her paper; and it made my OCD tingle!  TaffysMommy organizes her solid card stock [...]

While cropping with my fabulous friend Carrie Layne, I couldn’t help but marvel at her paper organization and efficiency.  OK, by marvel, I mean I petted it and chanted, “Ooooohhhh, ppprrreeetttyyyy!!!” To make her scrapbooking easier, Carrie cuts her card stock into 4.5 x 6.5 pieces and organizes them by color.  When she needs paper [...]

I’ll admit I’m not a button girl.  Don’t get me wrong.  I love the look of buttons.  Every time I see them on a card or scrapbook page, I think, “Wow!  Why don’t I think to use buttons more?”  So, when Shirley Wheeler put out a call to OCD with Amy D for how to [...]

Yes!  You read it correctly – Welcome to OCD with Amy D – a new weekly blog post all about organizing your crafting supplies!  In this case, OCD stands for Obsessive Crafting Disorder!  (OK, there’s a little traditional OCD involved as well.)  Sometimes I wonder what I love more.  Crafting?  OR  Buying and organizing crafting [...]

The call came out for a project using recycled products.  I decided to do a teapot, (which is one of my favorite patterns). The next step was to find recycled material to accomplish this.  With everything in life, your projects always come out better using items you love.  So, the gift wrap I had saved [...]

I simply enjoy making mini books to showcase events and to give as gifts.  Most recently, I made a mini book for my step-dad out of brown lunch sacks.  This technique is so much fun, and you can alter the direction and size to create multiple unique books.  To create this book, the openings of [...]

In early August, I’m offering 4 classes at Stampaway in Cincinnati, Ohio. One of those classes focuses on tags and I turned to Susan Pickering Rothamel from USArtQuest for advice. Just days after our chat, I received happy mail with lots of sample tags designed and created by Susan! The tags used all sorts of cool techniques [...]

Happy May Crafters!  Time for your monthly Red Letter Journal card club update! This month’s theme was chipboard.  To be precise, it was naked chipboard.  Participants could cover it with paper, paint it, emboss it, glimmer mist it, whatever tickled their creative fancy!  Of course, the Create & Craft team was on hand armed with [...]

April’s theme/technique was texture.  If you’ve ever been shopping with me, you know I love texture!  I cannot walk through a store without touching EVERYTHING while oohing and aahing.  The softer – the better! Amy’s fav of the month comes from Ms. Carol!   While I love the colors and layout, what made Carol’s card my [...]