Today I’m launching a new video tutorial series called “Just Crafty Enough.” The idea behind it is this: I am not the craftiest person on the planet but I do know how to use digital products to create fun, simple and cool projects that aren’t necessarily just scrapbook pages. I wanted to start finding other ways to use some of the digital products I make and so today, my first video is out! My goal with this series to keep the videos short and the projects simple. Want to see the first one? By all means… watch:
I made three different cards using one digital set of 3 x 4 pocket cards. Here are the cards that served as the jumping off point:
This digital package includes multiple formats from PDF (no Photoshop required), to PSD (for more customization) and PNG (for fun stuff like making cut files, which is one of the processes I share in the video.
I use basic cardstock, some patterned paper, a mini Minc foil applicator and a Silhouette Cameo to complete the cards. If you have any questions about the process, leave a comment and I’m happy to answer!
I have a few more products in the shop today and they’re on sale for 20% off until next Tuesday.
Just Love No. 01 is a clean and simple brush set for whatever your digital stamp desires may be. Great for adding to photos, or create your own 3 x 4 pocket cards using the stamps.
Love and Such No. 01 is a graphic, clean set of digital papers in a soothing palette of grays, pinks and simple patterns. I’ve got a new layout coming Monday that uses these papers!
Have a great weekend and enjoy the new video series. I hope to have many more simple projects to share in 2017.
Yolanda says
Now that’s a crafting series I can totally get behind! Thanks for these 3 demos. I never think of using my digital products outside of memory keeping. (And as the momma to a young YouTube junky, I was totally anticipating the moment when you to tell us to hit the like button and subscribe…oh 500 times.)
Cathy Zielske says
Yay! You know, I haven’t posted much to YouTube over the years because of how nasty a community it appears to be in the comments. YEARS ago, I posted a video and got some really horrible comments and I was all, “Really? I’m a freaking CRAFTER.” There’s just a lot of vitriol and it doesn’t seem to matter if it’s a video showing a puppy sleeping or what—people have hate and they like to spew it.
So I figured I’d try some and see what happens. We shall see, right?
Jen S says
You just let me know who posts the vitriol and I’ll take care of them! You are awesome & hilarious and we just can’t enough!
kybarb says
Love your new series Cathy! Can’t go wrong with easy cards–everyone can use those! I have a silhouette cameo (haven’t used it for awhile) but would probably pull out my cuttlebug and a heart shaped die to cut that shape out.
janel says
Awesome! What a wonderful idea. You have found your niche!!
CarlajinAR says
love this!!! Can’t wait to watch the video later.
Lori says
Great tips! Very do-able and I love using supplies in new ways. Thanks!
Megan says
Love the series. Great video. Thanks!!!
Leora says
Thanks Cathy! Happy Heart Season to you and yours. Can’t wait to watch!
Leora
Julie C says
Awesome!! Love the length and the content….thanks!
Kim says
I love the new crafty series as well as the new designs, and I must say I’ve also been eagerly looking forward to the Make-a-Page Mondays!
I have a question that isn’t terribly related to this post, but it has been driving me nuts and I’m hoping you can help! I have purchased several of your 8 1/2 x 11 templates. The problem arises when I try to print the completed design. If I choose borderless on my printer, it cuts off portions of the edges of the design when printed. For example, last night I lost some journaling at the bottom of my page as well as margins on all sides. If I choose to print using the bordered option, I do not lose anything, but the overall design is smaller than 8 1/2 x 11 to allow for the border.
I have learned that the reason this happens is that printers that have a borderless option automatically enlarge the image/document slightly when you choose borderless to ensure complete border to border printing. Is there anyway to make it not do this enlarging, to simply print the 8 x 1/2 x 11 document on 8 1/2 x 11 paper exactly as it appears on screen? I have a Canon Pixma Pro-100 if that makes any difference, and I have driven myself crazy trying to look at print settings to figure out what I can change to fix this. Any ideas? How do you make it work?
Thanks so much for any help you can offer!
Cathy Zielske says
Kim, you’re dead on about why this happens. Borderless means you have to enlarge the image to get that edge to edge bleed.
Does your Pixma print larger than 8.5 x 11? Can you print oversized on it? If so, you could load a Super B sheet of photo paper, and send your file to print, Actual Size, with Crop Marks. Then you would get a true size, but of course, if you can’t print oversized, that wouldn’t work.
Most of my templates do no have text boxes too close to the edge, for this very reason. What template are you having an issue with? I might have a suggestion for you!
Kim says
It does print larger, and I had considered what you suggest, but I hated to waste paper. Still, I may have to do that.
The template I was using last night was actually one of your freebies, This is real life. It cut off the date at the bottom, but I may have actually put more journaling in that box than was in your original design, pushing it out one line more into the margin, not sure. I could reduce the text size there.
But the greater issue is that sometimes things just look off center or crazy with margin hacked off that way. For example, when working with your layered template no. 21 (the hello cuteness one), it has that cute box with rounded corners worked into the design. But when I print it borderless, the margins are lost and there is no breathing room, and it just doesn’t look as good.
In the print settings, there is an option that says “print selected area”. When I click that box, arrows appear on my print preview that allow me to select what portion to print. If I choose that and select the entire design, do you think that might work?
Again, thanks! I love the designs, and I get so mad a my printer when I can’t get it print it the way I want!
Cathy Zielske says
Have you tried sending files out to print? I have that layout, Hello Cuteness, and I had it printed at Persnickety Prints a number of years back. The margin is preserved on both the right and left side. Granted, not as wide as the template, but… it’s between a quarter and a half inch. Makes me wonder if they have a different set up there!
I don’t print many digital pages at home. I figure for the price, it’s a better deal and I save ink by using Persnickety or AdoramaPix. 🙂
Kim says
Thanks, that’s probably I need to do! Preserving my sanity is probably worth something. It’s not just your templates I’m struggling with, by the way. It’s obviously all borderless printing that has been driving me crazy.
If I understand correctly, I think most pro printers do print on oversized paper and crop it down.
Daniele says
Just crafty enough is just perfect enough for me. Learned a few new Photoshop tips too! Thanks Cathy.
Saam says
Perfect for those of us who just want to dip a toe in the water every so often! And yay for PS tips!
Tracey holdyk says
This is so great Cathy. It’s good to be reminded that you can get more out of digital files. Super Thankyou for sharing your knowledge with us too
Shannan says
Love your videos! I’m a long-time digital scrapbooker and still learn new stuff all the time.