Category: Hybrid Crafting

Hybrid How-To | Bag Toppers

My daughter passed out donuts to her entire 5th grade class for Valentine’s Day. She wanted to add a little card or something she could sign her name to, so I whipped up these bag toppers we could staple to ziplock bags. It was such a quick project… and I was thinking it would be just perfect for any party favor. Throw the candy/treats/toys into any size bag and add the personalized topper. Fun and simple!

The first thing I did was measure the width of the bag. I used regular old sandwich bags for the donuts… each of which measured about 6.5″ wide. I wanted the front of the design to be 1.5″ x 6.5″ — making the total dimension for each topper (front and back) 3″ x 6.5″.

To do this, I clipped patterned paper to a simple rectangular template I made (see image, below), and then I designed the front of the topper using digital elements from the same kit. I kept my design flat — so it ended up being a simple flat digital design that I could easily print off (i.e. no extra cutting or assembling of extra embellishments/layers). I thought it would be easier that way since I was making like 30 of them. 😉

*PRO TIP* When creating your rectangular designs… make sure the “front” of the design stays on the bottom half of the template so it won’t be folded over to the back once you attach them to the bags.

After creating the design in Photoshop… the next step is to print, cut, and fold each topper in half. I filled all my bags with donuts, sealed the bags, and then stapled the toppers onto the zippered portion of the bags…

Here’s a look at the back (left) and front (right) of one of my topper designs…

This project literally took me about an hour from designing the toppers in Photoshop to completing the finished project — with no fancy cutting machine required. I hope you’ll give it a try!


Kate About the Author  Kate is on the hybrid team here at The Digital Press. She lives on the Utah/Colorado border with her husband, 5 kids, 10 chickens, and a dog named Gracie. She’s a city-born girl who found she’s really a country girl at heart. She can be found outside, barefoot, and probably in her garden.

Hybrid How-to | Creating a Hybrid Page Using a Digital Template

Hi everyone, It’s Saturday and time for another edition of our Hybrid How-To series here on The Digital Press blog!  Today, I’m here to help show you how easy it is to create a hybrid page using a digital template.

I love working with paper and physical elements/stamps, but sometimes I also miss being able to change things and make adjustments like I can with my digital layouts… so hybrid projects are my favorite way to make pages. The best of both worlds! I also think digital kits are a fantastic way to stretch our crafty budgets; we can print and cut as many times as we like.

When I make a hybrid page, I like to use the digital templates I have in my stash… and let me tell you, it’s really fun and easy!

For the layout I am making for today’s tutorial, I used two different digital products — a template from Sahin Designs — January 2017 Layered template 1

…as well as a digital kit by Little Lamm & Co. — Nonpareil Scrapbook Kit

With Valentine’s Day right around the corner, I’d like to celebrate my loves, so I’ll be making a page about them.

I’ll start out by creating my page in Photoshop, using my digital template and the digital items that I plan to print out. Here’s a look at the template, before I begin working…

…and here’s a look at the template once I’ve added my photo, digital papers, and embellishments…

After I have all of my printable items sized the way I want, I separate each of the pieces (see image, below right) and save them all as a PNG file to print and fussy cut. Although I have a Silhouette Cameo, sometimes I simply fussy cut just because I love it!

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I also print out the papers for the larger circles… and these I actually cut with my Silhouette Cameo (see full printed papers in image, below right)…

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As you can see, I duplicated some elements. I do this often just because I want to have some cute stash ready to use.

Here are my pieces printed and cut…

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After I have all my pieces cut out, I just put them back together on a physical 12×12 page and then add my elements, stamps, hand-stitching, and some spray ink splatters, as shown here…

And there you have it! A beautiful hybrid page without all the guesswork or the need to re-print several times to get things right. 🙂

If you’d like to give this a try, too, don’t forget that you can earn challenge points at TDP! Come visit the CROSSWORD SECTION in The Digital Press forum, and you’ll find this month’s Hybrid Challenge thread (for each month’s Hybrid Challenge at TDP, you get to choose one of the month’s “Hybrid How-To” tutorial posts from here on the blog and make your own version). If you choose to give today’s project a try… all you have to do is make a hybrid page using some digital elements and papers, along with a digital template as your foundation for the composition of the page. You’ll see how fun it is! Give it a shot, and share your final results with us! We can’t wait to see what you come up with.

Have a great weekend you guys, and happy scrapping!


AndreaAbout the Author  Andrea Albuquerque is part of the Hybrid Creative Team here at Digital Press. Andrea has been a scrapper since 2010 and a photographer since 2012. Although she adores the flexibility and creativity of digital, she can’t resist playing with paper, paint, and embellishments… so hybrid scrapping is the perfect medium for her! She lives in Brazil with her hubby.

Hybrid How-To | Printing & Cutting Digital Elements

It’s Saturday… and time for another edition of our Hybrid How-To series here on The Digital Press’s blog! Today, I’m here to help you all see how easy (and fun!) it is to use digital embellishments in your physical projects (like mini albums, and more)!

For those of us who can’t resist pretty paper and embellishments — digital kits are a fantastic way to stretch your crafty budget. For me, patterned papers and adorable die-cuts are probably the best thing about crafting. I am always a little reluctant, however, to use pretty items from my stash because they’re just so cute. For me, the real beauty of digital products is that I can print and cut as many times as I like. Buy a digital kit once, and you can use the items contained within it again and again and again!

For the mini album project I am going to show you today, I chose two kits from The Digital Press — the Go.See.Do collection by Mari Koegelenberg, and also Laura Passage’s Project Twenty Fifteen | July kit, both shown here…


I like to choose kits that are versatile and can be used for lots of different topics or occasions. Although each of these two kits are travel-themed, there are also plenty of generic elements and papers that I know I can use for so many different purposes (and also, for other projects in the future, as well!). For instance, see those tags and labels above? Or the word art stamps, flowers, stars, etc. in this next kit…

For my project, I documented some of our family travels from 2016 in a handmade mini-album.

I used a variety of methods to create the pages. For instance, as shown in the photos below, I created pages by printing out some of the digital papers as foundations for each page; some I made rectangular, and others I notched so that they were flag/pennant-shaped.

Once I had the foundation pages, I came up with some interesting things to attach to each of them (in addition to the photos). For example, I upcycled some old clothing tags to add a bit of interest… creating a title tag with date (top photo, left). I also upcycled some old envelopes that I saved from Christmas, and turned them into pockets (middle row, left). I filled a plastic page protector with sequins and sewed it shut (middle row, right). I also used various fasteners (paper clips, mini clothespins, string, etc.) to add dimension and decoration to each page. So easy!


But the main embellishments on my pages came from the digital kits. Not only did I print out the papers to create pages, I also printed out some of the flat elements and added them to my pages after cutting them out.

I’m lucky enough to own a Silhouette, and the best feature of a cutting machine is the ability to quickly print and cut the adorable elements found in digital kits. The Silhouette makes it a cinch to create my own die-cuts. Today, I’ll take you through the basic steps to trace an element and ready it for cutting.

Step 1:
First, you will need to set up your page to the correct size and add registration marks. These are printed on your page and used to align the cut later (see the marks in the corner of the page in the image below). Then you will drag and drop your digital element onto the page (that car is cute right?!). Anything in the cross-hatched area shown in the picture below won’t be cut… so make sure you position your element in the main body area. In order to cut around the outside of the element, click the Trace button. Then click Select Trace Area.

Step 2:
Now you will drag the box around the shape. The software analyzes the shape (yellow means that it won’t cut in that area). Depending on the shape and color, you may need to drag the sliders for High Pass and Low Pass filters (the more contrast in the image, the better the results). Note that in my example image, below, the car windows are not highlighted in yellow — so the Silhouette can cut the window detail if I want. I just want to go around the outside of the car, however, so I chose Trace Outer Edge.

Step 3:
Voila! In the next image, I moved the car so that you can see the cutting outline that has been created. I group the object and the outline together so that they can be moved around the page easily.

Now that we’ve dealt with how to trace an element… give it a try! Go wild and look at all of those fabulous elements in your digital kits in a completely new light. Think of the things you can do!

As shown in the next image, I added a couple more elements to my project. The trace function did an amazing job on the bicycle shape…

Another way to make the most of those great digital elements is to combine them to create your own elements. Above, you’ll see the yellow tag with “Family Time” written on it. To create that, I dropped the “Family Time” word art from the Project Twenty Fifteen | July kit onto a block of yellow paper… and then I inserted a tag shape over the top. Now I have my own custom-made tag element!

Of course, if you don’t have a cutting machine, you can also do all of this by hand. Fussy cutting is very therapeutic! I often find myself cutting out shapes by hand just because it’s relaxing and a lot quieter! 🙂

Here are a few more photos of my finished project… so you can see a few more examples of the fun things you can create when you print and cut digital elements…

Are you up for a challenge? If you come to the CROSSWORD SECTION in The Digital Press forum, you’ll find this month’s Hybrid Challenge thread… and if you try one of the two hybrid projects we’ve featured on the blog this month, you can earn challenge points for January! For today’s project, all you have to do is print and cut some digital embellishments and include them on a hybrid project of some kind. It doesn’t have to be a travel album — it can be anything, really (a card, a physical scrapbook page, a mini-album like mine, etc.) — as long as you can decorate it with some cut-out digital elements, any project goes! Give it a shot, and share your final results with us! We can’t wait to see what you come up with…


About the Author  Morag Cutts is part of the Hybrid Creative Team here at Digital Press. Morag has been an avid scrapper and photographer for ten years.  Although she adores the flexibility and creativity of digital, Morag can’t resist playing with paper and embellishments – so hybrid scrapping is the perfect medium for her!  Morag lives in the UK with her hubby, two kids and recently adopted puppy.

 

Hybrid How-To | School Valentine Exchange

Okay, I don’t know about you… but I totally CANNOT believe Christmas has already come and gone so quickly! Where in the world did this past year go? It’s 2017! I think I would love for things to slow down a bit, but I know that isn’t possible. 🙂

I know that most of you likely aren’t thinking about Valentine’s Day already (heck, most people don’t even have their Christmas decorations put away yet!)… but ready or not, Valentine’s Day is just around the corner! Therefore, I thought I would get a head-start and today I will be showing you several fun hybrid Valentine’s ideas! Some of them are for Valentine’s that have candy, and some are for those that do not. Either of them can be tweaked to your liking.

For this project, you do not need to have a cutting machine. All projects can be achieved with the supplies listed below. I did, however, use my Silhouette Studio Design space to create my ideas… although similar things can truly be achieved in any photo editing program.

There are tons of digital kits that would be great for this project… and remember, just because it isn’t actually a Valentine-themed kit doesn’t mean it can’t be used for Valentines! For instance, the kit Kindess is Cool (by LJS Designs) has a lot of Christmas-themed elements in it, but I also thought the bear would be adorable for Valentine’s Day. You could even use robot or space-themed kits for Valentine’s Day. This holiday is fun because you can come up with so many Valentine puns… just let your imagination run wild!

In the end, for the projects I will show you today… I decided on these two kits — It’s You I Like by Dunia Designs… and Kindness Is Cool by LJS Designs (I also used the coordinating Kindness is Cool Journal Cards that match the main kit).

The first 2 projects are related, and they’re both perfect for non-candy items like pencils. To begin, I simply drew out a 8.5″ x 11″ square and added the heart paper shown here…

Next, here is the image that I created using the digital elements from the same kit…

If you are using your cutting machine, simply print the image above, place it on your mat and send through to the cutter.  If you will not be using a cutting machine, print your image and follow the steps found below.

Here is a close-up look at what I created…

Once you have your papers/elements printed out… you will punch the layered pieces…  assemble them with the double-sided tape or glue dots (whichever you prefer and/or have on hand)… and then you attach them to the pencils and add a bow. Ta-da! That’s it! Pretty easy, huh?

For this next version, you will trim your printed paper down to the size you want (I cut mine to 2″ x 4-1/2″ and then after trimming, I used a corner punch and rounded the corners). Use the same punched embellishments from the first project, shown up above, and tape them to the center of your trimmed digital paper, as shown below. All you have to do then is add your pencil and that’s it! SO EASY!

The next idea is perfect to use as a plain Valentine’s Day card (and/or when paired up with a candy treat)… it’s super cute and super easy! Again, it can be created in just about any photo editing software; I used my Silhouette program to do mine because it is just as easy and sometimes even simpler than using Photoshop, etc.).

First, I picked out a journaling card from the set I was using, I added some embellishments, and I personalized it…

Next, I sent it to my printer and cut with my paper trimmer. I also made cute little envelopes out of white printer paper to go with the cards. You can tape a piece of candy to the back or not, whichever you decide…

As you can see, there are several quick and easy ideas to create unique and personalized treats for your child’s Valentine’s Day party. They don’t have to be exactly like the ones I’ve done here; you have plenty of time (as of right now… LOL) to get started and come up with a cute idea that you love! So rummage through that craft closet, pick out your favorite digital kit, and get started!

I’m always here to answer any hybrid questions you may have, so leave me a note in the comments if you need to know anything. Also… if you want to earn challenge points at The Digital Press during the month of January by creating one of these items… head over to the forum and join into our monthly challenge system!


Tanya

 

About the Author  Tanya is a part of the hybrid team here at The Digital Press. She has been hybrid crafting for at least 14 years now, and loves creating and sharing those creations with others. Her all-time favorite tool is her Silhouette Cameo. She has been married for 28 years to her high school sweetheart, Richard and has two sons: Chris, 25 and Chance, 20. She also enjoys crocheting, photography and woodworking.

Hybrid How-To | Decorate Your Home

 

Hello everyone!!  Today I’m here to show you how to create this cute sign with your digital word art stash.  I love crafting and especially hybrid crafting.   I made this one for my craft room.  I’ve also decided it’s the perfect time to get started on those Christmas gifts.  I don’t know about you, but I love getting and giving homemade gifts.  This year I’ve decide I’m going to make everyone a sign for their home.   The Digital Press has tons of word art kits.  There is something for everyone!!!

SUPPLIES:

  • Cutting Machine
  • Digital word art (From The Digital Press…of course)
  • Wood (I used scrap pieces I had laying around in the garage)
  • Paint – make sure to get matte
  • Paint Brushes (The cheap sponge ones are fine)
  • Vinyl
  • Transfer Tape

I used the new release, GRATEFUL, and ANOTHER 25 DAYS by Sabrina’s Creations.  GRATEFUL word art is perfect for home décor.

boards

There are different ways to achieve the same look.  Today we are going to do the PVPP method….Paint Vinyl Paint Peel

Prepare the wood.    To start off you will base coat the wood with the color that you want your word art to show.  On this project I base coated my board white because I wanted the writing to show up white.  While the wood is drying you will start getting your vinyl ready.

draganddrop

Open your cutting software.  Shown here is Silhouette Studio Designer Edition.  Simply open the file you have your word art saved it and drag the one you want to work with first to the mat.

You are going to have to give the image cut lines.  If you were to go to cut now, it would cut a square box around the image, because it’s not a svg file.  I will show  you how to TRACE the image so that you will have those cut lines.  Highlight the entire image and uncheck the High Pass Filer and move the Threshold over until the image is completely yellow.

cutfileattop

Now select Trace. Move the image over and you can see the red lines.  These are the cut lines.  You can delete the black image now.

cutsetting

Cut your vinyl to size, apply to your mat, load and cut.  Make sure that you have chose the right material type and have changed your blade settings.  I don’t think you have to change your blade on the newer machines.

Now it’s time to weed your image.  To start off you will remove the bigger pieces around your image (1).  Next, you will use a weeding tool or a safety pin to remove all the smaller pieces (2).

The next step is to apply your transfer tape over the entire image (3).  Now apply it to the prepared wood.  Use a flat card to burnish it to the wood (4).  This keeps the paint from going under the vinyl.

remove-transfer-paper

Carefully remove the transfer tape.  Use your finger and go over the vinyl to make sure that it is adhered to the wood good.

Using the color you want on top, paint over the entire image….vinyl and all.    Make sure there is not a lot of paint on your brush.  A couple of lighter coats is better than one thick coat.  If you do it too thick, the paint will get under the vinyl.

This is the step that you will hear different opinions on.  Some say to wait to remove the vinyl until it’s completely dry and others say to remove the vinyl while it is still a little wet.  I prefer doing it while it is still a little wet.  You can work on a scrap piece of wood and see what works best for you.

Here are the final results.  I’m really happy with the way it turned out.  Below are photos of some more signs I am still working on.

This one I’m going to sand the edges to give it a more rustic look.

For this one I’m going to add a frame to the bottom left.  I thought it needed a little something more.  It’s a little wood frame that I purchased at Hobby Lobby,  I’m going to paint it black.  That way you can add a photo of something or someone that you are Thankful for.

Another suggestion to try if you don’t want to paint is to simply add vinyl to an already painted plaque or piece of wood.  The possibilities are endless.  I hope that this tutorial was helpful and that you will give it a try….. ENJOY!!


TanyaAbout the Author  Tanya is a part of the hybrid team here at The Digital Press. She has been hybrid crafting for at least 14 years now, and loves creating and sharing those creations with others. Her all-time favorite tool is her Silhouette Cameo. She has been married for 28 years to her high school sweetheart, Richard and has two sons: Chris, 25 and Chance, 20. She also enjoys crocheting, photography and woodworking.

Hybrid How-To | Credit Card Sleeves

For the first time in 16 years, my credit card information was stolen. It was actually stolen twice. Both cards use the new EMV chip technology. The Thieving Scum used the information to generate a new, physical card, and they were having all kinds of super duper fun times in New York City. Not cool, Thieving Scum.

I was told by one of the Fraud Departments that the best way to prevent Thieving Scum from taking what isn’t theirs is to buy a foil-lined sleeve for each EMV-chipped card.

Well, I thought I could cute-ify this project a bit with some pretty scrapbooking paper.

Supplies

  • Card Sleeve Template (download my template HERE)
  • Digital Scrapbook Paper of your choice (I used Gratitude by Anita Designs)
  • White Cardstock
  • Tinfoil
  • Double-sided tape
  • Boxing tape (The cheaper, the better! You want it to be thin.)
  • Scissors

To start, clip your paper of choice to the template. Print and cut. I used my Silhouette for this, but the design is also simple enough to cut by hand.

Smooth out the foil and cut it to 2” x 6”. Adhere to the back of the card sleeve with double-sided tape…

2016_11_2_cardsleeves

Next we need to reinforce the foil so it doesn’t rip every time you slide the card in. I used two pieces of boxing tape, overlapping each edge a little. I used my scissors to cut away the excess around the edges.

Using the double-sided tape, adhere the flaps to the inside of the sleeve. This actually works better if you lay your card in the sleeve before taping. You don’t want the folds to be too tight. I reinforced the outside edges with more boxing tape

And there you have it! Here’s a look at two different sleeves I created…

If you give this project a try… come show us your final product in the gallery here at TDP! We’d love to see what you come up with. You can also join the monthly challenges for November (as you can earn points by creating this hybrid project!). Come check it out HERE.


Kate About the Author  Kate is on the hybrid team here at The Digital Press. She lives on the Utah/Colorado border with her husband, 5 kids, 10 chickens, and a dog named Gracie. She’s a city-born girl who found she’s really a country girl at heart. She can be found outside, barefoot, and probably in her garden.