Shop Scissors Blog

Selecting the Right Scrapbooking Tools

Scrapbooking has grown into an extremely popular hobby in recent years and is, for many, a fantastic way to relieve stress and express a creative side while at the same time creating a great keepsake. One of the difficult parts of beginning this new hobby is finding the right equipment that will last for hundreds, if not thousands, of scrapbook pages. Here are a few tips to help find the right paper cutter for your scrapbooking needs.

While there are numerous options available for scrapbookers, the two most popular paper cutters are arm paper cutters and rotary cutters. Both are compact and easy to use.

Arm paper cutters. This paper cutter uses a pivoting arm that has a blade on it. The arm is brought up and then back down to cut through the paper or photograph. These paper cutters have been used for many years and while there have been changes made to improve safety, the design has not changed in many years. Unfortunately, the inexpensive arm paper cutters tend to make crooked cuts, which make them less popular with scrapbookers.

Rotary cutters. These paper cutters are the more popular cutter of choice for scrapbookers. Rotary cutters, which resemble a pizza cutter, use a round wheel to cut through paper and photographs. The blades can be easily changed so you are assured of a sharp cut every time. You also can purchase blades that will give you different kinds of cutting patterns.

Corner rounders. Though less popular than the rotary cutter, this cutter makes simple the task of rounding the corners of pictures and paper, a small change that can hugely effect the appearance of a photograph and overall scrapbook.

For more scrapbooking tips or to purchase a rotary cutter or replacement blades, please visit us online at ShopScissors.com.

Scrapbooking as a Family

With the kids about to go back to school, now is a great time to plan a few last activities to spend time together as a family. Scrapbooking together is a great option for doing just that. Not only will you get to spend time making more memories with your kids, you will get that last scrapbook put together before the school year gets busy. It is also a great opportunity for young kids to practice with scissors before heading back to school.

Shopping for Supplies

Pick up a scrapbook that matches your style and the theme of the scrapbook, if there is one. Also pick up plenty of accessories. Make sure you pick up plenty of supplies on your initial shopping trip, as you will be more inclined to finish the scrapbook to your satisfaction that day, as opposed to having to make multiple shopping trips and add more later. Make sure you're stocked up with plenty of scissors, glue and tape.

Including the Kids

Have your children work on gluing in pictures or border designs. If they are skilled with the sicssors, have them work on cutting pictures. Invite them to use their creativity to the fullest. Even if they aren't quite as talented as you, the end result will mean all that much more to you. Not only will you have created a great scrapbook illustrating your family's story, you will have created a new treasure that will entertain your family and future generations for years to come.

To purchase craft detail scissors for scrapbooking, visit us online at ShopScissors.com.

Tips for Making a Recipe Scrapbook

With the arrival of August, our thoughts move to the beginning of the school year and, for many, plans to leave home for college. However, with the possibility of homesickness, it is important to take a little bit of home with you, and what says home like your family’s favorite home cooked meals? Here are some tips for putting together a recipe scrapbook in order to preserve recipes that have been handed down from generation to generation…and provide a little home away from home during the coming year.

1. Cut card stock into large 6 X 6 inch squares. Attach printed recipe cards to the mats and distribute them as you like onto the scrapbook pages.
2. Make colorful pockets to hold your recipe cards on the scrapbook page. The benefit of the pocket scrapbook is that the recipe cards can be easily removed when you need to use them and placed back to be carefully preserved.
3. Write recipes on decorative tags to be placed onto the scrapbook pages.
4. Add photographs of each person who contributed a recipe. You may also consider including journal entries or even short memos with any memories you have of that person.
5. Consider including a separate shopping list for each recipe. This, again, may be especially useful with the pocket scrapbook idea, as you can write the ingredients on the back of each recipe card.

To purchase scrapbooking scissors, visit ShopScissors.com.

DIY cards for Dads

This Father’s Day, go the extra mile and show the dads in your life how much they mean to you by making them a card. Just follow these simple steps to create your Father’s Day card:

First be sure you have the appropriate materials:

• White card stock
• White scrap card
• Words rubber stamp : You're Special, Dad
• Hero Arts rubber stamp : tie image
• Dark blue ink pad
• Clear embossing powder
• Heat gun
• Craft Knife
• Steel Ruler

Then follow these steps:

• Trim white card stock and fold to make a basic blank card.
• Mark center of card front and score a line from the top to the bottom of the card.
• Use your knife to make a half inch cut from the top on the score line.
• From the cut mark half inch to the right and also to the left.
• Score and fold to make collar of shirt.
• From the center bottom, make a one inch cut from the bottom on the score line.
• Mark lightly about 3/4 inch to the right, score and fold.
• Ink tie rubber stamp with dark blue ink and stamp on white scrap.
• Pour clear embossing powder on the stamped image. Shake off excess powder and heat.
• Trim the embossed tie image.
• Ink words rubber stamp with dark ink and stamp on right side of white card front. Heat embossed with clear embossing powder.
• Glue top of tie to the collar.
• Optional: Color stripes of tie with blue and brown markers.

DIY Wedding: Scrapbook of Memories

The day of your wedding is something you should never forget. Some would say that's the definition of making a scrapbook: a compilation of tokens and pictures dedicated to a time you will want to remember for the rest of your life. When the thank you cards have been mailed out, and the gifts have been filed away, you know you will still sneak into the back of your closet, pull out the dress and dream of that happy night when you and your loved one exchanged vows of forever in front of friends and family. Why not make reminiscence a little more easy? Make a scrapbook.

Here's what you will need:

• A wedding themed scrapbook
• Save the dates
• Invitations
• A napkin from the ceremony
• Ribbons from centerpieces
• A scrap from your dress
• Flower petals from your bouquets
• A list of your something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue
• Pictures of every step of your wedding process from engagement to honeymoon
• Decorative paper (perhaps keep the color scheme from your wedding)
• Stickers and jewels (and other embellishments)
• Wrapping paper cutters

Gather together all of your materials. The first page of your wedding memories scrapbook should be your favorite picture of the bride and groom. Take your decorative paper and, using your wrapping paper cutters, cut out a frame to form the border around the picture. Keep doing this making the frame consecutively wider. Add your embellishments and your own creative touch. There are literally thousands of different possibilities for wedding layouts, going to your local craft store will help you get some inspiration.  For the rest of the scrapbook, use mementos from your wedding (the save the dates, a swatch from your dress, a swatch from his tie) to embellish and accent pictures from the whole thing (you can start as early as engagement photos). Ideas for pages include:

• Engagement photos
• Bachelor/ Bachelorette party
• Rehearsal Dinner
• Both parties getting ready for ceremony
• The wedding ceremony (of course)
• Portraits
• Bouquet and Garter toss
• Cake
• Dancing
• Honeymoon

Flower Girl's Basket: DIY Wedding Series cont. . .

Sometimes the flower child is the pinnacle of a wedding ceremony. The congregation "oo's" and "awe's" as the cute little girl or boy slowly walks down the aisle, throwing flowers everywhere. I was once at a wedding where this adorable little girl (she must have been about four) took 5 minutes walking down the aisle, placing a single rose petal on either side of her. Just when we thought she would never get to the altar, she grinned  and dumped the rest of the rose petals down where the groom was standing and ran into her mother's arms (who was a bridesmaid). We all laughed and enjoy telling her the story every holiday.

So for the bride, who is putting together a wedding by herself, try out this easy do it yourself flower child basket. If you want to make things a little more fun for all parties considered, invite the flower girl over to help decorate her own basket, just provide her with a pair of kid friendly scissors, and all the items necessary for creating a basket.

For this project you will need:

• A decorative basket
• Ribbon
• Wrap and Ribbon Shears
• Flowers that match your wedding theme
• Rubber bands
• Florist's Tape

 

 

DIY Wedding Series: Wedding Invitations

One of the first things that come to mind when planning a wedding is sending out invitations. It wouldn't be much of a party without guests, so the invitations have to be clear, and creative.  You could decide to have a professional put them together complete with a keepsake box, precious multilayered invitations, R.S.V.P cards, and a hefty bill. Or you could take matters into your own hands by creating your own wedding invitations.

Start invitations early, as soon as you know the venue. Go to your local craft store or flea market often and keep your eyes peeled for bogo sales and clearances. Whatever the deal take advantage, without sacrificing quality.  When shopping for supplies, I suggest getting a good pair of scissors (for curling and cutting) as well as a pair of rotary cutters. They are inexpensive, but apply a really rick texture to the edge of paper, making them look elegant and unique. The blade is made with titanium bonded blades, making them 3x harder then stainless steel-guaranteed to last a lifetime.

 

 

Show you care with floral-cut out cards for Mother's Day

A new twist on handmade cards for Mother's Day: Floral Cutout cards.

What you'll need:

Scrapbooking Scissors
Paper and cardstock in monochromatic colors or complimentary colors

Ribbon

Download the template

Valentine's Day treats for your little sweets

The best home-spun Valentines on the block require some sweet snips. We're talking scrapbooking scissors that will help your paper valentines look way better than the ones from the store.

Looking to twist Cupid's Day on its ear? Visit the FamilyFun valentine gallery for some inspiration before you pick out your craft scissors. 

From Deckle Cut Scrapbooking Scissors to detail scissors for those intricate cuts (just make sure Mom or Dad supervises) you'll have the best tools to create the best valentines ever.

Throw a scarpbooking party to organize your year's worth of photos

Just think of all of the pictures you snap in a year: birthdays, first steps, anniversaries, family vacations. The list goes on. There's no better way to make a dent in all of those photos than to throw a scrapbooking party with all of your friends. 

Supplies to get you started:

1. Scrapbooking Scissors - Create interesting edges and visual flair with a variety of paper edgers.

2. Stickers - Scrapbooking stickers have come a long way. Some of our favorites are more like sticker embellishments than boring 2-d stickers.

3. Acid-free paper - With thousands of modern, graphic prints to choose from, these pretty pieces of paper can set the tone of your entire page.

4. Storage - these crafty lazy susans of the scrapbooking world are perfect to place on tables so guests can share supplies and tools