How To Get The Best Use From Your Writing Cap

Here are some tips for how to get the best use from your writing cap. The No-Clog Writing Cap from ScraPerfect makes it easy to write with glue or paint. This Writing Cap also lets you put one tiny dot of glue exactly where you want it.

But what do you do if you notice glue seeping out between the writing tip and the blue collar? What a waste, what a mess! This happens when the inner pink tip is not screwed into the glue cap. Unscrew the blue collar, clean all the bits up, and place the pink tip back into the base cap. A clockwise, 1/4 turn will seat the writing tip securely. Screw the blue collar back on and you are ready to craft!

If you do not clean your writing tip after its last use, then leave it for a long time you might have a tragedy like the one pictured below. The glue has sealed the writing tip to the white pin top. It was quite stuck so I gave it a firm tug. The writing tip pulled right out of the pink collar it is meant to be permanently bound to!

The Good News:
The Best Glue Ever is so strong and so versatile that now the writing tip is permanently bound to the white pin top.

The Bad News:
The No-Clog Writing Cap is permanently damaged. I will need to get a new one.
The Moral of the Story:

Always clean your Writing Cap, especially if you will not be using it for awhile.

For frequent use simply rinse the cap with water when you have finished crafting for the day. Store glue up-right and you should have no sticky problems. If the whole cap assembly is stuck together Do Not get out the pliers and start tugging. Unscrew the cap assembly from the glue bottle. Spritz inside and seams with Best Cleaner Ever. Let cap sit for 10 to 20 min. The cap should disassemble easily. If not, spritz again and let sit.

You can find tips, instructions, and How-To videos on the ScraPerfect website. Take a look at what we have to offer. We want our customers to get the best use possible from these products!

Scrap On!

~charity~

How To Make Food Oil Mistakes Disappear

If you are messy in the kitchen then you will want to know how to make food oil mistakes disappear. I spilled cooking oil on my lounge pants. It was a sad day and I had much frustration as I looked down at my favorite comfy pants. 

I have used ScraPerfect products for a year now, but I wasn't certain that they would fix my dilemma. Still, I had to try. Best Cleaner Ever is a non-toxic solvent and because I have EXTREMELY sensitive skin that really matters to me.

I sprayed down the grease stains and threw the pants in the laundry. The next day I loaded the washer and hoped for the best. Because it was a grease stain I hung them to dry, just in case the Best Cleaner Ever didn't quite do the trick.

They looked just fine, but sometimes you can't tell until a thing is completely dry. The next day they did indeed look oil free, but now they were stiff and COLD! I threw them in the dry for a heated fluffing.

What do you know! ScraPerfect products have done it again! My lounge pants are free to make me comfortable and warm. Thanks to the Best Cleaner Ever my skin didn't break out from the harsh chemicals found in most stain removers and solvents!

Scrap On!

~charity~

How To Make An Unusual And Attractive Window

This tutorial for how to make an attractive window is unusual because it is made from foiled paper. I love the look of stained glass and Rinea Foiled Paper gives me the opportunity to do that simply and quickly. Follow along with the steps below to make your own shimmering decor!

~ Foiled Koi Window ~

 Step One: Print or draw a pattern for a stained glass window.

Choose a graceful image that can be broken into parts with simple lines. I chose a Koi fish. Pinterest and Google abound with free patterns for Stained Glass windows. I found it just as easy to draw my fish and sea weed on whiteboard paper. By using a dry-erase marker I could easily erase and re-draw till I got my lines just so.

 Step Two: Trace and Cut pattern from foiled paper.

I cut my Koi from Rinea Marigold Start Struck paper. The back fin is from Rinea Mocha Glossy paper and the sea weed strands are Rinea Emerald Star Struck paper. I added details to the fish and the fin with Rinea Ghost Ink. For the scattering of scales I used a quarter foil stencil. 

 Step Three:Cut window paper and adhere to backing.

My window is cut from a roll of Rinea Silver Star Struck paper. I used an 11"x14" piece of cardboard. I wanted my foil base to be rock solid AND I wanted to see the window frame without using lines or separate pieces. To get this look I used inch wide super sticky tape. 

 Getting the foiled paper onto the cardboard base without mistakes took steady hands and a good game plan. I cut my silver paper to 12"x15" size. With a 1/2 inch of playroom on each side I had a good chance of getting the cardboard covered even if it was a tad crooked. I rolled the foiled paper then laid it on the cardboard as straight as I could. I started at the top, rolling toward myself,  and pressing the paper into the adhesive as I went.  I folded the excess to the back of the cardboard.

 Step Four: Glue designs to window base.

I used Best Glue Ever and a No-Clog Writing Cap to be certain my glue went where I wanted it to and that my pieces stayed put! These ScraPerfect products always make my project a success.

 Step Five: Mix 1 part black acrylic paint to 3 parts all purpose glue for window leading.

The glue mixture is grey when wet. Remember to use a glue that dries clear. When it does you will have lovely, thick, black lines. I did not leave enough room in my squeeze bottle to shake the mixture and had to use a bamboo skewer to mix it. This made the process more difficult then it had to me. Just an FYI.

Step Six: Outline all joints and paper edges with leading mixture, leave to dry.  

  The leading proved to be my Achilles heel. I started with a craft blond glue and paint mixture. The craft bond was too thick and ran unevenly. I had to scrape off bits of leading and start over. I was so FRUSTRATED that I had to put my project aside for a day. I made a second mixture of Elmer's Glue-All and black acrylic paint. This ran smoothly. I tested it out to get the right line thickness and was back in business. 

To clean up the smears and glue overage I used Best Cleaner Ever. This eco-friendly solvent removed the dull patches on my foiled paper without damaging the paper or affecting the color.

Supplies:

Whiteboard Paper:DCWV
Foiled Paper and Ghost Ink:Rinea

Adhesive Tape:American Crafts

Glue, Solvent, Writing Cap:ScraPerfect

Acrylic Paint:Deco Art

All Purpose Glue:Elmer's

Stencil:Kite

Scrap On!

~charity~

How To Make Stunning and Vibrant Dragon Wings

This blog post is all about making Dragon wings as stunning and brilliant as any fire breathing creature could want. Why Dragon Wings? Because Dragons are my favorite creature. Because I have rolls of this gorgeous foiled paper and needed to make something worthy of its shine. Because I can!

~ Cosmic Dragon Wings ~

 Instructions:
Step 1: Draw skeleton and wing membrane onto paper. Cut out skeleton.

I wanted my wings as big as my foiled paper would allow. I cut paper to the size of a roll of Star Struck Marigold Rinea Paper then drew a diagonal line across it. I drew (with many erasures and adjustments) a wing that fit on one side of this line.

 Step 2: Trace skeleton onto heavy cardboard or drawing board.

I picked up my drawing board from Michaels. This one was 16x20 and I was able to fit both wing skeletons. I flipped my drawing over and traced it again to get the pair of wings.

 Step 3: Cut wing from board using utility knife for best results.

The bone structure can certainly be cut with scissors, however, they bend cardboard and create creases. A utility knife uses pressure straight down and eliminates the extra stress. 

 Step 4: Paint wing skeleton.

I used DecoArt Acrylic paint in black satin. It took three coats of paint to satisfy me. I added one coat of paint to the edges of the board also. 

Step 5: Cut slits for harness. 

I cut four 1/2"x1/8" slits in the wide part of the bone structure for harness attachment.

Step 6: Trace outer edge of skeleton onto foiled paper. Fill in curves for membrane, cut, and glue.

I waited to trace the wing onto the foiled paper until my skeleton was finished. There are always little changes when transferring a design from paper to board. I didn't want to waste a scrap of my Rinea foiled paper.   

  Step 7: Trace skeleton onto contrasting foiled paper. Cut and glue to front of wings. Decorate. 

The back side of the wing has the black skeleton for definition. For the front I used Glossy Mocha Rinea Foiled Paper. I punched suns, moons, and stars from the Metallics Variety Pack for membrane decor. The Stars are punched from Copper Foiled Paper and show the color difference between copper and marigold.   

On the skeleton I used Rinea Starburst Stamps with Rinea Ghost Ink. I added a gem to each starburst.

To attach the Foiled Paper from the hefty skeleton to the tiniest star I used ScraPerfect's Best Glue Ever. I did have one or two "oops" moments that left sticky spots on my skeleton. Knowing these would dry to dull splotches I used ScraPerfect's Best Cleaner Ever to remove the glue spill.

 Step 7: Lace wings together with wide ribbon. 

Wrap ribbon over shoulders, across chest, and under arms to make a harness for wearing the wings. 

Each wing measure 22" from lower wing tip to upper harness corner and 16" from lower wing tip to claw. The handsome young man in the photo wears a men's size medium shirt. I was able to fit this pair of wings onto one roll of each color of foiled paper with careful placement.

Supplies:
Foiled Paper, Stamps, Ink:Rinea
Drawing Board:Canson
Acrylic Paint:Deco Art
Gems:Michaels
Flourish Die:Echo Park
Punches:Close To My Heart, Stampin' Up, Studio g, 

Scrap On!

~charity~ 

How to Make a Unique and Convenient Display for Dies

Charity here with a tutorial on how to make a unique and convenient display for dies. I like to display my craft supplies so I remember to use them. Dies are such thin bits of metal that it is easy to damage or lose them if they aren't stored securely. That means I tend to forget about the variety I own. I came up with this handy holder to help me out.

~ Magnetic Die Display ~

At Christmas my wonderful cousin gifted me this gallery frame for 4x6 photos. It arrived the same day I received new X-Cut feather dies from Amazon. It didn't take long for me to decide to combine the two. 

My first step was to remove the paper blanks and trace the inner edge of the frames onto the card board backing. I cut adhesive backed magnetic strips to fit these outlines. Finally I cut a thin, patterned paper from The Robin's Nest, to cover the magnets. Just a thin line of ScraPerfect's Best Glue Ever was enough to hold the paper firmly to the magnets without ripples.

I used Cathedral Specialty Paper because I love the pattern and bits of gold dust. It reminds me of fancy Italian writing paper. I only had enough paper for 5 of the frames so I added gold washi tape to the last one.

 The thick, black frames needed sprucing up so I pulled out my scraps of Robin's Nest paper and assortment of Dew Drops. The large butterflies and crown are punched from Glitter Chipboard and the castle is cut from Silver Castles Glitter Cardstock.

 The shaped punches are all Kreaxions, which can be purchased from Just Imagine Crafts.

To add details to my tiny bits of cardstock I used Embellie Gellie. It ensures I place things exactly where I want them.

 I used Boy rub-ons for the center design on the last frame.

Using the Best Glue Ever I stacked Glitter Chipboard shapes and centered dew drops on the butterflies. I also added Butterflies Dew Drops to the frame.

 I mopped up the little bits of glue smears with the Best Cleaner Ever. A dab on a Q-tip and a swirl of my fingers was all I needed.

Now I can display my dies with ease. I also have a secure place to put them if I need to set them aside for using again on the same project.  

Supplies:
Gallery Frame:Wayfair

Magnet:Tree House Studio
Paper, Dew Drops, Rub-ons:The Robin's Nest

Glue, Embellie Gellie, Cleaner:ScraPerfect
Shaped Punches:Kreaxions 601, 604, 606, 611, 612, 901, 909, 913

Scrap On!

~charity~

How To Make A Breathtaking Carousel For An Epic Birthday

 Today I bring you a tutorial on how to make a breathtaking carousel for an epic birthday. My daughter's Sweet Sixteen is next week and I have been flooded with constant memories of my three kiddos growing years. This cheery carousel describes the delightful glow I get when thinking of them!

~ Birthday Adventure~

  ScraPerfect designers are creating with Lawn Fawn products and I couldn't be more thrilled! I was sent the Bicycle Built For You stamp and die set as part of our cross promo. It is one of the cutest sets I have ever played with!

This sweet wooden carousel from Sea-Land stands about 9" high and has a 7" diameter. I assembled a rough draft so I could determine the alterations I would make with the structure. These balsa wood puzzle kits are fragile so repairs and replacements are common.

The pieces were coated with a waxy substance to prevent splintering, but it also prevented me from painting or gluing the pieces on one side. ScraPerfect to the rescue! I sprayed the pieces lightly with the Best Cleaner Ever then scrubbed the waxy film off. I wiped them with a rag and they were ready for painting or covering with paper. The entire carousel is decorated using the Perfectly Plaid Rainbow 6x6 paper pad from Lawn Fawn.

As the wood pieces dried I stamped the design elements and cut them using the coordinating Lawn Cuts Dies. The balloons were painted with the vibrant colors of Dylusions Ink Spray.

I dotted the Best Glue Ever onto the wood and smoothed the paper over the top. This glue dries without leaving ripples in the paper and is so strong it should be used sparingly.

 The assembled carousel had a lot of holes and irregularities. I added washi tape between the roof sections, pom-pom trim around the roof edges and vintage ric-rac around the floor edges.

 To enhance the birthday theme I used sentiments from the stamp set on strips of paper and added them to the roof with dimensional adhesive. 

 ScraPerfect has both Holographic and Solid Transfer Foils.The central panels are decorated with Holographic Foil in place of mirrors.

 The bicycles are foiled in holographic gold, green, purple, and blue.

 These ADORABLE children represent my three kiddos with their assortment of pets. Their hair and bicycles are colored with marker and mist. I used the Bicycle Built For You stamps and the Perfectly Plaid Rainbow Paper to fashion their outfits. The tiny flower and hearts stamps that come with the set fit perfectly on the clothing.

This carousel project is my entry for
Lawn Fawnatics Challenge #1:Happy Birthday

Supplies:
Paper, Stamps, Dies:Lawn Fawn
Glue, Cleaner, Transfer Foil:ScraPerfect
Markers:Sharpie, Pentel
Mist:Dylusions (Ranger)
Dye and Pigment Ink:Close To My Heart
Washi Tape:Love My Tapes
Trim:Stash

Scrap On!

~charity~