Helmar Creative Team

Easter themed card with Lisa

Hi there

Lisa here today with my last post for my term at Helmar.

I have really loved working with Helmar products & being on this fantastic Creative team.

Today my brief was to create an Easter related project.

Here is what I came up with.

Easter is not huge in our house - except for my kids wanting Easter eggs no matter how old they get.

One of my close friends is very big on Easter so I thought I'd make this card for her.

Rabbits & Easter themed things can be hard to find in Scrapbook/Craft collections.

I printed some ephemera from Crate Papers website. These items are from the" Flourish" collection.

I repeated several digital images (using a computer program) and printed them out on lightweight cardstock .

I cut out ones I thought I'd like to use for my card & the rest I'll save for future projects.

I used Gelatos (soft crayons) to scribble on a peace of plastic then sprayed it lightly with water. I then used my finger to gently blend it.

I then smooshed (smudged) it on my card front.

This gives a lovely soft effect so the background is not completely stark white.

I used Helmar Acid Free glue to apply any pieces that I wanted to stick down flush with the base.

This adhesive is particularly good for non wrinkling.

I used my favourite Helmar liquid scrap dots to adhere some of floral pieces & rabbits to give them some hight.

I also have some of the Helmar Acid free glue in a smaller applicator bottle - I find it helps to make application easier.

Here are some close ups of my card, you can see I added a soft doily for layering & some sequins to add some texture & bling.

So farewell for now. I hope you have enjoyed my posts. We have some fantastic new Creative team members joining this term along with some of the current team staying on. I am sure they will inspire you no end.

Take Care.

 

 

Heart photo pocket - Paris themed:

Hello Helmar friends...well, today I have my last DT project share.

I have had a wonderful time sharing my creations with you all and showcasing Helmar products!

Today I have a large heart paper pocket filled with tags, photos and journalling. Mini albums can be time consuming to make but this is a quicker alternative.

I used a cut file from Silhouette Design store to cut my heart pocket. However this could easily be created without a cutting machine.

Here is a template for you:

I have used Helmar 450 Quick Dry Adhesive to glue my heart pocket.

I then set about filling my pockets with paper gorgeousness!

I created a 4x3 inch journal card for my Paris title and decorated the front of my pocket. I added two embellishment clusters on each side of the heart.

Now for the fun part! I chose my photos, I took my daughter to Paris in 2014 so this was the perfect way to document some highlights of our trip.

Helmar 450 Quick Dry Adhesive was the perfect paper glue for this heart pocket, adhering my photos and adhering my embellishments.

Helmar 450 quick dry adhesive

I have used Fashionista collection by Echo Park.

Echo Park PaperCompany - Fashionista Collection

This heart paper pocket could be used for any theme you choose, the creative possibilities are endless!

Thank you for stopping by today. Keep creating and thank you for your lovely blog comments and likes on Helmar FB and Instagram pages.

Unicorns & Mermaids Rolodex Cards Tutorial Feat. Product of the Month

Hi everyone! I'm back again this month with my featured favorite product from Helmar and which is the Helmar 450 Quick Dry Glue  & some exciting, fun projects that seem to be all the rage in a lot of crafting communities at this time! I myself belong to a Facebook group called Rolodex Addiction. So the following projects were made for a swap that I joined up this week. I was anxious to use some paper that I had purchased last year sometime along with a stamp set from the same collection called Recollections Enchanted. So the theme for this swap is this, Unicorns & Mermaids! Requirements are 4 rolodex cards,  the word "Magical" on a card, pearls , flat back pearls, etc, ocean theme for mermaid, rainbows for Unicorns, Pastel colors. So this paper pad was the perfect one for this swap! Hope you enjoy! *Note: I made this without a Rolodex card die or punch. 

I first picked out the paper collection I would be using and color of card stock. I then cut my cards at the required width, the height is optional but should be at least 3in, mine measure 3.5 X 4 on all (4) cards. Since I don't have a die for these cards nor a punch, I have used the measurements from rolodex cards I had in my stash from an old Dex Card holder that my husband was gonna toss away. I grabbed it instead .

         

 So with my ruler and a marker I mark a small dot on the 1.5 & 2.5 , you can measure how you would like. My measurements across weren't specific. Just want to be able to run (2) lines down diagonally @ 1.5 & @ 2.5 .I used my We R Memory Keepers corner punch to punch in the holes on my card. I had made a line up 1/2 inch up from the bottom so I know where to make the holes . 

          

I then selected the papers from the 12 X 12 paper pad that I want to use on my (4) Rolodex Card bases. In total I will be making (2) extra cards for my swap partner. But have made for now the (4) for this project! After I have chosen my papers, I matched  them up for the front and the back. Since my project today I was to use a featured product from Helmar, I have to say that even though I love all the products my favorite would be the Helmar 450 Quick Dry Glue. I love that it is clear and also I can use it for a wide range of projects. After I applied the glue to the card stock and then added the pattern paper, I used a Brayer to spread out the glue to the edges and corners of my cards for better adhering. 

       

After I've papered the front & back of my cards I used my WeRMemory Keepers corner round punch on the top of my cards, you can also make them higher, used design punches or die's etc to get desired look to your card. Once I finished with that I like to put in a small piece of left over matching scrap on the back to act as a sort of belly band where I can make a tag with scraps as well and write down my social media info, the name of the swap mo./year, crafting style, plus whatever you want to write on this tag for whoever you are sending this card to. Its almost similar to an ATC card. 

                        

So I measured my scrap to make sure it didn't go all the way to the bottom on the back side so its not in the way of my punched out holes. These holes are to be able to store them in a Rolodex Holder, here is some examples of  some I found on Pinterest photo #1, Photo #2, Photo #3 & Photo #4 

       

I again used the Helmar 450 Quick Dry Glue and just adhered the top and bottom so that you can slip your info. tag in the center. *Before adhering it to the card I inked it with some inks from Martha Stewart and inked the cards all around as well. Tried to coordinate the colors of my inks to colors in my cards. I love how they looked with this added feature. 
 
      

After I've done everything up to this point, now its time for the fun part!! Embellishing, stamping, etc. I love using up every part of the paper pads when I can so I cut out some of the cut outs and borders from this paper pad. I also used the matching stamp to stamp out some images I thought of adding on my cards. I love using my Tim Holtz Stamp Platform , I stamp using water color paper and Ranger Archival Ink in Black. After this I colored some of the images, for this project I used some Tim Holtz Distress Inks, Lindy's Sprays & Recollections Inks. I also used some of the Helmar Scrap Dots on a couple of my cut out sentiments . I used a variety of flowers and embellishments on these cards. 

 
     

I hope that you enjoyed this step by step tutorial and I hope that you will give this a try . Many of us crafters don't have certain dies or punches to make things easier for us so we improvise how we can. I tried to make this tutorial short and sweet but I have proven that hard for me to do with any of my picture tutorials!! 

                                  
 


                                    

Also there is a big announcement just incase you missed it over the weekend. We welcomed in our newest members of our Creative  Team!! I hope you will check out this link where you can catch the post , please feel free to leave your comments! They are greatly appreciated! Till next month....sooner rather than later! ~Hugs~ 

The Helmar Creative Team for 2018!

Bridget Blake

Hi, my name is Bridget Blake and I was born in Christchurch, New Zealand but after meeting my now husband I live in the beautiful city of Sydney, Australia. I have two beautiful girls who feature in the majority of my scrapbooking pages. I took a long break from scrapbooking when my second child was born but now I am back and I cant seem to stop and I love to learn and try new techniques and ideas. I feel very privileged to be chosen to be part of the Helmar Creative Team and I am looking forward to sharing my passion with you.

Blog: http://backtoscrapping.blogspot.com.au/

 

Raelene Coussens

Hi I am Raelene from Fraser Coast Qld, I am a Mum of 4, Grandma of 1. I am a Carer and being a carer has taught me the importance of giving myself some time to craft and create. I mainly do Traditional Scrapbooking which I have been doing since June 2005 but I also enjoy Project Life, Card Making, Altered Projects and I have started keeping a simple journal in 2016. My main focus in scrapbooking is memory preservation but I love the creative outlet that scrapbooking and crafting gives me. I love to scrap in all styles from simple and quick to messy mixed media. I love Helmar glues and can’t wait to create projects for you with them.

Blog: http://dyspraxicorganisedscrapper.blogspot.com.au/ 

 

 

Suzanne Franin

I live in Australia with my husband of 28 years I have two children Natalii 24 and Jack 17. I’ve been scrapbooking for around 17 years but have always loved crafting from a young age. Mixed media is what I love to do the most, it’s a wonderful way to create and to express myself.

Blog: http://whatawonderfulworlfofcrafting.blogspot.com.au/?m=1 

 

Lydia Gibson

I’m Lydia Gibson, a 16 year old creative teenager who has a huge passion in documenting her every day. I live with my mum, dad and younger sister in a small country town in south-east Queensland, Australia. I was first introduced to the scrapbooking industry at a young age from my scrapbooking mum, starting with stamping and that’s how I got to what I love to do today. I currently love to document my everyday through my love of photography with Project Life, Traditional 12x12 layouts, Mixed Media and lots more. You can find me on these social media platforms: Instagram - @lyd_gibson and Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/lydiascrftyroom

Blog: http://lydiascr.blogspot.com.au/

Amy Love

Hi! My first name is Amy and my middle name is Love, but I come from Texas where we like to mash the first two names together into one.... So call me Amylove! I am a retired teacher and continue my creativity through crafting. I just recently relocated to the mountains of Maine. I have never seen so much snow in all my life!! Me and my partner are soon purchasing our own little cabin on five acres so be looking for many home decor projects coming soon! I’m so excited about this new chapter of my life and look forward to sharing the experiences through my crafty endeavors. I have three beautiful grown children and my partner has three beautiful grown children..... so I am sure we will be racking up in the grandkid department! He already has two. I’m going to love every minute of it! I can’t wait to share my creativity with you! Big ol’ Crafty hugs, Amylove

Blog: http://georgiagirlinmaine.blogspot.com

 

 Jean Marmo

HI! My name is Jean and I live just outside of Grand Rapids, MI. I have a twin sister and for the majority of our lives, I was the math and science one. I stayed far away from anything that involved art or being creative. Once I had children, I started scrapbooking. This was back in the days of colored cardstock and deco scissors. Two things last year brought me to where I am today. I unexpectedly lost my job and my second child was married. With both children grown and out of the house, there was only so much I could scrap. And yet, I had a room full of paper, stamps, ribbons etc. Last year I took an art class and am now using those supplies along with paints and pastes to create mixed media canvases, mini albums, and frames. Most days you will find me experimenting and learning and I look forward to having you join me on this journey. I am excited to be showcasing Helmar products!

Blog: http://pagesintime.blogspot.com.au/

   

 

Tamiko McCurry

Hi I am Tamiko, single mom, one beautiful daughter. I am paper crafter first and foremost! I believe all things are possible with paper and good scissors. Add quality adhesive and things to write, draw and/or color with and BOOYAH... We are having ourselves nothing but pure JOY and EXCITEMENT and EVERYDAY can be a HOLIDAY! (ha-ha). I do a little bit of everything (smile), although my concentration as of lately has been towards, mixed media, art journaling. I am a practicing social media junky.. if there is an app. out there.. I've heard of it.. possibly used it or have had an account for it. I believe #sharingiscaring and some folks get the best learning experiences from some of the things. One can easily become an educated consumer with few inquisitive search clicks from pinterest, facebook, twitter, instagram, tumblr  and bloglovin.

Blog: http://mikosspot.blogspot.com/

Jeanne Rodriguez

Hi! My name is Jeanne C. Rodriguez , I live in Los Alamos, New Mexico. Many people know our town as the place where the 1^st Atomic Bomb was made. It’s a very nice place to raise a family. I have been married 14yrs but together almost 20yrs. I am a mother of 4 children and a 4yr. Old grandson, my older 2 of whom I had with my high school sweetheart, he was killed by a drunk driver. Although we weren’t together at that time, it changed my life. I fell into a deep depression where I could no longer work my job in Forensics. So 3yrs ago in April I needed some kind of outlet to deal with depression and other health issues. That’s how I found this world of crafting. I enjoy everything from altering, card making, mini albums, & recently started in mixed media. It’s helped me a lot. I’m extremely grateful and excited to have been chosen to be a part of the Helmer Creative Team! Can’t wait to share all my ideas with you all! Xoxo

 Blog: http://jeannieinbottle.blogspot.com/

 

 

Farrel Tailor

Hi my name is Farrel and I live in Perth, Australia. I am married with 3 boys who feature a lot in my scrapbooking layouts. I am a lover of all things crafty but my true passion is mixed media – I am only really happy when my hands are messy!! I love scrapbooking, art journaling and anything altered. I also love sharing my knowledge and skills with others and have been very fortunate to be able to turn my love into a job. I teach classes which has included teaching on a scrapbooking cruise twice. I have also been very blessed in being a part of some amazing design teams and am super excited to now be a part of the Helmar Creative Team. You can find me on various Social Media Platforms including YouTube, Instagram and Facebook.

 Blog: https://scrapaliciousdesigns.wordpress.com/

Vicki-Ann White

Hi, my name is Vicki-Ann or as most people know me Sandy Beach. I live in a small town in country Victoria, Australia. I am a mixed media artist featuring collage as my main medium. I love infusing bright colours as well as Zendangles into my whimsical pieces. When my hands are covered in glue, paint or ink I am at my happiest. I like to incorporate sewing into my art as I received my first sewing machine at 16 and it’s still the one I use today. You can find me over at instagram @sandybeachart.

Blog: http://lonelycards.blogspot.com.au/

Robyn Wood

Hello, my name is Robyn and I live in Brisbane, Australia. My husband and I have two adult sons and two whippet fur babies who think they are actually humans. I think I’ve always had something creative on the go since I was a kid, and despite pursuing science as a career, I’ve ended up being able to turn my creative skills into something that inspires and teaches others. When our sons were small, I discovered scrapbooking and card making and that has grown to a love of all things inky and painty. Many years ago, I decided to learn the difficult skill of drawing faces which has led me to a whole new world of creativity and I discovered that many of the techniques I’d been using for years with my stamps are part of a whole new genre that we now call ‘mixed media’. I’m happiest when creating something with my beloved rubber stamps or getting painty and inky in my art journals. My other love is photography and I frequently go seeking adventures with my camera in my hand. I’m so lucky to have the opportunity to share my skills and give inspiration to others online via social media. I’m looking forward to sharing my love of Helmar products and the process of creating with you all! You can find me most days on Instagram @purplesaltcr8 and Facebook https://www.facebook.com/PurpleSaltCr8/

Blog: http://purplesalt.net

 

Quick Easter Tags

How is it nearly Easter?

Lydia back today to share quick and easy Easter tags that would be the perfect touch to add to your Easter chocolates or gifts.

For this project you will need:

• Helmar Craft & Hobby PVA Glue
• Patterned scrapbooking paper
• White cardstock
• Alpha stickers
• and any other embellishments you would like to add

First what I did was cut some tags out of some white cardstock.

Next , using a piece of patterned scrapbooking paper I simply cut the paper to have some fringing. I than used the Helmar Craft & Hobby PVA Glue to adhere this onto the tags.

I than added some fussy cut butterflies that I had one piece of patterned paper. I added these to add a little dimension to the tags by only adhering the centre of the butterfly and folding up the wings.

And lastly I added a little sentiment of 'happy Easter' to both tags.

I hope you like this little project and feel inspired to make a little handmade something to go along with your Easter gifts this year.

Lydia xxx

 

Faux Metal Keepsake Box

love being able to take an item and give a little spin to make it look different than it started out being.  I have had this box in my stash for a long time and decided to spruce it up a bit with some foiled paper, but make it look like distressed metal with a technique I created using Ghost Ink.

 

Here is a video on how to make this fun box.

 The entire box is covered in layers of the paper all glued on with Helmar Craft glue.

I used a ton of colors of the foiled paper on the box itself from Ebony, Copper, and Sapphire on the outside but also on the inside.  I did not leave a single surface blank.

I also covered the insert in the box with dry embossed sheets of the foiled paper.  Some I left plain dry embossed, and some I added the ghost ink to give it the ghost embossing look.  To see the full insert please view the video.

 

I added a clip to the front of the box to help close it up.  I again used the Helmar Craft glue to help stick the button to the ribbon closure.

So what can you pull out of your stash and decorate with a little help from Helmar glue?

 

 

 

 

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Recycled Photo Frame

 Hi all, Vicki-Ann here today and I wanted to show you how to quickly upcycle a photo frame to match your decor.

What you will need.

• Helmar Crystal Kote Varnish in the Matte Finish
• Recycled Photo Frame
• Sand Paper
• Decoart Americana Paint in the colour of your choice
• Paint brush 

I bought this at an op shop (second hand shop) for $2 what a bargain hey. Looks a bit scratched up and not the right colour for me but the design of it, is just what I was looking for.

So I sanded it back in places roughly and grabbed some Black Americana Acrylic paint and gave it 2 coats of paint.

Then to seal, we gave it a spray of the Helmar Crystal Kote Varnish in the Matte Finish. We gave it 2 coats of the varnish. Remember to go in one direction when spraying and then turn the project and spray in the other direction. This way you get in all the corners.  (My husband made a great hand model for my photo) This seals your project and makes it easier to clean. It also keeps it from yellowing or fading and gives a terrific finishing touch to your project. 

I added some scrapbook paper to size and now I just need to add my photos.

I was really happy with how my photo frame came up.

Now it matches all the rest of the frames on the wall, of the family photo shelf in my hallway, that I am working on.

Marilyn Monroe Matchbook Mini Album Pocket Page

Hi crafty friends!! I'm back this month with a fun, easy to follow tutorial that I thought would be awesome as the themed for this 1st project of mine this month was "film themed" . I did a little twist on it though and made it featuring a photo of my favorite idol "Marilyn Monroe"! I was also inspired to make this not only from the very talented Kathy Orta but also from one of the designers from Maja Designs Cathy Mc Grath. 

Like I said, it was easy to make and if you enjoy making mini albums, this was just as much fun plus this can be added to any mini album as an extra area for photos, journaling, etc. Hope you enjoy this and if you would like to follow the tutorial that I followed from Kathy Orta just click Here. 

  

This project ong up as well as the previous tag I made , it is from the Prima Amelia Rose collection. I also used some of the stickers, a couple of die cuts from the collection and I had added a piece of lace on one of the areas but realized it would be a little too bulky if I used anymore. Not only did I use some scrap paper but I also used some of the journaling cards that come with this collection. I loved some of the sentiments so decided to use some of them up on this project as Marilyn Monroe herself had similar quotes. nly uses (1) 8.5  X 11 card stock, I used up some left over scrap paper that I had from a mini album I've been finishing up.

 

For this project I only had to use (2) of the adhesives from Helmar! I used the Helmar Acid Free Glue for adhering the entire design paper to the card stock as well as the photo of Marilyn Monroe.  Then for the piece of lace that used, I applied some of the Helmar Fabric Glue  as it has become another one of my favorite adhesives for my fabric and laces on any project! I also used some of the Tim Holtz Distress Inks in Bladck Soot to distress the edges of my design paper before adhering it to my card stock. 

                        

I love the fact that in this project you have some small pockets for tags or even adding some 2.5 X 3.5 photo mats. In the video tutorial Kathy also added a little hinge to be able to get more use out of the pockets. I decided I just wanted to use some of the small die cuts where you can jot down a thought or two. 

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Well this is my project for this week! I hope that you will look out for another one of my projects @ the end of this month which is already in the works! Please check out the rest of my design teams posts as well and check out the wonderful tutorial from Kathy Orta! There is so much projects we can make just by using our left over scrap papers! So till next time my crafty friends!! Hope you all have a wonderful and safe weekend!

                                                                                      ~Hugs~ Jeanne 

 

 

 

Easter String eggs

Hi everyone its Bridget here again. 

This time I am sharing with you a Easter craft you can do with your children.

Easter String eggs.

What you need:

Helmar Craft and Hobby PVA Glue

Water

Embroidery Floss

Water Balloons

 

First step is to blow up some water balloons.

Cut arm lengths of embroidery floss (about 6-8 per balloon) 

Mix up a bowl of  Helmars craft and hobby PVA glue.  You want it watery but still sticky.  Enough so the glue can soak into the thread.

Now for the messy part.  Take a piece of floss and soak in in the water glue mixture. 

As you pull the floss from the bowl "wring" out the excess glue between your fingers.  It is important to do this step, Helmar glue is so strong that when we didn't it stuck to the balloon too much resulting in a string egg fail.

Then just wrap it randomly around the balloon until your happy with the look.

Look at that concentration!! 

Now the messy part is over you just need to let them dry over night.  We put ours in egg cups, but your could hang them up.

After they have dried its time to pop the balloon and then your left with your string egg.

You can display them many ways hanging up or in a bowl.

This was a great craft do do with the kids they loved the messy aspect of it, and think the string eggs are a awesome decoration.  What Easter craft are you doing with your children this year using Helmar glue? 

Thank you for joining me again, Happy crafting.