CHA Sneak Peek...

CHA Sneak Peek!!!!!!!!!!!!

So you may have seen a little taste of what Fire and Ice Designs has been up to on todays post of the PRIMA blog... but we didn't want that to be all. OH NO!!!!!!!!! You saw just a taste of the 3x3 Mini Build-A-Books and a couple of the window pages. Well here are some more pictures of Trisha's entire "Friends" album. She creates this using the Harmony Collection of papers, rub-ons, flowers, brads and ribbons as well as the "Whispered Words" flocked letters.I will walk you through some of the tips and tricks for creating this project:)
First, I used the new flower shaped Build-A-Book Page, covered it with beautiful Prima Paper (Harmony Collection) and sanded off the edges. It was kind of tough to get in those tight spots but that is where the small filing set from Basic Grey worked MAGICALLY! I built up layers of flowers, papers and lace to form the center of the flower. I LOVE the texture and dimension:) The letters are the "Whispered Words" flocked letters by Prima.

This page is of Trisha's dear friend and Prima design team gal, Janine Wahl. The photo was printed on a transparency. Don't you love the look of it?! The Chipboard window page was covered with papers. Some of the Harmony Rub-ons were applies to give additional visual interest. This page was finished off with Essentials 4 flowers, a wee bit of the Viola felt strips and the letters again:)
Because a transparent photo was used on the window page, another picture is not necessary on the back side of the page. The chipboard was again covered in Harmony Paper and the window was trimmed in lace. Journaling will eventually be added here too:)
This is a picture of Michelle (Fire) and Trisha (Ice) in the Prima booth last CHA in Anaheim. The photo was matted on a square of Prima Paper and adhesive was applied near the CENTER of the photo matte, knowing that the corners would show through on the other side of the CLEAR page.
The Voila was cut along the center as a large section was not needed:) Embellish with some lace, flowers and leaves and a simple page is born!!! A cool trick to give those edges more visual interest, outline with the broad tip Sakura Permaopaque markers!
Here is the back side of the Scalloped Circle Build-A-Book page featuring sweet Liz (she is the gal that made this blog look sooooooo much better! She also takes care of the posting of Prima Donnas and people who have used the Build-A-Books creatively!). Anyways, another square of patterned paper was cut and placed in the opposite direction, playing off the paper showing through from the other side.
Here is the new Scalloped Circle window page. It was painted this time and them stamped with the awesome Build-A-Swirl stamps. The flowers are not only the co-ordinating Essentials, but some were cut from a piece of the Harmony paper. A few rub-ons were added to give a splash of colour where needed! In the window, instead of a photo, words were placed there using the flocked letters again and a Harmony rub-on.

On the back, only rub-ons were applied to the chipboard once the acrylic paint dried. Embellish with Prima goodness and you are done another!
Here is one of the Round Tabbed Pages from Fire and Ice Designs first collection. A rub-on was applied to the tab and a cool frame was created using the nested Frames. This is actually one of the pieces that was originally not going to be included as there is a larger frame and an decorative edged box included in the set- this is more of what the scrap would have been HOWEVER check it out...

Can you see the scalloped edge? That thin piece can also be used to create a frame where you do not want a heavy piece. The frame was decorated using an assortment of Sakura Glaze, Souffle and Permaopaque pens. Strategically place mini foam squares to give added dimension.

And finally... the last page in this mini book! The Build-A-Book center frame was used this time:) It was popped up to create somewhat of a shadowbox effect. Voila strips were trimmed to fit, even the center of the flower is a piece of the Voila! A rub-on was applied to the frame and in real life, it is neat to see the shadow cast against the paper in the background.
So as you can see... the Build-A-Book can be sooooo fun to play with! You can use virtually any page with another to create you own UNIQUE album! A great idea is to go to your local scrapbook store with a friend or 2, each buy a couple of sets of the Build-A-Book pages and SWAP! That way you all have a great variety of pages!!!

Anyways, we hope you enjoyed todays post. Over the next couple of days, we (Trisha and Michelle) will be in Chicago at CHA debuting our second collection of Build-A-Book co-ordinates with Prima Marketing, Inc. If you are a retailer, be sure to stop by booth 1533 and say "hi!" If you want to attend the class on Thursday July 17 at 11:30, I believe there are only a few spaces left so register with CHA today!

Stay tuned for additional projects and pictures posted over the next few days! Thanks for stopping by:)

Featured Primadonna...

Stacey Wakelin

Tell us a little about yourself:

I live in British Columbia, Canada (near the Washington Border). First and foremost I am Mom to Evan, 5 years & Taylor, 3 years and Wife to a wonderful hubby, Scott. Scrapbooking has been a huge part of my life for the past eight years. I have had the privilege of working with some wonderful Manufacturers and have seen my work in several publications. Being a part of the Primadonna Team is certainly a highlight!

How did you get started in scrapbooking?

My motivation was certainly creating keepsakes for my son after he was born. I just fell in love with the craft and loved the chance to be creative.

How would you describe your style?

I have a hard time defining my style. I think my style tends to suit the project and the feeling I want to create. I love it all—I am certainly drawn to a more distressed look. I love distressing inks. I am not afraid of color though, like I said all depends on the project.

Where do you gather inspiration from?

I believe inspiration is found everywhere. I find inspiration while reading magazines, watching a movie, and surfing Blogs. I like to say shopping in my favorite Scrapbook store is my top source of inspiration. Just touching the product and seeing the ideas on the packaging have given me many ideas. I am fortunate enough to be surrounded by many creative people and it all rubs off. I love visiting Home Décor Blogs and websites for color combo ideas.

What do you love about Fire and Ice designed products?

Certainly the Clear albums are my fave. I am all about the Mini album and I love the versatility of these products. Anything goes!

Where can we find you?

Online you can find me at my blog. In my professional setting you can find me at my Local store that I teach at Clipper Street, and at the Prima site.

Some tips you can share with us:

I feel this album has a lot of texture but I wanted the focus to be on the photos. My album features some of my fave photos of my family. What I love most about the clear album is the chance it offers you to give a glimpse of the next page of the album. I believe this adds to the texture of the album and adds dimension.
I added rub-ons directly onto the album pages and like doing this because it adds text but does not get in the way of the transparent nature of the album. One thing that I find is most important is to plan, plan, and plan when creating with these albums. Since they are clear pages you can see it all. I used all Prima paper in my album and encourage you to use double sided paper—that solves a lot of problems since there isn’t a bad side.

Sunday Hot Spot

Leah Killian

Tell us about yourself:

I am the mother of two crazy-beautiful children, Jonas & Maggie and married to my US Air Force husband, Chris. I have been into paper arts for over 15 years and have designed for a number of companies, currently Quickutz and The Scrapbook Nook. I am originally a North Dakota girl, but now I live where ever the Air Force sends us; today that is Travis AFB, CA. I love Mexican food, bubble baths, old movies and reading. I also enjoy keeping my blog: http://lifeaslou.blogsome.com/ .

Tell us about your project:

I created this book for an upcoming visit to the San Francisco Japanese Tea Gardens. I used Prima's Tea & Silk papers, flowers and also their Viola trim.

Tips for Build a Book users:

If you are feeling nervous about creating layers, I recommend starting at the back of the album and working forward, that way you can see how it is going. Sometimes it is intimidating to work with a layered project like a clear album, as it is hard to have a complete vision of what you're trying to create. Working from the back allows you to see things a little more clearly.

My other reccomendation is to wet the paper covers on the pages to remove them- they pop off a lot easier than trying to peel them off with your fingers.

What do you love about the Build a Book line of clear albums?

I love the versatility! They come in so many sizes and shapes and you can really mix and match or follow one simple album design. I can make a lot of mini books using this product line and they won't come out looking the same.

What Fire and Ice thought of this Project:

Of course the first thing that caught our eyes was wonderful use of Prima Products, the year down the tabs was a great touch. The cover is Gorgeous too, Michelle especially loved the intricate cuts of the tea and silk paper. Great Job Leah, and please keep us posted on any other BAB we can feature here on the Fire and Ice Blog...

Featured PrimaDonna...

ELIZABETH HICKS

Tell us a little about yourself:

I live in beautiful Southern California, with my husband James and our three sweet kiddos. I am a stay at home mom, who enjoys anything artistic. Besides scrapping, I love to read, sing, cook, blog, and go on adventures with my kids.

How did you get started in scrapbooking?

I have always had a hand in something creative. I actually started when I was really young collecting wallpaper samples and paint chips from Sears and taking them home, pasting them on to paper and pawning them off as masterpieces to my family who so graciously complied, even though it was scraps on paper. Now I have evolved, to my own little masterpieces, even though it is still, scrap on paper... I try hard to make it work! I officially started mainstream scrapbooking in 2001 when my husband, yes my husband took me to my first scrap store. In an attempt to archive our relationship, we bought stickers and paper and took many pictures, but they never made it to a page until after our first son was born. From that moment on, I was hooked.

How would you describe your style?

I would call my style evolutionary. Because it is always changing. It has a little fancy, chic at some times, modern here and there, and definitely eclectic. I am all over the place when I scrap, but in the end my projects come together, just as they are supposed to. I don't really plan how it is going to turn out, I move with my emotions, grab what catches my eye, and rarely mess up since I never have a plan! I just enjoy pushing my style envelope to the next level, and if I try something new each time I scrap, than that is good enough for me!

My inspiration comes from my kids, commercials, magazines, furniture, nature, and just every day stuff. Random through out the day, I will get ideas and jot them down in my book. The other day I was at Starbucks and saw their Hand Crafted Coffee ad, and came home and BAM! I made it work. So, inspiration is everywhere when you have scrappers eyes!

What do you love about Fire and Ice designed products?

I love that all the pages coincide together to create an album, giving the user more creative possibilities.

Where can we find you?

When online I frequent Creating Keepsakes message board, (those ladies are great!), So Cal Scrap, Faith sisters, Prima Hybrid, Scrapbook Dimension, SIS and I am sure there are some other great sites I am forgetting, but I go where I can when I find the time. Some of my local stores I have upcoming classes at are, Strictly Scrapbooking, Paper Pansies, and Scrapbooking Heaven.

If you'd like to keep up with me, you can find me at my blog.

This album will be available as a class, that is jammed pack with ideas and techniques with using acrylic, I am sharing a few here but be sure to check it out again here, in August.

LIFE

an album recording random moments of 2008, not yet recorder

Ariel view

Tip #1

Use protective coating or stickers to mask while coloring. I tore off strips of the protective coating on one side, and on the other side I tore of the same size strips going the opposite way. I then used alcohol inks to create and argyle effect.
On the yellow page, I put down circle price tag stickers from the office supply store and applied paint, and then removed them to give the polka dot effect.

Tip #2

Use alcohol inks and glimmer mist to color your album. Alcohol inks give a quick overall color. Glimmer mist takes a little longer to dry, so light layers for a glittery effect.

The two together give a swirled effect.

Tip #3

Puncture your project and add a little tulle or ribbon. I randomly punched holes to give another dimension the the page and then added some tulle for texture.


A Challenge for you!

Take a look at ALL (and I know there are lots!) the pics that you have taken in one year but have never scrapped, and make a mini album . Jot down why they were important to you, and embellish. Hopefully this will give you some type of sense of accomplishment, knowing that you have scrapped them and have recorded how you feel about them.

Sunday Hot Spot

So we are starting something new here at Fire and Ice Designs. Every Sunday we want to feature YOU! You the designer and creator of a Build A Book project! Our goal is to showcase the Build a Book in use. We will be looking for Build a Book projects throughout the internet and searching for new techniques and eye-catching designs.

This weeks Sunday Hot Spot is:

Shaina Nunnelly

Tell us a little about yourself:

Growing up, my passion for office supplies was transferred to scrapbooking. I still get lost in the smells, textures, and colors that scrapbooking provides me. So my passionate affair with paper products keeps my creative juices flowing, especially since there are new products coming out all the time. I like to use photoshop for tweaking my pictures and for journaling (my handwriting is really terrible!) but I will never stray from true paper scrapping. My four kids and my patiently supportive husband continue to be my inspiration as well as my biggest cheerleaders. When I'm not scrapping, I love to watch movies, have parties, and clean my kitchen. (I know. Weird, right?) I also have an obsessive habit of writing in my blog. It makes me happy.

Tell Us about your project:

I was given the Fire and Ice Build a Book by my LSS to showcase the product. It was my first time doing an acrylic album, but I admit, I had been longing to try. I loved that it was a completely blank canvas. I could turn it into whatever color scheme I wanted to.The owner also gave me some product from "The Little Yellow Bicycle" to promote as well, so that is what I used for the album, as well as some buttons and ribbon. I jazzed it up with some Prima flowers as well. I chose to leave the acrylic clear, but that didn't stop me from inking the edges. I think it gives everything such a finished look. You could do the same with paint, too! I really liked the idea of seeing through the album, so when I was assembling the pages, I would lay the assembled pages over the one I was working on, to see the placement of everything, and to make sure it worked not only as a single page, but as the 2nd, 3rd, or 4th page looking from the front of the book. My first page I made my layout center, and the second page I moved it up and to the right. The third page I moved to the bottom, and the 4th was at the top. This gave visual interest to the book, and it also gave it some nice movement. I kept a lot of white space throughout the album. Not only did that help with being able to see through multiple pages, but it also kept it less chaotic and gave it a very clean feel. I also mixed and matched color photos with black and white as well as sepia-toned. Don't be afraid to do that. It is fun!






Tips for the Build a Book user:

When working with a clear product, what you do to one side inevitably will show through on the other, so that makes adhesive a bit tricky. So I had to get creative in my glue placement, as well as how to turn the back of the page into the front of another. Before I tacked anything down, I always turned it over to see how it would work and what I could do with the following page. I also inked both sides of the paper before I glued it down, so that when you turned it over, it didn't look so much like the back of something, but rather the front. I also used double sided paper, with a different print on the back side. And finally, rubon flourishes worked great for this project since they looked the same on both sides. Just be sure that if you use any type of wording, that you position that on a part that won't show through, since it will be backwards on the next page! I loved that the choice of binding was left up to the user. I had some ric rac that I had used throughout the project so I alternated that through the holes and knotted them together at the top and bottom, leaving enough slack to be able to open the pages completely.

What do you love about the Build A Book?

My favorite thing about the Build A Book line are the different sizes that are offered. I can't wait to mix and match them for another project. And as I said before, I love that they are clear; a blank canvas to start from. There's nothing better than creativity!

What Fire and Ice thought of this album:

Michelle Van Etten-"I love her use of staggering the pictures down the pages so each photo shines through the next page but does not cover. The rub ons add texture and detail to the pages. The use of ric rac laced down the book to bind it is really unique. I will have to borrow that one. I am glad you are our first hot spot congrats and keep up the great work!"

For more pics of Shaina's project check out her blog.

Thanks Shaina for your great tips and marvelous project!

If you have a Build a Book project in the works, link us to it through one of our blogs, and you may be the next Sunday Hot Spot!

Featured Designer, Becky Teichmiller

Becky Teichmiller

Tell us a little about yourself:

You can find me in Mukwonago, WI with my hubby and 4 kids, Caytlynn (5), Cassidy (4), Cullen (2) and Cali (7mos). I am super mom during the day and full-time scrapper by night. Don't tell my hubby, but sometimes scrap during the day too! I run two businesses from home and I also instruct at the local gym, teaching Power Yoga, Kickbox and Boot Camp Classes.

How did you get started in scrapbooking?

I started to scrap when I was a kid, putting pictures into those yucky magnetic albums with captions and magazine cut-outs. Needless to say, I have come so far since then. In 2002, before my hubby and I got married, he bought me my first scrapbook. That's when the obsession began. Little did he know that it was the start of something BIG! So big that it takes up an entire room in our house (and then some - lol).

How would you describe your style?

I don’t really have a definitive style, but is you look at my work you can definitely see “Becky” style. I do like to mix it up, but for the most part, I love to use lots of layers and interesting patterns and most importantly NO RULES! Where do you gather inspiration from?
My kids! They are my inspiration to scrap in the first place. They also inspire me with the photos I take of them and the funny things they do. Although if I’m in a rut, I always look for other inspiration…. Scrappy magazines or websites. I often visit http://www.pencillines.com/ since they have awesome sketches! I have even drawn inspiration from ads, commercials, color combos… even clothing and purses! On occasion I have bought clothes for my kids that match certain papers - lol

What do you love about Fire and Ice designed products?

Everything! I am so in love with these Build-A-Book albums, it’s ridiculous! I would have to say that my fav is the Victorian edge.

Where can we find you?

I feel like I am all over the place, but you can always find me at my website.
I try to be a good blogger, when I am you can check it out here. To find me at one of my scrappy classes check out my classes blog. I have recently been published in the Making Memories 601 book and will have a LO in the Layout Blueprints 2 book.

FRONT COVER

BACK COVER

INSIDE PAGES

What techniques can you share with us?

My favorite technique on this book was to use a gold leafing pen on the edges of all the clear pages. It really made the shape pop. Another fun technique was to use all circles on this book. Did you notice that all my pictures were circles? I included very few hearts. I backed all the photo circles with patterned paper so the back side of the photo wasn’t showing. It also made for a fun background for the other side of the page. The circles tied in with the shape on the album and made the entire album cohesive.

A challenge for all of you...

Create something using all (or majority) circles! It can be a Build-A-Book, project or even a LO. Make sure you link your creation to the comment section of this post.

Featured PrimaDonna-Nathalie Kalbach

Explore the endless possibilities, create your own Build-A-Book and learn from the masters.
Introducing our very first featured PrimaDonna...

Nathalie Kalbach

Tell us about yourself...

My name is Nathalie Kalbach and I live with my husband in Hamburg, Germany. I have been scrapbooking since 2004 and have been addicted ever since. I have been interested in all kinds of crafts and arts but scrapbooking turned out as just the right thing for me as it combines many different things. My main focus is on using all kinds of techniques on my layouts- from needle felting to sewing on paper, from using paints to do screen prints on my layouts. I love to inspire others with my work and show them how to incorporate Mix Media Art Techniques into scrapbooking. I also place a lot of value on journaling, as this is the main element that describes the captured moment of a photo. I tend to scrap every day moments and I love to share my work and interviews with other Scrappers on my blog. I am on the design team for Scrapping The Music, Rose Mokka and for Scrapartzine (a German Scrapbook Magazine) and have been published several times in the States in Somerset Memories and other Magazines and Idea Books.

Dreams- Build a Book Album

The book is about Dreams - fullfilled dreams - as we often neglect to think back and cherish the goals and dreams we already fullfilled. It was taught in Hamburg, Germany at a private venue for a Northern Germany Messageboard Meeting. The Victorian edge Build-a-book cover is painted with acrylic paint and after it was dried I stamped with Staz On on top. The students learned how the transparency of the BAB cover gives an interesting feature and creates depth and layers for the first page to come. That is why I love to work with those books!

To Find out more about Nathalie, check out her blog.

Thank you Nathalie, for your great work and for sharing your passion with us!!!

We will be featuring a new PrimaDonna or a new build a book creation every Wednesday so be sure to subscribe to our blog, and keep up with cool techniques and uses for our products.