Banana Frog Blog

Tic Tac Toe Game Board

Tic Tac Toe is a common game that can easily be played using pen and paper. However, I decided to try and create one that was portable and where the chips wouldn’t be lost easily.

Instructions

1)      Cut a piece of chipboard to your desired size.

2)      Decorate accordingly. I stuck a torn piece of music sheet and a page off a book onto it and applied gesso to the surface.

3)      Using a piece of cork coaster (from Ikea), I divided it into 9 squares using 2 different sheets of patterned papers. The lines were then marked using ric rac.

4)      Mark out the area where you want to place the coaster . Using a corner stamp from the Fanciful stamp set, I stamped and embossed the 4 square corners. Stick the coaster onto the decorated chipboard.

5)      To make the chips, I stamped 5 sets of 2 different images onto a cardstock. I made use of a leaf and flower image from Tropical Garden stamp set. I applied a thick amount of Ranger’s accent gloss onto the images. Allow the accent gloss to dry (overnight if necessary).

6)      Attach the chips unto the board using Velcro.

7)    Stamped and embossed the word Tic Tac Toe. I made use of Bensfolk alphabet stamp set. Leave out the ‘o’ in ‘Toe’ as this is replaced by one of the chips.

8)      Finally, punch two holes at the top of the chipboard. Attached eyelets and ribbon.

Now you have a hanging Tic Tac Toe game board ready to be played anytime.

Work Out Wednesday :: What a Star

Wednesday is here so it's time for our regularly scheduled work out!  This week we're working out with What a Star! You just might be able to figure out from the colour of my stamps that I use this set quite a lot...but no fear, they still stamp just fine.  The black staining is really only because I have a very bad habit of demonstrating all day and not cleaning the stamps until the end of the day when I get home...if you don't have bad habits like me, your stamps will stay all clear and pretty.  But anyway!  Let's get to work.

A tag to start us off -- super easy and yet far lovelier than that plain tag that comes attached to a gift bag.  In fact, you can add just the stars to that plain tag and jazz things up.  I'm working with lots of scraps this week, so I was able to stamp three different stars and cut them up to get a happy little constellation.  Attach to a gift or...

Add to a layout!  Lots of scraps on this one, all punched with the square punch to make this page super quick.  That little star-in-a-circle is my favourite...I call it the punk rock star, though none of the samples this week are very punk, it has to be said!

And a thank you card is up next...another scrap punched into a square (and stamped with stars!), a star stamped straight onto the card, then a mix of patterns cut into skinny strips and layered with some trim and staples.  Inside reads 'for being a star', of course!

And a layout is last up -- this week I'm scrapping Eurovision!  What?  You didn't go to a Eurovision party?  They are the height of chic and decorum, I tell you!  Loads more stars clustered up there at the top for the European connection.  (I hope the Top Banana will forgive me for using a non-Banana stamp for the outline of Iceland...but I think I will be just off the hook as I don't think it would be a top seller...seems a bit niche market to me!)

Happy stamping this week, and do let us know what you'd like to see on the next workout!

Love and glitter,
Shimelle.~*

Today and yesterday

Here are a couple of new projects from the design team using both new products at Banana Frog and some old favourites!

First up the new from Trish with papers from Jenni Bowlin's Vintage Red collection:

Plus Budmo Jiggler, Funky Flowers and Take Note Banana Frog stamps.

The worded papers are great for creating detail with cut-out stamped images.

And now the old, with a bit of a vintage slant on some popular Banana Frog goodness from myself:

This page uses papers from the Pink Lemonade collection by Webster's Pages. These papers are almost as thick as cardstock and just great for distressing, not to mention they stand up really well to petal curling...

I used the Build a Bloom set to create some petal accents for the corners, and decorated them with pearl crystals.

Work Out Wednesday :: Postage

It's Wednesday and it's workout time!  In honour of a bit stack of important envelopes that are finally hitting the postbox starting today, we're working out with Banana Frog's Postage stamp set.  This set has a circle for each day of the week, then you can decide whether you want it to look like postage (there's a wavy postmark as well as a stamp outline) or if you just want a date in a circle, with tiny little stamps to fit the days, months and year inside the circle.

Here's the front back of a first little project -- a postcard.  Except one that you don't actually intend to post -- perfect for a note to a neighbour who has been away and you just want to pop a welcome home note through the letterbox and let her know there were no catastrophes in the neighbourhood while she was away.  Use an index card on the back of a photograph, then use the postage stamps to add a little extra touch.  Easy as can be!

To get the look of a real postmark, just ink the wavy stamp very lightly.

Masculine cards always make us worry since so many of us think in pinks and sparkles...but this card couldn't make anyone say your designs were too girly for father's day.  Use a square punch on a handful of scraps, and finish off with the important date in the postage circle -- perfect for adding a custom touch to a birthday or anniversary card too.

And taking it to 12x12...it's a natural stamp for scrappers because we try to always record the dates on our pages to help tell the story.  Dates in a circle make a little change from another date written in a plain straight line.  The font in the centre of the page is FT Rosecube, which is a super useful size.

Your turn!  Let us see what you've been stamping with postage this week!

Love and glitter,
Shimelle.~*

I love the designs on my Take Note journalling stamps and have been trying to think up ways I could use them on my layouts other than just for journalling! I had an idea that I could use them as a frame for a photo - so I thought I would give it a try!

  First of all I stamped the parts of the journalling blocks that I wanted to use on to some pages ripped from an old paperback, and then cut round them. I thought the easiest way to do it would be to stick the frame to the back of the picture rather than onto the layout, so I ran a glue stick around the edge of my photo and started to stick things down. I was left with a couple of teeny gaps so I stamped a few of the hearts from the Take Note set and popped those over the gaps!

Once I had my frame in place I started on the rest of the layout. I have used Jenni Bowlin papers - I'm really loving this colour combo at the moment, especially with the old book print! I used Willing Race stamps for the title... So there you have it! Can you think of any different ways to use your journalling stamps? I'd love to see them!

Work Out Wednesday :: Paper Chains

I am somewhat worried about the top banana.  You do realise she has put practically everything in the shop on sale?  Including all the stamps?  Even the new ones?

She may have lost it. 

What an excuse to go shopping!  So today we're going to workout with something new....Paper Chains and papers and such from Jenni Bowlin.  All of which is on sale right now.  Hurrah.

Before we get started, I just wanted to show you the trick to the Paper Chains set -- the background and the outline.  Stamp the background shape in a pale colour, then the outline in a darker shade.  There are backgrounds plus outlines for the heart chain, the bunting flag and bunting topper, plus a circle and a rectangle.  Some of the backgrounds have a tiny polka dot if you look carefully.  Then the stamp set also includes an alphabet designed to fit inside the shapes.  You can stamp as many shapes as you need letters and you're all set.

For our tag, I used a chipboard bunting shape from Jenni Bowlin covered in cardstock and patterned paper, then a series of bunting flag outlines and the little tiny letters.  Perfect for a baby shower present.

With exam season upon us, it's time for good luck cards!  This one uses the chain of hearts shadow and outline.  The burst of yellow sun is punched from the envelope, and when you put the card inside, the back of the card shows through.

And for our layout this week, why not put some of your shaped papers to work?  The frame of this layout is cut from a sheet of Jenni Bowlin die cut paper, then filled with KI's cardstock lace.  And this time the letters on the bunting title are rub-ons and I used the stamps for the curly little ties at the ends of the flags.

Happy working out those stamps this week and happy shopping! 

Love and glitter,
Shimelle.~*

Have money, will travel....

Anyone who knows me knows that I'm a bit of a compulsive traveller, and love to visit new places as often as I can. So over the years I have managed to accumulate quite a collection of foreign notes and coins that document the countries that I have visited. This was a collection I decided to start when the euro started to come into use and I realised there would soon be countries that I had been to in Europe that I would no longer be able to get the currency for!

So after returning from my last trip away I set to work putting together something to house this growing collection of mine and instantly realised the Journaling stamp set and Pattern Blocks set were perfect for creating fake passport stamps to tie in with the whole travel theme and from that little spark of inspiration this project was born.

Starting with printed panels which I quickly put together in word to record the important things I wanted to remember about each of the countries I began randomly stamping the circular and square journaling spots and bar-code pattern stamps overhanging the edges of the panels in brightly coloured inks (its best to do this with a piece of scratch paper underneath!). Repeating this for each different currency I had.

Whilst these were drying I moved on to making the front panels for the pockets using the Steelfish Outline (lower) alpha stamps to add the country name onto a plain coloured cardstock panel measuring 3.5x4". Making a finger notch with my small circle punch, rounding the bottom corners, and outlining with a fineline marker. The back panel of the pockets are made with a 3.5x4.75" pieces of patterned paper with rounded corners and a hole punched in the top left hand corner. To complete the pocket these two are then sandwiched together with foam tape first attached to the smaller front panel. (You can use one or two layers of tape depending on how deep you want your pocket to be).

To finish I then simply attached the stamped info panels to the back of the pocket with double sided tape, and outlined with a fineliner. Repeat the whole process for each pocket and each country, bind together with a book ring and Voila! Now where did I put those spare Baht!! 

Work Out Wednesday Thursday :: Flowery Thoughts

Despite having wasps run me out of my house on Wednesday (seriously, these things only happen to me, don't they?!) I am back a day late with our work out -- we're going to get a work out from Flowery Thoughts this week!  This set has two funky flowers -- we're going to use the retro petals but there is also an explosion of dots to try -- plus lots of options for the flower centres, including a plain circle or your choice of words like 'happy', 'friends' and 'thanks' to make great cards in a flash.

 

We'll start our work out with a tag -- a nice, easy start.  Cut the tag from cardstock and stamp the flower straight onto the tag.  Choose a circle ('For You' works well for a tag you can actually attach to a present) and stamp that on a separate piece of cardstock, then cut out or punch into shape.  Add to the centre of the flower with a pop dot.  Add some extras like sewing the stem and doodling a frame, ink the edges and tie with a pretty ribbon.

Did you catch the news that Pink Martini papers are on special this week at Banana Frog?  So I threw some of those into our work out too.  For this card, cut a block from Strawberry Pop paper, stamp three flowers and cut them out.  Add a word to the centre of just one and let the other two remain empty, with the cardstock colour making the flower centre.  Use ribbons as stems and a pop dot for the flower with the message.

Candy Dots is definitely a fun paper to play with -- I mixed it here with more of the Strawberry Pop and cut the large flowers from the paper.  If you use the adhesive just on the centre of the flower, you can pull the petals up for dimension.  Flowery Thoughts circles also work without their flower stamp, so here I added it to a paper flower, then called in Budmo Jiggler for a bold title to finish things off.

Hope you've still got time to work out some stamps this week!  Let us know what set you'd like to see in the work out next time.

Love and glitter,
Shimelle.~*

Journaling Tags

It appears that journaling tags are popular. A look at Etsy stores will reveal an array of homemade tags on sale. I decided to have a go at making a few tags using Banana Frog stamps. Armed with a set of blank tags, I set down to play.

I opted for simple designs on the tags as I wanted to leave some space for journaling. Here are a few that I’ve come up with:

If using a tag doesn’t take your fancy, try creating your own journaling spots using various cut out shapes i.e. squares, circles, or shapes with scalloped edges. Simply have fun with your Banana Frog stamps and come out with your own unique designs. Don’t forget to show us your creations!

#1) Heart tag

            Created using I Heart You stamp set.

#2) Corner tag

            Made use of stamps from Fanciful and Journaling. To achieve the dotted lines, I used the big bracket stamp and inked the dotted lines. To ensure that you have the lines where you want, masked the surrounding areas with scrap paper and stamped.

#3) Flower tag

            This was done using stamps from Tropical Garden

#4) Squares tag

            Created using the Postage stamp set. It was later coloured in using watercolour pencils and the colours softened by brushing over with water.

#5) Swirl tag

            This was done combining Swirls and Journaling stamp set and using the masking technique.

#6) Circle tag

            This was created using stamps from Journaling and Swirls.

Here’s an example of a layout that incorporated the use of a journaling tag:

If using a tag doesn’t take your fancy, try creating your own journaling spots using various cut out shapes i.e. squares, circles, or shapes with scalloped edges. Simply have fun with your Banana Frog stamps and come out with your own unique designs. Don’t forget to show us your creations!