February 2010 CK: An Insider’s Look

Hey there! Did you pick up your copy of the new CK yet? The February 2010 issue is so much fun—we hope you’ll enjoy reading it as much as we enjoyed putting it together. In this post, you’ll find three of my favorite insights about this issue, along with a couple of tidbits about each one.

1. Technique: Dry Emboss on Metal. Suzy Plantamura created this beautiful layout for us to showcase dry embossing on metal. Did you know metal is a little tricky to photograph? When the first scan came in, we weren’t sure all the metal was silver (the border and small heart looked like they could have been copper).

"Crazy Love" by Suzy Plantamura, as seen in the February 2010 issue of Creating Keepsakes

Our team tried out this technique and experimented with different types of templates (plastic and metal), styluses (paper, plastic, and metal) and surfaces (foam mat, mouse pad, notebook, and tabletop).

CK's Brenda Peterson, Joannie McBride, Megan Hoeppner, Jennafer Martin, and Lara Penrod give dry embossing on metal a try.

We discovered that metal styluses scratch the metal (see the photo below), so be sure to use paper or plastic tips when you emboss metal unless you’re going for a scratched, distressed look (which could be cool—try some fine-grit sandpaper for a brushed metal look). See more tips from Suzy and our team on page 26.

2. Framed Chalkboard in the “Tips & Tricks” column. Love the pretty, pink frame below? We picked it up from Ikea, and it was originally black. While we loved the shape, we thought the color made it look a little gothic, so we recolored it with spray paint. If you try this coloring style, be sure to buy spray paint specially formulated to work on plastic, such as the Fusion for Plastic paint from Krylon. You might also buy a primer for plastic to cover the frame before you paint. If you look closely at ours, you can see some of the black through the pink paint (luckily, it works and makes the frame look like it’s straight out of a chic boutique). We decided to leave it with just one coat of paint because we loved the look. If the pink is a little too bold for you, try painting it white, antique white, or turquoise.

3. Hot Spot Trend: Gray-Based Pastels. We’re always on the lookout for trends that translate well to scrapbook pages and deliver a cool, current look. This month’s trend is particularly appealing because even though the main focus is color, it’s also very much about texture.

Notice the soft, sheer, and shiny materials in the above images (a snippet of our research) and how Deena Wuest’s gorgeous layout incorporates both color and texture.

"In the Stillness" by Deena Wuest, as seen in the February 2010 issue of Creating Keepsakes

Giveaway Time

What were your favorite items in the February issue? Leave a comment on this post by Friday, January 15, 2010, and you could be one of three lucky winners to receive a sampling of some of love-themed scrapbooking products. We’d love to hear your thoughts on the issue.

—Lori Fairbanks, product editor