Arnold Grummer's Design Team Blog

© Michele Emerson-Roberts 2016 This wonderful quote stamp from Stamp A Mania is one of my favorites. Pairing it with one of my favorites dies from Tonic (and I have so many favorites) made it so easy to creating a stunning card that will sure to be a hit with the recipient! The card is beautiful in any color you may want to create it. I just happened to have some purple card stock on the table - here we go! Supplies: ·        Arnold Grummer™ paper making kits ·        A sunny window ·        Blender, small strainer, cello sponges and soft towels ·        Scraps of ivory or white paper (think junk mail, etc.) ·        Dies:  Tonic Gold TM US 178E Petites Acorn Swirl ·        Spellbinders TM Grand Calibur Machine ·        Purple cardstock for...

©Anne Rita Taylor 2016 I used to buy small gift boxes until I learned how to make them out of paper and card stock.  They are easy to make and the colors can be coordinated with your gift. The gift here is a   heart-shaped  glass paperweight. Supplies: Arnold Grummer paper making kit For a 3 inch square box and 1 and 1/2 inches deep: Paper used for top of box should be 1/4 inch bigger than card used for the bottom: Top - Hand-made paper, size 8 inches square, follow the link to make paper here . Bottom - Cover stock, 7 3/4 inches square Directions are the same for both Top and Bottom paper and cover stock: • Fold four corners into center. • While corners are folded, fold into thirds, left and right edges to center, both ways. • Cut 4 corners diagonally up to the point where the folds meets that you just made when you folded both ways into thirds. • This is the most important step, so here is another...

Well Valentines Day has come and gone and I hope you all had a nice day :) Up next is Easter! I can't believe how fast these Holidays come and go. Maybe it is because I work in retail and am always resetting isles for each holiday.....LOL We all have junk mail and we all have that mail or files that has personal information on it that you don't want to just throw away because who knows who is out there stealing your info, right! You can burn it (we have a no burning law where I live, so not an option), you can always shred it but, it can be pieced back together (don't ask me how I know this :( ) And then......there is the option of pulverizing it into paper pulp and making new paper or whatnot with it. Today I want to show you what I did with some of those old checks that everyone holds onto, even tho hardly anyone writes checks anymore, and those old income tax papers :) I pulverized them.....LOLOLOLOLOL ( in a wicked, or maybe some may say insane laugh). First, I t...

©Michele Emerson-Roberts    2016 Valentines’ Day has come and gone but this card isn’t just for that holiday. It would be great as an any day reminder that someone is in your thoughts and is loved. Using some left over red handmade paper and one of the new Tonic dies  made it so easy to create this card.....it almost created itself. I made 6 of the cards in less than 1 hour! I know the recipients will enjoy getting them as much as I enjoyed creating them. Supplies: ·        Any of the Arnold Grummer™ paper making kits ·        A sunny window ·        Blender, strainer, cello sponges and soft towels ·        Scraps of red paper (think junk mail, etc.) ·        Envelopes to fit cards (or make your own with the AG envelope template) ·        Medium gray card stock fo...

Hi everyone, I hope you are having a wonderful week and hopefully got to enjoy a 3-day weekend. Don't you love just having some extra time to create something with your hands? Something you can hold and look at and say "I made that!" Well, that is how I feel about my little Paper Casted booklet, 'Advice from a Cardinal'. I had so much fun making this and it all came together rather accidentally because there are times after I make a sheet of paper  that I have a handful of pulp left over, so what do I do? I put it in a heart cookie mold and make a paper casting. I've been collecting hearts for quite awhile now. They all tend to be different thicknesses and different colors so I just picked some that were similar to make my booklet with. One way to tie them all together is to give each one the same treatment. I took some watercolor and painted the edges the same color and then came back and added glue and glitter to give them a yummy sugar coo...

Continuing with the theme of Love this month, I made a mixed media piece and embellished it with a wonderful handmade paper heart.  After I layered the 5 x 12 inch wood panel with gesso and paints, I added stamping and a title. My plaque was then ready for my embellishment! I made paper pulp which I then squeezed through a strainer to remove most of the water. I used cookie cutters to form different shapes. Using the sponge and wood block (papermaking kit) I carefully removed as much water as possible. I put them in a 250 degree oven for 15 minutes to speed up the drying but you could also let them air dry.  I love these embellishments which can be large or small, and painted and altered to fit any canvas, scrapbook page, card, etc.  And here is the heart painted red and sprinkled with glass glitter.  I look forward to using the rest of these on other projects!! Supplies used: Trash to Treasure Book Please be sur...

©Michele Emerson-Roberts 2016 Mixed Media” is the “buzz” word in the art world these days. Some people think that means just throw a bunch of stuff onto a substrate and call it done! Sad to say, that is exactly what it looks like too!  You still need to follow the basic elements and principles of design. The Grummer company has always championed making handmade paper using stuff that would have ended up in the trash. They have taught millions of people to make beautiful things adhering to this philosophy. Follow along to create your own piece of art. Mine is a Mother's Day gift for my mom. Supplies: ·        Any of the Arnold Grummer™ paper making kits ·        A sunny window ·        Blender, strainer, cello sponges and soft towels ·        Scraps of white or off white and tan paper (think junk mail, etc.) ·      ...

©Anne Rita Taylor 2016 Open Valentine Zig Zag Book I enjoy using accordions for greeting cards and was happy that Arnold Grummer sells Zig Zag books with six sides. When I fold my own accordions I fold eight sides, as I do below with the handmade paper accordion. Then I cut off two sides to use for another greeting card.  Supplies: Arnold Grummer paper making kit Blender, strainer, sponges, towels Mini Zig Zag Book with covers Books are 3 1/2 by 15 inches; Covers are 2 3/4 by 3 3/4 inches Two pieces of scrapbook paper to decorate covers, 3 1/2 by 4 1/2 inches each Scissors Two photos, 1 inch to 2 inches square Valentine Stickers Draw 2 inch heart out of pink paper and cut out 18 inch ribbon  Double sided tape PVA glue & 1/2 inch glue brush OPTIONAL: Arnold Grummer Standard Paper Press Closed Valentine Zig Zag Book - 2 3/4 by 3 3/4 inches Follow instructions in the Arnold Grummer paper making kit. Attach handmade paper to f...