Month: May 2021

Corner Rounder Roundup Part 3: Make a Mandala Burst Layout with Rounded Squares!

This is the third blog in series on using the humble corner rounder to do more than trim the edges of your pictures. Be sure to look at the first two blogs for both techniques and layout ideas.

First, I want to give credit where it is due. These ideas were not developed by me but were kindly and publicly shared by their creators/designers. See below for those credits AND links to original sources. I encourage you to “follow” these amazing designers at their websites or Facebook groups. My contribution was to gather these corner rounder ideas together as a group.

In the last blog, you learned how to make a beautiful layout with Rounded Squares (a square rounded on two corners). See below.

Rounded Square

Today, I’ll share another wonderful design that you can make using Rounded Squares. Materials note:  For ALL the Corner Rounder Roundup projects, you can use:

  • Any corner rounder. You don’t have to have a two-way corner rounder that also cuts indents on corners.
  • Either two-sided or one-sided printed papers.
  • Printed papers or thin cardstock
  • SCRAPS! Use them up!

KARYN McDERMAID-ROLFE MANDALA BURST-INSPIRED LAYOUT

Karyn creates beautiful layouts and kindly shares them at her website, Facebook page, and at the Creative Life Facebook page. If you love what you see, join her Facebook group and the Creative Life group! Karen created a beautiful layout and shared her how-to’s at the Creative Life Facebook page and YouTube. I’ll share some directions below.

  • Pick your papers carefully. Large prints may not show up in a 1.5” square or 1” square. Small patterns or tone-on-tones such as those at left work best.
  • You CAN use lightweight cardstock to cut the smaller pieces if desired.
  • Directional patterns require additional cutting and layout steps. See Karyn’s excellent video for step-by-step directions on how to cut out the Rounded Squares from directional paper.

You will need the following:

  • 1 sheet of 12” x 12” background paper A
  • 1 sheet of 12” x 12” background paper B OR four 12” x ½” framing strips from background paper B
  • Fourteen 1”x1” squares of paper C (gold pieces in example)
  • Fourteen 1.5”x1.5” squares of paper D (rust/orange pieces in example)
  • Fourteen 1”x1” squares of paper E (green pieces in example)
  • One circle (F) for center photo mat.  (Use smallest Custom Cutting System circle with green blade on outside. To cut photo, use same CCS circle with red blade on outside).
  • Embellishments and journal box as desired

STEPS

  1. For pieces C, D and E (42 in all), use the Circle Rounder to trim TWO OPPOSITE EDGES on each piece (see diagram at right). Remember to empty the waste bin on your Circle Rounder after finishing each color group. As Karyn points out in her video, if you don’t, it can affect your cuts.  

2. Use the fine tip of a journaling pen (e.g., black, navy, dark green) to draw an outline on each of the 42 Rounded Squares. They do not have to be perfect. The lines give depth to your layout. See also Karyn’s video directions.

3. Trim ½” off the top edge and one side of background paper A. Resulting piece is 11.5” square.

4. Create frame one of two ways. 1) Adhere background paper A to 12” x 12” sheet of background paper B OR 2) Adhere the four strips of background paper B to the back of background paper A so that ¼” shows on each side on the front. Your whole page should be 12” x 12” square.

5. Find the center of your 12”x12” layout and adhere the circle (F) in the center using repositionable tape. Check to make sure it is centered in both directions. A centering ruler can help. Adjust as needed. This is important…if your circle is off center, you will run out of room on one of your edges when you layout out the Rounded Squares.

6. Arrange the fourteen C pieces around the circle with the points facing toward the middle and outside. See diagram above for position. It’s important to get these positioned evenly because all the other pieces will be placed based on this inner ring. Adhere with repositionable tape runner.

7. Arrange the fourteen D pieces as shown in Karyn’s example above, with their inner point positioned between the C pieces. Adhere with repositionable tape runner.

8. Arrange and adhere the E pieces between the D pieces as shown in Karyn’s example above. Note that you may extend over the page border at the centers of each side. However, don’t extend over the edge of the page.

9. Check your pattern and adjust as needed.

10. Add center photo and embellishments. You can use bits of border punches, layered embellishments, stickers, flowers, journaling boxes, or other embellishments.

Some ideas:

  • This would make a great title page (engagement, birthday, anniversary, vacation, annual album, etc.)
  • Some of the Rounded Square can be photos! Look at the great golf example above by H. Northcott. Consider putting face shots in some of the spots.
  • Want a two-page spread? Make a few extra Rounded Squares and use them to create a partial “burst” in the opposite corner.

LAST NOTES AND INFO…

  • If you make one of these layouts, please take a picture and share it below!
  • Many thanks to H. Northcott and T. Perper for sharing their examples above.
  • If you need supplies or tools from Creative Memories, I would be delighted to assist. You can order easily through my link: https://www.creativememories.com/user/MarshaSC .
  • Want to attend my next virtual crop? They are FREE! Be sure to follow my Facebook page (Marsha’s Scrappin’ Circle) or send an email to me to be added to the email list so you get early notice!
  • Need help with an order or more info about a crop? Contact me at marshamatyas@gmail.com.

Be safe, be happy, and…be scrappy!

Marsha

Corner Rounder Roundup Part 2: Using the Rounded Square for Fabulous Layouts!

This is the second of a blog series on using the humble corner rounder to do more than trim the edges of your pictures. In March 2021, Scrappin’ Circle friends from the U.S. and Canada joined me for a Zoom crop where we focused on using a corner rounder punch (CRP) and paper scraps (bash your scraps!) to create layouts, borders, and embellishments. I received lots of requests to share what we did, so I’m writing several blogs with directions so you can make them, too!

First, I want to give credit where it is due. These ideas were not developed by me but were kindly and publicly shared by their creators/designers. See below for those credits AND links to original sources. I encourage you to “follow” these amazing designers at their websites or Facebook groups. My contribution was to gather these corner rounder ideas together as a group.

In the last blog, you learned how to make a Rounded Square (a square rounded on two corners). Today, I’ll share a wonderful layout that you can make using Rounded Squares.

Materials note:  For ALL the Corner Rounder Roundup projects, you can use:

  • Any corner rounder. You don’t have to have a two-way corner rounder that also cuts indents on corners.
  • Either two-sided or one-sided printed papers.

MEGGAN JACKS’ CORNER ROUNDER LAYOUT

  • Heather H.
  • Marsha M.
  • Terri P.

Meggan Jacks is a wonderful scrapbooking designer and trainer. She graciously shares some free designs through her Facebook page and website. If you love what you see, she offers a membership in her “insiders” group where you can get PDFs of weekly designs, etc. Click here for details.

She created a beautiful layout and shared her how-to’s on Facebook). Note that you need to scroll through the pictures to see the directions and they are in reverse order…but you will get the idea! If you are not on Facebook, I’ll share some directions below.

You will need the following:

  • 1 sheet of 12” x 12” background paper A
  • Twelve 2” x 2” squares of paper
    • Six with a distinct pattern (e.g., palm fronds on Jacks example above). Note that Jacks points out you can cut all six from a mat pack card, if desired.
    • Three with a more subtle pattern or plain (e.g., pink tone-on-tone on Jacks example above)
    • Two with a darker or different print or plain (e.g., navy print on Jacks example above)
  • Four 12” x ½” framing strips OR additional sheet of 12” x 12” background paper B (navy in Jacks example above)

STEPS

  1. Trim ½” off the side and top edges of your background paper A. Resulting page is 11.5” square.
  2. Create frame one of two ways. 1) Adhere background paper A to 12” x 12” sheet of background paper B OR 2) Adhere the four strips of background paper B to the back of background paper A so that ¼” shows on each side on the front. Your whole page should be 12” x 12” square.
  3. Layout your twelve 2” x 2” squares as shown in the samples above. Do not adhere to the paper. Make sure you like the direction of the patterns.
  4. Lift your squares one at a time and use the corner rounder on the TOP LEFT and BOTTOM RIGHT corners only (each resulting Rounded Square should have two round and two square corners).
  5. Put each Rounded Square back on the layout in the correct position after you punch them. Note that the rounded edges should be on the TOP LEFT and BOTTOM RIGHT corners of each Rounded Square when you put them in the layout.
  6. Adhere the Rounded Squares, starting in the corner and leaving a scant 1/8” between the Rounded Square and the side of background paper A. Pay attention to the pattern of colors so they are similar to the samples above.
  7. Time to embellish some of the Rounded Squares! You can use bits of border punches, layered embellishments, stickers, flowers, or other embellishments. Be sure to check out Meggan Jacks’ ideas on Facebook.
  8. If you like the three-photo layout on the examples, cut three 5″x4″ mats or three 4″x4″ mats.
  9. Add embellishments or title as desired.

Some ideas:

  • This would make a great title page for an engagement or anniversary (pics of the bride and groom on the bottom and top corners and a pretty title in the middle) or a vacation (great pics of the travelers on the corners and title in the middle).
  • Some of the Rounded Square can be photos! Consider face shots in some of the spots.
  • Trim your photos as Rounded Rectangles or Squares to add to the mats!
  • Want a two-page spread? Consider moving the bottom right cluster of Rounded Squares to the opposite page.

LAST NOTES AND INFO…

Be safe, be happy, and…be scrappy!

Marsha

Corner Rounder Roundup Part 1: Simple Border

The humble corner rounder. It was probably one of the first tools you purchased if you have been scrapbooking for many years. If you are a new scrapbooker, you may have wondered, “Should I get one of those?” It is most often used for rounding the corners of photos or mats, but it can be a great tool to make some easy borders and layouts!

Creative Memories Two-Way Corner Rounder

In March 2021, Scrappin’ Circle friends from the U.S. and Canada joined me for a Zoom crop where we focused on using a corner rounder punch (CRP) and paper scraps (bash your scraps!) to create layouts, borders, and embellishments. I received lots of requests to share what we did, so I’ll be writing several blogs with directions so you can make them, too!

First, I want to give credit where it is due. These ideas were not developed by me but were kindly and publicly shared by their creators/designers. See below for those credits AND links to original sources. I encourage you to “follow” these amazing designers at their websites or Facebook groups. My contribution was to gather these corner rounder ideas together as a group.

Materials note:  For ALL the Corner Rounder Roundup projects, you can use:

  • Any corner rounder. You don’t have to have a two-way corner rounder that also cuts indents on corners.
  • Either two-sided or one-sided printed papers.

Bash Your Scraps CRP Border

  • Creative Memories
  • Marsha Matyas
  • Terri Perper

This is a super-simple border from Creative Memories. Thanks to Betty McConnell for pinning this on her CM Corner Rounder Ideas Pinterest page. You can make with either 1.5” or 2” inch squares of paper. The first two examples above used 2″ squares but I like the third example using 1.5” squares because it leaves some space between your “flowers” along the edge of the page. The directions below are for 1.5” squares.  If you want to Bash Your Scraps, look in your scraps bin for 1.5” wide strips of paper OR with 3”x3” squares of paper. A 1.5” x 12” strip will make EIGHT 1.5” squares. A 3”x3” square of paper will make FOUR 1.5” squares.

You need to cut:

  • Eight 1.5” squares of one patterned paper
  • Four 1.5” squares of a second patterned paper (OR of the reverse side if you are using a two-sided paper)

Step 1: Using the corner rounder, trim (round) two opposite corners on each square. The resulting piece should have two rounded corners and two regular right-angle corners (see, for example, the leaf print in the bottom left corner of the picture below). IF your pattern is directional (stripes or one-way pattern), you may want to do Step 2 below BEFORE you trim the corners so the pattern looks the way you want. See the stripes on the Creative Memories example in the pictures above.

Step 2: Lay the first four pieces (see pink ones in the picture below). Note that all of the pointed (non-rounded) corners are on the outside or inside of the flower.

Step 3: What should you do with the middle? Here are some ideas!

  • Punch a small circle to serve as the center and glue in place with or without a foam square underneath to add dimension
  • Use a stick-on embellishment such as a pearl, rhinestone, flower, sticker, etc. Use foam square as desired.
  • Add a “stem” as T. Perper did in her example above.
  • Use the “indent” part of the corner rounder to punch a hole in the middle of your flower…note that we found these hard to align to create a perfect circle!
  • Add a title to your top flower.

Want a two-page spread? Consider making one more “flower” add put it in the outside top or bottom corner of the opposite page. Done!

Last notes and info…

Be safe, be happy, and…be scrappy!

Marsha