{Reported by Annie Hafermann}
While I do love the fancy brads, I find I can deck out the very basic (and very cheap) plain old brads all on my own. When I first saw glittered brads, I thought "I HAVE TO HAVE THOSE". I walked around the shop with them in my basket and then thought "wait, I have tons of brads at home and tons of glitter, I can totally do that on my own!" Thus my love affair with home fancified brads began.
Jumbo Brads + Flower Brads + a Sprinkling of Mini Brads
What I made:
BIG BIG Girl Layout
Products used: Cardstock: Bazzill Basics, Patterned Paper: Bo Bunny and Tinkering Inks, Flowers: Heidi Swapp and Daisy D's, Alpha Stickers: Scenic Routes, Pen: Martha Stewart, Metal Tab: Making Memories, Crystals: Prima, Scallop Boarder Punch: Fiskars, Inks: Stazon in black, Paint: Heidi Swapp and Making Memories, Glitter: Hero Arts Ultra fine (white) and misc (black), Date Stamp: Staples, Brads: Dove Craft and Making Memories (jumbo brads), Making Memories (flower), Misc. (small round), Heather Bailey for Autumn Leaves (blue with metal frame)*All the black and white brads (of all shapes) started out plain and of various colors. See below for how to's on glittering brads and stacking/combining brads.
Where and How Much
Product Name: Jumbo Brads
Manufacturer: Making Memories
MSRP: 3.99
Available at: Making Memories, Scrapbook Express* (denotes cheapest price at the time this was published), Scrapbooking Warehouse
Product Name: Value Pack of Circle Brads
Manufacturer: Making Memories
MSRP: $4.99
Available at: ScrapbookExpress, Scrapbooking Warehouse, JoAnn*
Product Name: Flower Brads
Manufacturer: Making Memories
MSRP: $2.99
Available at : Scrapbooking Warehouse, JoAnne*, Scrapbook.com (similar product, but multi-size pack)
Flocked and Fabric Brads
What I made
Celebrate You Card
Supplies: Cardstock: Bazzill Basics, Patterned Paper: Fancy Pants and Pink Paislee, Stamps: Making Memories, Brads: K & Company, Imaginisce, Making Memories (painted with Making Memories Paint, glittered with Making Memories glitter)
Where and How Much
Product Name: Flannel (flocked) Brads
Manufacturer: Imaginisce
MSRP:$3.50
Available at: Scrapbook.com, Scrapbook Express, Cropping Corner* (denotes cheapest price at the time this was published)
Product Name: Amy Butler Lotus Fabric Brads
Manufacturer: K & Company
MSRP:$ 5.p9
Available at: Scrapbooking Warehouse* (denotes cheapest price at the time this was published), Fabric.Com, Scrapbook Needs
*For Jumbo brad information see "BIG BIG GIRL" layout information
Jumbo Pebble Brads and More Mini Brads
What I made
Happy Day Card:
Supplies: patterned Paper: Crate Paper, Stamps: Making Memories, Ink: Stazon in black, Ribbon: Misc., Flower: Imaginisce, Boarder Punch: Fiskars, Brads (all): Making Memories, Flourish Template: Bazzill
*I used the Bazzill "In Stitch'z" template as a guide to make the flourishes on either side of the flower. I simply used the large pebble brad to secure my flower and then used the template to make the holes for my smaller brads.
Product Name: Noteworthy Jumbo Pebble Brads - Addie Collection
Manufacturer: Making Memories
MSRP: $3.99
Available at: Making Memories, Happy Scrappin', Scrapbook Warehouse*, (denotes cheapest price at the time this was published), Just Brads
*For information on the smaller round brads see my "BIG BIG Girl layout)
How To's:
Fancy Up Your Brads...paint, glitter, flocking
My favorite brads are usually the plain jane ones I have had in my stash for ever. I love all the things I can do with them...glittering being my favorite.
On my Big Big Girl layout, ALL the brads started out plain (and probably some crazy color) and then were painted and glittered. The large glittered brad on my Celebrate You card was also done this way (I think it came from the batch pictured below!)
All you need are some brads, some glitter, some paint (preferably in a color similar to your glitter) and an old cereal box (Styrofoam works well for this, but since we are meant to be avoiding it like the plague, I've gone the box route.)
1.) Using a Craft knife, cut a few slits in your empty box (you don't want the brads to fall right into them, so make them small slits and then increase the size if you need to.) *check if your brads will fit snugly into the little slits....i have some larger and some itty bitty slits to accommodate all my many brads
2.) Paint the top of your brad (I just use my finger here)
3.) Holding onto just the sides, push the brad into the slit on your box. Touch up any little sections where the paint might have been smeared away (very easy to do if you use your finger!)
4. Dump a bunch of glitter (or flocking) onto your painted brads. Tamp down with a scrap piece of paper (just to be sure the glitter gets nice and stuck in.)
Voila....gorgeous glittered (or flocked) brads!
Stacking/Combining Brads:
Sometimes I am just not content to have one brad, say as a center of a flower....I want MORE!
The white glitter center with black flowers that I used on my Big Big Girl layout were done this way. Note: only flat brads work....no domed brads here!
All you need is a Crop-A-dile, a big flat topped brad, a smaller brad, and then some paint and glitter as shown above.
Use your Crop-A-dile to punch a small hole in your large brad (turn it over so the pointy bit is facing you.)
Now paint and glitter it just like described above. Let paint dry and add a smaller, perhaps even fancy shaped) brad in the whole (heck, glitter that one too...before you attach it of course!)
What do YOU think? Do you love brads? Have you tried these different types and sizes of brads or just the standard size? I would LOVE to know some other creative ways in which you have used brads in your projects!
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10 comments:
Now I am really in love with the brad on a brad. I am going to try this right now. This is a helpful post for sure.
I am definately a brad fanatic, just like you! I have SO MANY that I am unsure I will ever use. Not that I don't like them, but there are just so many, know what I mean? So it is nice to get ideas about how to glitter them and stack them. Now I have new ideas to use them up! Thanks for the review!
Jenny1254@Juno.com
Thanks for the review and the ideas. I too am a lover of brads, and have 14 little jars, divided by color, lined up on my shelf that contain brads and other metal embellishments. I have tried some inking and painting before to slightly alter the color for a better match or to tone down the color, but I haven't tried the glittering - that's a great idea! I'll have to get busy and try that this weekend.
Oh I'm so there! I, too, em a lover of the BRAD. I just can't get enough of them and put them on every page I do --- even digi. LOL
I am so going to pull out my jumbo brads and crop a dile today!! Love the stacking idea :)
Wow I LOVED this article. I have a WHOLE embellishment box full of brads that hardly EVER get used. I loved what you did with the brads using the Bazzil stitching template. I am going to try and remember to do this!! What a great idea and way to use my brads. I also love the glittering of the brads. thanks for some great ideas!!!
I love brads but noticed they are leaving marks in my scrapbooks so I have switched to the stampin up brads and don't have that problem. Though the bigger brads you showed look very flat. I am going to have to try jazzing up my brads, looks like alot of fun.
You - alot of stash? Never! Perhaps it's time for another blitz! Fantastic ideas hun xxx
Okay, now I'm motivated to get out all those brads I've been hoarding and start using them up. You are so clever and I love your ideas. Thanks for sharing your techniques!
Annie - thanks for the very doable ideas for fancifing brads - love it!
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