With the beginning of a new year, ambitious papercrafters start focusing on the next holiday. This Valentine's day, alter pop top cans (like Del Monte fruit cups for the kids' lunches) and fill with candy or trinkets. New tutorial author Julie Buhler shares an easy altered Pop Top can.

Pop Top Can

Safety Can Opener

Strong Adhesive

Patterned Paper

Coluzzle® or other circular cutting system

Scissors

Crystal Effects

Candy

Q: Janet asked: "I just saw a card using the thumping technique. Where can I find this technique?"

A: This is an easy way to randomly add multiple colors to an image. Ink a solid stamp with the lightest color ink you'd like to use. Don't stamp it yet, but turn it so the rubber is facing up. Next, take a darker colored marker and tap it onto the ink, adding darker spots. Now, stamp your image.

Resources page

Submit your question to Beate

Mary Anne has a hint for altering wood frames: "I put the Mod Podge® both on the wood and the paper, and stuck them together. THEN after it was dry, I sanded the edges of the frame/paper so there were no mis-matched paper edges to the frame edges. Next I put the Mod Podge over the edges and front of the paper to seal it. It looks really cool. Very seamless."

Altered Frame Tutorial
Framed Art gallery

Get tissue paper and either clear-drying glue or a Xyron® machine ready for next week's technique.