I used printable, digital paper that I bought from MyGrafico. I really like it. I have used it for several different things. Sometimes I just print it out and cut it for a project like the bulletin board and the organizer caddy. Other times I arranged it digitally using either Microsoft Word or Publisher and then printed it out like the signs on my white boards.
I know what you're thinking. "Doesn't it cost a lot to print the paper out?" Actually, it doesn't cost any more than buying paper as far as I can tell, and it's so much more versatile. Also, have you ever spent a lot of time trying to find a great paper for a project and then there isn't enough of it? This way, you print what you need. If you have SCAL or eCAL, you can fill a shape with the digital paper patterns and then print-to-cut for your own personalized embellishments. Awesome, right?
Don't get me wrong. I'm all about some scrapbook paper, but this just gives you another option and a little more freedom in some of your projects.
This is the district's theme this year. I'm working on another bulletin board that's all about me and it's going to say "Know me, Learn from me."
There are actually words on my word wall now.......
The words were cut using the Curlz font on my Eclips. Oh, that reminds me! Another cool tip is one I learned from Pinterest. The silver staples were really standing out on the black letters and killing the effect. I learned that you can use Sharpie paint pens to paint the staples before putting them into the stapler. Who thinks of these things? Geniuses, that's who! Not me........ I painted a row of staples black and re-stapled. Now you can't even tell they are there unless you look really close. Some of my students have noticed it, though, and have asked me, "Mrs. Kinkey, did you know your staples are black?" I just looked at them innocently and said, "No, I didn't know that. What a convenient coincidence." You can imagine the eye-rolling that took place.....