Scrapbooking News & Review

I am excited to announce that I am going to have a project published in the January 2009 Scrapbooking News & Review E-zine... I'll share when I know more!

Check out their website at: www.scrapbookingnewsandreview.com

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Christmas Goodies

I was so excited to receive some scrapbooking goodies for Christmas!

From my mom I got some of my favorite "consumables" - black & white paper, photo tabs, cosmetic wedges & a brown fine tip pen. From my inlaws - a new Pulp Paper Products 12x12 album for 2009, a basket for my mini-albums (as suggested by Ali Edwards), a Craft Mat and the Tim Holtz Tonic Scissors. I have wanted the mat and scissors ever sine I used them at CKU, but managed to wait until Christmas! I also got to go a little crazy in JoAnn Etc while I was visiting my parents --- lots of fun stuff that my small JoAnn's doesn't have.

Now to get the holiday mess cleaned up so I can get going on some new projects!

Desktop Photo Display

About a month ago, I was the lucky winner of a Cosmo Cricket "Chemistry Set". Here's what I did with it!



It is a double-sided photo display which I will be giving to my mom for Christmas. I decorated three Cosmo Cricket lacing cards to make a cute little stand to put 2.5" x 3.5" photos in. The photos are interchangeable because I attached baseball card protectors to make photo pockets. This way, when I mail my mom new photos throughout the year she can change them around.

Quick Gift Card Holder

I procrastinated the teacher gifts again this year, so this morning I needed to come up with something while trying to get the kids out the door. I settled on giving the gymnastics teacher a gift card, so I made this little matchbook gift card holder in about 10 mintues using some scraps.

Instructions:

1- glue two strips of paper about 3" x 9" together back to back (or use double sided card stock)

2- create folds 3" from top and 7" from top. Trim about 3/4" off bottom

3- glue both side edges of short flap and staple bottom edge to create pocket for gift card

4- use a sticker or strip of paper to cover staples

5- glue punched circle on, gluing only the bottom half to create closure to tuck flap in

6- embellish as desired

Here is how mine came out in 10 minutes or less...

Photo Matchbooks - ***Updated***

*Finally with photos!*

Three days without power has set me back on some of my holiday projects, but I was glad to be back home and able to create tonight. I just made the cutest little project for a Secret Santa gift. They are wallet sized photoholders that close with a matchbook closure. It was a really quick project - I just made 3 in an hour and a half. I am giving all three to the same person, so she can have one to keep and two to give away (I happen to know that she just had holiday portraits taken). My thought here was that she will have one to enjoy and she can also give a nice handmade gift without having to do the work!

Supplies - makes 3

1 sheet pattern paper (Prima)
1 sheet card stock
3 sheets of baseball card protectors
floss
stapler
Embellishments(Prima): 3 flowers, 3 buttons, and flowers cut from another sheet of patterned paper

Directions:

1- Cut pattern paper and card stock into 3 strips 4" wide

2- Cut baseball card protectors into 3 sections, two squares wide

3- Create folds in cardstock at 3", 3.25" and 7" and trim length to 7.675". In the binding fold poke 3 holes .675" from top and bottom.

4- Fold page protectors in half and poke holes .5" from top & bottom.

5- Using floss sew protectors into binding and knot on backside (will be hidden by outside paper).

6- Wrap pattern paper around outside & glue.

7- Create matchbook closure with 2 staples.

8- Add embellishments.

9- Repeat as necessary.

Sketch it out ***Updated***

Every month I get numerous magazines delivered to the house, browse websites & blogs, and get together with friends to scrap. Each of these is a great way to get ideas to create layouts and projects - whether it is a color scheme, design, theme or technique. Over the years I have used several ways to organize the things that inspire me - from tearing out pages to leaving tabs throught a magazine and finally landing on creating a sketch book full of ideas.

Here I draw out my interpretations and make notes about what I might want to use it for (I also work the other way, starting from my pictures and creating a design). This book travels with me almost everywhere so even when I don't have all of my supplies at my fingertips I can still be creative. Then later I can quickly translate my ideas when the materials are in front of me.

These days I can't imagine life without my graph paper (one of the few connections to my engineering background) notebook. By itself it can tell quite the story - projects of the past present and future all side by side.

In the spirit of scraplifting (which has to be the sincerest form of scrapbooking flattery), here is a Donna Downey inspired holiday layout.

Update... My layout was featured on Donna Downey's blog today! Check it out!

Life at the Pole

I just got my Scrapbooks Etc January 2009 issue and it had the cutest insert from Sassafras Lass. Daniela got quite the kick out of it, because she had already chosen some of the papers for herself when we were at the scrapbook store last week.

Here are the projects I created by pulling out the magazine ad:

A holiday layout (with some additional supplies from the store)


A Photo Holder (I added 3 pipe cleaners and swirled the ends)


I also made a little playscene for Daniela's Littlest Pet Shop animals, which she has had a blast playing with. She particularly liked hiding them behind the mountains and having them "lick" the candy canes.


As always, these papers were lots of fun to play with!
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Card Swap

Here is the card I created for a card swap this weekend... If only I would give my own holiday cards this much attention! Actually, it didn't take too long to make 12 of these, once I had come up with the design.



It didn't take much material either...

1 1/2 12" x 12" sheets of red printed paper
1 1/2 12" x 12" sheets of light blue paper
4" x 12" sheet of blue paper
scraps of ivory paper
snowflake, journaling square, "tis the season" stamps
Versamark, black ink
12 snowflake stickers
12 circle stickers
36 rhinestones

Scrapping "On the Go"

Since there never seems to be enough time in the day, I have been trying to use my time more effectively. I have been taking magazines and my sketch book/paper to gymnastics and swimming in order to take advantage of any downtime I might have. Today I took that a step further and actually packed up a "mostly done" project and took it with me to the Y. All that was left to do was the journaling and attaching the journaling blocks into the album - so the supplies needed were minimal.

And I am pleased to finally report... I finished my "Peek into my Week" mini-album in about 45 minutes. This was a class I took at CKC-Hartford and I had completed most of the album 2 months ago and just hadn't pulled it out to finish it. It feels really good to get the journaling done and check it off of my to do list! I can't believe I put off 45 minutes worth of work for so long.

Here is how it came out:

Christmas Projects

I like to read Ali Edwards' blog, and this month she is doing her "December Daily" album. Since I like to focus on primarly 12" x 12" albums, I think I am going to make a double page layout capturing our holiday preparations for my 08/09 album instead. Since I haven't quite completed my "Week in the Life" mini-album, I don't think I should start another mini just yet!

I have been inspired by her ideas to share the lead up into the Christmas Holiday, so I have begun blogging (on my Scrappin' Mom blog) about the holiday preparations. I am not one to hold off on the holiday prep, so I started well before the first of December and I would like to include all of those things as well, so I thought "Countdown to Christmas" would be a good theme. That way there is room for my October trip to Hallmark to buy ornaments, putting Christmas music on in the car at the beginning of November, family holiday portraits and of course "Black Friday" shopping. I have begun developing a layout concept, but need to think more about how to fit everything in!

I am going to continue to blog regularly about our holiday prep through out the month, and of course keep tabs on Ali's progress on her December Daily, but I don't anticipate starting my project until January. In the meantime, I will be working on finishing my "Week in the Life", making holiday cards for a card swap, copying recipes for 3 cookie swaps, actually sending Christmas cards, a handful of layouts and completing my Disney project during December.

Kits - 2007 Disney Album, Part 2

OK- so the page kits are coming along, but this is truly the hardest part of the process. Matching the pictures, papers, and accents is the most important part of the project. I have determined that there are 18 double page spreads plus a title page, end page and a pocket in the back of the album. So far I have page kits for 5 of the double page spreads and the cover... I was hoping to have all the kits made before we left for Thanksgiving. Oh well.

Sample Page Kit (minus photos, titles, embellishments & journaling)


Page Kits so far...

No Proof of the Progress - 2007 Disney Album, Part 1

So the past few days have been "Planning Days". Sometimes in my head. Sometimes on paper. But either way I have a few projects going, but not a lot to show for it. I like the flexibility of planning days because I can plan anywhere. So for three days I have had my scrapbook table clean and I have just been drawing/sketching on the back of paper while I wait to pick up at preschool or watch swimming lessons.

Here is a sample of my "creative process" for my latest project:

1. Identify a project --- 2007 Disney Vacation 12" x 12" album



2. Determine a deadline (real or arbitrary) and be realistic ---

Complete by 12/5/08

3. Decide on a design/design theme --- Mostly double pages with unified theme. Pages will have same layout style but varying color schemes to match photos/embellishments. Sticker letter titles and handwritten journaling. This is usually the hardest part... but I can do it just about anywhere. I drew these sketches on the back of a handout while watching swimming lessons.



4. Sort and order photos --- Look through pictures and assign where they will be used (I like to draw simple pictures of my layouts to identify where the photos are going). Order/print photos.



5. Organize memorabilia --- Decide what brochures, tickets, etc will be used and how they fit in. If necessary create a pocket page in the back of the album.



6a. Shop my stash --- I have been stashing things for this project for a long time (before we went on the trip!) and I have a already put them in a separate place.



6b. Go shopping --- if missing anything or if I run out of something (I might have to get more adhesive for this one as there are a lot of pages)

7. Make page kits --- match supplies to photos and memorabilia and make "kits". This is more portable than doing it page by page. I usually take one day to pull out all of the supplies and make kits. Then I can scrap whenever & where ever (good for crops or when I don't want the kids in my stuff!) This is my job for tomorrow!

8. Assemble pages --- Even if I don't have the photos yet, I can start the pages because I know what the photo is and how big it is going to be. I don't necessarily work in order, but since I have a sketch of all of the pages it doesn't matter.

9. Complete the album --- wouldn't that be nice! Since I like to have a million things going at once I tend to skip this step and move on to something else...LOL!


And there you have it... that is my creative process... I guess there is some proof now, even if I don't have a completed page to show.

Design Team!!!!

Woohoo! I just found out I made my first design team! I will be joining a group of four scrapbookers working on projects for one of the local scrapbook stores - The Scrapbook Cupboard in East Bridgewater. I won't be starting until 2009, but I expect I will be posting my DT projects throughout the year.

I look forward to where this new adventure is going to take me. And I am taking tonight off in celebration :)


November Tally - lots done & lots more to do!

1 mini-book
8 single page layouts
2 double page layouts (1 being the journaling-heavy "Cameron's First Year" layout)

Double Page Layouts

I rarely ever scrap 2 page layouts, but in the past two days I have done two. I finally completed Cameron's Year in Review (yay!) and I also did a 2 page layout for Cameron's 1st Birthday. There was a deadline tonight for "Baby Pages", so I moved these two to the top of the priority list and I am really pleased to get them done. Even if I stayed up way to late to do it.

Tomorrow I am going to tally my layout/project progress so far this month... then I am going to bed early :)

Productive Crop

I completed 3 pages at the crop Friday night.

The first two layouts are for Not Your Ordinary Book Club. This is only the second month I am participating, but I am enjoying the challenge and added pressure of using specific layouts as inspiration.

GLCP 2008 - Experimenting with "White" space


Storyland - Trying to handwrite journaling more often (instead of using the computer).


The third is a layout I have had a page kit prepared for since August, but haven't quite gotten to. Feels good to get it done.

1st Sox Game

Journaling

It is a journaling night... what a mess!

I work hard to keep records of all of the kids' milestones and other important occurances, but I am not the most organized person when it comes to this. Okay, I am not all that organized in general - especially when it comes to paper (memorabilia, junk mail, kids art projects & bills are comingled everywhere!). So when it comes time to sit down and type up my journaling for some layouts I find myself searching all over the house for pad, notebook, or scrap I wrote my notes on.

In addition to handwritten notes, I keep track of some dates/milestones by captioning pictures in my online albums and on my (other) blog. So once I find my notes, I sit at the computer and search for the missing information. These two "modern" methods are making things a little easier, as I tend to record things more as they happen, but searching for "the day Cameron got tooth #3" can take a while if I don't know approximately when it happened! But at least it is there.

I think I have finally rounded up all of the info for "Cameron's First Year" layout... now to type it up. Then I have to pull out Daniela's baby book and see if have records of all of the same "major milestones" for Cameron. I know, trying to do the same thig for both kids is crazy - but that's what I am going to try to do :)

Time to get to work!

Packing for a Crop

Tomorrow night I am headed out to a crop at the LSS, so tonight I am putting together the page kits to work on. I hope to get about a page an hour done when I crop, so 6 pages is the goal, but I will take several extra kits with me in case I get stuck on one layout I can move on to another. I ordered pictures tonight, and will be picking them up in the morning at CVS - nothing like the last minute!

Page kits I am preparing:

Baby Pages - First Foods, Milestones, Cupcake Photos/ First 12 months, Nicknames
Baseball Game
Pumpkins (Cameron)
Apple Picking
Field Trip
Storyland - Card Croquet, Alice's Tea Cups
Cameron's First Birthday
Fall 2007 Activities - Daniela

OK, that should be enough... I am sure I won't get all of these done, but I can work on them throught the weekend if I don't.

Now I have to type journaling for several of these.

Birthday Books

Over the past month, Daniela has been invited to 6 birthday parties. For each of the kids I have made a mini-book as part of the gift. For some reason, I didn't take pictures of the first four before I gave them away... but here are pictures of the 5th. I hope to finish the 6th tomorrow.

Weekend Update

I did 3 pages over the weekend - not as much as I would have liked since we were gone most of Saturday & Sunday - but did get some things done for the Scrapbooks Etc call deadline. I have found that by searching for calls (which have deadlines) I have been able to increase my motivation to work on a particular topic that I have been meaning to do, but have neglected it for a while. So for this round of stuff I worked on pages from Mike's graduation in 2006, Cameron's first Christmas and this past Easter... none of which had been touched.

Up next - a couple of birthday gifts and some baby pages... I have high hopes for getting some of the major milestone record pages done for Cameron's book by the end of next weekend!


Cameron's First Christmas:

Face Painting

Here is a finished page from October's Page Swap... pulled my chalks out of box that hadn't been used since we moved 2.5 years ago!

Visiting Santa's Village

More old photos finally make it into a book! Only two years after they were taken.

Princess Purse

I finally did something with all of the Disney stuff I have been collecting since our trip to Disney in January 2007.

Album is 7.5" wide and 6.5" tall. Pages vary in size from 4.5" x 6.5" with a full size photo to 2" x3.5" tags with smaller photos. Album reads both front - back and back - front.

*Photos have been removed temporarily :) *

Spring Activities

This is my layout from my page swap group from October

I used 5 photos all cut to 2 7/16" x 5 15/16".
You could also use 4 photos (2 15/16"x 5 15/16") or 3 photos (3 15/16"x 5 15/16") and achieve a similar look.

New Blog

I have been debating with myself for a while about posting my scrapbooking projects on my blog, and finally I decided that I should start a new blog just for layouts. So this is it --- a place to display pages & projects. At this point I don't think I am going to go back and post old stuff, but who knows...

To read my other blog - with daily thoughts, kids' milestones & other ramblings go here: Scrappin' Mom