Sunday Scrappy Fun

Last night I spent a lot of time telling my stories.  I loved it.  I felt pretty crappy most of the day due to some milk products I love but my body clearly doesn't.  However, in the evening I was feeling well enough to sit in my crafty chair and bang out some crafty goodness.  I used a sketch, starting point, and layout inspiration from a new book I ordered from Amazon.  So without further ado...let the scrappiness begin.

First up is Shimelle's lovely starting point from yesterday.  I love this new series and find it far more inspiring than a sketch.  I'd love to do more of that around here (on this humble blog of mine).  I just noticed she provides dimensions which I really don't give a flying hoot about  - which is a real departure from my typical crafty perfection craziness.

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Here's my interpretation of the starting point.  I love this paper from Garden Cafe.

Products - Patterned Paper, Tags, Stickers, and Flair Button: American Crafts; Scallop Border Sticker: Crate Paper; Journaling Block: October Afternoon; Pen: Pilot Precise Extra Fine

I had a real hard time placing the journaling block - but I think it ended up okay.  If you'd like to read the journaling, click on the photo for a ginormous picture of the layout.  So on to the sketch...

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Another lovely sketch from the wonderful Shimelle Laine.  She is giving me a whole new education on the art of layering and I love it!  Here is my interpretation of this sketchy goodness.

Products: Patterned Paper: American Crafts & Crate Paper; Die Cuts & Stickers: American Crafts: Chipboard Stickers: Crate Paper: Letters: American Crafts Thickers: Pen: Pilot Precise Extra Fine.

After doing two Shimelle inspired layouts, I decided to give my new book from Creating Keepsakes a try.

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I used a layout from the wonderful Jen Jockish as inspiration...And finally came up with this layout.  I have to be honest.  I'm not sure I like it which has NOTHING to do with the inspiration.  I just didn't get a chance to tell the story well.  This has been a theme in my last few layouts - telling the story well.  Maybe I need to start being more deliberate in my journaling instead of free flowing.  Something in me hates the idea of that - but really, it's the story that matters most to me.

Products: Patterned Paper: Echo Park Paper; Letter Stickers: October Afternoon & Webster's Pages; Die Cuts & Chipboard Stickers: Crate Paper; Pen: Pilot Precise Extra Fine

So that's it for today my crafty friends.  I'm making myself quite late for brunch by writing this post.  I hope everyone has a wonderful Sunday.  Blessings all around.  Until then...

Product Love - Throwback Style

I want to make an attempt at a quick post today.  I wanted to bring back a few products from previous Product Love/CHA Madness posts and show what kinds of things I do with these little products I love so much.  So... first up...

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This product from Fancy Pants Designs came out at the Winter 2011 CHA show.  I bought up the entire line when I found it at Archivers in the Winter/Spring and used it for the first time TODAY on layout #10 for LOAD.  I'm clearly a hot mess using product 6 months after buying it.  If you're interested in the original product love post - it can be found here.  So without further ado - a page on our beastly mascot.

Almost every product is from Fancy Pants Designs excluding the camera die cut from Amy Tangerine's line for American Crafts and the brads from the Stella Rose line at My Mind's Eye.  Love this glamour shot of the crazed animal living in my home.  Love the layout so much.  The $1 embellishment is an inside joke.

On to the the next products from Crate Paper found in a recent post here.  I love these products.  I ordered them recently from Two Peas and got them so quick. I highly recommend their products and customer service.

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I decided to do this layout #11 for LOAD on a turning point in my life last spring.  It was the point where things started to come together and I finally started to feel more like me again.  I hope to never forget it.  Once again, I feel like I didn't get the story quite right.  However, it was a day I did a lot of journaling - so the story is in my little owl.  So here it is...

I'm struggling with pictures again - as usual.  I can't put on the flash without getting a glare off the picture.  I'm working on it.  All of the products are from Crate Paper excluding the number paper from My Mind's Eye Lime Twist Line and the  Thickers from American Crafts.  So there it is... Product Love in a new way.  I hope everyone has a lovely Monday.  Until then...

OMT: I'm behind on LOAD - but I'm not worrying about it.  It's the end result that matters.  I WILL have 26 layouts on the 26th day of this month.  I might be the tortoise - but I'll get there.


Edited at 5:17 pm: OMG!!!! I forgot to say the 2nd layout was inspired by this sketch on Shimelle Laine's blog.  Love so much what she does.

LOAD - Alternative Scrapbooking

Another day, another layout - and I'm loving it.  To be perfectly honest - I'm loving my life right now which is unbelievable in a way that words cannot express.  I'm happy in this moment - and that's huge for me after the last few years I've had.  I think it's partially because I'm being creative - telling my story.  I'm not getting hung up on the "big" things like not being married or having kids.  I'm not questioning whether my life is "worth" scrapbooking or my audience.  I know who it is - me.  I am worth it and that is enough- what a phenomenal shift.

So what the hay does this have to do with LOAD?  I'm happy to be creating each day and I really credit this class and other new circumstances in my life.  So - on to today's challenge.  Mondays are titled "Mother May I" by my scrap happy teacher Lain Ehmann.  This Monday's assignment - scrap an alternative page.  Do the thing you normally wouldn't do.  Now let's be clear - you don't have to follow the assignment.  You can do whatever you want - but Lain is an evil genius.  At the end of each assignment she suggests trying the assignment if you're feeling any "resistance."  So let's just say - I was feeling a little resistance and I decided to take Lain at her word and give it a try.  I started with something new I found on Shimelle Laine's blog - it's a starting points "challenge" for each week.  This week's starting point was really a lesson in layering (even for a girl that loves to pile it on like me).  Shimelle has started to post the starting point on Saturdays and her finished layout on Sundays.  Have I mentioned how much I love her blog!

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I knew from the beginning I would not be doing a 12 x 12 page - which broke my heart a little.  I decided to go with a standard 8 1/2 x 11 page and put it in a horizontal orientation - something I did when I first started scrapbooking.  I have to say - I like rocking the square much better than the rectangle.  I wish I would have thought about it and taken a picture at the starting point stage - but I didn't so here's the finished project.

It's been a long time since I've done a page on the boys.  I love these dogs so much and they are too far away from me.  I haven't seen them in almost 20 months - not that I'm counting or anything.  It just sucks.  I miss seeing them - even if it was only once or twice a year.  I really am happy with the finished product despite it being outside my comfort zone.  However, it was nice to go back to a somewhat familiar place.  I don't have any grids in this size paper so I was "forced" to go with a solid gray background.  I think it worked out okay.  Let me give a quick product run down.  Papers are from Archivers (gray), My Mind's Eye (Stella Rose) and Authentique.  The embellishments/brads/stickers are from My Mind's Eye and American Crafts.  The journaling card and letter stickers (Thickers) are from American Crafts too.  I have no idea where the flowers are from - sorry.

So that's it for today.  I tried something new.  I layered like nobody's business.  I participated in a challenge.  I knocked out Layout #5 for the Mother LOAD.  I took a trip to Borders (my third) and don't intend to go back.  I wish I would have thought about that more when I was there today.  It's just a little hard.  I know it sounds lame - to be broken up about a store closing - but I am and that's just it.  So - I hope everyone has had a nice Monday.  I'm looking forward to work tomorrow.  I'm looking forward to crafting tomorrow.  I'm looking forward - I can barely believe it.  It's so great.  Anyhoo - Until then..

LOAD it Up - Day 2 and 3

Being the ever relaxed person I am - imagine this said with the utmost sarcasm - I was completely okay when I slept through the evening and did not even get a chance to start on Day 2's layout.  So...after waking up at 1 a.m. on Day 3, I took a deep breath and remembered it is okay.  It is okay to be one day off - the goal is to have 26 layouts within 26 days and I'm sorry but life is going to get in the way.  Fridays seem to be the wild, wild west in my new daily home - so I'm okay with doing two layouts on a Saturday.  I figure if it were a true marathon - I just went really slow on Day 2.  Good enough for me.  So without further ado, my layout for Day 2 completed on Day 3.

This is my beautiful sister and she cracks me the hell up.  She is sophisticated, articulate, and stylish - and there are times I'm blown away by the things that come out of her mouth.  I think she feels the same way about me.  I made a lot of changes on this layout.  I basically started it over after figuring out I liked the flower paper more than the original pattern I had chosen.  I'm a little foggy on products.  The pink paper is Crate Paper.  The flowered paper, background paper, and teal photo mat is  from Echo Park.  The brad embellishments are from My Mind's Eye.  The remaining embellishments are from American Crafts.  The washi tape and date stamp is from K&Company.

Next up - Day 3 of the Mother LOAD...I did not get the email prompt for this day and was a little frantic.  I finally just decided to do a layout and it actually ended up being pretty close to the prompt.  Imagine that.    We were supposed to make these product bags with 4 different elements in each Ziploc baggie - but I just couldn't do it.  It's not the way I do things - I have Karen Grunberg to thank for that realization.  So - I didn't follow that missive and the sky didn't fall down.  Not to mention, I think my layout turned out pretty good.

I could almost copy the paragraph from above for products.  The date stamp is K&Company, the brad embellishments is My Mind's Eye.  The stickers, dimensional sticker, and wood grain paper are from American Crafts.  The rest of the paper and journaling card is from Crate Paper.  The button spool is from Pink Paislee.  Seeing a thread here in my product usage.  I'm using brand new product - I need to jump into my stash a little more.  So - that's it for today.  It's late and time to go to bed after a day with friends eating yummy Greek food and cupcakes.  Such a good Saturday.  Hope everyone's having a great weekend.  Until then...

The Mother LOAD - Day One

So I did it!  I made my first layout late into the night after a long nap - but I did it.  I have to say - it feels pretty good.  Not much to report beyond the layout.

All of the products are from Amy Tangerine's new line with American Crafts minus a button and brad flower from the Stella Rose Line at My Mind's Eye.  I also want to everyone to take note that I messed up on the camera stamped in the lower right corner and just went with it.  I even liked the sketchy effect. Something must be in the water.

One more thing...since I have you here....I recently did a layout based on Sketch 250 on Pencil Lines challenge blog.

Image Sourced from Pencil Lines

So here's my take on the layout.  I could not do the pendants for my life - I almost gave up.  I thought about cursing the world.  I decided to just move forward and not sweat the fact that I'm not a pendant girl.  It is okay.

I'm not sure about where all of these products are from - I'm sad to say.  The vacation card is Studio Calico and there is some hidden journaling behind it - notice the brad from Basic Grey.  The flowers are Prima and some other company - I was using older product.  All paper (excluding background) is My Mind's Eye - Lime Twist.  The balloon is from Echo Park and the stamp is Tim Holtz.  I think the background paper is from Crate Paper - but don't quote me.  I'm sorry my information is foggy.  It is 12:25 in the morning here and I combined older products with new stuff.  Hope everyone has a wonderful Friday.  For my part - I will probably post Day 2 & 3 of the Mother LOAD challenge on Saturday.  Hope you have a chance to take a look.  Until then...

BTW: I was surprised to find a prompt email on the BPC site today - should make the layouts a little easier.  Hopefully there won't be any prompts about kids since I don't have any.  Also - I'm excited to announce I have more yummy product coming for the LOAD so I just HAVE to keep going. :)

Day One - In My Own Head

Source Image: Morgue File

The high number of rebellious thoughts about LOAD in the last 24 hours is leading me to believe I might have lost it a little.  I have went back and forth about doing the LOAD challenge and it seems I'm never sure about what I'm going to do.  The thing is...

*I signed up and paid for this class because it's what I wanted.

*A girl is allowed to change her mind.

*It would waste my gift certificate I used on this class!

*I was unsure about taking the class from the beginning.

*I'm an introvert.  I need some kind of task to do to stay in contact with the human world - even if it's on the computer.

*It will keep my mind off work.  I need to learn that turning off thing others do so well.

*I don't want to do it.  I'm tired when I get home.  Please imagine this being said in an upset toddler voice.

The truth is - I need the structure and I'm going to take it one day at a time.  No stress.  No anxiety.  One layout at a time.  The only thing that matters is one layout at a time.  There will be NO PENALTIES for missing a day.  If it causes too much stress and anxiety - I'm out.  However, I'm giving this thing a try.  I'm doing my first layout TODAY.  I might not nap for the next 26 days - not a bad thing.  It's time to LOAD up.  Can you hear the excitement in my voice?  Hope everyone has a great Thursday.  Until then...

OMT: The cat in the pic is not our beastly mascot.  She might act like that - I just am not lucky enough to have a picture of it! :)

Reading Corner - LOAD it Up!

I'm working hard to get in the LOAD frame of mind this week.  I had nine weeks of class prior to Thursday to gear up - but somehow that whole process was lost on me.  I've been scrambling (in my brain) to think of ways to keep the momentum for 26 days which match up with the first quarter of school and tend to be the most tiring days of Fall.  So - since it's a day about reading - I thought I might share some books that could be incredibly helpful for LOAD.  Believe it or not - I own every single one of these books and highly recommend each.

1.  Idea Generating - We Dare You: Scrapbook Challenges about Real Life by Kristina Contes, Meghan Dymock, Nisa Fiin, & Genevieve Simmonds & 50 Moments: Scrapbook the Pages that Matter Most by Lisa Bearnson & Creating Keepsakes

I love both of these books.  The first book (The Dares) really rocked my world and has a website with ongoing challenges.  I'm excited to use these as part of my LOAD process.

2.  Journaling Help! - Your Words, Your Story: Add Meaningful Journaling to Your Layouts by Michele Skinner.

I actually already have a great idea from this book - blog posts.  I'm going to comb through my blog and find potential pages.  I'll be sure to keep you posted on where I'm at in the process.

3.  Challenge Love: 52 More Scrapbooking Challenges by Elizabeth Kartchner

Let's be clear - there isn't any challenges about scrapbooking the hard times or good times.  It's a book full of fun challenges that have more to do with design and pushing yourself in your styling.  It can definitely help with inspiration when taking on a long project.

4.  Sketch Love: Scrapbook Page Maps: Sketches for Creative Layouts & Scrapbook Page Maps 2: More Sketches for Creative Layouts both by Becky Fleck.

There are a wide range of options in these two books.  Also - there are flash cards with each sketch and an example.  So wonderful!

5.  Ali Edwards Love:  Life Artist: Scrapbooking Life's Journey

I love everything about Mrs. Ali Edwards.  She has great ideas and is just a burst of inspiration.  I credit her and Cathy Zielske with creating my love for this hobby.  I definitely go to her books and website when times are rough.

Before I get going - I want to make sure to give credit to my source for all the book images - www.bn.com otherwise known as Barnes & Noble.  Each book title link will take you to the source page.  Also - I want to say I'm super excited about this journey and can't wait to blog about how it's going.  I'm going to try and find more inspirational sites and books to share in the upcoming weeks.  I hope everyone has a lovely Tuesday.  Not much to report here in the way of a to do list.  I just need to hurry.  Stalling never helped anyone get to work.  Take care.  Until then...