Saturday, March 31, 2012

What needs tweaking

As I sat (and sat and sat and sat) at the infusion center yesterday I had plenty of time to ponder. One of the benefits of scrapping as much as I have lately is that I know what is working, and what is NOT, in regards to how I have my scrap supplies organized. For example, to store the vast majority of my embellishments (including brads and buttons and ribbons and flowers and small this & that things) I use these:

Sorted by color, and one by theme (animals, holidays, school, etc). It works great because I don;t have to dig around, much. But, I still my two (down from 13 so wooo hoo for that!) PSB's with stuff that needs to be pulled and put into artbins. More time efficient. Oh, and I went that route because I wanted my home storage system to be easily accessible as well as portable for girls weekends away.

Another thing that works great for me is to have a bunch of my pattern paper, with coordinating cardstock, sorted into plastic kits in one of these:



And I love it, but I don't have it sorted by theme or color or paper type (boy, girl, striped, flowers, holidays, etc) so I spend way more time looking through when I need a kit for a l/o than I'd like to.

So, to quote a word from one of my favorite all time movies, my system needs "tweaking". Nothing major, will require some time, but definitely do-able.

But maybe I'll just finish up the l/o sitting on my desk first :)

Friday, March 30, 2012

A quick share

I go in for a blood transfusion this morning (low levels of iron and blood) and though I'm not thrilled about it I am looking forward to feeling better. So, a quick share of a l/o I completed yesterday. Didn't get nearly as much done as I'd have liked yesterday, but I'm hoping today's infusion center visit helps turn that around a bit.

I had a sketch similar to this in my idea book, so I can only imagine I saw something like it somewhere, at some point.  And those Pebbles flowers are a brand new purchase, so yeah for using new product!


Thursday, March 29, 2012

Reflecting

One thing I truly appreciate about working with older photos is the forgotten memories and smiles they cause. At (almost) 23 and 21, my oldest two kids haven't been babies for a really long time and remembering the stories and words and events and activities from that time in their lives has been hugely heart warming. So, yes, I wish the pictures from the early days were all safely tucked into albums, but the process of getting them there is pretty sweet.

One from yesterday's all-too-limited scrap time.
That incredible lady in the top left photo? My Grandma, Amy's great-Grandma. She passed away in 1999 and I still miss her. But that heinous gold couch that belonged to my folks? Don't miss that, at all!

Wednesday, March 28, 2012

Goodbye 1991!

I know, rather scary (considering it is 2012 and I've allegedly been scrapping since 1995!) but I FINALY have '91 done. Completely. In everyone's albums. Yippee! And, here is Matt's final page from that memorable year.


And a two pager at that! Obviously, I had a tough time narrowing down my photo choices.

With only a few chores and errands to interrupt me, I have the next few days off and hope to spend some quality time putting pictures and stories on paper.

A very blessed Wednesday to all!

Monday, March 26, 2012

Happy (sunny!) Monday

I hope you all had a fabulous weekend that included whatever plenty of what you love most.

I had to take it easy this weekend so I spent some time (though not as much as I would have liked!) at my scrap desk.

I've got piles of pictures on my work surface from 1991 (I know, I know... I'm working on that! And yes, there are tons done from after that date, I'm just filling in gaps. Seems to be the theme this year) in three stacks; Matt's book, Amy's book and the family album. The kids' are all 8 1/2 x 11 so easy to share, but the 12 x 12? Not so much.

I stink at using kits sent from the brief time I was a member of SG's kit club. I love the items they choose, I just have a tough time following what they've done, though I do think they are wonderful. So, I was too happy to use some of the kit for this l/o.

Not my favorite, and I did use some really old stickers (yeah!), but I don't cringe when I look at it (my do-over criteria) so it stays. My theory is they can't all be favorites, but if I truly hate what I've made (and oh yes, that has happened plenty of times) then I'm going to fix or re-do it.

Doctor (ick) and work today, but as it is spring break for me (yeah!!!!) I'm going to spend at least part of today scrapping.

Friday, March 23, 2012

Happy Friday!

Yesterday was a bit nuts as I took a dear friend in for a tonsillectomy (no fun at any age, but as an adult? No thank you!) then went straight to work, but she is doing great so it all worked out.

I have a simple share from a l/o I finished a few days ago.
I scraplifted myself for this one. It's inspired by a page I made for my book on memorabilia 7 years ago. Can I just say I love sewing on paper?!

I have this weekend off work and my chores are almost done, so after work tonight until Monday I plan to spend some quality time at my scrap desk!!!!

Wednesday, March 21, 2012

A challenge offering

One of the blogs I was reading (www.skippingstonesdesign.com) posted a sketch and offered a challenge. I liked the sketch for a l/o I was working on and had enough supplies left over to make a card too so here it is. Thanks for the inspiration!


A public service announcement

Taking a (brief!) break from l/o sharing to offer this PSA. Probably most of you already know this. But, for the rare un-pinterested person out there, here you go.

Today's topic: border punches. They are hot, they are handy and they can be dang cute! While perusing Pinterest last week I found a lengthy video tutorial on how to make double sided strips from border punches. Here is the Readers Digest version!
1. Cut a strip of the cardstock you want to use to exactly one inch. (Pattern paper works, but often you lose the pattern due to the size).

2. Mark the strip on BOTH sides, at the center of your strip. 12" border? Mark it at 6" (etc). Just a small mark is good because it will be cut away when you use the punch.

3. Center the mark on your paper with the center of the punch design. Punch.

4. Turn the paper around, line the paper mark up with the center of the punch and punch again.

5. Use the grid marks on the top side of the punch to line up your remaining strip with the already punched holes and punch away! When one side is done,flip it around and do it with the other side.

TA-DA! A cool strip. Using that same double scallop, if you line it up just off center you get a different, cool design. (See the off center half circle on the extra samples?). And some samples of the designs on different border punches.

DISCLAIMER: it does take a little practice to get it lined up and punches just right. I'd highly encourage you to try on scrap paper first, especially if you've only got a bit of the cardstock you want to use for the card or page left.

Happy punching!

Tuesday, March 20, 2012

A little bit nostalgic

So, I was all set to share a few of the pages I finished yesterday. But I was texting with my girlfriend Kristy and I was thinking how this hobby has blessed me in so many ways and I pulled out an album I did ten or so years ago about girlfriends and people I've met through this hobby, or relationships that have developed through a shared love of scrapping. Be warned, these are all at least 10 years old, so the titles are cut by hand (couldn't do that now if I had to! My eyes are not what they used to be) and I hand sewed all those pieces. Yikes. Not sure why I waited so long to use my sewing machine! Anyway, bits and pieces of yesterday.


Bummer, couldn't get those two pages closer together. That was for an "all about me" challenge. Remember those? It was also the first time I used a flip book on a page.

For that same challenge. My first time entering H of F, and my first Honorable Mention. I entered as a challenge to myself and was truly blown away when I got an HM. Entered three times, got three HM's. I was pretty stinking excited about that.

These next four are girlfriends. All are part of a two page spread but I'm lazy and only scanned one side of each. Love those ladies!!!!


And this last one is of my first scrapbook show. I did some work for CK and it was soooooo much fun! It was also how I met Deb Jennis, got started doing jobs for certain companies, did DT work, taught classes, designed products and eventually wrote six books. But best of all, I've made some many life long friends that have touched my life and heart in ways I could have never imagined.

Yikes! Got sentimental there for a minute. Back to scrapping for me.... before my mom and sis come over for our "Wicked" night out!







Monday, March 19, 2012

I'm all about the stories

As I FINALLY fill in the album gaps with some of these older pictures I find that about 97.5% time I choose photos and scrap them to tell a story. Who were are (were), what we did, what was funny, what really mattered. Sure, every once in a while I come across a picture that I just adore and want to showcase and be extra creative with, but mostly that is not the case. Photos in boxes and words crammed up in my very small brain are not shared and remembered, and that is my primary focus and goal with scrapping. Yes, I love it, but the purpose behind it is even more important to me. Even more so now as these are the "older" photos in my kids' lives and they will never know the stories of their early days if we (I) don;t tel them.

So, yesterday was a big fat zero of a day for scrapping. After getting home from work Saturday night/Sunday morning after 0200, then reading for a while to unwind, I was up by 0700, working on chocolate chip cookies and a fruit fly costume. Jones, child #3 and the freshman at WSU Pullman,  told one of her girlfriends, who had been home for spring break, that we had some bug eye glasses. Tatum, who has been one of Joani's best friends since we moved here almost 8 years ago, is like another daughter and I was glad to dig through the attic and the costume tubs looking for said bug eyes. Jones must have loaned them out because they were no where to be found. Tatum needed a fruit fly costume for a speech she is giving this week and I felt horrible that we'd let her down. So I googled and found a few pictures that were my motivation for the costume. (I love Google images!) Anyway, ugly as it was (it's a fruit fly!!!!) Tatum was very happy, she took some chocolate chip cookies and protein bars with her back to Pullman (she goes to WSU too) and I felt a whole lot less guilty. Church, a much needed nap before work and, well, no scrapping, no blog.

So, today I'll share a few from Saturday's scrap time. As I spend more time at my scrap desk I find the pages are coming together much more quickly. Maybe because my focus is the stories and photos and I spend way less time (on most of them) with the creative part, but maybe because I'm in a swing. Or so I like to tell myself :)

Why, you may well ask, did I include this one to share? Because I used prehistoric product! I won that title at a CK show, or maybe the one Paper Kuts did, at least 10 years ago...heck,maybe more! It was in the prize package for their page l/o contest, back when they did those and I actually entered them. And the little white splashes are from a punch created by Hoki Sato... the absolute queen of punch art and an incredibly beautiful and sweet lady to boot... about 10 or so years ago. The page totally makes me smile... the old product, Hoki AND the cute little boy, even though the page is just 'eh.

Yes, that is diet coke in my darling sons bottle and NO, that was NOT a common occurrence. All I can say is that my husband and BIL were in "charge" while I was at work and that is what the journaling is about. Bottle, tv, lack of clothes. yeah. BUT, the really cool thing (and what got me 5 extra points!) is the word "hanging". Provo Craft stickers, bought during my first trip to Utah in like '98 or '99.... and I used them!!!!! Plus, the l/o took less than 30 minutes to put together which is absolutely unheard of for me.
And a little more creative. Totally about the story. The kid was a collect-them-all kind of guy and his very first obsession (of many!) was toy guitars. I wasn't wise enough to take a photo of the entire collection, but he's holding a green plastic one in one photo and he's looking through a magazine with guitars in it in the others. I had no guitar accents in my stash so I made a paper piecing of one based off of clip art found on the 'net.  I also used those itty bitty Doodlebug rub-ons (love, love, love Doodlebug and Cynthia Sandoval, always will).

And this one. I've had bakers twine for a while now, but have only used it on cards. Used it to tie on the subtitle here. Also, the title itself is a computer printed word filled in with a water color brush and ink pad... another title choice. And I swear, though it may look otherwise, we DID clothe our children when they were little. Really.



Saturday, March 17, 2012

Mixing it up, a bit

Good morning! In an attempt to keep my pages from all looking the same I made myself a list of title concepts (I wrote two books about l/o titles... thought maybe I should use my own advice!) and used some of them while scrapping yesterday. I tell you, it was TOUGH!!! I have gotten way too used to going to the Cricut or QK bin for all my titles.
Concepts used here: small title, vertical, letter stickers

For this one I went with letter inserts (fill-ins), with the title at the bottom of the page.

Here we have the use of rub-ons and letter stickers, plus list format journaling.

Computer title, fill-in AND center page placement for this one. PLUS, I got a bonus 5 points on this l/o because I pulled from my stash and used an accent that is older than the hills! That bear? Bet I've had that for close to ten years. No kidding.

Side one...

And side two. I used to stitch l/o's like a pro, but I've long forgotten how to do that. Sorry. That one is based off the Sketch challenge for the month from http://www.sketchsupport.com/ They have an awesome kit club with fabulous sketches posted each week/month. No, I'm not a member (I was, I just stink at using pre-done kits) but they have some fantastic ideas and hey, I LOVE great ideas! My l/o is a bit of an adaptation, but I was happy with the outcome. (Really, looks a whole lot better when they ampersand is not split in two).

Hopefully I'll get a few pages done this morning, then I'm off to work. Happy Simple scrapping!





Friday, March 16, 2012

In a rut...

The last several pages I've made have been with the Cricut and/or Quickutz dies. I really love them (obviously!) but one of the big reasons I got both systems (OK, in addition to cost savings) is so my page titles won't start to look redundant.And they are.I mean, they do. Must work on that (today in fact!).

Two from yesterday. Really simple. Really old.
Not quite sure why I chose that striped paper... probably because it was out on my desk.
And one about Amy's first nickname. It didn't stick. See? Layered paper titles, horizontal, across the top of the page. Yawn. Gonna have to see how I can mix it up a bit. Good thing she has a cute face; helps keep the focus where it should be :)

Thursday, March 15, 2012

The 4th Child

And here's my baby. He HATES that he is the baby of the family, and more so, he hates when his siblings remind him of that fact. He is currently 16, 6'3" and 240#. Please God, let him be done growing! Here is a l/o from when he was still small, cuddly and cute.
And yes, that is sand from the sandbox. Lord knows,most of it washed down our bathtub drain that summer!
The other commonly found substance in our drain system; dirt! He was pretty darn cute back then...
More using my beloved diecuts, this one with five photos. My theory is why scrap two pages when one will work? I figure the kids already have PLENTY of albums to lug around when they get places of their own.
That blessed, awkward age, where every look on their face is a goofy one. Ah well, those memories need to be saved too.
Using stamped images. I rarely use stamps, though I love them.

I have 1991 on my desk now, and when those are done I've got 2010 and '11 sorted and ready to scrap. One of the benefits (drawbacks?) of older kids is that we take way fewer photos. The girls take TONS with their friends, but I rarely see those unless they want me to do a project for them. Hmmmm, wonder if I will be inundated with those photos at some point. Kind of "here mom, scrap these".  Amy did spend her fall semester at Gonzaga's campus in Italy. Better look into that...




Wednesday, March 14, 2012

A little more simplicity

I've decided I do not love scanning pages. The size is all wrong and well, I have no clue how to change size, clarity or configuration. This is the daughter who absconded to Canada (for Spring Break) with my digital camera. I really hope that camera makes it back!

Those pages are from her Junior year of HS and yes, she is almost done with her freshman year of college, but I love those pictures, especially the one of Jones and Lainie (top photo, hugging) and they were fun to make. Recognize the use of the Cricut? Yeah, couldn't scrap without a die cut machine (or two).
A single photo l/o (because that is all there was) but more Cricut use. Title and accent.
Totally different color combination, but I like it. Kind of spring-like and fun.
This one is pretty much as simple as it gets (journaling about the entire vacation/trip is on the next page) but that is who I am and how I scrap so there you go.
From the same trip, in 2007. That's the year the oldest graduated. Amy (child #2) is in SF today and dang, I miss the city, and the ice cream.
And one with "stuff". Again, I don't do that often, but I do succumb every once in a while, just to keep redundancy at bay. And to use up some of the multitude in my stash.

I've got photos from 1991 on my desk to finish up before work tonight. Thanks for dropping by and it is my hope that something you've seen here sparks an idea for your own creations.

Go Team Simple!





Tuesday, March 13, 2012

Child #2

More Simple scans, this time of my baby girl. Yeah, she is 21 now. Not so much a baby anymore. In addition to Amy Jo and lovebug and bug, I still sometimes call her "baby girl" so in honor of that I'll share a baby l/o or two.
Here's one using memorabilia (I'm big on that, and I'll try to include those fairy frequently). Those are baby cards I got when she was born. Forever ago.

This is a double whammy. A rare two-pager AND one with "stuff". I like embellishments as much as the next person, I just use them sparingly, usually.
Here's one for Cricut fans. My first welded title l/o. I had just (OK, FINALLY!) figured out how to use my Gypsy. Now I'm hooked!
Pattern paper scraps and proof that I do (rarely!) scrap single photo l/o's.
A bit of Cricut love, pre-Gypsy, but typically Simple.
More Cricut love, this one with an actual shape as well as title and date. I'm moving on up now!
And, to show my incredible versatility (OK,  not really funny, I'm pretty consistent with my l/o's, but still...) a completely rare non-titled page. That happens between almost never and never... I LOVE titles! But it made me laugh because I clearly like Kerri Bradford's cartridge with the dates. I'm pretty sure I hyperventilated  when I realized that there is no Graphically Speaking II. 

Way more than four, but I figure mind changing is a perogative open to all women at any time.

Oh, and the generic background with the books? Books (reading) and cycling are my other two passions. In fact, I'm working on my doctorate in Education with an emphasis on reading so the tacky background and side bars stay. At least until I find one with bicycles :)