Kit pages

Just a quickie post today - these are some pages I made recently using my Studio Calico goodies. I really haven't done much with May's kit and I splurged a little and got all the add-on's so I need to get scrappin' before June's kit arrives.

It's Mother's Day!

Keeping it simple this year for Mother's Day and that goes for the cards I made as well - one for my mom and one for my mother-in-law.  I hope to get some scrapbooking time today.  That & a nice meal out with the family and I'm happy!

Happy Mail & A Christmas Story

This little box arrived on my doorstep Monday evening - SC happy mail!  I have not had a chance to play with any of the lovely goodies that were in this box yet, but soon!

Instead I've been working on my Art of Observation week 5 memory file project.  And yes it is a bit strange to be working on a Christmas project in May but it needed to be done.  I have neglected all of my Christmas holiday photos from the last 3 years mainly because there were so many from each year the task of getting them all scrapbooked seemed impossible. 

The assignment for week 5 was to make a highlights memory file. 

We had so many different things going on this past holiday season in December it was easy to do a Christmas themed memory file to highlight all those events. 

I used Heidi Swapp's Color Magic folders as my base and put together some photo stacks using some red & green AC cardstock and some Echo Park patterned paper.  I used some Silhouette print & cut elements for just a little embellishment.  And I custom colored some seam binding ribbon using my Tattered Angels Glimmer mist.

Happy National Scrapbook Day!

So far today I've spent most of my time reorganizing and weeding out some old supplies from my stash, but I hope to get some actual scrapbooking done too!  I did crank out a layout last night for one of Studio Calico's NSD challenges.  There is so much going on today at various scrapbook related websites - challenges, giveaways, webchatting, special sales, and I could go on.  I'm having trouble keeping up with it all. And to make matters worse, it's a super gorgeous day so I'm feeling really guilty if I stay inside too long. Don't you hate when that happens?!?!

Scrapbook Styles

So I've been playing around with different scrapbooking styles lately and trying some new techniques.  I've never really stuck to one certain style of scrapbooking.  I always seem to be experimenting with different styles more or less.  But lately I've been lurking around the Studio Calico DT & member galleries and I really like what I've been seeing.  I just starting getting the Studio Calico monthly kits.  The May kit will be my 2nd one and I'm so excited that it will be here next week!  Here's a layout I made with SC's April kit - City of Lights.  This style of layout is a little out of my box but still liking it. 

Art of Observation Memory Files

We are just finishing week 3 of this class and I've got 3 memory files to show you today.  The great thing about memory files is that they can be an ongoing project and you can always keep adding if needed. 

This one is from Week 1 - See Beauty 

it's completly finished and I've got 18 photos packed in here.  There's a lot of handwriting too!

here's a couple of the inner pages of the mini book

Week 2 - something to look forward to 

This one will be completed later because for this assignment we are to document a special event including the planning stages.

 Week 3 - A Favorite Song

our assignment was to use a favorite song as inspriation for a theme for a memory file - I chose to do an 80's theme because I have some photos & memorabilia from high school that I wanted to do something special with.  (this one is still a work in progress, but here's what I've got done so far)

So far it's been a wonderful class and I'm learning so many little tricks to getting the most out of a memory file!

Party of 3

I've been working on getting some of my older photos scrapped and this one took me forever today simply because I had so much trouble finding just the right paper.  I wanted to use a plum color cardstock for the background and that really messed things up.  I realized I just didn't have much in patterned paper that matched plum!  It's not the most popular color in the scrapbooking world.  I think I spent almost an hour just looking for paper. I finally found some papers that I think work ok.  So the lesson of the day is:  just stay away from plum or purple or anything close to those colors!

Monkey'n Around with Color

I've got 1 more challenge layout completed.  It's fun playing along with these challenges and I'm getting things done!  This one's for Challenge #6: from one to another - find a layout you love that isn’t in a style or color scheme you’d usually use and scraplift it with a twist that makes it yours.  I choose to scraplift a page done by Wilna Furstenberg (A Garden Girl at Two Peas) Click here to see the original layout.  I just love this page but I wanted to use a lot of playful colors and Wilna's page was done in a very neutral color palette.  So that was the major thing I changed up. 

My Sweet, Sweet Girl

I managed to fit in one more challenge layout this weekend.  This is for Challenge 4: color adventure.  Scrap with grey, yellow, and one other color of your choice.  I picked pink!  I love pink & grey together and this combo actually looks quite nice with yellow.  I did try some random scattering of hearts shapes across the page.  This is not my forte'.  I have always admired layouts with that random scattering of bits and ink splatters, but I struggle with pulling it off successfully.  I think it's hard to find that balance between adding too little or too much.  Hopefully I'll get a little better at it the more pages I do this way.

Challenging Weekend

Up for a challenge?  I guess I am because I decided to try some of Shimelle's challenges during her online weekend scrapbooking crop here.  I love to see what she comes up with --her pages always turn out so pretty! 

I'm starting off with CHALLENGE #3 MIXING STYLES: mix your style with a look you haven't tried.  I have never tried the masking technique using color mists.  I had just got some Mister Hueys color mists and I wanted to get that famous bull's eye logo on my page.  So I took the plunge.  I made a mask using some circle Spellbinders and misted away.  This was easier than I thought and fun too!

The supplies I used:  pattern paper is from American Crafts - Chap & Heidi Swapp - No Limits; chipboard tags are from Studio Calico;  ticket strip is from Jenny Bowlin;  the misted background was done on a piece of notebook paper and the title block is an index card divider;  the little stamped stars and arrow are from Heidi Swapp's new clear stamps.

Simply Beautiful

It's only a week into Heidi Swapp's Art of Observation class that I'm taking and I have already learned so much.   I completed a memory file project (I will post pictures soon) but I had some paper scraps left over and I thought I would challenge myself to whip up a quick layout.  I say quick because I'm trying to be a little more productive and not so concerned about creating a masterpiece every time I work on something.  So I'm happy with how this one turned out and I am loving the Sugar Chic papers!  The word beautiful is a printable file we got from the class and I printed it out on pink vellum and then cut it out by hand.  I took these photos last week for the class project I was doing.  It was a really gorgeous sunny day and I think the big "beautiful" title word describes it perfectly.

And just a side note here --Heidi has really encouraged us to use our own handwriting so I'm also trying to do that more even though I have never been fond of my own handwriting.  It's a work in progress!

Birthday Memory File

Tyler's 3rd birthday is coming up and I just finished getting the stack of photos from his 1st one documented. I'm actually glad I waited so long to do this because I really like how it turned out using the memory file method. This baby is loaded!!! I've incorporated 35 photos into this memory file. I used some of Heidi Swapp's tricks to accomplish this task.

By using more than 1 file folder and some homemade filpbooks, I was able to include so much more into this project than I would have on a traditional 12x12 layout - and I have never been good at editing down the number of pictures to be used because I usually think there are all good!

Here I have machine stitched part of the middle folder down to the inside of the main folder to create a pocket.  This holds some of the cards Tyler got for his birthday and another folder that I cropped to add even more pictures.

I'm so enjoying this way of scrapbooking and coincidentally I'm taking Heidi's class the Art of Observation to learn more from her.  I hope to be making lots more memory files to add to my collection!
For my post on the 1st memory file I made click HERE

Springtime Challenge

Cricut Circle Weekly Challenge #55: Springtime Challenge!
The Challenge: Create a scrapbook page, card, home decor item, or other project with a Springtime theme. You must also incorporate ric rac and at least one sticker.

It's been awhile since I took part in one of the Circle challenges so I thought it was about time and I enjoy making anything with a Springtime theme.  I made a 2 page layout using some photos of my daughter when she was a baby.  I choose to use some pretty papers & letter stickers from Echo Park's Little Girl collection.  The "Spring" title and large bottom border were cut from the Easter 2010 seasonal cartridge.  The top border was punched with a Martha Stewart border punch. The felt flowers are KI memories Puffies stickers. And the mini ric rac is from May Arts.

This & That & John Deere

When I took these photos I knew it would be a challenge to scrapbook them.  I mean how do you scrapbook tractor photos without being too literal or gimmicky?  I had seen the John Deere pattern paper & stickers at the scrapbook store but I really didn't want to go that route.  When I looked more closely at Echo Park's This & That Charming collection I realized it was perfect - the green & yellow plaid & the chevron that resembles tractor tire tread... it works! 

I had 9 total photos... just a bit too many to completely fit on a 2 page spread.  So I added a tri-fold  booklet that opens to reveal the extra photos. 

Aquarium Mini Book

Over Spring Break we took a day to visit the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago.  Before we went I decided I needed to get the photos from our 2010 visit scrapbooked.  I wanted to do a mini album documenting the day so I made a 4.5" x 9.5" mini album.  I used a combination of Pink Paislee Nantucket and Me & My Big Ideas Low Tide papers to give it a nautical feel.  I'm a theme scrapbooker for sure.  I always like to use themed papers that fit the occasion.    In the past I would have gone for some cutesy or whimsical patterns but this time I wanted to keep a little more classic.  I kept things pretty simple too.  Not a lot of journaling or embellishment added - I just let the photos speak for themselves.