~ makes me smile ~

Everyone says that you should write down the stories, so that later, when you scrap 'em, you remember them.  They also say that to do that you should have places to write it down available at all times.  I found this cute, striped, hard-cover, little notebook, added some washi and text and voila, I now have something to write down the stories that "make me smile".

Soon I will update you all on my park mini book progress.  I've sorta been at a stalemate because I've been trying to make a decision about just how to scrap the last time we took Mikaela to the park with us.  I made some decisions and progress over the last few days and hope to update soon.  I have family coming to town tomorrow and I've really been trying to spend as much quality time with B. as possible, so I've backed off a bit on the blog and the crafty projects!  If you recall, my mini book has mostly pink, green, a hint of blue, and orange (of course), with all orange stitching.  Well, one decision I made was that this page would have purple for Mikaela.  

Here are a few photos of my sweet B. over the last couple of days.  (I LOVE INSTAGRAM, BTW)!

~ in progress ~

I have so many things in progress right now; it's the end of the school year, my graduate class is wrapping up, I've started a few new work projects, I'm continuing with my OLW, and it's spring!  But, the main thing I would like to share today is the progress I've made on the minibook that I am working on.  I am excited about it and learning so much while I do this for the first time!  As mentioned in my last post, I chose a 6x6 format, and I am really happy with that!  Good choice, o.g.! One of the things that I really like about reading other people's blogs is the photographs, so you get photos!  I also like it when people talk about mistakes that they've made along the way -- and how they fix them! So, I will also include some of those.  And finally, I am also going to share the stuff that I learned on this new adventure (I'm certain some of that will overlap with the mistakes)!

The short version:

1.  Made many mistakes, some of which I was able to cover up without much to do, others were a pain in the rear end!

2.  Learned how to stitch in the backy-forthy way, and adjust the tension and length of stitches on my sewing machine.
3.  Decided to use all orange thread with stitching throughout this book; fits with my color scheme, makes me not have to change the thread and bobbin thingy, and it helps that it's my favorite color.
5.  Used mostly Bo Bunny's paper so far -- later you'll see some other patterned papers.

6.  Loving this project.

7.  Doing what I want.

(Keep reading for details and photos - click on any photo to make it bigger)

First of all, I had a difficult time starting this entire mini book because I was trying to figure out how many pages to allow for each outing to the park.  I take way too many photos (and I really stink at making silly, often unimportant in the big scheme of things, decisions)!  I got stressed out enough about it that I even emailed Elise Blaha for advice (I did get many of my "mini" ideas from her BIG mini workshop).  Of course she said exactly what I thought she would say -- it's your book, do what you want!  So I did.

I haven't quite figured out how I'm going to make the cover awesome, so let's start on the inside:

I made the title page first, and then remade it later (one of my learning experiences). First, I printed out the text and punched the right side with this American Crafts Knockout punch.  Then I moved on to the next page because I wasn't sure what I wanted for my title -- but I knew I wanted something along the side! Later,  I settled on "B loves the park" as my title.  I wrote 'B loves' on washi tape (that I purchased at Target and cut in half) used pink (pink for B) alpha stickers (also from Target) for "the park''.   This worked out well because I did make mistakes on this page (described later) -- and fixed the mistakes before I settled on the title text (no wasting the alphas, Yay)!

I discovered if I put the first photo over on the far left of page one and stitched around it, it would be totally cool because it would go around the text on the other side (the title page) perfectly, including the title I eventually put along the side.  So I did that. Enter first oops!  When I stitched the photo onto the page, it looked great -- then I flipped it over.  The stitching on the other side didn't look good at all.  I was right about the placement, but the back side of the stitching itself looked horrible on my title page.  I knew that it was probably something to do with tension or something on my sewing machine, but I know nothing about using the darn thing (proof, and a kinda funny story about that here).  So I started over, new photo, new title page, etc. For the final product, I ended up sewing around the photo before I glued it down.   Then I sewed the title page (also before I glued down the photo on the other side)...so it looks like I might've known what I was doing, but, I didn't.  Before I could do any of that I had to go to my LSS and pick up more paper (because I also printed it wrong several times, used the punch on the wrong side, and other silly, over-forty-brain issues), so I did the right side of the two page spread first, then went back and fixed my boo boo. Don't even get me started on the journaling!  Let's just say, it took several takes.  I ended up using my handwriting, but I tried it many ways!

For page two (close up on the left) I wanted to highlight my daughter and my one true love -- specifically the way they were looking at each other.  So I used the arrows (I like that part).  I just cut them 'free hand' out of some patterned paper.  Also,  I ended up really wanting to put in three swinging photos, and only two really fit, so I hid one! I used my cricut to cut out the text "just love this" (Opposites Attract cartridge).  To protect the hidden photo a bit, I put it in plastic (found some packaging laying around, cut it to size and sewed around it). 

On we go (and yes we are still on the first visit to the park...but I'm doing what I want).

This is actually a two page spread with a little insert (another way to get in a few more photos of this first day of the park season).  The left side is just an instagram iPhone photo printed 6x6 with an added sticker from one of my scrapbook circle kits.  I used a filter on the photo to make it look older (the filter is called 1977 and its included right in instagram).  I liked this photo because my soul mate threw the ball to B, and I took the photo just in time to catch it in the air.  I think it looks like a red balloon.  The right side is just two more photos from the red slide (she loved it that day).  I sewed on a "play" flash card from October Afternoon (Sidewalks) and some small alpha stickers (from another scrapbook circle kit).

The insert is from after the park.  We went to the orange leaf (a chain, frozen yogurt shop that recently opened on our side of town).  The decor at the store is very modern, and quite rad, if I must say so!  The  ice cream is...eh.  But I loved all the orange and green (of course).  They have these cute little orange spoons -- I brought one home thinking I might put it in the book.  I tried, but it was just too bulky for my taste, so I took a photo of it, fussy cut around it and used that instead. The other photos are iPhone photos that my better half took.  I printed them to look like they could be from a photo booth.  I stuck the photo strip and the spoon photo in a piece of plastic that I cut from something (packaging I think?), sewed around it, punched it with myWe R Memory Keepers Crop-o-dile  II, and then inserted it between the two pages.

The very first photo I printed out for this mini book was this one:

And I knew as soon as I saw it that I wanted it for a two page spread.  Initially, I thought I would write all over it; do all of my journaling on this photo, but then I decided on just a quote.  Another uh-oh happened on this one.  When I stitched the "play" card onto the previous page, it looked horrible on this side.  So I covered it with a sticker and added the date!

Finally on to the second visit; a two page spread with a little something in the middle:

For the photos: I took my favorite photo from this day, made it 6x6 for a whole left page.  Next, the right side is just four photos from the day, made square in photoshop, then placed on the page in a grid.  Then I just machine stitched around it (and the backside looks normal - woot).  I think I might put some text in the middle, even if it's just a word, something similar to this.  But I haven't decided yet.  Any ideas?  I am completely serious when I say leave a suggestion in the comments, I'm currently stumped.

The something in the middle is the story! I cut a 12x12 overlay from Hambly Screen Prints into about 6x3 and then stitched it to my story (doubled sided story, printed using the printer).  THE STITCHING WAS NEW!  I didn't know how to stitch in that crooked, backy-forthy way (I'm sure those are the technical words for it).   While I was busy figuring it out, I also figured out how to fix the tension on my sewing machine!! WOOT!  (Lets just not mention that it was right in front of my face the whole time, and not difficult).  This means that I might actually be able to stitch something and use both sides of the stitch the way normal people do it!  Success!  (high five to me!)

I've been taking photos and writing down notes of the other park visits so far this year.  The hardest part is narrowing down the photos!  I think I'm six or seven visits behind.  I'm not sure if I will put every single one in the minibook.  That's what I set out to do, but I may need to back off on that a bit. It's April, and we've been at least eight or nine times!  If I can, I'd like to limit each visit to a two page spread...uhh..but I'm already eight pages in with only two visits documented, yikes!

Whew!  Congratulations to you if you made it through that long post!

~ park minibook ~

I'm not sure if it's wise or not but I've begun a new project!  A while back I downloaded Elise Blaha Cripe's BIG mini workshop.  Apparently I am obsessed with her stuff.  I've never created my very own mini book from start to finish -- so we'll see how this goes!  Woot!  Go me!

The idea started with a very early spring!  We are four to six weeks ahead of schedule in the weather department. This is really good news if you are B.  Why?  B. LOVES just about anything outside, but especially PARKS! With such beautiful weather, we have already gone to several different parks on multiple occasions. In fact, when I pick her up from daycare some of the first words I hear from her on a regular basis are, "Let's go to the park!".  When we go to the park, I usually have my camera and always have my iPhone, so pictures are taken, often too many.  Some of them are actually kinda good.  I decided I was going to have to do something with all these photos, and the mini book idea was born!

I revisited the BIG mini PDF that I downloaded from Elise and then watched a few of her Vimeo videos. She makes everything look so easy.  If you haven't checked out her blog, her etsy shop, or her workshops, you should give them a looksy.  I also like that she shows how to deal with mistakes.  She's probably almost 20 years younger than me (at least 15), but I could learn a few things from her in the "don't stress about it, just do it" department!

I've made some decisions (I know, hard to believe)!  I decided on a 6x6 mini book so that I can use 4x6 photos easily in both landscape and portrait form.  I also like the idea of a square mini book because I've become a bit addicted to Instagram, (easily follow me here) and most of my iPhone photos will be square, which works. I've also decided on a color scheme.  Orange (of course), pink (for B.), green (for my one true love), and I will likely throw in a bit of blue now and again.  I'm contemplating a chipboard cover, with funness inspired by this post by Elizabeth Kartchner.

I took a bit of time today to sort through my stash, gather and cut some papers to size, and I began the process of putting the papers together.  I also started looking through my photos and picking out my favorites.  I've even learned a few new things in photoshop, helping me get a few ready to print on the printer that I bought last month, when odd sizes are required.  I've only begun to think about the other photos that will be 4x6 and easily sent out for printing.  Because this is an ongoing project, lasting until the snow flies again, I imagine, it is going to be difficult to keep from making it too fat!  I think it may also be difficult to not get boring (there are only so many things at parks)!  To help with that, I decided (look at me, decisions all around!) that I will also include photos that I take of nature (and other stuff) while we are playing at these beautiful parks.

I have something rolling around in my head that I would love advice on, if someone is actually reading this!  Does anyone else worry about the fact that the mini book isn't really protected?  My traditional scrapbook layouts have plastic page protectors over each page.  But mini books seem so vulnerable!  Thoughts?  What do you do?

~ day 1 ~

Last night, B and I made wrapping paper together!  I'm thinking we will use it to wrap presents for daycare and maybe grandparents.  I purchased some kraft wrapping paper at Target (which wasn't exactly easy to find, but I found it).  Then she stripped down to her diaper and got busy!  I showed her how to use her thumb to make holiday lights.  After painting I drew lines to connect the lights.  Although this was a December Eve activity, it just might make the December Daily album! 

our work

B's work

A new tradition that we are starting in our house this year is one that I found around somewhere, but now I've seen it so much I have no idea who to give credit to!  I purchased some fun wrapping paper at Target and have started making tags to match.  I'm using a few traditional colors mixed with more contemporary "Christmas" colors like pink and maybe even a little orange for good measure.  ;-)  I am wrapping 25 picture books with a Christmas theme, adding a tag with the number on it, and each night leading up to Christmas we will unwrap a book and read it!  Sounds like fun, right?  She might be a little young for this, we'll see.  I had some books already (imagine that) but I ordered some new ones too.  They haven't arrived (I expect them tomorrow).  So I just wrapped a few and tagged them to get us started.  My plan is to finish them up this weekend and put them in a basket under our tree (which isn't up yet, also on the to do list)!  I brought two tagged books upstairs, but left one on my desk downstairs because I still needed to make a tag for it.  Tonight when I got home from class, I went downstairs to throw in a load of laundry and found this:

the evidence

B was downstairs by herself for all of five minutes or less while I was at class tonight.  But in that time she managed to pull her chair over to my desk, find, and open the "present" without anyone knowing!

the method

I found this, of course, after we had already opened our first book, The Polar Express.  She didn't seem all that interested in settling down much to read.  Maybe it will go better tomorrow?  I dunno, we'll see.  I'm still glad I'm doing it!

day 1

As if December wasn't busy enough, I also joined a new flicker group -- december 2011 in photos.  It's a theme a day for the month of December.  Today's shot is supposed to be of my better half, but so far he isn't cooperating!  I will be sure to update this post if I make that happen -- I have an hour!

UPDATE:  meet my better half

~ paper craftiness ~

Woot!  Two posts in one day.  LOL

I haven't really been doing much with new layouts lately, but I have created a couple of things that I've been wanting to do for a while.  First, I made a "Reader's Notebook".  I will use this with students as I travel from class to class and meet them in the library and hallways!  Most students in my building have some sort of a reader's notebook.  They keep lists of books they have read, lists of books they want to read, and there is also room for reflection (among other things, all teachers use these a bit differently).  I will use it mostly to write down book recommendations from others (professional, YA fiction, and my own "reading for enjoyment" books) and use in my conversations with kids.  I also have a space in there to write down anything I think is important about what I have read -- to recommend to others, to jog my memory when working with students, etc.  Like the kids, I will keep track of what I have read, too.  Most students in my building have a "book requirement", a goal to read a certain amount of books in all genres, etc.  I am working with a classroom and sharing my progress as well, so this is where I will also keep track of the books that I have read.

I used the same papers to personalize my iPad cover!  I saw this idea on Stacy Julian's website and "pinned it".  I've been dying to do it since!