..:: project life : week 12 ::..

Still plugging away! I do love this project.  This week was part of my Spring Break week.  There is an insert: there were lots of stories!

Week 12 spread with insert

This week:

• My One True Love and I got to spend some alone time together being goofy eating out and drinking adult beverages during the day!
• We also bought some goofy "presents" for B., including the Frozen movie (came out on BluRay this week).
• We became obsessed with Breaking Bad.
• It was warm enough to go on our first park visit!

Week 12 right

Week 12 spread with back of insert

Also this week:

• We visited Urgent Care for a cut on B.'s finger (all was fine)!
• The iPad that we took to Urgent Care didn't return home with us (stolen!)

Week 12 right

And finally this week:

• It was March Madness week (I don't really dig basketball, but we went to a bar to watch it anyway).
• Batman (girl) made an appearance. 
• When we returned to school, there was a dusting of snow.
• It was also Iowa Assessments for students (blah).
• Early in the week light jackets and parks, later in the week heavy coats and snow!

Wow!  Full week!  Documented!  Love this project!

Also, I love Scrapbook Circle (but I bet you knew that)!  The great Melissa Mann lifted me -- awesome sauce -- check it out here!

Thanks for stopping by!

:: a layout & some exciting news ::

As always, I am loving this month's sketch over at Scrapbook Circle.  

I love that oversized, square, photo in this Diana Fisher sketch!  Here's my take on it using mostly June's Scrapbook Circle kit, Hello There.

I loved using all the fun phrase stickers from the kit! I used ten different words/phrases on this one layout!

And the exciting news….

I will be joining the team as a guest designer -- more information as we get closer to my guest spot time!  :-)  Congratulations to all of the Creative Team members! I am so excited for this opportunity!  If you've followed my blog for even a short amount of time you will know that I am passionate about the quality and design of the kits at Scrapbook Circle!

Thanks for stopping by!

:: i am shaving yo! ::

I used mostly the Scrapbook Circle February Kit (sold out), adding some washi, paint, mask, gesso, some alphas, and a couple of 2x2 cards from the Just Add Color Project Life Core Kit.

This is a layout that I made during LOAD214 (LayOut A Day) back in February.  I shared a few other layouts that I completed during LOAD in this post and this post. Some of you might be thinking, "LAYOUT A DAY??  Whatchooo talkin' 'bout, yo?" I'm here today to tell you that it is so fun and so awesome, and soooooo coming up again soon.  Here are a few details:

Click here to view even more details and sign up for LOAD514.

Thanks for stopping by!

:: super friends ::

In yesterday's post I promised another LO from the same October Scrapbook Circle kit -- but with a very different look.

 Did I deliver or what? ;-)  Check out all that color!  Nothing subdued about this one!

Did you notice the cool technique I used on the photos?  I recently attended True Scrap 5, produced by Lain Ehman. As in the past, this was so much fun!  It is two days of online classes, by many instructors (like 15, I think).  There is chatting and cropping and learning and inspiration....I could go on and on.  It left me so inspired to create! One of the techniques that I just had to try was ink on the photo to create a "Warhol" effect.  I printed the same photo four times, once in color, the others in b & w.  Next I used stamp pads directly on the b & w photos (just swipe the ink across -- several passes) to color them. Easy peasy, fun, and I like the look.  Funny that I used ink on the photos, but for the stamping in the background, I used gelatos (hadn't tried stamping with them yet and decided to go for it.  Worked like a charm)!

What technique have you been dying to try but haven't?  What's holding you back?!

:: hello brycen ::

Wow!  I have been so busy doing fun stuff!  Love that problem! Let's get to it! The most pressing and exciting news....

On October 3rd, my beautiful daughter had a beautiful son.

He is so loved.

I am loving the October kit from Scrapbook Circle. As usual, everything fits together beautifully, but you can also get very different looks from one kit! I added some kraft cardstock, but other than that, this layout came from that kit.  I went big and dramatic with the photo, but wanted the rest to be fairly subdued. Come back tomorrow and you will see a completely different look from the same kit!

Also, there are a couple of challenges up at the Scrapbook Circle blog! One is all about mixing up the alphas (this layout is inspired by that challenge). You have until October 23rd to link up!  The other is a sketch challenge.  I have a couple of ideas for that one, too!

~ fantastic snow ~

Nope.  It didn't snow this week. We haven't had much precipitation all of 2012.  In fact, there was really only one snow day this past school year (usually we have 8 or more)!  These photos are from January 12, 2012, before Mikaela's accident and death (funny how I measure almost everything that way now).  The girls had such fun that evening -- a great memory that had to be documented!  I actually started this layout in March, but never finished!  I finally went back and finished it up this week.

Most of the items are from an older Scrapbook Circle Kit :: Note to Self (still available, I think) with a bit o' (custom) flair from ormolu. I absolutely love the bright colors and patterns, complete with snowflakes, but the paper doesn't really look "winter" at all!

B. and I have both been pretty sick!  She is back at daycare, but I am quarantined the rest of the week (they suspect pertussis, I do not).  I for sure have walking pneumonia!  Bleh!  I'm really ready for the cough to be gone!!  I've been working on my December Daily while I'm home and I hope to share my first few days by the end of this week!

Peace out!

~ these boots were made for pear pickin' ~

On Friday my work friend and I did a little scrappin' after work in my conference room.  We have done this before, and I think we will do it again and again...it was fun!

I think my favorite parts are the washi tabs on the top right and bottom left.  I folded them under and made little tabs -- fun!

This layout is based on an Ashley Horton sketch (September Sketch It Out).  In addition to the Sketch It Out Challenge at Club CK, I also did this one for Erika's  Issue Challenge #4 :: use washi and the Weekly Challenge for Sept 23-29 :: use some type of sewing (did it) fabric (did it) or buttons, etc. (both of these are also @ Club CK).  Using washi is never very difficult for me, and neither is machine stitching (addicted to both) -- but I haven't used my machine on the last several layouts so it was a nice reminder!

Supplies are linked below and most of them are from the July Scrapbook Circle Kit :: Sunshine Day. This kit was packed with MME :: Nostalgia and I used most of it! This collection was perfect for these photos because it matches the vintage look of the photos (made to look vintage with an instagram filter).  I also used papers and alphas from Echo Park :: Note to Self collection -- I got this pack from a Love Joy Paper giveaway -- my happy mail for this week!

Here are a few more closeup details of this project:

For these washi tabs I actually used a longer piece of washi, extending what I was using on the page already and folded it into a tab and under the patterned paper. 

I wasn't going to journal since the title is almost a journal by itself, but at the last minute changed my mind.

I turned one of the My Mind's Eye journal cards on it's side and slid it under a photo.  It said, "One of a kind buttons", but I didn't want the "buttons" so I hid that part with another tag and a sticker (and yep, that's more washi instead of string in the tag)!

This was a fun one and I really liked the end product! TTFN!

~ spontaneous sprinkler & {super} hero fun ~

This idea has been brewing for a while and I finally had a chance to work on it over the long Labor Day weekend and finished it last week. In fact, this is the first thing that I've done since school started!

I think that I may have seen a sketch quite similar to page one, but I'm not certain where I saw it or who created it! I have a feeling that it could be an Ashley Horton sketch, but I couldn't find it anywhere, so if you are reading this Ashley, maybe you could confirm or deny?  :-) Either way, I took the idea of the first page, and then expanded it into the second page with patterned papers instead of photographs. I think if I were doing it over again, I might spread the photographs onto both pages with some patterned papers between, but maybe not. I am happy with the final product, although I did make some mistakes, as usual. My goal of this post is to show you the new stuff that I tried, and show how I fixed the boo boos. Often times I visit blogs and it seems like it's all so easy for everyone else! I appreciate it when I get to read that others just have to go with it sometimes, too!

New to me:  I used DIYthickers for the first time! I'll admit that I have been a bit intimidated by them in the past. I don't really know why, but I think it's because I hate to "waste" things and I'm afraid I will mess them up! Not only did I use them, I tried a new-to-me technique!  Glitter Girl challenged us all at  2 Peas to get our ombre on.  So I did (of course I missed the actual challenge because I couldn't get it finished in time, but oh well)! Here is what I did...

I started by dipping the bottom of a letter in some spray mist that I had sprayed onto a plate. I was hoping that it would soak in some color and wick up, becoming lighter as it goes.  Nope. Take two.  I sprayed the ink directly onto the letter, covering the top with a piece of scraps. Next, I took a wet paintbrush, starting at the bottom I brushed up to pull some of the color up.  It sorta worked.  I wasn't really thinking when I started and I took the first two letters off the backing (so the sticky was a problem), plus they got too wet, so I had to toss those (into my daughters pile of stuff that she will later glue onto something).  When I kept the letters on the backing, it worked a little bit better.  I would suggest having a paper towel handy for several reasons, but mainly because it comes in handy if you get too much color, or it goes up to high (I did both of these things, of course)!  The paper towel just soaks up all that extra, right quick like! I think I will get better at this when I try it again next time, but it was fun and it's not horrible, so I went with it! To connect the two pages I also ombre-d (it's a word, really) the "love this memory" (stamp by AE) after I stamped it!

Also to connect the two pages I tried to stick to circles as much as possible.  I did this in several ways.  First and foremost, many of the patterned papers that I chose had circles in them (the September Scrapbook Circle kit that I used for most of my supplies was full of circles).  But I also added several other things like:  I stitched concentric circles on page one around and through the title.  I punched circles out of the yellow patterned paper and put them in the center of other circles.  I carried the circles out of the center and overlapped them onto the photos and patterned paper.  I used brads and flair as embellishments.  I also used a circle mask and added yellow circles to two of the papers that didn't have circles on them! I did a lot of stuff on this one!  It's even heavy.

See that second page?  The photo was supposed to be where it says "Even superheroes need a rest", with the journaling to the left (where the photo is now) but I messed up!  There are several layers of gesso under there (part of why it is so heavy I bet)!  I just kept trying and trying, but no worky, so I stuck the photo over it!!!  The thing that was holding me up was the journaling!  It seems that often it's the journaling that gets in the way of me completing layouts!  I'm committed to getting the story down, it's must of the reason that I scrap to be honest -- document, document, document -- so I'd be disappointed if I didn't journal.  And I'm never at a loss for words (I know that's difficult to believe).  The hold up is the how.  Do I put it on strips? Do I hide the journaling? Do I using a journaling card? (etc.) As you can see, I ended up journaling on strips and sticking them up in the corner. One all else fails, that's usually my default.  It's easy and if you mess up, it's easy for the do-overs!  This is one of those layouts that I am just glad I finished.  It's OK, not my favorite -- but it's done.

What holds you up from finishing a layout?

..::non-manifesto progress::.. 

stamped on washi :: zig zag stitch in the middle of straight stitch :: circle stitch :: paint on a layout :: spray mist :: masking :: stretch a sketch :: grommets :: altering a sticker :: using a bag :: b&w photo :: DIYthickers :: got my ombre on ::

~ daredevil ~

I've completed about three layouts or so since my last post!  Today I will share just one, but I hope to post the others soon.  This is a one pager -- something that I don't always do.  When I took this photo with my iPhone, I knew I had to use it for a layout because I am all about the story, and it has a story -- it is so B.

This is my daughter.  She has always been a bit of a daredevil, and one of her most favorite things to do is climb. In this particular photo, I'm pretty sure she is thinking all about the dismount.  The binkie, the look, the stance, it had to be documented.

I love the photo in B&W!  I have never scrapped a b&w photo (something new for me) and so I couldn't decide if I wanted to use papers with lots of color, or vary little color at all.  I chose the latter, with just a touch of pink (her favorite color).  I am happy with my choice, but I could see it going either way!  It was really strange for me to do a layout like this because I LOVE LOTS COLOR!

What was my favorite part?  Making the triangles!!!  For the triangles: I put washi tape on grey paper and cut out squares using a punch. Then, I simply cut the squares in half to make triangles.  After I laid it out, I decided I wanted a bit of pink in there, so I cut a couple triangles from pink paper.  But, the pick was too pink.  So, I put the washi over the pink, cut the squares, made them triangles, and I love them!

The three strips of paper are quotes of things that B. says when she is actually being dangerous -- but the bulk of the journaling is hidden in the bag (see below). The Issue Challenge #4 (July/Aug 2012) over at Club CK called for the use of a monogram, which I did.  Originally this was just white with the black text/border.  I altered the sticker by misting with pink, and then added a pearl mist over the top to give it a shimmer.  The black twine came from a RAK that I got from Ashley Horton (thank you)!

This pull out, hidden journaling, gave me some trouble!  I think I 'gessoed' it (I'm sure that's a word, right), misted it, wrote on it, etc. multiple times.  Finally I ended up writing on strips and calling it done!   The "favorite" stamp is from Elise Blaha Cripe.  It really says, "You are my favorite" but I only inked the word favorite!  :-)

Most of the items you see here came from the Scrapbook Circle Kit :: Sunshine Day (July).  All supplies are linked below.

What's new in this for me? Several items :  grommets, altering a sticker (I double misted the monogram), using a bag, and using a b&w photo

I hope to have several posts up this week.  Look for some subtle changes in the look of my blog as well (I hope). New teachers begin this week -- I am a mentor, so I am back completely, totally, full time, without flexibility.  I look forward to the structure, and I always love the beginning of the year, but I'm not certain I'm ready for the rat race that comes with it!

..::non-manifesto progress::..

stamped on washi :: zig zag stitch in the middle of straight stitch :: circle stitch :: paint on a layout :: spray mist :: masking :: stretch a sketch :: grommets :: altering a sticker :: using a bag :: b&w photo :: 

~ washi love ~

You've seen it.  You've probably used it.  It's all the rage.  Like many in the scrapbooking world, I have fallen in love with Washi Tape!

It's over-flowing.  I already need new Washi storage!

Stamping on Washi

Washi + label maker = organized Scrapbook Circle kits

In my park mini book, to attach Hambly overlay to paper

Also in my park mini book, folded over as "tabs"

Last, here's a little sneak of a layout I just finished -- look for it to show up here in a day or two!

How do you use Washi?

~ such personality ~

"Sometimes B. requests a 'walk' riding in the stroller, sometimes she prefers the wagon.  On this particular evening, she asked her daddy for the red wagon and demanded that he also provide her with ear protection!"

True story.  She didn't actually say "ear protection", but she did request to wear them.  I love these photos that My Soul Mate took because I can totally see her personality in them!  She is tilting her head from side to side as if she is dancing to the music in her head.

I based my layout on this sketch by Ashley Horton, as part of the June Sketch it Out Challenge over at Club CK.  Club CK is an online community full of great people and I love all of the forums, specifically the  creative challenges forum.  When I am at a loss for ideas, Club CK is one of my go to places!  Ashley Horton specifically inspires me!  I was excited to try her sketch!

Lately I've been challenging myself a bit by trying something new in each of my layouts or projects.  For this one my "new" was STAMPING ON WASHI!  I hadn't seen that done before, but I tried it, and it worked! I'm sure it's probably been done before, but please don't tell me so that I can feel like I'm being creative and original.  

This photo was taken when I was first trying it out.  I used the wrong ink.  I thought I was using StazOn ink, but I wasn't.  So the photo is the trial run (which didn't work), but when I did for real, I used StazOn (because it stays on, of course) and it totally worked (see below)!  The Dear Lizzy Camera stamps came in my Scrapbook Circle June kit, Field Notes.  I primarily used the kit for this layout, but I did add a few other items.  A full list of supplies at the bottom of this post!  (Have I mentioned how much I love Scrapbook Circle?? -- LOVE).

Washi (from Target) + StazOn ink + Dear Lizzy Camera Stamps = awesome!

I probably got a bit excessive with the machine stitching.  I think I'm addicted!

The camera flair button is a tin pin from October Afternoon (the boarding pass collection), it it matches the teal colored washi and camera stamps from the kit, so I went with it.

I found this "Daddy's Girl" sticker from Crate Paper's Emma's Shoppe Collection in my stash and thought it fit this layout perfectly -- added some brads for fun.  (more excessive stitching visible here, along with a "typo" that I fixed after the photo was taken).

I had a difficult time coming up with a title for this one, but decided that her personality was the important part of this story.  The yellow letters are from Cosmo Cricket.  The teal letters are from the kit!

That's all I have for now!  Look for a mini book update soon!!  (I've been busy!)

Scrapbook Circle kit items used below (+ the other extras from my stash that weren't included above):

Bella Blvd Teal Stripe Washi Tape
Echo Park This & That Tickets Please (yellow PP -- I used the 'back side')
Echo Park This & That Alpha Stickers ("SUCH"
Echo Park This & That Instamatic (one little strip of it at the top among all the washi)
Glitz Happy Travels Planes (the main background paper -- I used the 'back side' again)

other items from my stash that were not mentioned in the main post include:
black and white polkadot washi from K and Company's SMASH collection
teal "Like this" washi (with text) from K and Company's SMASH collection
Doodlebug Doodle twine

~ this moment in time ~

For about a week or more I have had this layout sitting on my desk just waiting to be put together.  Before Mikaela's accident and death, I knew I loved this photo of my daughter and granddaughter and wanted to get the memory in the book.  After the accident, I felt like I needed to get it down now.  Even with this sense of urgency, it took me a week or more to actually get it done.

I started back to work this past week, that's part of the delay.  It's amazing to me how everyone else's life has just gone on, while mine seems to be standing still in this sad space. That being said, going back to work is probably good for me.  The stressful week, combined with the fact that I am still having a difficult time sleeping through the night, has added to my mood, though.  I feel like every little thing is more difficult than it needs to be, and my thoughts just aren't as clear as I would like.  But, I've had wine nearly every night, and taken several photos as evidence.  :-) Here's one of my favorites taken after finally getting all of my photos for my 365 project uploaded to flickr (loving all the orange here).

Lots of iPhone photos have made up my 365 lately, but slowly I'm getting back in to using the Canon.  B. has enjoyed playing in the mud in our backyard and I've gotten several good ones from that!

More on flickr, of course!  One B. story from this day:  at one point she decided that we should all take our clothes off and swim in the mud "like Shrek".  We didn't...as far as you know.

OK, so to the layout...Here's the lowdown!  Even knowing the photos that I wanted to use, I decided to wait until my Scrapbook Circle kit arrived!  It's always an exciting day when that pizza-box-looking package arrives!  The Story lived up to my expectations.  In fact, while combing through the items I quickly found perfect pieces to use for this layout!  Two standouts, both from Cosmo Cricket, the Twenty-thr3e Element Deck and Tiny Text Typewriter stickers were pieces that I knew I would use.  There were so many sentences in the latter that worked perfectly with these photos, which were taken the last time we went to the park as a complete family.  I chose the following (click if you want to see it bigger):

tiny text typewriter stickers

Besides the pizza-box-looking package I also got another package in the mail this week! Stamps from Elise!!  I put them to use in this project as well!  Have I mentioned lately that I adore her and her cuteness?  Her package was even cute.  There were great postage stamps, it was machine stitched shut, and had a stamped message that read "get excited"!  I got excited.

this (by elise)

today is (by elise)

I have quite a few stamps, but I hardly ever use them, so that was fun for me.  I also added more machine stitching to this layout than I have in the past.  If that weren't enough to excite you all, I was a Washi tape virgin until now (I scored the Washi tape you'll see below from Target)!  Here's the big picture:

I based this loosly on the May sketch challenge from Scrapbook Circle (design by Diana).

Doing this layout was really a type of therapy for me.  It always helps to create.  I had an interesting email conversation with my mother.  I sent her photos as I was working on this, and she responded that she had a difficult time seeing photos of M. smiling so wonderfully.  I can totally understand that.  I would say that I had quite a few tears as I attempted to finish this, for just that reason.  Looking at her beautiful face, smiling and having such a good time, makes me cry because I know that it's over.  But also, I had the privilege of being there on this day and I have that memory forever.  It was a good memory.  I did some journaling about it, but because I didn't really want to mix those sometimes sad words with the beautiful smile and I wanted the photograph to be the focus, I hid the journaling under the photograph.  

The process of creating this was cleansing for me.  It's why art therapy and music therapy exist.  Don't get me wrong, I don't really feel any better.  :-)  But still, the process was helpful and I'm glad I did it.  I finished it on Mother's Day, which was a difficult day for all of us, and I'm glad it's over.  I don't know if my daughter H. will keep this in her scrapbook, or if it will stay with my things, either way, I got the memory documented and learned a few things in the process.

Thank you for reading!