Scrap Your Story :: Hello Cheap Trick

It's FRIDAY!  You know what that means, a great challenge @ the Scrap Your Story Challenge Blog! This week we are working with an awesome sketch!   The sketch (as seen on the right), was a fun one to work with! Two photos, a giant circle,and both a vertical and horizontal line. I stayed fairly true to the sketch, but remember, you can flip, rotate, tweak, whatever you need! I hope to see you play along with us this week!  I grabbed my June Kit from Scrapbook Circle, a few scraps from my scrap box and this is what I came up with :

This past weekend the three of us attended a concert at the zoo in Apple Valley, MN. We had front row seats at this outdoor, all-ages show.  It was Bea's first concert! You will see more photos from this trip at some point; I am currently working on a mini book all about it!

I took the main background paper (Basic Grey :: Bow Ties :: kick the can) and cut a big circle on my Silhouette, then placed another piece of patterned paper (Farmhouse Paper Company :: where ideas take root) behind it. I machine stitched around the circle to define it a bit more, and then added a few stitches in other locations (can never have enough stitches!).  The bright orange arrows are all from the kit as well, they are fuzzy rub-ons (part of the Hipster collection by Basic Grey). I also added some wood veneer shapes that I tinted with orange ink. The "hello" is also from the Hipster Collection, and the "cheap trick" is from Recollections. This was a fun layout to make!

Check out Scrap Your Story and play along this week! I can't wait to see what you come up with!

Scrap Your Story :: Beatrice @ bat

UPDATE:  I'm linking this up to Paper Issues Feb. 7, 2015 Issue Hip to Be Square (I used square photos and some {aflairforbuttons} flair.

It's FRIDAY!  Scrap Your Story Challenge blog has a new challenge posted! This week we are all about childhood!

This week I was fortunate enough to be able to hang out with a friend and scrap & chat all afternoon! Love getting that time to catch up, and share some creative juices! I had the basic idea of this page (and even some of it created) before we met, but it was so awesome to be able to say, "What do you think of this....or this...or..."! I think we each created 2-3 pages that day -- we must do it again soon!

Most everything came from Jillibean Soup :: Irish Farm House Soup collection pack.  I added some wood veneers, washi and "today" flair from A Flair For Buttons.

For the painted stars in the background I made a stencil using my Silhouette Cameo.  Then I used Tim Holtz Distress paint (Antique White) to paint the stars on. Best part: I used blank stencil "paper" (did you know you can purchase that at Michael's?) to create the star stencil, so I can use it over and over again!

Fun!  We are off to a great adventure this weekend!  I am going to attempt my first "Smash" book to document the trip! I'll update you soon!

Scrap Your Story Challenge :: you are my favorite color

It all started with an idea and some white card stock. 

And it's probably one of my favorite LOs ever.  I love it when my vision actually turns out exactly like (or even better than ) I expected!

This week at Scrap Your Story, we are all about STITCHING.  This was not difficult for me, since I am obsessed with machine stitching!  This week I machine stitched, but I also hand stitched (something I don't do quite as often).

First I added some chalk...next some machine stitching. Let me tell ya, it was SO MUCH FUN to add the stitching.  I matted my photo with some Amy Tangerine vellum (purchased at Michael's -- Recollections "Signature" pack), and some regular vellum.  I used more of the Amy Tangerine vellum for my title, then traced around it with a pink Sharpie.  I actually did the trick again where I wrote "favorite color" with my finger on my iPad, and then used my Silhouette Cameo to cut it out. "You Are My" is April's Studio AE stamp set from Ali Edwards.

I actually did a practice page with this one before starting. I didn't want that page to go to waste, so I used it for several items on this LO. First I used Amy Tangerine's Yes, Please template and hand stitched a flower (totally fun, right)? I cut it out and popped it off the page with pop dots. I also used some of the practice page to write my journaling on (cut it and hid it behind the pic -- just pull the yellow washi tab).  There is a stamp set with the same Amy Tangerine collection, and I used the flower stamp on that practice page, cut it out and added a little colored pencil to it before gluing it on. Added some washi tape and sequins and I was finished. I cannot tell you how much fun this was to pull together!

Here are a few closeups!

"You Are My" is a new Ali Edwards stamp!

I also linking this up with Paper Issues.  Their current issue is all about using instagram photos! You have until April 20th to link up!

I'm headed to my friend's wedding this weekend!  It's local....it's outside....and it's been raining hard for what seems like weeks and weeks.  Cross your fingers!

Scrap Your Story :: top of the world tonight

It's Friday!  That means, pizza and wine for supper (at least for us)...but before that, a new challenge at Scrap Your Story Challenge blog!

This week is our "theme" week -- and April's theme is SPRING! The title of this layout is "Top of the World Tonight", which is my daughter's favorite Cheap Trick song! She's been requesting it and singing it since she could talk! On the lovely spring day that I snapped these photos, she was climbing on top of the rocks in our garden and saying, "See, Mommy, I'm on top of the world tonight!"

These photos were taken during our spring break last year - 2012 (This year during spring break, we were sledding and shoveling snow -- that's Iowa for you)! But last year, it really felt like spring. 

I will admit that I had already started with these background papers for a different layout -- then decided I didn't like it -- but I liked the papers. So, now a month later, I grabbed them again and got busy. First I took the PinkPaislee patterned paper and cut a hole out of the middle.  Then I decided that it was a bit too bright, so I spread Gesso over all of it. Then I added the blue paper in the middle -- it has a little bit of pink in it and I loved the two papers together! I roughed up the inside of the square -- quite a bit -- and sewed it in place.

I've been into vellum lately! I used an Elise Blaha Cripe stamp "get excited" and stamped with yellow ink, in a diagonal, all across the vellum. That was the mat for my highlighted photo. But you really couldn't see what it said, so I also added it to the tab of the hidden journaling -- and I embossed it.

I found this American Crafts flair in my stash, and it was perfect for that rock'n roll sorta aspect of the layout - as an added bonus, it's the right colors.  ;-) The yellow letters are Amy Tangerine letters that I inked with a yellow stamp pad. 

I used my Silhouette Cameo to cut out the "Hello" tab (from 8 tabs by Lori Whitlock). I put some clear embossing powder inside the word hello to highlight it a bit more.

I was going for some layers...

Hope you play along with us this week! This is a fun challenge that goes through Thursday, April 11th 11:59 PM (central).

I also linked this one up to Paper Issues!  Their "Current Issue" is Up in the Clouds!   You have until Saturday, April 6th to link up with them!

AND, if that wasn't enough, I am also taking a "Lots of Layers" class over at My Scraps and More (with the great Audrey Yeager). We were working on peek a book layers.  My peek a boo involves the cut out background, vellum, "hello" cut out....you get the idea!

Scrap Your Story Challenge #1

Welcome to my little orange space! If you are here for the One Little Word blog hop -- it can be found here!  But I would love it if you would check this challenge out too!  ;-)

On Monday I announced that I was selected to be part of the Design Team for the Scrap Your Story Challenge blog, and today is the first reveal!  Here is my layout for this challenge :

The challenge this week is to "use" just one photo.  Easy peasy!  I have done several "one photo" layouts recently (which is actually kind of unusual for me), but I wanted to add my own little challenge for myself into the mix. So, I decided to use one big photo.  I don't have a 12x12 printer, or easy access to that, so I just made it as big as I could (printed at home)!

Since B. is in the bathtub, I wanted to make something look "water-ish" (that's a word, right?)!  I took a strip of paper and some strips of vellum and cut them all wavy-like, then I stitched over them in waves as well.  FUN!  Another fun element is the "peek a boo"cutout.  I did this with my new Silhouette Cameo (and a little help from my iPad).  It's my own handwriting that I converted into a cut file.  If there is an interest, I could easily do a tutorial on how I made that happen.  Leave me a comment saying you'd like it, and I will!

Here are a few more close up shots:

I hope you all join in the challenge.  Look for all the details and how to link up, here.  Each week a "top three" will be chosen from the entries, and at the end of the month one lucky participant (chosen from all participants for the whole month - which means if you do all four challenges, your name will go in four times!) will will the following prize:

Whether this is your first visit to my blog or you've visited before, I would love to have you back! You can follow me by clicking "join this site" in the sidebar.  Comments always welcome!

Supplies Used :: 

pebbles :: seen and noted :: checklist

pebbles :: seen and noted :: take note

jillibean soup ::country pumpkin chowder :: cream style corn

technique tuesday :: studio AE stamps :: super fantastic

a flair for buttons :: my life words 2 :: fun

october afternoon :: midway :: designer brads

freckled fawn :: wide chevron washi :: aqua

freckled fawn :: chevron washi :: orange

freckled fawn :: wood chips :: speech bubbles

Claudine Hellmuth Studio Semi-Gloss Acrylic Paint -- classic teal

Studio Calico :: Mister Huey Spray :: pinstripe

lilybee design :: this and that :: cardstock alpha stickers

Tim Holtz :: Tiny Attacher

Martha Stewart :: 1.5 inch circle punch :: all over the page

Grafix Vellum Paper

StazOn Ink :: Jet Black

Xyron Tape Runner

Singer Tradition Sewing Machine

:: remember today ::

Last week we had a snow day.  I took a zillion pics.  I grabbed my favorite one and scrapped it -- it's the first photo that I took 2013 that I used for a layout (not counting Project Life).

Journaling reads : "After Snowball fights and sledding in FRESH SNOW, you must have HOT CHOCOLATE!"  I took this journaling straight from a post that I posted to Flickr.  I'm not sure if you can tell or not from the pic, but my favorite part is how I cut a journaling card in half and put one part on top of the photo and the other part at the bottom for the date stamp. Then used an exacto-knife to cut the banner out (it's actually part of the journaling card) and stamped "sweet love" across the top of the card.

For this layout I used my January Scrapbook Circle kit (and a few items from a past kit or two), some flair from A Flair for Buttons, Studio AE January Stamp, and a few little tidbits from my stash. This is the first time that I have participated and submitted something to CSI (Color Stories Inspiration). This is the case file:

I used the colors, of course.  My pieces of evidence are hearts, diecuts and punches.  For the testimony I added a heart to my journaling spot.

Another first for me, I did a little distressing (I used the edge of my scissors) around the edges of my photo mat.

 For a little dimension, I added pop dots to one side of my journaling strips.

I'm pretty happy with the final product.  Pretty simple, but I like it!

Coming soon :  Project life share, and an update on goals (new and ongoing).

project life 2013 :: week 1

Week One Spread

Holy smokes, Batman! This project life thing is addictive!

Week One :: Left Side

Week One :: Right  (I will probably write a bit on the photo with the hole in the glass, but I haven't decided exactly what to write yet!  It's quite the story.

Here's the lo-down: I'm not yet satisfied with my "product", but the "project" is awesome. What does that mean? It means...

I love the idea of Project Life, or at least my idea of Project Life. I am an everyday scrapbooker. When I am motivated to document something with photos and words, it is almost always something that happens in everyday life, and almost never an "event" (such as a birthday or holiday or reunion, etc.). Project Life, as I see it, is exactly that...documenting the everyday. I especially realized that this might be for me when I did my December Daily 2012. I am loving the memory keeping part of this project.

My product isn't there yet. I think I'm not in the groove, or maybe I just haven't found my style for PL. That is OK. The project is worth doing, and I know that I will figure out the product part as I go.  In fact, I have almost completed week three, and each week the product has gotten better, or at least closer to something I can be happy with. I'm going to try really hard not to go back and fix the stuff that I don't like.  :-)  Also, I am a bit worried that I won't make traditional layouts anymore, mostly due to time constraints, and I'm not sure that this project meets my needs in the creativity department. That is totally what is adding to my dissatisfaction when it comes to the product.  I can't put my finger on what I don't like exactly other than it just looks amateurish, which is probably understandable, since I AM! :-)

A bit about how I am tackling this project: I decided to have my weeks go from Sunday to Saturday. I have no reason for this, I just had to pick a starting day and I didn't like starting on a Tuesday (Jan. 1st) so I chose Sunday. I may need to switch that at some point (maybe not until next year) so that my weekends are together.  Not sure. Did you notice that I'm already talking about next year? That is how much I love this project and it's only been three weeks. It's difficult for me to imagine not doing it...indefinitely. Anyway, so Week 1 started on Sunday December 30.  I am also attempting another 365 (photo a day) project, and sharing on flickr.  However, I am not tackling Project Life in that way.  I don't necessarily include every 365 photo in my book.  And I'm OK with that. I imagine that many of them will be included, which is cool, but not necessary.  Also I am using both my Canon and my iPhone (can't wait to upgrade the iPhone though). I do plan to incorporate quotes each week (sneak: so far they are all related to my One Little Word, but I don't know that it will stay that way). Finally, I'm looking at this as more of a "week in review" and not being super strict about having a photo or story for each day.  So far I think I actually do have a photo/story for each day, but I'm not worried about too much, it's mostly about the stories!

I am using the Becky Higgins Project Life Seafoam Core kit designed by Elise Blaha Cripe.  It wasn't available when I started, and I'm impatient, so I decided to purchase the digital kit and print from that for those first couple of weeks.  I am so glad I did that. I liked being able to start right away and not feel like I was behind from the get go. Plus, I think I may use, modify, and print cards from the digital kit throughout the year.  I like being able to change the cards a little bit before printing. Here is one example of that:

On the original the stripes were all the mustard color. I wanted orange (of course), so I changed it in PhotoShopt to orange using the eyedropper tool to pick the color, and then the paint bucket to color each stripe.  Then I decided that I wanted one stripe aqua, so I repeated the same process with aqua for one of the stripes.  LOVE the result.

I think this will help keep the kit fresh for me.  The kit is awesome. And I love it even more now that I have it in person!  I'm not sure that I will be able to use just the kit all year, though, so I will likely incorporate other papers and things throughout the year. I will probably not link every single product that I use because I want to get the blog updated and that part holds me back (just sayin')! So, if you want to know something specific, just ask in the comments and I will do my best. 

I also purchased some (digital) Project Life Templates and I'm using them to help myself organize each week.  I hope to be able to share that process at some point, but I'm just figuring it out myself, so it will need to wait!

I ordered a bunch of flair from my favorite place: A Flair for Buttons.  Shelley wrote me a nice little note, so I kept it!

This is the note hidden behind one of her cards and little baggies that flair arrived in!

This week's supplies: Seafoam digital kit (printed out). My badges are from A Flair for Buttons, and I've thrown in a bunch of stickers/labels which are mostly from Elle's Studio.  My alphas this week are mostly Amy Tangerine, and the  "January" calendar card is from Paislee Press (I will probably use one of these in the first spread of each month).  The "hello" stamp is from Target.  I stamped it directly on the calendar card, and then again on something else.  I used my 1 inch circle to cut it out of the second piece of cardstock and then use a foam square to make it pop off the page a bit. When I write on photos I use American Crafts Slick Writers. This week I also used these awesome Hero Arts/Studio Calico stamps and all of the ink is StazOn.  Then, of course, my other addiction besides flair, washi tape. The washi I used this week was Freckled Fawn and Recollections (from Michael's).

Week two is also completed, and week three just needs a few finishing touches.  Will share those soon!

Final  note: I totally thought our lives might be too boring for Project Life.  But during this week we had our window shot at (seriously, it was just a pellet gun, but this is another indicator that we need to move), we had visitors, I got tons of happy mail, we celebrated a birthday and visited old friends.  Whew!  Guess we aren't as boring as I thought!

Peace, love and understanding to ya!
:-) o.g.

Confused about Project Life?  Check this out from Becky Higgins.

~ baby time ~

No, I'm not pregnant!  But, I've never scrapped B's baby photos (I know, right?)!  When I saw this Ashley Horton sketch for the November Sketch It Out Challenge at Club CK, I knew I wanted to use it.  Then I saw the November FITkit over at ScrapFIT and rushed over to Paper Issues to grab one up.  I've never purchased a kit there before, but the day the November "Gather" kit (designed by Audrey Yeager) arrived in the mail I was instantly inspired to scrap a few layouts.  I think there are still kits available at the link above if you are interested.  The layout that I've completed and have to share with you today is a two pager, with page one inspired by the sketch.  Here's page one:

When I saw the scallops on the Studio Calico paper I fell in love (and I was super excited a few days later when my Scrapbook Circle kit arrived and there's one in there, too)!  In fact, I really like all of the Studio Calico Yearbook collection. Anyway, here is page two:

And the pages go together like this:

Here are a few close-ups:

I decided on "Baby Time" for my title and then went with it and added some times to the journal strips and wrote times directly on some of the photos.  I always have such a difficult time with titles!  Why is that??

I like the colors and the mix of washi in this layout.  I made several mistakes while adhering the papers, but I think I was able to cover most of them up!

One of my favorite solutions that I came up with was the title letters.  I wanted something in that green color, but I didn't have any paper that color.  So, I stuck some of the washi on white card stock and put that through my Cricut!  Woot!  Go me!  ;-)

I should have another layout to share with you in a couple of days AND my December Daily is just beginning to take shape!

~ mini gift ~

A few weeks ago I took engagement photos for a friend and her fiancé.  It was stressful, but also quite fun!  I got a few good ones out of the hour and a half, and she was happy, which is all that really counts!

As a gift, I decided to stick a few of her favorites into a minibook.  I was going to use her wedding colors, but decided I would stick with fall colors since they were such a part of the photos.  One of my (and her) favorite photos is this one :

I bought two ampersand stamps from Elise Blaha Cripe (along with a few other stamps from her store) and used circles and ampersands throughout the book.  This was a bit of a challenge because there was no journaling.  I don't know them as a couple all that well (I mostly just know Amber), so I didn't feel like I know enough about the two of them to journal, and Amber isn't a scrapbooker, so I didn't want to just leave some journaling spots (not sure that would be a "gift", if that makes sense). So I found some "love" quotes and printed those out for the other side of the page.

Hambly screen print overlay on the front and back of the book.

Thanks for stopping by!