~ my assistant ~

Washi love.
Amy Tangerine love.
B. love.
(not necessarily in that order)

Everything is linked below except a couple of the washi tapes (couldn't find them online), Elise Blaha Cripe's THIS stamp (which I love, but couldn't get the InLinkz grabber to grab it), and some little patterned paper scraps that I used between the washi tapes!

~ 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!

~ hide and sneak ~

Yep, you read that correctly.  B. says, "Hide and Sneak".  She's cute like that.  She also confuses the game often. For example, she hides, but then when you say something like, "I wonder where B is hiding." she will say, "I'm here!" and jump out!  Then she tells you to hide (but tells you where to hide)!  After counting (sometimes correctly, sometimes not), she doesn't yell, "Ready or not, here I come", she says, "Here or not, here I come"!  So, we have a few things to work on.

In early May, only a week after Mikaela's funeral, it was beautiful outside and we were trying to find our new normal.  On that particular evening she was loving the hide and seek.  She was hiding behind the trees, and then telling us to hide behind the trees.  There was lots of running and screaming just because it was fun.  At one point she was hiding behind the tree and "shushing" those around.  I caught it with my iPhone.  It's not the best photograph, in that it's quite blurry.  But it's also the BEST photograph, and had to be documented.

Glitter Girl challenged us over at 2 Peas to create clustered embellishments, so I tried that.  Erika at Club CK challenged us to use numbers on a layout, so I tried that! Scrapbook Circle's Challenge is to use speech bubbles, so I did that!  AND, if that wasn't enough, Paper Issues is Fall'n for flair (and I never need a challenge to use flair), so I did that!  Whew!

embellishment cluster

numbers

speech bubbles

more speech bubbles

Have you ever had a layout that you like the parts better than the whole?  This one is like that for me!  And, you guessed it, much like the last layout, it's the title (blah) and journal spot (not even close to being straight) that I'm not happy about.  Also the colors in the photo below are off -- the colors are really orange, blue and white (inspired by a coffee mug that I purchased a Target)!  The closeup photos are closer to the right colors.  :-)

I like the paint spots (really gesso spots), the misting, the colors and the washi (especially the washi over the speech bubbles).  This patterned paper was actually pretty light, and I made it blue by misting quite a bit.  Also the orange behind the photo was white.  I tried to ombre it with mist (apparently "ombre" is now a verb).  Sorta worked, but I had to use a lot, and it was difficult to find any adhesive that wanted to stick (even after letting it dry for over 24 hours)!  I used mostly the Scrapbook Circle September kit :: Talk of the Town, but everything is linked below except the hello stamp, found at Target, and the striped washi, which is recollections.  

On Thursday expect another post.  My first "currently" post (challenge by the great Ali Edwards).

Happy Fall!

~ 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 :: 

~ wigglin' water sprinkler ~

First of all, I am a winner! In a previous post I shared a layout that I did for the June Sketch it Out Challenge over at Club CK.  Well...I won!  It's a random drawing, but still exciting and fun.  I would encourage anyone reading this to participate in the many creative challenges that Club CK offers. Plus I cannot go on without offering a CONGRATULATIONS to Ashly Horton for being selected as a 2012-2013 Club CK moderator! Congrats to her and the others chosen!  Club CK is a great community full of fun, creative, and caring people from all over the world.  And it's FREE. Did I mention that there are tons of creative challenges that push you to try and do new things?  Fun times!

Moving on....I based my most recent layout on another sketch by Ashley Horton, for the Club CK *July* Sketch It Out Challenge! It was so much fun the first time, why not do it again?  One of the 'issues' I often have with sketches, though...I LOVE TWO PAGE LAYOUTS and they are almost always a single page.  So...the main 'new thing' that I tried for this time around was to stretch the sketch (say that out loud, it rhymes) into a two pager.  Also, I have really been wanting to try an extra large photograph.  My last post had a rather large photo (6x6) but this one is even bigger.  Fun!  While there are several things about this one that I am not exactly satisfied with, and there are several mistakes, it was still fun and stretched my brain.  It is most certainly not to late to try this sketch out yourself!  Join us over at Club CK's *July* Sketch it Out Challenge!  We are fun people! 

For this layout I started with yellow card stock and the March Scrapbook Circle kit, Best.Day.Ever (it's sold out, but you can get other great kits there, so check it out).  I added several items from my stash (all linked below) and here you go (also I hope you can tell in these photos that I used orange (no red)):

Ok. Wanna help???  I was thinking I might put something like "fun" or "summer" or "June" after the word 'hello'. Maybe below, just to the right?  What do you think?  Should I leave it the same or add a word?

One last thing:  I love these photos I took this weekend!

And I love your comments!  :-)

..::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 ::

~ 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