:: layout mission | January ::

Last week I told you about My Pinterest Challenge to myself, this week I'd like to let you in on another one of my goals.  I hope to do at least two layouts a month, not counting Project Life or One Little Word prompts.  For those of you that do two or more a day (or an hour), I know that you are thinking, "Uhh...loser!"  LOL, but I am afraid that I will no longer do layouts because of Project Life, so I had to start with a goal and go from there.  If I surpass it, no problem!  

My layout mission :  In addition to OLW prompts and weekly PL spreads, I challenge myself to complete at least two traditional layouts per month.

Both of these layouts I'm going to share with you today were made almost exclusively with January's Scrapbook Circle kit -- Only You (as you will see there's a bunch of Crate Paper's Fourteen Collection included in this kit!).  I added some washi, some flair from A Flair for Buttons (and one from American Crafts, I think), and of course some alphas.  This first one was a photograph that I took when I woke up one morning.  My phone is always right beside my bed so I grabbed it when I saw felt this:

I kept this one pretty simple (didn't even use my sewing machine or any washi on this one), but I like the way it turned out.  Journaling reads : "On Mother's Day I woke up to this hug and a little voice saying Come Here You".  It's a true story, yo -- she is that awesome!

I raised the "YOU" (Fancy Pants) with foam squares and placed a card from my Seafoam PL kit behind it (actually, I think this is one that I printed out from the digital kit, but didn't use...until now).  I traced around the inside of the card to add a bit of depth.  I used Ashley Horton's sketch for the Sketch It Out Challenge at ClubCK, and the twist for this month is "Outlining" (just another reason to trace around the inside of that card)!  Here's the sketch:

For my second layout, still using Scrapbook Circle's great January kit, I chose a couple of photos from June 2011.  I take TONS of photos of my daughter B. (if you follow me on instagram or facebook, heck, or even this blog, you already know this), but I don't take nearly as many of my best friend, and even fewer of myself.  The day that I took these photos (also my iPhone) he had brought one of his electric guitars outside, but still plugged in (you can see that the door to the house is behind him) and was playing.  It was nice out, B. was playing, and apparently needed an electric guitar as background music.  I so love these moments.  

I decided that I would scraplift myself for this one. I started out with this layout as inspiration, but then it kinda morphed into using this one.  I love the colors in this one!  I like the pop of yellow, and how it brings out the gold guitar.

I used arrows for the Scrapbook Circle "Make your Point" Challenge (Studio Calico Vellum ones -- from the kit -- and also some Amy Tan from my stash).

My favorite alphas right now are pretty much any of the 12x12 abc stickers from Lily Bee Design.  I believe these come from the Picket Fence Collection, but I've purchased about as many of these different sheets as possible, I love them!  I've used them a lot for PL, they are the perfect size.  I used DIY Thickers for "Soul Mate", and misted them with Mister Huey's "taxi" mist and then secured them with a little stitching, just in case).

I think the camera flair is American Crafts I think, and the arrow fair (as well as the one in the top left corner) is from A Flair for Buttons (love Shelley's flair).  The "inspired" sticker is Amy Tangerine (also love).

I must be into foam squares this month.  I decided that one of the photos needed to be lifted for a little dimension.

January Layout Mission: Accomplished!

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

project life :: week 2

week 2 spread with insert

Holy inserts, Batman!  This is fun stuff!

week 2 spread (without insert)

Week 2 :: left side

week 2 :: right side

This week I was able to put in some "stuff", which was kinda cool!  We got a new TV, so I put the quick start guide in a pocket. We went to a concert so I punched holes in the program and stuck it, along with the tickets, in the book. Our nephew turned five, which meant this week we needed an insert! (Becky Higgins "G", which is a bit smaller, 12x10).

insert front side

I put lots of photos in the pockets on the front with one journal spot that also held the title and some tickets from Chuck E. Cheese's.  Of course I got some flair from A Flair for Buttons in there along with some alphas and other stickers.

insert back side

On the back side of the insert I also left a place for journaling. There was an injury, so it needed documented.  More flair, more alphas, more stickers.  The picture of the three of us was originally printed out (from one of the games) on a piece of paper.  I went ahead and scanned it in, resized it (it was a little too big) and printed it on photo paper before I stuck it in the book.

what happens to tickets when they go through the wash

Concert tickets went in a pocket (after one had also gone through the wash).  I used the tiny attacher to staple them in (love that little thing)!  I love that B. now says, "Hey Mom, are you going to put that in your book?"  I love it even more that she has "a book", too. What an awesome project.

The basics:  Becky Higgins "A" and "G" style page protectors, Seafoam Digital kit (printed out), the "Yes" flair is ormolu, but the rest is A Flair for Buttons.  The rest of the stuff is from my stash -- just ask in the comments if you want to know about a product and I'll look it up!

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

Confused about Project Life?  Check this out from Becky Higgins.  Check out all my PL posts here.

:: my pinterest challenge | taped table ::

In this post I talked about how this year I am challenging myself to actually do something with all those lovely things I am pinning on Pinterest!  I find myself pinning, and pinning, and pinning, but not returning to the pins and doing, doing, doing them! My not-so-lofty goal is one per month.

I have been wanting to tape a table like this since I saw it on Elise Blaha Cripe's blog last June! There were a few obstacles in the way, but it's done and I like the final product!  Obstacle number one: I wanted to do it, but I had no tables or spaces that needed it at all!  My work desk at home is in great condition and it's rather "pretty" wood that I didn't want to cover, and the only other thing I could think of was Bea's work table (which still might happen).  My concern with using Bea's table is that I'm not sure that it will withstand all of the water ('tea') and paint that gets spilled all over it! However, I knew I wanted to do it, so I went to every Target within an hour or so of my house to look for the tape that Elise used.  Obstacle number two: None of the Targets within an hour of my house had the tape.  They had similar tape (same brand) but it was patterned and wouldn't work for me.  So, I kept looking every time I was in a Target, but never found it.

How this table came to be. So how did it happen?  Well, without going into it all, my job description was tweaked a bit this year and I am seeing more students than I have in the recent past (as a Literacy Coach, I work mostly with teachers).  So I have been trying to make my room more inviting for students and I switched out some furniture recently.  I ended up with three tables, all with black tops and in good condition, but not exactly inviting.  Enter: perfect opportunity to make a taped table! With this renewed motivation for the project, I set out to get that tape.  Not available from Target online, or anywhere else online that I could find, I decided to see just where the Target Store is that has the tape (you can do that on Target.com).  Bad news. Nothing for three to six hours away.  That would be expensive tape!!! Enter: casual conversation that turned magic.

I was telling a colleague about my predicament. She and her family just happened to be traveling that next weekend to visit family about six hours away in a city that had this tape. And she said that she would be going to Target anyway and would pick some up for me.  Score.  I got the tape on a Monday, and a half hour later I had a taped table!

in progress

in use

Before I felt like I could really use it, I felt like I needed to seal it.  So, I purchased some of this Mod Podge to seal it and make it a little bit more durable (especially because there will be kids using it).  I gave it four coats, drying about 15 -20 minutes between, and now it's done.  Pinterest Challenge for January...check!

Coming soon:  Project Life Weeks 2 & 3 (almost ready to share) & OLW blog hop (on Feb. 1st).