:: hello december ::

hello christmas season.
hello magic and wonder.

hello december documentation.

hello hustle.
hello bustle.
hello family and friends.

here. we. go.

:: december documentation ::

I am going to attempt another "December Daily" this year. I ordered this kit from Studio Calico and I've been working on it, bit by bit, over the last couple of weeks. I cannot bring myself to make "foundation pages" like so many do!!  I did, however, work on the cover, title page and a few cards for inside. Some things I completely copied from Ali Edwards, but other stuff I created from scratch.  I've even made a few brushes, cuts, and cards to add to the kit! I'm loving the "see through" trend, so I imagine you will see a bunch of vellum and transparencies whenever possible.  And lets not forget glitter and sequins (both of which are all over my house right now)!!!

Let's start with the cover...

First I painted the cover, back cover, and the inside with silver paint.  Then I went back over the front and back covers with just a little bit of silver glitter paint.  I glittered the wood veneer letters from the kit, and I think the smaller snowflakes are also from that set.  I found some awesome wood veneer shapes at Target and used three of the snowflakes for my cover (after covering with glitter, of course).  The silver ribbon is also from the kit!

Here are a few inside things I've made:

Made "bring on the twinkle" in photoshop, printed on vellum, sequins mostly from the kit.

This is a total Ali Edwards rip off!

Flair from the kit and I made the "card" in photoshop, printed on vellum.

Used stamps from the kit, StazOn ink, and a transparency that I cut to size for this one.

More sequins, more stamping, more StazOn, more vellum!

This is one of my faves! Letters from dollar spot at Target, sequins from my stash and the kit, sewed the lines with silver thread.  I will post closeups when I post about this day.

Used the digital file from the kit to make "magic" then used letters from the kit for "lives here". Stapled with the tiny attacher to a Hambly transparency that I had left over from previous years!

:: hello november ::

hello friday.
hello pizza & wine.

hello thirty days of thankful.

hello holiday decorating.
hello holiday shopping.
hello de-stashing.
hello creating.

:: handmade journal ::

So.... a couple of weeks ago I participated in TWO days of classes, with many awesome instructors, all online.  Throughout True Scrap 5, and since then, I have been inspired to try a zillion new things, but cursed with little time to implement. However, I do have some fun to share today! One of the classes was taught by Heidi Swapp.  She made an awesome journal with scrapbook papers, a composition notebook, and her Cinch machine.  I loved it, so I tried it (did I mention that I bought a Cinch right after True Scrap 5?)!

Cover

I haven't decided how I'm going to "close" this.  I may do what Heidi did and add an embellishment on the front that the flap can go behind. Or I might just use some ribbon.  I'll have to think on that for a bit before I commit.  ;-)

I used a paper pad by Amy Tangerine for just about everything (the cover, inside pages, etc.).  I think that made it a bit easier because everything works together quite nicely!  The only other thing I added was a journal that I got from Michael's a while back. I knew I'd use it someday (I think it was just a buck)!  I'm not going to bother you with every page, but here are a few!

Cover Open

I made a couple of "pockets" and made tags to go inside the pockets.

Notice that paper on the left...it comes up later!

The front of the journal I purchased at Michael's

....and the inside of that journal

You guessed it, the back of the journal!

I added a few pocket protectors throughout the book

I used gelatos on the right page to create an ombre effect (it started B&W, see above)!

I haven't quite decided what I'm going to do with it.  It will likely be a journal of some sort, with photos...so maybe a mini book?  I dunno.  I'm sure I'll add a few little details as I work with it. Thanks for stopping by!

:: i want to remember ::

I want to remember that you insisted on wearing your finger lights to bed tonight.
I want to remember that you made Daddy turn off the lights so you could shine them on the ceiling.

I want to remember how excited you were yesterday to show us the pumpkin you got on your field trip, but that it was more exciting for you that you got to ride the bus.

Twice.

I want to remember that one of your famous sayings recently is "I'm not afraid. I'm not afraid.  I'm not afraid of anything." Especially when you are going to be in the dark.

I want to remember that you say those words like you are going on a lion hunt.

:: pumpkin picker ::

I was going for luscious fall layers to highlight the photos from B.'s pumpkin picking adventure in our front yard. The journaling is hidden in the tabbed pocket on the right.

Have I mentioned how much I love my Scrapbook Circle Kits?  Each month I so look forward to the arrival of that lovely pizza box full of goodies. Sometimes I devour it immediately, sometimes life requires me to wait, but I'm always inspired by the papers, embellishments and the ladies on the blog that provide such inspiration. Most of the items from this LO came from the June kit or the add-on kit that month. Many of the items were from the Basic Grey Hipster collection.

This LO was also inspired by this October sketch by Diana Fisher (also at Scrapbook Circle). You have until October 23rd to play!

I went a little crazy with the stitching on this one!  :-)  But, I liked it so much, I couldn't put the journaling over it!

Thanks for visiting!

:: 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!

:: projects abound ::

Oh blogger friends, how I have missed you.  I am alive. I didn't fall off the face of the earth. Something did happen, though.

School started.

and not just for Charlie and me........

first day of preschool

But first she had a birthday....

This time of year is so crazy! It seems most things get neglected. I have managed to get in a bit of craftiness here and there....

this week we camped...there was an insert

I'm taking a class at BPC called "Project Life Lessons".  One word -- awesome.

here it is without the insert

left

right

insert front :: the food

insert back :: the beach

I've even spent some time in my art journal. This Bob Dylan quote made me do this:

And I even made a few layouts...

all about brushing teeth....

and playing in the water.
that background started white....and then i got out the gelatos and stamps
those letters were white...you guessed it...gelatos (so fun)!

Yep, she still loves Batman. She really wants to be him when she grows up.  However, she has discovered that Batman isn't real (he is just in the movies - gasp!). So....now she wants to go to California, so she can "be" Batman in the movies, when she grows up.  Or today.

I. Love. Her.

Scrap Your Story :: Almost 4

It's FRIDAY!  That means so much more now that I am back to work! :-)

This week is a theme week at Scrap Your Story, and we are scrapping birthdays -- could be a party, or an age theme, too!  I have never scrapped a birthday (I know, right?).  I also don't really do holidays (Gasp!). I have no idea why. Mostly, I'm an everyday scrapper, and those "big events" freak me out or something!  But I did make this:

Yep, ladies and gentleman -- it's a two pager and 8.5 x 11!!  I used to scrap exclusively in two pages.  I just couldn't make a one pager happen until about 2 years ago. And now I'm usually one-pagin' in. And I cannot remember the last time I used the smaller size!  This was fun!

For this layout I was once again inspired by Ali Edwards. I am taking her Hello Story class over at Big Picture classes.  One of her prompts included using a "fill in the blank" as a way to tell the story. I made several modifications to fit my sweet B. and interviewed her.  FUN! She will be 4 later this month, and I wanted to capture what she is like right now.

I grabbed a bunch of photos from July that I thought really showed off her personality, and made a collage in photoshop. I cut a little hole in the middle (because the collage turned out that way) so that the patterned paper could be seen in the middle.

For the story telling part, I wrote everything with my own handwriting, then filled in the blanks (her answers) with alpha stamps.  I made them a bit wonky so it looks more like a child (or I messed up once and then decided to make the rest match, you pick which one you think it was) and I used some of her voice by writing the words as she says them, not as they are spelled.  I added some hearts with an Ali Edwards stamp and a little paint, and then a few paper strips and wood veneer hearts. Done!

We are packing our things to go camping this weekend.  We haven't been all year, but the weather is going to be so great this weekend we cannot resist!  Have a great weekend!  Hope you find a little scrappy time, and hope you join us at Scrap Your Story!

:: firsts ::

So many "firsts" this past week :

• first hair cut
• first time registering for school (4-year old preschool)
• first time school shopping

These are all significant things. They are each a step that deepens my understanding that my baby is no longer a baby, or even a toddler (as if I couldn't tell from the outgrown shoes, long legs and thinning face).  She is a Little Girl! I have to admit that I am sad about it. But, I have to be happy about it. Have to! Every stage is just that, a new stage to experience and enjoy.  Before I know it she will be tying her own shoes (won't that be nice?), reading books (magic), and eventually we will have the same shoe size!  I realize, of course, that the shoe thing is a long way off, but I also know from raising my older daughter that this 'long way off', comes so unbelievably quickly (and how awesome it will be to have twice as many shoes)!

Over the next couple of weeks we will have a "home visit" with her teacher, attend open house, and she will go to school for the first time. She will have a teacher named Miss Amy, and she will continue to become more and more independent. And I will embrace it, be proud of her, and  never let her know I'm quietly grieving the passing of that baby stage. I only want her to see me be excited with her.

Because, after all, it is magically exciting.