:: project life : just start ::

Are you a "Project Lifer" or a collector of cards? Do you continue to purchase core kits and collect subscriptions, but have little or nothing documented?  I hope this post helps you!!!

I am so lucky to be a part of several Facebook groups, and other online communities that are full of inspiration and helpful hints about Project Life, Pocket Scrapbooking, Life Books, or whatever you want to call this wonderful adventure! I have developed quite a few virtual friendships through this amazing thing called the internet! I consider myself very fortunate to also have several IRL friends that choose to document their family's lives in this same fashion! You know who you are (Theresa, Bridget, Kirsten, to name a few)! All of us do this thing we call Project Life a little differently, and we are all at different places in our PL journey, but we do have one thing in common: We started.

:: just start ::

One of the things that has come up time and time again by "newbies" on various forums is that whole thing about getting started.  "I have all these cards, but I have yet to start" is a common theme! I scream into my computer ---- WHY??  :-)  I do that with a smile, of course.  I want you to do it. I want you to try it out. I want to help if I can. So this post is born.

2013 :: week 1

When I started (January 2013), I purchased one kit (Seafoam), one binder, and a variety pack of page protectors. I was just coming off "December Daily", in fact, DD is part of why I started. I LOVE documenting the everyday. I'm pretty certain that I have almost no completed LOs about birthdays, first haircuts, Christmas, etc. The everyday is what inspires me. I learned that about myself as I worked on my DD.  My favorite parts were those everyday moments that I captured. So, to me, that's what Project Life is all about, documenting our everyday lives so that I can remember everything. My journey to PL, and my reasons why go a bit deeper than that, and I plan to give that it's own post soon!

2013 :: week 3

I admit: I wasn't all that happy with my first few weeks of PL.  I loved the journey, (mostly) enjoyed the process, but I didn't really find the actual final product all that awesome. I mean, when I would look at everyone else's PL spreads, and compare them to mine (something I do not recommend), I didn't like mine. They were just OK. To be honest, looking back, it's mostly because I just hadn't found my style yet.  There are still weeks that I like better than others, always.

Do your scrapbooking LOs look the same now as they did when you first began?  I would be surprised if they did. Mine certainly do not! And neither do my PL spreads. And that's OK.

You know what else is OK? I didn't "finish" 2013. I've written about this before, I know, but I'm going to say it again. I documented more of our lives last year than I ever have. That's my focus. That's my goal. That's my reason. Something I could look at as a failure, (incompletion), is not. It is truly a success (and this really has nothing to do with a 1/2 full or empty glass, trust me, it's all about my reason). It's not like I just stopped or anything, I just missed some weeks.  A bunch even. But it's ok.

I was afraid to start PL, even though I knew I wanted to.  I was afraid to start because of time, mostly. I was afraid that I wouldn't be able to "keep up", and even more afraid that I would no longer do traditional layouts. This might not be a fear for you. Maybe you aren't a scrapbooker, or maybe you want PL to replace traditional LOs. That was not the case for me. I love trying new things and that feeling of getting my crafty on, which I find myself doing more of when I'm doing traditional layouts than when I am work on my weekly spreads for PL.  Guess what?  I also did more traditional LOs last year than I have ever done in a year. Not only did PL not make me stop doing traditional LOs, it actually inspired me to do more. Awesome.

Are you on the fence about Project Life? Are you tired of being a card collector?  ;-) I hope that this post, and the posts that I have coming up, help inspire you to just do it. My advice is to not look back.  Start with today, or this week. Move forward. If you want to "catch up" later, fine. If not, fine.  For now just start.

Thanks for stopping by!  Look for another post tomorrow with helpful hints about starting this project.

:: make pretty things ::

I love it when things just work! That often happens when I start with a good sketch or when I start with inspiring papers. Today I was lucky enough to have both!

This LO is based on a sketch that I got from this fun community that I am a part of called Scrap Happy!

For this layout I used squares from the 6x6 paper pad by Amy Tangerine; her Plus One collection. I purchased the paper pad and quite a few 12x12 papers also part of the Plus One collection from Paper Issues.  I added some washi from my stash and the enamel dots are some that I made with perler beads.

I used my Silhouette Cameo to cute the title out of black card stock (Bebas font). I also use my Cameo for "pretty" -- this was a file by Loni Stevens that I downloaded from the Silhouette store. I decided to use the reverse image for "things". I used my gelatos, scrap of white card stock, and a water pen for the background of "things". I wanted to mimic the water color look in so many of the Amy Tangerine papers!

I used my Cameo to cut out these two tags as well.  One tag is just orange paper for my journaling, the other tag was cut from another piece of the 6x6 Plus One paper pad.  The original is b&w, so I added a little bit of color with a yellow gelato and water pen. I used the same papers and technique for the arrow that points to the word "Make" (I cut the arrow with my Cameo, too, using this file.

I love that I got this little "short" story in the books.  I extra love when Bea decides that she would like to make stuff like Mommy.

I am gearing up for LayOut A Day in May (LOAD514). So exciting! I've talked about LOAD in several previous posts, and shared some of the layouts that I have made. Are you interested in joining me for LOAD in May?  It's not too late to sign up!   Click here to view more details about LOAD514 and how to sign up.

Thanks for stopping by!

:: stitched : the dark knight ::

I am currently taking an online class through Studio Calico called "Stitched".  If you follow my blog much you probably already know that I love stitching on my layouts! You may also know that I purchased my sewing machine just for scrapbooking, meaning, I do not sew! It was quite the fiasco the first time I tried to thread my so-called self-threading machine. 

I thought I might just benefit from taking a class specifically about stitching on layouts. As always, this class is fun and I have gotten quite a few ideas from it. For this layout, I used both hand stitching and machine stitching.

The circles are a cut file that came with the class (one of the things I always love about classes are the "free" things that come with it like printables or cut files)! I cut it with the Silhouette Cameo and then found various patterned papers to back several of the circles. I also used Gelatos and a water brush to paint a few of the circles, stars, and wood veneer pieces.

I used this Ali Edwards (technique tuesday) stamp set to stamp a few sentiments. (I love her stuff. Always.)

FInally, I journaled around the outside of the layout as a border. I love how this one turned out!

Thanks for stopping by!