Valentine's Day Cards

I made the kids' Valentine's Day cards entirely out of my scrap stash. Gotta love that!!

I trimmed the scraps down to 3x4 and adhered these white hearts onto them (these hearts were left over from my wedding favors...yes, that was back in 2000, yes I am a pack rat, but look! - these DID find another purpose, so I'm glad I saved them, at least my pack rattedness is organized.)

First, I did Owen's class using the red & pink family of scraps (right column).

Then I did Liam's class using the blue & green family of scraps (middle column).

Then my 13 year old daughter, who won't even be having a Valentine's Day party at school, said "Ooohhh, those are so cute! I want some to give to my friends! Will you make me some?!?" So, I made her about a dozen of them in the purple/orange/pink/red family. Basically, all the left overs (left column).

This project was SO quick and easy, and budget friendly to boot!!

Challenge 3b - 3Siblings

Finished with Challenge 3b! YAY! At this rate, I'm going to have more than a hundred layouts done by the end of the year. WOW!

Again, I adjusted the 8.5x11 inspiration layout to a 12x12. Typically, unless I'm working on a specific project or album, I do all 12x12.

3Siblings:

Some observations about the process and the products used:

1. I scanned this photo and increased it to 8x10. I wish I would have made it a 5x7, because the layout ended up feeling a little bottom heavy to me, and I didn't have room to journal everything I wanted to.
2. To try and balance the apple bottom layout, I added riboon scraps to the top left of the photo.
3. Check out my yellow and brown striped pants in this photo. Hot.
4. The jacket my brother is wearing was one of my favorites as a kid. I'm not sure if we each had the same jacket or if I "borrowed" it from him. But I remember wearing this jacket a lot. I wish my mom would have saved that jacket.
5. Our ages in this photo - Shawn - 6, Jeremy - 4, Me - 3 1/2.

Ready for Challenge 4!! :)

Challenge 3a - 11

Done with ScRap SiStaZ Challenge 3a!!

In case I haven't mentioned it before, I'm so glad Tina started this group. It really keeps me motivated...AND Scrapping!

Another one of Jordyn's birthday layouts done. Yay! Three down, Ten to go!!

11 - Double:

11 - Left:

11 - Right:
Some observations about the process and the products used:

1. I used Picasa to create the photo collage on the right (including the text ON the photos). One of my favorite bloggers, Ashley Gailey, wrote a post about how easy it was to create photo collages using Picasa. For a frame of reference, she also knows how to use Photoshop, so if she can learn that, she can learn ANYTHING. That should have been my first clue that it wasn't as easy as a "click of a button". But, I did finally end up with my desired result (after much cursing) and I will probably use Picasa again. Besides, it's free.
2. The patterned papers are from Stampin Up! (plug! for Stacey) It's called Outlaw, which goes to show you that you can use "boy" paper for a girl's layout.
3. Plus, I girlied up the "boy" paper with Colorbok's self adhesive metal dots. Gotta have a bit of bling. I also put one on the tab on the right to bring the two pages together.
4. Clearly the inspiration layout is 8 1/2 x 11. However, I did 12x12 because that's the size of the kids' birthday books. The collage on my layout is 8 1/2 x 11, but it doesn't take up the entire right side of the layout like the inspiration. But I think I was able to make it work on the 12x12 by balancing it with a strip of cardstock (ripped to match the ripped cardstock on the left side).
5. Here is a perfect example of how I should have used the Cricut to create the title "11". But no, I was too lazy. So, I free hand cut the two ones from the SU! patterned paper.
6. It's amazing to me about how few details I can recall from an event that happend just two years ago. I am going to try and be a much more current scrapper going forward.

My Toothless Grin

These ScRaP SiStaZ challenges have me so motivated that all I want to do is scrap, scrap, scrap!! I put this layout together just for fun.



My Toothless Grin



Some observations about the process and the products used:

1. This page was made from a 2 page "kit" (My Boy by Rembrandt). I'm not sure where I got the kit, but it's been in my stash for a loooong time. I'm quite certain the "kit" was in some 90% off sale bin with an original price of a dollar.
2. None of the "brads" on this page are real....those were all part of the patterned paper made to LOOK like brads.
3. I converted the photo to black and white before printing it because I didn't realize Liam had such a dirty face when I took the picture (crusty boogers and all). The b&w is much more forgiving (although not entirely).
4. I kind of feel like I should add something more to this page, but I'm not sure what. And I captured the memory which is the important part.

Anxiously awaiting Challenge 3! :)

Challenge 2b - Forty Fotos

This layout was a SNAP to do and super current (pictures taken yesterday!)

It's not exactly like the Challenge 2b layout, but I copied the general idea of having a row of photos on the top and a row of photos on the bottom with the journaling & the title in the middle.

Forty Fotos:

Some comments / observations about the process & products used in this layout...

1. Title and One of a Kind sticker are from Polar Bear Press Rustic Retreat stickers.
2. Patterned paper is from DCWV Old World Stack
3. Usually, before I print my photos for a layout, I edit them on the computer....cropping, auto brightness, etc. I DID NOT DO THAT on this layout. These are 4 year old Owen's pictures EXACTLY as he took them.
4. After completing this layout, Owen looked at it and said "But I took two pictures of myself (which he did). Where's the other one?" He's just too smart for me.
5. The glowing orb of a photo in the lower right corner of the layout is Owen's attempt to take a picture of his finger with the Spiderman band aid on it.

Challenge 1b - Dear Kev

OK, yes, I should be in bed right now. But, it's not as late as I stayed up last night AND tonight I actually started and finished my layout in the same evening (unlike last night). Unfortunately, I didn't start this layout until 10:20 pm, since I first had to finish the layout that I started LAST night. Mamma Mia!


I just really wanted to do the ScRaP SiStaZ Challenge 1b. So here it is...


Dear Kev - Single Layout

Some observations about the creative process and the products used:

1. This is the very first photo that I have ever scrapped of our wedding.
2. This layout came together really really quickly. The longest part was typing the journaling.
3. Cutting a scalloped border when you're stone cold sober is just as challenging, if not more so, as cutting a scalloped border when you're 3 sheets to the wind...or at least 3 glasses of wine to the wind. Might need to look into some scallop border punches.
4. Stampin' Up! (plug for Stacey) has the.best.rubons.ever. Ever. The florally scrolly stuff down the left side of the journaling block is a SU! rubon as is the You Make Me Happy in the lower right corner of the photo. They just rub on so easily. They're grrrrreat!
5. KEV is spelled using atd self adhesive acrylic alphas.
6. Patterned papers are from DCWV black & white stack.
7. When you go through your stash, you can find things that fit perfectly on your page (like those rubons). And when you find something that fits perfectly, it's almost like Christmas. Such a gift.
8. Kev really does make me happy.

Challenge 2a - Champions On Ice

This whole ScRaP SiStaZ thing has me so motivated to scrap! scrap! scrap! Granted, it's only week two, so the motivation may run out at some point. But for now, I am LOVING it!!



For Challenge 2a, I had wanted to scrapbook Liam's 5th birthday party at the Tigers game, but I could not find the photos due to my big jumble-y mess of a photo storage system pre-2006. So, I scrapped a more recent topic, instead. Kev, Jordyn, & Liam ice skating on our lake earlier this month. How CURRENT of me!!

I gave Liam two choices for the title:

• Hillarys on Ice
• Champions on Ice

He chose Champions.

Champions on Ice - Double Layout

Champions on Ice - Left side of layout

Champions on Ice - Ride side of layout

I liked scrapping this topic, because I was able to use the same colors as the inspiration layout, so it took the guesswork out for me. If you'll notice, I used the exact same CTMH (plug! for Kim) light blue snowflake patterned paper as the inspiration layout (didn't realize that until I had made my decision on what papers to use).

Other products I used:

• Snowflake brads (Recollection) bought at Michael's specifically for this project...go to Michael's to exchange a broken paper punch, come out $27 later. Oy!
• Vellum snowflake stickers adhered to the photos themselves (also bought specifically for this project)
• Marvy 2" square punch (exchanged the broken one at Michael's for one that works!)
• Amy's cast off dark blue snow flake patterned paper
• Ice Skates die cut / thingy's (Jolee's) - I already had these on hand, imagine that! Amazing what you can find in your stash if you just LOOK!

So excited to do Challenges 1b & 2b!!

One Big Jumble-y Mess

So, my big goal for this year's "scrapbook more" resolution is to create a birthday book for each of the kids by 4/25 (Owen's 5th birthday).

Then, every year when their birthday rolls around, I'll add another birthday lay out to the album.


This goal sounds easy enough....if I could just find photos from each of their birthdays!!

Most of 2006, all of 2006, and all of 2008 are good to go. Organized like a champ.

The first half of 2006 and before?!? UGH....NOOOOO rhyme or reason whatsoever to the photo organization....er, should I say DISorganization?!? No common naming convention, no logical folder structure. Just one big jumble-y mess of pictures.

Imagine a shoebox filled with random photos....stacks of shoe boxes, filled with random photos. That's precisely where I'm at except that the shoe boxes are digital.

And, not only are they digital but they are on our home PC which is an unreliable, slow, dinosaur of a machine that already crashed on us once (that we paid $500 to fix so I could get my pictures off of it). Only, I never got my pictures OFF of it, they're still on there.

I'm going to need to spend a good 60-80 hours getting them organized. And getting organized is KEY to speedy scrapping.

It's a necessary evil, but I've gotta do it.

I already started last night by backing up everything to CDs. I already made 5 discs and have many more to go. Then, I'm going to copy the pictures from my CDs to our external hard drive. Why, you ask, don't I just back things up directly from the dinosaur to the external hard drive? Good question. Good answer...the dinosaur does not have a high speed USB port to which I can connect the external hard drive. That would be too easy.

So, instead of scrapping another birthday last night, I scrapped some ice skating pictures taken earlier this month (and organized beautifully).

Don't even get me started on the pre-2002 non-digital pictures! Oy. Vay.

Challenge 1a - Owen turns One!

So, I finally replaced the magenta cartridge and was able to print the pictures that I had originally wanted to use for the first challenge (but wasn't able to). I changed it up a bit by using a block of wallets in an 8.5 x 11 area on the right side of the spread.

This is actually a double page layout with an additional single page layout for a third page.

It's going in Owen's birthday album. Birthdays 1, 3, & 4 complete. Need to do #2 and his album is DONE!! Until 4/25, anyway!

Owen turns One - Double Lay Out


Owen turns One - Left side of Double Lay Out:

Owen turns One - Right side of Double Lay Out:

How to Eat Cake - Single Lay Out:

As I was putting the Double Page Lay Out together, I had everything complete except for the title. I was agonizing over how to do it, what it should say, what I should use for it, etc. when Jordyn came into my office.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"I'm just not loving this lay out." I replied.

"Hmm, well it looks ok, but I'd change the background paper. That doesn't really go," was her unsolicited advice.

"Uh, thanks, but no thanks. Besides the fact that I didn't ask you for an opinion, the background paper is already glued down, thankyouverymuch. Don't you have someone you need to go text?"

TEENAGERS!

So, I still want to do Challenge 1b, and of course I will move on to Challenge 2 as soon as possible.

Let's just hope I don't run out of Cyan in the process!

The End of the Beginning

As if I wasn't sad enough about the effect of today's economic times in my own backyard, it seems my favorite scrapbook magazine is closing its pages. Goodbye Simple.

Challenge 1a - Kevin at his Best

My one and ONLY new year's resolution this year was to scrapbook more. And these ScRaP SiStaZ challenges are a perfect way for me to stay good on that goal.

Check out the first challenge here.

My first challenge with this challenge was the Magenta debacle.

My second challenge with this challenge was then trying to print the pictures that I wanted to scrap with AT Meijer (for Owen's 1st birthday). I wanted to do a combo of 4x6 and wallets, but at Meijer, when you print wallets, you have to get two wallets of the same photo. Uh, uh. No thanks. I'll wait for Magenta to come back in stock.

My third challenge with this challenge was trying to find photos that I already had around the house so that I could scrap a different project than what I had intended (I am NOT a mass photo printer in advance kind of girl. Unless I have a project to do, my photos do NOT get printed).

The photos that I found were not from an "event", but I made them work. They were left over photos that I had printed for a Father's Day project last year.

So here it is...."Kevin at his Best"

Now, I'm not as analytical between my layout and the original layout as Mindy (this is scraplifting, after all). And I'm not as carbon copied or obsessive about my layout as Kim (love you Kim!). And I'm really proud of Amy for letting the wrinkled ribbon "go", because it's the memory that counts...not the ribbon.

But, here are some of my observations about completing this challenge.

1. It sucks to not be able to print my own photos.
2. Cutting out a scalloped border after 3-5 glasses of wine is NOT easy.
3. It sucks to not be able to print my journaling and to have to use my own handwriting instead (ESPECIALLY after 4-5 glasses of wine).
4. Scrapbooking with a 4 year old hanging off your left side and a 7 year old hanging off your right side is a pain in the tookus. Note to self - get a lock for the office door.
5. It was REALLY hard for me to take a picture of this layout so that everyone could tell just how totally smoking hot my husband looks in the matted photo (that doggone glare kept flaring up!)

And here are some details about the products I used.

1. The patterned paper is from DCWV's Old World Stack.
2. The alpha stamps are all CTMH (plug! for Kim)... "at his" - Amore Lowercase, "Best" - Delightful Alphabet.
3. I used several Stampin' Up products (plug! for Stacey)... scallop punch (matted behind KEViN chipboard letters), Photo corner punch - I guess both of those are really EK success purchased through Stampin' Up, Chocolate Chip grosgrain ribbon, Chocolate Chip marker and ink pad.
4. Chatterbox Chocolate box letters self adhesive chipboard, but they don't really stick unless I use my ZIG 2 way glue in the blue pen dispenser.

Looking forward to Challenge 2! Or even possibly completing a second layout for Challenge 1!

Oh, Magenta

So, I spent at least an hour tonight editing and choosing the pictures to use in my very first ScRap SiStaZ challenge.

When I went to print them, ONE photo printed instead of five before my Magenta ink cartridge ran out of ink.

Now, I have spare ink cartridges for Black, Cyan, Light Cyan, and even Light Magenta. But no spare Magenta.

So, what do I do at 9:45 pm on a "school night"?

I trek up to Meijer...in the nearly sub zero temperatures...IN MY PAJAMAS!

Guess what one ink cartridge they were OUT of?

Magenta.

2Peas $20

Check it out - Get $20 at 2Peas for uploading projects!! Here's the email they sent me!

It's 2009 - a new year and new projects to create. and guess what? we want to see them! even better? We're going to reward you for showing all of us what you've been creating! How's $20 for the next time you shop here at two peas sound? Pretty good, right? We've listened to the community's feedback and have made uploading your projects easier than ever before. If you haven't tried it yet, here's your chance to get familiar with it! Simply click on the "upload a new project" link in the member gallery drop down menu and aw ay you go!

So here are the details to earn your shopping money...
When you're uploading your NEW never previously uploaded to two peas projects you must make your layouts public. we want to see what you've been up to, remember?

Be sure to give your project a title and tell us about it in a descriptive paragraph. You know - why you did what you did, why you used what you used, who you were inspired by, etc.

Your projects must have at least FIVE tags associated with them - your fellow peas will thank you as it makes searching the gallery so much easier when you use tags!

Your projects must have at least THREE products related to them - others like to see the exact products you've used.

Your projects must NOT have links to other sites - this includes other stores, blogs, etc. if it is a web address, it shouldn't be anywhere when uploading.

About that $20 - after you've uploaded 20 projects to the gallery following these guidelines, you'll receive a $20 store credit to use the next time you shop. so ready, set, upload - let's see those projects!

please note that you can only earn one coupon which must be used prior to 2.28.09 and projects must be uploaded between Thursday, January 8th, 2009 12:00 a.m. and Saturday, January 31st, 2009 11:59 p.m. to receive your coupon.

GanGstA ScrAppA

I can not WAIT to get going on our first ScRap SiStaZ challenge!

First, I need to:

1. Overhaul the Playroom (nothing to do with scrapping, but long overdue)
2. Get my Scrap Space in order (rearrange a couple of drawers, a shelf, a storage bench)
3. Figure out all of the cards I need to send out (thank yous, birthday, anniversary, and get set for ALL of 2009!!)
4. Find my big camera
5. Organize my most recently taken photos
6. Decide what topic(s) I'm going to do for the challenge
7. Find and edit and print the pictures
8. SCRAP

Oy, I might get this challenge done by 2010!

xoxo