LOAD213 - Day 3 - 2 Cars

The prompt for Lain Ehmann's Layout a Day (LOAD213 - Scrap Happier) challenge for Day 3 was to scrap about an object that is important, but often gets overlooked.  I took the picture of both mine and Kevin's cars in the garage late last year.  As I walked by both cars, I remembered thinking about what the presence of both cars in the garage signified for me. 

Journaling reads:

Dad travels so much for work that when he's home we take full advantage! Wrestling, sharing a bottle of wine, dinners out, putting Ash to bed, We <3 him="">

Some observations about the process and products:

1. I used Picasa to create the collage.  Again.
2. I printed the collage twice....once in black and white and then again in color because I didn't love the black and white.  But then the color photo didn't look great because the ink levels were low.  So, I cut out the color photo of the cars, popped those up on dots, and left the rest of the photos black and white.
3. Strips of red washi tape hold the journaling strip in place.
4. I put the red sticker on the photo of the cars to draw your attention to the main object of the page.

LOAD213 - Day 2 - Recipe for a Perfect Day

The prompt for Lain Ehmann's Layout a Day (LOAD213 - Scrap Happier) challenge for Day 2 was to describe your perfect day.  I took this from Kevin's perspective.

Journaling reads:

Sunshine
The Lake
Fishing Boat
Fishing Tackle
Plenty of Bait
Trolling
Catching Fish
Letting Them Go
Brothers Getting Along
Dad Relaxing
Labatt Blue Light
Sunscreen
Homemade Muscle Shirt
Favorite Fishing Hat
No Meetings
No Clocks
No Worries
Making Memories

Some observations about the process and products:

1. I used Picasa to type directly onto the photo.
2. I meant to select 8x10 as the size of my photo, but it printed across the entire 8.5x11 page, and I liked the effect.  A good oops.  Or, a "goops" for short!
3. I wanted the impression of fishing line across the bottom.  I considered using actual fishing line, but that means I would have had to go out into the cold shed to find some, and I was too lazy to do that.

LOAD1012 - Day 1 - And She Was!

The prompt for Lain Ehmann's Layout a Day (LOAD1012 - S.H.O. Time) challenge for Day 1: What song would play when they announce your name at an Awards show?
The song that instantly popped into my head was Dancing Queen by Abba, but I don't have any recent pictures of me dancing (not professionally, anyway, although I'm sure I have some pictures of me dancing just for S's & G's).
So, I decided to scrap an event and I chose a song that, for me, epitomizes the celebration of St. Patrick's Day.
The name of the song is Black Velvet Band. And, if you've ever been to an Irish Pub, you know that it's customary to sing along with the chorus and, even though I don't think it's an official lyric in the song, there is a certain point where you raise your pint and emphatically sing-slash-yell: "AND SHE WAS!"

Journaling Reads:

March 16, 2012 marked the second annual St. Patrick’s Eve and Corned Beef & Cabbage party at Greene Acres. When I think of St. Patrick’s Day, I think of this song, especially the chorus, and I smile:

"Her eyes, they shone like the diamonds. You’d think she was queen of the land.

AND SHE WAS!

And her hair hung over her shoulder. Tied up with a black velvet band."

There were some new families that attended this year who were a fabulous addition to the mix. I’m so lucky to call these wonderful lasses my dear friends.

Some observations about the process and products:

1. Dios Mio!  Will I EVER be able to scrap a page in a half hour?!?  More like three hours on this one.  Sigh.
2. I might not be able to scrap in little time, but I can scrap with little product: 1 sheet green cardstock, 1 sheet white cardstock, printer paper, shamrock stamp, Stampin' Up ink pad, chipboard letters.  Minimalism.
3. PICASA - Use it a ton.  I love a good collage.  I love text on photos.  I love free.  Enough said.
4. I had to use restraint when stamping my shamrocks...I was tempted to stamp shamrocks all the way across the bottom and all the way across the top.  Case in point  that Less is More.
5. I think I smiled the entire time whilst making this page.  This party makes me smile.  These people make me smile.  That song makes me smile.  The food makes me smile.  This memory makes me smile.  Reason number 5,672 that I scrapbook.

Kev's Father's Day Mini Album Card

Lest ye think I've spent my entire summer neglecting my papercrafting love, I made this mini-album/card for Kevin for Father's day back in June. It was actually a project that I made at my SU! Stamp Camp, that I turned into a Father's day album. The colors don't show up very well in the photos, so let me just say that I turned all the pictures to sepia. And the album papers/cardstock/ink colors are purple and a mossy green.

This is an aerial view of the mini album. It was quite involved with all of those flippy flaps, but pretty cool.

Front:

Inside:

Jordyn's Note to Kev:

My Note to Kev:

Symmetrical Inner View:

Liam's Note to Kev:

Owen's Note to Kev:

The very inner inside of the album / card:

Challenge 15b - in your ELEMENT

I'm a scrapping fool today. Catching up on some challenges on this gorgeous rainy day. ScRap SiStaz Challenge 15b - Feelings.

in your ELEMENT:

Some observations about the process and the products used

1. Please tell me that I am not the only who drops F bombs whilst scrapping.


2. This layout induced multiple F bombs to be dropped in my scrap room at various decibal levels.


3. I've decided that, I like Simple Scrapbooking, and this layout was not simple. Which is strange considering that it only has one photo. Hmm.


4. Kevin saw this layout and said, "You didn't even show what I caught? Well, it was a big one." Jackal.


5. I used SEVERAL mega meet weekend products on this layout - flexible ruler (for the first time!), scallop punch, chipboard swirls, and the Heidi Swapp date stamp.


6. You might have noticed that I used the same SU! patterned papers as I did in this layout earlier today. Since these will be going in different books, I thought it was wise to keep going with the same papers rather than stash them in my scrap container, never to be used again.


7. Is there more rain in the forecast?

EDITED:
I had to fix some things on this layout. I added who this is a picture of and where he is in the last line of my journaling, I added the "27" in the date stamp, I added a little scallop punch on the picture which says "It was a BIG bass!" and I inked the blue swirls so they weren't so shocking. Here is the updated version:Inspiration Layout:

Challenge 13b - Kev's fishing fishing fishing HAT

Another ScRap SiStaZ challenge down, four more to go!! (Until Tina posts the next one, that is!!)

Kev's fishing fishing fishing HAT:

Observations about the process and the products used:

1. I used the same Chatterbox kit that I used in Challenge 11a.
2. Totally loved using the Cricut on this challenge! I used the Printing 101 cartridge for both HAT and fishing fishing fishing. I even saved the negative from fishing fishing fishing to use on another page since we have such a big fishing family!!
3. The journaling's a little cheesy, but you know me and my journaling fixation!! :)
4. I can't wait for lazy summer afternoons and evenings like this to get here. Out on the paddle boat with my man and a glass of vino with the kiddos on the back of the boat, watching the sunset. AAAAaaaahhhh....Bliss.

Inspiration Layout:

Challenge 7a - flippin' the BIRD

HOLY CRAP! I SCRAPPED!

It's been almost a month since I scrapped and posted a layout. WAAAAAY too long!!

Although I had already completed ScRap SiStaZ Challenge 7 (7b - You Rock), I went ahead and did 7a because this layout seemed best suited to the subject I had in mind.

I still need to catch up on Challenges 8, 9, & 10. Hopefully I can get going on some of those soon!!

I certainly won't wait another MONTH to scrap again!!

flippin' the BIRD - double:

flippin' the BIRD - left:

flippin' the BIRD - right:

Some observations about the process and the products used:

1. I wanted to use some cute bird paper, but I didn't have any. So, I downloaded this free bird & branch paper piecing template. What an ECONOMICAL way to embellish!
2. Patterned paper & Chipboard alphas & leaves are from an enormous kit I bought from Lisa B on QVC a couple years ago. It was fun to use a set that already coordinated.
3. I flipped the direction of the inspiration layout so that the wallets are horizontal instead of vertical and put the title along the bottom instead of along the side.
4. I replaced the paper pieced pumpkin with a photo and included a journaling block and paper pieced bird & branch.
5. Scrapbooking is WAAAAAAY more fun than Spring Cleaning.
6. Speaking of birds, a bird just slammed into my office window. I hope he's OK.

Challenge 7a Inspiration Layout:

Challenge 4b - Baseball Boys

I completed the ScRap SiStaZ Challenge 4b layout on Monday when I had the day off for President's Day. What a great way to spend a day off!




Baseball Boys:

Some observations about the process and the products used:

1. This will go in Liam's birthday album (slowly but surely, I'll finish those albums!!)
2. This will represent his SIXTH birthday, not his 7th birthday. When I printed the journaling, I put that it was on his 7th birthday. I finished the page (completely) and re-read the journaling and realized that in 2007 he turned SIX not SEVEN. So, rather than tear the page apart and start over (hail, no!), I covered up "7th" with an orange paper strip on which I wrote "sixth". Nice.
3. The photos were taken outside of my parents house before Kev & the boys headed down to the game.
4. I used two photos across the bottom instead of three (making the layout work for me), and I liked the rick rack ON TOP of the photos, since you couldn't really revel in all of its rick-racky glory when I put it UNDER the photos.
5. This layout was VERY easy to put together (except it was a little time consuming typing the half circle journaling getting everything to line up just so...maybe there's an easier way to do it, but I haven't figured that out yet). And it turned out pretty well, imo, while using very few products:

• 3 colors of cardstock (1 12x12, 1 8.5x11, and a couple of orange scraps <<>
• 1 small piece of patterned paper
• stickers (baseballs & Tigers tickets)
• blue letter stickers
• "Baseball" vellum
• orange rick rack
• for the dots around the half circle I used my white gel pen and followed a template with lots of circles and cut out dots to guide me. I heart my white gel pen. Seriously heart.

And by the way, Kim, I use the clear ruler that you gave me on every single layout. Every.single.one. Thanks SO much. Again.

Go Get 'Em, TIGERS!
(Is it April 10th, yet?)

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!!

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!