My Scrapbook Philosophy Part 2

Hello, and welcome back! Today I'm going to share a mini-album I made using pictures from a cruise I took back in 2011. I'm also going to share my scrapbook philosophy part 2. One of the things I like to do for some of my vacations or special trips is to make a mini-album.

Here is what I like about it:

• I can prepare it ahead of time, at least partially, so I have an idea how many and what general sizes or orientation of the pictures I will need.
• I save my tickets, tags and other ephemera from the trip, and add them into the pages with the pictures later. I brought an envelope with me to store these items in.
• It's a smaller project with a definite start and end, so I have a sense of accomplishment when I complete it.
• It gives me a chance to try a different size and even a more dimensional format for scrapbooking.
• Usually I choose this option if I am just making an album for myself. If I want to make a vacation album with copies for my family or I don't want to include the emphemera from my trip, then I'll go with a digital book. I'll share one of those later this week!
• I still make additional 12x12 scrapbook pages about different parts of my vacations or trips, but they are focused on one place or thing. In the mini album I show the overall experience.

So, on to the pictures. The suitcase shaped chipboard album is from Stampin' Up!, but was retired awhile back. I also cut some additional patterned paper pages to put in between each chipboard page so I could include more photos and such. I painted each chipboard piece with pink, green, red, vanilla or light blue acrylic paint.

I used the stamp set Sentimental Journey, a retired set from Stampin' Up! I also used the Simple Serif Mini Alphabet, Puns from the Past and their Tag Alphabet.

The papers, ribbons and other small embellishments were from the Making Memories Passport line.

I cut pockets, tickets and a few other shapes using my Silhouette from the patterned papers.

I used some international themed dies also from Quickutz.

I focused one chipboard page and one paper page on each day and each place on the cruise. This one was to the British Isles. I highly recommend this type of trip if you ever have the chance to go.

On the post card or note shaped pieces, I journaled about our activities for that day. I had written all of this down on the trip. This Tag Alphabet is great for titles, and fits right in with the banner trend that is still going strong.

 

I diecut diamonds, folded them in half, stamped them with the mini alphabet stamps and adhered them over twine. I really like using these different banners as titles.

I staped twine to the little pieces in the envelope, so they would be easy to pull out.

 

 

 

 

I even included a couple of pages about the boat itself. This was my first cruise, so being on a boat that large was fun and a novelty in itself.

 

 

 

Well, that is all for today. I have a digital album to share this week as well as a few 12x12 traditional pages. So, do you make mini albums? Do you keep tickets and trinkets from your trips? What do you do with them after the trip? Thanks for stopping by.

My Scrapbook Philosophy Part 1 or I Flunked Project Life!

Hello, and welcome back! Today I am going to start a short series of posts about my scrapbook philosophy. I have lots of pictures and words to share, but I'm going to break it up into sections that I will share throughout the week. Even so, I think they will be long posts! So, grab a cold drink and let's get started.

I have been scrapbooking for many years now...I think 15 or even approaching 20! (But, I'm not going to tell you how old I was when I started.) Even after all of this time, I still love the process. I enjoy taking pictures, and have learned how to make some simple edits so that I am happy with the printed photos. About two weeks ago, I helped a friend with 3 small children start her scrapbooking journey. It made me reflect on why I continue to do this hobby. For me, I like the creativity involved in making pages, looking through my photos, deciding what story to tell and completing the pages and albums. It's the creative expression that keeps me coming back for more.

I make traditional 12x12 scrapbook pages, mini albums, Project Life / pocket pages and even digital scrapbook pages and albums. At different times I had decided to try and use only one or two of these approaches, but now that I have been reflecting more I believe I will continue on with a little bit of each of these styles of scrapbooking. At the beginning of 2012, I tried to start a second year of Project Life, where I took a picture a day, and made a pocket page spread for every week. Here is what worked and didn't work for me in that process.

I liked:

• Focusing more on the little every details of my life. These are easy to miss if you only make pages about holidays, events and vacations.
• Including things like cards from restaurants, concert tickets, etc.
• Including every day pictures of friends, work and other smaller events that I mostly now capture with my phone's camera.

What I didn't like:

• Having to take a photo everyday, and inclulding hand-written journaling everyday.
• Having to make a two page spread for every week.
• Having to go in chronological order.
• Feeling like I was getting behind.
• Trying to fit the pieces of ephemera into one of the pockets.
• Trying to decide whether to journal about my photo, or the ephemera or finding room for both.
• Trying to match days for all of the elements.

In the end, all of the above decisions just bogged me down and I gave up continuing on with the album. Then, I read this post by Jennifer Wilson, and the lightbulb went on. I have read Stacy Julian's book Photo Freedom before and have taken her corresponding classes on the Library of Memories system, and this is the overall approach I have chosen. So, I loved Jennifer's post about removing the chronological part of Project Life, and blending the two. This is what is working for me. I'm just adding pocket pages into my larger albums for All About Us, People, Places and Things.

So, it must be time for some photos! I'm going to share my pocket pages from December 2012 and some of the details of creating them. I used whatever vertical pictures I had for the month to fill out this page. Also, for my titles I chose the same font to add to my pictures whether I edited them on my computer on on one of my cell phone apps.

 

Some of the Stampin' Up products I used are retired now, but you'll get the idea. I cut up part of Snowflake Season Simply Scrappin’ Layout Kit for the title 12x6 slot for the month. And, even though it says December Daily, I don't have a picture for every day.

 

For the cards, tickets and tags I wanted to include for the month, I attached them to another piece of 12x6 cardstock with washi tape "smashbook" or "This and That" style. I had more vertical pictures, so the next page holds 12 4x6 photos or cards.

 

A close-up of my ephemera for the month attached with washi tape.

 

I diecut the Merry frame from My Digital Studio download with my Silhouette e-cutter. I also used some Textured Impressions Embossing Folders and our Core'dinations Cardstock to finish out this card.

 

More vertical photos, pieces from the Simply Scrappin kit and dry embossed pieces on the left page. The right page I switched to horizontal photos and a 6x12 journaling space.

 

 

 

Here I journaled about our family Christmas Dinner and the gifts I received.

 

For my regular or "daily" journaling, I made entries into an iPhone app called Memento. Then, I exported this content and printed it out onto a 6x12 piece of cardstock and added it to the left page. The next page is all horizontal 6x4 photos started on the right side.

 

The reindeer is from a My Digital Studio download, cut with my Silhouette ecutter. The other pieces are from the Simply Scrappin' kit.

 

The sentiment is part of another MDS download cut with the Silhouette, paper from the scrappin kit, a scrap of Silver Glimmer Paper and some rhinestones.

 

More horizontal pictures on the left, and then the start of 4x4 Instagram photos on the right.

 

The snowflakes are from the Simply Scrappin' kit, and I colored the woodgrain pattern from the Natural Composition Specialty Designer Series Paper with Whisper White Craft Ink. On the bottom left, I included an index print of all of the creative projects that I made for the month. I love having a record of my creative endevors for the month to glance at.

 

Another glimmer snowflake and white woodgrain combo.

 

The sentiment is another MDS download cut with my Silhouette, on cardstock from the scrappin kit with Washi tape at the top and bottom. This was before Stampin' Up sold Washi tape, so this set is by Teresa Collins.

 

Some more Instagram 4x4 photos. I also used the Phonto iPhone app to add the text dates. My other apps used are Pic-Tap-Go for general edits and cropping, and Diptic for making photo collages. The font I used was Ostrich Sans Bold which is a free font. I print most of my photos at home. Even though Stampin' Up doesn't carry these page protectors now, you can find the same pages from We R Memory Keepers. Here is the set I used (the second 12x12 ring multi-pack).

 

Whew! That is all for today. All of these pages will live in my "All About Us" album since they are about my everyday experiences in December. So, have you tried Project Life or pocket page scrapbooking? What did you think? I'll have a mini album that features a vacation cruise to share with you tomorrow. Thanks for stopping by!

Challenge - Freshly Made Sketches #100

Hello, and welcome back! One more post for me today. I'm playing along with one more challenge today. Freshly Made Sketches is celebrating their 100th challenge, and getting back to their roots by posting their very first sketch as the inspiration for this challenge.

Here is the sketch.

 

And here is my card! I started out by selecting a few unused items that had been living on my craft table for a few weeks. I embossed Watercolor Paper with the Honeycomb Textured Impressions Embossing Folder. (You can check out other ideas for using Watercolor Paper here.) I spritzed it with a mixture of Calypso Coral ink and rubbing alcohol. I also lightly sponged the top with Crumb Cake ink. I also had a piece of the hexagon print from the Epic Day This and That Designer Series Paper, and a piece of the ledger print. And, lastly I had an extra feather shape from  the My Digital Studio Feathered Woodcuts Kit - Digital Download and my Silhouette Ecutter. I sponged this shape with Pool Party ink in the center and Crumb Cake ink around the edges. I just wanted to highlight the word in the center a little more.

 

Here is a closeup of the card front. I adhered the feather with Stampin' Dimensionals, and added a bow of Linen Thread. I also used three Very Vanilla Candy Dots. I am quickly becoming addicted to these Candy Dots! They make everything look good, and are the perfect finishing touch. And, all of these pieces are attached to a rectangle of Crumb Cake Cardstock, which is adhered with Stampin' Dimensionals to a Crumb Cake card base.

 

Whew! Now, that is all for today! I'll be sharing some thoughts on Scrapbooking this coming week. I have been scrapbooking for many years now, and wanted to share what works and doesn't work for me. I'll have some projects to show as well. Thanks for stopping by!

Challenge - Retrosketches #78

Hello, and welcome back! Today I am joining in with one of my favorite sketch blogs, Retro Sketches for their latest Sketch 78. I love this design, and it would be great for scraps. You could even use ribbon for one of the strips.

Here is the inspiration sketch.

 

I started with Strawberry Slush, which I can't seem to get enough of lately. I used the new Color Coach to select my other colors of Rich Razzleberry and Sahara Sand. For the stack in the center, I used Strawberry Slush and Sahara Sand Designer Series Paper patterns and the Sahara Sand Washi Tape from the Epic Day This and That set. I also stamped Gorgeous Grunge onto Strawberry Slush and Rich Razzleberry Cardstock. Lastly I stamped the small flower from Stippled Blossoms first in Rich Razzleberry ink onto Rich Razzleberry Cardstock, and then stamped the detail image over it in Whisper White Craft Ink. I love the way that turned out, and will be trying it again.

 

Here is a closeup of the card front. The diecut "thx" saying and the small label shape are both from the new Circle Card Thinlits Die. You have to check them out! They have a lot of fun pieces in addition to the flip card that they make. I sponged the label edge with Strawberry Slush ink, and mounted it with Stampin' Dimensionals to a Strawberry Slush Cardstock Large Oval punched shape. I added Crumb Cake Taffeta Ribbon, Strawberry Slush dyed Crepe Filter Paper punched with the 7/8" Circle Punch and held together with a Candy Dot Brad Base with a Rhinestone Basic Jewel.

 

Well, that is all for this post for today. I have one more challenge card to post shortly. Thanks for stopping by!

Another Undefined Stamp

Welcome back! I have a card today made with two custom stamps that I carved using the new Undefined kits. Awhile back when I was making cards, I was wishing I had either a grouping of little dots or a stamp with one single dot. So, that's what I made!

 

Here is a close-up of the stamps. I stamped on the wood block with Jet Black Stazon ink for the label before I assembled the stamp.

 

And, here is a close-up of the card. I stamped the grouping of dots multiple times at the top of the panel, once in the center of the panel, and then used the single dot stamp to fill in the bottom of the panel and to give it more movement. The card base is Crisp Cantaloupe Cardstock, and the stamped panel is backed with Strawberry Slush Cardstock. The stamped panel is on Naturals White Cardstock. All four banners are made from Vellum Cardstock. For the colored banners, I used a sponge dauber to color the vellum banner with Strawberry Slush, Pool Party and Crisp Cantaloupe ink. I love the soft color that they have while still being partly opaque. The greeting is from a hostess set called Express Yourself stamped in Jet Black Stazon, and I used a Candy Dots Brad Bases with a Rhinestone Basic Jewel to finish it off.

 

Well, that is all for today. I'll have another couple of cards to share tomorrow for some challenges out there in blog land. And, this week I plan to post some thoughts on scrapbooking as well as some samples. Thanks for stopping by!

Inspired By #1

Hello, and welcome back! I'm getting back to a feature that I've done a few times here on my blog, and I'll be making it a regular feature. I call it "inspired by". I find inspiration everywhere, and I love having Pinterest to organize it all. I really think it's great to push my creativity by using objects that aren't cards or scrapbook layouts to inspire me.

Here is my inspiration piece for today's creations.

I was inspired by the ombre blue to yellow colors, and the chevron pattern. Here is my first card for the day. For the patterned piece, I used the chevron embossing folder, and colored it with 4 different Stampin' Up! markers in Island Indigo, Pool Party, Daffodil Delight and Crushed Curry. Then, I went back in with an Aqua Painter and blended the color in each debossed chevron area. I mounted this whole piece to a Crushed Curry mat. The card base is Island Indigo Cardstock.

 

Here is a close-up of the first card. I added some Island Indigo Baker's Twine, and tied it into a blow. The greeting is from the Hello Lovely stamp set, and I stamped it in Island Indigo onto Crushed Curry Cardstock. I trimmed out the thank you sentiment, and then added more banners under it in Daffodil Delight Cardstock and Pool Party Co'ordination Cardstock. The greeting is adhered with Stampin' Dimensionals.

 

Here is my second creation based on the image above. This time I started with the Positively Chevron background stamp, and colored the stripes again with Stampin' Up! markers in Island Indigo, Pool Party, Daffodil Delight and Crushed Curry. I stamped it onto Whisper White Cardstock cut to 4 1/8" x 5 3/8". I layered it onto a Whisper White card base.

 

To finish off the card, I stamped the greeting in Island Indigo onto Daffodil Delight Cardstock, and the frame in Island Indigo onto Pool Party which is punched with the Decorative Label Punch. The two are adhered together. Then, I adhered the Pool Party Seam Binding Ribbon around the card front, and adhered the greeting with Stampin' Dimensionals. I added to So Saffron buttons as the final touch.

 

Well, that's all for today. What does this piece inspire you to make? Link it up in the comments below; I'd love to see your creation! Thanks for stopping by.

Try It - Watercolor Paper 4

Hello, and welcome back! Today I'm saring the last of my ideas for you to try with Watercolor Paper. I call this technique the Letterpress Look. To get this look, just run a piece of Watercolor Paper through a dry embossing folder. For this card, I chose to use the Alphabet Press Textured Impressions Embossing Folder. Because the Watercolor Paper is thick and has a lot of fiber, it really makes a nice, deep impression when run through the folder.

 

Here is a close-up of the card. I used some Soho Subway Designer Series Paper, Cardstock in Summer Starfruit and Baked Brown Sugar, Hello Lovely and Simply Stars Stamp Sets, some Coaster Board (for the larger star, stamped and cut out), the Off the Grid Stamp Set and Very Vanilla Cardstock for the card base. Ink colors used are Island Indigo, Summer Starfruit and Crumb Cake.

 

For the next sample, I added ink to one side of the embossing folder before I ran it through the Big Shot. I used a brayer to apply Crisp Cantaloupe ink to the raised areas around the letters. The result is that the debossed area is inked, and the embossed area is not! For this particular folder, you have to make sure to ink the correct side or your letters will be backwards! See, you can have the look of letterpress without buying all the separate supplies for it.

 

Here is a close-up of this card front. I used Very Vanilla Cardstock for the card base again, Crisp Cantaloupe, Island Indigo and Summer Starfruit Cardstock, Crisp Cantaloupe, Summer Starfruit and Island Indigo Inks, and the Hello Lovely, Simply Stars and Off the Grid Stamp Sets, and some Coaster Board for the largest star. The small star I punched with a retired punch. I used Stampin' Dimensionals to pop up the stars, the arrow and the greeting.

 

For these cards, I also started with a sketch from Retro Sketches, RS#76. On my cards the dry embossing is more the star of the show, but the stars help too.

I have one more photo to share tonight. For some of the embossing folders, you can ink either the top or the bottom of the folder and you will get the opposite pattern when it is embossed. I used the Modern Mosaic Textured Impressions Embossing Folder to test this out. The folders need to have a symetric pattern that is different on the top and bottom. Others that would work well for this are the Beautifully Baroque Textured Impressions Embossing Folder, the Fancy Fan Textured Impressions Embossing Folder, the Honeycomb Textured Impressions Embossing Folder and the Petals-A-Plenty Textured Impressions Embossing Folder.

 

Well, that is all for today. Please find linked below a Try It -- Watercolor Paper Tip Sheet with each technique listed. I hope you find this to be useful! Please let me know if you have other supplies from Stampin' Up! that you would like to see featured as part of this series. I plan to share this once or twice a month going forward. Thanks for stopping by!

Download Try It - Watercolor Paper.pdf (486.1K)

 

 

Post Try It - Watercolor Paper 3

Hello, and welcome back! Today I'm back with a couple more ideas for using watercolor paper. Two of these projects I have shared before, but they illustrate the featured techniques. So, here they are again! I'll also be sharing one new card today that was published recently.

The first technique I call "classic watercolor". I stamped my image in Jet Black Stazon ink, which is waterproof.Then, I colored it with reinkers and my Aqua Painters. This card was recently published in the Create: Stamping August 2013 issue. You should check it out! A lot of really cute projects are featured in this issue.

The second technique is "emboss resist". First a project that uses a bold image with emboss resist. I stamped the Butterfly Collection Jumbo Stampin' Around Wheel with Versamark ink, and then heat embossed it with Clear Embossing Powder. I watercolored with reinkers and my Aqua Painters for an ombre look. Because the paper has a definite grain and texture to it, the butterfly images have some texture as well instead of being completely solid images. But, you can see that the butterflies resist the ink!

 

Here is another example where I used emboss resist with a line-art image. I stamped the Pleasant Poppies Clear-Mount Stamp Set onto watercolor paper in Versamark and then heat embossed it with White Embossing Powder. Then, I colored in the flowers and stems, as well as added color to the whole image for the grass and sky areas. Again, I used reinkers and Aqua Painters. This example yields similar results to classic watercolor.

 

Well, that is all for today. You'll find the supplies for the first card listed below. Please join me again tomorrow for a new project and one more technique for watercolor paper. Tomorrow I'll also post a PDF file with all of the techniques listed together for you to download and keep on hand! Thanks for stopping by!

 

SUPPLIES (FOR FIRST CARD):

Stamps: Life Shared Wood-Mount Stamp (Stampin' Up!)

Ink: Stazon Black; Riding Hood Red, Wild Wasabi, Real Red, Pool Party, So Saffron (Stampin' Up!)

Paper: Basic Grey Cardstock, Watercolor Paper, Storytime Designer Series Paper (Stampin' up!)

Accessories: Sycamore Screet Buttons, Pool Party 1/2" Seam Binding Ribbon, Pool Party Baker's Twine

Try It - Watercolor Paper 2

Hello, and welcome back! Today I'm featuring another example of what to try with Watercolor Paper. I call today's technique "rainbow drips". This is a really simple technique. I cut my watercolor panel, and then scribbled small sections of each color using the Stampin' Write Markers. The colors I used here are Strawberry Slush, Crisp Cantaloupe, Daffodil Delight, Pistachio Pudding, Coastal Cabana and Wisteria Wonder. Then, I used a Stampin' Spritzer filled with water to spray the panel. For this technique you need to use a good amount of water. After the panel was wet, I propped it up at a 45 degree angle to drip a little more and then dry.

 

To finish the card, I stamped the greeting in Jet Black Stazon Ink onto Vellum Cardstock, cut it into a banner shape, and stitched together with the watercolor panel and a layer of Basic Black Cardstock. The card base is made from Basic Black Cardstock, and I stamped the skid mark stamp multiple times onto a panel of Naturals White Cardstock, forming another rainbow. I stitched this to the black card base. Then, I adhered the watercolor panel with Stampin' Dimensionals and added some Basic Black Candy Dots to the banner to finish it off. I really like using Vellum Cardstock over the watercolor so you can still see the color and pattern beneath it.

 

Well, that is all for today. Please join be again tomorrow for another watercolor technique! Thanks for stopping by.

 

Supplies (all supplies by Stampin' Up unless otherwise noted):
Stamps: Gorgeous Grunge (clear mount), Lots Of Thanks (clear mount)
Ink: Strawberry Slush Classic, Crisp Cantaloupe Classic, So Saffron Classic, Pistachio Pudding Classic, Coastal Cabana Classic, Wisteria Wonder Classic, Jet Black Stazon, Strawberry Slush Marker, Crisp Cantaloupe Marker, So Saffron Marker, Pistachio Pudding Marker, Coastal Cabana Marker, Wisteria Wonder Marker
Paper: Basic Black Cardstock, Whisper White Cardstock, Watercolor Paper, Vellum Cardstock
Accessories: Neutrals Candy Dots, sewing machine, Stampin' Spritzer

Try It - Watercolor Paper 1

Hello, and welcome back! I've been working on what to share on my blog, and am starting a new series called "Try It". I'll be featuring one crafty item and several different ways to use it. I'm starting my series with Stampin' Up!'s Watercolor Paper. I love the watercolor look. It's been one of my favorite art techniques for many years. But, I'm not very good at painting "from scratch", and sitting down to create a watercolor painting would be difficult for me. That's why I love having the starting point of stamps, ink and paper!

The first technique I call "stamp and spritz". For this card, I started with the Stippled Blossoms Clear-Mount Stamp Set. I stamped the fuller rose image with Crisp Cantaloupe Ink several times on the watercolor panel. Then, I stamped the detailed image over the top in Real Red Ink. For the leaves, I used the same technique with Pistachio Pudding Ink for the bottom layer and Wild Wasabi Ink for the top layer. Then, I filled a Stampin' Spritzer with plain water, and lightly sprayed the whole watercolor panel. For this technique you don't want to saturate the panel; you just want the images to run a little bit.

 

To finish the card I layered the watercolor panel on Pistachio Pudding Cardstock. I made the card base from Naturals White Cardstock, and watercolored the left and right edges with some Pistachio Pudding ink. I cut a layer of Naturals White Cardstock, and used the Gorgeous Grung stamp set for the background. This set goes really well with the watercolor look. I used Crisp Cantaloupe and Calypso Coral with two of the splatter images for the background.

 

To complete the card, I stamped an image from the Chalk Talk Stamp set in Wild Wasabi, and punched it out with a circle punch. I then layered Crisp Cantaloupe 3/8" Ruffle Stretch Trim under the circle and attached it with Sticky Strip. This was then layered on Real Red cardstock die cut with the Floral Frames Framelits Dies that I roughed up and separated into two layers. I added some red and white twine from The Twinery tied around the watercolor panel. I then adhered it to the card front with Stampin' Dimensionals, and the flower to the top of that with more Dimensionals.

 

Well, that is all for today. I hope you'll join me tomorrow for another watercolor paper technique. At the end of this series, I'll include a downloadable file with all of the techniques listed. Thanks for stopping by!

 

SUPPLIES (all supplies by Stampin' Up unless otherwise noted):

Stamps: Gorgeous Grunge (clear mount), Stippled Blossoms (clear mount), Chalk Talk (clear mount)
Ink: Crisp Cantaloupe Classic, Calypso Coral Classic, Real Red Classic, Pistachio Pudding Classic, Wild Wasabi Classic
Paper: Naturals White Cardstock, Pistachio Pudding Cardstock, Real Red Cardstock, Watercolor Paper
Accessories: Stampin' Spritzer, Crisp Cantaloupe 3/8" Ruffle Stretch Trim, 1 1/4" Circle Punch, Floral Frames Framelits Dies, Maraschino Red & White Baker's Twine (The Twinery)