Project Life Update

Every Wednesday of 2014 I'll be bringing you a Project Life update. Today, however, I'm a little behind on embellishing the spread for week three. I pulled out a pocket scrapbooking page from last year to share with you instead! 

This spread highlights a weekend scrapbooking event I attended last September. In 2013, I didn't stick to a weekly spread and included pictures as I took them. The journaling card and embellishments came from Studio Calico's Cuppa Project Life Kit. I instantly fell in love with the wood tag. It matched the Northwoods resort we stayed at.  

SUPPLIES :: Studio Calico Cuppa Project Life Kit / Becky Higgins 4x6 White Grid Cards

TOOLS :: Becky Higgins Design A Page Protector, 0.3 Marker, Date Stamp / Tim Holtz Tiny Attacher / StazOn Jet Black Ink

Card Making Monday : You're the Best!

Good morning! It sure feels like a Monday morning here... I'm dragging my feet and falling asleep at my desk. But I've got freshly brewed cup of coffee and a bright card to share with you. That's sure to get me going!

I had so much fun creating this card and playing around with a few inks. I sprayed Dragonfly Glimmer Mist directly onto a stencil (while it laid on a craft sheet). The stencil was then used as a stamp to transfer the design onto the card base. I didn't want the entire card full of the design; therefore, I only pushed down on the center of the stencil and kept the corners off the cardstock. A few splatters of orange completed the card base.

A few stars and this perfect sentiment from Avery Elle were layered onto the card base. The top square was made out of a vellum scrap I had laying around. I love how vellum adds an extra layer without adding an extra color or pattern! 

Thanks for stopping by this tired Monday morning. Have a fantastic week!

SUPPLIES :: Paper Cut Cardstock & Vellum / Bo Bunny Patterned Paper / Avery Elle Handwritten Notes Stamp Set / Memento Tuxedo Black Ink / Tattered Angels Dragonfly & Tiger Lily Glimmer Mist 

DIY Cupcake Toppers!

You can find me on the Creations Galore blog today with a DIY Cupcake Topper tutorial. I'd love for you to stop by and see how to make these fun toppers for yourself! 

Project Life 2014 : Week Two

Hello bloggers! It's Wednesday, which means it's time to share another Project Life spread. Today's spread is Week 2 from my 2014 album, January 8th to January 14th. 

I've stuck with the Design A page protectors by Becky Higgins and used a combination of the Midnight Core Kit and Studio Calico's Copper Mountain Project Life Kit. The spread includes 6 cell phone pictures, 1 snapchat, 5 pictures found around the web, 3 photos taken with a camera, and this January calendar printable. All of the photos were printed at home using my HP printer on glossy paper. 

What happened this week: Secret Santa party, White Elephant After-Christmas party, Project Life 2013 catch up, Netflix addictions, stand up comedy, worked from home and the office, yummy food and drinks, and a lazy sunday. 

The colors and cards from the Copper Mountain Kit fit perfectly with the photos and memorabilia I wished to include. I started by pulling out all of the green, orange, and red items from the kit, including this great die cut. I punched out the letters, added a white grid card behind it, and slipped it into the pocket. So easy and beautiful! 

With so many events jam-packed into one week, I had to get creative with the journaling and photos. I decided to include a 'week in review' card, adding journaling for 3 photos and days to the single card. Flip Flaps from Close To My Heart also helped add more photos and hidden journaling. 

Side note: The Kings of Summer was the. cutest. movie I've seen in a while. And you should go watch it. right. now. 

Puffy stickers are my jam. I love how adorable these star and hearts are from Twine & Ink. They also don't add to much bulk to the album. I'm trying to keep this year's album flat and clean.

Thank you for joining me for another look into my Project Life album. How are your week's coming along?

SUPPLIES :: Studio Calico Copper Mountain Project Life Kit / Becky Higgins Midnight Core Kit, 4x6 White Grid Cards

TOOLS :: Becky Higgins 12x12 Leather Album, Design A Page Protectors, 0.3 Marker, M Slick Writer, Date Stamp / Tim Holtz Tiny Attacher / StazOn Jet Black Ink / CTMH 4x6 Flip Flaps

Drill #24 : Button Up This Sketch

Have you seen the exciting Drill over at the SWAT blog? We're challenging you to take this sketch from Page Maps and create a layout with buttons somewhere on the page! 

Here's my take on the sketch: 

I have had these crazy photo booth images from Renegade Craft Fair sitting near my craft table for two summers now just waiting to be scrapped! They're the worst photo booth pictures in history -- which makes them the BEST photo booth pictures in history! 

I added different alpha stickers and chipboard words to create a title that fit well with the theme of the pictures. I decided to use the buttons the same way I would enamel dots or other bling. It was fun to dig into my stash and use them in a creative way! 

SUPPLIES :: Paper Cut White Cardstock, Studio Calico Black Tag, Vintage Buttons, American Crafts Amy Tangerine Cut & Paste Collection, Carta Bella Wildflower Collection

Go ahead and smile...

It's Friday! Who's excited? I've got a fun card to help kick off the weekend. 

How perfect is that sentiment?! It's from Riley and Company which has quickly become one of my favorite for witty sentiments. 

To create the card, I layered a few patterned paper piece on the card base from the Notable collection by We R Memory Keepers. The arrow was cut from the same collection, folded in half, and glued to the card above a silver ribbon. A wood veneer woman finished it off! 

Thanks for stopping by! 

SUPPLIES :: Paper Cut Cardstock, WRMK Notable Collection, Studio Calico Wood Veneer, Riley and Company Stamp, StazOn Jet Black Ink

Project Life 2014 : Week One

Are you ready for some CRAZY news? I'm up to date on my 2014 Project Life album, and it feels so good. This is A FIRST. Join me in a little celebration dance as I share week one. 

I scrapbook chronologically and found it weird to have pieces of December in my new 2014 album. Therefore, my spreads cover Wednesday through Tuesday. This may seem weird, but it makes sense to me. Isn't that what makes this project so great... It can be customized to fit your life. 

I've stuck with the Design A page protector and used mostly Studio Calico Project Life kits to embellish the week. All photos were taken with my cell phone, and I've included two screenshots. 

What happened this week: After-Christmas shopping with the girls, worked from home and the office, appeared on a local news station, video chat with the cutest little boy I know, Packer victory and loss, and the polar vortex. 

The photo in the top left was a complete accident. I don't think I was even trying to take a picture at the time. Therefore, it's just a blurry shot of our feet. After looking at it, I really wanted to somehow include it. I love how it captured their little sparkly feet. They made fun of my purse that day and forced me to purchase one that wasn't falling apart! The challenge was including the picture without it seeming awkward and unnecessary. The solution? Using a Slick Writer from American Crafts to turn it into a journaling card. 

Last year I didn't stick to one week per spread and found I added more pictures than really necessary. Two weeks into this year, I'm LOVING the structure of weekly spreads. It's forcing me to weed out the photos that don't really tell a story. It's also added the challenge of creatively adding journaling and extra photos. I used Flip Flaps from American Crafts to easily add just that! They're self adhesive and keep the photos protected and free from dust.

To me, journaling is just as important as the photos which is evident by just how much of it there is. I'm happy to know that someone can look through this album and not need me there to explain anything. It truly is a documentation of me in 2014 - the good and the bad. 

I just love this project. Thanks for taking a look... And come back every Wednesday for a new spread. 

SUPPLIES :: Studio Calico Project Life Kit Kits, Moments Cards / Becky Higgins Midnight & Sunshine Core Kits / Bella Blvd Snapshots Bookplate Day Stickers / CTMH 4x6 Flip Flaps

TOOLS :: Becky Higgins 12x12 Leather Album, Design A Page Protectors, 0.3 Marker, M Slick Writer, Date Stamp / Tim Holtz Tiny Attacher / StazOn Jet Black Ink 

Card Making Monday : Thank You Florals

Hello and Happy Monday! I hope you had a great weekend. Mine was spent stalking crafty friends as they enjoy CHA and show all the new products I just can't wait to get my hands on! Before moving onto the next best thing, I dug up a stamp set, embossing folder, and die that were added to my collection this past year and created this pretty card...

Only a portion of the card base was placed into the embossing folder. This may be my new favorite technique! After cutting the die, I stamped the floral wreath using Marvy Markers and Sweet Stamp Shop's Monogram It set. A layer of vellum and a stamped banner complete the card. 

Thanks for visiting the blog today! Have a great week!

SUPPLIES :: Paper Cut Cardstock & Vellum, Marvy Markers, Memento Tuxedo Black Ink, Sweet Stamp Shop Monogram It

TOOLS :: Spellbinders Die, Lifestyle Crafts Sketchbook Embossing Folder & Evolution Tool

Ten Things : Use Your Ribbon Scraps

I'm thrilled to be joining the Practical Scrappers team to show one of ten different ways to creatively use your ribbon! Now, I love filling negative space with patterned paper. Why not fill that with ribbon? It didn't take long for me to gather together ribbon scraps from around my craft room and create this card... 

I started by cutting a circle from a piece of white cardstock. You could recreate this with any shape using a punch, Cricut, or Silhouette. After trimming the cardstock to the desired card size, I adhered the ribbon scraps around the circle using a hot glue gun. The piece was then flipped over and adhered to a card base with foam risers. 

The card was embellished with matching die cuts and bling. I had so much fun making this card that I can't wait to make a dozen more to use up all my ribbon pieces! 

Don't forget to check out the other 9 creative ways to use your ribbon by visiting the Practical Scrappers Blog!

Scrap Your Stash : Practical Scrappers Blog Hop

Good morning and welcome to the Practical Scrappers Blog Hop! You should have found your way here from Erin's blog. Thanks for hopping along. In case you get lost, or want to start at the very beginning, visit the Practical Scrappers Blog. 

CHA is in full swing and that means the industry is showing off some amazing new product that I can't wait to get my hands on! Who's with me?! In order to make room for all the new stuff I'm sure to pick up, we're kicking off our monthly Scrapping Our Stash Series with a Blog Hop!

I looked through my papers and embellishments for some papers I had been hoarding and immediately came across this 'you are awesome' paper. It is awesome, and it was time to be used. I paired it with a few Studio Calico papers from past scrapbooking kits and beauty photos. My sister-in-law Elle asked me to be a model last year for her final portfolio. She cut and dyed my hair, styled the outfit, and created nothing but beauty. I wanted to document the experience and journal about how proud we are of her accomplishment! 

I also looked at my Silhouette designs that I've purchased the last year and found so many I haven't used yet! This was the perfect opportunity to cut that adorable scissors. I cut the beauty script with the Silhouette as well, forming the 'Create Beauty' title. 

As a thank you for hopping along with us today, there's a prize up for grabs from Kiwi Lane Designs. You can do any or all of the following for up to three entries: 

• Become a follower of Practical Scrappers
• Become a fan of the Practical Scrappers Facebook Page
• Become a fan of the Kiwi Lane Facebook Page and make sure to tell them we sent you!

So much fun digging into my stash! Now head over to Krissy's blog to see her amazing project!

Project Life Update: Labor Day Weekend

My 2013 Project Life album is almost completed. The photos and journaling cards were all placed in the pocket pages; however, I hadn't finished them completely. This week I had time to go back, add journaling where needed and added a couple of embellishments. 

Here's a close up of the left side of the page. This spread is actually all from a single day, Labor Day spent at our family's cabin. All of the photos were taken with my cell phone. I even included a screenshot of the weather and a show we rushed home to watch. The 4x6 title card is from the Jade Core Kit while the other journaling cards are from various Studio Calico Project Life Kits, primarily Valley High. 

How adorable are those mistable trees? I chose not to add any color to them. The two staples were added to keep the (2) 3x4 cards together. 

The stamps that come with the kits are perfect for decorating the journaling cards. This house was stamped with black ink and decorated with a few enamel dots. Can we take a moment to talk about how cute my nephew is? He started sitting up all on his own this weekend, and the milestone needed to be documented. 

SUPPLIES :: Jade Core Kit / Studio Calico Project Life Kits, Trees & Houses Mistables / Theresa Collins Enamel Dots

TOOLS :: American Crafts Pocket Page Protector / Project Life .03 Journaling Pen / Typewriter / Tim Holtz Tiny Attacher / StazOn Jet Black Ink

Card Making Monday : Jane Austen Love

Happy Monday Everyone! It's freezing outside, so I spent the day inside crafting up a few cards. I couldn't help but share one of my favorites.... 

I recently picked up this stamp set from Sweet Stamp Shop full of Jane Austen quotes. LOVE! I stamped the lace border down the left side, added a few paper scraps, and stamped away! So quick and easy. Rather than use cream layering swatches on a black card base, I made the cream cardstock the base and adhered it to a larger piece of black cardstock. It's harder to photograph, but the card style is one of my favorites to send. 

Thanks for stopping by today. Enjoy your week!

SUPPLIES :: Paper Cut Cardstock, We R Memory Keepers Antique Chic Collection, Sweet Stamp Shop Austen Obsessed Set, Memento Tuxedo Black, Studio Calico Hearts Wood Veneers

*If you're near Green Bay, Wisconsin, I'd love for you to stop into Creations Galore to create this card as a Make N Take. For more information, visit us here.

Drill #23 Word & Goals for the New Year

Good morning! Are you ready for the very first SWAT (Scrap Warriors Advanced Training) Drill of the new year? At first, I didn't think I was. The last two months of 2013 were the most emotionally draining days of my life. Things that were too hard to even put into words. I opened up to my fellow SWAT Design Team members that I was completely uncertain about a resolutions page for today's challenge. I was uncertain about anything. 

I spent hours pouring over what to leave behind and what to press onward with. God really has sustained me, showering me with His never-ending mercy and blessings. Now it's time to let go. And man, IT FEELS GOOD. I invite you to join SWAT this month in coming up with your own Resolutions, New Year Goals, or Word of the Year. Scrapbooking has really turned into my therapy, and creating this page was part of the process! 

Here's a look at the front and back of the project I created for this Drill. It will slip into a 6x12 Becky Higgins page protector and end up between the pages of my Project Life Week One spread. I'm so excited for what this year will hold, to focus on this word, to welcome change, and document it all! 

Discipline is something I really have always lacked. I have grand ideas, but horrible follow through. But rather than beat myself up over another year of missed opportunities, Im going to turn what feels like difficult chores into daily habits. I wrote on this and included an outlook of goals for the new year. In the coming months I'll look at those specific goals, creating an action plan. 

I'm encouraged to finally write all my fears and hopes down on paper. It's a great release. Of course, I couldn't just write. I had to make it pretty. I cut two pieces of 6x12 patterned paper and adhered them together to fit in the page protector. I also added layered paper, a doily, and some vellum to highlight my word. The word was cut from patterned paper using my Silhouette Cameo. I love that thing! I dressed it up with some wood veneers and ink splatters and stamped the year using Studio Calico Project Life Stamps. A single stitched line holds it all together. 

Now it's your turn! You don't have to come up with an insert like I did... Head over to the SWAT blog to gather lots of inspiration from my fellow Design Team members. They've created wall hangings and scrapbook layouts. No matter what you turn this Drill into, I hope you'll take a moment to reflect on the new year. Do you have goals, resolutions, or a word you'd like to focus on. Use this fun hobby as a bit of therapy. Then share your project on the SWAT blog. There's even a great prize for one lucky participant. 

SUPPLIES :: Studio Calico (Amsterdam Add On Stamp, Star Wood Veneers), Carta Bella Wildflower Collection Pack, Glimmer Mist, Paper Cut Vellum

TOOLS :: Silhouette Cameo, Brother Sewing Machine, StazOn Jet Black Ink, Project Life Journaling Pen