Now that we snipped and glued our way through Christmas - its time to think about scrapbooking some of those pictures!  DO IT NOW - at least 2 pages!!!!   If we put them in a box - ya' know what happens, they will sit there ad infinitum!

But - if you are like me, you purchased papers and accumulated a ton of scraps. I throw the scraps into a bin on the floor to save time. and so looking at it the other day and finding some old 'purchased' (gasp!) cards, I put two + two together and decided to do this......

Labels: Holidays-Christmas, Miscellaneous Projects, Recycle, SCRAPBOOK-Pages

Good Morning!

I am back playing with Punch Flowers!  I was at a craft auction on Saturday - I had $113 dollars to bid with - which sounds like a lot until you discover the woman next to you has $800, lol, but it was "free money" I earned and so I wasn't spending real money and it was just for fun. But - I bid on some stuff and won a few nifty things, so I was a happy camper. I picked up this paper - and at first it was because I liked the kraft paper part - and the flowers were nice too.
It wasn't until I got home and googled the paper that I saw women had done amazing things with this paper!  So I perked up!

After musing for awhile, I knew I'd need some "depth" to this paper as a SCRAPBOOK PAGE PROJECT. So I turned my thoughts to PUNCH FLOWERS.


MY FLOWER......USING STAMPIN' UP!
Looking at the detail of the print flower on the paper, I think the designer had the ruffled scallop circle flower in mind - certainly seems that way once you punch out a scallop circle, cut it and make a few creases!


1)  I grabbed my a scrap of left-over (but returning) RED RIDING HOOD CARDSTOCK and punched out some SCALLOP CIRCLES.  I cut the scallop circles with scissors and using my bone folder, made folds and creased each one for every section. I didn't even care if the fold was centered or not - this is very casual!  I used some co-ordinating ink to darken the edges - distress them if you wish.

Labels: 3D, ACCENT-Flower, BLOG CANDY, DIE-CUTTING BIG SHOT, DIE-CUTTING Punch Art, MOTIF - Scalloped, SCRAPBOOK-Pages

Hello to everyone out there on this nice Friday evening!  I am going outside for my evening walk with Pepper but not before I bring out my craft results from today!  I'm really happy about this one too! Here's why....

As Stampin' Up! Demonstrators, we're entitled to receive a monthly glossy magazine, Stampin Success - and I tell you - I look forward every month to receiving mine, lol. Last December's mag, showcased our Artisan Award winners who had been given a challenge and a new stamp set from SU!

One of these lucky ladies was Demonstrator Shanna Jensen  with her pretty scrapbook page featuring a "Love You Much Frame"  - and the frame is made using 4 TOP NOTE die-cuts - and I loved it!!!

I kept this idea in the back of my head until this morning, I just got inspired to create one for myself!

Here's Shanna's inspiring project which if you notice features her putting her own 'stamp' on the Designer Paper - now isn't it just lovely?

Labels: DIE-CUTTING BIG SHOT, MOTIFS - Baby, SCRAPBOOK-Pages

Hello, helloooo!

I am tired from a big day yesterday - had a lot of fun though, so it was worth it!  But it wasn't without its funny parts!

First off, I went down to the beaches because I planned on joining in on the National Scrapbook Day fun at my ol fav haunt, Scrapbooks by Design. But I like to make a day of it, so first thing I grabbed a coffee and went over to Kew Park and had my bring-a-long lunch.  Which turned out nice because a flutist was practicing and myself and the squirrels sat munching and listening to some nice lyrical music! Nice!

Then a bit of shopping. I met a lot of shopkeepers and staff - most friendly and one a little weird {yeh, nice talking to you...as I backed out of the store, lol}. Then it turned really overcast - and this is where I should have taken my cue, and headed to the scrapbook store. But no - I decided to take a look-see at my first "Master Oyster Shucker" - which I didn't even know you could be one!  However, he was busy with an order and I only saw him do one! I was hoping that he did like a bunch really fast - or something, so on I went. But that little stop-over cost me because the rain came - and I mean, came!

I got so soaked! But I kept on going to the scrapbook store hoping it would stop - you know how sudden bursts are - but it didn't - and it just became me thinking what a bad idea this was! Ha ha - I arrived at the store so soaked - my shoes, everything. Luckily a few paper towels, and complimentary donuts and a coffee turned me back into a drier version of myself.

Then, after a quick card demo - I took a look around to gather some supplies to do some - scrapbooking, of course!  Then after paying for those, I discovered that the scraptables were full to the max!  So, guess who took over the corner by the front windows - where normally, people can sit down to relax? That's right, and all in all I was right beside the donut table - so, need I say more! Ha ha!

Keep in mind, I thought I would be near all the store's tools - and so I didn't bring anything besides scissors and glue. And a few embellishments. So I was faced with "how do you scrap with no special tools?"
Easy!  I tore my solid blue paper and made photo corners and one background layer - I drew a squiggly, loopy line around another photo onto some patterned paper with marker, cut that out - another frame!
Then simply embellished with rub-ons, and a few doo-dads!

SO HERE THEY ARE - my two scrap pages......of my dog!  My first ones of Pepper.  One happy moment was when I discovered that 4 photos were of him chewing on something, so a theme! And then I really love his grassy pictures - which helped me to pick out the fun paper.

Sorry I will replace these photos with better ones later on, my lighting wasn't good - and the flash was troublesome, but its there in 'essence'!

Labels: PROJECTS - Pets, SCRAPBOOK-Pages

...OR NOT - Happy Valentine's to anyone visiiting today!  Hope you are having a lovely day! 

WE are quietly enjoying 'normal' as a week of mid-term mania and illness has passed - and I finished one huge important task, so laid-back normal is kinda good!  I am going to make my famous brownies soon and then a nice chicken dinner after we play some monopoly and then a trip to the treadmill later on just to even things out a bit - :)

Did we make each other Valentine cards?  No. Is that kinda queer in a house full of card supplies? Probably 'yes'.  But I have been more focused on some scrapbooking, and just exploring some of my new goodies and I have something I'd love to share with you...remember the teaser in the previous post?  Well, heeeere it is!  It's Alex's first baby photo!  Hurray - I say that because its been in storage for 22 years!!!  Ain't that something?  SO any photo came come out to say 'hello' any ol' time as you can see here!


Let 'er rip! Stamping
First things first - I made the pages earlier before I knew I'd pair it with this photo I just grabbed some VERY VANILLA cardstock to begin the process.  And look, the previous post makes my point - take some stamps and just let loose!  That's all I did!  There was no plan at all - it was what we call in artisitic terms 'a very organic experience' .

 I used different stamps from different sets, and combined colours I thought would go well together, but there was NO DIRECTION until I stamped the letters - then all I did was aim for a 'fairly' straight line but even then, a little un-eveness looks great.  When I was done, I had two pages, the first one shown here is using our alphabet stamp set Lovely Letters - and for some reason unfathomable to me now, I made an 'W' on the end of "SWEET"...??? Who knows what brilliant idea I had at the time, but I made 'sweet history' of it by covering the odd W with a punched out heart ( Heart Punch) and problem solved.

Labels: DIE-CUTTING PUNCHES, Holidays - Valentine's Day, Motif - Hearts, MOTIFS - Baby, SCRAPBOOK-Pages, Stampin Up MAKES

....and I hope everyone is having a lovely, lovely holiday!  Since we celebrate our big affair on Christmas Eve, today I am in pajamas - which is my personal tradiition ...uhm-mmmm... soft new pj's, and floppin' about without a care in the world!  It's so great!  Now last night, we had a satisfying dinner (tummy aches after and all), and the lovely priviledge to have a 'family member' join us who is turning 76 soon but doesn't look a day over 60!  And as you'd probably suspect -  we even got the dog dressed up - bells and red velvet, fluff ...although he drew the line with the reindeer antlers or fancy barettes (darn!) except he's happy with his new toys, treats, etc., etc.  - and perhaps a little miffed that for once, he wasn't the ab-so-LUTE center of our universe!  Well - suffice to say, we're doing everything we can to have a very nice holiday ourselves.


And like many of you, we were rushed right up to yesterday - right down to the last min. Why is it always like that, lol! Ah well.:) 
One good reason for us was that on Monday, we shared our time and supplies with the families staying at Ronald McDonald House - and we created these really great Scrapbook-In-A-Box projects.  Due to security or unless I receive a family's permission, we can't share many of the photos I have. But here is a small photo and I've concealed the identiies of a special girl and her Mom - the lil crown and star indicate they're there! I put a silly hat on me to be equally unidentifiable - well, somewhat, lol! It's not my best look :) Anyways, anyone who made a box for the first time - was super-duper at it, terrific looking boxes! I caught one of the fathers looking at every move I was making - cutting, folding - and so I asked him if he was interested in trying - and he sure was!  He jumped in and was quite eagerly making his box!  And of course, it looked great! He loved all the little doo-dads and dedicated tools - maybe I ought to set up a table at Canadian Tire cuz that makes 2 men in a month that I've see going at this like crazy'!  Girls - make a note - get your hubby or fav guy in on this with you!  :)


Anyways, want to have your own party? Just throw some select stamps in a bucket and along with the rest of the supplies - its a great group activity!


Because of the range of ages at the RMH - this project was perfect because each family can work on one "all together", or a young person can work on one all of their own!  It doesn't matter what age is involved, because the very youngest can do what they do best -scribble  away! And using a pen or marker onto cardstock - which then can be added to the whole design - also they can help glue, put on snowflakes....its not hard. Actually, it can get a little 'sticky' when you want them to stop, ahem!  

Here's another version - the one I made at our Demonstrators Holiday Party  - and below it you'll see it open when you pop off the lid!  It falls open - and the center section can have even more surprises if you make a small folded tag!  A loving message for grandma? A perfect suggestion also came from one of the staff - its a box to hold a cupcake! 

You can go with any theme - put pictures, verses, stories - anything inside or on one or all of the 4 outer sides!  Use your imagination, but they are sooooo much fun to decorate!  My daughter is simply taken by them, and if she thinks they're cool - then that's great by me!

Labels: 3D, Holidays-Christmas, POPULAR PROJECTS - Boxes, SCRAPBOOK-Pages

Hi - Happy Sept 1rst!

Can you believe it - its here!   And we have so much to do around here - just oodles of stuff, will get to it one at a time I suppose.....but luckily I did this project over time and now it is ready to show!   I wanted to use up some paper that was given to me as part of a RAK, and I also wanted to use my latest alphabet stamp set a bit more....the Jumble Alphabet which Stampin' Up! released early as part of their Sneak Peek when the new catty came out.  So here it is.......and that is me, years ago,  at one of my baby showers wearing the funny 'hat'! I wonder if any of the others will see this...I can't remember who took the picture, was sort of a surprise so everything is a blur in my memory now.  Anyways, LOL - here is what I did....                                

CLICK on pictures to see them larger......



I used the alphabet for the names Friends and purses - and - I used the 'S' as a border at the bottom - neat, huh?  It's literally the 'S' on its side, one after another.

I also used a retired floral set to make background details on the page esp. at the upper and lower corners. And I made even more subtle details in a very soft pink - a stamp wheel on the Friends and lots of distressing around edges - that sort of thing.  I like to layer - its something you can do in any manner you like - just play around.                                      
                                      
The final detail was to use my Big Shot and one of my recent dies, the Flowers, Daisies #2.  It adds some real ooomph I think.    So that's it - I enjoyed musing about how to tie the purses from the paper sent to me into my life's scrapbook - and I believe I did it, so next time you see some paper with a motif on it, think about how it might tie into your life's story!

Cheers!




Stampin' Up! Supplies: die = Flowers, Daisies #2; cardstock/designer patterns 12x12 paper= Passion Pink & Certainly Celery Designer Series Patterns paper; ink: Passion Pink, Tempting Teal, Lavender Lace, Certainly Celery, Old Olive; Stampin' Write Markers (handwriting): Lavender Lace, Passion Pink, Certainly Celery; accessories: Roller Wheel Handle, silver brads, gem brad, adhesive.                                          Stamp Sets : Jumble Alphabet,  Friendship Blooms (retired), Roller Wheel 'Illuminated'

Labels: 3D, MOTIF - Friendship, SCRAPBOOK-Pages

Labels: CLASS-SPRING 2010, MOTIF - Circles, SCRAPBOOK-Pages, Tools