getting ready for back to school

already?!

it feels like summer just started.

it has been a good summer for all of us. we would all agree that it definitely improved once the summer weather kicked in. wearing jeans, socks and warm shirts was not our definition of summer. Aidan commented that the rain and cold was "not in the spirit of summer"! he cracks me up!!


a few weeks ago i was in the mood to try something new. of course i had just returned from Urban Scrapbook and was very inspired to try out the new products flying in and off the shelves. Jan had done a stunning layout (overnight!) with the new Pink Paislee Mistables.

i had Kiara's preschool photo from last year that had not been scrapbooked...so i thought it would be a great starting point. the purple in her shirt was the part that prevented me from putting it on a layout previously. purples are tough! i don't usually buy that colour paper to begin with. i love the natural colours more.

i grabbed a sheet of the new Tim Holtz Kraft Resist. thinking i would play off the browns. my safe zone. well. it did not work out well. i may chuck the sheet. for now i'm holding on to it....thinking i could use if for BEHIND other nice paper. sigh. it happens.

my confidence slightly shattered....i glanced at the beautiful Pink Paislee...and questioned if it was a good idea for me to try it today. i decided i had nothing to lose except the paper. again i started with brown inks. talk about blah! a little search through my mists....found a good purple from Shimmerz. then i had my "aha!" moment. i grabbed my LuminArt shimmering paint pots. once i had some purple paints it just fell into place. between those latter 2 products, the colours and design started to work for me.

i then created a "purple" layout. i was even able to make the purple match her shirt perfectly.



and that is the advantage to those plain boring sheets. you can customize them to whatever colour your inks and paints can dream up!

inks can be blended to create a new colour. a bit tricky, but it can be done. water helps.

paints can also be blended to create a new colour. or add more water to lighten the tone.

treat Glimmer Mists, Shimmerz, LuminArtes, etc like paint. shake and pour a small puddle on your non-stick mat or into a paint pallet. add water to lighten.

then grab a few cheap paintbrushes and play around. keep a paper towel handy too. even a scrap sheet of paper to test your colours. sometimes the colours will lighten or darken as they dry.....so get out your heat tool to speed it up.



i took a risk and was curious. i embossed a corner of the paper with my Texture Fades and vagabond. it really creases because it is so heavy. but....afterwards i added more ink. the embossing cracked some of the thick glossy areas....and allowed the ink to seep in. something different.



the mislabels chipboard letters are amazing!! see the sparkle? thank you LuminArte!! i used water and dabbed with the paper towel to keep the ink from being a solid colour on each letter. then i inked with dry ink to get the brown.


school is not in and this papermama learned a few lessons. i hope they will inspire you to try adding custom colours to your pages. it is amazing what a nice colour combination or great paper can do to take a difficult photo into something you enjoy looking at. when you just play around with inks and colours you learn more than you expected. sometimes you make mistakes. sometimes you surprise yourself. don't give up.

one more thing...

i totally forgot to mention that there was a little interview with me on the Urban Scrapbook blog yesterday. you can click here to read all about it! ha! maybe you will learn something new about me?

i guess i could write all about me here too. since it is MY blog... but! i think you will have enough of ME if you read the interview. sooo how about something other than me?! i'll make it good, don't worry.


i think i may have just crawled out from under a rock. i have been introduced (impersonally) to Wendy Vecchi of Studio 490 for the first time this year. she has had some amazing stamp sets for sale for awhile now. if you love inks, stamps and multi-media.....you will most definitely want to check out her blog.

in January my class focused on a technique using alcohol inks.

in March it focused on Color Wash.

in April it focused on Distress Stains.

those that have been reading for awhile, or have taken my classes are up to speed on what I know. which is a drop in the bucket compared to all the possibilities.

which is why i am always excited to see posts or learn other uses for some of my favourite inking products.

like now!



i love that Wendy Vecchi has some more samples and tutorials on her blog using these products. i thought i'd post the links here. one tip i learned was to NOT put alcohol ink into a mini mister. which i have done. uh oh. not sure if i'm relieved to know that i am not the only one who has tried it. i figured mixing it with water would be okay....and i made sure i pointed it to the paper....not good enough?

 {sample by Wendy Vecchi}

here is a fabulous post on alcohol inks and using them on different style papers. as well as other uses. for instance swiping the ranger snow cap pigment ink pad across a paper then applying the alcohol inks. i think i need this ink pad. it can do this?! wow.

 {sample by Wendy Vecchi}

i thought this was cool to see another step added to using distress stains. so simple that it makes us ask, "ok. why did i not ever try that?" thank goodness for talented people who are willing to share!

those are her recent posts. i am working on going back into her archived posts. she is now marketing a new product called Clearly for Art. {since January}

as well as some Art Parts. we have them at Urban now. they look so cool! you could use some of them separately on layouts and projects. or use a set to create your own unique art. if you hate how chipboard bends then you will love this alternative. i think they would be really amazing paired with some of those trinkets and such from Tim Holtz, 7Gypsies, Graphic 45 or Melissa Frances to name a few.


to end this post. i did manage to start and finish a project today. in an afternoon! it is a teacher gift 1 of a 100 {so it seems!}. i'll take photos tomorrow and share. back to see if i still have some crafting mojo left in me for today.....

time out

we just got back from a perfect vacation in Maui a few days ago. we were gone for 9 days, which included flying time. the flight to Maui was on the fun side for all of us and the time change worked out quite well. {it was the return trip that zapped our enthusiasm!}

i'm not sure if it is possible to have a "bad" day in Hawaii. it was overcast or cloudy at times, but still hot! i don't think our skin has "tanned" since 2009....considering our Alberta summer was a bit of a sham last year. so the break from bright sunshine for a day was fine for us. we still had to use sunscreen though! it's amazing how accustomed we are in Alberta to see clouds or rain and get out the sweaters.



i miss doing this. nothing beats a morning coffee outdoors, wearing a tank top and shorts.
{fyi: this is me with a tan. i know. pathetic! i did learn that my daughter tans very easily and rarely burns. i am soooo jealous. i have stooped to a new low - jealous of a 4 year old!}

our condo was a block from the beach. apparently the street next to the condo was covered with water during the tsunami on March 11. however the complex had no water damage as a result. we heard that the tsunami warning sirens went off every hour all night long. we also heard mixed stories from the residents over the effects of the tsunami. from our perspective the part of the island we were at was more protected from it and had no long term damage. the ocean is quite interesting in how the waves, currents and tides work. natural disasters aside. it is no wonder fishermen have the stereotype of being superstitious.



nearly every beach we saw had some rock and reef nearby. at first glance this looked barren and rocky. however when we explored we saw lots of life! crabs, shells, urchins....can't wait to use those photos on some layouts.

we went to the beach every day. we swam in the outdoor pool every day. no one complained. ha!!



we did one longer road trip. we had to see the island volcanic crater. a highlight for the males in our family especially. amazing how lush it was on the outer side of the crater, below 8000 feet. inside and above the 8000 ft it looked desolate. it was also chilly. we totally forgot to pack a sweater that day, but we didn't need it. the tough Canadians we are!

i also took some photos of a plant that only grows among the volcanic rock. the Haleakala Silversword. that was cool! none were in bloom, but there were a few plants who had past blooming, so we got an idea of what it would have looked like. apparently they die after they bloom. and it can take up to 50 years before the plant will bloom. incredible. i'm sure they will appear on a layout soon enough!


one thing i did miss was my daily blog reading. i have my usual list of blogs to read, and always a few new ones. so i'm catching up! i'm so impressed with the Graphic45 new design team. i can't wait to see the designs that are yet to come. some of my favourites are part of the new team. i appreciate that there are lots of new faces. Crate Paper shared the most incredible tree Kinsey Wilson made out of pipe cleaners! the focus was on the decorations...but wow!

for my past 2 classes i have been raving about the Ranger Colour Wash. check out this challenge blog called Grungy Monday. this week their focus was on using the Colour Wash. lots of variety...my favourite is the faux batik scarf. i don't wear scarves....but this one looks so cool! maybe i could do a t-shirt for the kids?

then i came across an interesting contest. Simply Handmade surprised me with their April/May issue. now they shocked me again by using my project for a contest. make a comment on their Facebook Fan page to win all the supplies and the instructions for the project. go. do it!! the students in my Year In Review class know all about my LONG instructions. {i do try to keep them short!} when i submitted the project Northridge Media also wanted instructions, close up shots and any templates i used. i also made some templates for the flowers just for the submission. when i finally saw the issue i immediately noticed that the instructions in the article are much shorter than what i wrote! i'm hoping that those i know will enter the contest and that one of them will win. check out their video here and get the details. i can't deny how cool it was to hear my name said out loud in the video.

while i'm on the topic of contests....here is another one! did you see the Urban design team layouts for April? i was just there and saw them in person. they looked great in the photos....but even more amazing in person. the supplies in the store kits are mostly from Glitz and kept getting delayed in their delivery....keeping us all on edge. kudos to Jan for remaining calm and getting those kits out as fast as she did! Glitz has a challenge on right now too. go here for the details. you only have until May 4. wouldn't it be awesome to have one of you win?! aaaaaahhhhhhh!!!!!!  i think there are a few of the monthly kits still available at Urban Scrapbook. or pick up your own favourites. whichever you choose, don't delay! their current products are my favourite yet. good luck!

next week i'll share some links and a quick tutorial on photo editing. i had some questions about what i did to get my photos to look the way i did in my previous post. i'll do my best to explain that process and share some great links.

enjoy your weekend. i am hoping to see more snow disappear...and not get replaced by new stuff! we were thrilled to see that most of it melted while we were away, then totally bummed to see so much of it fall the next day.

it was a "surprise" to see more snow falling this morning as i walked Aidan to school. we were ALL thankful that it was not windy and fifty below Celsius for the walk. yes, i am exaggerating....but anything below -20 C just feels cold. and wrong when we have that weather in March.

not far away there is a snow storage facility. right now it looks like the perfect sledding or skiing hill. the size of it is really incredible. i asked Aidan last week how long he thought it would take the snow to melt. with a bit of pondering...he settles on his answer: "about two years, i think."

if this summer is anything like last summer....he might actually be correct. how sad is that?!!


in warmer news.....

have you checked out the Urban Scrapbook blog?

good luck to those who have entered! i'm anxious to find out who will be the winners. all of the entries showcase different scrapbook styles. we have some very talented customers and this just proves it!!


this is long overdue. i made this little album as a Christmas gift for my sister-in-law. i took the photos a few days after my youngest nephew was born....and then i took forever to send the photos her way. Elias was a bit of an unexpected blessing! he is now much larger and entertaining these days.



it had to have been a year ago that Jody designed a baby album class using these Teresa Collins papers. there came a point that i wished i had just purchased one of her kits. let her do all the hard work designing the pages...and then i get all the credit from the recipient of the album! ha!! but no, i took the longer route.

all the same, i love the unique covers for the album. Teresa Collins covers and pages are typically not punched. the maker of the album can choose what type of binding they want. i think it came with binder rings though. for myself i used my zutter bind-it-all. the trickiest part of the album was figuring out where the holes should be punched.



as you can see, there is a mish-mash of sizes of paper in the interior. nothing matches up perfectly! i do like how you can see partial parts of photos and titles. it seems to make the simple pages look more layered and complicated.



i got so many great photos of this lil' baby and his family. i think i could take photos of babies for hours and hours.



i came across some cool actions by Willette. the black and white action was perfect for these photos.



throughout the album i left A LOT of blank pages for journaling. as well as my favourite quotes to trigger some memories and thoughts.


i am counting down the days until the weekend. tomorrow is Friday!!! there is a scrapbook convention in town, hosted by the wholesaler. an entire weekend of classes and checking out the new products. i am very excited. then i nearly fainted when i learned that Tim Holtz was coming to snowy Edmonton to host a few classes too. the words "Tim Holtz", "March" and "you get to go" were the only words that stuck in my mind! see? i'm at a loss for words. we all know how little that happens!

slow week

i've been doing the single parent thing since early Sunday afternoon this week. fortunately it will come to an end today!

early in the week i was completely exhausted, but could not shut off my mind! i also had the itch to do some scrapbooking. but no clarity of thinking {probably due to my sleepy state} to really focus. this is one of my more simple layouts than i've done in a long time. i cannot remember the last time i made one that did not require close up photos! i'm okay with that.



i really loved the school line BoBunny brought out last fall. i finally used some of it. i'm not sure if the red paper was the best choice for this photo. the funny part is i somehow managed to turn the paper when i started to adhere my elements. yup. this was one of those times when i really WANTED to do something unique and different. but my mind refused to cooperate with my heart!

scrapbooking is really about the photo. and this is one very cute photo! i'm still in disbelief that he is nearly finished his first year of school. next year both of my babies will be at the "big school" {as Kiara describes it}.


everyday that i've been able to spend on the computer looking for inspiration i see more stuff from CHA that i had forgotten about and loved. i think i left October Afternoon out of the list entirely!! i thought this was an interesting post from Scrapbook Update. Nancy listed her top ten picks.


and now, more than ever, i want to play with one or two or three of the configuration boxes. Laura Denison made some that were out of this world! one was made into something that resembled and old sewing box and another like an old clock. 7Gypsies Photo trays also left me inspired. they connected several of them together for a unique display.


life may never always be 'top-of-the-world-exciting' but it is never boring.


now to see about doing something for valentines day.....

change of pace

some days i am fortunate to sip my coffee while i do some blog hopping. today one of my first stops left my chin laying on the floor. 

 can you see why.....

the designer is Eloise Corr Danch. this was just one window of 23 at Macys' that she decorated. her entire display had 2500 paper flowers. see what i mean by jaw dropping?! stop by her website and do some drooling.


so inspiring!!



i wonder if she ever uses scrapbook paper for her designs?

little sneak peak!

as i mentioned in my last post, i wanted to make 2 additional pages for my Year in Review class group. we all have double page layouts for each month of the year....but our front and back pages don't look so nice (since they are the back of the paper...)

the good news is that i completed the pages!! i will bring them to show my class on Thursday....so if you are there, you will get that first look. yeah!!

for now....here are a few sneak peaks...



i LOVE the first page. i think it is the shade of red that makes me happy. the photo i used was our first family photo after Christmas. with having young kids, our family photo really does change over the year. another reason why i also love to store my pages chronologically. it is so fun to see the growth and changes that take place over 365 days.



well, truth be told, i do love this page too. in all irony, i completed this LAST page first. it has some shades of turquoise which also make me really happy.

i'll post the rest of the photos on my blog after the class on Thursday. this class will only be open to the group who signed up for the entire last year. a thank you for their hard work each month, and trust in me as i put together their layout classes during the year. the only layout they saw of mine was the one i created for the month of January...so they really didn't know what they were getting themselves into!


you can check back after Christmas for the reveal of the next Year in Review class information. there is a list of the participants kept at Urban Scrapbook. it will guarantee you a spot each month and you will have a 2 page layout that you can devote to an entire month. my layouts tend to be on the bulky side. the American Crafts D-Ring Album has been working well for me. i did have to buy extra page protectors, but the binder has held all 26 crazy bulky pages! they also have some new ones with great textures and patterns. if the one you like is not on the shelves, just let one of us know at Urban Scrapbook and it may be able to be ordered in for you! i'm liking the ones on this page right now....can't decide between the black/silver frame and the pretty red fabric. but then the robin's egg colour is pretty too. i'm terrible at making decisions!


in other news....
i LOVE this idea! Linda Albrecht made the cutest little house boxes. jingle bells on the roof...those beautiful pins too. ooooh, how i want some of those bottle brush trees!

i am finding myself in transition mode with my Christmas decor. i have so many more corners and spots to decorate now. in fact i have the perfect little spot for some cute winter houses or snowman now....but i'm also so overwhelmed with my options. i think i just need to find a good post-holiday sale! my most recent addition is a wire basket i found at HomeSense, put in some battery powered lights from IKEA and filled it with Christmas tree ball decorations. they're not vintage or even unique....but it still looks cool with the lights glowing between them. i found the most adorable mini candy canes from Melissa Frances too. i have no plans for them yet...but they are so cute! i know i will figure it out. just too cute to not take home with me! they would be totally awesome in a 7Gypsies letterblock tray.


okay, enough chatting....i have my last set of Christmas cards that i've been procrastinating on...must get those done!

free to dream

i was really needing to put together another layout just for me. secretly i always hope that one layout actually means 3 or 5! but i know i can't put them together that fast. one is always better than zero. for me.

i was so inspired by the deep colours Jan got on her Pink Paislee artisan elements. one day i got out a few of my own elements and tested out other methods of getting colour.

i did create a fantastic one using caramel, reds and greens.....but had no 'perfect' paper to go with it!

i used the new Tattered Angels Glimmer Glaze and loved how it looked. deep and rich, yet you can easily wipe it away on this product. well, not completely. but you get just a bit of the colour. basically more control than with alcohol inks. and i didn't have a purple alcohol ink to go with my glaze. i added even more glitter with some Stickles. i just rubbed it across the surface and the glitter stuck in the crevices.

being lazy i did not want to go and find a new photo and go to the trouble of printing it. confession! instead i looked through my 'extras' and found one that sort of matched the purple.

then i needed to find some purple paper. not a usual colour for me to use. i had a few sheets. but then i was totally stumped. i was beginning to think that i would need to move on to a third option.

instead i took a break and had a whim to visit the Colour Room. they have the colour palette and a sketch for a starting point. i was shocked when they had purple as one of the colours. then shocked out of my chair when i saw they had other colours that i had on my desk....grey and yellow. no way!

i don't usually use sketches. and when i do, i tend to not follow them well. which pretty much eliminates me from any team that requires a sketch to be followed exactly! haha!!




they are on palette #28. i am not sure if i would have been comfortable trying this combination on my own. but i like how it all looks together. thank you Little Yellow Bicycle! i'm glad i ended up picking up this set.



i had these glittered scrolls left over from another project and thought they worked nice here. even if they were not the same. there were a few leftovers here that i was happy to use up! you can also see the glitter glam on the artisan elements here. i am in love with their most recent set.



when i showed the layout to my daugher {who is only 4 years old} i asked her opinion.

mistake?

she says, "i don't like it."

then she points to a layout i did a few years ago and tells me she likes that better.

to risk destroying all my self confidence in one blow, i am going to choose to believe that she simply prefers the colour PINK. this week. PURPLE is just not good. this week.

yeah. let's go with that thought.

more inspiration

of the BAKING kind!

i came across this cake through a Twitter post Becky Higgins shared.

i am baker.

great blog.

amazing work isn't it? but it gets better....

she even goes through all the steps so that we can all make it.

i am tempted to give it a try. we'll see how the end of the month goes! but, i know right now that my icing job will not look nearly as clean and amazing as hers. to get icing that smooth.....wow!

then i came across this as i searched for new ideas. 

Melissa Phillips shared this one. i plan to read more posts on that blog too.....HowDoesShe?

one of her recent posts has a recipe for Cinnamon Bun Pancakes. 2 of our favourite foods right there! all wrapped up in one? no way!!

i'll share a bit of my boy birthday party this week (hopefully!). we went all out with LEGO. it was a fun afternoon. my version of the lego birthday cake will not win any awards...but i was pretty proud of it. and so was the birthday boy....so success on all fronts! 

i worked at the store on Saturday. i think it was only a week that i had not been in. Halloween has taken over! Jan and Pat have created some amazing works of art. customers were ooohing and ahhhing all day. i was right in there with them! i am so lucky! i got paid and i got to spend an entire day surrounded in inspiration and fun. how awesome is that?!

October inspiration

our plans for the day had us all in high anticipation for an Oil Kings hockey game today. the youth group at our church sold tickets to the game as a fundraiser. part of the deal was an hour of ice time after the game. how awesome is that!!

Kiara has never worn skates and Aidan needed a new pair. off we went to suit them up.

but.

last night was one of those brutal nights that kept Aidan awake for a good portion of it. poor kid has had so many colds back to back since he started grade one. this one was a doozy. fever, chills and nausea. yuck! he slept for most of the morning....totally odd for this active boy. since the fever was worse after he awoke there was no way we could feel responsible about taking him out.

so off went Kiara and her daddy to the hockey game, while Aidan and i tooted off to the medicentre. fortunately it was quiet and we didn't have to wait for long. just to find out that it appears to be a virus and just keep doing what we're doing. great.

he laid on the couch watching movies the rest of the afternoon, while i sipped my Toffee Mocha and crafted.

i bought this Making Memories hanging garland kit awhile back. i thought it would be fun to put together. as it turned out i'm glad i did it on my own. it would have been frustrating having the kids help. fishing line, glue dots and acetate. enough said?! Kiara noticed it as soon as she walked in the door and gave her approval. my sweetheart.

check this out! i could totally make this paper spider with the kids. well. i should say help them make it!

i discovered last night (10 days into it!) that Scraplovers blog is having the 31 days of Halloween. there are some really cool projects shared here. 

i am fully inspired to make my own altered 7Gypsies tray like the one shown here. then i could totally change it out for the seasons....oooohhhhh!

never mind this spooky mantel. oh. wow. 

this shadowbox is also inspiring. 

it seems like the halloween themes are really far ranging this year. LOTS of variety. fun stuff!

i have one last birthday party to decorate for. LEGO theme!! the invites are made and i love how they turned out. i also came across a really cool LEGO cake that i want to try. i know my limits and will not attempt the ones here. you can even get an authentic LEGO cake mould! (just not in canada)

more photo trays

last week, i shared the photo tray i made. i wanted to also share what Arlene and Nicole did with theirs.


i apologize for the photo quality. they were taken at midnight. the colours may not be true. but at least you can see the techniques!






this is what my sister in law made. the bottom tray will soon hold the photo of their third baby. there were a few changes she made to hers. her butterflies are Maya Road. we painted the solid bottom with a cream paint and rock candy clear crackle paint. the top were glimmer misted then microbeads glued on. it was too dark to get a decent photo, but they looked lovely.




her negative ribbon twisted so nicely. i was very jealous!

their felt flowers have lots of dimension. they were made the same as mine. a neat technique that gives some variety!



Nicole made 2 trays. this is the first one she created. do you notice the added dimension on her "family ties" die cut? my new EKsuccess open scallop border punch fit nicely over the printed scallops!



the hinge is grungeboard misted with some glimmer mist. then painted with the rock candy crackle paint.  she added another pin of mini hearts to her larger heart. i also like the pearl she added to her little fabric flower.



Nicole's second tray. it was getting late by this time! i think i tired her out. ha!

on the bottom left tray she cut out her sons' initials and pinned them to the scallop. great idea!

the blank spots will have photos added later.


Lori {one of the owners at Urban}is working on a similar tray. her is painted white. she is using some of the new My Mind's Eye black and white papers {meadowlark}. one word. stunning. she also used a pewter mist on some of the papers.


Sheri, another staff at Urban, just taught a class using the BoBunny Mamarazzi line. very cool.


at the Urban Scrapbook all weekend crop two of the girls made some lovely trays too. i should get their permission to share the photos. i haven't seen them on any of the galleries yet. i loved all the little details on the smaller tray, and the use of a single photo cropped to fit the entire bottom row.



you know, there is so much talent in the customers of Urban. i love it when they share their projects. besides being surrounded by paper at work, it is so much fun to see more new ideas. i am so lucky!

if you have a gallery at 2Peas or another website....could you comment and leave me a link?! i'd love to add you to my bookmarked list. if you have not started to share your work...please do so! it is a little tough at first, but it is fun to have your work viewed by others that love this hobby. i know it has given many of my days a lift just to see that someone "viewed" or "liked" something i did. when there is a comment it really makes my day. i'm totally being serious. we forget how simple words of praise or acknowledgement can mean so much.

need inspiration?

let me help!


we had a busy, busy weekend. lots of visiting and driving. fun times.


in the week leading up to the weekend i also spent A LOT of time in my scrapbook room creating messes. i will download and share photos later this week. sadly (or maybe not so sadly!) all the projects were given away. there was a baby album. there was also an assortment of cards. i am happy to report that they were appreciated by the recipients. phew!


after a long time spent "thinking" of ideas, i am in need of time spent being inspired by others' ideas.


i will share one link today. it will keep you busy for a good while! i hope that you have not been peeking in on it too regularly....

go to GCD STUDIO blog. here.

oh wow. oh wow. oh wow.

these paper flowers are on my "to do" list now.

as well as this framed heart.

i had also forgotten about trying to add brown glaze to my mod podge. i don't have brown glaze. however i have other brown stuff to experiment with. this reminded me to try. it also reminded me to think outside the box in another way. as well as to make a spring banner for our house! look at this post and check out the possibilities.

or the misting technique here.

how about this birdhouse. check out the roof!


seriously. this is only two weeks worth of posts. not even. maybe i'm not as far behind on my blog inspiration reading as i thought?


enjoy!
and my thanks to the hardworking gals at GCD.

moving along

i planned to post this yesterday, but oops! i got sidetracked. {grin}





i had been hoarding a bunch of the SassafrassLass papers for awhile. it is time to start using stuff before it gets too old! i have one more sheet with another tricycle on it. i should check to see if i have any of Aidan riding the famous "pink-used-to-be-red" tricycle.



i think my hoarding of scrapbook supplies is wearing off on my kids. they come into my scrapbook room and ooh and ahh with me. they are especially thrilled when i hand over a sheet or some scraps. it makes me smile and i envision what they may create with it. but they leave, put it into their paper basket and go play something else. what is with that?!



and on to what i planned to post today....

i gave you a sneak peak of the next class layout earlier this week.

athletes do a warm up before they start their routine. some artists spend some time sketching or doodling to warm up their hands. this scrapbooker sometimes has to do some practice pages. secret is out!

this is one of them:



i love that new paper punch. well, actually i just bought 2 that i really like. and used both of them on this layout! oops! i just noticed there was a 3rd punch that is also new. yup! love it too. addicted, did i hear you say? slightly, i reply.

these photos were leftovers from last months layout. they never made the cut for it. but i thought they looked so cute on this one. Kristian told me that this is one of his favourites.



i bought the "2 inch scallop circle" first, knowing i would use it a lot. then i kept thinking about the one i left behind. it was given the really creative name of "real estate sign". hmmm.... the other is an edge punch called "scalloped scallop". kidding me? the scary thing is i bet that those names are heavily discussed, not just written down and tossed in a bag to be picked. or maybe that is how it happens? thank you ek-success. the names may be odd, but i LOVE the shapes!!



yes, that would be cheesecloth. my scrapbook room is right next to my kitchen. bamboo skewers are also really handy to have on hand as well. you just never know what will make it onto a layout anymore.

oh, and the pink edging? the new distress ink from Ranger called "spun sugar". now that is a creative name!!



and go and congratulate my friend, Heather. she is an amazing scrapbooker who recently started to dabble in digital. now she is waist deep in the digi world! check out her latest designs for Baers Garten. very inspiring work, Heather!

spring

i am hoping that spring is here to stay. it definitely helped to survive winter in a larger home. however noise is still noise and seems to get louder as winter progresses.

i am not completely sure if my neighbours agree with my happiness that the kids have taken their noisiness outdoors. i think most of their yelling and shouting have calmed down a bit.

this is a photo from last spring. Kiara had just gotten her brand new 2-wheeler. she mostly just sat! it did move a few centimetres at a time, but never moved for long. by the end of the summer she was pedalling 2 1/2 kilometres happily. we actually did a family bike ride with all four of us riding. amazing!




i used to park a lawn chair by the curb and relax while they rode. i still remember doing that while Kiara napped and it was Aidan's first year on a bike. he rode while i read. i was in awe when i realized 2 hours had passed. it was awesome! thank goodness the kids enjoy cycling as much as we do. {at the time we had to head to the backyard when Kiara woke, otherwise she often tried to play in the street. i'm sure she thought we were the crazy ones when all that paved space beckoned her!}




just love this AC Dear Lizzy papers. bright and cheerful! i tried a rosette with a paper punched edge. I also used my new EK punch for several flowers. i even experimented with a folded paper rose using the punch. and had to add some coloured microbeads. that ribbon is a favourite. i love how the sheer picks up the background colours.

we've had a bit of spring cleaning happening here too. i am one of those sick people who actually enjoy organizing. {when i have the time!} it is a challenge to figure out how to organize, but then helps me organize my thoughts while i do it. except when the paper shredder is on! that machine is like the "off" switch for logical thinking,

i spent some time putting photos away, and then decided to re-organize my scrapbook albums.

the kids still have their baby albums.

but the rest of the albums are now arranged in chronological order. which is really odd because i am not a chronological scrapper! however this need for me to view the photos in order has been a strong force!

it did help me to see that i will also need to purchase an album for each of the kids school years. i am going to think about those albums and order something special.

my original "real" albums were the post-bound type. i have now become a fan of the D-ring binders.

for many reasons! but one being that i can choose from an assortment of page protectors that will all fit into the 3 ring system.

i took my layout to the store today and checked out the new products. how will i ever choose paper for the May layout, was my thought as i shopped. there is just so much good stuff to choose from!

my faves today:

Fancy Pants Road Show. their cards have the cutest sayings! i told Kristian that i want to buy a frame and just frame the "blackboard" 12x12! it would be so awesome as a memo board. their blog is really inspirational too. love!

Websters' Pages.  life's portrait. garden gala. lullaby lane.  oh my goodness! the first time i used their pages on a layout were for Christmas. i bought only 1 of each of my faves. then i couldn't decide which side to use. i think i had 4 papers. yes, i made 8 layouts! they are so elegant that i think they would be so nice just framed on their own. the store also has some in 6x6 paper packs. and all the embellishments to go with them. it took all the restraint to hold myself back. if didn't have to purchase those albums...


what is your album organizational solution?

nostalgia

this year i am thrilled that March appeared so quickly. i thought January flew by. however i think February zoomed on even faster. i am not sad when winter moves along at this speed. just as long as the clock slows once the grass and hot sun appears.

i realized with shock that i am now preparing to teach my third layout class for Urban Scrapbook. my third design team kit is on my desk and begging for some of my time. it occurred to me yesterday that i can't really call myself "new staff" at the store. to me there are still lots of things for me to learn! but i've nearly had 2 months of shifts already. how did that happen so fast?!

it still feels like i just said "yes" to all of this and now here i am. i think i've reached the point where i feel like i'm getting the hang of the juggling and knowing better how to manage my time. it helps that March is a longer month.

i don't think the past few months have sped by due to the busy-ness of life. i think part of it has been due to the fun and excitement as well. the timing could not have been better.

it has been a surreal experience to have been a customer of Urban Scrapbook for so many years and to now be an employee. working with the girls that encouraged and challenged me over the years. i am very lucky.

they asked me how long i had been scrapbooking. i said since 2004, so about 5 years.

then i realized that it had been longer. 1995 i made our wedding invitations. parchment paper from Staples, a rubber stamp, gold ink pad and embossed using the back of my clothing iron. wow! 1996 was the year i made my first scrapbook. white 8 1/2 by 11 pages. one black pen. one package of rub-ons. "deckle edged" cut edges of some photos. "corner shaped" others. i made about one scrapbook per year of our vacation trips. one to Vancouver Island. one to Montreal. two to Mexico. i bought a new package of stickers or rub-ons for each album and a few new tools. very basic. my friend, Robyn encouraged me to not just take photos of vacation or celebrations. she said it is good to have photos of everyday stuff too. i always kept that in the back of my mind. how ironic that every day stuff is one of the biggest trends in modern scrapbooking.

then i changed from teaching full-time to subbing. i had extra time. off i went to Western Educational to buy a stamp, paper and pens to make Christmas cards.

at the same time i became friends with Kirsten who made cards. i had too, but they were very basic. Kirsten had some books by Becky Higgins she had borrowed from her sister in law. my creative world grew larger. then i learned about classes in cardmaking and scrapbooks. we took our first class at Treasured Memories (now Urban Scrapbook) on using chalk inks and stencils. good class. but, wow! i am so glad that i don't use chalk inks on my pages like that now! not that i ever did. i tried, but was not successful.

then Stampin'Up came in.

then i was pregnant. the baby was due in October, so i started the Christmas cards in September. i had an idea book by Bazzill and went off to the store to get paper and a new punch. all the cards were done and ready by the time he was born! i just added a photo afterwards.

my friend, Stacey, also had a baby born in October. she wanted to make a scrapbook for her daughter. i had been thinking about it but wasn't sure if it was a good project. on a shopping trip together i came across "Oh, Baby" magazine by Scrapbook, Etc. i loved so many of the layouts. having learned the tips of "scraplifting" by Kirsten i figured i would copy the layouts i liked and do a first year album for Aidan.

with the magazine and my photos i would spend hours going up and down the aisles with Aidan in his carseat/stroller and find the perfect paper. i learned immediately that it would be impossible to use the exact paper in the layout. a disappointing discovery. i copied as best as i could. as it happened i started to use my own ideas to make pages and gave up on scraplifting. i was never really that good at it anyway. as weird as that sounds! but i would still spend hours finding the perfect paper and embellishments for the photos i had.

with the kids, i took more classes at US. even the projects from 4 years ago still get rave comments!

given my history of scrapbooking, i knew that i would one day look back on those first "real" pages and shake my head at the basic techniques. however i took that into stride. i decided that the new techinques would be part of the fun. yes, those first pages still make me smile at their style. but i have awesome memories....of the shopping and searching....the many hours spent putting the page together....the experimenting. each paper and embellishment was chosen VERY carefully. truly, i remember how much i had fallen in love with a particular aspect of the page and how excited i was to combine it with Aidan's photos.

so, lets change the date. i guess in reality i have been scrapbooking for 15 years. but in all honesty, it is the last 5 that have felt like "real" scrapbooking.

i think i will look back on 2010 as another scrapbooking milestone. i feel a similar challenge that i did back in 2004. a challenge to try something new. stretch myself further - creatively.

i am excited for this phase!

i appreciate Pat and Lori for giving me this opportunity. for seeing something in me that i had not yet recognized myself. for encouragine me. for challenging me. i am thrilled to work alongside the same girls that i admired for so many of the last 5 years! to see my pages share the same walls as theirs.

let me not give you the impression that i deserve this. i am just excited for this time in my life. some days i have to pinch myself to check that i'm not dreaming.

i worked with Roslyn last night - she was one of the first "Urban Girls" that i got to know as a friend. thanks Roslyn! it is so nice to be surrounded by paper and other fun creative stuff. to be encouraged and challenged by people i admire. to go to work and be excited! i am very lucky.

just before i headed off to work, i was blog hopping while i had a quick supper. fortunately Cosmo Cricket was one of the first on my hopping. they were recently in Edmonton and posted a sweet video message by Heather and Sheri. both of them are Urban Girls too. the message was from another Urban Girl, Jan. these are the kinds of women i get to work with and be inspired by. so cool!

what a crazy long post!! is it even possible for me to not be long-winded?!!

i 'll leave you with a sneak peak of the upcoming March layout. all i can say is that it is a fun and colourful one. colours and products that can't help but make you smile.





i did not mention this before...and i should have! at the beginning.
i am sooooo thankful to Kristian. he has not ever complained about the time or money i spend on my hobby. he certainly reminds me to keep a balance! however he has always been my biggest and greatest supporter. he is the one who will sometimes suggest that i spend an evening or part of a day scrapbooking. he did whatever he could to arrange his schedule so that i could get out of the house for my regular scrapbook nights. he is the one who likes to see my projects when i am done and always tells me his honest opinion. he is the one who went out to buy and assemble the furniture for my present craft room. he is amazing!! if he ever doubted my abilities or passion for paper and ink then i would not be doing any of this today. isn't he awesome?!

ready for a weekend

what a week!

i taught the first class for the February layout last Saturday. then as the afternoon went on, i could feel a cold coming on. thinking it would be a brilliant time to test out ColdFX, i did so. it did not work. initially i thought the vitamins or whatever miracle drug they add to the recipe was actually going to help. nope! my ears hurt and my throat was not improving. i still ended up making a visit to the doctor. Aidan had been complaining of a sore ear....the same ear that he had an infection in when he was only about 7 months old. is that ironic or typical? we both left with antibiotics and hope for a quick recovery. my doctor commented on the realities of ColdFX, and the lack of faith in those pills. good thing i went for the tester pack. maybe it does work for some people, but i was not in that lucky group.

not sure if it was my cold. or the hope of spring coming. lasting effects of the ColdFX. the other night i woke up at 2am and could not get back to sleep. the entire night was one of those sleepless ones. ugh! i tried to nap during the day but couldn't, even though i could barely keep my eyes open. weird. of course it was a night that i had to work! i prayed that whatever mistakes i made due to tiredness would be small and repairable! as far as a know i think it all went well. i knew my brain was not firing on all its' cylinders when a basic question would stump me. so frustrating.

i got to work with the amazing Heather yesterday. it isn't wrong to have so much fun at work is it?! she is bubbly and the night goes by so fast.

then, would you believe i had another night of difficult sleep last night?

at least it is Saturday and we have 2 parents in the house! hopefully i can sneak in a nap at some point.

i made this layout awhile ago, but finally had some time to download it. or upload it? is it uploading if i take it from my computer and put it on a site. downloading if i take it off a site or off a computer to a disk? Aidan was questioning the terminology today. i never gave it a second thought before. hmmmm. perhaps just another side effect of sleepless nights?



another paper rose. surprised?




for this layout, i squished the rose down even more.

i am still addicted to making my own paper roses. i just need to find some time to experiment with more designs and more paper. i want to try different templates and layers. next time i have a "play day".




here is the layout in full.

i love Sassafrass Lass. love. but for some reason the style of the paper really stretches me. i have a hard time deciding if i should use the whole sheet as is, or cut it up. then i struggle with how to cut it up. it has been sitting on my shelf for far too long, i finally ventured into it.

aside from the design....i LOVE those photos! the leaves had not even sprouted yet. i really like the one that caught the birds' wings in motion. lucky me!





i did some cutting and layering. i even stamped this Imaginesce birdie and cut it out. i think it is my favourite part of the layout.




the details in their papers are amazing.



why did i take so many photos?!

so, tell me, should i keep experimenting with papers like Sassafrass Lass and stressing myself out to make them work for me? or should i stick to papers that make me comfortable and fall together more easily?

check out their blog for awesome projects using their stuff. dream along with me of being able to rock that paper like that!

question of the month!


soooo, aside from my stuff...



check out this album on the Maya Road Design Team blog:
Maya Road Sewing Kit

it is the cutest little mini album!


i often struggle with card ideas. these are two simple ones made by Danielle Flanders.


this has left me inspired! Jenni Bowlin repurposed an old book. check out her blog.
i also love her take on the garland!




enjoy your Saturday!

trends

the CHA winter 2010 show ended last week.

looks like everyone is home and now there are lots of products and projects being shared everywhere. i really enjoy the sneak peaks. however i enjoy seeing some of the new ideas that get shared after that.

did some brief searching on my own, and here are my favourite reports:

1. Scrapbook Update Top Ten Trends (so far just part 1!)
{go also to the "CHA Winter 2010 show reports" page and follow the links they have....and grab a cup of coffee first}


2. Write. Click. Scrapbook. has a fun report on the trends at the show, other than just products.


3. Urban Scrapbook also posted some photos and a few trends they spotted.


4. Moxie Fab World is still posting products and trends seen at CHA. i really love how she displayed her photos too. some different perspectives.


5. The Scrap Review is also sharing their favourites.



nearly all the blogs reported banners as being everywhere. i am not surprised. they are so cheery!

which totally leads into another spotted trend: home stuff. (Heather was right!) one of the posts reported that the trend switched from "travel" to "home" this year. just another indication of what buyers may be wanting given the present economic situation.

trend to "buy homemade". lots of the new embellishments look like something we could make ourselves. and some we could. others we are just smarter buying! thank you for making us look good!!

in the recent months there have been some crossovers with paper. Cosmo Cricket and Basic Grey are now offering fabric versions of their paper. those are just two! adhesive backed fabric and canvas look like they are even more popular. another crossover has been into the digital world of scrapbooking. Websters' Pages and Basic Grey have added some variety there. {BG disappointed me. i was hoping for some more of their fabulous stamps and brushes. i am keeping my fingers crossed that it will come. soon!}


i am excited to see all the new products in person.

in the meantime...i have lots that i need to use up. i am trying really hard to not bring in more stuff than my little room can hold. it will be a good exercise. in patience. or something. wish me luck!

a heart

Myspace Graphics and Myspace Layouts


this has me thinking....


and so does this

spools by papersparrow

and this....

backyard heart tree by papersparrow

inspiring. just my faves from today.

a room nearly all my own

this is the best scrapbook space i have ever had the luxury of working in!



it is so bright and cheery. i get inspired just sitting in here. i've already accomplished a lot.

so far i haven't had any trouble keeping it tidy. wait until i have another big deadline...then that scene may change! {since i've had children...this is as clean as it gets}

the chair with the teddy bear? that corner will eventually have a child size table for the kids. some days they like to get creative with me.



i did say that it was a room nearly all my own. thankfully there is enough space for sharing!

my sewing machine and cricut are nearby. there are even outlets available in that corner.



i {heart} this desk!

those drawers are perfect. seriously a really good buy.

initially we had a 2metre by 60cm table top. it was lllooonnnngggg. i was ready to live with it. my dear hubby thought it made the room look awkward. the saint of a man, loaded it back into the car, returned it (which he hates doing anyway) and came home with this one. with some discussion we chose this one online together. it literally ties the black and white in the room together. i am so glad he's so smart. and talented. and devoted. and patient.



yes, Kristian installed each of those EIGHT drawers himself! can i describe how awesome they are?!

hard to believe that i once could fit all my supplies on to one shelf. then it grew to a tote. now this. i have decided to always keep just enough supplies to fit in this room. if i bring in something new....i have to make sure i use something up or purge.

my other news is that i was just hired to work a few Friday late night crops at Urban Scrapbook. i'm excited to work with the amazing Heather Prins. she is so inspiring. i'm also looking forward to meeting the fun groups of ladies who like to party with paper and glue! good times ahead.