Project Life Continued

As I mentioned in my previous post about Project Life, I started experimenting with using the concept to scrap events instead of weekly summaries. The small pockets make a lot of sense when you might have just 2-3 photos for a given week but I needed to figure out how to make some of the page layouts from my variety pack work for my needs. I can't just let them sit there! Here is the same layout done two different ways.

This is a bunch of photos from a family reunion. I packed in a lot of shots in just one page while still using 3 filler cards. The card on the bottom row was stamped with the camera and sentiment to customize.

The above layout from an Oktoberfest getaway had photos that couldn't be cropped down much. I just cut the photo and placed them in adjoining pockets.It works really well for almost all of them. The cardboard cutout of the St. Pauli girl did have her face sliced in half...oooops! There's still a poster of her in my husbands bar if we ever need to reference her face.

Project Life Review

I've been interested in the Project Life concept for a few years and love what Ali Edwards does with it so I took the plunge and started with ordering a set of the page protectors in a variety pack. Since I've really only seen samples of people scrapping the weekly events like it's intended I thought that is how I'd use it. To commit to that you need to be really good about documenting and actually printing your photos. I don't fall into that category of people. I had the supplies and I wanted to start so I used an event from last fall as my virgin page.

For this layout I rounded all the corners, created my own filler sections with scrap paper, and embellished with washi tape & thickers. It was fun and took a fraction of the time it usually took me to create a traditional layout. I liked it but was still thinking I needed to follow the weekly collection of photos mantra to make it work.

All that changed when I received a free sample Project Life kit with my Studio Calico card kit. It was a small sampling of the cards to insert and since I had them...why not use them? I started with some photos I've been meaning to scrap for 3+ years. Our trip to Holland and Belgium. I had stacks of photos to deal with and it was daunting. No problem! I just started sliding those puppies into the layout and journaling on the cards with a little embellishing along the way. I finished a good representation of our trip in about 8 page protectors in less than 2 hours. Woah!

I had firmly been against buying the filler cards for Project Life because I need more paper like I need to gain 10 pounds. But I was torn because now I've seen how much faster I can go with them and how much more likely I am to do it if I have the cards. 40% off the kits was all I needed to buy my first two filler sets and I've now scraped over 30 pages. It feels great have my memories out of a box and in a book. The new format allows me to enjoy the memories and not focus on the embellishments and layout. I'm a fan and over having to conform to it's original intent. I am still creative as I'm able to create as much or as little as I want with each layout.

Splash Time

I've had a whole lot going on, but pretty much none of it stamping. I did find time to sneak in this quick page today of my nephew on the 4th of July. I'm pretty proud of myself since I'm usually scrapping summer events in November!

I wanted a water theme and obviously played off the color theme of the pool. My favorite thing about the page is the plastic "raindrop" stickers I added in the direction of the water in the photos. I wanted to make it look like it was splashing out of the photo.

My First Digi Scrap

I've done it, broke into the digital scrapbooking realm. Yes I've just dipped my big toe but I have to say I like the results. I followed this tourtorial on Creating Keepsakes website. I was driven there by something on brushes I saw in this new issue, I went so fast they didn't even have the promised article up so I looked at the previous months item. Yes this could have been done by trimming photos but it saved me a lot of time and effort to just print the photos out in the grid.

I had fun using these cool plastic letters Shannon sent me last July for my birthday. I finally broke open the package for a V. See what a hoarder I am?

I wanted to continue the plastic theme and used one of the little plastic journaling tags that came in one of my cupcake scrapshop past month kits. I wish I knew who made these cause I want more!Paper: Making Memories

Stamps: Autumn Leaves dollar stamp

Ink: Stazon olive green (the color has gone sort of blue-ish), black Slickwriter journaling pen.

Olive twill ribbon by Stampin' Up!, American Crafts pewter brads

Woodsy Bodega Page

Wow, it's a hot one here in Seattle today. I'm not sure how hot it was outside but it's been hovering around 90 in our house most the day. I've been cleaning up my craft room since I passed a yard sale on the way home on Friday and found the perfect addition to my craft room. This skinny little table for only $20. It's perfect to hold my iPod player and a guest crafter!

In all my cleaning I found I have 6 mail order scrap kits waiting to be used. A sure sign I need to get some pictures developed! I also came across the printable sheets Shannon sent to me (thanks again Shannon!). Hopefully she'll post a comment with more info about them because I don't even know where to find these suckers. I'm guessing she discovered them at Inspire. I wasn't too sure what to do with them but I wanted to try. I just printed off my favorite senery picture from our Bodega Bay trip and found a way to use it.

I love it over laying the Hambly wood grain sheet. Most of this layout is made from a Cupcake Scrapshop kit but I can't remember which month. The woodgrain stamp from Studio Calico came in handy again for my title.

Class with Ali Edwards

I've been looking forward to this scrapping class with Ali Edwards for weeks and wow did I have a rockin' time. I have so much fun with my new stampin' friends Pushpa, Maren, AJ, and Linsey. We were all over the top excited to meet Ali. We had our books ready to be signed and cameras ready for photos. Can I tell you how good it felt to not have someone look at me like I've lost it when I tell them I'm taking a class with a "Famous Scrapbooker"? I can geek out with these girls over crafts and debate American Crafts paper patterns and which gel pen is the best...and they really think about it as much as I do!

So we made these really cool 6 x6 clear albums. It was new ground for me and I'm ready to embrace it. Working with clear pages adds new challenges to your layouts for placement since you do have to make them match. But it can also work to your advantage since a scalloped border can be seen through both sides so it pulls double duty. She showed us how to cut down a baseball card holder sheet and use that for journaling tag inserts...so cool!

The acrylic pages were decorated with alcohol inks used in a new way for me. I've been playing with these trying to achieve a marbled look and haven't been thrilled with the results. But Ali showed us it's ok to just drip them and play. I sure like the look of this much better. There's another supply that will be resurrected from my drawer. Here is what the pages looked like in progress. We stamped flourishes on them with Stazon when we finished.

This is the first time I've ever gone to a crop and actually finished something, let alone an entire album! I've been hit with the flu all week and still am not over it. I own the flu to enabling me to keep my mouth shut and hands busy at the crop. I'm sure it also helped me control my spending since I just didn't have the energy to stay for the crop after class. I did still manage to make it home from Ben Franklin with quite a haul.

Blog Candy Winner Alert!

The winner is post #6 - Pat S.! Please send me your mailing info to jaysarahs@yahoo.com so I can send you your prize.

Thank you all for the great movie suggestions. I have seen Juno and have to agree with you all it's great. I've filled my queue at Netflix and look forward to watching your suggestions!

Paridise Found

Ah, things are finally starting to get back to normal. I spent this morning scrapping for the first time in more than a month and finished 3 pages of our camping trip back in June. We went to a remote and primative site in the Olympic National Rainforrest.

To create the double layout I followed a sketch in Creating Keepsakes. I always start my pages with a sketch. I almost always change something about them but that sketch is my roadmap and I'd be lost without it.

This is a simple layout where I stamped the leaves in Old Olive on the 12x12 Ivory Naturals paper then matted my photos in Chocolate Chip and Not Quite Navy. The simple embelishments are the leaves cut out and colored with blender pen and a few touches of ribbon, twine, and chipboard. For a camping layout where the site was so unspoiled I wanted the same feel for my pages.

Playful Megan

I woke up this morning with a stamping craving like none I can remember. It's been about two weeks since I've really stamped. I logged on and found the daily challenge on SCS. I saw the inspration challenge and knew I wanted to scrap a 5x7 photo of my niece Megan I've had sitting on my desk waiting to use.

I sponged some of the flower stickers to give them some pop and laid them down in a random pattern. For the title I used Chipboard alphabet stickers and aligned it to the right. I wasn't sure how long Megan would be and though I could add a rub on or flower in front of it when I saw how much room I would end up with. Turns out I had room for the "playful" Making Memories rub on.

In the bottom corner I used a few of these new epoxy stickers I picked up called Rain Drops and they are hard clear little rain drop looking things. I thought they added a fun little "wet look" there are a few on the bottom corner of the photo but they didn't really show up much.

I'm getting ready for a busy day. I'll be celebrating my Grandma's 80th Birthday at the British Pantry for tea then having Family dinner with my Sister & Bother in laws. I'll show this page to Megan tonight. My new niece will be making her debut into the world in just a day. We're very excited to meet her!

I'm also getting ready for a girls getaway weekend to NYC! I leave on Thursday and it can't come soon enough. We'll be staying in Times Square, going to see Grease, sight seeing, and eating some great food. I can't wait!

It's been a whirl wind of a week. I went from full time nurse for my husband (and didn't get nearly the stamping time I expected) to Toronto then home for 8 hours and on to Cannon Beach for a wedding. I'm beat.

I have my inlaws coming this weekend so I'm pretty sure it will still be go go go. Northwest Summers are just crazy. Since we only have a few weeks of good weather, everyone packs all they can into just a month or so to take advantage.

This is a spread I did for 4th of July which was celebrated at my house with my Brothers & Sisters in law and their kids. We had a great time.

I cased this layout from Creating Keepsakes. Their scrap maps are just awesome. Whenever I'm not sure where to start (yes it happens to me often) I just pull out a back issue and find a layout I like. This one even gave me all the measurements. I also thought this paper was perfect for the 4th with non traditional colors. The circle pattern reminded me of fireworks.

More posts to come later this week.

Good Hair Day

This weekend when we got back from camping my hair was one huge dread. 4 days in the woods without a shower will do that to fine curly hair. It's a good thing DH and I really do love eachother. I couldn't take it anymore. I booked a last minute appointment at a fancy schmancy salon and let them have their way with me. I had about 4-5 inches cut and some subtle highlights done. They added lots of new layers and I felt like my hair was light as air when I walked out of the salon.

I got home and insisted Jay take some photos of me because I knew there way no way it would ever look like this again left in my care. The chick spent nearly an hour blowing it out. I was so inspired I went out and bought my first ever hair dryer and round brush and it's hopeless. I have no idea how anyone does that to their own head.

For the Simple & Sweet June Demo Planner Challenge on SCS I created this sample tonight show casing my new dew (or is it due?) I followed the layout and color scheme. I'm really going to miss this set when it retires. Rather I'll miss demoing it, it's not leaving my craft room. The word stamp I used on the Chocolate Chip piece is so versitle. I love inking just one word & making a collage look like I did here.