scrappiness

I finally made time to scrapbook last night!! I'm such a SLOW scrapper. LOL. I was also trying to watch season 4 of House, so I was a little distracted. This first card uses papers from KI Memories for the stripe and maroon floral, the text is 7Gypsies, and the polka dots are by Making Memories. I also used a Hero Arts stamp, Versamark ink, and embossing powder. Nothing real groundbreaking, but I used only scraps and had fun anyway.
I thought the bird paper was so cute on this one, but it's not something I'd really find myself using on a layout. SEI makes that one, KI Memories again for stripe and 7Gypsies for the text paper (I'm not gonna lie... the black and white text papers and the polka dots are among my very favorite papers ever and I use them all the time). The 'thank you' is by Hero Arts and the flower stamp is Heidi Grace, I think... I'm not positive though. There's also a rubon from DCWV. Wish I'd just sewn instead of pulling out the rubon, but I was too lazy to change the white thread to black. Haha. I want to work on some layouts or mini-albums too, but I need to get some photos printed first...

I'm trying to decide if I'm gonna bother sending holiday cards this year. I sent "Happy New Year" cards in January, which was fun beacuse we could focus on what we wanted to do this year, rather than look back on last year - I have a hard time rememberring the fun things we did or what we accomplished that would be of any interest to the people receiving them.

I also want to do some scrap-shopping. The local scrapbook stores leave a lot to be desired. I have a great big list of things I want to buy... like more of these, and this, and this is sure pretty, and I could have fun with this... I could go on and on.

playtime

I was so excited to have some time to scrapbook yesterday. I sat down with my new stamps and just played. I sometimes get frustrated that playtime isn't productive. I have to remind myself that it's okay to let loose, have fun, and really have nothing to show for it. I *did* manage to get one card made in the 4 hours I played. LOL


I used two of the stamps that I designed on this card. The background dot is one. The logo on the back of the card is the other...

I will often get an idea of how I want something and then have NO luck finding it. This happens with fabric, paper, clothing, etc. In this case, it happened with stamps. I prefer clear stamps too, so when I set out to have these made, I knew that I'd want to work with someone that could produce clear stamps.

The process was easy. I just opened photoshop and got to designing. I then emailed the owner of Imagine Stamps and she replied right away with a price quote. Honestly, I was slightly hesitant. Anytime you have custom work done there's a chance it won't be as good as commercial products available. That wasn't the case at all. I got right to work using my stamps and love the final result. I will definitely get more stamps designed and place another order!

The butterfly on the card is one that I purchased on Etsy. All I did was ink it up with Versamagic chalk ink and heat emboss. (The dots and logo are stamped with Versacolor and heat embossed with clear powder). I love fun, easy projects that look great when they're done :)

my process

I thought it might be fun to document 'my process.' I generally sketch out an idea while I'm bored at work and then fine-tune it in Photoshop once I get home. I like to decide the size of the finished item and then design it digitally (a very basic digital guide) that way I don't waste product dinking around with the design.
Anyway, I created this as my guide:

Once that was created, I printed it in reverse to hand-cut the scallop and the man/woman symbols. Add patterned paper, bind it all, and some ribbon and you've got a great little project!

I created this little book a couple months ago after a coworker suggested I make a list of 100 random things I'm looking for in a spouse.



supplies used: patterned paper- 7Gypsies, Making Memories, KI. ribbons- various.

budget scrapping

I have been scrapbooking on a budget for many years and thought I'd share some of my tips:

• I generally don't buy rubons, transparencies, or other items that are printed in black or color. I can print those at home. White is another story. Luckily, white can be very versatile too. You can often recolor white things with paint, chalk, or ink.
• Never buy things you won't use just because they're trendy. If you know it's not your style, don't bother adding it to your stash 'cause that's where it'll stay.
• Also, don't buy complete sets of items (certain stamp sets come to mind...) if you'll only use a few of them.
• Buy your most-used cardstock in bulk. I use white, black, and craft the most, so I stock up on those and only buy other colors when needed.
• Watch for sales, coupons, clearance, ebay, etc. I love hunting for a good deal!
• Avoid buying items you'll only get one use out of. Look for versatility in your products. I avoid buying themed items for this reason.
• If I come across an image I know I'll want to use over and over, I'll try to find a similar stamp rather than buy a bunch of rubons or stickers.
• Become familiar with Word and Photoshop programs. Print items in reverse and handcut. The possibilities are endless this way!
• Find digital freebies online that you can use (either digitally or in hybrid scrapping).
• Buy only those tools you know you'll use. Look for tools that don't have expensive parts that will need to be replaced often (blades, ink cartridges, etc.) Find cutters that are self-sharpening, for example. Watch demonstrations and read reviews for items before purchasing too (wish I'd take my own advice before I bought the Blade Runner!!)
• Don't buy impulsively. I 'sleep on' any item over $10-$15. Sometimes I wake up wondering why I'd ever want it. Other times, I know I won't sleep again until I have it! LOL
• Save your scraps to use for embellishments or card-making.
• Look for items outside the 'scrapping' label. Buy silk flowers, ribbons, paint, alterable items, and office supplies in other areas or from non-scrapbook stores to save cash. The markup on scrapbook supplies is sometimes ridiculous.
• Buy the tiny pigment ink pads in many colors and use clear embossing powder with them rather than having many colored powders. They cost less than embossing powder and come in more colors. (My favorites are Versacolor).
• If you're unfamiliar with an item and want to try it, buy a small quantity or the smallest size available (ink comes to mind, but this could be true of papers and other things as well).
• Avoid buying page kits unless you consistently love at least 75% of the products you're getting each month.
• Buy things in bulk and split them with a friend, but only do this if they're things you'll actually use.
• Look for generic items rather than brand names. For instance, generic o-wires are less expensive than the bind-it-all brand and they work identically.

card for cam

I had a friend graduate high school this morning and I procrastinated getting a card made for him. That meant that I was putting the finishing touches on it this morning before work. The photo is bad because the sun wasn't quite out before I left:


Work was better today than yesterday, but I expect tomorrow to be terrible. I can't wait until the other positions are filled so I don't have to do the work of 3 people.

supplies: chipboard-Heidi Swapp. patterned paper-Little Yellow Bicycle, 7Gypsies, Chatterbox, KI Memories, American Crafts, and various unknown scraps. cardstock-Bazzill. twine.

more from the 'land of scrap'

I made this card yesterday and had SO much fun with it. I stamped and heat embossed, added 'bling' (I hate that word for some reason), and simply enjoyed the whole process! I honestly couldn't wait until daylight so that I could get it photographed.


The chipboard letters were painted with acrylic paint and then heat-embossed with clear embossing powder to make them just a little glossy. I also wanted a strip of paper to match the letter, so I painted and heat-embossed a strip of cardstock and took the scalloped scissors to it. It makes for a really fun texture on the card. I'm planning to duplicate this card in a smaller size; this one is about 5x7.

supplies used: patterned paper-Scenic Route, SEI, Making Memories, Chatterbox. stamp-Hero Arts. ink-Versacolor. embossing powder- Joann's. bling-Hobby Lobby.

I hope everyone is having a great Memorial Day!! I spent the morning working on a quilt (which I'll be sure to share soon) and I'm off to my parent's house for the afternoon.

the scrap channel:

I was able to scrapbook some last night and here's proof:

It's so fun to create things. This started out as black illustration board, black duct tape, and a couple sheets of patterned paper. So fun. Erin Lincoln demonstrated this as a 'Creative Adventure' for NSD (National Scrapbook Day) on the CK website a few weeks back. I loved the album, but went my own way with the theme, etc. This is a tri-fold album that I'm going to use as a 2008 recap album. It's one of those projects that will be ongoing through early 2009 so I can adequately recap the whole year.

The inside has lots of places for photos and journaling, but it's all just cream bazzil and black ink at this point. I'll be sure to share photos as I finish the inside though.

This second photo actually shows the colors a little better. I made the little perpetual calendar thing in photoshop. I like making my own embellishments. It saves a little money too.

I'm off the do some more scrapping, and maybe some stamping... I saw some cool techniques that I'd like to try.

supplies used: ribbon and illustration board-Hobby Lobby. patterned papers-Basic Grey, Scenic Route, Chatterbox, and BoBunny. chipboard letters-Heidi Swapp. letter stickers-Sandylion, ink-Versacolor. duct tape-Duck. cardstock-Bazzill

so, I've been thinking...

I really need to scrapbook more. I suppose I need to get off my butt and take more photos while I'm at it. I want my memories recorded, so that when I die an old spinster, my niece and nephews can fight over who has to keep them. lol

I'm actually pretty good at what I do. I've even been pubbed twice, despite only submitting a handful of my pages to the magazines. I've also been on a couple design teams, but didn't find that to be my cup of tea... both companies produced product that I would never purchase for myself (although other people loved it) and I was forced to use it. My favorite part of the process is picking the supplies that perfectly express the story I'm telling. It's hard to stay psyched about something when you've taken the best part out of it. I'd do a DT gig again if I got to pick what supplies I used.

I plan to scrap more. Maybe I'll crank something out this weekend. And, I'm not going to do it for the 'future generations,' although they can enjoy them if they'd like. I'm going to do it for me!