Layouts, Sneaks, and Randomness…

07 Wednesday Mar 2012

Tags

Amy Tangerine, Balzer Designs, Jenni Bowlin Studio, Kiddies, October Afternoon, Paperie, Salmon Cove, Studio Calico, The Crafter's Workshop

We have a snow ~~day~~ morning here – about 25cm down overnight and it’s still blowing around a bit. Messy, messy, messy.

While waiting for their friends to show up for the rest of the day, my kiddies are sitting at the table doing stickers, which may be their favourite thing to do. Seriously, I could go broke just buying stickers – and I get them at the dollar store!

M & G

And since they’re otherwise occupied, I can take a couple of pics and get this post done!

Saturday was a fun, daylong crop at the Paperie, and it was a productive one for me! I’ve noticed that I’m doing more LO’s for me, but they’re becoming much simpler.

And while I’m ok with that, I feel that they’re lacking something. That means I need to find a happy medium between this super simple style and the “take 10 hours” style that I was doing.

That being said, I did add a little more to the two LO’s I did on Saturday – some misting, embossing, detail cutting, etc.

I can show you this one, made mainly using one of the Paperie kits, with a few Jenni Bowlin Studio plastic flowers from a Studio Calico kit and a Balzer Designs for The Crafter’s Workshop stencil thrown in:

trust your heart

And some detail of the October Afternoon mist, Ranger Clear Rock Candy Distress Stickles, and Kaisercraft wooden flowers:

I still feels like this needs a little something so I’ll leave it out and see what happens. This was one of the pictures from our wedding day, on the deck of our family cabin in Salmon Cove. Love the spot, loved the day, love the pic!

The second LO I did has a touch of product from the new March Paperie kit on it so I can only show you a corner. I get the kit early because I photograph it for their blog.

My Whole Heart sneak peek

Have I mentioned I love Amy Tangerine? The stitched paper and camera stamp are the best! And Studio Calico Shine over the camera? Awesome!

I also did the cover for my Happy Little Moments Class but again, it needs something more so I’ll share that later. I was hoping to be further along in that journey but a seized up and very old Singer sewing machine put the kibosh to that idea. Stealing mom’s tonight so I’m hoping more progress will be made soon!

And finally, an update! All the kitting for the Canvas Class on Sunday is done – whew! That was a major one! I think there may be two spots left if you’re interested, call The Paperie and they can hook you up. This is definitely a great class – it’s based on the Inspiration Showcase Canvas Chris and I did in Houston with Jennifer McGuire and Shari Carroll from Hero Arts. If you’re looking to take your scrapbooking up a notch, or want to learn some new techniques, or just want to be inspired again, this is the class to do!

Hearts

Stars

I know the stars look unfinished – I have another plan for them! 😉

Enjoy your snow day, if you have one!

Today I feel…

02 Friday Mar 2012

Posted by Sara in ScrapBook

≈ 5 Comments

Tags

October Afternoon, Paperie, Studio Calico

… a little bit dumb. So, last night I went to buy a secondhand hardcover book for the Studio Calico Happy Little Moments class (it’s awesome so far!) and as I was leaving the store, I stopped at the doors, waiting….waiting….waiting…. Why aren’t they opening? Ummmm, they’re manual, you have to push them open yourself! Yeah, not my brightest moment. Hope you all have a good chuckle over that this morning!

…. eager to get started on said class. I have all the pages cut out of my book (it’s ok book lovers, deep breath!) and now I just need to pull together a kit. I’m pretty sure it will have lots of October Afternoon paper, labels, and journal cards, plus some random other bits thrown in for good measure – like Elle’s Studio tags.

… happy that I’m in this class with a couple of friends. As Krista ~~said~~ wrote, “Doesn’t hurt that I’m doing it with a friend and that’s awesome!” I totally agree!

… excited. Got a tweet from Studio Calico last night saying I had won the Story Hour kit! I tweeted my favourite LO from the design team gallery and was the random winner – yay! And that kit has the exclusive American Crafts roller date stamp which rocks!

… anxious for the weekend to start. I have an all day crop at The Paperie tomorrow and I’m planning to do only things for me – no class prep allowed! And then D and I have a night alone – no kiddies! We were given a night at a hotel for Christmas and we have movie coupons so it will be a fabulous, but free, night out!

Hope you are all feeling good today too! Have a great weekend!

Hug Life

22 Wednesday Feb 2012

Posted by Sara in ScrapBook

≈ 5 Comments

Tags

American Crafts, Amy Tan, Amy Tangerine, Bowring Park, Daybook, Paperie, ScrapBook, Thickers, Year Long Album

(EDIT: Today seems to be the day to showcase crop night LO’s! Check out this and this.)

Friday night I went to a crop night at my LSS, The Paperie. It’s always the third Friday night of the month and it’s always fun and yummy – great combination!

This time we talked and talked and talked and laughed and laughed and laughed – and actually got some scrapbooking done too!

One of the projects I was picking away at was the Hug Life Daybook from Amy Tangerine for American Crafts (a larger version of the one I tore apart for this LO).

These are the best mini albums – surprisingly big, as in tons of pages, and very eclectic.

There are pockets and grid papers and tickets and rounded papers and scalloped papers….. So different, so very fun.

I am using the November kit from the Paperie and I *love* it. The papers, the stamp, the thickers, the mixtape – awesome!

Just before the kit was released, we spent a day in Bowring Park with the kiddies taking pictures of them in the leaves. Then we headed to Lester’s Farm for pumpkin pics and baked goodies, along with yummy fresh veggies.

The pictures from that day perfectly matched the colours of the the kit papers and so instead of a LO, I decided to do a mini album.

It’s still not finished, but I’m loving what I have done. The pictures are most definitely the focus, not the papers or embellishments, and there’s plenty of room to do journaling as I go along.

So…. so far, so good. It will be a fun one to flip through when I’m done. And because the different papers make it so easy, it’s a good one to poke at when midnight rolls around and the brain has gone to mush!

My plans for naptime today and this evening revolve around writing instructions for the 2012 Yearlong album – the first class is Sunday. Hate the writing instructions part – love the teaching it part!

Enjoy the cold today if that’s your cup of tea. Me? I’m freezing!

Today…

17 Friday Feb 2012

Posted by Sara in ScrapBook

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

Kiddies, kids, Paperie, ScrapBook

…I’m trying to do a little planning for The Paperie crop tonight – and now anyone who knows me has just passed out in shock!

I am not a scrapbooking planner, it just doesn’t work for me. If I plan, my mojo runs away and laughs at me so I’ve learned to just bring it all and go with the flow.

The problem with that? I can’t bring it all. And now that the Cave is semi-organized, I don’t want to mess it up, cart it all out in the cold, and then have to put everything away again when I get home. But I prefer to scrap with friends, especially when laughing and food is guaranteed!

Sigh.

Catch 22 I know, especially since I don’t have enough room for anyone to come down to the Cave with me.

Of course, I don’t share space very well (all those same people who passed out a few sentences ago are now laughing and nodding in agreement). I spread out and take over. All of it. Even if it’s your space. Trust me, I will own that too. I’ve noticed that most people try to sit across or away from me – funny that!

However, tonight, I’m trying to plan because: 1. I know I want to get those sympathy cards done, 2. I’d like a few more birthday cards, and 3. a friend who likes notecards has a birthday coming up – and I want to make a gift set for her (bet when she reads this she’ll know who she is!).

On top of all that, I want to break out my kits and do some playing and scrapping for me.

That’s not too ambitious for one evening, is it? 🙂

Wish me luck!

To end on a funny note – what is it with two-year-old boys? As I was writing this, they were fighting with each because they both wanted to put their fingers in the hole in the knee of my jeans. Silly beans!

hole in my knee!

Things on Thursday

16 Thursday Feb 2012

Posted by Sara in Cards, Family, ScrapBook, Things on Thursday..., Yearlong Album

≈ 5 Comments

Tags

Distress Ink, Embossing, Family, Hero Arts, kids, Paperie, Papertrey Ink, Ranger, Scor Bug, Scor Pal, Simple Stories, Stamps, Year Long Album

1. We have a bunch of tired kiddies here this morning. P & C, the two I take care of, are having a sleepover for “3 sleeps” while their parents are in New Brunswick house hunting. That boils down to mean M & G are losing their buddies mid-March – we’re sad. 😦 Last night was the first ~~“sleep”~~ night here and we’re all dragging a little today!

2. I’m looking forward to Crop Night at The Paperie tomorrow – it’s fun to be with friends and there’s always a midnight snack afterwards! Call and sign up by this afternoon if you want in on the fun too – come on, you know you want to! 🙂

3. I started on the March LO for the 2012 Yearlong Album last night using the amazing Year-o-graphy line…

March sneak peek

4. And that leads me into… I love having my Scrap Cave (which it will now be officially know as) almost cleaned and organized! I’m actually getting work done and not messing up the kitchen! And that means I don’t have to pack everything up and drag it back to the Cave all the time! Yay! When I get the bags of donations out of there and the final bits tidied away, I’ll post an updated picture. Oh, and it really is a cave as I share it with the storage room and the freezer, but it has a door. A real door! That keeps little children out! Can you tell how exciting that is to me?!?!

5. I made this quick card the other day – super simple but I love how it turned out. More clear embossed resist (told you it was a good and effective one!) but without the trapped stamping underneath. Of all the types of the cards there are, I really hate making sympathy ones at the time I need them. Those, I like to have a stockpile of and I’m all out. This one was a prototype that I liked so I think I’ll churn out a few this evening, or tomorrow at the crop night.

With Heartfelt Sympathy

Scor Bug Detail

I used Papertrey Ink stamps, Hero Arts embossing powder and heat gun, Ranger Distress Inks, and a Scor-Bug.

6. As I was typing this up just now, my computer rebooted for “necessary updates.” Really computer? In the middle of my blog post before I saved it? Hmmmm…

Hope you all have an interesting thing-filled day – tell me some of your good things!

Things on Thursday

09 Thursday Feb 2012

Posted by Sara in Classes, Family, ScrapBook, Techniques, Things on Thursday...

≈ 7 Comments

Tags

Alcohol ink, Cats, cork paper, Distress Stain, Embossing, Family, kids, Kraft Glassine, Paperie, pencils, Perfect Pearls, Pinterest, Ranger, Sticky Back Canvas

1. Said good-bye to a friend yesterday. St. Thomas Church (it’s a big one) was standing room only. I think that says it all. You’re already missed, Dan.

2. So I pinned these the other day on Pinterest, wishing I could have them in my life again and, lo and behold, as I was at the dollar store the other night, guess what I found? Score! I them have in my hands again, though not the sparkly barreled ones I remember having as a kid. Oh well, I guess these will do! 🙂

80's Pencils

3. We have royalty in the house today!

Princess Rapunzel

P, M’s bestie, brought all her princess gear to share today. M insisted that red sparkly shoes were needed to complete the look (along with her PJ bottoms!) The patch, as you can see, is still on and (knock wood) going better than expected.

4. This cat is my favourite today…

my favourite - today, anyway!

The other one (who is not as innocent as she looks) has escaped into the snow 3 times and forced me to go get her, in the cold and the snow, 3 times. Not her biggest fan right now.

5. My baby, who is also not as innocent as he looks (even my dad said he was evil!), loves his cars right now. And not napping. Sigh.

G and the little cars

Look at the tongue poking out – love that! ❤

6. Going to the Paperie to kit up the Groovy Glassine class tonight. I think there might be a spot or two still available, if you’re interested. This class is jam packed with technique, focusing on Kraft Glassine but also using acetate, Sticky Back Canvas, Cork paper, dry embossing, Perfect Pearls, Distress Stains, alcohol inks, AccuCut Dies, and more! And at the end, you’ll have a seasonal mini album to fill. If you’re going to be around St. John’s, NL on February 12, it’s worth going to – I promise!

winter - Groovy Glassine Album

7. EDIT: One more thing – I finally redid the header; no more generic hallway thing!

Have a great afternoon!

Some Basic Grey Love

08 Wednesday Feb 2012

Posted by Sara in Family, ScrapBook

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

BasicGrey, BoBunny, Doodlebug Designs, Family, Grungeboard, Hero Arts, Kelly Panacci, Martha Stewart, October Afternoon, Paperie, Stamps

One of my all time favourite Basic Grey collections is Lime Rickey – the colours, the stamps, the little birds – so much fun.

The Paperie asked me to do a LO for them when Lime Rickey was first released way back when and then, as I was into two page LO’s exclusively at that point, I did the second page for myself. Because both pages have been in different places, I’ve never posted them anywhere. But last week, Meghan gave me back the original page and finally, they are united!

So I thought I’d share them with the world…

aka

I still love this LO, maybe because of the paper, maybe because of the pictures. They were taken when M wasn’t yet 2 and G was only 2 weeks old – love them! Lots of fun products here too, the Basic Grey, of course, Bo Bunny Double Dot, Hero Arts felt buttons, and stamps, grungeboard, Bazzill Basics Edges, and old Kelly Panacci border stamps (which are so old that I can’t find them anywhere!).

Here’s another LO I did using Basic Grey, and my all time favourite collection, Basics. I also used Doodlebug Jack & Jill alphas in Swimming Pool (no one does alphas like Doodlebug!), October Afternoon Thrift Shop and Fly a Kite, a Martha Stewart Doily, and a bunch of border punches.

buddies - Vicki, Marg, and me!

This is one of my favourite LO’s – love the colours, love the pic. This was taken at my friend’s son’s wedding where D was the photographer. I think the three of us clean up pretty well! 😉

Hope this inspires some of you to get crafty today! I have some major cleaning to do first… 😦

Sara

Goodbye and Hello

30 Monday Jan 2012

Posted by Sara in Classes, ScrapBook, Yearlong Album

≈ 6 Comments

Tags

Cosmo Cricket, Kraft Glassine, October Afternoon, Paperie, Perfect Pearls, Sticky Back Canvas, Technique Tuesday, We R Memory Keepers, Year Long Album

Yesterday was the last class for the 2011 Year Long Album at The Paperie. And as much as I loved the project and the papers, I’m glad it’s finally over and I can say goodbye to it and hello to the 2012 Year Long Album. As I told the girls yesterday, by the end of the year, I am so done with looking at the same papers! That being said, what we used was perfect and looked amazing – October Afternoon and Cosmo Cricket Collection Packs (these looked like they were designed to go together!), October Afternoon Label Stickers, American Crafts 12×12 Modern Album in Cardinal, and We R Memory Keepers page protectors. Then we added to the base kit as we went along – some of the extras were Perfect Pearls Pigment Kits, Technique Tuesday stamp sets, and Sticky Back Canvas.

Here’s a quick look at what we accomplished over the past year:

Album Cover

Inside Cover

The October Afternoon Collection Pack came with two of these die cut houses showing the outside and inside of the house. They may have been my favourite part of the kit! We added some gingerbread trim, cut open the door and added a dog on a rug. For the back cover, we flipped the house over and added our own family pictures to the living room!

October

This is one of a favourite spreads – I love the canvas pumpkins and ghosts! The Distress Inks over the canvas gave an amazing texture. The leaves are Kraft Glassine and Perfects Pearls and have a great shine and colour in real life. As you can see, I haven’t quite finished putting all my pictures in the album. With the exception of December, they’re all printed and ready to go, I’m just a month or two behind!

Getting fat!

Between each double spread, I inserted an 8.5 x 11 page protector to hold the kiddies art pieces, birthday cards, loot bags and party invitations I made, and all sorts of bits and bobs that normally get stuffed into a cupboard somewhere! The album is a great place to store them and keep them organized but it leads to a very fat book – and I don’t have the November or December stuff in there yet, yikes!

However, apart from another hour’s work inserting pictures, it’s finished! Now, onto the next one, I have big things planned for the basic kit! 😉

2012 Year Long Album Peek

Have a great one – the weather is beautiful for sliding here today!

Things on Thursday

26 Thursday Jan 2012

Posted by Sara in Family, ScrapBook, Things on Thursday...

≈ 5 Comments

Tags

Amy Tan, Layout, October Afternoon, Paperie, ScrapBook, Studio Calico, Washi Tape

It’s been a big week around here:

1. I started this blog! (Big cheers! Confetti! Yay!)

2. The cookies we made yesterday were yummy, yummy,yummy – even gluten free!

3. I got fun eye candy mail, 3 magazines from Northridge Publishing – Create, Simply Handmade, and Cards. Love how beautiful these books are.

4. I’ve been creating! I was in a rut for, oh, a million years or so it seems, so it feels really great to be doing stuff just for me again.

5. I finished the Year Long Album 2011, typed up all the instructions, and have almost finished getting all the pictures in there. Nice to have this one clued up, since the 2012 class is just around the corner!

6. I finished the Kraft Glassine Album for the class I’m teaching in February. Once again, instructions are typed up and I have all the pics in. Nice to be ahead of the game for once!

7. I signed up for this online class and am pumped to start! I love Amy Tan’s style and the list of special guests is awesome too. Also, I have three Paperie kits and one Studio Calico kit mostly unused and waiting to be played with – I need the push!

8. The big one this week is especially big for M. She had her follow-up appointment with the optometrist and the news was not what we were hoping for. As a result, we’ve started patching her right eye to get her left eye working better. Sigh. Tell me if any four-year-old would make this easy, because my daughter is not! She loves pirates though, so we’re really pushing that angle (please forgive the bad pic – I think it was taken on D’s cell phone!).

M, acting the pirate and not wanting a picture taken!

And that’s my week so far, lots of fun and not so fun things happening. To let you go on a good note, here’s a LO I did using a little of the November Paperie kit – lots of Amy Tangerine (can you tell I love that Amy Tangerine stamp?), some October Afternoon, a bit of K&Co. Smash, and a touch of Studio Calico! As always, click on the image to see a larger size.