Wednesday, May 25, 2011

On my desk: 



I hate taking things apart and reworking...  I am a once done, leave it alone gal.  I will push things around on the page, cut, trim, make additions, walk away for a day, slide other papers under, flop a ribbon on top.  In other words, decisive and me--not always a team!  

Anyway, I had this layout put together at the Scrapathon, a--n--d then I took it all apart when I got home and looked at it the next day.  Reworked it on a quieter background and am happier with it now., but it's still not quite there.  It's the darned ribbon freaking me out again.  Need the ribbon, the story is about the ribbon.  So I am thinking another swoosh of ribbon that kind of curls up at the end.  (Keeping fingers crossed this does it for me this time around.)  Lesson learned--take my own advice---and put it all together like a puzzle--without adhesive, until you are happy with it.  duh

The layout is sweet, it will not be one of those wow--love that layout types though and I am ok with that.  I just have to finish the ribbon up rippling it over onto page 2.  And then somehow when I took everything apart I lost two of the little pinwheel thing-ys.  Now seriously, how does this stuff just disappear????  But it's ok. 


Used paper from Basic Grey's Sweet Threads line on this and again some of their older chipboard alphas (which I really wish they would make more of---are you listening Basic Grey???  probably not, but there's always hoping, huh?)

Tuesday, May 24, 2011

There before the grace of God... 



I cannot seem to tear myself away from the awful images of Joplin, Missourri that are on all of the news media channels.  I find myself being thankful for a basement of all things!  That we have basements here to take shelter in is of paramount importance in a tornado.  Our hearts and prayers should reach out to those in Tuscaloosa and Joplin.  Please check your local news stations for donation information or the Red Cross is always a good place to donate to as they are on-site in most all of these disaster areas. 

I have been out of the loop; besides working at Stamp and Scrap Expo this past Friday thru Sunday, I've had the creeping crud...  chills, fever, scratchy throat and the crud moved to my eye and left me with an eye infection....  After a trip to the walk-in, I am now armed with the smallest (and most expensive) bottle of eyedrops I have ever seen.  And after a day of trying to take it easy and using the drops, am happy to report I no longer look like Igor the one-eyed troll. 

Now on to something of a scrapbooking nature (finally, you say).  I am still fixated on comments I hear about mulitple photo layouts versus one photo layouts.   This is an older layout I turned up when going through a stack of class samples to organize those that need secondary pages.   




The cluster of photos on this layout could just as easily be replaced with one photo.  The message is---even if you are a die-hard multiple-photo-only scrapper...don't discount those one photo layouts for ideas.   Most of the time, that one photo could be replaced with two or three photos placed in a small tight grouping. 

Papers on this layout are from Basic Grey' s June Bug collection from several seasons ago.  Which lets you know how slow I am in going through my stack of class samples and matching up more photos and papers to complete those layouts and finally get them into albums!

Have a good day all!  (and don't forget to say a small prayer for those in need in Joplin and Tuscaloosa).
 

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Just a quick post this morning.  A reminder to those that are local, about Stamp and Scrap Expo coming up this weekend at the Wyndham (right across from the airport). 

I'll be there and so will Jenny!  Just love that girl. 



Jenny has a wonderful way with cards--the paper bow and stamped banners on this one are just so darn cute!

Tuesday, May 17, 2011

I was able to finish up the layout I had on my desk last week about my dad.  (yeah, yeah--it's about time, huh).  I was stumped for a title.  Till I got to thinking about the day these shots were taken.  It was a good day.  So there you go.  Sometimes it just doesn't pay to fight the words that pop into your head.  Use 'em. 



I used all Bo Bunny papers from their Timeless collection and the coordinating ribbon pack.  Also used some Tiny Type Alphas from Cosmo Cricket, some vinyl Thickers, a couple of photo turns from 7 Gypsies, and a journaling ticket from Tim Holtz to finish things off. 



This is another one of those instances when I truly only had these two shots of my dad that afternoon.  I'm not putting the other photos of the day on this just to squish the entrire day on one two page spread.  The layout is about my dad... not the entire day.  Since the journaling is private, it is on the journaling ticket and then I tucked it under the photo on page 2. 



And both pages together.  (Please forgive the cement showing; I take these photos outside for the light and sometimes I just can't seem to crop out all of the old front stoop!)  Anyway, so there,  I say poo to all you who say you can't use flowers and ruffles on a guy page.  The addition of the buttons and the distressed edges on the papers, plus the deeper colors all lend themselves to making the page(s) masculine.  (poo, poo, poo, poo---she says again with stubborn lift of her chin).

Monday, May 16, 2011

Now on a constant hunt for the right shade of pink.  Hot pink, pastel pink, carnation pink, peach-y pink, and let us not forget soft baby pink! 

This photo cried out for kind of a cross between hot pink and magenta.. Can't very well blame my difficulty in finding the right colors to scrap these photos on anyone else.  I bought her the outfit... all because of those darn  puffy little flowers. 



I found some papers from an older Basic Grey line (Sultry) and a doily paper from Go Green.   And then... I made Gluber flowers.  This was fun.  I am so Gluber happy right now.  So if you haven't played with these yet...go out and get you some Glubers!  Besides it is just cracking me up to say G-l-u-u-u-b-e-r-s. 



And if you notice anything similar in this layout and several others---I seem to have lots of three-some type groups of photos and lining them up works well for these.  When I have only three or four photos, I like to have a one photo page that leads into the second page.  There seems to always be a discussion on one forum or another about one photo pages vs. mutliple photo pages--I like both.

Friday, May 13, 2011

There was an interruption in Blogger service; I've re-posted the blog entry from Wednesday evening 5/11 below. 
Packing for a Crop - Part Two

First, don't forget your paper trimmer!  Mine slides between the already packed up page planners. 
Then, I always bring my favorite go-to border punches, circle punches, a couple of the tiny punches like stars and small flowers, a corner rounder, some photo corner punches (but for the sake of space I don't typically bring my largest punches). 



Smaller punches go in the little pouches and holders in the tote.  Larger punches slide in down the side of the tote.  A few extra chipboard alphas in my favorite, basic colors get dropped into back of the tote.  A couple of border punches can fit easily in the side pouches.

Several little bottles of Stickles glitter glue go into the pouches, as well as some craft glue, my mini glue gun and sticks, several colors of scrapper's floss. 




I don't bring every color pen or marker, but I do pack a few specialty pens like the gold and silver leafing pens, some glaze pens, a glitter pen. Favorite pens in basic colors,  go into the tabletop tote. 




I am usually cropping with a friend, so sometimes one of us will bring the Cricut, the other one will bring the Big Shot.  And once again, we do not bring every cartridge or every die that we own.  We bring our favorite ones, the ones we find ourselves using over and over. (The exception to this would be, say if you were working on a Disney album or a cruise and wanted to use specialized dies or cartridges pertaining to just this event.) 

In the shoulder tote go any other special punches, dies or carridges (if I am bringing them), an idea magazine or book, a craft mat, cutting mat (if I am the one bringing Cricut), extra blades, extra cardstock (once again in favorite, basic colors),  my Dymo label maker and and extra roll or two of tape. 

In my table top tote is the following:  scissors, Crop-a-dile, rulers, pencil and pens, pick, edge distresser, extra trimmer blades, glue stick, Tombow Mono Aqua, tape runner and refills, super tape, Zots glue dots,  my Tiny Attacher and more staples, chalk inks in cats' eye sizes, files, hand punches, favorite pens, extra pair of glasses, photo cloth, pop dots, craft knife, bone folder, glue pen,




I do not bring:  loose glitter, paints or stains, stamps, or sprays.  Too messy for cramped quarters, too time consuming.  I also do not bring page protectors or albums--too heavy.  I pack my finished page(s) right back in the page planners. 

Another thing to note is that I am not a speed scrapper--I am pretty picky--so I am not looking to create 20 pages in eight hours (unless I am working on a theme album--that's a little easier).   My goal for 8 hours of scrapping is about 8 double page layouts.  Sometimes this happens, most times not.  Depends on how quickly I can get in the groove, how much socializing I am doing, if I get called by the wayside to help out with something, etc. etc.

You need to pack for how you scrapbook.  Look at your best pages.  What did you use?  Do you use those tools or techniques often?  Those are the items to always bring.

Wednesday, May 11, 2011

I get this question a - lot.  So thought I would share some tips and tricks for packing for a crop.  I see lots of ladies making multiple trips in the door with box after box (plastic storage box type boxes); rolling in really huge (really. huge.) tool type boxes; every conceivable type of rolling tote, crate, or suitcase; and all types of shoulder bags and totes.  I'm NOT judging...  whatever floats your boat.

But for me, (and remember I am the dictionary definition of a lazy scrapper), if I cannot drag it in the door in one trip, it ain't comin' along.  Period. Case-closed.  That's it.  One trip.  Now when we put on Scrapathon I am only cropping part of the day, since I (alas) must work the other part.  But that is still 8 hours of crop time I am packing for.  (Our big event is 16 hours---for those of you not local.)

This is how I do it.

Packing for a Crop - Part One

Select photos and group by layout. 

Select patterned papers that may (or may not) go with  the photos.  I usually select a number of coordinating papers.  I may use them all--or I might just choose a couple of the assortment.  Sometimes I have a  really solid idea for the papers and page ahead of time (like I did with the page about my mom--just knew that paper would work!), but other times not so much.  I just start pulling papers. 




Select several solid cardstocks that coordinate with the patterned paper. Several sheets of each color.  I may use them as the base for the layout, they may be sliced up for punching borders, or they may be used as photo mats or for journaling...just don't know at this point.

Select ribbon, stickers, flowers or other embellishments that I think may go with the papers chosen or the topic.

Now, packing it all up.  Two words.  Page. Planners.  By Cropper Hopper.  Nope, I don't work for them, just love the page planners.  SeriouslyLovePage.  Planners.




I used to use 2 1/2 gallon zip lock bags.  And these will hold quite a bit of stuff.  But the suckers slide all over the place, won't stand up in my tote, everything smaller falls to the bottom.  One more time.  Say it with me. Page. Planners. 

I pack these up whenever I have a little time, but not enough to actually sit and scrap.  Always have a stack of page planners in my tote, ready to go.  So this most time consuming part of the process is pretty much done and is always ready to go. 

And this brings me to my totes. I use the Mimi Large rolling tote and shoulder bag and an off name brand table top tote. That's it... that's all I pack. (Unfortunately, the Mimi's are no longer available, which is truly a shame; they are wonderful.)

The page planners rotate in and out of the rolling tote. (Cuz I have a stack of them next to my desk and another bunch in a drawer). 



I keep several containers in my rolling tote that get refilled as needed (miscellaneous paper and felt flowers, miscellaneous ribbons, brads, buttons and bling).  I keep a divided paper holder in my tote, not for paper; it holds alpha stickers! 




The rest has to be packed before the crop.  Details in Part 2!

Monday, May 9, 2011

Hello!

                              (Card is from the Hot Flashes class,  I just like that it says "Hello") 

But the real news is we just got B asic Grey's Sweet Threads line in and I am itching to play with this.

And! And! And!  There's new Basic Grey on the horizon called Out of Print!  I just adore all the type that fades in and about the imagery.   

Go here http://www.basicgrey.com/scrapbook/shop/collections/show/current/out-of-print to see this line.  Look for this to arrive late June or early July. 

And there is another collection that is school related, called Oxford.  Even though this is kind of a back to school theme, I can see many other uses for it. Take a little look see here to check out this line.  http://www.basicgrey.com/scrapbook/shop/collections/show/current/oxford  Not sure of the arrival date on this but probably August-September. 

I said I was going a little mad for dots?  This is what I plan to play with today. 



Not your everyday polka dots.   Big dots, little dots, patterned dots, dots with images contained within.  yumm, yumm yumm,  dots, dots, dots. 

On my to-do list today: 

B-day card for husband (umm, with a dottted background, haha) 
Car in for fuel emissions check
Put a title and journaling on the Dad layout
Out to daughter's for dinner and cake

Friday, May 6, 2011

Ahhhhhhh, it's Friday.   Enough said. 

Friday Favorites: 

*   Color combo of green, brown and ivory
*   Blackberries (not the phone--actual blackberries--the fruit)
*   The way the air smells first thing in the morning
*   RHNY (yeah, I know it's stupid) 
*   Fig Newtons

On my desk: 



Layout of my dad I am working on.  (No pleated flowers in revolt on this one!)  The slightly ruffled black checked ribbon may have to be changed though... not completely sold on it.  Just a work in progress.  Finally thought of a title though, It was Good Day.  We haven't always had those, good days I mean, and I will put the story down on these pages. 

And my sticker stadium, in the background; I finally have purposed it with holding the pile of photos that inevitably wind up on my desk, sliding all over the place.  I don't want to file the pictures away, because I do want to work on them, but they just get in the way.  And now they don't!

Thursday, May 5, 2011

Remember those stubborn little pleated flowers? hmp  I did indeed hot glue those popping off the page, whilst laughing at me, frothy pastel little confections.  It was me against them.  Armed with my trusty mini hot glue gun, I braved the seige against these tiny pleated paper mutinous accents. And it was a mutiny!  All of the flowers (for both this and the accompanying 2nd page) that I had carefully folded and assembled the previous night had risen up in a revolt and sprung off the page.



Ha Ha (insert evil laugh), now look at them.  Quiet and subject to my wishes. Now if only the glue gun would work on my three dogs, who are at the moment barking themselves silly at a squirrel in the front yard.   

I am jumping all over the place on the photos I've been working on.  This photo of my grandbaby girl is from last year, alas at the time, there was no baby paper that seemed right.  But this year's Little Yellow Bicycle baby papers are a perfect fit.   I added a couple of buttons, some scrapper's floss, Tiny Type alpha, and piece of white Bazzill cardstock punched with Martha Stewart's Wildflower border and corner set,  but otherwise it's all Little Yellow Bicycle.

Wednesday, May 4, 2011

As we approach Mother's Day, my thoughts have wandered more and more back to my mom who I lost in January.  She is never far from my everyday thoughts, but I am struck by how easy it is for me to scrapbook about her, but I cannot talk about her.  Scrapbooking is indeed healing. 



We spent one morning running about in the rain (highly unusual rain fall in southern Cali) putting out barrels and buckets other containers to catch the highly unusual rainfall (during a not so unusual drought--and the ensuing water monitoring).  We were soaking wet and laughing so hard at our own silliness in the rain.  And also feeling very smug about capturing said unusual rain so she could water her plants and flowers. 



Just a close up of the pretty Prima flower and jeweled branch.  I used Glitz's Laced with Grace collection of papers on this layout.  I knew as soon as I first saw this line what photos I wanted to pair with it.  Don't you just love it when it all comes together jsut how you pictured it in your head!   Journaling is on the tag tucked in the top of the photo.  Still loving my EK border punches,as you can see!  You can also see this photo was taken a couple of years ago when I still colored my hair!!!

Tuesday, May 3, 2011

I went to a fundraiser crop this past Saturday.  It was wonderful to sit and scrap the day away.  Uninterrupted..  well... a friend called to wish me happy birthday.  Then my sister called, the florist called to let me know I wasn't home when he was delivering flowers (hmmm thanks for letting me know that I wasn't home --- wasn't aware), then my daughter called, another friend, the husband.  Yep, I truly treasure my cell phone. 

But I did get some things down on paper! 



This seems a bit out of season to be posting this page in May, then again if it doesn't warm up a bit soon, maybe this won't seem so out of season! 

My favorite paper, Basic Grey on top of Bo Bunny dotted cardstock, added some sparkly snowflake chipboard I've been hoarding, some pink bling and buttons from the button jar.  Can't seem to do a page without using border punches (LOVE THEM)  and I am currently loving my edge distresser again.

Monday, May 2, 2011

Mommy had to sign off on a report at daycare that Miss Izzy "bit" another child.  Hmmmm...  with the two little nubbins of bottom teeth currently in place....  apparently our little miss is working on the pretext that a bald head is as good a chew toy as anything else.  Sorry Ethan! 



While she may become a maneater; I think that is more likely to occur a few years down the road.  Look out guys!   

I used a combination of Bo Bunny and Creative Imaginations paper, some felt flowers from Creative Impressions and Making Memories,a felt flourish from Prima, and chipboard alpha from Basic Grey.  I try to scarf up the chipbard alphas from Basic Grey when I can get them.  They are just the perfect size and you get soooo many in a package.