How to Get the Most Out of a Kit?

Still working with Scrapbook Circle's August offering and as I have said before I was gonzo for this kit.  Most of the pages created were of scenic photos... which are usually problematic for me. 

But what I really wanted to talk about a little bit was how to actually work with your monthly kit club offering to get the most out of it.  I was able to make seven pages from this particular kit.  I got nine pages from the one Gossamer Blue kit I experimented with.  How does this happen? 

Gotta slice those papers up.   Just.  Have.  To.  Cut.  Them.  Up.  

And this is what it looks like. 




Often there is a print on BOTH sides of the paper that I particularly like and that I want to use.  So why choose between them?  Slice it up and use a bit of both...on the same page even. 

That wonderful Native American type print on the dark woodgrain background is simply gorgeous, but I also liked the gray hash mark print on the opposite side.  And I felt that as much as I loved the white and dark wood grain native print, it would be just too, too much if used as a full background.  By slicing it and flipping the larger middle piece over I got to use both sides. 

I did the same thing with the small triangle/mixed color stripe paper; loved both sides, so just slicing them into strips and flipping them over allowed me to see and use both sides.  Then I re-assembled the strips and glued them onto a 12x12 background piece that I am not likely to use at all.  That piece came out of a pad of paper and I knew I wouldn't miss it. 

Add photos, title and just a bit of embellishment and here you go. 

The photos are (kind of) a panoramic out over the canyon, so I just trimmed them up and put them side by side.  They really aren't on full layering pieces of paper; it's just little leftover strips and pieces tucked in to appear as if there is a larger piece behind the photo. 

As I said I mostly attacked  photos of a canyon park that we did a little side trip to on our trip along Route 66.  Palo Duro was very pretty, but it wasn't easy for me to scrap.  Not until I got this kit.  I have more photos of the canyon, but I think those will go into a Project Life type photo page and then I will mix that right into the travel album alongside regular 12x12 pages. 

And, as much as I have loved working with this kit, I am (as they say) over it now.  Ready to move on.  Also, I think the sign of a good kit--- that you burn right through it--exhaust it really and then you are ready for something else.  Which is exactly what will be coming in my next kit! 

I will have a couple more pages to post from this particular kit, whilst I await the arrival of the September kit(s).   

later all!
Cheryl

Open Kitchen Shelving - a (small) success story

One would think that putting up 4 shelves is a somewhat small task, especially in comparison to the much more daunting tasks of replacing joists, leveling floors and replacing subfloors.  One would think that, hmmmm? Well "one" does not know my husband.  He is the king of procrastination when he does not want to do something.  Don't have the right materials, don't have the correct tools, and so on.  But that I entirely different subject, right?  And this time, I won! 

After weeks of debates, false starts, and do-overs, I have open shelves along one wall in the kitchen.  (Please bear in mind, the last coat of paint still needs to go on the walls, the new kitchen window is still sitting n the garage awaiting installation.  But I have shelves!!!!  Yippee, skippy! 

And here they are. 

I need to "style" them a little better.  Still have to dig about in boxes to locate more of my white dishes and I definitely need to introduce a natural element or two.  A little pot or two of fresh herbs might work. 

One thing (or four) off my list.  And as can plainly be seen, there are only a few more things to be completed.  Now, let's see.  Get rid of these awful cabinets, purchase, paint and install the new ones. The over-the-counter microwave, the dishwasher.  Install the new kitchen window, hang the pedestal light fixture.  Oh, yeah and new flooring.  Gee, almost done.  Yeah, maybe in September or October....  sigh.   

But I have open shelving in my kitchen.  And guess what, husband said that they turned out way better than he expected them to.  (duh)  I win!   Neener, neener. 

More Auction Goodies!

It occurred to me that I never did post about the finds we brought home from the last auction.  We thought we missed last week's auction all together because of the snow.  I really didn't want to go out in the snow -- seemed silly to chance it for a cake stand that I'd been eyeing.  But the husband wanted to go so out we trudged and promptly got stuck in our own drive-way (to which I was secretly breathing a sigh of relief). 


Anyway the items below are actually from week before last.  And we had quite the little haul!  Spent a bit more than our mere $16 the first time out.  But the McCoy cookie jar was $30 all by herself and I just love her! 

The little Big Boy is actually a coin bank and while we are quite sure it has no real collectible value...it's value to us is good enough.  That's the charm of memorabilia.  It can have a collectible value in dollars and cents, but there is no limit on the personal value! 


Also scored a couple more of my pretty blue tinted canning jars, a pink depression glass candy dish (for a whopping $3), a small silver creamer with two tiny spoons and a carved wood pull toy (that cute little goose-y guy). 


Isn't Big Boy going to look awesome displayed with the old soda bottles we found when we dug up the backyard? 

And I know, the cookie jar is collectible because it's black memorabilia and because it's labeled McCoy...but regardless of that, I just love her, just cuz. 

And that's the best thing about collecting, and auctions, and flea markets....  yeah, yeah, there can be a real $ value attributed to items, but most of the time for me it's more about the value to me, personally. 


Whether it's furniture, or pottery, or glassware... it has to speak to me.  It has to spark something in me, make me smile.  There is the real value.  Oh and guess what?  We didn't miss last week's auction at all!  It was cancelled and the same items were held over for this Saturday's auction!  Ya-hoo!  Keep your fingers crossed, I really want that cake stand!! 

Creative Entertainment

OK, so I can't really unpack my paper and art supplies into the drywall dustbowl that is now my house (let alone the fact that there is nowhere currently to store these things).  Now what does a normally creative person do for entertainment? 


Besides daydreaming about what various rooms could look like upon completion (whenever that may occur), or conjuring up storage solutions for a near closet-less house, we have taken to attending the almost weekly auctions at a nearby auction house. 


Our first week attending one of these auctions scored a small primitive bench and an antique tin full of goodies.

 (Please pardon the poor quality photo.  Amongst other things, my camera bit the dust before we moved and I am using husband's old HP, which is about to bite the big one...or get thrown into the creek, whichever comes first.) 


We spent a whopping $16, not counting the chili dog, two beverages and small container of Pringles, that was a whole $5 more.    No charge for the people watching. 


 It's cheap thrills (comparatively speaking).  Depending upon what you might purchase, it's way cheaper than going to the movies! 


The little bench is now holding a large stack of bath towels next to the tub (which, yes, also needs to be replaced--a whole other story that!).  And the tin, plus bath goodies?  Well for now they are in stand-by mode.  But I believe the bath goodies will make their re-appearance in the bathroom in an old cabinet I have set aside to hang up in there.  And the tin will probably show up again in the kitchen. 


Already looking forward to next week's auction!