Bazzill Basics Orange Peel Cardstock
Bella Blvd Patterned Paper and Stickers
Bazzill Basics Cardstock
October Afternoon Patterned Papers, Die Cut, Sticker
What do you do to jump-start your creativity?
Saturday, September 17, 2011
Some Fun Cards
I've been in a bit of a creative funk the last two weeks and have been making cards to try to jump-start my creativity. Here are a couple of recent cards I've made:
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
I've Been Keeping a Secret
Yup, I've been keeping a secret for about a week and now is the time to let the cat out of the bag. I am a...
I am thrilled and honored to have been chosen to participate on the team as a layout designer! I'm looking forward to working with Bella Blvd's fun and colorful designs and with Stephanie, Laura, and the rest of the talented group of Bella Artistas!
I created four new layouts for the design team call, and will share one of those with you here today:
One of the things I love about Bella Blvd's products is how well they work with one another. For this layout, I combined products from Bella Blvd's four most recent lines. The orange scalloped sticker and the aqua quote sticker are from the Finally Fall line; the black scalloped sticker, the black and orange heart sticker, and the yellow and black chipboard heart are from the Too Cute to Spook line; the "someday you'll ask for my autograph" paper strip and the "you got this" sticker are from the Making the Team line; and the pink chipboard star is from the Christmas Wishes line. The Sophisticates chipboard alphas coordinate with all of the different lines and can be easily combined, as I did with the title on this layout.
I love how versatile Bella Blvd's products are and am looking forward to creating lots more with their products!
I am thrilled and honored to have been chosen to participate on the team as a layout designer! I'm looking forward to working with Bella Blvd's fun and colorful designs and with Stephanie, Laura, and the rest of the talented group of Bella Artistas!
I created four new layouts for the design team call, and will share one of those with you here today:
One of the things I love about Bella Blvd's products is how well they work with one another. For this layout, I combined products from Bella Blvd's four most recent lines. The orange scalloped sticker and the aqua quote sticker are from the Finally Fall line; the black scalloped sticker, the black and orange heart sticker, and the yellow and black chipboard heart are from the Too Cute to Spook line; the "someday you'll ask for my autograph" paper strip and the "you got this" sticker are from the Making the Team line; and the pink chipboard star is from the Christmas Wishes line. The Sophisticates chipboard alphas coordinate with all of the different lines and can be easily combined, as I did with the title on this layout.
I love how versatile Bella Blvd's products are and am looking forward to creating lots more with their products!
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
We Love Homework
Sadie loves first grade, and feels so grown up to have a weekly homework folder and multiple assignments. Here is my favorite from the batch of math work she did last night:
Here's another favorite, the best part of which didn't make it onto the paper. As Sadie was drawing the jellybean second from left she announced loudly that that one was red velvet. Nothing like attention to detail! :)
Can't wait to see what she learns next!
Here's another favorite, the best part of which didn't make it onto the paper. As Sadie was drawing the jellybean second from left she announced loudly that that one was red velvet. Nothing like attention to detail! :)
Can't wait to see what she learns next!
Thursday, September 1, 2011
Goings On
I had a blog post all set to go this Monday and, well, life happened. I will preface this by saying that everyone is okay. Having said that, this week, which started out normally on Monday morning, has included an overnight ER stay and some kids' school-related crises - large and small - that demanded much of my attention. Okay, all of my attention. There are weeks like that and this has been one of them. Thank you to all of the friends and family who pitched in this week, either helping with the kids or lending me an ear or a shoulder to cry on from near or far.
Now that I have caught up on all of my sleep, dealt with all follow-up and fall-out, I am going to try this blog post thing again.
August was a very busy month for me scrapbook-wise so I'm going to recap here. Please be forewarned - this is a lengthy post with lots of layouts/cards and links. Lots. It's good stuff, though, I promise! :)
First up, I guest taught at:
Debbie Hodge has put together an amazing site with terrific teaching and inspiration. August was a "Smorgasboard" issue and I participated, along with Celeste Smith and Erin Clayton, in the "Clean and Simple Pages" feature. It was terrific fun to do, and my favorite part was chatting with everyone during the webinar. The issue is available in the archives for those of you who missed it. I was lucky enough to be asked back to participate in September's "Design Play" issue, which debuts tomorrow. The best part? I got to participate along with two of my fellow amazing Denver-area paper scrappers (there are a lot of us here!): Emily Pitts and Lisa Dickinson. The three of us were joined by digital designers Kayleigh Wiles and Amy Mallory.
On August 1, the Write.Click.Scrapbook. August gallery launched with a "No Photos Required" theme. I created a layout about my childhood penpals.
There are lots of other great "no photos required" inspiration layouts in the gallery - I highly recommend checking it out here.
I contributed to the October Afternoon and May Arts product swap blog post on August 3 with this layout (and yes, I misted, and I've been misting a lot since then):
On August 5, I did a "Summer Reading" post at Write.Click.Scrapbook. blog. The timing of the post coincided with the arrival of the new October Afternoon Sidewalks collection and enabled me to make a very cool layout and an equally cool project (if I do say so myself!). I'll post the layout here, but you'll have to go to the blog post at Write.Click.Scrapbook. to see my project. :)
On August 15, I posted a (video, filmed by my 9-year-old) tutorial on the October Afternoon blog, featuring a quick and easy invitation/card design:
On August 20, I was back with an "In the Back Yard" post at the Write.Click.Scrapbook. blog. The post has three layouts, but I'll share my favorite here, which features the Hometown Summer collection from Collage Press Studio/Pink Paislee. (You know the drill...go to the Write.Click.Scrapbook. blog post I linked at the top of this paragraph to see the other two layouts. :))
On August 29, I participated in Amy Heller's challenge on the October Afternoon blog, with a layout on everyday travel:
I was back on the October Afternoon blog on August 31, with a layout for the feature showcasing the new Little Flyers stickers (which I love). This may be my new favorite layout:
Last but not least, the Write.Click.Scrapbook. September gallery, "Books & Reading," launched today with this contribution from me (along with lots of fabulous layouts from members of the collective):
I'm now playing around with some new goodies that arrived this week during what I will refer to as the "late August 2011 crisis" (still working on theme music a la CNN). I've been coveting summer product releases from several companies, and now have new Bella Blvd and Jillibean Soup in hand. They are almost too fun/pretty to cut up. Almost...
So, if you've made it all the way to the end of this very long post, thank you, and please keep your fingers crossed for me that September will be a more normal month!
Now that I have caught up on all of my sleep, dealt with all follow-up and fall-out, I am going to try this blog post thing again.
August was a very busy month for me scrapbook-wise so I'm going to recap here. Please be forewarned - this is a lengthy post with lots of layouts/cards and links. Lots. It's good stuff, though, I promise! :)
First up, I guest taught at:
Debbie Hodge has put together an amazing site with terrific teaching and inspiration. August was a "Smorgasboard" issue and I participated, along with Celeste Smith and Erin Clayton, in the "Clean and Simple Pages" feature. It was terrific fun to do, and my favorite part was chatting with everyone during the webinar. The issue is available in the archives for those of you who missed it. I was lucky enough to be asked back to participate in September's "Design Play" issue, which debuts tomorrow. The best part? I got to participate along with two of my fellow amazing Denver-area paper scrappers (there are a lot of us here!): Emily Pitts and Lisa Dickinson. The three of us were joined by digital designers Kayleigh Wiles and Amy Mallory.
On August 1, the Write.Click.Scrapbook. August gallery launched with a "No Photos Required" theme. I created a layout about my childhood penpals.
There are lots of other great "no photos required" inspiration layouts in the gallery - I highly recommend checking it out here.
I contributed to the October Afternoon and May Arts product swap blog post on August 3 with this layout (and yes, I misted, and I've been misting a lot since then):
On August 5, I did a "Summer Reading" post at Write.Click.Scrapbook. blog. The timing of the post coincided with the arrival of the new October Afternoon Sidewalks collection and enabled me to make a very cool layout and an equally cool project (if I do say so myself!). I'll post the layout here, but you'll have to go to the blog post at Write.Click.Scrapbook. to see my project. :)
On August 15, I posted a (video, filmed by my 9-year-old) tutorial on the October Afternoon blog, featuring a quick and easy invitation/card design:
On August 20, I was back with an "In the Back Yard" post at the Write.Click.Scrapbook. blog. The post has three layouts, but I'll share my favorite here, which features the Hometown Summer collection from Collage Press Studio/Pink Paislee. (You know the drill...go to the Write.Click.Scrapbook. blog post I linked at the top of this paragraph to see the other two layouts. :))
On August 29, I participated in Amy Heller's challenge on the October Afternoon blog, with a layout on everyday travel:
I was back on the October Afternoon blog on August 31, with a layout for the feature showcasing the new Little Flyers stickers (which I love). This may be my new favorite layout:
Last but not least, the Write.Click.Scrapbook. September gallery, "Books & Reading," launched today with this contribution from me (along with lots of fabulous layouts from members of the collective):
I'm now playing around with some new goodies that arrived this week during what I will refer to as the "late August 2011 crisis" (still working on theme music a la CNN). I've been coveting summer product releases from several companies, and now have new Bella Blvd and Jillibean Soup in hand. They are almost too fun/pretty to cut up. Almost...
So, if you've made it all the way to the end of this very long post, thank you, and please keep your fingers crossed for me that September will be a more normal month!
Sunday, July 24, 2011
Here and There
This is a post in which I share my love of October Afternoon's Boarding Pass line. I had a chance to work with it for the summer CHA trade show and made this travel layout and card:
This was one of the easiest layouts I've ever done. I printed three 4" X 3" photos, printed journaling on a 12" X 5" strip of cardstock, stuck my photos on the strip, added the "San Francisco" label cut from the 8" X 8" paper pad, glued everything to the "Sydney" paper, added two pieces of Chip 'n Stick embellished with navy-blue jute, and popped a label sticker from the Word Stickers at the bottom. As soon as I was done I decided this was my new favorite layout.
This card was similarly easy, just strips cut from papers in the 8" X 8" pad with two Chip n' Stick embellishments added.
After I finished my CHA projects I got more inspired and made this heritage layout (yes, that's a copy of my grandfather's family's passport photo, and yes, those are copies of his actual embarkation card and and another document):
Again, easy! I glued the 8" X 8" map paper onto the "Amsterdam" paper and then added embellishments, journaling strips, and my title. The title stickers, label sticker, chipboard polaroid frame, chipboard ship, and chipboard circle/star are all Boarding Pass and the line on the map is more navy jute and brads. After I was done, "Emigrate" became my new favorite layout, in case there was any doubt!
I also used Boarding Pass for my August Write.Click.Scrapbook. gallery layout (appearing here on August 1st...be patient!).
I have a zillion more ideas for this line, so stay tuned. Some of those ideas may land here soon.
This was one of the easiest layouts I've ever done. I printed three 4" X 3" photos, printed journaling on a 12" X 5" strip of cardstock, stuck my photos on the strip, added the "San Francisco" label cut from the 8" X 8" paper pad, glued everything to the "Sydney" paper, added two pieces of Chip 'n Stick embellished with navy-blue jute, and popped a label sticker from the Word Stickers at the bottom. As soon as I was done I decided this was my new favorite layout.
This card was similarly easy, just strips cut from papers in the 8" X 8" pad with two Chip n' Stick embellishments added.
After I finished my CHA projects I got more inspired and made this heritage layout (yes, that's a copy of my grandfather's family's passport photo, and yes, those are copies of his actual embarkation card and and another document):
Again, easy! I glued the 8" X 8" map paper onto the "Amsterdam" paper and then added embellishments, journaling strips, and my title. The title stickers, label sticker, chipboard polaroid frame, chipboard ship, and chipboard circle/star are all Boarding Pass and the line on the map is more navy jute and brads. After I was done, "Emigrate" became my new favorite layout, in case there was any doubt!
I also used Boarding Pass for my August Write.Click.Scrapbook. gallery layout (appearing here on August 1st...be patient!).
I have a zillion more ideas for this line, so stay tuned. Some of those ideas may land here soon.
Friday, July 22, 2011
Top CHA Picks
While I didn't make it to the CHA show this week, I confess to being an armchair attendee. I've been checking out the sneak peeks, photos, and videos from the show, and will now share my top picks from what I've seen.
It goes without saying that I'm excited about October Afternoon's new releases (Farmhouse, Sidewalks, and Sasparilla), but I am, of course, a little biased! I think Sidewalks is my favorite of the three new collections, but only time will tell.
Okay, now that we've gotten my bias out of the way, let's move on to my other top four picks, in no particular order.
1. Studio Calico's Autumn Press Collection
As always, Studio Calico impresses with their color palette and broad range of patterns within a collection. I will be buying every single piece of this line as soon as it hits stores!
2. Fancy Pants' Off to School Collection
I love the unusual colors here and am particularly crazy about the Chalk Stickers and the Design Embellishments.
3. Simple Stories' Happy Day Collection
It's rare that a birthday collection comes out that draws my attention, but something about the colors and patterns here drew me in. I am hoping that these papers will motivate me to address the backlog of birthday photos I have piled up!
4. Crate Paper's Farmhouse Collection
I love these colors! This whole line just makes me happy, especially this piece of paper:
So...knowing I'm a sucker for anything that combines bright colors with vintage and whimsical elements, what did I miss that I should add to my top picks list?
It goes without saying that I'm excited about October Afternoon's new releases (Farmhouse, Sidewalks, and Sasparilla), but I am, of course, a little biased! I think Sidewalks is my favorite of the three new collections, but only time will tell.
Okay, now that we've gotten my bias out of the way, let's move on to my other top four picks, in no particular order.
1. Studio Calico's Autumn Press Collection
As always, Studio Calico impresses with their color palette and broad range of patterns within a collection. I will be buying every single piece of this line as soon as it hits stores!
2. Fancy Pants' Off to School Collection
I love the unusual colors here and am particularly crazy about the Chalk Stickers and the Design Embellishments.
3. Simple Stories' Happy Day Collection
It's rare that a birthday collection comes out that draws my attention, but something about the colors and patterns here drew me in. I am hoping that these papers will motivate me to address the backlog of birthday photos I have piled up!
4. Crate Paper's Farmhouse Collection
I love these colors! This whole line just makes me happy, especially this piece of paper:
So...knowing I'm a sucker for anything that combines bright colors with vintage and whimsical elements, what did I miss that I should add to my top picks list?
Thursday, July 21, 2011
It's a New World...
As of today, my life has changed. I am both tremendously excited and a little bit nervous.
I spent the last three years in an amazing full-time job, working year-round as a curriculum coordinator for my local school district. I am so thankful for the experience, for my colleagues' friendship and wisdom, and for all that I learned. However, my job was grant-funded, and, as is the case with grant-funded work, the grant came to an end. When I found out that my funding would not be renewed, I made the decision to return to part-time work so that I would have more time for my family and for me.
My job ended in June and I took five weeks' worth of vacation time. First, we went to New Hampshire to visit my parents. While there, we road-tripped to Montreal with the kids and my parents (via Ben and Jerry's in Vermont, of course!). We came back to Denver for just under a week to hang out with friends and enjoy our annual Denver 4th of July traditions. After that we headed to California to go to family camp in the Sierras with extended family.
As of today, I'm juggling part-time consulting for my school district, part-time freelance/contract work in the scrapbooking world, and part-time stay-at-home mom-hood. It feels good. Weird, but good. I am sure I will figure out a schedule and find just the right balance soon.
It's been really interesting to hear reactions to my new life from friends and family. They range from "Good for you! You work harder than anyone I know and deserve some time off!" to "I can't believe you are throwing away your career!" What I've learned through this transition is that you have to do what's right for you, and what's right for you might not be what's right for someone else. I've also learned that what's right for you now might not have been right for you five years ago and may not be right for you five years from now.
So...as I begin this new journey, I will finally have time to hug my kids more, blog again, scrap more, and dare I say it...exercise. Stay tuned...tomorrow will be my top picks from CHA even though I'm not in Chicago. First, however, I will hug my kids, jump on the treadmill or go for a bike ride, put in a couple of hours of consulting work, and take Eli to see the new Harry Potter movie.
I spent the last three years in an amazing full-time job, working year-round as a curriculum coordinator for my local school district. I am so thankful for the experience, for my colleagues' friendship and wisdom, and for all that I learned. However, my job was grant-funded, and, as is the case with grant-funded work, the grant came to an end. When I found out that my funding would not be renewed, I made the decision to return to part-time work so that I would have more time for my family and for me.
My job ended in June and I took five weeks' worth of vacation time. First, we went to New Hampshire to visit my parents. While there, we road-tripped to Montreal with the kids and my parents (via Ben and Jerry's in Vermont, of course!). We came back to Denver for just under a week to hang out with friends and enjoy our annual Denver 4th of July traditions. After that we headed to California to go to family camp in the Sierras with extended family.
As of today, I'm juggling part-time consulting for my school district, part-time freelance/contract work in the scrapbooking world, and part-time stay-at-home mom-hood. It feels good. Weird, but good. I am sure I will figure out a schedule and find just the right balance soon.
It's been really interesting to hear reactions to my new life from friends and family. They range from "Good for you! You work harder than anyone I know and deserve some time off!" to "I can't believe you are throwing away your career!" What I've learned through this transition is that you have to do what's right for you, and what's right for you might not be what's right for someone else. I've also learned that what's right for you now might not have been right for you five years ago and may not be right for you five years from now.
So...as I begin this new journey, I will finally have time to hug my kids more, blog again, scrap more, and dare I say it...exercise. Stay tuned...tomorrow will be my top picks from CHA even though I'm not in Chicago. First, however, I will hug my kids, jump on the treadmill or go for a bike ride, put in a couple of hours of consulting work, and take Eli to see the new Harry Potter movie.
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