happy international scrapbook day!

Just a quickie post to wish all you crazy scrapbookers out there a very happy International Scrapbook Day!  Hope you are all getting your scrap on and making time for the creative hobby we love so much.  The one that marries our creative energies with memory keeping and story telling.  The one that breaks our budgets despite out attempts at "no-spending" limits.  The one that makes us live in the moment, appreciate the here and now, and capture the smallest moments of our lives and the lives of those we love.

I don't make nearly enough time for this hobby I love, but today I made it a priority (yup, bathrooms didn't get cleaned yet, and sheets are stripped off beds waiting for fresh ones to be put on).  

But I have this photo of my barely pre-teen son and me in the car before his guitar lesson this morning.  He was poking fun at my new "nerdy" sunglasses.  When I went to snap a picture, he popped up from the back seat to bomb my photo.  As he approaches his 13 birthday next month, I know his willingness to get his picture taken, especially with his mama, is dwindling.  I'm so grateful to have captured this small moment of us, and to have taken the time to document the story behind it.  And that I owe to scrapbooking.

This page was inspired by the Citrus Twist Kits NSD challenge and the gorgeous moodboard that Nathalie put together:

Inspired by: the florals, the pinwheels, the soft pinks, the hexagons, the brush script, the metallic gold.

scrappy saturday: catch-up

I made scrapbooking a priority this weekend.  Amazing what you can accomplish when you make something a priority.  Three layouts, that's what.

Of course, some sketches and free cut files didn't hurt either.

Here they are:

I struggled with this one.  I love these photos of my little boy#3 when he was nearly 2.  I had run some vintage filters to really soften them up.  I must have spent 30 minutes shuffling them around trying to get them to work with a Sodalicious sketch.  With the large size of my photos, it just wasn't meant to be.  Finally, I settled on this design and called it done.

Next up was this page

made easy by the Creative Scrappers sketch and Sherri Funk's awesome {and free--woo!} cut file.

And then I got myself all caught up with this layout

{don't think you can quite tell from this photo, but boy#3 is hysterically crying}

using this sketch from Lily Bee

 Feels so good to be making scrapbooking a priority in my life this year, and to be caught up to my goal of a page a week.

Thanks so much for taking a peek, and I hope you are making creativity a priority in your life.

almost 4

Did a little double-dippin' today and combined the Mood Board #9 challenge at Jot Magazine and sketch challenge #251 from Creative Scrappers to come up with this layout:

I used some colorful and fun papers from Bella Blvd for the circles

and sprinkled in some sequins and mist spritz.

Thank you to the teams at both sites for the fabulous inspiration.  

It's a happy day when inspiration hits hard and I can get a page created!

ps. So excited to say that my page was featured on Creative Scrappers!

wish-i washi

I spend altogether too much time on Instagram.  Probably, if I could tear myself away from all the inspiration over there, I would have a whole chunk of time to create some stuff.  

Sometimes it's just easier to look at what everyone else is creating.

When Sherri Funk's washi tape layout appeared in my feed, I dusted off the ol' scrapbooking supplies and created this:

So fun to be inspired to create, and even more fun to have something to show for it!

The challenge comes from Chic Tags.  They post a new challenge every Sunday.  Check them out!

insta scrap challenge #1

Happy Friday!

I have a little scrapbook page to share with you today.

The sketch inspiration for this page is from Artful Delight:

They have adorable kits for sale, so do check them out!

I used some of the Hey Girl! Basic Grey line that JoAnn's stores is now carrying.

This page is also the first challenge for a new little Instagram fun I decided to start.  

So, if you are on Instagram {and if you're not, what the heck are you waiting for??!}, create a page and post your creation with the hashtag #instascrapcrop1  I'm thinking I'll post a new challenge on the 15th and 30th of the month.  And maybe, just maybe, there will be some prizes someday...we'll see!

page maps sketch

Happy Sunday!

It is currently snowing like crazy outside my window, the big fluffy, almost-snowball-sized flakes.

It truly is beautiful, but I am ready for spring: the flowers, the birds, the warm sunshine...

Something that feels a little more like this:

This page was inspired by a sketch at Page Maps:

It feels so good to be scrapbooking again.  And I have spent much of the weekend getting myself organized for Project Life.  Only 8 weeks behind, I can catch up!  So excited for this project!

I'll be back later in the week to share a granny square project I'm working on {along with the pattern I created}, and hopefully some thoughts on Project Life.

Have a great end to your weekend!

christmas kisses and a baby

Super quick post to share two layouts.

I'm so happy to be scrapbooking again.  Ordered some ink for my little photo printer, filling in organizers for Project Life, going through and editing photos to send to the printer.  It all feels so good.

Here's a page I completed last week while creating with a friend:

The green ink splatters went a little awry so I had to cover them up with a snowflake (oops!)

a close up of a snowflake cut with my fabulous Silhouette Cameo:

Then last night, I searched online for some scrapbooking challenges to get me inspired and came across this simple one:

from My Scraps and More

So after cooking up some delicious crepes for the boys and I this morning:

recipe here

I set straight to work on this page:

Every time I use the Silhouette, I am amazed at how intricately it can cut.  Tell me you're not amazed.

That's all I've got for now.  

Need to go get lunch for the boys who have been rotting their brains on Minecraft and various other absurdities for the past 2 hours.

could it be. . .

I have created a scrapbook page.

It has been over 6 months, half of a year, since I last scrapbooked.

I have missed it terribly.  Hardly a day has gone by that I haven't thought about pushing paper around on a blank canvas, reminiscing over moments gone by captured in photographs, arranging and rearranging, putting pen and glue stick to paper to assemble a page for our albums.

Today, when I should have been folding laundry and vacuuming a rug (or 5) , I sat down to scrapbook with the challenge of using circles.

Here is my result:

Hoping it's just the beginning. . .

Thanks for looking!

May Challenge {from a scatter brain}

I completely forgot to post my challenge for May last month; so sorry about that.  The challenge is open until Wednesday, so if you're planning to scrap over the weekend maybe it will inspire you (and then you can link it up on the Scrapbook Heaven blog for a chance to win a prize).

I found this absolutely amazing video from Janna Werner:

Isn't it so cool to watch her process of creating her page.  I was definitely inspired and created this page using techniques I would have never used before watching her video like smearing gloppy gesso with an old gift card, stamping right into the paint, using torn fabric, and piling on a bunch of thread.  Oh, and those layers!

Here's my page:

So fun!  Happy scrapping!

Paint & Polaroids {two layouts}

Happy Friday!

Hope you have something fun planned for yourself this weekend.

I have two more layouts created with the May kits to share with you today.

First up, a page inspired by Vero's challenge for May 

{create a background with paint, mist, splatters, stamps}

 I did some misting, used paint and bubble wrap to stamp some texture and stamped a few circle motifs.  It's funny, I had this page on my table without the painting/misting/stamping on it and kept looking at it thinking it needed a li'l somethin'-somethin'.  Then I saw Vero's challenge--just what I was looking for!

Then this one: 

I took some of my Instagram photos and turned them into mini Polaroids with some simple white card stock.

Both of these pages used items from the May Petite kit.

Thanks so much for looking and have a super fab weekend!

{Make}ing Progress Crop Days 3 & 4

Day Three:

Alrighty, today it's all about the embellishments.  We're going to jazz up this layout with oodles of embellies.  This is always my favorite part!  Go through your stash and pull anything and everything that matches your colors and speaks to the theme of your page.  Don't worry, you won't be using it all on your page, but it helps to see what you have to help you choose what to use.  

Did you think you were getting off that easy?!  To prove that you really looked at your stash, here's what I want to see on your finished page:

1) chipboard--it can be pre-finished, you can leave it raw, paint it, stamp it, cover it with paper

2) 2 brads

3) something punched or die cut

4) a button

5) {this one is optional b/c I don't want to be known as the Scrapbooking Sadist!}  something you created with your own two hands.

You are not limited to just this list, but you must include at least this list to be following the challenge. :D 

Now lay your photo down somewhere on the patterned paper mat you created on Day 1 and begin arranging your embellies on your page until you get an arrangement you like.  Don't forget to include your mini envelope you made yesterday.  Sprinkle some embellies on that, too.

Don't feel like you have to commit and glue it down.  Come back and look at it throughout the day, sleep on it.  

It's looking great!

My heap of embellishments:

Day Four:

It's the final day!!  Pat yourself on the back for making it this far!  

So you have this fantastic LO that is coming together so nicely: pretty papers, a beautiful photo, a fabulous story, some fantastic embellishments.  This LO is not lacking much, but one thing it does need are some visible words (remember, we tucked your journaling into the envelope?).  Let's add a few meaningful words to this page.  Don't worry about whole sentences or lengthy paragraphs.  Just single words that support the mood, the theme, the story you're telling.  Cut them from paper, book print, type them and print them and cut them out, use word stickers, stamp them onto strips.  However you want to do it, just get at least three words on there.

While you're at it, if you think your page needs a title, add that too.  Or maybe the words you just added will serve as the title.

My words:

And one last embellishment for this page, just because I love them and feel like my pages aren't complete without them lately: use a border punch to punch some accent strips for your LO.  You can place them along your photo, or across the midpoint where your patterned papers meet up, or along the sides of your page, or along the edges of your patterned paper mat.  Put a punched border or two {or more} anywhere you think it makes sense.

A border:

Glue everything down and you are done!!  

Here's my completed page {and I used the March Petite kit that I love so much!}:

All completed layouts are due in the Scrapbook Heaven forum by Monday April 9th at midnight EDT to be eligible for prizes.

Some Scrapbooking Catch-up

Sometimes I feel as though I am living in some time warp, where time travels faster than the speed of sound, or at least faster than I can keep up with it.  

        Source: flickr.com via Amanda on Pinterest

I try to live each day, to fully live: finding the beauty, appreciating the little things, feeling grateful, slowing down, breathing in.  But it's hard--there's meal planning, house keeping, homework helping, errand running, party throwing, friend hosting, game watching, laundry folding, meeting attending--all those little daily things that tug at you from every direction.

Can you all relate?

I have been doing some fun crafty things and I'll try to get them all up over the next few days.

I'll start with the March kits from Scrapbook Heaven:

Stunning, right?

Here's what I have created with the Elite:

Serious Business: Once you conquered the monkey bars you couldn't keep from climbing them over and over again until your poor little hands were blistered.

love, love: all you need is love

Fancy

Bass Pro Shop: you guys had a blast exploring the Bass Pro Shop.  Such an amazing store!

thank you card

love your smile, love your spirit, love you more than you know

Love Notes

And with the Petite kit:

genuinely you: this photo is like a time machine--it gives a glimpse of what you'll look like in just a few years

you hold my heart: No one else will ever know the strength of my love for you.  After all, you're the only one who knows what my heart sounds like from the inside. 

happy days are here again: at the cranberry bog 

This last one is for my forum challenge for this month:

This month I challenge you to step outside your comfort zone and be inspired by someone else's scrapbooking style.  You could use their color scheme, adopt their design, borrow their techniques...totally up to you.  
I have been loving on Wilna Furstenberg lately--her white backgrounds, the softness of her colors, her use of elements.