Butterfly Decoration

I had so much fun with the USA felt pillow, I decided to once again follow up on a project I liked online.  I had recieved the beautiful Madeline Collection by Prima in my Coordinates Collection kit and had been wondering what to do with the pretty little butterflies, when I saw this on Write Click Scrapbook...

Cheryl Overton and put the collection together and I loved it.  So here is my version (which just so happens to match my wood butterflies I picked up last year!)...

The quote is one by the Persian poet Hafiz, "Ever since happiness heard your name, it has been running through the streets trying to find you."

Yay for Spring!

Scrapbook Crop

For my New:52 moment of the week I decided to host an all day scrapbook crop at my house.  I set up 4 table stations and had a good turn out (I was so busy scrapping I didn't take pictures of those of us there!!) and we ate lots of good food.  I had it start around 10 am with some giant Costco muffins, juice and the first session of LDS General Conference on TV.  We took a lunch break at noon for some chicken salad croissant sandwiches, grapes, fresh pineapple, and skinny cow icecream sandwiches.  We then watched the 2nd session of conference.  My sister and I decided to keep going and scrapped our way through the 2 final four NCAA tourney games and some pizza.  Overall it was a productive day of eating and watching TV (if you can call that productive?!) and of course getting a lot of scrapbooking done.  Here are the layouts I completed... (sorry for the poor pictures, I was in a hurry to take them all before my camera battery died).  It was a fun day and I hope to host a crop again soon, it is always more fun to scrap with other people.

Organized and Inspired...

The wonderful Emilie has created an event called Organized and Inspired.  

Super excited about this because we all need a little more organization in our lives.  I know that when my scrap space is clear I can get a lot more done and the inspiration flows a little more freely.  I am excited to follow Emilie on this organization journey and hope you take advantage too!

Happy scrapping and crafting!

scrappy days

Some of my latest scrapbook creations...

Indoor S'mores and some favorite new links.

It's bonfire season and I love some good old fashioned s'mores, but I love these even more because they come without the lingering smell of smoke when you get home.

1 12oz box Golden Graham cereal (8-9 cups)
1 12 oz bag chocolate chips (1 1/2 cups)
6 cups miniature marshmallows
5 Tbsp butter
1/4 cup karo syrup
1 tsp vanilla

Melt together 5 cups of marshmallows, the chocolate chips, butter, and karo syrup. Melt over low heat stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla.

Pour over golden grahams cereal in large bowl. Stir until evenly coated, add in remaining 1 cup marshmallows.

Press into a greased 9x13 pan. Use a greased sheet of wax paper to press down evenly. As hard as it is, allow to cool for at least an hour before cutting for best results. Cuts into 24 bars.


Now onto some new favorite sites:

The Fat-free Vegan: Sinlessly Delicious. While I am neither vegan nor fat free there is actually some pretty tasty things and ideas on this blog.

The Creative Operation. This craft/scrapbook blog is by 2 OR nurses and boy do they have some beautiful stuff.

Scissors.Paper.Cake. This site is a visual gathering a party ideas. Total eye candy.

Project: Scrap

It's Project Runway season again some of you may remember that I once did Project:Project a little scrap challenge each week inspired by that weeks episode of project runway. Well in the name of good creative fun I decided to do my own this season.

So for Project: Scrap Week 1-- take someone elses sketch that is SO not your style and Make It Work!

On project runway they had to take a piece of clothing of their own and pass it down to the next person to incorporate into a design. So I looked at Pencil Lines Sketches and found one that I really didn't like because it's SO not my style and designed a page incorporating that style...making it work for me.

Here is the sketch:
And here is my creation:

I don't generally like using 1 photo much less 1 that small and in a corner. I have had this photo for awhile (it's from 2007) and I love it and I also love the new Delovely line from Cosmo Cricket so this is what I came up with.

Happy me from A to Z

This past week on Write.Click.Scrapbook there was a mystery challenge, and I decided to play along. After gathering all of my supplies and making my list I ended up with a "Happy me from A to Z" mini book. I love this because it will be fun to look at when I need a pick me up, and it is a quick glance at my personality.

Here is my list:

A- Aggies
B- Boys
C- Chapstick
D- Disneyland
E- Entertainment
F- family and friend time
G- Gospel of Jesus Christ
H- Holidays
I- Ice Cream
J- Jeans
K- Kitchen gadgets
L- Light
M- Magic
N- Never-never land
O- Organizing
P- People in general
Q- Quiet time in the morning
R- rock music
S- Scrapbooking
T- T-Rex
U- Utah
V- Vacations
W- Winter wonderland
X- eXtraordinary things
Y- Yummy food
Z- Zoo animals

When my computer isn't virus ridden I will update with pics of the actual project.

Scraplifting

Write.Click.Scrapbook's articles this week have been perfect for me. I am an avid scraplifter, and relaly felt bad that I couldn't comeup with my own designs anymore...like I had scrapbooked every way possible that my poor incompetent brain had thought of. But no more. Instead I actually recognize that scraplifting is not a sin. Not only does it save major time (I scrap WAY faster than I used to...like 2 LO in 30 minutes vs 1 an hour...or a movie) but I recognized that I have at many times scraplifted from myself. While I have a pretty strict no reuse policy on paper and embellishments (there are just too many good choices out there) if you have a good LO that you love for some reason--reduce reuse recycle, I say! I especially like to scraplift layouts that use tons of pictures, but keep it looking clean. I have gotten to the point where I can generally afford only 1 LO per event...my storage space can't handle much more than that, so 2 page LO with tons of pictures are my friend.

Some things I have scraplifted recently from myself and others-- Unfortunetly I didn't keep good track of where these are coming from...but 100% guarentee they are either Becky Higgins, Scrapbook's Etc mags, Simple Scrapbooks mag, or CK mag. Thanks for the inspiration and feel free to scraplift and redesign any of these how ever you want--

These 3 LO have similar styles...collage of pictures on the right, 2-3 pics on the left. And signature to my style if I use an element on one page I have to use it at least once on the other page of 2 pg LO.

These LO are also all similar in style... Grouped pictures acting as one large picture and then a second picture orienting the other direction. This is the most common way I make my LOs...actually almost every 2 page LO has one that looks similar to these.

Using photos as a border is something else I do a lot of. PS aren't my puppies just cute!

This is my new favorite way to scrapbook lots of pictures. It is a simple clean design that gives you good speca for journaling and a title without making the LO feel cluttered. I have a lot more example of this but my camera battery died!

Want to learn more about scraplifting? Check out the rest of this weeks Write.Click.Scrapbook articles by Lain.

Happy Scrapping!

recycled packaging

I'd heard of recycling the packaging that your scrapbooking supplies came in for crafts, gifts, and on your layouts before, but I didn't really "get" how'd you recycle the packaging until I saw this new little trend at a local store Paper Creations in SLC. I love gifty things and thought this was way fun.

front back

At home I looked at what I had still in the package that would work for a similar Halloween treat. I took my big clear block for my clear stamps out and viola! I had the perfect container. All product used is Pebbles Inc. Halloween line and ribbon.

front

back

Project Project Challenge Week 4

Here is my entry for the challenge this week...a specific group of colors. This is the closest I could get to the blue.





love the chipboard letters...just came in the mail with my new studio calico kit...how I love you studio calico!

Project Project Challenge Week 3

I am sorry I haven't posted anything but these challenges. Lots of work chaos in the way I like to call "The Dementor Days". Plus I have also been reading A LOT. Like almost 1,000 pages in the past 2 1/2 weeks. But I digress...this week's challenge was about celebrating summertime.

I have been dying to use the Cosmo Cricket Snorkel set and My friends and I try to visit Bear Lake several times every summer. Unfortunatley I was only able to go once this summer and that lake was rediculously full too. Anyway here we are:


I just LOVE this little fish.

Project Project Challenge Week 2

The Project: Project challenge for week 2 was to use circles (in the episode the designers were making pregnancy clothes).

Here is my layout, which is actually about my roommate Katie. Katie and I fell in love with Project Runway when we were living together.



I made sure to leave out the chicken feathers...lol

Project Project Challenge

Here is my layout using Glitter...



All paper is DieCuts with a View. Edge distresser by Heidi Swapp. Inspired by a sketch in the July 2009 edition of Scrapbooks etc. Magazine. Chipboard swirls are blue "Chips" by Pebbles Inc. that I painted darker with Navy Blue Pebbles Inc paint. Glitter Chipboard letters are distressed in blue paint. I found them in the dollar section at target.

Challenges

A fellow blogger and a fabulous creative mind came up with this...

I love the show Project Runway and am excited to participate in the crafting version... essentially Emilie picks a challenge based on the challenge from that weeks episode and we have until the next episode to create something. This weeks challenge is to use glitter in unexpected places. I am pretty excited to stretch my creativity and play.

Another great challenge site is write.click.scrapbook. They have a month by month thing as well as mini challenges each week. Since I have moved I haven't taken the time to participate well, but some I want to still work with are:

The Love of Color

Sweet Summer

beginning scrapbooker

sorry it's been awhile...I threw a bunch of parties, moved, and have been working a lot. I have some new goals for this site that I will go into later, but on a side note I spent the afternoon today teaching some beginning scrapbooking. My friends are hosting a 15 year old girl from Kryzacistan (spelling? who knows! It is between Armenia and Russia). She instintly fell in love with the idea of scrapbooking (who wouldn't) and wanted to start. After buying a lot of random stuff and printing off tons of pictures she was ready to go. Except she had never even heard of scrapbooking or done anything of the sort. It was a very interesting afternoon of teaching some basic principles of design, and trying to explain with her limited English level what different supplies were and how to use them. But hey she finish 1 layout!! It was a good start, and well see how it goes over the next few weeks.

some fun finds

Some great links to check out for FREE ideas....

For printouts of a great to do list and blog list go here.

Becky Higgins has created a fabulous and easy templete for recording your life story. For the Teen edition go here. And here is the Adult edition.

Stacey Julian created a way fun idea for entertaining and helping kids be productive this summer. Summer Bingo, check it out.

new toys!

Yesterday I got me a Silhouette SD machine and today my kit from Studio Calico came...

Yes!

Must go create, will post soon.

P.S. 5 days til Harry Potter time!

Taking Patriotic Pictures

I have looked at so many scrapbooking magazines and websites lately I can't even remember where I saw this, but I loved it!

Drape a flag as your background and just sit individuals in front of it for an instant patriotic portrait that doesn't take any effort. It looks nice and it's practically free.

So easy and classic. There are so many things to take pictures of on the 4th of July to record your own traditions, and the American tradition itself.

Some ideas:
1. The parade: the breakfast you eat at the parade, your favorite floats, the motorcycle cops, the candy being thrown, and pictures of you and your family actually watching it.
2. kids playing with daytime fireworks (parachutes, snakes, poppers)
3. activities you have during the day: family outing such as lake or hike; decorating for the party, kids in their patriotic attire, flag protraits outside (natural lighting!), etc.
4. Food: there are endless things people eat to celebrate this holiday...do you eat anything in particular every year? Take a picture of the prep, the final product, and the people enjoying it.
5. Fireworks: Oh fireworks can be hard to photograph so make sure to use your fireworks camera setting for them, and a night setting for the people. Spell something out with the sparklers. Catch the natural excitment a kid has when watching fireworks.

Why I scrapbook.

So 2 exciting things in my scrapbook world...

1. A bunch of the wonderful people who were a part of Simple Scrapbook Magazine started a new website called "Write.Click.Scrapbook." So excited to be inspired by these ladies. The June layout is about remembering why you scrapbook in the first place. Here is my layout to represent the reason I scrapbook.

Most of the product is from the "Girl Friday" collection by Cosmo Cricket. My Journaling says, "Why do I scrapbook? Because someone* once said, 'Life comes at you fast. If you don't stop and look around once inawhile you might miss it.' That's why I scrapbook. It's a way to stop, look, and remember. A visual cue to moments and feelings--ones that have shaped who you are today. The picture of Toni and I represents a lot of good things I'll always remember...I scrap!!" *Ferris Bueller

2. The Scrap Review is a lovely website that reviews a whole bunch of scrap product et techniques. I like the website because I can get a good opinion on certain tools I may or may not want and the have tons of give-a-ways. So this week they are having a raffle and yesterday I won not just once but twice!!!! how's that for getting lucky!

scrapbook inspiration

I love love love lists that give me inspiration regarding scrapbooking...gets me right out of a rut.

3 places that have great lists are:

1. the May issue of creating Keepsakes Magazine. There is an article that lists 100 things to get your creative juices flowing.

2. The Simple Scrapbooks "Scrapbook Play with Photos" magazine. BRILLIANT! Has a ton of different ideas.

3. Ali Edwards listed 20 tips on here blog you can read here.

So basically I need to get with it and get scrapping again (well for myself again).

Scrapbook Sunday I will post some of the ideas I have used and want to use from these lists...