Catching up on a scrapbooking effort

I've mentioned my recent determination that I'd finish some projects that I'd begun long ago.  I've gotten into the habit of creating cards because they are quick and easy and used new supplies and tools right when I purchased them.  However, this means that items purchased for scrapbook projects years(!!!) ago have long since languished in the stash without being used.  Pictures long since printed have remained in their packages. 






My blog friend, Jessica- who blogs over at Errant Scraps, changed all that.  She's delightfully consistent- not overwhelming prolific, but constantly pushing out layouts for her boys.  They aren't in any chronological order, just persistently crafty.

I decided that this album from a 2006 trip to Vegas was the place I would start.  Those looking for inspiration are warned- all supplies were purchased back in 2006-2007 when I worked at a LSS and could select from the new releases and samples that came into the store.  Most of the embellishments are as old as the trip!

At the time of this trip, we were experiencing a very difficult financial season as a family.  We own a time share, but didn't have $500 to actually go anywhere and do things once we got there.  Living in Phoenix, we turned to Vegas as a close five hour drive away.  At the time it seemed like a good fit- not too much money for gas and the time share would include a kitchen so that we could make our own meals and a rooftop pool that would occupy the kids.

We did a little research of all the free things one can do in Vegas- lots of walking down the strip (which included covering the children's eyes because you can't image what strolls down the sidewalk unless you've actually been to Vegas) and rushing into the cool, air conditioned casinos.  You'll not believe me but we didn't spend one cent on gambling of any kind for the entire 7 days of our trip.

I think the entire book is made up of coordinating two page layouts.  Please be patient with me as I share these pictures over the next week or so.  I'm committed to processing at least 4 pages every couple of days.  Editing pictures and narrating the layouts.  I'm not sure how helpful supply lists will be because so much of the product would not be able to be sourced today.  Sorry for that!!  Hopefully the layouts can inspire you much like Jessica's work inspires me.

Goodies arrived today

Brandy and I placed an order with Heartfelt Creations.  It arrived today.  Girlfriend time this weekend!!!

 

A Girl Scout Mini-book

I recently decided to finish some scrapbooking projects that have been hanging around for years.  Years I tell you!  As I was searching the printed picture reserves and the electronic storage, I stumbled upon these pictures of a project completed back in 2008.  At the time I was the troop leader for my daughter's Girl Scout troop.  I had two wonderful co-leaders, sisters in fact.  One co-leader was none other than Keri McCleary- she who so prominently leads the blog hits for her crafty Bubble Guppies kid party.  Keri and I pooled our craft supplies and our crafty skills together to make a minibook for each of the girls in the troop.

The books are 6 x 6 format that we created from a 12 x 12 paper pad because we ultimately made nine of these mini-books, one for each troop member.  Most pictures were group shots, but there were certain individual photos for each scout too.  These pictures are of my daughter Katie's book.

It's fun to see how things have changed and how I've forgotten good tricks I'd learned then.  This flower felt border is fabulous even all these years later.

We tried to capture each of the fun events that had become a troop tradition.  The Holiday Bazaar was an opportunity for the kids to make and sell items for troop money.  It also gave the girls an opportunity to go shopping for gifts that family didn't see and thus would be a surprise.

I don't know if you noticed, but we inserted a smaller page over this double page layout with unique photos for each girl.

Buttons were apparently all the rage!

Another fun tradition was the Friendship Day celebration.  Each year the girls would spend weeks researching and learning about a country where Girl Scouts were established.  The troop would create a booth display to teach other girls about their country and then "work" the booth at a festival in February.  They also had a chance to go visit other booths and learn about different cultures and customs and about international Girl Scouts programs.

We had many troop meetings and always tried to include an overnight where we focused on earning badges.  These girls were fast friends who loved learning and trying new things.

The key to making nine or so of these types of mini-books is to keep it simple.  Lots of matting and titles and little embellishments.  Even all these years later, this is one of the projects I've done that I love the most.  Maybe that was Keri's influence...

I'm pretty sure anything silly or out of the box happened in spite of my seriousness.  These girls enjoyed each other immensely.  This page shows the four that were my daughter's age as the horse around at various events.

We even borrowed a replica uniform from our local council office.  The girls dressed up and we snapped photos... probably planning the book long before we thought it up.  You'll notice the handwriting is neat and legible- thank you Keri!

This is where I admit to my own problematic follow through.  We created these albums and gifted them to the girls on their bridging night at the end of their Brownie years.  We created this two page layout with the intention that they would place pictures from that night in this book.  Fully 5 years later my own daughter's pages remain blank.  What is seriously wrong with me?  Never fear, since taking these photos I've updated the album with photos and *finally* the book is complete.

The binding of the book had to be simple.  We also wanted to create a pocket to hold various memories.  Thus the back cover is actually a 6 x 12 piece of textured cardstock that we folded over and sealed on the bottom with some eyelets.  The girls put some of their papers collected over the years and extra photos that we had in this pocket.  All pages were hole punched and bound with 1 1/2 inch book binder rings.  Various ribbons and fibers were tied to the rings to decorate and obscure them.

Thank you for indulging my nostalgia.   Hopefully it inspires you.

Just Saying Thanks

Just playing around with my MME Ooh La La For Her 6 x 6 paper pad.  I don't regularly create cards that open from the bottom like this one, but the design really works.  I recently picked up a Sizzlets die set Decorative Swirls.  The green cardstock swirls were cut from one of the dies in the set.  The flowers were stamp and cut from my Heartfelt Creations Posy stamps and dies set using coordinating paper from the paper pad.












The sentiment was stamped and cut using my Tilted Banners set.  I spritzed some Glimmer Glam over the patterned paper and I think it really ties in the polka dots from the bottom later of paper.  I layered paper from the paper pad on the inside to add a decorative touch.  This was a quick card and it's already been sent off to my grandma.  She's always being thoughtful and I can't ever say thank you enough.  She's of the old school who corresponds regularly with folks through the mail (though the older she gets the fewer folks are around to correspond with).  I know she looks forward to receiving mail so I never miss an opportunity to make sure she's getting some mail.

I'm linking this up over at Word Art Wednesday's Challenge #91: Anything Goes and Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge: Anything Goes.  Come join the fun!

Organize your Heartfelt Creations Stamps and Dies

The stash of Heartfelt Creations stamps and matching dies is growing.  I found myself in need of a storage system.  Something simple... just to keep all the pieces in one place.

I started with an empty journal notebook that hadn't found a purpose and was just hanging out in the stash.  The journal is similar to this one.  

I ended up taking the thing apart- it was bound much like a Cinch product so I just pulled the wires apart.  I found that the binding didn't allow for more than 4 sets of magnetic die pages and the plastic stamp storage. 

I cut the Icon "K" frame from my Cricut Ashlyn's Alphabet cart.  The size was around 2".   This frame folded in half lengthwise looks just like a tab to me.  The name of the set was printed out on the computer and the cut apart using my paper trimmer.  I inked all of the edged as I adhered the tabs in place.

I layered some adhesive magnet sheets to a journal page.  The version available at my local Js were 9 x 12 in. sheets which I cut in half and adhered to the journal page with my tape glider.  I then used some patterned paper to cover the magnet sheet.  The edges were once again inked with my Vintage Photo Distress ink. 

These flower dies still have the placement frame in place for die cutting stamped images.  A video for making these type of cuts can be found here.  The frames can stay on as long as the tape lasts.  A new frame is easy to make with another piece of scrap paper.  It just happened that these frames were the right color to go with my book design!

One huge caution if you intend to make your own- I made a similar version for Brandy's birthday earlier this year.  I followed instructions similar to this example.  I am not sure what went wrong.  I used a photo album like this one and placed two 1 1/2 inch strips of magnet vertical on each page and then covered in patterned paper.  The example indicated that should be enough magnet to hold the dies.  However, when Brandy tried to load her dies they would slip off when the page was turned.  I am thinking this might be because the pages were bigger creating the ability to bend the pages which released the magnetic bond.  We're going to have to take evasive action and do a little repair work.  My pages were smaller, so I ended up using only one rectangle 6 x 9 on the page instead of strips.  I had fewer dies, so just cut up the package evenly and ended up with bigger pieces.  My book doesn't have quite the same problems.  Just make sure to make a test page before you finish your first page off.  Load it up with your dies and turn the pages a couple of times. 

I like my storage, but I liked Brandy's book better.  Here's hoping that we can successfully repair her book.