paper view

GCD Studios Birthday Card

2009-11-15T21:18:00.002-07:00

Last week I used some GCD Studios products to make this fun birthday card for my Aunty Char...

I love how the epoxy sticker looks just like a cherry. I used copper glitter for chocolate sauce, too... this is making me hungry!

How was your weekend? Ours was snowy and quiet.

Listing

2009-11-12T20:52:00.004-07:00

I've really been enjoying the Blogging for Scrapbookers class at Shimelle.com. One of the prompts last week was about making a list of things you love. I thought, "Hey, I make lists all the time... and I scrap them." I started to look through my albums and was shocked (appalled?) to find how many list layouts I have!! A lot. So I thought I'd share just a few of them with you...

Hmmm... I better scrap a page that lists all my layouts about lists.

Take Your Thickers Up a Notch

2009-11-11T22:54:00.021-07:00

Can you remember scrapbooking before Thickers? For the non-scrapbookers reading this (hi, Mom!), Thickers are dimensional letter stickers made by American Crafts (thick + sticker = thicker). I remember seeing the first Thickers in Creating Keepsakes magazine... they blew my mind! Now Thickers have become that scrapbooking staple we can't craft without. I've been experimenting with new ways to take my Thickers to the next level, and thought I'd share this easy one with you. Here's how you can embellish your own Thickers:

1. Gather your supplies. I used the new white fabric Delight Thickers and some chalk ink from Prima Marketing. Adhere your Thickers to plastic (the package they come in works great!) so they'll stay down while you work with them, but peel up easily when you're ready to place them.

Gently swipe the ink pad over the letters. The edges will fray a bit, but I actually like how it looks!

Adhere your Thickers to your project.
Next I used Ranger Stickles to carefully apply a line of glitter around each letter:

Let dry thoroughly.
You just took your Thickers up a notch! It's a quicky and easy way to get more out of your supplies... works for me! :)

P.S. Thanks for all of your lovely comments over the last week... they make my day!

The Quirks of Kitten

2009-11-10T20:40:00.009-07:00

Seeing as I detailed my own quirks in yesterday's post, I thought it was time another family member shared their quirks.

**Warning: The following post is written by a childless cat owner... if spoiled rotten, kitten-as-baby stuff isn't your thing, this may not be the post for you. If, however, you love cats, then you're in heaven.**

As I was saying, it's the kitten's turn to reveal her quirks. And I thought I'd just let her write the post herself (by the way, she doesn't know her name is Lemony; she thinks it's "Kitten," so please address her as such).

My Quirks, by Kitten

I like my drinks of water to be fresh out of the tap. With my own cup standing by in case I change my mind and want water that is a few minutes old. No paparazzi, please. It stresses me out.

A two-side dish should be used as follows: One side for food. The other side for paws.

When Mom and Dad are taking a photo, it's rude for them to not ask if I'd like to be included (even though I don't). So I just get in the picture any way I can, even if I have to lean over the stairs and stick my paw and whiskers in front of the camera just as the timer goes off.

I thought I said no paparazzi.

I like to take my afternoon naps in any place I shouldn't be or is incovenient for others.

Dad's underwear drawer is a nice place for said nap.
...or the chair mom moved so she could vacuum.

Packing of bags and leaving is not permitted.

Computer time should be shared.

I like to lend a paw when Dad needs help with his hobbies.

And, last of all, Mom's scrapbooking supplies are really my supplies. I just let her borrow them.

Those are my quirks.

Sincerely,

Kitten

Inspired by Magazines

2009-11-09T20:51:00.003-07:00

I LOVE to gather crafting inspiration from magazines! I keep a notebook full of images clipped from magazines, and some of my favorite layouts start as an idea from a fashion spread. I loved this photo from Elle...
So I made this layout based on the photo's color scheme:

These are colors that I would never think to put together on my own, but when I saw them in the magazine, they were so bright and bold together I couldn't resist! I used some patterned paper from my stash and embellishments from GCD Studio's Artsy Urban line (you should check out GCD Studio's contests this week anyway!) and some fabric brads from K & Company.

If you liked this blog post, you can find the rest of my inspiration series here.

So... what are some of your quirks? :)

Lately, I am...

2009-11-08T22:11:00.004-07:00

Reading... Eating...
Surfing...
Listening to...

Watching... (Project Runway)

Creating with...

What are you reading/eating/surfing/listening to/watching/creating with?

Sometimes I Need Help

2009-11-05T21:23:00.003-07:00

So. Sometimes when I make layouts, they don't turn out so well. Last month I made a layout. And it was terrible. Seriously... bad. So I did the one thing I always know will help me figure it out... I asked my husband Dan how to fix it. He told me what was wrong with the layout (it was too busy and the composition needed tweaking); I took it apart and changed it and it worked! He fixed it!! I really should have taken a "before" photo, but here is the "after" photo:It's still not my favorite layout ever, but trust me; it is much improved. I bet you didn't know plumbers made good scrappers, huh? But they do. At least mine does!

Fun layouts...

2009-11-04T20:42:00.003-07:00

Today I have more layouts made with the Generosity kit from Scrapbooking from the Inside Out. I always try to make a couple lighthearted, fun layouts, so I made two with lists.

This one's a top ten list:

And this layout is about the things that I tend to go overboard on... things that I do a little too much of:

Don't miss the new posts at Illustrious!

More Generosity (from my husband)

2009-11-03T20:22:00.004-07:00

The following are more layouts made with the Scrapbooking from the Inside Out Generosity kit. (You can buy yours here). I didn't plan it, but a lot of my layouts this month ended up being about my husband Dan. Dan has taught me SO MUCH about generosity... he is one of those people that truly enjoys giving, and he has taught me to enjoy it, too.

And I wanted to document one of the first gifts Dan gave me... a Mucha print that hangs in our living room to this day. I'm glad I finally documented why this gift was so special.

What's the best gift you've ever been given? (and I'm talking material, physical gifts, not wonderful things like life and love. :)

P.S. Speaking of gifts, don't miss the great giveaways going on this week at the GCD Studios blog!

Generosity!

2009-11-02T20:20:00.005-07:00

It's a new month, and that means a new kit at Scrapbooking from the Inside Out. This month's theme is Generosity, and we have the perfect kit with which to explore this emotion:Rachel and I build the kits together, but I have to say this particular kit was her inspiration. She has an incredible eye for color. I never would have thought to put these papers together, but she did and the result is gorgeous. I am so impressed with her ability to bring disparate elements together... she inspires me!

This first layout uses some papers from Lily Bee... I loved the rich colors and especially the measuring tape that's on the patterned paper--perfect for symbolizing things that have to do with generosity, like measuring and amounts.

And this layout is about a fault of mine... I'm putting it right out there!

I'll be back tomorrow with more layouts made with the Generosity kit. I didn't plan it this way, but a lot of my layouts this month ended up being about Dan. It's fitting, since he has taught me so much about generosity. See you tomorrow!

Great Weekend!

2009-11-01T21:30:00.003-07:00

We had a fabulous weekend... lots of fun times and relaxing.

Worst things that happened this weekend:
1. Dan getting sick on Saturday and me worrying about him
2. My car was broken, so Dan dropped me off at a physical therapy appointment and went to run errands. Turns out I had the day wrong (a week early!) so I had to wait for an hour for Dan to come back in a building with no magazines. Torture!
3. I had a really bad dream on Friday night.

Best things that happened this weekend:
1. Getting to go dancing TWO nights in a row... heaven!
2. Dancing with my sister and being silly
3. Seeing the hundreds of Halloween costumes downtown... there were some very creative people!
4. Dan fixing my car... he saves us so much money by doing all the work himself.
5. The warm sunny weather after a whole week of snow and sub-freezing temperatures

Oh, one more thing... I wanted to show you these photos of Gwen Stefani and Kurt Cobain. They stopped by this weekend. :)

What was your weekend like?

Winner!

2009-10-30T20:37:00.001-06:00

And the winner of the Artsy Urban prize is...
Pat!! It's your lucky day! Email your address to me at nancydoren(at)gmail.com Have a great weekend, everyone! Thank you all so much for your lovely comments and kind words. You make me feel special. :)

Time Flies!

2009-10-29T21:24:00.006-06:00

Don't forget to enter the giveaway in yesterday's post! :)

The following layout is for Challenge #3 at Scrapbooking from the Inside Out. This was the challenge: The seasons come and go, year after year. Children are born, they grow, parents grow old and leave us. There is nothing constant but change. How do you feel about change that you cannot control? The seasons, life, death, transitions that are part of the human experience? Are you at peace with the speed or nature of nature's constant movement? For the design twist, please use an image of a cycle or circle.

If you're familiar with my layouts, you know I LOVE circles, so this was a challenge made for me. My layout is about how quickly life is going by... I think about it a lot lately and want to use every moment for good. But that's a lot of pressure! So this layout is a letter to my future self, reminding me that I'm doing the best I can. And, a little more exciting news for SFTIO: we have our 2nd ad in Scrapbook Trends! It was a joint effort: Rachel wrote the copy, Kai designed the ad, and I made the layout. We are a good team!

See you tomorrow night for the Artsy Urban winner announcement! :)

Artsy Urban free giveaway!

2009-10-28T21:07:00.005-06:00

You saw the gorgeous butterflies from my post yesterday... and now you have a chance to win some! I'm giving away an 8x8 Artsy Urban paper pad from GCD Studios... ...and some gorgeous epoxy brads from the same line!

All you have to do to enter to win is become a Google Follower of this blog. You can do this by clicking on the "Follow" button at the bottom of the column on the right. ---->

If you're already a follower, that's good news... you're entered to win! I will randomly choose and announce a winner from the followers on Friday night. Good luck!!

Here's a layout I made with the Artsy Urban collection... I LOVE all the embellishments in this line!

You can currently find these products at your local Michael's store. And don't miss the creepy post at Illustrious!

Framed Butterflies Tutorial with GCD Studios Artsy Urban!

2009-10-27T21:06:00.009-06:00

I really love the look of framed butterfly collections, the kind with a scientific name pinned beneath each bug. I wanted one for my house, but my heart is too tender to capture butterflies and kill them, so I came up with a way to do this without hurting any animals! And the new Artsy Urban Collection by Melody Ross from GCD Studios is full of gorgeous butterflies, so it was a perfect fit for this project.

I started with a thrift store frame. I wanted a frame with scrolls on it, and I knew the thrift store would have some good ones... just in a different condition (read: old and tacky!) than what I was looking for. I found one and decided to alter it with paint, and I thought I'd share the process with you. Here's how to make your own framed butterfly collection:

Gather your supplies: cheap, tacky frame; spray paint; ventilated space (I always spray paint outside. It's just easier). Remove the glass and cardboard backing from the frame and set aside. We won't be using the glass, so you can recycle it or find another use for it. Spray the first coat in even strokes.

Make sure you get in all the little crevices and along the sides of the frame. It helps to lean it up against the wall, so you can get the edges without turning the spray paint can on its side.

Let the first coat dry. Now, if you like the smooth painted look, you can skip to the next step. But I wanted a distressed, crackled look, so I sanded the frame a little. Not the whole thing; I just roughed up some areas. Then I applied another coat of spray paint and voila! Crackles.

Once the frame has dried completely, bring it inside. Because the glass has been removed, there will be a little extra space between the frame and the backing. I slipped in an extra piece of cardboard to keep the paper flush to the inside of the frame.

Choose your background paper and adhere it to the cardboard that comes in the frame. I wanted a paper that wasn't so busy it would distract from the butterflies. I love how this blue and white one looks like wall paper:

Cut out butterflies from the Artsy Urban patterned paper (or any other clip art source). Gently curl the wings around the handle of a paintbrush or pencil. I put my butterflies on two layers of foam tape, so they would stand up from the background.

Now, for labels. I certainly don't know the proper scientific names for any of these beauties, so I thought I'd use something more fun. I LOVE this paper from the Artsy Urban collection. It's covered with really neat typewritten phrases. I don't scrap a lot of thematic events, like birthdays or holidays, so finding sentiments that have a more generic application is heavenly, especially when they're so meaningful! Trim the phrases with a craft knife and glue them under each butterfly.

And that's it! Now I have my very own faux butterfly collection.

Don't forget to come back tomorrow because I'm giving away some of the Artsy Urban Collection!! It's gonna be fun. :)

Thoughts

2009-10-26T22:01:00.003-06:00

Lately I've been thinking a lot about how I used to scrapbook. I thought about it especially when I was using some new products I got recently. A year and a half ago, those products would have thrown me for a loop... I would not have known what to do with them. I would not have been inspired by them. But because of my working with Scrapbooking from the Inside Out, all that has changed.

When I applied for the design team at Scrapbooking from the Inside Out, I thought of myself as a seasoned scrapbooker. But when I look back, I realize I really wasn't.... I had a very narrow comfort zone of colors I would work with. Pink, aqua, orange, and lime green... those were my colors. I used them for everything. The first SFTIO kit was a breeze... the colors were orange, green, and aqua... perfect! They were all on my "I love it" list. I thought, "I am so cut out for this job." Then the second kit arrived a month later... and my heart sank. Not my colors. Not my style. I was totally uninspired. I'm not going to lie, that was a tough month for me. And the next one was even harder... these were not my colors!! I was so uncomfortable using them and I felt like anything I did with them wasn't "me."

A few months went by. I don't know when it happened; I guess it was gradually. But I began to feel more comfortable working with other colors and styles. I used yellow (eek!). I played with brown. And I started thinking of off-white as a neutral I could use (before I would only have used black & white). I wasn't loving it, but I was getting comfortable. And after a few more months, I stopped even noticing whether the colors I was scrapping with were "my" colors. I just saw them as colors... colors to be played with, colors that inspired me, colors that meant something.

That never would have happened if it weren't for SFTIO kits. Ever. I would have continued to scrap in my little comfort zone.... stuck in my pink, orange, green, aqua box. It would have been so boring! I am a much better scrapper now. The other day I chose yellow as the main color for a layout. Voluntarily! My former self would have thrown a fit. But I knew that yellow was the best fit for the project. And I felt confident using it. Thanks to SFTIO and Rachel, I am now a better artist, a better scrapper. I thought I had a certain style, but it turns out I what I had was just a creative straightjacket. My style can be expressed with any color... an artist takes what they have and makes something beautiful out of it. And I can do that now.

I thought I'd share my first SFTIO layout with you. I made this with the first SFTIO kit, Freedom, from July 2008. Seems like a long time ago!
See you tomorrow!

Sneak Peek, DT Search, & a Layout

2009-10-25T22:17:00.002-06:00

I can't believe November is right around the corner!! Autumn is flying by. And with November comes... a new Scrapbooking from the Inside Out kit! November's theme is Generosity, and here are a couple sneak peaks...And I also want to tell you about SFTIO's Design Team search. We're looking to add a couple new designers to our team, and we'd love to get lots of submissions. Even if you've submitted before, you should try again... you never know! You can read the call here.

And I thought I'd pull another layout from the archives... remember this one? It's from one year ago. I still feel this way!

See you tomorrow!

Reminder

2009-10-23T14:05:00.002-06:00

Just wanted to remind you about the sketch contest over at the In the Studio blog... the winner will receive a big prize package of cute Halloween stuff! Check it out here.

There's also a new post at Illustrious. And watch for Halloween posts there next week. Have a great weekend!

Best & Worst

2009-10-22T20:22:00.002-06:00

Worst things that happened to me today:
1. I got a nasty headache that never went away after I went to the gym.
2. Dan had to go get his tattoo worked on all evening and I didn't get to hang out with him.
3. I watched Blade Runner for the first time and it is TERRIBLE! I don't recommend it to anyone. Depressing and weird.

Five best things that happened to me today:
1. I went to the gym with my friend and burned over 300 calories (according to the treadmill). I felt like super woman!
2. I brought the first load of laundry (warm out of the dryer) upstairs and laid it on the bed. I turned away for a second and came back to this:

That was at 11:55 AM. She did not move until 7:30 PM. Totally true story. I was not permitted to fold that laundry until she was done with it.

3. I talked to my Mama on the phone and it was very nice.

4. I finished a layout assignment ahead of schedule!

5. I think #5 will be when my hubby comes home and we get to hang out together. :)

Your turn!

Halloween Layouts

2009-10-21T22:42:00.003-06:00

Here are some Halloween layouts I made recently with GCD Studios products... they have the perfect patterned paper for any occasion!

I LOVE LOVE LOVE the photos of Hailey in that blue wig... priceless!

And I am all about scrapping the every day moments... not just the perfect ones. I think it's important to document the tears, too!

Are you dressing up for Halloween this year? What are you going to be?

Scrapbooking lessons

2009-10-20T22:00:00.005-06:00

I didn't expect to learn anything about scrapbooking during my weekend away. I expected to have fun and spend quality time with family, but I didn't think scrapbooking would play any part in the weekend. But I learned two very important lessons about my hobby in the last few days, and I wanted to share them with you.

The first is that what I make matters. So often I send away gifts I've made (mini books, cards, albums) and never think of them again. I hope the recipient enjoys them, but I don't have any thoughts beyond that. This weekend I discovered that my nephew Jackson LOVES the mini album I made him last year. He loves it so much that he does a little squeal and dance when his mom gets it out! It is one of his favorite books and he loves to look at it whenever he's allowed. He also likes to chew on it...
I was really inspired by how important that little book was to him. I never dreamed that small chipboard-and-photos mini album would become a favorite part of his little world. I also saw scattered throughout the homes of relatives other projects that I had made that had places of importance in the house. I can't tell you how much this means to me and how much it motivates me to continue giving handmade gifts. Sometimes I start to doubt whether handmade gifts are what my family really wants... maybe they're just being nice when they assure me that they want more. But what I saw this weekend has convinced me of the importance of these gifts.

The other lesson I learned is about photos. At both my and my husband's parents' homes, we spent some time going through old photos of the family. In both cases, we loved seeing the people in the photos, but we were just as interested in the little details. "I remember that skirt!" "Look, it's the bedroom at the Blue House!" "I can tell by the plates on the wall that this is Scott and Sue's house." I was amazed by how important the backgrounds of these photos are. When I take pictures, I have always tried to compose the photo so that the person in it fills most of the frame. I always assumed that people were the most interesting thing in the photo, so why not make them the focus? But now I'm beginning to realize that the surrounding details can be just as important. Just the color of the carpet in a photo can precipitate a flood of memories. I want to be sure to have a mix of tight shots of the people I love and photos with a background that provides a reference point. I love this photo I took over the weekend of my mom and Jackson... someday I may be able to remember just what we did on this day because of the little details I captured. I love that.
And those are the unexpected lessons I learned this past weekend. I feel so inspired to continue sharing my hobby with my family in ways that they can treasure for a long time.

Nice to be back...

2009-10-20T10:34:00.002-06:00

It's so wonderful to sleep in your own bed, isn't it?

We had a great time on our visit, but of course it was much too short. I soaked in all I could of this little boy... We are looking at a book and making fish noises, if you're wondering.
I'll be back tonight with more!

Easy Vacation Album

2009-10-18T21:23:00.020-06:00

So... I finally finished making my vacation album! It's been over 3 months since our vacation, but I finally got it all documented and I am so happy with how it turned out. Here's what I did:

I found a post-bound album I liked. Post bound albums are bound with screws, and once the pages are in, it's very labor-intensive to move them around. For this reason, I usually keep all my layouts in D-ring albums, but since this is a one-time album with a specific beginning and end, post-bound is perfect (and more affordable). I decorated the front with a little stitching and a die cut.
I organized my photos into two groups: photos I wanted to print, and photos I wanted to scrap (this amounted to about 100, so I didn't print all of the photos from our vacation). I found my ten favorite photos and printed them at 8x10. The rest of the photos I printed at 4x6. I made a title page: And then I scrapped my ten photos. I kept the composition basically the same for all ten pages: strips of paper and a journaling block, embellished with stitching and jewels.

Then I loaded all of the other photos into American Crafts album pages that fit 6 photos front and back (12 total). A few pages had vertical photos that you have to turn to look at, but this doesn't bother me. I interspersed my layouts with the photo pages:

And I was done! It was a quick & easy way to scrap what could have been an intimidating project. I love my album and I'm so glad to have it done!

A Year Ago... and today

2009-10-14T22:31:00.002-06:00

A year ago this month, I made this layout....

I am proud to say that I have gotten waaaaay better at time management... it helps to have a set schedule where I do certain things on certain days of the week (like laundry on Thursdays, cleaning on Fridays). I still struggle with time management, but I don't feel as frustrated as I used to. And in the morning we will be leaving to see this little monkey...

...my sweet nephew! I haven't seen him in eight months and I'm so excited to play with him. I'll still be blogging while I'm gone, so see you tomorrow! :)

Best & Worst

2009-10-13T21:00:00.003-06:00

Three worst things that happened today:

1. waking up from very disturbing and frightening dreams

2. not being able to go back to sleep

3. preparing to leave the kitten for several days

Five best things that happened today:

1. going to Goodwill with Dan and finding a pair of jeans that fit me perfectly

2. getting a lovely, encouraging phone message from my boss

3. talking to my sister on the phone and realizing I will see her in TWO DAYS!

4. completely conquering my to-do list for the day in record time

5. sitting on the couch with Dan and the kitten and watching Stargate reruns

What about you? Don't forget to check out the new posts at Illustrious!