The Dragon's Den

Home

2009-07-08T20:54:00.003-04:00

I've recently been expanding my scrap blog reading, and came upon Lain Ehmann's blog called ScrapHappy. She recently posted about what "home" means, and quoted a line from Finding Nemo: "I look at you, and I'm home." Then she challenged others to make a page using that as the inspiration point.

Since the simple idea of it got me all teary eyed, I started thumbing thru photos, and came upon one of my guys all together and smiley in the back seat of my mother's car. So here's the layout I made with Lain's inspiration:

I used some of my favorite products: flowers from making memories and close to my heart, tim holtz' grungeboard and distress stickles. The patterned paper is from DCWV's sweet stack, I believe. I think it looks like chocolate cake, how about you?

So, what makes you think of home? Is it a person, a place, a smell? Cleaning out my mother-in-law's house has made me a little more aware of what makes me think of home.

Little gift folder/card

2009-06-05T14:32:00.000-04:00

I made some cute little gift cards for my relatives for Valentine's day. (With some help from my youngest.) I thought I'd show you how to make them, since they're so easy and cute. (I wonder how many times I can say "cute" in this post?)

I used the new Green paper stack from DCWV for the ones I sent my relatives, with dotted swiss bazzill paper as the inside page. The final one you'll see here I made with scraps when I realized I hadn't taken any pictures of the finished product. I'll think of someone to send it to, I'm sure.

You will also need a strong double sided adhesive, like redline, or stick-ease. I'm not sure a regular tape runner is strong enough to hold the pockets shut. (I used tombow on some we made for my son's class, and they did not stay put.) And of course you'll need a trimmer, straight edge (aka ruler), craft knife, and a bone folder or stylus, as well as a long reach hole punch. And stamps, stickers, or photos that you love.

Start by cutting off a four-inch strip from a piece of 12X12 cardstock. I wasn't too concerned about how "finished" the inside would look, since I knew it would be filled with pages and candy, but that may concern you, and you may want to use something double sided.

Just as an illustration, the above items are a bone folder, stylus, and scoring blade for the fiskar's trimmer I was using. Any of these will work to score folding lines in your paper. You want to score three lines across your paper strip, one in the middle, at 6 inches, and one at 2 15/16 inches from each end. Just run your bone folder, stylus or scoring blade down the center channel of your trimmer. I prefer my bone folder because I can be rather heavy handed, and have been known to break through the paper when using the scoring cartridge.

For those of you who are mathematically challenged, here's 2 15/16 inches:

I hope that helped :D

Next you're going to cut off the top outside corner of each end. You could just fold the corner under (I'd use a glue dot to hold the corner down) but I wanted to make these as light as possible since I was going to mail these all over the eastern seaboard.

The next step may require a little help. Stamp, sticker, or otherwise embellish a 4X6 piece of solid colored cardstock, and score a line down the center (at the 3 inch mark if you need specifics). This is where my little helper came in. For any family reading this, each of your pages tells a complete story. I have no idea what the story was; you'd have to ask Simon.

Then run a piece of double sided adhesive along the edge of the flap, and tape down. Voila! You've got a little two pocket folder. It's not quite big enough for school work, however. I put a piece of candy and a bookmark in each pocket after I finished assembling the card, but gift cards or love notes might work too.

To assemble, place your decorated 4X6 piece of cardstock inside the folder, and punch two holes just a bit above and below the center point. I wasn't too exact here, I just wanted a little distance between the holes so they acted as a hinge, rather than a pivot point. From the outside, thread a piece of thin ribbon through each hole, then back out the other hole. Tie together and you've got a cute little package for someone special. I also added a little heart on a pop dot to the front of our valentine's cards, but I think this pirate's ship is pretty cute, don't you? It's from TAC.

I hope you'll try to make one. It would make a great holder for a gift card or cash for a graduation or wedding present as well. Have fun creating!

What happens when you eat too many jellybeans:

2009-05-05T16:36:00.002-04:00

Just so you know.

Too Many Plates

2009-03-27T21:58:00.002-04:00

I had a bunch of posts planned for this month, but life has just gotten a little too complicated to keep up with the fun (read non-stressful) things. To give you an idea of the things that have been happening around here:

My oven decided it didn't want to light anymore. Stovetop, fine, broiler, good to go, but bake anything, NO WAY!

My washing machine decided (at 13 months of ownership) that it didn't like where it was, and started vibrating/walking all over the place.

My computer, with all my pictures on it, wouldn't turn on. It was just the power supply, but I went out and got an external hard drive and backed up all my favorite photos and uploaded them to an online site as soon as I got it back.

My dog, while fooling around in the backyard by himself, managed to stab himself in the chest with a 6 foot long tree limb. $500 and a few sleepless nights later, and he's fine.

My mother, who's been doctoring for heart trouble for a few years now, was told by her doctor that she needs to do open heart surgery within the next 2 months. I'm trying to talk her into getting a tattoo when it's all over.

My mother-in-law, who had been sick since Thanksgiving time, was finally diagnosed with cancer in February. It had spread from her colon, to her liver, and into fluid around her lungs. The weekend before she was to start chemo, she passed away. Her memorial service is tomorrow.

So that's why I've been unable to keep up with the blogging and writing lately, in spite of it being one of my resolutions for the year. Here's hoping we have some wonderful, positive things coming our way soon.

In the middle of winter...

2009-02-23T20:21:00.001-05:00

Things get a little cold around here. Even our homes freeze over:

(2009 Ice Castle at Saranac Lake.)

Sometimes I don't know where my kids get it.

2009-02-02T19:28:00.003-05:00

There are times when my kids do something that is so very different from myself and my husband that I wonder where the impulse originates. Take for example, peas. I really don't like them, and neither does Jonathan. We both can relate stories of swallowing them whole just to get them down as kids. However, Simon loves them. He'll ask for them for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. It's gotten to the point where we'll keep a bag of frozen peas (and some green beans, too) on hand for whenever Simon's got a hankering for green drops. (As they are called in Charlie and Lola.) In fact he asked for them today. Twice.

He loves peas and will gobble them up just like that. How did we find out he liked peas? He asked for them at a restaurant once. And after reading this. Now they're a staple.

Now, since both Jonathan and I don't like them, and neither do our mothers, where do you think he got a hankering for them from? I'm betting on his great grandmother K, who, although she made a salad for just about every dinner, never really liked vegetables. Except for peas. She loved peas.

Miss you Grandma.

Some cards to whet your appetite

2009-01-22T10:19:00.002-05:00

Here are some cards I've worked on the in the past few days. I've used two stamp sets, and leftover pieces of cardstock and patterned paper from the Juliette collection. I hope you enjoy them. For information about the open house this weekend go here.

Jack Johnson

2009-01-21T21:24:00.001-05:00

This is what I've been listening to the past few days. I hope you enjoy it.

Kids books we love

2009-01-21T21:11:00.002-05:00

I just wanted to recommend some picture book favorites. I went into my son's school and read these to his class today, and they all seemed to enjoy them.

The first is one my son requested, and is a fun look at the common complaint "I'm bored!"

This is the second book I read, and it has some fun wordplay on color and cool text design. We've had this book for years, and I still love reading it to the kids.The last is one we've had for a couple years, and is a fun way of finding different ways of describing the same person. If I get a chance to, I'll be using it to work on a book with my son's class. I hope we can manage to do that, because I know I'll have fun doing it.

Enjoy the stories!

Open House January 24

2009-01-11T11:07:00.003-05:00

Finally getting back in the saddle again, and restarting my monthly open house. This month the free class will be an embossing workshop, for those just getting into and exploring the wonderful world of stamps. For those of you who are looking for scrapbooking or journaling projects, we'll make our own mini-book, using the bind-it-all and the DCWV brights chipboard stack. The class fee for that is $5, to cover supply costs. Here's a photo to get your book-making ideas flowing:

Please let me know which class you'd be interested in, and if you have any requests.

I'll be here from 12-5 on the 24th, and I'll have snacks to ward off the empty stomach grumpies. Kids are welcome, and will be sent to play upstairs with mine if they don't want to make things with the grown-ups. Please let me know if you have any dog or cat issues, so I can get the fur beasts out of our hair if I need to. Email me for directions. Hope to see you soon!

Sale on the angel company stamps

2009-01-05T14:17:00.001-05:00

I just wanted to share some good news. There's a sale on all T-coded stamps (their item number starts with a "t") at the angel company. Details are below. Let me know if you have any questions.

http://www.theangelcompany.net/Promos_Flyers.html

Happy Holidays

2008-12-27T15:12:00.004-05:00

I just wanted to say Happy Holidays. I hope everyone's having a wonderful holiday season. I'm still plugging away at my Daily December book. When it's done, I'll post pictures so everyone can ooh and aah ;)

That would be the Christmas morning aftermath. And this? This is a super cute puppy. He's almost one. Say "hi!" Connor! "Woof?"

A little Phineas and Ferb for a Tuesday morning.

2008-12-16T07:55:00.001-05:00

If I could buy a Phineas and Ferb soundtrack, I would.

This makes me think of Mom. Love you :)

Latest layout from class

2008-12-01T21:12:00.002-05:00

I just wanted to share the latest layout I did in class. It follows one of Cathy Z's layouts pretty closely, but it really shows my style as well. I hope you enjoy it:

Caught in the Act

2008-11-17T21:08:00.002-05:00

I love when I manage to catch a little piece of someone's character in a photo. Don't let this boy's cuteness fool you: he's really a mischevious 3 year old, and he'll smother you with smooches and squeezes with just a moment's notice. Then he'll bug you for something to drink. And maybe a snack. And after the bowl of checkers is gone, he'll breakdance with Hip Hop Harry. And then bug you for another drink.

Christmas projects

2008-10-29T21:05:00.003-04:00

I'm doing an open house on November 8th. Email me if you'd like more information about it. We'll be working on Christmas cards and projects. Here are a couple cards I've done before:

They're from ideas I've gotten from various catalogs and things. I'll have more ideas we can play with by the 8th.
Below is a project people can do if they want. Since supplies are limited, I will have to charge $5 for it, but it's pretty cute, I think.
front:back: And that's all I've got for today. Hope your day was a good one.

I like Fall

2008-10-28T09:10:00.002-04:00

I just thought I'd share a layout from my DYL class, and my thoughts on Fall:

The journaling reads:
Fall is my favorite time of the year. I love the colors of the leaves in the bright sunshine, and on gloomy days too. I love the smells of fresh baked goods and apples and squash ripening, and I love the sounds as leaves crunch under foot, and fires crackle in the evenings. Every fall is an opportunity to start over, and to finish what I’ve started. It’s hope and familiar comforts, wrapped in brilliant color.

Short and sweet and to the point. How's your Fall going?

The reason why...

2008-10-26T21:24:00.002-04:00

I'm really enjoying the class I'm taking at BPS. Cathy's worked hard and given us some great information, and the handouts are useful, too. I can definitely see reusing quite a few of the pieces she's designed.

There are a lot of reasons I signed up to take class. Primarily, I teach scrapbooking, and I wanted to be better able to explain why a layout was working or not. While I know what the basics are, doing this class will give me samples to show people when my mouth disconnects from my brain. (A not uncommon occurance, unfortunately.)

Another reason I signed on is because I love her design sensibilities. I like the simple, structured approach to scrapbooking. While I appreciate the more artsy things you see in magazines lately, that's not the style I'm comfortable with. I want to create things with lasting beauty, and that's more likely to happen with a simple design approach.

And the final reason I signed up? I wanted to make more pages. I have made hundreds of scrapbook layouts, but have very few of them here. Most now live with other people, and while that was the intention when I made them, I miss having the tangible reminders of what I've done. I want pages for myself, and for my family. And it's working. Tonight while he was supposed to be going to sleep, my eldest came in and read the journaling from every layout I've done so far, and exclaimed over the pictures. He got real enjoyment out of the pages about himself and his brother. This is why I scrapbook.

Thank you BPS and Cathy Z, for helping me get our stories told.

An "aha" moment

2008-10-13T14:51:00.000-04:00

So I just have to share this with you:

Learning from a pro

2008-10-12T18:43:00.005-04:00

As you may have heard, I'm taking an online class at Big Picture Scrapbooking from Cathy Zielske, who's one of my all time favorite scrapbookers. I thought I'd share my layouts as we go along, and try to explain what I was trying for with each one. (And some legalese for you: Layout and concept provided by Cathy Zielske's Design your Life workshop at BigPictureScrapbooking.com)

This was the layout assigned before class actually started. Cathy said to get it all out of our system, so I went project happy, and turned each square into a little canvas. (Not actually canvas, but the idea of each as a separate work.) I did alcohol ink techniques and stamped on the upper left, and stamped the fabric flower on the upper right. I added some of my favorite new products: grungeboard, stickles glitter glue, and those jewel like pebbles. I tried to use all scraps, or papers I hadn't looked at in ages. I had fun. I even wrote on the photos the idea behind them. Create Art, Cherish Moments, Remember, Share Love, Find Beauty, and Be Me. That's pretty much why I scrap. Any questions?

This is the first layout, where we're working on the concept of balance. I chose papers and product with my hubby in mind. Masculine papers, distressed grungeboard, and tanks. What more could a Tank Man need?

This is the second assignment about symmetrical balance. It's purpose was to be more about the time that my brother and BIL spend with my eldest, rather than about play sword fighting. He adores his uncles, and they get that he'd rather play with them than have expensive presents (although presents are cool too.)

This last assignment for the week was a real world color challenge. We were to try using colors from something in the real world, in this case an ad for a cool modern rug. This one was easy. I had the colors on hand. The one for this week is hard: Orange and pink and brown. I'm not much of a pink person, in case you didn't know.

Well, I hope you enjoyed these. If you ever get a chance to take a class from Cathy Zielske, do it! She rocks!

Like father, like son

2008-09-30T22:26:00.002-04:00

I get a lot of comments about how much my oldest looks like his father. Most of the time, I don't really see it. Hubby looks like hubby, and number 1 son looks like himself. But this photo really nails it:I have seen that expression on my oldest's face so many times. This may be where he gets it from. He is a pretty handsome boy:

But sometimes he just doesn't want me to take any more pictures:

I'm not sure I can really blame him. But at least he smiles for most of them:

Where did September go?

2008-09-24T21:45:00.004-04:00

I had big plans for this month. I was going to post more how-tos and pictures of projects and get lots of exciting things done. And I have gotten lots of things done. Finally finished my wedding album. Made birthday presents for my sister and sister-in-law (I'll post pictures after they've been given.) Gone to PTA meetings and scrapbook socials and had an open house at my own home. Already visited my niece (and my bro and SIL) once this month, and get to go again this Saturday. Yay!

On our first visit we all crammed into my mother's car:

Aren't my guys just the cutest, cuddliest boys you've ever seen? Connor didn't really want to ride in the back, and at one point climbed over the seat and sat on Ethan's lap. Such a cute dog.

At one point while we were there, all the small animals decided to gang up on my brother. And yes, I do include my sons in that description. (Ross has Brownie and Simon hugging him, and Ethan's probably regalling him with video game information. Or asking if he can turn on the XBox.)

This was the first time Simon met Josefine. He decided this was how she needed to be entertained. She thought this was very interesting. My brother worried about germs.

So that's the tip of the iceberg for September. Hopefully I'll have a decent picture of Jessica with Josefine after this weekend, not to mention Nancy. (Nothing I've taken so far has been really nice.) If either of you read this before Saturday, plan on posing!

Play Time At My House

2008-09-04T20:56:00.002-04:00

I'm going to host my first open house/ scrap and stamp play time next Saturday, September 13 between 12 and 5pm. I'll send out an email with details on how to get here. If you're going to be in the area and I haven't sent you an email, let me know. We'll play with stamps and paper, maybe do a card or two. The first ten people who come will be able to make a little purse shaped card from this set of diecuts. If anyone has any techniques they want to experiment with, let me know, and I'll make sure I have the materials ready. Otherwise, we'll play with watercolor stamping techniques. Check out Tim Holtz's blog for inspiration. I don't claim to be as good as he is, but we can play with his techniques.

And for anyone interested, I've signed up for Cathy Zielske's Design Your Life class, to pump up my design savvy. It starts October 3, and runs thru Christmas. I'm really looking forward to it. Anyone else want to take it?

Oh, and a word of warning for visitors next Saturday. I have 4 cats, a dog, two rambunctious boys and no offstreet parking. So, yes, kids are welcome. I'll have a table set up with kid stamps and stickers, and number one son will be on entertainment duty. (Now he just has to keep his room picked up between now and then.)

First Day

2008-09-04T12:11:00.004-04:00

Today my eldest started second grade. I now officially am old. (At least according to my kids.Ed-In my son's defense, he read this and said, "you're not old, Mom!") Here he is in all his almost-7-year-old glory:

Only one more month to go before his birthday. What am I going to do? And how can I stand this cuteness on a daily basis, and not squeeze those cheeks? (I apparently was meant to be an annoying distant relative, only seen on major holidays.)
And yes, he just lost his first tooth. He was very excited about it. The tooth fairy paid him a visit, and left him with a 50 cent piece. I'm dreading the possibility that he will loose his teeth the same way he got them: all at once. He literally went from no teeth to 5 teeth within the space of about a week. At nine months old. Immediately after minor surgery. On a holiday weekend. It was fun.

So the next time you see this guy, ask him how school's going, and count his teeth. They may not be there very much longer.

Schemes/Plans/Blueprints/ Design planning

2008-08-30T14:11:00.004-04:00

One of the things that makes my life easier when I'm putting together an album or mini-book that has a theme (ie vacation album, birthday album, baby book, favorite things, etc.) is to take the time to plan a layout that I can use repeatedly throughout the album. This can help unify an album, even if you don't use the same colors or products from page to page. I don't have to use the exact same layout on each spread, but can modify it as needed.

What exactly is a layout? Well, think of it as a blueprint for your page. Photos go here, different papers go there, an embellishment or two or three go here, and so on and so forth. For example, the pages I did for my niece can be summed up by this plan:

To do the second page, I simply rotated the plan 180 degrees, and replaced the title and journaling block with another photo.

The fun thing about approaching scrapbooking design this way is that you can find inspiration anywhere. A label on a piece of clothing that you like, an ad in a magazine that catches your eye, a piece of furniture with interesting lines are all places where you can find inspiration. Beautiful design is everywhere, you just have to be paying attention. Once you notice it, you can apply it to your own designs. Just remember the basic components: a focal photo, a title, and a place for you to write. Everything else is icing on the cake (or page, as the case may be.)

As one final note, I told you I was going to make a page about the Police concert I went to, and as threatened here it is:

I really like the way it came out, but you may not be able to see it very well. It does have a little structure, but this was a more organic process. This was more of a move everything around until it works page.

So, take a look around you, and look at the structure of things you like. Then go mimic it. It'll be fun. Try it!