july project life

Welcome to projectLIFE...

week27

Here is June in one fail-swoop.
I am hearing from a few creatives what a chore that projectLife can be.
I can understand that reality.
It is no easy task to stay faithful to a long term goal.
But the long term benefit of this album, I continue to believe, will be it's own reward.
That being said, I am always endeavoring a way to keep it simplified.

One approach, as mentioned previously, is to keep the month thematic in color. Often that includes doing the whole month all at once. Or perhaps even two weeks at a time.

Sometimes mini posters help to fill pockets all the while speaking into the feel of what is going on in our lives at the time. This summer, which obviously is july, was about having fun. Being together. Being outdoors. Resting from the busyness of our school year.

week28

Another approach I have used to maintain some simplicity is to use the same format for the date journal block. This month I used InstaLovin' kits from RhonnaDesigns. An image from the InstaTags kit frames the month, week, and dates. Then each week InstaIcons are used to make that weeks block unique. I printed these on vellum and slipped them over pattern paper.

week29

week30

Instagram has really taken center stage these days as opposed to the Nikon. It has become my go to everyday camera saving the dslr for more planned shots. I think a lot of us can relate to that.

Finally, working within the same collection of embellishments also keeps the choices simple and refines the process of finishing a weeks project, all the while still have fun and whimsical touches to give the pages personality. The above uses several of the July Studio digital journal cards and elements. I think I will be using these alot.

August's projectLIFE takes on a very different twist. Looking forward to sharing that with you next time.

So now go...
remain faithful to your documenting and story telling of you and your family.
It will reap precious rewards.

just me memory file

Welcome to the first official assignment for the Heidi Swapp Media Team.
(deep sigh)
First I have to say once again, now that the initial shock has settled in, and I have become more acquainted with Heidi and the fabulous, fabulous Media team (which includes you, Susan), and I have even had a chance to interact with some amazing women in Heidi's Color Live Webshow last week, that it is still blowing my mind to be on this team. It is indeed a dream come true, and my heart sings so often with this reality. 

Heidi requested a personal memory file to be made about...me!
Gulp...o.k...you know how hard that can be to put your own self out there and make it about 'you'.
But that is what I did.

The theme I came up with is 'I am...".
And while there are about 8 pages of who I am, we all know that 8 hats is in no was inclusive of all we women/moms/daughters/friends are...
I fear I barely scraped the surface about who "I am..."
But I attempted nonetheless.

The mini memory file is host to the Summer CHA line called Vintage Chic.
And. It. Is. Gorgeous!!!!
It is already proving to be so versatile.
And I look forward to discovering all it's depth.

There are details on Heidi's blog today talking about this file. But I just wanted to add a few more for you here today.
If you follow me even a little you know how much I love mini albums. This one followed some of my same 'go to' techniques:
stuff sticking out
words/sentiments on every page
follow a pattern with the pages
and just do what i love

Speaking of words on every page...the Vintage Chic sentiments are so so perfect. You will find that the style is versatile for any hue or pattern. And the sentiments are vast and perfect for any occasion.

With this mini I sort of stayed with some basics to highlight me...
like...did you know I will have been married  23 years this October. Yes, I was a child bride.
Or that I am the oldest of two daughters. (And love that people often ask who is oldest. Hello!)

(do you not adore how that zebra heart goes with such elegant vintage patterns?!?!?)

Or that I live two doors down from my sister?

Or that I have close friends that are in my every day life from high school?

Or that I have an almost 17 year old AND a 2 year old?

Or that I am mom and home schooling to five children? Makes me a little busy.

Well, for now that is my story...always to be continued.
And that wraps up this first assignment.
Please be sure to visit Heidi's blog and read more details about this newest mini installment in my library.

And be sure to look out for Vintage Chic to ship next month to your local scrapbook store or favorite online outlet.
And then be sure to make...pretty...stuff.

spring circus in august

Hybrid remains my favorite approach to digital paper crafting.
RhonnaDesigns are so beautiful, I am often looking for a way to incorporate those into my everyday creative needs.
The possibilities are endless how one can use hybrid digital crafting, because of the options to print whatever one needs. Which then actually makes less fear of mistake!

The opportunity to create came this time by way of the need to construct a gift for my mother in law.
Being the grandmother that she is I can never get her enough photos of the grand children, so a mini album was born.

I printed several background patterns from the SpringCircus kit on presentation paper at home on my printer. Several embellishments came from the Tatoo and Tag kits as well as the Border kit to use throughout the mini.

Also, several of the Mini Stamps were printed out to use as sentiments throughout the book because I always need words to be apart of any project I encounter. And the MiniSealsBrus kit continue to be a go to kit in my hybrid arsenal.

The back to back book binding technique was used and each page cascades above the next. This is another go to style for me. I love for 'stuff' to be sticking out, and cascading the pages is a perfect way to show off all the gorgeous colors and patterns of this kit.

Hybrid paper crafting is still to me a traditional approach to memory keeping. I just possess the beauty of controlling what patterns and embellishments to print, as well as create a few of my own custom elements too.

And of course a card with a gift is in order. While staying with the SpringCircus kit pattern, I changed it up just a bit so they weren't matchy-matchy. I just have to add, the diamond pattern paper in this kit is so, so beautiful. There are subtle images in the pattern that really add depth and texture to this already gorgeous pattern.

The BorderKit has great designs that I have used very often by punching with circle punch. Like the "bloom' here.  There are lots of designs on those banner pieces in this kit, and can be used in many ways.

As with most of my projects, and same with the mini album itself...the WinterWhite seam binding from Zipper Stop came in handy to polish this gift and card off. I simply mist them to the color I need and always love the result. Keeps me from having to stash lots of colors when I can make what I need. But you knew that about me.

The Spring Circus kit has been in the RhonnaDesigns shop for a little bit now, but I find it can be a timeless kit with many, many elements, and perfect for hybrid mini albums and cards.

Now go...
are there any gifts you need to be crafting today?

destination explore

Seems I do not do as many traditional layouts as I use to.
ProjectLife is one of the reasons.
Mini albums and memory files is another reason.
Love that 'scrapbooking' is not any one single approach.
I  sort of get bored doing the same thing the same way all the time.
But today, I give you the traditional layout...

This layout today answers a lot of creative challenges for me.
It is a sort of ProjectLife page. More on that in another post.
It is created with the Studio Calico Sunday sketch in mind that is found here.

It is also an answer to the Trendspotting class and the challenge to use arrows.
AND..it shows off the NoLimits collection from Heidi Swapp.
A favorite collection for outdoorsy type pages.

Or layouts that show off one little guy.

The page's foundation starts with the Schematic paper from NoLimits. It is such a great grey and could really springboard a lot of different themed stories. Using additional patterns from that collection I created a cut title using the Bebas font, as well as die cut stars and cameo cut arrows. The 'explore' is from the NoLimits BuzzWords and they are one of my favorite embellishments for using on a photo.

You might spy some of the CHA Summer release sentiment stickers from HeidiSwapp. The new collection and elements plus ColorShine will be shipping in September. I for one canNOT wait for that all to ship. It is gorgeous. The sentiment stickers are extremely versatile and you will see them a lot on my projects going forward.

The title 'destination explore' fits this page perfectly. Lots of my photos circle around the little mr. quite a bit these days. At two years old he is more than adorable, and everything is an adventure to him. He had no fear of those big o' horses on this farm we went to visit. And I loved capturing him, as well as his sister's, who absolutely adore horses, with many photos, and getting them all here on this page.

I made a mini folder on the top right quarter of the sketch that reveals more photos underneath. That inspiration comes from HeidiSwapp and her memory file technique. I very often scrap more than a single photo on my page, so making interactive pieces for more photos, or even hidden journaling, really works into my style. I will simply make slits in the page protector after I place them in their album to make them accessible.

Hoping this inspired you in some way...
to follow a sketch...
or work a trend on your page...
or to get interactive with your pages...
the possibilities are endless.

trendspotting

So I have been taking the Trendspotting class over at Studio Calico.
And I do a weird thing when I take a class...
weird because I have been creating layouts for a very long time...
and have even been blessed to be on a few design teams here and there...
but quirky enough...I often like to 'copy' what the instructor does when taking their class.
Not always.
But very often.
And this layout I share with you today is one of those times.

This page is very near to what Lisa created for the pdf bonus prompt.
There is something about going through the motions without thinking through the process too much.
That is also a way for me to be inspired, when I am otherwise not...but that is for another post.
To follow very close to what another life artist created gives me a certain insight, and I learn how to add something different to my next original project.

A couple of things I really want to point out here for this layout:
the photo is an instagram that uses the InstaQuotes from one of RhonnaDesigns new kits.
See how versatile they are? Remember when I used them here.
And there are 26 of them!!!
Have you played with those yet? I.Love.Them. So much fun.
Secondly, the frame is also from a RhonnaDesigns kit called InstaLovin'Frames.
Is it not adorable? yes it is.
I simply printed one out and trimmed it for this photo to fit inside it.
But again, so many possibilities with these frames.

All that to say...
even though I totally lifted this layout/sketch idea from Lisa...
I still very much made it my own with all my own little touches.

So, you ever lift someone else to see where it may lead you?
I dare ya to try it.

art of observation ~ anticipating anticipation

The Art of Observation continues to be an experience that lives in me all the time. Though there are moments that are busier and crazier than others, still there is an inner me that listens, watches, and hopes for all things observable.

This project was part 2 from our week 2 assignment. It was the anticipated portion of our anticipation observation. I chose my daughter's 13th birthday to be what I planned for early in the spring, and then what was observed by way of this memory file later in the spring.

It was a wonderful exercise.

This particular memory file started with a Cavalini file, and then I added another file to it using Teresa Collins papers. This file allowed me to have a mini to show off the decorations. Then the bottom flippable book was our family and friend party. This really allowed me to focus on the 13 year old and truly capture who she is right now. Then the mini file is home to her cards plus photos from her friends and her at the pool the next day.

Sigh...I love these files every time I look through them. So, so thankful I took this class. It lead to such a wonderful collection of stories I might not otherwise would have captured.

Now...is there a story out there you have not told yet?
Go. And tell your story.

adore memory file

It is so easy for me to work with pinks and florals and feminine style.
And this Sugar Chic collection from Heidi Swapp is no exception.
The 'adore' memory file is one I submitted to the Heidi Swapp Media team call. I had to make the file myself as there were none in the area to purchase. The file front is attached to  12x12  solid card stock. The front of the file is adorned mostly with Heidi Swapp lovlies: notched cut pattern paper, color labels, an 'adore' buzz word plus arrow, some color magic banner delights misted in yellow.  I added sequins, (because that's what I do), book paper fringe, washi tape and dyed seam binding.

The photo was taken with my eleven year old on her birthday. She is my 'mini-me' in so many ways. She is also the 'one' I worry about.  So this memory file is about her and her birthday celebration.

The file opens to another 4x6 of my girl, plus a home made photo stack chronicling the rest of the evenings events. Love how the buzz words looks on a photo. They have a digi-hybrid look to them, but in real life, there is that texture that I love too.

And I want to say a shout out to Heidi for her sweet words of introduction on her blog today. Come back by her blog tomorrow for one final team member you will be amazed by.

Now go.
create something pretty today.

under construction

Under construction as a descriptor of my life is wildly understated. As it seems this girl is always under construction in some way, shape, or form.

And this blog, today, is no exception. A little remodeling going on, so if a link does not work for you, please be patient as my little re-do gets re-done.

Another overhaul is my saying good bye to 3 and a half years of designing with Work In Progress kits. Trish was so gracious to see some talent in my abilities almost 4 years ago and asked me to be apart of her team. It has been a pleasure to get to know her, to work along side (in a cyber-sense) with the many talents that came through WIP, and the highlight to teach at her Bertram Retreat last fall and meet her in real life. The time has gone by so fast, and I am so thankful for all the it brought to my life. And thank you, Trish, for all that you have done for me. Thankfully, with instagram and facebook and the like, we will never be far away. Today I say good bye with a last look at some projects using the WIP August kit.

As changes go, I continue to be introduced to the Heidi Swapp Media team. This week on the blog is a 'Getting to Know' series and a chance to meet the team members. Yesterday highlighted my friend from down under, Kim Jeffress, and today we meet Maggie Massey. Hoping you will all stop by and meet them by way of their blogs.

Now...off to go make some pretty stuff...to share soon.

Hoping you have time for pretty stuff in your life today.

heidi swapp media team

So many of you already know...
as many of you have already sent me such warm congratulations...

It is with fabulous honor I have been asked to be on the Heidi Swapp Media team...

along with these amazing talents::

Lindsay Bateman 

Jennifer Evans

Maggie Massey

and last but certainly not least Kim Jeffress.

Looking forward to this creative year ahead with these talented ladies and not to mention the over the top creative herself, Heidi Swapp.

Thank you all for your sweet well wishes. I appreciate them all.