Fond Memories

Yesterday afternoon my husband came in from the shop with a smirk on his face.  When I asked him what was wrong or weird, he said “we’re getting old.”  Please remember, I mean no disrespect here.  I know some of my reading audience is quite a lot older than we are.  I have great respect for those who have already ventured this stage in the journey of life.  I’m not sure if it’s just that now in our mid-30s we are more mature or what.  But you see, yesterday, he heard a song on the radio that referenced Joe Diffie (early 90s) as a classic.  Wait…what?  Music we were listening to in High School is now considered classic?  When did that happen? 

After making comments about “getting old” I always say “I wonder what it will be like when we’re 50?”  Seriously, I do wonder. 

I have to say though, I am happier than I have ever been.  I would trade nothing to go back to what the world tells us are the glory days, the early 20s.  Nope, nope.  I’m so very happy to be where I am.  I’m finally happy with myself – and let me tell you – what a difference that makes in your perspective!

Along with being happy with myself, I’ve learned how little stuff matters.  Stuff isn’t what makes me happy.  Now I have to say, I never was very materialistic.  And while I do like my stuff, I know it’s not what brings happiness.  I don’t have an unquenchable thirst for more. 

I’m not sure if this progression of maturing or something else is causing the recent shift to simplicity in my scrapbook pages.  I’ve always been a simple scrapper, but lately, I’ve been feeling like I’m pushing the line more toward minimalism.  I’m okay with that.  Wish I could do it better, but I’m loving the ultra simplicity in elements. 

This page does feel a little busier because of the paper, but the use of elements is ultra simple.  Just twine and the title sticker.  I used some dimensional foam to pop it up and add a little more interest. 

With the use of simple pages, it’s especially important to make sure that your photos are looking into the page.  If the subject of your photos is looking off the page, it leads your eye off the page.  One can sometimes get away with it on busier pages because there is enough other distraction, but on simple pages, it is especially important.

Supplies:  Echo Park (For the Record 2), The Twinery, Misc (cardstock & dimensional foam), Tim Holtz tiny attacher

So Proud

Sometimes I feel like a broken record.  I often use the same titles for multiple pages about my kids and my family.  Despite the feeling of being repetitive, it always makes me stop and remember the reason that I do it is because my heart does overflow with love for them.  Funny because as I was half-way through that sentence, my son came in from outside with a handful of wild flowers.  This morning I’ve been given four bouquets of wild flowers.  I have a lovely happy mason jar of flowers on my table.  I really do have a wonderful family.

As I was saying, I figure that if the reason if I use so much repetition on my titles is because it’s so true, then my repeating it many times must surely reinforce that into their minds and hearts.  Besides that, I really do like repetition!  I think I’ve talked about that in the past in terms of design.  Repetition and consistency are two of my favorite things. 

This page used the same title as many in the past.  So Proud.  But I am.  And it’s simple.  I embrace simplicity.

A couple weeks ago I shared about my sons newly diagnosed food allergies.  Well, let me tell you!  Feeding him has been a challenge on my end, but he has been the BEST sport ever!  He hasn’t complained once about not being able to eat something or about not liking any of the new alternative foods.  He hasn’t cheated his new diet, and the couple times I’ve offered to him (like the morning I accidentally put too much baking soda in his oat pancakes) he refuses to cheat.  He knows what’s good for him and why, and he sticks to it.  We could not ask for a better attitude from him in this all.

I believe that over the next few weeks/months, I’ll be sharing recipes that I’ve found that work.  I am feeling so very blessed that God gave me the ability to cook well because this journey would certainly be harder if I wasn’t a good cook.  LOL  I’ve talked to a few random people in the health food stores who have similar diets and they say that even after years, they still couldn’t cook pancakes or whatever.  I was quite shocked because I’ve only been doing this three weeks and I feel quite confident in what I’ve been making.  It truly is a blessing. 

But all the work, thought, preparation and expense is worth every tiny bit of effort to make sure my boy feels better and can still eat yummy food.  I don’t want him to be punished to a life of dry flavorless rice crackers.  No, no.  He should have the delicious food he was accustomed to before we learned the cause of his problems.

Supplies:  October Afternoon (paper, alphas, stickers, chipboard, rubber charm), My Mind’s Eye (washi tape), Misc (cardstock)

Design Tip:  Using Product out of Context  This was a rocketship themed product selection.  I used the colors of the photo to pull the products and found it was quite easy to make the rocketship adapt to this page.

NSD-BPC #9

First of all, I have to say that photography with LED lights is very very difficult!  Goodness sakes, good thing I have an SLR!  I shot this picture in RAW and man alive, it took a lot of tweaking to get the color right.  The type of light from the LED lights just doesn’t want to be happy in the photograph.  It’s the only negative I have about my LED bulbs – aside from that, I love them, but if it weren’t for posting this page tonight for challenges, I would totally not have even tried to photograph it!

Challenge #9 at Big Picture Classes was to journal in your own handwriting.  This isn’t something that’s a challenge for me.  True enough, I’d love for my handwriting to be a little nicer (or maybe more consistent), but it’s me.  I believe it’s truly important for me to put that part of me onto my pages for my kids.  So I do.  For a long time I hated my handwriting, but I have since learned to embrace it and love it some days, other days just like it. 

Supplies:  Crate Paper (paper, stickers, journal tag, alphas), Papertrey Ink (buttons), The Twinery, My Mind’s Eye (washi tape)

I don’t usually type out my journaling, but I wasn’t able to photography it clearly enough, so here is what it says:  “When I signed up for this wife/Mom thing, I had no idea hair cutting was a part of the deal.  But I’ve learned to enjoy it and feel blessed I can save my family money in this way.  Before & Afters Fall 2012”

NSD-CK Washi, SBG #3, BPC #7

Washi!  Everyone loves washi tape right now.  (For my family who doesn’t scrap but reads my blog, washi tape is a semi-transparent printed tape, think masking tape with a design).  The last challenge from Creating Keepsakes today was to create a page with embellishments made from washi tape.  Well, now, this is one I can do!

In order to get more done in less time, I also used a sketch from Scrapbook Generation.  Challenge #3 was to use a one page sketch.  Well, now, again, one page layouts are my favorite!  Rock on!  I used the Free November One page sketch (you can download it for free). 

AND to top it off, I also use challenge #7 from Big Picture Classes to use the last three photos on your camera (my phone) as well as the other prompts.  I thought this page was a very fun idea and a great way to do a page that was a little more reflective of me. 

I wasn’t super elaborate with my washi embellishments.  I just adhered the tape to some paper and made die cuts of it.  Viola!

Supplies:  Cardstock, Recollections (washi tape), Papertrey Ink (heart dies), American Crafts (Thickers), My Mind’s Eye (washi tape)

NSD–SG #2, BPC #6, CK 10 elements

Okay, I’ll freely admit this page *might* be a stretch to qualify for one of these.  You see, I saw the Creating Keepsakes challenge to use 10 embellishments and I choked.  Nope, just can’t do it.  Uh uh.  You see, I have this philosophy that I don’t need to stretch myself to something I know I don’t like just for the sake of doing a challenge.  Nope, there simply isn’t enough time in the day to waste doing a page that just isn’t me. 

BUT, I started thinking about it and remembered that I saw a challenge on Scrapbook Generation to use Project Life (or such) cards on a page.  I started thinking about it and aren’t those embellishments?  I would certainly say so (or at least I’m pushing the line trying to LOL).  So hey, let’s combine these two challenges!

And while I’m at it, because of the way I did this page, it was pretty outside the box for me.  Yes, it stuck with my clean lines and simplicity, BUT, it’s been a long time since I’ve did a complete page grid (if ever).  So, I think this also fits with the Big Picture Classes Challenge #6 to work a different process.   

I’m going to say this pretty much sums up all three challenges in one.  And I even like the page!

Supplies:  MAMBI (cards), American Crafts (Thickers – Studio Calico, veneer chips), October Afternoon (alpha), Misc (cardstocks)

NSD-BPC Challenge #5 & CK Photo Edit & SBG #8

I’ve seen many pages lately with the title or words on the photo.  Sometimes I really like it because it adds to the minimalist approach it seems.  Today, Creating Keepsakes had a challenge to manually “edit” a photo in some way.  I chose to write on the photo with two sharpies: metallic standard point and a fine point black.  I LOVE the look!

In addition to the CK challenge, I combined with a challenge about love (with a sketch) from Big Picture Classes. 

I also did something I don’t normally do, and that is use a dark background.  I felt my photos had a “heavy” feel to them because of the deep saturation, I wanted the background to be dark as well.

Of course, to be a little more complicated, I also combined with Scrapbook Generation’s Challenge #8 to use My Mind’s Eye…(um, hello, they are one of my faves too! LOL)

Supplies:  My Mind’s Eye (washi & paper), October Afternoon (alpha), The Twinery (twine), Tim Holtz Tiny Attacher, Sharpie (metallic and black), Misc (cardstocks), Papertrey Ink (dies)

NSD–BPC #4 and CK Background

Again, I’m trying to combine a couple challenges for efficiency. The truth of the matter is there are simply more challenges out there today than one can possibly do.  Thus, my strategy is to use 8.5x11 pages for the most part.  That way I only have to scan then, not the additional time required for 12x12 pages.  Additionally, it’s super fast for me to create a page that way.  This one took me less than 20 minutes (but then again, most of my pages rarely take me more than 30 minutes.  Yes, I’m telling you, I love efficiency).

I combined a sketch challenge from BPC #4 with the custom background challenge from Creating Keepsakes.  And yes, believe it or no, I misted….by choice!.  I used a doily as a mask to create the background of the page.  There is no patterned paper on this page.  Ha!  Just washi tape, mist and some embellishments.

 

Supplies:  Recollections (washi & flair), American Crafts (thickers), October Afternoon (alpha), Basic Grey (embellishments), Stampin Up (doily), Tattered Angels (mist)4

NSD–CK Paper Scraps & SG #5

I have a method to my madness (usually anyway).  I have a very systematic way to keep my scraps organizedly unorganized.  Yup, I said that.  And yes, I know, it’s not a word.  But I obviously don’t care, or I would have changed it.

In an effort to be more efficient (because I do like efficiency (usually)), I combined a challenge from Creating Keepsakes and Scrapbook Generation.  The sketch is from Scrapbook Generation challenge #7 (love their sketches) combined with the challenge from Creating Keepsakes to use scraps. 

This is where my method comes into play.  Because I realized this sketch would need BIG scraps, I pulled out one of my collections that matches the photos I wanted to use.  I grabbed Crate Paper Story Teller.  When I’m working, any scraps I have that are bigger than 6x8 usually go back with the collection (if there is a collection – if it’s just one or two sheets, then they go into my scrapdrawers which are sorted by manufacturer).  Since I knew I had some large scraps of this collection from a recent page I did, I knew it would be perfect!  (And note – I mixed some of the 6x6 papers with the 12x12).

Supplies:  Crate Paper (Story Teller – papers and stickers), My Mind’s Eye (washi tape), American Crafts (Thickers), Studio Calico (veneer)

NSD–BPC Challenge #1

This page is for Challenge Number 1 at Big Picture Classes.  (Somehow, I accidentally deleted this post after I posted it, so I’m keeping it short as I don’t remember what I said!)

Supplies:  Echo Park (For the Record 2), My Mind’s Eye (washi), American Crafts (Thickers), Misc (jewels & flower)

NSD–SBG Challenge #6

I feel rather silly here being as how I haven’t blogged for over a week.  And today, there is a small chance, my blog will be flooded with relatively short posts.  So, hang with me, not many stories today, just goodies to look at.

I’ve not felt good this week, and it’s been a busy week.  But my intention is to be back blogging on Monday as the pile of pages I have is getting taller and taller….and I have a few recipes to share as well!

But for now, this is a page I created for Scrapbook Generation Challenge #6 Product Challenge.  From a list of approximately 10 things, we needed to choose five and create a page. 

I’ll be honest, this overwhelmed me.  You see, I’ve been in a bit of scrapbook rebellion lately.  I feel bombarded with pages that are so very product heavy and feel just plain chaotic to me, that I’m left feeling like I need to use almost nothing on my pages to counter that.  Granted, I know it’s the job of design teams (and those seeking to be on design teams) as the goal is to sell product.  But I’m just not into that.  The design team I was on that had product requirements often left me stressed because I simply could not bring myself to putting as much product on the page as they wanted.  So, I’m embracing my simplicity and taking it even farther.  Yes, I do believe I’m rebelling.  I don’t want 27 different patterns (okay, that’s an exaggeration, but I have regularly counted up to 18) on my pages. I want the pages to be about the story NOT the product.   I fully realize that because of that, I may never be on another design team.  And I’m completely okay with that.

Well, this challenge to use five products felt like a stretch for me.  But I made it work choosing:  twine, washi tape, flair (which I must confess is the first time I’ve done so!), veneer and jewels.

(Sorry for the poor quality…because of the flair, the scanner didn’t want to do a nice scan).

Supplies:  My Mind’s Eye (washi), Recollections (washi & flair), Studio Calico (veneer stars), American Crafts (Thickers), Echo Park (letters), misc (jewel), The Twinery, Tim Holtz Tiny Attacher