This weekend my craft room is feeling abandoned. I am off playing in the yard with my children, going on a beach walk with the family, puttering in the veggie garden with my girls, a little soccer with the four year old and the dog, some volleyball with the 11 year old. The weather is glorious and I'm enjoying the company my favorite people.
I hope all of the moms out there are enjoying your special day as well.
Happy Mother's Day!
| | | |
| | |
Today I want to share a colorful childhood scrapbook page with you that highlights a moment in childhood that could easily go unappreciated. With three children, I'm quickly learning that the early years, that seem so long when you are first experiencing them, truly are very brief moments in time. And, when they are over, all of those little behaviors and personality quirks that you "knew" you would remember are easily forgotten!
So today, I highlight my youngest - a 4 1/2 year old with linguistic skills to rival her siblings. A 4 1/2 year old who regulary uses phrases like "actually I would prefer...", "you inspired me to...", and "unfortunately, I lost my...". But, a 4 1/2 year old all the same, with her own speech difficulties:
This is a simple, but colorful layout, in which I simply took my color scheme and the 'rainbow' pattern from my daughter's dress. My title letters are made with the Big Shot and the Typeset Alphabet Bigz dies, while my journaling was done with my computer and printer. But, even a simple layout deserves a little extra detail, and this one is no exception. I added that 'little something' with a little DMC thread, beads and a spoon charm from my stash:
TOOL TIP:
My spoon was originally gold in color and didn't work with my layout - so I simply heat embossed it with Melon Mambo Stampin' Emboss powder to match! Don't forget to hold your charm with pliers while heating so you don't get burned.
If you are a scrapbooker, the Big Shot and the Typeset Alphabet Bigz dies can be powerful tools in your arsenal - allowing you to cut title strips from a variety of materials to perfectly compliment your layout. For instance, you could use cork sheets for a school layout, actual soda can for a layout on a cola addiction, fabric covered chipboard for a layout of an outfit sewn by grandma ... the options are unlimited!
Check out the Big Shot and our full collection of dies here!
| | | |
| | |
Ok, are you seeing the relaxed look of a This and That journal page? Not quite yet ... I know. There is still a lot of control on this page, but every little step is a step in the right direction!
This page has a long list of supplies:
And I guess that leads right into my first thought with this type of journaling ... throw it all at the page!
| | | |
| | |
Do you like to scrapbook from scrap maps or templates?
Then check out this new download from Stampin' Up! for My Digital Studio!
This Bookstagram Photobook Template Digital Download was released yesterday and includes:
* 28-page designer photobook template (8" x 8")
* 30-piece SVG stamp brush set
Colors:
Crumb Cake, Going Gray, Very Vanilla, Whisper White
What a great way to show off a variety of photos for the year in a sleek and fun photobook - or change the cover and make it about a single event. The options are limitless! Check out other recent releases CLICK HERE!
| | | |
| | |
The layout:
The inspiration:
This scrapbook page (the partner page will be a picture of me) was inspired by the above contents page in an old Land of Nod catalog. The catalogs for this children's furniture and bedding company are colorful and full of whimsy, but my layout never would have come together without the alignment tool in My Digital Studio!
Have you ever tried to stamp a line of letters on a scrapbook page? or to adhere a line of punched shapes evenly? While there are tool tips that can help you to do just this, it is easiest in My Digital Studio.
My layout was created in My Digital Studio using text blocks, a few punches, some alphabet/number stamps and the alignment tool!
My Digital Studio Tool Tip: to align a group of objects, start by highlighting all related objects (hold your shift button and click on each of the items you want to work with). Once you've selected your objects, click on the align objects button in your navigation bar at the top of your screen. Now you can choose to align horizontally, vertically, left/right/center, and even across the space horizontally or vertically!
My Digital Studio Tool Tip #2: once your items are aligned, use the grouping tool (select your shapes - they will already be selected if you have just aligned them - and choose arrange and group from the navigation bar.
And, for those of you who have already upgraded to MDS2, the process of aligning objects on your page has been improved with the addition of Smart Guides! See this video shared by Stampin' Up! on www.mydigitalstudio.net:
Remember, you can find inspiration anywhere. As I worked on cleaning my craft room this summer, I came across my inspiration piece pulled from a magazine over a year ago! Clothing and furniture catalogs just happen to be some of my favorite spots to look for inspiration. Where do you like to find inspiration? Leave a comment below - maybe you'll provide me with more inspiration!
| | | |
| | |
It's still summertime, and time to scrapbook remains the rarest of species - but I am continuing to keep current with my family pages using My Digital Studio. Yes, for those of you who have asked, I did manage to scrapbook all of my June photos in July (although, I admit, I didn't take as many photos as I should have!). I'm also well on my way to meeting my goals of scrapbooking my July photos in August ... maybe some of those older photos will actually get scrapped this month as well?
Of the handful of pages I've scrapped this week, I wanted to share this one with you as it demonstrates the silly side of my family and some of my favorite scrapbooking tips!
Thank you to all of you who have cheered me on as I try to keep my scrapbooking goals. The need to get caught up was highlighted a week ago when my oldest daughter was sharing an album of her toddler days with a friend. While I loved looking back and remembering all of the antics of my two oldest at that time, my youngest kept asking to see her books from the same age. Sadly I didn't have very much to share ... but I will catch up!
| | | |
| | |
I previously shared my digital tip for creating torn paper edges using the Torn Edges Stamp Brush Set Digital Download and My Digital Studio. In the layout below I used this same digital stamp brush to add simple depth and shading to a simple scrapbook layout:
Digital Tip: to create my look, I changed the opacity of the black digital stamp to 20%. This lightening of the stamp allowed the paper color to show through and made my project more monochromatic. I also enlarged the stamp under my title to have more presence than at the bottom of the page.
Don't forget that you can try your hand at digital scrapbooking or card making FREE - simply take the 30 Day Free My Digital Studio Express Trial. And look for the release of My Digital Studio 2 August 1st!
| | | |
| | |
July is almost over and I'm working away on my family photos from June (as followers of my blog will recall, I'm on a mission to keep current photos scrapped). I am definitely working with the 'scrapped is better than perfect' method. Actually, maybe more to the point, it is '100 simple layouts are better than 1 masterpiece' method!
The following layout shares a simple tip on color selection:
Digital Tip: Sometimes colors are very hard to match when scrapping photos ... is this green too yellow, too blue, too grey? While finding the perfect color match in your paper supply can be difficult, the process is easy when using My Digital Studio! When choosing your background paper, simply click the 'picker' tab - this will allow you to match pixels directly from your photos (in my case a bit of the greenery) to choose the perfect match.
Products used on this easy to duplicate layout include:
Stamps - Upsy Daisy, Schoolbook Serif Alpha, Favorite Things, and Textured (at 20% opacity)
Embellishments - Brads
A question for you:
How often does your crafting time get cut in favor of time with your family?
The best part of this layout is that it was created while watching movies with my children!
| | | |
| | |
It seems like my birthday photos from June were a real flop - but, regardless of the quality of the photos, I still need to document these milestone events. Oh well, I guess it leaves plenty of room to embellish, title and journal - and I get to enlarge my focal photo to a viewable size! See my digital tips bleow to recreate this look with My Digital Studio.
Digital Tip: The Happy Birthday title block is done with a stamp from A Little Birthday Cheer Digital Stamp Set. I enlarged the stamp and added the 13th using a simple text block, rotated and dropped over the stamped greeting. Using a contrasting black/white color theme and adding the dotted circle from the Enjoy Every Moment Digital Stamp set calls attention to this milestone year!
Digital Tip #2: To creat a check box list, I created my list with a simple text box and came back and added the check boxes from the School Days Digital Stamp Set.
I've tried several papers for my journaling block, and I'm still not certain I like the color I ended up with ... but sometimes, scrapped is better than perfect. Since this page was done digitally with My Digital Studio, I can always come back and play with the journaling box later (at least until I print it out!) ... but remember, my goal is to scrap all of my June photos in July. So I'm going to call this one done and come back to it AFTER I've finished all of the other photos. Maybe in setting it aside, I'll have new inspiration when I start again!
| | | |
| | |
The problem?
I have to admit, with all of my classes, my blog, and my craft fair projects (combined with the limited crafting time of a wife and mother of three), my family scrapbooks just may be the slowest growing in the country!
It is hard for me to believe that when my two oldest were little, my scrapbooks were always only a month behind - and yes, I scrapped every last moment of their little lives. I don't know if I'll ever get back to that efficiency, but I know I need to pick up the speed so that my youngest doesn't feel left out.
Just where is a busy mom supposed to find time to scrapbook?
My Digital Studio to the Rescue!
Firstly, this summer I'm going back to my old method - trying to scrap the prior month each month (wish me luck here), and if time allows going back to fill in the gaps (ok, really, can I do this?). If I have any hope of meeting this goal, I know I need to allow myself the freedom to scrap at any time - even while enjoying the backyard with my daughters, or sitting in front of the tv for a Friday night movie with the family in the evening. So, I'm giving myself the option to craft digitally when necessary. Yes, I've come to the realization that if I await the freedom to work in my craft room in peace, scrapbooking will continue to be the last priority in my life ... and I'm committed to scrapbooking whatever it takes!
This layout above is one of my June layouts (I think I may actually finish June in July!)and was created solely with My Digital Studio. The stamps are from the Big Bold Birthday, Good Friend and School Days digital stamp sets. The paper is Night of Navy Card Stock and Happy Bday Designer Series Paper.
Where are you in your scrapbooks? Waiting to take the plunge? Up to date? Bouncing around with a page from this year/month and a page from that year/month? Leave a comment and let me know!
| | | |
| | |
... Actually, let's make that girl's best friend!
My daughter is so happy to finally have a dog. I shared his photo with you when we first brought him home, and last night Clara asked me to print out that photo to hang in her bedroom. But, me being me, I couldn't simply print out a photo ... so this morning I threw together this My Digital Studio layout instead.
I'm constantly amazed that the original My Digital Studio software has so many included digital stamp images that I can accomplish almost anything I choose without even purchasing new downloads! Mr. Bingley is a cross between a chihuahua and a dachshund (with some King Charles Spaniel and who knows what else in the mix) - aren't these two dog images from the Man's Best Friend digital stamp set perfect?!
I think my daughter will be thrilled to find this hanging on her wall in her room when she gets home from school today!
And now for the upcoming changes!
Coming soon, Stampin' Up! will be releasing My Digital Studio Two! This upgraded software will offer even more great digital crafting opportunities.
With this upgrade, you will be able to:
Those of you ready to start crafting with My Digital Studio now do not need to wait! Purchase My Digital Studio now and receive a free upgrade to My Digital Studio 2 when it is released. Already crafting with My Digital Studio? You'll have the option to purchase a My Digital Studio 2 upgrade.
Let's get started!
| | | |
| | |
This My Digital Studio layout is the indirect result of the release of the final Harry Potter story in theaters. It is the end of an era ... all seven books have been written, released, and turned into movies. And along the road, my 12 year old son and I have bonded!
Happy Birthday J.K. Rowling and Harry Potter
When I heard that July 31st was the birthday of both J.K. Rowling and her celebrated character Harry Potter, I realized I wanted to do something to mark the date. I admit to being one of those addicts who purchased each book in the series on its release date, and proceeded to read it to the end within a matter of days. While my son did not join in on the addiction immediately (he wasn't even born in 1997 when the first book was published), as he grew up he was immersed in reading. When he began reading, we would pull a book from the shelf and read together alternating pages. As he progressed, we were slowly delving into my personal library filled with children's and young adult fantasy and science fiction. By the time the final Harry Potter book was written, he had pushed his way through that library and joined me in my addiction.
This layout is the beginning of a mini book about my love of reading and my efforts to share that love with my children. Reading together, like crafting together, is a great way to get to know your children and understand their thought processes. And I don't think there is an author out there that has more thoroughly forged this relationship than J.K. Rowlings.
Happy Crafting,
Noel
| | | |
| | |
I would like to close this month's celebration of National Scrapbooking Month, in which I have focused heavily on simple journaling tips, with a layout that uses no journaling whatsoever!
On this layout I broke all of my rules ... there is no title, no journaling, not even a label of Who? Where? When? But it works! This layout is found in my daughter's first year baby book. In context, it is very obvious who is the subject of these photos. And this album is done chronologically, so it is also obvious as to how old my daughter was when these little detail photos were taken. With just the photos and some colored cardstock, I have created a layout that floods me with memories every time I look at it!
I hope you have enjoyed following along this past month, as I shared my thoughts on scrapbooking and journaling. If you haven't already, please look back through the last month's posts and see if there is something you can take from my samples that will help you with your paper crafts. If you have any questions, or would like to get started scrapbooking yourself, please contact me. I would love to work with you to help you create art that will keep your memories alive for generations to come!
Happy Crafting,
Noel
| | | |
| | |
Over the course of this month, you have seen samples of each of my top 10 simple journaling ideas for scrapbooking. In addition, you have seen several cards and handmade gifts using these same ideas. I hope you have found inspiration and hopefully one of my ideas has spurred you on to create a project or two of your own.
Having provided at least one sample of each of my 10 ideas, I now feel comfortable going back to one of my all time favorites (journaling with a definition) with one of my all time favorite scrapbook layouts from my family albums:
This layout is from a 2005 trip to Edinburgh Scotland, and includes my absolute favorite photos from the entire trip. Although I have many beautiful photos of the Scottish sites, these photos of my daughter will always represent that trip for me.
One of the details I love about this layout itself is the combination of trims. Often we stick to one medium, using ribbon or twill or lace on any given project - but here I have combined all three and I love the result. Over recent years, Stampin' Up! has added so many different types of trims for you to use on your paper crafts. Each trim adds a different texture and feel to your art. Yet, they can all lay flat, making them the perfect addition to your scrapbook pages and cards.
A couple of my favorites, as previously seen on my blog, are:
The 5/8" Whisper White Organza which can be combined with a 5/8" Grosgrain Ribbon (here I've used Old Olive) when you want to add some color:
Or how about the Victoria 5/8" Crochet Trim:
Put your favorite trims to work on your crafts and create just the right feel on your project!
Happy Crafting,
Noel
| | | |
| | |
Song Lyrics can be a useful simple journaling tool. You can use the full song lyrics, or just a line or two. Just find the lyrics that speak best for you!
This layout is part of a calendar book that a friend put together for me when I was pregnant with my youngest - thank you so much Stephanie! All I needed to do was drop in a representative photo for each month, and complete the monthly calendar squares with the appropriate events and notes. The patterned paper in the upper left corner has the lyrics to "You are my Sunshine" - always appropriate as journaling for a baby album! Other pages in the album are filled with quotes and other appropriate 'journaling' that prove appropriate samples to many of my Top 10 Journaling Tips.
An album like this makes a fabulous handmade gift that will be treasured forever by moms and I can't wait to make a similar version for someone special. The hardest part of using an albums like this is finding a photo that matches the given color scheme ... but, if you are having trouble, always remember that you can convert a photo to black & white or sepia tone if needed!
I want to draw your attention to her wonderful use of patterned paper! The Designer Series Paper packs from Stampin' Up! are perfect for this type of layout, as you receive a variety of coordinating papers all in one pack. Try to create a similar look with your favorite pack of Designer Series Paper!
Happy Crafting,
Noel
| | | |
| | |
