Octopus

I actually emailed a picture of this to a friend earlier today - I wasn't sure if it was worthy of putting on here - it totally felt like I was just playing and having fun.
I mostly wanted to try making those funky flowers that seem to be everywhere right now.

The sun was an afterthought. I keep thinking that maybe it looks like an octopus? Have to say I saw the Daydream paper in a different light whilst creating this! And that little green piece behind the last toadstall in not meant to be there - but didn't realise until after I took the picture - and now the sun is in the wrong place!

I would love to hear what YOU think to this one.

Twenty Four Hours

Last summer we took a road trip to Drumheller, Alberta in between visitors. We had just 24 hours to spend in the dinosaur town. It takes a good 5 hours to drive each way.
When we got back, of course along with all the happy memories I had LOTS of pictures. After sifting, paring down and printing I had just over 90 pictures I wanted to use. Too many for one scrapbook page. Not enough to dedicate to one album.

I decided to try Photo Album scrapbooking. Something Stacy Julian had introduced us to in the Library of Memories class.

Just a simple $3 slip - in photo album from WalMart remove the cheesy front (slip in) cover & replace with your own fitting cover.

an introduction page (another first for me)

and we're off

see how I had no trouble at all "letting go" cutting photo's to fit in each slip in slot.

I chose about four colours that I thought worked with the theme and feel of Drumheller

I used the same stamps sets all the way through. There was no re-inventing the wheel with every turn of the page.

In the journalling spots I stamped a time for each location we stopped at - to emphasize that 24 hour theme.

I even slipped in some pictures and didn't feel the need to run any narrative

I cut and slipped in the map for the Royal Tyrell attaching the extending parts to cardstock

and this to the flip side.

I even slipped our entry ticket in behind this page.

The only picture I didn't take here was of the poor woman walking around with her dressed tucked into her underwear :0 (The dress was a bit odd anyway...& I couldn't decide if it was part of the design - and get this the rest of her family - who were walking behind her did nothing either. )

Anyhow, this photo album scrapbook is probably the fastest thing I've ever put together and I love it.

And I still can't believe we did all that in 24 hours!

Total lift

So this one is a total lift.



But I have to tell you this much, when I saw this layout by Elizabeth Kartchner in Creating Keepsakes January 2009, I knew exactly what I wanted to do.

From the paper, to the story.

Everything just clicked into place.

I always thought that I looked through magazines, sometimes tagged the ones I liked and then placed that magazine in it's chronological place in a magazine file and forgot about it.

Then, thanks to the Organized & Inspired class at Big Picture Scrapbooking and the freedom it's given me to actually cut....those bad boys....up I've been revisiting all those back issues and going oh yeah that totally reminds me of a story I want to tell.

So I cut it out and slap it in my inspiration binder (which is now two binders - but that's because of all the magazines I had let me tell you!)

Did I tell you already how much I love those Inspiration Binders? Except I think I might be getting addicted to cutting up magazines now, need....... to buy more........ to cut them up.

Birthday Spinner

The Warman Mafia were here for their monthly card/splurge/hostess club. I found this spinning card on Split Coast Stampers and used the Daydream paper pack.

I used some more of those Stickles too. My most used colours (that are not really colours) are Star Dust and Diamond. One has a blue irridescent tone to it and the other is more golden. Both are sparkling sensations.
A little bit of dental floss is all you need to get this card spinning. The dental floss I used here is cherry flavoured and therefore pink - but it goes well - don't you think?

We also made this box in a bag. Another stolen idea from Split Coast Stampers. I used my new SLICE to make the star on the front of the card.

You can also probably also see some more use of those sparkly stickles and my other favourite new toy (which takes a back seat to the slice) the threading water punch from Fiskars.

Luckily I had some double sided tape I had acquired at the last Saskatoon Crop n Cruise - and it definately came in handy for both projects.

Do you also notice the lovely little charm bracelet in the pictures? I didn't make this one.

It was a Valentines gift from the very lovely Saucy and her darling daughter Loopy. Actually we scored twice - one for me and one for my own little darling Daisy.

Saucy is just the craftiest person I know and would surely give Martha a run for her money (& product line). I like to think of her as our very own Pioneer Woman without the calf nuts.

So Inspired

You already know I'm a BIG, huge fan of Big Picture Scrapbooking, right? I'm always taking a class, spouting all the wonderful knowledge that I gain under the guidance of the likes of Stacy Julian or Cathy Zielske.

Currently I'm enrolled in Get Organised & Inspired with Wendy Smedley.

My new path of enlightenment involves this:

an ever growing pile of magazine cut outs.

Part of the class suggests clipping the layouts and themes from magazines that inspire you.
I was very very reluctant to do this. And yet somehow I picked up my scissors and began to clip without a backward glance. One magazine down and I was hooked. Several magazines down and my binder was beginning to take shape.



One thing I have learned? I have a love of blue and red - it can be almost any shade of blue or red but I love in particular a shade of blue I've come to call Tiffany blue and the red? Cherry red. It makes me happy.

I thought at first I would have to, no need, to have very structured sections within this binder, but I have even managed to let go of that.

I started out sticking everything to white cardstock - and soon got tired of that. Now I simply rip the store lists and other "white" pages from the magazines and stick my clippings to them instead!

Now, whenever I look through this binder (or it may very soon end up as several binders) I am just itching and tingling and bursting with ideas and can't wait to go to my room and play!

Now, please excuse me, I need to go through Simple Scrapbooks 2008!

Get Creative

Good Morning Science Trek. You guys are going to have so much fun this afternoon creating some scrapbook pages! Ms Chan & I thought you'd like to see some artwork to give you a few ideas - so I thought I'd quickly give you a few links for places I like to go for inspiration!

Kelli Crowe is really fun - you can see a gallery HERE

Vicki Boutin is Canadian and her work is lots of fun too go HERE

Leica Forrest is fun and she's right here in Saskatoon - go HERE

Sassfrass is a product line - they have some great stuff on their blog HERE

One more is Pencil Lines - they publish a sketch - and layouts using that sketch you can see them HERE

Page Maps works along the same premise - look HERE

Have fun browsing all these wonderful galleries and we'll get really creative this afternoon! I have to tell you last year when I came in to work with Science Trek it was the boys who really impressed me with their creativity!

Phew!

and then she rested. That's exactly what I did yesterday. SSS was ( I think, I hope) a success. Thank you to everyone who came. What a wonderful bunch of ladies to try out on. Everyone got along really well, lots of creativity floating around and ideas bouncing off each other and best of all - lots done!
The food disappeared - I guess that's a good thing. I'll make more chocolate chip shortbread and purchase even more liquorice allsorts for next time!

I really enjoyed visiting with everyone - and I could still join in the chatter from the kitchen - so I didn't miss a thing!

Next one is March 7th - so email me or leave a comment now and get your spot reserved early.

I began working on my inspiration binder when I had a chance to sit down throughout the day.

This is an idea from my latest Big Picture class - Organised & Inspired with Wendy Smedley. I really wasn't sure about cutting up my huge magazine collection - but you know what?

I'm loving it.

Just had to breathe, and let go. It is ok to cut the magazines up. So I started with CK for 2008.

I've noticed I have a bit of a thing for all the really fun layouts - not so much for the blocky stuff - and I have a big thing for blue and red - doesn't matter what shade but I'm all over it!

Already I can flick through this burgeoning bundle of collected scraps and feel inspired by everything I see.

Now, can I cut through Canadian Scrapbooker?

Simple Saturday Scrapbooking Dawns

Tomorrow is the very first "big" scrapbooking event that I've organized.
I think I mentioned that earlier this week. Just about 12 hours to go until kick off and the gates open. I'm really excited and quite nervous. Am I ready?

Of course not.

That would not be me.

I have lists! Lists on paper & lists in my head and as the time ticks away my thoughts are going faster and faster.

I wanted these monthly crops just to be a place where like minded friends new & old could come, hang out and get some good crafting time in.

Us girls we need that time.

I'll let you know how it goes.



Meantime I have my Art4Kids class to run. Tonight's early classes ( I have three classes back to back, K & G1, then G2 to G4 and then G5+) heard the story "Snowmen At Night" by Caralyn Buehner. We have previously been working on perspective - so we paid special attention to the size of each snowman layer. Then we used some colours to suggest light and shade adding definition to the shape, before adding some details like scarves, mitts and the like.
Now I just have to make sure I have everything I need for tomorrow - including the kitchen sink!

Kit Lift

Just before Christmas Vicki Boutin was selling some of her class kits over at her blog. I love VB's style - everything she does is just filled with fun and energy.
Anyway, I was very lucky to recieve some (like 5 kits I think) as gifts on Christmas morning (I wonder how that happened!!). One of the kits was called That's My Boy. I've already put that layout together - but I loved it so much I wanted to do it again. This is my take on that kit using (mostly) CTMH products.

This is the paper pack called Stardust. I've had to re-order this pack for my personal stash already - because I love it - all of it - so much!
You can see I've picked out some of the planet rings with Star Dust Stickles and added some green stickles on the dots too.

The strip to the right of the page is from one of the VB kits's that I got - I think it is Sassafrass.

The green star, number 3 and "enjoy" were all cut using my lovely new Slice.

I am so happy I bought it!

You Rock

I may have taken an extended hiatus from blogging - but that doesn't mean I wasn't working away at little paper delights like this.
It's a pop up card using the new Emporium paper pack from CTMH and the new MyAcrylix stamp set You Rock.

This is the card that everyone can choose to make at the first, upcoming, Simple Scrapbooking Saturday, that I have organized.

The first one is this coming Saturday - so I'm making lists on paper and in my head of everything I need to do and remember to bring!

We're going to try something new too. You know how one person's trash is another persons treasure? I'm encouraging all attendees to bring their unwanted, unused, I bought it on a whim supplies to swap and trade among us. Hopefully, we'll all get a great deal - and a new stash to take home!

I've booked four dates so far, trying to keep to the first Saturday of each month.

The Saturdays are February 7th, March 7th, April 4th and May 9th.

If you're from around here and would like to get some good scrapbooking time in, come and join us. Email me for the details.

Here's another valentines card I pulled together. The girls in my splurge club got to make this one.

Paper is from the CTMH paper pack That's Amore. The stamps are from the February Word Puzzle and a little bit of my new favourite stickles flavour - Diamond.

I put together this 6x6 for a recent gathering.

When all inspiration failed me and the tantrums were starting I looked no further than the cover of the new Idea Book.I used one stamp set Boutique Borders (another new one!) four times on this minature layout - trying to get the same look without the use of all the embellishments. Can you spot all four?