Back to School... (Already?!?!?!)

Today I get to spend the day with my peers, planning out how to implement the next school year. In preparation for my own desk, I created this super cute pencil case and crayon box using Xyron products and Authentique's Curiosity Collection. Even a year later, I still love this line. 

The Xyron 9" Creative Station is perfect for gluing down those larger pieces of paper. Especially if you want them to really stick to your project. I'm pretty sure that the decoration on the pencil box is going to last longer than anything that will go in it. And all of those little pieces on the die cut pencil, those were all aided by Xyron's 1.5" Create-A-Sticker Machine.

I used a combination of both machines on the crayon box as well. In truth, I really wanted to minimize the amount of loose crayons my daughter has in my studio. (I think they are all over the place!)

I really love how this super fun project turned out. And yes, it did make me a little bit excited to start school this year!

Supplies Used:
Xyron 9" Creative Station, Xyron 1.5" Create-A-Sticker Machine, Authentique Curiosity Collection: Learning, Academic, Studious, Details and Elements Stickers, VersaMagic Ink in Turquoise Gem, Silhouette Online Store: pencil, crayon box

AUTHENTIQUE PAPER: A Thrilling Way to Add Interest to Layouts

On the Authentique blog today I show how you can recreate this great layout from the Create-N-Connect/Craft & Hobby Association show. There is a of interest by using almost every pattern in the 6x6 pad, and this is an easy way to use them all at the same time. Check it out!

Photographs and Apps: How I Organize My Weekly Scrapbooking Part 2

Hello again! I'm back with Part 2 of how I make my weekly (or sometimes monthly when life becomes routine) layouts. Really, this is a collection of cool apps and tricks to make life a little more simple, and ways in which you can speed up the whole process. Especially when using your stash.

 

Apps:
I am in love with my iPhone. Seriously though, this little bugger is amazing. And all of the apps available?? LOVE!

Photo Taking Apps:
Hipstamatic

While I have Instagram... I really love my Hipstamatic app. No, it's not free, and yes, I've spent more than I'd like to admit on lenses, film upgrades, etc. But it's super fun. And you don't "have" to share your pics if you don't want. Often... I don't want to.

Photo Altering Apps:
A Beautiful Mess

This is really just an app to alter pics, use some filters, add some wording and images and have fun. Then you can Instagram or Facebook away and be done. I do however like this to alter some images, or add phrasing right when it happens. Sometimes the wording gets wonky, and its hard to straighten. I end up redoing it then, which is kind of frustrating.


Over

This app was free for iPhone users during the App Store's birthday week. So I didn't actually pay the $1.99 for the app. Totally worth it though. It's like A Beautiful Mess, but a little more user friendly. It has multiple artists' creating images and phrases for it, so you get more of a collection of varied items, rather than one point of view. They are pretty similar though. No filters on this app, and you don't have to make square photos, which I like.

The Essential Project Life App!:
PhotoDate 

 

If you haven't heard of PhotoDate... You really need to look it up. If you are doing weekly, or scrapbooking in general, and use your phone... This is HUGE! It actually tells you when you took all of your pics on your phone. So simple, yet soooo important. I can hardly remember what day it is, and this little app does it for me. Want to be accurate with the date stamper? Now you can! 

Apps to Make Life Easier:
PicFrame

Part of the frustration of scrapbooking weekly is the whole finding a photograph thing. It's kind of annoying how those little 3x4" pockets make printing a picture kind of impossible. This app is genius, as you can just combine photos together to either create a collage, stitch two pics together for a 4x6, or just print them on the cheap. The 99 cents for this app is amazingly inexpensive for the ease of use. There are some really great tutorials on how to use this app (my favorite at MySistersSuitcase), but it's pretty easy to use.
 

Costco

Costco is one of my favorite places to go. We seriously spend too much money there. But it's worth it when we normally buy the same things each month. And kids eat a lot. I don't know where they put it, but they eat. Anyway... I love Costco's print quality. I know it's not always the same quality as a "professional print lab"... But for the cost, they are really good. And the app is super easy to use. Plus, after using PicFrame, it's even cheaper!!

Walgreens

Personally, I am not a huge fan of Walgreen's photography labs. Mainly because they only print in glossy paper. And that bugs me. A lot. Probably because it's hard to photograph when the pics are on a layout. Totally a personal thing, everyone has their "thing"... Glossy paper is mine. The app is great though, and the service is really quick. When I really need a pic fast, I will send them here. Plus they have super late (some 24 hour) hours... Which is helpful. They are more costly than Costco's photo lab. Something to think about, but they do have coupons often. I always Google to see if there is an available coupon code to use before I finalize my order.

How It All Works Together:
Lastly, this is how I put it all together. I have scraps of paper about the size of business cards that I plan out my week. Arrows usually mean that I've moved something, or mixed up dates. Sometimes I draw silly things, scratch them out, add more. Often I totally change it all up. Any which way though, the sketches have helped me to stop printing 18 million photographs that I don't use. They aren't hugely expensive, but waste is waste. This has made me much more streamlined in my process.

Whew! Lot's of information overload. This week, I'll be posting the four weeks of layouts that I completed in about 24 hours using this process.

***Project Life is a system of memory keeping created by Becky Higgins.  You can learn more here***

My Project Life Basket: How I Organize My Weekly Scrapbooking Part 1

I figured out the cause of my lack of mojo. An unclean room (since tidied!) and the lingering thought that I haven't really started my summer of Project Life... I like the idea of capturing what goes on during the week, however during the school year it's just not feasible. Not because I cannot keep up, more because life is a lot more monotonous, scheduled, the same each week.

And since I have a studio to work in, I really cannot drag all of my stuff downstairs, or other places. So I created a PL basket. Just enough stuff to create at least a month's of pages without having to have anything additional. I also kind of enjoy not being attached to my Silhouette (blasphemy, I know!!) for everything. I could just go buy the kits, but that's no fun!! I have the page holders, but really just want to use my stash for the filler cards.

Here's my basket!! It seriously has everything I need! I already made a month's worth of pages. In 24 hours. Seriously! Even my cute Xyron 1½" Create-A-Sticker Machine!!

And the other side.

I have quite a few pre-cut 4x6 and 3x4 cards that I made a couple of Silhouette magazine holders for (4x6, 3x4). Include a 6x6 pad of cardstock, and at least one of patterned paper, or the leftovers of one of my Gossamer Blue kits... And the month is set.  

A handful of various letter sets, used up (almost) and brand new. All small and rather thin. This way, I can put them on pics, pages, etc.

Random assortment of enamel dots, flair, Elle's Studio pieces, etc. Anything small and fun.

A date stamp and some sequins. In those little bags that come with sweaters.

Scissors, a ruler, corner chomper, Signo pen, at least one color of journaling pen (but who's counting... I have six on the other side).

Small cutter and 8.5"x11" cutting board.

Mini stapler and a sketch pad.

And here's the beginning of my pages. I'll have to show more this week. I'm super excited to start getting somewhat caught up!!

Tomorrow, I am going to share my tricks for organizing my weeks and my photos. I have a few Apps that I LOVE that make this whole process SO much easier. Especially when I don't have a great photo printer in my house.

And just because... My newly organized buttons and brads! I took out all of the tiny ones... Love the color, NEVER used them.

Don't they look all pretty now?!?!?! Although, I realized I really need more yellow buttons. That one is looking a little lonely.

***Project Life is a system of memory keeping created by Becky Higgins.  You can learn more here***

Summer Card Camp 2 Cards!

I'm back again with more cards!! These two sets are created using sketches from the Summer Card Camp 2.

I really loved this little card. I still have to send them out, but they are just too cute. The popsicle is a fun Silhouette cut. I used Crate Paper's Pier 6x6 for this card. And some kraft for the "sticks". Some dimensional adhesive makes the Popsicle stand out on this card.

This was just a fun card. I used some older Sassafras Lass and Echo Park's Little Girl, along with some older American Crafts buttons. These will be super fun for a kid's birthday!!

I Think I Found My Mojo Again!

Honestly, I've been in a creative funk. It happens once in awhile. I go to my crafty area often and just stare at all the stuff. I made a couple of cards (I'm saving that post I promised for tomorrow!!), but that's about it for the last couple of weeks. Until today :)

This is how I started my morning. I have been staring at this wonderful Elle's Studio sketch for a couple of days, and finally pulled it all together. I used a lot of my Elle's Studio products on this one too! And my July Gossamer Blue kit. I love how I got the title to tie into the pink on the edges. It kind of looks like it was cut out of the background paper. And used my Xyron 1½" Create-A-Sticker Machine on the vellum and the smaller die cuts. Only way to go!! I also used my Silhouette sketch pens for the circles, and my Wink of Stella pen to enhance the title.

I saw this mornings's Aquamarine #6 MWM, and fell in love. Melodee outdid herself with the wonderful clothesline look. I used these adorable AMuse clothespins, but split them in half, then used a silver pen to mimic the metal. This way, they weren't so thick. Then I used my Xyron 1½" Create-A-Sticker Machine on most of the Fancy Pants die cuts and pieces from July's Gossamer Blue kit. It works perfectly on those little things! (Twinery twine)

Okay, so this one I had created a few weeks ago and just forgot to share. It's using both my GB kit, and a TON of Elle's products. I loved how the MWM Aquamarine #3 Sketch used a ton of little bits and pieces, so I "threw" some paint splatters on (get it, threw... HAHAHA! Okay, my jokes are lame today!), and used ALL of the colors in this month's kit. It's perfect when you are documenting a color run!! I even die cut one of the 4x6 Elle's Studio journaling papers and layered different colors behind it!

I am not waiting this long to make more stuff!! <3 br="">

Lots and Lots of Cards!!!

During the summer, I build up both my personal card stash, and the stash that I use for the Social Committee at school. For my personal stash, I tend to make more celebratory cards: birthdays, well wishes, miss you, etc. For school, I end up needing more sympathy and get well cards than anything else. Every once in awhile, I get to make a great wedding or baby card!

For the first two, I create a pair of cards using the same idea. I had just purchased a Fiskars hexagon punch (on 40% off with 25% off on top of that... SCORE!) and really wanted to use it. So, I pulled out my lovely Xyron 1½" Create-A-Sticker Machine and got to work. The lovely little hexies were super easy to stick on, and so were the banners. Add a little AC button (clearance at Target... SCORE again!) and Delicata (ImagineCrafts) inked A-Muse sentiment and they are perfect to send to someone in need.

For the next three, I used a Counterfeit Kit that I made up a LOT of months ago. I think there is some Prima paper, some cardstock in different colors, AC ribbon, and some MyMindsEye chipboard elements. I even found a cute Prima resin flower (I totally forgot I had those things!) to add to one of the cards.

I'm a card making machine! Or at least, I really need to be. Making them in an assembly line is super quick. I'll have more sets tomorrow!

Happy Birthday Pretty Pink Posh!!!

I haven't participated in forever (or at least it seems like it), but it's Pretty Pink Posh's 1st birthday! Paulina over at PPP is having some fun with blog hops, challenges, prizes and the works. This week's 10 Minute Craft Dash was all birthday related, and I was able to use my fun gold Delicata (ImagineCrafts) ink in a great way.

Awhile ago, I watched a cute Lawn Fawn video that used the backs of the stamps to create a bokeh effect. I totally snagged the idea, used the gold ink, and made fun circles of color. Stamped a sentiment and that was it!! Under 10 minutes (8:32), and totally cute.
Materials Used: Basic Grey & My Mind's Eye patterned papers, American Crafts cardstock, Recollections card base, Imagine Crafts ink, AC & MME stamps

SUCH EXCITING NEWS!! Xyron Announces it's Summer 2013 Design Team

And I'm on it! Woot! Seriously, it came as a shock. In the form of a phone call from the lovely Beth from Xyron. She asked, I said yes! True to my life, it was in the middle of getting the kids to nap and trying to get dinner started. I'm very excited to take on the challenge, and cannot wait to share with all of you the fun new things in the works!

Silly 'Stache: MWM Aquamarine #2

A silly layout for a silly picture. It's a pic that I took quite awhile ago while wearing a wax mustache. It's kind of funny, as it's become one of my goto avatar pics. Mainly because it's silly. And I try not to take myself too seriously most of the time.

For this layout, I used ScrapbookSteal's MWM Aquamarine #2 sketch. It was perfect for my large photograph. I actually had forgotten that I printed it, and upon finding it, knew which pic I would use for the sketch.

I'm loving the new exclusive Gossamer Blue papers (Mitchell Kraft) and the Elle's Studio elements that pop out everywhere. Especially the hidden journaling where the star and tab are. And the vellum!! I used my Xyron "X" Create-a-sticker to get the vellum just perfect. You cannot even tell that I used any adhesive. PERFECTION!