2009 almost done!

I woke up feeling like doing more crafting, so I listened to myself and decided to tackle 2009 remaining LOs. Much to my surprise, I only had 2 left!

For this one I used K&Co glittered pp as my backdrop and some pink cardstock scraps as my journaling strips and mat. The gold ribbon is Recollections from Christmas (love that stuff!), and the numbered border strip is from Echo Park Today's Story line. The title numbers are cut out from more K&Co paper from the same stack that I picked up on clearance last summer.

For my last 2009 layout, I used pp from The Paper Loft as my background. The spiderweb paper is from Making Memories, the plaid and polka dot paper that I drippy goo punched (MS punch) are from the MME Mischievous line, as are the banner pieces I fussy cutter and pop dotted. The title stickers and subtitle stickers are from a letter sticker sheet that I don't remember. I then added some silver accents that I found on clearance at Ms yesterday for 99 cents. I journaled with an inessentials white pen that I honestly don't love.

Once done I sorted through my 2006-2009 layouts to find what was missing, how many page protectors I would need and to see if I felt my storied we there. I identified that I need 3 title pages, 1 closing page, and 3 missing story or fill a hole pages. I also realized I need an extra 4 or so page protector packs, lol. I think I may take a trip up to Ms while they have the 30% off everything coupon to grab them tonight and get to putting them together. It's my hope that over the next two weeks I can do the remaining 7 pages and get the books ready to be looked at after far too long!

Catching up feels so good!

After remembering the feeling of finishing a layout, I decided to do some more scrapping this weekend. I pulled out my remaining 2008 and 2009 layouts, and tackled 2008 last night and 2009 this morning and afternoon. I thought I'd share them here for you.

On this LO I used SEI background pp, some 6x6 pages and a 8.5x11 cut down to 6x6 for my mats, washi from Recollections, Bella Blvd, and Freckled Fawn, plus some MME enamel dots and misc gems as embellies. I made a little pocket for my journaling card that is from Making Memories and my title is SN@P and Thickers.

A page that I wasn't planning on doing, but was inspired to do. I used white textured cardstock as my background, painted with the Heidi Swapp mists (just unscrewed the top and drew) and added a few drops from the primrose pink. I journaled with a silver Faber-Castell pen and used the new Amy Tangerine remarks for my title. This page is what scrapbooking is all about.

This page didn't have me too inspired. I knew I ended to do it and so I did. I used the DCWV Letterpress stack for my flowers and put them on some striped pp I had for ages. I journaled on the pp, someone I used to never do, but something that Shimelle has inspired me to try.

Getting the juices flowing

It's probably not much of a surprise to you, but I haven't been doing much crafting this spring. I had excuse after excuse, and while some were valid (90% off Christmas and Valentines stuff landed on my work space and I legitimately had no room to put it in a closet anywhere), many were not (I'm tired, I don't like my papers, etc). A few weeks ago I decided enough was enough! I shopped new designs a little too much when my dad was sick (shopping seriously does release endorphins, y'all, I truly believe it), I had plenty of pictures printed and I had the urge to purge! I reorganized my hall closet and purged lots of things, thereby making homes for what had landed in my craft area. Heck, I already made tons of page kits with my pretty new papers that were ready to be used!

Tonight, after taking an after work nap thanks to staying up to watch Project Life on HSN (yes, I ordered the blush kit on auto-ship), I decided enough was enough. I knew I had some pictures laid out with papers that I didn't get to at my last crop last summer, so I decided to flip through and see what was there. Surprisingly I realized I only had 5 or so layouts from 2006-2009 left to complete! Heck, if I don't do them now when am I going to move on??? As someone on the boards recently mentioned, done is better than perfect. These layouts are not doing any good sitting in a box in my crop area. I picked one that had a design come to mind and got to work. About an hour later I was done but didn't really love it. Well, some washi tape, drops of mist, and a few enamel dots later I had a visual triangle and some interest on my page and felt pleased. Not only had I legitimately scrapped a layout for the first time in months, I finally used Washi tape, ink, and enamel dots on a project versus them looking pretty in my room!

Enoughs enough, here's the layout. The base cardstock is bazzill, the striped is American Crafts, the solid borders I'm not too sure about, the ink is Heidi Swapp, the enamel dots are MMe, and the Washi tape is recollections (all I believe).

TJ Maxx score!

Thanks to a post on Two Peas, I scored tonight at TJ Maxx. I found eight different styles of Thickers for $1.49 each (I bought 7 of them), a Dear Lizzy roller stamp for $3 (score!), a 6"x6" Studio Calico paper pad for $3, and some fun pencils that look like wood for $2 for a set of 3. It actually took me 2 trips, as I didn't see them the first time I went, at the back of the store. While we were waiting for dinner I decided to peek at the thread again and someone posted to look near the registers. Thankfully TJ Maxx is open until 9:30pm, so we snuck back over there after dinner and low and behold I found them! Score of the night, and one that gave me a bit of a shoppers high :). Thanks Two Peas, this was an enabled buy I won't regret!

Making things bright...

We got a new colleague a few months ago, and with him he brought lamps for his office. Why I had never thought about this, I have no idea! I hate my overhead lighting, and constantly use lamps at home, so why wouldn't I bring some into the office. With this came the idea to upcycle a fun lamp.

I've occasionally popped into Goodwill to browse throughout this summer, but didn't find the right one until last week (granted I didn't look too often or hard). I realized this morning that I don't have painter's tape, so my reveal of the base will have to wait until later. What I did pick up and finish in the past 24 hours however was the shade. I originally found this idea in the spring, when I was redecorating my living room. While I went with lampshades from Target for the living room, the idea stuck with me ever since...

I found a $5 small shade at Walmart, as well as a can of Primer + Paint Krylon Spray Paint (got to love still having gift cards!). The spray paint is for the base, but I could have also used it on the lampshade (I got lazy and used acrylic instead). The shade was an ivory color, so a quick coat of white guaranteed that it would match my spray painted base. I picked up from Michaels last night 3 skeins of Sugar 'n Cream yarn (hot blue, hot green, and hot orange). I used some Martha Stewart glittering glue (any liquid craft glue would work, I just happen to have a few bottles of this lying around).

I began by deciding the order I wanted my colors, and then painted some glue periodically on the shade (I did four strips up and down across the shade) and wrapped. I didn't plan out ahead of time, and just guessed how many times around would work. It turned out to be approximately 20 times around before I switched colors. To switch colors, I alternated the new and old color twice, then did two layers of new color, before one last layer of old color. If I was working with a bigger shade, I may have done a third alternated layer, and maybe even a triple new before one last old as well! Just go with what looks best to you. I continued this through the shade and finished with glue all around the top. That's it!

After about an hour and enough Eat, Pray, Love to get me wanting to finish the movie, I had a new lampshade. Now I can't wait to pick up some painter's tape after my matinee movie with friends so that I can finish up the base. I can't wait to see this on my desk in my office! Such a fun way to add some brightness and color to my office!

World Cardmaking Day Unity Challenges

I hadn't given much thought to World Cardmaking Day. One of my crafting besties moved this summer and another crafting friend was out of town. I ended up home and felt the desire to craft thanks to one of Unity Stamp Co's challenges, so I decided to participate. Well, one turned into 4, and you know I like a challenge. Below is what I came up with:

 Challenge #1: Shaped Card

Challenge #2: Texture: Rhinestones and Ribbon

Challenge #3: Embossing

  

Challenge #4: Sketch Challenge (my first card sketch!)  

Challenge #5: Fall Card

Challenge #6: Stamp a Border

Challenge #7: Coloring (with colored pencils)

Challenge #8: Color Challenge (Cream, Brown, Olive and Pumpkin)

Challenge #9: All challenges (these plus the one below)

St. Augustine - Part 1

Well, it's a few hours later and I have 6 pages scrapped and embellished, plus another 4 with the pictures laid out. It feels good to get some scrapping done, especially as I haven't scrapped anything since my last cropping retreat in April. I really have enjoyed working with Shimelle's The Perfect Collection scrapping technique. I think it's a great way to fairly quickly scrap pictures from an event that you know will be multiple layouts. I'll make sure to add my last layouts from my first attempt at this method when I finish them. I did have two starter pages that I didn't have pictures for, and used another starter page for a picture from last year's Cedar Key Seafood Festival, so I really do feel that you get a lot of bang for your buck (both time and the financial investment in papers) with Shimelle's method. Enjoy the first set of finished layouts!