September 10, 2011

I seem to have really dropped the ball on my blog. It isn't even that I am not creating projects but it takes so much time to write and upload them. I need to make a pact with myself to blog at least two entries a week. What keeps you motivated?

For this post, I want to focus on the circle journal pages that I scrapped two weeks ago during Hurricane Irene-before we lost our power for SIX days!! I finally finished them and will be sending them on their way on Monday.

For those of you who don't know what a circle journal is I will try to explain it. Usually you have a group of friends that you are doing it with. You each create a journal with a specific theme. You send your journal to one of your friends, they create a scrapbook page (or art journal page) using your theme and then send it on to the next person on their list. You get another members journal as well and do the same thing. It is really fun when it works but we had a little glitch with our group, part of me being sick for 2 months and getting three at the same time!! I am very excited that I finished the pages and will be happy to forward them on to the next member. Look out Lin!!

The first theme I completed was "A Typical Week in My Life." Since I don't take photos every day, I chose a week in July and used photos from that. However, it really couldn't be considered "typical" because I have summers off and my days are filled with a different kind of "busy" then when I work.

Supplies: Paper-Bazzil Cardstock, Pink Paislee (Think Big), Studio Calico (Pie Contest), Echo Park (Big Stripes) Alphabet Stickers-Paper Studio, Cosmo Cricket, Doodlebug Design, and Basic Grey, Stickers-Crate Paper, Stamps and Die Cuts-Paper Trey Ink, Ink-Stampin Up!


The next journal I conquered had an astrology theme. We were to create a page about our astrological sign. I am an Aquarian and it was fun to see what "typical" traits I show that are Aquarian in nature and others that I don't. The best thing about this page is that I used mostly scraps or older products that I was thinking of throwing away.

Supplies: Paper-Bazzill, Basic Grey, Ruby Rocket, Alphabet Stickers-Creative Imaginations, Borders-Paper Frills by Doodlebug Design, Ink-Tim Holtz Vintage Photo by Ranger Industries, Punch-EK Success.


The last theme that I had to create a layout for was  "My Dirty Little Secret." We had to use black and white papers/embellishments with a "splash" of any color we wanted. The instructions also stated that we had to use only a photo of ourselves, with the journaling being the primary attraction to the page.

Supplies: Paper-My Minds Eye (Meadow Lark Collection-"Dawn" White Polka Dot), Ink-Memento, Blue Border-Bazzil, Flowers-Prima, Brad-Doodlebug Design, Corner Rounder-EK Success, Alphabet Stickers-Scenic Route Paper Company and Cosmo Cricket.

My "secret" isn't really dirty in nature but is about how I love books, movies and television shows about vampires, witches and magic. I also used the same photo that I used on the astrology page that Charlotte took of me a few years ago. Wish I looked that good in real life!!

If you ever have a chance to be part of a circe journal, take it. It is a lot of fun to find out random things about your friends!!

Nora

Paper Trey Ink July Blog Hop

I have never had time to complete one of these challenges but I was home without Charlotte today and was able to play. The challenge was to use the photo below as inspiration for a card.

I would love to have a room this color!! My favorite are the red/orange curtains. I wonder if Chris would let me get away with something like this? Here is the card I created:

Supplies: Paper-Basic Grey (Dark Aqua and Red), We R Memory Keepers (Green), Lemon Tart and Aqua Mist Cardstock by Paper Trey Ink, Ink-Versamark Embossing Powder: Personal Stamp Exchange-Holographic Powder, Stamps-Mehndi Medallion by Paper Trey Ink, Punches- Circle Punches by EK Success, Martha Stewart Butterflies, We R Memory Keepers Corner Chomper, Dies-Paper Trey Ink Victorian Lace Border and Love Lives Here, Gem-Basic Grey

The first thing I did was die cut the border out of different colored patterned papers with a PTI border die. I then stamped the Mehndi Medallion stamp with Versamark Ink onto a Lemon Tart Card. I embossed the image using holographic embossing powder. I had to blow the dust off my embossing tool it had been so long since I used it!! I repeated this process on the blue and red paper and punched the circles. I layered the borders onto the side, added the butterflies and I was done!! Hmm, it all sounds so simple but it took me a long time!!

Thank you for visiting!!

Nora

A Little Springtime in Summer!!

We have been busy this weekend trying to stay cool. Once again I am uploading layouts to this blog that I have created over the last few months. This post will be all about "spring." Each page contains something to do with spring.

My first page is about how coloring Easter eggs is always an after thought in our house. I can buy a die kit months in advance like I did this year and we still wind up coloring eggs in the late afternoon of Holy Saturday. (Please excuse the scan. For some reason I have a difficult time getting both sides of a Kraft Cardstock background to meet up!!) I created this page for a challenge over at Scrapjazz.com this month. If you want, come on over and join us. If you create a layout and upload it, you will be entered into a random drawing for a prize pack from Scrapbook.com.

Supplies: Paper-Bazzill Kraft Cardstock, Basic Grey Sweet Threads-Boutique Shopping, Drapery Top, Knotted Shirt and Weekend Look, Die Cuts-Jillibean Soup-Dutch Mustard Soup Pea Pod Shapes and Watermelon Gazpacho Pea Pod Shapes, Paper Trey Ink border and banner die,  Stickers-My Little Shoebox Mini Alphabet-Sunrise and Jillibean Soup Watermelon Gazpacho Cardstock stickers Punches-EK Success Whale of a Punch Circle, Ink-Vintage Photo Ink , Pens-Zig Writer.


The next page is a simple page of Charlotte and her cousins on Easter. I love the striped border on this and the butterfly.

Supplies: Paper-Echo Park Splash Collection-Fish and Journaling, Jillibean Soup Watermelon Gazpacho 6" by 6" paper pad, Borders-Jillibean Soup Watermelon Gazpacho Soup Pea Pod Shapes and Bazzill Just the Edge French Vanilla Border, Stickers-Jillibean Soup-Glazed Green Cardstock Alphabet, My Little Shoebox Carnation Glitter Alphabet, American Crafts Thickers, and Heidi Swapp Bling, Pens-Zig Writer.


The last Spring page I designed I emphasized the white space. The photo was taken of Charlotte in Boston in a plaza by the Old North Church.

Supplies: Paper-Bazzill Kraft Cardstock, Jillibean Soup Watermelon Gazpacho Soup 6" by 6" Paper Pad, Die Cuts-Jillibean Soup Watermelon Gazpacho Soup Pea Pod Parts and Journaling Spots, Punches-Marvy Uchida Extra Large Scallop Punch, and Stickers-My Little Shoebox Glitter Alphabet-Ruby and Jillibean Soup Watermelon Gazpacho Soup Cardstock Stickers.

Thank you for perusing my blog. I hope you have a great week!!

Nora

Stamp-A-Faire Challenge #8!!

I left for a while and Nicole Heady put five more challenges up on her blog while I was gone!! I decided to complete only one more for the night. Challenge #8 was to create a card where the front cover was cut back by an inch or two. On this lip, you could put a sentiment, glitter, whatever you want.

The inspiration for this card was the positive piece I cut out of the card for challenge #3. I loved how it looked so I decided to carry on with the kraft/melon mambo/chocolate brown color scheme. The "edge" was decorated with a PTI border die cut out of melon mambo.

I think this is my favorite of all the cards I made today. I will definitely use this design again on some future cards.

Nora

Stamp-A-Faire Challenge #3!!

For Paper Trey Ink's Challenge #3 we were supposed to create a window card and tie a piece of ribbon or twine from the window to the edge of the card.

I chose to use the hot pink color again for this card. I stamped with Stampin Up!'s Melon Mambo ink and used PTI's Flower Fusion #1 stamp set and Polka Dot Basics #2. I used Mat Stack #3 die by PTI to create the window for the flower to peek out of. I apologize for the photo but I didn't realize how blurry the image was when I took it. I like how this card came out but I think I will rethink the punched borders if I use this design again.

Nora