And then there was you...

This layout has been sitting on my counter for a few days now. I have one of those stands that you can display your layouts on and in an attempt to display some of these projects I've spent so much time on, I've started putting up my latest creations for people to see when they come over. I've actually made more recent pages, but I am seriously in love with this one so much that I just cannot bear to take it down and put it into my album just yet.

Love you to the moon and back. I've seen this saying in a million different formats. I think the very first time I saw it, it was a print, and why I didn't buy it, I don't know. Because I could put it everywhere.

On a side note: Paul does say this to me every now and then. Especially when he's out of town at work and I'm being a whiney little brat over the phone because I miss him. He's pretty awesome. And I love him a lot. Probably to the moon, and back, and then times infinity of course :)

But alas. This is a post about a layout. Not my love of quotes.

It was pretty simple to make, and quite fast too. The quote is a Silhouette vinyl cut from the store. I used the negative and cut it where I wanted it to be on the background. I then backed it with patterned paper, laid down the positive into the negative space so I could get the little inner pieces into the right places. That was about the only tedious part of this layout.

I used Mister Huey in Bluegrass for the splatters. The papers and embellishments are all from Studio Calico's Block Party Kit (along with the add-on Wildberry Court). The photo is matted with a piece of patterned paper from the Card Kit for Block Party and has been sewed around the edges (a detail you cannot really see in the photo I don't think). I also curled the edges of the mat, so there is quite a bit of dimension when you are actually looking at the page in person. I really love the patterned papers in the Card Kit - they're scaled down and are just so sweet in that size. I've had to stop myself from using that honeycomb pattern paper on everything. Seriously - it's just too cute and so neutral it goes with pretty much anything I make!

There's no journalling on this one. I'm not big for journalling in the first place - while I do have many stories to tell, I really hate my handwriting, so unfortunately I never incorporate it into my pages. That is something I really should work on...

That's about all I've got to say on this one. I'm really working on trying to create more content for this blog. But I'm torn between just showing layouts, or sharing a bit of my day to day life here. I'm normally a pretty sharing person, but I haven't quite figured out just what it is I am okay with sharing yet!

Oh well, a problem for another day :)

Happy Family Day to all those who are sharing in on this holiday - I personally just love the random Alberta Holiday (though I hear there's other provinces who have this too?) and the fact that I am off! And Paul is home! And we're just spending the long weekend hanging out doing whatever. Love it!

And then there was a lovely little family...

I would like to begin by refusing to apologize for having been absent for almost a month. Cause you all know I'm not! Not sorry, that is.

It's funny how I begin things (oh no, not just blog posts - I neglect MANY things that I start) and then never get around to finishing or continuing or completing or any of those fun words that mean I can actually do something from start to finish!

In any event, I have been creating layouts - not at an alarming rate or anything, but enough to have a few in my back pocket that I'm hoping to churn out into a few posts.

Yes, you heard me right. A couple posts.

As in: MORE THEN ONE!

As in: I'm going to write them all today and put them on future post.

As in: Yeah, I'll set them to post daily for like three or four days in a row and then promptly forget I have a blog for another month! Yay!

Hurrah!

So to begin.

Here's a little something I cranked out this afternoon.

My Aunt Glenda came for my Mom's Surprise 50th Birthday Party back in April (2012), and with her she brought a pile of old photos that had (basically) me in them! I've been slowly working my way through them, using them in layouts here and there, trying to use them up instead of dooming them to a life in an album or a box somewhere never to be seen.

This particular photo has been our family picture for years. It's graced the walls of my parent's living room since it was taken. I am now 26 and I'm the little one holding the flower. So that's a long, long time people. Plus, I have a baby brother now too - he's totally not in this picture (obviously!) - so it's really time for Mama to get a new family photo.

Anyway - back to the actual layout! Like I said, I'm the toddler holding the flower. I refused to look at the camera because I was too interested in the flower I had just savagely picked from my Nan's garden.

Also - another interesting fact - my parents are wearing sweat pants! Who wears sweat pants to a family photo?! Haha. I know this because my Aunt was the photographer and the out-takes are kicking around somewhere!

The title "Families are Forever" is from the Silhouette Store and cut on cardstock. Most of the elements are from the Studio Calico Kit Block Party and Add-on, Wildberry Court. I also received the Block Party Card kit, so there may be bits and pieces of that kit in here too. I never keep my kits separated if they belong to the same month.

The grid background is actually a velum paper that was in the Block Party kit. It is raised off a piece of cardstock by the chipboard hearts that I've attached to the cardstock underneath the vellum. I was going for the look that Melissa Mann had going on in this layout, Self Portrait, but like the way most scraplifts/inspirations go, this one turned out nothing how I had intended! Hah



This layout was missing something though, so I ended up throwing in doilies procured from both Studio Calico and Treasured Memories. There are also about five glassine envelopes backing various elements that were purchased at TM. I've also thrown in a lot of little things that were sitting in bowls on my desk - die cuts, brads, etc.

And there you have it :)

And then there was another apology...

Someone please tell me where the heck January went? And December too, while you're at it! I am having a hard time figuring out just where the hell at this time has gone...

So my last post was about my December Daily, and how I was oh so happy to be staying on top of things, blah blah blah - guess what? That's about as far as it went...

My Project Life is up to date for January though (bahah - yeah, the whole two weeks!)... what? Doesn't count? Didn't think so!

Here is what I have been up to:

This is the first layout in awhile that I made just for the hell of making it. Honestly, I've just been too overwhelmed with Christmas and New Years and Baby Showers. I also started a new position at work and it was a total change from anything I had ever done before, so that's been taking quite a bit of energy as well.

Here is the whole layout:

Kit used is Block Party (Studio Calico) and add on, Wildberry Court. The paint used on the background, as well as on the resist hearts, is Chewing Gum from Jenni Bowlin - I absolutely love this shade of pink. The silver splatters are courtesy of Mister Huey's in Silver - which I absolutely love when it dries, but while it's still wet, makes me double guess myself! Hah. Background lace/grid/whateveryawannacallit is from the Silhouette Store and can be found here. There's also a hint of washi tape (Woodland Park Chevron - October Afternoon) and a few staples from my tiny attacher (love that thing!).

Of course the little one is Miss Kaelyn. Don't worry, I think I might be babied out on layouts for now ;) I've got one more project in mind for Kaelyn's baby photo shoot, but that will be a present for her Mama, so hopefully it's on to new and better things soon!

I'm throwing my sister a baby shower next weekend but I'm hoping to capture some of the "in progress" shots, so maybe, just maybe I might have some blog content this week! I really am hoping to put more effort into my blog this year (I know, I know - promises, promises...).

Here are a few things I'm working on (and hopefully by telling you, I'll feel more compelled to write about them!):
- A pre-made Baby Shower book to fill with pictures as the party progresses
- An album for Kaelyn's baby photos
- December Daily (finish the darn thing...)
- Decorations for Baby Shower
- Photo Booth for Diaper Party and Baby Shower
- Valentines
- Organizing my beast of a scraproom

Thanks for listening to my rambling babble! I hope to make more sense next time :)

And then there was a December Daily...

Despite my total failure last year in creating a December Daily, I've decided to embark on this journey once again.

My failure last year was due to a multitude of reasons, including my crazy finals schedule that ran right through the middle of December. I don't have that problem this year as I've taken the year off from school to embark on a few other "projects" for lack of a better word. Another very good reason for neglecting my December Daily was a lack of interest, partly because I was so busy with school, but mostly because I was just doing it to "do it".

With that said, last year's album still has thirteen pages that need to be completed. And they will get done. Just not right now.

Right now, I am focused on this year. And (as I write this) right now, I have four pages completed.  For me, that is a miracle.

This post will contain the album itself and the pages leading up to and including, the first of December. I am hopeful that I will post a page each day afterward, but don't hold your breath!

 

I went with simple this year. I have to admit, this is a total knock off from the Member Gallery at Studio Calico.  I saw this cover a few weeks ago and fell in love with its simplicity. Ever since, I've been running ideas through my head on what I could do to my own cover, but as the days dwindled, I knew I had to just bite the bullet and just get it done. So I went through the gallery again, and again, still loved raasendorf's cover. And this was born.

I decided against doing anything to the spine. My album from last year has a plain spine, as do all my other scrapbook albums, so it works for me. I've done nothing to the inside cover either, though I may go back and do some stamping when I find the right shade of red.
My first page is inspired by Ali Edwards' cover page. I actually wanted to just do a complete copy of hers complete with the Heidi Swapp disco stars, which I thought I had ordered. Turns out I hadn't so it was on to Plan B.

Again, using inspiration from Ali, I used Zing Glitter Finish in Silver to emboss a Studio Calico wood veneer tree. I wasn't happy with the first emboss and ended up doing it twice. I'm much happier with it now. Underneath I placed a banner from the Sleigh Ride Collection (Crate Paper). This is all adhered to a transparency that was included in the Studio Calico December Daily Album. On the backside of the transparency, I placed another banner to hide the foam adhesive that is on the back of the front banner. I'm still undecided as to whether or not I will also cover the tree on the backside.

The chipboard page behind the transparency has been painted using Martha Stewart Multi-Surface Acrylic Paint in Mother of Pearl.

On the backside of this chipboard page, I've printed and glued the Bananafish printable included with the 25 Days class at Studio Calico. I changed the colour of the printable before I printed as I was not very fond of the darker colour surrounding the dots.

The bakers twin that surrounds the printable was a gift from my Secret Santa and is adhered with my tiny attatcher.

And finally, my first page for December.

This would be the lovely Stella. December 1, 2012 was not an overly exciting day here in my house, but the tree is up, and the house was decently clean, so I spent the day with my camera, playing around with settings, and snapped a few pictures of my pups. This was my favourite, so it got the place of honour as the very first picture. I have a few others that I'm thinking I may print smaller and either use them in my Project Life, or maybe an envelope that I will include in my December Daily album.

The overlay is from Ali Edwards and can be purchased here. I used the black coloured png file for December 1st and recoloured it in PSE10. I wasn't actually planning on doing this to my pictures, but I'm quite pleased with how it looks and will probably use this route for many more of my photos.

There you have it. My album, cover page, and first day of December. I know that many of the elements I have used so far have been used by others and I do not profess that mine are original in any sense. This method is simply what is working for me, right now. I always find that when I'm blocked creatively, something as simple as lifting someone else's idea, helps free the blockage. I'm hopeful this is the case for me and that I will be geared up to move forward with my own ideas soon.

And if not, oh well, because this year I am determined to finish this project in a timely fashion - no matter where the inspiration comes from!

And then there were technical issues...

I'm having some serious blogging woes right now.

I have no idea if it's my computer or blogger, but I cannot write a post to save my life. Inputting pictures is a pain in the ass and I'm getting frustrated.

With that said, I do have *THREE* December Daily posts, that just need pictures - if something ever start cooperating.

I'll get this figured out.

Promise!

And then you remember that you started this thing called a blog...

Oops. I have to admit that I sort of forgot (on purpose?) that I had a blog. This is despite various pokes and prods from Lisa. Yeah, I'm just that great at ignoring the obvious.

So. I'm sitting here tonight after a very long week and I thought to myself, hmm, self, have you  updated your blog lately? No!?

To boot, I also realized that I haven't bothered to post this layout either, so I shall do that as well!

It's just an instagram I took of the tracks as I took the LRT home one night from the hospital following Paul's skin graft surgery. I took the train home every day and absolutely loved it. It was quiet and peaceful and just a really nice way to relax.

There's journalling on that red tag. But, lets be honest, I'm waaaay too lazy to pull it out. Seriously. That's been my week!

The circles are a Silhouette Store cut, the kit is Studio Calico - Sock Hop. I also got the Card kit (yes, I've actually made some cards... perhaps I should photograph them!), and an add-on, Bobby Socks.

I'm off to be lazy and watch TV but I will be back this week with a couple more layouts, PROMISE! Plus I have this thing that Miss Lisa wants me to fill out so that's like a post all on its own! Excited? I hope so!

And then there was a layout about Paul

You Make Me Smile

Despite having photographed quite a few layouts last week, I somehow only managed to actually post one. That's how things get around here when Paul is home. Seriously - when he's home from work I get nothing of my normal routine accomplished. He's going back to work for a week tonight though (sad..) so I'll be able to hopefully get lots and lots of creating done!

The layout above was created using a combination of Studio Calico's September Kit, Central High, and the add on, Style Guide. There's also a few pieces from the Pop Off The Page Class Kit in there too (namely the "this week" card and the bright yellow clip - that I totally looooove!).

The arrows are actually the hexagon chipboard outlines that were in the Style Guide Add On. I just cut them at every second corner and ended up with three arrows per hexagon. I have no idea what to do with the full blown hexagons!

There's lots and lots of journalling on this page - lots for me anyway. I usually like to stick to the titles holding all the meaning for me but here I felt I really needed to get some things out.

Journaling reads: This photo was taken just two weeks after the fire. After days of covering your entire face with polysporin, we have finally seen enough healing to only have to cover the individual spots that are still healing. It is so amazing to me that skin can heal so fast and I'm pretty sure you're happy not having to get "greased up" three times a day. While this has definitely been an experience that never needs to be repeated, I'm so thankful that you will be just fine. I don't know what I would do without you and your amazing smile. Without you, I'm not sure I could have made it through this crazy situation. We will be okay together. I love you more then anything in this world. Love you forever. xoxo - J.

That's all from me for now. Paul is packing things up to head back to work so I'm gonna go snag some more quality time with him before he heads out!

Have a lovely Monday!