When Life Gets in the Way...

There are those times in your life scrapping must take a backseat. It’s not that you have a creative block or you simply can’t get motivated. Sometimes life gets in the way.  So many things are demanding your attention; creative activities may be the first thing pushed off till another day. 

For instance, during the holiday season we all get busy with preparations and the hubbub of seasonal activities. You may delay scrapping till all the  decorations are packed away for another year and then retreat to your hobbies during the long, cold days of winter.

There are other times when family commitments take the priority. This can be a move to a new home, (and we are unable to find our supplies), taking care of loved ones, or an illness. Perhaps there are job responsibilities that are preventing your creativity.

The soul may be willing but time and energy are firmly blocking the way. We may even find ourselves frustrated without the creative outlet. How do we find a balance?

Here are a few suggestions:

• Keep pen and paper handy. Find a notebook, your phone or tablet. Jot your ideas down somewhere…anywhere. It doesn’t have to be a formal journal; just some way of recording your thoughts, ideas and feelings.  Use this for inspiration later.  You can always discard it or add it to a page.

• Doodle or sketch something that inspired you.

• Make a list of what you wish you could be doing.

• Visit your supplies.  Get reacquainted. If its been a while you may have forgotten what you have on hand. Then dream up new ideas to use later.

• Spend 5 minutes cleaning your area. After a few short sessions you can have a table and work area that is ready to go when you can devote more time. When you are able to have an afternoon to yourself, you won’t have to face the remnants of the last months project before you start something new.

• Make a kit. In 5 minutes or less you can find 1 piece of paper from your stash. Next time you have 5 to spare, find a coordinating paper or two.

• Invent new color schemes or borrow some from Pinterest. You can even use your phones camera to take a photo of colors that catch your eye.

• Take some scraps and a punch. In 5 or 10 minutes you’ll have embellishments or a borders to use later on.

  Stealing a few moments here and there can keep your projects in mind until you have more time.

Double Page Layout Traditional and Pocket Style

Hello Everyone

Today I'm sharing a double page layout I created.  I mixed a traditional 12x12 scrapbook layout with a pocket-style page layout.  For me this was the best solution to getting all the photos I wanted to use.  All my photos are 3x4 including on the traditional layout.  I used papers from one line (Lawn Fawn in this case) to have consistency throughout.  The brown DMC floss that I used on both pages also help with the flow between the two pages.  The third way I showed the flow and consistency between the two different styles was with the critters and dies I used.
If you don't have pocket-style page protectors this type of double page layout is still possible to achieve.  You just need to tape down the pocket style papers/cards/photos onto a 12x12 piece of card stock.
I love both styles of 'scrapbooking' and for me this is the BEST OF BOTH WORLDS! :)

Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY SCRAPPIN'!

Hi everyone, it's Cathy here, and as soon as I saw Mandy's double page layout I knew I wanted to do my own!  Now I don't do pocket scrapbooking myself, so I didn't have any page dividers in order to get lots of photos on a layout, so I approached it a little differently.  I knew I wanted to use some pocket cards on my layout to keep with a bit of the same theme as Mandy so I started and expanded from there.  I managed to get 6 photos on my double page layout so I am pretty happy with that!  For the most part I kept my embellishments and papers from the same line, mixing in a few different items here and there, just as Mandy did.  I don't do many double page layouts, but this time I went with a different perspective on them which I think in the end gave me more freedom.  I treated each layout as it's own, and used similar patterns and shapes to create continuity within the layouts, so that they can be viewed separately or together and still have the same amount of impact.  I even dug DEEP into my thickers stash to find those brown ones that I think I bought in like 2010!

 

 

Creating Photo Flip Pages on a Scrapbook Layout

Hi Everyone. I have a project I would like to share with you.  I wanted to have a multi picture Scrapbook page with lots of real estate for pictures.  I was going to make an accordion pull out but made this flip pages instead. It fits 7- 4 x 6 pictures

Here is the first page opened.

Close up of flower cluster

Close up of flip pages

I hope you find ways to add more Pictures to your pages. 

Measurements for Flip Pages.

Base is cut 5" x 9"

Each page is 5" x 7 1/2

Each page is scored at 1/2  "

First mat is 4 3/4 " x 6 3/4 

2nd mat 4 1/2 x 6 1/4

Pictures 4 x 6

Ribbon 2 - 10 inch strips

First page is added at edge of the base and  following pages are glued under the fold of the previous page at the score mark.

"Your Voice" - Journaling on your Scrapbook Layouts

"I'm not good at writing."  "I don't have time to journal."  "I just did a whole bunch of layouts at a crop.  All I have to add is the journaling, when I get a chance."

Does any of this sound familiar?  I've heard it all before, and I want to tell you right now that journaling is the most important part of your scrapbooks - besides the photos, of course!   In my opinion, journaling is what separates a scrapbook from a photo album.  We've all heard the saying, "A picture is worth a thousand words," but that doesn't apply to scrapbooking.  When it comes to scrapbooking, it's the words that tell the story behind the photos.

The reason most people avoid journaling so much is that it can be rather daunting and intimidating.  Hopefully, I will be able to help you solve this problem in your scrapbooking.  

Now, I'm not talking about being more outspoken, although that's another topic I might write about.  What I mean by "finding your voice" is determining who will be reading your journaling.  For whom are you creating the layout?  Is it the people in your layout?  Is it for grandparents?  Is it for yourself?  (That's OK, you know!)   When you know your audience, then you can determine your voice.

For example, in my children's scrapbooks, I address them in my writing.  I use first-person narration, such as "We went to our favorite park," and "You looked so cute in your Halloween costume."  If I'm creating a layout for my own personal scrapbook, I might use these words:  "My children are growing up right before my eyes," or "I married my first love."  It's still first-person, but I'm speaking about them, rather than to them. 

That's all there is to it.  The key is consistency.  If you begin speaking TO the subject of your layout, continue to do that throughout the entire journaling section.  Try to do it throughout the entire scrapbook.  The result will be something everyone who looks at your scrapbook will want to read, because it will sound natural and genuine.  Give it a try, and let me know if it works for you.

Hello Everyone

Yes, I am guilty of not journaling on all my scrapbook layouts.  Thanks Jeanette, for reminding us of how important it is to journal on our scrapbook layouts.There are some that I do make a point of journaling not matter how short.  They are usually of things I don't want to forget or have my daughters and further generations know.  Here is an example of one of these pages.  

Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY SCRAPPIN'!

Starting the New Year with new prompts! Jan 5th-2015

Hey everyone, it's Cathy Martin here.  Long time no scrap eh?  It's 2015 and it's time to wake up from our holiday comas and get back into scrapping!  I know some of you haven't stopped, but between working full-time, the holidays, and my sons birthday I get pretty busy this time of year.  Now that the hustle and bustle are over it's time for me to get back into the swing of things, and that means scrapping, and lots of it!  This month I'm back with another 5 prompts to help jump start some creativity and give you some challenges to think about when starting your pages.

Prompt #1 - Scraplift a favorite scrapper

I personally don't see a thing wrong with scraplifting from another project, and I definitely have my favorite scrappers in this industry, so why not take advantage of it and scraplift one of your favorite scrappers.  There is probably a reason they are one of your favorites so this is a great time to go through your Pinterest board, or check out some blogs and get some inspiration.  For my inspiration I chose Jill Sprott.  I started watching her videos back on Two Peas in a Bucket and have loved her work ever since, not to mention her down to earth personality.

Prompt #2 - Use at least 10 patterned papers

Yep you read that right, at least 10, more if you want to get really adventurous!  The trick with using different patterned papers is to use them in small doses, and don't forget, using patterned vellum can add depth without weighing down a layout!  Don't forget, you don't have to use paper from just one collection, but if you are new to this whole thing that would be a good place to start.  I prefer to mix and match my papers, using old stash and scraps as well as new papers from my recent kits.

Prompt #3 - Tuck it away

Embellishments that is.  Why not try tucking your embellishment clusters under your layers.  This will create interest and depth to your layout and it can help ground your cluster so it doesn't look like it's just floating around!

Prompt #4 - Scrap a page without a story

I know this is exactly the opposite of what scrapbooking is all about, telling your, or your family's story, but sometimes don't you just have a photo that's cute with pretty much no story behind it?  I do a lot of "everyday" scrapbooking so I end up with a lot of these kinds of photos and I just can't help but want to give them their spotlight, so I have decided to scrap everything from events to the little everyday candid moments.

Prompt #5 - Use journaling strips

Seems pretty simple I know, but this is a fun alternative to a journaling block, or a tag, etc.  I used to do this method a lot back when I would print out my journaling, but now that I hand write most of the time I forget that you can still do it.  If you have a typewriter (so jealous btw)  this method also works out great!

So get out there and get scrapping, use all 5 prompts together or maybe just take one, but whatever you do have fun and don't forget to love what you're doing!  Here is my finished layout using all 5 prompts for January!

Hello Everyone!

I was so inspired by Cat's layout and prompts for this month!  I used more than 10 patterned papers, tucked in a couple of embellishments, did my journaling in strips and these photos are ones my husband came across while cleaning out his office over the holidays!  These photos are from 11 years ago almost to the day!  The only prompt I didn't really use was to scrap lift a favourite scrapper...instead I used a favourite style of layout for me which is a grid layout!

All my products are from Dear Lizzy Day Dreamer and Lucky Charm collections.  The gold chip board hearts are from Studio Calico.

Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY SCRAPPIN'!

Frame It Up

Hello and Happy New Year!  Today I am sharing with you 3 ways to use up your chipboard, fabric or vellum frames.  Collections are now coming out with big packs of frames and many times it is hard to think of how to use them all up.  I love buying these packs of frames and using them to embellish my pages and cards and have found lots of ways to use them up.

The first idea is to draw attention to a picture by framing it, BUT keeping the frame larger than the picture.  This works great when you have a small picture and it is getting lost on a layout.  The frame will take up more space on the page and act as an embellishment and bring focus to the picture.

The second idea is to use a frame as a layering embellishment.  It does not really frame anything or bring anything in to focus, rather it is purely used to layer and embellish.  

The final idea is to create a grid with the fames and put photos or embellishments in the frames.  On this layout some embellishments went on top of the frames, while others went on the inside.    

A bonus idea is to use a frame on a card!

I hope some of these ideas have inspired you to get out some of those frames and put them to work.  Thank you so much for stoping by. I hope you have a beautiful new year filled with fun, love and of course lots of happy crafting!

Using foil frames from the paper collection. I fussy cut them out and layered on paper.  I also used a ceramic frame.