Category Archives: Crafty Layout

Jan19

craftin’ by the creek

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craftin’ by the creek

This past weekend I had a blast with a good group of girl friends “testing” a new craft lodge about 30 minutes from my house.  It was a total blast and the house was amazing.  They are right on a beautiful creek in Rockdale, WI.  They were looking for people they knew to give them some feedback so they could make a few adjustments prior to opening…  Here are some pics of the space – it was great!

I had a wonderful time crafting and cooking in the kitchen and just relaxing and laughing (a LOT) with my friends.

Here are two of the layouts that I completed from the weekend:

 

 

For being gone for a day and a half, I didn’t get much done, but I did have a blast and I got three more layouts done in addition to these, so it was successful from that respect. 

Anyway, just wanted to share some pics of what I made and share the link for the Craftin’ by the Creek stuff in case anyone is looking for somewhere to craft!

 

Apr20

scrapbooking

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scrapbooking

is something I have done solidly since 2001.  I dabbled in college, but a trip to Colorado with Matt was when I really got started.  It feels like something that I have always done.  It is a part of me, our home, and our lives.

The boys adore sitting around looking at their books, thinking that they “remember” that time they saw great grandma when they were 6 months old or their first trip to the zoo at 3 months old.  And yet, they kind of do. 

Through those books they are able to “remember” and to feel like they were aware of those times, places, and trips.  Isn’t that exactly what those books are supposed to do?  Tell the story of our lives and remind us of the big and little moments that fill up the 365 days in a year…  yes I believe it is.

I think that this is why last night I felt this pull to scrap.  And I did.  Nothing stellar or fantastic, just 3 layouts about moments in our lives:

  • Our 10th wedding anniversary in 2009 (yup – I am officially running behind now…) when we saw Rascal Flatts and Darius Rucker at Wrigley Field.
  • This year’s St. Patrick’s Day nonsense – seriously my kids crack me up.
  • Jacob’s first chance to do sidewalk chalk this year.

These are all moments in time that I want to document and share with my family.  Someday, I am well aware, my boys will find it lame to do this (or at least that is what they will say repeatedly even if they don’t mean it), but I guarantee their wives and future children will thank me for it.  What is better than seeing goofy pictures of your parents?  It takes away some of the mystique about them and makes them real.  That’s what I want for my family - to see and understand who we all really were and what was important and special to us.

Lately I have been neglecting my scrappy side and pursuing other crafty passions.  At the end of the day, however, it all started with a Mary Engelbreit Scrapbook from her store that used to be at Woodfield Mall, a stack of stickers, some college pics, and (GASP!!!) a glue stick.  We all live and learn and grow, but we never forget the roots that took us to this new place of craftiness in our lives.  So, I will continue to enjoy my crafty adventures, but will also remember to sit down and scrap my life, my family’s life, and enjoy the pastime I love so much…

Happy Scrappin’ everyone!

Mar14

is thrilled

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is thrilled

to be featured today on the Creating Keepsakes blog! 

I was so excited when they asked me to write a blog post and I knew I had just the right pics for it – those fun ones of the boys with their mustaches.  I played around with one of the newest punches from Fiskars and created, what I think, is a fun little layout.

I hope you can take a second, pop over, and check it out…  there’s a giveaway…

Mar8

feeling a layout coming on…

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feeling a layout coming on…

Took these pics of the boys over the weekend and then started playing on picnik.com to make them a tad more vintage feeling.

Then, I remembered – I have some of the super cute GCD Funhouse papers at home…  which is the collection that the mustache itself is from… and I might have to just make myself a fun little layout of these two crazy kids. 

I am also thinking about taking a trip to Baraboo, WI just to grab some vintage circus pics to finish out the useage of the paper.  Is that wrong?  Planning a trip around paper you own so that you can scrap it on that paper?  I think it is normal… guessing I am either totally off-base or other scrappers will get it!

Anyway… back to work and then off to play tonight!

Mar2

overdue project…

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overdue project…

My boys love mini-books.  They will sit and pour over their contents for hours, looking at every book that they can find.  I appreciate that, as do most scrapbookers.  They are looking at it and enjoying it, laughing and recounting the events of their lives.

So, they were very excited when I FINALLY made them a book from last year’s New Years Eve adventure… and I mean last year ringing in 2010. 

I just love this little book.  It is super frilly and somewhat over the top, but isn’t that what it is all about – playing, creating, and just having fun with it all?!?!?

To make this project a tad simpler, I pulled together my papers and book from one collection - Lush from My Mind’s Eye.  I then kept that pallet going with the embellishments and alphas, staying within the black, white, and gray range.  It made the whole project go fairly quickly.

So my next question is…  would you like to make a quick little “lush” mini-book?

If so, leave a comment here and I will draw a winner the end of the day Thursday for a complete little kit to make your own!

Includes:  Lush album and Bella Blvd paper from My Mind’s Eye, buttons, keys, tulle, ribbon, bling buttons from Bazzill, flowers from Prima and Maya Road, and a chandelier charm.

Mar1

national craft month and a layout…

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national craft month and a layout…

So it is finally here! National Craft Month! This is seriously one of my favorite months of the year. It is that month when crafters get together and share their ideas, their passion, and their insights with each other. It is a great time of year to try something new, since there are tutorials galore out there, as well as discounts at stores nationwide. Even companies in the industry jump in and step it up this month with ideas, projects, and contests. How much more could a crafty person ask for?!?!?!

Well, for me, it is about remembering to take the time to play and embrace that thing that fuels my soul and make my heart soar…  creating.

So, to kick off the month, I wanted to share a layout with you.  Last summer I took the boys to the botanic gardens and we had a (hot) blast and saw a lot (very very quickly).  I was able to get some amazing photos.  Trying to get them all on 2 pages was difficult, so I printed them as wallets and still had to cut some from the final product.

Here’s what I did:

Layering “stuff” is really fun for me and has become kind of an obsession, actually…

For this I used:

Thanks for stopping by and please be sure to check back this month… who knows, maybe, just maybe there are some goodies to give away!

Happy Crafting everyone!

please note ftc disclaimer below…

Nov12

simple

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simple

For all the fluff and stuff I like to add to my layouts, sometimes it is nice to just take a step back and go simple and clean.  I often forget that and just keep adding.  And, while I love that effect, it is occasionally fun to apply the less is more principal and just scrap. 

Now, let’s be honest.  Simple does not equal easy.  Simple is often more difficult than anything.  And yet, I enjoy it as much as my messiest of projects.

So, for today, here is a simple little layout…

“Inflatable pool full of dad’s hot air; I was three years old, splashin’ everywhere; And so began, my love affair, with water”  Water, by Brad Paisley (I think written for the Hamen boys…)

Nov5

a little early gingerbread love…

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a little early gingerbread love…

The pics on the layout are not great.  I used my camera phone to take them.  That is what happens when, for once, you forget your actual camera and just go to be “mom” at a school event that turns out to be photography gold.  Needless to say, however, it left more time to be mom and to play around helping the kids make their gingerbread houses.  It was a wonderful experience to share with Owen and for that I am very grateful.  All of those little moments add up – who cares if the camera was there or not – it is that moment in time, together, that truly matters.

Luckily I was able to capture the essence of the day and had a great time making this little layout about it…

As you can see, I have really continued my love of layering – lots of pop dots, materials, punches, additions, etc… 

Thank you for stopping by and taking a look at some Christmas fun a little early in the season!

Have a great one today – wherever your journey takes you!

Nov4

layouts as promised

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layouts as promised

I mentioned I had the great blessing to have a few days of relaxation and scrapping last week.  During that time, I hit kind of a crazy-mad focus and just started cranking stuff out. 

These 3 layouts I am sharing today are my three favorites – the one of our family will be the final page in our 2009 family album, while the other two will be the final two-page spread in it. 

I am a huge fan of My Mind’s Eye and this line was by far one of my faves from all of CHA Summer.  It worked perfectly for this and I just love this.  It is simple, but it works (at least in my somewhat questionable mind, that is…)

Thank you for letting me share them with you! 

Happy Crafting!

Oct14

one pile of pictures – two ways…

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one pile of pictures – two ways…

We have a ritual that is a year old now.  On the first day of school, pics in front of the tree in the yard, pics of the backpack on the way to the car, and pics at school.  Yup.  I am that mom…

With having 2 boys and not enough time most days, I wanted to make sure to document these moments in our family album, but also wanted to start their school albums as well.  The decision I came to was that the one for “my” book would be more my style and the one for theirs would be less embarrassingly girly and more simplified and straightforward.

The best find I have made was thanks to my dear scrappy pal Joey Otlo, who happens to work for Bazzill.  They make this amazing Lickety Slip album – it has 12×12 pages and then pages with 4×6 slots for quick and easier scrapping.  When you are doing multiple renditions of the same photos, it is fun to have different ways to get your brain thinking about using those pics.

Here is my layout for the family album…

For this one, I had a lot of fun with some absolutely amazing papers fromJillibean Soupand fun making my own embellies with my little button maker from Epiphany Crafts.

Here is the album for Jacob…

I think it is a ton of fun to do this and the kids love that they have their books.  It makes them feel great to have something that is all their own and look at their books over and over again. 

That is what it is all about, anyway, right?

Happy Scrappin’!