Travel Journal!

This is what I have been working on today! It's far from being done. I am thinking that the cover still needs something in the upper left corner. I just haven't figured out what to put there yet. I also want to tie LOTS of matching ribbons on the binding. So, you will probably being seeing more of this project as I go along!





I actually bought the paper for this over a year ago. It's the Motifica line from Basic Grey, and I absolutely fell in LOVE with it. Once I saw it, I knew it was the perfect paper for my travel journal, and I have been picturing it in my head ever since. I knew that I wanted it to look "old." I wanted it to feel like it had traveled the world, and had held many stories and treasures within it's pages.

The album is made from 6" X 9" envelopes, that were cut down. Each end has an opening so that I can slide a journaling tag, tourist pamphlets, ticket stubs, or anything else I collect from the trip that I am on.

I used my Bind-it-All to bind the book together. And as you can see, I have dipped into the alcohol inks again for the word "TRAVEL" The pretty flower is from Petaloo. They have the COOLEST flowers!

I am making it so that it can be used over and over again, so there probably will not be pictures on the pages from a specific trip. I am thinking of putting travel quotes on the pages instead. But, since it's still a work in progress, that may all change!

I will be laying in bed tonight, thinking about this album, at 11:30! ROFL!

Crazy Ideas!

My sister's wedding album is another project that has been waiting "patiently" for my attention.

Well, I decided to pull it out a couple of days ago, and fiddle around with it. She was married in Reno, and I decided to print all of the pictures in black & white because everyone was wearing different kinds of clothes. I am also doing all of the pages from the ceremony the same, and all of the pictures from the "reception" the same, to keep it simple, but elegant.

While looking through the album, I realized it needed something else. I pulled out my Sizzix "Swirly Decorative Strip Die" and knew that I wanted to include it on the ceremony pages. (I absolutely LOVE this die! You can also see it being used on the letters spelling Kaylie that I previously posted.)



So, I figured out how many "swirls" I would need, and started rolling black strips of paper through the machine. After a while, I started questioning WHOSE CRAZY IDEA was this? I had to cut 34 of these things out! AND glue them all down! But it gets even better! Everyone knows that I CANNOT make all those swirly flourishes without adding flowers to them. Each swirl would take three flowers. That added up to 90 flowers. And of course, I had to put gunmetal colored Stickles in the center of each flower. I haven't pulled out the dew droplets yet, but I probably will end up adding some of those as well. (Keep in mind, that this is only for the ceremony portion of the book. LOL) What happened to "simple?"

I still haven't finished all of the pages, but here's a peek at a couple of them.



Yeah, I know the pages still "look" simple.

But, believe me, I ended up creating a lot more work for myself. LOL

Now, the "reception" portion of the album also needs "something" else. I think I will be adding a decorative border at the top and bottom of the pages. I am still trying to figure it all out. But, at least I am making some progress on it.

Who's Your Crush?

OK! Better late than never! RIGHT?

I saw this challenge over at Categories Stories and thought that "maybe" I would join in the fun.

Well, I procrastinated so long that the challenge was over, and they had moved on to a new challenge! LOL! VERY typical of me!

I figured since I had already purchased everything to make the layout I might as well try to get it done.

Anybody who knows me, KNOWS about my "CRUSH" on Orlando Bloom! I honestly had NO CLUE who he was until I saw him in the first Pirates of the Caribbean movie. I walked out of the movie theater asking my family "WHO was that GORGEOUS guy?"

The response from my kids was:

MOM! You know who that is! He played Legolas in The Lord of the Rings! Ya know, the elf with the long blond hair! Nope! I didn't even realize that it was the same person! (Orlando, PLEASE don't EVER dye your hair blond again! OK!)

P.S. I downloaded the pictures from the internet, so I'm not sure who should get credit for them, but I want to THANK them tremendously for such wonderful eye candy!

New Pretties!

I am SO excited!

After seeing some of the new Ecclect-i-Ka Collection that Marah Johnson posted on her blog (August 23rd), I knew I HAD to have some of the pretties!

They came in yesterday, while I was working at the Scrapbook Factory, and I couldn't snatch them up quick enough!

Now, I just need USE them! HA! They sure will look pretty in my collection though! ROFL!

A Taste Of Shabby Chic!

This is what I spent the evening working on! And I absolutely LOVE the way it turned out. I have been wanting to work on some projects for my craft room, and this is the first "shabby chic" inspired thing I have done. My room will eventually be a mixture of garden, fairies, & shabby chic. It's the only room in the house that I can go totally "GIRLY GIRL" so don't be surprised if you see a chandelier hanging from the ceiling one of these days. LOL



I used Daisy D's Paper(the lullaby collection)which I thought worked perfect for this. Daisy D's is one of my favorite scrapbook companies. I LOVE their products and plan to use more of this line on several other things I will be working on.
The lamp is a Hollywood Lights product, and is self adhesive. I bought it at the store where I work. The dragonfly and butterfly are Christmas ornaments that I bought at Hobby Lobby a couple of years ago. I couldn't leave the store without them! I knew I would find a place for them in my room! Aren't they beautiful? LOVE them!

Liliana!

How about that! I actually took my patootie upstairs to my craft room and "finished" something! YEE HAW!

I did this magnetic board for a baby gift. The parents decorated the room in Pooh. I had A LOT of help from the girls I work with, because I was having a hard time "feeling" it. But in the end I think it turned out OK.



I couldn't get a good picture of the whole board, so I took pictures of the different sections. At the bottom right corner of the board I attached a frame so that they can put a picture of Liliana there. The pictures are a bit blurry, but I hope that you can still see some of the details.

The Weekend

This weekend was a busy one. Saturday I was at the Chihuly crop from 9 am until 5 pm. I actually finished eight pages. Which is a miracle for me. (I am very "anal" and SLOW when I scrapbook) I really like the way the pages have turned out. I decided on a very simple layout, where all of the pages pretty much look the same, but I am using different colors to mat the pictures with, and the embellishments may be in different spots on the pages. The glass featured in the pictures is so beautiful that I didn't want to detract from them at all. So, simple and elegant was what I was going for. (I am including some pictures of the layouts I completed. I really should scan them because it's too dark to be taking pictures in the house right now. But at least you can see what they look like)






I had lots of fun seeing and chatting with everyone. And it was so cool to see how everyone did something different. Even more amazing was seeing how different everyones' pictures turned out. A different angle, different lighting, focusing on different areas of the pieces. There were so many possibilities, which turned into some very unique photographs. It was truly breathtaking and inspiring to see all of them. (I actually had customers stop at the table and ask me "WHAT IS THAT?" They kept saying that the colors of the glass were so vibrant and stunning. They walked away wishing they had gone to see the exhibit in person for themselves).

I did end up buying a new "toy". It's called the Cuttlebug. It's a machine that will emboss or cut words and shapes. It is very COOL. I used it for all of the scrolls that are on my Chihuly pages. I am on a scroll/flourish kick. Anything that has that look to it has become something I MUST HAVE. It's a look that is so easy to use. They can take on a totally different look or feel depending on how you use them or what embellishments you add to them.

All in all, I would say the crop was a good for me. My creative juices are flowing again, and I got something accomplished. I even talked Carla into starting a blog!! YEAH!! Now who is next?? LOL

Later that evening, Mr. Mister and I went out to dinner with R & M (friends of ours that we have known since the late 1980's while stationed at Vandenberg AFB). We had a great time talking, having a few drinks, and eating. Afterward, we came back to our house where the conversation continued and we drank wine until 1:00 am. WHEW!! Anyone that knows me, is really shocked by that!! HA HA I am NOT a night person. But, I cannot wait to do it AGAIN!!

I have to admit that it was a little "rough" getting up for our Sunday breakfast with the kids. After coming back home I "tried" to take a nap. HA! I should know better than that. Taz decided it was time to start squawking at the top of his lungs, while Dink jumped up on the bed next to me and began taking one of his hourly baths. I decided to get up and pay $4.95 to watch "the Secret" online. I am so glad that I did. I cannot wait until my copy comes in at Borders. I know it is something that I will keep going back to for encouragement and perspective in my life.

And that...........has been my weekend.

Mini Album

Here is a project I made for the store that I work at. We had Rebekka Erickson coming all the way from Australia to teach classes at our store and the owner wanted us to make up sample projects using Rebekka's product. I used her paper, album cover (it comes plain and you decorate it), and rub-ons. The pictures were taken at the Missouri Botanical Gardens, Rio Grande Botanic Garden in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and my front yard. The quote on the cover is by: Hugh Johnson. I LOVE the way this turned out.
I also used tons of dew droplets in this book. They are my favorite new item. So far, I have 14 bottles of them. I first saw a similar product used in a book called "Embellished Emotions for Scrapbookers" by Trudy Sigurdson. This book is AWESOME!!! Since seeing them in the book I have been searching everywhere for them. Finally, one of the girls that I work with found these from a company called "The Robin's Nest" and we begged the owner to get them in at the store. Needless to say, we have sold out of them, and the book several times now. I just LOVE those GOTTA HAVE products!!!