nichol magouirk

Project Life 2012 | Week Four #ProjectLife

Happy Monday everyone!

I'm a little late getting my post up today. This is the first I've been in my office all day...eek! 

Lots of memorabilia again this week. Love those touches of our everyday life added to our Project Life album.

Week 4 layout:

I included a Lego Mini Figures check list from the mystery packs my kids are addicted to right now. I think it will be fun to look back on one day. I also included the packing list from a recent order. Again, something that I think will be fun to look back on one day. ;) I love clothing tags. I use them in my regular scrapbooking, too, just not that often. Love being able to include them here in this format. Plus, now I can look back and remember which jeans I loved if I go to order another pair!

I really like the layers of tags and things on the second journaling tag from the left. Lots of color and even though there isn't a lot of journaling, the embellishments help tell the story. And that photo of the brushetta in the process of being put together is one of my newest favorite pictures. It just turned out great. Love that.

I didn't really have a photo for this day but I had gone through several days of @ZodiacFact on Twitter and emailed some of my favorites pertaining to either mine or my husband's signs to my email account so I cut and pasted them in a word document and printed them out on white cardstock. To keep them from being too plain I stamped some of Hero Arts fabulous new clock designs over the 4x6 pieces to give them custom backgrounds and make them coordinate with the rest of the weekly spread.

I am not huge into Zodiak facts and such but I do kind of get a kick out of them when they "hit the nail on the head" so to speak. Scary how close some of these are to me personality... and my husband's. ;)

PROJECT LIFE 2012 | Basic Supplies:

InLinkz.com

PROJECT LIFE 2012 | Week Two & Three Supplies:

InLinkz.com

Additional Supplies:

• Cosmo Cricket Tiny Text Stickers
• Date Stamp (office supply store)

PROJECT LIFE 2012 | FULL LISTING

• Title Page
• Getting Started. December 25-31, 2011
• Week One
• Week Two
• Week Three

 

For the Love of Etsy

I don't spend a lot of time talking about things other than scrapbooking or paper crafting here on my blog but every once in awhile I like to share bits of life outside of scrapbooking.

Lately, I've been on a bit of an Etsy bender and I've picked up a few new things for the house and Valentine's decorating and I thought I'd share them here.

I love seeing what other creative talented people create and I love to share so here's a little list of a few things I've picked up over the last few weeks:

from hairbrainedschemes I picked up this print (a really good reminder)...

 

and this one (for my kitchen)...

from scratchcraft I got these love owls...

and this adorable elephant...

and from ViviansKitchen I picked up these felt goodies (she makes the most gorgeous creations from felt...seriously GREAT quality! Her work is incredible!)...

I got design #2...

I also picked up THIS ring from formandfunktion...

If you guys have any favorite etsy sellers, I'd love to hear about them. Drop me a comment on this post and share!

Have a great Saturday!

 

 

Scrap It Weekly 2012 | Week 4 (Video)

Welcome to another Wednesday and another layout + video!

This week I have more old photos that were in need of a new layout. In this series you are getting to see a lot of how I think and how I work. I am really on a kick to get the pages in my "re-do" pile scrapped and put back in their albums. The original page had fallen apart and because these photos tell an important story of what my daughter loved at age 2 I really didn't want them sitting in a pile in my craft room. I want them in her album for us to enjoy!

For the title on my page I used a download from the Silhouette America Online Store by Loni Stevens:

i_completely_adore_you_C00969_19547

Just a little FYI, this image (and all Valentine's related images) are only .75 for a limited time! 

The main part of my journlaing was printed on yellow cardstock and tucked under the larger photos. I added a sticker strip, arrow sticker and a sewed on button to finish the bottom right corner of the layout.

The quote I had used on the original layout, printed on an October Afternoon sticker and placed on my page.

Die cut flowers are such a great accent for almost any project. Here I die cut the flowers from cardstock and ran them through the Big Shot with embossing folders to give them subtle texture before adhering them to my page.

Lots of layers add instant interest and texture to the page. I love tucking pieces here and there for a fun full page.

    HOW TO

SUPPLIES (click on photos for links):

InLinkz.com

Additional Supplies:

• Technique Tuesday Studio AE February 2011 Stamp Set (no longer available)
• Studio Calico Singin In the Rain Kit (patterned papers, Cosmo Cricket Stickers)
• October Afternoon Modern Homemaker Word Stickers

Previous Scrap It Weekly 2012 Videos (full listing):

• Week 1: Every Picture Tells A Story layout
• Week 2: Bring on the Love layout
• Week 3: U R Three layout

 

Project Life 2012 | Week Two & Week Three

Today I'm going to share my Project Life Weeks Two and Three + talk a little bit about my how I die cut the titles for the entire month of January. Little tips & tricks to make this an easy process as simple as possible.

Week 2 layout:

My plan is to die cut an entire month's work of titles in one sitting so that I'm not having to do it individually each week. You could go ahead and do an entire year if you wanted to. I am not that organized and I want to have the ability to switch things up at a later date if need be so a month is a good compromise for me.

I started out by choosing the title cards from the BH Clementine Core Kit that I wanted to use for the month. Then I opened up all the KerrI Bradford images I would be die cutting in my Silhouette Software.

Using my handy ruler I measured each title card being sure that I sized my images to fit above the pre-printed strip on the card. I came up with this. With the style of cards I chose, I decided to do 3 of the weeks in one style and 1 week in another. I love mixing and matching. :)

I saved this file on my computer for easy retrievel and so that I don't have to resize these again, the next time I need to cut titles. Plus I can add to it as the year goes and I need other sizes or different images.

Then I duplicated several of the images and cut them all from black cardstock. Then I cut the individual elements from different colors of patterned papers for the title blocks.

Here's what all the die cutting looked like prior to assembly in my album:

Week 2 highlights:

I used a Kerri Bradford photo strip template to create the photo strip in the top right pocket. Also included are ticket stubs from the football game we attended with my brother and sister-in-law and business cards from the restaurants we ate at.

I used my very favorite tea/coffee stain stamp from Studio Calico on the journaling card in the bottom left pocket. I sure wish they would bring this retired stamp back in a new stamp set (hint, hint SC!!!!). I wanted this card that shares the Taco Soup recipe to have that authentique recipe card that has been used and abused and used as a coffee coaster look. This is one of our family's favorite simple weekday recipes so I wanted to include it in our Project Life.

Close up of the title for week 2:

I layered vellum behind the number and added die cut flowers from text paper attached with a pretty brad.

Right side:

I layered jouraling cards in the lower left pocket, combing 2 days worth of journaling here. 

*New Ink Pad Storage* (shown in lower right photo)

For Kristin and anyone else who is wondering, Chad got me these ink pad storage units for Christmas. They hang on the wall, freeing up counter space for me. Plus I can see all my ink pads in one glance. I haven't actually got them hung yet. That's on the agenda this weekend! 

I purchased them at www.suink.net. I do  really like them but I wasn't overly impressed with their customer service. My husband ordered them early in December for a Christmas gift and we didn't get them until January. I can understand they were busy during the holiday and that they wouldn't arrive on time but they didn't return his phone calls after he left a couple of messages and her email back to him was borderline rude. They also didn't come with the hardware attached to hang them to the wall. The hardware is an extra purchase, which was fine but I (wrongly) assumed it would come attached. It didn't. And the instructions are poor. But, my handy "adopted" 22 year old son is a handyman whiz so I'll be getting him to do all that for me! ;)

I also die cut one of the words from Kerri's Life Additions #2 and used it in one of the journaling card pockets. I added a die cut heart (October Afternoon) and a clear heart button (Stampin' Up!). It doesn't bother me at all that you can see the back of this on Week 3. I love the look of including words/backgrounds, etc. in the pockets and being able to see-through them!

Week 3 layout:

I added lots of little embellishments to my spread. All my favorite things:

• Jillibean Soup butterfly punch out die
• Cosmo Cricket & October Afternoon & Narratives phrase stickers
• Wood Letter (stapled to an OA label sticker) from Studo Calico
• Layered journaling cards (OA) 
• Small Heart Punch (Stampin' Up)

Close up of Week 3 title, embellished with butterfly, button and phrase sticker.

Close up of layered journaling cards:

For the first time (this year) I had to include a bit of journaling about a bad day Ethan (my youngest) had at school. Even though it's not fun to remember these kinds of things, this just goes to show how including these stories gives a much more accurate look at life.

Close up of Kerri Bradford's Friday Freebie heart border die cut used as a photo overlay. I die cut mine for this photo but I also could have used the digital version directly on my photo and printed it.

PROJECT LIFE 2012 | Basic Supplies:

InLinkz.com

PROJECT LIFE 2012 | Week Two & Three Supplies:

InLinkz.com

Additional Supplies:

• Coffee Stain Stamp (Studio Calico)
• layered mailla tag (Amy Tan for Studio Calico)
• Cosmo Cricket Tiny Text Stickers
• Date Stamp (office supply store)
• random October Afternoon label stickers

PROJECT LIFE 2012 | FULL LISTING

• Title Page
• Getting Started. December 25-31, 2011
• Week One

I am thinking that Mondays will be my Project Life share day here on the blog (most weeks). I think it will be a fun way to start off each week by sharing the previous week's layout spread and to keep me goal-oriented on sharing weekly!

Project Life 2012 | Week One

I don't want to jinx myself, but so far the process of Project Life this year is leaving me feeling happy and fullfilled.

I don't know if it's the allowing myself a bit of room to "play" in the individual pockets without making sure everything is all matchy-matchy (like I tend to do with my traditional scrapbook layouts) or just the process of including more bits of life than I ever do on 12x12 layout (I'm including ticket stubs, clothing tags, memorabilia & more in my Project Life album) but only 3 weeks in and I can tell that my album is giving a much clearer representation of our family's everyday life. Of my life.

I spend so much more time scrapbooking my kids or our travels and not much time focusing on myself and already my album gives a lot clearer picture of me, from the clothing tags from my favorite stores to what movies we're seeing and those everyday tasks I perform (like cleaning my makeup brushes).

Lots of memorabilia this week. 

Lots of word/phrase stickers.

Lots of Ali Edwards stamps.

And the first look at how I'm using Kerri Bradford's Life Addtions: The Weeklies for my weekly titles.

I included lots of stamping on the journaling cards. I love the pops of color and the added interest the stamping gives to these pockets. Word/phrase stickers and a tin pin round out the embellishments.

I used a Kerri Bradford photo template for the photo collage in the bottom left pocket. Easy peasy!

I used my same old layering technique to give my title a bit of a shadow look. Not only does it add dimension but it makes the title so much more interesting to look at. I actually cut the entire month of January's titles at one time. I'll be sharing more on that a little later this week in conjunction with a post from Kerri featuring using her kits in a Project Life album.

I rounded out my title pocket with a stamped phrase from Ali Edwards and a butterfly accent and banner die cut from October Afternoon.

I also copied the butterfly accent from the previous week (post found HERE) so that I get double the use from this pocket. It's an accent on both weeks/layouts.

More stamping on the right side. What can I say? It's my favorite!

I also grabbed the movie posters off imdb.com and printed them to fit the smaller pockets. I love including these little bits in my album. The polaroid frame stamp is an old, old one from a past Studio Calico kit. I love it. If you are wanting a similar frame, check out Studio Calico's sneak preview of their CHA release HERE. I want every. single. set. :)

PROJECT LIFE 2012 | Basic Supplies:

InLinkz.com

PROJECT LIFE 2012 | Week One Supplies:

InLinkz.com

Additional Supplies:

• Polaroid Stamp (Studio Calico)
• Cosmo Cricket Tiny Text Stickers
• Date Stamp (office supply store)
• random October Afternoon label stickers

PROJECT LIFE 2012 | FULL LISTING

• Title Page
• Getting Started. December 25-31, 2011

Good stuff.

There a couple of great promotions going on at Two Peas In a Bucket right now! Click the banners below to take advantage of these great offers!

   

If you're looking to purchase my Confessions of a B Side Scrapper Class, I just wanted to let you know I changed the look of the payment button to what you see below. (It's also in the sidebar of my blog). Just click on the button and it will take you to Paypal to purchase the class!

Thank you!

If' you're looking to purchase my class from True Scrap 2, I added a blog button in the sidebar for it as well. It looks like this!

Be sure to pick up Kerri Bradford's Friday FREEBIE right HERE:

How great would this look over a 4x6 photo in your Project Life album?!!!!?

And be sure to check out Kerri's latest kit, perfect for Project Life and so much more!

Life Additions #2

Just a sneak peek of my Week One Project Life 2012 layout spread. Full details plus week's 2 & 3 will be up soon!

Off to wait for my new project table delivery and get ready for a night of high school basketball! Until next time...

Project Life 2012 | Getting started.

So... this really isn't my week one of project life. That share will be coming soon.

Instead this is how I started my album and I really only have 2 reasons for doing so:

1. The quote from my youngest son on the 29th.
2. The quote from my daughter on the 30th.

I pretty much decided that both of those had to be in my Project Life album. And since PL 2011 was a no-go I decided it didn't matter and I started a week early even though my "real" week one will be the first week of January. :) What I love about this system is that it doesn't matter when you "start" just that you do. You can start anytime you want to.

My Project Life focus for this year:

• documenting ME.
• documenting my husband
• documenting all those funny quotes and things my family says and does that get forgotten if they don't get written down right away!
• including memorabilia and bits of our life.

I am still doing "regular" scrapbooking so I don't feel obligated to make my PL my be all/end all scrapbook for the year. Instead, it's goal is to catch all those little bits and pieces that get lost between the day to day life and the actual completion of a scrapbook layout.

Here is my spread for the last week of 2011:

After a lot of consideration (and a couple of thrown away journaling cards), I have decided that the majority of my PL album will be handwritten journaling. For me, this is HUGE. I don't do handwritten journaling on my layouts, pretty much ever. I absolutely adore the look on other scrapper's pages but on mine, it always looks, well, wrong. But, after I computer printed a couple of the journaling cards for this spread (and it took forever to line up) I realized that I will be more likely to keep up with my album if I can journal quickly. Write it down and move on. Plus, this format seems more, informal, if you will. Bits and pieces in pockets. I actually like the look of my journaling (most of the time). ;)

I used one of Kerri Bradford's collage templates in the lower left corner of this page so that I could fit 4 photos in the 4x6 footprint.

Something you're going to be seeing a lot of in my PL album: Kerri Bradford die cuts. Love the instant title that adds interest, color and texture to my page. This spread's title will differ from the rest in that this is not my week one, like I mentioned above. I wanted to note that this was the last week of 2011 without it overwhelming the entire spread. Simple. Easy. Done.

Another thing I will be implementing throughout my album: stamping!

I can't get enough of my Ali Edwards stamps and this is the perfect forum for using a lot of her Studio AE stamps (as well as others!). Check out the journaling card I made on the far left of this side of the layout. Three stamps on one plain journaling card really added interest as well as a splash of color to the page.

Now, I didn't have a photo to go along with my journaling for 29th of December and that is OKAY.

Instead, I die cut one of Kerri's newest 4x6 designs, this gorgeous cheveron (kit linked below) and added some die cut layered butterflies in the center. Then, on next week's spread instead of backing this with a photo I'm going to leave it open (I cut the 4x6 design from cardstock) and I will layer another butterfly for the next week's spread. I love the peek-a-boo look and will be continuing this throughout my album when the situation calls for it... because let's face it, I will forget to take photos some days! 

PROJECT LIFE 2012 | Basic Supplies:

InLinkz.com

PROJECT LIFE (almost) 2012 | December 25-31, 2011 Supplies:

InLinkz.com

Additional Supplies:

• Handmade tag (Studio Calico Kit)
• Cosmo Cricket Tiny Type Stickers
• Studio Calico Alpha Stamps & "that's what she said" stamp
• Narratives Stickers
• 7Gypsies Sticker ("notes")
• Date Stamp (office supply store)

PROJECT LIFE 2012 | FULL LISTING

• Title Page

Scrap It Weekly 2012 | Week 3 (Video)

Welcome in to another weekly layout and how to video!

This week's layout focuses on using lots of pre-made embellishments plus scrapping older (pre-digital) photos. In the video I also talk about my decision to re-do the original of this page and how that is o-kay!

I am using lots of my favorite tips/tricks in the creation of this layout...go-to techniques that I use again and again because they work for me.

• layered circle accents
• clouds
• kraft journaling block
• white Mister Huey Mist ink
• photo strip that spans the entire 12" layout
• buttons
• October Afternoon stickers/labels
• die cuts

I used a lot of elements from the Studio Calico County Fair kit and add-ons plus added some from my stash as well. I love how well this die cut from MME works with the rest of my page and Amy Tangerine's fabric cloud stickers...love!

I always think adding a few elements on top of the photos helps tie the page together nicely. The wood veneer alpha from Studio Calico matches the feel and theme of this page perfectly!

As I finished up my page I felt like my focal point photo just needed something but I didn't really want to mat it on white cardstock. Instead, I die cut a decorative border out of cream cardstock from a Kerri Bradford kit and layered it right on my photo. Decorative, cute and fun plus it draws your eye in to that photo!

I string my buttons on cream string and glued them to my page, leaving the ends hanging out for a fun homemade, rustic touch. 

Close up of journlaing:

HOW TO

 

SUPPLIES (click on photos for links):

InLinkz.com

Additional Supplies:

• October Afternoon Sasparilla patterned papers, buttons, Tin Pins
• Studio Calico Barnwood Mister Huey
• Studio Calico Stamp, Wood Veneer Alpha from County Fair Kit

Previous Scrap It Weekly 2012 Videos (full listing):

• Week 1: Every Picture Tells A Story layout
• Week 2: Bring on the Love layout

 

Project Life 2012 | The Title Page

Project Life

I have tried (and failed) twice in the past but after seeing several women whom I greatly greatly admire (i.e. Ali Edwards and Michelle Wooderson) complete their albums in 2011 I have decided that I will do it this year.

I think what sparked for me this year is how these ladies incorporated more into their albums than just the core kit that Becky sells. I love how they added to an already incredible foundation to create family albums that really give an overview of their family's lives thoughout an entire year all while implementing their own personal scrapping style. That just spoke to me on so many levels. There are so many little things that get said and done throughout our day to day lives that I don't want to miss and this is a way to keep up with all that plus add those creative touches that personalize the album for me and my family.

I am going to need your help, though, ok?

All my friends and readers who are on this journey with me, keep me going. If I forget to post one week...remind me. ;) It's my hope that once this becomes a "habit" it will become easier and easier to remember to take a photo every day and to record and keep all those little bits and pieces of everyday life all together in one place. :)

What I'm Using | Project Life 2012

The following supplies are just the core items/products I am using in my album. I will be adding to this as the year goes on, I'm sure.

InLinkz.com

My Title Page | 2012

Lots of little stuff going on. I approached this as lots of "mini" scrapbook pages and embellished each pocket accordingly. Fun!

I, of course, wanted to include the year somewhere and what better way than with a die cut from Kerri Bradford's new TwentyTWELVE digi die cut kit?!!! Patterned papers are Becky Higgins Clementine Project Life cardstock. I punched a vellum circle to place behind the "12" circle to help it stand out more.

Lots of fun little touches in this pocket with die cut florals, brads, a tag with a chipboard "5" to signify our family of 5, ribbon trim and a bit of stamping. Yumminess!

I have sort of hoarded this awesome tag by Amy Tangerine that came in a past Studio Calico kit. It was the perfect accent for my Project Life title page! Butterflies are from Jillibean Soup. And that phrase sticker is old, old Narratives. I hoarded those babies, too. ;)

I wanted to make sure and include the "M" for our last name somewhere on the page and this was the perfect spot. I altered the Project Life card with an October Afternoon sticker, the chipboard letter and some ribbon trims adorned with a button and string. Sticker is Bella Blvd.

At the moment I don't have a set day to share my project life weekly pages but I'm thinking that will change as I get a rhythm going. I'll be sharing my first couple of weeks here soon plus I'll be talking a little bit about why I started when I did, etc. so stay tuned!

Just a little FYI about a great Pre-CHA sale going on at 2Peas! Lots of great stuff on sale. Click the banner below for some fabulous steals!

Scrap It Weekly 2012 | Week 2 (Video)

Hello my fellow scrapping friends!

This week's layout features a photo collage showcasing eight Valentine's themed photos, the County Fair, Photo Booth and Ring Toss Studio Calico Kits, ribbon scrap die cut hearts (shown in yesterday's Studio AE Blog Hop post HERE) and the January Studio AE Stamp Set.

I created the title for my page using some die cut files by Kerri Bradford's TwentyEleven kit. I love these yearly kits because they allow for me to use text (which I love), create titles that clearly give a date to my scrapbook pages (which is important to me) and allow me create freedom with lots of options for mixing and matching the elements to create custom designs. Fabulous basic kits.

Check out Kerri's other yearly die cut kits for even more options!

InLinkz.com

To create the sub-title for my page, I used one of the new stamps from Ali Edwards' January Studio AE stamp set. This is a great stamp set. Even though I clearly used the stamps on a Valentine's themed page here, you could use them for any love-inspired project. I will be using these lots and will show additional ways to use these stamps over the next month or so. I stamped the phrase with Versamark Ink and heat embossed with white embossing powder to really make the text "pop".

Here are those die cut ribbon scrap hearts used on a layout. I love creating accents this way! *See video for how to.*

I also added another stamped image from the January Studio AE stamp set and a coordinating phrase from another Ali Edwards stamp set to finish off the left side of the design.

I used one of the corrugated alpha letters to add an "E" over my photo collage (for my son's name). Simple. Easy.

HOW TO

SUPPLIES (click on photos for links):

InLinkz.com

Additional Supplies:

• October Afternoon Sasparilla Stagecoach Paper
• October Afternoon Sasparilla Buttons

Previous Scrap It Weekly 2012 Videos (full listing):

• Week 1: Every Picture Tells A Story layout

FREE WEBINAR WITH ME & LAIN EHMANN!

If you are interested in learning how to take great photos of your projects, please join me for a FREE webinar on January 18th. Click HERE for details!