SFO Travel Journal (prep)

Happy Monday lovelies! Today I am here to share my last project with the Can't Go Home kit and its add-on (both on sale HERE). I prepared a little travel journal in anticipation of our short trip to the San Francisco/Bay Area:


The cover paper is from the Shimelle True Stories collection and was my favorite in the kit. I also used some of the vellum papers from the same collection. The other goodies are from the Pink Paislee Atlas collection and the MME Hello World collection. The grid paper was pulled out of a composition notebook. Everything was machine stitched together :)

Here are a couple of inside pages:

In the process of making this journal I fell in love with the Can't Go Home stamp set (unfortunately sold out) which I used on almost all my pages.
Here's a quick overview:

Let the adventure begin! :)

PS: The Scraptastic Club July kits are now available for purchase! Check all the awesome offerings on the Scraptastic blog!!!

Meeting Shimelle

Hi there! I am back today with a new page created with my Scraptastic Club The Story I Heard kit and add-on. I have already made a page about my first visit to CHA last winter but I was waiting for the right papers to scrap my encounter with Shimelle. If you know her style, you'll understand why I had to include a pretty floral paper AND polka dots. I have also heard that her upcoming paper collection includes a lot of pink and aqua :) I can't wait to see it!

The journaling reads: "While driving up to CHA, I mentioned to April that the one person I would like to meet was Shimelle Laine... and when we spotted her all by herself (and slightly pregnant) I couldn't come up with anything smart to say other than "I'm such a big fan of yours", pretty lame I know... Just like a groupie :) but she was really the first scrapbooking star I admired and learned from."

Here are some details:

For the leaves above and below, I drew the same kind of leaves that are in the floral patterned paper (a bit bigger) on white cardstock and simply hand cut them. I love the result!

Supplies: Scraptastic Club The Story I Heard kit and add-on, sequins from the May This Life Noted kit, red alphas and white card stock from my stash

This is my entry for the latest Challenge YOUrself challenge.  Have a fabulous weekend!

10 on the 10th: about blog reading...

Today is the 10th of the month and I didn't want to miss out on this great blog series from Shimelle (especially since I missed last month). Every tenth of the month, Shimelle lists 10 random things about any subject and many of her followers play along. So do I :)

I love reading blogs! So today, I thought I would list the last 10 blogs I have added to my Reader (which has close to 100 blogs in it, 96 to be exact). They are blogs that recently caught my eye for one reason or another and I hope that you'll discover or rediscover some along this list, in no particular order:

1. Janna Werner Papiersalat: She is SO talented and I love everything she does!!! Her videos are the reason I decided to join the 500some followers that she has.

2. Deb Duty Photography and Scrapbooking: This is the very latest addition to my Reader. I have pinned her work before and after reading her new article on Write.Click.Scrapbook, I decided that it was time to keep a close eye on her :) Her photos are fabulous, she has two boys as I do, and her style totally inspires me.

3. Happy like yellow by Kim Stewart: I have discovered Kim through the SEI blog for whom she designs. She has a way with colors and does her own drawn and handcut embellishments which I adore.

4. Lilith and Scrap by Lilith Eeckels: Lilith's style is so very interesting to me. I had spotted some of her work on Pinterest but when we ended up on the same design team together, I decided to follow her blog. I highly recommend it. She shares her process in videos as well.

                                                        

5. Page Drafts: Page Drafts is this awesome new to me sketch blog. Their multi-photo sketches are fabulous and the designs modern.

6 and 7. Magda's Scrap Corner and ILS Scrapbooking: I have been in awe of the Polish scrapbooking community as a whole! ILoweScrap as an unbelievable Design Team which includes Madga but also many other talented ladies worth checking out! I discovered both through Kasia from Worqshop (the first Polish scrapbooker I followed).

8. The Scrappy Jedi aka Melissa Stinson: Another scrapbooker whom I have admired for a little while but never really followed until recently. She not only share her great work on her blog but also has "Friday Favorites" and "Geek girl" round ups that are really fun.

                                                       

9. Ginger and George by Kristy Neale: I really like the photos on this blog. It has lots of different things such as printables and tutorials but it is not regularly updated as I found out since I subbed...

10. Scrap de Choup 72 by Amélie: I have been following quite a few French scrapbookers but only discovered Amélie recently when she was Guest Designing for Citrus Twist. She is not only talented but also very sweet :)

So which ones do you follow already? Which ones are YOUR favorites?

Learn Something New Everyday 2012 + Tutorial

I have not mentioned it here yet but I have decided to take Shimelle's Learn Something New Everyday class again this September. It is my fourth year taking the class and each time I have created a very different mini album for it.

I used my September Citrus Twist kit to make this one and wrote a tutorial originally posted on the Citrus Twist blog. Here it is if you have not seen it yet:

How to create a fun mini journal out of kit leftovers?

Even after creating three layouts with my beautiful September kit, I was able to make this fun mini journal, inspired by Monika Wright, with the rest of my kit. All I added from my stash for the structure was a vintage music sheet, a vintage book page and an office tag. But you can have fun and add whatever you want from your stash!

Here are the steps for you to make your own: (all measurements are in inches)

1/ Cut your cover out of (my favorite) the Crate Paper “Document” sheet to 10x7

2/ Cut a piece of the Crate Paper “Spool” sheet to 4x8

3/ Then cut a music sheet to 6.5x8.5, use a border punch on the sides and add some red 
sewing (as seen in close up below)

4/ Cut a piece of kraft cardstock to 6x9, round the corners and sew along all sides

5/ Cut another piece of the Crate Paper “Spool” sheet to 6.5x9.5

6/ Cut a piece of scrap from the Crate Paper “Tomorrow” paper to 4.5x6

7/ Cut a vintage book page to 5x7.75

8/ and cut another piece of kraft cardstock to 6x6 and round the corners

9/ Fold all these pages in half one by one and stack them up (in the order above) all 
together, lining them upat the fold.

10/ Add the glassine bag from the kit in the center (as shown below)

11/ After clipping all the pages together with a binder clip, machine sew all the pages 
together slowly following the center fold (as seen above)

Voila, all you have to do now is decorate your cover and the inside pages with the 
wonderful embellishments from the kit such as the Crate Paper chipboard elements!

Here are a few extra shots of some the inside pages I have created so far:

As always, you are welcome to leave your questions in the comments and pinning is ok with me. Have a great weekend!

10 on the 10th: about CHA...

I can't believe it is already the 10th of the month. Do you know what it means for all of us Shimelle fans? It means we blog about 10 things on any subject we choose. Today I will share my 10 favorite sneaks from CHA Summer 2012 which starts next week (for those who don't know, it is the big Craft and Hobby Association bi-annual show where scrapbooking companies introduce their new products).

Here are my 10 picks from the sneaks I have been checking out all week:

#1 - The Yearbook collection from Studio Calico and everything that goes with it! My absolute favorite of all the sneaks I've seen!

#2 - Jenni Bowlin vellum feathers! Really? I would love those right now!!!

#3 - Everyday Eclectic from Echo Park. I have been a fan of theirs for a while because of their bright colors and fun patterns and this one collection is the best they have coming for the next few months. A lot of pinks for me but I still like it.

#4 - Fancy Pants The Good life. Something about the color combination of red, yellow, mint, grey and black has me interested in this one.

#5 - Jenni Bowlin stickers: Air Mail themed?! That's all they need to say!

#6 - Pink Paislee Artisan Chipboard stars. Very much thinking about stars right now and these are pretty awesome!

#7 - Acorn Hallow from Little Yellow Bicycle. My favorite Fall line for the moment but I would love to see a bit more of it!

#8 - Jillibean Soup Grandma's Lima Bean Soup, especially this paper above <3

#9 Dear Lizzy 5th and Frolic by American Craft. I am not typically a big fan of Elizabeth Kartchner but the details and colors on this sneak have me drooling a bit!

#10 Queen & Co. washi tapes. The washi tape trend is not going anywhere for a while and the yellow or star rolls are calling my name!

What do you think? Which are your favorites?

Make sure to visit Shimelle's 10 things to see what her list is about today and make sure to enter the Citrus Twist giveaway in my post below!

10 on the 10th: Etsy favorites (Summer edition)

It's the 10th on the month and I am once again joining Shimelle (and many others) in listing 10 things on any subject we choose. Shimelle has listed 10 things to pack for a crop and I will list 10 of my favorite Etsy finds. The last time I shared my favorites was over a year ago so I thought it was time for an update!

1. Love makes...giclee print: ($22) would love this in my living room. 2. Women's Octopus tentacles t-shirt: ($18): great color and totally fun to wear with shorts this summer! 3. Hello blank journal: ($24): just perfect to record summer memories. 4. Kitchen art print: ($20) It's so fresh, I love it, plus I have just the right spot for it... 5. Mini clothespins in Summer sherbet: ($6.60) you know, these would end up on layouts! 6. The sun will come out tomorrow print: ($18) yes, about 360 days a year here in Southern Cal :) 7. Don't be a hard rock: ($40) somebody should really get this for me, just saying... 8. The Instant Comfort Pocket box: ($10.19) this is a genius idea and the seller has a comfort pocket box for everyone. 9. Shine mixed media collage print: ($18) I would wake up everyday with a smile if this was in front of me. 10. Mod decorative pillow covers: ($38) perfect for a dose of summer on the couch!

... and you know something, my birthday is coming up ;)

10 on the 10th: currently

Here I am again, participating along with Shimelle and many other bloggers, in listing 10 random things on the 10th of the month. This month, I was inspired by Tina Aszmus Currents:

(sneak of layout for my class at Paper Tales)

1/ Wearing: denim trousers and blue polo
2/ Listening: to the video game my son is playing on his DS
3/ Eating: a few Trader Joe's chocolate chip and oatmeal cookies
4/ Drinking: Whole Foods Peach Oolong iced tea
5/ Reading: Wolf Hall every night
6/ Needing: to lose a few pounds (yes, I realize that #3 and #4 don't help!!)
7/ Wishing: for cheaper tickets to go to France this summer

8/ Crafting: layouts for my next class at Paper Tales (see sneak above)
9/ Enjoying: the warmer weather and finally discovering Downton Abbey!
10/ Loving: being done with soccer season!

Thank you for stopping by and feel free to share your currents in the comments!

10 on the 10th: got inspiration?

It is the 10th of the month which means that today, I am joining Shimelle and many other bloggers in listing 10 random things. Since I am in the midst of my DT assignments, I decided for this month to list 10 ways that I get inspired for my scrapping, and paper crafting in general. Some of those might be obvious to you but hopefully you can get a couple of ideas or, worst case scenario, just a glimpse into my mind!

So I present to you, 10 ways to find inspiration:

1- look at challenge blogs: 
I have a folder called "challenges" in my bookmarks and I check them out at least once a month. I sometimes play along (I was recently the winner at Scrap Our Stash!) but most often I just get an idea or two.

2- look at sketches: 
same as above, I have a folder of bookmarks with sketch sites/blogs. The sketch resources are almost limitless on the web!

3- look at Pinterest:
the best place to collect ideas while browsing the net. I refer to my paper crafting and scrapbooking boards all the time.

4- look at older pages I have created and look for possible repeats:
subjects can be updated like on my two pages below (at 10 and at 12) or designs can be repeated.

5- look at scrap magazines old and new: 
I often look at my old magazines where I might have liked a design or subject a while ago and forgotten about them.

6- look at my supplies, a sticker, a kit, a particular paper: 
of course, a saying on a sticker sheet or a pattern on a paper can trigger an idea and I run with it! For example:

7- look through my photos: 
this is another obvious one... While going through iPhoto, I will stop on a photo that I love or photos that make me want to tell a story. That is one advantage of not scrapping chronologically, I grab what interests me at a certain time.

8- look at ads, kids books, and art: 
I have designed pages that i love based on ads or cards based on children's book illustrations.

inspired by this ad:

9- look at digital templates and layouts: 
that is a little secret of mine. I don't know if many of you do that but I find great design ideas on digi sites and blogs. I will also pin digital layouts and adapt them to traditional paper pages.

inspired by this digi page :

10- look at the date and the season: 
Lastly, look at what is coming up on the calendar! It is a great source of inspiration for some of my creations! Calendars at the start of the year, Father's day gifts in June, and lots more...

There you have it! I realize it was a bit text heavy but I hope you have enjoyed this post! Now make sure to check Shimelle's blog to see what the others have listed for their 10 on the 10th!