A productive day...

at the desk, that is. Today was all about Graphic 45 for me. I have always admired the line and have been picking up sheets at the Scrapper's Cove here & there for several months now. Since anything vintage looking appeals, this line is a slam dunk for me. Plus the patterns are to die for - and I love mixing my patterns!  On the pages and mini album below, I mixed "On the Boardwalk," "Renaissance Faire," & "Christmas Past" (yep, Christmas paper on beach layouts - it's the small yellow pattern.)

While I was cleaning up last week, I discovered a big pile of photo rejects - things I printed for misc. layouts but rejected for one reason or another. I decided to put them to good use today...here's what I made:
(image removed for publication)

I used the "On the Boardwalk" line for this, specifically the Coney Island paper - cut up the vintage 'postcards' & sewed em' down for my background. (One is actually from Seaside, NJ - a local NJ boardwalk, always famous to us locals but now famous for the "Jersey Shore") That cardstock is the American Crafts vanilla that came in my Studio Calico kit last month. I knew AC made cardstock but I didn't know it was so excellent! I need to announce that I am in love with this color. Even though it's very hard to photograph layouts with white/light backgrounds, I ordered an extra batch today. I plan to use it a lot going forward!

Here's a detail of the page:

(image removed for publication)

Here's another beachy layout - it was so dark on the beach the day I took these photos, that using the black paper didn't make me even a little nervous. I love the contrast with the 'bluish' photos:

Here's a detail of the flowers: made from the tickets from a border strip - cut apart, stapled at the center and curled up.

Here's a little mini I made about vacations my husband and I took before our kids arrived. (See, I really was busy today!):

I got to use my Tim Holtz distress crackle paint in rock candy that I've been hoarding since the Spring. It's a clear paint and cracks when it dries. I think this might be showing up a lot more on my projects. Love this stuff and it dries pretty fast, too. Here's a close up of the cracked tag:

Here's the opening layout. This book only has 3 layouts so once I knew what I wanted to do, it went together very fast. (Clearly, we needed to take more vacations!)

So, that's if for me today. More submissions this week and lots of ideas in my head....

About inspiration...

I realized after posting yesterday that I rely heavily on inspiration from other sources for my scrapbooking and cardmaking. It's been ages since I sat on the couch with a stack of magazines and absorbed it all. So, last night, I turned off the laptop and did just that. Within minutes I was inspired to make this layout:

In my search for inspiration, I stumbled across a layout that had a long vertical element from a paper with a hexagon pattern. I had a big scrap of the hexagonal green Lily Bee paper on my desk. As soon as I saw that page, I knew what pictures I would use, what I wanted it to say and the support products I would use to tell the story. Don't you love when that happens? It's like getting hit with a creative lightning bolt.

Regarding scrap/paper magazines: Normally my scrap & paper crafting mags pile up to a giant heap. (Actually, this happens with all my magazines - I'm a junkie and I get a ton of them in the mail.) As I read them, I dog ear the pages that have something on them that I like (but I don't make any notes or anything besides the dog ear.)  I usally will let 3 or 4 months worth pile up and then I will sit with them, re-read them and look for the dog-ears. If I can still figure out what it was I liked, I rip out the page. (Note: my preferred location for this project is in chair next to my pool on a sunny day, with a big glass of iced tea and my ipod). After they are ripped out, they go here:

The famous, and very useful Val's Scraplift binder. (It used to be a folder, but now it is expanded.) The binder is broken up into categories: layouts, sketches, cards, concept, techniques, product to buy (like I need a folder to remind myself to buy product! So funny.)
 
Every once in a while I will purge the binder - in the process of doing this, I usually have to run to the desk to get some idea onto paper before I forget about it. That's how effective a tool this binder is! Here's what it looks like today - just about ready for a purge:

I had a professor in college in one of my studio art classes. He told us early on that we needed to look at the work of other artists and be inspired. He told us there were no completely unique ideas in art - that everything has been inspired to some degree, by something else. This idea has really stuck with me & served me. How do you archive your inspiration?

Friday Wrap Up

How is it possible that it is snowing again here? Not just a dusting, another major storm. I think this is number 3 or 4. I've lost count. Yes, it's pretty. Yes, it forces me to be home with my family. Yes, it gives me time to work on a multitude of projects. (Today this will include DT work for the Scrapper's Cove, DT submissions for 2 manufacturer's calls, misc. items for submissions for Scrapbook Trends.) But please, enough already!

Not sure where to start. How about a recap of the week?
This week was primarily about this project, which took way, way longer than I expected it to:

I had planned an ambitious use of luster dust which turned out to be anti-climactic. I wonder how other cookie icers get their icing to be metallic? I need to find out. All 104 of these cookies were due to be picked up this morning, in the blizzard, for a party tonight. Every time I make cookies for this client, we have a massive weather event.

In the little chunks of time between the cookie production, my day job, and kid stuff, I made these layouts:

On both of these I used Lily Bee patterned paper. I love to mix patterns, and have to say, this paper line really makes that easy. All of the patterns seem to work together. Perhaps it's the intensity of the colors. On the "something new" layout I mixed Audrey, Three Little Birds & Vintage Poppy .  On the "Thankful" layout I mixed French Couture &Vintage Poppy.
I also made a few cards with the leftovers, here's one:

Honestly, I'm feeling a little creativity challenged right now. It always happens when I have ambitious plans to submit for this and that.  I think I need to remember why it is I do this and stop feeling unnecessary pressure. I took a Simple Scrapbooks class at a CKC a few years ago. The first thing they told us is 'it's a hobby, it's supposed to be fun.' I'm going to make that my mantra for the next few days....

Ella Sketch Week 6 of 6

The last Ella sketch in this series. Not sure how I will keep on track without these weekly sketches! I have an all new respect for them and how much easier they make my scrapbooking work. Donna's sketches are so simple and clean. It's been fun to see the various interpretations. Here is this week's sketch:

Here's what I made today:

I made it easy on myself and didn't make too many changes. The patterned cardstock is Lily Bee. I used the Thickers from my Studio Calico kit, some Tim Holtz film strip ribbon, Maya Road flowers and May Arts lace ribbon.

My dad, who is an amazing photographer, took those photos in 1969. We were on our 'stoop' (aka front steps) in Brooklyn waiting for car service to go to my grandmothers. (In Brooklyn, car service = taxi. You call them on the phone instead of hailing them on the street like a taxi, and they come and take you where you want to go). People rely heavily on this service as it's really not necessary, or easy, to own a car in Brooklyn. We didn't until my parents decided we were moving to New Jersey in 72'. Anyway, I don't remember this day but these have always been favorite photos for me.

Need to focus back on cookies for the next few days. Another job due on Friday. This time perfume bottle cookies. I'd much rather be making stuff out of paper!

Sunday

Not a ton of craftiness going on yesterday, unless making a great lasagna counts. We celebrated my in-law's birthdays and anniversary last night so my day focused around cooking and getting the part of the house that isn't my scrap area ready for company.

My scrap area is, however, spotless and ready for action. I plan to take full advantage of the immaculate conditions down there today.

On my list - the week 6 Ella sketch, some work for a design team submission - both of which may or may not be combined with the August calls for Scrapbook Trends and Cards magazine.

Here's a layout I did about 2 weeks ago for an Ella cover submission. I'm guessing it didn't make the cut because I think I would have heard by now. After I made it I realized I missed some of characteristics they were looking for - like a main focal point photo and legible journaling. I will keep that in mind next time.  I do like the way this one turned out, though, so, I'm not too upset about the flub.
Here it is. Another layout about me. (Seem to be making a lot of these lately.)

I have a friend who calls me Miss Val and I thought "Misc. Val" would be a good play on words and an excellent title for a layout with tidbits about me. Unfortunately, I'd probably be the only one that would get it. So I changed it to Misc. Me. I should have left Misc. Val. Not too late to change it.

I punched circles from a Basic Grey Origins paper and zig zagged them onto the background.

I resisted this BG line(Origins) at first because of the colors but I now I really love it. I just bought some more. It looks great with so many of my photos. It will be great with all of those photos I have from the 70's. I also love the way it looks with navy. I've noticed a lot of navy turning up in my work lately, particularly when there is green involved. I love green and navy combos. I also love navy and orange. Must be the lover of nautical stuff in me surfacing.

Anyone hear about this:

Target with a Liberty of London Collection? I am very excited about this. I missed the John Derian boat last year.

I made it just in time to see a couple of damaged items on clearance. Not going to let that happen again! I ran over there yesterday morning after seeing the commercial the night before while watching the Olympics. I asked and most of the salespeople had no idea what I was talking about, except one. Not until March she said. March 14 to be exact. I'll be like one of those video game people that wait online overnight for the release of the newest game, except I'll be waiting for small floral printed fabric home furnishings and clothing. I wonder who else will be out there with me?

Time to purge...

and I really don't mind. I'm a compulsive organizer and always in search of a better system. Any excuse to take something apart and put it back together in a more orderly fashion is fine with me. So last night I started Purge 2010. The last purge was in Spring '09 - I put all the stuff in a big box and sold it at my yard sale in July. Two ladies actually had a fight over the stuff in my driveway and were literaly grabbing whatever they could get their hands on. I felt bad for them. They both left their numbers and told me to call them next time I cleaned house. I haven't decided how to pick, or maybe I'll make two boxes and divide it evenly. Hopefuly they will remember me when I ring them up!

Whenever there's a big influx of new product (now it's new cha releases and those monthly kits coming in the mail), I feel the need to purge out the items I never use. The impulse buys, like this:

Pretty, right? Anyone else have one of these? The Bazzill color selector?

I remember this being expensive and thinking it was essential. I have never used it to select a color. Yes, it's pretty. It looked nice on my desk but that space is at a premium right now. I don't plan to part with it since I'd like to try to make something from all of those pretty little rectangles of paper.  (I guess technically, it does not fall into the purge classification.) But this does:

I purchased this contraption back when I was attending weekend crops. It was required if you were planning to have a beverage at your table. Funny, at home I never eat or drink at my desk when I'm working on a project. (I wonder what it is about group scrapbooking that made me so hungry and thirsty? A discussion for another day..) Ayway, the little garbage bag attachment is so tiny, I don't know how it served my needs. But it did I guess. I do all my scrapbooking at home now, so this item is just taking up space. And this:

What posessed me to purchase the 'mini' version of this item, I will never know. I guess, as with most miniature-sized things, I thought it was cute. If it reached into the page 2", that's a lot. They made the original version long for a reason that became really obvious as soon as I took this out of the package. I even had the nerve to buy replacement staples for it. Then there's this...

I know people have made this tool work because I have seen those pretty grommets on pages in magazines, but I have never been able to get this tool to work for me. And I really wanted it too!

I made major improvements in the sticker storage area:
I got those long boxes from a trim rep that came to visit at our office. The samples I ordered came in that box. It was such a nice color I hung onto it. I'm glad I did because it looks good and it's the perfect size for those long sticker sheets. Plus it's easier to see what I have. "Out of sight out of mind" is a problem for me. If it falls off my radar, I might as well not own it. They are divided by style. The first box holds misc stuff, AC flair, and felty/chunky things. The second is all label stickers, small letters and words and in the back holidays.
The scraps, oh, the scraps...I plan to make this the new home of my scraps. (Thanks to a tip from Amy on her blog!)

I've been generating so much scrap lately there needs to be a system. Currently it lives in those Cropper Hopper inserts and it's vitrually impossible to see what is in there. Also, I have trouble deciding how small a sheet has to be before it get's classified as scrap? Any thoughts? I used to be ruthless and make the 'once it's cut' rule but now I'm not so sure. (Besides, 12" wide chunks don't fit in my new file folders made for 8 1/2 x 11 paper.) This is definitely a 'in front of the tv project'.

So we had a belated Valentine's playdate here yesterday. It was a sugar-fest for the girls but they had fun. I took this photo which gives new meaning to the term "four squares" (as in 'meals a day'). It made me chuckle and I plan to make a Valentine layout with it...

This is Kiera's setup. A girl after my own heart. All the goodies neatly centered in their own square, within the larger square. (Love squares!) The cookie, the donut, the m&ms, the cupcake. The cornerstones of any nutritious diet, no? When you put a buffet of goodies in front of an adult, they will take maybe one item and perhaps a small pile of m&ms. When you put the same spread in front of a kid, this is what they do. (Note to self: don't do this anymore!) In my defense, I did not supply the donuts.

On that note....back to the purge (I will tackle the paper today) and hopefully I will get to make something crafty!

Today's projects (and Ella Week 5)...

Last night I was visited by the UPS person with 2 more boxes of product from a recent publishing. Wow, those boxes were loaded and that pile on my desk is overflowing with new stuff I want to use, I'm starting feel a little performance anxiety! It's been over a week since I sat there - and I don't know about you, but if I take a break like that, it takes me a little while to get back up to crafty speed! Plus I'm feeling an overwhelming need to purge out the old stuff and re-organize. If I start that now, it will be another few days before I get to sit and work. I better just jump in....

Fast forward.....Wednesday night (how time flies!) Here's what I made today:
This first project is a layout for the Ella Week 5 Sketch. It was a 2 page sketch this week but I decided to only do one page (the right one).

 I really wanted to use the pictures of Marilyn I took for my photo class. (Besides, it's way easier to photograph a single page layout than a 2-page one.)

Love these papers and finally got my hands on a little collection of LilyBee. Had a hard time tracking down the embellishments, etc. (We must be in between releases and I know this is an up-and-coming manuf., so their stuff must have flown off the shelves.) Anyway...had to get a little creative with the paper itself. Here's a close up of the flowers:

For those flowers I accordian folded 1/2" strips of the paper then smashed it up. I used glue dots to tack it to the background as I twisted it around to make the shapes.
Next up (after the laundry and errands, etc.) were these 2 cards for the Cards Blog challenge. This week was transparencies. Honestly, this is a weak area for me. I own a ton of clear stuff and I love the way it looks but I rarely use it. The stuff intimidates me. Here's what I came up with:

This Hambly transparency came in one of my goody boxes yesterday. I thought it would be great for a new house card. It's hard to see but the lined paper inside the second card is cut in the shape of a house. I used a Maya Road house-shaped mini album to trace and cut the shape on both cards.

Next on my project list are submissions for a few design teams. Anyone else submitting? Seems like there are a lot of choices out there right now. Wonder if this is the standard time of year for design teams?

Reject post...

I just finished boxing up the cards that were accepted in this month’s calls and thought I’d devote a blog post to a handful of the rejects. Layouts and cards I thought were pretty cool but just didn’t make the cut for the call I sent them in for…we’ve all got them, right? (Just to clarify...I call them "rejects" in jest. Truly, any work I do that documents the lives and times of my family is invaluable to me.)
Here’s the first reject – the "Shore Thing" page - a labor of love (pun intended). This one was for a call for layouts about love. I have never even scrapped my wedding photos and I don't like to do layouts about myself so this was difficult for me. I worked late into the night on this page. Figuring out my approach was hurdle #1. (I decided to focus on our life on and near the water). Finding the photos was hurdle #2 (I went way way back for that photo with the #484. That is a picture of the main sail on the sailboat where Dan and I met for the first time...in 1987!). The journaling is on the back of the bingo card. (Or at least it will be...)

Reject #2, the "Pony Boy" layout (it's official name is the "stay gold pony boy" layout but I deliberately made the 'stay gold' small to avoid copyright infringement - any Outsiders fans out there?) This one made the top ten in an Ella contest but that is as far as it went. It's one of my faves. I love the photos of Chris and the sun in the upper left corner. I cut the sun with a Silhouette then sewed down the fabric strips.

Reject #3 is a mini album I made last spring. This is one of my all time favorite minis. I love the size, the shape, the colors and most of all the photos inside. The little tag book is Maya Road - it's my favorite blank mini and I have  few of these on hand for future use. They fit wallet sized photos perfectly with just enough room left around them to get creative.

Last, but not least - reject #4 is a Valentine's card...I think I know why this one got the shut down but I still really like it. There's a rule somewhere that says just when you think it looks good, take one thing away. I probably should have done that here.

Well, for the past week I’ve been preoccupied with my parent’s party, making those cookies and misc. family drama so I haven’t had much desk time. While away, though, I’ve been amassing a sizable collection of new product for my stash. All sitting on the desk in a very tempting pile, waiting for my return. There’s an impulse online purchase from 2 Peas (could not resist those ‘new product’ tweets), the Studio Calico Kit and the haul from a quick visit to Scrapper’s Cove on Sunday morning. (Have you seen these new K & Co papers? At least I think they are new. This one has texture. I almost feel like hanging it on the wall it's so pretty.)

I cannot wait to get some time with all that new stuff. There are several design team calls happening now – need to work on a few projects for that. Week 5 of the Ella sketch is up, Cards Blog transparency challenge, Creative Imaginations sketch challenge, American Crafts – all challenges I’d like to work on this week. Lots to do - I'll post as I go...

Missions accomplished....

thanks to the snow! The 2-day snowbounding made it possible to work on these items without distraction. (Well, forget that my kids were bouncing off the walls the whole time - we're talking outside distraction.)
First up, the cookies for my daughter's Valentine's party at school,  postponed until tomorrow due to snow. (whew! It would have been chips-a-hoy otherwise!)

They have the kid's initials on them. I was too pressed for time to do whole names. In addition, I hate writing on cookies. You have to have a very steady hand and if the consistency of the icing isn't perfect, it turns into a big sloppy mess.

Next, the massive undertaking of the 50th anniversary cookies, all 103 of them:

Just need to wrap these guys and get that tag figured out. Easy peasy. (or so I think!)

Next up was 2 submissions to Cards Magazine, done nearly at the deadline last night and emailed with my eyes half closed I was so tired. Can't post em' on account of they have already been accepted. Yipee! They are going "to the show" (any Bull Durham fans out there?) I was happy to get this news today since it was evident to me around 4 that I was not going to get to do my Cards Blog challenge card this week.

Did my photo assignment, which was promptly ripped to shreds by Gary the photo teacher tonight. I've learned so much in this class and it's really helpful (although sometimes painful) to hear what others think of your work. Had flashbacks to the old art school days and the painting studio critiques.
This week was the still life assignment (we had to use a glass, an apple and a paper bag).

This week was the last week. In a few weeks I start the advanced class. Another reason to look forward to March: 1) call the pool guy; 2) start the new photo class. Good & good!

In the midst of this I ran out today and found a dress for my parent's party in record speed. Tomorrow it's the hair (much needed color & highlights). A productive week, indeed!

Late breaking update: no school tomorrow either! What? Apparently issues with the snow removal at the school. Looks like I'm going to have a little free time (and 30 iced shortbread cookies) on my hands tomorrow. Studio Calico here I come!

The eagle has landed...

At long last, the arrival of my first Studio Calico club kit.

More Kraft – reminds of that SNL skit with the “more cowbell” – so funny. I’ll think of that every time I use a piece of kraft cardstock now.
I can’t wait to start making stuff with this kit. Hopefully I'll have some stuff to post by the weekend. Under normal circumstances, with a big snow day like today, and nowhere to go, I would have already ripped into this thing. Unfortunately, my attention is diverted to this:

I am relieved that they are baked. And relieved that the base coat has actually started to make it onto the cookies. It’s just a little overwhelming right now. These big cookie jobs always are. It's like having a baby - you forget what it feels like, then you have a another and you remember and swear never to do it again, then you forget again, etc. etc.
I would bellyache some more here about having to bake & ice over 100 cookies by Friday, but this particular batch is for my parents, who are celebrating their 50th anniversary this Saturday with a big party. I want to make some cute tags for these cookies. Something with a scanned photo from their wedding. Worked on that a little bit today but didn’t make much headway. I'll post what I come up with.

Wow, we are getting slammed with snow today. It's still snowing. It's been snowing since 9 last night. Here’s a photo from this morning of a tree in my backyard:

Here’s the same tree at 6 pm:

Just beyond the bush/tree is our pool. (sigh) I am counting the days until I call the pool guy to schedule our opening. March 1…almost there!
Here's the view from my desk. You can see the diving board in the background.

Here's the same view at 6 pm - the snow is heavy and looks so pretty on the trees :

I’ll be glad when the cookie baking and party biz is over, because then it will be time for this:

Yippee! I’m an unapologetic Nascar fan. (and the Jersey shore is not a hot-bed of Nascar appreciation – so it’s lonely dedication!) I started watching a few years ago and haven’t stopped since. I even went to my first race over the summer in Dover, DE. What loud, exhilarating fun. Can’t wait to go back. In the meantime:

Go 5 – Go Mark Martin! 2010 is your year!!