Stamps, Paper, and Ink

My Sweetpea, My Digital Studio

I am happy to share another page I made with My Digital Studio but before I do, there's a great opportunity to try it out for yourself! Stampin Up! is offering a 30 day FREE trial of My Digital Studio Express so that you may try it before you buy it. You'll have access to some of the artwork and all that you need to create your own cards, books, or calendar. If you've been wondering if digital scrapbooking is for you, order your FREE trial HERE. Your 30 day trial will begin when you first open the program. Contact me if you'd like more information.

I'm re-discovering my love of scrapbooking with My Digital Studio. Thinking of the message I want to portray and the journaling makes it so rewarding. My page began with thinking about our dear daughter. We nicknamed her "Sweetpea" when she was little so it made my choice of the  Sweet Pea Designer Paper a no brainer for this page celebrating her college graduation.

Once I had chosen this paper for the background, the theme became easy. The great layout is Sketch #2 from Tink & Bell's Digital Scrapbooking Club which I highly recommend. Because my paper had beautiful butterflies on it already, I kept my embellishments to a minimum, only adding two butterflies. One decorates the square punched paper, and one is to the left of my journaling. These form a triangle beginning with the butterflies at the top left to draw the eye across the page.

It was fun adding three rows of Baker's Twine and a tiny bow to the row of patterned squares. It's a subtle effect, but I know it's there and for me that wraps it all up nicely.

Have a great day!!

 

  All supplies from My Digital Studio

Stamps:  none

Paper:  My Sweet Pea

Fonts:  HavixHMK Bold, LamboHMK Bold

Accessories:  Square punch, Butterfly 2 punch, Baker's Twine (Pumpkin Pie), Butterfly from Limited Edition Embellishments

 

Puppy Love

I had a goal this year of beginning to make pages more than once in a while on a regular basis using My Digital Studio. First observation I found is that I have taken very few photos once I quit doing actual scrap albums. I must fix that!

Since Josie (our beagle puppy) is my most available subject, I made this Puppy Love page of her.

I have found a great new class offered by Jan Tink and Wendy Weixler (you can find info HERE) and I look forward to sharing more pages with you. This one is based on a template they provided and it was fun to plug in the Day in the Life Designer Papers and embellishments.

Enjoy!

 

  All supplies by Stampin' Up!

Making it Scrappy

My dear friend Ruth Ann is someone I so admire, so when I saw the new journal she'd made, I was inspired to make my own.

What do you do with leftover packs of Designer Papers? Do you let them sit around and collect dust, making you feel guilty for buying more, even when its on a great sale! (ask me how I know!?)

I started out making a simple bound journal, matching everything when my daughter looked over my shoulder and said these fabulous words: "Mix them up, Mom, the wonkier the better!" So I gathered big sheets from several paper packs, and combined them with plain card stock sheets into an 8 x 8" journal.

This is not going to be a themed book, or a typical photo album - it's just a journal to go with me everywhere and enable me to add bits and pieces of daily life in photos, journaling and a collection of everyday memorabilia. I am really excited because this is the kind of project that I can keep  up with.

I have made a pocket in the front and filled it with snippets of note paper and some journaling stickers. Enter my half used Simply Scrapping kits that have also been hoarded until this moment. I mixed those up too, keeping to a few basic colors. I tucked a strip of glue dots into this pocket as well, to have ready to hold the notes in place at least until I get back to my SNAIL adhesive.

I had the most fun designing my title for the cover using MDS, except for adding the butterfly die cut and stamping out the year.

I kept the cover simple since I plan to take this with me *almost* everywhere, I didn't want any dimensional embellishments that would take a beating.

So there you have something new from me. My dear readers,  I give you permission to check with me to make sure I am filling this book to the brim *regularly*.

Hope it's a good day for you. Won't you take a minute to let me know what you think of today's project?

 

Josie, please don't eat the bacon!

**Today's mini scrapbook project** is at the end of the Josie story.

We have a 5 month old beagle puppy named Josie. You knew that already, didn't you?

Josie, please don't eat the bacon! is just the beginning. You can fill in the blank with...Josie, please don't eat the...daisies, Dogwood berries, a bite of my son's sandwich, an M&M, pine cones, sticks, acorns, grass she digs up, dirt she digs up, other stuff she digs up (believe me, you don't WANT to know!) mushrooms that grow under the grass, leaves, bark, hickory nuts, hickory nut shells, stones, a pushpin, a pencil, a pen and anything made of paper. 

In case you're wondering, I know that some of these things are poisonous to dogs. I spend LOTS of time trying to fish things out of her mouth, believe me! Or chasing her when she RUNS because she knows I'm gonna fish it outta her mouth. (growl - that was me growling...)

So, the rest of the story is, Josie ate up my time to stamp. Yes, this is very similar to "the dog ate my homework," but I am now realizing that there may be a shred of truth to this excuse. Or, as in the case of a beagle, it is entirely LIKELY that the dog ate the homework.

And yes, she survived all that, so she seems as hearty as she is mischievous. 

Here she is in a rare moment of sitting still and looking angelic. She can be SOOO sweet! 

 

Behind her is one of my arsenal of rag bones, chew toys, chew bones, Dingo bones, Nyla Bones and Bully Stix.

Want to know the reason for this story? It's that it's been hard to fit in time to blog with Josie around.  Thank you all for understanding! I will quit feeling bad if I miss a day, and do the best I can to keep this place full of fresh ideas - as time allows. Josie may mellow in a year? Do ya think? 

I have a project for you! I was so inspired by the tiny mini album in the "Stampin' Success" magazine for demonstrators, that I decided to make one as a little gift for my workshop hostess. The workshop make and take and several samples were made with the Tags 'til Christmas set, and I wanted to show how the images could have other uses than just tags.

Here it is all wrapped up~

and here is the tiny scrapbook opened.

 This was so easy to make! I began with card stock cut 10x5".It is scored at 1-1/2" up from the bottom, and across at 2-1/2" intervals . The photos are the artwork of Stampin' Up! and may be easily replaced with the hostess' photos of her grandchild's First Christmas.

Wish the photo was better, it's really cute IRL. I can't wait to make another one with a different topic.

That's it for me for tonight, see you tomorrow! 

 

Supplies~  all supplies by Stampin' Up!

Stamps: Tags 'til Christmas 
Paper: Baja Breeze, Whisper White, Garden Green, Candy Cane Christmas DSP
and Ink: Real Red, Baja Breeze 

Accessories: markers, red taffeta ribbon, Mini clips, punches, Glitter brads, Timeless Type Jr. Alphabet, Big Shot

Need supplies? Order from me at my online store  HERE

Got questions? I am happy to answer them, just send me an e-mail, you'll find it HERE

Artisan Entries - Mom Page

I've had the most wonderful weekend, my son's graduation and party went so well and we made lots of memories with family and friends. I'm so proud of him and hope the special day to celebrate him is one he will long remember!

Now on to stamping - Here's the last of my scrapbook pages for the Artisan Entries. (If you missed seeing the others, they begin on THIS post). 

I wanted a vintage look for this 12 x12 page and wanted to especially highlight the photo. Made the photo of Mom (isn't she beautiful!?!) black and white so that I could use a blender pen and Stampin' Pastels to color the orchid corsage she is wearing directly on the photo. Using the blender pen sets the pastel - I love this technique! 

Everyone who meets my My dear Mom agrees that  she has raised kindness to an art.

Supplies~  all supplies by Stampin' Up!
Stamps: Define Your Life, Vintage Vogue
Paper: Rich Razzleberry, Whisper White, Orchid Opulence, Cottage Wall Designer Series Paper
Ink: Rich Razzleberry

Accessories:Blender pen, Stampin' Pastels, Timeless Type Junior Alphabet, Top Note Die, Big Shot

Order from me online anytime HERE or e-mail me HERE with any questions you have!

Artisan Entries - Carefree page

This one was my favorite of the scrap pages. The wide striped ribbon echoes the striped hammock, a fact I stumbled on entirely by accident, lol! I started with that ribbon as a rose flower and it just didn't work that way! This page is 8.5 x 11".

I have a new catty and some pre-order supplies waiting for me when I can get back to stamping next week. That will be fun but not as special as the graduation celebrations we're preparing. Hoping the weather is terrific for tomorrow! 

No posting until Monday for me - have a great weekend!

 

Supplies~  all supplies by Stampin' Up!

Stamps: none
Paper: Kraft, Confetti White, Old Olive, Chocolate Chip
Ink: none

Accessories: My Digital Studio (text), Scallop Trim Punch, Scallop Trim Corner Punch, 1-1/4" Striped Ribbon, Sending Love Epoxy Brads, Sherbet Designer Buttons, Linen Thread

Order from me online anytime HERE or e-mail me HERE with any questions you have!

Artisan Entries - Sisters

 

I was most satisfied after creating my Artisan Contest pages even though they seemed the hardest to make. I am out of practice even though I did LOTS of scrap-booking in earlier days. For the pages, I did not start with a set idea like I do with most projects, they evolved through trial and error so I was always surprised at the result! 

This one was my favorite. You might notice the patterned band at the bottom, it's a rub on and it was also used for the sisters title. I die cut the rub on letters (it's hard to see the paisley design) with the alphabet, and then adhered it to the panel. A creative idea like this is great when it works (sometimes mine utterly backfire :0 )

The hearts and circles are punched and popped up. The details show up much better in the larger photo (you can click the pic to see.) This page is 12 x12"

Thanks for all the love and encouragement. I am so glad to be starting a new and happier week!

Supplies~  all supplies by Stampin' Up!
Stamps: Favorite Things
Paper: Whisper White, Creamy Caramel, Ruby Red, Pretty in Pink, Sweet Pea Designer Series Paper
Ink:Chocolate Chip

Accessories:Dots and Designs Rub Ons, 1/2" Circle, Heart to Heart, Spiral and Curly Label Punches; On Board Loads of Letters, Pink Taffeta Ribbon, Naturally Serif Decorative Strip Die, Big Shot, Stampin' Write marker, uni-ball signo gel pen, Piercing mat and tool,

Order from me online anytime HERE or e-mail me HERE with any questions you have!

My Dear Sweet Pea

Read on for a little treat offer from me.

OK, I promised a dignified crafting post so here ya go! I hope to show you today how you can take some simple elements and turn them into a beautiful, treasured memory.

When I first saw the Occasions Mini, I was delighted to discover that the Sweet Pea Stitched Felt embellishments used my favorite nickname for our daughter when she was little. I knew I'd just have to make a page highlighting them and her sweet face.

 

The color cues come from her dress. I love using the Lattice Die, it's so versatile and there are so many ways to use it! I think this will be a go-to for my pages~I added it here for a visual line, a bit of texture and an echo of the trellis design in the wallpaper. The line of ribbon draws attention to her smiling bright eyes. 

The most important part of any page is the the thoughts you write about it. This is a 6x6 page, but there is room to add a journal entry at the bottom. I'll save that for later!

Supplies are listed below. As always, I'd love to hear from you! Would you like a chance to play with a few lattice die cuts and a couple sweet pea flowers?  Leave a comment by noon (EST) on February 5th, and I'll choose a lucky winner to send the goodies to.

Supplies~  all supplies by Stampin' Up!
Stamps: I {Heart} Hearts
Paper: Sage Shadow, Pretty in Pink, Whisper White, Rose Red
and Ink: Rose Red, Chocolate Chip

Accessories:Chat Room Rub Ons (sentiment), Lattice Bigz die, 5/8" satin ribbon, Modern Label punch, Button Latte Designer Buttons

Order from me online anytime HERE or e-mail me HERE with any questions you have!

Gotcha!

 Good morning! Sorry I've been missing the last couple of days but I've been juggling again now that life has fully resumed in our household after the holidays.  I'm also still trying not to overdo and pace myself to do the most important things first. Prayerfully and carefully. Patiently waiting to get to stamp!

I have something to show you today that I'm pulling out of my photos. Here's a peek at a scrap page that I did recently. Don't be too shocked, I know you're used to cards, but I still do scrapbook *once in a while.*

 

I kept it pretty plain and simple so that the focus is on the photo. Actually the focus is on the camera lens!  I used a jumbo grommet in the O of Gotcha! to repeat that idea. If you'd like a better look at the details, click on the photo to enlarge. Side note: Here in NC, even a little bit of snow is a big deal. I'll bet they closed the schools early for this!

The colors are Dusty Durango, Basic Gray, black and white. I used the Circle Circus set and DSP from the Autumn Traditions pack. 

In keeping with the streamlined theme today, I'll keep this short as well and wish you a terrific weekend! Glad I GOTCHA! for this moment and thanks for sharing it with me. Your encouraging words and visits are an inspiration to me!

 

Peace and Joy Page

I've got just a few things going on today~just got back from a trip for my Mother's 90th birthday ( can you believe it?!?!) and that was so much fun. Want to know what's not much fun? Having a crew here since yesterday morning replacing ALL the pipes in our house. It's a long story that you don't want to hear but the gist of it is that stamping something new to share with you has NOT been possible.

But I have a treat for you anyway - here's a 12 x 12 page I did for the display boards at Convention 09 - (don't think I've shared it yet? keeping my fingers crossed) using the Tree Trimmings set.

 

I love the versatility of these images because they can be elegant or trendy; reflect a retro or even a boho style.  I went with elegant here, to match the photo from last year's Christmas tree. It was a bit of a challenge last May to make this sample because we could only use designer papers that were current and the Christmas choices were very limited. So I chose my color scheme and plugged in this pattern from the Flock Together series. Don't ever let yourself be limited by what a stamp or paper was designed for - that's the fun of creative stamping! 

Here's just a bit more info about my page~

• I love the way the Organza ribbon dresses up the whole page and mirrors the pattern in the ornament in the photo. This ribbon easily wraps up any project beautifully!
• The ornaments from the Tree Trimmings set are embellished with glitter, square rhinestone brads, and silver elastic cord. These images are perfect to use to make your own embellishments.
• The title was cut with Stampin' Up!'s Join in the Cheer die. I trimmed it to use only the words that I wanted. Super easy!

I will not post supplies today - got to keep this quick, but if you have any questions about what I used, don't hesitate to ask me in the comments section. Hope that you'll be inspired to get out your stamps paper and ink and make something beautiful!  I'm going to do the same and I'll be back tomorrow to show you what I made..