Just a few fab & crafty ideas that caught my eye on Twitter lately…
Amazing fall leaf tutorial, tweeted by
@collageartist:
(click image to go to tutorial)
Free printable gift wrap, tweeted by @evaledesign & @creaturecomfort:
(click image, link to download at bottom of
page)
Homemade glue dot tutorial
tweeted by @craftychica – totally ingenious! Who knew you could do this??
I'm thinking about making "Word on the Tweet" a regular feature here. What do you think?
Last night, while
cleaning out my Harry Potter closet (we call it that because it’s under the
stairs – no pre-teen wizards or related memorabilia are actually kept in
there), I came across this Halloween party invitation I made many moons ago.
Cute, huh? Can you
spot the vintage materials? It’s like an archaeological expedition into the
scrapbooking industry. Note the shape of the mummy – these invites were my way
of using up all those Paperkins I had collected in my Early Scrapbooking Era.
The patterned paper is thought to be an artifact from one of the initial KI
Memories lines, circa the very early 21st century. Upon analysis,
you will find the mummy’s wrappings are fashioned from Making Memories
bookbinding tape, typical of the What Else Can We Use For Scrapbooking Age. The
roughed up green paper and liberal use of ink indicates that the Distress It
Phase was well underway. The font is reminiscent of Comic Sans, but is likely a
more obscure variation from the time period known as I Have Over 5,000 Fonts On
My Computer. Fast forward to a
more modern mummy (is that an oxymoron?), which I came across yesterday at
Craftig.
How sweet are these
candy bar wrappers? Such an easy & fun idea! I definitely plan to make some
candy bar mummies this Halloween season. I just hope I don’t find one in the
back of the closet 7 years from now!
Has your creative
mojo been feeling a little out of shape lately? Tired of that same old square
or rectangular canvas for your scrapbooking, art journaling, or painting? Maybe
it’s time to think outside the box – the box shape of your background, that is.
I scrapbook in all
sizes, but 12x12 is my go-to format. Ever get to the point where you feel like
you have exhausted every possible photo and embellishment configuration? Me
too! That’s when mixing things up by using a different shape can be helpful. An
unfamiliar form or size makes you rethink the real estate you’re working with,
and conjures up those creative juices.
Die cut scrapbook papers have been en vogue for quite while, and yet I typically wind up cutting a piece of them to use on a square page rather than using them as a background. Not so for this super-quick layout. I just slapped down a photo & title, and was able to further cut corners with the handy, pre-printed lines for journaling.
My style is usually
more linear, so I used a rectangle of cardstock to ground this die cut scallop
on one side, and let it all hang out on the other. The cardstock gave me an
edge to anchor some paper strips, which I used to make a grid for lining up my
photo & title.
Circles aren’t the
only shape in town, though. I came across an ‘unusually shaped layout’
challenge on the Scrapbook-101 blog, and even linear little ol’ me couldn’t
resist trying my hand at a page inspired by Natlalie Macdonald’s.
I cut the rainbow
from a piece of cardboard and painted it, then cut a piece of white felt into a
cloud shape and glued it on. After that, I pretty much just crossed over into
the Zone of Creative Abandon, adding a little of this and that until it seemed
done. It is so outside my box, it’s like I got shipped to another zip code and
dropped on the porch of creative craziness…and that’s why I love it. It’s
really fun to just play with the possibilities once in a while. And P.S. – it
fits in a 12x6 sheet protector.
Do you dabble in
diecut papers? Been thinking about breaking out of the box-shaped page? Let me
see what you come up with!
Oh, and speaking of Scrapbook-101, they are having an awesome Charity Extravaganza cyber crop to benefit charitywater.org. It starts at 7pm GMT on Friday, November 13, and goes on for 48 fun-filled hours. Cathy Zielske will be kicking off the first challenge, and there will be a new challenge posted every two hours (including one by me). Lots of great prizes, too! Click on over for all the details if you’re interested in signing up.
Did you see the latest issue of Scrapbook Ellaments?
I have a really fun page in the Happy Hints article, using Halloween candy wrappers.
(image: xobobox.com)
Here's some behind-the-scenes info on my page:
Yes, my children did in fact still have Halloween candy squirreled away from last year, which I shamelessly raided to do my page.
Yes, I did clean the wrappers, with a Clorox wipe, to remove any candy residue. I live in an area that gets more than its fair share of ants, and didn't want to take any chances.
No, I did not eat the candy. Okay...I did chew the Dubble Bubble. But that's it.
I discovered a few things while making the page.
1. Dubble Bubble is like chewing on a rock whether it's brand new or a year old. And for some reason, I like it anyway.
2. Candy bar wrappers will absolutely jam up your circle punch, and are not easy to cut with a circle cutter, either. They seem to be made out of some sort of mylar-ish material, and easily snag and rip. Have extras on hand, or better yet, use a cardstock circle as a guide and cut by hand with sharp scissors.
3. The waxed paper wrappers for Dubble Bubble or Tootsie Rolls are much easier to cut, but almost impossible to stick down...for the same reason they don't stick to the candy, I suppose. Xyron doesn't work, Glue Dots don't work. I finally wound up using tacky glue.
4. I originally journaled directly on the page, and messed up royally. I covered it with that orange journaling block, which I wound up liking so much better. It balances the page and completes the "orange trifecta" of the title and the preprinted flowers. Sometimes the best ideas come from mistakes.
Wondering what else you can do with your candy wrappers this Halloween?
How about decoupaging some candy wrapper buckets a la Martha Stewart. You can find the instructions here.
Did anyone else make gum wrapper chains as a kid? Here's a cool variation using candy wrappers to make a bracelet.
(click image for tutorial)
And if you're feeling really industrious, and a little bit Project Runway-ish, how about a prom dress made entirely of Skittles wrappers? Seriously.
Remember this
challenge? Hard to believe a year has gone by, huh?
I must say I have
really grown to love this simple little album that sits on the shelf above my
computer. At the time I made it, it seemed kind of mundane…of course these are
the places I went regularly. So what? Doesn’t everyone go to the bank, and to
Target, and to pick their kids up from school? Well guess what?
Changes in the economy caused my bank to be taken over by a different one. My
youngest started kindergarten, so the preschool will never again be part of my
taxi mom route. And Target…well, okay. Some things never change. Here is what this
challenge solidified for me: living in the present moment doesn’t mean I can’t
think back to yesterday, or ahead to tomorrow, next week, or next year. It
means I am conscious of what is happening NOW, in the context of yesterday,
tomorrow, next week, or next year. It means that while I
am rolling my eyes at my kindergartner throwing yet another box of character
Band-Aids in the Target cart this week, I am realizing that this obsession of
hers will pass. She will probably not be covered in Hello Kitty Band-Aids at
Prom. And I am also making a connection about the fact that her sister HATED
wearing Band-Aids at this age, mentally cataloging that difference. It means that even
though the afternoon kindergarten schedule is mega-inconvenient, it is a gift
to have my little sidekick with me every morning. It means recognizing how
fleeting a school year (or a childhood) is in the whole scheme of things. It means embracing the
disruption of my morning routine to enjoy this time with her. She will be in
school all day soon enough. Or hello...she will be living at college soon enough. Having kids at both ends of the age spectrum gives me a huge sense of perspective. Living in the present
moment means being an active participant in what’s going on around me…resisting
the urge to pick up the iPhone every time there is a lull (I promise I’m
working on that one!), making eye contact with salespeople, taking a minute to
make small talk with the playground supervisor instead of doing a drop &
dash. It means connecting rather than barreling through the day like a human checkmark on a
life-sized to do list. Here is the quickie,
photoless page I made to document what a difference a year makes. But enough about me.
Did you participate in the challenge last year? Head over to the special Flickr
group Stacy has set up, and share your experiences by uploading a layout and/or
participating on the discussion board. If you didn’t
participate last year and wish you had, there’s no time like the present!
Yesterday I watched this video by Amy Krouse Rosenthal
and it inspired me to think about 9 things that I’m excited about right now.
1. Kindergarten. The kindergarten year is such a special one, and this is my last time to experience it as a mom. I know all too well how fast the years tumble by once they start "big school" (hello, daughter in college who I swear was just in this very same kindergarten classroom!). I plan to savor every moment.
2. Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs opens today! We have plans to see it Sunday.
3. Putting together a workshop for Big Picture Scrapbooking. I can’t share the details yet, but I’m having so much fun working on it!
4. Ella Publishing – so much to look forward to from this fun new company!
5. Going to the Nordstrom cosmetics trend show tomorrow morning with Kendra & her college roomies. Fun girl time + goody bags + makeovers. Yay!
6. This camera strap that I just bought from vmjess. Adore her stuff! I have had one of her straps for a long time, and have given a bunch of them as gifts. I decided it was my turn for a fun new pattern.
7. The LOAD challenge starting again in October.
8. Getting my hair cut & colored tomorrow afternoon. It’s LONG overdue!
9. This Helen Dardik print that I bought a while back and am finally getting around to hanging this weekend.
What are you excited about? Tell me in the comments, or link me to it on your blog!
File this under the category of using your scrapbook supplies in a unique way. Look at this font-tastic chair makeover I saw on the Junior Society blog today:
There’s a tutorial here.
Painting over alphabet stickers for a carved look – is that inspired or what?? I wonder what else I could pimp out with alphas and a can of paint…a shelf, a wall…the mind boggles!
Today was the first day of school for my kiddos – the perfect time to try out some of the tips from Rebecca Cooper’s new photography e-book from Ella Publishing.
My first day of school pics are typically pretty mediocre, but thanks to Rebecca, I was much more conscious today of lighting, background, & perspective.
Here are a few of my favorites.
The requisite ‘front door shot’…only this year I remembered to have them step forward, out of that annoying slice of sunlight that’s usually across someone’s face.
New school shoes are a very big deal around here, so I had to document that.
Taite in her sparkle-tastic Sketchers Twinkle Toes…
…and Reece in his super cool Ecko sneakers. Notice he already has a slightly scuffed toe, and he has been wearing them for 10 minutes.
This was a first for me, shooting up the front steps of the school. (ETA: Shooting the photo from below the steps...I was not shooting up the school!) Love it! This may become our new traditional shot. Much more interesting than that front door.
This one just warms my heart. Can I get a collective “Awwwww”? Big brother leading little sis by the hand on her first day at “big school”. Sheesh, I’m getting all teary again.
I had my camera zoomed in and focused, and called Reece’s name while he was waiting for his classroom door to open. I snapped this photo in just the instant he looked up, before he could go all goofy 4th grader on me. This is one of those ‘glimpse into the future’ photos, I think. He looks so grown up!
And finally, a detail shot of the backpacks. As nostalgic as I am about my elementary school lunchboxes and fashion trends, I’m sure Reece will one day appreciate a record of what constituted a cool backpack, circa 2009.
What would the first day of school be without a pop quiz? I’ll leave you with the page I did yesterday, amongst the madness and mayhem of back to school preparations, using the fab quizzes & sketches download from Ella Publishing. I printed & cut out the journaling spots in the morning, and had Reece fill in the details just before dinner. Once the kids were in bed, in between a last minute grocery store run for paper lunch bags, and baking my traditional back to school school brownies, I threw this page together. With minimal brain power, I was able to complete it in less than 30 minutes, including the time I spent obsessing over whether my circles were even. (That top right one is not, but I'm mostly over it now.)
I’m thinking I’m going to swap that photo for the one of him in the hat from this morning…since he mentions his hats being the coolest thing about him.
Has anyone else tried a quiz page yet, inspired by Angie & Wendy's book or eZine article?
What accessorizes your days that you might not be paying attention to? Think about it.
