Frugal Scrapbooking: A Unique Paper Album

This challenge was on one of my CafeMom groups, and I couldn't resist!  I haven't done much scrapping for myself in the last two months, and I had all the new Winter Joy papers by Bo Bunny that I was dying to use.

Have you seen this project before?  Can you guess what this is made from?

Toilet paper rolls!  Really!  I had seen tutorials to make gift card holders from TP rolls, but never thought about a mini album!

I used rolls from toilet paper that were mega rolls; they seem to be a bigger tube than regular rolls.  What I like about this project is that you can use this as a gift for someone at Christmas and hide a gift card in one of the pockets.  But I think I will keep this one.  I may even add another page (or two!)

Product Review: The Bzz on Elmers and X-acto craft products

This is my review on the Elmers and X-acto products that I received from BzzAgent! 

From the package of products that I received, I can say that my favorite product was the Elmers Craft Bond liquid glue.  This glue worked great on chipboard albums; it adhered cardstock to the pages without bubbling or pages coming apart later when dry.  The glue dried quickly and was not messy.  I would definitely buy it again for these types of projects.  The bottle does have a narrow dispensing end so that it makes it easier to use on small embellishments.

The tape runner and glue dots were comparable to other brands that I use.  The advantage is that tape runner refills and glue dots replacements are not very expensive at Wal-Mart (the only store where they are available).  The glue stick was okay; we used it for my 7 year old's class project where we glued paper onto paper and it held fine.

As for the X-acto products, I wasn't too impressed.  The corner rounder wasn't very strong and you could only use it on single sheet standard scrapbook paper for it to work well.  The scissors were okay, but I only used them to cut scrap paper to say that a tried it -- I don't use decorative scissors anymore for my scrapbooking or card making.

All in all -- the Elmers products are good and very affordable if you use a lot of different types of adhesive.  The X-acto products I would pass on (at least the scissors and corner rounder).  Other X-acto products are probably still great, such as the ever popular X-acto knife and blades.

That's my review -- I hope that it may help as you make your own purchase decisions.  Feel free to post your opinions here on these products or others -- it always helps!

Card Making Process: Christmas for You in Purple and Blue

Adore the Bo Bunny "Winter Joy" collection for Christmas this year!  I love purples and aquas, so this paper was a fun change from the traditional colors!  The embellishments and rub-ons are great for card making!

My latest class at Scrapology includes these four cards, plus a card holder.  Use the cards for yourself or give as an early Christmas gift!

Card Making Process: School is in Session!

It's time for me to put the scrappy stuff away for the week, as I have other obligations that I must accomplish -- but I was able to finish two more cards today!

This one is for the Design Dollies color challenge -- and it was a doozy!  Red, Blue, Orange and Green -- that combination can be tricky, but I like how this turned out.  

I thought the sticker borders I found worked well with the paper, and I added an extra green stripe to meet the requirements of the Dollies.  This will be a nice teacher card, or a student congrats card, don't you think?

Card Making Process: OWH Challenge Card

Here is another card that I did for an Operation Write Home challenge that was posted today.  I followed their Sketch #33, which was another great way to use up scraps.  The artwork is from SJ's Little Musings.  I just love her artwork -- especially her character digis!   I've gotten a couple digi  freebies from her too.  Be sure to check out her blog to see her stuff -- I think you'll fall for them too!  Her characters are sweet, new and different.  I have a couple others that I plan to use in the near future so look for it here! 

I also got this card finished for an order -- they wanted yellow, but I came up with this.  They loved it and I hope that the person who receives it loves it too!

Card Making Process: Glossy Apple Accent Card

I finally picked up a bottle of the Glossy Accents (by Ranger) while checking in at Scrapology last week.  While going through my school themed stash, I came across four of these simple apple diecuts (I think they were from Creative Memories):

I knew they would be cute on Teacher cards, but they were . . . well . . . dull.  Ta-da!  Glossy Accents!

I started around the outside to make sure I got to the edges (you can use the bottle tip to move it around), then worked toward the middle.

This is when I was done -- I did use the bottle tip to take off just a little bit of that pool at the bottom of the apple.  It's okay if the paper bows a little.  It drys flat.  Make sure you give it plenty of time to dry.  I played it safe by letting it dry an hour, but it may only take 30 minutes.

Voila!  The finished apple on the card.  Really dresses it up, doesn't it? Makes old stuff look new.

You can notice the bubbles at the bottom of the apple?  I learned -- don't shake the bottle!  LOL  But you don't really notice it unless you look up close like this!

Have any of you had experiences with Glossy Accents?  Let me know or post your project using Mr. Linky below!

Card Making Process: Back to School

It's Friday, the laundry is "cooking", and it's a glorious rainy day -- perfect for scrapping!  I also love that it's going to be a three day weekend, which will give me more time to sit and work on more cards for challenges that will eventually go toward my October shipment Operation Write Home.  I was going through all my stash of Back to School stuff the past couple days, and I have way too much that I'll never use for layouts now . . . especially since I got a complete kit of the new "School Spirit" collection from Crate Paper!  (I'll have to tell you more on how I got that nifty little kit for free another time!)  Since I did have a lot of cute diecuts and stickers that I just can't throw away, I decided to use them for cards.

So with all this stash, I completed a card for this week's challenge at The Sweet Shop.  Most card challenge blogs I like require you to use stamps (or their stamps).  The Sweet Shop lets you use your own, which I did for the sentiment of the card, stamped in the inside of the apple diecut:

I thought this card could card could be used for a teacher or student.  What do you think?

Scrapbook Process: Three in One - In the Sun

This is a first -- I completed the "trifecta" at Design Dollies today!  The trifecta is one entry combining all three of this week's challenges:  color, element and sketch.  

The colors were royal blue, aqua and orange.  I was to incorporate watery waves and then follow the sketch on yesterday's post.  WOW.

So here is the final product --

Once again, I dove in my paper stash to use something that was sitting there for awhile (blue dotted paper).  The orange polka dot paper is from a Chloe's Closet paper stack.  And of course, Thickers!

Scrapbook Process: Van-tastic Layout

We are having our monthly crop in our CafeMom group this week, ending Friday.

For one challenge, I was to complete a 12x12 layout to represent my time in the car.  LOL!  So this morning on the way to the mailbox, I grabbed my camera and took some "representing" photos!

I liked how it turned out . . . especially since I used very old paper that I'm too stingy to get rid of!  The flower is made out of a small strip of crepe paper, and I was thrilled that I had matching Thickers! (LOVE Thickers!)  Feeling quite proud of myself, I went to post this photo, only to discover that I didn't quite exactly follow all the rules!  Yellow was to be the main color, with a choice of adding just two colors (purple, green or blue).  I added all three colors, and I don't think my yellow is quite predominant.  However, I keep trying to get our CafeMom group moms to think more outside the box with what they scrap, so I need to do that too.

Card Making Process: Where Flowers Bloom

This card looks like Fall, doesn't it?  It wasn't originally my intention, but it is what came together with this sweet flower digi stamp from Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps, (only 99 cents!) and this quote I created it in Microsoft Word.

Today's Stampin' Sisters in Christ challenge, was to "create a card of apology or one reaching out to someone and encouraging them to put the past behind them and move forward."   I thought this card would be a very nice encouragement for a friend.  What do you think?

Card Making Process: Friendship Card

I'm still in a card frenzy lately -- besides the class projects I do for Scrapology -- I have been digging out some old stamps and papers and making new and different cards to replenish my supply.

For this card, I found a "Honey Pie" paper pad from Cosmo Cricket in my stash, added a Prima and chipboard embellies.  This will be submitted for a challenge for Design Dollies -- my first submission (although I've been a fan since their inception) !!

It's a beautiful day outside, hence the idea to take photos of my cards out on the patio . . . . but since it's 100 degrees, I made it quick and came back inside.  :)

Card Making Process: Patriotic Papering

I found some patriotic type paper in my stash, and I got to card making. 

These are pretty simple; I was focused on trying out a stamp set from a Danielle Johnson (Art Warehouse) line. 

These will be forwarded to our troops, because I just can't say enough about how thankful I am for all they do! 

Scrapology Class: Seven Card Party!

Isn't this little purse card holder cute?  It's my new card class this month at Scrapology!  We are making the purse, plus SEVEN cards with some of the Lush line from My Mind's Eye.

Card Making Process: Father's Day

Here are a couple cards that I made from the leftovers from the "DAD" album kit of the Graphic 45 papers:

Scrapology Class: Proper Gentleman's Album

The great thing about working at Scrapology (http://www.scrapologytx.com/) is that I get to experiment with different companies and their new papers!

This is a chipboard "DAD" album that I created for a class at the store using the "Proper Gentleman" papers.  I really liked how it turned out, and it will be an awesome gift for an equally awesome dad!

Scrapbooking: Fluttery Challenge!

This layout was a challenge in my CafeMom scrapping group.  We had to incorporate "feet" on the layout, and I just had gotten these photos developed, and they were perfect!

I used paper from the Bo Bunny "Flutter Butter" line, with butterfly felt accents from Heidi Swapp, and flower from Making Memories.  I'm pleased with how this turned out -- and I went back to Scrapology today to buy another sheet so I can do an accompanying page with the rest of the photos in this series!

Card Making Process: Say Cheese!

So  excited!  I am getting to play with the new Bo Bunny "Mamarazzi" collection!  I have been waiting for this to arrive because it really fits my personality.   I just completed a chipboard book kit that will be a class at Scrapology in May (photo posted soon!).  Last night I sat down to finish some other projects, but the Mamarazzi scraps were still on my work table calling my name.  (And as a crafter, you know I must answer to the call!)  I decided I would try to come up with some cards . . . and while the first one seemed to take the longest, it wasn't long before 3 more were finished, all using the scraps.  :)

The slide mounts that I wouldn't let my hubby throw away are really going to come in handy with this theme paper!

Scrapbooking Process: Texas Snow!

I leave near Austin, TX, and on February 23 this year, we had a REAL snow day!  The snow came during the day (instead of at night and gone by morning as in the past) so our whole family could spend time in the afternoon playing!

This weekend I was at an evening crop at Scrapology (http://www.scrapologytx.com/) and got some layouts finished, including the snow photos!

For this layout, I used Heidi Grace printed papers, the blue double dot paper from Bo Bunny, Thickers for the title and snowflakes from a Christmas Cricut cart.  The inspiration came from a great book I just picked up called "Kick it Up - Adding Spice to Your Scrapbook Layouts" by Greta Hammond and Angelia Wigginton.

Scrapology Class: Flipping for Spring!

Another fun project for a Scrapology class!  I used some new papers, stickers and chipboard from The Little Yellow Bicycle's Fresh Print Clothesline set, which are so springy, sweet and oh so perfect for doing an Easter or flower album!  I used several photos that I took on Easter Sunday of the bluebonnets and other wildflowers here in Texas.

The "springtime" imprint here is on the paper -- I thought this made a perfect album cover!

Scrapology Class: Flutter with Bo Bunny

These are the cards that I made up for the card class at Scrapology next month.  They are from the Bo Bunny "Flutter Butter" line -- plus some additional embellies from the Embellishment Bar at the store.  (I ♥ her embellie bar!  You can buy singles of anything you need to finish a card or scrapbook page -- such a great idea!)

Want more info on the classes next month?  Go here:
http://www.scrapologytx.com/www.scrapologytx.com/February.html

Frugal Scrapbooking: Scraps, Scraps, Scraps!

As a scrapper, I love playing with paper. I am also thrifty, and I don’t want to throw away ANY paper. Like most scrappers, I have lots of small pieces that I just cannot part with.
I shared this my sorting idea with the gals at Crop-n-Chat, because it works so for me. I took me a couple hours to get this system set up, but it has save me a lot of time from searching for a certain scrap of paper or just giving in and cutting into a large piece of paper which then creates . . . . more scraps.

This is my scrap drawer in my rolling cart. I have about a dozen zippered bags with scraps sorted by color. (Blues are sorted by light, medium, dark and bright, since I use a LOT of that color!)

On the side of this drawer are 12” long scraps in different widths that I can use for borders on my 12”x12” pages.
Cost of the project – the price of one box of small Ziploc bags.

Photo Focus: Ordinary Days

It seems as though we are great about scrapping special events, people and places, but never the day to day. I'm an event scrapper -- most of my pages are of special events. This year I wanted to try something different -- borrowed from many of the blogs that I love to follow.

I am challenging myself and my girlfriends at the Crop N Chat group on CafeMom to do the "Take Ten". Take ten photos during the month of the "ordinary" (yet extraordinary!) everyday things that happen. We can take more, or less, but the object is to keep your camera out and capture things you normally wouldn't think about snapping. About half way through the month, I post a two page layout sketch the ladies can follow if they wish to get those photos on paper right away!

So here is just one of the photos I took this week -- my youngest diligently doing his homework. I am amazed that he can sit on his feet that way and be comfortable!