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Not completely -- it's just that this blog is continuing in a new place with a new name!

Head over to

Ink. Paper. Glue. And Coffee.


Grab your coffee and let's craft!

My April Scrapping Kit - My Minds Eye

I previously posted that I'm on a mission to use up all my older paper collections and scraps before I purchase any more new goodies.  A "scrapping fast" as many other crafters are calling it.

This past weekend I put together another kit for April, combining three My Minds Eye collections:  Stella Rose, Indie Chic, and So Sophie.  At the time I purchased them, I must have really like the aqua and yellow combination, which is great because these three collections are easily interchangeable!  Along with the 12 x 12 papers, I had chipboard from the Stella Rose, a 6 x 6 pad and die cuts from Indie Chic, and die cuts and overlays from So Sophie.  Also thrown in were brads from the MME "The Sweetest Thing" collection, the paper of which I used up last week. 

This is how I make my own kit:

1. The 12 x 12 containers from Michaels are the perfect storage for homemade kits! You can see through them, and they hold a lot of goodies all in one place.  Be sure to get them when they are on sale or use a 40% off coupon for the best price.  In my scrap closet, I usually have two of these that I fill and empty all the time.  It is incredibly handy to grab and get something scrapping finished.

2.  Next, I go through my paper box, where currently I file all my left over papers and collections by manufacturer and choose a color scheme that attracts me.  From that, I go through the rest of the box and find all the papers that easily coordinate (usually there is a three color theme that I will use).

3.  Third, I will go through my stash of embellishments and choose what is left from the original collection, plus anything else that coordinates with it.  Thickers or other chipboard lettering also goes in the box.

4.  Because I hate throwing things away, I have this drawer set on my desk that houses miscellaneous stickers, die cuts and chipboard.  The next step will be going through these drawers and find anything that I can use up that matches my kit.  I love to put all these miscellaneous pieces in this cute catch-all and leave it on my desk for easy access.

5.  Finally, photos.  I will go through my current pics or archives and print photos with my Canon Selphy, putting the dates on the back.  This way, I have all that I need in one spot for when I want to sit down and be creative for a few minutes.

As the scrapping begins, I always check my other stash for buttons, twine and other things that are stored by color.  This makes it easy to grab a small container and go through to find extra embellies to add to a layout.

The fun thing about shopping from your stash is that you can put together some real creative kits.  I find that many of my layouts from a kit will look much more "scrappy" -- meaning that it looks more like a scrapbook page instead of something very coordinated.  You can make it simple, or get more artsy as you meld your scraps together.  Does that make sense?  I personally like the different look as I go through my scrapbook at the variety of pages that I have created.

Since this destashing has begun I include one caveat with these homemade kits.  Once I have used up all the paper that I can (including using some scraps for cards),

I will throw the rest away.

In the trash can.  Never to be retrieved.

I will also go through the embellishments, and if I have tried a couple times to use them with different kits and they go unused, they go in the trash. You have to get rid of the old to invite in the new, right?

Try making some kits with your older stash.  Let's use up that great stuff or throw away and move on.  Who's with me?

Scrapbook Process: The Sweetest Thing from My Minds Eye

This week I am on a roll, finishing pages for my "heritage" album.  This album is not just old photos of my family, but also contains newer family portraits, so they are all together.

For the Make it Monday challenge this week at The Memory Nest, I used their sketch to finish another page for this album:

Here is my interpretation of the sketch:  (sorry for the lighting glare!)

From my stash, I used the collection "The Sweetest Thing" from My Minds Eye.  The title, journaling block and the parentheses chipboard pieces were the only things not from the collection, along with the cream paper for the background.  This layout is of my niece and her husband's wedding from just seven years ago, but it is a must addition for the family album.  I thought the soft blue, flowered paper was a perfect choice for wedding photos.  

You still have time to complete your own layout using this sketch from The Memory Nest!

Scrapbook Album Alternative to WeR Memory Keepers

How to you shelve your scrapbook albums? Do you make sure they are all the same and labeled by year?  Do you have categorized albums? Do you just buy whatever album you can find on sale?

In the past, I was a super fan of the brown leather-like albums from Hobby Lobby where I organized my layouts by year.  They were sturdy with large rings and I could use a 40% off coupon when I needed a new one.

However, Hobby Lobby is a drive, and once Michael's opened just 10 minutes away, I started purchasing the WeR Memory Keepers albums with my 40% off coupon.  The same albums were also at our Target, which sold for $10 less than Michaels, and I didn't need a coupon for the best deal.

Target has made some changes for their art supply department, and the favorite WeR Memory Keepers albums went away (along with the majority of their other scrapbook supplies).  The picking was slim at Michaels as well and just focuses on the Project Life albums.

My dilemma was that I wanted the black, faux leather, which was hard to find in my area.  Now as a Stampin' Up demonstrator, I found the most perfect solution!  Stampin' Up sells a black, Project Life album that is nearly identical to the WeR albums!

In the top left photo is a WeR Memory Keepers album; in the top right, the Project Life by Stampin' Up.  Both have the large D rings.  The difference is the metal labels on the spine, but since they are both the silver color, it will still look similar on the shelf.

If you are looking for black faux leather albums, may I suggest you check out my Stampin'Up store website?  The best part is that until April 10th, there is FREE SHIPPING on any size order!  So pick up a couple albums for your Spring and Summer scrapbooking and/or Project Life projects!

And if you are strictly a Project Life scrapbooker, Stampin' Up sells exclusive Project Life card and stamp sets that you cannot find anywhere else!  At my website, search "Project Life" to see all the awesome supplies available!

Want to earn some credit for your new albums and Project Life supplies?  If you are local to me, you can have a Craft Camp with your crafting buddies.  I will come and show you some fun projects you can do with your friends where you can enjoy and experiment with Stampin' Up projects.

If you are not local, and you do not have a Stampin' Up Demonstrator, you can have an Online Party!  Simply message me through my website for details on this fun alternative you can have with online friends while earning Hostess Credit!

Have a great week, and thanks for visiting!

Mojo is Back!

After a long break from crafting and blogging, it's good to be back with some new layouts, cards and challenge posts!

These last few months have been busy with homeschool and homeschool co-op with my youngest, plus spending time with my oldest, taking him to his new job and teaching him to drive in the process.  I also signed up as a Stampin' Up consultant, which has been such a fun time! (more on this later)

We just took a ten day Spring Break, in which I took the opportunity to go through my scrap stash and purge many things that hadn't been used for eons, and probably wouldn't ever get used.  I grouped what I planned to keep by collection, so it would be easier to grab a sleeve of product and finish a layout when I only had a few minutes.  Needless to say since reorganizing, scrapping has been more fun, and over the Break, I finished MANY layouts, cards and pocket scrapbooking pages! (Videos coming soon to my YouTube channel!)

For this post, I wanted to share two layouts that I completed yesterday for the Make it Monday sketch challenges over at The Memory Nest blog.  (You can find the challenges on the right margin of Leslie's blog)

The first sketch is this one for Make it Monday # 35.

For this layout, I used the remainder of the 2010 Fancy Pants collection on hand called "My Family". The only additions were Basic Grey chipboard letters, along with a few gems.

The next sketch is for Make it Monday #36:

Again for this layout, I grabbed one of my sleeves with what I had left of the 2010 Little Yellow Bicycle's "Twig"collection.  Once I started to follow the design, I remembered this photo and the page took on a different twist.  The back layers are probably the only original item from the sketch, but I am happy with how this turned out.  

In addition to the collection paper and embellishment sheet, I added the chipboard title phrases from K & Company.

There is still time to take part of these challenges, where you could win a gift certificate from The Memory Nest store.  

I hope this post will inspire you to get out those old collections and use them up!

Back from Summer -- and a Scrapbook Share!

We have had a busy summer, as I am sure you have too!  We started our homeschooling on August 5th, so we are slowly getting back into the regular routine.

For most of July I scrapped my heart out, working on my oldest son's birthday album with the RSVP collection from Basic Grey.   Some old pages that were done in the past on 8-1/2" x 11" were completely redone (since I had photo duplicates) so that the entire book looks cohesive.  The RSVP kit was purchased from The Memory Nest, and comes with a great collection of papers for a boy or girl, a sticker sheet and three different sets of letter stickers.

Here is the latest video where I do a quick share on what I have accomplished so far for the album.  For the teenage years, I will be transitioning to the new Celebrations collection from Carta Bella:

What have you done this summer for scrapping??

Friday Flashback: Lego Pages from 2012

Welcome to this week's Flashback Friday!  For Flashback Friday, I highlight past projects that although finished, I haven't blogged about, but I think are worth cataloging.  

This week I am showing off a couple pages finished in 2012, using Lego theme paper by Creative Imaginations.  We went to the big Lego Fest when it was held here in Austin, Texas, and it certainly didn't disappoint my 9 year old!  For the layout, I highlighted two of the best photos to journal about, and I added the map from the Fest brochure to show all that we were able to do: 

We had a great time and I took a lot of photos with my phone.  I decided to add a mini book on the page to post all the other photos that I was sure my son would want included:  

The brads I found at a Scrapbook Expo a couple years prior.  Aren't they cute??

What favorite hobby or past time of your child
do you need to get scrapbooked?

It Was a Card Making Party Weekend!

Thanks so much for stopping by!  If you are looking for the Creative Blog Tour,
visit my earlier post HERE.  (Then come back here, okay??)

This weekend, I participated in as many challenges as possible in the Operation Write Home Virtual Card Making Party.  My Priority Box of cards is almost filled and ready to send on to OWH!

Here are the cards I completed for some of the challenges!

Make a masculine card and a feminine card duo: 

Add "fireworks" to the card (like splatters and sprays):

 Make a red, white and blue card:

Add paper piecing:

(I have to say that I am quite happy with this one! Usually I do not have the patience for fussy cutting, but I was determined to do this challenge.  I even found apple brads in my stash to add to the tree!)

Use scraps (at least 5 different papers) for a card:

(This card has layering on black, which I know Sandy loves!) 

A card with at least one circle and two banners:

(The monochromatic look just happened.)

And lastly, a card including "wings":

Off to do my links and add these to the OWH box!  What did you accomplish this weekend??

Creative Blog Tour!

You know what's awesome?  The scrapbooking community!  There are so so many wonderful, creative and delightful ladies out there and what's better than to get an introduction from another crafty friend?

Thank you to Kelli Panique from Use It Scrapbooking for "tagging" me in this Creative Blog Tour!  Be sure to visit her tour blog post and see what's she's up to, and who else she tagged. This is such a fun way to hop from blog to blog, meeting others and seeing what going on in their craft rooms! At the end of this post, I will tag a couple of my scrappy friends for you to visit and get to know!

Each gal on the tour was asked to answer a couple questions, so here we go!

1.  What am I working on? 

Just like Kelli, I have a LOT of irons in the fire.  Not only do I scrapbook and make cards, but I am a homeschool mom and a writer in process.  You can follow our homeschool adventures on my momma blog, Muses of a Mom.  But here is a short list of my creative projects:  

• Filling a box of cards to send to Operation Write Home; 
• Using up some of my lovely stash for my blog (and YouTube) series, Throwback Thursdays.  This series takes a look at some of those great collections from the last couple years, with ideas and inspiration to get your scrapbooking in the books!
• Working on a non-fiction, inspirational book about a New Testament bible character.  

2. How does my work differ from others of its genre? 

Whenhen I scrapbook, I will try some of the new trends that are out there (such as watercolor or mixed media), but I will often go back to the traditional, tried and true ways of scrapbooking too.  I will use one photo on a page, or six.  Many of my pages tell the story without a lot of journaling.  

 

3. Why do I write/create what I do? 

Scrapbooking became a hobby because I loved this creative way of recording the growing up of my two sons.  Once I got into card making, I saw what a blessing it was to send handmade cards to friends and loved ones, in addition to helping such great projects like Operation Write Home. Scrapbooking, cardmaking and writing are my therapy.  It is easy for me to spend an entire day in my office/craft area, turn on music or a movie and tune out everything else.  If my family didn't have to eat, they wouldn't see me for days! 

4. How does your writing/creating process work?

Previously, I would only create when I would be "in the mood."  This began to change once I was selected to be on the Design Team for The Memory Nest.  Working with someone else's deadlines means that you may need to schedule creative time.  This became a learning experience for me, and it was such a feeling of  accomplishment to sit down, "force" the process and see something evolve. It is usually at these times that new and exciting things blossom!

Ready to meet a couple of my scrappy friends?

Remember when I said that the scrapping community is awesome?  Well, I "met" Leslie on Twitter, found her blog, shopped at her store and then ended up on her Design Team!  She is just lovely, so creative, and I'm so glad I "ran into" her!  

Leslie:  Hello!  I am Leslie the owner of The Memory Nest. I am a stay at home mom turned small business owner. Raising my children for the past 11 years has been an amazing journey.  In June of 2012, I decided to combine my SAHM duties with my dream of owning a scrapbook store. That began my small business journey of opening an online craft store to share my love of scrapbooking with you. www.thememorynest.com  Before kids, I taught third grade and am starting to substitute again.  Besides scrapbooking, I love reading, spinning, and spending time with my family!   

Here is another great gal I "met" in the scrapping community. Every layout I see her post is just utterly amazing!  She has such a fantastic scrapping style -- you will want to check her out for sure!

Sindi:  I have been scrapping for 11 years. I started when I was pregnant with my little boy, who is the subject of 99.9% of all my layouts. Aside from scrapping, I love to crochet and read. I live in the mountains with my hubby, son, twelve chickens, and two spoiled basset hounds. You can find me at sindiscraps.blogspot.com

Thank you so much for stopping by!  If you want to follow my crazy adventures, you can use the social links at the top right to follow the blog here by email, tweets on Twitter and process videos on YouTube!

Monthly Wrap-Up: Scrapbook and Card Layout Share with the "Chairs" Color Kit!

This bright and summery kit from The Memory Nest was a delight to work with this month!  In order to show you everything, please watch the YouTube video below.  I wrap-up the month by showing the layouts completed and highlighted on The Memory Nest blog as a Design Team Member (most layouts have their own process videos on YouTube) in addition to some Graduation cards!

Visit The Memory Nest to get this kit for your summer layouts -- it's only $9.99 -- while supplies last! 

Flashback Friday: Killing Kits from The Memory Nest!

In the past few months as a Design Team Member for The Memory Nest, I have received some awesome product kits for creating!

To close out the month of June and my time as a Design Team Member, I decided to go through all the past kits, gather all those yummy leftover pieces and put together a new double page layout.

The challenge for myself was to only use what was left of these kits without adding anything else from my stash.  Do you think I was able to accomplish the challenge??

Here are the kits that I worked with:

Recollections by Echo Park
PB&J from Basic Grey
Dapper Dan from Glitz
Feels Like Home from Little Yellow Bicycle
RSVP from Basic Grey
Weaving Color Kit (The Memory Nest)

And here are some photos of those yummy leftovers:

While this seems like a lot of goodies, it was still going a little intimidating to mold all these goodies into a cohesive, pleasing layout.

Here is the finish product:

Mission Accomplished! Thanks for stopping by!

Throwback Thursday - Using Authentique "Renew"

Time for another Throwback Thursday!

This week I used up a 6 x 6" paper pad by Authentique called "Renew" along with it's accompanying 12 x 12" sticker sheet.  This collection is probably over a year old, but I remember liking it so well because of the combination of the aqua and yellow:

This post is a little photo heavy, so if you want a quicker version, you can watch it here on YouTube.  Otherwise, keep on scrollin'! 

First, I'll show you the three layouts that I was able to complete. In my stash I had matching aqua cardstock, which I layered on black cardstock.  The only other items I used  from my stash were some old Prima flowers I needed to use up, brads and buttons:

With so much paper and stickers, I finished five cards as well!  Two "Get Well", two "Miss You" (those are going into the Operation Write Home box!) and one other encouragement card.  From my stash I added more Prima flowers, buttons, twine, brads and bling:

 

Time for you to "Dream Big" by digging out a 6 x 6" paper pad this week that you haven't used!  See what you can accomplish this week?

Scrapbook Process: More with the "Chairs" Color Kit!

Today I am sharing more layouts using the versatile "Chairs" Color Kit from The Memory Nest!

This color combination is yummy and I had a blast with it!

There were also papers that I could take from fun (above) to elegant:

The story behind this "Selfie" page will be on my "Kill the Kit" video on YouTube later this month.  

Want to try this kit?  It's on sale and you can get it HERE!