Posts from the ‘scrapbooking’ category

project life: june/july

By on July 26, 2012

Hot summer weather always has a way of making me long for cooler Fall / Winter temps. And with Fall + Winter comes one of my all-time favorite holiday traditions: December Daily. And what is December Daily? Scrapbooking, of course. Sigh. Just when I think I have reached the end of my scrapbooking days, I get sucked right back in. So even though I have to wait a few more months before I can get started on any holiday fun, I can always work on Project Life. Novel concept, right? Ha!

Here’s how I jumped back into it:

June 2012 

I had grand plans for the month of June, but somehow it just turned out to be a single page. And I realized I am totally fine with that. There’s no need to do a two page spread every single time.



July 2012

I decided a two-page spread was in order for this month. I’ve been collecting bits and pieces of ephemera in the hopes of getting back into Project Life mode and I’m so glad I kept them. I think they’re my favorite aspect of the whole PL concept! I’ve also continued with typing my journaling directly onto my photos in Photoshop. Being able to print pictures out and immediately stick them in their respective pockets has been a great way to streamline my process.





Here’s hoping August makes for an excellent PL month!

xoxo

11 Comments

wedding at the bacara.

By on July 8, 2012

Last night I drove up to Santa Barbara to scrapbook a wedding on behalf of Amy at the unbelievably gorgeous Bacara Resort.

I love scrapbooking any event (it sure beats the windowless cubicle I used to work in – ha!), but the wedding circuit is definitely my favorite. The mood is celebratory, the decor gives me new ideas, and I’m always blown away by the heartfelt notes that the guests write for the bride and groom. (My recent fave: “Remember today. When things get tough, it’s a great place to go.” WOW.) I’m really not a sappy person, but somehow I always walk away from these events feeling all sentimental. My cold, cold heart must be melting (;

It’s a tough job, but someone’s gotta do it.

xoxo

1 Comment

project life: white week

By on May 27, 2012

I’ve fallen off the PL bandwagon in a major way these past few months, but I’m determined to get back on track for the summer!

Here’s my take on Jamaica and Vee’s “White Week:”

So…it didn’t exactly turn out as “white” as I intended…ha! But I did keep the embellishments and the paper inserts white, so maybe that counts? Either way, I am still loving the minimalist approach.

Sometimes I think my scrapbooking days are behind me, but then I rifle through my Thickers drawer for a few moments and I am filled with warm fuzzies. Same thing goes for stamps (like these Studio Calico gems! Love that KP!). There are too many hilarious moments that need documenting and too many Instagram photos that need to be printed. And then there’s the question of where I am going to keep all the memorabilia from everyday life if I don’t keep a scrapbook? Ay yi yi.

I guess I’m not quite ready to hang up my hat just yet.

xoxo

6 Comments

project life: combining several weeks.

By on May 1, 2012

I had no idea how I was going to get caught up. I honestly didn’t care that much about catching up (bad scrapbooker, I know!). All I really wanted to do was print out some photos and whip it out as fast as possible so I could move on to the next. So I did it.

And, truth be told, it is my FAVORITE spread of the year!

8 Instagram self-portraits, Thickers, two sheet of patterned paper, yellow washi tape, and this stamp. Done.

It took maybe half an hour. Maybe. The longest part was adding the captions to the photos and resizing them for printing. Once that was done, it was smooth sailing! I can’t even tell you how ridiculously happy this makes me. But I will tell you that I plan on doing something very similar for this coming week’s spread, only in all white, a la Jamaica and Vee. (Whatever those two do, I want to do too. Just so we’re all clear on this.)

xoxo

13 Comments

project life: the big move out west!

By on April 24, 2012

Well, it’s only taken me 20 years (translation: a month) to get this together, but alas, I have finished yet another week of Project Life! This week was all about packing up and shipping out of Utah.

It’s very surprising to me how out of synch I am with PL since moving back to California. I had assumed it would be so much easier! I’m also dealing with a mental block regarding address changes on some of my magazine subscriptions. Notice I said “some.” I’ve already changed the addresses on three of them (Whole Living, Country Living and Martha Stewart Living…I’m noticing a pattern), but as for the rest of them? They are probably sitting on the new tenant’s coffee table. You’re welcome, new tenant.

One of these days I will get everything all squared away, but until then…here’s what a month ago looked like:

The usual suspects are back in action: Washi tape, typewritten journaling, Studio Calico wood veneers, and plenty of my favorite colors. Always a good time.

I gave my Orem address stamp one last hurrah.

I really love including 8.5×11″ pages in my Project Life. It’s the only traditional-format scrapbooking (if you can call it that) that I do for myself these days, so I love to make them when the mood strikes. The paper is actually a file folder from Paper Source that I cut in half.

Let’s just say I am so happy to finally be on the other side of that move. Packing, carrying heavy loads down three flights of stairs, driving several hundred miles through the desert…no thanks. But it did make for a fun adventure and a colorful new spread in my album.

*Right after I finished this spread, I decided to get started on the next one. It might be my favorite one yet. Can’t wait to show you! (;

2 Comments

amy tangerine class giveaway!

By on April 11, 2012

Today I am so excited to be giving away a spot in Amy Tangerine’s brand new class, Collect + Create!

When Amy asked me awhile back if I would be interested in contributing a few layouts to her class, uhh, it was pretty much a rhetorical question. Anything Amy does, I want to do too. Obviously.

A little sneak peek at one of the layouts I made.

And after seeing the finished product and all the inspiration she packed into a single class, I couldn’t be more thrilled to be a part of it! Here’s how she describes Collect + Create:

As crafters and storytellers, we are natural collectors. We save everything from treasured products and pieces from our everyday lives, to scraps and sketches. Incorporating these elements and all of our favorite bits from life are essential to the process of creating. I want to help you create with what you collect! In this self-paced class, my contributors and I will show you over 50 brand-new projects! Five chapters covering a range of topics are each supplemented with a printable PDF providing step-by-step photos and in-depth looks at the process behind the pages. Get your creative juices going with the “extras” in the PDF’s like challenges and tips, and be inspired by the video in each chapter covering even more examples and tutorials! Collect & Create explores different styles, as well as my favorite go-to techniques like embossing, using up scraps, incorporating real memorabilia, misting, mixing products and colors, and using sketches. Join me and together we’ll create a whole new collection – pages and projects we love! The content of this workshop will be available immediately upon purchase. The lessons are available for you to work at your own pace and upon purchase can be accessed in the “Workshops” section under “Classes & Events.” A private message board forum is also available to ask questions for Amy and to connect with other participants. Enjoy!
Special promo: When you purchase this workshop before April 12th, you’ll receive a FREE printable PDF made up of Amy’s label and border designs! Find it in the “My: Downloads” section upon purchase, click on the Digikit tab, print and enjoy. You’ll want to hurry, this is a limited time offer!
Want to win? Leave a comment below telling me how you break out of creative ruts by Friday April 13th. Already signed up? We’ll reimburse your class fee or you can give away your spot to a friend! Good luck! xoxo
47 Comments

project life: week 11 (nyc, baby!)

By on April 6, 2012

New York.

It was – in a word – AMAZING. I am in awe of how that city runs. Everything about it is just so fascinating: the people, the buildings, the diverse cultures, the food (OMG, the food), the super-efficient modes of public transit, the contrast between urban and natural landscapes, the lights, the shopping, the fast pace (I wish people everywhere would walk as fast as New Yorkers!), and of course, all the pop culture! (Many thanks to Sarah, Kelly, and Chloe for playing tour guides!).

And 5000 spreads later, I am done. It’s events like these that make me love the Project Life style of scrapbooking even more than I already do. Initially I was overwhelmed by the sheer amount of stuff that I wanted to include, but with several different sized page protectors (and many episodes of Brothers & Sisters), it all came together seamlessly. The page protectors are a mix of the Project Life brand, American Crafts, an 8.5 x 11″ Avery protector, and 3 baseball card holders that John found for me. Sort of a ragtag bunch, but I like how the sizes vary from page to page.

Spread #1. I used three different baseball card page protectors throughout the whole thing (as seen on the righthand side) to hold all the receipts, ticket stubs, brochures, menus, business cards, etc. that I wanted to showcase. To keep things looking somewhat uniform, I adhered all my memorabilia to the same dotted tan paper (made by AC).

Spread #2. To include larger memorabilia that I didn’t want to cut up, I folded an 8 x 11″ Avery page protector and sealed with scotch tape. The lazy man’s alternative to sewing (;

Spread #3.

Spread #4.

Spread #5. So this layout was made with a Zara bag that had the phrase “Dear New York” on it. Obviously it was designed for scrapbooking purposes! Photobooth pics are from the Ace Hotel and even though the ink is smudged and I am mid-sentence in my photo, I love them! Love, love, love. And…we saw Joel McHale up close and personal. Not. Too. Shabby (;

Spread #6. I backed the layout with some Studio Calico paper. Originally I thought about putting something on it, but with all the stuff I’ve got going on with these spreads, a little white space is much appreciated. The letterpressed March card is made by Sugarcube Press and was purchased at Kate’s Paperie for a steal of a deal.

Spread #7. Lots of Martha Stewart labels and typewritten journaling.

Spread #8. I saved every little bit of anything that remotely resembled paper. And I mean anything! This included the wrapper from my mushroom burger at Shake Shack (even vegetarians can eat there! Yeah!) and my coffee cup from Blue Bottle. I take this paper obsession to new levels (;

Spread #9. You guys, I saw the Seinfeld restaurant! We also went on a mini You’ve Got Mail tour, which made me happier than it probably should have – ha! Sarah and Kelly were such a good sports to show me all these pop culture landmarks (:

Spread #10. Last page! Whew! I can’t even believe how long it took me to wrap it up, but I am so glad I did it! What an amazing trip to have documented forever.

The highlights of this trip included: Sitting at Molly’s Cupcakes with everyone and sharing awesome girl talk; the views from the Top of the Rock; shopping in SoHo; eating the best food of my life…!; laughing hysterically with Sarah over a rubber stamp at Ink Spot that said “Enough with Sick Already!” It became the catch-phrase of the trip; getting thisclose to a handful of celebrities; hanging out in Kelly’s apartment with Sarah, Lindsey, Amy, Chloe and Cindy and having deep scrapbooking conversations; Shake Shack for dinner in Madison Square Park with the Empire State Building lit up for St. Patrick’s Day in the background (very Sleepless in Seattle); walking everywhere; grabbing business cards for each other everywhere we went ( I love traveling with scrapbookers!); cookies from Levain Bakery; seeing the SNL and Jimmy Fallon stages on the NBC tour; Williamsburg in Brooklyn; Stumptown and Blue Bottle lattes; and sitting next to some bawdy Bostonians on the plane ride home who had me laughing for five hours.

The end.

23 Comments

thoughts.

By on March 30, 2012

Have I mentioned that I love being home? Because I do.

In the week I’ve been here I’ve: hiked the local hills, had my morning coffee outside, took a trip to Disneyland, sat in traffic on the 405, enjoyed a vanilla latte from Coffee Bean, reunited with family and friends, slept in, shopped at my favorite mall, had long talks with my parents, worked from home, attempted to unpack all my stuff, listened to my favorite LA radio stations, snuggled with all the pups in my life, and reveled daily in the fact that I’m back in California.

Still on the to-do list: beach, Trader Joe’s, Urbanic, Paper Source, Pasadena, more time with loved ones, a trip up the coast to San Luis Obispo, a trip down the coast to San Diego, Rosebowl Flea Market, Pizookie at BJ’s, be a tourist, and catch up on Project Life for goodness’ sake! (;

I spent this whole morning going through photos and memorabilia from my NYC trip and am overwhelmed at the amount of STUFF I want to include in my Project Life. I really want to whip it out while the memories are fresh and I’m still excited about it, but where in the world do I start???

To be continued…

12 Comments

project life: weeks 9 through 10.5

By on March 13, 2012

At this very moment I should be frantically packing up my apartment and attempting to figure out what in the WORLD I am going to bring to NYC in less than five hours, but you know what? Project Life happens.

Due to a crazy busy schedule (who knew unemployed life could be so hectic? And so awesome?), I decided to combine two weeks into a single spread. I kind of love doing that. There was plenty to talk about and I even included a mini layout! It worked out fab, to say the least.

Lots of Facebook this week. And I don’t even like Facebook! Ha!

Making these mini layouts is so much fun. I kind of want to make one every week!

I plan on dedicating the next spread to our NYC trip. I’m already dreaming about all the ephemera I will collect along the way…ahhhh! Happiness! The following week will be all about (what I’ve dramatically dubbed) the “Big Move Out West!” Not entirely sure what kind of cool paper goods that trip will offer as there’s a whole lot of nothingness between here and California! Maybe some desert tumbleweeds? That could look cool shoved in a page protector, right? To be determined… (;

And finally, I had lunch with my former AC co-workers today and every single one of them came! I can’t even tell you how much that meant to me. They are definitely the greatest part of my Utah experience and I will miss them dearly!

xoxo

 

8 Comments

project life: week eight

By on March 4, 2012

Happy Sunday! I hope everyone is having a relaxing day. I’m hoping to get started on packing for the big move. Actually “hoping” is the incorrect term. More like, “wishing someone else would do it for me so I can spend the entire day on Pinterest.” Ha!

But anyways, here is my Project Life Week Eight! I was lucky enough to work with Elle’s Studio on a fun little project, so you can see more images from this week along with a mini tutorial over here. Thanks again, Elle!

Red, pink, yellow, teal. Can’t work without them.

The paper I used for the date is actually a USPS envelope that my holiday postage stamps came in. It has such a cool texture plus some awesome type, so I knew I had to find a use for it.

Here’s a mini layout I created for Elle’s Studio that I decided to incorporate into my PL. All I did was punch two holes and pop it in the album. Thanks to the ridiculous amount of staples I used, no page protector necessary. Ha!

“Love” and “Play” cards are from Jamaica’s shop. I was waiting for the right week to use them and with John coming back home and me having an amazing mail day, I think I found it (:

On the backside of the mini layout, I stapled a sheet of Dear Lizzy polka dot vellum.

Trying to use up my scraps and supplies so I won’t have to lug it all back to California. But who am I kidding, wherever I go, my paper follows. There’s just no separating the two of us (;

xoxo

 

7 Comments