Kiss and Tell Scrapbooking

Full Bleed! Taking your photos to the Edge of the Scrapbooking Page

Taking photos to the edge of the page - what a cool little design trick that I've never really explored before - until last night!  This concept was one of the challenges in Elizabeth Dillow's Twelve Design Challenges in the Big Picture Classes I'm taking AND it was coincidentally the topic of an article I read at Get It Scrapped by Debbie Hodge (click here for the "Bleed Edge" article there).   

I was super inspired and made seven of my "half baked" pages using this technique and I gathered almost 200 examples on my Pinterest "Full Bleed" Board.   I still have about 4-5 more that I'd like to get started.  AND! I even finished one of these layouts last night!

I had that 5x7 photo from a long time ago, I had played with the colors on the computer and printed it with a focal color on her face with black and white in the rest of the photo.  The colors came out really intense and while her eyes are really very blue, they look a bit unnatural and I could never figure out how to use that particular print on a page.  While I was looking for photos to use for the full bleed approach, I figured I'd use it since I was just "practicing" this new to me concept with these pages.   

SCRAPBOOK TIP!  Having the mindset that you are just "practicing" with your pages gives you more creating freedom!  Chances are when you "practice" you'll come up with pages that you never would have otherwise and some of them you will end up adoring, like I do with this one.

 

Journaling: "Vision:  Its not about how you look, its about how you see. (adapted from a Henry David Thoreau quote).  / You have your own unique vision and you are so sure of yourself.  You come up with the most creative ways to do things and you make observations that let us know that you are a deep thinker."

And yes, those paper strips are from my new 6x6 Amy Tangerine paper pack - the neon-ish colors worked perfectly with the overly bright focal colors on this photo.

I have been scrapbooking for a long time so it is so fun to have a new perspective, to learn something new, which has really been there all along. 

Want to learn more about design priniciples to use in your scrapbooking?  Check out these affiliate links:

I'll have more of the completed pages coming up soon!

Scrapbooking Embellishment Sneeze & How to Make Valentine's Day Embellishments and Banners

I saw a message thread on the Two Peas site the other day about embellishment sneeze.  While most of my scrapbooking does not involve a lot of embellishments, I do enjoy going overboard with scrapbooking embellishments from time to time.  IT.  IS.  FUN.  Here's a video about how I use punches and die cuts to facilitate scrapbook embellishment sneezing:

 

For more on scrapbooking embellishments and techniques, check out these books:

Scrapbooking Christmas Photos with Outdated Scrapbooking Supplies

If you are a scrapbooker, and chances are you are if you are reading this blog, then you have probably at one time or another, visited the craft store and looked at or even purchased a "Memory Kit" - come on - show of hands please?  Right, just as I expected 99% of you have and the other one percent is in denial.  Who could resist 59 pieces of scrapbooking embellishments for $2.99?  Not me.  But truth is that I'm guessing this fabulous pack of Starlite Christmas awesomeness has sat in my Christmas scrapbooking stash for the past ten years.  I pulled it out this morning and felt sorry for it so I decided to see if I could challenge myself to make a layout with it and have it look "not awful" - and I think I succeeded - let me know what you think:

The top three photos were all in bathrooms and taken with my canon - and/or my daughter's canon - point and shoot and the bottom three with my iphone.  None are particularly good - with the exception of the top right - I think that one was pretty good and I felt very fashion-y that day because I was wearing a long necklace - I forced myself to put it on as I'm not really much of a jewelry or accessory girl.

Journaling:  "I decided that this year I'd make an effort to be in the Christmas Photos!"  "I'm the one behind the camera."

The second line is an inside joke-ish reference to one of my family's favorite movies "Deep Impact" with Tia Leone  when her Dad shows her the photo of her and her Dad on the beach & she was angry with him for marrying a young woman and leaving her mother along - and she snapped back "Where's Mom?!?"  And he answered "she was the one behind the camera"  - that scene always makes me cry big streaming sappy tears - and I pretty much cry the rest of the way through the movie - especially later when the giant tsunami wave is coming and she is with him on the beach facing it and certain death and she says "Oh, Daddy."  If you haven't seen that movie, watch it - its a good one.

Back to the OPA (Old Product Alert) - this is a term from Cathy Zielske's Big Picture Classes class "Design Your Life" which I also highly recommend, in fact, I think whoever designed the pages for the front cover of that Memory Kit product could probably benefit from the class - although my guess is that those pages were made 10+ years ago so chances are their skills have improved since then. 

I got crafty with those little Christmas trees - check it out:

Also - the title and journaling in the middle of the page with the six photos on top and bottom lined up is a very, very easy way to get six photos on one scrapbook layout and have it looked pulled together, at least IMHO.

Tell me:  Did you take photos of yourself this past holiday season?  Do you scrapbook yourself?  AND how old is your oldest product and do you still use it?

 

 

December Daily: 12/2/11 & Improvisational Comedy as applied to Scrapbooking & Whacking Fiskars Border Punches

December Daily - Day 2:

and more and more pages in December Daily and we're only on December 2nd:

I made some ustream videos while working on Project Life and December Daily - these videos are not how to videos and they are not, probably, particularly interesting.  However, if you enjoy background noise chatter about scrapbooking while you are scrapbooking, then you just might dig them.

Project Life & Time to Get Back on the Weight Loss Wagon:

 

December Daily - Day 2 - Part I:

 

December Daily - Day 2 - Part II - and how the concepts of improvisational comedy can help you find your flow in scrapbooking and any creative process:

 

P.S. My son listened to that last video and got a huge kick out of me whacking the Fiskars Border Punches - he giggled for 15 minutes - which sort of proves my point about being fully committed is what makes you funny  and the mistakes are what make you funny in improvisational comedy or awesome in scrapbooking - its the imperfections that are the awesome part.

Here are some links to some of the supplies and resources I used in these videos:

 

Monochromatic-Ally & Storing Scrapbooking Embellishments by Color

 
I saw a challenge by Wendy Smedley on the Big Picture Classes Blog to make a monochromatic layout and I made a double page 12x12 layout of my daughter for a post-bound album I'm working on for her.  It was easy because the background paper was already color-blocked.  The page took much longer than I normally take to make a page, however, because I used lots and lots of rub-ons.  Creating this 2 page spread was a fun way to get into my color organized embellishments.

 
And that's how it looks in the book - I put it towards the front of the book & I like this layout because it takes Ally from when she was a tiny baby (look at that one in the top left of me holding  her up - she was only about a month old then) an the lower right photos are very recent.  Ahh how time flies.

So how do I decide whether to store embellishments by color or theme?  If the theme is dominant then the embellishment gots into a themed embellishment bin but if it is more generic then it goes into the color bins.  I like having two systems.  I was born under the Gemini sign afterall ;)  Katie.

May 6 Scrapbook Inspiration {Noell Hyman's Flexible Train Template} : Hula Hoop

The Inspiration:  I was a member of Noell Hyman's Paperclipping / Scrapbooking Membership Community starting I think around this time last year and the membership lasted 6 months; I think I watched most of the videos but the "Flexible Train Template" is the one that stuck with me.  I continue to be an avid fan of the Paperclipping Roundtable and DigiShow and most likely I'll probably become a Paperclipping member again some time in the future, the videos are awesome and I can watch them on my iphone while I'm doing the stepper (haven't tried to use the iphone with the hula hoop - yet).   Here's the Link to Noell's Flexible Train Template Post.

 
The Process Behind the Page:  So last night I got back 300 photos from the photo developer and after I put them into my Stacy Julian Library of Memories Pioneer Storage Binder, flipping back through, it wasn't Easter or really cute photos of my daughter or pictures of my son in the park that called to me - it was the 6 photos of me - that I took with my Canon point & shoot's self timer - showing off my new Hula Hoop!   Noell Hyman's Flexible Train Template seemed like the perfect way to lay out these photos and having the template made it really easy to put this page together.  Then I could play with the flowers and Quic Kutz Nesting Circles - I even used my Quic Kutz Revolution! 

The Story:  Allison & I went to a festival in Gulfport about a month ago and I finally splurged and bought an adult / weighted hula hoop  - and I LOVE it!  I've been thinking about buying one for years and it always seemed too frivolous to pay $30-$50 for a hula hoop - but I'm thinking it was worth every penny.  I can exercise in a really fun way while I'm playing lifeguard - and I spend hours almost everyday by the pool with my kids from St. Patrick's Day until almost Thanksgiving every year - its  a lot of time!  So I love to find ways to make use of my life guarding time - and the hula hooping is perfect!

How Old Are You Again? Right now? {Scrapbook Layout Inspired by Noell Hymann's Number Layout on the Paperclipping Roundtable}

Since Mac turned 9 he's been saying that he's still 8 and that he's going to be 8 forever.  Maybe it was because being eight was great or maybe it was because we had a bit of a rough time on his ninth birthday.  Maybe he's just being silly. 

 
This page was inspired by Noell Hymann's page about number paper - click here for the link to her page. 

Supplies:  The Girls' Paperie; October Afternoon; DCWV; Me & My Big Ideas; & Scrap It In Seconds.

Flickr & Scrapbooking by Numbers

All over the place - here are links to my flickr accounts - not sure how I got 2 but somehow I did.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/37095341@N08/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/46471973@N07/

A year or so ago I set up a bunch of Groups called "Scrapbooking by Numbers" for scrapbookers to post their layouts according to how many photos are in the layout. 

Check them out here:

http://www.flickr.com/groups/1383543@N22/

2010 in Review

A few tidbits from last year: 2010; I know that I'm going to have to get used to writing "2011" at work tomorrow.

 
I made the 2010 with my Quick Kutz die cutter.

Cathy Zielske's Make A Page Mondays

I'm loving Cathy Zielske's blog series "Make A Page Mondays".  Here's my take on today's PAGE by Cathy Zielske:

 

Journaling:  "It's True.  Home Sweet Home - It's the best place on earth & many weekends when I drive home on Friday, my minivan does move again till Monday.  Pics are 2010 - Love Mommy."

Ok Goodbye sweet weekend, let the busy work week  begin - here I go - Hi Ho Hi Hi - Its off to work I go.  See you tonight at 10 on ustream - ok?

#PCLIVE: Scrapbookers - Can you help with this layout?

I'm watching Noell on Paperclipping right now - so I was thinking maybe lots of scrapbookers might be online & would maybe have some ideas for me on this layout.

I did the journaling on the computer at work and now I'm not sure how to put it on the layout with the photos I want to use and the cute circle paper from Little Yellow Bicycle (which I'm so smitten with btw). 

 
Please give me some ideas about how to put this one together!

 

October 2008

 

Week 5 Sketch #2 for Design Your Life Class on Big Picture Scrapbooking by Cathy Zielske. 

Design Your Life: White Space

 

Asymetrical Mac

Aha Moment!

Ok, so perhaps I am just exceptionally slow with the concept of scrapbooking design.  I mean, I know all about the grid and the rule of threes, but it never quite clicked for me until tonight.  I'm getting ready for my Scrap Your Scraps class at Scrapbooking in Paradise.  I want to have 6 sketches for the students to make - we're going to do them fast & furious - so its got to be super easy, right?  So I've made that Brady Bunch style page for Cathy Z's pre-assignment for the Design Your Life class and then I decide to flip through "Scrapbooking Made Easy" and I notice Cathy Z's designs in there - they all seem to follow a pattern... then I look through her Clean & Simple books - hey there is a pattern!  Ok, I have even heard / seen on her blog / her say she just does the same thing over and over, but I never really believed it until now.  She DOES do the same thing over and over and it looks good and by switching out the product or the way she arranges stuff, it looks fresh and new, but really its the same old thang.  For goodness sakes, how did I miss this?  I guess it is like when I had my first car - no one ever told me about the oil, so the car always ran kind of crappy until it exploded.  Seriously, that actually happened.  So maybe my layouts have always looked a bit crappy in a design kind of way, fortunately I don't think anything could ever explode in the world of scrapbooking - at least I hope it can't.  Anyway, I can now go to bed confident in knowing I've figured something out - or at least internalized it.  Plus I wrote it down & taped it up in my scrapbook room.  Here it is: