Kiss and Tell Scrapbooking

Sunday Scrapbook Sketch Challenge #3: Jillibean Soup Sketch

Hey - did you hear?  Jillibean Soup has a Design Team Call up on their blog.  I don't normally apply for design teams for manufacturers, but Jillibean Soup is one of my favorites because the colors are so bright and happy, mixed with neutrals, and because they make awesome and affordable embellishments - like the sticker sheets for one dollar!

So I'm thinking I'm going to send in something for the design team call - the deadline to submit an application is September 15, 2012 if you were thinking about it. 

Meantime, I used Jillibean Soup's August Sketch as my inspiration for this 12x12 scrapbook layout on white cardstock:

I made the banner from the cover of the 6x6 paper pad and stitched it to the page, I also stiched some lines in the lower right corner for my journaling.  One of the stickers says "Memories are Stitched with Love" so I kind of had to use some stitching - plus my daugther loves to sew in addition to drawing and making all sorts of creations.

P.S. here are a few more Jillibean Soup projects I've made:

1. 1974

This is Jillibean Soup mixed with Basic Grey's Gypsy line (the colors were very similar) using a square punch to make a quilt like pattern.

2. This next one is inspired by the new Jillibean Soup Lima Bean Soup Line which was released at Summer CHA 2012; I copied the paper with the circles, I can't wait to get some actual Lima Bean Soup papers - seriously love that line.

I think I did this page for a Get It Scrapped post which is not out yet, so I'll just show the peek there and save the whole page for when the post is up.

How about you - do you  apply for design or creative teams?  Why or why not?  Please leave a comment, I'd love to hear from you :)

 

 

 

 

 

Sunday Scrapbook Sketch Challenge #2: The Studio Challenges

Remember last Sunday I mused about starting a weekly Sunday sketch challenge? Sunday Sketch Challenge #1  Well? Here's week #2.

Scrapbook Confession #2: I start blog series and then never finish them {click here for the DCWV 24 Layouts from One Stack Challenge}   {click here for scrapbook confession #1} One of my known self-admitted scrapbooking (and life) weaknesses is that I love to start things, but get less excited about maintaining or finishing things (like mini books for example).  I think this Sunday Series is do-able for me to continue since I won't be creating the sketch, I'll be linking up to another challenge or inpsiration site.  Please play along and post a comment with a link to your layout! 

This week is more a concept than a sketch but the sketch is roughly this:

Fancy graphic right?  And yes that is blue ink on my thumb nail - which is probably reason #3 why I don't stamp more often (see below for reasons #1 and #2).  The basic concept for this page is to take a stamp and stamp it horizontally across a white sheet of cardstock and create several rows of it.  Then add your photo or photos on top of the horizontal band and add a title and some embellishments (if you want - I didn't) and call it done.

If you need more of a challenge then create the basic page using the fancy sketch above and also make the page monochromatic and have the subject matter be "something awesome you take for granted".

My page is about our backyard pool and how lucky they are to have it and how they'll probably never get that since they grew up with it.  Here's my journaling:  "When I was a kid, we'd sometimes get a small plastic pool but most of my swim time was in friends' pools or in lakes or the very cold Atlantic Ocean.  I'm not sure my kids can even begin to understand how lucky they really are.  So seriously lucky to have a backyard pool." 

I was inspired by The Studio Challenge: Try a New Technique blog post; specifically, I wanted to do a layout inspired by Valerie Mangan's layout with the stamped circles. 

I have lots and lots and lots of stamps and ink pads and they rarely get used.  One reason is that I don't think I'm very good technically at stamping and another reason is that when I get that sort of thing out, if the kids see me do it, they want to get involved and it instantly becomes super messy and I go from scrapbooker to scrapbook caddy for the kids and number one clean upper.  I should probably just get over the #2 reason and embrace the mess, and sometimes I do, but most times, it just seems like one more mess to clean up - and scrapbooking is my happy fun time when I try to escape from the dishes, laundry and vacuuming - which I need to get to as soon as this post is done - oh hurrah. 

***

The Scrapbook Improv Thought of the Day / or maybe lets call this the Scrapbook Yoga Tip of the Day:  The point of scrapbooking for me isn't so much the finished page as it is the mental play time I get from creating the page.  I even find it gratifying when I push myself to make a page or use a technique (like stamping) on a page when I am not inspired to do so; I think that pushing through the initial hesitation that sometimes comes with creativity gets you to the place where you are having fun and forget time in the creative process.  FORGETTING TIME is the goal for me.  I want to get to a place where I'm so into what I'm doing that I can turn my brain off to all the other stuff that is usually on my brain.  Scrapbooking can be a meditiation.   It can also be a place where, if you let it, your subconcious can bring things to your attention - almost like dreaming.  But to get there, you have to be open to listening and to letting go of knowing the end when you start, you have to start with an improv kind of mind - and just respond to what is in front of you - or in front of your brain and go with it.  To get there, you can't be too concerned with whether your page is going to look completely awesome, if it does great, if it doesn't that is ok too - especially if you got your process and your brain get completely immersed in the process.

(P.S. The subconscious notion that this page brought to my attention is the the whole parenting thing of trying to make up for the stuff you felt like you didn't have in childhood; so you end up sort of spoiling your kids or giving them too much.  I sometimes I think (I know) I go overboard with trying to make things awesome for my kids.  I don't think I'm alone in this - I think lots of people from my generation do this - and I think we also know its probably not the best thing to do.  Its just that trying to find the right balance of making things fun and awesome but also instilling the work ethic and value of a dollar thing that I got from not being given so much as a kid.  I guess its one of those ever ongoing things - trying to get things right - knowing that you can't possibly ever be the perfect parent no matter how hard you try.  There's a commercial on tv right now that says something like Mrs. So-and-So would do everything for her kids if she could.... I'm kind of like that - but I also know that's not what they want or need.  We had an issue with my son yesterday, a sort of total meltdown, and it was hard but we recovered and had a great day, but I don't think it is fully resolved.  So that's been on my mind and it is probably the undercurrent of this pool page.  Isn't that punny?  Undercurrent / pool?  I know, not super funny - but sometimes when things are hard, it is good to add a little bit of silly in to keep things lighter.)

Now go make something!

Sunday Scrapbook Sketch Challenge #1: Get It Scrapped Sketch #89

Its Sunday and You Want to Scrapbook, but can't decide where to Start! 

Sound Familiar? 

Here's An Easy Way to Solve this Scrapbooker's Problem:

1. Pick a  Sketch, Any Sketch.  (but make sure to just pick ONE).

2. Commit To It.  (no changing your mind after you find one - p.s. it should take less than 5 minutes to find one).

3. Finish the Sketch In Less Than an Hour.  (giving yourself a deadline is huge!  do not skip this part!)

A blog reader recently emailed me to get a link up to the challenges I like to use for scrapbooking.  I'm planning on doing a post soon with lots of links, but meantime, I'll share what I used for inspiration today:  Debbie Hodge's Get It Scrapped Sketch and Template Bundle #89:

I'd like to say that I'll start a Sunday Sketch Challenge and play along with a sketch every Sunday; but chances are I won't be that consistent - but that idea could certainly be awesome for someone who wanted a reliable source of inspiration:  Just decide that Sunday is Sketch Day, Monday is Make Something By Hand Day; Tuesday is Two photos on a Page Day; or whatever.  Sometimes the deciding part is the most difficult part. 

The Take Away?  Make a Decision.  Commit to it.  And finish it quickly.  These principles are similar to those used by improvisational comedians and these concepts work well for creativity scrapbooking.  I've got a Blog Category over to the right column called "LIFE: SCRAPBOOK IMPROV" if you'd like to read more about my concept of mashing up the principles from improvisational comedy with scrapbooking - It made me faster, more creative and happier - and I'm hoping it will do the same for you!

Please leave a comment and a link to your page!  I love to hear your thoughts on getting started when you're feeling that overwhelm that sometimes comes when you carve out time to scrapbook and get to your scrapbook place and then feel scrapbooker's block; I'd also love to see your pages!

Have a Happy Sunday!

Sunscreen & Sunshine Apply & Re-Apply

Remember that song from about 10 years ago:  Something about Wear Sunscreen? 

My husband had a skin treatment that brings out any pre-cancerous cells and he has so many red spots on his face.  Growing up in Florida is not so great on the skin; so we try to get out kids to wear sunscreen which is more of a challenge with the boy than with the girl.  This layout shows that she understands the "apply and re-apply" routine with the sunscreen at the beach:

This layout is based on a Two Peas Sketch.

 

Scrapbook Sketch Challenge

This layout is based on the My Creative Sketches: June Sketch Challenge:

I used some super old stars and that quote square from My Mind's Eye.  I had fun using the more muted and darker colors in the background to contrast and play with the bright happy colors in the foreground and embellishments; sort of a tribute to my husband, who is wearing darker colors, and my daughter in bright aqua blue.  These two have a completely fun happy relationship; mainly because she's got him wrapped around her little finger - but hey, isn't that how it is supposed to be?  These photos were taken close to Father's Day this year so I thought I'd celebrate this father-daughter relationship on a page.

The sketch from My Creative Sketches was super easy to work with and I used 4x6 photos; I trimmed the one on the right.  If you want to give this one a whirl, the deadline for the sketch challenge is July 14, 2012 - you can use the link up top to get there.

:) Katie.

 

Remember This {Finishing a "Half-Baked" Scrapbook Layout a Couple Weeks Later}

Remember This Blog Post.  I started a layout a week or so ago; today I finished it.  I was originally inspired by a scrapbooker I learned about on Get it Scrapped; today I remember that scrapbooker's style was highly embellished - I started this page based on the basic structure of one her pages.  Today, I didn't look back, I just finished the layout.  I'm sure it is lots less embellished than the original.  Also, I finished with some different inspiration - there was a digital scrapbooking prompt for the Get It Scrapped design team assignments and my execution of "Allison" has actually very little to do with the prompt, but it got me going to finish this layout.  Plus, I've given myself the challenge to work down the design team assigment list - even the ones I wasn't assigned - just to get me back in the zone so I'll actually have something awesome (hopefully) for my actual assignments.

 

 

I Love a Sketch Challenge

While this page took an obnoxiously long time to make, I do love using a sketch challenge as a warm up to get me back into the creative zone.  This Page is based on a Two Peas Sketch Challenge by Amy Heller.  I recently took a little break from scrapbooking and I thought tonight I'd come back ready to do some speed scrapbooking.  Instead of rapid fire pages, I found myself doing everything but putting together a page in my scrapbooking room - I organized stuff, ordered photos, pinned a bunch of things on Pinterest, and did a bit of blog surfing -- not exactly the speed scrapbooking I had in mind.  As soon as I realized that things were not flowing, I decided to find a challenge and go with it.  So I made a page that was a bit heavy on the stuff and light on the story, but I do think the picture shines since the background is mostly monochromatic and I took a bunch of photos of that adorable kangaroo, so I'm sure I'll have another chance to tell the story about the kangaroo if I still want to; if not, then at least I got this photo on a page an into the ablum.  More importantly, I got a page done and I'm one more step closer to getting back into my creatively happy place.

Some of the papers I used on this page are from Heidi Swapp's new lines, if you'd like to check them out and support this blog, please click through to one of the following affiliate links:

Sketchy Thursdays

I was inspired by the layout of the adorable baby by Az on The Sketchy Thursdays Blog.  It made me want to make a baby layout even though my babies are big kids now.

My daughter was born when my very active son was 20 months old.  I had my babies rapid fire so my daughter's baby days seem like they flew by too fast.  This photo reminds me of picking her up after a nap, how her little head smelled, how her legs would curl up when I picked her up, how she used to say "uppeee uppeeee upppppeeee!" until I picked her up, and how she almost never cried - she was the sweetest most snuggly baby that ever lived, I just know it.

Journaling: "Picking you up after a nap was the absolute best.  You were so sweet and snuggly." - Photo 2004 (I fixed this on the layout since I wrote 2005 and I think it was actually 2004 - see I was busy).  Note 1/2012 - Love Mom.

In the envelope is a lock of her hair - no doubt from much later - since it took a long, long time for her hair to grow, but I am certain it was her hair since I did save it and it is blonde and curls - she cuts off her hair now so it doesn't curl quite so much on the ends or get so sun bleached.  I can't believe how tall and grown up she is now at 8 years old.  Time flies, it really does.

I think it is  fun to make a monochromatic layout every once in a while, it allows for the use of lots of embellishments and papers and textures, and as a scrapbooker, that is fun sometimes.

70 YEARS! And a Sketchy Thursdays Inspired Layout.

I saw the Sketchy Thursdays Sketch today and decided to use it to make a scrapbook page about my in-laws 70th wedding anniversary which is today, it also happens to be my husband and my 13th anniversary.

My in-laws have been married for 70 YEARS TODAY!  Yes. 70!  They got married right before he went off to WWII on 1/3/42.

Oh yeah, and its our anniversary too - we are 13 years married today.

I love this family.   Love. Love. Love.

P.S. I didn't have a piece of cake (yet) - I'm off to yoga & then I'll indulge.

December Daily: 12/6/11

December Daily - Day 6!

I am happy that even though my life is getting busier - as I know it does in December - I am keeping up with both December Daily and Project Life, here's a peek at both:

I did some party dress shopping - I do not love the shopping process - I wish cute clothes that fit me properly would magically appear in my closet.

I did find 3 dresses for myself and 3 for my daughter so we had a fashion show when I got home:

Here's a ustream video showing my December Daily project and my observation that I am doing more digital scrapbooking pages, especially for this project:

 

iPhone + At Home DIY Hair Dressing + Sketchy Thursdays

The layout was inspired by this week's Sketchy Thursdays sketch -  click here for the sketch.

The journaling reads:  "I so wish I had a photo from when I was 5 years old and cut my sister's hair and the dog's and my cat's whiskers off!  And I wish I had photos of all the times in junior high after school when Missy W. and I played with make up and cut hair and even pierced our own ears!  Thanks to my iphone I did get photos of Allison and I playing hairdresser!  This is just one time of many and we even cut each other's hair!  Fall 2011."

Allison, at six years old, did actually cut off about 6-8 inches of my hair last year and she did a fantastic job and I cut her hair, my son's hair and my hair on a faily regular basis.  I started cutting friends' hair in junior high and I was never formally trained, but my friend Missy did grow up to be an actual hair stylist by trade, so I'm thinking I have some skills in the hair cutting department just by association and years of at home practice. 

Until lately, however, I've never gotten any photos of my adventures in hairdressing - so thanks to the iphone - which is with me most of the time - I was able to snap a few quick ones of my daughter and I during a braiding hair dressing session - I showed her one time how to braid and she got it - and she's been cutting her own hair, my hair and her barbies' hair for years - so I'm thinking she's going to be just like me in the hair department - a do-it-herselfer.

And funny thing is that you can see my husband in the background of the first photo - he doesn't let me cut his hair - even though I assure him I am awesome; but I sometimes make him even the back of my hair out after I cut it and can't reach all the way to get it perfectly straight - he reluctantly complies and I'm pretty sure he's been the beauty salon customer in Allison's at home salon more than once.

Scrapbookers: How Do Edit Your Layouts Before Uploading?

I recently took the Ella Publishing Boot Camp and a few of the exercises by Maggie Holmes were instruction in PhotoShop Elements 9.  I have owned this program for a long time but I have been afraid to use it, the video instuction in the Ella Boot Camp was very informative and made me comfortable with at least going in to the program to do some more editing on my own with some of my photographs. 

Tonight I made a layout based on a Sketchy Thursdays Sketch and then edited the photograph of it in PhotoShop Elements. 

 
So my questions for you, dear blog-reader:

1. Do you upload your layouts to the internet?

2. Do you scan or photograph your scrapbook layouts?

3. Do you edit the photos of your scrapbook layouts before uploading to them your blog or internet sharing site?

4. Can you give me some tips on making my layouts look better on my blog?

Thanks!

Katie Scott.