Monday, September 23, 2013

Panda Bear

Oh my gosh, guys, guess what? I sewed something! Let's take a look back through the blog here and figure out when the last time that happened was. March! No promises that I'll be doing this too regularly. 


I used a Dolls and Daydreams pattern that I bought quite awhile ago, and although I've made this pattern four times now, this is the first time I've ever truly followed it. 


I made a punk/goth panda bear from it for my sister and it was so popular among her friends that I ended up making two more. This time, the panda's face is decidedly different and way more like Dolls and Daydreams original design. I have more plans for this bear. Hopefully, you'll see those soon. 

Tuesday, August 13, 2013

And even more...

I'll bet you can't guess what this post is going to be about! I have been feeling the itch to haul the sewing machine back out, lately, but finding the time to actually do it, while maintaining everything else, is hard, hard work! Hauling out my laptop to create scrapbook pages is easy to do, and still satisfies that creative urge. 

Kit is Bella Gypsy's Hello Summer with bonus papers.
Last week we went to the beach and hit one of our favorite places for lunch. Dog N Suds is a drive in restaurant from the 50's with car hops and phones at the tables to place your order. Caroline was infatuated with the phones and paper hats. It was really fun watching her explore. 

I took these photos with my phone and edited them on Instagram. It's my latest obsession and I'm so late to the party on that! But, I'm loving them for digital pages. My phone is with me everywhere, unlike my camera, and it's really great for capturing everyday moments like these ones. 

Kit is Hello Summer again. Layout inspiration via Pinterest here
I scrapped these photos once already on a Speed Scrap (like the page above this one), but I really wasn't happy with how busy it turned out. I decided to start completely over and I'm really happy I did. This page has more photos, but a cleaner feel. Without using a golf themed kit, I really think just a few embellishments is the way to go. 

Sunday, August 4, 2013

More digi scrap pages

Kit is Ocean Safari by Kristin Aagard. Sketch inspiration found here
I'm still not quite caught up with 2013, but I splurged a little recently on some new kits hoping to be inspired to start and finish a few layouts. I chose this ocean themed kit to highlight one of the cool new features at our local zoo, a petting pool for stingrays! 

Kit is Bella Gypsy's Hello Summer with extra papers. Sketch inspiration found here
This layout highlights some more of my favorite beach photos. I love the way this page turned out, and the way all of the colors highlight these sepia toned pics. This kit is seriously pretty and great for all sorts of summer photos. I can't wait to put it to use for a few more events left on my "to scrap" list. 

Monday, July 22, 2013

Catching up on 2013

Whew! Life is still going on here in big, big ways, but I have managed to stop and scrap it at least a few times, recently. 

Inspired by this template with some paper and elements by Just Jaimee and Bella Gypsy's current Facebook freebie
I took these sepia toned photos of my daughter at the beach. That top one is my absolute favorite! I need it in a frame! Since the photos were sepia toned, I was at first, unsure of what colors to scrap the page in. I ended up using elements from a few different kits in the colors of her sunhat. It worked out perfectly, I think, and should tie in nicely with the color photos from that day if I decide to scrap them, too. 

Kit is Bella Gypsy's Besties with added freebies, no longer available. Sketch inspiration here
I took a short trip, recently, to my hometown to visit my best friend and some family. I love this photo strip of all of the children. It really does capture the chaos, like I said in my journaling, and is a great reminder of the time these adorable cousins spent together. 

Kit is Forest Friends. Inspiration from the My Memories Facebook page Sunday Speed Scrap. 
After the photo booth, we let the kids run around in the play area in the mall, or what my friend Jessica calls "the germ tree". HA! I thought it was the perfect fit for my much loved and used Forest Friends. I miss these kids already!

Tuesday, June 11, 2013

My Memories Workshop and layout inspiration

If you have been following me on this blog (or maybe on Pinterest) for any amount of time, then you have undoubtedly seen some really fun digital scrapbook pages I have created with My Memories Suite

Kit is Sweetness with added ice cream. Page inspiration from a Speed Scrap.
Right now, there is a really unique opportunity if you live anywhere near the Ohio area or are willing to travel, to go to a My Memories Workshop! You get a copy of the latest My Memories software free with your paid registration, so even if you are just starting out, this is perfect for you. It also sounds like a complete blast with a scheduled pajama party and 16 hours of kid-free scrapbooking time! The dates are June 21-23 and there is a discount code (it was still working a few days ago even though they said it ended the first) on the event page if you're interested. 

Kit is Cool Change with added stitching and string. Layout inspired by this template.
I finally finished up my 2011 book, just in time to order it with a huge Father's Day discount. I'm so excited to see these pages printed and get caught up with 2013.


I lost the template I was trying to recreate with this page. I thought I had it pinned, but I can't find it now and there is just way too much inspiration to sort through over there! The papers and elements on this layout are a hodgepodge of items from different designers, because I couldn't find just one kit that had all of the colors of my baby showers. I know there is some Bella Gypsy, Just Jaimee, and Megan Turnidge in there if you'd really like to try to hunt it down, though. 

Monday, May 27, 2013

Coupons, scrapbook page and where I've been

Wow, long time no see! How are you all? I would like to say that this is a foray back into regular blogging, but it probably isn't. Life is happening here, big time. We finally finished moving, after some really awful flooding that ended up destroying a lot of our possessions. It takes a lot longer, when instead of just moving boxes, you're sorting through them for water damage and throwing out photos of long passed relatives. 

Kit is Bella Gypsy's Basket Case bundle, Kitten embellishment is from The Cat's Meow.
I obviously haven't had much time to keep up with my hobbies lately, but I did get a really good coupon for a photo book that expires next month, so I'm making an effort to finish my 2011 book. I love these photos taken of Caroline in the hospital, but I was so uninspired on a page. I'm pretty happy with the way it finally came together..after about five attempts!  

Speaking of really good coupons, My Memories (the software I use to create all of my pages) has a great coupon for Memorial Day. Enter the code 15Mem5day for $5 off of a $15 purchase, and as always if you don't have My Memories and would like to try it out, my discount code is in the sidebar! 

Wednesday, April 3, 2013

Easter Round Up

So Easter was three days ago, sue me! Or don't, really, you'd get a minivan in great need of a detailing and two sewing machines. I'm rich, y'all. 

Layout made with Bella Gypsy's Basket Case Bundle
If there was a theme to my holiday this year, it was probably Pinterest. I saw tons of cute eggs colored with Sharpies, so I bought a package of the new Bic permanent markers to try it myself (They were less than half the cost of Sharpies, and wrote really well, and they didn't smudge after being in the refrigerator or the damp grass...I might be a convert!) I also pinned a couple cute banners and tried my hand at making one from this printableIt turned out nice, but just like my baby shower banner, I made it way too large. Maybe I'l find a better place to hang it next year in the new house. 


I also bought a cheap grapevine wreath from Michael's and embellished it with a whole bunch of stashed craft items. I used the Bic markers for this project too. The little foam eggs were on bamboo skewers, and I colored them brown to blend in with the wreath before weaving them through. You can kind of see up close, but I was really unsure of what kind of adhesive to use on the Styrofoam, so for me, this was a much better option. 

Another bunny from the Pinterest printable
What do you think? I'm excited to have some decorations I can use year after year, and for less than $12 with all of the supplies I had on hand! 

Monday, March 25, 2013

Small settings change and some more scrapbooking

I was hoping not to have to do this, but I have had to stop allowing anonymous comments. Sorry! I know that there were some genuine people using that feature to ask me questions about certain projects without creating an account (especially people who found me on Pinterest). On my last post I think I got about a dozen SPAM comments, all from anonymous users. And they're sneaky, too. They almost sound like they could be real comments, but then they say "Check out my blog" at the bottom and the links go to different scam sites. Ugh! Too much work! 

In other news, I have started packing! Not enough packing, mind you, but I have started. 

I have also, somewhat stupidly, invited people over for Easter. So I need to decorate. While packing. My husband made me feel better about this by telling me that we have two small children (and one not-so-small) and I really had to decorate anyway. Hmmm...I guess so.

Kit is Bella Gypsy's Besties with added freebies (no longer available) and staple. 
The owners over at the Cover to Cover Facebook Group posted a few old Speed Scraps for us to use. I followed one to make this page for my 2011 book that I am working on. I actually was cooking last night during the Sunday Speed Scrap, so I didn't participate. Then, when I got on my computer later, I saw a note that they would be doing prizes. I would be lying if I said I wasn't a little annoyed, I mean prizes on the one night in forever I don't participate?! Mostly I was sitting there staring at my husband and children saying, "Why do you have to eat?" Hahaha! 

Kit is On the Road by Kristin Aagard also used here
I also put together this page for my 2011 book. My poor boy was in such a state at that party, but I have to remember that I had his sister less than two weeks before his birthday. That's a lot to put on a four year old boy! My husband pointed out to me that my traffic light is upside down, so I will have to change that before I have this page printed. 

Kristin Aagard designed the kit I used for Gabe's page, and I am completely crushing on her Moving Day kit right now! I'd much rather scrap about packing than do the actual packing! Who's with me? 

Tuesday, March 19, 2013

What I'm doing when I should be packing

Some Megan Turnidge, some Bella Gypsy and some Just Jaimee
I participated in the Speed Scrap on the My Memories Facebook page on Sunday. Probably shouldn't have, but I am trying to maintain some kind of schedule with regards to my 2011 and 2013 scrapbooks. These are photos of Caroline's part of the bedroom she shares with her brother. I find it a little ironic that I'm scrapping these now, as I'm getting ready to put all of this stuff in place in our new home. 

Kit is Forest Friends by Mye De Leon, alpha is Bella Gypsy
Here is another page from my 2011 book. I had scrapped this photo already, but I felt the page was really lacking. I wanted to tell the story of why this iPhone photo is the first photo ever taken of Caroline. This version is much better, I think. I had originally planned on (and tried) scrapping this picture with a much different kit with a deer in it, but I felt the dark recovery room picture needed a kit that was a little darker too, so thankfully I had another cute little deer in my stash. (Funny, I always seem to scrap this kit with circles. What is it about these papers?)

Tuesday, March 12, 2013

Some Little Pillows & Some Big News

Let's just start this off by saying I am not pregnant. I think any time a married woman in her 30's has big news that's where we all jump to, but seriously...not me! I won't say never again, because the last time I was "done" having children God laughed at me and gave me Caroline less than a month after I made that decision. 



I made these little pillows from a clearance shower curtain I found at Target. Roughly four yards of adorable, kid friendly, stain resistant decorator weight cotton fabric for $9.98? Yes, please! 



I did a simple envelope back on the pillows so that they would be easy to take off and clean. It also really simplified my sewing as I was able to use the existing hem on the bottom of the shower curtain for the top part of the envelope. 

So, why am I making these cute little pillows (12 X 12 and 12 X 16)? We're moving! One of the things we were looking for in a new house was a playroom for the kids, and I'm happy to say that our new house allows for that. However, the layout of the house is such that the kids' playroom will be the first thing anyone sees when they come in our front door. Yuck! 

Trying to plan cute, functional decor for a kids' space that will make the first impression of my entire home? Um...hard! If anyone has any tips on that, I'm all ears! 

Friday, March 8, 2013

More Digiscrap Pages & Some Tips

I may have mentioned once or twice (or maybe even a dozen times) that I am participating in the 2013 Cover to Cover challenge with My Memories. The goal is two pages per month for 2013, and I set an additional goal for myself to finish scrapping 2011 at the same rate. 

I'm really pleased that I have completed five pages for each of these books! Since a few of these haven't been shown on the blog, I thought I'd post them up here and to my ever-growing gallery on Pinterest. 


Kit is Ice Ice Baby by Connie Prince
First up, is a page I scrapped in early February. I had been wanting to play around with QR codes for awhile, and decided to finally bite the bullet. I found this QR code generator online that is free and lets you customize the color of your code. How perfect for scrapbook pages is that? I turned this one a deep blue/purple and it coordinates wonderfully! Definitely a site you should bookmark if you'd like to try this on your pages. 

Layout, except for microphone, made with Bella Gypsy's Besties and coordinating freebies that are no longer available. 
Next up is the result of a Speed Scrap and some small scale photos I took at a school fundraiser. I thought the colors in this kit were perfect for a group of tween girls and as a bonus they coordinated awesomely with the microphone from a Connie Prince kit I had on hand. (Connie's just getting tons of love from me today!)


And lastly, we have the page that gave me fits! I kept trying, and trying to create this page, but nothing seemed to work. I couldn't make my boarding passes large enough to read while keeping my scan of my 4 X 6 photo large enough to see and have room for the journaling that I felt was really necessary since I only had one real photo (all that was allowed) of the exhibit we attended. 

Someone in the Cover to Cover Facebook group suggested to me that I ignore the warning the program gave me about how my photo could pixelate and use it as my background. She said she had done it several times and never actually had a photo come out bad. So I got brave and tried it. I layered the photo over top of this great weathered damask paper, made it sepia toned and adjusted the opacity enough to let some of the texture from the background show through. It kind of reminds me of the look of a lot of the papers that were salvaged from the Titanic wreckage, and if it pixelated, I can't tell! Maybe the weathered background hides it? 

Since you can see a lot of the detail in the large background photo, I didn't feel bad about putting a very small original in there, which finally left me enough room for my boarding passes and the journaling I wanted. I threw together a bunch of elements in nautical colors to add a little 
punch to the page and bring out the red of the White Star Line logo. I'm so glad to have the group at my finger tips to help me along with these pages! 

Tuesday, March 5, 2013

Modern Infinity Scarf

I mentioned yesterday that I had an infinity scarf on my sewing machine, and I finished up the hand stitching on it this morning. I love it. It is going to be hard to give this one away, really hard. 


I made this for my youngest sister's birthday using the "heart" part of my Infinity Scarf Tutorial. She is going to be 18 (and hopefully isn't a blog reader) and when I asked about what color she might wear I got, "I don't know, black?" I kind of wanted to bang my head into the wall. I mean seven black fabrics? I must have walked around my local quilt shop for a half hour at least! 

In the end I had two tone on tone black prints, a solid black, a solid gray, the dark gray (stone) Huevos, the ring dot and the single seriously bright print. I am so in love with that print, but also nervous that it will be the deciding factor in whether or not she wears this. I will be crossing my fingers and tossing this into a box, quickly, because I think if it sits here too much longer it will end up around my neck! 

Monday, March 4, 2013

Monday Moments: Retro Edition


This was my Speed Scrap from the My Memories Facebook page last night. I am trying to finish scrapping 2011, so I looked hard down my list to find an event where I had a whopping eight photos for this challenge page! I decided on Easter, picked out the papers and then realized I had six photos. Oops! I snagged one off of Facebook that somehow got deleted from my computer and then split the see-saw picture into two in order to participate. I like the way it turned out! 

The kit is one of the new ones pre-loaded into My Memories Suite Version 4. I added the ric-rac from my All the Pretty Ponies kit (which I use so much! Love those girly brights and pastels, it's really versatile if you can get over not using the cute ponies in every layout) and a Bella Gypsy freebie alpha (no longer available, sorry!). 

I'm in the mood for spring! Anyone else? Of course, as I say that and think about Easter plans for this year, I've got another infinity scarf on my sewing machine that needs to be attended to. More stuff to show you soon...

Friday, February 22, 2013

Heart & Soul: Infinity Scarf Two Ways Tutorial

I really liked the patchwork on this infinity cowl on the Art Gallery Fabrics blog. It's gorgeous on the model, but I wanted something a little more wearable for me. Something thinner, and a lot longer so I could get that pretty, layered look by looping it twice. In the end, I made two different versions, a simple scarf from large fabric pieces, and a more complex one to use up those last tiny bits from my favorite fabrics (I almost called this the quilter's variation). 


To make the simpler Heart scarf (named because of the Love fabrics I have had stashed for over a year now), you will need 7 fat quarters. Cut two 9.5 X 12 inch rectangles from each fabric. Using a 1/4 inch seam allowance, sew the rectangles into two rows along the 12 inch side (scroll down to see a diagram of suggested fabric placement). 

To make the Soul version, we're going to utilize scraps (mine are scraps from my Soul Blossoms basket quilt I have got to finish). 

Cut: 

8- 9.5 X 12 rectangles (block A)
4- 5 X 12 rectangles (block B)

4- 4 X 9.5 rectangles (block C)
2- 5 X 9.5 rectangles (block C)

2- 4 X 7 rectangles (block D)
2- 3 X 4 rectangles (block D)
2- 7 X 8.5 rectangles (block D)
2- 3 X 8.5 rectangles (block D)



Assemble two of block C by sewing two 4 X 9.5 and one 5 X 9.5 inch strips together along the 9.5 inch sides (the order doesn't matter). 

Assemble two of block D by sewing the 4 X 7 inch rectangle to the 3 X 4 rectangle along the 4 inch side. Sew the 3 X 8.5 inch rectangle to the 7 X 8.5 inch rectangle along the 8.5 inch side to create the second half of the four patch unit. Sew these two sections together so that the top seams intersect. 

Now you're ready to sew your rows. Each row will have 4 of block A, 2 of block B, one of block C and one of block D. Make 2.
Diagram for suggested fabric and block placement

Finishing instructions:

Place your two rows face down on top of each other (right sides together). Sew along both of the long sides with a 1/4 inch seam. Now, comes the weird part, but trust me, it works out in the end! Open up your scarf on one short end, reach inside, and grab the opposite end with your hand. Pull it up through the inside so that it's flush (1) with the end you started at. At this point, it should look like a windsock (2), not a scarf. Be careful not to twist it, or you will end up with a weird seam! 



Take the front off of your sewing machine and place your scarf around it (3). Sew almost completely around the outside edge, leaving about a six inch gap. Pull your scarf right side out through the gap and hand sew closed. That's it! 


You're now ready for the putting it on and looking instantly pulled together part, at least if you're not like me and in desperate need of a haircut. 


Let me know if you make one or both of these, I'd love to see them! I'm thinking I have to put more together for a few spring birthdays I know. 

Monday, February 11, 2013

Um...HELP!

I was all excited for today, as it is the day Riley Blake revealed the second block in their Mystery Block of the Month series. If you remember, my first block looked like this. 



Fairly masculine, or unisex at the very least. My plan for this quilt was to use the owl fabric in every block and keep it in the bolder, boyish colors. And even though it's a Mystery Block of the Month, I didn't quite see how they could throw anything at me where I might not be able to keep on my theme. 





And then this showed up on Pinterest, block two. Can hearts be masculine? My first instinct was to go brown or orange for these scraps, but then I have no owls. I think all blues may be overkill though, as I was planning on a bit of blue in every block and don't really want a blue quilt. So, where am I to go? What would you do? 

Monday, February 4, 2013

Monday Moments: Scrapbook Edition

It's Monday! Okay, I'm really not excited about it being Monday. It is the first Monday in February, though which means Riley Blake will be releasing the second block in their Mystery Block of the Month in one week. You can still join and be completely caught up! If you need inspiration check out the board on Pinterest, mine is the owl one

Monday also means that last night was a Speed Scrap (yes, even with the Superbowl on...and I was thankful for it during the half hour of "Let's report what's going on with the lights"). I made a page for my 2013 book that I had been wanting to scrap for awhile. 

Kit is All the Pretty Ponies with added princess from here.
This is a photo from our granddaughter's visit with us. She loved playing with that Little People castle, and even though her mom says she doesn't want princess stuff, I am seriously tempted to buy one for her first birthday just to see that little grin again! So cute! 

All the Pretty Ponies again. Sketch inspiration found here
I used the same kit to scrap Caroline's first birthday, which was one of the few pages I needed to finish for 2012! I'm happy to say that book is now done and you won't see quite as many layout posts from me now! 

Kit is On the Road with extra papers & embellishments from Flakes and Fun
I had a hole in my book in the tail end. I wasn't going to scrap any more Christmas pictures, but I absolutely needed an extra in order to keep a two page layout together, so now each of the kids have their own page about driving through the tree farm (the other is here). 


I made this page for a layout contest on Persnickety Prints Facebook page. You had to use a free kit that was provided for 90% of your page. I didn't win, but the woman who did deserved it so much more than I did! You can see the winners and download the kit (still free) for a limited time on their website! 


You can see a little more of the kit here in the back cover I made for my book. The front cover was just a mirror image of this with a title instead of a photo. I figured the back is probably more interesting to view on its own..ha!

Tuesday, January 29, 2013

Huge scrapbook catch up post

Ah, life! It has been so busy around here lately! I'm still working hard on my goal of finishing my 2012 scrapbook by the end of February. At the same time, I am working on the My Memories Cover to Cover series to stay on top of 2013 (and 2011). That is a lot of scrapbooking! 

This week I finished my second two page layout for both our Chicago trip and the second circus we attended last year. I only have four single pages left to do to finish my book! 


Kit is Rawr! And will be retiring next month so grab it for $0.99 if you like it! 

Kit is Birthday Circus. Sketch inspiration found here

I was also able to participate in the Speed Scrap on Sunday and used the opportunity to get a page for my 2011 book done. Hooray! 


Kit is I Love Rock 'N Roll
I completed my first page for 2013 loosely based on a sketch I found on Pinterest.  I am so excited about the prospect of being caught up and staying caught up! I love being able to look through actual printed albums and share them with my friends and family! 

Sketch inspiration found here. Background paper and music elements from this freebie
So, there was my week in Scrapbook pages. What have you been up to? 

Friday, January 25, 2013

Mystery Block of the Month

Riley Blake, known for their chevrons, is hosting a Mystery Block of the Month for 2013. Of course, their first block is a chevron pattern! It's cute, free and lasts until September! 

I would love to have went out and bought new fabric for this, but I really, really have to get my stash cut down. It's hard to convince myself I need more when there are totes stacked up taller than me in the basement holding all sorts of goodies. So, given the small scale of this first block I chose the Timeless Treasures mini owls and some coordinating prints from my stash.  


I'm pretty happy with it. It's cute, but boyish, which doesn't happen in my sewing too often! I have some navy blue, bright yellow, orange and brown that I plan on using later. Block two comes out the second Monday in February, so there's still plenty of time to join up and be caught up! 

This kind of flies in the face of my resolution to try and quilt one thing at a time, but I figure that I'm not really good at that, and perhaps a forced once a month break from my other projects will help keep me on track? Or maybe I'm just justifying the fact that I want to participate! 

Now...what do I do with my block until September? How do I store it so it isn't frayed to bits by then? Any advice from you regular BOMers? 



Wednesday, January 23, 2013

Two Page Scrapbook Layout

Okay, okay, I promise that I fully intend to start sewing something tonight (or at least fabric cutting tonight), but in the meantime, you just have to bear with me as I finish up scrapping 2012. I'm getting really close! 







I pinned this page sketch because I thought that little banner was really fun and would make a great circus layout. When I pinned it, I didn't even know that my circus kit actually had a near identical banner in it! That was a pleasant surprise! 

Kit is Birthday Circus with added popcorn
I made the basic background of my page and then inserted a duplicate. The banners, ribbon and papers lined up perfectly this way! I opted to put the small cluster of three photos on the opposite page and put a journal tag and an embellishment cluster in their place. I think this turned out so fun! It's one of the few pages I had to redo and I'm glad I got the chance. This is way better than my original that I lost in the hard drive crash! 

Monday, January 21, 2013

Scrapbook pages & a special request

Kit is Siblings are Forever

I did the Speed Scrap last night on the My Memories Facebook page. I needed a single page in my 2012 book that I'm finishing up to keep a two page layout together, so even though I am planning on doing a separate book of the kids professional photos, I created a single page highlighting how hectic that day was. These are some of my favorites of the "bad" pictures, because you can just see how each kid was doing their own thing! 

Kit and alpha are Forest Friends
I also made a page for our lunch at the Rainforest Cafe. I'm getting so close to finishing 2012! I used a Mye De Leon kit for this page, which brings me to the special request part of this post. Mye has been a favorite designer of mine for a long time, and she needs help. I have used her kits to create some of my favorite pages like this one and this one.

If you are a digital scrapper, please consider buying something from Mye, as she is desperately trying to raise money for a surgery her newborn son needs to live! There is also a place to directly donate and a $20 mega kit that you can purchase to benefit her sweet baby! Nothing like fueling your habits and helping out a great cause! 

Wednesday, January 16, 2013

Catching up!


I've been playing a lot in My Memories this week! I made a second page for my pumpkin patch photos that did not include the awesome pumpkin gun



I also have been working on making a page template that works for two page layouts, as I have quite a few to configure for my 2012 book (that I am nearly finished with)! So here is my stab at it...I'm going to use it again for pictures from the museum and we'll see how it looks then. I like this page, but I think with the little paper ribbons it might be a little too distinctive to use multiple times in a book? I'm not sure! I think it will be okay to use it for all of the Chicago pages, as it will tie them together nicely, but maybe not for my other two page layouts?