My "New" Scrapbooking Sketch Journal

As you all know I'm a major Disney fan.  They make fun of my fandom at work because it is a little over the top.  Although, to use the words of my co-worker, we are all freaks about something.   Me, its Disney, especially Mickey Mouse.  He is my main squeeze, besides my husband and son, of course.  I was asked several days ago why I love Mickey and Disney so much.  What is the draw?  I didn't have to think about it at all.  It's the feeling of happiness and joy and that childlike awe.  Going to Disney World makes me feel like a kid again.  I don't have to cook or worry about meals (thank you Disney Dining), I can laugh and have fun and wear Mickey ears and no one bats an eye.  The stresses of life melt away the minute we drive through those gates.  I therefore love Mickey.  He is my reminder of those super fun relaxing times when I felt like a kid.  These days we can't afford our regular trips to Disney World, but I keep that magic alive by surrounding myself with little Mickeys. 

So, to get to my "new" sketch book.  I love scrapbooking.  I work at a scrapbook store.  I own all the goodies.  I struggle sometimes though.  I really need to sketch out a plan for my pages before I can cut the paper.  What if I cut it wrong?  I can't have that.  I usually have a normal plain 1 subject notebook in my scrapbook tote at all times.  That way I can sketch things out and make a plan.  That works fine.  It's a great system.  It's just not very "Scrappy."  I have had this Disney book in my stash of Disney things for a quite a while now.  I bought it at a thrift store.  I was never really sure what I would do with it, but I thought somehow, someday I would upcycle it.  I finally did.  I first went to my spreadsheet program on my computer and outlined 2  equal boxes to make my 2 page spreads.  I printed that out on cardstock.  I then cut the binding off my book, saving the story  for another time.  I used my We R Memory Keeper's cinch tool to bind my pages and book covers together to make my new sketch book.  I'm super excited about it and can't wait to break it in!  Good thing I have a scrapbooking play date coming up!

Fun

In my last post I told you I was a lucky girl, not the traditional I won the lottery and never have to work another day in my life kind of luck, but the kind where if you have to work at least I get to work at a place I love.  I work at Scrapdoodles, my local scrapbook store.  Today I am a lucky girl because I will get to share my love of scrapbooking and stitching to some  new peeps!  I will be teaching a layout class called, Stitching Some Rays.
I would love to show you some cool photos I took that give a few peeks of it.  But currently am experiencing some technical difficulties.  So please check back.  The dates for the class are Wednesday May 22 and Saturday June 1.  If you are local, come by Scrapdoodles and check it out.  I do have the layout on display!!!

Lucky Me

 So in my quest to get my little man his baby book I've been scrapping quite a bit lately.  It feels good to get pages done and see the pile of layouts grow.  This picture is from Valentines Day way back in 2007.  I said I was behind, I wasn't joking.  I am a lucky girl when it comes to getting the latest and greatest papers.  I work in a scrapbook store, I know I know you are soooo jealous of me right now.  When I saw this paper line, Lucky Charm by Dear Lizzy for American Crafts I had to have it!  Look at those colors and all the patterns!  Two things I love when it comes to paper are lots of pattern and great color.  I know all you see here are little pieces I punched into hearts, but trust me, this line is awesome.  The store I work at, Scrapdoodles, has already sold out of a couple of the papers in the line and it has only been out about 2 weeks! We also got in the new line from Amy Tangerine, Yes Please for American Crafts, all I can say is YES PLEASE!  She has these great new templates for sewing on your pages, I had to have the alpha set because, well, just because I loved it!  I really like the look of sewing on scrapbook pages.  I feel like it gives interest and depth so that my layouts aren't flat yet they are not bulky. 

Don't you love the the way the blue string looks!    I was away when I made this layout and I didn't have the right twine color that made me happy for this layout.  So my friend suggested that I dye the white she had to match my layout.  Dye my twine?  I had no idea how easy and fun it would be, sure my hands looked like a smurf...but man it was fun.  First, I got out my craft mat by Ranger, then I dabbed Tim Holtz Distress Stain directly onto the mat, I misted it with water and ran my string thru it.  Ta da, blue twine!!  (Don't forget to heat it so it dries before you try to sew with it )  I never really saw myself as an inky gal, but I really liked that technique and I see more of those really cool Distress Stains in my future.   
So I hope you liked my layout.  Have a lucky charm kind of day!

Wow, A year...Really?!

I can't believe I haven't blogged at all in over a year, well I can believe it, but really, a year?!    I kind of wish I could hit the delete button on the whole thing and start over with a new Blog, but I love my name....812 miles.
Anyway.....I'm trying it again. The blogging that is. 
So today I'm sharing my latest layout.

I LOVE IT!  Recently my 7 year old asked me about his baby book.   Don't I have a book mom?  Well, mommy is still working on it.  So here I am working on it.  In this pic he is just a few days old, I'm really behind! 
I used Bazzill Cardstock, Echo Park Brothers line, Studio Calico wood tag and Amy Tan Alpha Stencils that just came out with her Yes Please line. 

Thankful 365 for 2012

So, I'm a bit of a pessimist.  I admit it.  More days than not I have a not such a great attitude about things.  I never really thought of that as a problem, that's just who I am.  I thought I was okay with that.  Enter Meghan.  I love my kid, she is so fantastic, straight A student, a pleaser...really great kid.  She is also quite the story teller, not sure where she gets that from *wink* wink*, but for a while now I have been noticing a disturbing trend....unhappiness.  I would ask...how was your field trip to the zoo?....did you have a great time? The answer would be a blow by blow of the day, minute by minute....the bus ride was too long, I didn't like the movie they played, but even if I did I couldn't hear it because all the kids were being too loud.  The zoo was hot, really hot.  We didn't get to see the elephants.  I got leg aches from all the walking.  We walked thru everything so fast, we didn't have time to really see the animals.  So my answer, I'm sorry you had a bad time, next time there is a field trip like that, you can stay home if  you want.  Her, I didn't have a bad time, why do you think I had a bad time?  She didn't even realize that everything she told me was a negative.  Wow, WAKE UP MOM, her attitude is what she learned from me.  Some time passed and I discovered along with the rest of America the time sucking website that is Pinterest.  Did you notice the negative, time-sucking description?  When I should say...I discovered along with the rest of America the joy of that great website Pinterest.  One day while surfing I came accross a little scrapbook called "365 things I am grateful for in 2010" from a blog called I Love it All (if I knew how to insert links, I would here, but you can find the link on my crafty intentions board on Pinterest).  It got me to thinking, that little book.  I should totally do that.  What  better way to help Meghan change her outlook and pessimistic ways, than to work on my outlook and pessimistic ways.   So, the goal is to write down 1 thing everyday that I am thankful for, it doesn't have to be deep and thoughftul long journal entry, just a simple word or sentence of what I was thankful for that day.  Some examples from this year so far...Battleship with AJ, playing with crayons, great church service, old friends, afternoon delights, Chai, snowflakes, my mom coming to help me....
So...you want to see it?  I'm really happy with how it turned out.  I played alot with this little scrapbook/journal.  I used techniques I hadn't tried before and discovered the versitility of punches.  I used ink and masks and rub-ons and ribbons. Here is a list of manufacturers that I used:  My Minds Eye, Jillibean Soup, lilybee design, Jenni Bowlin, We R Memory Keepers, Studio Calico, Stampin up, EK Success, Tattered Angels, Crafters Home masks, Time Holtz, Lifestyle Crafts, Cricut, 7 gypsies, and Cosmo Cricket.  I may have forgotten some, sorry if I did.

 I went with a kraft look overall and I love it. The front and back covers are chipboard covered in paper and the book is bound using the Cinch by We R Memory Keepers.  The paper is kraft funday line by My Minds Eye the stamp says, I'm Thankful For and is by We R Memory Keepers and the 2012 numbers are from Jenni Bowlin.  None of the pages in this book are manufactuer specific, which is very outside the box for me.  I'm a simple girl.  I don't always have the confidence to mix and match. 

 

Each month has its own divider made with the inserts that came in photo boxes.  They were white, so I sprayed each one with Studio Calico Mr Huey Classic Calico.  It's a great kraft color, I also labeled each month with the same Tiny Type  Cosmo Cricket Navy letters.  I turned Januarys into a pocket by adding other paper and only using adhesive on the bottom and whipstitching the side. 

I loved the way this February page turned out, I used a heart punch from Stampin Up here, isn't it the cutest?

I really liked this page too, I used an edge punch, and a border lace punch from Stampin Up for the top and the background was stamped with the Studio Calico Grid using VersaMark Ink.

The page on the left has an envelope made from a lifestyle crafts die.  The calendar and ribbon are by Mya Road.  The right hand I used a stitching rub on I found buried deep in my stash, and the day stamps are from 7 gypsies.  Ignore the hole that I punched wrong by the binding.  Normally that would have killed me and I would have thrown it out, but I'm growing here...I'm trying to let it go.

This is one of my favorite pages.  I have never been a big fan of punches, they were never really my thing.  However, I was working on this project at 2 different crops and my friends have the greatest stuff.  They were willing to share, so I first sprayed some plain kraft cardstock with a mixture of Tattered Angels Sun Sisters and Mr Huey Cotton Candy, then I punched out these cute butterflies.  Of course I couldn't resist adding some bling.  Love this look!

I was having a hard time getting a good shot of this page...the color is way off...sorry.  Its really a light cream background with pinky peach spraying.  I used a punch to make those great lace strips.  I borrowed the punch from the above mentioned great friends and don't remember who makes it, sorry.  I layed the stips over my cardstock then sprayed it.  Making my own mask so to speak.  Then I punched the edge,  title is from My minds eye.

This was another new technique to me, not so obvious, but I like the effect and will do it again.  I first punched out the July 4 title with a stampin up punch, then I used the negative to create a mask and sprayed the paper with Mr Huey Atmosphere.  I used pop dots to adhere the title over the area I sprayed giving it a sublte shadow look.

This is a very special page to me.  Its my favorite mouse!  I found this cool website full of old letterheads when I was browsing Pinterest one day.  It had this one for Mickey Mouse Magazine, being the Disney lover that I am, I had to include my mouse!  I dowloaded it and printed it out on light grey cardstock, the poka dots you see are from a crafters home mask and some Calico Shine Spray. 

I had to show you this page, is that not the cutest turkey you have ever seen?  I cut him from some more of that great My Minds Eye Funday line using a Lifestyle Crafts die.  Gobble, Gobble!

Again I had issues taking this photo, sorry.  Its the same paper line from the cover.  I just sprayed it using Calico Shine and it gives it this festive snowy feel.  I was trying to get a picture of the shine, but it just didn't work out. 

So, will this year long journey of thankfulness change my attitude and my daughters?  I don't know, but I have this cute book to help me try. 

I'm going to give it another go....

So I have always thought of myself as a somewhat creative person.  I tried to mix fabric pages with paint and photos in a Donna Downey class.  I'm so NOT Donna Downey.  While I can appreciate and love her style and how cool it is...I just can't do it.  I'm totally not cool enough to pull it off.  The whole time I was there I felt like I was having a massive anxiety attack.....way too messy for me.  However, the book I was supposed to have finished is this super cute heart mini-album that I totally love.  So here I am 4 months later and I am going to try again.  I really want to finish it in time for Valentines Day for my hubby.
So here it is, finished...sort of...I might still work on it some...

So I changed the letters on the front, I wasn't liking the mixed polka dot alphas, I'm happier with it this way.

Page 1, this is my hubby and me....way back in the day before we were married...WOW we looked young!  The roses started a cream color and we soaked in the painty red water from the paint brush we used to paint the pages.  I didn't think the color was deep enough though so I came back and over sprayed it with Mr. Huey Schoolhouse.  I do love how they look, really cool.                 

The film strip used here was supplied the class kit, I added the pom pom ribbon from my supply of trims.

The swirly bling is Prima and was included in the kit, as well as the tags.  I added the stamp which is Pebbles Ever After line, from my collection on Disney-like stuff.  The ribbon is a periwinkle, which was the color from our wedding.  I love this pic...I think its funny...we look happy!

 Don't you love that old fashioned pic of Joel and I, that was this past year when we were on vacation at the beach.  He didn't want to take these pics, but he grinned and did it anyway because I wanted to.  What a good guy!

So I'm pretty happy with all these pages until.......

I have 2 of these blank grey/black pages, actually its this one page front and back, but I'm at a loss of what to do with them, so for now I am ignoring them and leaving them as is....

Last but not least...the back cover.  I cut the always out with my silhouette and then used it as a stencil filling in the letters with a white paint pen and then around the heart with the new We R White heart stamper.  I love the way it looks.  The word always has always been important to me.  Some of you know that Joel and I met while we were both working for Walmart, back then Walmart's slogan/tag line was Walmart, Always.  So there you have it, you really can get everything at Walmart!

                                                   

Today is the Day

Today is the day.  The day I must conquer my fear and pick up a rolling pin.  That's right, baking day!  It's a very serious matter, and I am quite intimidated.  I promised my girl a layered fondant covered cake.  She doesn't want just a plain straight up and down cake, she wants it "wedding style!"  I agreed.  I'm not sure what was running thru my mind at that time besides that I wanted to make her happy.  The thing is her birthday party is tomorrow night.  She just turned ten so I let her invite 10 people.  The cake I am making I swear could feed 150!  The bottom tier is 12!  That's 2 twelve" cakes, followed by 2 9" cakes followed by 2 6" cakes!  I have so far made 3 cake mixes worth of cake and I am not done.  I will have to start another one after we go to her talent show!  Today I bought 2 lbs of butter and 2 2 lb bags of powdered sugar just for the buttercream!  I hope I have enough....So today I am baking and the smell of chocolate is wafting thru my house.  I'm a little dizzy from the sugar high off of the aroma alone!  Wish me luck people.

Just thought I would come and add a few pics of the finished cake.  It was a lot of work, but she was really happy with it, so thats all that matters.  I will share one thing I learned...it's not as easy at it looks on tv!!!!