Re-using Paper Packaging...

I love eco-friendly crafting... so any chance I get to use scraps or otherwise-considered-trash, I am in heaven.

This album was made in about 9 hours, nearly non-stop. It was for my niece, Madallyn, as she turned 7 last week. We got home from Nevada Thursday eveningish, made this Friday, and her party was Saturday at 2 (but we had our 1st birthday party at noon so I had to have this wrapped up before Saturday...)

So I started with scraps of cardboard. I cut four 8x8 squares and 3 *mixed* shapes. In total, 7 pages, 14 sides. I left it for her to personalize, the theme is BFF and her favorites. I made one last year inside a pencil box that folded out accordian style. I used pics of her and all her family. She seemed unimpressed at her party (what 6 yr old wouldn't) but I found out later she likes it, took it to show & tell, etc.

I painted all the edges with black acrylic paint. Some of the smaller scalloped rectangles, as well as the back page, I painted all black. The back of the book I used silver rub-ons to personalize, then covered with matte finish mod podge.

I used Best Occasions Doodle Quick Page pack with embossed 8x8 papers. It made it fun to just add embellies, titles and journaling prompts. I mean, I still managed to make it a 9 hour project but it would have taken me days had I done all that colorblocking on my own. And all the doodles, so cute. Madallyn, my niece, is into Hannah Montana and Camp Rock so I thought this was a cute, girly, but fun and cool album. *notice a thumbnail missing? I used it later on!!*

You won't see any holes yet, so be mindful of your page "gutter" and think of future holes. I knew by the mixed sized of my album, I would want it to be stable. Planning to have 3 holes eventually, I just kept that in mind while embellishing.

Because of the intended use for this scrapbook, I used Aleene's Original Tacky Glue and gluesticks to completely cover the cardboard and the paper before adhering. I wanted it to be on there nice and strong for durability with Maddy & her friends hopefully filling it up with fun pictures and memories!

Below, on the center heart, I covered it using a thumbnail from the cover of the Doodle paper pack I was using. Another green scrapbooking technique!

The bff letters above I have owned since early 2000! They are from a sheet of cardstock letters that had coordinating diecuts. Thrilled to pull them out and use them after they've been collecting dust!

So this one has a secret!! Rotate the photo turn to reveal the hidden journaling....

I am +1 on my page count goals with this one...

In the mood to do more, but my body ain't having it!

It's more of a Guideline...

I just wanted to share my opinion on sketches... they are adaptable. They may make a total correlation when you compare them to your finished LO and some might have a hard time grasping what it was that inspired you.

I go off on this tangent because I got the pleasure of setting up a first timer!! My fam ily is currently visitting in Nevada with my in-laws. Today, my mother-in-law (Mom) and I "killed time" in - what I thought was going to be a little gift shops with the wooden signs and funny joke candies... In about 2.2 seconds upon walking through the door I saw prima flowers. I was in heaven. I haven't left this house in 5 days and I brought about 1/8 of my "stash" so I was happy just to browse and get inspiration. If I stumbled upon something well, worse things have happened.

That's when Mom said those magic words "I want to scrapbook our {motorcycle} ride." And she wanted me to help set her up with a Harley/travel kit and the basics to scrapbook. You know, I love shopping for myself, but getting a newbie set-up is SOOOO much fun!! I got her a good start and we plan to start tomorrow when the kids nap. I have been thinking of beginner tips and inspiration. She saw me working on a sketch for a crop-challenge on cafemom and said, "Oh you have a map!" Got me thinking, some sketches would be a nice addition to her stash, however I must impart upon her the wonderous thing of IMPERFECTION.

Yes, Imperfection. I have spent hours trying to recreate a sketch line for line, and am happy with it in the end. But when I go "off a sketch", as by meaning - make it my own - I am usually Thrilled with it.

My imparting words : copy the whole thing. Copy the photo placement, the journaling blocks, the color, the theme, the TITLE : goodness ANYTHING!! Just get inspired and scrapbook!!

My Sketch for the challenge, looks to me to suit 12x12 better. I am working on Marcus's birthday album, and it's an 8x8. I really didn't think I could get it all on. {And honestly, didn't have 3 of this "incident" printed}

So other than the missing third photo and the addition of the arrow, this LO is extremely similar.

Just a quick thought....

It is officially April 20th, for about an hour here in Nevada. And that means another year since the passing of my good friend, Mark Hitchner. I always pay my respects to him on this day - and I just wanted to say hi. I can't believe it's been 7 years. CRAZY how time flies.... I am thinking of you, and as always missing you. Hope you are jumping out from around corners scaring people in Heaven. :D

Working on in the Last Few days...

So this was actually a card I made for my Mohter in law - and I made it in the car!! :D



Another page I made today, for a color challenge in my cafemom group.

In Memory of Pam Link....

I have a few pages to make about this... this is the first. It is in Honor of Pam Link, who passed March 29, 2009 from stage 4 ovarian cell cancer. She was a wonderful person, a mother and teacher and co-founder and Director of a Music/Theater Summer camp that I worked at from 2000-20003. Four summers filled with millions of memories, up in the mountains, and teaching kids what I loved most - theater. I still view it as a life changing event. I wanted to capture the celebration we had in her honor, as she truly was a phenomenal person. Pam pushed us to our limits and made us better people, and her dynamic personality inspired and affected thousands of children and kids. Her service began with a sing-a-long, and she planned everything down to the centerpieces.

So this LO has some personal touches that might need to be explained: The patterned paper is our Camp Crescendo song - in repeat. The music note in the center of the flower is confetti from the table centerpieces. Benji, her son and fellow camp counselor/assistant director, reiterated over and over how she had planned every minute detail. So knowing she picked that out, makes me feel a peice of her in is this LO. Also, one flower is printed with sheet music & the ribbon flower I made says "Thank You" over and over.

The hidden journal tags...

More birthday album pages from last year...

Of course still working on it!!

Out of town but still scrapping away!

So the kids were to have a week vacation with Grami and Grampi Linda. Unfortunately, she hadn't been feeling too well and constant oxygen wasn't helping. We got a call Thursday morning that they needed us up here - so of course we came! Worried about Mom and praying that things were okay.... She has pneumonia and the antibiotics are working well. She is slowly but steadily feeling better. Scary - my dad was misdiagnosed repeatedly last year, and finally one doctor took a look at his chest x-ray and said "You've got double pneumonia" and he was pretty close to death at that point. Very strong antibiotics again got him through it. Linda has some lifestyle changes that need to be made to continue her plan of getting healthy. And we are here in Wells to support her, care for her, and let her know she is strong and she can do it.