Happy World Cardmaking Day!

Oh, poor little blog.  I know you are still here!  I have been creating, just not sharing.  For shame!

JMcGuire Does Inspire

I have been watching a LOT of video.  A LOT.  I have been laid up with pneumonia for the past week. The torturous part of that was that I had a great deal of inspiration, but I had absolutely no energy.  For example, this seemingly simple card for my son took me (no joke) 3 hours to complete.  Granted, there was a lot of self-creation of some things in Silhouette Studio, but it was not a three-hour card.  It is also stacked, like today's card, but I was not in a photography mood that day, as you can see.  That was a week ago, before my diagnosis.

Today, I created this card, completely inspired by the design of Jennifer McGuire.  Her card uses the word Hugs and is pictured below.  I TOTALLY dig how this turned out.  Click on the photo for a much better resolution.

I have, as of late, enjoyed stacking die cuts to create more dimension.  This one was too cute, as it used different colors to create the stack.  Jennifer used an alphabet die that she links on her website.  I created this sentiment using the Alexandria free font.  Using Silhouette Studio, I made the letters a wee bit "chunkier," as well as the base they are glued on, using the "offset" option.  Then, the machine did a whole lot of cutting. Underneath the panel, as suggested by Jennifer, I took strips of the colors I used in the stack to tie in a rainbow.  I used Love Your Guts from Cathy Zielske's Clear Stamps Simple Sentiments No. 1 for Simon Says Stamp. If you would like to see how Jennifer created this, and other cards that use the alphabet dies, take a peek at her video around minute 21.

See, what had happened was...

I was minding my own business, admiring some cards, when I happened upon this current trend (or pendulum swing) of shadows on die cut sentiments.

Cathy Zielske's dies

Concord & 9th Stamps and Coordinating Dies

Honey Bee Stamps Dies

This reminded me of when I started considering buying sentiment stamps.  "I can write that myself," I said.  "Why would I buy a stamp?"  I soon realized that sometimes a stamp is quicker, cleaner, and more convenient.  But not cost-efficient.  One stamp makes maybe three cards unless you are in mass-production mode.  But we (yes, "we") get caught up in the cuteness factor, watch a Jennifer McGuire video, and suddenly need "all the things."

Lately, I have decided that this cycle is ridiculous.  Case in point: Concord & 9th has a turnabout stamp concept that is ingenious.  However, there are things that they have decided are important must-haves that they did not conceptualize before production.  Now, they are trying to sell things that make using the stamp set easier.  The stamp set, mind you, that cost $24 to the average crafter.  Now buy these two other things as add-ons?  Nah.  Or the wreath builder from the wonderful Gina K.  While I purchased the original wreath builder, I have since cut several different sizes of it on my own with my Silhouette Cameo.  It's two squares, people.  For real.

Back to the shadows: When I saw some of my favorites using shadows with their sentiments, and when I was ever so close to buying some of them, an epiphany hit: Hey, JoLynn.  You can make these.  And the tinkering began.  Please forgive these photos.  In my excitement, I literally did not wait for the glue (which dries clear) to dry.

First, I wanted to get a serif font look going on like my girl, Cathy Z.  Two things: kerning and cut blade.  I did have to go in to Photoshop to get the letters as close as I wanted.  The Silhouette software had its limits.  Second, I used a pre-cut that was in the Silhouette Studio software.  The white paper did not have as smooth of a cut as I would have preferred.  And, let's just say I need practice gluing a sentiment to a shadow.  It's a little wonky, but a good prototype.

Then came this beauty.  I was like, "Hmmm, let's use some script fonts."  A couple of tutorials later, and voila! Script font, with shadow, and a smooth cut after some tinkering with blade depth.

So, it may be completely real: I might never buy a word die again.

CZ Inspiration

Look at that!  A card!  Actually, I have made some, but I have not necessarily posted them.  Today, I will play catch up.

This card was inspired by the recent card explosion happening with Cathy Zielske.  Here is her original.

I learned with this card that I don't emboss enough.  White embossing makes everything pop.  I used a new stamp set that I got from Simon Says Stamp called Look for the Miracles. I also used my Zig Clean Color Real Brush pens, as Cathy did with hers.  Lots of color!  I did not shade, as I had a limited area to work with.  The sentiment, in the Handwritten Greetings set, was from SSS as well. I used Stampin' Up's white embossing powder and gray cardstock for the image layer and some Neenah 110 for the base.

DYL 2.0, Week 3, Layout 2

Happy accidents grace this 8.5 x 11 layout.  I really did not start out wanting to use chevron, then I found this pattern and color combo and just really loved it.  Did not have the exact Copics I needed, so I blended C3 and G21 to get closer to the green-blue shade of the paper.  The paper is the flipside of some chalkboard patterned paper, so I used the chalkboard to mat the photos and for the banner. The theme was "Time Flies," but when I looked at my photos, I thought, truly, it has not flown.  Yes, my son has grown up, but I have loved being his mom.  This is the reward of motherhood: to see the cake reach doneness, yes?  I really enjoyed the font (Spellbound), which I paid for because it has all sorts of styles to use.  I wish my picture did the colors better justice.  I treated the two younger photos with a B/W filter (they had colors that were messing with the page for me), and then kept the most recent in color, framed it with patterned paper, and popped it up.  I also popped up the monogram to balance the two sides.

DYL 2.0 Week 3, Layout 1, Unity and Space

I knew, no matter what the layout, I needed one of this week's pages to be about this damn vertigo.  I went with a hybrid page, which is funny since this would lend itself so well to totally digital.  What I learned was I need to either bring the tabs in closer or cut the photo block VERY carefully, as there is a little bit of white between the word tabs and the pics.  Because it was a balanced white, I went with it. This page is 8.5 x 11, matted on Stampin' Up! kraft patterned cardstock.  It's actually Christmas cardstock, but I felt it had just enough visual "hum" to work with the topic at hand.  The main pic was a selfie I took and then treated with a PS effect to give the idea of what it felt like to deal with constant vertigo. I mounted the white mat on a piece of Bazzill kraft cardstock and lifted it with some dimensional adhesives.

Mt two tabs say, "you're drunk," and "go home."  I used an Ali Edwards word sticker that said, "over it."  I liked how it pulled in the red, and, well, I am over dealing with this (three weeks so far).

DYL 2.0 Week 2, Layout 2 The Story of Summer

I took some photos at the pool today that lend themselves well to this hybrid layout for Week 2 of Design Your Life 2.0. I used some Cosmo Cricket patterned paper, some deep purple cardstock, and some black cardstock layered behind my photos.  I also used a couple of Ali Edwards stamps.  The arrow sticker border is, I think, from a Simple Stories set. All is placed on a piece of cardstock from Stampin' Up!

Sweet Caroline (Ba-ba-baaaa) DYL 2.0 Week 2, Sketch 1

This week's first sketch had an emphasis on the design elements of repetition. I decided this page lent itself well to a spread on our Neil Diamond concert experience. Some repetition used: The "So Good" circles were used three times, with the bottom one elevated; word phrase stickers (Ali Edwards) to the left of Neil's picture, to the right on our picture (Simple Stories) and in the upper right hand corner (Ali Edwards), affixed with a mini staple.  I felt that something was needed to bring the page together so I framed it with gold metallic.  I also used the gold metallic to "dot" the scalloped edge at the bottom of the page.  That patterned paper and the paper behind our raised photo are the same paper (Pink Paislee Sweet Freedom Collection used in the last sketch...using those scraps!). The blue jean pockets, "borrowed" from the Interwebs, give a nice touch and shout out to Neil's "Forever in Blue Jeans," a favorite song of mine.

Hello Tae Kwon Do - DYL 2.0 Continues

Here is the second sketch for Week 1 in Cathy Zielske's Design Your Life 2.0.  What I like about these sketches is that they are SIMPLE.  You can add what you wish, or delete what you wish.  Some scrapbook sketches are so cluttered for me that I can't think of where to go with them.

Many in the class were completing this digitally, and I must say, it's a sleek one to do that way.  My 8.5 x 11 in. page is hybrid. I printed the mat on Bazill Orange Peel (still a favorite of mine). The "Hello" and "tae kwon do" colors were sampled from the photos.  I wanted to use blue and red as those are the main colors used as part of TKD.  In the circle, I borrowed an image from the Interwebs and placed in on a gray 1 inch circle.  I then cut the mat with a 1-1/4 inch circle punch to give it a home.  Note: the little guy has a white belt.  I mounted the photos on Stampin' Up! cardstock (I think it's Real Red). The page base is a piece of patterned paper from the Pink Paislee Sweet Freedom collection. The other side is patriotic images and sayings.  I chose the blue ombre quite purposefully.  I think it shows transformation and increased strength, like when students work through their TKD belts.  Cathy stacked her "Hello" sentiment.  I felt like the red was emphasized enough, so there's just one layer there.

And now it is July!

I did not realize how long it had been since I posted things on this blog.  I have been making things, and I am more in process mode than ready to share mode.  Let's start with some cards:

I made this card for a friend who had to say goodbye to her beloved dog. I used some of my crafty friend's stash, so I am not sure of all manufacturers. I do know the sentiment is from Taylored Expressions and the embossing folder is from Darice.

This card is for a wedding shower.  It was hard to get the color in a photo.  It is a dark purple.  The embossing folder used is from The Paper Studio.  The sentiment is from Stampin' Up!, as is the ribbon, attached with Tim Holtz's tiny attacher. I used a Spellbinders die to mount the sentiment.

I mounted the card on craft cardstock and stamped a Simon Says Stamp sentiment on the inside.

Next up in crafty-land, a new class!  I enrolled in Cathy Zielske's Design Your Life 2.0.  I made some of my absolute favorite all-time pages during the first iteration of this class back in 2008.  This one is 4 weeks instead of 12, is still based on the principles of design, and contains Cathy's fabulousness.

The first layout focuses on symmetrical balance. We were charged with scrapbooking the passage of time. Here is my shot at it.

I used some of Ali's Tough and Old/New Story Kits as well as some SEI and Lawn Fawn papers. I know those acrylic hearts are from Ali, but I will be darned if I can find the kit they were in! 

Cathy provided us with the cut file and the general sketch. She actually had her journaling in the bottom left square and had patterned paper where I have my journaling. She was not using the large circles, but rather thinner banners, so the journaling would fit.

She has another sketch that is asymmetrical that I will be trying out this weekend also. I think it will document Max starting Tae Kwon Do.

Craftiness Over Winter Break

Apparently, I like to craft like the apocalypse is nigh when I have Winter Break.  I think my brain realizes that school has been pushed back, for now, and there are creative juices flowing.

Several things led up to this first project:

• I started a Pinterest board on Traveler's Notebooks.  They intrigue me.
• I have read and researched and followed creative as well as efficient people who have used Traveler's Notebooks.
• I have seen several people who have made their own covers.  This post is one I used to guide my project.
• I purchased several Midori inserts and a binder.
• I have watched countless videos on hand lettering (a passion of mine since I was 12).  I have purchased brush pens and printed practice sheets. (whole 'nother Pinterest board)
• I joined Cathy Zielske's Fit 2017 class.  In that class, she gave an option for documentation via Traveler's Notebook.
• I decided I wanted to try making my own "Fauxdori" Traveler's Notebook cover.
• I am a VERY novice sewer, so you are about to witness something that took a lot of stitch ripping, cursing, and machine instructions reading to get done.

I ended up using the suede side of the leather.  The flipside did not enjoy being sewed many times.  Leather is not as forgiving as other fabric.

I currently have two inserts that I use regularly in the "Fauxdori."  One is my Fit monthly journal and the other is my small group journal.

I got these trinkets at Michaels.  A constant reminder for me.

And these Heidi Swapp marquee letters were another project. I had started messing with these a few months back, then they went on the back burner.  When I finally had time to set the up, I found the "S" lights had a short in them, so I bought a new strand (Lord knows where a receipt was for that original purchase).  Not super impressive with a dark photo, but my son really likes them and wants me to make him one with his name. :)

December Daily® Day 2

December 2 discusses my attempt at making healthier food choices.  The photo is an actual anju pear that I had at school.  I had fruits and veggies handy, and I was CONSTANTLY eating.  The bottom quote was from Cathy Zielske's 2016 FIT class.  She is taking enrollments for 2017 as well.  Lots of good motivation, although I was on and off that wagon last year.

The text of my journaling:

I am making attempts at making better food choices this month.  Shopping was step #1.  It’s amazing how little you can have in your cupboard when you stop caring what goes in your body. I also signed up for Weight Watchers online to do some tracking. I am writing this on Dec. 25, and my tracking has been missing for a few weeks, but I know that I can get back on track easily.  Getting off track is easier!  Scott has been losing a great deal of weight.  He made his bike into a stationary bike in the basement.  I walk the treadmill at times, but I am giving a lot of serious thought in to joining Jazzercise.  We shall see if I can get back in that groove. 

WITL2016: Thursday

I don't know why I find myself taking photos of my pages sans daylight, but it just seems to fall that way with my workflow.  This day was, definitely, the longest, busiest, and hardest day of my week.  Being tired is one thing, but being tired on a really bum foot is a whole "nother" level.  Add to that the self-imposed stress of the beginning of a move, and, well, you get the idea.

On my tab, I used a stamp from Cathy Zielske's Adulting No. 1 set.  Oh so much fun this set is!  I am not 100% certain where the card on the tab is from.  It was in with my Ali Edwards story kits, but I am not sure which kit it belonged to.

Narrative: May 12, 2016: At 6:20, I awakened and prepared for Beach Day, which culminated in a beach-themed dodgeball tournament for grades 3-5.  At breakfast, I again, found myself grading.  I got one paper graded.  Oy. Time-consuming while I lack motivation is not a good combination. I then had a conversation with Max in which he explained, “There’s no beach here,” and recommended that I “cover my woooods” (codename for boobs) for school.  He then proceeded to need me to tell him every step he needed to do for everything he was asked to do. That, added to discussions and statements with Scott about my desire to NOT move and how bad the timing was, made for a very tense morning. Between the pain in my foot, the constant “on-the-go” at work, and now, packing at home and getting the house ready to show, I am a whirlwind of stress. Before leaving for work, I received a sympathetic text from Scott that helped. At 3:30, the tournament began.  Alas, between my foot and my lack of sleep, I was not very spirited. At 5:00, I made my way home, slept a bit, iced my foot, and snacked on some Twizzler bites.  At 6:15, Max had his last music concert at Northpoint.  He was so excited!  We had dinner afterwards at Bob Evans, which is Max’s favorite thing after concerts.  They even recognized his bow tie!  Mother Nature provided some beautiful scenery as the day came to a close.

That is all for now.  More embellishments will be had, I am sure, but the base page is done!

Fit Planning

For 2016, I am going to have a few projects going at once.  It's actually quite exciting for me to continue with my creative mojo.  For this post, I want to share an album I am doing through a class by Cathy Zielske.  I have taken many of Cathy's classes before.  This year, she is conducting a 12-month class that is, again, focused on wellness.  

Cathy is extremely organized and has handouts and videos along the way.  The class is differentiated so that anyone can document in literally any way.  It is set up in a 6 x 8 album, using Snap pocket page protectors.  She is using a Simple Stories album.  I scored this album from Project Life half off at Michaels.  I also got a Snap album with the dividers in it for $8.99 on clearance, so I have the first month of dividers.  

I spent time fiddling with a color scheme, as Cathy offers the .psd files, in which the layers are labeled such that I can change colors.  Oh, happy day!  A contributor in the private Facebook group for this class suggested this site if we were interested in using a color wheel in choosing colors.  

Then, I went back to the welcome video.  After downloading a new driver for my printer (many words were mumbled), I started deciding for the most economical way to print my cards.  Of course, the 8 x 6 pages came first.  I chose to print on Bazzill orange peel cardstock, as I love to print on that.  Then, I placed the .jpg files for the altered 4 x 3 cards in Publisher.  I fit 4 on a page and used a border around them so I could have cutting guides. I did not print them all yet, as I need to wait for some information and selfies.

When I was not ready to print, I made note to myself what files I needed to alter.  I also used Post-its to show what was going to be placed in the different pockets of the album.  I thought I would share this process in a quickie video, with a little Billy Joel background music, as I love listening to him when I am in my craft room.  I hope it is helpful, as planning things out can be a bear.  If you are in the class, don't forget Cathy has a great deal of information in her Welcome .pdf file.  

December Daily: Days 20, 21, 22

Hooray for being "caught up."  What a strange feeling in scrapbooking!  Let's be clear: I am caught up in my December Daily.  At this moment.  I'll embrace it.  These three days are terrifically simple.

I used my Ashley G 20 card for today.  I decided to take some of the pics sent to me by my buddy from our staff Christmas party.  It was loud and insane, and she was nutty with a selfie stick she won.  I was so tired, I had to leave early, but it was a great time.  I made a 2 x 2 collage in Photoshop and printed it on a 4 x 6.  A Cathy Zielske journal card and quote card from "Elf" were the icing on the cake.

That quote card was a perfect backing for my Day 21 number card.  Two 4 x 6s for this day, plus some journaling.  Note: Am I brave or what?  A selfie while exercising.  It needed to be included.  Back on the horse!  And the sunshine was so welcome.  Simply documented.

I have run out of the page protectors with 2, 4 x 3s and a 4 x 6.  Guess which design I like best?  So, I just made this look like that design.  No big whoop.  I adhered the pancake pic and number card to the flipside of  one of Day 22's 4 x 6s, as I did not want them wandering.  These two pics and their journaling work for me.  Though I have an itchy finger to embellish the side of the 4 x 6.... hmmmmm...

December Daily: Days 14-19

Happy Sunday to all!  Motivation + energy + creativity + time combined today, and I was quite productive with my December Daily album.  Many of the pictures were shot and ready, they just needed to be printed and included in the book in some way.  Here's how it unfolded.

I used my materials from the Ashley G kit and created Day 14 on a back-to-back 6 x 8 layout.

The Bingo card was one I had in my stash.  I drew a glittery star over the number 14.  The first part of the day documents what I decided to do for gifts this year for many of my friends/family.

Here, on the other side of the 6 x 8, I documented the process of sending out Christmas cards.  That coincided with the first page, explaining the gifts to Heifer International.  I included some fussy-cutting from some Shimelle patterned paper as well as an actual Peanuts Forever stamp from the stash I used for my cards.  I included a hand-drawn frame on a simple piece of red cardstock.

For Day 15, I used the concept of having the day card be free-standing again.  On the back, I included a card with some of Silent Night on it, as I felt it went well with the Advent wreath photo.  I used Photoshop to layer the [Joy] word art.

I used part of a Becky Higgins page protector for this part.  I wanted to include the portrait oriented photos, but I did not want two more 6 x 8 pages back-to-back with the last ones.

For Day 16, I cut another page protector, this time I cut what held four 3 x 4s and I just used one strip.  Day 16 is also going to include a December calendar page that I am making that documents the events of December.  Since I am typing it, I am waiting to print it until the end.

This is the flipside of Day 16.

For Day 17, I used the free-floating number card again.  I kind of like the concept, can you tell?

On the back, I used a Cathy Zielske card that says "Tree Lovin'," as the next page documents some of the ornaments that adorn our tree and mantle.

I knew I wanted to get my mom's needlepoint in this book.  It is her signature gift.

I took up Ali's idea to use 2 x 2 pieces of wrapping paper.  I used paper that I used as well as paper from gifts I was given for this layout.  I cut the day card to 2 x 2 as well.

This was yesterday.  All I could do was sleep.  I was completely wiped out.  So, on one of my more alert moments, I snapped a selfie.  It's what I do on Saturdays, but especially this Saturday...the beginning of break.