It Is Finished - WITL 2017

As Ali Edwards is gearing up for another Week In The Life (2019), I had my 1/2 completed 2017 album hovering over my head. Between being down for the count with pneumonia and a person who can't stand an undone mini-album, I decided to get going.  There were several things that made this easier to do two years later:

• The Collect app was invaluable.  During that week, I placed pictures on the correct days and I was able to return to them.
• Notes from the week: I kept notes from the week to which I could refer.  
• Lots of stuff: I kept embellishments I knew I wanted to use all together in an envelope.
• Continual AE goodies: It was fun to use AE goodies that I did not have two years ago.  Some things from more recent kits were perfect for the stories I was telling in 2017.
• A method: You will notice my days follow a similar method, with a little veering.  That was a godsend, as worrying about design would not have helped me progress.

I am pretty sure this is a Brandi Kincaid creation.

The dividers looked really cute at the top. Since I started on Saturday, they did not flow perfectly, but they look great none the less.

Always an important page.  I should add an addendum that I dragged this out until 2019!

Each day started with a 6 x 8 enlarged picture of something from nature around my house.  I added Days of the Week Outline Banners to each.

On the opposite side of each larger photo I created a cluster of word strips that seemed to relate.  The plastic numbers and the flag (this one says "Around Here") came with the kit for that year.  Other things were hanging around in my "Words" drawers (yep, that's where I keep my words...).

Each day started with an agenda of what I did that day. I used Ali's Daily Sheets template, which was a good thing as I was trying to recall things from two years ago.

The wood veneer words also came with the kit that year. I used them at the top of the outline of each day.

The method continued with journaling on the backside of the agenda.  The next page protector was 2-up and contained a transparency of the day, a large abbreviation of the day, and another 4 x 6 photo with an overlay.  The overlay part did not make it to the end of the project because it was a bit of effort to change the dates on it (not as simple as it would seem).  I also felt I had plenty of identifiers for what day it was.

After that, the spreads changed depending on the photos I had available.  There was usually a 4-up page of 3 x 4s included.

A clear divider showed the upcoming day and flower.  I wanted to start on Saturday because this Sunday was Easter, which is a big deal of a day for me.

When the daily dividers came, you had to poke out the holes, and I recall in the Facebook group people were talking about using them as confetti.  I gave it a try in a 3 x 4 pocket.

Here's a close up of the daily transparency and abbreviated day.  I ended up adhering the two together with tape, as the abbreviation wanted to fall out a lot.

And there you have it!  Voila!  2017 is complete!

More Mandala Cards

Kim and I got together so she could finally break in her Gina K Wreath Builder templates.  She did great!  Here's my slightly remixed version of a Pinterest-inspired card.

Truth be told, I took it one stamp too far and the center was wonky, so I ended up cutting it out and putting a heat-embossed sentiment beneath it.  The inspiration card used a dark pink, which I neither had nor wanted to use, so Kim chose SU! Wisteria Wonder, which was delightful.  I started with a little Lawn Fawn Hippo ink, but moved to Wisteria Wonder as well.  We also used Gina K's Amalgam Black.  The sentiment it by the talented Dawn McVey for Papertrey Ink.  The mandala was made with Mandala Maker stamps from Gina K.  I believe the base is Wisteria Wonder...or it's close enough that it looks good.

The inside sentiment uses Lawn Fawn Hippo ink and a Papertrey sentiment.  Kim and I both decided that sympathy cards are some that are always low in our stash, so that is what we decided upon.

Not a huge fan of this card, but I'll show it anyway.  I was going for this color combo.  I feel like it was a near miss. I am not sure I am loving Gina K's black embossing powder, but it could have been user-end error.  The sentiment is from Simon Says Stamp.

My MISTI and my SU! inks and my wreath builder were not getting along, so this card took forever.  I needed to start the images a little closer to the center, which you live and learn with the wreath builder.  I used SU! Pear Pizzaz at first, then changed to an Ali Edwards ink because I think my ink pad needed a refresher.  I just could not get a solid image, and with the repetition required, that adds a lot more time to the project, not to mention that if your paper moves in the slightest and you have to reink, you're done.  

Wintry Day

Today was pretty cold, and Max and I had off of school.  Despite a trip to Springfield with Scott, I pretty much hibernated, which is my happiest thing to do.  I love sleep.

Max worked on finishing up a latch hook project that he started a few years back and for which he had just renewed his crafting fervor.

I worked on a card for his brother's birthday, using my SU! Starburst Sayings set (retired).

I CASEd this card, using materials I had on hand.  I tell you what, inking that big old stamp was no easy task.  My Not Quite Navy from Stampin' Up! just was not "inky" enough.  I finally used some Ali Edwards ink to get a nice, thick coat.  I was worries that the sentiment would not be as sharp, but it actually stamped nicely.  I went back over some light spots with a paintbrush.  I used the same ink on the smaller sentiment, and silver ink on the lower left image.  I had the foiled bar ready to go from a previous foiling session.

Let's talk about my love-hate Thickers relationship.  The adhesive tho.  The longer you have them in your stash, the longer the adhesive either rips your chipboard letters or completely stops working on your vinyl letters.  It's an easy, but annoying, thing to fix.

My kid is turning 22.  I can't even believe it.