Craving Pajama Sunday

I am craving it.  Time to just sit.  Preferably in my pajamas in front of the fire.  Coffee in one hand.  Laptop in the other.  Pinning, reading, relaxing.  Long weekend, here I come!

I shot this photo of Ella on one such Sunday morning.  She was in her pjs, just enjoying the free time.  It is a phone photo, like many photos are these days.

 

I mix Kraft and burlap here to create a tonal effect on the top of the page.  I then layered several different patterns and bold colors.  I kept the bottom very neutral with lots of white space. 

 Of course, each page needs to have the story.  I wanted to record this ritual.  This Sunday morning simple pleasure.

 

 

Only a few days away...

 

 



Monday's Musings: Way Back When



Way back when I dreamed of being a writer.  I published many novels when I was in the second grade.  Then I discovered that I would really love to teach.  I knew at a young age that I wanted to work with students with special needs.  For a while, I had dreams of opening my own school to give students a place to belong and a place to be taught.

 

I went into teaching.  Was I driven...I had plans to become a principal or director of special education.  My ambition was strong.  I joined committees and got my master's degree.  I was focused and moving forward.

 

But then life shifted.  One relationship didn't work out as I expected.  I blame some of it on being a workaholic.  I was absorbed. 

 

So when I found the man I would build my life with, I shifted.  We have a great life full of loads of family time.  I don't want to do anything to mess with what we have created.

 

When I was asked to scrap with the theme of ambition, I immediately thought of how my career path has shifted.  I am located in a place where teaching suits me just fine.  Being a wife and mom suit me even better. 

 

A layout like this is why I started scrapbooking in the first place.  I wanted an outlet to describe my feelings and communicate all the parts of my life.  This one is very personal.  I used the September kit from Scrapbooking From the Inside Out to make this page.

I adore what I do for a living.  I love the kids and the families.  I am not ready to be away from that day to day interaction.  I love that my career allows me to be passionate about what I do, while also allowing me time to be passionate about who I am and who I love.

 

My journaling, which shares the story.

 

 

Life has a way of shifting, of bringing you right where you need to be.  Those dreams and goals developed way back when morph into the here and now.  When I reflect, I am content.

Be My Guest: Scrapbooking From the Inside Out

Wow, this week has been busy, crazy, full.  Work is back full force and I am trying to adjust.  I have been creating...I just need to find time to photograph my projects!

Today, I am sharing a page I made using the SFTIO September kit.  It is full of Glitz, Webster's, and Simple Stories.  The thing I love the most about this kit is the direction to focus on one emotion:  ambition.

I am a bit over-ambitious with my desire to renovate.  I can't help myself.  Everywhere I look, I see possibilities.  I can happily say that I don't have any major or minor renovation plans in the works.  Well, for this week, anyway.

I made this layout to document my constant to-do list.  I blame it on Pinterest.

 

I grouped this cute symbol of a girl with the journaling card and my photos.

 

 

I love these cute rub-on push pins and wanted them to have a starring role on this page.  I thought of using them to hold up my to-do plans on the calendar. 

 

It is a fun kit and I am glad that I could make pages about topics that I might not have considered otherwise!

 

 

 

Be My Guest: Scrapping From the Inside Out

I have the pleasure of being the guest designer over at Scrapbooking From the Inside Out.  I received a very full and very fun kit that fits the theme of Ambition.

This kit club is cool.  I love that there are themes each month that allow the scrapbooker to explore feelings and memories.  The emphasis is on journaling so you know I love it!

The September kit is full of Simple Stories and Webster's Pages along with some cool embellishments.  I quickly made four layouts and have more in mind for when school slows a bit.

Here is a page I made based upon the theme of Ambition.  I swear my kids make it a goal to see who is first, who is better, who will win ALL THE TIME!  It seems to be their life's ambition right now.  So I pulled out this photo and went to work.

I have a thing for speech bubbles and all they offer to designing a page!  I cut a bunch out from one of the sheets of paper in the kit...ones that matched my feelings and the situation.

I really loved using this template.  It is by Ronda Palazzari for Crafter's Workshop.  I traced the love with a black pen to make it stand out!

 

I want my kids to stop the quest for being the best!

 

Please check out the Scrapbooking From the Inside Out website to see more about the kit!

Thursday Tip: Wrap it up

Wrap it up...the school year!

Wrap it up...all the mess that is in my closets and needs to go into organized bins.

Wrap it up...using twine.

I was asked to teach a technique class over at the Nook for the June kit.  It came with those cute corrugated cardboard shapes and baker's twine from Jillibean Soup.  I decided to use both of those things together...

It was easy to wrap the house with twine...I just started at the top. First add a thin line of glue along the cardboard. Start twisting and stringing the twine around the house, leaving the end in the back. Keep adding glue and stringing until the surface is covered. Every now and then I stopped to ensure it was all straight and even!

Here is how it looks on the layout!

And, of course, I wrapped up the layout with the story.  I love going to the Elephant Trunk...a cool flea market about an hour away from my house.

Its a wrap...let the summer begin!

Life is Good

I have been thinking about it lately...life

It is good.  Steven and I have ideal hours.  We have a ton of family time together.  We have enough to live happy lives.  Our house is just the right size.  Our kids are healthy and happy.

We are surrounded by friends and family.  It is good.

I think my kids would say their life is good too.  Just look at Nathan in these pictures and it appears as though he agrees.

I used the June kit from the Nook to create this... the kit keeps going and going.  Really.  It is jammed pack and happy!  I wanted to have some fun on this layout so I created the twine sunrays.  Easy to do with some glue and some shaping.

Life is good.  In three days, it will get better.  Summer is just about here!

Wednesday What: Kraft

It has been a while since I touched my Kraft.  With all the solids and small patterns that companies are making, I haven't needed it much!  But sometimes it is called for...busy patterned paper needs something to stew on.  Something to simmer next to.

So, hello Kraft.  I have missed you.  I created the page below using the Nook June kit featuring Simple Stories.  This paper line is great!  I cut the chevron in a different way because I liked the shape of it!

This page came together quickly as I simply layered the journaling cards and put the chevron on top.  I added some simple simple pieces and I was done.

I think there is enough pattern in the stripes to give the layout the oomph.  I didn't want to compete with it.

I made this layout to record my son's teeth...big choppers he has.  We recently needed to have some teeth out and are looking toward braces.  It cracks me up when kid's teeth are too big for their faces.  This photo sure does exaggerate that.  His wife will laugh one day.  In a good way of course.

Isn't the kit fun?  Look at the alphabets and the colors...and there are so many elements I didn't use here!  Be sure to grab one!

I will grab my Kraft and go...

Thursday Trending: Just Keep Adding

Just keep adding, just keep adding...yes, I want you to repeat it in the same song-like pattern as Dorrie from Finding Nemo.  Sometimes it is hard to come up with titles for the blog posts...

Yet, just keep adding is my personal trend.  How to make a 12 X 12 look slightly different, slightly unique.  Because there are only so many ways to make a page.  So lately, it is still clean...but with extras.

Like the ric rac that I hung as garland.  The garland trick I have done before, but the material to create it is different, slightly unique.  I had the plan to use the garland to hang my title.  I love little alphabet letters, but don't like how ungrounded they can look.  So they must hang!  That was still not quite enough...so I had to hang more ric rac for interest.  Just keep adding.

When the basic design was done and I decided on the garland, I added the pinwheel sticker and the buttons.  All those layers seem to balance out the photos.

I used the June Grab Bag from My Scrapbook Nook featuring Simple Stories and Jillibean.  The Grab Bag is sold in addition to the coordinating kit...it is actually the size of a small kit!  I love both items!!!  Here is the kit!

Pam just keeps adding too...here is her monthly special!

We only have 5 grab bags left for May. So here it is-the next five people who join will receive the May kit and a free June kit! You will also receive a free grab bag for May and June!!!! After one year paid in the club you will receive another kit for free!!!! This deals gives you $110.00 plus dollars free. This is the first time we are running this special and only have 5 May grab bags left.

So what are you doing later to just keep adding or just to it fresh in general...do share!

 

Behind the Page: Simple Stories

Who knew Simple Stories could be soo fun to scrap with?  It is featured in the June My Scrapbook Nook kit along with Jillibean Soup and American Crafts.  I am so loving these papers!!

The motifs have a lot to do with summer, but can be used in a variety of ways.  My page was built upon the feel of the ribbon award that reads, "Best Memory."  I feel in love and immediately thought of the photos of my mom and dad with all the grandkids.  I adore that this fun moment was captured...it really show my mom's spirit with her grandkids.  She would do anything for them.

I simply started clustering from the ribbon.  It is big so it needed some balance...hence the large title and the cluster to the top left.  Big titles are making me happy these days!!

I used the green Jillibean card to the right of the layout to add that final touch of balance.  Plus, I think the brightness brings the eye to the photos more! 

The cluster is just built upon journaling bits and stickers from the collection.

It is a simple story to be told...and I tried to make the layout as fun as the photos.  It was easy with this awesome kit!!

Happy scrapping!