Hello 50 Birthday Card

So last week a friend at work turned the big 5-0.  Naturally a special card was in order.  I was excited to break into my new supplies and itching to use my new Pebbles From Me to You collection.  And since this was a special milestone card, gold was a must!

Hello 50 Birthday Card

October Afternoon's Cakewalk papers mixed really well with the Pebbles collection so I dug out some scraps to use up.  I just love how cheerful these OA papers are (and to be honest, I've been hoarding that star paper for some time now).

I used the Pebbles sticker and chipboard accents to embellish.  I also wrapped some gold metallic sewing thread around the green banner - it's very thin and subtle but just the right weight to balance out the design.  And the chunky gold glitter Thickers are the Maggie Holmes variety by Crate Paper - I just love them!

Melanie absolutely loved the card, I'm pleased to say.  She gave me a huge hug and kiss and said it was the nicest card she's ever received.  Awww!  Isn't it wonderful to give someone the perfect gift?  Totally made my day.  Heck, it made my week.

Christmas Collections & November Haul

Welcome back, folks!  So yesterday I meant to share with you a new post and then completely spaced out once I got home.  You know how it is, just too many things going on and the memory just isn't what it used to be, sad to say.  Anyway...

So I skipped making my usual 2Peas order in October.  With the bathroom/flat renovations going on and everything filthy and packed up, there just wasn't any opportunity to craft much so it seemed pointless to purchase supplies I couldn't use.  I was also having issues deciding on which Christmas collection to choose this year.  So here's the conundrum:

Last year I used Echo Park's This & That Christmas by Lori Whitlock - very traditional designs but with some non-traditional colours thrown in (some yellow and aqua) and wood grain, which I was just challenging myself to use.  I really enjoyed the collection pack - the papers were lovely and the sticker sheets had a great selection from which to choose.  I mixed in a few other random bits here and there, most notably a gorgeous white and cream wood grain from Webster's Pages.

So this year, like many of us, I eagerly sifted through all of the CHA-S Christmas reveals...and found myself uninspired.  True story.  I'm not exactly sure what turned me off so many of the collections, although I suspect a lot of it was the choice of green most manufacturers used (green in my least favourite colour and I'm pretty picky about which tints and shades I like).  There was plenty bits and pieces that I liked from a selection of different collections but with this time of year being so manic for me (elementary school teacher, remember - report card writing and parent/teacher talks), I don't have much time or energy to cherry pick and make my own collection.  At the end of the day, it's just easier to choose one full collection and go with that.

Well, I liked the modern design of Echo Park's 'Tis the Season collection.  I also liked the chalkboard elements but... (you knew there was a 'but', right?) there was just so much black and grey, I was concerned that with my black & white photos that the LOs would be very dark and drab.  Why not use colour photos, you wonder?  Well, my parents' house is beautifully decorated but in no colour that pairs well with any variation of red so it's just easier to go B&W.

In the end, I chickened out and bought Echo Park's Reflections Christmas, again by Lori Whitlock.  It's beautiful (and traditional) and I like the pops of aqua again so I'm sure it will all work out.  I'm also planning to add in gold accents with some Heidi Swapp gold lamé, sequins and washi tape.

So what about you?  Which Christmas collection did you decide to go with this year?  Or did you mix n' match?  And why - what was it that inspired or drew you to those choices?

And finally - here's what I picked up in my most recent 2Peas order:

Pinspiration Sunday

Hi, everyone and welcome to another lazy Sunday here in my part of the world.  Oskar and I have spent the day lazing about; enjoying what I reckon is the last two-day weekend all to myself for the remainder of 2013.  I'd like to say that I have a lot to show for it but I don't and that's just fine with me.  So, go grab your hot beverage of choice and come enjoy some inspiration.

Currently:

* watching - How I Met Your Mother
* listening - to Oskar snoring
* reading - Papercraft Inspirations Dec. issue
* making - started Picture day 2009 LO
* eating - baked potato, salmon fillet & peas
* drinking - water
* wearing - PJ bottoms and jumper
* weather - clear, 2C
* feeling - full
* wanting - more lazy days like today
* needing - to seriously get working on Christmas cards
* planning - glögg evening with friends next weekend
* thinking - last week of November - eek!
* loving - new birthday card I made yesterday
* enjoying - my new bike, Karin!

And now on to the pins...

4-Patch Slice Quilt

I really like this quilt design - the patchwork effect is created by slicing the blocks apart and adding white lattice.  I even love the yellow and grey fabric choices and I'm not normally a yellow/grey gal (but it seems to be growing on me recently).

Omnigrid On-Point Ruler

Do you love the look of on-point block design?  Then perhaps this ruler needs to find its way into your craft room.  Specially designed to precisely cut on-point squares and rectangles, it even includes the seam allowance for you!

I Am Sensitive

I just love this LO - the colour combination in the misting, the chipboard elements, the stitched and real feathers that make the subject appear like an angel.  It's all just so perfectly balanced and beautiful.

Fabulous & Lovely Grid Design

Such a great page - love the ombre paper and the pink/red, black and turquoise combination, the accents - just everything.

Kraft Christmas Cards

Here's another quick and easy option if you're still looking for Christmas card inspiration - a little kraft cardstock, some pretty patterned paper leftovers and thickers.

DIY Heart Paper Clips

I'm totally into the current shaped paper clip trend right now and these cute little hearts are easy peasy to make from standard North American-style round-edge paper clips.

FF Resin Stars

These little pastel-coloured resin star embellishments are from Freckled Fawn and they are just adorable; perfect for cards and layouts alike.

Mulled Hues

Here's a little holiday colour palette inspiration to leave with you this week.  Cheers!  Skål!

Picture Day 2010

Hello again, everyone!  So this afternoon at work was field trip day - two hours of skating at the local arena, reliving my youth spent figure skating and coaching 7 and 8-year-olds how to skate.  We had a blast but boy did we come back tuckered out.  I can safely say that I will be curling up extra early in bed tonight once this post is published!  And of course I will need to snag some of the photos the parents took today to scrap later on.

But today we're back to my current series of class photos through the years.  This time it's my class from three years ago, covering academic year 2010-2011.

Picture Day 2010

I decided to return to the Fancy Pants Down by the Shore collection for my background paper; a yellowish/green, blue and white stripe.  I really like how bright and cheery the tropical papers in this collection are and they work really well for children's-themed LOs.  I added in some MME Oxford Lane paper for a photo matte and a Carta Bella Hello Again journaling card and that cute paper chain people border.  Carrying on the camera motif, I decided to use this awesome camera washi tape from Webster's Pages.

I decided to stack up all of the different borders I had pulled, which gave me space to layer the journaling card on the bottom of the page - a nice change from putting it on top again.  I also decided to take advantage of all that white space at the top of the photo and put the title there and bring the embellishment cluster down into the photo - keeping things tight helps to maintain the focus on the photo and leave some breathing room around the sides.

Also related to the camera motif, I added in some View Master reels.  This embellishment cluster combines some washi tape, stickers, spray mist and a scrap of yellow paper I didn't use on a preview project (don't you just love when that happens?).  I also used one of the Hello Again papers - the black sheet with the funky white text.  I cut out some of the words that I felt related to school and sprinkled them in with the embellishments.

And here is my journaling card with stats.  Some more sprinkled words and View Master Slide, washi tape, spray mist and coloured paper clips.  Having recently watched one of Corrie Jones' videos where she used feather accents on a LO, I was inspired to do likewise so I pulled these out from my Studio Calico Sundrifter pack and I really like the effect - a bit elegant but still having a playful element.

This week I also finally got around to scanning my current year's class photo and also the staff photo so I'll be adding those to my next photo order to round out the series.

Picture Day 2008

So you may remember that over the summer my LSS hosted a scrapbook LO contest.  I entered three of my pages but sadly I was the only contestant!  The up-side, of course, was that I also turned out to be the winner, albeit by default.  Anyway, it's taken me about two months - perhaps more - but I finally managed to get down to the shop to pick up my prize pack:

A mini-kit called 'Paris' by a small (unknown to me) manufacturer name Vive Gade (I think).  The black, white and grey-themed kit contained:

• 6 double-sided papers
• 2 washi tapes (one is Christmas-themed)
• 3 designer ribbons
• 3 wooden heart embellishments

While not all of the designs are really my style, I definitely do need more black, white and grey paper in particular so this worked out well.

So as you would expect, I thought I should use some of these new goodies and make something!  I decided that I would continue to scrap my series of class photos.  The darkest black patterned paper caught my eye, as it has that chalkboard blackness to it and in white there are maths equations written all over it.  Seemed like a good choice for a school-themed page.  I also thought the numbered washi tape would work well on a school LO, too.

I wasn't able to find my original photo from my first ever class all on my own.  I think I may have given it to my parents; my step-father finds the whole international schooling concept amazing - he calls it my 'UN class' and every year I have to show the class photo and go through all of the nationalities present.  It's sweet, really.  Luckily, however, a friend had a copy, which she scanned and emailed to me (thanks, Anya!).  My photo developer doesn't print the same size as the school photography company but I enlarged it a little to a 6x8 size, which let me play with a different layout design, which was a nice change of pace.

Picture Day 2008

Here you can see I've layered the black maths paper and a light blue EP paper under the photo and I've run the numbered washi tape like a border across the page.  The background paper is one that my friend Anya gave me a few years ago and I've been saving it for a LO such as this - it even has a very subtle tone-on-tone print of children's game names in the red section at the top; if you look really, really carefully you can just make it out in the photo.

I used the Kensei chipboard Thickers that I've been crushing on lately - it's just such a fun font.  I have, however, taken to gluing them down with a little touch of Crackle Accents by Ranger, since I find chipboard Thickers are notorious for popping off.  As you'll see in the next photo, I'm continuing my trend of including some sort of camera motif on all of these photos and I re-inforced this with a CP slide frame, which I stamped with little potty people to mimic the class photo.  Cute, right?

The journaling card is from Carta Bella's Hello Again collection - the blues just worked really well with the blues already used in the rest of the LO and I thought the 'Let me tell you...' line was a good lead in to the class stats I've been recording.  The little eye glasses and 'looking back' is from the same stamp set as the potty people and the chipboard camera is from CP's The Pier collection.

Pinspiration Sunday

Well it's that time again - Sunday!  I can't quite fathom where all the time goes and yet it still doesn't feel like Christmas is right around the corner - but it is (and to be honest, I'm starting to panic a wee bit).  Anyway, let's not get into that discussion and instead go grab your hot beverage of choice and come see what's been inspiring me this week.

Currently:
* making - class photo scrapbooking series
* eating - cinnamon crisp bread and peanut butter
* drinking - water
* wearing - new jeans, shirt & cardie
* weather - clear, 8C
* feeling - hungry
* wanting - to play with my new box of 2Peas goodies
* needing - more days in the week
* planning - this year's Christmas cards
* thinking - very little these days (or so it seems)
* loving - my new bicycle
* enjoying - possibly the last beautiful, sunny day before winter sets in

And now on to the pins...

Maple Leaf Throw Quilt

Another lovely maple leaf quilt.  I really like the use of negative space and the diagonal design.

Tutorial: Hiding Journaling in Plain Sight

This is a clever idea for journaling on your background paper and then applying your embellishments with acetate, which can be lifted or removed to read the full story (or not).

Crafty by ScrapNatya

I love scrapbooking supplies but there is also something very fun in re-purposing other items to use in one's craft.  I really love how these dress pattern tissues have been worked into the background of the LO.

Washi Tape Tree Card

Are you looking for a quick and easy Christmas card idea?  Perhaps this is an idea for you - a washi tape tree, some zigzag stitching garland and a few buttons and accents to decorate.  Done!

DIY Floss Feathers

Several of the 2Peas Garden Girls have challenges relating to feathers right now.  Well, how about these fab embroidery floss feathers for a great textural addition to your LOs and cards?

Elle's Studio Christmas Wood Veneer

How gorgeous are these?!  I wish I'd known about these before putting in my recent 2Peas order (although I'm not sure they're currently being carried there).

My Month in Numbers: #5

If you liked the My Month in Numbers idea, here is the latest addition for Nov. 2013.  I must admit, I haven't started this yet but it could be on my New Years scrapping resolution list.

Potpourri Palette

And how about this colour palette?  The colours are such unusual combinations but they work so well together.  I think these could make a really lovely project come to life.

Birthday Candles Card

I needed to whip up a quick birthday card to go with my friend's Barcelona mini album gift.  I'd been wanting to scraplift this cute card for a while now:

And here's my version:

Instead of rolling paper, I cut down some patterned paper straws.  I also topped each of my candles with little paper flames (I used a small heart punch and then cut them in two down the center).  I played with a lot of gold on this card - clear and gold striped washi tape, gold sequins, gold polka dot Thickers and the twine is cream with metallic gold thread.  Simple and clean and very well-received.

I also was finally able to give my friend her new Barcelona mini album - she was so surprised and bowled over; it was grand!  We took a photo of us together with it but it's on her phone and she hasn't shared it yet or I would include it here.  I so love being able to give someone the perfect gift, especially when it's handmade and from the heart.

Mini Album: Barcelona

If you've stopped by sometime over the last week, you will have likely read some references to a recent mini album or perhaps even seen some sneak peaks of said album.  Well, today is the big reveal!

I often feel that it's difficult to do mini books or albums justice with just photos alone so I have a video to share with you below - I hope you enjoy seeing it from beginning to end.

And if you'd like a closer look at the specific pages, here are photos of each page, plus the covers.  For the record, in retrospect I quite like how the front cover turned out and I sort of wished I'd left the back blank (but I did the back first as a test).  Anyway, I know my friend will like it either way.

Mini Album: Barcelona

Title page (above) and itinerary (below).

This first chapter includes all of the tours we went on: hop on/hop off bus tours, cable car up the mountain and the walking tour of the Gothic quarter.

The second chapter details the important sights we saw, including a number of Gaudi's impressive works - Sagrada Familia, Casa Batllo, La Pedrera.  Also the concert house and some (unknown) arch.

The third chapter is one of my favourites - food!  We enjoyed paella, churros, tapas, a lot of seafood, creme Catalana and sangria, just to name a few.

The fourth chapter is all about the other fun things we did; not necessarily the big sights but also worth a visit - flamenco dancing, Catalan historical museum, ICEBARcelona and L'Aquarium Barcelona.

The fifth and final chapter is called 'Real Life' and talks about the unfortunate (but some funny) incidents that befell my friend during the trip, our three country hop back home and a little good-bye tribute to Barcelona.  I also left several large blank pages and put in a page for writing in various snippets for my friend to fill in (she loves to write); as a way to further personalise her album.  The last page also includes an extra large pocket for her to put in memorabilia and any extra photos she decides to print off herself.

Back cover (above).

And that's it!  All in all, I spent about three days putting it all together and I'm looking forward to finally giving it to her this weekend.

 

Hope you enjoyed seeing my first ever mini album.