The Return

I don't want to be the cause of any heart attacks, but yes, it's me. I'm still here. I don't know if any of YOU are still there, so I'll be pleasantly surprised if I receive any comments. In any case, I wanted to share a scrapbook page set I created... I started these pages a long, long time ago and just finished them today. I've been spending the last 3 or 4 days cleaning out the "utility room" (a.k.a. the room where everything got shoved for the last 2 years). A lot of my Stampin' Up! things are in there, and I suppose it gave me an urge to chisel the dust off my desk and see if I still remembered how to put ink to paper!

These are a couple of old school photos of my two oldest boys. I have always loved these shots, so they deserve a spot in my 6"x6" Favorite Photos Album.

I may have remembered how to stamp something, but I had a hard time adjusting the photos to look decent. I'll get frustrated if I try to fiddle with them anymore, so I'm going to just leave them as is.

I'm also not going to spend time searching through past catalogs to give you the names of the things I used! The fact is, most of you could probably tell ME what I used! Ha!

So there you are... the return of Michele. I hope I can get something else posted before another 6 months go by.

Hugs,
Michele

Defining My Everything

As promised, here is another page I made the other day... this is one of my very favorite shots of my family - taken just this past Thanksgiving. Well, you know how much I love it - it's in my title bar, for crying out loud!

I thought the Define Your Life stamp of "Everything" was the most perfect sentiment for this photo... it says, "All things that are meaningful to you. All that you know; the whole world." Me, surrounded by all my men... that's my whole world.

I inked up the uppercase "E" from the Defining Alphabet with a Stampin' Write Marker (so I wouldn't get the lowercase one as well), and then colored over it with a VersaMarker so I could emboss it and make it stand out a bit more. The next photo shows it in the glare.

You guys have been watching my re-emergence into the scrapbooking world one little page at a time. These 6"x6" pages are so super quick and easy to make - if you haven't scrapbooked in awhile, I encourage you to give it a shot! And don't forget that my Paper Share will be ending this week... it's a perfect way to get started on 6"x6" albums.

Page Recipe:
Stamp Sets: Define Your Life, Defining Alphabet
Ink: Not Quite Navy
Cardstock: Baja Breeze Textured, Not Quite Navy, Naturals White, Kiwi Kiss, Urban Garden DSP
Accessories: Twill Tape
Tools: Word Window Punch, Curly Label Punch, Clear Embossing Powder, Heat Tool

Scrapbooking Morgan

Talking about all the great new Designer Series Papers (see the details of my Paper Share in the previous post!) has gotten me excited to get back to my Favorite Photos Album! It's been a while since I've added a page, so I sat down to do just that and got not one, but two pages done! They are both of Morgan, and I used one of the Designer Series Paper packs that's carrying over to the new catalog - Urban Garden - because I don't yet have my new papers! Here are the pages I created:

This one uses Basic Gray, Kiwi Kiss, and Not Quite Navy. Notice how the colors pop on top of the gray? I pulled out a Metal Edge Circle Tag, which was perfect for the Always sentiment. It also ties in nicely with the Styled Silver Hodgepodge Hardware.

This one uses the same colors, only I substituted Old Olive for the Kiwi Kiss - a little less vibrant. I got a little "experimentally creative" here - I knew I wanted some vellum on the left side, and I tossed in some color by cutting out some cardstock the same size as the vellum circles. I attached the vellum to the top with Crystal Effects. This allowed it to have a "loose" look, instead of being solid.

To see the rest of my Favorite Photos pages, click here. Have you scrapbooked a favorite photo lately?!

PS: Stay tuned... I've got another GREAT share coming up that you won't want to miss... one that I've never done before! ;)

"You're Always On My Mind" Scrapbook Page Recipe:
Stamp Sets: Always, Upsy Daisy
Ink: Not Quite Navy
Cardstock: Basic Gray, Kiwi Kiss, Not Quite Navy, Whisper White, Urban Garden DSP
Accessories: Basic Gray Taffeta ribbon, Styled Silver Hodgepodge Hardware, Metal Edge tag
Tools: Word Window punch

"Go Confidently..." Scrapbook Page Recipe:
Stamp Set: Live Your Dream
Ink: Not Quite Navy, Old Olive
Cardstock: Basic Gray, Old Olive, Whisper White, Vellum, Urban Garden DSP
Tools: 1-1/4", 1", 3/4" Circle Punches, Word Window punch

Love & Joy

I promise I'm not purposely avoiding you all... quite the contrary! I'm living with excessive amounts of guilt for not logging on and showing you something new! :) So I took another break from my hectic schedule and decided to finish a scrapbook layout I started back in September. You may recognize the look?

This is my middle son, Morgan, back in 2002 trying to catch snowflakes. He's not very good at it, but when you factor in that he's probably only seen snow maybe 2 times in his life, you can understand why!

If you follow my blog regularly, you'll recognize that this page gets paired up with the one of my oldest son, Mason, who was much better at catching snowflakes. You can see him at this post. Oh, alright... I'll repost the picture here:

Remember that these pages have absolutely no stamping on them! And they both use chipboard that is included in the On Board Trinkets Ornaments kit that's in the current mini catalog (page 14). You can either cover this chipboard with the die cut Designer Series Papers included in the kit, or you can coat them with Craft ink and emboss them with clear powder as I have done here. The snowflakes also come from the mini - the Little Felt Flurries set (page 18).

So now I have both Love AND Joy... my life's complete. :) ...oh, wait a minute, I still need Patience! Ah, well, I'll get to him later.

Page Recipe:
Stamp Sets: NONE!
Ink: Chocolate Chip Craft, Ruby Red Stampin' Write marker
Cardstock: Chocolate Chip, Ski Slope DSP, Baja Breeze, Ruby Red
Accessories: On Board Trinkets Ornaments, Little Felt Flurries, Wide Chocolate Chip Grosgrain ribbon
Tools: Clear Embossing Powder, Heat Tool, Tombow Multi-purpose Adhesive, Word Window punch

The Joy in Scrapbooking!

Happy Monday, everyone! Here's another scrapbook page I recently made for my Favorite Photos album. Remember that I'm using black and white photos and creating 6"x6" pages - this was my way of easing back into scrapbooking because it's been a long time and I didn't want to feel overwhelmed... and now I'm addicted to these fun little pages! You can scroll through all of my previous pages by clicking here. This one features a photo of my oldest son back in 2002 catching snowflakes on his tongue (something we rarely get to experience here in Texas!)... and would you believe that I didn't do a lick (pun intended) of stamping on this page?! Check it out:

The original purpose of this page was to show how the chipboard words that come in the new On Board Trinkets Ornaments kit can be used on cards and scrapbook pages as well! You'll see this kit featured on page 14 of our new Holiday Mini catalog that will be available online starting Wednesday - unless you've already received your copy in the mail! (and if you haven't received a copy and would like to, just let me know!) In any case, the pieces of chipboard are fabulous as ornaments, but as you can see, they look pretty darn good here, too! The kit comes with pre-cut patterned paper that you can adhere to the chipboard pieces - which is super simple to do (your kids can even help!), and they look sensational on a Christmas tree or hanging from a doorway, light fixture, etc.! But for this one, I sponged it with some Ruby Red craft ink, and then coated it with Clear Embossing Powder before heating with my Heat Tool. This makes it all shiny, as you can see below:

I adhered it with Glue Dots. The fun snowflakes (aren't they just PERFECT?!) are from the Holiday Mini catalog as well... they are from the Little Felt Flurries set shown on page 18. I adhered them with some Tombo Adhesive.

And, as if I haven't shown you enough of the mini catalog already, the background DSP (Designer Series Paper) is ALSO from the mini - called Ski Slope on page 12. Which leads me to remind you of my current Paper Share... read my previous post for details! These Paper Shares are perfect for scrapbook pages like this, because all the pieces you get are 6"x6" - perfect! Just pick one you like, and get scrappin'!

Page Recipe:
Stamp Set: NONE!
Ink: Ruby Red Craft
Cardstock: Chocolate Chip, Ruby Red, Whisper White, Ski Slope DSP (new!)
Accessories: On Board Trinkets Ornaments kit (new!), Chocolate Chip Wide Grosgrain ribbon, Little Felt Flurries (new!), Clear Embossing Powder
Tools: Word Window punch, Stamping Sponge, Heat Tool

Scrapbooking Step by Step

I am making a commitment to show you more of my scrapbooking... and today I want to show you something really neat. If you've seen my earlier scrapbooking pages (scroll down to see all of them), you know that I really enjoy making 6"x6" pages. I do realize, however, that not everyone likes this size. But since the smaller pages are so much easier to make, I thought I'd show you how to use a 6"x6" page and step it up to an 8-1/2"x11" page, and then step that up to a 12"x12" page! So this post should cover almost everyone!

First, let's look at a 6"x6" page I made showcasing our beloved cat, Emily. We lost her a couple years ago, but we all still have a spot in our hearts reserved just for her.

Nice looking page, right? It would be perfect for a "Favorite Photos" album, or as a cover page for an album dedicated to Emily and all the photos we have of her over the years. Well, let's step it up to an 8 1/2" x 11" size:

As you can see, the page transforms into one that focuses not only on Emily, but on the relationship between my son, Morgan, and Emily. He truly loved her and I cherish these photos of him and her together. All I did to change the look was put the 6"x6" page on top of an 8-1/2"x11" sheet of textured Always Artichoke and added a new title and some more embellishments from Brocade Basics.

Now let's take it one more step, up to a 12"x12" page:

Neat, huh?! I still have the same look, but with the larger size, there is room for another photo and some journaling. If you compare photos, you can see that I just moved a couple pieces around a bit to keep the balance in check.

That's all there is to it! I would love to hear your thoughts - I am considering starting a Scrapbook Club that will meet every-other month to make 4 pages using a particular pack of DSP (chosen by the hostess of each month). I would design the layouts, provide the supplies, and all the members would reap the hostess benefits. There would be a small supply fee as well as a minimum order amount. If you are local and are interested in something like this, please let me know. I need commitments from 6 people to move forward with it.

Thanks for dropping by!

Page Recipe:
Stamp Sets: Brocade Basics, Lovely Letters Alphabet, Classic Alphabet (retired)
Ink: Chocolate Chip, More Mustard
Cardstock: Chocolate Chip, More Mustard, Mellow Moss, Always Artichoke, Whisper White
Accessories: Chocolate Chip Wide Grosgrain ribbon
Tools: Photo Corners punch, Word Window punch

Back to Scrapbooking!

Yes, I know... this is my THIRD post today! But I simply cannot stand to leave you all with a bunch of jabbering (even when it's EXCITING jabbering!) and not show you something I've created! So here is the latest page I've made - and it just so happens to include the word "celebrate" on it, so I think I'll submit this one to Shelli's challenge (found at www.soshelli.com)!

This is a picture of me and my two oldest boys - then just barely 2 and 4. That's Morgan on the left, and Mason on the right. I must say, Morgan looks just like baby Maddox (who happens to be almost 2 himself at the moment)! Just like my earlier pages, this one is for my 6"x6" Favorite Photos album, where all the pictures are black and white. You can view the rest of them at this link.

You can see that I used some of the NEW Bella Rose Designer Series Paper (included in Group 4 in my Paper Share!). As a demonstrator, I was able to preorder this particular pack, and I've been playing with it quite a bit... I must say, I do think that this is my very favorite pack. But who knows, once I get my hands on the other packs, I may say the same thing about them!! There truly is an outstanding selection of DSP in this new catalog! You can also see a few of the new In Colors here - Kiwi Kiss , Riding Hood Red, and Pink Pirouette. If I would've had the textured Pink Pirouette cardstock, I would've used that, but I don't have it... yet. Oh, believe me, it's already on order!!

For the sentiment, I had to force myself not to use the Scallop Circle punch like I always do (love that thing!)... so I used the Key Tag punch instead... L-O-V-E IT! Here's a closer look:

The Rhinestone Brad goes through all layers, except the ribbon. Then I used the Horizontal Slot punch on the ends of the Key Tag so I could thread the Chocolate Chip Wide Grosgrain ribbon through.

Well, I'm still hooked on this little album... can't wait 'til my next page! But I promise I'm done blogging for today. I'll tell you about the current promotions tomorrow. :)

Page Recipe:
Stamp Sets: Sweet Celebrations
Ink: Riding Hood Red, Kiwi Kiss
Cardstock: Chocolate Chip, Pink Pirouette, Riding Hood Red, Whisper White, Kiwi Kiss, Bella Rose DSP
Accessories: Rhinestone Fire Circle brads, Chocolate Chip Wide Grosgrain ribbon
Tools: 1-3/8", 1-1/4", 1/2", and 1/16" Circle punches, Word Window punch, Tag Corner punch, Key Tag punch, Scallop Edge punch, Horizontal Slot punch

Look! A Bloomin' Smile!

Here is the third scrapbook page I've made for my wonderful 6" x 6" Favorite Photos album:

Isn't it fun?! This is a photo of my second son, Morgan, when he was 3 years old. He rarely smiles for pictures, so this was one of those priceless moments I managed to capture on film. I used a piece of Summer Picnic DSP for the background here, layered on top of some Night of Navy textured cardstock. The flowers come from the FABULOUS Die-cut Blooms package that's in the current mini catalog. They are also textured and oh, so terrific to play with! I showed them off even more by adding some of the new Silver Hodgepodge Hardware - also in the mini catalog. The beautiful silver frame works perfectly with the Designer Label punch. I used my Night of Navy Stampin' Write marker to color the sentiment stamp from Wild About You so I could stamp it on two separate lines. Here's a closer look:

To finish it off, I added some Night of Navy Grosgrain ribbon, and my usual Word Window punch where I handwrite the date. You can see my other two pages here and here.

One last note on my Paper Share - I did place the order tonight, but I have some spots still open in order to fill up a few groups. Take a look and let me know if you'd like to snag any of these - first come, first serve!

Group 1: East Coast Prep, Jersey Shore, Western Sky 3 spots left!
Group 2: Cutie Pie, Flowers for You, Berry Bliss 1 spot left!
Group 3: Spring Break, Bali Breeze, Ginger Blossom FULL!
Group 4: Le Jardin, Spring Fling, Fall Flowers FULL!
Group 5: PRINTS: Lovely Lilac, Tempting Turquoise, So Saffron 2 spots left!

These are all the scrapbook pages I've done so far - I best get back to scrapbookin'!! Oh, goodie, goodie gumdrops!!

It's a Big World

I do have to say... I'm really loving this new scrapbooking adventure I've begun! See this post for the explanation. Here is the second page I've made:

A great photograph makes for a great page, don't you think? Regardless of what you add to it... but then, adding beautiful things only makes it that much better! Remember that my pages are only 6" x 6", and I'm featuring my favorite black and white photos. This page highlights my 3rd son, Maddox, when he was only 2 weeks old. I absolutely love this photo of him looking up at me, brows furrowed in wonderment, while laying in my lap. I am a new fan of blues and browns, and since his hair and eyes are brown, those seemed like logical colors for my little boy. I started with a piece of textured Close to Cocoa, and layered some Bashful Blue from the Cutie Pie DSP on top of it. The sentiments came from Sweet Thing and I layered them using Chocolate Chip, Brilliant Blue, and Whisper White. The bottom right-hand corner has the Scallop punch, then the 1-3/8", 1-1/4", and 1" Circle punches. The date is written on a Word Window punch. I also used the Three For You punch for all the small flowers, and attached Silver brads to the centers. Here's a closer look at the top left-hand corner:

Obviously I used my Stampin' Write Markers to color this stamp (and left off the star). A nice, rich, length of Chocolate Chip Wide Grosgrain finishes off the page. So quick, so easy, and SO MUCH FUN!!

Have a great weekend, y'all!

I'm Scrapbooking Again!!

You must understand what a huge step this is for me... I used to scrapbook years ago. In fact, I used to teach scrapbook classes. I was even published twice. I loved it. I couldn't get enough. But eventually I fell so far behind in my pictures that I felt overwhelmed and slowly gave it up.

Since then, I discovered this phenomenal world of card making through Stampin' Up! I jumped in to making cards with both feet... and both hands... and lovin' every minute of it! But my love for photographs just kept nagging at me. So... I tossed the idea around that I should start scrapbooking again. Only I knew that I didn't want to go back several years and try to "catch up". That would last about as long as it took me to open the drawer where those photos are stored. You know exactly what I mean. The way I see it, there's no need to start something that I know I can't finish. Instead, I would take baby steps and start small. I have a pile of beautiful black and white photographs that I intended to put in frames sometime (obviously that never happened), so I decided to create a "Favorite Photos" album! And in sticking to my "keeping it small" guideline, I'm doing exactly that... I'm doing 6" x 6" pages! Only one photo fits on the page. No need to fear the dreaded "all-of-these-photos-don't-fit,-which-one-do-I-toss" dilemma! This is a page size I have never worked on before, but I must say it is quite exhilerating! It's like creating a mini work of art - enhancing an already beautiful photograph... and very satisfying in that it doesn't take long to complete a page.

...so I fell in love all over again. I've already made 3 pages and here is the first one:

Don't I just have the most handsome boys ever? (okay, I'm quite biased. I'm sure you have handsome boys too.) This page uses a color combination pulled straight from the Jersey Shore DSP: Brilliant Blue, Pumpkin Pie, and Whisper White. The stamp sets are Wonderful Favorites and Think Happy Thoughts. I layered several punches in the lower right-hand corner. Here's a closer look:

That's the Scallop punch, followed by the 1-3/8", 1-1/4", 3/4", and 1/2" Circle punches, along with the Word Window punch . A Brilliant Blue Brad holds it all together.

I can't wait to show you more pages. I haven't scrapbooked in years, and how fitting that I decided to start back up in May... it's National Scrapbooking Month! So for all of you scrapbookers out there, I'm pleased to re-join the ranks as a fellow "cropper" once more. I do hope you'll enjoy watching my progress on this journey.

Later on today I will tell you about another "Share" that I'm doing... and it'll be right up your alley if you are interested in trying an album like this one!