Creating again ... one project at a time.

I know it's been a long time coming, but life happens ...

This is my first FULL quote book, "words to live by". I'm so inspired by neat quotes, poems, and verses that a couple years ago I covered this composition book to have a pretty place to write them down. It's much better than the collection of little bits of scrap paper I had collecting all over my desk. Anyway ... I recently filled it to the last page!

So I had to make another one, "more words to live by", since I keep collecting more to record ...
I loved the Asian theme of the green one so I kept it going here. I just love the fact that I'm on my second book. And, yes, I do refer back to them and use the quotes on my scrap projects - LOTS. Next up was to find a way to collect the project ideas that I've accumulated in this random mess of notebooks into one convenient place. I was constantly picking up a different notebook whenever I needed to record an idea for a mini book or other art project. I wanted one place where I could keep and record project ideas, design sketches, color and paper swatches, etc. So I created this out of an old Bo-Bunny canvas binder. The canvas was too light so I sprayed it with Glimmer Mist (suede), then used some Tim Holtz stencils and distress ink to create a scroll-y design on the binding.
Some 7 Gypsies, Prima, and Basic Grey papers, some manilla file folders and Prima embellishments later and I had a working home for the project ideas floating around in my head and swimming in that stack of notebooks scattered all over the place.

I've been playing around with different mini book binding options. They're really more like glorified cards but are sort of a fun, quick way to make a little mini as well. The vintage chocolate ad was from www.graphicsfairy.blogspot.com. Inside I did a little booklet with the verse "The Truth about Chocolate" printed inside.
Of course I had to stamp up the inner pages. Who likes just plain text on a page?!? Also had to do my share of distressing as always. Love the silky ribbon. It reminds me of all the wonderful rich shades of real chocolate. (Yep - been on a little chocolate kick lately.)
Another binding mini option was this accordian fold binding. This idea came from a webisode on www.heidiswapp.typepad.com. I used some 6x6 papers from Memory Box, a Hambly transparency for the cover, and some plain cardstock.
Here is how I embellished the book. It's going to be presented to my parents as an Anniversary card in late May. They're on their 60th. I printed out a neat quote (you guessed it, from my quote book) on strips of cardstock and that became my journaling for the book. I think I got carried away with the flowers on the cover but ... oh well.
The quote throughout reads: "Time is a companion that goes with us on the journey. It reminds us to cherish each moment because it will never come again. What we leave behind is not as important as how we have lived."
OK - that does it for now. Been on a role, I guess. That must be why no one has anything clean to wear these days. Back to life ...

Thanks for looking -
Jill

Scraplifting is better than no scrapping at all ...

Hey there!
I realize it's been AGES since I posted and this will hardly qualify as living the creative life ... but what's a girl to do. Been busy with life these days.

This was a super cute Make-and-Take project that 7Gypsies did at the recent CHA convention in California. They kindly posted instructions and the calendar pages for download on their website. I just happened to have all the supplies needed to make one for myself. Such a gypsy, aren't I?


Saw this idea on Heidi Swapp's blog. She'd done this really simple digital kit for a cute banner and I knew my girls would LOVE it if I dolled up the house a bit for Valentine's Day. So here's mine. I found some cute pink damask file folders in the dollar section at Michaels and used those for the base of each little pennant. Ruffled some crepe paper and printed tissue paper, inked and trimmed a bit. Cute, I think, and the girls did love it.

So, beyond these two mini "lifts" I have done very little creative lately. I have been trying to keep up with the kids after school activities as well as keep up the ho-hum household stuff. We're also jumping back into house hunting mode now that the holidays are over. I'm finding that my focus is on creating a future home for us more than creating lovely art projects. However ... keep checking in. I think some creative things may crop up every now and then. I do try!

Thanks for looking.
Jill

Busy with LIFE ... be back soon!

Been a bit busy with the daily grind but I have been trying to squeeze in a little creative now and then. Have some pics of latest little projects to post plus an update of what in the world I've been up to.

Come back tomorrow.

Jill

A Birthday Book for my parents' 80th!

I made this book to commemorate the family reunion we had in Michigan this summer in honor of both of my parent's 80th birthdays. The cover is pretty simply covered chipboard.


Inner pages are covered chipboard and envelope pockets.

In each of the envelopes is a card with a family photo of each of the individual families who were present at the reunion. Inside the card they each wrote a birthday message to Mom and Dad.

There were so many photos from the weekend to pack into this book that I had to make some small and quite a few overlapping. However, I think it came out OK as far as capturing the weekend.

Here's the birthday couple. Sweet, huh?! Happy 80th Birthday, Mom and Dad!

Thanks for looking.

Jill

Finally - something to post!!

This is an address directory I did for my family. Made one for each family household (18 of them!) on my side of the family. I used all different papers (I think there might have been 1 duplicate) for each book. There are Hambly transparency dividers and the tabs are labeled for each of my siblings.





I know they will almost immediately need updating but it was fun putting them together for everyone. It will be handy when Christmas card time comes too.

This is the back cover.

It's so good to be creating again!!!!

Jill

OK - obviously other things have been in the way of blog posting lately.

Unfortunately I have nothing very interesting to post - no photos, no projects, not even anything terribly riveting to read.

We are here though, back home in the midwest. We're in a rental house for now and are focused on getting the kids in school and developing a routine around the household. I'm unpacking my studio still (Wow! What a lot of stuff I have even after selling and donating before the move!) and my hands are just itching to PLAY with it all. I have a notebook with several pages full of ideas I want to work into real projects soon but must get organized in the work space first.

Hoping to get something up here soon.

Our summer travels produced many photo ops as we'd hoped but I have yet to sort through them for my family album. I think that may be a work-in-progress for some time to come but I'm certain I got at least a few gems this summer to go in it.

Hope you all had a wonderful creative summer.

Jill

An Unlikely product pairing - the perfect Family Album

When I first saw Teresa Collins "Documented" and "Family Matters" product lines, I knew I had to have them. I so firmly believe in journaling the family moments for those generations to come to better know who we, their ancestors, were. Her crisp and clean designs were designed with journalers in mind. AMEN!

When I first saw the 7Gypsies "Gypsy Market" product line, I knew I had to have it. I was so in love with the colors, patterns, Asian prints, and vintage appeal of it.


When I got both of these lines in a new order - together - I
realized how much I liked them mixed in with each other. Each is a very different design style but both have a lovely rich camel color in common. That started the wheels churning for this book.

One of the first ideas I had was to laminate the covers. I used Beacon's Liquid Laminate that you brush on and it gives this almost-instant-dry shine to the paper. LOVE it on the covers (inside and out) as well as the chipboard dividers inside.








I used TC bracket album covers and the Zutter
bind-it-all system for the book. I used some of TC's 8x8 page protectors, die cut file folders, envelopes, tags...











... also used TC's 8x8 transparencies - LOVE these.














Of course, since I'm a distressing fiend, I had to give a distressed look to the TC products to give them a vintage feel similar to the 7Gypsies products.










The book has three sections to it. I separated each section with a chipboard page. The first section will be my immediate family - me, hubby, and our four kids.









Second section will be my hubby's family. We're having a family reunion late this summer so I plan to be frantically snapping photos of everyone.










The final section is for my family. We are also conveniently having a family reunion late this summer so that will be another photo opp. This one will be a bit tougher though since I have about 45 people in my family. Whew!










The plan is to have all photos be in Black/White to better show off the colors of the book but also because I just love how B/W photos look.










I will plan for plenty of journaling spaces,













some family quotes,













and of course some extra embellishments after the photos are in place.

The Gypsy Market line has some super cool vintage tags, brads, and chipboard numbers that I KNOW will land in this book somewhere!












I love how the book came out. It looks beatiful to me now - even though it's empty. But, man, I can't wait to get it full of photos.

Hopefully my photography skills will sharpen a bit for me this summer so I can capture a few good ones.

Unfortunately I'm "blessed" with camera-shy family members. I'll have to get a bit sneaky to snap everyone. There may also be very little "posing" allowed too.

Will also have to keep a notebook handy to make sure everyone is accounted for.

Hope the book is big enough to hold everyone!

Can't wait to fill these cool file folders.

Thanks Teresa Collins and 7Gypsies for coming out with such MARVELOUS products!!

I'll share a few pages when the book is more complete with pics and embellishments. Hopefully that will be before spring. With the move and all it's a lofty goal, believe me.

Thanks for letting me share my stuff.

Jill