The Artist's Creed

A Visit With Dad

Still using Project Life's Rain Edition, I created a more traditional 12x12" layout showing son Eric with his dad as they prepare for a fishing and camping trip.

Again, this went together very quickly - a bit of journaling is all that's needed to complete this page.  I may add a touch of embellishment (fish or fish hooks?), but - with the color and texture of the Project Life materials - it is not essential.

Time To Catch Up

A busy summer means lots of scrapbooking to catch up on.  In my case that means day trips, overnight trips, a wedding, and more.  Project Life by Becky Higgins is a great product line that can help speed up our process - not that I'm ready to give up traditional scrapbooking by any means!

To start recording our trip to Multnomah Falls, I used the Rain Edition of Project Life. (Can you think of anything more appropriate for the Pacific Northwest?)  The page went together very quickly, I added a few pieces of green ribbon, and now all that's left is to do a bit of journaling.

For more information on Project Life, go to http://www.beckyhiggins.com and the many other on-line resources available.

Busy Times = Scrapbooking Ideas

Since I last posted to this blog, I have welcomed company from North Carolina, traveled to the Oregon Coast, enjoyed a fantastic scrapbooking retreat at Long Beach, Washington, and much more.  July 4 was especially significant for our family this year as we celebrated the wedding of my brother Michael and my new sister-in-law Vicki.

All of this activity provides more material for scrapbooking - not just the photos, but also the journaling of my thoughts and feelings throughout each experience.  I'm looking forward to recording all my adventures and savoring the memories of these special times.

Women in Business Expo

(click on photo to see larger image)

Here I am at last night's Women in Business Expo, an event jointly sponsored by Portlandia Club (www.portlandia.org) and Women Entrepreneurs of Oregon (www.oregonweo.org).  It was a great opportunity to show off some of my scrapbooks, display boards, and greeting cards.  More of my work can be seen on the Scrapbook Gallery and Misc Gallery pages of this website.

No-Photo Scrapbooking

Sometimes there is an activity or an event I might want to include in my scrapbook, but I don't have any photos.  Someone forgot their camera, or the pictures didn't turn out, or whatever.

(click on image for larger view)

For this 2-page layout, I wanted to show how my son Eric and I spent many hours of our time when he was growing up.  We enjoyed board games and card games, as many families do, but we also liked to make up our own pencil-and-paper trivia game, which we called "Quiz."

(click on image for larger view)

I had no photos at all of this activity, but I had managed to save some of the "Quiz" papers which I reduced in size using a photocopier.  I partnered them with bright colored cardstock and embellishments cut from game-themed paper.  The result:  a fun and simple layout that reminds me of happy times spent with my boy.

Are you a scrapbooker?  If so, challenge yourself to create a no-photo scrapbook page this week.

Simply Stunning

(click on photo to see larger image)

We all enjoy using those fun and colorful brads, stickers, ribbons, buttons, and other embellishments on our scrapbook pages.  But sometimes all that is needed is one photo and a little text.  This 12x12" layout reminds me of my 2010 trip to Sedona, and I feel good every time I look at it.

Saturday, June 1, Scrap-IN

Please join me at Michael's in Tualatin (7705 SW Nyberg Street, take Exit #289 off I-5) this Saturday, June 1 for our monthly Scrap-IN.  Held from 3:00-9:00 p.m., these sessions provide a chance to work on individual projects with other papercrafters and the opportunity to use the Cricut and other equipment in Michael's classroom. 

Michael's now offers these special crop times on the first Saturday of each month for only $5 per person. Go to www.meandmybigideas.com for information on our June sponsor. All those attending receive a tip sheet and special price on this featured product line.  If you have questions, please email me at ourauntsandi@gmail.com.

Remembering Mom

Many of us have been thinking of our moms with both Mother's Day and Memorial Day on the calendar this month.  I created this page some years ago, using a sepia-toned photo from Mom's college days.

I chose papers and embellishments that would enhance the photo's color. The design in the patterned paper prompted me to add lots of smaller sized flowers. A very simple title and journaling keeps the focus on Mom's beautiful smile.
(click on photo to see larger image)

Painted Posies

I am having so much fun working with some of the gorgeous papers I found at A Joy Forever last weekend.

(click on photo to see larger image)

This greeting card uses a rectangle of the K & Company Watercolor Bouquet glitter paper called "Painted Posies."  I added a flower I made with odd bits I found in my stash, and mounted it on an off-white cardstock.  Doesn't it look like spring?

(click on photo to see larger image)

Using K & Company Spring Blossom Specialty Paper called "Camelia," I kept this card very simple by double-matting with shades of green and mounting it on off-white cardstock.    I think this paper has a very romantic feel to it - what do you think?

A Joy Forever

I visited this store with some scrapbooking friends last weekend - fantastic!

If you are in the Portland area, be sure to check it out.  Their dazzling display of papers, embellishments, and the latest in scrapbooking tools had me oohing and aahing.  Friendly, well-organized, a nice little clearance section in the back - everything I could wish for except space to crop.

The larger craft stores (Michael's, Hobby Lobby, etc.) have great bargains, but A Joy Forever reminds me of the beautiful possibilities that await every scrapbooker in preserving those precious memories.

Why Scrapbook?

A birth certificate shows you were born. A death certificate shows you died. A completed scrapbook shows you lived!  ~ Author Unknown

Happy National Scrapbooking Day!

Many small details bring it all together.

(from https://de.hama.com/product-showcases/scrapbooking)

Scrapbooking involves using a wide variety of techniques for designing and enhancing the pages of an album, creating a unique experience that goes far beyond simply looking at pictures. Once you have started scrapbooking, you will soon understand why scrapbooking has already become a mass phenomenon in America, developing further with every new idea that a scrapbooker has. Photos are the eyewitnesses of special events, later documenting entire eras of your life. When you view a good photo, it takes you back to the place and time of the event, awakening good feelings and pleasant memories time and again.  Creative photographers are also full of ideas when it comes to presenting their photos. Unique album designs can be especially effective. These are often clever arrangements of additional mementos (tickets, postcards, ID cards, objects from the time, small “treasures” that you have found, collages, striking decorations, poems, etc.). Scrapbooking: The rules? Do as you please!

Project Me - Just for Fun

Here is something I put into my Project Me book just for fun:

(click on this image for larger view)

I used pieces of Graphic 45's Glad Rags paper on Tim Holtz Kraft - then colored in some of the smaller sketches with colored pencils.  After adding a few brads and a little journaling, I was done.  As much fun as the paper dolls I played with as a girl!

NSD Is May 4!

NSD (National Scrapbook Day) is only two weeks away!

The first Saturday in May is National Scrapbooking Day! It was started in 1994 by the well-known album company, Creative Memories, and is celebrated on the first Saturday each May. Since 1994, scrapbookers all over the county celebrate their passion for Scrapbooking on this day! (from http://nationalscrapbookingday.com/)

Celebrate National Scrapbook Day by joining me for our Scrap-IN at Michael's, 7705 SW Nyberg Street, Tualatin (exit #189 off I-5).  Crop from 3:00 to 9:00 p.m. on May 4 for only $5; all those attending receive a tip sheet plus special prices on a featured product line.  Bring family and friends who have expressed an interest in scrapbooking - no experience is required!  Grab some photos, and come for an hour, three hours, or all six hours.

Project Me - Qualities of Life

I made this layout for my Project Me scrapbook journal to show some of the qualities I would like to more fully embrace in my life.

(click on this image for larger view)

The capital letters were actually cut from a piece of 12x12 paper covered with the letters of the alphabet - something I happened to have in my stash.  The rest of the words were all a product of my computer and printer.

I filled the opposite page with photos of flowers that I've taken with my Canon SLR.  Developing my camera skills is definitely on my "To Do" list.  This page is a reminder of the beauty around me and of my goal of becoming a better photographer.

An Inexpensive Embellishment

It's always tempting to check out new embellishments when shopping for scrapbooking staples, isn't it? I go into the store, thinking I will just pick up some adhesive, and find myself looking at flowers, ribbons, stickers, and buttons. Experimenting with a new type of embellishment or purchasing something familiar that I greatly enjoy working with is lots of fun. But, sometimes it is hard on the budget!

A photo can increase my embellishment options at a cost of only a few pennies. The Easter egg shown here was a gift I brought home from an Easter brunch. By selecting an appropriate print size, then cropping the photo as needed, I can use it one or more times to embellish my Easter brunch layout.

I can use it on its own or combined with other embellishments. I can make it stand out by adhering it with pop-dots. I can change its appearance with ink or chalk. As with much of what goes into a scrapbook, there's no end to the possibilities once I get started.

Where Do I Live?

A scrapbooking class assignment once asked us to use some of the items we have had sitting around for a while.  So, I dug into my stash . . .

(click on this photo for larger view)

and came up with this layout which clearly illustrates my passion for scrapbooking!

(click on this photo for larger view)

Project Me - Water Scenes

Project Me is bringing up lots of words and photos about water. This page shows some photos I took at the Japanese Garden in Portland.

I added a Japanese symbol for water that I found on the Web at the top and a journaling block I created at the bottom.  What a restful site/sight to look at!

(click on this photo for larger view)

Project Me - I Love the Oregon Coast!

This layout for Project Me combines my travels to the Oregon Coast with some pictures and quotations about water that I like:

(click on this photo for a larger view)

The left-hand page combines some journaling I did for a writing class a couple of years ago and a photo I'd taken of a sunset at Newport, Oregon.  The right-hand page combines quotations about water layered over images of water that I found on the Web.  I especially liked the combination of  words and picture on the bottom of the page, so I added a journaling block to explain why "I LIKE THIS.  A LOT."

Want A Do-Over?

Although it's been on the market for years, I still run into people who don't know about "Undu."  This magical product is a must-have for every scrapbooker.

Touted as "the original adhesive, sticker, tape and label remover," I can tell you from experience that this product works.  I have successfully removed stickers and other embellishments affixed to a scrapbook page - without tearing the sticker or the paper. Repositioning photos after they've already been glued down is no problem; Undu will dry quickly leaving no damage.

The only disadvantage I've discovered are the strong fumes (somewhat like paint thinner).  You may want to take it outside to use - otherwise, make sure your room is well-ventilated.

Take a few moments to do some Undu product research of your own, and you will find there are many fans of this practical product.

Project Me - Travel Dreams

Who doesn't like to dream about places where they'd like to travel?  This page idea for Project Me was a lot of fun to work on.

(click on this photo for a larger view)

On the right side, I chose three of the many places I'd like to go:

• Egypt, a place I've just become interested in over the past couple of years
• Sedona, where I visited in 2010 but would like to visit again
• New England in the autumn, a trip I've dreamed about for decades

I found photos on the Web for Egypt and New England; I used one of my own photos for Sedona.

The rest of the layout is heavily embellished with words cut from sheets of travel-themed paper, clippings showing the Sylvia Beach Hotel in Oregon and a Washington State ferry, quotations printed on plain paper using my computer, and lots of packaged embellishments from my stash.

If you haven't already done so, be sure to check out the March 16 Project Me class on the "Events" page - or email me at ourauntsandi@gmail.com.  

Project Me - Ideas Page

(click on this photo for a larger view)

I'm having a lot of fun preparing to teach a new class at Michael's, "Project Me." Often we focus on others in our scrapbooking, and we forget to include photos of and journaling about ourselves.  "Project Me" gives us a chance to do so using a looseleaf notebook format.

In the photo above, I've used a Recollections brand journal kit from Michael's. (Smash folios available in many stores are also great for this project.)  Because of the hot air balloon motif already printed on these pages, I made up some cards printed with a similar shape I found on the Web.  I can use these cards to jot down my ideas and - using repositionable adhesive - stick them into my book.  I even made a little pocket to hold extra idea cards!

This is just one of many page ideas; the possibilities are limited only by your imagination.  You might want to get together with other scrapbookers to jumpstart your creativity.  Check out local listings for classes and crops featuring "Project Me."  I'll be holding my first class this Saturday, March 16, 12:00-3:00 in Tualatin.  Check out my "Events" page or email me at ourauntsandi@gmail.com for full details.

Welcome

Here I am - about to start my scrapbooking blog. I'm looking forward to sharing my passion for scrapbooking - and maybe even getting to know some new friends on-line.

It may take a little while for me to get everything up and running, so please let me know if you have any comments or questions.  In the meantime, check out my "Events" page to see what's happening.

Happy scrapping!