July Projects

Here's what I turned into to SGT for the month of July.

This layout features "Penny Lane" by My Mind's Eye and showcases the day we brought our sweet Makaela home from the hospital. Nothing like getting to those pictures over a year later right? If only that was how behind I was. {sigh}

And this layout below uses Cosmo Cricket's Girl Friday line. I really like this line! More so than I first thought I would. There are so many different directions you can go with these papers. I chose to document Hannah with all the flowers we saw on our trip to Breckenridge, CO. Holy cow! If there was any other place I would want to live besides CA, it would be here. Truly a stunning place. And awesome for skiing and snowboarding in the Winter if you're into that.

I did something different with this layout. I chose to not only make a 2-page layout but to also add a sectioned page divider in between by Pebbles, Inc.

So here's the regular 2-page layout.

I used my circle cutter to get a nice half-circle. Then I backed it with cardstock and used some scallop decorative scissors to trim a border/mat for it. Got this idea from Kelly Goree of Basic Grey.

I grabbed some KI Memories lace paper I had and cut a section of it out. I backed it with cardstock as well to give it some punch. Got this idea from Christine Middlecamp.

For this little journal spot, I simply into a piece of patterned paper. This design was printed on it and I took it! Probably got this idea from many different people.


Now here's how this project will look when you flip through my scrapbook. The title page on the left and then the front side of that page protector. See how it has six 4x6 sections. It's perfect for extra pictures or added embellishment. I didn't have enough pictures to fill every slot, but didn't want to leave the ones I did have out. So I chose to embellish several of the sections. It's like doing mini layouts. I loved it!


Here's a closeup of the front of the page protector.

It's hard to see in this picture, but I actually cut out a circle from the plastic protector and then glued a flower directly onto the paper "showing" through. I wish I had popped each level of the flower up more, but hindsight is 20-20 right?


And here's what the scrapbook will look like when you flip the page protector. A couple more pictures and some embellished sections.

A closeup of the backside of the page protector.

These pockets still allow you to add some dimention.


I am so very hooked on these page dividers. If I sit and think hard enough, I can come up with endless possibilities for them. Like for example, cutting a slit on the very edges and making journaling tags that can be pulled out. I remember interactive pages were big a while back, but the problem was always how to allow for the interactive portion and still keep the layout in a page protector. This is one way to bypass that. I also think just loading them up with nothing but pictures pertaining to the event you're scrapbooking is an awesome use for them.

Now I am off to attempt to do some scrapbooking. I have so much I intend to work on but am feeling uninspired. I struggle with this A LOT! It's very frustrating. The times I am most inspired seem to be when my kids need me the most! When the house is all quiet ... crickets chirping! Go figure! Happy 4th of July if I am not back before then.

What a wonderful weekend!

Couldn't ask for a better weekend. The weather was perfect. It was the first day of Summer, our 6th wedding anniversary, and Father's Day. On Saturday we had so much fun and were quite busy. We went to Irvine Spectrum for a little family fun. Returned and then Joel and I headed off to Victoria Gardens to celebrate our anniversary -- had sushi from Kabuki (pretty good).
On Sunday, Joel got his Father's Day present (a Disneyland Pass) so we ran over there to pick it up. Good sport that he is, we even went inside the park for a bit. See, he's not the biggest Disney fan, but I was so pleased that he was actually excited about his gift. He recognizes that it will be good times with the girls.

Then it was over to my dad's place for some pizza and good old kicking back. I just can't say enough wonderful things about my husband. Fortunately I was able to catch a bit of this amazing father on "film" this weekend.

The anniverary card I made Joel. Very simple. I used the Fiskars too that gives paper that textured corrugated look for the big heart. Am so loving my white gel pen. When I am strapped for time, it really adds to a project without having to get out a ton of tools.



And the Father's Day cad. Used the Silhouette and a Disney font for the large Mickey Mouse head. And then a small handheld Mickey punch for the smaller ones. It's hard to tell, but all of the small Mickeys have Pearl Glimmer Mist sprayed on them. Love that stuff!!!


The "DAD" Mickeys are popped up with pop dots.


And a little poem I crafted to indicate what the gift was. Found a free Disney font to download so I could keep with the theme.

4 days left until this ...

... my final class. Well for a while anyhow. Teaching classes is tough work. Not the teaching part, but the designing, planning, ordering, scheduling, etc. is a bit much for me with such little ones. Therefore, I leave you with this. It's called "Fun with Photo Page Dividers". There's 3 spots left in this class for this Sunday, 6/14/09 from 12:30 to 1:30. Cost is $15. In it, you'll work with the Pebbles, Inc. plastic page dividers that have six 4x6 slots. Come see how you can work these into your scrapbooks. Can't make it, call SGT at (909) 305-0748 and ask for a kit.

For $10 more, you can purchase the add-on to this class (seen below) which will give you six additional pieces to slip in the back side of your page divider.

These page dividers are really something. I hope to be able to show you all how you can add extra pictures to your pages without having to worry about your layout being too "heavy". Or, as demonstrated in my class, you can learn how to use the slots for mini scrapbooking layouts. The options are endless. I would love to see you in class this Sunday.

Thanks Miss Jessica and Miss Miranda!

Here is one of Hannah's pre-school teacher's thank you gifts. I made two of them. One for each teacher. It's a $1.99 Ikea candle holder thing, covered in various papers and embellishments. My thoughts were to give them something summery and perhaps 4th of July themed. I am also going to drop a small Target gift card into them.

Obviously I didn't stick to only red, white, and blue. So hopefully it can be used throughout the summer months. While it can still be used as a candle holder, I almost see it more as just a table decoration or perhaps a silverware holder. Because of the ribbons I put on the handle, you can no longer slide the glass cylinder up to reach a candle. So lighting and changing a candle will be somewhat difficult. I hope they don't think it's too funky. It could go either way. They love it or they hate it.

Because it's round, it's dificult to get a complete feel for the overall look, but I will do my best. Here's one angle.



And another one.



Turned a little more ...


And a little more ...


A view from above ....



Some close ups:

The felt star piece is from Prima and is cut into a strip.

Popped up some of the stars and even added a little black pen detail to them. The swirl stamp is done with Black Staz On. Added some black pen dots to the QK letters. Some Heidi Swapp rhinestone crystals for some extra sparkle.

The handle ...

And the little thank you note I tied to it ...


OK. now I am off to pick up chocolate sauce for the ice cream party and gift cards.

Have a great weekend. Doubt I'll be back before then.

Where does the time go?!!!!

I say that more with frustration than anything else. I know I posted about the awesome kit I received and that I couldn't wait to work on it. Guess how much time I have spent on it. Yep, you guessed it. Zip! Zilch! Nada! None! I hear it calling to me, and I have to ignore it. Why? Life, that's why. I love my life. Wouldn't change much about it if given the opportunity, but man does it really get in the way of my fun! This was my day yesterday.

Get up
Get girls fed, dressed, and teeth brushed
Feed dogs - have to stand outside while they eat because one won't eat if alone
Pack Hannah's lunch for pre-school
Clean Hannah's sharing toy and write name on it
Take Hannah to school
Go to Bed Bath & Beyond for ironing board cover and Brita cartridges
Go to Babies R Us for diapers and wipes (thinking I had coupon but didn't)
Grab a quick bite to eat (notice there was no breakfast for mommy up there)
Pick Hannah up from school
Go to Ikea for teacher thank you gift materials
Go to pediatrician for Makaela's vaccinations
Drop borrowed item off at scrapbooking store
Head for home
Research dentists in our plan
Throw laundry in washer and dryer
Go outside and brush dogs, play with dogs, sweep back patio, pick up dog poop, feed dogs, pour sand in sand box
Fold laundry
Feed kids dinner
Bathe kids
Vaccum upstairs
Bedtime milk for kids
Pajamas, teeth brushing, read books w/ kids
Let dogs inside for some indoor time and pets
Put dogs outside and finally begin on the teacher projects @ 11Pm
Bedtime 1AM (notice no dinner for mommy)

My day today:
Wake up
Put indoor dog outside with other dog
Sweep and mop kitchen and dining room floors
Vaccum rest of downstairs
Get girls up
Get morning milk for girls
Get myself ready for work
Do dishes
Warm up clothes that sat in dryer overnight (never got to folding them)
Feed dogs (have to stand outside for that)
Leave for work
That's where I am now - shame on me to be doing this now!
When I get home:
throw new dog in car and take to vet (we "rescued" him from my mom recently)
Pick up pizzas on way home for dinner
Pick up chocolate sauce for H's ice cream party tomorrow
Rush back home for sibling dinner at my house
Eat dinner
Tend to dogs
Get girls in bed
Finish teacher gifts
Hopefully be in bed by midnight (we'll see)

So that's why I haven't gotten to my kit yet. Maybe by the end of this weekend I can tackle some of it. At least I am getting to scrap a bit with the teacher gifts. We'll see how cool those come out. I am liking them so far and you can be sure I will post pictures.

I have not forgotten that I owe you pictures of the layouts I did for Makaela's birthday party and her banner. Unfortuantely, I turned the layouts into the store without taking pictures so you'll have to stop by to see those. The banner is in a pile on my desk and I just need to string it up to take a picture of it. I made some thank you notes for Makaela's party a few weeks back that I need to snap a picture of. Then I think I will be caught up. I sure wish I could find more time to scrapbook. All the blogs I read (see left for list) seem to be posting things each day. How do they do it?

Oh well. Thanks for listening to me vent. It's a good life but a busy one. No signs of it slowing down for the next 17 years at least. I think I am going to look into taking a week off in August. From work and mothering. Well you never take a break from mothering, but grandparents are great for giving a less crazy week from time to time.