Friday, June 29, 2012

Winter 2011 in Summer 2012 Layout Continuation

Continuing with the theme of my last post, today I thought I would share the layout and photos that came from our actual visit in the Bavarian Village.  Not the entire city of Leavenworh is fashioned after a Bavarian Village, just the downtown strip, which consists of about a 1/2 mile strip with nothing but buildings designed and fashioned like a Bavarian Village.  The place is definitely charming, and during the whole month of December, they do a tree-lighting ceremony every weekend.  If you are ever in Washington during the Holiday Season, it is definitely worth the trip - even if its just the scenery you are after!  So here is the layout that I did, I kept it simple on the account that I fussy cut that strip of cars and houses and stickled the roofs and I wasn't sure what else to do with the layout.


Again, sorry for the terrible photos, my camera is still acting up......

If you have notice, I have been using a lot of sketches lately. And well coming up with my own designs and layouts is time consuming.  When I working on my chronological albums, I am more likely to use sketches to cut down on the time and increase the time spent being creative and getting layouts done.  This layout was done using a sketch from Nuts About Sketches and this sketch can be found in this post.  I know I have said this before, but I love Nuts About Sketches, the owner does TONS of high count photo layouts in general photo sizes but still includes create embellishment and paper viewing.  

 And an up close of the strip of paper that I fussy cut and then stickled.

Wednesday, June 27, 2012

Winter Road Trip 2011 in Summer of 2012

Just so you know how far behind I have gotten in my scrapbooking........  2 years ago I was 100% caught up to current happenings in all of my scrapbooks.  I am now, 2 years behind in my scrapbooking - today's share is from Christmas 2011.  Before we moved, I wanted to make sure and hit some popular Washingtonian spots.  Over Christmas break, we decided it would be the perfect time to visit Leavenworth, WA.  For those of you not from the area or have never spent time in Washington, Leavenworth is the Bavarian village right before one of the mountain passes.  I love snow, I love winter, I love driving in the snow in winter.  So, I took a lot of photos on the drive up to Leavenworth - it was a gorgeous drive.  And here is what I did with them:

 Pretty huh?  Sorry for the poor quality photos, my camera has been misbehaving lately and I am unsure why.  The sketch came from Valorie Salmon over at Got Sketch? and this particular layout can be found in this post.  I love this whole layout, the papers are pretty (I love winter papers), the embellies are pretty, but what makes it my favorite is the title - it came out very well and that was exciting.

The banner was created using Stampin' Up!s Postage Stamp Punch and a snowflake punch.  I love the look and feel of postage stamps, always have.  And I thought they would go well on this layout.  So I took scraps of white paper and folded them over and punched.  I then took an old snowflake punch that I have and punched out some snowflakes and adhered them to the banner pieces and attached to the fiber.  By the way, that fiber is about 10 years old - it is part of the LOT batch I bought from eBay when I first started crafting and fiber was all the rage........

The journaling spot I made using my Spellbinders Grand Dies and some cardstock that I had preprinted with journaling lines.  I keep several different colors of cardstock with journaling lines printed my printer on hand.  I started doing this a few years ago as a means to save money and get the designs that I wanted for my journaling spots - and as a result, I spend less on pre-made journaling stuff.  Why buy them when I can easily make my own that fit my needs, style and tastes?

Here is a close up of the banner details:

 I hope that you enjoyed my little share and feel inspired! 

Supplies:  Bazzill Basics, Stampin' Up! (Cardstock); DCWV (Pattern Paper); Postage Stamp Punch (Stampin' Up!); Snowflake Punch (EK Success); Chocolate Alphabet Stickers, Metal Embellishments (Making Memories); Snowflakes (K & Co); Die Shape (Spellbinders); Corner Rounder (We R Memory Keepers)


Monday, June 25, 2012

Thank Goodness for Small Breaks and Crafting!

As some of you may or may not be aware, I am a full time PhD student, and well that can create a lot of chaos and uncertainty in life - not to mentions wrecks havoc on your crafting time!  But with school, also come breaks, and I had a short 5 days of break between quarters recently.  Because of the short break, I got in major craft time, and I mean major craft time!  Today, I thought I would share with you the layout that started as a junk project and least favorite and turned into one of my all time favorites.

 Believe it or not, the background was the serendipitous mistake from another layout.  The text paper was being used on another layout as a background, and when I finished the layout I decided I hated that paper for the background.  So I ripped it off, but I just hate wasting my scrapbooking paper - even if it is ugly junk, I just can't part with it.  So, I went about using scraps to create a background - the purple floral is covering up the hole that was created from the ripping and tearing from the above mentioned other layout.  I used the sketch in this post from Creative Scrappers.

Because the background was already started down the grunge path, I decided to do some stamping with acrylic paint and bubble wrap - I keep some different size bubble wrap on hand for stamping.  I then created paint splashes with some shimmering acrylic paint and a paint brush.  Because I am impatient, I dried it with my blow dryer!  Those stamps come from the newly released Stampin' Up! stamp set Postage Due, super yummy French inspired images.  Here are some close ups of the details for you.



Thanks for stopping by, and as always, if you love it, leave a comment!  Everyone likes comments.

Supplies:  Anna Griffith, Unknown (Pattern Paper); Bazzill (Cardstock); Postage Due Clear Mount Stamp Set (Stampin' Up!); Apple Crate. Luminere (Arcylic Paint);  Seam Binding (ThePaperBagLady on Etsy); Glitz (Alpha Letters); Ink (Stampin' Up!); Martha Stewart (Paper Punch); Tab (7gypsies)

Wednesday, June 20, 2012

My Review of the Grand Calibur


Some of you know that a while back, my awesome hubby got me a GREAT gift - the Grand Calibur.  I thought that I would share with you my thoughts and observations about  George in action.  So here it is.

Cost
 The retail price of the Grand Calibur is 149.99.  As some of you know, I used a 50% off coupon from Joann's to purchase my Grand Calibur in the store (Michaels), making the cost of the machine $79.00 after taxes and all (a super good deal).

Product Description
The Grand Calibur is a large format die cutting and embossing machine made by Spellbinders (the same company that made the Wizard and makes Nestabilities dies).  This machine was made with the avid paper crafter on a budget in mind, as it is easy to transport but still able to be used on larger projects.  When you purchase the machine, you will get the following in the box:

·      Grand Calibur Machine
·      One (1) 8.5x12 A Plate
·      Two (2) 8.5x12 B Plates
·      One (1) 8.5x12 C Plate
·      Tan Embossing Mat

Some of you may be wondering about some early reviews that state that you cannot use an 8.5x11 piece of paper in the machine without modifying it.  This is true if you purchased your Grand Calibur BEFORE January 2012.  If you purchase a machine found in stores AFTER January 2012, the Grand Calibur comes out of the box ready to use a full sheet of 8.5x12 sheet of paper.  Also, if you purchased a Grand Calibur shipped to stores AFTER January 2012, then your Grand Calibur will also come with the 8.5x12 Plate Set - you don't have to purchase this separately.

In Use
This die cut machine has several helpful features that make it stand apart from its other competitors.  First, the Grand Calibur has a suction control on it, that you can lock and unlock.  The nice thing about this feature is that you can self-determine the amount of suction to the surface you are working on.  In my experience of working with the Grand Calibur, this has been very useful as I can ensure that the machine will not move around when in use.  As stated previously, this is large format die cutting machine, but unlike its competitors, it has large size with a small foot print.  The Grand Calibur is easy to store when not in use, and is actually only about 5 inches longer than the Provo Craft Cuttlebug, and about the same width.  This is a huge benefit if you want a larger base to your die cutting machine without taking up much space.  Another benefit to the small size is that this machine is easy to carry and pack – making ideal for both on-the-go and at-home crafting.  The cutting surface of the Grand Calibur is also another feature of this awesome machine.  Despite the small carbon foot-print of the Grand Calibur, it handles an 8.5x12 inch platform.  While working with the Grand Calibur I also found the following pros and cons:

Pros
·      Small Carbon Foot Print
·      8.5x12 die cutting space
·      Suction Setting
·      Compatible with other industry dies
·      Detachable handle for more easy transportation and storage
·      Can cut paper, thin metal, thin cork, acetate/plastic, thin chipboard, fabric

Cons
·      Cannot use Sizzix original or Embosslit Dies
·      Unable to handle thick materials
·      Some of the larger, compatible Grand Nestabilities Dies do not take advantage of the space available

Tips & Techniques
If you have a Grand Calibur, or thinking about getting one, you may be curious about ways to use this die cut machine or tips.  Below, I am including some tips and techniques I have learned along the way.

Tips
·      You can load up a whole 8.5x12 sheet of paper with different types of dies
·      You can use multiple embossing folders at the same time
·      The Grand Nestabilities (which are designed to be used with the large format of the machine) are great for making mini albums or large geometric elements for your 12x12 scrapbook layouts

Techniques
·      Trying making a shaped mini album using the different sized and shaped dies
·      You can make shaped cards in various sizes
·      Emboss the Spellbinders or Sizzix Framelits into card fronts to create a beautiful and unique embossing look

Industry Products that are Compatible with the Grand Calibur
For those of you who are researching the different industry available options for an at-home die cutting station, I thought I would share some of the industry compatible products for the Grand Calibur. 

·      Sizzix Framelits (with some that also have matching stamps)
·      Sizzix Sizzlits
·      Provocraft Cuttlebug Dies
·      All industry embossing folders (Cuttlebug, Sizzix, Spellbinders, etc.)
·      Want 2 Scrap offers a large range of chipboard and other mediums that are designed specifically to work with the Spellbinders line of dies
·      Several companies offer rubber and acrylic stamps that are designed to be used/layered with Spellbinders products (i.e. Just Rite Stamps, Unity Stamp Co, Gina K. Designs)

Monday, June 18, 2012

Campfire Fun

Here today to share with you another layout!  I have really been enjoying my time off, although limited to scrapbook and get caught up on my own albums.  I mean I still have a lot to do, but it is definitely nice to feel like I am getting something done, organized, and documented.  Accomplishment is good.  In that vein, I am sharing photos from a small trip that my dear hubby and I took last summer. 
 The sketch that I used for this one came from Shawn at Nuts About Sketches.  The specific sketch can be found in this post.  If you are someone that likes to get lots of photos per a layout, I strongly suggest going and taking a gander at Nuts About Sketches - she's got tons of great sketches for large numbers of photos.  Some notes about this layout:

1.  I made the brads myself using the iTop Brad Maker and some of the coordinating paper from the SEI paper pack.
2.  I was challenged by a friend to use the colors Red, Green, Brown, Orange, and Yellow - which outside of nature in the fall, I don't like together, it's a hard combination to work with.
3.  The paper in the layout all came from different paper companies and paper lines.

Here are some close up shots of the details in my layout:

Thanks for stopping by!

Supplies:  Tools (Cricut, SCAL, iTop Brad Maker; Spellbinders Grand Calibur); Paper (SEI, Basic Grey, DCWV);  Cardstock (Bazzill); Alphabets (American Crafts); Cut File (Treasure Box Designs); Ink (Stampin' Up!); Stamps (Paper Trey Ink)

Saturday, June 16, 2012

Whimsical Grungy Fun

Hello all my lovelies, today, I thought that I would share another layout with you.  If you have noticed, much of my blog has been about all the wonderful swaps that I have been participating in over at Mini Album Scraps.  I love to swap, but if I am swapping, I am getting further and further behind in my own personal albums.  And believe it or not, at one point in time, I was UP TO DATE in my albums!  I am sad to say that's not the case anymore..... I never realized how important it was to me to be up to date until I fell behind.  So, I have been scrapbooking rather than participating in swaps as of late.  This is a layout that I did recently:

 I used a sketch from Becky Fleck's June 2012 Page Maps which you can find here.  This was such a fun little project to create, probably because it was the first in a while where I have been able to get down and inky.  I love playing with paint on my layouts and creating that messy whimsical feminine grunge look.  Buy sometimes the thought of having to wait for the paint to dry is a deterrent to me doing it.  Well on this particular occasion, I was just determined to use paint, even though I was in a time crunch.  This left me in a dilemma of how to use acrylic paint AND speed up the drying time.  And thus was born my genius idea:  USE A BLOW DRYER.  And it worked like a charm, granted that the larger splatters were dry on the surface and still wet in the center........  Either way, it still turned out wonderfully.  I also created splatter by using the clogged sprayer from one of my tattered angels bottles.  I didn't want to let the gorgeous glimmery goodness in the clogged sprayer to go to waste, so I saved it and then flung it at the paper to get the spots.  I did this to all the pieces of paper before adhering them and layering.  Oh, and check out the flower (I was particularly proud of this bad boy):

 I made this flower by following the tutorial found here .  It's a really well done YouTube tutorial.  The flower is made out of coffee filters.  Before assembly, I also splattered all the individual pieces with paint and the turquoise glimmer, dried it with my heat gun and assembled.  The center I did using my new tool the Imaginesence iTop Brad Maker (I am so in love with this thing, it is almost a rival to my beloved George).  The brad was made with satin fabric and a light green lace that I layered before assembly.  If you like to create your own brads, or have a unique look to them, seriously, get the iTop it will be well worth it.

And lastly, a real quick closeup of the distressed journaling spot. 

Thanks for stopping by and sharing in my crafting creations! 

Supplies:  Pattern Paper (DCWV, Three Bugs In a Rug); Ink (Tusineko, Tattered Angels, Stampin' Up!); Cardstock (Stampin' Up!, Bazzill Basics); Stamp (Unity Stamp Co); Trim (May Ats); Alphatbets (Making Memories, Unkonwn); Die (Spellbinders); Tools (Stampin' Up! Sprtizer)

Thursday, June 14, 2012

Recipes for a Successful Marriage

A friend of mine recently got married, and as I threw her a small and intimate bridal shower, I thought it would be fun to give her a little book of guidance on married life.  And it was an excuse to use some of Stampin' Up's delicious Domestic Goddess DSP.  This little book of guidance included recipes from every person that attended as well as all the marital advice that was given as part of the bridal shower festivities.  Here is what the final product looked like:

 Isn't that DSP just delicious?  I know it's only one little section you are getting a peak at, but I have found that finding cute domestic themed paper lines are hard to find!

And here is what the little bad boy looks like all set up:

As the marital advice was appropriate for the setting but not appropriate for all audiences, I am not sharing that portion of the book with you.  That portion simply had the advice printed on 2.5x3.5 sheets of paper that were then adhered to additional DSP cut to the size of the sheet protectors.

Supplies:  Pattern Paper (Stampin' Up! Domestic Goddess -Retired); Ink (Tm Holtz Vintage Photo); Embellishments (Little Yellow Bicycle); Die cut (Spellbinders); Misc (WRMK 5x7 Cinch Sheet Protectors, Zutter Bind-It-All, Chipboard)

Tuesday, June 12, 2012

A Modge Podge Mini Album

If you hang around here long enough, you have probably noticed that I like to reuse things, a lot.  And I like to use things up, a lot.  I am a NO WASTE kind of girl.  Well a little while back, I got tired of my desk looking like a craft hurricane.  You know what I am talking about, when you can't see the top of your desk and you have like bucket upon bucket of random scraps.  I decided that I wanted to do something about that.  So, I made this little guy:

 This mini is made from the acetate backing that acrylic stamps come on.  I change the storage when I get them, but never through away the acetate sheets - mainly because I have to waste anything.  The sheets were not trimmed or anything, they were used as is.  I wanted this little bad boy to be quick and easy to assemble.  Everything in this mini was pulled and adhered as is from my scrap box or from my desk, no trimming or nothing. When I was done, I had put a little dent in my scrap paper boxes, and nearly cleaned off my area in sections.  I am still working on putting photos in and haven't finished the title yet, but you can see how it's coming along.  Here are some photos of the inside pages:



Once I completely finish this bad boy, I will post photos, but I thought I would share a little something that I have been working on.  And to be honest, there is another one of these bad boys coming.  A Modge Podge Mini on steroids.......

Sunday, June 10, 2012

Baby Card

Today I thought I would share a card I made with you.  This card was made for one of my professors who recently had a baby.  We all chipped in and got her a gift, and I made the card.

I had to admit that I have NEVER made a baby card before....... but I got this brand new stamp set from Stampin' Up! that I just had to have.  The overall card is 8.5x5.5 on the account of over 60 students signing it. Thanks for stopping in!

Supplies:  Pattern Paper (DCWV, unknown); Stamps (Stampin' Up!); Cardstock (Stampin' Up!); Ink (Stampin' Up!, Tim Holtz Distress Ink)

Friday, June 8, 2012

MAS Sketch Challenge

Real quick post today.  Recently, Mini Album Scraps posted a new sketch challenge.  The posted sketch can be found here.  If you wanna play along, please come and join me at Mini Album Scraps.  And this is my interpretation:


I have been working on doing some mix and matching of patterned papers to stretch my own skill really.  And this was my first attempt.  I must say that doing masculine layouts is hard - given the nature of scrapbooking being more female dominated..... and then adding mixing and matching......  I came to the conclusion that I needed more scrapbook paper!  in a masculine theme of course!  That's it for today!  Thanks for stopping by!

Supplies:  Pattern Paper (Basic Grey; DCWV); Cardstock (Bazzill, Recollections); Dies (Spellbinders)


Wednesday, June 6, 2012

Man vs. S'mores

Last summer for my husband's birthday and our anniversary, we went out to my families cabin.  I had been dying to have some s'mores, and spent the whole week previously talking about how I was dying to have them.  The whole time, I could not understand how my dear husband was not excited about s'mores.  Well, once we got to the cabin and started the fire he started our conversation with "I have a confession to make."  At that point, I was thinking "what is he going to drop on me?"  To which he stated "I've never had a s'more."  I was floored!  He had no idea what a s'more was, how to make one, nothing.  And being the scrapbooker I am, I had two thoughts 1) this was a momentous moment in our marriage, I mean seriously, how did he get to 29 years old and not have a s'more and 2) this is totally photo worthy.  And here is what I came up with:


The first Marshmallow that my loved one "roasted" he more like crispified, and then he lit it on fire and flung it as far as he could, you know, Denis the Menace style.  I thought it would be fun to reflect this in the layout so I ran the edge of the smaller mallows through my Versamark and then dipped in some Tim Holtz Distress Embossing Powder in  Black Soot.   It gave it that perfect crispy look that toasted mallows get.  For the title, I used some Foam sticker letters from Pink Paislee in brown and white.  The white ones I then colored with two different shades of ink to get the gradient effect.  I did this with the marshmallows as well.

On a related note, if you are in the market for some really good outdoor/camping/hiking themed papers, I suggest you run to your nearest Michaels and get the SEI Outdoor Adventures paper pack. I love it.  That s'mores paper that you see on my layout it's from that pack as is the manly plaid.  I'm thinking of going and getting another pack.......

Supplies:  Sketch (PageMaps); Cardstock (Stampin' Up!, Bazzill); Patterned Paper (SEI Outdoor Adventures); Ink (Stampin' Up!); Alphabet (Pink Paislee); Tools (EK Success, Fiskars); Other (Tim Holtz/ Ranger Distress Embossing Powder)

Monday, June 4, 2012

Easel Card Box

A while back, Mini Album Scraps had a uStream show taught by one of the members (Deann) on how to make an easel card box.  I LOVED the idea of a card and a box of candy all in the same package.  I am unsure of the size the original template was supposed to make, but I altered it to a 12x12 piece of cardstock.  I made this one for Mother's Day, I know it's May, but a share is a share!

The pocket holds the place for the sentiment, and I used the new Stampin Up!  Sizzix Famelits for the sentiment/image and the window in my box.

Supplies:  Cardstock (Unknown, Bazzil, Stampin' Up!); Pattern Paper (Chatter Box); Stamps (Stampin' Up! Blessed Mother - Retired, Paper Trey Ink); Ribbon (Unknown); Ink (Stampin' Up!); Die Cut (Stampin' Up! Sizzix Framelits)

Saturday, June 2, 2012

Introducing George and Friends

I'm just gonna warn you ahead of time, this is a super bragging about my goodies and my family post.  If you're not interested, skip down to see what my new fun toys are.  If you're interested in the story, please continue reading.  A few months ago (we'll say oh in February), my dear, sweet, thoughtful hubby bought me one of these:

His name is George.  I shall call him George, and he will be my George.  I only name tools that I am very very fond of.   Seriously.  And at this point I am going to take a moment to brag about my husband, who is a super awesome Michael's couponer.  My husband and I have been doing long distance the last year, and while I was up visiting him, he took me to Michaels - I like to go to Michaels and just look around.  While I was in there, I spotted George (when did Michael's start getting Spellbinders?).  I was so excited - George has been on my wish list for every birthday, christmas, anniversary, and other gift giving holidays for over two years.  But as you know, George and his close relatives are expensive with a retail price of $149.00 before tax.  Hubby said "Don't you have a coupon for Michaels?"  To which I stated "Well I don't think they apply to the Spellbinders."  While I feverishly checked the coupon exemptions and found out Spellbinders are not exempted from the coupons!  Score!  But, Michaels didn't have a coupon that week.  To which hubby then said "Don't you have a 50% off coupon from Joann's?"  And the LIGHT WENT ON.  My husband is a GENIUS, I mean seriously, I taught him well.  It was moment of pride, over riding pride.  So, I got my early, very early present, for $75.00 including the tax.  If you've been thinking about a Grand Calibur, wait till there is a coupon and then hit Michaels up!  Seriously.  It's May when I'm writing this and I am still beaming with joy at my husband's genius.  And so show you he has even more genius, fast forward to April.

My birthday is in April, and this year, my brothers asked my husband, rather than me, about  what I wanted for my birthday.  Side Note: Although I got my George in February, I wasn't able to play with him until I got some Grand Nestabilities - and time (my dear sweetie was aware of this).  A few days later I got a call from my brother that went something like this:

B:  So I talked to (husband) about what you wanted for your birthday.  He said you recently got a new tool but none of the supplies to go with it.  
M: Yep. He got me George.
B:  Who is George?
M:  A die cut machine.
B: Oh well, either way, we were wondering what you need in order to be able to use your new toy.
M:  Well there are a few things.
B:  Send us an email with the things that you want.

And this is what I got in the mail:

  

I was super stoked and totally not expecting all of that!  I have not had a chance to play with them yet, that is coming up shortly.  My husband is a genius.  And my brothers - best birthday gift ever.  Aside from my Madonna and Vangelis CDs.