365 is done!!

So I finally, finally finished up my 365 album. I had a few filler pics to print and I had to fill the spots on the front and last page. I was so stuck and I searched and searched for ideas but couldn't find any. I had kept most of the index prints from Costco so I cut them up in slices and just pasted them to the cards from the kit...kinda like a summary. I also journaled the front and explained what this album is and added the date, my name, and then added the 2009 stickers. The pics might be kind of cheesy but its done. If I see something better, I can always change it.
So glad I did it but will be taking a break this year.
Next year I'd like to do the digital version of it.

The pic above and below are from the first page.

The one above is from the back page...the one below are my last two pics of the year.

A chipboard coaster I made for Valentines Day...Used Bo Bunny pink dotted cardstock, Hero Arts Stamps, SU Ink, Ranger Embossing Powder, and the Slice Calendar Card for the title. That Calendar card is one that I thought I wouldn't use but seem to go to a lot.

And Maui, who is nearly 4 months old now. She is a beast in everyway. I love this monster!

The kids were having fun with their tunnels and they put one up on the love seat. Maui ran up it to the top of the couch. It was so adorable.

Thanks for looking...

A framed collage

Long time, no post...oh my!! I had to quickly share this. I've been dying to make a collage in a frame to hang in my house. I've been learning bit by bit from my good friend Laura, who is a professional collager! She emailed me some tidbits and advice about making these in photoshop and I was so excited to get started but then my computer broke.

So Laura posted some awesome info HERE on her blog and then she was featured in the CK blog for an educational step by step into collaging (you can see that entry HERE). When it comes to PSing, I have a grade of about a C-. I can do basic stuff but I always had a problem with resizing, so Laura gave me some hints and it just opened my eyes! Then after seeing the CK blog, I learned from her how to copy and paste the pics by using the rectangular marque tool. I always had a problem moving my pics on my canvas and that hint really helped. Make sure your pics all have a 300 dpi. Super important or your pics will not be the correct ratio to the canvas.

I made my collage on an 8.5x11 canvas and resized my pics to 2" wide by 2.5" tall. For the background I used Contact cork paper (from Michael's) and stuck it right to the back part of the frame. I found this frame is a closet that I was cleaning...good find!

The year and the photocorners were made using the Slice. Perfect tool since everything needs to be flat here. I used repositionable adhesive on everything here so that I can take everything off and replace the photo and embellishments next year with. Then I'll take this photo sheet and scrap it...probably using everything here. Thanks for looking.

Supplies Used:

11x14 frame (Hobby Lobby?)

Cork Paper: Contact

Patterned Paper and Flash Card: October Afternoon

Letter Stickers, Slice Machine (Studio Findings card): Making Memories

Embossing Folder: Cuttlebug

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year my friends!! I'm back to work now but I had a wonderful time off with my family...pretty much we did nothing! That's the BEST!! Even left the house a mess, which I'm regreting now...so much to do around here so I spent today getting caught up. LOL.
Had a ton of fun scrapping and crafting. I have a growing list of layouts that I want to complete but I think my list was growing faster than I could keep up with. I don't scrap in order, just scrap what I feel like doing. I think that's the most effective way to work on your layouts. I also believe in lifting and using sketches. Honestly I get so frustrated trying to figure out how to make a page that I lose the fun and joy of putting it together. One other thing I just realized lately is to find a manufactuer line that you really like, or even a paper pack and just leave it on your scraptable for an extended time. I purchased the Cosmo Cricket "Girl Friday" crafting pack a few weeks back and I wanted to use it so I kept it on my scrap table for two weeks and just kept using it. It felt so nice to use some pretty paper and not to hoard it. Also saved me time from thumbing through all my papers. I think for 2010 I am going to try and restrain myself from buying too much paper, especially open stock sheets. I'd rather save that for paper packs that are really gorgeous. Anyway, enough of me typing out all of my random thoughts.

My third layout of Maui...I decided to used all 8.5"x11" pages on her. She's 12 weeks old now and I swear she looks bigger every morning. She already grew out her puppy collar. LOL. It took me a couple of days to get this picture of her because she likes to chase my camera strap...plus she never sits still when she's awake.

We just love it when she sits on one hip like that with her legs stretched out forward. Why I got the title "tripod". Used my Girl Friday line here and some Glimmer Mist in Pearl sprayed on some of the embellies.
I made the little green flowers by punching flower shapes, cutting a slit in them, and gluing the ends together. That's what makes them more 3D-like. Add some Hobby Lobby Pearl brads for the centers. And the sketch was from the "Got Sketch Blog" but I modified it for this sized LO.
And finally had to make a layout about myself. The kids are getting older now and I need to add some more layouts about me and my husband. I used the Cosmo Cricket paper again and added an old Heidi Swapp frame and added random journaling stickers on it.

I used another 3D flower that I made and put it on top of a handmade bow...I got the instructions on how to make the bow from Scrap A Little. Its a really cute site. You can find the instructions here. And there's a ton of other great paper crafting tutorials there and there are also some great sketches...and they're in color! The cut-out leaves and the fancy photo corner were made with the Slice Vintage Findings card.

And a LO about Aydan growing. The picture on the left was taken on 10/08 and the other one on 11/09. He's literally a head taller! I used Cosmo Cricket "Boyfriend" line of PP here. I did make a mistake though, and I was so ticked. The yellow cassette paper is the backside of the blue/green paper in the middle. I cut the blue paper without looking at the back and then realized that the cassettes were now going up and instead of across. So now whenever I have double sided paper, I will be more aware of looking at the other side before I cut. LOL! I used the slice to make the star and then I embossed it in my Cuttlebug and rubbed it with Champagne Versamark ink. And the vinyl AC letters for the title? Those are my very favorite letters to use ever!! I was at Hobby Lobby and they were half off so I figured that I'd stock up. Well, when I got home I forgot that I had stocked up last time so now I have 6 packages of those letters so if you see them on my pages over and over again, you'll know why.

And speaking of Hobby Lobby, they now sell online! And on their site, they stated that shipping is free over $25! How cool is that? They have the best kraft cardstock ever (used on every LO here)! Better than Bazzill or Stampin Up. They sell it in 12x12 and 8.5x11 and they sell cards in envelope sets in the same kraft paper. You must try it if you haven't.