Project Life : Week 30

Week 30 : July 23-29

This week : a bazillion errands and lots of outdoor play + popsicles. The summer Olympics began in London, we celebrated my Dad's 60th birthday + we spent a day at the beach.

Full spread : click on any image below to enlarge

Left side :

Loved adding a QR code to scan and watch a video from this weekend of Mark pitching balls to Morgan and hitting them! If you are interested, you can see it here. Super cute. :) If you haven't tried it yourself, all I do is add a website link at qrstuff.com and it creates a QR code for you to download and print. In order to watch the video (or view the website...) you will need a QR reader on your smartphone. I use (and like) ScanLife. I adhered my QR code to a grid journaling card after doing a little stamping with this Studio Calico set. The Olympics card on the left (below) is from Erica Hernandez :

More writing on photos. Love finding negative space and filling it up with journaling. This time, I was inspired by Tina's currents series :

Right side :

I folded a 4x6 card from my core kit and wrote inside a little bit about my feelings after a conversation I had with Morgan Saturday night before bed :

Below, the classic Instagram foot shot - me alone at Target. Always a treat for this stay-at-home mom. The calendar card behind it is from Erica Hernandez :

The top photos were taken while the kids did some finger painting. I joined the photos with a large Elle's Studio circle and banner so you can tell they 'go together' :

And of course, the insert this week is Morgan + Parker's finger paintings :

Photos from the weekend (my Dad's birthday + our beach trip) are missing, as I need to add another insert but am out of photo paper. Should be here tonight. Absolutely loving this project! I can't believe I'm a month away from filling up my second album.

As always, thank you so much for looking. This week I'm linked up to The Mom Creative. Check out Jessica's post for more Project Life inspiration! And if I forgot something or you'd like more details, just ask. :)

If you are not familiar with Project Life, click here. All of my 2012 Project Life posts can be found here.

Project Life : Week 29

Week 29 : July 16-22

I finally got this week done. After working full speed on my camping mini I couldn't quite get motivated to move on with my Project Life. I had an opportunity to work on it this afternoon and decided to keep it simple + rely on my core kit, which doesn't get much attention these days. Some weeks I have time to add extra details and some weeks I don't. And that's okay. Plus I had an insert this week.

This week : the end of our camping trip + a hot house. My first appointment with a laser for some spider vein removal, lots of yummy food, spectating at Mark's softball game, movies, a visit from Grandma and a very busy Saturday out of town. Here we go...

Full spread + insert (click any image below to enlarge) :

Left side. I adore that kitty picture Morgan drew :

Front of insert, a Design G page protector :

Back of insert + right side :

Back of insert :

Right side :

In related news, there are some awesome new Project Life stamps in the Studio Calico shop - School Life + Foodie. Love them + snagged them both this morning. And the Project Life core kits + new plastics are in stock at Amazon. Check out Becky Higgins blog post here for more details. I haven't committed to any of the new styles yet, as I have an album FULL of page protectors and don't need anymore, but I'm loving the new envelope pages - tall + small, as well as the protectors that hold Instagram photos - Design I + J.

Thanks so much for looking and if I forgot something or you'd like more details, just ask. Happy weekend to you all!

Not familiar with Project Life? Click here. All of my 2012 Project Life posts can be found here.

camping mini album : a sneak peek

I've been scrappin' up a storm, working on my camping mini album. Many of the pages are on the Ormolu blog today if you'd like to see what I've done with the inside so far. I'd say it's about 90% complete, so when it's done-done, I'll post it up here too.

Happy Wednesday!

ask + you shall receive

First, I want to send a huge hug and many thanks to those of you who may be reading and have been a part of the success of the 20 Questions books - both the scrapbook album + the new Blurb version. It always makes me smile to read those sweet answers from your kids and hear your feedback of the books. Much love!

Due to popular request, I've decided to make a small number of the original scrapbook-style 20 Questions album. If you are interested, send me your request via Etsy convo by July 31 and I'll start collecting materials. Albums will ship late-August. Special order requests are now full - thank you! The Blurb books aren't going anywhere, but for the next week, you have an option.

Contact me through my shop here.

Today : we're getting ready for a post office run + our weekly trip to the library. I haven't touched my Project Life spread for last week yet because I've been working on my camping mini. Look for a peek into that on the Ormolu blog Wednesday!

Project Life : Week 28

Week 28 : July 9-15

This week was a pretty normal week that ended with a long weekend camping at Port Crescent State Park in the thumb area of Michigan. I used the left side as usual for photos + journaling during the beginning of the week and the right side to do a 12 x 12 photo enlargement from our camping trip. I am working on a mini album for this trip but thought this would be a nice way to document that this was the week we went.

Full spread (click photos to enlarge) :

 Left side :

Absolutely love Catherine's new Sillo Series journaling cards. I think I could use the 'she said' ones every day!

A little Silhouette cut, some washi, some flair + Kelly Purkey's geotag stamp = one of my favorite pockets :

Right side - the sunset at the beach near our campsite Sunday night. Not bad for an iPhone photo :

The ladies that I've seen create these enlargements - Elise Blaha, Kelly Purkey, Jenni Hufford - all seem to do it a bit differently. Here are my two cents. Since I have a wide format printer, I just print my photo at 12 x 12 and trim to fit in the pockets. First, 4" off the bottom. Then I cut that in half (for 2 4x6's) and round all the corners. Then I cut 4" off the bottom of what's left for the 3x4 pockets. Since these I really a little narrower than 3", I have to trim a little extra off the width of these (usually between the 1st + 2nd photo and the 3rd + 4th photo). I cut the last 4" in half (2 more 4x6's) for the top and finish it off by rounding the corners. If you don't have a wide format printer, but would like to try this technique from a large 12x12 photo rather than dividing it up into 4x6 prints, I love the quality of Persnickety Prints!

Love this quote :

As always, thank you so much for looking! This week I'm linked up to The Mom Creative. Check out Jessica's post for more inspiration! And if I forgot something or you'd like more details, just ask. :)

If you are not familiar with Project Life, click here. All of my 2012 Project Life posts can be found here.

right now

I'm so happy to say we are home. Our camping trip was a blast, though much hotter than the weather forecast lead us to believe it would be. Today, the air conditioning is our friend. Even if it's not working at 100%. Hopefully that will be fixed by the end of the day.

We went outside to play in the pool this morning but that only lasted for a whole 20 minutes when Parker started pulling on the door to go back in. It's suppose to be over 100 degrees here in Michigan and that just blows.

I'm completely behind on my favorite social media.

I'm caught up on all of the sandy, sweaty laundry + the kitchen is clean. That makes me happy.

I'm so geeked to use my Kelly Purkey stamps on my Project Life spreads. I'm going to be geotagging + hashtagging everything!

I love these pickles!

I cancelled my Birchbox subscription. I can't say I have been pleased with the contents of my boxes, especially this last one. Oh well, it was a fun thing to try out.

I'm shuffling through papers + lists, trying to figure out the must-do's this week. We have another busy weekend away coming up.

I have a 12x12 print sitting next to me, drying + almost ready to cut up, to fit into last weeks Project Life spread. This will be my second attempt at using an enlargement in my PL album, and is such an awesome way to document the end of the week in the woods. Did you see my first attempt - my album one closing page + album two opening page on the Ormolu blog last weekend?

We need groceries pretty bad.

I'm excited to tackle my camping mini album.

I'm looking forward to preparing some of my old scrapbook supplies for a garage sale next month at my LSS. Hoping to earn a little spending money for all of the new Summer CHA goodies that are coming out.

Someone has a hold on a library book I'm halfway through reading. It's due tomorrow, so no renewal for me. While that makes me sad, I'm tempted to speed read through it tonight before bed. Or just return it late.

The shop is back in business.

Happy Monday Tuesday! I'm certain my days are going to be messed up all week.

camping mini album : the binder

A few weeks ago, I worked on decorating the binder that will hold our photos, journaling + stuff from our upcoming camping trip. I'm using a half-size Ormolu chipboard binder that is completely bare + naked. Oh the possibilities! Typically, I would leave it as is and go very simple, with minimal embellishments. But this time, I decided to step a bit out of my comfort zone and get creative with it. I don't have lots of step-by-step photos, just a few I shared on Instragram as I went along, but I hope I can explain how I did it.

First, in Silhouette Studio, I opened the US map diecut (which was the free shape of the week a while ago). I ungrouped it and copied Michigan onto a new page. I enlarged it about as big as I could to fit on an 8 1/2" x 11" piece of cardstock. After sending it through the Silhouette, I used the negative (or everything but the Michigan state pieces) and adhered the cardstock to the opened binder with some Smash tape.

I used a Versamark inkpad and dabbed it, upside down, on the open areas of the diecut. After I removed the cardstock, I sprinkled UTEE (ultra thick embossing enamel) over the Versamark and embossed it all with my heat gun.

 

It turned out really cool, but was clearly missing something / more. I let it sit for a few days while I pondered my next step.

I decided to get out the mists. I used the positive of the Michigan diecut and laid it back over my embossing job to protect the glossy finish. I first sprayed the album, concentrating on the areas around the diecut, with Mr. Huey's Water Cooler and after that dried, a few sprays of White.

After it was all dry, I outlined Michigan with a thin black pen and added some embellishments.

An Ormolu fabric tag, sale tag and flapper, some Flair for Buttons and Hambly, a Studio Calico star, and an arrow clip.

I'm so happy with how it turned out! Now, onto filling it up...

Thanks for peeking!

Project Life : Week 27

Week 27 : July 2-8

In the interest of time, I'm going to be light on words and just show a few shots of this week's spread. As I was getting in my groove yesterday, my theme started to lean towards using up some alphabet stickers. Here's how it turned out.

Left side + insert (click on any photo to enlarge the image). The insert is an American flag craft that Morgan and I did last week. I gave her the stars and stripes to see how she'd put together the flag on her own. Not bad, I say!

Left side :

Back of insert + right side. Love that Morgan wanted to add "Happy Birthday USA" to the back of her flag! :)

Right side :

I used up a lot of letters in this spread ;)

'make' is a Silhouette cut using the font soymilk :

I also completed the closing page to album number one + the opening page to album number two. Here is a sneak peek at the opening page - which is a 12x12 photo enlargement, cut it into pieces. I'll be showing the entire thing on the Ormolu blog this weekend :

When I started Project Life at the beginning of the year, I thought I'd only have 2 albums, thus a volume one + volume two. Except my first album was full at the end of April! So, I also redid the 6x12 pages that are my pre-opening page to my Project Life albums :

Three albums it is.

Thank you so much for looking! This week I'm linked up to The Mom Creative. Check out Jessica's post for more inspiration! And if I forgot something or you'd like more details, just ask. :)

If you are not familiar with Project Life, click here. All of my 2012 Project Life posts can be found here.

Shop Update : It's Vacation Time!

My apologies if it gets a little quiet(er) around here. I just wanted to post quickly to let you know that my Etsy shop and I will be in 'vacation mode' starting Tuesday, for about a week. If there are any Project Life stamps that you'd like shipped out this week, please order prior to Tuesday. You can get your shop on here. Thank you + I'll be back!!