Again, I didn’t have anything for Scrap Happy Mini-Load challenge prompt. I concentrated on the technique for the day. For the technique I used wood veneer, flair, and journaling strips. For the layout, I
used Echo Park For The Record 2 by Lori Whitlock which is nothing close to the
subject of my layout…LOL. I chose 3 papers from the line to create my
background. I used a flair from Scrappin Happy Studio, a couple of wood veneer
pieces from my stash, number tape by Tim Holtz, Thickers letters called Scene, and
all the other embellishments were images from the internet since you don’t find
embellishments about radiological drills. But I think I made it work okay. I inked
all the edges, except for the journal strips, with Tim Holtz Distress Ink in
Black Soot.
Every other year, we are required to do evaluated radiological exercises because we are a host county for a nuclear plant in the next county. Being a host county means that we would take in the people if there was an issue at the plant and they called for an evacuation. We do two exercises; one for the Emergency Operations Center which is where I work and one for the reception center which is where the evacuees would be going. We had gone to help at the reception center drill and someone had brought a dog and of course, we could not resist loving on the little pup. That definitely made the drill a lot more enjoyable.
For day, 6 of the Scrap Happy Mini-Load #824, I didn’t have anything to go with the prompt,
but I did do the technique which was to use red. I used an older paper from
Karen Foster Design called Protecting the Public which worked perfectly for the technique for the challenge. I used cardstock from my stash, Sticko stickers, 3-D
stickers by K & Company, and Thickers by Amy Tangerine called Kal Barteski.
This was a layout about my son who recently received two awards. One was for Investigator of the Year and the other was the Lifesaving Award. Several years ago he received State Trooper of the Year. I am so very proud of him and all that he has accomplished.
For this mini-load challenge over at Scrap Happy, I scrapped about how a group of
us started a non-profit. I used cardstock for the background and scraps of
paper from my stash, but I don’t remember what line this was from. I also used
various embellishments from stash, glitter enamel dots, and Thickers by Dear Lizzy
called Lark (2012). I already had the background in my stash of page bases that I had created following Janet Madison on YouTube and her Patreon channels
called RTS Scrapbooking. All I had to do was add a picture and embellishments
and I was done.
I still have to do my journaling which will be on the label on the bottom right. Enjoy and Happy Scrapping!
For my layout on day 4 of the Scrap Happy mini-load challenge, I scrapped
the first watercolor painting I did using Anna Mason’s techniques from her class. She does a
unique type of watercolor painting that is very realistic. This type of watercolor takes more time than your traditional type of watercolor painting, but it is so pretty.
For the layout, I
used 49 and Market papers and embellishments, for the alphas I used foam Thickers called Scene, and a Tim
Holtz tiny attached. I also distressed the edges of my papers with a Tim Holtz
distress tool. I was going for a watercolor look to convey my story.
Another layout for the Scrap Happy mini-load challenge.
Every year I do the One Little Word project by Ali Edwards and I like to get a
book related to my word each year. This year my word is Focus so this book was
perfect.
For the layout, I used an older Dear Lizzy project pad called
She’s Magic (2019) for the papers and stickers. The alphas were Fancy Pants Sweet
Nothings by Amber Labau (2016), the year was stamped using Heidi Swapp Stamp
Society stamp set from September 2023, flair by Scrappin’ Happy Studio, and rub-ons
from Scrapbook.com called vintage scripts and some from Crafter’s Square
(Dollar Tree). I used Tim Holtz Distress Oxide in Lost Shadow on the edges of
the papers and for some splatters.
For day 2 of the Scrap Happy mini-load challenge I did a layout about a hot air balloon ride that my sister, our mom, and I took
on Christmas Eve morning in 2005. You can tell by my mom’s face how much
fun we had, and it was the only time we girls ever did anything together so I
will always cherish it. After the balloon ride was over we helped pack it all up which is quite a feat and then the guide/pilot (not sure what to call him...lol) provided us with a picnic breakfast complete with mimosas.
For this layout, I used cardstock for the background and some
scraps from my stash. I did large ink splats on the background using Tim
Holtz Distress Stain dauber by Ranger in Salty Ocean. They don’t make the
dauber type anymore, but they are great for these types of splats. The flair is
from Scrappin’ Happy Studio, the “details” wood veneer is from Color CastDesigns, the letters were foam Thickers by Amy Tangerine called Kal Barteski (2013),
and the dots are Pops of Color by Scrapbook.com in Cherry Pie.
If you have not noticed by now, I love being part of challenge groups of various types. It gets you to working on your projects because if you are like me, life gets in the way and you tend to put off getting those crafty things done. I work a lot and by the time I get home, I am exhausted and tend not to want to do the crafty stuff.
I joined the Scrap Happy mini-load challenge, which is a 7-day challenge to do a layout a day. The regular load challenges are a layout a day for a month. Each time there is a theme on which the daily prompts are based. For this particular challenge, the theme is the movie Footloose. I don't believe I could keep up with a layout a day for a month but a week is a bit more manageable for me at this time. When things slow down for me then I would definitely like to do the 30-day load challenge. Alice Boll is the owner of Scrap Happy and she also hosts Calvinball each March (FREE). She also hosts monthly crops which are a couple hours (also FREE).
For the first layout, I scrapped some older pictures of my daughter winning the state wrestling championship. I used cardstock from my stash that I cut into varying sizes of stars. Then added some star sequins, some Wndy Vechie Liquid Pearls by Ranger in cornflower blue and sunflower, and some award stickers by Stickopotamus. I then added some Shimmerz paint in the center of the layout in tickle me turquoise which is by Shimmerz Paints. I used Letterman Thickers for the title.
Have you heard about Week in the Life? If not, it is a fun
project that takes a deep dive into a week in your life. This is a concept
developed by Ali Edwards. You can go to her website and click on “Blog” and
then go to the “filter by” where you can look up the Week in the Life tag and
all her blog posts over the years on the subject will be there. She also has a
self-paced class you can purchase where you can see all her albums all the way
back to when she began, tips and tricks, various ways to approach the project, and
some other contributors talking about their albums and approaches to this weeklong
project. She also has a YouTube channel and an Instagram account where you can
see a lot of her stuff.
You don’t need anything special to do the project. Ali
provides physical and digital products in her shop that are geared towards the project,
but you do not have to have them to do it. You can do it in any size album you
would like or even a digital book. Each year Ali has a specific week that she does the project and the community is welcome to do it at the same time. This year it is the week of April 22, 2024, but you can do it any week you like.
Below is a video of an unboxing of the
products I purchased this year. I also have a video of a previous year's album
walk-thru. You can do searches on YouTube and on Instagram (IG) for Week in the Life or Ali Edwards Week in the Life and find many great people who do album walk-thru's and process videos where you can get a lot of great inspiration and ideas.
I do want to address something though. Another YouTuber had
a comment that she addressed where someone had asked something to the effect of
‘If you live alone what do you have to document’? I have not had that question
on a social media platform, but I have had that question in person. So, for all
of you out there, it doesn’t matter your living situation…your story matters!
Document it, have fun with it, and enjoy the process. I have lived alone with
my fur babies for many years now. My children do not live very close by. But I
have documented this project for quite a few years now and let me tell you, it
is fun to look back at how things have changed and how things have remained the
same. I will tell you this, for years now, I wish that my grandparents had done
something like this so that I could get a glimpse into what their lives were
like. How different things were for them, what their chores were like, what
they did to pass the time, things they liked to do, or things they didn’t like
to do. So, if you are hesitant, just jump in and give it a go. You don’t have to
do it like everyone else…just do it how you want.
But don’t know what you can document? Below are some photo
and journaling ideas and lenses for your project. This is not an all-inclusive
list by any means just a jumping-off point to help you get started.
A picture of your outfit each day
Picture of the front-page news (you can get a picture of many newspapers across the US, not sure about other countries, from the Front Pages app. Warning; they are only on the app for that day so each day it changes to the current day. There is no archive so make sure you download it each day.
Your everyday chores and routines
Home life / Work life
Things in your purse, car, tote bag, trunk, desk drawer, junk drawer, nightstand, refrigerator, etc. (amazing how those things change over the years.)
Gratitude / What you are thankful for
Your work, hobbies, organizations you belong to, etc.
The ups and downs; highs and lows
Facts and Feelings of each day
The weather each day
Bits and pieces of stuff: mail, bills, receipts, tags from items purchased or from your favorite brands, average prices at the time, etc.
Your meals
Your makeup, medicine/vitamins, items you use to get ready every morning, or getting ready for bed each night.
Exercising
Screenshots of what's on your phone: games you are playing, text message conversations, shopping apps, etc.
Favorite restaurants, stores, etc.
Mondays are for...(insert the day of the week). An example: Saturdays are for chores and shopping but go into more detail.
Things you like to collect.
Most days / Some days
Today I...Today You...Today We
Your views: both physical and mental...some examples are:
Your view at lunch
Your view looking into your office or out of your office
Your view of where you stand: Looking up, looking down (great way to get your clothes and shoes)
Your view on a particular subject or something in the news
Your observations
Finding opportunities to insert other people's voices. An example would be to tell something that someone said that was funny or maybe thought-provoking.
Your struggles and your growth
Nature, wildlife, and pets
Your goals, hopes, and dreams
Are you a morning person or a night person? Has that changed for you over the years? What about others in your family?
A Google map printout with all the places you went flagged for the day or for the whole week.
The messiness or imperfections of your week
Take a picture of yourself doing everyday activities like getting the mail, doing the laundry, etc. A good idea is to put a timer on your phone camera and set it up to take a picture of yourself. You can also put your phone in the washer as you are putting the dirty clothes in it to get a different view. Just make sure to take it back out...LOL. You can do the same thing with putting the clothes in the dryer or getting the mail out of the mailbox. Endless possibilities. You can get some good examples of this from Amber Dawson's YouTube or IG channels.
Your to-do lists
By the numbers (either by the day or for the week in total or even both - this can take a bit of work but it is fun to see what you come up with): some examples would be how many cups of coffee/tea you have had, how many steps you've taken, how many emails you received or answered, how many text messages, how many shows you've watched, how many miles you have driven, etc. Just have some fun coming up with things to track.
Journal about the pictures you didn't take but you have a story to tell.
Humor in the chaos
Pictures of your shopping cart or trunk with your purchases
Your friends and family
Other Lenses:
On my desk
In the dark
On my plate
My stuff
His/Her/Their stuff
On the couch
In the yard
In the mirror
At work
My people
On the table
This mess
At play
At rest
'ING' words;
Reading
Loving
Eating
Learning
Making
Listening
Watching
Laughing
Below is the YouTube video of a previous year's album that I completed. If you have never done this project before, I hope you give it a go and if you have some ideas to add to the list drop me a comment and let's share our ideas.
I’m back with another 2-page layout using a sketch by Shawn
Stiles Lahr for 30 Days of Sketches with Christy’s Beautiful Life Series 14 and
Calvinball over at Scrap Happy. I did another spread for part of my birthday
celebration month and one of my BFFs took me to Orlando for a fun-filled
weekend. We were planning on going to one of the parks, but the last day was
very rainy, so we switched gears and did some internet searching for something
different to do, but indoors. We found this Titanic Exhibition and decided to go
to that and then we went to a chocolate museum. Both were so much fun and very informative,
but today’s spread is about the Titanic.
I again used up some old stash which feels so good to get things
used and out of my stash and in an album documenting those memories. I used
several old papers from Gartner Studios. These had a very vintage grungy feel
which worked perfectly with this story. They are very nice cardstock weight. I used
Old World Collage from the Von Voyage collection, and Map from a different
collection that may have been called map collection but I’m not sure about
that. The red paper is the B side of those papers. These are very old papers
and I’m pretty sure I’ve had them long before 2010. Also used a diagonal
striped paper from American Crafts Close Knit paper pad from 2017 and a polka
dot paper from Pebbles Birthday Wishes from 2014. The black paper and the cut-apart were from Basic
Grey Fact paper pack from 2012. The other elements used were a label by We R
Memory Keeps Typecast labels (2016), die cuts from 7gypsies (2013), letters
from Sticko Nostalgiques by Rebecca Sower, stickers from Tim Holtz Idea-ology
Salvage Stickers Crowded Attic (2011), puffy hearts were by Shimelle, clay avocado
pieces are from Tiny Shop Supply on Etsy, faux metal pieces are Crafters Square
from Dollar Tree, and then star sequins from my stash.
As you can see a lot of different lines, designers, etc. but
in the end, I think it turned out pretty good.
Hello, my friends! March is quite the month for me. Not only do I have a lot going on at work and of course all of the lovely things we have to tend to on the home front but March means I'm turning another year older, and it is Calvinball time and another round of 30 Days of Sketches with Christy's Beautiful Life! I love doing Calvinball and 30 Days of Sketches with Christy's Beautiful Life. I just wish I was already retired so I had more time to play but I will try to do what I can during the month even though I have a week-long conference to go to and will have to cut my playing time short.
If you have not heard of Calvinball you can learn more over at http://scraphappy.org/calvinball or if you haven't heard about 30 Days of Sketches with Christy's Beautiful Life you can check it out at https://www.facebook.com/groups/2437398646556752. Both are free and you can participate as much or as little as you would like and are a lot of fun.
Here is the first layout I completed for #Calvinball and 30 Days of Sketches with Christy's Beautiful Life. The sketch is by Brandi Jo for #30DSKBL14. I used a lot of older stash. The background paper was from Simple Stories Let's Play paper pad from 2016 and the other paper in the corners is from Shimelle Star Shine collection called Rosetta (not sure of that date but have had it for a while). Used some Freckled Fawn glitter stickers from 2014, The Paper Studio stick-a-bilities birthday stickers from 2019, Petaloo flowers from 2010, Thickers are Fitzgerald from 2014, sequins from Shimmerz Paints, enamel dots from BoBunny Beautiful Things 2021, and the vellum quote from DCWV Scrapbook Kit in a Stack that is very old. The green hearts and avocados are part of a polymer clay mix by the Tiny Supply Shop on Etsy.
I followed the sketch pretty closely but had one extra picture on page 2 and they are horizontal instead of portrait.
I joined a year-long class at Scrapbook & Cards Today called Sketches 2024 by Allison Davis. Every month you get a main sketch along with a lot more content. Every month that you create a layout using the sketch and upload it into that month's folder you are eligible for a drawing for a prize.
I finally got around to doing my sketch after being sick for a week. Here is what I came up with...
This is a companion page to a layout I did previously. I used mostly Vicki Boutin Fernwood but a few other Vicki Boutin pieces as well. I used vine ribbon (Amazon), texture paste through a Vicki Boutin stencil, Shimmerz Paints, and Scrappin Happy Studio flair.
Wow...I can't believe I have not posted for so long. To be honest, it should surprise me. I've been so busy with work, family, and trying to do things at home that it... well, just got away from me. I did manage to get some layouts done since the last time I posted though. A lot of them I have done for challenges during paid crops at Victoria Marie Designs. Here are some of them I got done.
