Old Scrapbook Kits

There is so much I want to get done in my craft room but I am so busy with my full-time job, my part-time business, and my family that it makes it hard to get time to craft. But the other part is that when I go into my craft room it is such a jumbled mess and there are so many things I want to do to the room but can't afford to do it right now. So I have decided not to let the lack of funds stop me from at least organizing and do what I can do so when I have the funds I will have a lot less to contend with. Back some years ago I subscribed to a couple of kit clubs but the only problem is I got so busy with my children, working several jobs and then went back to school that I didn't use them. I just pulled them out of my craft room and below is a picture of just some of them. These kits are about 10 years old or more and products have changed a lot since then. So my goal as soon as get some order to my room is to start to use them up and what ever I do not want donate to one of my local organizations that could use the items. I do have several gift mini albums to get done but in between I can use these up. It will be interesting to use older products with how much I have changed as a scrapbooker. Of course that doesn't stop me from combining the old with the new so come up with something I will be happy with...LOL. So pray for me...here is just some of what I need to get used up!

Chloe

So it has been a while since I have been able to get any scrapping done. But that is life! So here is a layout of my fur baby Chloe the weekend I got her a little over a year ago. I said I wasn't going to get another animal for a while but the moment I seen her I was doomed. She stole my heart immediately. But I had to see how my other dog was going to take to her. Well you can guess what happened since I still have her. And she thinks she rules the house! LOL

So I did a two page layout and I wasn't sure how I was going to do it. I just kept adding and moving and this is what I came up with. I used nothing but things I had in my stash. Somethings I have had for a long time while others were more recent. I even used some of my homemade enamel dots. I love the feeling of using up my supplies!

051 SNL Saturday Stash Dive: Washi Tape & Brads

What I received in the MAS Altered Clothespin Swap

Woohoo...I got my package in the mail today from the Mini Album Scraps Altered Clothespin Swap. What beautiful clothespins I received. Such very talented ladies...Millicent Marshal, Michelle McLean, and Patria Flowers. Thank you so much ladies for the beautiful clothespins. Now to show you just what I received...drum roll please...

Fall Birthday Paper Bag Mini Album

My daughter-in-law's mother came down to Florida last October to celebrate her 65th birthday with her daughter. We had a good time and since it was her 65th birthday I wanted to make her a mini album to document her memories. It is a paper bag mini album with chipboard covers and I used grunge board for the spine. I used Recollections Night of Fall paper and I used vintage photo to distress all the edges. And I also distressed the bags to bag them a bit darker to match everything else. But of course I couldn't leave well enough alone. I had decided since she is a non-crafter it would be more difficult for her to store the album because I had decorated the top with all those beautiful flowers and leaves so I decorated a Paper Mache box to store the album in. I used up some of my stash making this album which I love because I have a lot.

When I did the video I had to rush through it because YouTube only gives you 15 minutes unless you go through some process to have longer ones. Since I am new to doing videos and to blogging I figured I did not want to do that at this time. Maybe later on when I am more experienced.  I hope she enjoys this album and box. There are plenty of places for her and her daughter to journal and they can add more photos in the pockets.

 

Altered Clothespin Swap

I had decided to join my very first swap. I'll be honest, I was a little nervous about it. Was my work going to be good enough? Was it too flimsy? Wonder if they don't like it? All kinds of negative things running around in my head. But I realized I will never know until a take the plunge and I can't get better if I don't work at it. Amazing how that pertains to everything in life. So I joined an easy swap on Mini Album Scraps. Since I work a lot I don't have a lot of time to devote to my crafting endeavors so I needed to do a swap that I could do in my spare time. I went to the site and seen a swap for altered clothespins. You had to do 3 sets of 3 altered clothespins. I thought that shouldn't take too much time to accomplish so I took the plunge.

I took the clothespins apart and used Gesso on them. Then I used Marion Smith's Garment District design paper to cover the clothes pins on both sides and put the clothespins back together. I distressed the edges lightly with antique linen. On some I punched a hole in the top of the clothespin and added some charms. On some others I used a wood veneer butterfly that I stained with pickled raspberry and on the last ones I used a little crocheted doily flower with a paper rose on top. I thought they came out pretty good.

I also made an extra one for each recipient as an added gift. I used a beach/summer type paper, added a charm, and then little acrylic dots that look like little water drops. I had a lot of fun making these and now I have all kinds of ideas running through my mind for later. Can't wait to see what everyone else makes.  

Special Delivery!!!

I got my first manufacturer box! I heard others talk about getting a Prima box or a G45 box but I had never seen where you get them. Well I was on Facebook the other day and seen where Prima had a box for sale. It was $39.99 and you got $100.00 worth of products and it included the shipping costs. So I got my first box and wow...what a fun bunch of products. I can't wait to make something with it.  Here is video of what all I got. Sorry it isn't that good but I don't have a video camera so I have to use my phone.