in the kitchen

This is my favorite project right now.  I decided to create a Sn@p book featuring the photos I have cooking and baking with my loved ones.
 

I love to cook and bake and in my world tasty food = love.  And yes, that's why I am perpetually overweight.  LOL

When I go through photos I find so many pix cooking and baking with family and friends.  There are also lots of family recipes that have become favorites over the years.  I thought this would be a great way to collect them and pass them on.

I left open spaces to write in recipes of our favorites.  

I also added basic journaling.

I already put in a few recipes.

I'm using mostly Sn@p 24/Seven papers but I recently picked up some kitchen-y embellishments from the Farmhouse paper line and I can't wait to add them in as well.  Since the papers are so basic, I can mix and match them in easily.

Sn@p books are quickly becoming a favorite.  After making one at i {heart} memories retreat I became hooked.  In addition to this Sn@p book I worked with two friends to create a 2 volume first year baby book for a scrappy friend.  We gave it to her at her shower, and she claims it hasn't left her bedside since. It started out as 1 book.  We created so many pages we needed to expand to 2 books.  LOL  We did sections on getting ready for baby, welcome home baby, baby's firsts, baby's first year, family and a blank section to be used however she wants.  I'm planning a December Daily using a Sn@p book and looking for ways to incorporate pocket-page scrapbooking into my design style.  This is a trend that will help get more stories recorded and I'm all about getting our stories recorded.  So give Sn@p a try!

Be happy, get scrappy,

Jenn

this is happiness

I created this layout for a MemoryWorks Creative Friday post.  I used Basic Grey's Mint Julip papers for this layout.  I layered the papers, tags, card and envelope and made some flowers using the 6"x6" paper pad and the Tim Holtz Mini Tattered Floral die.  

This simple layout uses layers to create interest and feature the photo of Dinara and myself.  It came together quickly once I found papers that picked up the colors in our clothes.  I love the little bird as well, a favorite punch from Stampin' Up!  

Be happy, get scrappy!

Jenn

adventure

I created this little adventure journal to take with me on my trip this summer to Santa Fe, NM and Salt Lake City/Layton, UT.  My plan was to take it with me and fill it out as I traveled and I actually followed through with that plan!  Of course I couldn't add the photos until after I came home and printed them, but I took pix in the moment and journaled info about them.  It was challenging to guess how many pix I would put in, which ones, and how best to arrange them.

I started with two Sn@p sized full-sized page protectors and used them to create a soft covered book.  I could have easily used a Sn@p binder but I wanted a soft book that I could throw in my travel bag.  This worked perfectly. 

I used pockets throughout the book to tuck in memorabilia, here I've collected some of my luggage tags, including the weight tag from my suitcase.  I just made it with a 49lb suitcase. 

Since my morning started with missing my flight, I started my journal in the airport waiting for my new flight.  I used my iPhone to take pix.  I created pages of various sizes using the Sn@p papers, 4"x6" and 3"x4" journal cards.

I resized most of my photos to fit into my format.  I wrote right on the papers, not worrying about designs.

After I put all the photos and ephemera in I added in stickers and other embellishments that were left over from creating my album.

I'm glad I included this big pocket to tuck in maps, memorabilia and tons of extra photos.  I took so many photos...

I matted all the photos on kraft card stock for continuity, and inked them all as well.

Pockets were used to hold journaling cards as well.  I also used the day stickers to keep track of the day's journaling.

I am so glad I created this journal to take with me.  I met the wonderful team gals I've only known via cyberspace and had a great time working and playing with them. 

I also met many of the Home Office staff.  Boy do they work hard.  

I used the last page to wrap up my journaling and write some of my final impressions.  I was so exhausted here waiting to go home, missing my family and home.

Once again I bound my journal with my Bind-It-All.  I will treasure this journal forever, for the beautiful pix of our country, the fun times spent with family and friends and the thoughts I managed to record of my time away.

Be happy, get scrappy!

Jenn

look book too

I made so many great projects with the papers MemoryWorks sent me to play with for the 2013 Spring/Summer Look Book I couldn't put them all in one post.  Here I'll showcase the Simple Stories 24/Seven papers.

I started with a mini perpetual calendar using the calendar cards included in the paper line.  For the cover I used one of the acrylic overlays to protect the paper cover.  I titled the book dates 2 remember and created a space to list birthdays and anniversaries for each month.

I created little tags for each month to make it easy to turn to the correct month quickly.

I used alphas from the sticker sheet to signify the birthday and anniversary list.

There were so many papers, stickers, chipboard embellishments, I had so much to work with.

I can even use a white pen to circle specific dates if I choose.

I used my Bind-It-All to put the book together.  I should never miss a birthday or anniversary again.  ;)

Selfies.  We all take them.  Here are some of mine.  One of these days I'll actually get a decent selfie.  Until then, I continue to try.  :)

Be happy, get scrappy!

Jenn

look book

Ok, I admit it, I've neglected my blog terribly.  I've been crazy busy but not everything was post-able due to design assignments and such.  It's long past time to share, so here we go.

We were assigned several lines to work with to create a MemoryWorks Spring/Summer Look Book.  We were given so much wonderful product to work with and told to make as much or little as we wanted with the product.  I got two great lines--Bo Bunny's Mama Razzi II and Simple Stories 24/Seven.  I loved the blues and greens in the Mama Razzi II.  Surprise, surprise.  lol  

I thought the colors worked perfectly with this photo of Kerry, circa 2010.  I loved playing with all the embellishments and creating the layers and clusters.

I distressed and inked, as usual.  Did I say I loved the blues and greens together?  

Next up is this layout incorporating a Fancy Pants stencil. I started to use it as such but didn't get the impact I was looking for so I went ahead and sprayed it green and tucked patterned papers behind the open letters.

I love the little flags tucked in the side of the stencil.

Last up, a card. 

Very quick to create using pieces and alphas right off the accessory sheets.  When I was done, I did smile, I liked how it turned out.

You'll have to tune in next week to see the 24/Seven projects.

Be happy, get scrappy!

Jenn

american beauty

I have wanted to play with this photo for a while now.  It is an amazing pic of my daughter Kerry taken by C. Whitney-Ward and posted on the blog, Chasing Santa Fe:

http://chasingsantafe.blogspot.com/search?updated-max=2013-03-05T19:28:00-07:00&max-results=20&start=3&by-date=false#.UYKIA7Xqmtg

After obtaining permission to print the photo I let it sit here for a while.  First, I loved seeing my daughter, so lovely, since I haven't seen her in person in over a year.  But I will be seeing her soon.  :)

Then, my new Memory Works catalogs arrived and low and behold, we have Graphic 45 papers this season and I knew at that moment I would be using the Secret Garden collection to scrap this photo.

I started with the stripped background paper and grabbed the floral print with a small purple print on the "B" side  I used the scraps from cutting it down as well.  A little spritz of water along the ends made it easy to curl the edges for texture.  I sewed it on, sloppily, but that's about the level of my sewing skills.  A Maggie Homes fabric polaroid frame die cut centers in on Kerry's face.  She has gorgeous blue eyes, huh?  I added additional layers of papers, die cuts, flowers, butterflies, and a wood veneer doily from Michaels.  The key is grunge board covered in paper and then run through a texture folder and inked.  When she was younger she wore a key around her neck prompting Eden to nickname her Kiki, and Kiki she is today.  So the key had to make the layout.  I should have zeroed in on that to show you the punched bird.  The wonderful thin about punches is that you can turn them over and see exactly where you are punching.  /The wording on the head of the bird says "plant good seeds," good advice for everyone.  The wing is a rose bud.  

A close up of the flowers I made using a few 6"x6" pieces from the paper pad using the t!m holtz mini tattered floral die.  I inked and stacked using gem topped brads to hold them together.

I cut a "v" in the floral background and laced it up corset style with some baker's twine, then backed it with a yellow print from the 6"x6" paper pad.  

You can really see the layers here, stacked flowers, stacked butterflies with idea'ology gem pins for bodies.  

I know, I'm just a proud mama, but Kerry is an American beauty, her dad's blue eyes and fair skin, her mom's features and independent personality.  

So, get happy, get scrappy,

Jenn

garden

I love the new Simple Stories Vintage Bliss line.  The colors are muted and beautiful.  I used it in the blog hop last week and I created this piece for the Memory Works April Express Kit blog post and I wanted to share it here too because I really love how it turned out.

I used my Nestabilites label dies--both the Grand Nestabilities and regular sized to create the layers.  I also added lots of ink on the edges.  I had Nestabling from Want 2 Scrap and added that as an edge for this piece.  

I used another Spellbinders die to create the rolled rose and leaves.  The dangling charm was a sticker from the embellishment sheet, covered with an idea'ology fragment.  The laser cut butterfly came with the kit, the two smaller butterflies are Recollections and the bling from my stash.  The seam binding was colored with Distress Ink.  The garden stamp I picked up at StampScrapArt from Rubbernecker stamps.  The little dangle teardrop is from Maya Road.  I love how it turned out.  Wait, I think I said that already.  Need a Memory Works consultant?  I'd be happy to show you all the great papers, embellishments, stamps, inks, tools and other supplies we carry and hook you up with Simple Stories Vintage Bliss supplies.

Be happy, get scrappy!

Jenn