Serious Play

Instax Minis Album

 

So, I made a retro mini album for my Instax Mini pics! 

I used paper from my stash called Just Chillin' by Making Memories. I love the retro vibe that the paper brings to this project.

I started with pics of my family...

and then the other day we went on a little trip to explore the downtown area of our very own city.

Everyone is on Spring Break around here, so my sister and her kids as well as myself and my two girls decided to take advantage of a sunny day and a new experience.

The tiny size of these pics made it easy to tuck in my purse until I returned home. I had already made the album and simply needed to adhere them inside!

 
I had created the album by placing the patterned paper (it was only printed on one side) back to back and sewing around the edges. I started with a full 12x12 sheet and simply cut it in half, resulting in a strip that measured 12x6.

After sewing the pages so that there was a patterned paper showing on every side, I piled them up and made one straight stitch down the center to create a binding and hold the entire album together. This left me with individual pages that measured 6x6, which was perfect for my Instax Mini pics.

I *heart* my little album and cannot wait to add more pics to it in the coming days.

 

I want to remind you, as well, of the OLW Blog Hop happening on Friday, April 1st, at 8am PST.

I will be posting slightly earlier as we are going away for the weekend and will not have access to internet until late Saturday, but the rest of the ladies' blog posts will go live at 8am PST on Friday morning.

I hope you will stop in to enjoy some very creative projects that are shaping up in regards to everyone's One Little Word!

Fuji Instax Mini 7s

So, I broke down and bought another new camera.

Enter the Fuji Instax Mini 7s. It is a modern version of the old Polaroid camera, where the credit card-sized photo emerges instantly and takes a few seconds to develop and not any faster if you wave it in the air like a lunatic, I noticed! It really is as fun as it sounds and even my husband approves, sortof.

Husband: How many cameras do you have now?

Me:  Only 3... no, 4!   I almost forgot about my Anscoflex!

Husband:  And how many more do you think you will need?

He's so forgiving! I cannot say that he supports my fetishes, but I also cannot say he doesn't. 

 

I have been pondering the Fuji Instax Mini 7s for some time now. I had researched it, compared it with others, sought it out and then put it off for a while, not able to justify it. But upon repeatedly seeing others snapping fabulously adorable shots with their Minis, I decided I, too, should have one!

Take a look at these lovely ladies and what they are doing with their Minis:

Elizabeth Kartchner

Ali Edwards

Melissa

Teegan

Anyway, my new Instax Mini has already brought me great joy. After bringing her home the other night, I immediately caught each of my family in their random activities and begged a photo. That is how it is around here these days. No one willingly poses for or even allows a photo being taken of them lately. You may have noticed the lack of family photos on my blog. They tell me it is a stage of teens.

However, my Mini brought home with it some magic it seems, for everyone was more than willing to pose for a photo with the shiny new white Mini! Of course, on one condition...that they could hold the blank piece of film as it was ejected and watch while it did its magic and develop to reveal its subject. I must say that I was more than willing to oblige if it meant getting a cute little photo of my girls and husband.

And, the very next day I set about creating a fun little album to house all the fabulous instant baby mini pics that will ensue, which I will share with you tomorrow!

 

Oh, I almost forgot...

Watch for another OLW Blog Hop coming this Friday, April 1st!

Stolen Moments

Denim Paper: Katie Pertiet

So, I have been absent lately.

It's all good. Life happens. Blogs suffer sometimes. But I'm back...

Self-Paced Scrapbooking Class

So, I have signed up for another online scrapbooking class!

I know, I know, I am terrible at finishing these classes and why would I take on another, you ask? Well, my One Little Word this year is REALIZE. This means that I am going to make it happen! You watch me.

After reading about this class on the Big Picture Classes website, I decided to go for it. Since it is a self-paced class by Amy Tangerine, there is no pacing to keep up with. There is no time limit. There is no pressure or stress. Only information... and I love learning!

Immediately after downloading the class, I could browse the several projects that are featured in the class and decide which one I want to attack first. I already have decided and since our Spring Break is coming up next week, I see this as the perfect unscheduled time to work on a project or two!

I was surprised at the amount of content and inspiration that was included in this class. As I mentioned, there are a few different projects to choose from. All of them include a downloadable PDF file which I can view online, or print out to keep. Some of the projects also include a video demonstration of the project or technique. It really is fabulous.

If you head on over to the Big Picture Classes website now, they are offering this class with a promo code that will save you an extra $5 on the purchase of the class. You should give it a try... and then let me know which project you choose first!

Monthly Magazines

So, I am a magazine junkie.

I love this time of each month when my subscriptions start rolling in. In this day and age of technology, I get very little real mail, so when these gems show up in my mailbox, they bypass the recycle bin and land safely on my kitchen island. I can hardly wait to boil a cup of tea, settle into my deep dark brown leather sofa and crack them open!

For me, reading a magazine is a whole experience. My first pass through is like riding a bike through a puddle. I want the thrill of the experience to put a smile on my face and develop a longing to do it again without the burden of getting soaked or my mamma calling me in for dinner. I let the strength of words and phrases grab me and pull me in. I let the color combinations dazzle me and cause me to linger on those pages. I let the new ideas compete with one another to win my approval with the hope of becoming realized. This part of the experience is like sensing a gentle spray of water on my face and giggling all the way to the other side of the puddle!

On my second pass, I am more deliberate and selective. I choose to which articles I will give my full attention. I jot down notes or use sticky notes to mark pages to which I will return. I absorb a lot of the meat and theme of the magazine, allowing myself to be informed and persuaded. This is when I form opinions and follow up on questions that arise from my reading. I look into referred websites, search authors and google instructions. This part of the experience brings me satisfaction.

On consecutive passes through the magazine I fill in the gaps. This is when I notice little details that were previously missed, or articles that didn't grab me so strongly the second time through. Sometimes, these items end up having the greatest impact on me, or they seem like something I will get more out of in a specific situation so I make a mental note to return another day.

Now, there are those who will judge the 'green' factor of a paper magazine. I am proud to say that my magazines do not end up in a landfill. Martha Stewart Living has grown into a significant collection that filled multiple boxes which were sent out to the refuge of the garage during our home renovation. Upon return into my home, these magazines still pull me aside and cause me to spend an entire evening leafing through pages, sometimes with purpose, sometimes aimlessly and smiling. My decorating magazines are scoured for catalysts and several pages are torn out to adorn my inspiration journals. Finally, as a last stop, my magazines are donated to my school for Art classes.

Even with the emergence of the internet and the iPad, I am not swayed to abandon my glossy-page-turning ways. Nope. Never.

Spring Mini | How To

So, I am still tickled with how this little album turned out.

Not only does it have the look of spring colors, but it has GREEN for St. Patrick's Day!! A belated happy one to you all!

As I shared yesterday, this little 'Enter Spring' mini album houses a collection of TtV photos that I shot a few days ago. I wanted to create the perfect little album to show them off, but I challenged myself to create the entire book from scratch... no purchased album to start with.

I find myself constantly trying to think of different ways to create a binding for holding my pages together, and I am pretty proud of this method that I came up with.

1. I began by gathering my photos and cutting my solid papers to size. I simply cut 8.5 X 11 pages in half to get 8.5 X 5.5 pages. My photos are 4 X 4 squares. All of the papers that I used for this project are from Stampin' Up.

2. After trimming my patterned paper to match the length of my binding (5.5 in), I began making folds every 1/2 in like an accordion. I counted out the number of pages in my album (9) and folded until I had 9 peaks in my accordion. Once I had 9 peaks, I trimmed the ends leaving 1 in on either end for attaching to my chipboard cover later on. 

3. In each of the "valleys'" of my folds, I adhered one sheet of my solid cardstock. Now, I could have stopped here and my pages would be very nicely attached in my album, but...

4. (This pic is switched with #5, sorry!) I was itching to use my sewing machine again, so...

5. (This pic is switched with #4, sorry!) I stitched each of the pages into the folded patterned paper exactly where I had just glued it.

6. Measuring my chipboard (also from Stampin' Up), I cut it to be slightly larger (9 X 5.75) than my pages.

7. A while ago, I had purchased this mesh tape at the dollar store, thinking that it would come in handy at some point, and it sure did for this project. I also found it useful for my Year of Letters project.

8. I cut two strips to go across the accordion fold of my binding. Because the binding was going to be exposed and it was really only being held with paper (and perforated with my sewing machine needle to boot!) I wanted something to reinforce the binding a little more so that the accordion fold would not be able to stretch and eventually rip. This mesh tape turned out to be a viable solution.

9. After trimming my choice of patterned paper for the interior of the cover, I adhered it to the chipboard leaving one end free of glue.

10. Next, I spread glue on the 1 inch strip of paper extending from either side of the accordion fold. Remember, from step 2 above?  Carefully, I tucked it between the layer of interior paper and the chipboard cover. Then I smoothed the interior paper down to ensure a solid adhesion.

11. At this point the album really felt like it was coming together nicely. The binding was exposed, but secured with the mesh tape. The cover was protecting the interior pages and hinging easily. A smile was forming on my face.

12. Once I had adhered the patterned paper on the outside of the cover, the album was structurally complete!

13. Excited to have it finished, I stamped out the title with a Stampin' Up stamp set and ink pad. The flowers were trimmed from the patterned paper pack. I often buy the entire paper pack when buying because all of the patterns in the pack are matching and it is a no-brainer when choosing papers to go together for a project.

14. To make my letters and the center of the flowers pop in 3D, I filled them in with Crystal Effects.

15. Once again, Crystal Effects is a Stampin' Up product! Did I mention that I used to be a demonstrator and have a lot of their product in my stash? This product goes on wet from a squeeze bottle applicator and dries hard, glossy and with an embossed look. It was perfect for the cover of my album.

16. All I had left to do was add my photos and share it! After the fact, I sanded the edges of the album, which kinda seals the paper into the chipboard for a smooth, rounded look and feel.

 

Are you ready to give it a try? 

Spring Mini Album

So, I couldn't take such inspiring spring photos and not do anything with them!

I made a mini album entirely from scratch (no purchased album) to welcome the entrance of spring!

I figured out my own method of binding the pages together. This is the challenge of creating that I love the most... unique forms of binding.

I used all supplies that I had on hand in my stash. In fact, almost everything is from Stampin' Up. I used to be a SU demonstrator.

I wanted a seventies look and feel to this mini album as dictated by the photos.

Each photo warranted a single word or short phrase to identify it. I did that in my own handwriting.

All of my pages are sewn into the album, which is kinda visible here.

I absolutely love how it turned out. It made me giddy... even though it snowed in my fair city today.

Most importantly, it was given the approval from a very reliable source...

Oh yeah, and I will share the process for making this album tomorrow!


 

It's Time

So, I figured it was time to change the wreath on my front door.

I hate to admit that I am just now taking down my Christmas wreath, but it has been so stinkin' cold, I wasn't about to have the front door open long enough to make the switch!

Upon inspection, I was relieved to see that my Christmas wreath won the battle with winter and came out the other side rather unscathed.

I love this transition. For me, it is always a feeling of newness and wonder when I change the wreath. What will the next few months bring us? What will the weather be like? Who will walk through our front door? Where will we go?

Spring.

Bring it on...

Signs of Spring

So, we made it to warmer temperatures!

This week we have temperatures above 0*C for the entire week! After school today, the girls and I celebrated by going outside to 'play'. I was shooting with my Anscoflex and Jess was practicing with her new Diana camera. We were in our element for sure!

My goal was to capture the current signs of spring...

Knowing that this is probably only a teaser and that we are certain to have a few more snowfalls before Spring officially arrives, I am going to use these photos to keep me cheery for the next few weeks!

What are you doing to make you happy in these days leading up to Spring?

 

Earring Designs

So, I am hooked (get it? tee hee!)

After making my mom a pair of birthday earrings, I was itching to make more! The first set pictured above is very similar to the ones I gave to my mother. I just had to have a pair for myself too! Being a neutral grey/green, they will go nicely with many of the outfits that I wear to work. They even worked well with the casual striped sweater and jeans I wore on the weekend.

The second pair of earrings featured above, was designed to go with "my Tiffany necklace". Since the outer edge of these earrings is rimmed in silver, they mimicked the large links in the chain of my necklace so wonderfully. I designed these earrings for me, but they turned out so simple and yet attractive, that I will just have to share them.

Now that I am in a bit of an earring-making groove, I think I will make up several sets of earrings to give away as gifts. A few of my friends have up-coming birthdays (and my mom requested a pair for a friend of hers) and I think these will be a wonderful hand-made gift to give a way.

Do you have a favorite pair of earrings that could be re-created? Why not give it a try?

...and then let me know!