Be a saver...

 

 

I saved all of these scraps of paper from the recycle bin.  These were all little bits of scraps that I punch into circles.  A great way to spend a day at a scrap.  I didn't pack the HUGE amounts of stuff (that I pack and never use).  One bin of blank cards, a few punches, a rosette die and Sizzix Sidekick, and a bunch of scraps.

 

 

 

Using one design to create all of these cards made it much easier to chat while working . 

Mindless creating...I LIKE IT!

 

What have you been saving your scraps for lately?

 ~Kelly

Be a gift giver...

Gifts can come in many shapes and forms.  Most of us probably think of birthday, wedding, and Christmas presents when we think of gifts.  But as part of my "one little word" project,  I've been thoroughly contemplating what it means to be a gift giver.  I believe that all of us have many gifts.  Gifts that truly come from the heart.  Gifts that are not store-bought, but a part of our being. 

 

The little girl in this layout above has many gifts. She is a character, and she makes me laugh everyday. She blessed this wedding with her presence--as the  "older" flower girl she led her little partner with grace and guidance.  She doesn't even realize what a gift to me she is (even though I try to tell her everyday).

 

Sometimes, I think so hard about what would be the "perfect" gift for someone.  I rack my brain, I shop the stores, I search the web...and then I remember that this family or friend deserves a gift that simply shows how much they mean to me.  I'm trying really hard to make myself the gift that I give.  It's too easy to get caught up in being busy.  Yes, I have a job outside the house.  Yes, I have 4 children.  Yes, I have a husband. Yes, I have 2 dogs.  Yes, I have a house.  Yes, these things make me busy.  But I do have time.  It may not always be easy to find it, but I do have more gifts to give, and I'm going to try really hard to let the people in my life who have been a little neglected know how much I miss them and want to share "me" with them.

 

In this month of May, I am hosting the challenge at Scrap It Girl.  I have designed the sketch above and want you to be inspired by it.  Head over to Scrap It Girl where you can see how you can participate in the challenge and have a chance to win the prize pack below.  The layout at the top of this post was based on the sketch.

 

Prize pack includes..

• Fiskars NEW X-Large Hexagon squeeze punch
• Fiskars Diamond border punch
• Pebbles decorative tape, 2 pack (black/white patterns)
• Stampology clear stamps (journaling tags)
• American Crafts 6x6 paper pad (Hip Hip Hooray)
• Favorite Findings buttons, 2 packages (wooden and lace inspirations)

 

 

 

So, what gifts do you have to share with others?

Today is the day to think about it.

 

~Kelly

Be the photographer...

 

I am the photographer.

In some cases, I tend to be the pathological picture taker. 

I'm the one saying "Freeze--let me go get my camera." (I still do not have a camera on my phone and am holding out as long as I can).

I'm the one saying, "Everyone--look over here."

I'm the one saying, "Isn't anyone else going to take any pictures?".

 

 

This wasn't a job I requested or ran for. 

I don't even remember how I got appointed for this position.

At some point in my life, I became the one who ALWAYS takes the pictures.

 

My problem is that I have found the world of digital photography to be an overwhelming lifesaver.  I'm thrilled that I don't have to use a whole roll of film to get one good photo of my 4 children anymore, but I now have SO many photos. Good photos. Great photos.

So, sometimes (like today), I am overwhelmed by all of these great photos and can't decide which ones to use on a layout. When looking on scrapbooking sites for inspiration, I rarely find multi-photo layouts.  (I will give two thumbs up to Ali Davis though--she must be the appointed photographer in her family too--and can understand my dilemmas.)

So, sometimes (like today) I decide that I don't want to make any decisions. I don't want to be the one to decide which photos "make the cut". So, today, I used ALL of them.




 
































These may not be the best layouts I have ever done, but they sure make me smile.   Oh, and I even managed to hand the camera over to someone else a couple of times so I could be in the pictures. This rarely happens. 


So, I don't see any of my family or friends taking over the photography duties anytime soon.  But, you know what?  That's ok.  It gives me the chance to step back and see all of the fun, memories, and smiles first and more often... and, that's ok.

~Kelly

Be clever...

 One image stamp (with a sentiment, both from Unity).

One background stamp (from Stampin' Up).

One design (from me).

Four different cards.

Sometimes, having limited time to create

means that you have to be clever. 

Efficient.   Creative.  Versatile. 

This Unity Stamp set is clever.  And perfect for quickly creating some masculine cards quickly (did I mention I needed some cards quickly?).  By changing the direction of the sentiment, the layering of the image and the photo corners, and "popping up" different 

elements, I took one simple design and created 4 different looks. 

Clever.  Efficient.

  Creative.  Versatile.

Desperate.

Go take a peak at Unity's Friends with Flair Friday--- there are lots of clever creations to be inspired by.

~Kelly

 

Be open to new friendships...

When you were a kid, didn't it seem easy to make a new friend?  You started talking to the kid behind you as you waited in line to go down the slide at the park and the next thing you know, you had a new friend.  That doesn't seem to happen so easily anymore.  At least not for me.  But, I've talked before how the Fiskateers site really was my gateway to exposing me to the world of paper arts that lives online. 

A lot has changed in the 3+ years since I became a Fiskateer.  In November of 2011, I got to meet some of these new "virtual" friends, and suddenly, they weren't just virtual anymore.  I still participate online at Fiskateers.  I've come and gone through other sites, but I've remained true to this site. 

This layout is another from the Liftateers.  It was time to dig out that Ultra-Shape Express to cut out this tree---representing some of my friends in my Fiskateer Family Tree.  One of my favorite things about this layout, is the background that I stamped with just this one small lined stamp that I turned back and forth 90 degrees, re-inking every 3-4 stamps.  It  happened spontaneously--an after thought after looking at my layout and thinking that it still needed a little "something".

Before Fiskateers, I didn't know what a message board was. I had never posted my work in a gallery. I didn't know what it meant to have a blog or follow other blogs.  I must of had a lot of free time before I found Fiskateers!  I've learned to be open to new friendships and new possibilities--and often I need a reminder.

~Kelly

Be pushed out of your comfort zone...

  Papers are a mish-mash of Bella Blvd., My Mind's Eye, Close to My Heart, and others



Over at Chicagoland Scrapbooker, we (the design team) were given the assignment to scrap with a color you find difficult to work with.  Now, I would never say I "hate" orange, after all, I do love my Fiskars/Fiskateers, but I find orange really difficult to infuse into my scrapbooking layouts. 

I find it bright, overpowering, and difficult to coordinate with other colors--I can't even get different shades of orange to complement each other!

Here are my tips for working with orange...

• Use a neutral to tone it down.  In this layout of "the silliest witch", I  have used black to keep the orange from overpowering the layout and the photo.
• Take your cue from the holidays.  Halloween and Autumn photos give you a starting point for orange---use it.
• Play off a bit of orange that is present in your photo.  In the photo on my layout, her orange t-shirt peeking out from under her cape is all I needed to permit the orange layout to happen.  If she was wearing a yellow or green t-shirt, I just don't think I would have chosen an orange background paper for this layout.

 

Now, it's your turn.  What is the color you love to hate?  Create a layout with the color you find difficult to work with and link it in the comments at the Chicagoland Scrapbooker post, found here, or post it on the Chicagoland Scrapbooker Facebook page.  You have until April 5th (noon, CST).  We are pushing you out of your comfort zone...do you accept the challenge?

 

~Kelly

Be hoppy...

 

Sometimes being "hoppy" takes a lot more effort than it should.  It's been a rough few weeks around here and the snow and cold that are still on the ground (despite the fact that the calendar says that it is the middle of March) are not helping.

 
A little time in the craft dungeon does make me "hoppy".  Doubly "hoppy" in this case.  Fiskateers hosted a mini-crop over the weekend.  I was only able to get 2 challenges done.  The first one, seen above, was a "Kermit" challenge.  In other words, use a frog in your project.  I had to wrap a gift for a wedding shower and had NO wrapping paper besides Christmas.  So, I turned some plain Kraft wrap into something "hoppy".  I used the Fiskars Funky Heart squeeze punch to create the big, dimensional flower. 

 
Since I was digging around in my scrappy stash of goodies and found 2 frogs for Challenge #1, I decided to use the other frog for Challenge #2-Somewhere over the Rainbow.    I used my Fiskars Banner Year XXXL Lever Punch to cut perfect triangles out of these scraps.  Ribbit--little froggy is poking out from behind to wish someone a "hoppy" birthday.

Hope it is warming up where you are and you find some ways to "be hoppy".

~Kelly