My Creative Outlet

birthday cards

2010-05-21T13:54:00.000-04:00

Every year I tell myself I am just going to buy the birthday cards. And every year I just can't bring myself to do it. And now with doing so much "digital" scrapbooking and really just trying to not get too far behind on my blog, I find a bit of a creative outlet making the cards. Just wish I had more time to do it.

throw

2010-03-04T09:57:00.000-05:00

When I decided to make Ava a quilt for her bed I fell in love with Moda's Simplicity line. There were just too many fabrics to choose one so I bought several charm packs to play with and figure out something I liked. Problem was, nothing was coming to me. In the end I chose two fabrics and worked with that.

With Christmas approaching I decided that she needed something a little warmer for the winter months that she could us in addition to her quilt. I got those charm packs out again and decided to cut them up and us different squares and rectangles and see how big I could get it. I like it so much and wanted it bigger that I went in search for more charm packs. Thank goodness for ebay!

And now I LOVE this quilt. I wish it was her regular quilt. It is so pretty and colorful....but not quite a twin size, just shy...thus, a throw. I guess sometimes our initial instinct is the right one. I just need to learn to listen to that a little more.

(Oh and of course my quilting girl in Utah did a fantastic job on it. I just send it to her and she surprises me. I have loved everything she has done for me. She is that good.)

getting 2001 done

2010-01-11T13:48:00.000-05:00

Are these pages starting to look the same? Even if they do...too bad. I'm getting them done. And after having a digital camera for several years now it is just down right painful to go back and try to make some kind of sense of the 8 pictures I have of Christmas (half of which are blurry). I figure as long as I document things, they will be loved and cherished. At least that is what I tell myself.

I am determined to fill in some of the holes in my old scrapbooks. I need to get going on my blog books...

Black Apple Doll

2009-12-15T21:30:00.000-05:00

My friends in my old ward in Washington made these dolls. They actually made a lot of these dolls with the pattern from the Martha Stewart website. I wanted to do one. I was going to do one for Ava's birthday...that came and went. But I HAD to get at least one done for Christmas. And that is what I've done. ONE. But all from scraps. The only thing I had to buy was brown felt. Not bad.

Maybe I'll have time to get one more done before the 25th. Hopefully.

It sure would be easier if I just did it like the pattern said, but of course I had to add sleeves, change the angle of the arms, lengthen the dress, embroider the face and add pig tails. No wonder I've only gotten one done. I do love her though. Hopefully Ava will too.

same, yet different

2009-07-12T17:14:00.000-04:00

Why haven't I been doing this all along? I am desperately trying to get Christian's first year done. This is something that has REALLY helped. Something I will for sure be doing in the future. Mass production...yet not. Love it!

Pacific Beach

2009-06-25T17:07:00.000-04:00

I guess I should say I'm really good at copying. But isn't that what scrapbooking is all about? This started as one of Lisa's spreads...but it didn't end up that way. I guess that is what I love so much about the creative process of scrapbooking, even when you copy...it turns out to be your own.

This was one of those pages that I didn't want to do. The pictures were so drab and dreary. But once I saw Lisa's spread, I immediately thought of these pictures. Thanks again Lisa for getting me to document something that would have been pushed aside.

I'm so grateful for my creative friends and for blogs so that even though I am far away I can benefit from their creativity. Thanks for sharing.

slow and steady

2009-04-30T22:45:00.000-04:00

I figure that is how I'll win the race, slow and steady. This was one of those "I don't like these pictures" that turned out way better once the page was done. I am really having to think out of the box to do all these old 8 1/2 x 11 pages. I'll be glad when they are done. I'm afraid that isn't going to be soon enough.

(The colors are so messed up. My blue isn't nearly so bright.)

2005 fall soccer

2009-04-20T14:03:00.000-04:00

All I can say is thank you Becky Higgins. I wish I had the creativity to come up with these great layouts on my own. I have discovered I have a little trouble with being creative when I am stressed or tired and since I am usually scrapbooking at night when I am typically...well you know, again, thank you Becky Higgins.

Back in the swing of things

2009-03-26T14:02:00.000-04:00

Just trying to finish up some pictures I have here before ordering new ones. What a novel idea I know. Plus they are really basic and simple. Which I am realizing is just fine by me. Plus, my kids don't care. They just want to see pictures of themselves. And since I have no aspirations of becoming a "professional" scrapbooker or trying to be published in a magazine, I've decided that maybe just getting them done should be my focus, instead of what cool paper I can find. We'll see how it goes....

Oh, and as you can see I'm doing 2001. How sad is that. Getting it done though and that is what counts right?

change

2009-01-08T21:04:00.000-05:00

Are you ready for this one? Are you sure?

I'm not sure if I am but I'm doing it anyway....

I don't think I am going to scrapbook anymore.

Now let me clarify. Starting from our move to North Carolina (because I scrapbook based on moves not years) I am not going to scrapbook the "traditional" way. (but I think I have enough "old" stuff to keep my busy for years.)

Why?

Well, I asked myself why am I scrapbooking? To leave memories for my children. Do they care about the patterned paper? The brads? The flowers? The font? Nope! It is about the pictures and the journaling. So this year I am trying something different. I am going to TRY and be a better blogger and then have that made into a book. I am doing Becky Higgins' project 365. (click here or here for more info. on that) I am trying to focus on the little things each day. The things that mean alot, but we don't take pictures of it because it doesn't warrant an entire spread. I am going to try and document what REALLY happens in my life, the good, bad, ugly, happy, sad and everything in between. The things I used to be really good at capturing. I've let my camera and the need for a perfect picture control me. No more!

I am excited. I am doing it my way. Not what I think I should do, or what someone else is doing. It won't be perfect and that's OK, because I'm not perfect. I am doing this for my family and for me and I couldn't be more excited.

I'll still be posting lots of scrapbook pages here (hopefully) becasue I do have plenty still to do. And I'll try and post what I've done with project 365.

And what brought this all on? To be honest, what began it all was when we moved to Pinehurst, NC...the closest scrapbook store is almost 2 hours away (Michael's doesn't count). But that was just the beginning....

quick and easy

2008-12-29T20:28:00.000-05:00

Bottom line - I need more things in my life that are quick and easy...and cute of course. I needed manly birthday cards. Quick.

I find that I have so much trouble making boy cards.

I saw on a friends blog where she had discs hanging perpendicular from ceiling to the floor. Hundrends of them on a clear sting. It was awesome and my inspiration for these cards. Less than 15 minutes. Now that is fast for me.

shhhh - it's a Christmas gift

2008-12-16T14:18:00.001-05:00

I know, I know...I've been missing. Can I still claim that I just moved (well, six months ago). But Christmas has got me up and rolling again, if not with my scrapbooking, at least with sewing.

I promise to start scrapbooking after the first of the year...I even have pictures waiting for me.

But onto to Christmas. My sister-in-law mentioned that her daughter's apron was missing and that all of her children are LOVING helping Mom in the kitchen. So I grabbed that idea and ran with it (I always have a hard time finding something "meaningful" for them for Christmas). So I have been sewing like crazy. I feel in love with this pattern for little girls. Yes it would have been so much easier to make the traditional SQUARE apron, but where is the fun in that. Girls should have ruffles and ric rac and all things sweet. So now that these are in the mail, I can start on Ava's.

for Ashlyn - 6 years old

for Taylor - a very grown up 11 years old

for Jesse - 2 years old

As far as I know my sister-in-law never checks this blog...but I had to let you know that I have done something. Plus girlfriends give the best feedback!

Mother's Day Cards

2008-05-19T15:44:00.000-04:00

Wish I could take credit for the brilliance of these cards, but credit where credit is due...thank you Jen Wilcox! What do you get for your mother & mother-in-law when they already have everything and what they don't have they just buy for themselves, homemade note cards. And since I have a plethora of tulip pictures now, I was in business.

I must admit, after doing the big pictures for the mom's I experimented with the little ones. I LOVE THEM! Maybe this is how I'll do all my homemade cards now. So easy. Just an 8 1/2 x 11 piece of paper cut in half with a photo with the wide border from Costco (I used the black border so that I would have a nice edge on the white paper) and a little printing. Perfect.

The minute I got them done Derek asked if we could NOW pack up all the scrapbook stuff. So packing I am. This is the end...at least until I reach the other side. See you all in a couple of months. :)

Halloween costumes

2008-03-26T17:35:00.000-04:00

You wouldn't think this would have been a very hard layout but I've been staring at if for so long I'm embarrassed to even say. For once I had the worst time with the title. I'm happy with it now. Plus it is so hard to be "creative" amidst the world of moving, selling a house, packing, etc. So who's to say how much will get done between now and the actual move, but at least this one is done and I can put it away and have a clean desk....for now.

I love my creative friends

2008-02-26T13:44:00.000-05:00

I just have to say thank you to Lisa (and Amy) for being so brilliant and creating this spread. Sometimes my brain just doesn't function and that is when "scraplifting" comes into play. I had done all of Ava's "month" pages from 5 mo. to 12 mo. except this one. I just didn't love the pictures and so had no motivation to scrap it. But now, thanks to Lisa and Amy, I love this spread. And I now love the pictures too. Thanks my creative friends! What would I ever do without you?

Birthday cards

2008-02-08T16:54:00.000-05:00

Every year I say the same thing...I am not making birthday cards this year. Yet every year I end up making them. I must admit that I have fun doing it. You would think I would be able to make them quickly, but not me. I probably put too much time and energy into them...not that you would know it. Then I get some crazy idea like - those in the same house can't get the same card. I must be crazy. I just hope that those who receive them know they were made with love.

No School Day

2008-02-08T16:35:00.000-05:00

We had so much fun playing in the snow the other day that I was motivated to scrapbook it. I can't remember the last time I scrapbooked something this close to when it actually occurred. Usually it is YEARS down the road when I get to it.

I must admit...I had a significant amount of greif with the title on this one. I think that is a first for me. Oh well, at least it is done. Another happy memory!

Brothers

2008-02-04T17:20:00.000-05:00

So what do you do with all the "random" pictures you take? Well, I decided that I would just do one spread of my favorites. These were from our time in Hawaii, 2002-2003. I think that these pictures paint a very clear picture about how life was when we lived out there. Obviously I had total and complete control of the situation.

I liked it so much that I will probably do something like this for every year. Not only of the kids together but one spread for each child. Sometimes there just aren't enough to do an entire spread...but I think this way you will get a snap shot of them for the year. So, we'll see how it goes. I do have plenty of random pictures that need something done with them.

Ava - just born

2008-01-30T18:22:00.000-05:00

One of those pages that is SO important that I never want to do it. I'm happy to have it done, and to like it. Amazing. Simple and sweet. We didn't have the best pictures from the hospital - so not bad considering the pool I was choosing from.

SEVEN

2008-01-23T00:20:00.001-05:00

I know I just posted these same pictures to my regular blog but I have the idea for the spread and had to roll with it. I LOVE IT! (hope you do too.)I love it when the layout in my head actually works. I can finish pages so quickly. Too bad they can't all run that smoothly. Oh well, I'll take what I can get. This is basically just a page telling Christian was he was like at seven years old, his interests and his personality. Too bad I haven't been doing this every year. Guess it's never too late to start.

Sol Duc Falls

2008-01-21T14:52:00.000-05:00

I haven't totally decided how much I like this layout. But it was one where the pictures spoke for themselves. It didn't need anything else. At least it is done though, right?

More of 2001

2008-01-21T00:37:00.000-05:00

Will I ever finish these old pictures? Scrapbooking from the days of film is SO different than doing digital. I like digital SO much better. But none the less...I'm plowing through. I figure, with everyone done I am that much closer to the end of these old pictures. Goal for 2008 - to finish scrapbooking 2001, 2002, and 2003....(maybe now that I've told you all it will help me be a bit more motivated. That is while trying to keep up with what is currently going on. LOL!

I must be crazy

2007-12-19T23:13:00.001-05:00

With a few days to go until Christmas I thought I would add another project to the list because Ava NEEDS to have a couple of purse's for Christmas. I don't know what I was thinking, but I am very happy with the results and they are done (and I must admit - it was fun). The one is so soft and girly and I'm sure Ava will do nothing but rub it on her face, but maybe eventually she will fill it with her treasures as she struts around the house. (I would say stroll, but I don't think there is much stroll in this girl.) The other was inspired by a very creative girlfriend...I just wanted it a bit smaller. When Ryan saw that I had made two his response was, "She gets TWO bags?!!!"

2001

2007-12-07T15:16:00.000-05:00

Am I really that behind? Well, yes and no. I just don't scrapbook in order and as I have been doing all of Ava's "month" pages I felt a little guilty that I hadn't done Christian's yet. So yes, I got ambitious to scrapbook 2001 - and let me tell you, after scrapbooking 12x12 for so long it is SO HARD to got back to 8 1/2 x 11. But I didn't make the switch until summer 2002 so that is how it goes. Either way it has been fun to go back and look at the pictures.

picture TRAUMA!

2007-11-16T16:40:00.000-05:00

I just wanted you all to know that I WANT to be scrapbooking but can't. Reason being...Costco and Snapfish. For some reason they don't want to let me put any borders on my pictures. You can imagine the trauma. So for now I am stalking them trying to get the problem fixed. I am determined to win! Give me my borders! I am learning to use my photo software more due to this problem (and thanks to a good friend who is much more computer savvy than I am). So I got pictures today and will hopefully be scrapbooking...sooner rather than later.

Ava - One year old

2007-11-05T14:51:00.000-05:00

This was one where the finished product actually matched the picture in my head. I think this is one of my new favorites. So girly, so simple.

Ava - 11 months old

2007-10-23T23:24:00.000-04:00

Can I just say how much I LOVE using flowers. It is so exciting to be able to do a "girly" page. I used to look at Lisa's pages and think "well, of course these are beautiful, these are girl pages!" and then I would go home to ALL of my boy pages. Well, now it is my turn to have girl pages and I love it.

Fishing with Grandpa

2007-10-14T00:37:00.001-04:00

Plain and simple. Probably one of my favorite pictures of my Dad with my boys. Notice - I didn't use a huge title...a deviation from the norm for me.

Ok, now I know I have issues. If you will notice the date - I knew what I wanted but I didn't have Lisa's Quickutz (how dare she move!), but I had the left over sheet from numbers I had previously punched. I traced what I needed and cut them out myself. Guess that means I should invest in a squeeze one of these days.

Ava - 10 months old

2007-10-14T00:30:00.000-04:00

Not sure...need some input here. I like it, but does it need something on the page with just the one picture? Two smaller pictures running down the left side of the page?

Gaining Confidence

2007-10-10T23:12:00.000-04:00

This is one of those experiments where you try a different style than what you typically gravitate to. It was fun to do something different and I like the curve with all the pool pictures.

2007 - 1st day of school

2007-10-10T23:00:00.000-04:00

Every now and then I have a moment where I feel like I have come up with a brilliant idea. This was that spead. It happens about 1 out of a 100 so I figure I have a few spreads to go until it happens again. I do love this one though. I love including their writing on the spread.

Ava - 7 months old

2007-10-08T23:07:00.000-04:00

Just plain and simple. I was struggling that the page was too boring and then I decided to cut out the little section between where the flowers overlap on the patterened paper and let the darker cardstock show through. It was just what it needed for me to be happy.