Scrap Stash

Too Fast

2012-01-26T17:10:00.000-08:00

Finally, a layout that uses up some great scraps! Also got to play with my new Live Simply cricut cartridge. This is the midweek sketch from Home and Scrapped!

I will grow

2012-01-22T18:09:00.000-08:00

The January Home and Scrapped Journaling challenge.. Gotta love that basic grey paisly paper. I used up a lot of scraps here AND got to try out my new cricut cartridge.

A Splurge, just because!

2012-01-22T16:46:00.000-08:00

I splurged at Walmart and picked up a new cricut cartridge. Isn't it amazing? I've been drooling over it for a while. This means my entire scrapping budget for the month is now gone, but it should keep me busy for a while!

Love You

2012-01-21T13:44:00.000-08:00

The midweek sketch over at Home and Scrapped. The flowers are made by Heather Waldron over at Scrappy Sketches. Aren`t they lovely?

Home

2012-01-21T12:57:00.001-08:00

This is the midweek sketch from Home And Scrapped from Jan 09, created by the lovely Heather over at Scrappy Sketches. I had fun with the crackle and the fence embie. Thanks Heather!

I'm on a Design Team!

2012-01-16T06:19:00.000-08:00

Hey guess what? I've been selected to be on a design team! The term is only 4 months, which is probably good, because that means we can all share the work load and no one gets overwhelmed or burnt out. I will now be creating monthly challenges over at Home And Scrapped! Here is the LO that won me the spot.

This is based on a Sketch by Heather Waldron.

So come on over and visit me at H&S. The girls there are very friendly and welcoming and there is always something to do!

Sticky Foam

2012-01-15T16:07:00.001-08:00

This is a layout I completed for a Home And Scrapped Step-by-step that was created by the lovely Heather. I painted and inked the Tim Holtz flourishes, painted and stamped the background PP and did some distressing. The lovely blue flower was part of a flower swap at Home And Scrapped, and that lovely linen beauty was made by Heather Waldron. The PP's are both Basic Grey. I'm happy with the way it turned out. The photo's weren't the best, but the blue sure livens them up!

Waz Up?

2011-08-20T16:21:00.000-07:00

We took The Boy out to the park, but he had no warm clothes. I dressed him up in my work sweater. It was so huge on him he looked like a little gangster!

Indian Rocks Beach

2011-08-06T08:35:00.000-07:00

A Step By Step challenge from Home and Scrapped. Some lovely Kaiser and American Crafts paper, Tim Holtz grungeboard and Distressed Embossing powder in Faded Denim.

My Boys

2011-05-12T08:06:00.000-07:00

The May Colour Challenge from Home and Scrapped. This is a pic taken when the boys were deep sea fishing in Florida.

Smile

2011-05-05T11:15:00.000-07:00

One of my favourite pictures of The Boy ever. Taken in Florida March 2011. The LO was created for a Colour Creations blog hop. The criteria was to use 3 PP's, 2 or more circles, one photo, some ribbon, and hand written journaling.

Celebrate

2011-05-05T11:12:00.000-07:00

This is from a blog hop over at Colourful Creations. The criteria was to use the word Celebrate in the title, use a banner, and some bling. This is The Boy making his own birthday cupcakes (I'm so bad). We had a super good time however, The Boy is no longer allowed to use the egg separater.

2 Peas In A Pod

2011-04-29T08:35:00.000-07:00

2 Peas Im A Pod

This is a recipe challenge from Home and Scrapped. Came out pretty well I think! The pic is of The Boy and Papa sharing I Pod headphones in Florida. So cute.

How To Catch A Butterfly

2010-08-10T08:30:00.000-07:00

My first mini-album is finallly completed! I used alot of random papers that have no tags on them so I have no idea about products. There is alot of smooch spray and some bling that I picked up randomly. Most of the flowers were cut out using the cuttlebug (courtesy of the lovely Heather over at Home and Scrapped). This was a lot of fun, and I'd definitely do another one.

Crate Paper - Lemongrass

2010-06-03T04:16:00.000-07:00

This was made from Crate Paper's Lemongrass line. I LOVE IT. I got it out of the sale bin at my LSS. Can believe it made it all the way to the sale bin!

A Brave Little Star

2010-06-02T12:06:00.001-07:00

Another scrapping class from my LSS - The Paper Pickle. Check out the 3d stars! cool huh?

Crate Paper - Seasons

2010-05-24T17:16:00.000-07:00

Every once in a while a kit comes along that completely changes my scrapping style. This time... I think it's for the better. Crate Paper has released this kit called SEASONS. I LOVE this. I bought it on a whim at The Scrapping Nook in Welland. I now find myself cutting out little paper clouds and birdies to go with the paper and chipboard I bought. (Secretly I think the designer of this kit has absorbed our friend Penny's creative mojo as it reminds me very much of some of her work). I used some of the chipboard to make View From Above:

And more chipboard for Back To The Future. Not very futuristic I know, but I couldn't help wanting to play with my new stuff!

Has anyone else purchased this one yet?

Goby

2010-05-14T05:28:00.000-07:00

This is a LO I created from a challenge over at Home and Scrapped. The criteria for the challenge was to use paint, lace, and ribbon. These are some of my favourite photo's from my poor dead sony camara. It wasn't good for much, but it took beautiful outdoor photos.

2010-05-10T09:28:00.000-07:00

A step-by-step from the lovely and talented Mistra!

You 2 Make Me Smile

2010-05-01T18:51:00.000-07:00

Some more vacation snaps of the boys trying on silly hats at Universal Studios Florida. This LO reminds me of one I saw in Simply Scrapping magazine, but I can't seem to find it to reference it. Nothing special, although I am in love with those stripes on the sides. That PP comes from a collection from American Crafts which I bought for $2 in Florida (over 40 PP's - can you believe it? Last years design, but so what?). Shopping in the states is amazing. Plus - it's fitting that I used PP's bought in florida to scrap our florida photo's! The other papers are from various bits of scraps I've accumulated.

So Precious To Me

2010-04-30T18:58:00.001-07:00

I went to my very first class! My local scrap shop, The Paper Pickle hosted a LO class last Thursday. I was nervous at first. I love scrapping, but am not really at the level of some of the other women. After a few tense moments everyone started gabbing and all was good. This was an incredibly fiddly LO and took more time than I'm used to. Lots and lots of cutting! I'm very pleased with the results though. I'm glad I chose Sepia pictures to go with it. This particular LO was designed by Michelle - you can see more here.

These photo's are of my grandparents - my mothers parents. They have both passed, and I miss them terribly. This LO makes me smile and helps ease the loss. I chose several shots of them through out the years of their marriage ( almost 60 years!). Thanks to everyone at the shop for your inspiration. Thanks Michelle!

Vacation Confessions

2010-04-30T11:01:00.001-07:00

I haven't been in the scrappy mood for quite some time and am struggling with my creative ability. When this happens... I head over to home and scrapped! I found this great challenge suggested by the lovely Kim. What a great way to capture random vacation moments... please ignore the boringness of the LO. I'm working on my scrapping mojo!

The journaling reads:

1. I believe this vacation has brought us closer together as a family.
2. Even with a manufactured tan, I will still get burnt in the Florida sun.
3. I want to be a snowbird if we ever have the good fortune to retire.
4. Pelicans are much scarier than they appear on television.
5. I have a fear of birds (see confession #4)
6. Moving walkways cause injury to the unwary (Austin has scars to prove it).
7. I really detest small airplanes.
8. 70 degrees Fahrenheit in Florida is not even close to 70 degrees F in Canada
9. It is possible for Jeff, Austin, and I to sleep on a pullout couch, although I have permanent dents in my rib cage from small, pointy, elbows and knees.
10. Austin doesn’t really like to fish… he likes to watch other people fish and gets tremendously excited when “he” catches something.
11. Dolphins are more majestic in the wild than they are in captivity.
12. Despite my love of roller coasters, some of them are really, really scary.
13. I can walk for 13 hours straight carrying a 9 year old child piggy-back.
14. Chirros are the most magically delicious thing I have ever eaten.
15. I do not understand the American obsession with giant smoked turkey legs. I find it gross to walk around with a giant piece of meat on the bone like a caveman.
16. Americans are not really as rude as TV makes them appear. In fact, most of them give better customer service than we have in Canada.
17. Real vacation is a book by the pool watching Jeff and Austin be Father and Son.
18. There really is such a thing as too much fast food.
19. It is possible to find a pair of comfortable flip flops that do not make that annoying sound.
20. Jeff can eat more crab than I ever thought possible.
21. I will remember this vacation forever.

Crafty Craft Paper

2009-10-04T12:41:00.000-07:00

This horrid photo doesn't really pick up the oranges, but yo get the idea. The title is Wanna Be Cowgirl. Based on a design from Scrapbooks ECT by Erin Clarkson.

We all have it... craft paper, left over packaging that we thought we might use, weird bits of leftover chipboard. Well, it's time to USE IT OR LOSE IT! I think this LO is much more effective on craft paper than it would be on plain old white. What do you think, try your own LO on craft paper and lets see it!

I have no idea where most of these papers are from. I don't sort by designer so everything is just all mashed in together. If you want to know about a product, I could probably find the origin if I looked hard enough. Leave a comment if you're curious. The stars are a cuttlebug die, and also the font in "wanna be". The blue sticker letters are CM (sent by Amy, thank-you very much!).

Big Brother and Me

2009-06-15T19:18:00.001-07:00

Baby Me and Brother David. Loving this paper!!!

Love these colours!

2009-06-09T19:11:00.000-07:00

This is yet another scrapwitch challenge (I have a lot to catch up on!). This is my cousin Jenny when she was about 3 I think. Isn't she cute? This is a Penny sketch.

Catching up on old pics

2009-06-09T18:09:00.000-07:00

This Build-A-Layout challenged posted by Amy at Scrapwitch was the perfect thing to get caught up on my old albums.

Baby Pics

2009-06-07T20:03:00.000-07:00

I've stolen my mothers photo albums! These are some pics of yours truely, at about 1yr. To ease myself back into scrapping (I've been gone for sometime, moving ect), I've tackled one of Mistra's SBS's over at Scrapwitch. Go take a look if you have a moment!

Patterned Paper Challenge

2009-04-20T03:37:00.000-07:00

Create a fun LO using only patterned paper for your embellishment. You can either make embellishments out of PP or use multiple patterns and colours to create interest on your LO. Here is a quick example:

Of course, my scanner has yet again washed out the beautiful tones of the paper, and given me red face, but you get the idea. All of these were scraps pulled from my stash. I didn't have to cut up even one new piece to complete this LO, and it was super-quick to finish!

Time: Approx 15 min

Just For Fun

2009-04-20T03:34:00.000-07:00

Yet another random LO of the kitties. I did this one up quickly last night. I finally got to use up some of my kitty stickers, ( I have WAY too many).
Time: Approx 25min

Fun with Patterned Paper

2009-04-17T07:09:00.001-07:00

These are colours that I would have never used together in a million years. I'm quite proud of myself. On my continuing mission to eliminate a huge portion of my accumulated scrap pile, I developed a new process. I picked my background PP and then reached in blindly to my pile of large scraps ( the ones that are still 12" on one side are in a separate pile for easy access), and pulled out a piece of mystery paper.... the turquoise one with the white dots. It's difficult to tell on my photo, but the back ground PP is made up of tiny little dots for texture. So now I had a micro-pattern, and a smallish pattern. I looked through my neutral small scraps (I keep all my grey, black, and white scraps in the same container), to find a medium sized PP. The navy cardstock border was added to create some structure. I found the Queens & Co letters to pick up the polka dot pattern on the PP which was in a neutral colour to balance out the punch of colour from the all that turquoise. The letters also pull in the silver/grey from little fins shirt in the photo. Overall, I can't beleive the results and will keep this colour pallete on file for future boy LO's. The embellishment in the top left corner was found completely by accident when I was looking for something else. I've had it for ages! I added the buttons for some texture, and the doodling because... well lets face it... I LOVE doodling. It also picks up the doodled appearance of my medium PP. I decided to take a risk and journal directly on my background PP, how brave am I?

Recent Work

2009-04-15T10:17:00.001-07:00

This was an SBS challenge over at SW put together by the lovely Mistra!
Another of Mistra's SBS challenges. Loads of fun.

This one I made up. I LOVE LOVE LOVE the background PP. It was part of my "splurge" from the sale over at Mad Scraps. IRL the red paper with the journalling is actually orange. Not sure why the scanner didn't pick it up. Wierd.

How could something so good be so evil?

2009-03-20T04:45:00.001-07:00

Whoopsi, I posted in the wrong blog. If you're interested in reading, fly over to Life, the Universe, and Everything.

Back in Action!

2009-03-19T04:40:00.000-07:00

I finally managed to scrap a little last night. While the results are less than desireable, it was nice to be back in my scrap room for a while.

Here's this weeks sketch!

Weekly Sketch

2009-03-02T08:38:00.000-08:00

Here's this week sketch! If you are feeling inspired, show us what you got! Email your finished LO to jewels.scrapstash@gmail.com!

Creative Button Use

2009-02-21T05:40:00.001-08:00

Buttons don't have to be just buttons. You can make them into anything you want! Here I've used them to represent leaves on my trees, and on the ground. Thinking back I probably should have used some PP for grass, but that didn't occur to me until I was finished. This quick and easy LO took about 30min.

Weekly Sketch

2009-02-20T07:42:00.000-08:00

Time for another sketch idea! I used this sketch to make a LO of my dad, which I will post later, (I don't have it with me atm). I cut out a random shape from PP and use it for my background. A simple easy sketch that should take you less tha 45min. If you give it a go, email your completed LO to: jewels.scrapstash@gmail.com. I'll post it on Scrap Stash and send you a small RAK for playing :).

52Q - The beginning

2009-02-20T06:04:00.000-08:00

I've been following Mistra's blog and have fallen for the challenge she is working on for the year of 2009. 52Q, by *e*, takes place once a week. Each week *e* will post a new question to scrap and journal. Here are my first two attempts:

52Q#1 - What are your wishes for this year?

52Q #2 - Are you afraid of change?

I don't plan on spending too much time on this project, I like the idea of being able to complete something quickly... at least SOMETHING will get done. I did both of these in about an hour from beginning to end. Most of that time was spent messing around with my cuttlebug. Some of the completed tags are posted on *e*'s blog. You should definitely take the time to check it out. Some of them are absolutely stunning. Mistra has a couple on her blog too that are way cool. She's so talented!

Additions to my Stash!

2009-02-19T11:58:00.000-08:00

YAY! My new stuff has arrived! I ordered this last week from MAD SCRAPS. Unfortunately, Mistra is closing up shop, but it's a great time to catch some deals if you're looking... and of course we're always looking for cheap stash! Here's what I got:

about 50 sheets of new PP. Most is heavy duty-double sided from various designers
new chipboard letters in 3 different sizes
shipping tags, which I plan to use on the 52 tag challenge that's featured on Mistra's blog (for more information, head on over.. there is a link on the LH side of my blog)
A variety pack of chipboard tags
A beautiful new acrylic album. SO EXCITED.

Needless to say, I'll be heading home tonight to check out my new stuff.

Happy Shopping!

Morgan's Catalina

2009-02-13T08:01:00.001-08:00

Today I want to showcase some of my friend Morgan's work. She has a unique style all her own, and I am simply envious of her ability to mix colour to make her photo's pop. Morgan and I get together about once a month to scrap and share ideas and stash. We have taken a break since Christmas, but I'm looking forward to our next scrapping night in March. These layouts are from her 'Catalina' album. Beautiful work Morgan!

Sketch Challenge

2009-02-11T09:15:00.000-08:00

I had an idea for a sketch today and thought I would share. I think I'll make this a weekly addition to Scrap Stash. If you would like to give it a try, email your results and I'll post it. If we get a few participants, I'll throw in a small RAK as a prize.

You can email your entries to jewels.scrapstash@gmail.com

Looking forward to seeing this sketch brought to life. I'm giving it a go this weekend.

Draw you own letters!

2009-02-10T16:54:00.001-08:00

Can't find the right letters for your Layout? Make your own!
Advantages:

You can make them exactly the right size to suit your layout.
You can make them any colour you want
You can make them in any style to suit the feel of your page

Disadvantages:

None!

So what have you got to lose!

Thanks to Penny for inspiring me to do this. I kind of surprised myself with the results.

Crazy Colour!

2009-02-09T12:04:00.001-08:00

I don't often get to use my super-intense-bright letters and cardstock. I love bright colours, and I love the way they look together, but sometimes it's hard to use them without taking away from your photo's and journaling. Because my photo's were on the weak side, I chose to take advantage and go crazy with my other feautres and have some fun. I'm happy with the result... I got to scrap one of my favourite places, and use all of my fun stuff too. This is one of the challenges in We Dare You if you've managed to get hold of a copy, check it out.

I've been photo tagged!

2009-02-08T19:09:00.000-08:00

Melissa over at Snip, Snap, Crop has photo tagged me! My challenge is to post the 6th picture in the 6th album of my photo stash. So here it is...

This was a random photo taken in NOV 2007 in the early morning during a snow storm. I remember because it was the first big storm we had. I've moved since I took this, it's the view from the side door of my old house.

Now my job is to choose 6 more people to challenge:
So I choose:

Heather
Mistra
Alicia
Penny
Josie
Ange

Can't wait to see!

Oh Christmas Tree

2009-02-08T13:05:00.000-08:00

Can't find the right pattered paper? Make your own! I took a plain pc of green paper and wrote the lyrics to Oh Christmas Tree. I've used my own hand writing three times on this LO: The title, which is embossed with Tim Holtz distressed powder in 'Walnut'. The background PP, and the journalling. I like to use my own handwriting whenever possible. It makes it more personal, I think.

Review - We Dare You

2009-02-07T17:26:00.000-08:00

If you're looking for a good challenge book, I highly recommend We Dare You by Kristina Contes, Meghan Heath Dymock, Genevieve Simmonds, and Nisa Fiin. It challenges you to scrap the good, the bad, and the ugly. It's a subject based book, rather than a sketch challenge. I find their ideas refreshing and unique. I have tried three so far with amazing results. They also have some great techniques that will inspire you to stretch your scrapping wings. Cost: $20 CAD. But who can really put a price on inspiration? I plan to try all of the We Dare You challenges.

Choosing a Colour Pallet

2009-02-06T19:57:00.001-08:00

When I first pulled out this photo, I had NO idea what to do with it. I tried various papers, pink to match the dress, red for the flowers, grey (too depressing), no luck. Finally, I decided that the paper I used didn't necessarily have to match the photo. I looked at the photo and thought of my Grandparents. My grandmother loved all things floral. She loved printed wall paper, and big prints. I remembered I had a vintage scrap pad collection that was collecting dust at the back of my shelf. I have rarely used it. Vintage is not usually my thing. I flipped through the papers and found a lovely robin's egg blue. 'There is no blue in my photo!' I thought, but it just felt right. I selected the other PP from the same collection because it reminded me of the duvet cover that was on my grandparents bed for as long as I can remember. I chose flowers and embellishments that matched the paper and I was off! The journaling came easy for once. I don't think I did any editing at all.

So. What is the moral of this story you ask? You don't have to choose paper that matches the colours in your photo. Try concentrating on what the photo makes you feel and go from there. I guarentee you it will be much more personal and meaningful when you're finished.

Here is a copy of my journaling. It's tricky to ready in the photo.

My Grandmother and Grandfather played a huge role in my life. They were the center of my world for my entire childhood. I can’t even imagine the person I would be without their influence. There was a hole in my heart when we lost my Grandpa to lung cancer, and then my Grandma a few years later to a heart attack. Life without them has much less colour.

We called my Grandmother “Ma”. Mostly because that’s what her children called her, and when she adopted my cousin Jason he called her Ma as well. It stuck. I don’t think I ever called her “Grandma”, unless talking about her to someone else. On weekends she would pick me up and we would go into town to shop. She would always buy me some small trinket and we would have lunch in a diner (and of course, pie!), then journey home. In the afternoons I would watch cartoons with Grandpa while he did his puzzles. His favourite was the Bugs Bunny and Tweety show, but he would never admit it. I think he just used me as an excuse to watch it. Ma would be in the kitchen getting things ready for supper. The meals I remember the most were side pork and fried potatoes, and a completely wonderful thing she called Goop. Goop consisted of spring vegetables, and new potatoes from the garden all mixed together in a wonderful white crème sauce. There was always desert. If she hadn’t baked anything special my Grandpa would pour the supper tea into two saucers, add brown sugar, and we would dunk homemade bread in it. It was wonderful. Sometimes we would dunk the bread in fresh maple syrup.

Wednesday was bread day. Ma would get up early, (ok, she ALWAYS got up early), and start making the bread dough early in the morning. My Grandpa would not eat store bought bread. It had to be homemade. Ma would use the leftover bread dough to fry scones and get a dish of strawberry jam for me to dip in. I cannot even describe the flavour. To this day I cannot find one as good. Eventually she got a bread maker and her Wednesday traditions stopped, but I can still remember the smell of the bread baking. Sometimes when I wake up in the middle of the night I can smell it and it is almost as if I’m back in the yellow sided house in Cordova.

When I was very small, my grandparents lived in Hamilton, and they had a cottage in Cordova next to my Great Uncle Gerald. When my Grandpa retired from Westinghouse, they fixed the cottage and winterized it into their permanent home. Just down from the “cottage” was Deer River. Over Deer River was the green bridge that allowed the traffic to pass from one side to the other. This is where we would swim for days on end. I don’t think we got out of the water except to eat. Entire summers were spent in my bathing suit with pruney skin. This was the ideal way to grow up I think.

Now that they have passed, I hope they are together and that there is a yellow sided house on a river with a green bridge in heaven. I know that is where I want to be when my time comes.

Back To Basics

2009-02-05T04:54:00.000-08:00

Scrapping is about 1 basic thing: Recording our memories. Sometimes it's easy to get lost in making things pretty, or trying the latest new trend. All we really need is a photo and a pen. Tell your story.... that's what's important.

Easy double LO

2009-02-04T11:08:00.001-08:00

I try to save the programs for all of the shows we see. I like to pull bits and pieces out of them to use on my pages. For this LO, I didn't have many photos, but too much for just one page, so I did a double layout. I wanted to pull everything together a little closer to the center to make it look "fuller". By layering the cardstock I created simple borders for a nice quick "blocked" look. I kept them off center because everything just looked too "report-like" when I had them straight. Nice terminology I have eh? <---- for all of you non-canadians, that is the proper way to use the typical Canadian "eh" in a sentence. We don't actually say it everyother word (well, unless you're an east coaster eh?).

Playing With Paint

2009-02-04T07:40:00.001-08:00

This is a LO I did the other day which turned out to be very similar to one of Elsies 52 challenges. I didn't plan it that way, but whatever works! This is the first time I've used acrylic paint on a LO. I painted around the photo and also created the number 10. I'm very pleased with the results and will definitely try it again. This was an easy and quick LO but something to treasure. Sometimes we don't say the important things enough.

Spice up your Brad and Do-Dadd storage

2009-02-03T08:27:00.000-08:00

This is a spice rack I had lying around that I wasn't using, (I'm not exactly the world's greatest chef). I had so many different kinds of brads and small metal embellishments, that I was getting frustrated with just keeping them in a box. This is just a cheap spice rack, I think it retails somewhere around $12. I love it.

Chipboard Letters

2009-02-02T07:36:00.001-08:00

It's a two for one post day. Please ignore the horrid photography skills for this pic... the lighting in my basement is very sad.

This is my current collection of chipboard letters... well, the ones I've opened anyway. Like buttons, I love chipboard for it's texture and ease of use. I lose paitence with cutting out letters all the time, so this is a simple solution. Each set is placed in a baggie and pinned to my corkboard. Not a very elegant solutions, but cheap. These are all things which I had around the house. I'm still looking for a new plan, but this will do for now.

Button Storage

2009-02-02T06:58:00.001-08:00

I love buttons. I love buttons so much, that I separate them by colour and store them in clear containers for easy access. Sadly, this is only part of my collection. Once a month or so I grab a couple of handfuls out of the giant bag I have still to sort, and put them away.

These containers are stackable (they just twist on to each other). I purchased them from dollarama (isn't that the best store?), they come 6 in a package - for 1$. You can also purchase a smaller size for brads and tiny beads.

How do you store your buttons?

Small Scrap Storage

2009-01-28T09:06:00.000-08:00

Over at Scrap Witch, Josie Dean has issued a Use Your Stash challenge involving that gigantic box of small scraps we all have. She wanted us to sort, and organize our stash so it was accessable and easy to use, not to mention neat. Here is my effort:

I got these stackable bins for $1 each at Dollarama. I have sorted PP and cardstock by colour and made a bin for each colour. Black, white, and grey are together. This is the same system I use for my 12x12 shelf. I was hoping for something a little bigger, but these will work just nicely for any thing in the 6x9 range or smaller. All of my bigger scraps are in one large bin together and I save them for card making and 12x12 layouts.

I like the fact that I can now reach all of my scraps easily from my chair and can easily unstack the bins if I need to really search for something special. Originally I had them all in one large basket and was easily frustrated while searching for a specific print or colour. This should work out much better. Thanks Josie, and yes.... I will take the stickers off of the backs of the bins.... someday.

Organization - An Evolving Process

2009-01-24T06:34:00.000-08:00

Over the next few days I will share my organization secrets that I have learned over the past year.

First - Paper Storage. If you are a 12 x 12 scrapper like I am, the first thing you'll discover is that finding storage for 12 x 12 is neither easy, or cheap. A friend advised me to build one (and helped, thank god).

This shelf to the left was built from white malomine board purchased from home depot. I managed to get one that had pre-drilled holes in the sides for the shelves at small intervals that would allow me to adjust the shelf height. I also purchased the little plastic shelf supports from home depot. The individual shelves are 13 inches wide and the sides are 4ft. You can build to suit your needs though, which is the best thing about this shelf. The sides were cut and screwed to the top, the shelf supports put in, and the shelves snapped into place all in about 2 hrs. Beware though... it weighs a ton! I use it to separate my paper by colour. I put my cardstock in with my PP for simplicity. I've had this same system for a long time and it seems to work great!

Total Cost of Shelf:
Malamine board (2, 1 with predrilled holes) $30
Shelf supports - $.05 each = $3.00
Total $33
Compare to pre-built cost of $140 - $299 and what's not to like?

My other storage shelf was purchased from Canadian Tire. I no longer have the facilities or the tools to build my own since moving. This shelf is adapatable to your design. There are more vertical and horizontal shelves that I could add, but I like having space for my various baskets. You could also use this model for a paper storage shelf, but since I already have one, took advantage of the shelves other features. The drawers are lovely. In the shallow drawers I have my letter stickers, finished cards, and my embossing powders. In the deep drawers I have my ribbons, flowers, buttons ( yes, I need a whole drawer.. see previous post), and my larger print photo's and photo cd's. I purchased this shelf for approx $150. The assembly was time consuming and a little trying - but since I made Jeff do it there wasn't much frustration on my part!

My Favourite Layout for Mulitple Photo's

2009-01-22T08:16:00.000-08:00

This is one of my favourite LO's created from a sketch originally done by Penny Hackney over at Scissor's Paper Pen! (There is a link to her blog on the left hand side of Scrap Stash). Her LO was featured in the Blog over at Scrap Witch a few months back. A few of us have had a go at it. Marineland was my first attempt, but I've also tried it in black...

The photo's are 3x3. I think it is just such an effective LO, and so easy! Big thanks to Penny for inspiring me, and a big thanks to Jill over at Scrap Witch for featuring it in her blog so I could find it! If you have a moment, head on over to scrapwitch to check out Penny and Jill's version.

Beautiful Buttons

2009-01-19T09:39:00.000-08:00

Ok. I'll admit it... I am a self-proclaimed button addict. I love the different shapes, colours, textures... and of course the price! I first discovered buttons on a sketch challenge for Scrap Witch last year (sorry ladies, I can't remember which one). I cut them off of an old shirt (ok, maybe not so old... but I'm sure it wasn't missed...), and was completely happy with the way they worked. I then found a small stash at the dollar store, but quickly graduated to the wide, wonderful world of EBAY. At which time I suffered from temporary insanity and went a little crazy with my bidding ending up with about 10lbs of buttons!

Primarily I use buttons for flower centers (easier and faster than using brads), and sometimes I make the entire flower out of buttons. Lately I've become addicted to using them for borders... even if it is a little over the top sometimes...

This is the sketch challenge for January at Scrap Witch... well, it started out being the sketch challenge anyway... now it resembles ATTACK OF THE BUTTONS. I can't help it, they are so versatile! As an after thought, I wish I had of made my title a little more distinctive, but I like the cut and paste look.

Speaking of buttons, anyone interested in a swap?

Trend Watch - Argyle and Houndstooth

2009-01-13T11:42:00.000-08:00

I have been noticing most companies have been coming out with argyle and houndstooth patterns lately. I love most patterns... I couldn't live without stripes and polka dots. But something about these patterns makes me turn up my nose... (although... I do absolutely LOVE the colours in the argyle paper to the left). I just can't picture myself using it. What about you, have you added some to your stash yet? Or even better... can you provide us with an example? Either yours or someone elses. I'm very curious to see it put to good use. You can email your example to jewels.scrapstash@gmail.com.

Saving the best for last

2009-01-12T04:58:00.000-08:00

I've caught myself saving certain papers for that really "special" LO. Like they are all not special to me! Jeez! So. Now I have all of these beautiful papers that I could have been using all along, instead of allowing them to collect dust on my shelf. Some of my most favourite stickers, embbies, and tags have gone un-used because I'm afraid to "waste" them. Instead of "saving" my most precious items I will now use what works and looks best to make every LO special. Hoarding doesn't do anyone any good... especially me!

Do you hoard your favourite supplies?

The all important Black Journalling Pen!

2009-01-08T08:47:00.000-08:00

If you are like me and prefer to use your own hand writing rather than computer font, then you need a good sturdy pen. I also do an enormous amount of doodling. There are so many kinds on the market, it's difficult to know what to choose. Most cropping stores will let you try before you buy, so take advantage if you can.

Things to look for in good marker or pen:

The SMEAR factor: Does it smear when you touch it with your fingers?

How long does it take to dry? I'm an impatient scrapper and end up ruining things because I can't wait for slow pigments to set.

Does it run if there is dampness or water? Not that your pages should be getting wet anyway, but if you sometimes use acrylics and you want to paint overtop of your ink, you need to ensure your pen won't run.

Cost: Don't cheap out. This is an essential.

Writing Materials: Will it write on different makes of paper, vellum, cardstock, foil, photo's, ect?

My current favourite is made by Memory Makers. However, I've found an interesting link which has descriptions and uses for many different manufacturer's and styles.
Check it out----> http://http//www.scrapbookscrapbook.com/scrapbooking-pens.html

Keep It Simple

2009-01-07T04:07:00.001-08:00

Sometimes simple is better. Some of my most effective layouts are ones with little or no embellishments. When your page is too overwhelming, the message is sometimes lost and the eye does not know where to look. Try looking away from your page and then look back. What is your eye drawn to first? Your embellishments should compliment your page, not overwhelm it.

Christmas Challenge Sample

2008-12-17T06:13:00.000-08:00

Here is my sample for the Christmas Challenge. I had a lot of fun with this one. I've been trying to develop my own style for grouping elements... I'm still working on it, but I'm very happy with this attempt.

Recipe Cards

2008-12-11T07:06:00.000-08:00

My Recipe cards are finally in! These are from the sweet and savory swap at Scrap Witch. This is the first recipe swap I've participated in, and it definitely paid off. I'm looking forward to trying them out.

For those of you who aren't sure how a swap works: One party agrees to be the hostess, and each participant mails their entries to the hostess. The number of identical cards you must make depends on the number of participants. I made 12 sweet cards and eight savory cards. The hostess then divides the cards and sends one set to each participant. Heather at StormScraps was our lovely hostess for this swap, and a fine job she did too! Everyone did such a lovely job. I can't wait to get them all into an album! If you want to take a closer look, head on over to scrapwitch and check out the galleries.

What to look for in a glue runner...

2008-12-10T05:49:00.000-08:00

One of the most important things I've learned about scrapping is never cheap-out on your adhesives. Poor quality adhesive can not only ruin the look of your page, but also usually fails after a few days.

If you are a glue stick user, open the lid and place some on your finger. If your finger slides smoothly across the surface, and doesn't leave big spiderwebs of glue from your finger to the stick, then chances are you have a good glue stick. While a cheap glue stick may do the job, those spiderwebs of glue will leave marks on your page and because your glue is slightly dry, may not adhere very well.

If the glue stick rolls on to your page and leaves lumps, chances are it's time for a replacement. Obviously, try to keep your glue stick capped as much as possible.

As for myself, I am a tape or glue runner user. I have tried many kinds from the cheapest, to the most expensive. Here are some things to watch for:

Just like all your scrapping supplies, make sure it's acid free

Look for the word PERMANENT on the label. Some glue runners are just meant for laying out your project before you permanantly stick things down. These will usually let go after a few hours. Some people swear by temporary glue... but I think it's a waste of time to stick things down twice!

Don't be tempted just because it's a bargain. Go with the tried, tested and true method. Buy one and test it with your scraps. Glue different kinds of papers, cardstock, vellum, foil and what ever other materials you regularily use together to ensure that the adhesive sticks to all of your favourite products. I had to go back and redo some of my earlier layouts all over again because everything fell off. What a mess. There is nothing more frustrating than doing your LO twice.

My favourite brand is Scotch. It applies easily and smoothly. You can run it I've never had the tape rip, break, or tangle. There are many brands out there that are just as good though. So keep testing, and find one thats right for you. If you are going to invest money into anything, it should be a good adhesive.

Christmas Challenge

2008-12-09T06:46:00.001-08:00

What makes you Joyful? It seems so many of us get the Christmas Blues, that we don't spend nearly enough time concentrating on what is important in our lives.

Challenge: Scrap a 12 x 12 page with a photo of yourself titled: What makes me Joyful. Obviously, there should be some journaling, and a Christmas theme, but other than that...No boundries!
Due Date: December 25th! Entries can be emailed here:jewels.scrapstash@gmail.com

Pretty Girl

2008-12-08T11:08:00.001-08:00

Probably the most important thing I have learned since I started scrapping is NEVER BE AFRAID OF COLOUR! This LO is a sketch challenge that I completed for Scrap Witch in Oct. Normally I would have chosen something plain and boring... probably a dark green or navy... stuck on my buttons and been done with it. But just by changing my background paper to something with interest and lots of colour, the LO is much more exciting. Now to work on my photography...

Back in the blogging world

2008-12-08T10:58:00.000-08:00

It's been a looong time, but I'm back. I've learned so much about scrapping in the past few months, I've been bursting to share my new ideas. Thus... the creation of a brand new blog. Scrap Stash will focus primarily on learning. Since we all have our own unique style, there is never a shortage of people to learn from.