8.5 x 11 Layouts

Here are some 8.5 x 11 Landscape Layouts. This first one is the title page for our Book of Us (BOU) It's like a Book of Me, but I'm doing me on the left page, and Dustin on the right.

Another BOU layout. I love this picture! Dustin's not smiling, but hey, I look good! :D All items are from the ScrapBook Takeout January kit. Journal spot from Elle's Studio.

I have a Christmas album that is 8.5 x 11 and I do one two-page layout a year hitting the highlights. Pretty neat to look back on past Christmases and see what the HOT toy was or the girl's reaction to Santa. This is 2007's layout.

Before and After

I am posting before and after pictures of my scrap area. I have resolved to keep my space clean and straighten up at the end of every day. So far so good! Now if I can just get Sierra to put all her Cuttlekids stuff away and pick up all the cuts of paper!

BEFORE

My desk and random catch all of empty boxes and other trash!

Trash Can, sewing stuff... more boxes

Way too much stuff in this room!!

AFTER
I had to move everything into the master bedroom and Karis now has her own room! These Ikea shelves were given to us for free! Can't beat that! They now hold ribbon, buttons, brads, all my inks and paints, underneath has all my chipboard and some other random stuff stashed.

My shelf with stamps, file cabinet with non-scrappy stuf in there but my SG kits on top! And the large sterilite container is how I sort all my patterned paper. They are mostly in large ziplocks by brand and line with matching accessories in it.

My desk with my Clip it Up on it! I had to buy two extra packs of clips and I still don't have all my stuff up there! Behind it is a tool bit sorter I got in the hardware section. I keep eyelets and odds and ends in there.

Here is my desk with my sizzix and cuttlebug and Sierra's cuttlekids on it. I moved my cricut by the computer in the other room so I had room to leave my sewing machine out. I've actually used it quite a few times just in the last few weeks!

And for all you organized perfectionists out there... this is as good as its gonna get!!

Thank You!

Here is the Thank You card I did for the current challenge over at {Caardvarks}. I used BG Infuse collection and my cuttlebug scalloped flowers nesting die. CTMH doodle alphabet stamps too. Thanks for looking!

Bling and Alcohol Ink!

So I have these bling swirls by Me and My Big Ideas that were clear. I say 'were' because I COLORED THEM PINK!!! I was working on a LO for a contest and one of the requirements was to use bling. I wanted to use these swirls, but they were clear, and I wanted them pink. This is when I got my ingenious idea! I got out my alcohol ink out and started playing. IT WORKED!!! I am now able to color bling in about 10 different colors! LOL!

I placed a drop of alcohol ink on a piece of felt and dabbed it on my bling - VOILA! colored bling. However, I didn't have a light pink ink, and I wanted light pink bling. So I added a couple drops of rubbing alcohol to the felt and dabbed it over the bling. Some more dabbing and rubbing alcohol and I got the lovely light pink bling swirls pictured below.

So have fun! I need more colors of alcohol ink!!! And more bling!!

Christmas and Pumpkins!

Did this LO for SG's December Scraplift Challenge. Everything is from SG December kit, save for the red glitter glue on the chipboard. Pictures are from Christmas long long ago... I think around 1989. This is me opening my prized possessions (at that age) - My porcelain dolls!Sierra carved her pumpkin, and then decided she wanted to paint it!

Our Pink Meow Meow

Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, and RAK winner

Congratulations Barbara (ladynurse4)!!! I will get your album off after the New Year as we are going to Paris!

RAK Christmas Album

I have a mini Christmas Album (about 6x6) that is just collecting dust, so if you leave a comment on this post telling me one of your Christmas Wishes I will choose a winner at random on Christmas Eve. Anyone can enter - you have until Dec 24th! Be sure to check back to see if you've won!

Good Luck!

I know its Christmas time

But I'm still scrapping Halloween. Here are a few layouts of the girls painting pumpkins.

RickRack Patty-Whack

Here is the card I did for the new {Caardvarks} challenge. Challenge was to use Ric Rac on a card. Okay, I know I'm not very original, I had a better idea, but it just didn't pan out! LOL!

Toot Toot

My 'You Have 4 Minutes' layout was featured on the Multi-photo Scrapbook Layouts blog! But what makes this extra cool is my friends (from ScrapGoods), Tara - Create the Perfect Snowman, and Rina - Fun Winter Memories, are both featured in this post as well! Great job ladies!!!

Glimmer mist and mica layouts

Uploading some of my layouts I did with the November ScrapGoods kit. The technique was Glimmer mists and Twinkling H2Os. Pictures don't really show very much, but they have a wonderful shimmer :D

Me and Ruby> This LO won the 'Best use of Stamp' category for the SG Nov Challenge. I stamped the frame, heat embossed with red embossing powder, and then painted with green mica and water. Then, I made my own shimmery brads by covering them in glue and dipping in the green mica.
This LO was for the Nov 'Scraplift' Challenge. The corner frame of the pic is Prima Paintables watercolor paper that I painted with twinkling H2Os. Flourish in the bottom left is blue glimmer mist sprayed on white cardstock. I then hand cut a flourish and accented with pearl mica powder. I took my Versamarker and drew flourishes around the big one and rubbed a burgandy mica on it to pick up the color. This was lots of fun, and once again, MUCH more shimmery in person!

Need a Hug Crop Challenge Projects

Here are the Challenges I did for the 'Need a Hug' crop over on the ScrapGoods message board this weekend. There are quite a few I didn't get to , but I have them on my never ending 'list of things to do' :D Thanks for Looking!

Challenge: use only cardstock and ribbons with one ribbon slider
I used cardstock and stamped the top half, yellow and orange ribbons with a chipboard ribbon slider covered with green cardstock. Flowers and title cut from cardstock using my cricut. Orange scallops are cardstock cut with my scallop scissors.Challenge: use buttons three ways
I used buttons for the middle of my flower, sewed a heart over a button, and broke buttons in half for the scallop border.
Challenge: use a sketch
Sketch is originaly from PageMaps, its the 5th one down, here is my take on it.
Challenge: Embellie Mania! Use as many embellies as you can - can't count more than three of each embellishment. Even though I could only count three of each embellie, here is all that I have on my LO:
4 pieces ric rac
3 pieces ribbon
3 pieces velvet ribbon
12 brads
12 buttons
14 rubons (the circles that are cut out)
3 eyelets (on the journal box)
4 cardstock stickers
65 pieces of bling - in one bling frame ;)

That's a total of 120 pieces on this layout!

Challenge: Alter Anything
I've had this clock sitting in the hallway for about a month. I bought it at Ikea for 2 euro and hoped it came apart so I could alter it. YAY! It did!! So I cut a large circle for the inside and heat embossed the numbers on it. Then I added some rubons and a little birdie stamp. I decorated the outside of the clock (which was plastic) with alcohol inks. It looks much better in real life! I am so proud. I made this for my scrapbook room, but Dustin reminded me last night that I only have three more weeks before I have to give up my scrapbook room :(
Challenge: Use a photo on a card/Make a holiday card/Doodle
I combined three challenges in one for this card. Sierra took a picture of our big stuffed reindeer. Not just any picture, a picture of his butt! LOL! So when I read the challenge, I immediately thought of this picture! Doodled on it too :D Left is card front, right is the inside of the card.
Challenge: Try to combine the most challenges on one LO.
Use 4 things you are hoarding (Bling Cardstock, Fancy Pants journal card, Heidi Swapp white ghost heart, KI Lace Cardstock)
Scraplift one of your OWN layouts - done
Use your two oldest items - the blue frames and the blue patterned paper with brown swirls
Doodle on a LO - doodled around the photos, on the photos, etc
Use the most embellishments (3 max of each) - eyelets, primas, ribbon, frames, shost shapes, brads, buttons, staples

Journaling Jogger

We ladies over at ScrapGoods decided to hold a 'Need a Hug' crop this weekend just because we are all kind of bummed about the bad news (see previous post). There are lots of challenges and projects issued for this weekend and I'm having fun and getting some scrapping done.

Ryann is hosting the 'Journaling Jogger' project. Here is mine. The basis is to have a mini layout for each month for you to write important dates (like when the baby got her tooth, or the big girl was potty trained :D) so you won't forget when you go to scrap it.

I cut cardstock down to 4x8 and did my mini layouts. When I was finished I decorated the covers and then bound it with my zutter bind-it-all. I love that little machine!

So Sad!!

My favorite site to visit on the web, my internet home, is in jeopardy of closing. ScrapGoods owners are taking a break and we don't know the future of the club :( Can I seriously cry!!! So my friends, if you have started a blog and want on my list, please leave a comment so I can add you to my links!!! I can't imagine not checking in with you all every day (multiple times!).
~Aleta

Make Your Own Advent Calendar

Every single day my daughter asks 'How many more sleeps 'til Christmas?' So I decided to make an Advent calendar with the girls to help them countdown. We even put M&Ms in it so they get a little treat every day! I told some of you I would put instructions on how to make it... there are TONS of examples on the web, and a Tutorial from SCS. But here is how the girls and I did ours.

SUPPLIES:
Mini Muffin tin
Red spray paint (or any color you want)
Cardstock in christmas colors
Patterned paper (if you want)
Asst stickers and diecuts or stamped images
Xryron magnet/laminate cartridge
Circle cutter
hammer and nail
large eyelets (optional)
Ribbon

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Measure the diameter of the muffin holes on your tin. Make sure its the mini muffin tin with 24 spots (for the 24 days until Christmas). Using the nail and hammer, punch two holes to hang your ribbon from. I used a hammer and masonry nail because I couldn't find anything else that would punch the metal. So use whatever you can to get a hole in the dang thing.

2. Spray paint your muffin tin with whichever color you have chosen. Please spray paint and let dry outside so you don't get sick from the fumes!

3. While the tin is drying, cut out 24 circles that are the same diameter (or a bit bigger) than your muffin holes. You can cut from cardstock or patterned paper, whichever you decide. My holes were a little smaller than 2.25 inches so I wanted a 2.25 inch circle. Of course of all the punches and diecut machines I have (Cricut, Sizzix, Cuttlebug) I couldn't find a 2.25" circle, so I got my CM Circle Cutter out and handcut 26 green circles! Yes, I know that was two more than I needed, but I messed up a few :P

4. Cut smaller circles out of contrasting cardstock or patterned paper. For my second white circle I used a 1.75" circle punch. You could even cut a scalloped circle, or a square, or any other shape you wanted. This will be the base for your numbers or images.

5. Glue the two circles together with the smaller one matted on the large one. If you are going to stamp on the circles, this would be the time to do it.

6. Next, I ran all 24 circles through my Xryon 510 using the magnetic/laminate cartridge. This cartridge puts a magnet on one the back and laminates the top. If you don't have this machine... stop right now, you cannot finish this project. LOL! JUST KIDDING!!!! You can buy magnet pieces or sheets to glue your circles on. The muffin tin is metal, so magnets would be best, but you could even put velcro on the pieces and the tin to get it to adhere.

7. I hand cut the circles (again) and had a laminated magnet. Next was the girls favorite part.

8. I got all my Jolee's and other 3D stickers out, and diecuts and some buttons (the gingerbread people) and let the girls go to town. I used my Ultimate glue to glue them on, even though they were stickers so they wouldn't fall off. This stuff is the best... I need to order more!! I seriously love it, it is like superglue, but it dries totally clear, so you can even glue down clear buttons and transparencies and such! Okay, enough plugging the glue... lol.

If you don't have, or don't want stickers and diecuts, you could put numbers on the circles instead for the countdown. Or (as long as its not laminated yet) you could stamp and color in images. Be creative, its your countdown!

9. Set large eyelets in the holes you punched in the tin in step one. I just glued mine in as I couldn't get them to set without smashing the eyelet. You could skip this step if you want.

10. String ribbon through the holes (and/or eyelets) and tie. I strung through and tied knots, and then tied bows with the same ribbon and sewed the bows on the knot so they face out and aren't twisted. VOILA! Hang your calendar on the wall and have fun counting down!

The magnets aren't the strongest, so we could only get about 10 M&Ms in the tins so the tops wouldn't fall off, but the girls now get a treat every morning until Christmas (what was I thinking!!! 24 days of chocolate!!)