Project Life, Weeks 42-43 and a double digi page

It's hard to believe I've completed over 40 weeks of this Project Life thing. I moved the huge album holding the first half of the year onto a shelf in our living room, and I love just seeing it there, knowing I have so many memories and little moments captured. My boys are growing and changing so fast I can't keep up, and being able to look back even a few months is precious. I really do love this project!
Now, on to the good stuff :)

Week 42

Quite a few digital cards and a couple tags made it onto this week's spread. Digital elements from Essential Everyday by Traci Reed and Studio Basic, and Seasons Change by Traci Reed and Kristin Cronin-Barrow. Paper supplies from Studio Calico, Gossamer Blue, Scraptastic, Cocoa Daisy, and more. 

Week 43

Week 43 was not a fun week to live through, but it was fun to scrap! The True Story cards and printables by Traci Reed were perfect for documenting both the good and bad parts of our week. The title card by Scraptastic matched the colors perfectly, and I just added a few wood veneer pieces here and there to finish it off. Love how cohesive the whole spread and insert are (contrary to my usual, throw-everything-I-love-together mishmash!). It was a hard week emotionally, but I'm glad I captured the details. I suppose we'll laugh about it all later, right?

Double Digi Page

Just for fun! I scrapped this two-pager with some of Traci Reed's Digital Scrapbook Day releases this past weekend! I'm so excited about Christmas, I turned on some Christmas music, poured myself a mug of hot cider, and dived headfirst into all the pretty holiday stuff. This is my first attempt pairing a "regular" page with a pocket-style page and I'm thrilled with how it turned out. May do more of these!

365Unscripted - December 4x6 Collages
365Unscripted - Slipins 2
Naughty & Nice Collection

That's all I've got today, but I'll be back soon to share some of my 30 Days of Gratitude, Project Life-style. It's pretty much taking over November in my PL book!

Project Life, Week 38

Between sickness, Week in the Life recovery (anyone just need a break from "documenting" after that intense week?!), and regular life stuff I fell a couple weeks behind in my Project Life album. I decided I really hate that feeling! I had also run out of photo paper at home and had to wait for a sale to print the photos I needed to catch up. Still waiting on a few, but I did finish Week 38.
This current week should be interesting to document, most of my family is sick, and we've had one calamity after another all week. From car to lawnmower, wedding ring to chair, things are breaking left and right. It's crazy! How do you document no-good-very-bad weeks? I'm not even sure I WANT to remember!
But moving on (or back?) to Week 38 now...

I chose to use mostly Gossamer Blue for this week, especially since I finally had an opportunity to use the travel-themed stuff from August's Life Pages kit. Josh graciously let me go to a CKC scrapbook convention Friday and Saturday, and it turned into quite the adventure! I ended up staying overnight in the hotel room of some ladies I met at the crop (not nearly as creepy as it sounds, I promise!) and we had a hilarious, fabulous time staying up way too late!

I really love that 4x4 Extraordinary Photo card - it was part of the printables for September's Life Pages kit (most of the stuff on the left side is from September's kit). Isn't that Traci Reed (who designs their printables, among other things) so talented?! 

I also figured out a way to use the cute 4x6 overlay. I think they're adorable but really struggle with actually using them in my spreads. If you have any ideas or examples, please share in the comments! 

Surprise! I hid an adorable photo of my boys, when they were actually being sweet to each other for .2 seconds instead of fighting, under that Extraordinary Ordinary Photo card! That pink tab is attached with a glue dot to the card and to the plastic page protector, letting the card flip up. Super simple.

And that's another week in the book! I'm waiting on a 99-photo order from Shutterfly to finish weeks 39 and 40 (most of those photos are for my son's baby album - I did not take 99 photos in 2 weeks!). Hopefully by early next week I'll have those weeks posted and be more or less caught up again!

Week in the Life 2013, September 9-15

I joined in again this year with Ali Edwards' Week in the Life project, even though I've been documenting our weeks through Project Life this year. I definitely went more in depth day by day this week, noting little bits of our day on Ali's daily sheets (found in her planning post) and loosely tracking our schedules. I designed my own daily summary cards, and jotted down the highlights from those daily sheets.
In addition to the cards I made, I used a hodge podge of cards and embellishments from Cocoa Daisy (coffee cards and stamp), Freckled Fawn, Studio Calico, Scraptastic, Gossamer Blue, and Basic Grey (alpha).
My favorite elements, though, came from a new digi kit by Traci Reed, Essential Everyday. I printed off several of the cards, and some tabs, word strips, and day of the week labels.

I started off strong on Monday and Tuesday, with one page and half an insert for each day. I tried to keep plenty of neutrals in my color scheme with (lots of) pops of color, especially orange and red. I'm no designer or color expert, but I like how the week turned out. It's visually busy and full, just like our lives! Also I intentionally went heavy on the photos and very light on the filler cards. 

That fun days of the week/number paper is from the Essential Everyday kit too. Definitely my favorite paper of the kit!

By Thursday and Friday, life was taking over again and I had less photos and just less to document. I used a couple "thing/environment" photos and combined these days on one page and insert. Please ignore that neon post-it tab, I use those to mark where I want photos to go as I plan my pages. They're easy to move around as I decide where everything will go. Guess I missed removing that one!

 

Saturday and Sunday each filled up one page with no inserts. I did tuck a little handout booklet behind that Lowe's card on Saturday, it was the instructions for the fire engine that Josh and Cai made. I got a little artsy and used my newly acquired Gelatos to smear some blue around that days of the week/numbers paper on the bottom right Saturday card. I also used Gelatos to sort of underline the "life is beautiful" phrase. It's a new medium for me, but definitely fun to use and add just a hint of color.

Sunday was a very light photo day, so I included a list of TV shows we're currently enjoying and a collage photo of the week's lists for the 30 Lists project I've been working on this month. I need to remember to use some of these filler ideas in my "normal" Project Life!

I'm definitely glad I did this project again. I will probably slip those daily pages into a page protector to keep them with the project, and I"m sure it'll be fun to look back and see how our daily routines, schedule, and activities change over time.

Project Life, Week 36

I finally got the last few photos printed from Riah's birthday for my week 36 layout. My baby is 2!!! Wow. I kept it simple with one of my favorite inserts, Design I, to include some Instagram and other photos I snapped during the day. I've been enjoying using the Rhonna Farrer app to add cute overlays, text, and designs to my photos right in the phone, which minimizes the time I spend editing on my computer each week. Some weeks I actually do all the editing and ordering prints from my phone - isn't technology amazing?! I do want to work on taking more DSLR pictures, though.

On the left side, I worked in a few little hybrid touches. The "letter b" collage is from the 365: Unscripted 3x4 collage cards, by Traci Reed, with a paper and letter from her recent collab Virtuoso. I printed that "Together is the best place to be" overlay (I think it's from my Studio Calico class) onto transparency paper. Paper products used include Studio Calico cards and that awesome Scraptastic "Feeling Like This" stamp. Plus my usual washi, veneer, and sequins :)

More hybrid here including the chalkboard card from Traci Reed's Mr. Mister cards, a Studio Calico freebie (polaroid picture), and the Rhonna Farrer app. And it's a little hard to see in the photo, but there's a days of the week overlay on the middle right journaling card. That's from Traci's 365Unscripted: 3x4 Transparencies 2 set. Next time I print transparencies I'll be sure to make the colors darker!

I wrote a short letter to Riah and tucked it in a little pocket behind his photo. I did the same thing for Avyn this year, and hope I remember to make that a tradition for each birthday now!

And here's the insert. I took several videos throughout the day to share with family who couldn't celebrate with us, and after some trial and error, managed to (hopefully!) create QR codes that link to those videos. I should probably test that...

Week 37 happens to be Ali Edwards' Week in the Life project, and I chose to participate again this year. I won't have it all finished until next week, but it will be several spreads and inserts. Basically I did it as a more in-depth Project Life style. I'm also still keeping up with 30 Lists, following along with Fat Mum Slim's photo a day on Instagram, and just started a class I won, Picture Everyday, at Big Picture Classes. Whew. Busy month for memory-keeping, but I'm loving it. Keeps my mind off the more depressing stuff of life, and I really need that right now.

Project Life, Week 34 and Transparency

No, not the bare-my-soul, no-holds-barred kind of transparency. I'm not brave enough for that. I did muster up the courage this week to try printable transparencies, though! After waiting impatiently for the box to arrive from Amazon, adding color to the 365Unscripted: 3x4 Transparencies 2 set from Traci Reed, and then a few false starts while my printer refused to cooperate, I finally had my very own sheets of customized transparent overlays.

If you find yourself with an obstinate printer, try taping the transparency to a sheet of plain white paper. Tape it very well all along the top and bottom edges (using colorful washi tape is optional, but obviously preferable). This tricked my printer into thinking nothing unusual was going on.

I love the impact these transparencies add to my photos and cards, without adding extra bulk to the album. I attached them three different ways: Paper clip, cleverly hidden tiny glue dots, and mini staples. Sorry about the glare, I still haven't perfected my in-pocket photography. If you have any tips, I'd love to hear them!

And now, on to the whole week. In addition to the transparencies by Traci (I used four of them over the week's spread), I also printed some word art and star elements from her new One of the Guys kit. The "made with love" 4x6 and woodgrain 3x4 cards, the "family time" wordart, and the plate/knife/fork cutout are from Studio Basic's Cook.Eat.Love collection. Most everything else this week is from Scraptastic's August This Life Noted kit.

Ahh that title card. I'm in love. I used gesso and watercolor techniques, along with printables, from the Studio Calico Toolbox class. An Ormolu flair and some enamel dots coordinate perfectly. The Love This Life die-cut was left over from July's kit.

I created my own coffee cup embellishment by stamping onto green paper and fussy cutting (the coffee stamp is from Studio Calico's July Project Life kit). That little Saturday journaling card is also from Studio Calico. And that wraps up this fun week! I can't wait to print more transparencies!

Project Life, Week 33 and Gossamer Blue Review

Last week, I decided to use my new Gossamer Blue August Life Pages kit almost exclusively. I also created a couple hybrid cards from Traci Reed and Ju Kneipp's new kit, Virtuoso, to accent one son's artsy adventures, and another son's messy adventures (which is so very descriptive of their personalities!).
Gossamer Blue entered the Project Life-style kit club scene in August, and their debut kit is pretty slick. A good variety of embellishments, exclusive custom-designed cards (by one of my favorite designers, Traci Reed), and a commitment-free structure. Subscribers, however, do receive some perks, like the printables that were possibly my favorite part of the kit. I adored all the little tags, icons, word strips, and more.

This month featured a travel theme, which wouldn't have been my first choice, since we rarely travel. But, it was an interesting challenge to incorporate the themed cards and embellishments in my spread, and especially with our trip to the Kiddie Park mid-week, I managed quite well. 

I like the perfectly-sized sentiments in the stamp set, and I used the circle outline a few times. I may even use the outline stamps to create some custom tags to have on hand for future spreads. 

Week 33, left side

Week 33, insert front

Week 33, insert back

I pulled supplies from all over for the insert, including digital paper by Rachel Young at The Lilypad, and a stamp (Mini Magical Moments) by CD Muckosky, also at The Lilypad. Those fun gold letterpress cards were a bonus for new Gossamer Blue subscribers. I love the bit of shine they add, even if it doesn't totally match my spread. I'm all about mixing and matching! I also experimented with stitching and watercolors this week, another technique inspired by the Toolbox class I'm taking at Studio Calico. (Ignore the blank 4x4 spot, I forgot to print one of my photos, I'll just throw it in with next week's batch.)

Week 33, left side and insert front

Week 33, insert back and right side

Week 33, right side

Gossamer Blue's kit contents are very competitive, with the "standard" 24 3x4 cards and 6 4x6 cards, plus an additional 3x4 and 4x6 vellum card, a generous two alpha sheets, plus enamel dots, label/arrow stickers, and more. I appreciate the mix of sequins, clips, washi, and wood veneers, rather than having a whole package of just one or two embellishments. 

The only two negatives, in my opinion, were the rather flimsy and almost too-small packaging holding the cards (I like to keep my cards in the protective plastic, but these were so thin they ripped quickly), and the color scheme of the sticker and alpha sheets. The colors, especially the bold blue and red, just didn't seem to match the cards. I'll definitely use them, but probably not with this set of cards. 

Overall, I'm very happy with the kit, and looking forward to September's! From the sneaks I've seen, it's even better than August!

Project Life, Week 27

Wow, only one week to share in this post?! I don't even recognize this blog anymore, all up to date and everything! I enjoyed liberally splashing my 4th of July/USA themed stuff on this spread, and I love how it turned out. I bought the 4th of July kit from Paper Issues and boy was it packed!! That's where most of the bits came from, but I also added pieces from my Studio Calico kits, and a healthy smattering of digital goodies from Michelle Godin (Snarky Snippets Summer), Traci Reed (Hashtag cards), Gennifer Bursett (Anchored papers), One Little Bird Designs (Carson Park elements), and Cathy Zielske (Photo Flags). I got a little printer-happy this week.

Did you scrap anything holiday-related for Independence Day, or include any fun themed products? I'd love to see it! 

Project Life, Week 20

Well, well, well. Look at me with only one week to share! Yep, pattin' myself on the back right now. This week was rough in many regards, particularly after my boys' big doctor's appointment on Thursday. Life-changing news. Within the next week or two Avyn will begin a formula-only diet, no other food or drink allowed, to see if his symptoms improve. Then we will reintroduce foods one at a time. It's a long road, and I'm still mentally and emotionally processing the ramifications for our family. I used the "Change" card to simply express this upheaval, as I'm not quite ready to journal a ton about it yet.
I enjoyed using Traci Reed's new Lifestyle Stamps to dress up my photos, and her 3x4 and 4x6 collage templates to lay out some of my pictures. The paper stuff is from my usual, Studio Calico, Freckled Fawn, American Crafts, Basic Grey, Paper Issues, etc.

Week 20

Thank you for sharing in my life! If you ever have a question or comment, please feel free to ask. And I'd love to see your projects, too! Link me up in the comments!

Project Life, Weeks 17-19

I can't believe how fast we're approaching the halfway point! I'm also a teensy bit surprised that I've stuck with the project. My life, with three little boys at home, gets pretty crazy and it can be hard to find time to scrap. So I got thinking about some of the reasons I've made it to this point:

1. Fresh, fun supplies every month. Subscribing to Studio Calico's Project Life kit club was the best decision ever. I love getting a coordinated set of trendy products every month without the hassle and time of shopping around. Who doesn't love playing with new goodies?! 
2. Digital supplies to add variety and fill in the gaps. Another great investment was a pack of Epson Premium Matte Presentation paper - it prints digital journal cards and elements beautifully. 
3. Printing at home or Walgreens 1-hour. Sure, I would have better quality photos if I ordered through Persnickety Prints, but I know myself. Instant gratification = actually doing the project. 
4. Having a dedicated craft room. I can leave a spread in progress, leave supplies out, and not worry (well, not too much anyway!) about the boys destroying it. It's a place I can escape to, and recharge my mental/emotional batteries while watching TV on my laptop and scrapping. SO therapeutic!
5. Keeping the end goal and overall "reason" in mind - so my family has photos and stories to look at and remember. I chose to do Project Life in a paper format primarily so my family would have something tangible to look at. Toddlers and preschoolers are quite narcissistic, after all, and they love looking at pictures of themselves!

If you're a Project Lifer too, what are some of the reasons you've made it this far? 

Week 17

 I especially enjoyed creating this week's spread. I printed off some fun bits from Michelle Godin's Snarky Snippets: Books, and I masked, spritzed, and stamped a few cards. And, of course, there's that gloriously hilarious big photo! It totally deserved three full spots, right? The rest of the cards are either Studio Calico or Project Life: Jade kit, except for the blue striped one and the speech bubble one - those I received in a PL card swap. I have some pretty artistic fellow crafters.

Week 18

More fun with digital products this week. I printed out cards from Splendid Fiins' Love It and Washi Brights sets, and Traci Reed/Jenn Barrette's Get Artsy cards. Cathy Zielske generously gave away the iNSD card on her blog. (Speaking of Cathy Zielske, she has an amazing and poignant blog post about her personal view of the value of Project Life. Go read it.) Since it's one of my favorite holidays, I felt interNational Scrapbooking Day deserved not only its own card, but a whole insert! I took a bunch of Instagram photos for various photo challenges on iNSD.

Week 19

I'll be including lots of Traci Reed goodies on my spreads from now on, because (drum roll please) I'm on her newly created Project Life team as a hybrid artist!!! I am super excited and honored to join the illustrious Hawt Mamas, and incorporate her artsy, trendy, fun designs into my Project Life album. I may be doing a few digital inserts, too.
So this week I have cards from Traci's Get Artsy set and a previous Facebook freebie, Hashtag cards. The Epic Awesomeness word art is by Karla Dudley, from her Life cards, and the Silly Goofy Mine word art is from her Walter photo frames.
Paper cards from Studio Calico and Jade Project Life kit. Embellishments, as usual, from everywhere - Studio Calico, Freckled Fawn, Paper Issues, Two Peas in a Bucket.

Thanks for sharing in my life!