Write. Click. Scrapbook.

In Review

July is finishing, the Olympics beginning, and school is just around the corner. With so much going on, this month's theme, Five is Fun! is perfect as we take our limited items and create some simpler works of art to help us complete some summer pages and document those memories before they fade away into a summer sunset.

Let's put on our fanciest flip flops, and our most comfy summer whites, and stroll through our gallery one last time. Together. The way we like it best, no?

 

Before we begin our prompt lists, let's do a bit of trend spotting. There are many multiple photos layouts this month; 12 in fact. 5 use grids. 6 use linear stacks. If you copied each of these 12 layouts, you would be scrapbooking 57 photos. Imagine how freeing it would seem to have 57 photos properly preserved?

For a mid-summer gallery, the colors are also light and bright. Lots of pastels and muted brights here. Right on trend according to Project Runway this week!

Let's get to our lists! First up, journaling prompts.

1. have you a dream? (Francine)
2. thoughts on the gender of your children (Deb)
3. the personality of your pet (Lisa)
4. a way that your child is changing (Emily)
5. a Fourth of July tradition (Celeste)
6. documenting something you have been waiting for (Diane)
7. look deeper at a field trip detail (Vivian)
8. a current creative stage of you or your child (Kathy)
9. document how a tradition began (Paula)
10. a treat and why you love it (Teka)
11. different aspects of your child (Valerie)
12. capture a moment of zaniness (Emily)
13. look at your child. what do you see? (Sarah)
14. party details. bare bones. (Donna)
15. journal the start of a conversation. the photos will be the end. (Erin)
16. record a gratitude to your child (Marnie)
17. document a special relationship (Christa)
18. a summer delight (Amy)
19. something that makes life good (Monika)
20. a list of a few goods and bads from a day of vacation (Marie)
21. record some details from a touristy day (Kelly)
22. your thoughts as you look back at an old photo (Alexandra)

 

And your photography prompts:

1. stand by a window for a selfie (Francine)
2. take a portrait shot of each of your kids with the same background on the same day (Deb)
3. take a series of photos to help better tell the story (Lisa)
4. be higher than your subject (Emily)
5. have your subjects lay down and stand over them (Celeste)
6. use a fun filter (Diane)
7. take two: one up close, one far away (Vivian)
8. use a white background for a detail shot (Kathy)
9. get a series that help tell the story (Paula)
10. foodie photos. yum! (Teka)
11. block a chunk of time, patiently sit and capture expression changes (Valerie)
12. before you clean, click! (Emily)
13. take an everyday shot of someone you love (Sarah)
14. the birthday candle, before and after (Donna)
15. look back through your photos and match them up for a page (Erin)
16. same subject, front and back (Marnie)
17. look for a moment that you can capture the essence of relationship in a photo (Christa)
18. summer food eating action shot (Amy)
19. set your scene with near, far, up, down, left and right (Marie)
20. tourist day: remember the people pictures, too (Kelly)
21. remember to add in the background for an additional bit of preservation (Alexandra)

 

And lastly, 22 things to try when you scrapbook this month:

1. use an unlikely thread for a banner (Francine)
2. rounded corners on your photos, squared corners on the mattes (Deb)
3. use the negatives of a punch (Lisa)
4. create a photo strip by reusing the same photo 3 or more times (Emily)
5. keep your layout in the upper half of the page, with lots of breathing room below (Celeste)
6. try a black photo matte to help your colorful photo pop (Diane)
7. emulate a graphic on your photo with paper (Vivian)
8. enlarge a photo with unusual proportions (Kathy)
9. have a perfectly centered and symmetrical layout (Paula)
10. use patterned tape on top of patterned paper. i dare you! (Teka)
11. jump the gender gap with products (Valerie)
12. tip your photo away from the lines of your layout (Emily)
13. use a reference point in your photo in the background decor (Sarah)
14. keep an uniform margin in a block of photos (Donna)
15. let an embellishment aid in your storytelling (Erin)
16. use a ribbon in lieu of a patterned paper (Marnie)
17. journal round your photo (Christa)
18. use a graphic element three times (Amy)
19. place your title over a strip of washi tape (Monika)
20. place your photo grid on the lower left hand corner and then use your journaling and embellishments to create a visual triangle (Marie)
21. journal on our photos (Kelly)
22. use those old decorative scissors! (Alexandra)

 That's it! 66 ideas to keep your juices flowing and pages coming!

 

As a thank you for the time you have spent with us this month, our lovely Monika created this printable for you and our Five is Fun! theme.

You may download it here.

Thank you for stopping by! Have a terrific weekend!

scrapbook!

Happy Saturday! Summer is moving along happily with hot dry days in most of the United States. How is your weather? Scorching? rainy? both? No matter your weather outside, I hope your hearts and lives are fair and sunny!

This past week has been a quiet one around here after logging nearly 6000 miles on our car since school got out! With so much time away from home, my scrapbooking time has been very limited. But with such an incredible July gallery, it was easy to put a few layouts together in record time! Please, won't you join me in some quick and inspired layouts?

 

SKETCH

Donna put together a sketch based upon Marie's darling layout.

A nine-photo grid is perfect for those summer events that can't be captured with just one picture. We had a handful of teammates who took the challenge to use the sketch. Look at their great work!

Celeste moved the grid to the center and added polaroid frames which created a strong sense of stability to her layout.

Deb's layout kept the grid to the right, and she added little bits of layers under and over the edges, all in delightful summer hues.

Amy switched out the photos for journaling bits. What a clever way to help you move the story along with different aspects of the story taking center stage as the story unfolds.

I left my version off center as well. I loved the chance to make use of a few of the many sequential photos I seem to take at the water slide. (I didn't think all 32 needed to go on, so I narrowed them down some, but honestly, I could have used all nine photos with just one slide down. Oh, I love my high speed button!)

If you would like to play along with the sketch, please download it here. And then leave us a comment and a link so that we can see your work of art!

 

ROYGBIV

This month, I fell in love with the colors in Diane's layout.

Maybe I was lured in by the hammock, but I really loved the bright vibrant splashes of color. I felt the wood grain added a textural quality that not only grounded the layout, but also added to the organic quality.

Wanting to let the colors shine, I went with a white background. (Oh, that, and I love me my white backgrounds! teehee!)

For this next one, I found a banner that had all the colors (and more!) in one element. Adding a little woodgrain to the title, and some dark teal blue for the journaling, and the same happy sunshine translates in a whole new way.

Oh, how I love color. I  hope this color palette will inspire you, too!

 

TRENDING

This month Alexandra used some chipboard clouds on her layout. Shaped clouds have flown under the trending radar for a few years, but are holding steady as a viable trend. In varying shapes and textures, they add a lighthearted element to your layout.  

 

There you have it! Three reasons to scrapbook today! Really, I mean it! You will be glad you did, and I can't wait to see your layouts! Soon, please? :)

Hello there! This is alexandra. Every week, I share a sketch and a card on my blog art scrap & more and today I thought I'd share one with you. I designed it thinking about a fun way to include a gift card. It also has some of my favorite elements: a glassine bag, a tag, some loose ends and an upcycled item. Can you guess what it is?

 

 

 

the sketch:

the card:

using the inside of an envelope for the background...

the gift card is nicely tucked in the glassine bag...

If you were to make a card or any other paper projects based on this, I'd love for you to share so I can come over and leave you some love! Thank You!!

Welcome, July!

It is July! Summer is in full heat here above the equator!! We hope that you are enjoying your summer and our Summertime Dailies!!

While tomorrow is the first of the month, you know we like our Sundays quiet, and we are super excited to share our big news with you, so we are here today, rather than Monday! We hope you don't mind! Before we get to our new gallery, let's start with our exciting announcement!!

 

While we thought it was fun to announce that we were having a talent search, it doesn't at all compare to announcing our decision! Before we do, please know that we were humbled to receive your applications and wish we had room for you all! We love that our message can also be found in so many places and through so many designers. Thank you, dear applicants, for helping spread the word that simple is stunning!

 

Without further ado, please put your hands together for ...

Jennifer Larson

and

Katie Ehmann

 

Yes, it's true, we picked two!! Jennifer and Katie, we are so very happy to have you on our team! We know that you will be fantastic additions to our little family and know that the readers are going to love you as much as we already do!! And we are looking forward to sharing the talents of the finalists with you as well in the upcoming months!

 

The theme this month, is Five is Fun! Every now and again, we like to challenge ourselves (and you!) to limit the number of products we put on a layout. And even though we try to begin with the required five products, sometimes five items can suddenly become five groups, or five items plus one (or six!), or five if you don't include paper. Or maybe you need to stretch to five by counting up the fonts separately!!

No worries, we bought some doughnuts for the scrapbook police so hurry and count out your five'ish products while the uniforms are distracted!

 

We are, of course, teasing! Because the scrapbook police aren't real, you may choose as many as you wish. But know that sometimes it is fun to try something new! Perhaps you can begin by finding your three favorites and then building your layout from there. With all the summer activities you have planned, sneaking in a five product layout before breakfast might be the perfect way to get a layout or two finished, too! And still have time for a hike or a swim! Just like our team did!

So take five! Products, that is, and have fun with a Five is Fun! layout!

In Review

Every month I sit to write and I think, "Really? A whole month has already passed?" And then I shake my head, sigh, and recall what a fabulous month it has been.

June began with a fun birthday celebration. After much hemming and hawing about whether it was 3 or 4 (why is it that we turn our birthday number at the end of our year, rather than at the beginning??), we ate some virtual cupcakes and were thrilled to have some new team members, a new gallery, a talent search, and a giveaway! Woohoo! Who cares about the number, after all! We're just happy to be here with you!

With the return of our summer dailies posting series, we have already been honored to learn from Marnie, Vivian, Lisa, Emily, Monika, Diane, Amy, Emily, Paula, Francine, Celeste, our new Valerie, Donna, our also new Teka, and Katrina. We have addressed school's end, summertime, beaches, flags, fathers, and reading. Did you know that this month alone has brought you 60 layouts, 6 mini albums, 3 sketches, 2 cards, and a handful of ideas for home decor, and project life. We are doing our best to keep your summer filled with scrapbooking tips and inspiration that is doable, and fun!

 

There are only seven more days until our new gallery, so we wanted to take one last look back at our gallery. Shall we go together?

Last month, as we walked through the gallery, we put together lists of page starters, prompts, or ideas, separated by our three site themes, write, click, and scrapbook. We thought it was helpful to re-examine the layouts with a different perspective (and fun, too!). Did you agree? We hope so, because we are doing it again!

This month, we are going to start with journaling. Without further ado, here are 25 stories to write:

1. a time we changed a tradition (Christa)
2. the story of our pet coming to our home (Celeste)
3. a snapshot of my day told in words (Donna)
4. if I were a pet, I would... (Lisa)
5. document a family first (Paula)
6. how I celebrated my birthdays as a child (Deb)
7. how has your style changed over the years (Kelly)
8. how you prepare your home for visitors (Valerie)
9. a scaled back celebration (Francine)
10. the favorite beverage in your home (Diane)
11. when I was small, I loved to pretend that... (Vivian)
12. document a ritual that you have in your home (Keshet)
13. what it means to you to have a sibling (Monika)
14. record something that is ending (Kathy)
15. how do you feel about your children right now (Teka)
16. tell of a family trait that you inherited (Marie)
17. make a list of things you would like to do this summer (Lisa)
18. use one word to capture your child's personality (Sarah)
19. list 5 things that describe each member of your family, right now (Emily)
20. something that made me happy today was... (Katrina)
21. your favorite mode of transportation (Erin)
22. something that changed between last year and this (Amy)
23. I witnessed a miracle when... (Emily)
24. how you feel when all your kids are getting along (Marnie)
25. a new family tradition (Karen)

 

Moving on to photos... Here are 25 photos you could consider taking so that you don't end up with the same photos day after day. (Oh wait, that's me. sorry... teehee!)

1. your child at play from the backside. be sure to include some of the surroundings. (Christa)
2.  headshot of your favorite pet (Celeste)
3. a snapshot of my day told in photos (Donna)
4. soaking up the sunshine (Lisa)
5. the food you ate at a summer event (Paula)
6. a summer beverage (Deb)
7. a cute outfit (Kelly)
8. a child practicing a skill (Valerie)
9. a photo mid-action (Francine)
10. your family eating breakfast (Diane)
11. a field trip photo (Vivian)
12. you wearing your favorite top (Keshet)
13. your family just being together (Monika)
14. a final event (Kathy)
15. a selfie with someone you love (Teka)
16. someone resting (Marie)
17. an usual pose (Sarah)
18. a coordinated clothing photo (Emily)
19. something you know you will miss in five years (Katrina)
20. photograhic evidence of the reason you are tired (Erin)
21. a person-less photo that helps tell the story (Amy)
22. freshen your makeup and do a selfie! right now! (Emily)
23. your people in the back of your car (Marnie)
24. your table (Karen)

 

Lastly, our gallery is filled with great design. Here are some tips and ideas to try to keep your pages fresh!

1. trend alert: rulers and measuring tape (Christa)
2. try cutting your title out of some patterned paper and using the negative (Celeste)
3. use your favorite stamp (Donna)
4. use the same patterned paper in two places, but in different proportions (Lisa)
5. frame out your photos (Paula)
6. repeat your elements in three places on your layout, creating a visual triangle (Deb)
7. create a focal point on your photo without cropping it (Kelly)
8. add small embellishments that help tell your story (Valerie)
9. try layering your photo mattes, tipping each layer slightly askew (Francine)
10. paint your letter stickers (Diane)
11. layer your letter stickers onto your photo (Vivian)
12. use a circle garland to help lead you into the focal point of your photo (Keshet)
13. get out your label maker and put it to use! (Monika)
14. trim your photo to an unusual size (Kathy)
15. trend alert: wooden embellies and people chains (Teka)
16. use your washi tape for journaling strips (Marie)
17. create a border with 7 scraps of paper (Lisa)
18. create a triangle mosaic (Sarah)
19. create a mirror image layout (top to bottom or side to side) (Emily)
20. create a layered embellishment collage (Katrina)
21. rounded corners are still in. have fun! (Erin)
22. use three patterned papers of varying colors, but with similar scale and cut to similar sizes (Amy)
23. trend prediction: quatre foil is the next big graphic (Alexandra)
24. use a number in your title (Emily)
25. use a long descriptive title (Marnie)
26. embrace some white space (Karen)

So many great ideas! I am thinking I might take one from each list, put them together and make a layout! Will you join me?

 

As a thank you for joining us this month, Monika has put together a printable for you to help celebrate the perfect pairings in your life!

You may download it here.

 

And here is a sweet layout that she made using it!

Love the idea of shoes. Perhaps it is also that I cannot resist a little bit of word play!

 

Before we go, one last reminder that the clock is ticking on our Talent Search. Hurry and get your audition tapes ready! (just kidding about audition tapes, but not kidding about the deadline drawing near!)

Have a great weekend! And thank you for joining us for this magnificent start to our summer series!!

My Keyword of Summer: Simplify

Hello! Emily here with another Summertime Daily.

School has been out for almost two weeks now and the kids and I have already been gone for a full week of it. We're heading out again tomorrow for a 13 day trip to Wales and London with my folks. When we get back, my oldest starts an internship all summer, my youngest is doing swim team every day. July isn't going to mean a lot of leisurely at-home time either. We need to get some service hours in for school programs the kids are involved in. Then school starts in August again and I'll have two high schoolers! Needless to say, I've got a lot to do this summer and not as much time to get it done it.

So I have adopted a new attitude: SIMPLIFY!

I work with the teenage girls in my church, I occasionally like to send them little cards letting them know I'm thinking of them during the week. True simplifying would mean getting some store bought cards, you are right, but I love a handmade card, it is not so easy to throw away immediately. So earlier this week, I took the simplified route and double-lifted Alexandra's awesome card that I used for my June gallery inspiration. I turned her card into a layout and then back into a card.

Here's a sketch for you to download:

Once I had the basic design down, I was able to assembly line produce the cards. Super easy, super simplified. Mission accomplished. Here's one of the cards I made. I turned the sketch on its side and moved one element (the pins in place of a tag) from the upper to lower part of the sketch. I love sketches for this reason, you can make them work for you!

So if you'd like to join me in simplifying your summer, here's my suggestion for you today, lift one of your own layouts and make a card. Then create an assembly line and create 5 more. That's SIMPLIFIED creating at its finest. 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

Today is a big day!!! A new look, new teammates, an announcement, a new gallery...

But first, please help us blow out the candles because today is our

Three years ago today, Tina, Elizabeth, and Marnie posted the first post at write. click. scrapbook. how time flies. Since then, we have had 1315 posts, nearly 40 000 comments, and more than 150 giveaways. We cannot even begin to add up the number of layouts that our team has done, but the monthly galleries, alone, have showcased 977 layouts and 44 mini albums. All for you!

 

And while three years have seen patterns on the papers change, products come, and trends go, one thing that stands strong is our commitment to you. When we began, we carefully crafted our beliefs:

1. We believe in telling stories.

2. We believe that understanding photography and design make scrapbooking a little more fun.

3. We believe in the power of color. We also believe in the power of kraft, black, and white.

4. We believe that scrapbooking should be fun and guilt-free.

5. We believe that there is no one right way to scrapbook.

and we stand by them as much today as in days' past. We love scrapbooking. And we know you do, too. And we are here to help you make it doable, sustainable, and fun!

 

To help us celebrate today's birthday festivities, we have put together a team bloghop! We wanted to make it easy, so we are going in alphabetical order. As you click from blog to blog, you can collect letters that you will need to know if you are selected as the lucky number for a giveaway! Our crew is also excited to share with you their thoughts about being a part of write. click. scrapbook. and to give you a sneak peek into their layout for this month's gallery!!

Here is the list, in order:

Alexandra Sirugue-MacLeod
Amy Sorensen
Celeste Smith
Christa Paustenbaugh
Deb Duty
Diane Payne
Donna Jannuzzi
Emily Pitts
Emily Spahn
Erin Sweeney
Francine Clouden
Kathy Martin
Katrina Simeck
Kelly Jeppson (this link will be to an extra place as Kelly is without a public blog!)
Keshet Starr
Lisa Kisch
Lisa Ottosson
Marie Taylor
Marnie Flores
Monika Wright
Paula Gilarde
Sarah Pendergrast
Teka Jo Cochonneau
Valerie O'Neall
Vivian Masket

Look for this graphic

and find the letter that is associated with each team member. Then return here and leave a comment telling us what you love most about write. click. scrapbook. Your comment will be considered for our first year four giveaway, an entire box filled with scrapbooking goodies. AND there are giveaways to be found all along the path...

 

Before you hop away...

Did you notice some new names up there? We thought you might have. We are thrilled beyond measure to announce the addition of 5 new team members. (We actually have 6 new ones, but you are going to have to wait for one whole month to meet the other! heehee!!)

Please give a warm welcome to...

 

 

We are excited for all of you to fall in love with them as we have. Not only are they talented scrapbookers, but they are kind, lovely women with a point of view, a story to tell, and some amazing creativity oozing out of them! If you click on their photo, it will take you to their bio pages so you can read a little more about them. And as you visit their blogs on the bloghop, please take a minute to say hello and introduce yourself to them. Be forewarned that you might get lost in their talented creations!

 

You may also have noticed a few names missing from the list. Aly, Karen, Stacy, Wendy, and Cheryl are all turning in their keys, so to speak. Stacy, Aly, and Cheryl have all been with us from the beginning. We cannot thank them enough for their kindness and hard work. And while Karen and Wendy added later, they, too, left an indelible impression on our site. We will miss them; not just their talent, but also their hearts. We look forward to seeing them in other places and wish them tremendous success and happiness.

 

And while you have filled some of the spaces on our team. We still have one more! And wondered if you might like it? Announcing our first ever

If you have longed to be a part of the write. click. scrapbook. team, now is your chance! We are excited to open up a team spot to one of you! We want to fill it with someone who knows us and loves us. Someone who will help make us great and will shout from the rooftops that write. click. scrapbook. is one awesome scrapbooking site.

As a write. click. scrapbook. teammate you will be responsible to provide a minimum of one layout per month for our monthly galleries, and you will host the blog for one week, and a handful of single days. Team members also help one another by providing pertinent layouts to support the other blog authors.

We love pages that are well-designed, and tell good stories. Our teammates not only scrapbook well, but also write well, as they must share their love and knowledge of scrapbooking through a week of blogging. Good photography is an asset as well.

If you would like to be considered, please put together a sample blog post, on your topic of choice. Additionally, please create a layout or project that will fit under the topic, Summer Fun. We will accept applications through June 23rd. Please know we will also browse through your blog to get a feel for your writing style and personality. The new team member will be notified prior to July 1st. Please send your application materials to marnie@writeclickscrapbook.com.

To review we need:

1. a sample blog post on a topic of your choosing,
2. a layout that fits the theme Summer Fun,
3. a link to your blog,
4. a link to your sample blog post, and
5. a bit about why you want to be on our team.

Please don't forget that we are real people with real lives and are looking for real pages. Please try to be yourself. We will be impressed without you even trying. Promise.

 

Lastly, on this very busy day, let's not forget that today is the first of the month, which means it's

This month, our teammates were paired up and asked to create a layout inspired by their partner. Here are the pairings. What great pairs!

Christa Paustenbaugh & Celeste Smith
Diane Payne & Francine Clouden
Donna Jannuzzi & Lisa Ottosson
Emily Pitts & Alexandra Sirugue-MacLeod
Erin Sweeney & Amy Sorensen
Katrina Simeck & Emily Spahn
Keshet Starr & Vivian Masket
Lisa Kisch & Sarah Pendergrast
Marie Taylor & Teka Cochonneau
Kelly Jeppson & Valerie O'Neall
Marnie Flores & Karen Grünberg
Monika Wright & Kathy Martin
Paula Gilarde & Deb Duty

If you follow the links found in the designer's notes, you will see the inspiration and learn how one layout or project inspired another. Be sure to look at both--some are so similar, while others are worlds apart. Isn't inspiration an amazing thing?

 

Thank you for stopping! We appreciate your comments, in ways you can't imagine, so please leave one telling us why you love write. click. scrapbook. Comments for the giveaway will remain open though Sunday evening. One lucky number will be selected at random and posted on Monday. Please remember it is your responsibility to check back and claim your lucky number before Wednesday.

Have fun in the gallery, on the blog hop, and we look forward to receiving your applications!

edited to add: the giveaway is now closed. thank you!

In Review

What a fun week we had with Amy! Thank you, Amy, for helping us realize what amazing inspiration is all around us and how it can directly or indirectly translate onto a page, and best part yet, get those pages done!!

May has been a good month here at write. click. scrapbook. This month we made crafty goodies for our teachers to help with Teacher Appreciation and school's end. Then Lisa inspired us to help incorporate our social media into our scrapbooking. (Curiously, I think that many many many scrapbookers have let social media take the place of their scrapbooks. Which makes sense for the record keeping and daily noticing part of life, but worries me in the sense that there is no hard copy of all that note taking.) Our third week was spent preparing for Father's Day. And then this past week, we had Amy's help buying chocolate and finding inspiration. 

Our Saturday workshops were delightful. Marie encouraged us to journal about a change that we have been through. Lisa encouraged us to take some food related photographs, and provided some fabulous tips on how to make those photos better. And then last week, we had a great scrapbook challenge week with a new sketch, printable, and design challenge.

And we still have more May next week with Erin!! You know you're excited about that!! I am. I love how very authentic and approachable Erin and her layouts are. She captures her spirit so well in her layouts. I love that and can't wait to see what she brings.

But before we look ahead, lets' also take one long last longing look back at our EveryDaily Gallery.

This month we are going to look back a little differently. This month I am going to use the 20 layouts to make lists. Ready?

Here are 20 photos you should take to help preserve your everyday life:

1. a photo of your child learning something new (Donna)
2. what you are having for lunch today (Celeste)
3. a bit of nature from your garden or your life (Alexandra)
4. art (or music or literature) that is meaningful to you right now (Alexandra)
5. a change in your routine (Diane)
6. something that represents an activity/responsibility/action that you do every single day (Karen)
7. your morning environment (LisaO)
8. someone copying/emulating someone else (Francine)
9. the wild side of someone in your home (Aly)
10. someone in the midst of just being (Amy)
11. the tech in your life (Diane)
12. entertainment being enjoyed (Vivian)
13. the mess someone makes in your house (Erin)
14. the worst part of your morning routine (EmilyS)
15. someone you want to see every day (Monika)
16. a lingering moment in bed in the morning (Paula)
17. the view through your peep hole (EmilyP)
18. what's on your lap (Marie)
19. something that repeats itself in your day (Keshet)
20. what is outside your window right now (Marnie)

 

And how about twenty stories/snippets you an tell to help preserve your everyday life:

1. how you feel about your children growing up (Donna)
2. your eating habits (Celeste)
3. your favorite flower (Alexandra)
4. why the arts (or something else impactful) moves you (Alexandra)
5. how you adapt to change (Diane)
6. a commitment you made (Karen)
7. how you begin (or end) your day (LisaO)
8. traits/habits that you spy  (Francine)
9. love, in spite (Aly)
10. something you miss (Amy)
11. a little addiction (Diane)
12. list your current media favorites (Vivian)
13. toddlers are busy. discuss. (Erin)
14. a recurring struggle you face (EmilyS)
15. record a disappointment (Monika)
16. how you mentally prepare for a task (Paula)
17. an event (big or small) that you monitored (EmilyP)
18. something that isn't going to last (Marie)
19. the disposition of your children (Keshet)
20. your neighbors (Marnie)

 

Lastly, twenty bits of design inspiration:

1. replace the dot in an "i" with a bit of flair (Donna)
2. add 5 buttons (Celeste)
3. use a frame but not for a photo (Alexandra)
4. add a bicycle icon to a tag or page (Alexandra)
5. incorporate 5 trends on one page (Diane)
6. blow up a photo, big! (Karen)
7. layer a repeating element in your patterned paper (LisaO)
8. stitch around the edges of your layout  (Francine)
9. two pager (good luck!) (Aly)
10. incorporate a second font into your journaling for emphasis (Amy)
11. edit a photo to better tell the story (Diane)
12. use some potty people (is that really what they are called?) (Vivian)
13. create a photo strip to use more photos (Erin)
14. staple down some twine (EmilyS)
15. try a different size (Monika)
16. paint (real or digi) on your background paper (Paula)
17. trim your main photo into a circle (EmilyP)
18. use a repeating graphic element (Marie)
19. use two fonts in your title (Keshet)
20. journal around the edge of your page (Marnie)

 

There you have it! One little gallery providing you with 60 assignments. Think of all the pages you would make!! Those lists make me hungry to scrapbook! Why do housework when there are 60 pages that need to be done!!

Thank you, to our lovely ladies for a month well done!! In just 5 more days we will be celebrating our fourth birthday! Can you believe another year has nearly passed?

Thank you for stopping! Enjoy your holiday weekend!

Welcome, May!

Everyday routines. Everyday schedules. Daily happenings. How we fill our days. Our minutes. Our hours. Our lives. Our people. Our places. Our activities. Our everyday normal. Which mightn't be normal at all.

Today, we celebrate all that makes up our hectic, harried, and happy lives! Enjoy the new gallery!

Just Add: Goo

OK, it's not really called goo, but that's such a good word to describe today's products, and it's so onomatopoeic, and I never get to type out that word, so humor me.

Today we're looking at gesso and molding or modeling/texture paste.

Gesso is defined as a hard compound of plaster of Paris or whiting in glue, used in sculpture or as a base for gilding or painting on wood.

Molding/modeling/texture paste is thicker and adds body to paint to create 3D texture. You can create a more distinct shape.

I'm sure there is a huge difference between the two products, but to me, they are both white and gooey. Gesso is thinner and dries smoother. Molding or modeling paste (name depends on the company that makes it) is thick like toothpaste and has a velvety texture when dry. Although both can give you dimension, molding/modeling/texture paste is a little easier to get the 3D effect.

First we'll look at gesso. Here are a couple examples from Ronda to show both smooth and 3D from gesso: 

 

To get the colored gesso, she misted the wet product with a spray ink, then some walnut ink. 

To get the dimension, she applied a thick layer of gesso to a stencil.

I added a thick layer of gesso to a blank canvas, gesso is sticky like glue and so I embedded a bunch of these chipboard numbers into the surface of the gesso. Those numbers are not going anywhere. I wanted texture, so I kept the surface bumpy. It dried and looks kind of like a frosted cake.
 

This layout was an exercise in "Let's see what happens." I wanted to print my journaling, but the paper had text on it, so I spread a thin layer of gesso on it, stamped a grid background stamp randomly on the still wet gesso and let it dry. Cool texture! Once it was dry, I ran it through my large format printer and yay! It worked! 

Diane used gesso as a glue here, she added a thick glop of it and covered it with sand to add some texture and ambiance to her mini album about her St. John vacation. With its glue-like ability, gesso is perfect for this sort of technique.

And Alexandra used a stencil and gesso for her mini album, this time creating a textured background instead of the main accent.

Molding/modeling/texture paste is next on my list of "Need to Try," but here's an example from Ronda. She added a layer of paste (colored with mist) for matting her photo and then added some german glitter glass before it dried. Paste is also glue-like, making it easy to embed embellishments into it.

 

We'll finish off with a lovely example of molding/modeling/texture paste from Paula. She mixed the paste with paint then applied it to her cardstock, using the negative space chipboard from an old alphabet. Another example of "Let's see what happens." Pretty cool, don't you think?  

And there you have it, adding goo can be fun! Tomorrow is give.away.day. and if you've enjoyed the ideas from this week, you're going to love tomorrow. Wink, wink.