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March Week Inspiration: Spring

Yesterday you received the challenge to scrapbook something related to spring. Today, I wanted to share some ideas that you could inspire you:

I always set bucket lists for myself in the summer, but never spring. Try scrapbooking your bucket list for the seasonal change! Link

I'm not a purple fan, but I am a fan of yellow, blue, and green. It's perfect paired with that trio. What can you do with it? Link

I haven clue what inspiration you could draw from these cups, but I love them! Link

This inspiration is more practical for me: I want to build raised beds this spring. What organization projects do you have in store this spring? Link

Finally, photos: So many gorgeous flowers and animals to photographs, but I love this shot of organized produce. Link What can you shoot to represent spring?

March Week 3 Challenge: Spring

Hello! It's Jennifer Larson with this week's challenge:

Document spring (or fall if you are in the southern hemisphere!).

Come back this week for inspiration and share your creations on Instagram with the hashtag #wcsmarchchallenge

 

Welcome, March!

Hello to March! Did your month come in like a lion this morning? Or is spring peeking out already? Or do you live on the other side of our beautiful world where the sun is still shining as summer begins to wane. Lucky.

Our month gets started with a nod to Instagram. A scrapbooker's paradise of visual pleasure. This month we asked our team to create layouts that had something to do with Instagram. As always, they knocked it out of the park. We hope you enjoy their layouts and feel inspired to create one of your own. Please enjoy our newest gallery, InstaAwesome. As always, the layouts and the journaling are available if you click over into the photo album. 

 

THE CHANUKAH GIFT THAT KEEPS ON GIVING
BY ALIZA

12 x 12 | materials patterned paper (Studio Calico, Clique Kits) + stickers (Studio Calico) + cards and die cuts (Clique Kits)

A Note from Aliza
This layout is based on my most recent Instagram photo. I love the photo and, though it took place in February, it allows me to record this past year’s Chanukah gift. It’s a subscription, so it’s like getting a gift each month of the year. I love the way this layout turned out, but all those letter stickers gave me a run for my money.

March Fun Fact
I have joined a dance performance workshop. I am so excited, and I have ordered a new pair of Jazz shoes. My current pair is from 1993.

 

 

INSTAALLISON
BY KATIE

12 x 12 | materials patterned paper (Dear Lizzy, Webster's Pages, Crate Paper) + embellishments (Chic Tags, Heidi Swapp, Amy Tangerine, Webster's Pages) + letter stickers (American Crafts) + sequins

A Note from Katie
Lately, I'm much more excited about my daughter's Instagram feed than I am about mine. I used 12 photos from her feed to create a collage of photos in the soon to be gone Picasa.

March Fun Fact
My daughter recently told us that she is "Emo" - and my husband and I both Googled what that was and took the "What Kind Of Emo Are You" and I got "Poser Emo" which means that I'm not actually Emo - but I am enjoying watching her transformations as she grows up.

 

 

DAY IN THE LIFE
BY DEE

12 x 12 | materials cardstock (American Crafts) label sticker (Ali Edwards Storykit) + button (Studio Calico) + stickers (Studio Calico) + ink (Stazon & Studio Calico) + pen (Project Life)

A Note from Dee
This layout had been waiting for me to make it for almost a year now. I knew I had the photos and I knew I wanted to do something with them, but what??? Until this theme came along and I new I wanted to make it into a layout with fun little squares.

March Fun Fact
The month march doesn’t really stand out to me.. it’s like I’m just waiting for the spring… I do like the early signs of spring arriving though… little flowers blooming… but then again some days there suddenly will be snow again

 

INSTAAWESOME
BY MARNIE

 12 x 12 | materials patterned paper (Crystal Wilkerson) + fonts (Hello Beautiful, KG Penmanship)

A Note from Marnie
I "stole" a few photos from my son's instagram account for this layout. I love that I can peek in on his world. Because he is awesome.

March Fun Fact
That little groundhog promised spring. I am hoping. It's been a long winter. And if it's delayed, there's a new Maisie Dobbs coming to keep me distracted!

 

THE KID'S ALL RIGHT
BY AMY 

 12 x 12 | materials black & white scraps from my black & white scrap box + fonts (Angelica (serif), Impact (sans serif), Manhattan Darling (script), Veneer Extra (dingbats))

A Note from Amy
I've been wanting to make a black & white layout for a little while, and this picture, which I posted on Instagram this fall, seemed like the right one. I added some yellow pops because it felt just a little too stark without it. I used some really old stuff on this layout! My favorite Instagram posts are the ones with a strong image and succinct message, so I kept my journaling short.

March Fun Fact
Helen Oyeyemi has a new short story collection coming out this month, What is Not Yours is Not Yours. I'm excited!

 

WINTER
BY LISA

8.5 x 11 | materials cardstock (Bazzill) + thickers (Studio Calico) + letter stickers (Websters pages)

A Note from Lisa
This layout was so difficult to photograph, so pardon the bluish light.

 

INSTAGRAM BIRTHDAY
BY JENNY LARSON

 

12 x 12 | materials patterned paper (Studio Calico, Jillibean Soup) + brads (Stampin' Up!) + thickers (American Crafts) + die cuts (American Crafts) + stickers (October Afternoon) + washi (unknown) + pen (Sharpie)

A Note from Jenny
Every time we go to the Mall of America, I post our trip on Instagram. I did that for my son's birthday this past month. Interesting to note: If you mention the mall in your post, they read them and comment on your photos!

March Fun Fact
I am impatient to garden!

 

We hope you have enjoyed our layouts! Until tomorrow...

The elements: air

This week we're scrapbooking the elements, inspired by the film The Fifth Element. Today I'm scrapbooking air:

My son has always loved the wild and crazy air rides. I took this photo last summer and loved it because I could tell which one was my son from the feet, which were bare and in the air. I did a similar page, again at the state fair, a few years ago:

(I just noticed that in these photos, my son has the exact same pose, one with his arms and one with his legs. he knows how to have fun on the scary rides!

Truthfully, these photo inspires me to look up more often. How often do you take photos of your subjects from below? The sky is so lovely, especially on a clear day in the summer...Today I shared photos of my son in the air. I hope this gives you ideas for scrapbooking the air!

The elements: fire

Hello! Me again. Continuing the theme based on the film The Fifth Element, I wanted to share a page about the element of fire. Here it is:

Can't see much fire in this page, but trust me: our whole reason for being in the backyard was the portable fire pit, on which we roasted s'mores and burned old paperwork. I used inspiration from Simple Scrapper for this page.

So think about ways fire has been a part of your life, literally and metaphorically. Go ahead and record it!

The elements: earth

Hello! There is a wild and crazy science fiction film from the 90s called The Fifth Element. It starred Bruce Willis, Milla Jovovich, Ian Holm, and Gary Oldman, among others, and was a futuristic tale about aliens who left a "fifth element" to save us all from an evil that would one day invade earth. The fifth element? Love. So this week we will be sharing layouts about all the elements, including that all-powerful fifth.

Today I wanted to share a few pages inspired by the earth:

In the spring, summer, and fall I take lots of pictures of my garden; in the winter, I put them together on a page to remember the color. I used a sketch and story starter from Simple Scrapper for this one. Here's another page inspired by the earth:

After our vacation last summer, I got to thinking about my dog and her travels on the earth. This photo of her surveying the world at the top of a mountain in Vermont was the perfect backdrop for a record of her travels last summer.

What kind of a page can you create inspired by the earth? Do you garden? Do you hike? What other ways can you scrapbook your love of the earth?

Thank you for visiting! Come back again this week for more pages about the other elements, including the fifth.

Welcome, February!

This month we are celebrating love. Not just the romantic kind. But all sorts. Love of people, love of things, love of activities. It's all fair game. We hope you enjoy our lovely loving gallery!

 

 

THIS MAKES MY HEART HAPPY
BY ALIZA

12 x 12 | materials cardstock (Bazzill Basics Paper, American Crafts) + patterned paper (Crate Paper) + chipboard (Ali Edwards) + tabs (Fancy Pants Designs) + journal cards (Ali Edwards) + fonts (Ali Edwards, FrenteH1)

A Note from Aliza
This layout took an absurdly long time to be completed. I knew what I wanted to say, which products I wanted to use, and yet it took forever. Some days are like that. Even in Australia.

February Fun Fact
In other dog park related news, I’ve been working on finding all the right items for staying warm while standing outside for an hour. My latest acquisition is Smartwool socks.

 

 

PURE MAGIC
BY LISA

8.5 x 11 | materials rub-on (Studio Calico) + die cut (Studio Calico) + sticker (TGR) + enamel dots (Cocoa Daisy)

A Note from Lisa
I have made a love themed page but without the traditional elements of perhaps a significant other as the main focus. I find heart shapes out in nature all the time and wanted to make a page using some of the most recent ones. And the notion is that if we really want to and look closely, we can see love all around us.

 

 

LOVE TO PLAY
BY JENNY

12 x 12 | materials cardstock (Stampin’ Up!) + patterned paper (Crate Paper, Cosmo Cricket, October Afternoon, Echo Park) + flowers (K & Co.) + epoxy stickers (Heidi Swapp) + thickers (American Crafts) + labels (Teresa Collins) + stickers (Studio Calico) + font (Times New Roman)

A Note from Jenny
My One Little Word last year was Play. I made a page about it for my album; these were leftover photos that I decided to use for the family album. I wanted to celebrate our love of playing together.

February Fun Fact
We love playing collaborative games like Pandemic or Forbidden Island where your goal is not to beat each other but to work together to defeat the game.

 

 

LOVE LOVE LOVE
BY KATIE

12 x 12 | materials patterned paper (Crate Paper, Dear Lizzy, Sassafras, Bella Blvd) + thickers (American Crafts) + chipboard elements (Theresa Collins) + stickers (Webster's Pages) + puffy stickers (Target)

A Note from Katie
This layout was made from patterned paper scraps and border strips all within the pink color family. Making a monochromatic page consisting of paper strips is one of my favorite ways to use up my scraps.

February Fun Fact
After living in Florida since I was 18, this is the time of year when I get super jealous of anyone who lives where there is snow, so I try to remember that we are lucky to live near the beach.

 

 

5 THINGS I LOVE
BY AMY

12 x 12 | materials patterned paper (American Crafts, Crate Paper, Pink Paisley, & misc scraps from my scrap bucket) + alphabet stickers (Basic Grey, Elle's Studio, Webster's Pages) + word stickers (Pink Paisley) + rub on (American Crafts)

A Note from Amy
I took this photo with my cell phone this fall...but I didn't want it to feel like an autumn layout. This color scheme felt like a good compromise.

February Fun Fact
This month my husband and I will celebrate our 24th wedding anniversary. I'm not sure how all that time has already passed!

 

 

LOVE YOU
BY TRACIE

12 x 12 | materials cardstock (Bazzill) + patterned paper (Bella Blvd.) + stickers (Valentina by Bella Blvd.) + heart punch (Martha Stewart Crafts)

A Note from Tracie
This layout is just a fun page expressing my love for my husband and daughter. I rarely do a layout without a story or any journaling but when I thought about what I would say, it was already said with the words on the stickers! I used a heart punch to add white hearts for a subtle background. To give the larger hearts dimension, I glued them together in stacks of five. All the paper and stickers came from one collection which made this layout super fun and easy to put together!

February Fun Fact
I collect vintage Valentine’s from the 1950’s and I love pink and red so Valentine’s Day is one of my favorite holidays. What’s not to love about a holiday that revolves around chocolate, love and beautiful greeting cards, right?

 

 

BETTER TOGETHER
BY DEE

12 x 12 | materials cardstock (American Crafts) + patterned paper (Echo Park Paper) + Chipboard Pieces (Ali Edwards) + thickers (American Crafts) + journaling card (Ali Edwards) + acrylic heart (Ali Edwards) + sticker (Ali Edwards) + ink (Stazon)

A Note from Dee
This layout has my heart! It’s been in my mind for months but I never got round to making it. Happy that this theme came along, because I immediately knew It was the perfect match!
And it came together so quickly! That’s what I love with having layouts in your mind, they come together so easily because everything is thought out already!

February Fun Fact
I’m not much of a Valentine's person, it’s too corny for my
taste. I’d rather surprise my loved ones every now and then throughout the year :-)

 

 

LOVE MY DAPPER BOY
BY MARNIE

12 x 12 | materials patterned paper (Crystal WIlkerson) + fonts (Letter Gothic, Times New Roman)

A Note from Marnie
I have been shying away from the camera lately, so I went with a picture of my eldest. And how much I love him and his sense of style. And I do love it. And him.
The design was based on an ad I saw on the screens at the airport whilst I waited for my flight yesterday. :) The little (not quite) octagons fade gently from right to left. I have a feeling I will try this again...

February Fun Fact
This year I already know what I am getting my sweet husband for Valentine's day. That's a first! He is terribly difficult to buy for!

Out with the old: Stitchery

I have been a cross stitcher since I was in third grade, much longer than I have been a scrapbooker. I'm drawn to a few types of patterns, first classic samplers, which I put together on a sampler wall in the guest room:

Next, Noah's Ark samplers, which I keep with a few Noah's Ark craft figures in the living room:

And finally, garden patterns, which I mostly keep in my bedroom:

 (Side note: it's really hard to photograph framed cross stitching behind glass!)

I am a quick and prolific stitcher, so I have many that I have not yet framed, like this one, which I imagined framing in two circular mats, sans cat hair, which seems to be on it now:

I also have many classic samplers unframed, like this one, which will go in the guest room:

And many small Noah's Ark patterns like this one:

And then in 2002 I stopped cross stitching when I had kids. With my sons constantly on my lap, I couldn't imagine needle crafts. The lighting was so poor by the time they were in bed, I just put it away for a while. Recently, though, I realized the lighting at my sons' taekwondo dojang was excellent, so I pulled out and finished the pattern I stopped stitching when my eldest was born:

Then I picked up another, a Halloween pattern, that I finished quickly:

Somewhere in here I also made a few geek patterns I picked up on Etsy or in other places. These patterns were so simple I could finish them in a day:

This next one is in my husband's cube at work:

So why am I mentioning this? Now that my boys are bigger, and I have found a well lit place I will be in for a few hours every week all year, I am dedicating myself to picking up my stitching habit again. My goal is to stitch between 3-6 patterns by the end of the year. In addition, I want to frame 3-4 patterns that I have already made. My longer term goal is to design a classic sampler pattern myself based on Star Wars; instead of a house, I want the skyline of Mos Eisley, and the verse "You will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy" along with the phrase "Home Sweet Home."  I haven't found one I like to purchase, so I'll have to design it myself!

Thank you for stopping by today! I hope you set goals for revisiting hobbies you have set aside but intend to go back to.

Out with the old: My Books on the Nightstand

Hello! This week we'll be writing about letting go of the old and welcoming in the new. Today I'll talk about my nightstand.

I used to work in a bookstore, so I collected and read a lot of books. I've been in a book club for a while. I'm also a book addict, picking up books I see on sale that I like. As a result, I ended up with over 30+ books on my nightstand. Ouch. This is especially tough for me because I'm an English teacher. When I'm grading papers, the last thing in the world I want to do is read to relax. So my bookstand has been...well, booked! for a long time. Since I listen to the podcast Books on the Nightstand, this has been killing me. I have a huge To be Read (TBR) list, but I feel I can't start it until I lower this pile. Hence my resolution, which I started last year: reducing the pile.

Here's one thing about goals: studies say you are more likely to achieve your goals if you write it down and tell someone. So I scrapbooked my piles and my plan. Here's the page, using materials from Simple Scrapper:

I made a list of the books I'd read from the pile this year and listed the ones I wanted to read next. I didn't make my goal of reading them by the end of the year, but guess what?  I am now reading The Days of Rondo, which, if you look closely, is third from the bottom. YES! I should finish this goal by the end of February and read the rest of the pile by summer.

So what's next for me? I went through my TBR list last fall and made this page, using a kit from Scrapbook Circle:

I have many more books on my list, but I look forward to reading these the most. Hooray! Nothing like achieving a goal.

Thank you for visiting today! I hope you'll come back tomorrow, when I'll share another hobby long neglected that I am dedicating myself to dusting off and returning to.

Our Favorites: Stories

It's Jennifer Larson again, sharing an idea for scrapbooking your favorite stories from the year. 

A few years ago I had some small, leftover photos I hadn't scrapped. I put them on a page called "This was the year that..." and I made a list of what we had done that I wanted to remember. Since then, I've made this page every year. Here's the latest incarnation:

I have to confess that a lot of my design decisions come about after thinking "What do I have a lot of that I need to use up?" In this case, I have a lot of blue paper, a die cut pack that was unopened, and ink.

I made the list of memories first, then when I looked through my photos from the year, I unearthed many more memories. This page represents the whole list.

Even though I scrapbook the whole year throughout the year, I like making this compilation at the end of the year. To me it gives the year a particular weight. I encourage you to give it a go!

Come back later this week for more favorites from the team!