Papercraft Haven and More

Where would I go -        I haven't had the chance to go many places, I can probably count on 1 - maybe 2 hands where all I have been.  If I had the chance to go anywhere, I would go to Hawaii for a month - just to lay on the beach and drink fuzzy navels all day long!  I wouldn't take my cats, no kids, and definitely NO DRAMA allowed on my month long trip!        In the inside of the fun photo matt, you will see we have a bit of hidden journaling!  This way, I could write down a few places I would want to go - out of all of the places, I have been once to Aspen, and recently to California...but the rest has escaped me!  Hidden journaling -      So - your challenge for the day - is either to do a layout about where YOU would go - if you could...Where would you go - for how long would you go if you could?  Would you take anyone with you?  Or, do a layout with an area for hidden journ...

       If you are just starting out scrapbooking, I would suggest up front that you get some sort of an alphabet template to help save you a bit of money from having to buy stickers all the time!  A die cut machine is a bit costly, especially if you are just starting out scrapbooking in the first place.  An alphabet template can help you get the perfect titles for all of your pages in no time.  This is just another example of some of the layouts I have done using different types of alphabet templates for my layout titles!!!  Find one that you are attracted to that can be easy enough to cut out too!         For this layout, I used the Coluzzle alphabet template which I use for quite a few of the projects I do!  I like how I can cut the letters out that I need and use the rest of the paper for something else.  In this case - I broke down the letters, and matted them in the other colors on the opposite page to make...

     One of my favorite albums I have done is my All About Me album...more because it helped me through a really rough time in my life more than anything!!!  Use it in connection with therapy, or just to take some time for YOU, instead of always scrapbooking those family times!!!  I recently spent some time on the phone with a friend from Washington, and it hit me during that conversation, how much alike we are, especially about our family!  Jess is one of those people you find on Facebook - that you "click" with, for whatever reason!  They are those "true" type of people...very refreshing for me!!!        This is one of my "most favorite" layouts I started to do when I first started doing my All About Me album...  Katie was one of those "friends" who I clicked with - just like Jess - only with Katie, we worked together!!!  We both moved out of the Colorado Springs, Colorado area, and ultimately lost touch with each othe...

     One thing I love to do is read... I do book reviews for Simply Stacie  - and have loved reading since I was just a little girl.  Being the youngest, I would sit and watch my mom and dad read book after book...seems the rest of us girls got that same gene!!!         For this layout, I used one of my favorite color schemes, blue, wheat and ivory...  I made the paper piecing of the books, out of scraps and a marker - various heart die cuts and punches (totally taken from My Creative Companion 2).....and then pictures of my books to complete the look.   Supply list:   2 sheets wheat cardstock  2 sheets blue cardstock 1 sheet Ivory cardstock Alphabet rub-on's  Larger alphabet item (chipboard or thick letter) for the "I" Various die cuts and punches Black marker Directions:   Step one:  Take the blue sheet of paper, trim 1" from the side and bottom of the paper.   Step two:  Trim t...

    This layout represented a time in my life where I was truly happy - a place that I loved to live... my favorite you might say, thus the title.  There are times where, when I scrapbook, it starts with the title, or the picture, or the papers that I use first...before anything else.  Then the entire layout just comes out, as if by magic at times!!!  My projects are often-times designed in my head - thinking constantly about how I want the project to look, or writing down specific things in relation to the item I am working on.  Sometimes my projects take off in a direction I never thought about, but it turns out good anyway...        My favorite color is pink, this was my favorite time in my life (until recently anyway), and my daughter and her blessing dress that my mom made.   Your challenge for the weekend - is to find your favorite photo of yourself, and make a layout of it...  Life changes at the drop of a hat, where ...

Different.....      For this challenge, I want you to find a photo...it doesn't matter if the photo is older, or current - find a photo!  Then find a word that describes you - I chose "different" because I am different than most people are....I feel different and I am different...        I started with the 1 word title first - I added the definition of "different" and tags with journaling coming out the side of the layout.   Supply list:   1 sheet background paper (I used 12 x 12 Chatterbox paper to be able to use the extra's) Coordinating paper Alphabet template Brads Sizzix frames & tags Floss & ribbon for the tags Button Marker to match Directions:   Step one:  Cut your background paper to 8.5 x 11 (unless you do 12 x 12 albums) putting the extra aside for use later on.   Step two:  From the coordinating paper, die cut the Sizzix frames in both the wave and the square background.  A...

Life, left side  The other day, I posted this post...  including a challenge for you to create a layout with a quote, poem or saying that you like...  From that challenge, this is the layout spread that I have finished up...    Quote by Jeff Taylor, digital layout spread made with Serif Digital Scrapbook Artist 2 software and page kits.   Life isn't about taking score...who did this, or who didn't do that...  It's not about he said this or she said that's...and it's really not about who was there and who wasn't...  It isn't about how rude you can be to another person, or who is "different" than you are...  A nd it certainly isn't about who can lie the best about things that shouldn't be lied about.     What life IS about... spending time with those you care about, being happy - even if things have went wrong in your life.   It's about standing up for something EVEN IF YOU ARE STANDING ALONE... It's about laughing ...

     Should you come with a warning label?  I know for me, there are 3 things you absolutely never mess with - me, my emotions, and my family.  Later on in life I added my customers to this list - as I am a customer service professional first and foremost - as I expect my  customers to be treated with kindness and respect!        The layout is a simple one, using 4 photos, simple tags for accents, and journaling.  I added a bit of eyelets to certain places, as well as computer generated journaling added to the middle of the page.  For me, my kids are my entire life...don't ever mess with them or momma bear will certainly come out worse than you have ever seen me before...it's as if my head spins in circles and I instantly become Lucy!        Your AAM challenge for the day - is to look at YOU in a nutshell, should you come with some sort of warning label, or are you pretty mellow most of the time?  It ...

We have a few ongoing projects that I wanted to talk about, to help you with inspiration, and to remind you that even though this is Christmas in July - please remember to think about YOU during this month as well!   Monthly layouts - if you can handle journaling through the month, taking a few pictures, and then making two layouts - then this is for you!  By doing a monthly album, you can keep track of all the fun events through the month, and then be able to whip out a great 2 page spread in no time.  Just keep track of the things you want to notate each month to add to your layout...or use your Facebook or Myspace status' instead!   Gratitude journal - watching Oprah's last show and listening to some of the things that was said, this "journal" really hit close to home for me.  So, my challenge for you is to start this project NOW!   All about ME  - a project EVERYONE should do whether they are a man or woman!  Challenge questions are on t...

     When you start your All About ME album, at first it will make you feel selfish - why on earth are you going to focus on YOU - when it is about your whole family that you scrapbook?  Well, it's because you don't want to get lost in the process - yes, you have kids...or you have a husband, a job, a life...you have reasons you did what you did, or things you did that stood out from some of the other stuff you did... those are the types of things you want to focus on...  Think of it this way - what would you have wanted to know about your grandmother - that you DON'T know but wish you could know?  That is what you want to focus on - the little things.         So - for this layout, I used a Coluzzle alphabet system to cut out the first layer of words, matting them on another color - then, adding a few simple eyelets to the title for visual interest.  I chose a simple stamp with a heart theme for the background of the paper in ...

     One of my favorite albums I have done so far is my All about ME album... not because I like to concentrate on scrapbooking ME, but I think it is important to document  your thoughts, feelings, what made you YOU instead!  Life is hard enough, especially  when you are going through a hard time!  I used scrapbooking as a therapy tool,  though didn't realize it until later on down the line.        You All About ME album is just that - all about you in layouts that are attractive  and nice to  look at.  They can be about your birth, childhood, things you did right  or wrong, or just about  anything you would want from them.  Each week, I will be  giving you a layout and a topic to talk about...if you catch up this week, feel free to  go to this link  to get even more topics to scrapbook...this will keep you busy for quite  a while!    For this layout - pick ...

Favorite things .....(and NO, I"m not talking about Oprah's favorite things...)we all have things that are a "few of our favorite things", but have you documented them?  Or,instead twist things up...do a favorite things layout for each of your kids, or your favorite things each year....you get the idea!  I know if I were to do a "favorites" layout today, I would more than likely do a mini album instead, to be able to document a lot of different things!  Since this was done for my All About Me album, the plan was a bit different from the beginning!  In this layout, I decided to use my favorite color as the basis of the layout, accented with white and a bit of silver in the tags.  The photos are all things that are my "favorites"...my daughter's blessing dress that my mom made, my Cherished Teddies, my cat Tygress...you get the idea!  With the photos you ultimately use, don't be afraid to use some that you used in other layouts, you ...

No Regrets.......  Do you have things in your life that you don't regret doing...  I know for me, there are a few things that no matter what, I do not regret, this layout spread represents that.  I do not regret learning to scrapbook...and the things it helped me to do in my life!  It has brought out the artistic side of me more, and helped me to stay alive!  One thing I will never regret is meeting my husband Del and blending 8 kids.  Life for us has not been fun, but we have made the best of what we could...this I do not and never will regret!    I do not regret moving to Colorado, and spending the first part of my childrens lives here...  Colorado is a beautiful place to live and to be!  The weather is not what you would think, and the people here are just the best!  I lived here for 8 years, then for the past 3 years...neither time I regret being here!  Yet this time, I have been able...

All About Me albums are without a doubt, the funnest albums you can make...because it's all about YOU!  Used for therapy reasons, you will discover that you are truly a normal person, and though you may have things that you are trying to deal with..you can see at the end of it all how things REALLY are!   Plus it is a way to use up all of the supplies you have bought, but had no idea what you were going to do with them... When making this layout, it was created with an All About Me challenge on a message board that is no longer around.  I had been creating my album for a while and loved this challenge.  I used what I had available to me at the time:  cardstock/paper, ink/stamps, Colluzzle alphabet system, and eyelets.  I used my Sizzix machine to create the tags; you can either find a template, cut your own, or use a die cut system to create them.  I used words to describe me using each of the letters in my name to finish off the layout!  ...

This is my All About Me title page...  I used a photo that wasn't as good as I'd like it to be, cut into 12 "pieces", with the Colluzzle alphabet for the title itself.  I used rubber stamps to create a few things that are "me", using fun colors of wheat, cream and blue!  Creating your "All About ME" album is a bit different than creating your family album.  You get to use colors that YOU like, things that YOU want...titles that are fitting for YOU and not the "family".  It is also a fun way to scrapbook if you are single, being able to showcase decisions, things you love to do, and basically "who" you are for when you do get married or have kids, or just as a way to leave for future generations to see.    I used this album as a therapy tool, and am so glad I found the Book of Me by Angie Pedersen...She helped me to see a new way of creating books...it isn't just about my family, it's about me too...my memories, my th...

No regrets...things I do not regret doing in my life...some people call me crazy, but I am who I am...  Layouts are more than just pictures on a page.  This was used for therapy more than anything...things in my lifetime that I never regretted doing!    The layout was simple to finish, using cardstock, Sizzix die cuts, photos...and a bunch of journalling!  On the top left is a photo of my husband and his children...one thing I do not regret doing!  Blending 8 kids has proved to be horrible, but it is also one of the best things we have done.  When you have multiple ex's involved, blending of children, and problems...well, as hard as it is I still to this day do not regret meeting Del!  Scrapbooking and making cards is another "no regret..", photo on the bottom!  I love to create and share with others...  Scrapbooking kept me alive where others in my life were treating me bad.  When you have family and ex's going after you, ...

This is one of those layouts that just turned out...  The picture I used was of me in the airport the summer before 9/11 happened.  In retrospect, I would have used this picture for how I felt about 9/11 happening, and how things were before...but, I can't change that now can I!  Instead, it was used on my AAM album...words and thoughts describing who I am... I used items from a few different things: rub on alpha stickers, stickers left over from other things, and a bit of my own handwriting!  I added a sheet of paper that I hadn't used on other projects, and the photo we discussed!  I might decide to get this photo rescanned and printed out...for use later on!  I challenge you to look at your photos a different way....before you scrapbook them the first time!  Lynda Jeffs Memories in Tyme

Your name make's a great start for an All About Me page, taking each of your initials and finding words that make up each of the inititals.  The layout itself is more advanced, using eyelets in the name.  This can be changed to brads to change the look and feel of the  layout.   The background can be stamped or not, depending on your experience and what you choose to use.  Tags were used for each of the initials for L we have Leo, loud, last minute...you get the idea, Y we have yak, yak, yak.....N is nag, nice, not normal, D is dumb, Del....A is artist, accomplished..... Each of the sides match, with pictures added at different times in my life.  It was fun coming up with things that matched each of the letters! Use your favorite color to finish it up, creating tags yourself, with handwriting in for the journaling.     Step one:  for title, I used the Coluzzle alpha system to create the letters, and then matted in anot...

                                                  Pieces of me... the beginnings of my Book of Me!  Doing a Book of Me album (or All About Me as some people call it) is actually a lot of fun.   When I first started doing my album, I wanted to do layouts that reflected WHO I am.  I didn't want to just do layouts about my family, though they are important too!    Angie Pedersen started the Book of Me, and has also wrote the Book of Us and Growing Up Me.  She can be found at http://www.scrapyourstories.com/  if you want to locate her book, or for other challenges she might have.  Some of the challenges I will do is based on her book, others will be from some of the other challenges I have found! ...