Papercraft Haven and More

I love my cat Tygress...Del and I have had her since she was born, so she is part of the family...at times, she is wonderful and loving...and at other times....can you say "biatch"...I know I can!  But seriously, doing layouts of her and the boys have been a lot of fun....they are always around us and are seriously a part of our lives!   Tygress was born in September 2000, this year she will be 11!  She has been with us as long as my husband and I have been together!   In this layout, I love how the lettering is for the title...in strips down the side, with the alphabet letters making up each word...easily customized to be what YOU want, not what I do!  On each separate title, I used a brad, and also on the tag on the 2nd page to match it all.  I like to use one thing on both sides to tie it all in together...in this page, I created a couple of tags with cat themed buttons, to create the look and f...

My youngest two kids are two years and two weeks apart...  My daughter was born on December 11, my son born on December 26th two years later.  I remember going to the doctor for my yearly check up the year after she was born.  I did not want a third child, at least not right then...so it made the doctors visit all that much harder when the test came back positive - especially since I was on the pill!   When I brought him home she hated him...and did until these pictures, from this point on they have always been together and very close.  I am not close to my siblings, the one that is just older than me is 5 years older - totally no closeness there...but these two - it amazes me still how close they really are.   I used a simple star punch as an accent, with a bit of ribbon & buttons under one of my favorite pictures taken.  I used 3 slides, decorated with the same stars and buttons, but added mulberry pap...

  One thing about me...I love my cats...  This is Miss Catitude Tygress, my first cat together with my husband Del!  I had her mom first, and then Ty was born, Del fell in love with her...we thought she was a boy at first, but nope...she is most definitely all girl!  She loves to sit on our books and things we are working on, loves to play with necklaces, string.....and totally hates the boys!!!!  In this layout, I used all pinks from the Bazzill Basics line of paper!  I used 12 x 12 cardstock cut in down to 8.5 x 11 size, in a monochromatic color scheme.  I used a bit of color added to the border with my sizzix die cut tags and cat die cuts.  The alphabet was done with the colluzzle alphabet system, and then wrapped with silver wire.  I used silver ribbon for the hanging journaling part and with a bow around the neck!  A bit more silver with the tag on the right side of the layout!  Very sim...

As you can tell, I love to make cards... my ideas are varied, from very detailed - using paints, embossing powders, chalks - down to very easy, using die cuts and a simple stamp (or not...) to create a look that you won't find going to the stores!  I am all about unique and cheap!  I use my Sizzix die cuts a lot - especially since I don't have any other type of machine of my own at the moment.  Since I am all about saving money - this particular die cut allows me to be creative while saving money.  I added a simple saying to the top - I used Thanks, but you could use just about anything!  Add the flowers and green stems and leaves to it, with buttons on top...this way you can customize the inside of the card to whatever you need to!   This card is done using the same die cut - again!  I also used a paper trimmer to make the stems, and cut a heart punch in half for the leaves.  All the papers matched together, again a simple notecard to be able ...

Stamping on your layouts - have you tried it yet?  This layout is done using a bit harder techniques, such as stamping, paper piecing, and using punches to create a certain look and feel.  I am one to like bright colors - so in this layout, I wanted to use the pinks from the Barbie packaging...  The layout turned out cute as anything - I can't wait to recreate using a different set of colors!  Supplies needed:   Paper - White cardstock             Background paper                                              Scraps for punch pieces and large balloons                      ...

Organizing your stuff and your ideas...  We all go through it, how to keep things organized so you can get things done.  I have organized and reorganized myself multiple times...here are a few tips to help you get started!  Organize your page ideas, technique ideas, etc., together in binders.  I use a 3" binder (now at least 7 binders full of ideas) all in the A-Z format.  This way when you are working on journaling you can go to the J's, or if you need help in photo matts, you would go to the M's.  I also have a recipe card file also in the A-Z format for articles in magazines that I like, web sites I like, colors, or other small bits of information.  This is located on my desk so I have easy access to it.  Getting a plastic organizer with drawers in it is essential, or check out the selection Michaels has with their furniture.  You do need to put it together (check out the product review that I did for this here ) but they are very goo...

** Challenge**   Your challenge is this...find a song in which you want to focus on...maybe the words to your favorite love song, and a photo of you and your husband...or a fun song that reminds you of your children...you get the idea!   I didn't spend money on this layout, I used up what I had at home first, so try to do that as well!  For this layout, I used the same alphabet template from Coluzzle that was used in yesterdays example, only I did not matt this title, nor did I add the small punch pieces.  This title was plain, using just the template and my trimmer to complete the title itself - the trimmer for the top border part.  The patterned paper for the background was enough background for me...I used colors from the paper to soften it up, but focused on blues because of my parents' colors on their clothes!  The pink just added a bit of interest to it all...and besides it is my favorite color!  The ...

I have had glasses since I was in the second grade...and to tell you that I have hated it, is a complete understatement!   Anyone who has glasses can tell you how irritating it is to break them, loose them, or have to wear them in the first place.  I found out within the past few years, that I am almost legally blind, which has not been fun to deal with, but makes sense as to how I am with my eyes to this day!!!!  Most every picture I have had taken has been with me in my glasses, I have only had a few without them.   One day I plopped down on the bed...set down my glasses on the floor beside me, only to get back up to them being broke.  Now, my husband hated these things, I looked like a dork in them, so he could care less, but for me...it was not fun at all!    Anyone who has known me since I was a little girl has known me with glasses, in fact wouldn't recognize me now if they were walking down the street...

I love to make cards, for any event...anniversaries, getting married, Valentines Day (like today) or just because I want someone to know that I am thinking about them.  I use my Sizzix die cuts for quite a few projects, which cuts down the expense of having to always go out and purchase die cuts or stickers.  Check out the Zyron machine, I use the smaller one in order to make my die cuts and stamped images into stickers to make it easier to adhere to the pages.  This example can be used for any theme, or as a just because card!  Change the colors to something more masculine such as into brown and blues!      With this example to the far right, the look is much the same, both adding a simple saying to the card, keeping the colors in ivory and red.  The stamped image in the back is of a wedding cake, but can be changed to a heart very easily.  This type of card can also be for any kind of themed card, use a balloo...

Are you an event scrapbooker - or an emotion scrapbooker?  I love to scrapbook the events - such as birthdays and holidays, but there is also something very therapeutic about scrapbooking through the hard times too!  Normally I journal by hand, erasing the pencil marks when I am done.  This time, I wanted to showcase the journaling more, so it was done on the computer with white cardstock then matted, using a simple eyelet to coordinate the colors together.  I chose photos that corresponded with the journaling...in this case, I lost my 2nd husband to suicide and my dad 5 years to the day later...3 days after my birthday.  This one event shook me to my very core and really made me who I am today.  The paper I used was from American Crafts 2 sided cardstock collection from quite a few years ago.  I made a quick buckle out of ribbon and a soda pop top embossed in white powder to create a unique look!  I used the extra paper (only the other side) for...

Adding jewelry to your layouts can be fun to do, espcecially items you were given from someone who is passed on.  This is my Grandma Tuckett...my mom's mom, my favorite grandma!  Whenever you went around her and Grandpa, you felt as if you were the most special thing in the world, no matter who was there, or how many was there.  This watch, was hers...it needed to be in a special layout, not just stuck in my jewelry box.  I miss my her so much, as does the rest of the family I am sure...  Times are different now, we don't see the "family" as often as we would like, the family reunions are gone - now that Grandma has passed on.  Plus when you don't live in the area anyway...it's hard to get together and establish relationships with people when you are so far away.  Side two of the layout was journaling about Grandma, her wearing only that watch - and her wedding ring, but not much more as far as jewelry was concerned....

I have been with my current husband now for over 10 years...usually on Valentines Day we don't do much of anything... to us, it brings back bad memories from our pasts...so it is better to spend this day as any other would be spent.  So, I used themed paper I already had in a different way...let me explain!  As I was working on my All About Me album, I stumbled across this paper, meant more for Valentines Day.  I used it for my Top 10 because I love to scrapbook as much as I do!     This page can be simply recreated in a Valentines page using photos of you and your spouse, since that holiday is coming up soon...instead of the photos I used of my scrapbook area!  I used a bright - printed background paper, with red, white and pink as the accent colors.  For the tassels on the tags, I added black floss to the other colors to tie it all together.  Sizzix die cuts were used for the hearts and tags, with simple alpha stickers ...

There are times where you need to spark a bit of creativity in you...you just get stuck on something to "create".  For me, creating has been a wonderful outlet that truly has kept me alive from a childhood with problems in it that created an adult with issues.  I have learned through this "scrapbooking" that my problems needed therapy, but little miss stubborn me wouldn't hear of it!   Scrapbook challenges are ways to help you look at your scrapbooking in a different way.  If you take a look at this section of the blog , you will see challenges that are listed that I have. I haven't concentrated as much on the challenges lately but this month will be a bit different, I have found a lot of fun ad's that I want to do layouts on!   However, you will see All About Me challenges - this has been one of my favorite albums to make by far!  My main reason...I can use up all the extra stuff I have, my next reason...it's all about ME!  It's not about the ki...

Notecards can be fun to make, looking at what you have at home already before you run out and go shopping for supplies!  I use my Sizzix die cuts and punches more than I do anything else because they are so versatile and can be used with just about anything.  My adhesive of choice with small items such as this is Glue Dots brand adhesive products!  They have great products, different sizes of adhesives....right now my favorite is the 3D dots used with embossing powder to create your own embellishments!  I am going to be playing today with some Easter cards, with those same 3D dots made into eggs if I can!  I will be sure to show you the results, but this is going to be for the design team I am an.....so it will be posted to the blog for sure!   Make a set of notecards for someone as a way to say thank you for a kind deed, or as a way to just say "I care"!  These type of cards are easy to put something on the inside of them, to personalize them to t...

Last month, in this post , I started a monthly challenge, to help those of you who are busy to be able to complete 2 layouts a month.  It is important to document the times in your life that make you who you are, little events such as birthdays and anniversaries...down to the various snow days you had to deal with because of the wild weather!  I hope by now you have checked out various album sizes, and have started to keep track of things from each month.    Scrapbooking  can be hard if you make it that way, or it can be easy and therapuetic if you also let it, this type of album is designed to be easy for you.   The album I am working on, will have more journaling than pictures at first...how do you document bad things that happen to you in your life with photos?  You don't...you try to find ways to document things that people can understand, but not be the sole purpose of the ablum itself.  As my album progress...

In the past few weeks, I have given you a few ideas to keep track of the events in your life such as birthdays, anniversaries, and showers to name a few.  This is my last idea, actually one of my favorites!   It is going to be hung up on our fridge, so my husband can see what is coming up each month!  I can add what I need to each month such as holidays, birthdays or anniversaries, and add to it when new events come up, such as birth's and marriages!  This way, it is easy to change if events change, and if I decide to change the colors of my kitchen!     The paper I selected is from a pack I found at Michaels that was on sale last week for 40% off!  There are 180 sheets of paper in it, this is just the first part of what has been made out of that particular shopping trip!  I cut the flowers from the top out of the paper I had used, putting a decorative brad in the middle of it, putting it on the top of the flap!  This is actually a very ...

For some people, scriptures are an important part of their lives...reading them at least 10 minutes every day.  For me and my husband, scriptures have only recently become a part of our lives, reading stories and scriptures as I need to learn something.  A few set of scriptures have started to help me a lot, those are the ones which I wanted to showcase...I have this page above my head on my computer desk in a small easel, so I am able to read it each day.  I decided to do this page as a framed page, so I could also frame it when I was done with it, or wanted to have another scripture showcased.  One idea, make one of my special "mini albums" in a 6 x 6 format in your favorite color, and put down all of your favorite scriptures or stories in.    I chose Ecclesiastes 3: 1-9 as the scriptures I needed to focus on, for me...it is to remind me there is a time for everything, and that time is not MY time, it is God's time.  This is one thing I have had to...

     This is one of my favorite layouts of my husband and I...made way before we were even married!  His mom had came down to see us, and ended up taking pictures of us and our kids, 7 of the 8 we had at the time.   I used simple colors, and a simple layout to achieve the look I got!  Lets get started!  Supplies: Cardstock in blue, red, and ivory Alphabet letters Heart punches Buttons Gold embellishments Computer for journaling Directions:  Step one:  Take the ivory cardstock, start the background, trim the red cardstock by 1" on top and side. Place it on top of the ivory sheet using adhesive.  **Tip**  Since you are not going to see the back of the ivory sheet, trim the inside of the sheet to allow you to use that on other items such as the lettering, etc.  Step two:  Take the blue cardstock, trim it 2.5" to go across the top of the two pages, use adhesive to place this down.  Step th...