Throwback Thursday-page overload!

Hello!  I'm doing a bit of a scrapbook page overload today, but I've managed to get several knocked out and since our weekend is a bit busy, I figured I would share all of my pages at once!

I went letter and border sticker crazy on these and I still have two gallon zip bags overflowing with these... Apparently, the early 2000's were my 'buy all the stickers you can' phase of scrapping... I know I haven't bought a border sticker in at least ten years!  I am floored at the ones that aren't quite 12" long. Like what am I supposed to do with the 1/2" that is left exposed???  I'm thinking several of those are going to end up decorating a card or cut down like I did on my 3rd page.

using a border as a trim piece and those flowery letters

were perfect for this page!

no border this time, but I did use some vellum letter stickers

This is the border crazy page! All of those strips are from one

set of border stickers.  I cut pieces off to both clean up the bent

edges and add some interest. More letter stickers and that flower

has been in a basket to be used for over 7 years!

More letter stickers and that stamped circle has also

been in the same basket for quite a while...

No letters or stickers, but did use a TH metal tag and 

 post card ephemera which  I've had for a while.

Thanks so much for stopping by and dealing with my multi page post.  I hope you have a great rest of the week and I'll be back next week with some new creations!

Scrapbook Saturday-another paper purge!

Today I have three really easy, simple pages because the papers I used were perfect for a 'drop and go'-dropping a few pictures on there and maybe a frame or a title.  I'm amazed at how many papers I have bought over the years that I never really used because I wanted to use all of the tools and try all the techniques.  I am going to spend July focusing a little more on the artsy creative side, but right now my goal is bashing my stash and knocking out those pages!

I won't give a lot of details because there really isn't much to say...

Got a little more 'fancy' on this one and added some 

foam letters to create the title and date.

I will be back on Thursday with more throwback creations, but will be taking Saturday off for a family wedding!  After all of this scrapping, I think I'll be a little more selective with the photos I take! Not that I'll ever be caught up...DD 1 told me that by the time I would get their childhood albums finished, they'll be getting married and having kids and then I'll want to scrapbook those too!  Why did I produce and raise such a sassy girl...

Hope you have a wonderful day and thanks so much for stopping by!

Throwback Thursday- Keepin' Cool

Hi!  My post title is a bit deceiving since it is summer in Indiana, but since I'm scrapping winter pictures I'm trying to keep cool!  Not sure it's working, but maybe if I set the AC just right I can get some frost on the windows! LOL!

I'm still on a mission to use up those supplies and today's pages use older papers, stickers, and even a few rub on snowflakes.  I did break the rules and cut some letters from paper for the title on my second page, but since the paper is older, I'm still counting it!  I love being the rule maker/breaker in my crafty zone!  No one to keep me in check!

Found a month sticker that had poinsettias to match the paper!

Rub on snowflakes and those rebel letters!

The striped paper is the very last scrap of this DSP pack!

One package down, tons to go!

Hope I'm not boring my viewers with all of the basic scrapbook pages, but maybe, just maybe you're seeing some ways to use things you wouldn't normally use!  Thanks so much for visiting and have a great day!

Scrapbook Saturday-paper purge!

Hello! I'm back with three more scrapbook pages and the theme of the day is Paper Purge!  This time instead of pulling from my box of single papers, I switched to two of the many DSPs that I have in my paper rack.  Did I mention that I really don't EVER need to buy new paper???

I also managed to work in a little ribbon and those pesky leaves that multiply every time I leave my craft studio! Oh, and some REALLY OLD wedding theme stickers too! Hmm...maybe not totally about the paper purge after all...

Another super easy layout and that ribbon was a freebie at a crop I went to earlier 

this year.  There was just a small amount and I used it all on this page!

Used quite a few different size scraps on these pages, and 4 of those leaves!  I also 

used the last of the burlap flowers on the top page.  I can't remember when 

I bought the wedding stickers, but they have been shifted from box to bag to 

basket to table where I finally used some of them.

I am loving how full my albums are getting with all of these finished pages.  I might actually be able to display more than a few completed books at graduation next spring!  Probably not anything from the last few years, but still!  Progress is progress, right?!

Thanks so much for stopping by and have a fantastic weekend!

Throwback Thursday-Cleaning House!

Welcome!  If you have been reading my recent posts, you know I am on a mission to clean up and use my supplies that have been around forever.  It's just an added bonus that I get photos scrapped at the same time!

It has been a bit interesting to see how the brain changes when one shifts from 'how can I make this look amazing?' to 'how much stuff can I use up today?'.  Don't get me wrong, I still want my pages to look nice and do the photos and story justice.  Now I just don't spend as much time going through everything trying to find just the 'perfect' way to dress up a page.  It has most certainly sped up my start to finish time!

Today's pages feature three things of which there is an abundance in my stash-letter stickers, occasion stickers, and pattern paper.  I am really working on the letter stickers and paper because I have SO MUCH and could honestly go years without ever buying new to replace them...

The first page uses two different papers, three foam glitter stickers, and a letter sticker.  I got a little creative with the title since I didn't have enough letters to do the whole thing!

This page uses two different papers and a month sticker.  I forgot how easy it is to make a page when the pattern does a great job of decorating the page!

My last page uses one wonderful page and three felt stickers.  This was by far the fastest page I think I have ever made.  Took me longer to find the stickers to match than it did to put everything together.

While I'm using my blog to keep me motivated to create as much as I can over the summer, I hope my work is somehow inspiring to others.  Whether you've decided to start scrapbooking (or pick it back up) or just using those neglected things that are lying around your creative space, I hope you will find some time to relax and create!  Have a wonderful day!

SOS #397 Stencil Me Sunny!

Today I decided to play along with the challenge at Shopping Our Stash.  I haven't done a challenge in ages, but since my most recent mission is to use up my stash, who better to get me started again!  

Their challenge this week is Stencil Me This.  How perfect since I just went to a stenciling class on Friday!  I used my Tim Holtz Rays stencil, which I hate to admit while I've had it a long time, I don't think I have EVER used it before this...  I also pulled out a piece of crushed curry cardstock that has been in my supplies for a very long time as well. The sentiment is from the SU set Me=Grateful (also been in my stash for  a while!).

I sponged various shades of orange and yellow ink to create the 'sunset' look.  The sentiment is stamped in soft suede (SU).

There is still time to play along with the challenge, so dust off those stencils and get busy!  Thanks so much for visiting today!

Scrapbook Saturday

Hi! I'm back again with another scrapbook page.  This one is quite patriotic feeling, but also super simple.  The fanciest thing is the double matting on the photo (oooooohhhhhh!).  I managed to work some letter stickers on here and was shocked that I had all of the letters I needed for the title.  Since the photo was from the 4th of July I thought the stars and patriotic theme worked well.  My brother's blue Harley didn't hurt the plan either!  I added some silver star embellishments to dress it up a bit.  

Little by little, I'm getting those photos onto pages and into albums!  One would think that I was also getting rid of that mountain of embellishments and tower of paper, but that's not quite so accurate!  Still plenty there to use!

Yesterday, DD2 and I went to our LSS for a stenciling class.  We had so much fun playing! We experimented with inks, brushes, sponges, glitter gel, mousse, and palette knives.  Hannah, the owner, is a genius because she had so many different supplies for us to use and oh so conveniently had them available for purchase too!  DD2 informed me she was quite impressed with my restraint in not buying everything I liked, so I guess my whole 'use what you got' is working for me!  I did buy some of the incredibly gorgeous Gina K glitter gels that we both loved.  I'm looking forward to playing with those sometime soon.  I also bought Pixie Spray which deceivingly is not at all glittery or sparkly... It is this amazing adhesive spray that keeps your stencils in place as you work, yet allows you to remove the stencil without leaving a trace of stickiness on your paper.  Since this was a technique class, we didn't 'make' anything but I do have some fabulous sample pieces that will eventually become something wonderful!  Here they are in all their glory!

both of these feature the glitter gel, the black is also

sparkly, just a little hard to see in this pic...

 used the mousse on these, they were very pretty with 

the pearl finish, but I was controlling spending so

I didn't buy any of these!

 both of these are inks applied with these amazing

sponge brushes-not gonna lie, I really want these and

might just have to get myself a birthday present in a 

few months!

One of the best things about this class was being able to use all of the stencils I already have.  It really motivated me to keep these on my table so I can use them more often.  I still have a container of SU embossing paste that has never been  used...might be my next play day activity!

Thanks so much for stopping by and have a fabulous weekend! I hope you find a little time to do something fun and creative!

Throwback Thursday and more scrappin'

Well hello! No...you're not imagining things...I'm posting two days in a row!  All those finished scrapbook pages were begging to be shared and since I was awake anyway I figured 'why not'!

My pages today are all from Thanksgiving several years ago.  Once again, I focused on using papers from my stash and some of those overflowing embellishments.  I bought the leaves a few years ago for an altering project and I swear those things multiply when I'm not looking.  I have used them on the fall decorations on my mantle, some fall birthday cards, and a few scrapbook pages and I STILL have a bunch of these left!  The tags were part of an ephemera kit I bought years ago and I think they worked pretty well on these pages.  The pattern papers were also left over from the altered letters I made, and the metal buttons have been in my stash for quite some time now.  It feels good to use some of these random things! I'm apologizing in advance for the crappy quality of my finished photos.  I can never get a good picture of a scrapbook page unless I take them outside on a sunny day, and it wasn't ideal for that... 

Once again, pretty simple pages, a little more embellishing on these, but still super easy.

Tomorrow DD2 and I are going to a stencil class at our LSS.  The owner always has great classes and tries to come up with creative ways to use things.  We're going to be playing with inks, paste, and some type of glittery stuff!  I'm hoping for some new ideas on how to use the stencils I already have so I can use them more often.  I'll have to share my new skills when we get home!

Thanks so much for stopping by and have a wonderful day!

At this rate I'll never die...

Hello! I've recently had a chance to do some cleaning and organizing in my craft studio.  It is a long way from finished, but I think I've been using the space long enough to see what is and isn't working.  I've ordered a few organizational pieces and I'm nudging DH to build me a custom shelf to hold my scrapbooks.  I'm not sure when that piece will ever be added to the space, but a girl can dream.

All of that cleaning unearthed A LOT of scrapbook supplies... I don't think I would ever have to buy another piece of patterned paper (not that I would ever commit to that!) and don't get me started on the embellishments and stickers!  I also have two boxes of photos that are printed and ready to be put into an album, and who knows how many photos stored on my computer that still need to be printed.  I decided that it would be a really good thing if I would start scrapping again to at least warrant having all of those supplies.

So today I closed myself off from the world (well except when taking care of DD2 who is recovering from ACL surgery) and got busy.  Instead of going in chronological order, I just started pulling out pictures and paper, and went wherever inspiration took me.  My pages were all pretty basic and nothing too time consuming, but I think they turned out pretty nice and more importantly-they are done!  I even got them put into albums!!

The first project I'm sharing is actually a new piece that I've been meaning to finish for DH's office.  DD2, DH, and I all went on the school choir's trip to NYC this spring.  We had a great time, saw a lot of wonderful buildings and sights, and walked more than I have walked in years...  I also took a ton of pictures and hope to start and finish DD2's scrapbook before she graduates!  While we were at the September 11th Memorial and Museum, DH started a conversation with a young Port Authority Officer.  They shared stories and compared careers (a big difference between a rural deputy sheriff and a NYC officer!) and before we left, he presented my DH with a Port Authority badge.  My husband was quite moved by his kindness and asked me if I could find a way to display it in a frame for his office.  I finally settled on a collage of photos from our trip with the badge in the center.  The photo I took of the finished frame isn't the greatest, but you get the idea.  He was very happy with it and can't wait to take it to work.

My next two pages were from some fun summer activities several years ago.  One thing about scrapping older pictures, you really appreciate how much your children have grown!  I went a little chipboard sticker crazy on this one because I was determined to use the entire package so it wouldn't be in my stash anymore!

My last page for today was something a bit new for me.  I had read somewhere that when people layer cardstock, they cut the center out of the back piece and reuse that with the rest of the page.  Now this didn't help my pile of papers get any smaller, but I do think it turned out pretty cool.  I added a few enamel tiles that have been in my stash forever.  I'm not sure that they really go with the paper and the theme of the photo, but they're on there now!  I also pulled a scrap of dotty ribbon that came from a gift and reused that as the bow under the photo.

Well, that's it for today!  I did manage to get a few more pages done, but I'll save them for another day.  Hopefully, my new storage carts will arrive soon and encourage me to do a little more cleaning and organizing!  Until then, I'll just have to scrapbook and use up what I can!

Have a wonderful rest of the week and thanks so much for stopping by!