linda's paperie

mini album: camping trip

noreply@blogger.com (Linda) — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 13:09:00 +0000

I have been procrastinating about scrapping the camping photos from 2 years ago. I had decided that I wanted to make a mini of our vacation. I even went out and bought most of the Happy Camper collection by Imaginisce to make it. And then nothing...until 2 days ago. I pulled out my papers, dug in to my stash and created this.

I made the album out of scrap pieces of chipboard and then used my Bind-It-All to bind it. It was my first time using it and it was very easy to use. I probably could have punched a couple more holes but I was nervous about getting everything to line up just right. I think I need make time to practice with that.

This spread is the introduction to the album. The journaling was done on lined paper and I used a stamp to embellish it. Each stamp is colored in with colored pencils and I didn't stay with in the lines on purpose. I know, I'm such a rebel.

This is the last page of the album. I took this photo right before we left. It is so nice to have the 3 of them get along with each other. I also want to say how excited I was to find that family sticker in my stash. It made me chuckle and it fits them so well.

Supplies: papers, Imaginisce, My Minds Eye (clouds), Echo Park (chevron), My Little Shoebox (lined). stickers, Imaginisce, Echo Park (letters), 7 gypsies (family). stamp, Imaginisce. die cut, Sizzix. flowers, American Crafts. Summer tab, Autumn Leaves. punch, Stampin' Up. corner rounder and colored pencils.

what's on your workdesk? wednesday #140

noreply@blogger.com (Linda) — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 16:44:00 +0000

Happy WOYWW! It has been a while since I have shared a peek at my desk. There isn't much on it because I had just cleaned up a very large mess that I had made while making a mini album of our camping trip we took 2 summers ago. It was only after I cleaned up did I think of this meme and how I should get back into it.

Here is a photo of my main work area. I have the mini sitting next to my paper trimmer. On top of my paper trimmer are a few layouts for All About Pets that I need to photograph.

Here is my tool table that is also clean. Sorry it is so boring. In the corner, is a stack of photos that I need to sort through and organize. I finished printing 2010 and printed all of 2011 except for the summer. There was no reason for that other than in the mass uploading, I forgot to order the summer photos. I'll just wait for the next sale.

This table is a new addition. It is a 4 foot folding table that my husband put in here so I had a home for my sewing machine. Right now it is making a great resting place for the kids albums. I brought them down to put layouts away and never put them back. Well, I am going to make more layouts to put away at some point, right?

Thanks for stopping by to look at my desk. Sorry it is a bit dull being so tidy and all. But now I feel like I am able to make a new mess. For a peek at more desks pop over to Julia's blog for the complete list.

layout: science center

noreply@blogger.com (Linda) — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 11:58:00 +0000

I have started making printable journaling block for my layouts and I am selling them in my Etsy shop. Here is a layout from Andrew's class trip that I made using this days of the week set.

And a close up.

Supplies: paper, Jillibean Soup and Karen Foster. title, Impact cut with the Silhouette.

Looking at the layout now, it looks a bit plain. When I was making it, I didn't want to cover up that cute dinosaur paper. Oh well, it is done and in the book. Maybe one day I will go back and add something else to it. Do you ever feel that way about a finished layout? And if you do, do you ever go back and fix them or do you just call it done?

all about pets

noreply@blogger.com (Linda) — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 23:00:00 +0000

I have been keeping busy here. I am putting the finishing touches on my presentations for All About Pets. There will be layouts of Tiger and the pups.

I will be teaching this class with Jeri Parks and it is now open for enrollment and starts on March 20. The class lasts 4 weeks and the cost is $25. I hope to see you in class.

layout: buzz cut

noreply@blogger.com (Linda) — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 12:08:00 +0000

I was reading blogs in my reader the other day and came across one of Shimelle's posts. I thought it might be fun to give on of her starting points a try and see where it would take me. I used the second one and came up with this layout about when we buzzed Andrew's hair. One side note, I did not tell him to have an unhappy before picture. That was all him.

As an extra challenge, I raided my blue scrap drawer. All of the pattern papers are scraps and I must say it felt good to use them up. Some of these are classic papers that I couldn't bear to recycle but didn't find a use for...until now. :)

Here is a close up of some of the details.

Supplies: papers, Ki Memories (dots), Doodlebug white text), Reminisce (monster and blue text) and Basic Grey (geometric). letters, Chatterbox (black) and Making Memories (small). journal spots and tape, Heidi Swapp. buttons.

card boot camp

noreply@blogger.com (Linda) — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 12:35:00 +0000

A peek at some of my Love themed cards

Card Boot Camp starts today at My Creative Classroom. Included in this four week class:

20 brand new, never seen before sketches.
Tons of inspiration to help you use your supplies to create an army of cards.
Weekly emphasis on specific topics and themes including; creating a home for your completed cards, the inside of the card, postage concerns and fun folds. (See the course outline for more details and a list of themes.)
Simple instructions, supply list and measurements for each card.

Shirley, Jeri and I hope to see you in class!

etsy love blog hop

noreply@blogger.com (Linda) — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0000

Welcome to the next stop on the Etsy Love blog hop! If you arrived from Amy's blog, then you are in the right place. If you came here from somewhere else you can join our hop at the beginning by starting at Ahna's blog.

Our theme for the blog hop is Etsy Love since Valentine's Day is just around the corner. I want to first share a Valentine that I have made. This is a mini card that I made using my Slice. It measures just under 4 inches at the widest point. The card also comes with a handmade square envelope.

Next, I want to share a gift idea for Valentine's Day that would be perfect for the book lover. I ordered this necklace for Amanda this past Christmas from Pretty Little Charms UK. In this shop, text from Harry Potter, Hunger Games and other books are used to create jewelry.

Cinna is her favorite from the Hunger Games series and she wears this necklace often. I also ordered this ring for her with Malfoy's name in it. She wears that one all the time. I plan on ordering form this shop again but this time for me, once I can figure out which design I want.

Next stop on our hop is Justyn's blog. Thanks for stopping by my blog today!

layout: a day at the farm

noreply@blogger.com (Linda) — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 11:57:00 +0000

So I have been catching up on a bunch of layouts from a couple years ago. I had no idea how behind I really was until I made time to scrap a little bit just for me. This was from the time when Andrew was going through his make a weird face every time someone wants to take my picture phase. Do not be deceived by the expression, he really had a good time that day.

I used lots of items from the stash, most likely bought from that same time period as the photos. The only current item would be the title sticker. Not too bad. The pumpkins were stamped using Versamark, here is a close up of the stamping.

Supplies: paper and stamp, Imaginisce. stickers, Bella Blvd and Reminisce.

layout: cup stacker

noreply@blogger.com (Linda) — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 14:49:00 +0000

I was going through some photos from a couple of years ago and found these that needed to be put on a layout. It was the year that Emily decided it would be fun to try cup stacking. Here she is at the tournament. She didn't move on to the next round but she enjoyed the experience.

Supplies: papers, Basic Grey and Imagination Project. stickers, KI Memories. journal spot, 7 gypsies. trim, Doodlebug. flowers, Heidi Swapp and buttons.

a mini pin cushion

noreply@blogger.com (Linda) — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 22:47:00 +0000

I took some of the left over fabric from my mug rug and made a mini pin cushion for my scrapping desk. The reason I did this was because the pins that I was using on my ribbon spools were getting lost on my desk. This little cushion provides a safe place for me to put them when I am cutting my ribbon. The finished size is 4 inches square. I stuffed it with polyfil and I sewed a button to the center of the cushion.

I'm hoping to post some layouts soon. I have a few of them I want to share but the first round of photos came out terrible.

mug rug

noreply@blogger.com (Linda) — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 22:17:00 +0000

I received a new sewing machine for Christmas since my old one had decided it didn't want to work anymore.

It took awhile to decide which model to get. In the end, I got the Singer 9960 Quantum Stylist. I am so happy with this machine. It was so nice to sew something that didn't get messed up or make me frustrated.

Over the holiday break I made this rug mug with fabric I bought from JoAnn's a few months ago. There was no pattern to it, I just cut a square and then some strips. The binding is left over from the rainbow quilt. The finished size is about 5 inches square. The quilting is nothing fancy, just playing around. I was so excited that I have a machine that didn't try to eat my project. Now to decide what my next sewing project will be.

this and that thursday

noreply@blogger.com (Linda) — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 12:07:00 +0000

Well so much for my goal of keeping up with my blog. I really do have good intentions but life just gets in the way. And because of that I haven't had much free time to make anything fun.

For the past month or so, I have been subbing on a regular basis. While I truly enjoy it, there has been little time for crafting. After school was time for my children, chores and car pooling. Now that work has slowed down a little I want to get back in the routine of creating again. Santa was very generous to me this year in the crafting department and I am ready to go. I have a project that I made over the Christmas break that I need to photograph so I can share with you, hopefully Friday. And I'm not working today. I have big plans on making a few things to share with you next week.

I also sat down and went through my photos yesterday. I had no idea how behind I was in printing up my photos. Sadly the last time I ordered photos, I only ordered up to March of 2010. I really need to get better about ordering my photos. The one good thing about film was that I could see the rolls piling up and would take them in to be processed on a regular basis.

I leave you with a photo of Tiger. My son thinks this photo is odd because she is winking but I like it any way. Happy Thursday!

card boot camp

noreply@blogger.com (Linda) — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 12:32:00 +0000

Remember that promise you make? That promise that says...this year I will send out handcrafted cards. Well, let this be that year!

Card makers, grab a stack of blank cards, put on some comfy clothes and join us for Card Boot Camp. Show us just how tough you really are as we spend the next four weeks creating all the cards you will need for the coming year.

Included in this four week class:

20 brand new, never seen before sketches.
Tons of inspiration to help you use your supplies to create an army of cards.
Weekly emphasis on specific topics and themes including; creating a home for your completed cards, the inside of the card, postage concerns and fun folds. (See the course outline for more details and a list of themes.)
Simple instructions, supply list and measurements for each card.

Card Boot Camp starts January 31, 2012 and costs $30. I hope to see you in class!

hello 2012!

noreply@blogger.com (Linda) — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 21:49:00 +0000

Supplies: paper, Basic Grey. die cuts, Basic 1 design card, Slice. Stickles.

Happy New Year! It's a new year and that means a new beginning. I thought I would share some of my goals that I have this year.

Be present. Live in the now and not worry about the 20 other things that need to happen later on.
Make better choices about my health. By this I mean that I am going to make an effort to chose the best behavior. Like instead of that cookie or 2 for a snack, I will eat an apple.
Plan out our weekly menus, this will help with food shopping too. The weeks I have made a plan, I have spent less at the store.
Take more time for the creative me. Ideally, I would like to work on something for at least 15 minutes a day.
Blog more consistently and use the scheduling feature.
Try to read 50 books this year. I already updated my Goodreads widget for this year.

Do you have any goals or resolutions for the year? If you would like to share, I would love to hear about them.

year in review: 2011

noreply@blogger.com (Linda) — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 00:28:00 +0000

This will be my 135th post for the year and I thought it would be fun to look back on 2011.

My Goodreads challenge: I initially wanted to read 100 books for the year. After a few months, I realized that that wasn't going to happen so I changed my goal to 50 books. For the year, I made it to 21 books and I have 5 books waiting to be read. Which means, 2012 will be off to a great start!

My favorite project for 2011 would have to be completing Emily's rainbow quilt.

finished quilt top, before quilting and binding

This was also the year I finally got a place to call my own, where I didn't have to worry about cleaning up after each project. A place that is pink and all mine, my craft room.

the last time it was clean, 5 months ago.

I am so grateful for all of the blessings that have come my way this past year, from teaching at My Creative Classroom and at my son's school to traveling and spending time with family and friends.


Wizarding World of Harry Potter

Our 2nd trip to the City

I hope that 2011 was good to you as well. I am really looking forward to 2012. I am excited for the things that are coming and what I have planned for this blog. Thank you for taking time out of your busy day to read it. I am very grateful and appreciate you stopping by. Happy New Year!

christmas cards: day 12

noreply@blogger.com (Linda) — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 17:28:00 +0000

Supplies: paper, Basic Grey. stamp, Imaginisce. punch, EK Success. corner rounder, ribbon and clear gems.

christmas cards: day 11

noreply@blogger.com (Linda) — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 12:10:00 +0000

This card was made using papers from my stash and a set of long forgotten stickers.

Supplies: paper, Doodlebug Designs. punch, Marvy Uchida. gem stickers, Me an My Big Ideas.

christmas cards: day 10

noreply@blogger.com (Linda) — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 11:57:00 +0000

Supplies: paper, Basic Grey. trim, Doodlebug Designs. die cut, Fa La La design card, Slice. embossing folder, Cuttlebug. font, Scriptina

christmas cards: day 9

noreply@blogger.com (Linda) — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 12:47:00 +0000

I like the country, rustic style of this card.

Supplies: paper, Making Memories and KI Memories. plastic accents, Making Memories. border punch, Martha Stewart. black gem.

christmas cards: day 8

noreply@blogger.com (Linda) — Sat, 17 Dec 2011 23:47:00 +0000

It seems that work and Christmas preparations have gotten in the way of blogging for me. But I have a few more cards that I want to share. I made this card with my all time favorite collection from KI Memories.

Supplies: paper and sticker, KI Memories. glitter paper, Die Cuts With a View. label die cut, Sizzix. tree die cut, Mistletoe design card, Slice.

christmas cards: day 7

noreply@blogger.com (Linda) — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 13:02:00 +0000

I really like this tree from Imaginisce, especially since they made it as a stamp. The rub on I cut in half before I applied it to the paper.

Supplies: paper, stamp and rub on, Imaginisce. paper trim, Doodlebug Designs. oval punches and corner rounder.

christmas cards: day 6

noreply@blogger.com (Linda) — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 13:10:00 +0000

This card was the one we sent out to everyone 2 years ago. After I cut out the snowflake, it was embossed with the Swiss Dots folder.

Supplies: die cut, Sizzix. embossing folder, Cuttlebug. gold brad.

christmas cards: day 5

noreply@blogger.com (Linda) — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 14:10:00 +0000

Here is a closer look at the Christmas card I have in my banner.

Supplies: paper, Crate Paper. stamp, Imaginisce. embossing folder, Cuttlebug. die cuts, Basic 1 design card, Slice. brown ink.

vfw holiday craft fair

noreply@blogger.com (Linda) — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 13:09:00 +0000

Next weekend, I will be at the Jarrettsville VFW 8672 Ladies Aux. Holiday Craft Fair. There will 30 different vendors selling a variety of handmade crafts. It's a great time to shop for a holiday gift for someone special!

what: Jarrettsville VFW 8672 Ladies Aux Holiday Craft Show
where: 1714 Morse Road, Forest Hill, Maryland 21050
when: December 10, 2011 10 am to 4 pm

christmas cards: day 4

noreply@blogger.com (Linda) — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 12:24:00 +0000

On this card I used my Slice to create the embellishments. I first embossed the tree in Normal and then cut it out using Shadow. I then added red gems to use as ornaments.

Supplies: paper, Imaginisce. die cuts, Mistletoe and Noel design card, Slice. ribbon and gems