Tuesday, December 30, 2014

I am Project Life


I have been a scrapbooker for as long as I can remember.  Through College I worked at Hobby Lobby and spent every moment I could in the scrapbooking isle just to admire all of the pretty things they had to offer.  I would daydream about coming back while I wasn't working just to be able to spend more time looking and actually being able to SHOP!  I'd get home and immediately piece through all of my wonderful purchases!  Still, I don't know what it is about colorful, decorated paper, but it has a very very special place in my heart.  And let's not even talk about Rub Ons.....

Over the years, I have scrapbooked a little of this and a little of that - making several books for friends and trying to keep up with my own.  In 2010, I became a MOM to the most beautiful baby boy.  Instantly I began preparing myself for his baby book (we did monthly footprints and I wrote nearly every milestone I could think of down in my weekly planner, the first year came with a lot of firsts, as did each year following)  

**Writing things down has been the best thing that I ever did!!

BECAUSE with this new role, and being a full time student, having a part time job and living hundreds of miles from any family, time became scarce and my love for scrapping was more of a weekend thing while the baby was napping, oh and after I had finished all of my studying if I wasn't working.  :S   Needless to say, I had gotten WAY behind.  But I continued to write things down and print lots of pictures on Shutterfly, Snapfish and Winkflash.  I'd order pictures from 3 different websites to catch the best deals and penny print sales.  

Lets fast forward a few years (We got married, 2nd baby boy was born, my husbands career has moved our family across the country, I have a full time career in the Emergency Department as a Radiographer.  I love to spend time with my family, and absolutely love to take photos and document our life)  However, scrapbooking has become nearly impossible and I take up the entire dining room for weeks just to get a few pages done.  Digital scrapbooking became a huge part of my life. (still do love these books)

Then in 2014 MY LIFE CHANGED!  I discovered Project Life.  I found beckyhiggins.com and I was instantly HOOKED.  I watched her videos and read her blog and started following several other blogs, I had already loved several of her designers and each one of them promised how simple it is to create beautiful pages in just minutes.  

I didn't waste anytime I purchased my first core kits and several mini kits and page protectors and I got started. I was ALL IN. In less than a few weeks I had several pages done and in a book and on the shelf.  The kids and I had paged through them at least a couple dozen times reliving our memories together.  The books that I make and set on the shelf are truly favored by both of the boys and my husband... and myself!  

In October I saw Becky's blog post - 2015 creative team call.  I read through it like 5 times and finally chose 3 of my recent layouts and took photos of them and sent them in along with a little snippet of information about myself.  What a dream come true - about 6 weeks later I got THE email from Becky, before I could even get through the first paragraph, I printed the email (probably to make sure I wasn't dreaming)  and took it to the living room and read it aloud for all to hear.  I figured it was one of those emails.... that the whole family would get excited about.  

                   ANNOUNCING THE 2015 CREATIVE TEAM

CT2015WebPLI CANNOT stop SMILING!  I joyfully welcome 2015 and am anxiously waiting to start this new adventure along with 2 dozen other women from all over the world, that share a love for colorful paper, photography, and documenting.  Check out the 2015 Project Life Creative team here. I am very thankful for this opportunity and am loving all of the positive energy that project life has brought to my life.  These ladies are positively sparkling.

If you are new to Project Life check out the video below and the website to discover all there is to know and love about Project Life.  

            

This year I plan to keep up with Project Life on my blog.  I hope to inspire you and I already have been inspired by so many many other project Lifers.  Thanks for stopping by my positive corner on the web. 

Sunday, December 28, 2014

DIY Rub Ons Wood Transfer

I LOVE RUB ONS!  

My favorite scrapbooking accessories are definitely rub ons - I can still remember the very first time I ever used one!  They look like they are apart of the paper - yet stand out like a sticker!  They instantly became my favorite thing to scrapbook with - however, 8 years ago - they were more difficult to find in stores than they are today!  

So with google - All things are possible, I found several tutorials to make my own!  And over the last few years - I have perfected my own way to create Rub Ons that work on nearly anything!  

I usually just use rub ons for paper crafting - but recently have been using the same technique on WOOD!  Take a look, it definitely works well!  

Recently, a dear friend of mine graduated from a nursing program and made her this little gift!  

What you need:

bare wood plaque
stain (optional)
transparency paper (I purchase this on amazon)
computer printer
fine sander (if desired)
spray sealer


How I made this:

-First I stained my bare wood and sanded the edges.
-I typed my desired font in Microsoft word, and in printer properties I changed quality to high and mirrored my image.
-Next CAREFULLY place the transparency paper on the wood

(DO NOT MOVE THE TRANSPARENCY PAPER, or                                                                         WORDS WILL SMEAR!)
- I used a rub on transfer tool and a Popsicle stick to carefully rub on my text.  Remember to press hard and over each word several times to ensure that the text transfers. (this process tires your hands so you may need to take breaks!)
-Lastly I used a spray sealer several times to seal the plaque for years to come! 

I hope you found this helpful!  Enjoy!

Saturday, December 27, 2014

Santa Hands

My boys love to paint!

There are so many super cute handprint crafts (and footprint too)!  They are such a great way to  create a little keepsake!  With these little handprints I like to make cards, christmas ornaments, or just hang them on the fridge.  


Who doesn't love a tiny child's handprint!  Oh and the kids think it is the silliest thing to paint your fingers and toes!  

I love all the giggles because the wet cold paint tickles!!

This handprint craft is neat! All you need is white, red and tan paint!  (I used washable crayola paints and mixed a dot of yellow and orange to create Santa's face) 

Friday, December 26, 2014

DIY Photo Sign

I am just going to say it, I LOVE PINTEREST!  

There are so many ideas all in one place, how could I not.  My crafty self gets the best of me, especially over the holidays.  This year I wanted to be able to give the grandparents a unique gift that they could use to display photos of their grandchildren all year. So, I searched on google and of course pinterest.  I found a ton of fabulous signs - I found a few really great etsy shops and then that thought that seems to strike my brain every time, I CAN DO THAT.  So off to Hobby Lobby and Michael's I go to get all of the supplies for much less than I could buy the finished product for and I can truly personalize the gift for the receiver.  So many memories and so much meaning when it is homemade!  

 This is my before and almost after photo for the gifts that I made each of the grandparents his year! (Before getting each gift in the mail I clipped and burnt the ends of the hemp with a lighter to give it a more rustic look and I used a staple gun to adhere a burlap ribbon bow to hang the sign) I think they turned out great.  I added a little of my own flare and a heartwarming phrase.  

DIY Gifts are simply the BEST!

The best part of this design is that the clothespin clips allow you to change out the photos for each season as quickly and as easily as possible.
If you love this design, here is what you need to make your very own!

-bare wood sign (I got mine at Hobby Lobby)
-Paint (I used a cream color, brown and black)
-hemp or other string
-eyelet screws
-Vinyl (I cut mine out with my cricut expressions)
-flowers or other embellishments
-clothespins
-Hot Glue Gun
-Staple gun

How I did it:
1. I painted the sign entirely with cream color paint.  I used a cheap foam brush. Then left it to dry (about an hour)
2. Then I mixed the cream paint with 2 dots of brown and a dot of black and used a course paint brush and brushed it over the entire sign (to give it a rustic look)  Quickly I used the back side of the brush and drew on a wood grain pattern (to add a little something) Then I set it aside and let it dry till the next day (probably would be dry after an hour or so)

3. I cut out the vinyl with my cricut expressions machine, I used packaging tape to transfer my letters from my cricut mat to the sign (instead of transfer tape and to keep my letters straight!)

4. Next I placed the eyelet screws in the bottom corners and attached my string.  (I eyeballed my locations and they turned out pretty great!)

5. I used the hot glue gun to attach my flowers, I chose a few burlap flowers and also a paper flower (fun, colorful, patterned paper is one of my very most favorite things)

6. Next, I tied the hemp string tightly between the eyelet screws with a double knot (tie tight so that once you place your photos on the clothespins, it doesn't hang too low.  I trimmed the string and used a lighter to burn the edges (to give it a rustic more complete look, also will keep the string from fraying. :)

7. Lastly I attached a ribbon on the back with a staple gun and a special note for the receiver!  

Hope you found this helpful and fun!