I used the Alora Collection papers and embellishments and some washi tape as well as papers from Colorbok and Bazzill.

I needed to get back on my scrappy li’l feet so I picked up where I left off with my Project Me album. Finished 2 pages in 24 hours, on top of shaking off the tail end of my jetlag, and quite possibly a bug that is now officially making the rounds between me, my husband, and my father-in-law. Thankfully, by now, all three of us have started recovering. Hopefully, I will be back in tip-top shape by next week when I have to get back to the daily grind.

I used mostly papers from my scrap stash and KandCo papers. I’m trying to use up the stacks of them before I go splurge beyond my monthly kit. My mom was kind enough to raid the family albums for me and sent me home with a manila envelope full of photos and some memorabilia. Anyway, gonna go make some more pages. TTFN!!!

I made a tassel to use as a pull tag for my not so hidden journaling using some baker’s twine. The pink ruffle is from washi tape. I combined some patterned papers from Scrapcake, Pion Designs, and K and Co.

The doily technique is the same as the one I used on a Tim Holtz tag project from before. I covered the whole doily with some embossing ink, and liberally sprinkled Distress Embossing Powder in Vintage Photo. It almost looks like a dainty lace doily instead of a paper one.

I used this week’s TCR palette. Coincidentally, the colors are also autumn-ish.

Finally going on a much needed vacation to visit family for a few weeks in November so I will be very busy making preparations and probably won’t get to do any scrapping while on vacay but I WILL be taking plenty of photos. I have been organizing a little takeaway notebook and a smashbook kit to bring with me while traveling. And although I have not been posting as often, I have been keeping busy during nights off working on a ME album. So far, I’ve finished pages from my VERY early years. I’ve also been working on my knitting projects that I’m planning to give as Christmas prezzies.  I’ll be putting up pics of my projects as I finish them. Hopefully I get enough done before vacation. Wish me luck, and see y’all soon.

I made this layout to practice what I’ve learned so far. I wanted to put those “A” side cut apart journaling sheets to good use so I used them to mat my embellishment clusters.

The papers are from Fancy Pants’ To the Moon collection. A bunch of them have images of monsters, aliens, and space ships and such so I just tucked those areas under the photo.

I used papers from Bo Bunny’s Petal Pushers collection which I think have been discontinued so I had to use the chipboard flowers from their Alora collection. I used the letters from a sticker sheet I’ve had in my stash that I wanted to use up for the sentiment. The inside greeting used foam thickers from AC’s Amy Tangerine collection.

I used baker’s twine to accent the papers. Also, there’s enough space at the bottom of the center square for gift card or a little envelope for birthday moolah.

I finally got my Instax Mini 7s camera and have tried it out a couple of times and it’s actually loads of fun to use. Now that I have my collection of Smash stuff and put together a little takeaway kit for my notebook, I  now have my essential gear for smashing things onto my little notebook. I’ve actually started putting in some mementos from previous trips and adventures and such.

Oh it’s a beautiful mess indeed! Expecting my father-in-law by this weekend which  means more trips out of the house and exploring the city. He’s wanting to take my husband and me to Nebraska to meet the rest of the family soon. Looking forward to that as well.

I’m also on a scrap stash-busting spree so I have been scrapping some old photos that I’ve had sitting in a shoebox for a while. I seem to have an overwhelming desire to use up my scraps so I can soon justify my enabling issues. I’ve put supply shopping off for a while until we get back from our upcoming vacation. Hopefully, by then, I’ve used up most of my stash.

Here’s one of the pages I made with the scraps. I scraplifted  a layout from a fellow ClubCK’er for the August challenge.

I made some tweaking to the foam and chipboard alphas in the title since I didn’t have the color I wanted from the stash I wanted to use up. I also tweaked the tiny chipboard flowers from Dusty Attic. They looked a bit bare so I embossed them with Distress embossing powder.

And since we’re on the subject of busting stash, I’ve put together a little tutorial.

Ever seen those pretty little label stickers from OA and Jillibean Soup? I have and I love them so much but sometimes I don’t have the colors to match my palette. Solution: make your own with cardstock and patterned papers. It’s an awesome way to use up those random cuts of pretty paper you can’t ever find a spot for.

1. Cut some strips of patterned paper to about 1 inch wide and however length you prefer. Cut some strips of white or light colored card stock a bit smaller than the patterned papers (about 1/4 of an inch).

2. Ink edges if desired. I used some coordinating Distress ink on these.

I shaped the corners on these strips of card stock and inked the edges. I also shaped the corners on the patterned paper to match.

3. Stick them together and embellish as desired.

Here’s some I finished. I decorated some of them with a border of baker’s twine and some shinies. I used brads on a couple of them and used a punched butterfly on another.

And since I use patterned paper that I have in my stash, they’re guaranteed to match my layouts. Try the same idea to make journaling cards as well. Now, go raid your scrap basket and see what you can come up with.

And as I was going through my shoe box full of pictures, I found more heartwarming photos and mementos. So I guess what would have been a single page would probably turn out to be an album one day. Hopefully, I will get to go back and show them how much I appreciate the fond memories I have of them.

I cut off the center of a doily, embossed it a few times with Distress Embossing powder in Black Soot, and I ended up with this lacy looking frame.

I used my Cricut to die cut a lock silhouette and several copies of a key using black cardstock. The lock was painted with Black Soot Crackle Paint, and the keys (3 of them) I stacked together and glued to one another to make an accent that’s about as thick as grungeboard. I cut out a heart shape which I inked with   Barn Door, and embossed with Fired Brick Distress Embossing Powder. The “ribbon” is actually decorative tape which I doubled over and attached the key and the safety pin to the tag with. I used some roses from my flower stash and I found this fussy-cut flower piece while cleaning out my boxes. The tag was dry embossed, and painted with some dabbers. The glittery accent on the top and bottom is from Recollections.

The words carry the theme of the whole tag and says: Love is friendship set to music.

Also, in the wide world of cardmaking, I made this birthday card for my brother. I used the card layout from Frosted Designs and the Chevron pattern from Bo Bunny’s Card Challenge.

I used the Block Party Patterned Paper Collection From Bo Bunny, and some accents from My Mind’s Eye and Jillibean Soup. Now, mind you, I’m not really a big fan of chevrons but thankfully the accents on this one helped make the card more masculine.

detail shots:

I seem to enjoy making these shutter cards lately. They can be a bit challenging to decorate but they are so well worth the effort. Hope my big bro enjoys this one.

I used some glossy accents to turn the “remember” sticker into an epoxy accent knock off and slathered some Stickles on the green sticker.

I’m trying to remember the name of the church in the photo. If anyone recognizes it, let me know.

And… I made this project board for Day 4: Inspiration Board Challenge

I basically hung a whole bunch of page protectors using wire and paper clips for me to keep my planned pages organized by layout and by project. I’m still working on Day 3: Smashbook Challenge and Day 5: fun with fabric. I know that I’m waaaay too late to enter for prizes but I want to collect my badges this year. Wish me luck!!!