Gossamer Blue - August kit

A rainy Thursday hello to you.  Thunderstorms here.  Can't complain much.  It's keeping us from attending the county fair and I'm not a huge county fair fan - #soexpensive - I've been busy catching up on the Bachelorette and Big Brother because I've been camping all week and didn't have hookups or cell service.  This is great for family bonding but not for reality TV!  Poor Des.  I feel bad for her.  But I think Brookes did the right thing if he wasn't in love.  I get so tired of this silly shows that undoubtedly turn into a People magazine cover about the "breakup".  Why I get sucked in every time I don't know.  i think it's because it's easier to learn to knit when I am only partially attentive to the show I'm watching.

Anyway....

The August kits are up for sale at Gossamer Blue and they were so much fun to play with!  I opened my box and was inspired by all the travel themed stuff.  The challenge initially was that I don't travel much so didn't have a plane ticket stub and an Iphone photo of my kids in their row 7 seats C and D airplane seats.  That said, I didn't have to go back in time to find photos to play with.  I was able to twist the products to work with current life events and I am really happy with how it turned out.  I even used airplane veneer on projects about my girls and myself.

The first layout I wanted to share was made with the main kit:

I knew immediately I wanted to use this silly photo of my girls in Steve's high school graduation gown and my current Graduate school graduation cap.  It wasn't until I had the layout finished that I remember to double check the files Lori created for this kit and saw a similar title idea, lol.  I also LOVE the chevron paper that Mitchell designed, so grabbed that and used almost the whole sheet.  

If you'd like to use "GoSeeDo" as a title for your layout, I made it available for download as a studio file.  I created this title with my Silhouette.

(click the picture to get to the download)

I have seen this title many times over the years but never really wanted to use it until now.  Isn't it funny how that works out?  

The same goes with the Geotag, but I fell in love with the paper designed for the kit by Traci Reed, it's my other favorite print this month, and had to pair it with a large version in this second layout:

Now that school is over and life is returning, I'm back to the library, overdue fees and all, lol.  I have been soaking up a lot of great novels I have missed over the last couple of years and had to document it on a layout.  Read anything good lately?  Please share.  

Again, I created a Silhouette file for this layout, and I made it available for download via studio file should you want to use it.  I'm not normally this techy but had some ideas I wanted to try with my projects this month.

(click the picture to get to the download)

When I added it to my layout, I first printed it out a larger size in white, decided that was too big, cut it again, and then thought it looked great layered so went with it.  That's just how it is sometimes....

Edited to add:  The font used for my title is called Lollihop.  I love this script because it isn't too slanty, and it welds really well with my Silhouette.  I don't normally pay for fonts but I must have with this one, because it's in the Silhouette store.  :)  My other go to favorites for scripty fonts are Pacifico and Lobster Two.  Both of those are free.  

Lastly I created a card using more of that geotag paper.  I just love it:

If you have any questions on my design process or anything, please ask!  If I were to do more step-by-step tutorials in the process of a layout I designed, would that interest you?  I'm thinking of adding that as part of my work each month so that you can recreate it if you want to.

Have a great day!  Davinie

P.S.  Let me know if there is an issue with any of those links.  Trying something new here and I have reached the max for my techy brain.  :) 

Loving Lately...

As I get in the habit of routinely blogging again, I thought I'd start with a post about what I've been loving lately.  There are a lot of beautiful things being created right now, brilliant products being perfected by science, and a lot of great creative inspiration out there.

First on the list:  

I'm a girl who likes to wear her hair down and parted on the same side.  I also have fine hair that can tend to curl, which means that the early morning hair decisions that I make will set the stage for the day.   I can't wear a hat unless the plan is to wear it all day or I'll have hat-hair.  You know what I mean.

I tend to get sunburned on the top of my head a lot which eventually leads to peeling, which is just gross, so I am always on the hunt for sunscreen that won't grease my scalp and look icky.  My friend told me about this sunscreen powder and I checked it out.  It works so well I had to give a little shoutout.  It's called Colorescience, it looks like makeup, goes on without a trace, and works really well!  I have been using it all summer on my hairline and my face.  I use it on the girl's faces too.

The initial purchase is a wee bit spendy but it has refills.  I've been told one applicator will last for a few months, which is perfect!  Skincare and sunscreens are a top priority for me lately, so I had to pass on a great product.  You can purchase a water resistant version, and there's even eyescreen!  I've never heard  of an eyescreen before.  That's new to me.  

Next on my list makes my Iphone very happy:

Orla Kiely for Target

I'm obsessed with this designer.  I smile every time I wash my hands in the sink, lol.  She's just come out with Ipad covers and Iphone cases, and I have to have this one I think:

Okay, now that we have our faces and our phones happy.... The next thing I wanted to share are the Spring chinos from Boden.  

I wouldn't begin to describe myself as fashionable or trendy.  I prefer to shop via the internet which means a lot of Gap, Old Navy, and some Banana Republic or maybe a touch of Ann Taylor Loft.  That said, the Boden catalog is one of my favorite pieces of mail.  I'd love to order one of each.  One of my staples this Spring has been these chinos.  I've been wearing them rolled up with flip flops or wedges and I just love them.  My favorites are the gray pinstripe pair.  I bought mine on sale and was just checking the site to order more colors and found them on clearance so had to share.  Maybe they are on clearance because they are called a "Spring" chino.  I don't know and I don't care.  I love them and ordered more.  True, they are running out of various sizes, but my favorite color seems to be in good supply so check them out.  $39 is a great price and it doesn't take much to get free shipping!  I was really excited to see these pants on Clearance.  I just added 4 pairs to my cart including Terracotta for $23.40!  Who doesn't need a little terracotta in their life?  Am I right?  

And with summer soon over and a new school year about to start, of course I need a good planner.  I found Emily Ley and I really like her take.

With August only a few days away it's time to get organized.  School, soccer practice, and maybe a little hip hop or hula dancing for the girls (we are still trying to decide), my kids certainly have a busy schedule coming up.  Steve is always trading shifts and working overtime so it's important for me to keep track of his schedule too.  And then there's me.  If I don't get my own classroom this year, I'm already on the sub list for three districts, so keeping track of my personal schedule is going to be crucial, because my crafty schedule needs to fit in there too.  It looks like the year ahead will be exciting!  I hope to keep all the squares filled.  

I have heard great things about these planners so of course I had to try one for myself.  If you follow Emily Ley on Facebook there's even a discount offer for the Date Book above.  Check it out!  The planners looks heavenly as well.  If I can do a good job with my date book, and don't lose it anywhere, lol, I am going to look into one of those for next year.  I love all the supplemental pages you can add.  There's even a recipe book that looks tempting too.  Maybe that'll be put on my Christmas list.  ;)  

Lastly, of course I want to add something crafty to the list of favorite things.  I have a few things in mind but for this post it has to be the August kit from Gossamer Blue.  You can check out the August Lookbook here with a a peek at the colors, some of the products, and the guest designer.  

Here is a sneak of one of my projects from this kit:

There are a lot of fun travel products in this kit which are just gorgeous.  I don't go anywhere, but I had a lot of fun with this kit taking it into different directions, and used current photos too.   The designers who are creating papers for this kit are beyond talented.  I loved cutting into their work.  :)

I guess that's it!  Back soon.

Davinie

Project 12 February in March

Well, February certainly swooped in and out like a flash, lol.  You wouldn't think 2-3 days off the end of the month would make such an impact but they certainly do.  

I was happy to have an opportunity to use Basic Grey's True Love paper pad for my layout this month. I adore any color palette that includes a shade of teal.  I'm not a huge red person, so this was a great mix for me.  

I had more photos than I thought I would to choose from this month.  Most were taken with my phone. I still made sure to get out my Canon to make sure I had higher quality digital photos in the record books as well.  On Valentines Day I took a photo of my girls holding a cardstock heart with both, to make sure I had images from both places.  

I got a very special note from a very special friend in my class at school this month.  I am so glad I have a great way to preserve it.  It was just a little heart on a folded piece of paper but my heart about split in two and doubled, it touched me so.  It's proof that I'm totally doing the right thing with school.  I get so much out of knowing I'm making a difference.

I had fun creating the printables for this month's layout too.  I used the color palette in the Bits & Pieces Add-on to influence the look of these two pieces.  

As you can see on my layout I always trim a big border around my cards.  I also like to add layers and attach embellishments and stitching to my cards as well.

The quote is a fun one.  As always, I shopped my "Words" board on Pinterest for just the right quote to use.  Of course I was looking for something love related this month, and found this quote by Jack Karouac to be a perfect choice.  

You can download both printables together or individually here:

Calendar and Quote

Calendar

Quote

I am excited to use the March Bits & Pieces Add-on for my next monthly spread.  I like the paper pads a lot.  For March it was Color Me Happy from Glitz Designs.  FUN.  You can check out my layout and Michiko's layout using the March kit on my blog post here.

My friends at SCT are playing along this month with a fun prize which includes Cards Map and a subscription to SCT.  Having these issues in your hands is always a fun treat so it's a good prize!

Thank you for playing along and supporting this challenge!  I am working on getting .png files for my calendar and quote cards, so let me know if that interests you and whether you have any trouble with these items.

Davinie

Gossamer Blue - February projects and March LookBook

I thought I'd get around to sharing some projects I made with the February kit from Gossamer Blue this month.  Most products are sold out but you can still get your hands on some of the paper, and since this kit was full of love and lots of Crate Paper Fourteen, that means there's still plenty of good stuff to be had.  Check out what's left here.

The first project I have to share was made with the main kit only.  This is what I came up with.

Note:  I thought the base paper design would be dead center and trimmed off the first side before I realized it was a wee bit askew.  If you want to create an 8.5 x 11 layout with this print and want it centered like I did, be sure to measure better than I did.  It's only a wee bit off, but it's enough to drive me crazy.  :)

The photo I used for this layout is currently my lock screen on my phone.  I love looking at it every time I unlock my phone and check my "countdown to graduation" app (which is currently at 72 days).

This next layout was fun to make and inspired by sweets.  We like to watch Cupcake Wars when we can and my girls wanted to have their own war one day so I let them loose in the kitchen.  They had so much fun but wouldn't you know it....  they TIED.  Funny how that happens (wink, wink).  

The little circle embellishments are inspired by all the little cupcake decorations they used.  Some of the hearts are the paper backing to the chipboard stickers.  I LOVE this Basic Grey alphas and they were very easy to sew right through.

This last one is a labor of love that isn't quite finished yet.  As I opened up and stared at the hearty heart love fest that was the February kit I couldn't help but get Valentine-y and as I went through my files I realized that 2013 marked the 10th Valentines Day with my baby girls.  Morgan was born in January 2004.  That inspired me to make a very treasured mini album full of photos of my girls and little bits from the kit.

Lori always packs the kits with care and chipboard.  The only thing I added to this album were the jump rings.

This is the cover.

I'm a little behind and don't have it finished yet.  Of course I wanted to also include a photo from this year and I think that led to the procraftination.  Procraftination.  Yes.  I have started seeing this word on Pinterest lately but I swear to pete I coined this phrase years ago at Studio Calico.  Yes I did.  That along with kit clues, which started as a game of Pictionary.  The whole last minute thing worked with my mojo over the years, but unfortunately, doesn't translate well to school work and student teaching so it's been a bad habit to break.  But procraftination.  Yes.  It needs to be added to the dictionary.

The heart with confetti inside was made using a glassine envelope in the kit.  I used different hole punches and this teeny little heart punch I got at Walmart, I think, a few years ago.  Love it.  I made the frame with my Silhouette.

That was all I had time for with the February kit.  I had big plans to make a heart garland with the digital files and other fun things but just ran out of time.  Heck, I still have some Christmas stuff out.  Time is flying!  I did save the February Bits and Pieces add-on to use for my Project 12 February layout though.  That will be fun.  I'm searching out the perfect quote to use in my layout as we speak (I'll be sure to make a file to download from the Gossamer Blue site too).

In the meantime, check out the March LookBook:

Elle's Studio, Glitz, MME, and Echo Park, among others, played very well in the kit this month.  My friend Nik also played along as our Guest.  I LOVED this kit more than I thought I would.  There's also some fun bits I've never seen before.  That's why I love having someone shop for me!  Lori did a great job with the kit this month so be sure to check it out.

While there, did you see these stamps?  I was looking to see if Lori started stocking jump rings, because I told her she should since she includes all this chipboard, and saw these cute stamps for a great deal in the stamp section.  The handmade by stamp would be PeRFECT for the back of my layouts.  Just sayin'.

Back to the books.

Davinie

Project 12 January 2013

Hi!

I'm excited to share my January Project 12 layout with you.  You can also check it out on the Gossamer Blue blog here.

January flew by.  As I've mentioned before I'm currently in my final student teaching placement before I get my teaching and Master's degree.  That means school all day and homework at night and kids in between.  It has been a big undertaking but my family is a house of rock stars so with....  86 days until graduation, the end of the tunnel is near and we are all very excited about that!

I got a new iPhone for Christmas and have been taking a lot more photos now that I have a better camera.  I take all the event photos with my Canon, but the everyday stuff that tells a deeper story of us is usually captured with my phone.

In planning my layout for the month, I started by emailing myself all the photos I wanted to use from my camera roll.  I use a standard Earlybird wash for my photos, and anything I hadn't uploaded to IG was edited and sent.

Tip:  Put your phone on Airplane Mode, edit, and it'll save the photo to your camera roll without flooding the IG gallery.  IG says the upload failed but still saves the photo.  

I print all of my IG photos at 2.5 x 2.5.  I had 8 photos this month.  I laid out my page protectors and then organized my photos from there.  I wanted to be chronological without bunching the photos up.  One of the reasons it takes me so long to get my layouts done is because I'm actually really methodical about how I do things.  I wish I could be more spontaneous but it just isn't in me, lol.  

Once my camera photos were organized I went to my digital files for other photos that told our story.  Morgan's birthday monopolized our month so I had to pick between them.  I took a lot of portrait shots on her birthday so that made a photo easy to choose as I had to pick between the horizontal shots for a 4x6 slot.  I then chose two other photos of my girls that also told our story.  As you can see by their placement on the layout, I'm intentional about those two.  Two words:  visual triangle.  I'm all about having a visual triangle without it being obvious.  

I created a card for my layout "title".  I'm going to have it on the upper left of every layout.

I was then equally intentional about patterned paper placement.  I think I'm going to use this same layout in my page protectors all year.  I chose several prints from my Gossamer Blue January kit leftovers as well as bits from my stash.  I'm all about using up bits from my stash.  I like letting the prints be seen so that future generations will know what design was like "back in the day" and such.  In fact, in one 4x6 slot it's nothing but a piece of Pink Paislee patterned paper.  I love the color palette and the overall design and didn't see a reason to add to it.  Like I said, photos were scarce this month and I didn't want the whole layout to be about Morgan's birthday weekend.  I am planning layouts and mini albums with all of those photos.  

I also had to include kid art.  Payton draws the best dogs.  She told me this was the best dog profile she had ever done so of course I had to include it.

I also have to make a quick note about grief.  We lost our pup Cooper this summer as you know.  The kids seemed to recover quickly unlike their parents.  As time has gone on, however, Cooper has started to come up more and more often.  Grief works in mysterious ways.  They really miss him.  We all do.  I still think I hear him outside sometimes and things happen all the time that remind us of a story with him in it.  That stinker.  

I also included a quote on my layout.  One of my favorite Pinterest boards is my "Words" board, and I want to start including some of the fun quotes I come across.





I know I've used my little chevron arrows a lot but I'm not tired of them yet, lol.  As you can see, they were intentionally placed too.  You can also tell by the colors used in the design that most things were placed with a purpose.

Bonus:

I'm going to be creating digital files every month for my Project 12 layouts, and thought I'd share my work with you!  Each month there will be a month card sized to fit in those 4x6 slots, as well as a quote card.  Right now my plan is for those to fit in a 3x4 space every month.  I always size my digital elements a little smaller, becuase I'm a girl who likes a border as well as a good fit, so I wanted to share that too.  You can download a copy of the printables here.

Have a great day!  Davinie

Gossamer Blue January and the February LookBook

I was super excited to Guest Design for Gossamer Blue for the month of January.  I've missed having a kit at my door and was really looking forward to working with coordinated products.  I don't have an LSS so it's always been nice to have a personal shopper.  It's been so long since I've felt inspired in that way.  It's been a long time since it felt like art and expression and telling a story.  

Of course my first layout of 2013 had to include a photo of myself in it.  For someone who doesn't like self-portraits I sure have my mug out there lately.  Not sure what that's all about.

Payton took this random photo one day and I thought it turned out really well so I have been using it all over the place.  This first layout includes the main kit only:

I really really liked the bokeh paper so had it include it.  That color palette is gorgeous.  Then it was just a matter of playing with some supplies I haven't touched in a while, like circle punches and my DMC floss.  I have been hand stitching long before it became popular on layouts.  I used to cross-stitch as a kid.  It's nice to see it getting so much attention in the industry now, and because it's so easy to do, I had to include it on my layout.

I love chipboard, and while I'm not a speech bubble person, I like the effect with the buttons on this page.

This next layout was made with photos we took at the Reindeer Ranch that is just 2 miles from our house.  These reindeer live there year round.  That has been an interesting conversation with the girls over the years (especially if they forget to tuck Santa's Sleigh in a storage building or something.  Must they leave it out for the kids to see every time we drive by?????)  We stopped by for a visit with a couple reindeer, hot cocoa, and a picture with Santa that supported a local high school sport team.  We also got our tree from their lot that day.  We were too busy to get to the hills on the weekend in December this year.  

I mixed a few prints from the kit in a patchwork of sorts along the bottom of this one.

The title was cut with my cameo.  I wasn't sure what I'd think at first, but the color kit and that gold pearl pen was SO FUN.  It's almost like puffy paint.  I applied it to the title and let it dry overnight to be sure it was set before I added it to my layout.  I also squeezed a few drops at the top.  I love that it dried with dimension.  It was more fun to use it than I anticipated.  I want another one in a different color!  

This next layout was fun too.  I made some wonky angles at the top and cut out that polka dot vellum from the color add-on, added a snowflake from the digital files that come with the main kit, and had fun with color.

Since my girls were babies they have gone over to Steve's parent's house to make Christmas cookies.  Many time it happened on a day where I had to work so Steve would take them over there and maybe take a phone photo or I'd see a photo they took at some point.  But I rarely have been there on a time when I also had a camera with me.  I was thinking about that tradition the other day so searched around and did manage to find a photo from 2010 documenting this event.

The kids really look forward to it every year.  This year we were too busy before Christmas to find a day to get them there (we were busy every weekend and kids were in school until the Friday before Christmas) so it was after Christmas before they got a chance to bake.  But we made it happen because it is important.  I am so lucky to have such involved extended family for my girls.  These are precious memories for them.  

With that, there are 3 contributions from me for the Gossamer Blue gallery this month.  It was a really nice kit to work with and had some of my favorite manufacturers included.

I loved the atmosphere and working with Lori so much that when the opportunity came up, of course I decided to keep my feet firmly planted and will remain on the team going forward.  I am so excited!  She is genuine and warm and has her finger on the pulse of the industry, makes customer service a priority, and has a beautiful vision on what products will work together.  Sure, I'm totally busy with school right now, but I graduate in just a few short months.  I finish student teaching with my first grade classroom in mid-April and then I graduate the first week in May.  So bear with me as I work to make time for this art I love.  I have a notebook filled with all sorts of ideas and inspiration.  I am just waiting for the time in order to be able to share what I've been thinking about.

In the end I hope to share how scrapbooking can be included in the lives of regular people.  I'm not going to school to be a Graphic Designer.  I'm not fancy.  I live in a regular house in a small community.  I'm not trying to impress you with my grandeur.  I want to be a teacher.  I want to enrich the lives of children.  I am a hands-on person and feel I have so much to offer that I had to go back to school to make a difference.  There are schools in my community where most students qualify for free and reduced lunch.  My heart pulls me to those kids.  I am also a regular Mom who wanted to be on the same schedule as my family, who loves the outdoors and can't stay cooped up indoors all the time.  My husband doesn't work a M-F schedule, so for me to get on the same schedule as our kids frees up so much time for our family.  Holiday breaks and summer adventures.  Our family is SO excited at the possibilities for us going forward.  Most people live like me.  They are busy with their life and have to carve out time for hobbies  There is still a way to include art in a regular life though.  That's one reason I created the Project 12 challenge.  Freedom to live the life that you photograph.

It looks like there may be a few January Main Kits available.  As you contemplate that, check out the look book for what is coming up in February.  I am working with this kit right now and all I can tell you is:  Crate Paper Fourteen.  LOVE.    

Have a great day!  Take a photo with your kids as part of Aleida's challenge and take time to enjoy this precious life.    Davinie

ETA:  Had to include a Monday morning not wearing makeup letting the wrinkles hang out morning after a slumber party windy day wild kids in the backyard but this is us pic, with each of my girls:

                        

Project 12 - 2013

Yay!  It went live so I can share how I will be doing Project 12 this year.

Gossamer Blue, a wonderful scrapbook kit club you should definitely check out, is going to co-host the Project 12 challenge with me this year.  I couldn't be more excited!  Lori is one of the most supportive, gracious, and genuine people in the industry and I can't think of anyone I'd rather host this challenge with.  

Here's the epic post with details about Project 12:

Scrapbooking has always been about preserving your memories.  Art has become an additional way of expressing yourself on your pages, but traditionally, scrapbooking involved photos and memorabilia to document your life.  Becky Higgins brought the traditional form of scrapbooking to the forefront again with the concept of Project Life.  You can read more about Becky Higgins and her memory keeping system here.

I loved the idea of Project Life but knew it wasn’t going to be something I could commit to in the way it was intended. 

I am a busy Mom. 

I work outside the home. 

I have other hobbies.

I want to run a half-marathon this year.

I want to sew a quilt for my bed.

I want to knit a scarf.

I want to DIY some home décor projects.

I want to make things with my kids.

I want to read a book.

I need to be able to clean my house, make dinner, and do nothing if I want to. 

I am also a slow scrapbooker.  I knew that committing to something weekly wasn’t going to work for me and I’d quickly lose interest and motivation as I fell behind.

In 2009 I started hosting a challenge on my blog that took on Project Life in a different way.  I called it Project 12.

One two-page spread per month.  12 layouts per year. 

I have enough content to fill a two page layout per month, with photos to spare for regular scrapbook projects. 

I have time to commit to one 2-page layout per month. 

I have space for two 12x12 albums per year to house these layouts.

Traditionally, I created a two page layout.  In 2010 and 2011, I hosted the challenge on the SCT blog and Becky Fleck designed sketches for me.  

In 2013 I have decided to try something different.  I wanted to try something that allowed for more photos per layout on my 2-page spread.  I decided to utilize the divided page protectors and go back to scrapbooking’s roots.

The Project 12 challenge is simple:

Whether you take 1 photo or 100 photos per month, you have a life to document.  Each month, your challenge is to document your life on a layout.  I am going to be using divided page protectors and documenting our life on a 2-page spread.  I will have 12 2-page layouts per year that will be housed together in 12x12 albums and displayed so my family can look at them anytime they like.

This is what I came up with:

There are 14 photos on this layout!

I cut my title with my Cameo.  I created a vellum pocket and added confetti.  I layered the dots on top of the page protector.  I used 14 photos!  I'm thrilled that I used 14 photos.  

TIPS:

I use my phone a lot and will be using a lot more phone photos in 2013 for my Project 12 spreads. 

I use Instagram a lot.  I love the Earlybird wash (my username is Davinie).

I also love the Momento  app.  I can type in notes when we do something fun or my girls say something funny.  It also keeps track of my Instagram feed and Facebook updates too so that when I begin to put my layout together, I have all of our memories in one place.

I love this challenge because it allows you to share more of your story in a way that your family can easily enjoy.  You get a chronological look at your life.  The time commitment leaves an opportunity to do other things.  I don’t want to be tied to something.  This method of recordkeeping allows the flexibility to take a break and do other things while still filling your scrapbooks.

I hope you’ll join me!  Gossamer Blue will be a wonderful host.  There’s even a prize involved.  Check out the Gossamer Blue blog here for details on how you can play along and maybe even get a prize.  

Davinie

P.S.  I am also the Guest Designer for January a Gossamer Blue!
P.P.S.  I have read my letter for my Note to Self challenge! I am so glad I did this!  Check out more about that here.  I'll post my next spread tomorrow.