Travel Journal

     I've kept a journal when I traveled for years. It's been great to go back and read about the day to day vacations I only remember as vacation blobs (beautiful blobs, but....just a generic summary and not the day to day details).  It's also been a great way to remember the things I wanted to remember before returning.  In the last few years I've added some 'scrapbooking' to my journal, as opposed to keeping a full album for the trip separately.  Now I might do a few pages in a larger book I'm keeping with chronological life moments, but I don't have as many full albums anymore because....time.  

     I've also slowly been teaching myself the most efficient way TO scrapbook on the go.  I know I used a two page spread each day.  I have a few walk throughs on youtube on past journals, but this last trip (Hello, Oahu), I took a few photos of what my set up looks like.  

I now travel with a pouch with my glue, a few paper scraps, some enamel drops, a mini stapler and little strips of washi, but I try to do most of my decorating beforehand.  

I attaching a few things to each page I think I might like to use when I decorate the page.  In this case, I made a little pocket using half an envelope beyond the house.  I put in some litlte squares I used for extra space for journaling, and a place to put my photos.  I also make little date tags in advance with my label maker.  This way I could use more than two pages, so I don't put the date on the pages until I get to that day.  

I use a canon ivy, which really prints great little photos AND you can buy your paper with a sticky back.  

I'm on my fourth travel journal now, and they sure do take up a lot less space.  I'm sure I'll go back to the 'big books' someday, or on really different vacations, but for now, I'm loving the travel journal life!

Christmas Card Album (Year 3)

I started doing this a few years ago b/c I just can't stand throwing away my Christmas cards.  All those precious pictures and stories.  I know I'm going to like this piece of me in 10 years. Here is a better look at the process.   

The basic process is to find two pieces of sturdy cardboard and measure the largest card and cut two pieces the same size. I covered both pieces with scrapbook paper.  Add the year and a few embellishments.  I punch two holes in both boards and all the cards and then put them all together.  

 Here are the last three years.  The goal is to flip through the books and pray for each family this year.

Birthday Card Scrapbook

These are the easiest albums to make.  I usually just make them for Christmas Cards, but this year I hit the big 4-0.....so I made one with all the cards I received to celebrate again.  

I take cardboard pieces and covered them with scrapbook paper, stickers etc.  

Once I have the cardboard covered (front and back), I punch two holes in the top, and then match the cards with those holes and punch holes in those as well (some are small, and dangle by just one hole).  I used metal rings you can find online or at any scrapbook store.  

 I usually cover those rings with ribbon.  In this case, a lot of the ribbon came from gifts I received, and I saved the ribbon b/c I thought it would be a fun addition.

I can flip through these special cards at any point, and it's a fun memory of how blessed I am to have so many caring people in my life.

DIY Cards

Working at an elementary school there are always a lot of babies.  I try to stock up on cards anytime I feel inspired.  These blank cards I snagged at Hobby Lobby when they were half off, and I use them for a lot of seasonal cards as well, it skips having to glue down scrapbook paper.  This go 'round I used some little star pins I bought recently, scrap fabric, buttons, and bakers twine.  I cut out the word baby with my cricut (and happy for a birthday card).  I pushed the pin through the fabric, then stapled it down to give it some personality, and then glued down the button.   I stitched a little zigzag....which I would normally sew, but I didn't feel like pulling out my machine....and.....I'm ready for babies that are headed our way next school year!  

DIY "Vintage" Valentine Card

Here's a quick little Valentine I put together.  I found a free printable online of a vintage valentine.  I printed it and fussy cut it out.  I then just glued it down to a pink card with some other scrapbook paper, twine, and tickets, and then stamped a message inside.  I've been trying to MAKE my cards, but I don't always stay ahead of the game, but I'll have you know, I'm ready for Valentine 2020 right now…..just nothing else starting tomorrow.

Christmas Card Album

 A fear I have with the digital world is that so much of our personal history is going to be lost.  I have learned so much through photos I've found of family members from long ago, and letters they exchanged and kept.  With the digital world of texting and phone photos not being printed, I think there are going to be some pretty major chunks missing and not captured despite the fact that you live forever on the internet, who is to say the internet will live forever in it's current form.  So, I save letters.  In particular, Christmas cards have been a collection I picked up four years ago. I started b/c my friend told me how she kept hers in a box next to a chair and she picked one up each day and prayed for that person.  I decided to bind mine and keep them in a book.  I recently saw a friend who did the same and placed her family photo on top, which was adorable

Here is this year's collection.  I decorated two pieces of cardboard for a front and back cover, added a few decorations and then punched two holes in each card, letter, and photo that arrived in my box this December.

2018 One Little Word Walk Through

Here is the link to my One Little Word Walk Through.

I completed my one little word album for the year.  I scrapbooked my word monthly using the Ali Edwards prompts from 2017, but I chose to use a junk journal I had rather than her supplies, only b/c I need to use up my supplies before I purchase more.  I only make those sort of rational decisions in January.  This is the first year I've chosen to revisit my word monthly, and it really helped.  I think it kept me anchored in a turbulent times.  I'm definitely doing it again this next year and I've already chosen my word.  I'm going to use the other half....err, 1/4th of this journal, so I'll have to dig deeper in less space.  This last year I chose the word "Hope."  It seems like an overused word, but at the end of last year I found myself looking at situations I had prayed about for years and feeling really hopeless.  To be honest, I didn't see huge, life altering changes, though years aren't chapters, so I won't confine hope to this year, but perhaps b/c 2017 was a tough year, and 2018 wasn't that much easier, I needed, even more than usual, to cling to hope so I don't become harden to the whispers hope brings.  Though I took action, there are a lot of parts of the word that require you to be patient and wait.  This next year I'm choosing restore.  I'll share my first few pages and reasons soon, but as this year closes, one last look at hope, which I'll bring with me into 2019.

December Daily 2018: Week 1 (ish)

Now that Week 2 is almost come and gone, here is week 1 from my December Daily album. 
https://youtu.be/542jLbzWiXE

Unicorn Pocket Letter

 Pocket letters were really big a few years ago.  People got pretty elaborate with their pocket scenes.  The idea is you use those old baseball card sleeves and fill them with scrapbook supplies.  Some people even fill the front and back.  Then you fold them up and can slip them in a letter size envelope.  I did NOT go elaborate because my goal was to get this out in a speedy fashion.  My cousin's little gal is at a really fun age, and she is a fan of the unicorn.  I too love a good unicorn decoration.  She came to my house over the break and we did some crafting (another one of her loves) and she enjoyed playing with all my supplies, and examining all my unicorns.

 So....I went through my old scraps, pulled out washi, and stickers etc, and I filled a little envelope full of these gals for her to get creative.  This concludes with her next love-letters, so....mine is closed up, stickered up, and I'm adding some tape and a couple of stamps and then shipping this through the mail.

 I hate to throw away Christmas cards (unless they are from my insurance agent), so I started making little books a few years ago....I'm just about a year behind this year.  It's such a simple idea, and it doesn't take up much space.  I have a friend that keeps her cards all year and flips to a new one each day and says a prayer for that family.  I love this idea so much.

This year I used some supplies from last year from a line called Snow and Cocoa by Crate Paper.  I just took a piece of cardboard (the back of a paper pad works well) and I cut it to the largest card's size of the cards.  I punch in two holes in each card, add rings, and decorate the cover.

Ephemera: Dance Cards

 I love all things ephemera.  As a crafter, I know when I'm working with 'vintage' scraps of paper like this, they won't last the length a 'fresh' piece would, but I just am in love with antiques.  I recently found this little set of dance cards at an antique store in Galveston.

 I have some of these from my great grandmother that are one of my favorite things b/c my great grandfather's name is scrolled across a line or 4.  I just love the idea of the ladies wearing these little cards on their wrist and etching in the names of gentlemen.

 I'm not sure what I'll do with these dance cards....something scrapbook-ish eventually....or maybe just some fun decor under a bell jar.

 But in the meantime....I'm going to let them tell me stories.

Baby Boy Gift Card

I TRY to make homemade cards as much as possible.  When I'm on top of my game (all both days of the year), I'll make them in advance and have them ready to address when the announcements start rolling in.  I recently made some pink baby cards, but I realized everyone won't necessarily be having girls (though it currently feels that way), so....I put together a few boy cards for my collection.  I had these polka dot cards from Hobby Lobby (and the polka dot scrapbook page, and crocheted flowers (a line called Poppies and Paperie).  I took some scrap fabric and sewed in to the card using a zig zag stitch and then attached the other pieces with glue.
Next up....more birthday cards b/c these people just keep on insisting on celebrating their birthdays.….

Baby Girl Card

I threw a shower a few weeks back.  I had two bags left over from the cookie bar.  I started to put them in my stash of 'stuff' to use someday....but then I got to thinking, I needed some more baby cards (I keep a stash-ready to roll with the babies start showing up)-I decided these would be cute sleeves for a card instead.
I glued down the back of the bag so it won't flap up, and then I made a little slide in tag using some papers from Hobby Lobby.  I added some bows and jewels (also from Hobby Lobby).
Once these have a destination, I'll add the Mom's name to the front.
I bought some envelopes for half off as well so I can mail these.

Scrappy Birthday Cards

I recently bought a card at a little artist booth in downtown Denton.  I decided to use the card to inspire me to make some cards for myself. 

I stamped Happy Day on some scraps of canvas. 

I sewed those squares to the inside of some solid colored cards from Hobby Lobby, and then I sewed on some scraps of fabric to the front of the card.  I'm always digging for cards last minute, so....now I'll have five fewer trips to the store when I realize I need a card ASAP. 

40 Before 40 Album Pieces

I started a new project.  I'm making a 'little' album of big and little things I want to do over the next year and 3 months.....before I turn :gulp: 40.  I've completed my first two things, and made the pages to prove it.  One-I haven't worn earrings in almost ten years....and so I was determined to get a pair of earrings back in my ear.  Silly, but true.  I also have never organized the stupid Tupperware in my kitchen.  My kitchen is in desperate need of repainting, but my goal was to at least be able to open that cabinet of terror without stuff falling out.  It hasn't happened in the 17 years I've lived here.  It was time!  I have big things (trips/people to see), and more little things.  I'm just trying to fill these months with memories.  I don't want to rush it, but I also don't want to waste it!  Once I've done ten pages or so I'll do a better tutorial on the pages.  In the meantime, here are the first few pages and a little video of the supplies I'm using!

Galentine's Gifts

 Last year a few friends and I decided to go out for Valentine's....it was my second year to do Galentine's with a group of friends.  I'm not one that is bothered much by Valentine's Day regardless of my relationship status, BUT I AM one who is always up for a little holiday celebration.
I decided some cake balls were in order.

 Let me pause and say I never have perfected the cake ball, the chocolate cooking time, or the perfectly round balls of cake, but....I've perfected the taste, so.....I can live with that.  I bagged up my cake balls...

 ...and I put them in these little jewel boxes I got from Stampin' Up.

This is not an ad, I don't sell stampin' up, but when my Mom got into scrapbooking a few years ago I wanted her to have fun learning some simple techniques and I found out about this monthly club called paper pumpkin.  It's less than 25 dollars (depending on how many months you do) and they send you a kit each month where you can make banners, cards, favor boxes etc.  This was one she got and didn't use, and so I used some Valentine's Stamps in place of the original stamps.  They turned out really cute if I do say so myself. 

Scrapbook Pages-Just add Photos

I recently went to scrapbook with my pal, Amber.  I had very few pictures I hadn't scrapbooked.  NOT because I'm caught up, but because I gave up on printing photos a few years back b/c I got so far behind, SOOOOO now I'm just scrapbooking current events and working from there.  As a single gal, it's not as though I have my kiddo's pictures stuck in a camera, and if I did, I'd just pop those puppies into a digital album and call it good.  SOOOO, in an effort to not get behind again, I did the two events I had photos from, and then did some pages for upcoming events so that I just have to journal and pop the pages inside the albums.  
This was the one page I actually had photos from, a shower I this summer. 
My sister from another mister and I think we are funny, so we do something called "ladies who Mensa" it was that or 'chess club.'  We said we were going to do monthly meetings where we tried new things.  We meet up, but usually just to eat the same old bad food, but occasionally we Mensa.  This weekend we went and got scalp massages and made some macaroons.  This page is for those adventures. 

Unicorns and birthday, you just never out grow them if you do life right.

I loooove vintage Easter, but I've had this paper combo for a few years and wanted to use it, so I went ahead and made a page.  I'll make an Easter 2019 with my vintage paper later.

I fell in love with this paper at the scrapbook store.  I'll definitely add some journaling to the blank space and some more doodads.

OK...time to put the scrapbooks up for awhile and get to work on some serious Valentine-ing.