greenmint

merry christmas!!!

2007-12-24T01:52:00.000-08:00

...and my best wishes to you all, my friends!!!

christmas journal: day 3

2007-12-11T07:42:00.000-08:00

Last weekend I could make a couple pages but the best was that I made my album cover. I took an old cardboard binder and covered the outside with red binding fabric, and the inside with a K&company green paper. Then I put a piece of red felt with some embellisments on the front cover. Finally I made the title with some silver letters from Heidi Swapp. Now I can keep my pages in it and I´m punching holes and adding as well some drawings that my daughter makes while I´m scrapping. Here is my third page, too. The little cards can be opened and keep little "secrets" inside...

christmas journal: day 2

2007-12-07T01:31:00.000-08:00

Papers: BasicGrey, K&Company, Anna Griffin; glittered letter stickers: Making Memories; stickers: 7gypsies, Love Elsie; rub-ons: Love Elsie; chipboard: FancyPants.
TFL!
My second page. I´ve decided not to number the pages so far and I´ve put a tab in which probably I´ll put the numbers or dates later. I´ve covered the back side with a photo of an advert that I cut from a home decoration magazine and put a paper strip for covering the advertirser words and maybe I will put something more.
The same way my Christmas supplies box is open, I´ll leave my pages open to add more things, photos or words if necessary...

The back side. Paper: Amy Buttler (K&Company).

shimelle´s christmas journal: day one

2007-12-05T06:56:00.000-08:00

Cardstock: Bazzill; Paper: Scrapworks; letters: American Crafts thickers; stamps: CastlifePress, Aladine; rub-on: Love,Elsie; words stripe: 7gypsies; others: ribbons.

TFL!

Ok, this is my first journal entry for Shimelle´s class "Christmas Journal". I missed my first 2 prompts as I was out during the weekend, so now I´m a bit behind...but I´m not going to worry or stress myself. I will do it with some days of delay if necessary and if I can get up to date...so much the better!

Finally I´m going to use different sizes in my journal which I will bind at the end, probably in a ring binder. For this first page I´ve used a piece of chipboard in 7x9", then covered with paper both sides, on the front side I´ve taken Shimelle´s words and I´ve reserved the back side to put some other "private" thoughts.

I´m not very proud of this first page, but I don´t mind, I hope it will be better day by day, I rather think some days will be better than others, sure!

"journal your christmas"

2007-11-27T01:25:00.000-08:00

Finally, I decided to sign up for Shimelle´s class on line: Journal your Christmas. It sounded so funny...

And my first step: gathering Christmas stuff. Apart of some papers and embellishments that I´ve shopped for the occasion, I searched through my stash all kind of papers in green, red, pink and light blue that could fit. Then I´ve added a bunch of scraps and more papers and some chipboard elements and lots of ribbons that I already had. I keep all that in a box, but I´ll have my box "open" just in case I want to add more things. Besides I will have on hand all my basic tools, and inks and stamps. I think I´ll have stuff enough to play with, but one never knows...Now, ready for my next step!

Ah! And if you wish to have a look here and here... being in the slide show of favorites at One Little Word is a very big honour for me. I´m so so very happy...THANK YOU!

OLW #14: full

2007-11-23T10:06:00.000-08:00

8,5x11 layout. Patterned papers: 7gypsies, AutummLeaves; journaling tags: ScenicRoute; chipboard letters: BasicGrey; others: buttons, brads, flowers and felt embellishments (some of these are home made).
TFL!

Another challenge from One Little Word, this time using the¨ word "full". Here is my layout, a very simple one although full of color, the photo is not very good but as I still have my printer a bit broken (this could be applied to the scanner as well, which is the same) I have to manage with what I have on hand. Thanks God that Christmas will come soon!

good news!!

2007-11-20T03:40:00.000-08:00

After being ill for more than a week...i´ve got good news!
Hey! I´ve been invited to be a new member of 1WorldScrap Design Team . I´m so excited...This is really a big challenge that encourages me to continue experimenting and making stuff and sharing it. I hope to do my best!
(The photo is a peek of the album covers for a project that I´d want to prepare for Christmas. Just cardboard painted with red and gold acrylics, work in project...)

OLW 13# Challenge: DELIGHT

2007-11-07T11:37:00.000-08:00

Patterned papers: BasicGrey, 7gypsies; overlay: Hambly; rubons: FancyPants, Chatterbox; letter stickers: American Crafts, BasicGrey, KI Memories; journaling stickers: ScenicRoute, Love Elsie; words strip: ScenicRoute; felt embellishments are home made.
TFL!

Here is my take on OLW #13 challenge using the word "delight". I don´t know why the letters in the title has been scanned like pink when they´re red indeed... that´s scanning! It happens to me lately (as with the last word "believe") that I have more than one idea with the word and one single layout doesn´t seem to be enough. Thus I made a minibook with "believe", but couldn´t finish it in time so now I´ve preferred to make a single page but get it finished!
TFL!

OLW#12: i believe...

2007-10-30T08:05:00.000-07:00

Papers: Hambly, ScenicRoute, 7gypsies, FancyPants; rubons & overlays: Hambly; stickers: 7 gypsies, SEI; letter stickers: Thickers American Crafts; chipboard elements: ScenicRoute, CherryArte; inks: Distress Ranger, VersaMagic; others: ribbons, Dymo.

TFL!

I couldn´t finish this minibook in time for the OLW#12 challenge using the word "believe". I didn´t want to make just a single page layout (so many things to say...) and making the minibook took me more time than expected... A bit late but anyway here it is. You can see the whole minibook here (SIS)or here (2Peas). TFL!

Life Art challenge

2007-10-23T07:44:00.000-07:00

I´ve been reading lately a lot about art journals and have been seeing a bunch of lovely minialbums. I like the relationship between them and although sometimes I couldn´t define quite well the line which separate both I know there is one. I wanted to try a kind of hybrid but definitely it looks only like a minialbum. I´ve made it for Ali´s challenge at ScrapInStyle TV, based on her Life Art Principles (see week 3). Anyway I´ve enjoyed way too much making it and I´m falling in love with minibooks more and more. These are some other of the pages, you can find the whole minibook here :

TFL!

7 random facts (about me)

2007-10-13T15:01:00.000-07:00

Patterned papers: Hambly, SEI, BasicGrey, FancyPants, ScenicRoute; chipboard letters: Basic Grey; chipboard scrolls: FancyPants; stamp: Catslife Press; inks: Tsukineko.

TFL!

Although I did´t make the cut to move on round 2 of LSS V.2 I´ve taken their challenge anyway: "7 random facts" and made this page with 7 random facts about myself. And sure they have been random, I wrote the 7 first things that came to my mind. One of them: 4. My printer "has died". I need to buy a new one. worries me seriously because I usually print my photos at home and now...I won´t have new photos for a while. So I will have to dig out my old ones. Not so bad idea indeed, I have tons! (never scrapped before...)

Have a nice weekend!

OLW #11 challenge: gone

2007-10-11T13:49:00.000-07:00

8,5x11. Cardstock: Bazzil Basics; papers: SEI; overlay: Hambly; letter stickers: American Crafts; stamps: Fancy Pants; ink: Tsukineko; ribbons & diecuts: BasicGrey; journalings stickers: Heidi Swapp, 7gypsies; clip: 7gypsies.

TFL!

This page is for OLW Challenge #11: using the word GONE. I´ve tried to use bright colors because the photo was B/W and is a bit "old" and needed light in some way. I also used the overlay to brighten up the photo, cut it in a circle (it was my first Hambly and I almost cry when cutting it... it´s a joke! but now I know why people are so mad about Hambly) and inked the edges, although in the scanning is almost invisible.Those were wonderful and very happy days and I don´t want to remember them in black and white...

Thank you and all about PJ...

2007-10-05T07:00:00.000-07:00

I want to THANK YOU all sincerely for your nice comments on my last post. I´m so glad you´ve liked it... really! you have to try it, it´s easy and funny. About watercolor pencils, they are cheap and very versatile (just a few colors are enough), you can take them with you in your handbag, if you have children they will enjoy them as well and if they use a baby wipe for blending instead of water you -and all your surroundig stuff- will be safer.

And about PJ...OK, not all, of course. But just a couple things. First, take a look to this wonderful tag-mini-album she made about her blogging friends. I´m so very happy to be in it! This is the page she made about me, isn´t it lovely? all the other tags are lovely indeed!

Tag and minialbum made by PJ.

Second, I would like to thank her for recommending in her blog the unmounted stamps from Catslife Press, I ordered some of them and I agree with her, the customer service is excellent and all the stamps are very cool! (and unmounted are easier to store)

And finally, if you haven´t already done, check out here her creative skills! She´s a master making homemade foam stamps and cool journaling cards. Don´t miss it!

creative skills: handwriting

2007-09-29T07:22:00.000-07:00

In her last AEzine (#23) Ali Edwards writes about creative skills and concepts and sharing it. What a great idea! She´s right, the Internet allow us to share information (not only with people nearby but with all over the world!) and to learn and to grow and thus maybe help others to grow too. I have to be so much grateful for it and for all that I´ve learned lately... I would like to return it in some way but I consider that I´m still only learning. I´ve been scrapbooking just for 7-8 months so I think it´s not time enough to develop any speciality. I can say more, I´ve been trying and testing everything (scrapbooking related) that I found NEW for me, that means EVERYTHING. Sometimes stamping and embossing, sometimes using chipboard elements or rub-ons, sometimes stitching and other times trying different sizes for my layouts or making minibooks. That is everything but nothing, I haven´t got experience enough! But I´ve been thinking (as Ali recommends) and yes, there is something I´ve been doing for almost my whole life: handwriting. I love handwriting and hand journaling and using it in almost all my projects (as well as I love to see other people´s handwritting). I think "I am good with handwriting". When I have to make a journaling block I usually write the text previously on a piece of paper just to calculate if it will fit more or less in my free space. As I don´t matter if it will be perfect (handwritting is inherently imperfect) I don´t worry about writing lines in order to get it straight (in fact I´m afraid I´m too much confident of my handwriting...).

But there is a kind of handwriting that I really really love. I call it "the art journal handwriting", I have no idea if it has a real name (if someone knows, please, i would love to know it...).

OK, it´s nothing new but this is the way I do it:

You can begin drawing a circle or other shape with a template, or you can do it directly onto the page (or card or journal or whatever it be)

Then I draw wavy lines randomly

I write between each two lines taking care of filling up all the space between them. Sometimes I also make some little drawings, like those flowers over the "i".

Eventually I take my watercolor pencils and colored the shape. For blending the colors I like to use a baby wipe (never imagined how many uses they have!) and a cotton stick. This time I´ve used a waterproof ink pen but is usually better to do this step first.
I have done this example in my sketch book, but you could then cut it, ink the edges and make a nice tag for a layout or you could do it directly on it. Or instead of coloring you can write on a cardstock or plain patterned paper.

I think that the main advantage of this kind of handwriting is that no matter how is yours it always looks nice.

I know it´s no big deal but I hope that sharing this at least encourage you to try it if never did it before.

OLW#10: PERFECT routine

2007-09-28T11:31:00.000-07:00

Cardstock: Bazzill Basic; patterned papers: BasicGrey; letter stickers: thickers American Crafts; stamps: Fancy Pants; inks: Distress Ranger; chipboard circle: ScenicRoute; button: SEI.

TFL!

Yes, it´s routine what allows me to come back to my blog, to make new layouts and participate in challenges. Sad, I know, but it´s the truth. Maybe some of you who have children agree with me. Those little bits of free time since you leave your job until you pick the kids up at school are really precious. And you know that as long as nothing weird occurs you´ll have that little time just for you and will be able to organize the way you like. I love being on vacation and I need it as everybody does, but as far as I have to work and earn money for living, and at the same time I love to make creative stuff, coming back to daily routine is not always so bad.

So here is the layout I´ve made (at the last moment) for the One Little Word challenge using the word PERFECT. I missed some of the previous ones (seek, balance...) but I´d like to be at it again.

Have a nice weekend!

Last Scrapper Standing Vol.2 Round 1: Look

2007-09-26T00:30:00.000-07:00

Patterned papers and letter stickers: BasicGrey; acrylic flowers and letters: Heidi Swapp; rub-ons: FancyPants; stamps: Catslife Press; Ink: Distress Ranger; mask: Heidi Swapp; pink paint: Adirondack dabbers; plain transparency, staples, cardstock.

TFL!

Using 8 overlays! Hard work because I hadn´t much on hand. I have to give my thanks (again) to PJ, because I have "scraplifted" what she did in a minialbum using that Heidi Swapp mask and paint. And thanks to Noell too, because she inspired me to do a "side B" for my page (I recommend you this tutorial, it´s great!). You see, nothing original in this layout, I´ve "copied" almost everything...

So I painted a plain transparency with pink paint, using the mask. I added some patterned paper, stamp over cream cardstock for making the journaling tags and added some rub-ons onto the transparency. Anyway I´ve already ordered some Hambly overlays, just in case...

I love these efferdares!

coming alive again

2007-09-23T01:53:00.000-07:00

I´m alive! But these past days I´ve been really OVERWHELMED. Very busy times at work, at home and everywhere and everytime... and my creativity has almost become exticnt, mainly because no one of my neurones stayed free. But two days ago I received a couple of packages full of new wonderful stuff and vibes are reviving again. And after a whole summer of travelling and going out weekends I´m going to stay at home for 2 days! (and it´s raining...) So I challenge myself 1st to finish some of my ongoing projects and 2nd make at least one new LO. Will I achieve it???

For the time being I´ve finished (at last!) this minibook with photos of my daughter in water this summer. As I didn´t have a blank minibook I recycled one her old chipboard tale books, gesso-ing it first. I wanted to play a bit with digi (sorry but I can´t find what digi paper I used, I´m sure it was downloaded from a 2-Peas free kit) , so I made the tags and this is enough for me so far...
And now... back to my messy desk. I hope to be able to show you more things done soon!
Have a nice weekend!

ds: 1st september

2007-09-06T23:26:00.000-07:00

Stickers: Love Elsie (KI Memories), Distress Ink. Album: Clairefontaine.
TFL!
Between this and the previous "daily something" there are a couple pages that I haven´t scanned. Here I´ve made a 2-pages using one black and one ruled. I´m delighted with this album and its alternate pages, besides it has a size (a bit larger than 5x7") easy to fill in and... easy to carry with you everywhere, perfect for a "daily something"!
I love autumm, especially these days of the late summer and early autumm. The light, the colors, the smells and the weather are so warm...
So let´s enjoy and have a nice weekend!

Dare #74: Scrap your mantra

2007-09-04T09:15:00.000-07:00

Cardstock: Bazzill Basics; pp´s: SEI, FancyPants, BasicGrey, ScenicRoute; rub-on: Chatterbox; XL brad & stamps: Heidi Swapp; ink: Stazon, others: acrylic paint, jeans & felt fabrics.

TFL!

This is for Dare #74: Scrap your mantra. I think I have more than one mantra, but this is always important in my life in some way or another.

By the way, yesterday I cut my old jeans shorter, just over the knee, and I didn´t know what to do with the leftover pieces, so I´ve cut a flower and used it as an accent. Will keep the rest to future uses...

And in this LO I used the painting techniques that Noell shows here.

polymeric clay beads, necklaces and another daily something

2007-08-30T00:42:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I was making some polymeric clay balls with my daughter (“high quality” as you can see) and she asked me to make her a necklace, so we decided to mix them with some felted pieces and cristal beads to make it, she wanted one “like those you wear, mummy”. I followed (more or less) her directions... her aesthetic sense is growing as she physically does (so fast, indeed!)
I took advantadge of the photos and made my “daily something” for yesterday:

Pp´s: SEI, ScenicRoute, BasicGrey; letter stickers: KI Memories.

TFL!

I though I could make it everyday but as I´ve realized is not always possible I don´t worry anymore: if I can it´s OK, if not... next day. I think that was the phylosophy of the project, don´t make it very complicated and don´t let it be another unavoidable duty. But today, here it is.

And here is the album I promised yesterday to show you:

the brand is Clairefontaine, it´s a "travel photo album", has alternate ruled and black pages (one ruled, one black) it´s more or less 7x5" and I think it´s perfect for my "daily something" project, although some day I could feel like making something bigger or try another size... Now one of my next projects will be to decorate the cover!

daily something 27/08/07

2007-08-29T09:17:00.000-07:00

Papers: FancyPants, ScenicRoute; SEI; stamp: KI Memories; letter stickers: SEI; sticker: LoveElsie.

TFL!

Another contribution to the "daily something" project. I painted the background (striped) with turquoise acrylic paint, then punched some circles and journaled on them.

I found this travel photo album in a stationery store and I think is perfect for this project. I will show you more images of it as soon as I can.

Dare #73: none scrapbooking products

2007-08-27T22:04:00.000-07:00

I´m back again. I really needed a breath (although I´m not sure if I have taken a breath enough big as I needed) but here I am anyway. In fact I never can stop totally, and I guess that is good because it means I´m alive!

OK. I missed the Dares but I´m glad they´re back again. And this is what I´ve made for Dare #73:

"No patterned paper, no cardstock, no chipboard, no rub-ons, nostickers,
nothing. I dare you to create a layout using absolutely nothingmade specifically
for scrapbooking. Just found objects and non-scrappingcraft or office supplies.
Or, you know, whatever else you want. Raid thehardware store. Just as long as
it’s not a scrapbooking product"

The corrugated cardboard I´ve used is a leftover piece of a package, I´ve painted it with silver and turquoise acrylics (found at an art store) and also painted in silver the bubble plastic piece. I made myself the stars with polymeric clay (turquoise and silver mixed, then varnished) and handwrite the letters for title onto a regular transparency. And finally added some ribbon and string which I usually use for making necklaces and other crafts. That is: no specific scrapbooking stuff!

And sorry, the scanning is not quite good. TFL!

daily something...great!

2007-08-09T04:24:00.000-07:00

Cardstock: Bazzill; patterned papers: ScenicRoute; chipboard flower: BasicGrey; stamp: KI Memories; others: brown pen, ink.TFL!

In her last AEzine, Ali Edwards has set a new challenge and I´m very excited with it. It´s about creating a little something everyday, don´t spent too much time on it but make something, tell something about this day. And this is perfect for me! If you don´t have to be worried about doing something very elaborated obviously it´s easier to make it everyday. Thus I can silence the voice of my conscience, I feel happy for having done at least a little "creation" and allows me to try something different, which I love. For example I saw how Ali used this size for some of her layouts (6x12) and feel like trying it so I´ve made this one, very quickly indeed . For more information about this project check here.
Have a nice weekend and enjoy!

OLW #6# Challenge: AUTOMATIC

2007-08-02T00:42:00.000-07:00

Cardstock: Bazzil Basics; patterned papers: SEI, Basic Grey; thickers: American Crafts; ribbons: BasicGrey; mask and blings: Heidi Swapp; ink: ColorBox; other: staples, black pen. 8.5x11 layout.
TFL!

I´ve made this for OLW Challenge: AUTOMATIC. I found this word quite difficult but finally I could make something with it, I thought about the automatic button of my photo camera. This is something that I use almost everyday, so it shouldn´t be so difficult. I dream of having more technical knowledge about photography, but as my actual knowledge is quite limited and I´m very slowly at setting parameters, “automatic” is frequently my choice. This is even more important when it´s about children (and my little daughter, an earthquake!) because they move so much and you have to shoot right in the moment you “see” the photo. Maybe this way my photos won´t be the best but at least…I have them!

about chocolate

2007-07-31T05:22:00.000-07:00

As you´ve probably already noticed I´m a chocoholic. And I´m becoming a "scrapholic" too, although my time right now is quite limited I can´t spend more than 2 days without doing anything. So I had to do a minipage about it for my 6x6 album and here it is. Just cardstock and brown pen, a little scrap of Scenic Route paper and three accents from Love Elsie.

TFL!

Explore

2007-07-26T23:18:00.000-07:00

Cardstocks: Bazzill Basics; paper and thickers: American Crafts; stickers: Love Elsie; chipboard accent: Fancy Pants; stamp: Cherry Arte; inks: Watermark Ink, ColorBox, Disstress Ranger; others: acrylic paint, ribbon, brown pen.
TFL!

Actually was my mom who took this photo from my little niece and when I saw it inmediatly tagged it as “scrapable” ( it´s so funny!...) and ask her for a copy, I knew I had to do something with it and suddenly thought about this paper from American Crafts that had since some time ago and never knew how to use it. And the next minute there I was, making this. As I said before summer is not a good time for scrapping but there are always a bit of time for something quick!

WOW, I´m supposed to be a rockin´girl!

2007-07-25T01:14:00.000-07:00

Noell has tagged me at her blog Paperclipping as a Rockin´Girl Blogger. I feel really excited about it!

Now I´m supposed to tag another rockin´girls. She would be one of my favorites, but obviously has already been tagged. If you still haven´t visited her blog I higgly recommend it, full of design tips and techniques, and her layouts are really great. I´m now in a project of scraplifting her kindergarten schoolwork book , it´s amazing!

So here are my other favs:

PJ (lifeandscrapping): I love her work and when I was thinking of giving the SB up because of the expensive fact of having a great SB supplies stash, she showed me how to make beautiful stuff with homemade foam stamps or make a minialbum with just cardstock.
Kristina Contes: Her blog is really funny and her artsy stuff rocks! She has recently published a new book with other authors titled "We Dare You". I also love to participate in their Dares.
Ali Edwards: She doesn´t need to be tagged, I know and everybody knows, but she has been one of my most inspiring girls since I began scrapping and I have to do it anyway. Besides her scrapbooking work her "Life Art" concept was what conviced me that it´s worth a try. She is "The Ultimate Life Artist" and her work more than rocks!

Hope you enjoy them as I do!

After weekend

2007-07-23T02:25:00.000-07:00

Cardstock: Bazzill Bling; patterned paper: Basic Grey; stickers: Love Elsie; journaling spot: Heidi Swapp; brad: SEI; others: color staples, threads.
TFL!

Another almost-blank scrapbooking weekend, so just another small and quick layout for my 6x6 minialbum.

I´ve also been playing a bit with felt but I still don´t have anything to show. Actually what I´ve been doing is having long walks both in the country and by the sea...

Felt balls again... (sorry)

2007-07-18T23:34:00.000-07:00

Patterned papers: Basic Grey; buttons: SEI; stickers: Love Elsie; rub-ons: American Crafts; others: ribbons, ink. (6x6 page)
TFL!

WOW, how funny is making this "minis"! It was hard at first, but when you get used to doing them it becomes easier and easier, and very fast, indeed. Felt balls is a recurrent topic for me lately, sorry, but apart from scrapping this is in what I waste my time these days, and I love the colors in this photo so I tend to use it once and again...

Another mini-page

2007-07-18T05:22:00.000-07:00

Cardstock: Bazzill; pp´s: SEI, Scenic Route; card stickers: Love Elsie-KI Memories: paper flower: Prima; brads: SEI, Making Memories; Others: black pen, white gel pen, green thread.

TFL!

Another page for my 6x6 minialbum. Hand-stitching is faster in this small size... I like it. More than "one-picture-a-day" I´m going to try a kind of "my everyday favorites" project.

OLW#5#: SIMPLICITY

2007-07-17T05:27:00.000-07:00

Cardstocks: Bazzill; pp: Scenic Route; letter thickers: American Crafts; minibrads: Making Memories; other: vellum, homemade felt leaves, black pen.

TFL!

I really love this word, in fact I blogged about it some days ago, so when I saw the challenge I didn´t doubt very much, I took my photo and print the journaling on vellum. I wanted something really simple that inmediatly brought to mind the word and the concept, and although at first I feel it like an unfinished LO I decided to let it as it was, just adding the felt leaves at the last minute.

Simplify is always among my main goals although I don´t always achieve it (unfortunately...) but I don´t give up!

Thanks to OLW for this great challenge.

Dare#70#: Recycled stuff...

2007-07-17T03:39:00.000-07:00

Cardstocks: Bazzill; pp: Junkitz; chipboard letters:Basic Grey; chipboard circle: Fancy Pants; circle sticker: Love Elsie; others: inks, ribbons, eyelets, glitter for the letters.
TFL!

For this dare I have recycled a bunch of tags from my last summer sales-shopping with my little girl and I´ve put a ribbon in each one, they were so fun... matched perfectly with that fun merry-go-round, and this also remembered me the recycling cycle: everything is a big rounding circle. So I can link all this ideas this way...

Giving the minibooks a trial

2007-07-15T23:42:00.000-07:00

Cardstock: Bazzill Basics; Pp´s: Scenic Route; Tag sticker: Love Elsie KI Memories; Others: Ribbon, color staples, ink.

This is my first summer as a scrapper and I´ve realized that summer weekends are not exactly the best time for scrapbooking, as we usually spend most of our time in the open air: at the beach, at the swimming pool, climbing mountains... eveywhere except from being comfortably at home. Sure it is great for "photo-harvest", that´s right. Anyway, I´ve decided to give a chance to the smaller formats this time: minibooks and so on, because I find it should be easier to carry with you (in a small bag with some paper scraps and a few embellishments) during your outings. I´ve always been really in love with all Kristina Contes´s minibooks, but I guess I must begin with something more simple and easier. Actually what have inspired me most are the "one picture a day" project by PJ. Have you seen her amazing 6x6 pages? they´re sooo coool! I was envious of them, so I´ve done some trials this weekend before beginning my own project (if I begin it some time..). The less room doesn´t mean the easier to fill it up (for me at least) although it´s a bit faster once you have chosen your elements. But it´s really funny and satisfy my need of "making something". I´ll keep on trying...

After mini-holiday...

2007-07-12T04:00:00.000-07:00

I´ve been on unexpected mini-holidays for a few days: beach, sun... and nothing about scrapbooking. But I have finished at last this mobile charm for my friend PJ:

Nature is always inspiring for me, but this time I´m not sure if it has been just a coincidence...

Utrecht (The Netherlands)

2007-07-08T09:18:00.000-07:00

This week I´m not having much free time, but I NEEDED to make something right now so I have rescued these photos from (already!) three years ago and have made, very quickly indeed, this LO dedicated to all those nice dutch girls who "waste" their time visiting my blog. Thank you girls, and seriously, you´re very lucky for living in that wonderful country, I hope I will return sometime to re-visit all those beautiful places I lost last time.

Cardstock: Bazzill; pp´s: Scenic Route; letters: American Crafts; buttons: SEI.

TFL!

OLW Challenge: NEW

2007-07-05T23:08:00.000-07:00

Cardstocks: BAzzill; Pp´s: SEI, Rusty Pickle, Fancy Pants, Rouge de Garance, Scenic Route; Thickers: American Crafts; Chipboard letters: Basic Grey; Rub-ons: Fancy Pants, American Crafts; Minibrads: Making Memories; Others: Inks, transparency.
TFL!
Here is my take on the OLW challenge: NEW.

Dare #69#: Love at first sight

2007-06-28T03:22:00.000-07:00

Cardstock: Bazzill
Patterned papers: SEI, Creative Imaginations
Chipboard heart & rub-ons: BasicGrey
Chipboard letters: Heidi Swapp (L) and Basic Grey
Eyelets: Fiskars
Other: White gel pen, inks (Colorbox, Distress Ink Ranger)
TFL!

This is for Dare #69: "Love at first sight"

In fact what I really wanted to tell was my love at first sight when I met my husband for the very first time hundreds of years ago, but I haven´t got any good picture from that time, so I´ve had to make a little detour to tell it… but the story is there.

And the LO about it...

2007-06-24T23:53:00.000-07:00

Cardstock: Bazzill
Papers: Basic Grey, SEI & Fancy Pants
Rubbons: Fancy Pants, American Crafts
Tab: SEI

Brads: SEI, MakingMemories

Others: Felt circles, ribbon

TFL!

I said I was going to do something with that and here it is. I had too many pictures to fit in one page, so I decided to do 3 pages, in fact a "3 pages 8.5 x 11 layout" in a 12x12 one.
Now I´m preparing another projects with this past weekend "crop"...

Step 2: Felt "jewels"

2007-06-22T03:02:00.000-07:00

As promised I show you what I´ve done with those felt balls from last weekend...

Well, this time I´ve made a long necklace, a shorter one and a pair of earrings. For the blue and green one, I´ve mix the felt beads with some other polymeric-clay beads I also made myself sometime ago (green and blue) and some silver and crystal beads I bought, ribbons and silver chain. The pink one was made cutting some felt flowers and using colored cords and the earrings, cutting little felt leaves and crystal beads.
I´ve been asked to explain a bit more how I did the beads. These are the basic steps:

1) Take a small amount of wool and fray it. 2) Give a rounded shape but not pressing it. 3) Moisten your hands with hot water and mild soap, take the ball and begin rounding it for 3-5 minutes at least. Don´t press too much at first!! (this is important). 4) When you feel the ball becomes more tough and compact you can begin to press firmly a bit more. 5) When you see is strong enough, then pour some boiling water over it or introduce it into boiling water a little while (you can put it in a colander and wait until you have all the balls done to do this). 6) Let them dry.

You can see photos for these steps here. And more related photos at flickr.
I´m thinking of doing some scrapbook layout about this…

OLW Challenge #3#: MY

2007-06-18T23:13:00.000-07:00

Cardstock: Bazzill
Pp´s: KI Memories, Basic Grey
Letter stickers: American Crafts
Rub-ons: Fancy Pants
Blings: Heidi Swapp
Others: Ribbon, Distress Ink, Watermark Ink, stamp
TFL!

This is for the One Little Word 3rd challenge. The word this time is "MY". There could be so many "my" something...but I had to choose and chocolate is something (not only mine) which is almost everyday in My life (although it´s not the most important, of course). I could say much more about chocolate, but I would need a whole page only to journal, so I tried to say it with just one picture and a few words.

I embossed with watermark a part of the cardstock but I´m afraid it can´t be seen quite right. The journaling says:

"No matter what happens I take everyday a bit of dark dark chocolate. Maybe it is a drug (as it is said) but I prefer to believe in those scientific researches that say it is so healthy. In fact, I feel very healthy when I taste it..."

Thank you girls from OLW for these challenges.

Felt beads and more

2007-06-18T01:16:00.000-07:00

This rainy weekend I´ve taken a “scrapping-break”, I´ve got these skeins of wool back and I´ve made all these felt beads. It´s easy and funny, but a lot of time is required (and time is something I feel I can never get enough…). Just the wool (most important), soap and hot water and…round & round:

The next step will be to gather with some other beads I have and assemble them in a necklace, or a pair of earrings… I will show you the result (only if it´s worth).

Plans for this weekend included walks, sun and open air, but the weather betrayed us and had to stay at home most of the time. Anyway, it has been quite creatively productive. I also made this, just for fun. It´s a “second LO” for OLW, using the first word GO, not for the challenge obviously but for me because I want to try to do all the Lo´s for these challenges in a 8,5X11 format, and made a kind of “all about me” album with those words. And I felt like trying Ali´s technique using diamond glaze and painting over it. As I had not diamond glaze I used Gloo (KI Memories), Adirondack dabbers from Ranger, a few brads and some paper scraps from SEI and Basic Grey. I had a “little accident” with Gloo as my daughter was playing around me (see “for”) and I´m not very happy with the LO, but I liked trying it.

TFL!

AEzine 20 Challenge

2007-06-15T14:31:00.000-07:00

Cardstocks: Bazzill
Pp´s: BasicGrey, SEI
Brads: SEI, Heidi Swapp
Rub-on: Fancy Pants
Foam letters: American Crafts
Letter stickers: KI Memories
Felt flowers
TFL!

I´ve made this for Ali´s AeZine 20:
“In honor of issue number twenty this week the challenge is all about creating something that features 20 things. It could be a layout about your 20 favorite things, 20 favorite memories, 20 favorite foods, just 20 of something”
I could have made at least half a dozen “20 of something” LO´s (and sure I will do), but I felt like doing something like this. Besides I have tried to use more than one of her tips: white cardstock foundation, mix up page sizes, square and circle punches... and I have decided that, when I finish a layout, that´s all, it´s finished and go for the next one!

Photographing the photographer

2007-06-13T23:14:00.000-07:00

Pp: ScenicRoute

Cardstock: Papicolor

Minibrads: MakingMemories

Rub-ons & letter stickers: BasicGrey

Chipoboard circle: ScenicRoute

Fonts: big fish esemble, chocolate bleu

Other: foam letters, color staples.

I don´t know how many times I´ve gone over this LO, just to add some more accents and didn´t know which ones, but since I read last AeZine 20 (tip 11), I decided "let it go!, maybe it´s OK as it is and it doesn´t need anymore", I think the photo is strong enough and I´m telling the story I wanted to tell, so here it is.

TFL!

Searching Simplicity

2007-06-12T05:12:00.000-07:00

SIMPLIFY: This is my personal challenge for this year and right now. Find beauty in simplicity, try to remove useless stuff from my life. I need space, light, time, meaningful and spiritual readings and functional stuff, minimalism zen. It seems to be easy and… simple? Not at all. My other side wants color, fun, some trashy readings like mags, a bit of a mess (uuugh!) for inspiration. How to combine them? That is the real challenge!!!

I don´t want to live exactly as a monk (maybe I should…) but I want to surround myself only with those things and people I really need and I really love, quality better than quantity. I wish I could reflect it in my work too, in my style if I find it sometime (I don´t think I have a style yet…)

Let´s see!

Dare #68# Challenge

2007-06-09T12:27:00.000-07:00

Cardstock: Bazzill
Pp´s: Scenic Route, Rouge de Garance
Chipboard alphabet: Heidi Swapp
Chipboard accent: Scenic Route
Inks: Colorbox, DistressInk Ranger
Rub-on: BasicGrey
Others: White gel pen, brown pen, “blings”, ribbon and green string.

I´ve made this LO for this week challenge Dare#68#: Scrap a self-portrait without make up and undone hair... Well, I took the photo this morning, in fact right before going to the hairdresser´s which I visited last time about three months ago, that means...I needed it! I usually wear a ponytail or a hair pin and only a bit of make-up, but there´s a minimum..., anyway I´ve faced up this challenge and here it is.
TFL!

One Little Word Challenge: STOP

2007-06-07T02:45:00.000-07:00

Papers and rub-ons: BasicGrey
Butterfly mask: Heidi Swap
Eyelets: Fiskars
Inks: KI Memories, DistressInk (Ranger), Colorbox
Font: 2peas goofball

I´ve made this for the One Little Word challenge #2#: STOP

TFL!

Welcome!!!

2007-06-05T00:26:00.000-07:00

Welcome!!!
Here it is, my very first blog and my very first entry, wow! it has not been so hard.
I´m going to write here in English (although is not my native language) just to practice and learn, so sorry for all my mistakes and I´ll be grateful if anybody wants to correct my biggest ones...

Some months ago, I think it was around Christmas, I was searching podcasts for watching on my brand new iPod, thinking it would be a very funny and enjoyable way to improve my English and, searching for something related to design, I found one which was about "scrapbooking", something I had never heard before (now I´ve realized that here in Spain it almost doesn´t exists) and that I though it was a kind of graphic designed pages with photos or something like that, at first I didn´t know quite well what it was but don´t know why I found it attractive because I love photography. Then I surfed the web and found Ali Edwards´s blog, and then Two Peas in a Bucket and so on... and wow! that was fantastic, joining photography, journaling, paper and Art all in one, that was for me! So this is more or less how I´ve become a scrapbooking addict. Besides, I´m learning english (which was my first intention), new expressions and slang and I´m making a real effort not only to understand (something that I´ve accomplished quite well) but to write as correct as possible too, and best of all I´ve discovered "my hobby", I´m enjoying it so much... I don´t know if it is the newbie excitement (everything is new for me!) but the true is that actually I´m loving it (and I wish I will do for a long time...).
Now I´m also new in galleries, challenges, forums and blogging, something that never before interested me because I´m a quite shy person, but PJ told me about the "therapeutic" effect of scrapbooking in many aspects, I´ve been thinking about it and she´s right, so I´m going to try.

Well, this is what I´ve made (in "scrapping" terms) last week. This was my scrapbooking LO for "The Dares" Challenge #67#: "What era are you?". I chose the Sixties and here it is

Patterned papers: SEI

Stamps: MakingMemories, Heidi Swapp, KIMemories, CherryArte

Flowers: BasicGrey (Chipboard) and Heidi Swapp (Acrylic)

Minibrads: MakingMemories

Inks: Tsukineko, KI Memories

Journaling card: JSprague´s Beautifulofyou digikit

Others: Ribbons, buttons

It was my first 8.5x11 layout and my first "2 pages" layout as well, and great! I´ve loved it, although I like the square format, this one works nice and it´s very funny to try different ways...I´m still learning and want to learn more.

I´m very grateful to Ali Edwards, Noell and her Papperclipping podcast, PJ, Kristina Contes and some others that have showed me the best and most creative side of scrapbooking (not only the commercial one) and have provoked my interest.

All for today!