(Sorry, no supplies listed.)
Friday, May 31, 2013
Sweet, simple baby cards
I haven't done much crafting this spring, but it's certainly baby season! One friend has {finally} announced that she's pregnant, and another friend recently gave birth to her second child (who is a total cutie, by the way). These are the two cards I made for them.
Monday, September 3, 2012
September Simple Scrapper Blog Hop
Today the Simple Scrapper Design team has loads of gorgeous takes on this month's layouts to show you. The great templates make our job easy!
True to my style, I kept my version simple and clean. My sister is also a clean-and-simple scrapper, and this page is going in her album, so it needed to be true to her too. I raided her stash of papers and embellishments and used a handmade brad. I also had her write the journaling. Isn't her handwriting gorgeous?
Materials: Bazzill Basics Paper, Metropolis/Market Street paper by Scenic Route for the top and bottom strips, Recollections glitter paper for hand cut stars, Disney Button, handmade fabric brad, American Crafts Thickers, Template from Simple Scrapper's Premium Membership
That's all for today for my little piece of inspiration!
Hop on over to the rest of the Design Team's blogs for more! You'll be pleased! Leave a little love as you go, and don't forget to use this link to enter a giveaway for a one-month trial subscription to Simple Scrapper: http://ow.ly/ctrlx.
Julie Aldridge (This is me!)
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The Premium Membership at Simple Scrapper provides skills and shortcuts to help you simplify and find more meaning in your memory keeping.
Wednesday, August 8, 2012
All in the Design
This might be one of my favorites pages of all time. It mimics a sleek photo-book but has the 3D elements of traditional scrapbooking.
I've done enough scrapbook pages to learn that, for me, thought-through simplicity is beautiful. Like the ol' saying advises, I skimp on quantity and go for the quality. The scrapbook industry would be aghast if people start picking up this mentality because they want scrappers to use more product since that's what drives their money making. But always remember that this is your hobby, and what you do, what you use, what you love is your call--not theirs. Stay true to your self and style, and love what you do.
I've done enough scrapbook pages to learn that, for me, thought-through simplicity is beautiful. Like the ol' saying advises, I skimp on quantity and go for the quality. The scrapbook industry would be aghast if people start picking up this mentality because they want scrappers to use more product since that's what drives their money making. But always remember that this is your hobby, and what you do, what you use, what you love is your call--not theirs. Stay true to your self and style, and love what you do.
My illustration of simplicity: LOADS of pictures on a page with little product and no journaling and delighfully lovely.
Materials: picnic basket/PB&J paper by Basic Gray, American Crafts Thickers, scrap paper from my stash for the flag
Sunday, August 5, 2012
Handmade Clemson Cards
They're in!! (Well, some of them anyway.)
I couldn't resist sending the first one I made to a friend. They are soooo adorable (if I may say so myself). I'm super proud of my Clemson cards. They've been in my mind, forming over the months, and on pause until I finally had time to make them. And make them I did. Until I ran out of orange ribbon. Must. Order. More. Ribbon!
I have enough orange paper to make 48: 24 whites and 24 oranges. If you'd like some, let me know. I've got a funny feeling they'll go quickly.
I couldn't resist sending the first one I made to a friend. They are soooo adorable (if I may say so myself). I'm super proud of my Clemson cards. They've been in my mind, forming over the months, and on pause until I finally had time to make them. And make them I did. Until I ran out of orange ribbon. Must. Order. More. Ribbon!
I have enough orange paper to make 48: 24 whites and 24 oranges. If you'd like some, let me know. I've got a funny feeling they'll go quickly.
Materials: They are handmade using the Silhouette Cameo to cut out the shape of the Clemson Tiger Paw--hook and all. I used Adobe Illustrator to get the paw mostly right. The paper and ribbon are from Paper Trey Ink in Orange Zest. The white cardstock is from Paper Trey Ink too because they make luxuriously thick paper for cards.
Friday, July 27, 2012
Cheery and bright wedding card
A friend commissioned me to make a wedding card for her traditional and peppy Southern girl friend, who is having a traditional and peppy Southern wedding. Think Lilly Pulitzer in color and style.
Bright and cheery.
Pink, turquoise, and orange.
And loads of monograms everywhere.
I was on it like wet cotton candy.
Materials: Papertrey Ink white paper, EK Success Flower, Hot Pink Ribbon,
orange and pink scrap papers, and 2 kinds of turquoise washi tape.
Monday, June 11, 2012
RIC#13 - House of Holland Challenge
The Runway Inspired Challenge this week is a brightly colored houndstooth piece by House of Holland. Not being one to pass up a houndstooth challenge, I began misting and highlighting and coloring my glittery B&W paper to resemble the outfit on the model.
I finished last night but had to wait until this evening to take pictures in the sun. I'm extraordinarily happy the sun is out late these days. Bring me sunshine any day of the week!
I finished last night but had to wait until this evening to take pictures in the sun. I'm extraordinarily happy the sun is out late these days. Bring me sunshine any day of the week!
Materials: Pop up tape, thick white cardstock, black glitter paper, black and white houndstooth glitter paper, white thickers, black and white twine.
Friday, June 1, 2012
Two cards of encouragement
These cards were submitted to the 2012 Gallery Idol competition. Results came out today, and the winners were impressive. I was not one, which is no surprise, but I figured I might as well try!
To make these, I sketched the cards out by hand and used Photohop to map out the placement of the sentiments and the fonts. After that, I used the Silhouette Cameo (and the program that comes with it) to cut out the letters.
I'm half tempted to sell these or others like them, but the pop-ups just take so darn long to put together that I'm reviewing the situation. The letters were teeny! I think I better think it out again.
[Can you spot the reference to Oliver! (1968) which I got to watch last weekend? Yay for long weekends.]
To make these, I sketched the cards out by hand and used Photohop to map out the placement of the sentiments and the fonts. After that, I used the Silhouette Cameo (and the program that comes with it) to cut out the letters.
I'm half tempted to sell these or others like them, but the pop-ups just take so darn long to put together that I'm reviewing the situation. The letters were teeny! I think I better think it out again.
[Can you spot the reference to Oliver! (1968) which I got to watch last weekend? Yay for long weekends.]
Tuesday, May 29, 2012
CAS "hug" card
I made this card this weekend for a friend in who could really use a hug. I thought it would work well with the CAS-usual Friday theme this week (CFC54): clean and simple masculine card using designer paper.
Materials: Paper by Papertray and American Crafts. Font (used on Silhouette) is EastMarket
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Rainbow Rays Card
I'm a total sucker for rainbows, so when the Runway inspired challenge was rainbow-ish (picture below), I began "oohing" and "ahhing" at all the creations made by the designers and the entrants, and then I made one myself.
I drew it out on a paper first and then cut out the pieces as templates.
Colored paper
Black glitter paper
Amuse washi tape
My own design for the circle
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
Use what you have
I appreciate good design and art in any form, but paper crafting can be a wee bit expensive if not controlled. I want to address the question: how do you balance paper crafting with new items and follow the motto, use what you have?
1. Keep your organization and tools simple. I have a large paper filer for my paper. This is sorted by color. I have a bag that carries my tools, brads, washi tape, ribbon and other bulky items. A smaller bag keeps my embellishments. Other than that, I have my computer and a regular printer/scanner. For Christmas, I got a Silhouette Cameo, but I have been functioning using the basics listed above for 14 years. Using less space keeps me organized and less wasteful without hoarding.
2. Get to know a design program. My work set me up with the Adobe package, but if you are not so lucky, Photoshop Elements can become your best friend. It does pretty much everything I do design-wise and is a wonderful tool for any crafter. CreativeLive gives a wonderful 8-hour online video showing you everything! Once you have this and understand the basics, you can design so many things (like words, sentiments, journaling, layouts) on your own.
3. Buy only what you love. Using products that you know you love makes a big difference in your happiness with your craft. If there is a texture paper or embellishment that inspires you, buy it and use it on several projects. Each page, card, or other project that you use with it will make you happy, and that is better than buying 20 pages for 9.99 or a set of stickers on sale (yay!) but that makes you feel drab.
4. Sell stamps on ebay when you are finished with them. Some organizations don't ship overseas, and there is host of people who would love your leftovers!
5. Save lovely scraps. This saving method can easily turn into hoarding, but the key is knowing what you love and what is so-so. Save what you love. Toss something that is so-so. Strips can be used as a banner. Or you can print on it. Squares can be used as part of a grid. (Ex: my Christmas layout in which I used a pink square from 2001. No lie. It is older than my nephew.)
6. Test run a style before you invest. Jumping on the bandwagon can be fun, but some trends are just trends and may not fit your style. Before going out and buying one of every color, try one or 2 of an item to see if it fits your style.
7. Be proud of everything you make. Don't just make to make. Don't just buy to buy. Think about the types of projects that make you happy and the styles that make you happy. Keep track of your tastes on a place like Pinterest to determine what trends or new ideas you think really match your style.
8. If there is a paper or embellishment that you think is starting to kill your creative mojo, use it now to get it out of the way. Make a single card (like I did for a Christmas present) or a set of cards (like I did for Thanksgiving). You're probably thinking: how did you not like those items? Let me tell you: I had had the stickers for at least 8 years each, and they were just sitting there taking up space. The longer they sat, the less likely they were to get used. They were cute, and I did like them, but my scrapbooking style had evolved so that I was not going to use them in my scrapbooks. But as cards, they were great. The end result was adorable, and they are no longer taking up my precious storage space and killing my mojo.
9. Treat yourself on occasion. It's totally fine.
1. Keep your organization and tools simple. I have a large paper filer for my paper. This is sorted by color. I have a bag that carries my tools, brads, washi tape, ribbon and other bulky items. A smaller bag keeps my embellishments. Other than that, I have my computer and a regular printer/scanner. For Christmas, I got a Silhouette Cameo, but I have been functioning using the basics listed above for 14 years. Using less space keeps me organized and less wasteful without hoarding.
2. Get to know a design program. My work set me up with the Adobe package, but if you are not so lucky, Photoshop Elements can become your best friend. It does pretty much everything I do design-wise and is a wonderful tool for any crafter. CreativeLive gives a wonderful 8-hour online video showing you everything! Once you have this and understand the basics, you can design so many things (like words, sentiments, journaling, layouts) on your own.
3. Buy only what you love. Using products that you know you love makes a big difference in your happiness with your craft. If there is a texture paper or embellishment that inspires you, buy it and use it on several projects. Each page, card, or other project that you use with it will make you happy, and that is better than buying 20 pages for 9.99 or a set of stickers on sale (yay!) but that makes you feel drab.
4. Sell stamps on ebay when you are finished with them. Some organizations don't ship overseas, and there is host of people who would love your leftovers!
5. Save lovely scraps. This saving method can easily turn into hoarding, but the key is knowing what you love and what is so-so. Save what you love. Toss something that is so-so. Strips can be used as a banner. Or you can print on it. Squares can be used as part of a grid. (Ex: my Christmas layout in which I used a pink square from 2001. No lie. It is older than my nephew.)
6. Test run a style before you invest. Jumping on the bandwagon can be fun, but some trends are just trends and may not fit your style. Before going out and buying one of every color, try one or 2 of an item to see if it fits your style.
7. Be proud of everything you make. Don't just make to make. Don't just buy to buy. Think about the types of projects that make you happy and the styles that make you happy. Keep track of your tastes on a place like Pinterest to determine what trends or new ideas you think really match your style.
8. If there is a paper or embellishment that you think is starting to kill your creative mojo, use it now to get it out of the way. Make a single card (like I did for a Christmas present) or a set of cards (like I did for Thanksgiving). You're probably thinking: how did you not like those items? Let me tell you: I had had the stickers for at least 8 years each, and they were just sitting there taking up space. The longer they sat, the less likely they were to get used. They were cute, and I did like them, but my scrapbooking style had evolved so that I was not going to use them in my scrapbooks. But as cards, they were great. The end result was adorable, and they are no longer taking up my precious storage space and killing my mojo.
9. Treat yourself on occasion. It's totally fine.
Monday, December 19, 2011
Polar Bear Christmas Card
For our Christmas card this year, I followed my husband's taste by having one side of the card a non-photo holiday card with a polar bear. I call this the front of the card. (The back had a full-bleed photo. Oh sneaky me.) Before I made this, I agonized for ages over how I was going to make a card that represented him. Ages! Then it came to me! I had never seen this idea before, but it just made sense: an outline with words.
I absolutely love this polar bear and love how the cursive words look like fur. The secret to my bear? I traced the outline of a polar bear with cursive words, scanned it, and edited the color in illustrator. It was really that easy. To ensure people knew I did it myself, I included our names and the year at the belly of the bear. From what I have learned, very few people noticed this. Many people didn't even notice that within the outline were holiday words. Alas. I still love him.
Font: My own handwriting and Bebas Neue
Friday, November 18, 2011
Holiday Happy
I've been listening to Christmas music and making ornaments. Lots and lots of ornaments. It's been a great evening activity over the past few weeks. A couple of movies/tv shows, a little music, a mega paper-cutter, and a lot of patience.
They are really easy to make if you have a paper cutter and time. Cut your paper longways into 1/2" strips. If you want the curls to hold better, curl each strip with scissors. Then wrap each strand into tight curls. I used washi tape and duct tape rollers to hold the spirals tight until it was time to put them in the ornaments. Then I stuffed the ornaments!
Double-sided paper is key
4" fillable glass balls
Saturday, November 12, 2011
Happy Thanksgiving
I've been on a use-what-you have kick for months. Unfortunately for my new mantra and my budget, while I've been using what I have, I've also been tempted with way too many new things. For this project, I actually did use what I had! YAY! Go me! (Finally!) I bought one sheet of the fall paper a while back. I had no plans for it and had no idea how I would work that into a scrapbook since I never use florals. Plus I had these stickers from ages ago when I was obsessed with the Me&MyBigIdeas stickers. They are still adorable, but they aren't going in my books either. Solution? Thanksgiving cards! Perfect! What a great way to tell my impressively large family that I love them and am thankful for them!
They'll be in the mail soon!
Solid paper by A.muse
Stickers are Me and My Big Ideas Thanksgiving Kids (mambo minis)
Glitter paper + Embellishment strings & ribbons
Thursday, November 3, 2011
For a little one
One of my dear, dear friends growing up JUST had a little girl! It's crazy to think that her baby will grow up as a New Yorker. From the city. But she will!! May she be healthy and happy!
paper and ribbon are Ivory from Paper Tray Ink
Sentiment is 'baby girl' by makingmemories
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
Platitudes
Let's talk about platitudes. I'll go first. They don't make sense half the time, and they can seem a bit like cop-outs. There is one in particular that drives me batty. I have included it below, edited to be true.
(handwritten and scanned)
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