Project Life - Week 1

sometimes I even amaze myself!!

Not only another Blog post in a short amount of time - but I managed to Do my Title Page for Project Life - My Family Yearbook:-)

And Week 1 of my book - 

Here is a closer look at page 1 & 2 - 

a couple of things I learned in Week 1 - I like doing photo collages to get more photos in - but it was always cutting it off on the right hand side for me - I manually re-formatted it. However today I had a conversation with Ange D - she told me how to fix that - I will try it out and then take you all on a walk Step-by-step how to do a photo collage...

I did not use a page planner before printing my photos - I think next week I will - It is hard to know which pics you want 4x6, 3x4 and in a collage if you just wing it...we will see what happens next week.

Speaking of next week, I will be at CHA - so I will have to plan doing this on a different day than Sunday (wow! week 2 and my plans are already changed!!!)

So I have started already - 

I will add as I go on this week - just to ensure I do not fall behind!

I hope you feel Inspired!!

S

My Family Yearbook - Project Life

Happy New Year!
This is a year of new beginnings - every Jan I feel like it's another opportunity to do what I did last year...only better!
I usually choose a Word for my year - this idea is used and promoted by Ali Edwards, she does a great workshop, etc. If you are interested in getting to that point - I choose my word and try to work it into my life and scrapbooks as the year goes on.

This year my word is "balance"

To balance my life between family, work, life & God-this is an ongoing job for me...I feel like as a store owner I need to make great samples and offer great inspiration, I feel that as a mom, I need to give 100+% to my family, I feel I need to volunteer and give time to my church - I feel like I need to be a great friend, etc.

See balance!

I also feel like I am behind on documenting my kids lives, our family lives - and this is what I really struggle with, because in the midst of all my obligations, this is something that is soo important to me!

So enters Project life - 

What is it?

How does it Work?

What do I need to do?

Becky Higgins - is kind of the Founder of the Project Life movement - so to speak, but what I love about it is how you can make it fit your life...document and tell your story in a way that is simple or detailed - in a time frame that suits your life!

 

Here is how she talks about it...

Project Life is a solution-based approach to scrapbooking that was created to simplify the process in order to allow you more time to enjoy life! It requires no glue, no scissors, no tools, and no skills of any kind. The design of our products takes the guess work out of layout design so that you can focus on recording your everyday moments through your photos and journaling. The simple design is stylish and makes it possible for you to complete more pages in less time.
Becky Higgins, creator of Project Life, is a busy wife and mother who is passionate about capturing the little bits of life, and she's making it easy for others to do the same. "It's called Project LIFE because it's about YOUR LIFE. Whatever your life is. Whatever your stage of life. Whatever your family circumstances. Whatever your lifestyle. Project Life is designed to help anyone + everyone get their pictures into a book,"

We had Ange Drolet - pop into both stores in December and talk about this way of Scrapbooking - she has been doing this for 2 years and has a great approach an attitude towards it - She refers to her book as "My Family Yearbook" and I LOVE that!! Isn't this why we scrapbook? I don't know about your but I have Birthday party photos from 3 years ago still sitting on my computer!!

Here is how I think it will work for me -
Ok - template, I am planning to change it up - I am using the 4x6 + 3x4 page protector from Echo park this month...thinking about something different for Feb - Marcy Penner (Hello Forever) blog has some great printable templates for journaling and for planning out printing pictures for your page protectors, I did not print them out yet - but they are bookmarked in case I need them ( They are geared for the Actual Becky Paper protectors - but so many other companies have ones that are set up the same way!)

I am using a Photo365 App on my iphone, I like it because I can take the photo and add it to the calendar for a day or...just take the photo from the App....I have not printed from the App yet - so I will have to see how that goes.
As for Journalling - I know this is where my struggle will lie, so I found another great App on someone's Blog - It is called Momento - what I like about it is that I can journal wherever I am & it also takes my Facebook Statuses and adds them to my journaling for the same day! Super cool! Not sure if you are using an Iphone as part of your Project Life - but I think these tools will make it doable for me:-)
***since writing this post I have discovered I cannot print off of Momento - so now I am looking for a another journaling app - I will keep a notebook in my purse as well...

I have been collecting ideas on Pinterest:-)

I have been getting organized in my own Scrapbook room...

I have been making my own Week cards.

I have been having fun using photo programs in Picasa

This is the process - keep watching and I promise I will be posting album as I go along with this journey of finding balance in my life to Scrapbook my daily life:-)

I hope you feel Inspired!

S

been in a card kind of mood:-)

 butterfly is a sticker from Crate paper - as is the background paper

                              so I have been playing around with a few of the fun Bella stamps

 background paper is lovely Simple stories

 more fun Crate paper

 more crate paper...hmmm, this stuff is great for cards!!

 this gorgeous butterfly is the spellbinder Butterfly package that has a die-cut and a background - this is a stunning package with 5 different butterflies in it!

 guess what - more crate paper!! I love the sheet of Die-cut cards in every paper line, you can cut them up and use them for your card fronts - the sheet also has that little "friends forever" die-cut in the card above, and a few blank ones that you can stamp in like the very first card on this post!

When making cards I love to go with a paper line that matches, one that has a die-cut sheet, I usually grab the matching stickers and just add some ribbon and buttons in co-ordinating colors, you can whip up some amazing cards in no time at all:-)

I hope you feel inspired!

Sharon

October KOTM

so October is halfway done - but your KOTM is here! We are going to try for a mid-month format for a while, hopefully getting the date a little sooner to the 10th - my life is just too crazy at the end and beginning of a new month - so I have to choose what I can do and do well...I can do the KOTM well if I change the release date...so here you go:-)

don't you just LOVE Instagram!!

The October Kit of the Month – “Portfolio”

This month’s kit includes the following

6 Sheets of Bazzill 12x12 Cardstock in the following colors

Lakeshore, Spring Willow Medium, Cobblestone Dark, Cobblestone Light(2) and Natural.

6 Sheets of Patterned 12x12 Paper from Pink Paislee (2), October Afternoon (2), My Mind’s Eye (1) & Studio Calico (1)

Lots of Lovely Embellishments are included-

Full package of Bo-Bunny Lace

Full set of Alphabeans (alpha stickers) from Jillibean

1 Border Sticker, 3 Vintage Buttons or wooden numbers,1 brad, 2- stacked stickers(assorted) – Crate paper

1 metre Yellow & White twine – Twinery

Washi Tape – Bella Blvd

4 Journal Labels, 1 arrow & 1 stacked sticker (assorted)– Pink paislee

1 label stamp – Studio Calico, 1 clip & 3 Die-cuts(assorted)– My Mind’s Eye

Here are some layouts and cards I whipped up with this kit!!

 These pics had been in my stash for a while - Aubrey's 1st movie experience - in the Steinbach Theatre (which is closed now:-(  ) Cars2 was the movie - and she fell asleep almost immedately after the previews!

 loving those little journal tabs - Pink Paislee (24 in a package)

 started up the sewing machine for a little detail - and the white dots are Mr. Huey's - Calico White

ok this layout was FUN - I took a pair of scissors and forced it through the paper from the backside...and then when I flipped it over I distressed it with some Vintage Photo Ink and my blending tool!

The label stamp is from Studio Calico - stamped in Archival Black

The arrow is new from Pink Paislee - Artisan series, you ink or spray them and they have a built in resist pattern on every piece - they come in butterflies too!!

 a little tuck and layer

 "D" for Dain:-)

 pretty simple layout - used the Natural cardstock as a mat around each photo, the little labels for Legoland and May 2012 are both the Studio Calico stamp again.

 Used the Alphabeans stickers overtop of the Washi tape - cool look!

 just a few cards with my leftover goodies:-)

 no - I do not sew straight!!

 1 more layout - 8.5x11

this pattern is the backside of the black and white dot in the kit 

 the able label sticker  - not in kit - but it suited the layout!

You are awesome too!!

I hope this kit inspires you to scrap and create this month too!!

S

Why a Kit of the Month???

I love to create the Kit of the Month - or KOTM - to me it is like getting a package of product together that will all flow right onto your pages! Seriously, I love to choose patterns that compliment - but are not necessarily the same line, and then match up cardstock (I am very good at this!!)

and then open all sorts of products, and split them up, or find some yummy things that just match so well I have to throw in the whole package...

these are some past kits and what we have come up with!

August KOTM

September KOTM

And here are some lovely projects created by me with the September Kit!

do you ever think - I don't need a full package but would like to try a few...

I need to get out of my rut - I always use the same supplies

I have trouble matching patterns and cardstock

OR

I just want someone else to do the thinking this time...

Maybe a KOTM is for you:-)

I hope you feel inspired!

S