I am a Honey Bee

All about my adventures with cooking, crafts, and travel

Scrapbooking and Crafts

scrapbooking a mini acrylic album

Here I am again, behind with my scrapbooking. I can’t do the 15 minute daily scrapbooking that people suggest to stay on top of things, pick photos, Photoshop photos, select papers and embellishments, then scrap. I like to 4+ hour blocks of times to get my mind into it and justify the mess that I make pulling everything out… stamps, punches, ink, papers, glue, photos, etc.

  

Price is gone for the next 2 weeks so I have opened up a folding table in the living room and yanked my stuff out. Ah joy. He is completely justified for being annoyed with the mess I make since I make a massive mess. So I am missing my Pricer but completely enjoying the fact that I don’t have to worry about him tripping over 2 paper organizers, 1 rolling scrapbook organizer, and a scrapbooking tote.

  

I went to CKC Manchester this year in May and had a blast. I enjoyed the time I classes I took and shopping the vendor faire. Once of the classes I took was for this mini acrylic recipe album.  I loved the papers that were selected. I liked the design direction for the book was going but since have the innate need to make something my own I did not follow them, with the exception of the cover. Sometimes this gets me in trouble but for creative projects like this it usually works. I just don’t want everything looking just like everybody else’s.

  

The plan for the album was to us the acrylic pages as the only pages in the album. Since I wanted more than 5 I decided to add more pages to have more recipes and more photos. In addition to the patterned paper provided, I used Stampin’ Up! solid papers to fill in the gaps and added the paper and embellishments to them. I punched them with a scalloped border punch to mimic the scalloping on the album.

 

I like working with acrylic albums because of the peak you get for what is coming ahead. It can be tricky to coordinate things since both sides of paper and embellishments are seen. I’m careful to pick papers that interesting papers on both sides.  Also, when using stickers I try to using simple shapes ones and back to back them so you don’t see the back of one if you position it on the acrylic. 

 

I like the pocket in back because it rises above the acrylic, giving you a peak, and it can hold little mementos. On the back of the pocket I put a journaling sticker. I wrote a message on there and then adhered the whole pocket to the back, allowing the message to be seen through the acrylic.

The colors of the papers and the style of the stickers seemed like it would be best for Thanksgiving. Plus, Thanksgiving is one of my favorite family gathering events that generally revolves around food. I’m looking forward to filling this in with Thanksgiving photos and recipes over the years. I expect this album to continually be a work in progress as I add in photos and new family favorites.

scrapbooking a tradition

I think that scrapbooking is a great way to be creative and to document events like birthdays, holidays, and vacations. These special events often involve a tradition. We have a tradition to open Christmas gifts on Christmas Eve. A tradition that Price and I have is that we make pizza on my birthday. This past January was the 5th year together so 5th time. It really would not seem like my birthday without it.

I wanted this layout to be more about our tradition for my birthday than just saying what we did for my 25th birthday. I felt that documenting that this was the 5th year of our pizza dinner better told the story about my birthday and how meaningful those pizzas area. While I hate olives I used the stamp with the olive because I love the message and Price’s pizza always has olives on it.

 

All supplies are from Stampin’ Up! (contact me at nicole@spasiano.com if you are interested in their products)

Happy

Okay it’s been just about 2 years since I took this photo but I just can’t belive how much that time has flown by. For several years we went to Montauk for a boating rendezvous. This was the last year going there. We always had fun lounging around the boat, going into town for shopping, talking the bartenders into giving me more than the allocated drinks, and then dancing around buzzed off the tequilla sunrises.

I took an online scrapbooking class about using sketches to create layouts. I created this LO based upon one of the class sketches. I like getting to apply what I learn in the classes and use new scrapbooking stuff I just got. I had just received some Stampin’ Up! supplies so those things in the layout, including the cloud paper, shimmer paint, and the star and border punches. I was so excited to get the shimmer paint! I got it in Platinum and Frost White, which would work well for the color pallets I typically use. I used the platinum one for this layout when I painted the chipboard letters for the title and the accent stars (that I cut using my new punch!).

Supplies: Solid and Patterned Papers, punches, shimmer paint, chip board letters are all from Stampin’ Up! and the rub-on is from Martha Stewart Crafts. (All SU! products can be purchased through me.)

A Happy Distraction

I’m back into scrapbooking. It really seems like it has been forever. Granted all of my stuff has been out in the living room and office but with the flood drama and our stuff being stacked up on other things I have been in the mind-set to be creative. Instead we just veg on the sofa and watch Mad Men and Weeds DVD’s and various shows on TV, like LOST! Oh can’t get enough of LOST. Anyway, while watching last night Pricer had to deal with pausing it so I could run back and forth from the living room table to the Cricut in the office to cut out letters. Of course , I was not sure what color to use so I did it twice in different colors so it took twice as long. So scrapbooking is becoming a happy distraction from the rest of the crap I’ll dealing with.

 The layout above is one that I completed before all the chaos but was too forgetful to bring it in to scan it. I made this to highlight our 5th anniversary (1/2). I took an online class from Kelly Purkey called Beginnings, which really influenced this layout. I typically like things straight horizontally and vertically but I loved her layout so I had to steal it for this.

I focused on color for this layout. Picking the paper from the bold colors on the shirts and then coordinating the blocking paper from that.  I think this layout is missing something. Not sure if it needs something in the center or I just don’t like it now it is done so I can’t let it be. I may revisit it later on. It would not be the first time I redo a page. Or it may grow on me.

feeling inspired

I just took an online scrapbooking class from Kelly Purkey. This class has really helped me refocus on scrapbooking and finding inspiration every where I look. You really can find inspiration from magazines, advertisements, catalogs, printed materials, home decor, clothing, and much more. You really just need to open up and see what it is telling you, what jumps out at you- the colors, the organization, the feel, etc.

I don’t subscribe to many magazines, just Creating Keepsakes, Martha Stewart Living, Bon Appetite, and Every day with Rachel Ray. I can refer to design magazines at work or at school so I decided to save my money on those but for some reason I get Architecture Boston. It’s free so I didn’t mind its surprise arrival. n fact I used the cover of the current issue to inspire me to create a layout.

I start every new scrapbook with a ‘title’ page. My yearly scrapbooks have something that either describes the year, a goal, my resolutions, or a collage that I create at the end of the year. This year I made my page based upon the cover of Architecture Boston and it showcased my word for the year: Better. I wanted to feel better about myself, get better at the things I already do, have a better outlook on things, and generally make this year better than any before.

The Great Outdoors Layout

I will conquer my photos and they will all be scrapbooked and neatly organized one day. So this leads me to digging out photos that have been printed, for let’s say 2 years, and scrapbooking them. Things are a bit chaotic how since I’m doing photos from last week and 2 years ago but it is still fun to be crossing things off my to do list.

So I got through some photos that were from a weekend in New Hampshire. Price and I went up there for some kayaking on the Conway River but the recent rain raised the water level and made the river too fast for kayakers. While our original plans changed we still had a great time. I think that the revised plans were just as good because we got to explore more of Franconia Notch State Park because we had more free time.

One of the things I love about New Hampshire is the White Mountains and the Franconia Notch State Park. It is a fantastic spend a day. There is no cell service (at least for AT&T) so it is a great way of taking a break from everything.

 Supplies: Green solid paper from an unknown kit; Patterned paper, solid papers, brads, journaling pen, punches from Stampin’ Up!; Cricut cartridges Graphically Speaking and Street Signs; stickers from SRM stickers

Lack of sleep and a new layout

I had such a horrible night’s sleep last night. I never have a bad night- I lay down and I’m out within a few minutes, often mid sentence while talking to Price. But last night I laid there for what seemed like forever, 1 o’clock rolled around and I’m awake, I woke up several times during the time (no like me) and ta-da the alarm goes off at 5.20 or so for Price to get ready for work. I snoozed until 7 but the alarm every 9 minutes is not a sound sleep and I really wanted to be up at 6 anyway. So I’m off today. But I’m still trying to pull it together by tossing up a blog post.

This Sunday I hosted a scrapbooking crop, except last-minute rsvp changes and forgetfulness resulted in a crop of 1. While bummed that I could have slept in and not set up, I spent the day scrapbooking anyway. I got a few layouts done and some in progress, which I having been working on at night now. So the next few posts will be about the scrapbooking I have been getting done.

Today’s featured layout was one I did for a photo I took a few weeks back. I have noticed that I have been doing more 1 photo on a 12×12 layout than I did before. I still have my several photos layouts but I have begun to enjoy the 1 photo layout because it gives me more space for embellishment. Anyway, it always gave me a chance to use some cherry paper I just got- def a plus. I used both sides of the patterned paper- 1 side was cherries and the other was definitions. I circled the definition of “Enjoy”. I was definitely enjoying the moment, and my apron!

Supplies: Tea Towel Cherry Hill Paper by October Afternoon, Solid paper and real red ribbon Stampin’ Up!, Early Bird Borders by Cosmo Cricket, journaling tag and cherry circle tag by Shabby Chic Crafts, lace

Holy Glitter Batman!

I have been feeling a little off lately. Just not myself which has translated into a scrapbooking slump for a few days. I also think that this contributed to the muffin mishap on Sunday (see earlier post), clearly I was not thinking properly, ha.

Well I finally told myself to shake it off and get back to being crafty. I have been thinking about this layout for a few days but have just been putting it off. It’s kinda simple but that was sorta all I could handle last night. I have had these Stickycut Letters from Stampin’ Up! for a long time. I decided that I would used them for this layout and use glitter to make a bold title.

I made a horrible mess on the floor, table, and my face. Price said he could see glitter all over my face… great, I hope I got every speck off in the shower this morning. Either way I love glitter and I have a feeling I’ll be using these Stickycut Letter a lot since they are made for glitter and beads, and I imagine sand would work too!

Whoopie

I find the word Whoopie hilarious. One word and so many applications.

Whoopie cushion… whoopie pie.. making whoopie… Whoopi Goldberg. Or Whoopi Goldberg is a stretch but still great.

So when I decided to make Pumpkin Whoopie Pies in November I was so excited. 1) never had a whoopie pie before 2) first time making whoopie pies 3) Price helped. Price does not normally help me in the kitchen because I’m generally on a mission in the kitchen. Things are always so rushed so making dinner 1 person in the kitchen is easier than 2 bumping in to each other- one day we will coordinate the kitchen dance. At least there are nights when Price watches me cook while sitting on a chair while we chat about the day.

Maybe someone would argue that there is no need to scrapbook about baking Whoopie Pies but I enjoyed the night so much that I had to. Since I’m a goof about the word whoopie I gave it extra attention and made each chipboard letter different. Plus I really liked the pink polka dot paper from Stampin’ Up! so I had to use that and I basically worked the page around that.

Solid and patterned papers, chipboard letters, inks (white and soft suede), wire, and scalloped edge punch are from Stampin’  Up!, Tim Holtz Distress Crackle Paint in Worn Lipstick, ribbon

Pumpkin Whoopie Pie with Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe is HERE!

Wishing for the summer

One of the biggest problems about scrapbooking, at least for me, is that by the time I get around to doing some layouts it’s another season and it makes me miss the crunchy autumn leaves, snows flakes falling, blooming flowers, or intense sun shining down brightening your day. I appreciate all the seasons for different reasons but my favorite is summer. I love flip-flop tans, lighter hair, BBQ’s, picking tomatoes and eating from them from our little garden, sitting in our adirondack chairs at night after dinner, etc. Sure it has its pit falls like gross T rides and burning hot steering wheels but my pros out way the cons a million times over.

So finishing a scrapbook page in January of a day in July is brutal. I want the sand between my toes, I’m tired of snow boots. I want iced coffee, no hot coffee or lattes for me. Counting down until Memorial Day weekend for summer to ‘begin’.

All Supplies are from Stampin’ Up! and title is cut from a Cricut cartridge.

I’m scrappy

I spent yesterday scrapbooking and I loved it. I have been feeling so out of it since my stuff took over the office and there was not a free square inch on either desk. I cleaned up this morning and got to scrapbooking. I have a few pages that I needed to finish or completely start, plus I decided that I would scrap together all the Christmas cards we got this year. I always feel bad that we chuck them at the end of the year. It just seems so wrong since people spend money on them or take the time to take amazing photos for their Christmas cards. I’m still working on that since I want to add in more journaling and photos from the hoidays- I’ll post this later on.

Santa’s Helpers

Family Laughter

My 22nd Birthday

It seems fitting to have this since my 25th birthday is 1 week away. Maybe I’ll scrapbook that sooner than almost 3 years later!

Getting Inspired Again

While architecture school requires you to be creative I always approached my projects pragmatically. I like grids, rhythm, and realism. While I could have gotten a bit more wild and free with these I liked to imagine them as real projects, with structure, budgets, and codes. The last class I really felt creative in was a C (third) level studio when I sewed a majority of my project. It was a horrible pain in the ass and it required the sewing machine (that my dad designed when he worked for singer in the 80’s) to be serviced. I had shades of red to pink to represent users and the feeling invoked related to those users. It’s not to say that I did not like my other classes but that was the most hands on creative one.

Now that I am getting out of school I am determined to try every crafty thing I can get my hands on. Even if I try and fail or hate it I am going to try it. Different mediums, different techniques, different classes, etc. Up next is learning to crochet.

Over the weekend I made a wreath using a  12″ foam form. I wrapped the whole thing in the majority of a skein of yarn. Then I wrapped it in ribbon, from Stampin’ Up! Broke it and then stuck it back together with toothpicks. You would never know I cracked it but dumb move on my part. Then I decorated it with holly leaves that I diecut using Stampin’ Up! papers and a sizzix template. The berries were buttons, also from Stampin’ Up! Lastly, I added some wire (SU!) to add some depth to the wreath.