Two Layouts with the Same Paper

So I know you are sick of hearing about The Big Purge.  But one incentive for finishing up the project is trying to reduce the amount of time I spend choosing supplies for a layout.  Picking the paper can take longer than actually coming up with a design and putting it together. 

But what happens if you try to get two layouts out of the same papers - I almost never use a whole sheet unless it is a base for the design.  So Friday night I wandered into my scraproom to play and picked two papers.

This pretty pink from the Amy Tangerine Rise and Shine Collection - I love the way the pink shades toward peach shades.

And this yellow from Fancy Pants Office Hours (I love the texture of this paper)

Then I pulled a brand new sheet of vellum from the Crate paper Poolside collection from my stash.  It has a great weight and the glittery swiss crosses add something special.

And while I was going to embellish from my stash as it made sense, I did pull a doily and this chipboard pack from the Pink Paislee Citrus Bliss Collection.  The bluses, pinks, yellows and golds seemed to work perfectly with the papers I chose. 

And of course, I had a basket of scraps on my desk to use to add layers - and all the other treasures buried in my scrap room.

The first layout I came up with was this soft dreamy layout using an old picture of my oldest son and daughter on the beach.  The design was inspired by a sketch at Citrus Twist Kits.

I love the extra detail the patterned base sheet adds.  And then I saw a grid layout that caught my eye - and you know I love a good grid.  So I made this layout. 

I added some dear lizzy scraps and some labels and other bits, but came up with a layout with a totally different feel. But using the same papers as my starting point meant I put two layouts together in about 3 hours - super fast for me.   And there was less to clean up. 

Thanks for stopping by.

Winner Winner Chicken Dinner.........

So I picked a winner this afternoon, and in my experience this never happens!

There were 39 comments and the random number generator picked number 39 - that's right the very last commenter won!

Meredith245@yahoo.comMay 25, 2015 at 7:57 AM

I have built in cabinets to keep my stash under control. Thanks for the chance to win paper!

Meredith, please send me your mailing address at juliee181 at gmail dot com.  

Thanks everybody for the great tips and for playing along.  Me - I'm still purging (though I've been playing a bit too).

The Big Purge - Chapter 2

Stamps are purged, patterned paper is purged, and I am half way through my stickers.  I am really proud of the way I am cutting back the size of my stash (which will still be huge when I'm done).  I even talked my husband into putting up a folding table in the living room so I have a place to sort and organize.

So I think its time for a reward for a job well underway.  And that means one for me and one for you.  Me - I am going to break down and order the WRMK Fuse.  I'm dying to have it so I am going to use some of my sale proceeds on a new tool (which is better than a box full of new stuff for my stash, right?)

And for you - tonight I filled 9 flat rate boxes with 100+ sheets of patterned paper each.  Each box holds a random mix of manufacturers, collections, and patterns.  There are even Studio Calico kit exclusive papers in those boxes - like that navy with gold stars from Blue Note?  I had a ton of that in my stash so some it if went in my purge pile.  I'm selling eight of the boxes for $35 shipped (US only).

But the ninth box is looking for a good home.  So if you would like me to send it your way, leave a comment telling me one trick for keeping my stash under control when I finally, some day get the purge done.  I will pick one commenter at random on Memorial Day and ship the box their way.  (US only please for the giveaway just because shipping costs would be so high.)

Oh - and a second reward for me - tomorrow I am going to clear off my desk and make something!  I am really missing my time to create and am hoping that a break from the big purge will help keep me focused on the end game.

The Big Purge

It's Workspace Wednesday - and mine is a mess!  Last week I took a few days off.  My plan was to spend the time in my scrap room playing and on the deck relaxing.  And then on Day 1 I went into my craft room and was overwhelmed by the size of my stash.  So not much creating has happened here.  Instead I started The Big Purge.

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My stash has grown to ridiculous proportions.  I blame the demise of the local scrapbook store - I used to buy the pieces of collections I love, but now I can't see it so its harder to be selective; plus I am a sucker for the free shipping offers.  And I don't ever seem to finish anything - I have part packages of tons of stuff - and they take up just as much room as full packages.  But back to the purge, because the why doesn't much matter.

I started with stamps - I am not much of a stamper so I thought they would be easy.  And since they come in just about every Studio Calico kit, they accumulate quickly.  My goal was to go from two overflowing baskets to one that is not overflowing.  It took about 5 days, but I'm there.  And I am slowing selling them at the Project Life Shop & Swap Facebook Page.  

And now my goal is to keep my stamp collection to what fits in that basket.  That means thinking hard about which kit stamps to keep each month.

Then I moved on to paper.  I love patterned paper - and I hoard patterned paper.  But I have way too much.  I forget what I have or can't find what I want.  And the newest additions to my stash are most likely to get used because they are on top.  I am about a third of the way through - and so far this much is finding a new home.

Embarrassing right?

Oh - and if my scraproom isn't a big enough mess right now - this is hanging on to the edge of my desk.

It's "Happy Tape" from my daughter's school play - she saved it so I could put it in her scrapbook.  But how do you save sticky tape til you are ready to make the layout?

I do have a few projects I'd like to share from the last couple of weeks, so keep an eye out.  It can't all be about reorganizing right?

Today I go back to work, so my destashing will slow way down.  I'm a little bit bummed about that.  My motivation was already slipping and I am afraid this will make it worse.  Please hare your tips for de-stashing and managing your stash.  I need help!

Oh - and with destashing comes the possibility of a giveaway or two or three, so check back once in a while.

Thanks for stopping by.

Small Business Saturday - Feed Your Craft

I love all the beautiful products made available by manufacturers.  After all nothing makes me happier than pretty paper.  But finding unique products made by other crafters that I can incorporate into my projects is so much fun.  And those special items can really make a project stand out.  Today I want to feature one of those fun small businesses. 

Feed Your Craft is a fun Etsy shop featuring mini flair.  I love the size of the flair Elise sells.  It makes a fun statement without being too big and bulky.

One of my favorite sets is the gold letter dip dyed mini flair.   You pick the letters and the color (black, pink or teal).  The effect is so striking.

I used a teal "E" on this layout.  It worked perfectly with the colors in the Carolina Moon scrapbook kits from Studio Calico and just filled in an empty space on my grid.  It was a quick and easy way to add dimension and a fun element.

Another favorite is the book paper flair - it is made with real dictionary and book paper.  It is such a fun and unique take.

Elise has so many fun patterns and themes.  Several sets feature doodling by another Studio Calico member.  But my very favorite is the 50/50 mix.  You can make your own set of 6 by picking 3 each from two different sets.  Its a great way to get lots of variety without a big investment.

So who are your favorite small online businesses where you find special pieces for your projects?  I'm always looking for new supplies.

Thanks for stopping by.

Patterned Paper

One of my favorite things about scrapbooking is all the pretty patterned paper.  And I love mixing patterns and colors to create unique looks.  In fact, I often pick a paper combination and then go look for a photo that works with those papers.


And birthday layouts provide a great opportunity to go all out.  A mix of papers can really create a fun, celebratory feel on a page. This layout mixes 8 patterned papers and 1 patterned vellum.  The end result is bright and fun.

Here are some things that help me mix papers:

• Use a patterned paper with lots of colors as your inspiration for the papers you choose.  (I started with that great striped paper.)
• Mix patterns - all stripes are hard.  But stripes and dots - really cool!
• Make sure your patterns are in different scales - it creates balance
• Don't forget to think about a patterned background - the tiny stripes here add a lot of interest without distracting from the photo.
• Lots of different patterns may mean fewer embellishments or more neutral embellishments.

And most importantly, don't be afraid of changing your mind.  If you cut a piece of paper and it doesn't work, just put it in your scrap pile.  It's only paper and sometimes a little experimentation will create a beautiful, unexpected mix of papers.

Hook me up with your patterned paper projects.

Thanks for stopping by.

3 Cards

I'm a scrapbooker, but I really love making cards.  For me they are super quick and easy - and a great way to use up scraps.  So I took a few minutes to make some mother's day cards - for my mother-in-law, for a special aunt, and of course for my mom. 

The first one uses some paper from the Studio Calico Lisse Street 4x6 pad, a scrap from my scrap basket, a piece of doily, a sticker, and a dear lizzy thicker word.  I used pop dots to add different pieces so the card has a lot of dimension.  That meant stacking popdots in some cases so that pieces were supported as I overlapped layers. And that glittery tag - it's from Ashley Calder's etsy shop.

The next one was even easier.  I used no tools - not even scissors.  I just dug for scraps that worked together and were the right size.  The flower was from an old Studio Calico cut file and was just hanging out on my desk.  I think the pink ink inkspatters pull this all together - especially the way that some landed on top of the flower.

The third card was super easy too. The three patterned papers came  right from my scraps and needed just a little bit of trimming.  That big gold rose was on a Crate Paper sticker sheet that is almost used up.  And the rosette was left over from another project.  And that label - it is from Studio Calico and was perfect for this card!

So dig into your scraps and put together some quick cards.  And link me up so I can see.  I always like some new inspiration.

Thanks for stopping by.

Trying New Things - Silkscreen

Did you have a chance to play this week in celebration of National Scrapbook Day?  I love all the challenges that get posted around the world - they tend to push me out of my comfort zone so that I try new things (or at least experiment with products and techniques I rarely use.  Silkscreens are a great example.

I have a few silkscreens - mostly from Studio Calico kits - but I rarely use them.  I love the thought of them and I love the look you get, but I'm not very confident with them.  And I rarely want to take time to let a project dry.

But this weekend, I got those babies out - twice.  I use done with acrylic paints here and it was super easy.  I figured out approximately where I was going to put my photo and then laid the silkscreen down next to it.  I put little dabs of color theory blush crush and 24K paint on the silkscreen and then smeared it around so the colors blended and I had a random mix of pink and gold.  The only problem I had was that my silkscreen was small and I had to reapply it several times to cover enough of the background for the look I wanted.

The second time I got out my silkscreens, I used them with watercolors. I used a small piece of watercolor paper and adhered my silk screen.  I then applied different yellow, orange and pink colors across the silkscreen to create a title block for a simple grid layout.

Oh - and those clouds - a stencil with gesso.  And I painted that veneer butterfly.  I was using those supplies.  Now the trick is to keep the momentum going.

So did you try anything new this weekend?  Link me up.  I'd love to see.

Thanks for stopping by.