Month: March 2012

printer trays & why I love them!

Just a quick post about printer trays…and why I love them!

Way before I knew anything about Project Life, I was totally smitten with printer trays!  (Notice the similarities between the two totally different projects?)

Like the PL, I think I enjoy these because of the endless possibilities and freedom when creating all of those “little layouts” that, in the end, fit together to create a lovely image!

(Unfamiliar with Project Life?  Read my post from earlier this week.)

The Christmas one above is the only one that I have created for my own home.  I thoroughly enjoy making them as gifts.

Printer trays (shadow boxes) are now available in many different sizes, shapes, colors–all sorts!

If you haven’t made one, you should give it a try!

most frequently used

Today, I thought I would share a few of my ‘most frequently used’ products for scrapbooking, aka:papercrafting.

First up, my Sharpie Poster Paint Pen (extra-fine point, water-based, opaque paint marker).  This is a fabulous pen for writing on photos or cardstock.  I just googled my pen and apparently there is an entire Sharpie world that I was unaware of!  Check out their amazing website for all things Sharpie.  I have always loved Sharpie markers of all shapes and sizes, colors and tips…but this new knowledge of available products could be quite costly : )  Sharpie products can be found in many stores or online…I purchased mine at Hobby Lobby (in the paint/pen department–not in scrapbooking).

Next up, Thickers.  Need I say more?  My love for Thickers grows (as does my collection of them).  I am proud of myself for finally using them on a regular basis instead of hoarding them in my Thicker drawer (as seen in the picture).   Thanks to Project Life, I am finding myself using them more and more.  Thickers, by American Crafts, come in just about any color, font, texture and size.  They’re addicting & I love them!

Just added to my scrapbooking supplies is my Epson Artisan 730 printer.  Yes, I consider this scrapbooking supplies.  It is amazing!  I can print pictures directly from my iphone wirelessly.  Love it. Love it. Love it.

And finally, my Zutter Round-it-All corner punch.  This is the best corner rounder I have ever used.  The price is a bit higher, but so worth it.  They describe it as heavy-duty and I would agree!  It cuts through everything!  I use it all of the time.

So there you have it.  Products I would definitely recommend.  No, I’m not an expert–just an ordinary girl that likes to scrapbook.

 

exciting, yet scary

Wow.  Strange feeling being back at the keyboard blogging.  During the year of not blogging, I longed to have time to sit and blog.  Now, here I am and questioning once again that anyone will even read it!  I will trust that you’re here because you want to be…so, I will continue to type.

Many of you know that I am a scrapbooking, paper-loving addict.  My current form of scrapbooking is inspired by Becky Higgins’ Project Life.  If you’ve never heard about this, already struggle with finding time to document your current fast-paced family life, you should check out her site.  January 2012 I took the Project Life leap and haven’t looked back!

The images above are a look at how I’ve chosen to do Project Life.  I create a layout each week, whether a single layout or a double page layout, just depends on how busy my week was.  I’m not good at journaling, so that is what I am attempting to improve.  By using these types of page protectors, it’s almost like creating ‘mini layouts’.  Each one stands alone, representing a separate event or person, yet (like a puzzle) fits together to create a glimpse of your week–your life.  You can choose to simply drop in a few photos, a few mementos and no journaling.  Many scrappers choose to include a lot of detailed journaling for each day.  You may not have time to do any type of embellishing, or added details–that’s ok too!  However you interpret it, is up to you.  The goal is to simply record memories, little by little, making it work for you.

There are many scrapbook companies that are creating great products to use in your Project Life albums.  Of course, Becky Higgins has her Project Life product line which can get you started.  You can see her product line here.  Whether you’re new to scrapbooking or an old pro, give it a try!  I love it!