Sunday, January 27, 2013

Project Life 2013: Doing more of what I want...

So call me a band wagoner, but I just couldn't resist after a lengthy search on Pinterest and finding so many ideas on there!  I used to think it was just "Scrapbooking a la basic" but after seeing all the layouts,  I feel that I'm a convert to the Project Life style. 

Here are just a couple of reasons why:

1.  I don't feel overwhelmed by a 12x12" layout anymore.  Just like in education, breaking it down into little pieces, 3x4, 2x3, and 4x6 helps to make the pages move along quicker and easier. 

2.  I don't feel as if I have to make a masterpiece each time I make a layout.  Journal, Picture, maybe a tiny embellie.   Its cute, quick and immediately indulgent.

3.  I like focusing on the story as opposed to obsessing about that one pearl flourish sticker.  However this doesn't mean I have to sacrifice beauty, time nor creativity.

4.  JOY:  one of my key words of the year.  I like focusing on the joyful moments in my life and scrapping them, Project life inserts and sheets allow me to focus on the joy, not the economics of scrapbooking and the many tools, elements, embellishments that I MUST use on that layout. 

5.  Immediate satisfaction:  with my first week done and the second one close to completion, I find that I don't have the photos lingering around the craft table anymore,  I have them  off the digital camera, Iphone, instagram and into their respective sleeve. 

I hope that you too will find some solace in knowing that your page can be completed with minimal effort and not stress about the many layouts that aren't finished.


Resources:

1.  Join a group:  Facebook, Cricut and personal blogs have tons of swaps where you can get started, I personally like the following two groups:

  • Croppers Delight NYC Project Life 2013:   They share wonderful printables, sales, advice and inspiration.   CroppersDelightNYCProject Life 2013 group on Facebook.  I know many of them personally and their generosity and creativity would get any newbie started quickly.  They have an in house creative designer who creates gorgeous PL cards.  Closed group, ask for membership.  

  • Swappin Scraps:  These women are creative geniuses!  Truly experts in their own right.  If you never join a swap and only look at their body of work, you will see what I mean about creative geniuses.  Closed group, ask for membership at www.swappinscraps.blogspot.com.
  •  The groups swapped items are very beautiful, and handmade.  It gives you the paper crafted look without the mass produced look of many of the other Project Life products.
    The first time I did a swap, I really didn't know what I was doing, but after I received my swaps, I was just amazed at how beautiful a little PL card could be.  Inquire, ask for membership.  Swappin Scraps is also on Instagram. 

  • Cricut's Monthly Swaps:     On the message boards you will find tons of swaps that will help you create the things needed for your first PL page.  You can swap full PL cards, tiny titles, big index cards, etc.  Many groups for all interests and styles.  You must have a cricut.com membership.
2.  Pinterest:   I can't believe the quality of the work I've seen out there by these graphic designers.   I also love the SVG files that are somewhat PL ready, meaning they are in 3x4 format or 4x6 format.  Here you will find the trendy stencil templates I've been seeing.

3.  Facebook:  Facebook itself has many cute pictures and sayings that are easily printable from your computer.  Click on the picture, hit save as, save to your target directory, Print onnice cardstock or photo paper and you have an instant Filler card (a card to fill int he empty spaces).

4.  Magazine publishers:  Creating Keepsakes website often has quotes, titles and journal spots that are also easily printable.  Check back often, they have great ideas in the gallery as well. 

I wish you many hours of creating memories with your loved ones, and less hours trying to document them.  In the end, what good is that Scrabble sticker you are hoarding, if you never actually have the time to play it.

 My best wishes, for a productive Project Life.

S.

Thursday, January 3, 2013

First Tilda card by Magnolia Stamps: A lesson in patience...

I guess I should subtitle this as to Copic or not to Copic, that is the question

I received a free Tilda stamp from Magnolia magazine a current favorite of mine, however, I have never understood the fascination with the Tilda and Edwin series.  I don't know why and I often felt attacked when I stated that, and I really really wanted to like them even if only because of the beautiful creations produced from this uniquely cute but ugly stamps!  There I said it, they're so ugly they're cute!   But once I got my hand on one, (dare I confess this?), I colored and stamped her multiple times, and even loved it!
I made Tilda in my own caramel colored likeness, I thought she needed a little color to differentiate her from her often pinkish look as seen on most cards but truth be told, I just couldn't get the colors right.  Something that made me wonder was "Why go through all of this work?"

What discouraged me most as a 6 Copic marker owning scrapper was the amount of colors you needed as per the many Copic Tilda videos I watched on Youtube New Years day, it was overwhelming!  After a very full cart on A Cherry On Top.com, a personal favorite, I had to make some choices, college tuition or Copics, I chose the daughters college tuition!   Ha!   I delved into my Distress Markers and played around with it a bit.   What you see in the above drawing is a result of the outlining primarily done in Distress Markers,  while the red and green colors in her outfit were done primarily with Copic and the shading with the Distress Markers  as well.



If you look at the above picture you can see that her leggings are a little bit off as I tried to copy some of the techniques from Youtube, but, I wasn't satisfied because the distress markers seemed to pill my Stamping UP white stamping cardstock, which is usually an optimal stamping cardstock.  
 


In the end, I did the best I could with my first try. 
To the left of it I added some Melissa Frances trim, some Making Memories gold fiber and a generic craft store rose.   I like the balance of the two flowers.
On the top right you will notice that the graying/shadowing I tried to create from one of the tutorials was a miserable fail and I had to eventually cover it with a photo corner. 

My final thought after having finished it on some Tim Holtz Christmas papers is that I will give it another try and will attempt to use only the Copic Markers since  the shading needed for the "Magnolia style".  The Distress Markers just don't allow for that kind of blending without destroying your paper.  Or at least I haven't had success with it.   I ordered a couple of other Magnolia's and some Sugar Nellie's my favorites, and I will update you as to my failure or success with them. 

Until then, lots of crafting love into the blogosphere!


Material's Used:

Tilda - Magnolia free stamp from the Magnolia magazine out this month.
Tim Holtz Holiday Stack
Bazzill Card Stock
Cricut Gigantic Flowers
Recollections Bling
Making Memories Fibers
Melissa Frances Trims

Wednesday, January 2, 2013

Updated Swap News....

Hi ya ladies,  we are now at six people!   
` See below for the following months:

January:    Diana Hawkins

February:  Salima

March:      Ines Rivera

April:         Ines Rivera


May:         Christine Rodriguez


June:        Lillian Rosario

July:         Rosemarie 


August:    Christine Rodriguez

September:  Diana Hawkins

October:       Lillian Rosario

November:     Rosemarie 

December:    Salima


I recommend not starting til Sunday in case we get more takers in that case we will only have to do one month.  Thanks for your understanding.  If you have any questions let me know!   


If you have a cutter machine, I'm attaching some SVG flourishes for your cutting enjoyment later on this week!    These are not originally mine, all credit goes to the author in the file and are not for sale according to CCC.

Happy Scrappy thoughts!

Salima.