2017 | Getting back into the Groove

CRAFTING IS HERE TO STAY 

Hello there,

It's been a while.

The last time we spoke - I think it was in April ... maybe?
I've gone on a crafting up and down journey since then.

I have not made a layout since April. I think the last one I posted was on my instagram (@angela_creates) I still have some unfinished projects and I never use to have them. One of the biggest things I have not finished is Week in the Life, that hurts.

THE REASON WHY

A little under a year ago, I decided to work from home and start my own planner sticker shop. It has been an amazing experience and I love planning - really love it. I love meeting new planner people, going to planner events, watching planner videos, and making stickers. I absolutely love my business.

Time management is an issue. I have given time to my business because I want it to grow. That's my biggest aim, right? There are just times when I am in a planning mood, designing mood, cutting mood, crafting mood, and I tend to act on those times. Whenever I feel like doing business things that what I do. I'm cutting stickers as I write this post. I need to find a system that works for me. There are time when I feel I want to craft but I don't have any inspiration on what to do or I do feel like working on an unfinished project so I just work on something else I need for the business. I think that is where I have to stop. Balancing these two things out - business/planning and crafting - I know I can make time for both.

UNFINISHED

Let me just tell you this - I am not a person who does not finish projects. I don't have albums from a few years ago that I have to finish. That is most definitely not me.

That's why I hate that I have my Seattle album unfinished, no California album started, and One Little Word is behind. I did make a mini album and I will show you how it turned out, but for right now I still have some unfinished projects.

Seattle, just needs journaling to wrap it up. Week in the Life needs photos, journaling, memorabilia all added it. I think this is my focal project. And California 2017, I do not have an album for that.

I skipped Project Life for 2017. That is my BIGGEST regret. I am not letting that go. I don't care if I get behind, I am not letting it go next year. I already have my game plan for 2018. I will be using (2) 6x8 albums and I think that is where I will leave it until our family grows or so. Or if I feel the need to tell more stories I will do that in larger albums. I'm actually aiming to start 2018 with a plan, a much more focused plan than in 2017. I have already chosen my word for One Little Word and I'm hoping I can finally get on some sort of path for crafting.

LET'S BE REAL

There is always one project I will not let go, and that's December Daily. I'm going to aim to post every day on my social media as part of my plan to focus on it daily, and all my supplies will be around me so that I can have a remainder to not only take a photo but to tell a story per day. I love Christmas time. I really do. I won't let this project go. I already want to work on it. Is December here yet? 

Until next time, 

2017 | Week in the Life

Week in the Life. Year Four. 

This will be my 4th year participating in Week in the Life. 

If you haven't heard about Week in the Life. You can find more information on the blog of Ali Edwards, the creator of the event. This year, those that follow the project, will be documenting their week in the life from April 17th through April 23rd. 

I was looking through my albums this year and I was trying to get a fill of what worked, and what didn't work. 

What Worked?

1. For me, using a kit is key. It makes me focus on the project and the supplies I use are all centered around the project. They also spark stories for me. I choose the polka dotted Week in the Life album this year. It is the same spine size as last year. 
2. A reason why. It's an amazing reflection each year, and each year the reason changes.
3. An overview of the week. I love it. I love doing this in a lot of my projects, because there are tons of stories in this one overview. 
4. 6x8 page protectors. Not for photos, but for stories. I have some WITL templates from last year, and the year that I want to use. I always start the day with a 6x8 page protector. Last year, I did a Dear You letter in the beginning, and the template in the back. This year, I am thinking of adding the template in the front, and the time chart that I use during the week in the back.

What didn't work?

1. Good photos. I think I need to condition myself to take several more photos and duplicate of a photo sometimes. I also took way too many photos on my phone last year, and I want to utilize my DSLR more. 
2. Jumping into the project. I highly suggest working with the product before hand, or even get some sort of a layout or structure built before for your project. Throughout the week, I touch some of the project trying to get an idea of what to take pictures of. 
3. Less stories. Even if I have to type it up, I'm telling more stories this year. I want to be heard, and I want to document more of how I feel in each day. I feel like in the past some stories weren't told, or feelings were hidden. This year, we document all. The good and the bad. I'm thinking of adding a how I felt 3x4 to each day. 
4. Blank Photos. Don't be scared to embellish a little. I feel like I did this a little last year. 
5. Staying inside of the box. I approach WITL the same way I approach Project Life and I need to stop that. I've been debating about letting Project Life go, just because I feel like I need a break. I might move onto doing it monthly instead of weekly that way I get both. I get to keep project life but it doesn't feel like a burden. And I work Month by Month. This year, I will get more creative with Week in the Life. Take a different angle. Go somewhere different. Tell a different story. 

I hope you join Ali and all of us in Week in the Life. Take your photos now, and buy product later. Make a mini album. Use up your own supplies. Anything is possible. 

If you need more inspiration, Ali wrote a wonderful blog post here - It is a really good read, and a good boost of confidence right before the project. I can do this. I will do this. And I will be back to tell more stories. 

Until next time, 

Layout #16 | Love You

Hey there!

I'm a little late but I'm back with a layout share for you this week. Still trying to get the creative process going, but I'm working on a mini album and its almost done, yay!

Here is the layout share for this week:

I went simple this week! I started with a patterned paper from an old Felicity Jane. That kit is no longer available. I used a bold font in my Silhouette Studio application and I created the words LOVE YOU. I knew I was going to use two photos. 

Behind the love you die-cut, I grabbed a piece of white cardstock and I applied various watercolor paints on the background matching the patterned paper. 

I also wanted to make the love you stand out, so with a black gel pen I went around each letter. If I had a sewing machine, I would have used black thread. For both pictures, I chose two black and white photos since I already had tons of color everywhere. 

I also made two little clusters behind the background of each photo. I made this similar, alternating the placement of each embellishment. 

My journaling was simple, just a few words on the bottom of the page. I might go back and put a label instead to make the journaling stand out. 

That was it! It was a very simple layout this week! I love putting a lot of work into my backgrounds but I thought this came out beautifully! 

I'll be back with another layout share! 

Until next time,

Layout #15 | Scream!

Hello, hello!

I made four layouts this week. I should have made six, to catch up on the week I was on vacation but hopefully I can make it up by creating another four next week!

Here is my layout share for this week:

I used yet another cut from Bea Valint, which are amazing and free!

I started with a white 12x12 cardstock. I really want to avoid using white for my background for a while. I prepped my cardstock with gesso since I was going to drop a lot of watercolor on it.

I really need some new spray mist. Does anyone have any recommendations? I'm using some Studio Calico spray mist and while I love them, I want some more colors. I have 10 currently! If I am using the packaging technique, I usually use spray mists because they are so easy to work with. The packaging technique is where you add some water and watercolor (or spray) onto some acetate, or clear packaging, and apply it directly onto your background.

If you are trying to figure out what I am talking about, Kristina Werner does awesome tutorials using these on cards. I just use it for a much larger surface.

After adding color to my background, I focused on my large die-cut and backed it with various patterned paper matching the colors in my background.

For my photo, I chose a photo from Seattle! We went this modern museum ( I think it was formally called the EMP museum) and they had a scream booth. I absolutely love this photo .. so much! It's silly and it's fun and I want to make several layouts focused around it.

I always back my photo with some layers. I applied some fringed paper behind my photo then a added some patterned paper from the We R Memory Keepers "Flower Girl" collection. I also applied a few stickers and a paper clip from Doodlebug. I want to use a paper clip on everything! I also added two different frames on each side. Chipboard frames are another one of my faves. To finish it off, I added some tangled string behind this photo. I just discovered this when I saw Paige Evans doing it on one of her layouts and I thought I would try it! It is great for pops of color!

I added my title with some black Thickers and my journaling as well, and I was done!

I hope you enjoy seeing my layout shares! I absolutely love writing them!

Until next time,

Layout #14 | Smile

Hello, hello!

I'm back with another layout share! I've been creating a layout almost every day this week! In my head, all of these ideas pop up and then I see photos I want to scrap so and I have just wanted to create. It's a good thing though because it allows me to catch up for the week I was on vacation.

For today's layout, I'm sharing a layout about my niece.

Whenever I create a layout, I almost always choose my photo first, and then I work on my background. I do that, because for me, the background is a canvas and you have to prep and work on your canvas before you add your painting. 

My painting in this scenario is my photo. I don't want for one thing to stand out more than the other, I want it all to go together. I also like building layers, lots and lots of layers. 

Since I started my 100 layout project, I have found a lot of scrapbooks that inspire me. One of those scrapbookers is Bea Valint. You can find her blog here. 

She really creates the cutest stuff. The cut files I used in my background are on her blog as well! 

I started the layout with my background. I'm using up my all of my Felicity Jane kits throughout the year because I am hoarding them. They really are beautiful. 

c. Felicity Jane

The Chloe kit from Felicity Jane was my first scrapbooking subscription! Although I wish I could have continued it, the finances were just not there, and I miss her kits so much! 

It's ok though because I use it up this time! 

From the kit, I chose the blueish-green dotted patterned paper. I wanted to add some pink-peachy watercolor to match our t-shirts so I muted the background down a little with some white gesso. I used some watercolors from my stash. They are the Loew-Cornell watercolors that I found on Amazon. 

The die-cuts were going to be my main background and I wanted them to pop so I added just some basic colored cardstock behind each of the flowers. 

I used a 3x4 photo and behind it I added some foam adhesive to give it some dimension. To add layers, I added a piece of patterned paper behind it, a chipboard frame, and a small bow that was in the kit. I actually tucked the bow behind the photo, so it was just peeking out. 

I added a few labels from the kit around the photo, a small sticker, and a large sticker from the sticker sheet in the background as well. For my title, I used a smile sticker from my stash and I used the black and white dotted alphabet in the kit.  There are two alphabets in this kit that I want to use, and they are both beautiful! 

I added my journaling and dated my project. I finished it off with a few of the puffy hearts from this kit too! 

I'm ready to use up my stash seriously. I already told myself "no more shopping!" but let's be serious - the next time a beautiful collection comes out I will be grabbing it! 

Until next time, 

Layout #13 | Hello Happy Memories

Hey again,

I've been on a creative struggle.. I really want to get back into making layouts! I think at every point we all get into short of creative struggle, especially when we are balancing every day.

My full-time job is being a writer.. haha yes, a writer! I struggle in both creative writing and scrapbooking because I am trying to handle two creative outlets! Add on planning and I'm pulling my creativity into three difference aspects of life!

I can do it though, and as long as I can keep myself on track then I can do it! It's going to be tough, but it doesn't have to be. I have to use my hands to create. I really do!

Here is the layout share for today:

I'm turning the clock back a bit and I used a photo from our family vacation back in June 2017. Our photo has a lot of blue, but you can see in the layout that there a bit of light blue everywhere. 

I started out the layout with a cut file from Felicity Jane. It is a purchase filed that you can find in the Silhouette Design Store. I duplicated it in various locations to make the cut file which is the large rectangle bar. 

I backed the die cut with a patterned paper, from Studio Calico, and some basic green and light green cardstock to back the leaves of each flower. For my embellishments, the only thing I used were puffy stickers, the 6x6 paper pad, cardstock stickers, wood veneer, all from the We R Memory Keepers "Flower Girl" collection. 

For the butterflies, I fussy cut them from a patterned paper in the collection, and left a light blue background to tie the blue in. 

To finish it, I just added my journaling underneath the photo and dated the layout for when the photo was taken. 

I have a large stack of Florida photos that I want to use, but I think it's going to be time to switch to some Seattle photos soon since that vacation is definitely fresh in my mind! 

I know I went back to the white cardstock for this layout, and to be honest the next one .. but for the layout after that I have already picked out some pretty cardstock to use! 

I'll see you next time!

2017 | Seattle Recap

Hey guys!

I'm officially back from vacation! I've been back for a few days now, and I am so tired .. I feel like there is so much to do and so many projects at one time, and I just need a day off and a sigh of relief that I am back home, ready to rest, and ready to work.

Our day started off rainy, and cold. We are from Houston so it was definitely different that what we experienced. Our flight arrived at 12:30pm on Saturday afternoon and we had to take a taxi around 10 mins away to pick up our car rental. We checked into our hotel around 1pm and we just slept for the rest of our first day since our flight had left at 8am from Houston.

On Sunday, we actually went to Pike Place Market. It was so nice! It was cold and rainy but it was still very full! We saw the famous flying fish, which we didn't even know that it was famous until after we saw it, ha! There was so many fresh flowers and fresh fruit and there were so many local things to look at! We also visited the gum wall, which was disgusting and really cool at the same time.

Over the next few days, we saw the Seattle Needle, we visit the Pacific Science Center and even took a boat tour. We also went to the Aquarium and the EMP museum to do some sightseeing around the city. There was definitely a lot to see. Just be prepared for parking, since parking is pricey and you have to use it everywhere you go. 

We visited a local cupcake place called Cupcake Royale .. it was not for me. My fiancé loved them, but I personally did. I was ready to run back to Sprinkles. But since we are from Texas, we had to find some BBQ and we definetly did at this place called Roro's. It was really good..

The main event for us, and the reason for going was Emerald City Comic Con. We are really big toy collectors, and we had to visit our favorite toy companies headquarters, which I was super happy to see! We met so many other toy collectors and the convention was amazing. We bought tons of toys, like we wanted, and it was just a fun experience. I had so much fun in Seattle. I honestly do miss it already and I cannot wait to go back. 

I'll be back with some project shares! 

Until next time,