Day 90: Scrapbooking!

Okay....today, I spent two hours at the Mac Store in the Mall of America ending with a lock-up on my back, successful link-up between my iPad and new MacMini, and the need for many drugs to make it through the rest of the day.  Now I am JUST FINE!  My friend came over for some scrapbooking love today, and although I didn't make much headway, I got two pages done towards Christmas of 2010, and many sorted pictures for the 2010 album.  Then I got to thinking about how much my scrapbooking habits have changed over the years.  I have been scrapping as long as I can really remember, but I only have my books from high school on.  I have them all lined up here in the top shelves of an IKEA cabinet...all generally done by year.  The ones in the far left compartment are from high school, college, pre-marriage, and a poorly put together wedding album.

 These ones were HUGE, and I used self-adhesive picture pockets to arrange my own layouts.  I didn't do any matting, and I had NO concern for using acid free adhesives on anything else I might stick down.  Generally, I just wrote whatever wherever, and there was no real decoration.  I liked though that the pictures were removable, and they weren't altered in any way....this is something I miss in my current albums.

High School: 1994-95....Choir Trip to NYC

My glued in paper articles are already yellowed, and I just used clear packing tape to stick down the flowers from some wraping paper I got.

College...I shortened some of the pictures and their adhesive pockets...stickers too, although very unrelated to the pictures....strange.

 

 

 

So scrapbooking continued, and by the end of college and shortly after, I was using acid free paper and adhesive and cutting pictures and matting paper and the works, right?  Three ring binder.....every so often the rings still freak out and drop pages or have an open one that has bent.

Hubby's Undergrad Graduation.....fancy scissors=)

Saved notes from my student teaching experience....these sorts of things always make me smile.

Wedding album, I must have started assembling this sometime in 2001 late.  I used big fold out pages....I really need to attend to the fact that there is very little journaling in this album

More wedding album, multiple color mats, and I included copies of our vows.  I am really glad I did that!

After this, scrapbooking became about documenting our first child, Sylvia.  I kept EVERYTHING!  We bought our first digital camera prior to her birth, and boy, did the pictures flow!  This is but one layout from that year, but you can clearly see that I like lots of pictures per page, and I got an embossing gun and some stamps that year for Christmas =)

Christmas in Brasil 2002

October/November 2003

I took all of my digital pics and made computer resizing so I could print several pics on one sheet of photo paper.  I then ended up with lots of what look like photo strips in my scrapbooking.  I made my own letter blocks, or I used stickers.  I used stencils for my circles at that time.....very time consuming.

2004 was an avid scrapping year....I wasn't working when we first moved back to Minnesota from Pittsburgh, and I was (am still) very product oriented.  I also must have learned about Creative Memories circle and oval cutters with the different matting blades.  For a while, everything was double matted and not square!  The letters came from using the big manual dye cut things at Archivers.

Halloween Festivities 2004

Felix, 2004: Digital Camera....I could take these shots again and again until I got what I wanted.  I also printed works on overhead transparency and cut them up for little sayings over the pictures.

For several years, I organized all of my scrpabooks based on calendars.  I would make a page overview for each month and write important stuff on the calendar....like milestones, vacations, events....sometimes just the everyday living stuff too.  It is fun to look back and see what was important in our life at that time.....still, lots of "filmstrip" style pictures.

2004 Family Wedding, some of my favorite all time layouts came from these two inch blocks.  It allowed me to see a lot on each page, and also see scenery without taking away from the people who I really wanted to highlight.

2004 still, but see these scenery shots just act as background paper really.....no fuss no muss, just the beauty that is family.

2005: I remember cutting these letters out at Archivers using scenery pictures from our trip to Brazil....At Archivers, I could (still can) use all their tools and just buy paper there while I work.  It really allowed me to pick the PERFECT paper for each page.  I loved that!

2006 was a small picture taking year....I can't recall why.  I arranged (and I still do) each book by events chronologically, but didn't include calendar pates at all.  This was another family wedding....not much frill, just a lot of pictures of people I love.

This is from the 2007 album, and I was using letters punched out of pre-made alphabet sheets.  I like titles and letters.

I did notice that starting in 2007, I have evidence of adding Cricut letters.  I used to go scrapping one weekend every October with an auntie and they had a Cricut for general use there.  I would knock out the entire year's book in one weekend (usually I already had a start, but still, at least half was done in one night).  The ladies used to be so miffed when they would find out that I was up to date.....well, not so much anymore.  I haven't finished 2010 album, but then again, I didn't go scrapping with the auntie this last October either.

This is also from 2007, a trip to Alaska with the entire extended family....so cool!  I made a special album for just that trip....the first "occasion" album I had done at that point.

2008 Album: Sylia's Birthday....I guess my style always has a lot of pictures per page.....after all, it is about the photos, right?  Cricut letters from October auntie scrapping weekend =)

 Then in March of 2009, my hubby got me a personal sized Cricut for my birthday (EBAY!)....and then I went letter crazy for everything.....I particularly LOVE layered letters!  SQUEEL!!!!!  Hubby gave it to me right before we left to lead a band trip to New Orleans.  I spent the entire time there taking pictures knowing I would return to make a scrapbook just for the trip using my CRICUT!!!!

2009 Album

New Orleans Trip Album 2009

New Orleans Trip Album 2009

Still lots of pictures per page, but LETTERS ARE COOL!  Now I can say whatever I want without running out of letters =)

2010 Album: Pages just for my garden

2010 Album

2010 Album....I have  a LOT of pages where I was working to purge my stash of letter stickers.  I used one letter here and there for many pages to try not to waste them.  Not too bad....and now I don't buy letters at all!

 So this was a lot LOT longer than I had planned, but if you are still here at the end, be sure to leave a comment just so I know you were here!  I think scrapping is fun, and I love to display the pictures of the best moments in my life.


I CHALLENGE all of you scrappers out there to dig out all of your albums tonight and go through them with your family.....That is what they are for, right?

Day 89: TURTLE! and Knit Block Basket Weave Pattern

I finished another 10"x10" block this morning and used a basket weave pattern of knitting and pearling....easy cheese!  Then I just couldn't resist, and I had to try my hand at the turtle before class.  I tried without looking at the construction directions....just tried to figure it out.  Not too far off, but my proportions are a little wonkey.  I will save it to compare to the one that I make in the Nicky Epstein class.  Otherwise, it is too cute!  I mixed it with some other yarn I had to embellish as I ran out of the blue just as I finished the block.  My turtle's shell needed an edging and I ended up defining the hatching on top too!  I love it!


 

I have a doctor appointment this afternoon, so I wanted to be sure to blog early as I didn't think I would feel up to it later.  Keep me in your thoughts/prayers/crafts!



TURTLE!  YEAH!  And 3,000 hits pushed over today too!  The turtle is so excited!
Linked up today at:

Day 88: Knit Blocks

I scored a couple of great hanks of hand-dyed, hand-spun, hand-loved wool yarn made by my lovely friend Jen Cuff (strawberrymoonfibers.etsy.com) for my birthday!  I have also registered for a four day knit fest in the Twin Cities (MN) hosted by StevenBe and the Yarn Garage with classes by Nicky Epstein (check out her book, KNITTING BLOCK BY BLOCK) at the end of April.  So I have some serious homework to do to prepare the blocks I am asked to bring to the classes. 

I am newish to knitting, and I love to learn!  I made my first 10"x10" block today just plain jane to start.  I will use it for an animal project outlined in her book.  I am looking forward to making new blocks every few days and working in new patterns also detailed in the book.  My goal is to get to the point with knitting that I can make my own patterns instead of re-creating the visions of other talented people.    One block down, more to go!  I am tired now, and happy to be blogging early so I can crawl in bed for the night right after putting my kiddos down too!  I love life!

Hey, I have 25 hits to go to hit 3,000 at an average of 1,000 each month....help me out, blogging friends!

Day 87: More Knitted iCord, and I HAVE FOUND MY MARBLES!

I got double ended knitting needles in a smaller size as the big honkers I had were what I used on yesterday's project, and the cord I could make had holes that were too big for the clear glass marbles.  These samples were used from the end of ribbon scraps that weren't long enough to make Kumihimo braids or were leftover from pouches or other random projects.  I am now completely out of the soft pink cotton/ribbon/shiny blend which in part went into the length.  I was happy it could be a long single, a dramatic double, or a playful triple round necklace.  I like the shorter necklaces myself but am always pleased to have options even if I always choose short.  The rainbow colored one was with size 10 needles and 5 stitches cast on.  The pink one was made with size 10 needles and 4 stitches on.  I liked the tighter fit around the marbles as it appeared to have more definition and I didn't need to tie knots in the cord to see the marbles within.  I think this is pretty cool!  I will work on a tutorial for making the iCord.  I am learning to do video stuff with blogs, so mayhaps I will attempt that!  Until then, hold on to your marbles!



Linked up at:

Day 86: "The Snake Ate Something" Necklace

I finished off my knit cord thing and decided to try stuffing some wooden beads down in there, separating them with knots, and then figured it looks sort of like my knit snake ate something....interesting.  I am going to work with some smaller needles on the same idea and include other smaller things inside.  Wait and see!

It is pretty chunky, and with the right outfit, I think I would love it for a while and then tire of it....though I need to keep going with this idea to see it through some kinks and variations before passing permanent judgment.


If I come to one that I like well enough, I might try my hand at posting a tutorial.  Anyone interested?

Linking up at:

Also, today, my family scammed to plan a surprise party for me to celebrate my birthday....I was totally surprised although in retrospect I should have seen it coming.  Still, it was a great day with friends and family.  I was so involved in the company that I didn't take a single picture!  Strange!

Thanks, peeps!

Day 85: Platters TRIMMED and Cord KNITTED

I finally trimmed the feet on my three platters from last week, and I think that I may have ignored the wishes of the very dry clay to be left plain for marvelous wax resist glazing....instead I tried to force adding textured tiles on top.  I am reasonably sure that they will pop off as they dry, and then were will I be?  I sprayed them down and wrapped them up, and then I will hope for the best.

I went to an open house at StevenBe's shop in Minneapolis today picking up the quick little "how to" on making t-shirts into a one strand yarn ball, and it was a better way than I had been doing with plastic bags.....love to learn!  I then learned how to make this lovely knit cord, much like finger weaving of course, but more uniform and then possibly quite tight as the needle sizes are smaller as well.  I have some ideas for this, but since this is my first one, I have discovered that I have to keep working to get my variations to come to life.  So just call this one "home base."  Where can we go from here?

Day 84: Zoorama and Crochet Dangly Earrings

 I ran across a couple of great yarning blogs this week....check these out:
Bugaboo, Mini, Mr and Me
and Mandipity
I have only been in blogland for 84 days, but these two are some of the most creative blogs I have run into so far!  I wish that I could follow some blogs, and then have another list in my dashboard for my favorites so I be sure to hang on every word!

I linked up another idea to this party, but I was so impressed by the ideas posted that I decided to put another link button here just in case able minded yarn lovers from all over just want to link from this post instead of searching my history for the post.



Mandipity had some cool crochet circle earrings hot glued to posts, and I just had to make a pair with some added BLING!  Check out her idea HERE (there is a tutorial there too!).  I quick wrapped up some ear wires and added sterling jump rings with size 8 pearl seed beads.....I think I will need to wear them with my black and pearl seed bead Kumihimo braided necklace.....WOOO!  Small craft again today as it was busy, but doesn't the super cuteness factor in?  It should!





I also went to the MN zoo for a few hours today with friends....our kids pose with the beautiful metal turtle there in the Tropics area.  What a great way to spend a not-nearly-spring-yet-in-Minnesota-type-day!  This picture makes me wish I had two sets of twins (and they were already past the diaper stage, of course)!!!!!