Fantabulous Cricut Challange #195 Mix and Match

Last night I put together a scrapbook page that just happened to follow along with the weekly challenge over at FCCB.  As I've worked my way through our year of engagement it's been fun reliving all the "moments" and "events"!  This page highlights one of my bachelorette trips to Naples, FL!    

I used the Life's a Beach cartridge to cut out the turtle and sandcastle and then Simply Charmed for the title.

Felt Rosette Wreath

 

I've been channeling my inner wreath making mojo and tackled another wreath project over the weekend!  In reality, I bought the felt and supplies before we went to MI for Christmas and got sidetracked by making a baby scrapbook while we were there so the wreath got put on the backburner and the supplies sat in the floor... for weeks.  Does that ever happen to anyone else?!  You have the best of intentions and then life sets in.  Anyhow... I decided it was time!  LOVE the finished product and it's perfect for Valentine's Day! 

I researched online the different tips and tricks for cutting felt circles.  I def. was not interested in tracing and cutting the 200+ circles!  Then, I came across this little cutter that cuts through felt/fabric.  I ordered mine from Amazon. 

 My not-so-helpful helper which was more like a paper weight. 

All you do is cut a 3" circle, fold it half and then half again and then stick a straight pin through the bottom corner and then into the wreath.  Easy peasy!

This is where I stopped after night one and about 2 hours.  I had done the whole front but not the inner circle and outer edges. 

Ta da!  I hung it from a hook on our mantle and have already enjoyed seeing it while we watch TV!  LOVE the bright pop of color it adds to our fireplace.  My Mom actually gave me the "G" the last time I saw her and it was the perfect addition. 

Project Life Baby Book

While I was in Michigan over the holidays, I helped my sister-in-law put together a baby book for my nephew.  She had already done her homework and had 10 months of pictures and basic scrapbook supplies ready to go!  I'm not going to lie, when I saw how many BOXES and BOXES of pictures she had I was a little worried about what we had to tackle... then, we rolled up our sleeves and dug in, literally.  

Day 1 was spent sorting and sorting and sorting!  This picture doesn't even capture half of the number of boxes of pictures!  We used the "month" 4x6 cards as guides for our sorting. 

This is the first time I've used nothing but Project Life supplies to put together a book.  I have to say, for quick/catching up/beautiful scrapbooking, Project Life is the way to go.  Here's our supply list (you can order straight from my Amazon Associates Store that's linked at the top of my blog):

• Becky Higgins Photo Pocket Pages - Big Variety Pack 1 & 3
• Holiday Mini Kit
• Core Kit - Baby Edition for Him
• We - R - Memory Keepers Faux Leather 3- Ring Binders 
• Recollections paper trimmer

After we got the months sorted out, we sorted those stacks and put them in order.  As we went though, Ashleigh pulled out any she didn't want to use which helped reduce our piles!  Then, we made more stacks of which pictures should remain 4X6 and which direction they needed to go and which pictures could be cropped into 4x4 cubes; or 3x4 sizes.  This made putting the pages together a breeze!  If we knew we needed 6 3x4 pictures we just grabbed that stack.   

How cute is our little helper?! Can't believe he will be ONE in a few weeks!!!

After about 4 days of working on our project on and off, we had finished all the way up to 10 months!  I left Ashleigh with the chore of completing the journaling cards and month highlights/stats.  We had such a good time working on our little project and we LOVE the outcome!   

Fantabulous Cricut Challenge #192 - Use a Sentiment

WOW -- is it cold out there!!  It was a frigid 5 degrees on my way into work this morning.  I'd love to have a few "snow" days to stay home and keep up the scrapbooking roll I've been on the last few days!  Unfortunately, I don't see that in my future so I have to stick with grabbing a few minutes here and there throughout the week to throw a page or two together.  Last night before the BCS Championship game, (and while dinner was in the oven) I raced up to my scrapbook room to put together a page for the Fantabulous Cricut Challenge for the week.   This weeks challenge is to use a sentiment and I knew I could incorporate it into the next page I had up to make for my current album - the year of wedding planning/being engaged!  Here's what I came up with:

I used the Sweethearts Cricut cartridge to cut "Save the Date", the engagement ring and the envelopes on the second page.  

I used a 6"x12" Becky Higgings page protector and also one of the Project Life journaling cards from the Blush Core Kit.  

So far in my "engagement" album I'm up to December 2012!  Getting all the engagement pics scrapbooked was quite the endeavor from the weekend but I LOVE the way the pages turned out.  I'll share some pictures soon. 

On another fun note, it's been exactly 5 years since Adam and I met for the first time in "real".  We first met up to watch the BCS Championship game in 2009 in Mobile!  Time really flies.  

Stay warm out there!

 

Chevron Burlap Wreath

  Anyone else loving the burlap decor frenzy?  I may be a little late to the party but I've been a little busy in 2013!  Now that my time has been freed up from wedding planning, I'm trying my hand at a few different crafts!  At various craft shows over the last few months I've seen tons of burlap wreaths for various price points for sale-- anywhere from $40-$80.  I decided.. I can make those.  So, off to Hobby Lobby I went.  I picked up a 24" frame and chevron printed rolled burlap.  I got lucky because the rolls of burlap were 50% off when I happened to go shopping.  I think I started the hardest way with this -- with a large wreath form and burlap that was patterned on only one side!  I looked at a few tutorials on YouTube and a few other blogs and then went for it.  I got the wreath finished, stood back and looked and didn't LOVE it.   

I sole some of the picks from my garland and liked it better but it still wasn't just RIGHT.  

SO, I took it apart at 10pm on a work night!  I redid it making the loops much bigger and fuller and LOVE it now.  You can see the chevron print a lot better in this wreath too.  It's so fluffy and fun to look at.  So different too.  Plus, I like that I can change the accessories to match the seasons.  I do love the pop of red with the chevron.  

Here it is in it's final spot.  I hung it over a skinny wood Santa that was already hanging on this door and added a red burlap bow I found half off at Hobby Lobby.  LOVE it!

Canvas Mistletoes

Since I'm known as the "crafty' Auntie I had to be prepared for a Christmas craft this year with the munchkins.  I went to Pinterest for inspiration and fell in love with this cute idea using little feet!  

So, with the assistance of Adam and a few other adults, I painted and stamped 3 sets of munchkin feet over the last 2 weeks!

My 2014 Objectives

I don't care much for "resolutions."  So, since I am an HR gal, I've decided that for 2014 I am going to have personal and professional goals.

Putting just my goal for scrapbook pages on my blog has given me a quick and easy reference throughout this year and I am happy to report that I exceeded my goal of 200 pages and made 236 for 2013, even with planning a wedding and honeymoon!  Yay me!

I've got a couple areas I want to work on in 2014; so, here goes:

1.  Only buy the absolute necessary toiletries/cosmetics/etc.  I have SO many items in the shower, make up bin, etc. that are "almost" empty...why don't I just use them up and toss them?!  So, my monthly challenge is going to be to log all the beauty items I use up each month and give a little review and whether I would repurchase or not.

2.  No more magazine subscriptions (unless they are free).  My goal is to finish reading the backlog  of magazines in the living room and then start on my actual book collection!  My goal is 1-2 books per month.  I'll also share a review of those as I finish them.

My magazine backlog. Sigh.  Looks like I'll be reading Christmas decorating tips in July this year!

3.  At least one blog entry a week.  This has become such a useful way to reference items for my scrapbooking,  if nothing else!  Plus, I really do enjoy sharing my organizing,  crafts and other random life happenings.

4.  Use the elliptical that's literally just  accumulating spider webs in the basement.  I seriously have no self-discipline when it comes to working out.  I use to be so trim and motivated in high school/college.  Well, walking tons helped with that in college too.  For September and October, we walked 10k steps per day and it just felt like a chore.  With having a desk job, I rarely take more than 500-1000 steps during the workday.  So, if I can at least get in 20-30 minutes a day on the elliptical and walk Henderson 1-2 times  a week,  I will be satisfied.

5.  Less eating out at work.  Now that my office has moved to Cleveland, I have sooo many options for lunch!   Not to mention, I NEED that 30 minutes away from my desk.  My goal is to only eat out 2-3 times a week.  More fruits, veggies, sandwiches for this girl.  Maybe I will start walking at lunch??

6.  Since I beat my scrapbook page goal for 2013, I think I am going to go with ... 300 pages for 2014. 

Wish me luck!  What about you?  What are your resolutions/objectives for 2014?