Cookie Recipe Swap Mini Album

 What a blessing!  I went to a crop in Crowley, LA last month with an incredible group of ladies called "Scrapbooking with Friends".  Paula and Margie host this group and each month is a wonderful treat.  But oh my Heaven's above, November was over the top!

Several of us croppers participated in a Cookie Recipe card swap and man oh man, did the ladies out do themselves in the creativity department.

So then the burning question becomes....how do I showcase these treasures?  Need to be protected, but I definitely want to use the recipes...hmmm.  And it's got to be cute, so I can count it in as part of my holiday decorations.

Well, after a month of toying with the ideas of making a box, binding them with my Cinch, trying to find a cute 6 x 6 mini album, I got a tap on the shoulder from above.

Late one night while I was sleeping, I swear, an jolly Christmas angel tapped me on the shoulder and said....with quite an attitude..." Girl, you are trying to use up your supply stash...don't you even remember you have those 6" x 12" Bazzill albums.  You've had for years!  Use the darn things!"

So not one to argue with an angel, I got up, dug out one of those mini's and voila...it was perfect for these darling recipe cards.  

Now those creative ladies did throw a few curves in the planning in how to display these recipes.  Some had pull outs, some had pokey outey embellishments, some had decorations that went past 6".  But no worries...I just "reshaped" a few of their pokey outies.   And got out the double sided extra strong tape and taped the ones with flaps and flips and pull outs directly on the outside of the page protectors.  



A small group even made pages that both sides just had to be seen, so I made sure that happened, too.  Then I  took a few extra minutes to "compose" what pages I wanted to show in a two page spread.  Now I just love love love my new recipe book.

Lucky for me, there was even a spot or two to put pictures in to remind me of the wonderful group of ladies that come together once a month to create.  Oh, and on that note, I did make sure to rewrite the names of each lady on the front of the card or on the pull outs.  I know I will want to remember exactly who gifted me with these amazing recipes.

Now that this project is done, I just need to make my shopping list, head out to the store for all the sweet ingredients and a new pair of two of stretch pants.  

Don't you just love Christmas!  And especially sharing the joy with good friends and family.  Happy holidays and Merry Christmas to you and yours....now about those cookies....can't you just smell the vanilla in the air....

Joy to you all and have fun crafting!
Molly D

Pop Twist Cards- a quick share

Just wanted to share a quick video for two pop-twist cards I made.  To make these fun 
cuties, I used the Cricut Design Space cut file from Obsessed with Scrapbooking.

She was so generous to share this tutorial and file with us all.  I had so much fun making these quick and easy, but oh so dramatic cards.  Hope you will give it a try, after watching her video!

Happy holidays and Merry Christmas to you and yours.  Now back to crafting!
Molly D

Simple Stories Santa & Co. Mini Album and Layouts

Made  a video of a quick tour thru my latest little mini album.  I used the happy Santa & Co. line from Simple Stories.  Have had these fun papers, stickers and embellishments in my stash for quite a while and was bound and determined to use them all up in projects this year.  Well, I got very close, just have 4 or 5 sheets of the paper left.  Whew!  

This style was not my original idea.  I was inspired by a mini album a very talented friend of mine did from a kit from a few years back from one of the best scrapbook stores in the universe.  Treasured Memories in Lafayette, La  Janet owns the store and she and her team create beautiful layouts and share their talents during crops and classes.  And if you are ever in the market for page kits for scrapbooking, you won't find any better styles or values than those at  Treasured Memories.   

Now, as I tell about in the video, I did change up the format just a little to allow from thicker embellishments and pictures, but the idea is basically the same.  And along with the book I did a four "pocket" pages and two single page layouts from the same line.  And yes, even after all that, I still have paper left....and yes, I know I have a paper problem.  But I can't imagine having a better addiction than that!

Happy crafting to you all and Happiest of Holidays and Merry Christmas to you and yours!

I love Fall Planner Stickers for November

Just a quick post to share with you, some quick and easy planner stickers I just made for my first week of November.  I made them the size to fit my MAMBI Big Happy Planner. 

Love the cute clipart I used from a font and graphics bundle from the hungry jpeg.  I just love the adorable critters and the fun color story. 

So, of course, I downloaded one of my favorite fall pictures from Pinterest of the fall trees and country back road.  I used that picture and some incredible Photoshop action tools I bought from DigitalScrapbookingStudio to make the plaid and kaleidoscope patterns.  

Enjoy and Happy Fall y'all!

Molly D

Finally Fall and Freebie!

Well, you know I am the type that is easily amused.  I find shapes in clouds, love taking pictures of any flowers I ever see, just imaging creating something to showcase a new color story I see, learning anything new relating to digital designing.  So imagine how totally over the moon happy I was to meet someone very very talented digital designer at a recent crop.  Here facebook page in named Cajun Diva Scraps by Michelle .  And she introduced me to a website that was having a kit share contest to show case a wonderful fall color theme.  Her kit was just perfect for the men in your life!



The site was Digital Scrapbooking Studio . Now you have to join they're forum to receive the free kits, but 
I had to.  I just had to.  And boy oh boy, did I find some treasures.  I bought  a few digital things to use with Photoshop Elements, One of them was a "plaid maker".  You just buy the "action", load it into your Photoshop Actions toolkit, use any paper or image you have, hit a few buttons and voila, you have a coordinating plaid to match!  Really!  Seriously!  It was that easy. Thank you so much Jilbert's Bits of Bytes for this incredible, magical tool! Here are the image and coordinating plaid I created with this wonderful tool!

Then, as if that wasn't enough fun to keep me floating for days, I played with another PSE tool from the same site and made a kaleidoscope print too!!!!  I cannot tell you how excited I am!  Just about to bust....

Yes, this kaleidoscope print was made using the vintage turkey picture above. Really! From the turkey picture.  

So the only logical next thing for me to do was to make a set of planner stickers with them.  It has finally turned a little cooler down here.  And I couldn't wait any longer to play with fall colors.  If you would like to print these stickers ( they are sized to fit a Mambi Big Happy Planner), just right click on the picture and save yourself a copy.  


I want to offer a big, huge, heartfelt thank you to Michelle for sharing her time with me at the crop.  And wish all of you and yours a very happy fall!  

Have fun crafting,
Molly D

P.S. The "My favorite color is Fall" quote is from my dear friend Charlene M.  She does fall better than anyone I know! 

Happy Fall, Y'all

Sitting here, on the first day of fall making new jewelry.   Can't wait for fall's cooler weather to get here.

Just wanted to share some of the newest bracelets.   I have made and invite you to join my new facebook page:
Escape to Inspiration

I had tried to start it up a while back and let time get away from me. But it seems I have more and more crafty things I want to share these days that  would be great on the facebook format. Just getting started now and looking forward to so much more! 

So wishing everybody a Happiest of Falls!  
Have fun crafting! 
Molly D

Huge Die Haul featuring Gina Marie Dies

Well, drat!  I stumbled upon another great online store.  And I mean great!  I linked my video below that shows you my whole huge die haul, but I wanted to share one particular new vendor I was so excited to find.

 It's Wholesale Crafting Supplies.  They showcase an incredible collection of dies, called Gina Marie Designs, that are not only well designed, but cut so smoothly and are at great prices! 

I feel so lucky to have found this great shop, run by a very very sweet young lady, named Gina!  A friend of mine, Belinda Keller, sent me a link to a fun youtube channel, she just knew I would love: PoetSpice.  And she was right.  It is a fun, funny channel.  

But, I felt I really hit gold when poetspice showed a haul she had done from this great online store.   And the very minute I starting browsing her dies...I was hooked.   




Below is one of my favorite dies, the 4 x 4" quilt block die.  What a wonderful way to use up some of those gorgeous designer paper scraps I couldn't bring myself to throw away. 

These flourish dies I bought are incredibly delicate and so intricate, but cut so well.   

And I already have had so much fun, cutting out snowflakes and wreaths, looking ahead to Christmas.  

Now I hear Gina is coming out with dozens of new designs for fall, Halloween and Christmas.   Oh for goodness sakes, I am in trouble!

And I love it!  

It is so wonderful to see a successful small business bringing us such great products at such great prices.  

I just wanted to share this link, so you too can fall in love with these dies, just like I did.  

No, I don't have any connection to this shop. Well, other than that I am a huge new fan. 

Well happy crafting everyone!

Molly D

Graphic 45 Boy Little Darling Mini Album

Just wanted to share the little boy version of the pocket page mini album I just finished.  It was made with the Graphic 45 Little Darlings collection.  While I kept it even more simple than the little girl version, I loved adding some of my older ribbons and buttons to the pages and cover.

Again, I would like to thank Ginger at MySistersScrapper on youtube for sharing her tutorial with us.  She makes it so easy to follow.  And her techniques are so clean and simple, anyone can make one of these charming minis.                                     

Now in this one, I add a 4 x 6" card I made in Photoshop Elements 14.  I used some of the vintage artwork of Bessie Pease Gutmann, whose artwork is featured in the Graphic 45 collection.  Hope you enjoy, and as always....

Have fun crafting!

Here's the link to My Video showing this newest mini album featuring the Graphic 45 Little Darlings collection.  

I am so inspired by Ginger at MySistersScrapper on youtube. She makes the most charming mini albums and shares them with us almost daily.  So I decided to root around in my hoard of papers and start making minis again! 

The goal for me is two fold.  First, try to use up as much of my stash of papers and embellishments as I possibly can.  And second, try to make mini albums I could sell.  So I am keeping them simple and easy to use for non-scrapbookers.  Every page will hold 4 x 6" photos.  No fussy measuring or sizing photos, just attach and share the album with friends and family.  Well, that's my hope, anyway.

Now I have had this collection for years. But the vintage artwork of it is just timeless.  Graphic 45 used to artwork Bessie Gutmann, who created soft, sweet images of infants.  It was these subtle colors and images that I fell in love with and just wanted to collect.  So along with making a mini album to share, I decided to use up the scraps and make a two page scrapbook layout for some of my family photos.  

 

 It was so much fun, digging through my baskets of flowers and collections of vintage laces to make this layout. I didn't pre-plan or design the layout, I just decided to jump right in.  I look at all the scraps of paper and piles of flowers left over from making the mini and just starting putting them down.  I used the edge of my scissors to distress the edges, but I kept the sizes whatever was left over from making the mini.



I used punches from Martha Stewart and Spellbinders to cut the leaves from, just using up scraps of the green polka dot paper.  And while I didn't manage to use up every little bit of scraps, I do feel good about finally letting these gorgeous, sweet pieces have a new home in this mini and layout.   

Now, I only have about 330 lbs more of paper in my stash to go through.  Oh well, it's a start! 

A special, heartfelt thank you to Ginger at: 

MySistersScrapper 

for inspiring me and sharing her gift with us all!  

Happy Crafting!

New Summer Freebie Planner Stickers and Silhouette Cameo Tutorial

Well I was back at it all day Monday! Making new stickers for my Happy Planner.  Inspired by the incredible freebies from My Planner Envy.  This very gifted designer shares her planner stickers with us and I love her style.

So inspired by Jessica's stickers, I set out to create some of my own.  Using color stories I snagged from Design Seeds.  This is one of my favorite places to go to find exciting color harmonies that I can use.  

Here's the Design Seeds picture that inspired these first set of stickers.  I just used the color picking eye dropper on the Silhouette Cameo Fill screen and "picked" the colors I wanted right from the picture.  Then I added text and some darling graphics from Creative Market.  This is a wonderful  sight that offers great buys and lots of freebies on fonts and graphics.   


So after I was happy with this first set, I got to work on a second set inspired by a more beachy bright collection. 

I mention the website: 
The Hungry Jpeg
I love going to this sight to pick up incredible bundles.  Loaded down with fonts and graphics, they really kickstart my creativity.  Plus, most of the sets in the bundles are commercial liscenses.  A big plus for such a little price!  

Here's a picture of the latest bundle I bought.  Look at all those wonderful watercolor graphics and great fonts!  Can't wait to play with them all...







Below, I posted the quick video I did on some of the steps to get you started creating your own with the Silhouette design space.   So easy and so much fun!

Just right click on the photos to download a copy for your personal use if you'd like.  And have fun creating!  

Molly

Easy Tutorial for Making "Font Frame" Embellishments with Silhouette Cameo

So it's been less than a month since I received my Silhouette Cameo.  But let me tell you it's love at first cut!  I just uploaded a quick and easy tutorial.  

I am helping a friend finish her wedding album from over 30 years ago and wanted to use as many Anna Griffin pretties as I could.  Well that's where the fun started.  
I have dozens and dozens and more of Anna Griffin sentiment stickers left over from card kits I have bought.  But... they have sentiments like...with deepest sympathy, congrats on your new baby, get well soon...not exactly perfect for a wedding album.  So the challenge was: could I use my Silhouette Cameo, with our without Photoshop Elements 14 to recreate them into something just perfect for Pam's beautiful album?

And the answer is absolutely Yes!  

So if I could do this, could I make titles with Cameo that had that same timeless elegance that Anna Griffin is so loved and known for?  Again the answer is Yes!  I just used the Cameo Design screen, typed in some frames using specialty dingbat fonts, typed in the sentiment, made offset layers and voila ... coordinating titles.  And of course I couldn't stop there.  I had so much fun making sentiment stickers for greeting cards to cover up even more of the sentiments I wouldn't be using.  

Here's the video of how I did this so easily with the Cameo.  Below that is a list of fonts you might want to use if you are going to give this easy method a try.  

 Here's the updated video......

Easy Tutorial for making "font Frame" titles and embellishments with Silhouette Cameo


Fonts for Frames:
Vintage Frames by Sughayer Foundry
Calligraphic-frames-soft font by Intellecta
Kg-flavor-and-frames font by Kimberly Geswein

but enjoy a few minutes and head over to Dafont.com , search for frames or dingbat fonts and you'll find lots of fun sets, including some this pennants and flags!

Well I hope you enjoy this method, give it a try and keep sharing ideas.
Have fun crafting!
Molly D

Freebie Happy Planner Stickers and My new Silhouette Cameo

Flowers used on these labels are
from the pixeledpaperdesigns available on etsy

 I am so over the moon happy!  I got a new Silhouette Cameo!  Now those of you who know me, know I have a Cricut Explore and love love love it.  

So why buy a Cameo?  I make scrapbook layouts alot and like making titles with shadows.  Plus, I love making planner stickers to share and lots of other "print then cut" designs to use as layout and card embellishments.  But my Cricut was falling a little short on these two fronts.  

But did these two "needs" actually justify spending over $250 on a new machine?  Well, a good friend of mine has a Cameo and shared it with me to play with.  I fell head over heels, but told her unless I could find one under $200 it was out of the questions.  Then, the very next day,  really, the very next day...HSN listed a cameo for $188.  It had to be a sign from Heaven, right?  So I now own my Cameo.  

Here's my take on the advantages and disadvantages of each of these two wonderful cutting machines:

Cricut Explore:

• Makes deep cuts, letting you use a wide range of materials to cut. Cameo does not cut as deeply.

• Design Space is a breeze to use.  Learning curve for first time users is short.  

• It is internet only accessible, which can be limiting at crops or any place there is no internet access.

• Cricut team is very energetic and friendly, offering great support if ever needed.

• Faster and quieter than Cameo.

Artwork used on these stickers were from
graphic bundles from thehungryjpeg
and poppymoondesigns

• Print then cut is easy to use, but eats up a lot of paper, because Cricut has print area limited to around 8" by 6", meaning you use waste about half a sheet of paper every time you cut.

• Editing tools are somewhat limited.  Easy to use what is there, and easy for beginner or intermediate level crafters, but limiting for advanced editing.

Silhouette Cameo:  

• Let's you create shadows or offsets very easily.  Cricut is working on this feature, but has been for quite a while.

• Print then cut is very easy and lets you use almost all of a sheet of paper, including 81/2" by 11" and even up to 12" by 12".  I have a wide format printer so this is wonderful.

• Editing tools are wonderful.  Instead of using other digital editing programs like Photoshop, I can do most of my creating and editing right on the Cameo design screen

• With the upgrade to Designer Edition you can easily cut any SVG you upload and can even convert your work to rhinestone templates in a few very very easy steps.

The two set of Planner stickers I am showing here were cut on the Cameo.  The top one, pinks and aqua, was created in Photoshop Elements, then uploaded and cut with the Cameo.  The second set was created completely on the Cameo mat, using the Design screen.  OMGeeeeee, for me, this is a huge wow!  

Here are my planner layouts using these stickers...

Well, back to playing with my machines.

Have fun crafting!







P.S. here's the video I did showing these quick and easy planner stickers!

Molly 

(If you right click on the pictures of the stickers I made, you should be able to save and print for your own personal use.)

Designing the Perfect Scrapbook Layout

Don't you just hate it when you go to the mall and it's so crowded you can't find a parking space?  And there are just too many people crowding you in and the stores have their clothes racks just too close together?

Basic human instinct of survival are just kicking in.  You were hot wired to want to have a place of visual advantage to easily see the path ahead, lots of room to "graze" to your hearts content. and a safe exit strategy.  We just want excitement and something that touches our emotions, but not visual overload or anything too boring.

Well, there are easy design principles you can use to create a scrapbook page that keeps those same basic anxieties at bay, and allow the "star of the show",  your picture to take center stage!  Now, you know there is no such thing as a "perfect" scrapbook layout.  Styles change, moods change, but these simple principles can help you create captivating and timeless layouts.

 Rule of Thirds                                                 

A very basic rule from the photography world.  Imagine dividing your layout into 9 equal parts just by drawing four lines.  Just like a tic tac toe board.  One of the  four spots where those lines intersect are where your pictures dominant feature should be placed for greatest impact.  One of the best designers at capitalizing on this technique is Gabrielle Polloco.  If you are interested in seeing more of her works, be sure to check out her blog at http://gabriellepollacco.blogspot.com/

 White Space                                                   

Okay, white space isn't really always white.  It is just a clean space for the eye to rest, and the brain to process what it is taking in.  Too little white space, or too much visual clutter and the brain gets agitated and wants to turn away. Today's trend in advertising is lots and lots of white space and make the logo or message clear and  dominant.  The same is true in scrapbooking trends.  See how both ads are selling cleaner.  But one really stands out because of the effective use of white space.  Nope I don't recommend one cleaner over the other, just the use of white space.

 Line                                                               

A line is the simplest way to have the viewer follow your lead.  A line can be curved or head off in any direction.  But your visual line  should be easy enough for the eye to follow and end in the pot of gold...your picture or message you wanted to show off.    Notice how this gorgeous layout by Ingvild Bolme  from Prima's website use two lines to frame the darling picture.  

Remember the yellow brick road? Yep lots of twists and turns, but they kept to it because it was easy to identify as the way to go and they trusted the payoff at the end would be worth the trip.

 Repetition                                                       

It's easy....just try to use any visual image at least 3 times to create a pattern to set a theme.  More than 3? Just keep them odd numbers, it's easier on the brain and will keep it interested.  Many practicers of Fung Sui design principles believe odd numbers of elements create movement.  I love how this BoBunny layout repeats the shades of green and the stamped images.  Really balances the layout!  

This is another great layout from Gabrielle at 
Scrapbook.com  It's not only perfect to highlight the effectiveness of repetition, but the richness that adding texture can bring to your scrapbooking story.

 Texture                                                           

Remember the yellow brick road we talked about above?  Well it was filled with excitement, things that made the journey anything but boring.  Well that's where texture comes in on a scrapbook layout. Texture can be created with mixing in metals, fabrics, stenciling with modeling paste, embossing, paints, using pop dots to create raised effects...just have fun and add texture!  It will keep your eye interested in continuing the journey and yet give it some "roses to stop and smell" or fill you with a excitement that will make the trip memorable.

 Color                                                              

Can't help it...it's science...colors produce feelings and emotions in the viewer.  So use it to it's best advantage by playing with and easy to use color palette builder.  Good old fashioned color wheels are still great for helping inspire you with color mixes. But if you want something a little more new age...try some online color palette generators.  Just like with pattern, it is often more pleasing to use one dominant color, then at least two supporting, one secondary and one accent.  

Two of my favorites color palette sites are 

• Adobe's Kuler Color Wheel  (even lets you upload an image or picture to suggest palette!)
• Design Seed  Doesn't let you upload a pic to "match" but man oh man are her images inspiring and very often pull me off the couch and fling me to the craft table just by their pow factor!

Interested in learning a little more about color theory? See my post: 

About Color and Emotion

So when it comes to creating a scrapbook layout that really pops, just remember to follow your own natural instincts.  After all you ARE an artist.  We are all wired that way!

Have fun and be fearless!

Be Inspired - Playing with Printables

I grew up in a generation born without computers.  Heck we didn't even have remotes for TV's when I was a child.  Fax machines didn't come to my work until I was in my mid-twenties.  I was captivated with what technology could bring.  AND then computers!!!!  Oh my Heaven's, they had me at hello.

I am having a ball, everyday, learning something new about playing with art and color and design on the computer.  There is a saying..."Never measure your start by someone else's middle."

I remind myself that every time I get giddy with excitement when I learn something new about Photoshop Elements.  Keep going, you haven't even gotten close to reaching your middle... I keep telling myself.  But I am light years ahead of where I was yesterday.

Creating printables was something I wanted to learn to do.  I love typefaces, I love color, I love art, I love home decor...it only seemed to make sense that I needed to learn to make printables.  Plus, I could play and play with my digital supplies and never have to worry about making a mess on my desk.  A mess on my computer, trying to organize files and keep track of digital files, yes.  But at least my desktop and craft room were none the worse for wear.

I recently went to a fabulous crop with over 200 women present.  The creative juices were flowing like wine.  I was so very blessed to be sitting across from a dear friend and very very gifted artist, Belinda Keller.  She was working on an idea she had for art inspired by the theme of the crop - Willy Wonka.  Belinda decided she  wanted to play up on the Good Egg scene from the movie.

Well, Belinda created this incredible piece of watercolor art in shades of blues and greens.  She shared she wanted to use it as a photo frame for her scrapbook layout.  Amazing!

But she didn't care for the color she had painted the "GOOD" egg.  It was a gorgeous fuchsia that was one of the colors in the eggs and pictures we took.  So lucky lucky me!  She recolored another egg for herself.  Right there...on the spot...made another gorgeous egg.  And I got to use, steal, take the fuchsia one.

Then I asked her if I could play with making myself some digital printables with it.  So I scanned a copy in.  Opened it in Adobe's Photoshop Elements and played with recoloring it to match the title.

On Photoshop Elements it's as easy as:
Hitting the drop down button for "Enhance".
Then select "adjust color".
Then "adjust hue/saturation".  Now just slide the hue bar til you find a color combo you like.

Now the easy peesy printable I made from Belinda's incredible watercolor artwork makes me so proud of how I am learning to play with printables. I have gained courage and artistic inspiration from so many places.

One of the most inspiring blog sites I have ever stumbled upon was
On Sutton Place Printables.

She is an amazing artist. Her site is one of my go-to places to be inspired.  She shares dozens of seasonal and inspirational printables.

How would I ever be able to create anything more beautiful than those?  I may never be, but I can learn to create things I like.  Things that come from me.  And that's the fun of it.  

Photoshop Elements 14 is the software I use to play with.  I find beautiful digital supplies from dozens of sites, free and for purchase on the web. One of my favorites is Scrapgirls.com   It's an online store featuring dozens of talented digital artist.  They have a wonderful offering that fits every taste.  And tutorials that I found immensely helpful in learning how to create on a computer. It turned this hardware into a beautiful palette.  My computer now holds many times more happy scrappy supplies than would ever fit in my scraproom.

Another artist that is so inspiring is Katie Pertiet.  She has an outstanding blog, where she sometimes offers incredible freebies. Her designs are offered for sale at Designer Digitals.

Of course  Pinterest is an unending treasure trove for printables, freebies and for purchase.  And the overwhelming inspiration can be crippling.  I have had to discipline myself to disconnect from Pinterest before I have spent the whole day filling my soul with inspiration.  I want to create.  I want to learn.  And the only way to do that is just to do!

So while I feel like I am approaching the middle...I still take such pleasure from playing with printables and learning something new as often as I can.

Enjoy, play and have fun creating!
hugs,
Molly