Scrapbooking is one of the many things I like to do. From time to time I will write about something in that area that interests me and hopefully someone else.
Today's blog is the fulfillment for the Monday challenge on the blog Fantabulouscricut. It took me some time to get the layout done, but it allowed me to use some of the supplies I have had for years, such as chalk and rubons. As I was doing this layout, I learned a few things along the way. I had designed the layout using Design Studio one evening while watching TV. Yes, I'm usually on the laptop while I watch TV. You know killing two birds with one stone thingy. I learned how to do welding on the Design Studio. Yesterday I learned how to transfer the file from Design Studio to the Gypsy. The other thing I learned on the Gypsy was how to identify the thing on your layout design that doesn't have a downloaded cartridge. I used the Cricut Expression and cut out all the shapes from one layout. This layout has also been linked to another blog challenge at Cricutters Anonymous.
Supplies: Cardstock and paper-Bazzill, AC Cardstock, DCWV(At Home-umbrella, Flower Shower-Title), Wausau, daisyds; Rubons Anna Griffin and Little Yellow Bicycle; Fiskar punch; Ranger Ink(Tea Dye); Chalk and Ribbon.
Yesterday I decided to try and design a flower layout using the Gypsy, Gypsy Wanderings cartridge and the Cricut Expression. Though simple here are my results.
I used the 12X12 mat format and Gypsy Wanderings cartridge (key 3, Tag Shadow) to layout one Scalloped circle set at 4.17 inch width, two set at 3 inch width and 3 set at 2 inch width. As you can see I repeated this design, because I wanted to use two different colors of paper. I use a business card holder that I bought at Staples as a stand for the Gypsy.
I placed the two cardstock colors side by side on the 12X12 mat. Because I did not decide to write a blog about this until this morning I can't show you the cutout pieces on the mat, but I can show you the negative.
My pretty blue Expression settings were as follows: Speed at 4, Pressure at 4 and Blade at 4. After it had finished cutting the first time, I told the Gypsy to repeat the design to make sure it had thoroughly cut the cardstock I used.
I inked both sides of each cut out piece than I crumpled them a bit. To assemble I laid the pieces on top of each other and using a piercing tool made a hole through the layers. Than I finished the flower by fastening the layers with a flower brad.
Supplies used are as follows: AC Cardstock Christmas; AC Cardstock Neutrals; Ranger Distress Ink Tea Dye and Fired Brick. I'm not sure of the brand name for the flower brads used.
In May I will be attending a scrapbook retreat. So far I have been to three of them with one of my daughters. The first one we attended was the Winter 2009 Summit. We have attended the Spring 2009 and Winter 2010 as well. Each time we have had a great time. The accommodations at the Simsbury Inn in scenic Connecticut are relaxing and wonderful. A lot of space is allotted for each person at the cropping tables, set up with four people per table. And room is also made available for the machines we might bring. If anyone is interested there is still room and time for people to register. Hope to see you there. Find the information at the site below.
The Scrapbook Summit
Spaces are still available for out 24th Summit Event. The Spring Summit will take place May14th through the 16th.
HevScrap sent out this getting to know you questionnaire today, so I'm going to try and answer the questions. I will add my answers at the end to make it easier for you to copy and paste if you want to answer the questionnaire yourself.
1. Scrapper/cardmaker/both?
2. How long have you been scrapping/cardmaking ? How did you get into it?
3. Do you prefer to work alone, or get together with friends/go to crops/classes etc?
4. Favorite embellishments?
5. Favorite paper brands?
6. Favorite tool?
7. Favorite kind of ink?
8. Whose your scrap idol?
9. Something you bought that you wish you hadn't or have never used?
10. Do you have your own scrap room or do you work in a shared area?
11. Are you a chronological, reverse chronological, or random scrapper?
12. What is your scrapping style if you have one?
13. Whats on your work area right now?
14. Favorite adhesive?
15. Technique you have never tried that you would like to?
16. Are you on or have you ever been on a design team or been a guest designer?
17. Have you ever had your work published?
18. Are you a consultant for a company such as Close to my heart, stampin up, creative memories, etc?
19. Do you subscribe to any kit clubs, if so which ones?
20. Do you have a minimal stash of supplies or are you a shopper/collecter?
21. Are you a sketch user, scraplifter, or do you come up with it all on your own?
22. Do you participate in any online challenges, if so which ones?
23. Do you own any diecutting machines (manual or electric) and if so which ones?
24. If you have a manual diecutting machine what kind of does do you use?
25. Are you a Stickleser (is that even a word?)
My answers to the the questions above:
1. Mainly a scrapper, I have done a few cards and plan to do more in the future.
2. Since July 2002. See my blogs of April 5th and 6th, 2010.
3. Working alone, but I do attend weekend scrapping retreats at least twice a year.
4. Distressing with ink or chalk is my favorite embellishment.
5. K & Company is my favorite paper company
6. Cricut is currently my favorite tool.
7. Ranger is my favorite ink.
8. I don't have a scrap idol, but since I have discovered Tim Holtz I love his style.
9. Xyron Runner I bought about a year ago, but I have never used it.
10. I am trying to put a room together, I live alone and at the moment I have things spread over three rooms.
11. Chronological
12. Two page and multiple picture is my preference in style.
13. My work area at the moment is in disarray, because I am trying to move everything into one room.
14. Xyron 900 is my favorite adhesive. If I go to a crop than I take the Xyron 500.
15.Heat embossing is the technique I want to try. I have all the supplies needed.
16. Never been on a design team or a guest.
17. No my work has never been published.
18. No have never been a consultant for a company.
19. Don't describe to any kit clubs.
20. I'm a shopper/collector.
21. Come up with it on my own, even though I keep a binder with sketches.
22. No, I do not participate in challenges.
23. Die cutting machines I own: Manual-Sizzix Original(big red) and Sizzix Sidekick; Electric-Cricut Original and Cricut Expression
24. See #23 and I still use the Original at home and the Sidekick I take to crops.
25. I bought some of the Stickles about a year ago, but I have not used them.
Scrapbooking is a hobby I started doing about seven years ago in the new format of decorative papers and embellishment. Now I had done what was known as a scrapbook when I was in high school back in the 1950s. In it are pictures of school events, moviestar photos I liked from magazines, party favors, and quotes I like from newspaper and magazine articles.
At that time it was very inexpensive. You just bought an album that said SCRAPBOOK on the front cover and you used photo corners or tape to adhere things to the pages. Now as I look through that book,some of the photo corners have come off and the tape has turned brown and in some places have completely lost it's adherence to the picture and page. Oh well, we did not know any better back then. Than of course we followed that with photo albums the pages had a stick surface and plastic protective covering a BIG mistake over time. Now people are trying to remove their precious pictures from those albums to save them in a more acid free condition.
Today scrapbooking is a whole new thing. Hopefully you buy everything that is acid and lignin free, so thing will withstand the test of time. Among the many things you might buy will be post, strap bound or 3-ring albums. Than you preceed to buy the following: cardstock and printed paper; chipboard letter and shapes; paper trimmers and scissors; adhesives; inks, paints or chalks; stickers; embellishments of all sorts; diecutting machines(manual or electric); cartridges and dies for those diecutting machines; and numerous tools.
The next thing you know you now need a room to store all this stuff and a place to work on your beautiful layouts. Layout is what the page with your pictures and embellishments is now called. At the moment I have all the stuff I have bought distributed among three rooms in my house. Last week I started organizing all the stuff I had accumulated over the past seven years. Some of it I have never used. I think I could open my own store and still have stuff left over (only kidding!). After sorting through some of the stuff, it required going out and buying some containers to store it all in an orderly and usuable fashion. It was interesting to rediscover some of the things I have. Amazingly I only found two duplicates; one is a Cricut spatula and the other is Sizzix Sidekick. Eventually, I hope to have it all in one room probably the library.
Seven years ago I was flying down to Virginia for my granddaughter's eighth birthday. Her mother had been scrapbooking for years using Creative Memories products and I admired what she had done. She told me there was a store near them that was totally a scrap book store. And she was signing us up for a crop. Now I had no idea what a crop was. Clueless! She told me to bring some pictures, but I forgot them. That evening we went to the store. My daughter opened the trunk of her car and started pulling out several black bags. There were other women doing the same thing. Now I was curious as to what was in all these bags. Once we were in the store there were a group of happy and cheery women in a workroom with all their paraphanalia. WOW!
At this point my daughter asks me where are my pictures. I say they are back in Connecticut. So while she went about scrapping during the evening, she told me I could help her select some paper. Walking around the store and seeing all the different things I became interested in some printed paper that had a travel theme and thought they would be perfect for the pictures I had taken in Paris, France. I thought it would be best to start out small, so I bought an 8X8 album, cardstock, printed paper, glue, pens and stickers. My daughter bought me a Fiskars paper trimmmer that I still use today. She later bought me the Xyron 900 Adhesive machine, which is my favorite form of adhesive.
That was the beginning of something I love doing. Sometimes, I think I love buying all the tools even more than using them. My first diecut machine was the big red Sizzix and shape dies to go with it, than the Sizzix Sidekick and sizzlet alphabets and shapes, also Sizzix embossing folders. I followed that with the original Cricut four years ago; got the Design studio about nine months ago; the Gypsy when it launched at the end of September and just bought the Cricut Expression in February. My cartridge collection has now increased to thirty-six plus two coming in the mail anytime now. And like many people I am waiting patiently for Picturesque to be released to everyone. Needless to say I have lots of cardstock, printed paper and embellishments.
I still do more shopping than scrapping. But, I have fun and very much enjoy attending weekend scrap retreat a couple of times a year. Later I will write about the one I will be attending in May.
I believe a person should live their life to the fullest in the Lord, not merely exist.
The things I love to do are studying the Bible, travelling, photography, scrapbooking, gardening and reading. Since retiring in January 2007 I now have time to enjoy all of these things.
/>
