Scrapbook Expo Feature

I was a featured designer over on the Scrapbook Expo blog yesterday. (Check out the post here.) It's such a cool thing. I was asked to create an exclusive layout for them, plus share my four favorite pages. 

This was a full circle moment. Years ago, when I first started scrapbooking, some family members told me about this Expo that was happening and asked if I wanted to go. I was a changed person, morphed into instant scrap nerd. Every year after that I'd go and dream of teaching classes, or having my pages featured in some way, as I'd schlep my purchases for hours on end. (Paper is heavy, ya'll!) Then I got the email asking to be on their new blog. *blink, blink* YES! Of course! 

I found out there's a Scrapbook Expo scheduled not too far away, and it's the day before my birthday. You know I'm hitting that up again this year! cha-ching! So here is the page I made exclusively for them...

Hug

Here's a random recent layout I thought you'd like to see. It's made with a TON of Shimelle American Crafts stuff. For the photo mat I began to weave together those little strips of paper peeled from my 6x6 pad.. the ones that seem like trash because they have holes in them.. I just pulled each paper until the holes weren't exposed. Then I decided they had to go on a page! The other stuff just kinda happened from there.

Dez does this adorable thing when he asks for a hug where he throws his arms as wide as possible and runs after you... almost like meeting a long lost love in some romantic comedy. Then he squeezes tight and puckers up for a kiss while he says out loud, "awwwwwww." Gets me every time. I never want to let go. Totally worth documenting since theres no telling how long this behavior will continue. They're so sweet when they're young!

Project Life Jan 2015

Hello! I decided to try to check in monthly with my recent PL pages. Keeping caught up with this project is no issue for me, but sharing the pages is another story. Do you know how hard these kinds of pages are to photograph? Well, you can kinda tell by the poor quality of mine. ;) Oh well, I'm sharing anyway... in case you want to see what I've been up to in Project Life land.

January 5-11

Left

  

Right

January 19-25

Left

Right

January 26- February 1

Left

Right.

So that's January. I'm keeping up by gathering my supplies once a month to do all 4 weeks at the same time. If you want to read a bit about my process, you can check out my post here. I talk about what I do, and why I do it that way. If you have any questions feel free to comment below! Thanks for stopping by today.

Me Series Meets Washi Wednesday

Hey! Remember when I used to use washi tape so much that I had a sort of regular installment on it? Well, I've been a wussy with my washi use lately, so I decided to up my game a little. Why not use my favorite ones in conjunction with my Me pages? Two birds, several washi.

Here's January...

I wove strips together and sewed between each line. Pretty cool look!

I'm toying with the idea of using similar supplies on each page in the series for 2015.. or maybe a few of the same things. Like the washi, frames, doily, numbers. I like the look for now but who knows if I'll carry it through all 12 month?

Here's February...

More washi. ALL the washi!

Have you started your series yet?

DSLR Love

Anyone else find themselves completely neglecting their beloved digital cameras? 9 times out of 10 10 times out of 10 I will reach for the closest thing (my iPhone) to snap random photos throughout the day. Sometimes it helps me catch that perfect image, at just the right moment.. sometimes they aren't quite right. Not as crisp as I'd like, not zoomed in quite right... 

I decided I want to try to use Niko (yes, I named my Nikon camera. go ahead and judge.) more often. Why am I only using this fabulous piece of technology to photograph layouts? Just seems silly. So I've been using my little built in model here and there to practice shooting in RAW whenever I remember. It's clear to me from the images below that I still need a lot of work. But, I love taking photos, so why not stalk my kids with my nicest camera?

For as lacking in quality as these snapshots are, there is one thing that stands out. These are so him. They capture our daily lives perfectly. Take the one below for instance... dude sees me get down on my belly to shoot him playing, and so he gets down on his too and smiles for attention.. toys scattered in the background.. toy story 3 playing on the tv... crumbs from breakfast littering the floor...

Here he is modeling his sisters book that he sneaks while she's at school...

static cling on the pants (always static with my laundress skills)... mismatched socks (does he own a single pair? nope. the dog ate them.) This is so totally us, every day.

Hey, you can even take some selfies this way. Just turn the camera around, point, and hope for the best.. (we spend a lot of time on the floor.)

Looking at these inspires me to put Niko out on the counter where I will see him (it's a him, I just know it) and will use him more and more. I need a lot of practice, but let's face it, I'm not becoming a better photographer by constantly using my iPhone (it doesn't have a name.. see, I don't even love it as much). Have you used your digital camera lately, or is it all about the Instagram edits? ;)

Paper Camellia Bits and Pieces

I talk at great length about using every last bit of kits here on the 'ole blog-a-rooni. This month I did just that.. although I will admit that between the February kit and add-on I still have supplies left for more projects! woot.

Here's a look at a Project Life spread I made using extra bits and pieces of the Paper Camellia Scrapbook Kit... (guys, just go ahead and subscribe. I have it on good authority that the March and April kits are to die for.)

Pretty much the only things came from my scrappy stash are the labels (I love labels!) and some washi tape, plus a couple of enamel dots. Everything else is kit...

Positives and Negatives

I'm over on the Paper Camellia blog today talking about using the positive and negative spaces from a punch. Check it out! You'll read about how I planned these layouts around stretching the supplies..

Rainbow Hair, Gotta Share

Hey guys! I did something cray-zy. (shocking, I know.) I decided to go full on Rainbow Dash....

I'm not sure what came over me. Oh wait, it is maybe the coolest thing ever in the history of everdom! Why would I not want rainbow hair?? You could say, hey Elizabeth, you're a 32 year old mother of four... maybe you're a little too old and settled for crayon colored locks? I say, how dare you. haha, I kid, I kid.

In all honesty I know my hair is bananas. I know most people just don't get it. When in public I steel myself for the stares (most obviously from kids who point and tug on their Mom's, and old folks who look at me with utter disbelief.)... I hear people fling around judgements and mutter things about "needing attention" ... all behind my back when they think I'm out of ear shot. Maybe curly rainbows are supposed to cause hearing problems?

I'm sorry, I can't hear your judgement through my epic waves.

Luckily I don't do outlandish things with my hair for anyone but me. I don't do it to be noticed (in fact being noticed makes me pretty uncomfortable). I have rainbow hair for one very simple and important reason: 

I just want rainbow hair, because I think it's cool. 

That's it. I just want to do cool things with my hair, even if that makes me weird. I'm not crying out for attention, or trying to stand out from the crowd, or sticking it to the man, or fighting against the stay at home Mom stereotypes. Playing with different hair colors is fun. I'm a creative person who has always been drawn to bright, bold colors. I use them in every aspect of my life... it's no surprise, really, that that translates to my hair.

So that's it. I just wanted to share... 

I wonder what colors I'll try next?

February Paper Camellia Reveal

Forget the "big game," let's talk Paper Camellia! The February kits are out and I can't even handle how gorgeous they are. This is the Main kit...

The Add-On, so much Crate Paper loveliness...

Everyday Life kit. Told ya, gorgeous!....

 Here's the page I made using the Main Scrapbook Kit only...

The Add-On only... 

..and the other four pages with a mix of the two. I just couldn't stop making pages!!

Next week I'll show you the pocket page spread I made using the remaining bits of the kit. Yay! Happy Scrapbook Sunday, everyone. While you're in the mood go ahead and swing by the Paper Camellia blog to see what the other design team members created.