Laura Vegas

scrapbook tips & tricks 2 winner

May 20, 2010

as chosen by random number generator, the winner of scrapbooking tips & tricks 2 is comment #38:

Can't wait to see more! Thanks for the chance!
Posted by: marissa | May 17, 2010 at 06:12 PM

congrats marissa! email me over your address, and we'll get that issue mailed out to you 🙂

am keeping this short and sweet today, and will probably take the weekend off from the blog. we have so much going on right now, with all the girls activities coming to an end. awana, choir, the school play, soccer, and school. busy, busy. will be back next week to share about it all.
new bangs – a layout

May 20, 2010

i know some of you noticed my new photo up on the blog. well, you knew it would end up on a layout, right? lol! this went up on the jillibean soup blog today.

i've pretty much had the same hairstyle for years and years. it's usually curly, below my shoulders, and the middle part pinned up top. sure, i've tried other looks every now and then. but that was my standard look. and maybe it's the age thing, but my hair has changed a lot lately. my curls weren't as curly and were taking more work. so i started going straight. but it was lacking in some way. i have thought about bangs for a few years now. but that seemed like a drastic move to make. what if i didn't like them? what if they looked terrible on me? then you have to wait forever to grow them back out. but i decided to just go for it. printed out some photos of mandy moore, since she had the heavy bang look i was going for. oddly enough, as soon as i typed that last sentence, a mandy moore song started playing on my ipod. lol! and turns out, i love them. i had snapped these photos of myself after getting home from my appointment. i still have days where they won't cooperate, or are totally in my eyes and not hanging right. but all in all, i needed the new look.

pretty simple layout. it's 9×9 in size. i have enjoyed re-visiting the 9×9 layouts lately. all the magazine assignments i do are 12×12, and a huge amount of them are two page layouts. so sometimes, a smaller canvas is nice to work on. i used some pattern papers from the egg drop soup collection.

have i mentioned how much i LOVE the corrugated alphas? yes, i think i have 😉
everyday album

May 18, 2010

since the new issue of scrapbooking tips & tricks is coming out, how about i share something from the previous issue, scrapbooking tips & tricks: organization issue. i was asked to work on the "organize to create an album" article, and decided on making an "everyday album". three designers came up with a basic shopping list of supplies, and then we created our 3 two-page layouts using those supplies.

as seen in the "tips & tricks – organization issue" of Creating Keepsakes magazine. copyright creative craft groups. posted with prior permission from the publisher.

as seen in the "tips & tricks – organization issue" of Creating Keepsakes magazine. copyright creative craft groups. posted with prior permission from the publisher.

you might notice that in my final layout, i had painted part of the rainbow on this page. that was a last minute change, to make it look like the girls were painting it. didn't take a new picture of it, before sending it in.

as seen in the "tips & tricks – organization issue" of Creating Keepsakes magazine. copyright creative craft groups. posted with prior permission from the publisher.

you can click find the step-by-step instructions for all these pages (along with the albums from wendy sue andersnon and susan weinroth), along with sketches for each layout as well. i had such fun pulling out these older photos of the girls. and i love the idea of using the same sketches and general products, to make the album all flow together.
scrapbooking tips & tricks 2 – giveaway

May 17, 2010

i'm so excited that the new "scrapbooking tips & tricks 2" is out! this is a great issue, all about paper.

we all have paper, right? you can't do a layout without paper. and if you can, let me know how you do it. lol! cardstock, pattern paper, diecut paper, vellum, and more. it's honestly one of the cheapest supplies we have. which makes it easy to stock up on it, so that we always have plenty to choose from. then it comes time to use our papers. and this issue has TONS of great ideas for using our papers in new and fun ways. i think one of my favorite sections was on using die cut papers, or laser cut papers. i have some layouts marked already, that i'm inspired by. i just happen to finally get some misting sprays over the weekend (how do i NOT have misting sprays, since they're the most popular thing right now?), and they're going to be perfect for these ideas.

here's a sneek peek at one of my layouts in this issue. i think i tend to stay pretty basic with my designs and ideas, when it comes to my papers. it was fun to get a little more techniquey than usual. is "techniquey" a word? it is to me. lol! you can also check HERE, for some more peeks inside this new issue.

so, you know what's coming next, right? you can order a copy of "scrapbooking tips & tricks 2" from the scrap & paper corner store, and save 20% by using the code TIPS-BLOG on your order (until may 31st). you can also find this issue in stores around you. however, one of my lucky blog readers is going to win a copy. creating keepsakes has generously offered me an extra copy for a fun giveaway. so just leave me a comment, and i will randomly draw one lucky person to receive this great issue. you have until thursday at midnight to comment, and i will announce the winner on friday morning. good luck :)
necklaces and a winner

May 13, 2010

first up, my randomly chosen winner for the free copy of creating keepsakes fast & fresh scrapbooks. i figured it's 4 minutes until midnight here, so i'd just pick the winner and post tonight. tomorrow morning is a busy one, and i don't want to leave you hanging until i get around to the computer. we have comment #30: this looks like a great idea book. Thanks for the chance! 🙂 Posted by: Vera Wirianta| May 10, 2010 at 01:27 PM. congrats vera! email me over your address and we'll get that mailed out to you! and for everyone else, there might be another giveaway next week. just sayin 😉

wanted to share another vintage groove necklace with you. i used a jewelry strand combination kit for this one, which made it really quick and easy to put together. i started with the silver seed bead combination kit. those 6 beads, stones, and charms were all strung together already. you can easily change them, add different pieces, take pieces out. but i liked it just like it was. all i had to do was attach them to the silver seed beaded chain. i wanted to add some pearls to it. so i took the 2 pearl strands from the abalone and pearl combination kit, and attached them together to one end of the beads and stones. then just added my initial, and i was done.

i really need to get some photos of these necklaces ON someone, and not just hanging in the air. lol! then you could get a better feel for how i created them to hang. some of them are centered, some off to one side, some to the other side. i'll try to get the girls to model them for me. they're cuter to look at ;)

but what i can show you, is where these necklaces end up after i make them. i've been wanting to share this. it's not the best photo at all. but if i wait to get a good photo, you might not ever see this. this is a large rectangle frame that hangs in the playroom, above the glider rocker that i feed the babies in. it used to have a print of some sort in it. i spray painted it black, and glued cork inside the frame to make it a bulletin board. i do this a lot. in fact, i also have 6 12×12 frames hanging in the house that are exactly the same. painted black and cork inside. and guess what? not a single one of them have anything pinned up on them. they've been hanging there at least 2 years. with nothing on them. typical of me. i do that sort of thing. but i did at one point, adhere these 3 ribbons to this framed cork. i had a plan for the rest of it. some huge chipboard letters, and a few pictures. just never did it. so it's just been 3 pieces of ribbon for all this time.

until now. i had all my necklaces laying on the island in the playroom. for weeks. then one day, i just took them and hung them up on this bulletin board with tacks. i love to look at this. and i think the baby likes to look at it behind me, as i'm feeding him. lol! and when i'm feeling like wearing a necklace, i just go over to my display and pick out what matches me that day. if i create enough new pieces, maybe i can fill up the other 6 frames. lol!
a well loved teddy

May 12, 2010

i was messing around with my camera last week, and asked sarah if i could take some test shots of her. it was getting late, and i meant something quick in the backyard. next thing i knew, she had 3 different outfit changes and props to go along with them. i went through the first two looks, taking pictures, but not getting any great shots. then she came out in the third outfit. pajamas and her teddy bear.

i am so glad that she did that. i have been saying for ages now that i wanted to get some photos of her and teddy. i would have probably taken some photos in her room or something, when i got around to it. but she had so much fun posing these for me.

sarah has had teddy since she was about 6 months old. and she's going to be 11 years old next month. teddy has always been there. she was attached to him since day one, and carried him everywhere she went. everywhere. teddy in one hand, and a bottle of milk in the other.

her hands look so big now, holding him. i can remember her little chubby hands holding on to him, way back when. and she always held on. i'm sure we might have lost him a few times along the way. but she really did keep a good hold on this guy.

she loves her teddy just as much now as she did back then. he's always around. usually on her bed, waiting for her to climb in at night and hug him tight. but occasionally, i will find him out on the couch where she's been watching TV. or downstairs, after she carried him down in the morning and then left him there.

and his poor little arm has held up well over the years. sarah used to rub on teddy's ears as a way of comforting herself. but she also picked at the fur on his arm. alyssa did this too, picking the fuzz off her comfort item of choice (that's another story, another day). slowly, over time, he just lost all the fur on his arm and was left with only the netting that holds him all together. but he's held up and has never lost a limb yet 😉

thank you, dear teddy. for being a constant friend and companion to our sarah bear. yep, that's what we have called sarah for years and years. "sarah bear". probably had something to do with her love of her teddy. thank you for always being there for her. when she was sad or upset, and needed comforting. or when she was happy and wanted someone to snuggle up with. you have been through so much over the last 10.5 years of her life, and we love you for it 🙂
curious – a layout

May 10, 2010

i was digging around in my files today, and realized i never shared this layout.

i think the new pitter pattern collection from making memories is adorable. honestly, i wanted to dig around for photos of my girls when they were babies or ittie bitties. and i'm sure i will at some point. but that was back in my film days, so i found it was much quicker and easier to dig out some digital photos of one of the daycare kids. lol! miss miranda was the lucky winner for this layout.

i printed one 4×6 photo, and a few 2×3 photos. i really wanted to use this shaped paper as my background, but also wanted to keep my linear style. i think adding the strip of pattern paper across the bottom of the page really helped ground everything and keep the majority of the layout very clean and linear. to get the sides of that paper strip to fit the curved line of the background paper, i just lightly sketched the curve with a pencil and then cut it out to fit.

this is one of my favorite photos of miranda. just an everyday photo, of her and her stuff. her blanket, her baby, and her sippy cup. standard girlie stuff. i was standing on the table, looking down at her for a photo. gets their attention every time. never mind that it occasionally teaches them some bad habits along the way. lol! she's looking up at me with that "ohhhhh, what are you doing" look.

i added that little birdie epoxy sticker at the last minue, and felt like it needed something. i wanted to give the feel of him flying across the layout, not just stuck there in thin air. so i hand stitched a little trail, using some of the thread in the trims and treats package.

aren't these felt and fabric embellishments the cutest things? they're both stickers, and i added a jewel sticker to the fabric barn. some chipboard letters, a few brads, and a scrap of trim, and i was done. simple and quick.
CK’s fast & fresh scrapbooks – a giveaway

May 10, 2010

creating keepsakes newest idea book, fast & fresh scrapbooks, is now available.

i received a copy of this idea book a few weeks ago, and it's a good one! it covers all sort of album sizes and styles. there are ideas and tips for mini albums, photo album scrapbooks, digital scrapbooks, and classic scrapbooks. i love all the ideas for photo album scrapbooks, since i love to use the divided page protectors in my albums, and also a fan of using the 2-up and 4-up photo albums for themed projects. and i also loved the section on classic scrapbooks. it included some really well designed ideas for working a themed scrapbook into our traditional 12×12 albums. this issue also has lots of great tips on different types of albums, and ways to get our albums done quicker and more efficiently.

you can check out a sneak peek of Fast & Fresh Scrapbooks at the creating keepsakes website. and if you purchase this between may 10th-31st at the scrap & stop store, you can save 20% by using the code FAST-BLOG on your order. however, one of my lucky blog readers is going to win a copy. creating keepsakes has generously offered me an extra copy for a fun giveaway. so just leave me a comment, and i will randomly draw one lucky person to receive this fun idea book. you have until thursdayat midnight to comment, and i will announce the winner on friday morning. good luck 🙂
new inspirations project cards

May 7, 2010

i think it was just about a year ago, when the MM slice inspirations box came out.

did you know that the newest design cards now include an inspirations project card inside the packaging? super easy to slip the new ideas into your box and expand your collection. but did you also know that there are more of these inspirations project cards available for anyone to print? they have been sharing a new card each week, over on the making memories blog.

i created this project using the nursery rhymes design card and the animal crackers collection. go check it out HERE, and you'll find a link to print your own inspirations card with all the instructions and supplies. and check out the archives on the blog too, where you'll find 3-4 more of these printable project cards that have been shared recently.
my newest vintage groove piece

May 3, 2010

i have no clue how this necklace took me so long to finish. it was just so busy around here last week, and it all just sat out on the island the entire week. untouched and unmoved. thursday night, i finally grabbed my vintage groove jewelry collection and my tools, and took them with me to soccer practice. sarah made sure i wasn't going to come out on the field or do it where people could see me. lol! she didn't have to worry, since it was so cold and windy that night. i sat in the van, and made this.

i think this is my favorite of the ones i've made. i had another favorite. but this one has taken over. i've been wearing it, and just love how it looks. i tried to get a picture of it on myself, but didn't have much luck. i'm not always so good with the self portraits. it's a big longer of a necklace, falling right below a V-neck shirt. i even put it on today, when i finally got the baby to nap. it might have only been on for a little bit. but it made me feel pretty for a while. then he woke up, and i took it off. jewelry like this doesn't mix with a 4 month old. lol!

i started with an aqua stone bead strand, and a striped antique silver chain. i took apart the silver chain in the middle, so that i could add the pieces to either end, and then connect them into one long piece. then i attatched the aqua stone bead strand about 3 inches down from either side of the silver chain. so the silver one is what i hook around my neck, and the aqua strand hangs from that. then i just picked out pieces that i liked together. i'm loving yellow lately, especially with aqua. the brown seemed natural with those colors. i was desperate to use that pretty rhinestone piece. and the clear pieces called out to me. i added the silver key higher up on one side of the necklace. thought it balanced out the rhinestone piece. and of course, my signature "L" to finish it off.

MM vintage groove, simple strands – aqua stone bead
MM vintage groove, simple strands – striped antique silver
MM vintage groove, designer combinations – shell & silver
MM vintage groove, designer combinations – joy
MM vintage groove, designer combinations - wood hoop
MM vintage groove, alphabet charms – L
MM vintage groove, jewelry pendant – carved wood flower
MM vintage groove, jewelry hardware – silver jump rings

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