Laura Vegas

Scrapbooking And A Little Bit Of Everyday Life

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  • slow down & enjoy the moment – a creating keepsakes layout

    exactly one year ago today, alyssa graduated from the 8th grade. so it seems fitting to share this layout that i created for creating keepsakes with you today. it is featured in the may/june issue, that is out in stores right now.

    Alyssa_SlowDown&Enjoy_spread2 
    as seen in the May/June 2011 issue of Creating Keepsakes magazine. copyright creative crafts group. posted with prior permission from the publisher.

    i created this layout for an article about scrapping less-than-perfect photos. i was asked to use a blurry photo on my layout. the photos from this night came to mind right away, since i knew i had plenty of blurry shots. i don't usually keep blurry shots, but these captured a moment and i'm so glad i didn't hit the "delete" button.

    IMG_7060_resize 

    like this one, with her friend idalis.

    IMG_7065_resize

    or this one, with her friend alyssa.

    Alyssa_SlowDown&Enjoy_pg1 

    i decided to tie in the blurry shots, with my journaling and what i was feeling when i took these photos. how most of the photos that i took after graduation, were blurry. which sort of represented how much of a blur the school year had been. it just flew by so fast.

    Alyssa_SlowDown&Enjoy_detail3 

    i remember when i was making this layout, i had just gotten a bunch of goodie boxes from some manufactures. and i was picking and choosing products, right from the boxes. those fabric american craft thicker, are one of my favorite thickers to use. love them. i extended the title onto the canvas tag, using some tiny alpha stickers. 

    Alyssa_SlowDown&Enjoy_pg2 

    i half created these photo collages in photoshop. usually, i do the math and make the photos all similiar sizes, to fit the space i have. but this time, i tried something a little different. i randomly cropped and sized each photo, so that i had an interesting mix of sizes. i created two canvases in photoshop, and arranged the photos as i wanted them on the layout. just to get a feel for how they were going to look, and what spaces i would need to fill.

    after i printed the photos, i did end up trimming each one and adhering them to a piece of white cardstock. then i just trimmed pattern papers to fill in the rest of the collages, and adding a few embellishments and journaling tags to some of them. i used a clear making memories clock embellishment on the first page, and a jenni bowlin chipboard clock (and some buttons) on the second page. they represent time, and how quickly it passed that year.

    Alyssa_SlowDown&Enjoy_detail2  

    i think my journaling pretty much summed up that evening. for the both of us. and the crazy thing is. i thought her 8th grade year went by so fast. turns out, her freshman year went by even faster. lol!

    and with that, another school year is almost over. we don't have a graduate this year. although sarah is finishing the 6th grade, and heading into junior high school. that's a milestone! tonight, another 8th grade class is graduating and moving on to high school. both my girls will be there, playing in the band for the ceremony. the 6th and 7th grade band members play for graduation. but alyssa, and a few of her freshman bandmates that went to our school last year, are coming back to help out tonight. i think it's cool that they are going back to where band all started for them, and helping out the band teacher that they all loved. and since we live right across the street from the school, i should be able to hear the band playing from here 🙂

  • look at me, i’m crawling – a little yellow bicycle layout

    bonus post today! this is my second layout share of the day. so if you missed the first one, scroll down to see it. as the may guest designer, i have my next project up on the little yellow bicycle blog today, along with part three of my Q&A session. it's a layout, using their new baby saurus collection.

    Zachary_LookAtMe 

    this collection was perfect to scrap some photos of little zachary from last year. when i saw the chipboard sticker slider embellishment, i knew i wanted to scrap these photos of zachary from the first time he crawled.

    the base of the layout came together very quickly. i choose 2 of the pattern papers, added in the little dino border strip i cut from another pattern paper, and picked out the blue and orange canvas border sticker. i arranged them all from top to bottom, and added my photos, and the "bones" of the layout was complete.

    Zachary_LookAtMe_detail1 

    then i added the chipboard sticker slider piece, in between my photos. you can move the slider up and down, so that it points to whatever you're scrapping about. i could have done quite a few of those, but these photos of him crawling matched the collection so well.

    i had some empty room up in that top corner, so i used my circle cutters on a few pattern papers. that cute little dino chipboard sticker looked like he had something to say. so i added the little word bubble sticker, and added "zachary" with tiny alpha stickers, so that it says "zachary says rawwwr!".

    Zachary_LookAtMe_detail2 

    it seems so long ago that he was just learning to crawl. although he waited until he was 9 months old to finally do it. seemed like forever, until he moved around on his own. now, he's 17 months old, and i love to chase the little dude all over the house. it's a game we play. i scream like a crazy person and chase him, and he giggles his head off and runs from me. we do it over and over, until i make him take a break to catch his breath. he's lots of fun 🙂

    keep your eye on the little yellow bicycle blog, as i have two more projects coming up before the end of the month.

  • freshman year – a bella blvd layout

    i wanted to share a layout i had up on the bella blvd blog yesterday. i was asked to do a school layout, using their midterm collection.

    Alyssa_FreshmanYr 

    i really wanted to use the post-it note border strip from one of the papers. the little notes that are written on there are a good fit for high school and college aged students. and most of them really fit alyssa and how busy her freshman year has been. so i dug out this photo of her, from the first day of high school, for this layout. 

    Alyssa_FreshmanYr_detail1 

    i didn't intend to do my title this way. but my circle ended up larger than planned, and i didn't have a ton of room left for the title, since i wanted to use the larger letter stickers. i'm glad i thought about wrapping the letter stickers around the circle, because i really like how it turned out. i won't tell you how long it took me to get them all perfectly spaced and arranged how i wanted them.

    this is the biggest reason i never push my letter stickers all the way down, when i adhere them. i only stick the bottom edge of the letter down, so that i can still move them around if needed. once they're arranged to my liking, i push them all the way down. just a little sticker trick there 😉

    Alyssa_FreshmanYr_detail2 

    this was one of those layouts where i just created, and had fun with the products. and really didn't keep in mind a spot for my journaling. since journaling is always the last thing i do. lol! so i kept it short and sweet, and fit it in the upper corner of the layout.

    Alyssa_FreshmanYr_detail3 

    the clock is from the cute cuts sheet of pattern paper. they're fun images that you can cut out, and use on your projects. i choose the clock, because it's just a reminder of how busy and crazy her schedule has been. and i'm pretty sure the time reads about 6:05 or so. and alyssa gets up right before 6:00am, every school day.

    i used a circle cutter, to cut a large circle from the grey circles pattern paper. i did the machine stitching around the edges, before adhering it to my layout. i added a yellow brad to the center of the clock hands, and then adhered it to the grey circle using lots and lots of pop dots. 

    Alyssa_FreshmanYr_detail4 

    awwww. the cute post-it note border. isn't it adorable? the music note strip, was right below the post-it note strip on the sheet. so i just trimmed the two of them from the sheet together. the music notes fit in with alyssa's schedule, since she plays the clarinet in band. i used a notebook border punch, on a strip of red cardstock, to tuck underneath the music notes.

    for the post-it notes, i cut the same border strip from another sheet of paper. then i cut out each individual post-it note, right around the edges. i then crumbled them up, and wadded up each one really good. after flattening them out, i adhered them over the original post-it notes on my layout, using pop dots. i did take one of the blank notes, and covered up the note that said "clean room before mom comes to visit". since my girlie is certainly NOT at college yet. thank goodness 🙂

    make sure and check out the bella blvd blog for lots more inspiration.

  • slice: teacher cards

    this week is the end of the school year for my girls. seems to early to be going on summer break already. but the school calendar does not lie, so they're last day is friday. being that it's the end of the year, i needed some teacher cards. i created these this morning with my slice, by making memories.

    NumberOne_TeacherCards

    a while back, i had shared some cards i created using the new bravissimo design card. you can see them HERE. i really loved making those cards, and how easily they came together. i love how you can create the base of your card, and then add a fun "award" to the card, along with a sentiment. and you're done.

    so i decided to use this same idea, for my teacher cards. these are for sarah's teachers. her original teacher from the start of the year got a promotion within the district and had to move on. so then she got her new teacher. and for the last month or so, she's also had a student teacher helping in her class. this is a recent college graduate, that gets to sort of practice and take these kids on a trial teaching run. lol! but sarah's been telling me that i need a card for him too. so i made a girlie version, and a dude version. 

    NumberOneTeacher_card 

    i'm still loving using the ledger papers for the base of my cards. they're just such a great neutral background to work with. it's an older pack of 8×8 papers, and i'm starting to run out of it. i'm not sure what i'll do when it's gone. i used some pattern papers from the just chillin collection, and from an older spring collection. 

    NumberOneTeacher_card3 

    for the top piece, i sliced it twice from the teal glitter paper. i pop dotted the top piece, and offset it just slightly when adhering it to the bottom piece. i sliced the "number one" sentiment from brown cardstock, and added my favorite tiny alphas for "teacher".

    NumberOneStudentTeacher_card 

    for the dude version, i choose some pattern papers from the just chillin collection also.

    NumberOneStudentTeacher_card2 

    same deal on here. i pop dotted the top piece, and slightly offset it, when adhering it to the bottom piece. i used the same "number one" sentiment, and added some tiny alphas for "student teacher".

    if you're on facebook, make sure to become a fan of the slice facebook page, so that you can stay up to date on all the fun project shares, tips, and even giveaways.

    speaking of end of school gifts. i have 2 more that i'm going to share this week. they're both using the new bravissimo collection. i have a teacher gift and a graduation gift. look for those on wednesday.

  • giveaway winner

    the winner of scrapbooking tips and tricks: fabulous flowers is:Giveawaywinner 
    I love using Prima flowers and challenge myself to find ways to use them on my boy pages!!! Adds a little touch of mom to their pages.
    Posted by: Nikki Culcasi | May 17, 2011 at 08:50 PM

    congrats nikki! email me over your mailing info, and i'll have it shipped right out to you 🙂

  • hanging out – a layout

    i have a layout share today. it's actually a just-for-fun layout, that was created just-because. i don't seem to have as many of those these days.

    AlyssaSarah_HangingOut 

    i recently received a bunch of new american crafts ribbons. i picked out a few that i wanted to use, and that's honestly how this layout came about. i would say that 7 times out of 10, i am product driven when it comes to scrapping. find some product, then find the photos, then pick a title, and then do the journaling. in that order.

    AlyssaSarah_HangingOut_detail3 

    when i adhered the turqouise star ribbon alongside my three photos, i did a little ribbon pleating on the top. i like to use mini glue dots to help adhere the ribbon pleats, and hold them in place. then i pushed the chunky brads through each pleat. i adhered the yellow ribbon, and the brown felt trim next.

    AlyssaSarah_HangingOut_detail4 

    these chipboard banner pieces are from bella blvd. i had adhered them to the layout, and added the clear rhinestones in between each pieces. but i felt like that top part of the page needed something. so i trimmed up a piece of yellow pattern paper to fit the space. sort of looks like a sun, right?

    AlyssaSarah_HangingOut_detail1 

    these chipboard letters, by making memories, are super old. i painted them with some turqouise paint, and adhered them with pop dots. the letter stickers are from bella blvd. i also used the same paint, and lightly added it to the edges of the clear plastic flowers, using my finger. i adhered them to the layout, using a small glue dot in the center of the flower. the clear rhinestone covers up that glue dot, so you don't see any adhesive through the flower.

    it's kind of a nice change, to create a layout, and to be able to share it so quickly. i need to do just-because layouts more often 🙂

  • me right now

    i've been super busy the last few days, working on a variety of assignments. tonight, i actually have some time to blog. but i'm feeling short on words.

    IMG_1116_edit_resize 

    i have some layouts i want to share. i have photos that i've been meaning to edit and share. some school and sports things for the girls that i want to document on the blog, before they finish up the school year. which btw, is next week. eek. how is this school year over already?!?! anyways. it's all on my list of things-to-do, and i'll get to it eventually. for now, you can have a peek at what my scraproom desk looks like right now 🙂

  • scrapbooking tips & tricks: fabulous flowers + GIVEAWAY

    creating keepsakes has another new issue out this week. can we handle two new issues, right in a row? i know i can! scrapbooking tips & tricks: fabulous flowers, is dedicated to anything and everything related to flowers.

    Flower cover 

    there are lots of ideas for using flowers on layouts of all kinds, no matter what the theme. you'll find ideas for creating your own handmade flowers using supplies in your stash, and for using premade flowers in creative ways. there are ideas for taking photos of flowers, and for scrapbooking photos of flowers. you'll have to check out the issue yourself, to see what else is in there 😉

    Flower laura 

    but i will show you a peek at one of my layouts in this issue. this is a new favorite layout of mine, and i'm so glad it's finally out. i'll share more about it next week.

    here's a little peek inside the issue as well.

    if you're looking to purchase a copy of this issue, use code FLOWERCK for free shipping in the US on orders over $25. it's good until june 3rd.

    creating keepsakes has been generous enough, to offer a free copy of this issue to one of my lucky blog readers. just leave a comment here, telling me your favorite type of flower to scrapbook with. could be your favorite color of flowers, your favorite brand of flowers, or your favorite way to make your own flowers. i'll leave the comments open until thursday night, and i will announce a winner on friday morning.

  • slice: tips for maximizing paper

    i wanted to share a few tips today, on how to maximize your paper, when using your slice. i know when i first started using the slice, years ago, i went through a TON of paper. i was randomly slicing shapes all over my papers, without any thought or planning. and in the end, i was wasting a lot of paper in the process.


     

    here's a great video on getting the most out of your paper, done by miss jenny weston of making memories.

    MaximizingPaper_1 

    here's a sheet that i was slicing on months ago. like, forever ago. i'm actually quite clueless as to why i saved it. lol! it shows some pretty good cutting. but there's still a lot of wasted paper there.

    MaximizingPaper_2 

    this paper is from last week, when i was working on THIS project. one big tip i have, is to work in rows. when i slice, i go from left to right, and from the bottom of the paper to the top. i like to work from the bottom, since the majority of the shapes start slicing towards the bottom of the shape. if you work from the top of the paper, you'll have to pay more attention to how much room you'll need, so that you don't cut into the space above. i also work in rows, so that, once i'm finished, i can simply trim off that strip of the paper if needed. makes more sense then to slice randomly all over the paper.

    MaximizingPaper_3 

    another tip i have, is to really learn to judge the size of your shape and how much room you need to slice it. this seems obvious, in some ways. if you're slicing a 2 inch letter, you need 2 inches of space. right? this is true. one way you can judge where the slice is actually going to cut, is to use the measurement guides on the mat and on the slice itself. the other way, is the way i do it. i eyeball it. after lots of use and a little trial and error, i think you can just really get a feel for how much room you need. i can tell you what 2 inches, 3 inches, or even 3.5 inches looks like. it just becomes familiar.

    MaximizingPaper

    this isn't really a huge tip. but i don't usually put my paper directly up to the edges of the mat. half the time, i just drop the paper and slice where it lands. i don't really line it up with the grid lines. BUT. having said that, the grid lines are great for checking your measurements. one reason i tend to start with the paper in this position, is that i can start slicing directly in the corner of the paper. if the paper is all the way to the edge, you can't always start out as far down on the paper. 

    MaximizingPaper_5 

    ignore my first "a". it cut a little too low. just shows you i make plenty of mistakes. lol! after you choose your shape, and choose "select", the blade will get into position and the screen will show you an "x" on the shape. this tells you where the machine will start slicing. on some shapes, this will be directly in the bottom corner of the shape. but some shapes, it will be a little higher up, or a little to the left or right. this is what happened on my "a". it didn't start in the bottom corner, like i thought it would. it started halfway up the left side of the "a". so this photo shows where i'm started my new cut, leaving room for the bottom part of the "a". 

    MaximizingPaper_6 

    when i went to cut my next letter, a "b", i started out right next to my last letter.

    MaximizingPaper_7 

    usually, i would keep going, straight across the paper. but i wanted to show how i would go up to the next row. i'm cutting a "c" next, which starts the cutting halfway up the letter. so i positioned the blade to start cutting a little above the "a", leaving room for the bottom part of the "c".

    MaximizingPaper_8 

    and then i started the "d", directly next to the "c", since it started slicing in the bottom left corner of the letter.

    MaximizingPaper_9 

    i think this shows pretty good usage of my paper. i could have gotten these letters even closer together, if i tried. but i think this is good. we all love our paper and want to get the most out of it. so, with a little practice and learning to judge our shapes and how much room they'll need, you will be able to get so much more out of your papers.

    if you are on Facebook, be sure to become a FAN of our SLICE FACEBOOK FAN PAGE so you can be the first to know about new products, project ideas, tips & tricks, and giveaways too!

  • guest designer for little yellow bicycle

    i was asked to be the may guest designer for little yellow bicycle. of course, i jumped at the chance! i have always been a big fan of their products, and have used them quite a bit on my own projects. i received the baby saurus and tiny princess collections to work with, and they are adorable.

    LYB_IttyBittyPrincess_card 

    yesterday, they had my intro and the first part of my Q&A on the blog. you can read that HERE. and today, my first project is up. it's a set of 5 cards, and you can read all about them HERE. i'm still working on more projects, so keep your eye out for those soon 🙂