Project Life Week 4: Then

 The left side of Week 4 of my Project Life album. All about December 17, 1988.

 I made this page before I got a typewriter, and before I really started to get a feel for how to create a beautiful PL page. I really love looking back and seeing how much I've grown in 16 weeks. Here I used a red Sharpie and a piece of My Mind's Eye paper. How fancy!

 I really stepped it up a notch on this insert by adding a Becky Higgins grid card and two cardstock circles stapled on with my Tiny Attacher. Oh, and is that a photo corner I see? Woo Hoo!!

 The hearts are a K&Co. adhesive border, which I have continued to use like crazy in my PL album because I love them. I don't know what paper that is, or why I suddenly decided to add blue and green to a pink and orange LO. I don't drink or do drugs, so unfortunately, I do not have a good excuse. Let's just call it juxtaposition and move forward, shall we?

 I added a Spellbinders die cut heart here. That was one of the first Spellbinders dies I ever bought.

I look forward to sharing my PL pages because it gives me a chance to compare the work I did then to the work I'm doing now. I know a lot of scrappers go back and redo pages that aren't to their liking. I would never do that. This page was the best I could do at the time. I was working with an unfamiliar format and really just starting to dip my toes in the PL design waters. I LIKE having evidence of improvement. It seems logical and authentic to me.

Please check back soon for Project Life Week 4: Now.

Soar

 I got some new Theresa Collins stamps a few months ago and have really been enjoying them. I finally used up the last of my old Making memories {note}worthy. I loved that stuff-still do!

 I like just piling on the goodies, then adding a sprinkle of sequins. Fun and easy.

 This die cut is from an old K&Co tin of sayings that I have had forever. I think they are multiplying in there, because no matter how often I use them, there never seems to be any less.

 Weirdness. I don't know what happened here.

I like to say that everything is complete when you add a silver glitter butterfly to it! Just more bits and pieces here from SU!, MM, K&Co., Prima & A Muse Studio.

Project Life Week 3: Now

 I made this LO after I bought my first typewriter. I LOVE using my typewriters on my Project Life pages. I can fit so much more journaling on every page, and they add that vintage touch I just love.

 That's a Becky Higgens Amber Edition card. Most of the 4x6 cards I use are from my Amber kit. I also added some K&Co. adhesive border stickers and various die cuts. I don't have any enamel dots, so I went with faux dew drops. Not as trendy, but I use what I have.

 Every now and then, Ross will send me a picture from his life in NOLA, and I always am so thrilled to add it to my PL album. I typed directly on a VERY old SU! sticker. The staples are there just because I love them.

 On the left is a BH grid card and on the right is an Amber Edition journaling card.

 On the left is a BH filler card. I added a die cut pear to it. On the right, I stamped on another journaling card.

 Here I just folded up a letter from the school and stuck it in a 4x6 pocket.

I typed directly on this photo. It works pretty well.

Happy Easter

 I'm just a bit late posting this one, I know! I used several of my favorite products on this card. Crafty Secrets' stickers are always on hand for me. They are beautiful and make card production a snap. I also love K &Co.'s glittery border stickers. I buy those so often I have duplicates. And a doily, of course, always a fave!

 The next four cards were all built around some old K&Co. epoxy tags. I think I got to throw the packaging away-always a thrill, don't you think?

 The papers are SU!, MM, & MME, plus vintage dictionary paper. But that goes without saying.

 The newest thing on this card is the white embossed image. It's from a Paper Smooches stamp set I've had for about a year. It has six little geographic squares this size. I don't know how to use it, as you can plainly see from my lame attempt to be modern here on this card.

I have recently begun decorating the insides of my cards and stamping matching envelopes. Sometimes I even line the envelope. It's fun to make them extra special. A handmade card should be a treat from start to finish, don't you think?

I finished a mini album last night. It only took me six years to finish. That's not too bad, right? I used all MME Bohemia. I still love that line, but it's a little dark and grungy compared to what's popular now. I was going through some stuff when I found the album, and thought, "This is ridiculous! Finish this!!" So I did. It took me about four hours, but it is done like dinner-yippee!!

Project Life Week 3: Then

 I still haven't figured out the best way to photograph my Project Life LO's. This was only my second photo session, though, and it's much better than my first! I'm slow, but I can learn!

 I am doing a THEN side on the left every week and a NOW side on the right. I have LOVED going back through our wedding pictures and adding them. I will continue this method until I feel like I am taking enough pictures and documenting enough to do a two page spread per week. It's almost June, though, and I haven't felt ready yet, so maybe not in 2013.

 Here's a little sewing and a PTI Love Lives Here die cut house. Vintage book paper is a theme throughout my album. I use it on every single page. This was before I bought my first typewriter, so my handwriting is prevalent. My writing gets suddenly weird when I try to add it to my books. I've gotten so I don't even try to make it nice, whatever appears on the paper is what goes into the book!

 No embellishments here, just family pictures. I still do this every now and then, but for the most part, my pages are embellishment heavy. I think the project going on at the table is birdseed bags.

Here's Sheryl checking out the Booze Fruit.

Fusion #6 Challenge Card

 So, my friend Amy is on a challenge blog design team called Fusion Card Challenge. I thought I might show her some love by playing along. I started with some Crate Paper, and added some Prima ribbon, a little American Crafts glitter tape, a Maya Road velvet ribbon flower and a My Mind's Eye sticker.

Everything here is new except for the SU! cardstock, Prima ribbon, and the MR rosette. I got the wide ribbon from my Cocoa Daisy kit, and the rest from my Citrus Twist kit. Oh, I do love those kits!! I highly recommend both!

Welcome to Paris

 I was workin' on my CAS mojo here. This card design is not original to me, I know I saw one like it somewhere else, but I have no idea where, so my apologies to whoever I stole the idea from-sorry! I used a Kaleidacolor pad from SU! that is probably 12 years old-I kid you not! Some of the buttons are vintage, some are A Muse Studio, which are my favorite new buttons. I very rarely use new buttons, but when I do, I always reach for my "Not Your Grandma's Bag of Buttons" from a|s. That's kind of an ironic name for me, because I would prefer my Grandma's bag of buttons!

 I got a new stamp and die set from PTI, and this was my first effort. Kind of weird, but I do love that October Afternoon paper. The hearts are a|s die cuts.

 I have tried and tried to make a good card with this vintage SU! stamp set, and most of my efforts have been in vain. I just don't know what to do with these gigantic flowers, I don't think I ever knew. I got this set in a huge lot on ebay years ago.

 This one just looks like breasts to me. Does anyone else see that?

This card I actually like. That's a Crafty Secrets sticker, and an A Chemistry With Paper sentiment. Sweet and simple, and you know I love anything with Crafty Secrets on it!

Well, here in Pueblo, CO, we went from winter to summer yesterday. No spring to speak of. I got my first sunburn of the year subbing for an elementary PE teacher yesterday. Here's what I learned: Fifth graders are incredibly competitive and contentious, and they take kickball very seriously. Second graders have no clue about kickball. Pre-schoolers are adorable.