Travel Cropping ....or.......how I go to a crop or retreat

 

Scrapping “TO GO”

Hey there DoodleBLOG friends! (all you cats and kittens).  Shawn here (yes, again).  As promised, I want to talk a little bit about scrapping away from home.

·         For some of you, this may be the only place and time you get to scrap, and you may be old pros.  Maybe you will find something good here anyway – or maybe not. 

·         Some of you may have NEVER been to a crop or a retreat. Maybe you just never have the time or the extra cash, maybe they don’t work with your schedule or maybe the thought of packing your scrapbook room to take somewhere is just too daunting.  Maybe I can help!

·         Or if you already sometimes scrap at home and go to crops or retreats maybe you will find something here, too.

So here we go…..

1.      KNOW WHERE YOU ARE HEADED – What you pack – and how you pack it – will need to be defined as much by this as by anything else. Is it a small day crop where you will share an 8 foot table, or a retreat where you have a big table to yourself?

2.       KNOW HOW YOU ARE GETTING THERE - Are you driving there in a big SUV, a tiny convertible, or are you flying to the event?

3.       KNOW YOUR SCRAPPY SELF.  Think about your process.  What is your starting point for a project?  Do you start with photos and then pick all your supplies before you sit down to scrap?  Do you just make pages and worry about photos later, if ever?  Do you like to make pages using a single collection?  Do you scrap by color?

4.       KNOW YOUR “STASH”. Don’t get overwhelmed here.  Just get an overall idea of how much you have and how you have it stored.  Do you only keep a small stash and it’s already in a single tote (if so – who are you and how and why do you do this?? – also, if this is you CALL ME – you don’t need me, but maybe I need you!!) Do you have a GIANT ROOM full of supplies – like maybe a whole dining room – that just has stuff EVERYWHERE (see photos)…or are you somewhere in between – like a big stash but still pretty easily managed to move?

5.       MAKE A LIST. OK, I get it.  Not everyone loves lists (I do – like A LOT) but bear with me here.  This list will be worth it.  My OG crop packing list is now SEVERAL years old, and it is still evolving, but it changes a bit with every crop. This is both because I learn more about what works for me, but also because I go to lots of different events, and I work on loads of different projects. I divide my list by how I carry them so I know what goes in each tote/bag and also so I make sure I get all of the bags into the car. Make sure to include the non-scrappy necessities like clothes, meds, snacks (and for me maybe a little liquid refreshment)

6.       PRIORITIZE – I tend to be a “photos first” kind of scrapper, and I use black, white or kraft cardstock on just about every layout so pictures and cardstock are almost always the first things that go into my car. If you always use a Cricut or Kiwi Lane Templates or you stamp everything then those items will go first.

7.       KIT, if you can.  I’m going to be 100% honest – this is a great plan, and totally NOT something I do well.  It just does not work that well with my process most of the time. I do currently have an Iris container full of different papers that I plan to use in my wedding album, and a bag of embellishments set aside for that as well.  I suppose that may be a really large kit, but I’m not sure it counts. If you can kit, that is a great way to get ready to get ready. The more of your project you can put together in a kit, the easier it will be to sit down and scrap. 

8.       Remember the less important things, too.  If you will be gone for the weekend you probably need to take clothes. If it is a day crop, a sweater or chair cushion may be in order.

9.       Be prepared to be wrong.  I have gone to several crops with a plan like making Christmas cards or working on a specific group of photos only to find when I get there that I am not inspired enough to get that project done. Be sure to have a backup if you need it.

10.   Pack it up - and hope it all fits!!!

11.   Take extra if there’s room.  In addition to #9 above you may find that you REALLY want some letter stickers you didn’t think to put in your kit, or your table mate may want to borrow that 3 inch circle punch.

12.   The last bit of advice I would give is remember that just because you take it TO the crop does not mean you have to take it IN the building.  This is one I figured out pretty recently.  Take projects in as you want to work on them, and when you finish with one, go swap it for another. I have also been known to bring my pretty large Thicker collection and leave that in the back of my car, then I just go grab letters as I need them.

That’s it – Happy Travelling

And more important Happy Scrapping!

STEPPING OUT OF THE 12 X 12 SQUARE

Hi Scrappy Friends,

When you think about basic scrapbooking, the first thing that comes to mind is a 12 x 12 sheet of paper, embellishments and your favorite photos. We work diligently to get our pages just right and make the "perfect layout". Then, we loving store them away in our protective sleeves, add them to our albums and store them on a shelf. I personally own about 50 completed albums. My albums consist of vacation, holidays, sports, heritage, pet and special books for each of my 6 grandchildren. To me all of my albums are priceless, hold so many memories and are the product of hours upon hours of work. I am "quite sure" all 4 my grown up sons will fight over them some day, at least that's what I have convinced myself. (wink-wink)

Several years ago, it occurred to me that every layout I created was being put away, out of sight and out of mind. I wanted to see my hard work so I decided to buy a canvas, after a few you-tube videos, I was ready to go.  I was using the same paper, embellishments, chipboard, a few personal treasures, my photos and a host of mixed media products I always had. After some trial and error, "Voila" my first canvas was created. I was hooked. This canvas is not hidden away, it hangs in my craft-room where I can see it everyday.

Since that first altered project, I have created many. I have experimented on more canvases. I did a wine bottle that has a picture of my great-grandparents on their wedding day. I have done several shadow box frames. One of my favorite things to try, was working on a vinyl album (I'm admitting my age here, I am referring to a record-vinyl album). My husband and I's, favorite song is "If" by Bread. I used one of our copies of the Mania Album, took black gesso, lots of paint, flowers, some stencils and again just put it all together on an experimental "give it a try". I printed out a few of the lyrics and added those on too. I have it displayed on a plate holder and it sits on our dresser. I am currently scouting out the antique stores for a 45 vinyl copy of "Puppy Love". I want to do a layout on it, of our sweet family dog Curly, that we recently lost. Also, another project up on my scrapbook table is a recycled dresser drawer, that I intend to do a scrapbook page on the inside of, using Christmas theme product. It will stand next to my Christmas Tree. You will be seeing that one real soon.

Don't be afraid to take a step out of the 12 x 12 flat square. Do some experimenting on different surfaces that you have never tried to use before. Look for items you can recycle. The ideas and possibilities are endless. Have fun with it and get your hands messy. You work hard on it your creations, so show them off, don't store them all away on a shelf. The Holidays are coming up quickly,  Canvases and 3-D frames, make great and very meaningful gifts. Show and share your ideas and altered projects on the Doodle Dish, we all need the inspiration. Happy Scrapping, talk to you on the blog again, in a few weeks.

Dolores

Mixed Media Layouts Made Easy

Hey there Doodlebug friends!  Have you ever looked at same of the amazing mixed media style scrapbook layouts and thought wow, that's amazing, but looks too difficult?  Well, I'm here to show you today that isn't hard at all to make one of these layouts.  Take a good look at this layout below and then we will go through the steps to create all of the layers shown!

The first step to starting any mixed media layout is to give your paper a coat of clear gesso.  It also helps to use a heavy weight paper like 49 & Market.  I personally like Finnabair's gessos the best. I have heard there has been a shipping delay of some of her products due to the Covid-19, but if you would like to purchase them, Hannah can add you to the special order list. I dry the gesso with a heat gun from the front and back, making sure to not get too close to the paper which will cause it to curl. 

On this layout I then used TCW Light and Fluffy Modeling Paste.  This is by far my fav paste for adding texture with stencils. I also dried this with my heat gun.  Next I added some brown to the background by spraying the page with water then adding Distress Oxide Spray in Vintage Photo  .  I spread the oxide around with a paintbrush adding more water and blotting with a baby wipe as needed to achieve the color shown here.  I then added distress oxide inks by smushing them on an acrylic block and adding water.  I also added more water and blotted as needed during this process. I dried the page after I added each color to give it a layered look rather than allowing the colors to mix. I also added a few splattered of the oxide spray to the page.

I arranged and attached my paper layers and embellishments like a normal layout. I did add some cheesecloth for texture between some of the layers.  I also used scrap chipboard to raise some of the layers so that the resin embellishments fit nicely underneath the paper.  

After I finished the layout I gave it some finishing touches with Art Stones and Dina Wakely's new gloss spray.  I used soft matte gel to adhere the stone.  I started by placing the largest size stones, then adding the regular size, and finally sprinkling the mini art stones on top.  Lastly I splattered the entire page with white gloss spray.  These little details are what take nice page to a wow! page. 

Below you will find links to all of the products I used on this page!

Tackling a big Memory Keeping Project (AKA Shawn’s Wedding Album – Part 1)

 

 So, some of you MIGHT have heard me mention once (or a million times). That I was getting married. Maybe you heard me whine about having to relocate the even because of this stupid virus. Maybe you heard that it was like a fairy tale and I had the zaniest, craziest Ring Bearer and Flower Girl in the history of wedding.  Or maybe not. Regardless, the big day happened just about a month ago and now that I have all the thank you cards sent and everything put away and all of the leftovers eaten, it is time to get to work on my wedding album.

OK – BUT WAIT!!!!! – BEFORE you click off this post because you got married like 30 years ago and you have ZERO interest in weddings at the moment, bear with me.  I am using my wedding album as an example here.  This same process and ideas can be applied to just about any large-scale scrappy project, like a baby album, vacation album, senior book or even a mini-book album to give as a gift. I know this because I’ve used this same theory over and over – but you would never know it from looking at the finished products.

Step 1 – Begin with the end in mind. 

Close your eyes. Picture what the finished project looks like.  No, not every page – just the basics.  Is it one album? Two?  A mini book?  A collage for your wall?  Seven albums busting at the seams (hopefully not this one)?  Open your eyes.  It’s not nap time! We need to be working on this project! So, now you know where you are headed.  (These are IDEAS – and NOT my photos)

Step 2 – Narrow down this big picture.

Think a bit more about your vision for the project, and what you are dealing with in terms of the amount of photos/memorabilia that you know need to be included.  In my case I know I plan on at least two books.  One I plan on being a more formal “wedding album” type book and the other more fun and relaxed where I plan to mix regular layouts and pocket pages.  The more formal book is likely to have more single-photo layouts that focus more on portraits with less journaling, while the more fun book will house the bulk of the photos to really tell the story of our day. (Also, I haven't decide which album is which yet - and I'm not sure the one with the name is EXACTLY what I want, so here they are- thoughts??)

Step 3 – START thinking about product. (and maybe buying some)

WOO HOO!!  Time to start shopping!! But go slow here.  Don’t just buy everything that says “wedding” or “baby”, or even everything Rose Gold (hey, I’m giving the advice here, not necessarily TAKING it) Buying too much will not only waste precious $$ and annoy your spouse but it can bury you in too many options, which is just what we need to avoid.  If you are doing a traditional album, now is a good time to look for the album itself.  That may help you choose some of the other product to come later.  If you know you like the idea of using most one or two collections, purchasing them at this point is also good.  Depending on your project timeline, you may spend an hour picking some products or if you are like me you will spread it out over a few months as you work on the project, or plan the event. Just keep in mind you DO NOT have to buy everything right this minute.  You can always come back to shopping later as you figure out more that you need. For me, this meant buying my two albums and a couple of collections I plan to use (“Timeless” by Authentique and “Apricot Honey” by Prima).  But this does not HAVE to mean you buy collections.  It may just mean picking a color scheme, or even finding that ONE product you are going to use to tie the project together.  In one baby album project I did, I had a large circular embellishment for each month of the baby’s first year and I worked each layout around those.

Step 4 – Break it down

This is the spot where the work really gets serious.  For this step, you will start wherever you usually start your process of making pages.  If you start with sketches or Kiwi Lane templates and pick papers and in them and the photos come last, start there.  If your process (like mine) pretty much ALWAYS starts with photos, you will obviously need to wait for those to really get a good start.  I am currently in this phase and already have a few hundred photos with a few hundred more coming soon from the photographer.  Here is where your earlier steps are really going to help you out.  I am planning a 20-30 page book for my “formal” album, and know I will probably want mostly larger single photos.  I intend to basically pick my favorite photos, while keeping in mind that all of the most important things and people need a place in this album, even if I have to pick some less “perfect” photos to make that happen.

For this step I create a folder on my computer called “print” and start dragging or copying all the photos that I KNOW I want in albums into the file.  Then I will have a file for my “Formal” book, and a file for my “casual” book.  For the formal book, I will probably number the photos for the order they will go in in the book.  For the casual book, I’ll have photos arranged by the subject of the page(s) they go on and probably worry about the order later. So I might have “Cake 1….Cake 2….Cake 3”…..”Guests1…Guests 2…guests 3…” etc. Next, I decide on the sizes I want and get the pictures ordered.  If you (like me) have a project that you are anxious to get started on, be SURE you take notes about what size you ordered of each photo.  That way you can start scrapping, even if the photos have not arrived yet.

                                                          

Step 5 – Keep Organizing (or don’t)

I’ll admit, sometimes I have done this step and sometimes not.  When I HAVE done it, I have really liked how quickly I feel like I am able to get a book to come together – but to be honest I find the process pretty tedious and there are part of me that think it’ easier just to get scrapping and let the chips fall where they may.

Essentially what I do here is use the book itself as an organization tool.  I put the photos (If I have them – if not I make a note – like “Cake 1” on an index card - you can even use the size of card the same size as your photo to REALLY help yourself out) and put them in the page protectors of my album in order.  That way, if there are any specific papers or embellishments you want to use, or pieces of memorabilia, you can stick them in there also and they are ready to go. 

If you don’t want to go quite THAT far, but still want to organize, you can always create a written outline just to sort of keep track of what you want to do and what order things go in.

Step 6 – Well get to it, already!!

Just what it sounds like – Get to work.  You may choose to do every page in order, or skip around.  One of the benefits of being more organized up front (at least for me) is that it lets me feel more “free” during the creative part of the process to work on whatever inspires me at the moment.  If I’m hungry, I might choose to avoid scrapping pictures of the cake at that moment…which BY THE WAYYYY….

                                   

As always…if I can answer any questions please shoot me a message or let Hannah know and I’ll be happy to help.  Sorry in advance for all the upcoming wedding hoopla! (but not really)…

Until next time…..from my Happily Ever After to yours,

Shawn

                                        

Scrapping Made Simple with Kiwi Lane

Hi there Doodlebug friends!  Amy here today showing you one of my favorite products!  Are you one that struggles with mixed patterns and colors.  I have always been that way, until I found KIWI LANE.  

What is KIWI LANE you ask.  Kiwi Lane is clear acrylic borders and shapes that you can do layouts and cards with. It is so easy to have them all laid out on your craft table to see what the best design is going to be.   I love how all my KIWI LANE sets “flow” together into one masterpiece.

On this layout I used 3 or 4 of the KIWI LANE sets together to come up with this design.  I love how you can mix and match and have it all laid out on your craft table to see how you like it.  I think I changed this one 7 times before I came up with this. As you can see in my picture, I am an “all over the place” type of scrapbooker.  If I don’t have room to move and spread out I may just pack everything up and start another day.  HA!!

KIWI LANE allows you to have layers and layers and look at all those different patterns!!   I used the Simple Stories “Heart” paper pack and LOVED IT and have so much left over to make more layouts or even some greeting cards.     

You can shop a great selection of Kiwi Lane products in store at The Doodlebug, or shop Kiwi Lane online with The Doodlebug here!

WeR Memory Keepers Foil Quill

Hi, Crafters! This is Tina. Have you had a chance to try foiling with the new We R Memory Keepers Foil Quill?  I have always been drawn to foil but the Foil Quill is my favorite method so far.  Check out the Foil Quill and full line of accessories at The Doodlebug Inc!

If you haven’t really looked at the foil quill, it is a device that works as a pen would work in your cutting machine. It comes with several holders that fit in the blade holder of your machine. Since I have a Silhouette Cameo2, the adapter I use is labeled A. 

You can choose which tip you want for your project. The smallest tip is like a fine point pen. Then there are 2 larger tips.  Once you choose the tip size, it screws into the adapter. The adapter is snapped all the way down in the blade holder, the blade holder tightened and you are ready to plug in the tip.

As you can see from the photos, each tip has its own cord and UBS plug.   It is recommended to plug the tip into a separate power device, not the computer you are using to run your cutting machine.  I have used a plug that I can then plug into a power strip.   The foil quill comes with s little metal piece that you are to slip under the tip while it is heating up. It needs to be pulled out before feeding in your work surface.

It recommends at least 5 minutes for warm up. So I have been setting that up before I even pull up my design.  These are the Silhouette Studio settings that I used.

To prepare the surface for foiling make sure to allow extra foil around the edges of the design you are wanting to create.  Some tape is included to tape all the edges of the foil down tightly. The included tape releases from your paper nicely. I have also used washi tape and blue painters tape. They all work. You just want to use a tape that removes from your paper without tearing it. Something to note: make sure to add enough foil so your design doesn’t run into the taped area. I did that at first, thinking I would use smaller pieces of foil.  But the areas covered by tape will not foil correctly.

I have added some photos showing some things I have foiled. I foiled and then cut little tags for a shower.

I applied foil to a bow cut file to add details to a scrapbook page. 

Then I started a scrapbook layout with the foiling. As you can see, I layed out where I thought I wanted my 3 “clusters” of embellishments to go and placed the foil on my base page using the grids on the mat and my screen.

Oh so many ideas dancing in my head for this new gadget!  You can purchase the Foil Quill and accessories at The Doodlebug Inc.