LOAD Day 9 - Sneak Peek

I'm back after beating my head against the computer. Turns out Firefox for Mac ran an update about 10 days ago that didn't play nice with Adobe Photoshop Elements 6. Took me forever to figure out that was why my iMac was running so slow. Anytime both apps were open (which is pretty much all the time), they hogged the virtual memory.

So I'm back to using Safari. Which is fine. The only real thing I miss is that Firefox let you save what sites you had open and it would auto-open them when you re-launched the app.

Once I figured out what the problem was, I spent a few extra days Spring Cleaning my hard drive, getting rid of old Apps, re-organizing, and backing up my Photos and Layouts to CD, not just the external drive. I'm ashamed to say I was a few months behind - hadn't done hard copy photo backups since I got pregnant!

I'm disappointed that I couldn't stay caught up with LOAD, but hey, I've got 9 layouts I didn't have before, and I plan on getting back on the wagon. Here is the layout I had finished but couldn't scan/crop until today (another one for the first pregnancy album):



Supplies:
Cardstock: Bazzill
Paper: Kelly Panacci Expecting line
Journal Bracket: Making Memories Noteworthy
Metal Tag: Pebbles Inc
Ribbon: American Crafts
Chipboard Letters: Heidi Swapp
Photo Template: Simply Yin

eBay Want It Now rocks!

So, I admit that I'm a bit picky. I'm fine with it - I reconciled that it was part of my personality a long time ago. So when I decided that I just HAD to use the same brand album for baby #2 as I had used for my daughter's first year, I knew I had my work cut out for me. I wanted the All My Memories 8x8 Urban Chic album, in green or baby blue. But AMM sold their manufacturing line well over a year ago, and Imaginisce discontinued the Kiwi Green and Baby Blue colors. I've spent the several months searching, Googling and having searches emailed from eBay, but no luck.



Then I remembered Want It Now. eBay has this spiffy feature where you post that you are looking for something, and sellers can respond if they have it. If they do, and you still want it, they put up a listing with Buy It NOw, and everyone's happy.

That's what happened with the album. I posted a Want It Now, and within a week, a seller emailed me - they had the green one.

It arrived in the mail today, and its in fantastic shape, and just what I need. The green is soft and gender-neutral, so I can girlify or boyify it to my hearts content!

I love a happy ending!

Pretty Cards from leftovers

The leftovers from my Stories in Hand binder have been cluttering up the dining room table, so I made some (relatively, for me) quick cards. Once I got on a roll, I started having fun. I especially liked making 4x8 cards - perfect for cash or lottery ticket gifts.



Supplies:
Cardstock: DCWV
Paper & Buttons: Crate Paper Sweet Branch collection
Ribbon: Target $ Spot
Scallop Paper: Doodlebug Paper Frills
Glitter: Stickles - Diamond
Embossing: Cuttlebug embossing folder (in QuicKutz Revolution)
Punch: Creative Memories corner rounder
Stamps: Studio G $1 stamps, Wordsworth

A computer free project

My iMac is misbehaving, and I just don't have the energy to figure out why right now.

Just a few of the Target mini mailboxes - I've seen these for years on 2Peas and decided this was the year to make some little girls happy this Valentine's.




Supply List:
Mailboxes: Target
Paper: KI Memories
Sticker: Pebbles Inc
Ribbon & Ric Rac: Target, Michael's
Flowers: Prima (large), Doodlebug (small)
Button: Autumn Leaves
Chipboard: Making Memories, American Crafts
Foam Letters: QuicKutz Sophisticate & Blossom, cut with adhesive Fun Foam

LOAD Day 8 - Baby Dear

Just a quick scraplift today, as I was busy co-hostessing a baby shower - this is pretty much an 8x8 adaptation of a layout by Margaret Scarborough from Simple Scrapbooks.



Credits:
Cardstock: Bazzill
Paper: American Crafts (I believe from The Goods II line)
Zig Zag: Doodlebug Frills
Die Cut Title: Cricut with Sure Cuts Alot
Font: Baker Signet

Baby Shower Favors

I am dead on my feet after co-hostessing that shower today! Party planning is a lot of work...

Here are the favors we did - Microwave Popcorn, with a paper wrap and note. This idea was heavily lifted from two samples on 2Peas. The bookmarks are at home, but Firefox isn't cooperating right now. And I need to give special thanks to my sister, who helped me assembly line these late on Friday night.



All of the paper was OLD stash.
Supply List:
Tops single-serve microwave popcorn
Cardstock: Bazzill, National Paper
Papers: American Crafts The Goods, Pebbles Inc, SEI Softy (now that's old stash!)
Stamp: Studio G $1 stamp
Scallop Circle: QuicKutz Nesting Scallop Circle

Project/Stories 365 - cover and title page

I've been brainstorming how I want the album cover and title page to look for several weeks, and finally sat down to do it tonight.

The album & cover (album is a much deeper red - I hate taking photos at night!):


The Title page (front closeup):


The Dedication page (back closeup):


Sheer Title/Dedication in album:


Credits:
Album - AMM/Imaginsice Urban Chic 8x8 album
Fabric Brad: K&Company
Ghost Clock: Heidi Swapp
Red & Black Foam Letters: QuicKutz Merry & Studio
Bracket paper: Making Memories Spiral Journals - 5th Ave & Noteworthy
Sheer paper: KI Memories Sheer Delights - Polka 1
Blue Letters: QuicKutz Studio SkinniMini
Metal Photo Corners, Flowers & Brad: unknown

LOAD Day 6 - Spunky

The prompt today was keep it simple, use three of something. Here's my 3 -3 flowers. I'm not 100% happy with how this turned out. The title isn't working for me, but it's time for bed, so I'll have to sleep on it. There is hidden journaling behind the photo - that's what the little pink dot is.




Credits:
Paper, Brads: Doodlebug
Title: QuicKutz Vixen
Flowers: Prima

LOAD Day 5

Still working on unfinished projects for LOAD. This is a 2 page layout for my current pregnancy album from November.



The layout of the calendar side is scraplifted from Angie Lucas' People We Love album in Mini Albums in an Evening (Simple Scrapbooks).

Credits:
Cardstock: Bazzill Kraft, Hazard
Paper & Tags: , Scenic Route grid, KI Memories collection iii (old stash!)
Titles: QuicKutz Maddie Anne, Sunshine
Embellishments: Doodlebug paper frills, Doodlebug silk & paper flowers, American Crafts ribbon
Baby Foot: Cricut New Arrival
scraplift: Angie Lucas People We Love layout

Project/Stories 365: Jan 5-11

I'm caught up on picture taking for 365, but I've got a few layouts to get caught up on. took me two nights to get this 2 pager done. So much for digital being faster :)

Here's week 2, Jan 5-11.





Credits:
Template: Project 365 No 001 by Moriginals
Title: Grungy Months by Misty Cato
Paper: Sisterly Love blog train by Faith Sisters
Fonts: Century Gothic (journaling), CK Ali's Handwriting (title)

LOAD 2.2.09

Yesterday's LOAD prompt was something that makes you Happy. Dave Letterman makes me happy, so I finally made the page about seeing him live in studio (this has been sitting in a page kit since CKC last June!). The ribbon has hidden journaling - nothing exciting, just the rundown of the show the day we were there in Aug 2005. The pic of Dave from a HD brochure - we weren't allowed cameras in-studio. I'm especially pleased because everything on this page is OLD stash. I think the Target ribbon is the newest, and it is over a year old.



Credits:
Paper: My Mind's Eye Kaleidoscope
Ribbon: Target $ Spot
Chipboard Letters: Heidi Swapp & Making Memories paint

Finishing the unfinished #2

So my daughter can now tell everyone, "I'm two and a half." And her first year album has been on the shelf, 95% completed since she was a year old. For some reason, I just haven't done the final month's journaling/notes, the closing layout, or embellished the front cover.

Thanks to LOAD 2009, I can proudly say the whole album is COMPLETED. And none too soon, since #2 is due in 4 months! So here is an overview post of the album.

The completed cover (#1 cut with Cricut Plantin Schoolbook):


A sample of the 4 page layout per month:


The closing page (a summary of pics of all 12 months):


Credits:
Paper: Pebbles Inc
Embellishments: Making Memories, Heidi Swapp, American Crafts, MAMBI, Jolee's, Pebbles
Alpha stamp: My Sentiments Exactly
Album: 8x8 Imaginisce Urban Chic
Calendar template: Cathy Zielske's Baby album calendar from the M/J 2002 issue of Simple Scrapbooks - used to be posted on CK's site, but I can't find it.