Scrapper's Block

How many of you have experienced 'Scrapper's Block?' It's frustrating; it's annoying; and it takes up valuable time that could otherwise be spent creating. I've been experiencing a serious block recently. I stare at my stash and my photos. I think about my stash and my photos. I sit down with my stash and my photos. And yet, I cannot come up with an idea or plan for what I want to do.

So what to do when you hit a creative wall? Look for inspiration. Inspiration is all around us: on-line, magazines, nature, God's creation, the smiles and laughter of our children, our own scrapbooks and history. Typically, when I am having trouble creating, I can take a walk with my camera, capture some of our beautiful world, and come back home inspired. Sadly, that did not work for me this time. So what did I do? I went shopping.

I found this adorable, trendy stamp set from Lawn Fawn at ScrapHappy, and I thought that it would be perfect for helping me get through this block. It is fun and is a chevron pattern that I frequently use when I choose patterned papers. Slowly but surely, I am working through my block. I have made a few layouts with this stamp set this week, and although they aren't my favorites, they are still documented memories that I can add to my albums, and I know that I will be able to enjoy this toy for many years to come. So without further ado, this month's layouts:

This month's challenge is to pull out your stamps and use them to scraplift yourself. Look through your scrapbooks. Enjoy your memories. Use them to generate new projects. To be eligible for this month's prize ($5 store credit!), upload your project to facebook and tag Scraphappy on your project. A winner will be randomly drawn and announced in my April post.

And finally, last month's Challenge Winner: Jessica Gabe! Thank you to all who entered and played along.  Jessica, next time you are in ScrapHappy, you have $5 credit to spend however you desire in the store!

Supplies:
- patterned paper - Echo Park, Studio Calico, Lily Bee
- thickers
- enamel dots - My Mind's Eye
- chipboard stars - Pink Paislee
- stamps - Lawn Fawn, Kelly Purkey, and Studio Calico
- wood veneers - Studio Calico
- puffy stickers - Amy Tangerine
- stamping ink and embossing powder
- washi tape

Using Up Your Leftovers

When you scrapbook, what do you do with your leftovers? Do you put them away? Do you slide them to the side of your desk to think about later? Do you add them to a pile? Or even better, do you actually use those little bits and pieces? If you were to see my desk, you would know that I am an infrequent scrap cleaner. I tend to push my leftovers into a pile and stack them up until I can't stand it anymore and decide to do something with them. Often, this means that I will compile these pieces into layouts and combinations I never would have planned for if I had thought ahead. So what do I do? I go to Scraphappy, pick up 2 or 3 pieces of patterned paper, some letter stickers (especially Thickers...I am on a serious Thickers kick lately), and combine that with what's on my desk to make some layouts. And the Bonus? My desk gets cleaned off without any effort!

For my first layout, I used Studio Calico and Lilly Bee papers that I already had, combined with the teal thickers and butterflies that I got at Scraphappy. The leftovers? The Amy Tangerine stickers and teal woodgrain washi tape.

This next layout uses some new Shoreline papers as a background, combined with leftover Amy Tangerine stickers, an Amy Tangerine pocket, Shoreline sunburst scraps, and Heidi Swapp banner pieces cut off from a previous project. The hexagons are from a Studio Calico stamp set and are attached with some brads I found in my drawer.

The only new item on this final layout is the background paper and the teal letter 'P.' Everything else on this page was leftover. The light blue strip of Shoreline with the hot pink splatters? Leftover from the Baby Turtles layout. The My Mind's Eye transparency? Scavenged from my Valentine's Day memo board. The Heidi Swapp disco heart? The last of a package from this past spring.

So what have we learned today? Use your stash! Use those bits and pieces of scraps. Use pieces from different manufacturers and product lines to make your own combos. Need some patterned papers, letters, or cardstock to pull it all together? Head on in to Scraphappy and buy what you need! It's all there!

Playing with New My Mind's Eye

Hello, World!

It's the first Thursday of the month, which means it's time for my regularly-scheduled blog post! I know you've all been waiting with baited breath, right? Lol.Anyhow, I hope everyone has had a chance to check out the new store location. Personally, I love it. It's closer to my house, it's well-stocked, and it's closer to my house (have I mentioned this already?) - which means more opportunities to shop and buy all the new products that are coming in. Remember all those lovely pictures I showed from CHA in January? Well, I have good news for you: the Winter CHA releases are starting to hit store shelves! And ScrapHappy has a lot of it! Yeah for enabling! When I was there last week, I was able to pick up some of the new Basic Grey and Echo Park lines, in addition to some of Rhonna Farrer's lines for My Mind's Eye.

First up, a few layouts for you to look at: Baa Baa Baby Jesus is a layout about my youngest and her friends before they sang in our church's Children's Christmas Program and the sheep song they sang. I wish I could convey the hilarity of their performance. But at least I have this layout to remember it by.

This next layout uses a quote from Dr Seuss. October Afternoon offered the quote as a free Silhouette svg file for easy cutting. I stamped the butterflies with a Jenni Bowlin stamp then layered the quote over it. The people shapes are Studio Calico wood veneers, and the kitty button is from October Afternoon.

 And finally, a new magnet board that can be used for everyday messages and note-taking. I cut the days of the week on my Silhouette and inked them with grey ink before Mod-Podging them to the board. The magnets themselves are recycled from my Love Notes magnet board that I showed you at Valentine's Day. All the supplies are available at ScrapHappy.

I hope you've enjoyed the projects today. Let us know if you have any requests or questions.

- Cori

Love Notes, Part 2 - A Layout

Hello, World!

Yesterday I showed you a memo board project using some My Mind's Eye Lost and Found papers and embellishments. Today I'm going to show you what I did with my remaining bits and pieces from this line. Since I am a Layout Girl at heart, and I don't like tossing or wasting any little bits of scraps, I decided to make a layout.

Do you remember how I had cut my title on my Silhouette? Well, that negative space cutout called to me, and I decided to write a Love Note to my oldest daughter. I used the cutout title as a mask to spray a title onto a free-hand cut heart from yesterday's leftovers using some Tattered Angels spray mists. I emphasized the title by tracing over it with some Smooch ink to make it more legible. I then layered my heart with my photo and some other scraps to make this quick and easy layout. My journalling is on a tag that I also decorated with scraps before tucking it behind my photo.

Thanks for being here and for checking in on the blog!as always, please leave a comment if you have any questions, requests, or thoughts you want to share!
- Cori

Love Notes Memo Board

Happy February, World!

I hope you've enjoyed all the peaks from CHA over the last week or so. Aren't there some serious pretty-pretties out there awaiting our Crafty Pleasure? I don't know about you, but I am excited about all the new stuff that is coming out right now. One of the lines that never fails to get me excited is My Mind's Eye's Lost and Found, and they've outdone themselves with their latest release, and fortunately, Christy let me play with some. Yeah, Me!

I don't know if you've ever noticed them in the store, but there are these lovely pieces of sheet metal just waiting for your creative touch. They are magnetic and make wonderful gifts for friends and family. Think of them as metal bases for a layout that you can readjust to suit your whims. Or as a decorative memo board that you can add pictures and To-Do lists to. Anything your creativity can imagine! Since Valentine's Day is coming up, I decided to make my magnet board a base for some Love Notes.

The plain, undecorated magnet board is a little bigger than 8.5x11'', so you'll need at least 2 sheets of patterned paper or card stock to fully cover the surface. I chose to use the Eiffel Tower paper on the top, and to ground it with the Birds on a Wire paper. I used my Xyron Cheetah runner as my base adhesive, because I wanted a good, firm, all-over coverage that wouldn't peel up later.

To cover the seam where the 2 papers meet, I adhered some Pink Paislee mistables ribbon that I had stained with Tim Holtz's Spun Sugar Distress Stain. I used 2 layers of the ribbon, because I wanted a pretty layered look to my ruffle. Very Girly here, I know, but I wanted a soft, romantic feel to display my Valentines on.

I cut my title on my Silhouette using the Pacifico font (my new favorite script font, because it welds and cuts so nicely, while still being legible). I then inked the edges and adhered it to my board over some labels that I had cut from another sheet of paper in this line. I finished my title with some Stickles to add some sparkle and shine.

To make the magnets, themselves, I used some plain, small, round magnets as a base. I colored the tips of my Pink Paislee mistables flowers with the same Distress Stain from my ruffle, stuck a Theresa Collins brad through the center, and glue-dotted it to the magnet. Very quick and simple, yet still pretty and moveable.

To finish my board, I used my crop-o-dile to punch some holes in the top and threaded some gingham ribbon through the holes so that I can hang it on the wall. And voila! A beautiful Love Note to share with your family and friends!

- Cori

Projects in store!

Here are a couple of project samples in the store!

~Mom book~
-using MME Lush flocked paper, acrylic, satin ribbon, mom rub-ons, and MME Lush jewels
-card made using leftover piece of the paper





These are some little houses Jayne S. from design team covered using the MME paper and the Tim Holtz paper.



And here is the graduation gatefold album class that is on the 28th at 6:30 pm!

Scouts, Coaches, more!

We've been working on lots of samples, here are a few pics!

This is a metal, magnetic message board using the Teresa Collins sports edition line...A perfect, quick gift for a coach, all for under $10! Could also be decorated differently and given as an end of the year teacher's gift!


These are some girl scout layouts using the Quite Contrary line by My Mind's Eye. The colors in this collection work perfectly for girl scout colors!



These frames say Boy Scouts, and we also have them in school names now! We can also do personalized ones, so if there is one you would like, just let us know.

This is a simple Disney layout using the Lush collection from My Mind's Eye.



We have lots of class samples coming for National Scrapbook Day, including some acrylic mini books, fabric covered books, glimmer mist, and more! See store for completed samples!

You Know You're a scrapbooker when...

I saw this cute little article by Melissa Wilson in an old scrap magazine, and thought I would share it with you guys!

You know you're a scrapbooker when...
~You usually have a camera with you.
~You wonder if you'll ever get caught up.
~You have tools your husband doesn't know how to use.
~You pull buttons off old, unused, or outgrown clothes to use on a layout.
~You know who Lisa, Becky, Ali, Jennifer, and Tim are.
~THe clerks in your local scrapbook store know you by name.
~Your house is a mess because you've been scrapbooking all day.
~You know what CK, CKU, CKC, HOF, SOY, and KOTM stand for.
~You can spot an Elsie sticker faster than you can say Louis Vuitton.
~You check online galleries and blogs more than you check the news.
~You save the ribbon off Godiva chocolate boxes to use on your pages and cards.
~You change your child's outfit to match the paper you just bought...so you'll have the perfect photo to go with the paper.
~Your scrapbook bag is the first thing you pack for vacation, prompting your husband to mention something about your priorities.
~You know that scrapbookers don't lie, we embellish.




How do YOU know you're a scrapbooker??

Post a comment telling us how you know, and on Friday a randomly chosen comment will win a My Mind's Eye paper pack, containing 6 sheets of MME paper, 3 coordinating embellishments, and a pack of MME ribbon to match!~