Project Organization...

Thursdays are Project day over on the Splitcoast- Unity forum and since I needed a new moving organizational binder I volunteered to create this week's project. The following is a copy of my post over there...

WARNING: This is a project based upon your love of your supplies…

I will let you all in on a little secret….I LOVE office supplies. When I was little and we would go to the store, my brothers would go to the toy section and I would go to the school supply section. I love that stuff (which makes you wonder why I am not more organized?!?)

Obviously, I am a bit fanatical about stamping and papercrafts too so today’s project is a perfect place to combine these two loves. Today we are making an organizational binder.

You will need:
*7x9 loose leaf binder (holds 5 ½ x 8 ½ paper) with clear pockets on the cover
*favorite stamps
*favorite papers

supplies used:

*Unity Stamp Company Create Yourself Single

*Unity Stamp Company Flirty Flowers kit

*American Crafts paper

*Bazzill scalloped paper

*Making Memories journaling paper

*Circle punches

*StazOn Black ink

*Heidi Swapp bling

Do you have papers that you can’t stand to think about cutting into them because you don’t want to waste them? It’s time to get them out for this project. The beauty of this project is that this is an organizer that will last you for a long time. As such, you will get to lovingly look at those papers every day that you use it which means that you actually will use it more just because you like to look at it.

For the Life on this, I used my water-based marker to color it and to separate it from the Beautiful in the sentiment.

Supplies Used:

*Unity Stamp Company Beautiful Life

*Unity Stamp Company Greatest of Friends

*Unity Stamp Company LilyPad Playland

*MME paper (red)

*Daisy D's paper

*Making Memories journaling block

*Heidi Swapp Journaling spots

*StazOn Timber Brown

*Prima daffodil

*flatbacked gem

*Marvy Uchida scallop punches

Making the Cover:
For the cover of this book, you will need a base that is just a hair smaller than 7x9 so that it will easily slide into the front cover. (You may want to measure your cover just to be sure that it is the same size as mine.) You can decorate this any way that you desire. Just be sure that you don’t get very dimensional as that will prohibit the cover from sliding into the pocket.

The Dividers:
There are lots of things that you can do on the insides of these books. You can make dividers very simply. I have two different ways that I have made mine.

One, I took my favorite papers and cut them to 9x12 and scored them down the middle (so that when they are folded in half they measure 6x9.) I adhered the two sides together and rounded the corners. This is a great method when the papers that you want to use are one sided.

Two, I cut my favorite two-sided papers into 4x6 pieces and rounded the outside corners. These, I centered in my book so that they had 2 holes punch in them for the 3-ring binder and staggered them from top to bottom in my various sections.

Pocket divider:
You can also use the two sided papers to make pocket dividers. Simply cut and score your piece the same way as the first style of divider. After it is scored, cut one side from the score line to the outside edge (about 3” above the bottom) at an angle and fold. You now have your pocket…you can either sew the bottom and side of the pocket or use an adhesive to form the pocket.

Bookmarks:
If you are keeping your organizer as some sort of daily project, then it may be useful to have a bookmark that you can move throughout your book. Simply make a bookmark as you would for any other project, but be sure that it is 9” tall so that it will stick above your papers.

Filler pages:
You can buy filler notebook paper for these binders, but for a more inexpensive solution, you can simply cut your printer paper in half and hole-punch it. This makes for great sketch paper.

Here is a link to a download that Creating Keepsakes has made for printing your own creative organizer papers. My green and blue organizer is made to support these papers and you can see a glimpse of them on my divider photo. Simply print them up double-sided, cut them in half, and hole punch them and you are ready to go.

Handy hint:
Most three hole-punches are made where you can move the holes. Set yours up for ease of use for this smaller binder. Just be sure to switch it back before you set it back on the shelf or you will be very unhappy next time you use it.

Smiles,

Christi

Simple Scrapbook Challenge Monday....

As part of the Unity Stamp Co. Design Team, I am going to start posting Monday Simple Scrapbook challenges over on our forum on Splitcoaststampers. I am just going to copy/paste my thread from there over here so that you guys can play along too.





Welcome to our Simple Scrapbook Challenge Mondays!!! Every Monday, I am going to bring you a challenge to get you scrapbooking. Whether you are an old-hand at scrapbooking or someone that has never taken the plunge, we hope that you will play along.We have several people in our forum that have never tried scrapbooking, but have expressed an interest in getting started so we hope to keep these challenges (esp. at first) easy enough so that they can comfortably play along.





In the beginning here, that is probably going to mean lots of sketches because that tends to be a really easy way to start scrapbooking.



So let’s get started! Here's today's sketch.





You will find that I am a challenge junkie, but that is because they are such a good venue for creating. That being said, let me explain here that your creation is the most important part of this challenge. If you start on this sketch and you end up with something that in the end looks nothing like the sketch, then that is AWESOME! You created a project and that is the point. Still come back and link us up and if it’s not real obvious explain your creation process to us. That’s how we all learn to move and mold our creative muse to work for us. Make this sketch work for you…I am okay if you change it for what looks best on your individual project.


There are no real rules here, but here are a few quick guidelines. We want you to get scrapbooking so using a photo is good (even if that means that you use the sketch to create a card with a photo on it.) This is the Unity Stamp Company forum so we would like for you to use some of our stamps too if you have them. Finally, upload to the Splitcoast gallery (there is a scrapbooking section in the categories) and use Unity and USS01 as your keywords, then come back here (and the weekly link thread) and link us up!



Here is my interpretation of this sketch:





Supplies used:
*Unity Stamp Company Worn PolkaDot alpha
*Unity Just Be single
*Unity Everlasting Romance single
*Unity Live the LIfe You Love single
*Unity Circle of Thanks kit
*K&Company papers
*Scenic Route graph paper
*Fiskars Threading Water punch
*buttons
*circle punches


The photo in this layout is one that my mom took when we were on our picnic last week. Wow! It's hard to believe that was just a week ago...it's been a LONG week.



Have fun!!!
smiles,
Christi

Happy Memorial Day Weekend!!!

I hope that you have some fun family plans for the weekend. I know that many aren't traveling because of the cost of gas, but if you are at home, make sure that you get out and at least do a picnic in the park. A couple of $$ for bubbles and a frisbee, some pb&j sandwiches, and your camera (don't ever forget that) and I think that you will find a really fun day's worth of activity.

Angela has done it yet again! In honor of the holiday weekend, she snuck in a gorgeous new release and an incredible sale offer over at Unity Stamp Company! This weekend, if you place an order (and I think that you will want to after you see the new sentiment set), then you get Trifle Sentiments free!!! You can't beat that!!! Just make sure that you place your order before Memorial Day 12:00 a.m. Central.

I was dying to do a layout this week...it has been entirely too long and although I had other things that I needed to be working on, I snuck this one in. I think that this was the cutest photo from Kat's birthday so of course, I had to scrapbook it first.

Overall this is a very simple layout. I love this new paper from Making Memories so I couldn't stand to cut it or cover it up too much.

Supplies Used:

*Making Memories Noteworthy 2 paper

*Making Memories Noteworthy 2 embellishments
*Unity Stamp Company Circle of Thanks kit

*Prima Flower (pink) and Making Memories flowers

*Cosmo Cricket chipboard alphabet

*Making Memories bitty alpha

Speaking of scrapbooking, this Monday on the Unity Splitcoaststampers forum, I will be hosting a simple scrapbooking challenge. I will post it here too. All you will need will be a 4x6 photo that you love!

smiles,

Christi

Inspirational Challenge Friday...

Friday's over at the Unity forum on Splitcoaststampers are going to be our Inspirational Challenge days. Shannan is in charge of the challenge for today and she is a quote gal....in fact, I think that she helped to colaborate on the new gorgeous quote stamps offered by Unity.

This is quoted from Shannan's blog:

I love the new singles that Unity released last week. Yall know I love quotes. So I took my first inspiration from the new Single: Be the Change you wish to see in the world. - Ghandi

Is there a crafting trend you'd like to change? A movement you want to start? Here's your chance to go for it! Take your imagination on a ride with a current trend and change it up or take it a step further to what only you can dream it to be.

That's a tough one isn't it, but I love a good challenge. One of the current trends is the use of damask. I decided to make a card with a twist and created all my damask-looking papers from one stamp, Royal Day and here is the result:

Supplies used:

*Unity Stamp Company Royal Day Background

*Unity Stamp Company Circle of Thanks

*various cardstocks

*Making Memories flowers

*Heidi Swapp large flower

*buttons

*StazOn jet black ink

*CTMH Sweet leaf and Amethyst inkpads

Smiles,

Christi

Project Thursday...

First things first...

Happy Birthday Daniel, Dave, and Alison!!!

Thursday's are going to be Project days over on the Unity forum at Splitcoaststampers. Today's project was done by AJ. We had planned on the DT having projects done beforehand so that we would have extra samples which I did, but I really didn't know what the technique was and did my sample totally wrong!! Go check out AJ's tutorial...it looks like a great technique.

But anyway, here is my card...

You can't really tell it here, but the butterfly has been stamped onto acetate using Black StazOn ink. Then I added diamond glaze to the wing sections and glittered them with colored glitters. The acetate is attached to the patterned paper with the brads.

Supplies used:

*Unity Stamp Company Butterfly Beauty

*Unity Stamp Company Circle of Thanks

*StazOn Jet Black Ink

*K& Company Amy Butler papers and die-cut

*K&Company glitter

*brads

*Martha Stewart scallop punch

Finally, many of you have offered up prayers and positive thoughts for Junior, the cat, the last couple of months. I really appreciate that, but unfortunately I had to put him to sleep this morning. This photo was take two weeks ago. He looks annoyed because I was actually taking photos of my Mother's Day flowers and wouldn't let him eat them. I guess that I should have let him... I am really going to miss him...I already do...

C~

Playing Catch-Up...

Unfortunately, mom left on Sunday. We had so much fun with her here!!! I have had a head cold ever since she left so I have mainly lazed about since Sunday, but now it is time for a bit of catch-up...


Last Thursday was so crazy with the Unity release the same day as Kat's birthday that I didn't get any birthday photos posted and I know that you want to see those (well, even if you don't, I am going to share them anyway!) :o)

She was very happy, but how can you not be happy when the whole day is focused on you!!!

Like I mentioned before, the whole theme of the party "Ladybugs" was featured around the print on her dress. We made the cupcake toppers and birthday sign using the Little Lady stamps from PaperTrey Ink.

She felt like the tiara was a little too much for her outfit.

I know that I should have let her dig in, but the problem with a pretty party dress is that you (meaning me) don't want it to get ruined.

She got this huge Elmo chair for her birthday. She wasn't too sure about it at first, but she has warmed up to it now.

Jacob was in charge of helping her unwrap her presents.

Mom and Dad got her this great car. It has all kinds of activities to play with on it, but best of all...it plays music. She stands beside it dancing at least half the day. She LOVES music!!!

Having fun with Nana.

Saturday was absolutely a perfect day here in North Carolina so we decided to head out to the park for a picnic and photos. It was so fun and relaxing.

Nana sharing her Chick-fil-A sandwich.

Kat and I hanging out on the blanket.

Jacob playing in the fountain.

Kat showing us where her nose is.

This isn't the greatest photo, but if you look really closely here you can see that both of Kat's hands are holding that brochure (what? you don't carry flea brochures around in your stroller?!? One too many trips to the vet where Kat was bored...LOL!) But back to the photo...she's not walking yet, but she is definitely standing.

It was a good week! BTW, you can click on the photos to see them better.

smiles,

Christi

It's time for some Unity Stamp Co. Fun!!!!

Tonight is a big release for Unity Stamp Company. They are releasing 5 new kits and 10 single stamps. The party is going to get started over on Splitcoast Stampers at 9:00 CST. There are going to be games and giveaways (Angela is giving away one of everything that is being released!!!) so you definitely will want to be there.


I have been wanting to make some more cards for Ben while he is gone and the kit, Beautiful Life was calling to me. To just look at this kit, it seems to be more of a feminine set, but I keep using it on my masculine projects and it is working fabulously!! There is a swirl included in the kit that I used in the corners of this card...I love that effect. So many swirls are really light and feminine, but this one really makes a statement that is great for a masculine project.

supplies used:
*Crate Paper Static Collection
*Unity Stamp Company Beautiful Life kit (I used a marker to just stamp the Love part of the sentiment stamp)
*K&Company journaling card
*Doodlebug alphabet stickers
*brown brads

supplies used:
*Crate Paper Static Collection
*Unity Stamp Company Beautiful Life kit
*small circle punch (to create the ticket-looking corners)
*small blue brads

You have seen this project before, but I wanted to show it with the cards since they are all using the Beautiful Life stamps and the Crate Paper Static paper line.

supplies used:
*Crate Paper Static Collection
*Unity Stamp Company Beautiful Life kit (I used a marker to just stamp the Life part of the Beautiful Life stamp)
*Unity Stamp Company Tea Time Pattern Background stamp
*MME Journaling card

The stamps in this set are big (which is awesome, but they don't always work at that size for every project), but I love the fonts used so there are a couple of times on these projects where I used water-based markers to color in one part of a phrase so that I could stamp one word. You can see that in the Love down in the corner of the Miss You card and the Life on the layout. To do this, you simply color the part of the image that you want to stamp with the marker. Then you blow the hot air from your mouth on it which will moisten it so that it will stamp clearly. If that isn't clear, let me know and I can do a full-blown tutorial on how to do this.

I hope that we see you over at SplitCoast tonight!
ETA...the new stamps are up and OMG! You have got to go check them out. I am seriously placing an order! You can see the new kits here and the new singles here. If you place a $100 order tonight, then you get the Shopaholic kit free!
smiles,
Christi

1st Birthday Celebration & Contest Winners...

Today is Kat's birthday and we have a day planned filled with fun, games, and chocolate cupcakes. Here she is from this morning in her new birthday outfit from Gymboree (and the whole basis of our Ladybug theme to the day)...

Today is also the announcement of my 500th post winners! I only had 4 entries, but they were all fabulous!! Crystal is the big winner!!! She has been a wonderful blog reader/supporter for a while now and she created a beautiful layout using her Autumn Leaves calendar as a creative prompt. You can go check out her layout here. Crystal is celebrating her own blog anniversary (Happy 2 Years, Crystal!!!) and has a beautiful blog filled with inspiration, positive thoughts, and gorgeous photos of her grandchildren. It's definitely worth an afternoon's visit so I hope that you will drop by and say hi! Congratulations, Crystal!!! I will be sending you a Unity Stamp kit of your choice, the PageMaps book, and a few other little goodies so email me your address (snowchris_01@yahoo.com) and the name of the Unity kit that you want and I will get those in the mail.

I also have an amazing and supportive family who also just happen to be incredibly talented. I received 3 entries from the family.

First from my mom. She created this beautiful birthday card featuring the number "1". The stamp around the photo is from Urban Lily and the papers and stickers are from Heidi Grace. Isn't it so cute and girly!!! She will get to choose a Unity Stamp Company stamp kit...

This is the creative prompt from the newspaper which inspired her card....

Dave also got into the action. He used Creative Prompt #47 to create this wonderful scrapbook style page of a photo of him and Alison from their Alaskan cruise that they just returned from. I really, really love this...I think that it is actually more gorgeous than the original prompt! He wins the $25 gift certificate to Texas Roadhouse (or other restaurant if you prefer, Dave...)

scrapbook page by Dave

His wife Alison is an incredible writer and she took on the story challenge! I absolutely love what she did with it and laughed out loud several times. Alison, let me know what stamp kit you want from Unity and I will get it in the mail to you. I think that you all will enjoy the story too...

She rolled over and felt the tickle of sunlight roll over her eyelashes as it peeked through her polka dot organza curtains. With a groan, Cassie opened one eyelid hoping that it was just a cruel trick, but no, the sun was creeping up over the horizon. The day was going to happen whether she was ready for it or not. Her eyes fell on the black dress that she and her mother had set out the night before and a wave of panic spread through her. How had she gotten here?
It had actually begun on a day that had started a lot like this one just two years before….

On that day Cassie had stumbled to her job at the family business, still half asleep. She glanced down and straightened her black dress as she stepped in the back door to the funeral home. Howzenhofferschmidt Family Funeral Home had been in her family for three generations. It was an institution—albeit a grim one—in their robust-sized hometown. Cassie assumed her usual position at the office manager’s desk. She sighed. How long can I stay in this job? she wondered. I love my family, and even this work sometimes, but I can’t wait to get out. I think it’s time that I took steps toward my dream, she resolved. Besides, Howzenhofferschmidt would be a great opera singer’s last name. She smiled to herself.

For consolation she flipped on the office sound system, volume turned way down. The quiet opera music lilted its way to her ears. She daydreamed that she was onstage singing an aria, just as she’d dreamed since she was seven. She shut out the world as activity around her picked up. Three other family members went about their business in the office.

Fast forward two years…Cassie’s voice training at the nearby university begin to pay off. She has even made friends with some performers in her city’s opera company. March 15th: Today was the day she would audition! Nerves and excitement intertwined and enveloped her as she panicked briefly, then rose and got ready. Although not at all glamorous, her black funeral home dress would have to do double duty as a mandatory black audition dress.

Hours later, she took a deep breath and strode confidently onstage. All of her daydreaming and hard work came down to this moment. She willed her timid dignity to make her taller than her five foot four frame.

Three judges presided behind a table perched in the first two rows of seats in the audience. She looked to them and waited. The judge on the end merely nodded slightly to her to begin. Cassie turned her head and looked at the pianist, who launched into the introduction. The time came for her entrance. Cassie took a deep breath, and…belted out something unexpected. “Hey, did you hear the one about the penguin going to the bar?” The music stopped like a train wreck. All eyes stared at her. No one surpassed her own surprise. Where in the world had that come from? Terror gripped her and twisted her face. “I--I’m so sorry—I don’t know what happened. Please let me try again,” she pleaded.

The pianist began again, this time peering curiously around the piano at Cassie. She cleared her throat and prepared to deliver the first note. Instead, out came, “Knock, knock!” Silence.

Sweat trickled down her spine. She tried again, only to blurt out a George Burns impersonation. Time after time she attempted, only to fill an agonizing three hours with impromptu opera-comedy before an unappreciative audience. What was wrong with her?

Finally, she fled the stage and escaped out the side door. Failure crushed her. Only when she landed on the safety of her own bed did she quit shaking and began weeping. Darkness fell and tucked her in for the night, tears baptizing her face.

Too quickly, dawn again stretched over her bedroom window. She rolled over and stretched, yesterday’s horror hanging over her. Sleepy eyes again fell on her black dress, laid out neatly. Wait a minute, she thought. I fell asleep in that dress. Puzzlement twisted her forehead.

She sat up and looked at the calendar on her humming computer screen. March 15th. …It had all been a dream! Relief made her as light as a feather. Her audition would take place today! She chuckled at herself as she headed to the bathroom, talking to herself. “You’re a funny dame,” came her raspy, George Burns-sounding voice. Cassie gasped in surprise and stared, big eyed, at her reflection in the mirror.

The End

Isn't that fun? I love how she turned the story into something really fun!!!

Thanks guys for playing! I will be back later today with some UnityStampCompany fun as we are having a release party tonight at 9:00 CST over on the Splitcoast Stampers forum...

smiles,

Christi

Updates...

This is just a quick update to let you know that I am still here...with Mom. She is in town visiting for Kat's birthday tomorrow and we are having a ton of fun planning for Little Bit's LadyBug Birthday party.



A couple of updates for you. The deadline to enter my 500th post contest is tonight, but if you are in the middle of a project, just let me know to wait for you. We can use that deadline as more of a guideline. ;o) And it's not too late to start a project so get creating!!!



Also a reminder that Unity Stamp Company is having a new release of 5 new kits and 10 new single stamps tomorrow night. There is a release party over on Splitcoast stampers tomorrow night (Thursday, the 15th) at 9:00 CST. I think that it is safe to say that it will be a fun party with some fun give-aways so be sure to stop by to visit. I will also be posting a new project on here tomorrow in celebration of the release party.


smiles,
Christi

Happy Mother's Day...

There is a certain amount of loneliness that comes with having your husband gone for a long time. Overall, you tend to get used to it, but there are times when it's definitely harder than others. Right now is one of those times. I think that it's because there is an end in sight (another 5 weeks to go). I want him to be here now, but it's the little things that help...email is definitely one of them. I only talk to DH once a week for about 30 minutes and that call has the international delay which makes relaxed discussion difficult because you tend to be talking over each other. Another thing that makes it easier is wonderful surprises like these that showed up on my doorstep on Friday....

DH is traditionally awful about doing anything for Mother's Day and the fact that he thought about it while in Iraq, well let's just say that I definitely cried.

The other thing that makes it easier is that my mom is coming to visit today. I pick her up from the airport in 6 hours and I cannot wait!!! My mom and I are very close and it's very rare that I get to actually spend mother's day with her since we normally are so far away. It makes it extra special when I can.

I took a bit of time off from my cleaning yesterday to create a little something up to go with her mother's day gift. The tin is full of little candy bars that have been decorated using the Little Label 2 Kit from Unity.

I talked about the Autumn Leaves calendar page from Friday. This tag was totally inspired from that page. I used the background stamp, TeaTime Pattern, from Unity to make the red medalion. The "M" stamped on top of it is a stamp from Great Impressions. I don't know if you can quite make it out in these photos, but there is a little bit of detail work colored in using my white sharpie on the scroll work around the M. The flowers are also done from the Little Labels 2 kit...first I stamped the circle from that set and then punched it using my flower punch. There is a label in that kit that has flowers in it made from the graduated circles...for my flower centers, I punched those out using a small circle punch...added a brad and a drawn stem, and they were done.

I hope that you all have a fantastic mother's day today....and remember, you deserve a bit of spoiling. If someone else doesn't do it for you, then do it for yourself...you've earned it!

smiles,

Christi

Happy Shake Friday!!!

I apologize for being a bit scarce this week. I am finishing up article artwork that is going out in the mail tomorrow so I haven't had a whole lot of time to play, but I seriously want to! If you have the Autumn Leaves calendar, have you checked out today's art? I LOVE today's project. It makes me just want to go create something with that color scheme and that is definitely on the agenda tonight so hopefully I will have something new that I can actually share with you tomorrow in the artwork department.

Speaking of sharing, I have a little sneak peek to share with you. They have just officially opened the doors with stamps flying out the doors over at Unity Stamp Company (you can order from the site if you are wanting some of those lush stamps that I have been showing off for a couple of months now) and already Angela and her artists are coming up with new ideas. I have a little sneak to share with you today of a new stamp coming soon from Unity Stamp Company...

What do you think? Isn't that lush!!! I can't wait to see the rest of the set!!! hmmmm, I do hear that there may be a couple of other sneaks on a couple of DT members blogs, but you are going to have to search to find them. ;o) All the links are over in my sidebar... There is going to be a huge release party on the Unity Stamp Company forum on Splitcoaststampers May 15th at 9:00 pm CST. I hope that you all will come join us!!! And be on the lookout on the DT blogs all this week...I hear that there are going to be some more sneak peeks...

Don't forget to have your shake today!

smiles,

Christi

Plans gone awry....

I don't feel like I have gotten anything done the last couple of days and I seriously have a LOT to do this week, so I am going to quickly blog and then GET TO WORK!!!





Several of you asked about where we are moving. DH is in the Air Force and they have decided that they need us at Scott AFB, Illinois which is right outside (on the other side of the river) from St. Louis. I am really very excited about the move. The more people that I meet in the papercrafting world, the more that I am beginning to think that if you don't live in Utah, then you are in the St. Louis area as a papercrafter. I know soooo many people through my papercrafting that live in this area and I am so excited to meet you all (although more than a little nervous.) I am really pretty reserved in person and not a big social person anymore. I am going to have to brush up on my social skills.





I have just a quick card to share today. I LOVE this card (is that wrong to say that?!?) But I really do!!! This was a card that I made just because I really LOVE that teatime toile background from Unity Stamp Company. I plan to do a whole series of projects using the backgrounds from Unity because they stamp so darn well and at only $7/each, they are an incredible bargain!!!





Supplies used:
*Unity Stamp Company Teatime Toile Background
*Unity Stamp Company Formal alphabet
*American Crafts Ribbon
*Basic Grey LilyKate papers
*Marvy Uchida Scallop Square punch




I am starting to have entries come in for my 500th post contest. There are some fun prizes so be sure to enter!! You can see the details here. You still have another week to put your entry together!


smiles,
Christi