30 minute page tips- Optimizing your scrap time

Hello there scrappy buddies!
I want to share a post that went up on the Scrap FX blog last weekend.
I took time to really research this because I'm currently trying to "optimize" my scrapping.
"Optimize" is corporate speak for increasing productivity.
WHY bring corporate culture into my scrap la-la-land?
Because in this case "productivity" means FUN TIME while "waste" is time NOT spent scrapping.

For this page I used Graphic 45 ABC collection paper- loove that grungy graph print! I also finally used some of my doily stash- see what re-organizing can do? I had completely forgotten these were around!

30 minute page tips

1. Use items from the same brand and line. ”DUUUH!” you say rolling your eyes. Here's the thing- I tend to cherry pick collections. I also tend to buy in spurts so my stash is arranged by orders instead of by item or brand.  Solution? Store items from the same collections together instead of separating things into categories like stickers, alphabets and embellishments. It doesn't hurt to try to arrange things by color as well but don't spend all your time trying to ROYGBIV your stuff- THAT is called procrastination- see item #6.

2. Set up your tools in advance. You want to use your sewing machine but it’s sitting in a box in the closet. You'd use your heat embossing gun more but it's a pain to unfurl the cord and find an empty socket. Solution? Give your machines pride of place. Put your paper in storage, you’ll need it anyway. Just make sure it's all in one place. If you store paper in three different areas you’ll tend to ignore the stuff that’s hard to get to.

Scrap FX lace tag set in red and String of lights model #2012261 

3. RUTHLESSLY CULL YOUR COLLECTION! This is the hardest part for me. I want to “collect” certain brands but I have a tiny room I share with my daughter so either she finds something and “uses” it or I find it AFTER I bought it again. So get rid of that old paper! It’s JUST PAPER! Yes, I KNOW you paid X amount for it! But it’s just sitting there taking up valuable living space. Donate tools and paper to a school, shelter, hospital or daycare center. Trust me- someone else will cherish it as much as you did.

4. Develop a personal “style kit”. Notice what tools or materials you use most and keep them in a box next to your work space. Tend to use a lot of gesso or twine? Keep that in your box. Don’t include "consumable" items like paper or stickers. Try to limit the box to items you see in a lot of your work. Every few months go over the items in the box and cull those as well. That butterfly punch no longer making it’s way into your pages? Storage! Maybe next year you’ll love it again!

LOVE this Scrap FX Bauble E Merry Christmas model #2012254

5. DO NOT scrap by the rules. NOTHING kills mojo like forcing yourself to scrap a photo you aren't ready for. Scrap the photos you are inspired by first. If that means pausing the lil one's birthday 2 pager- don't bother with guilt- SKIP IT. I am scrapping Christmas 2010 now because now those photos have meaning. Before I focused on the "flaws" and berated myself for not getting a perfect family shot. Meaning changes with time. Moments that seem everyday to you now take on huge personal significance later. Give yourself the time to reflect and you will be rewarded with scrapbooks that are more than pretty. If you're worried that you'll forget your first feelings about a moment, keep a photo journal. It doesn't have to be fancy- a sticky note on the back of the photo will do.  

6. Procrastinating habits: identify yours and stamp them out. Do you have a procrastinating ritual? Is it going on social media websites for “inspiration”? Time yourself. Pinterest? 15 minutes! Twitter? 10 minutes! Facebook? DON'T GO IN AT ALL! Facebook is the black hole of digital life. 

So what do you think?

Anything missing from this list? 

Before I thought this photo was boring and badly lit.
 Now I look at it and miss my baby! 

Thanks for swinging by!

Michelle

Let the sunshine in! A Scrap FX stencils post

It was only a matter of time. 

Stencils are finally en vogue for all scrapbooking styles.

Scrap FX has some beautiful stencils and today I'll share a a clean and modern page scrapbook page I made with their "Pow Spots Stencil".

I love This photo of Lola with her two cousins- I've scrapped it at least 4 times so far. I added cream colored mist to give the "Bokeh" effect without the digital enhancement.
Materials: Scrap FX "So Happy Together" chipboard, Scrap FX "Pow Spots Stencil",  A Flair For Buttons  "Photos" pin, American Crafts "Shoreline" papers and gold glitter brads, Martha Stewart punch around the page pinked circle punch, Jenni Bowlin Blue Ribbon squeeze punch, Little Yellow Bicycle star pin, Maya Road star pin, Pop Dots, Grafix shirk film. Liquid Pearls in yellow, Kaiserkraft pearls in pink. Mister Huey in gold and cream

I love this stencil and thought I could use it to make a fun Super hero page but I realized I could also make some cool solar flare effects with it so I got to work on that instead.

Here's a close up of the shrink film pow spot- that looks like an
AWESOME "Gem" style earring to me!!!!

These could probably be made faster with a digital cutter but I like working with stencils to add gesso and paint accents to my pages so this was actually a departure from my usual technique.

I finished the wordlet (item number 2012060) with Diamond Stickles and Liquid Pearls in yellow-
the effect is subtle and really pretty.

If you swing by the blogs of my fellow Scrap FX design team members (or click on that link to go to the company blog and see work by the entire team) you'll see how they use different stencil products to their best advantage.

Clouds & Raindrops stencil. LOVE these out of the ordinary shapes!

Right now I'm loving:

• Michelle Logan's pages using the Chevron stencil
• Agnieszka Bellaidea's use of the palm frond stencil
• And I love the whimsy in all of Scarlett's pages lately- she uses templates in all her work

Swing by their blogs and check them out.

The entire team is making amazing stenciled pages so there will be more links coming your way in my next post. ;)

Gotta have those!!!!
 I'm SO GONNA MAKE THIS MY NEXT PROJECT! 

It's Friday mi gente!

Get out the August sun and get creative!

A challenge of Olympic Proportions! True Xoxo Girls Scrapbooking

Hello!
If you're here for the Punky Scraps Blog hop please scroll to the post right under this one!
Or swing by http://www.njmacs.blogspot.com/2012/07/punky-punky-back.html for a chance to get on the team for 2012-13!

The True Xoxo Girls Olympic challenge is here!
Perhaps you would like to use the colors of the Olympic flag in your layout.
Or maybe you'd like to make a heritage page about a sports event your family was inspired by.
The possibilities are endless!
Swing by the True Xoxo blog and pick a page to scraplift.
You can also vote for your favorite page from the June and July entries.

Here's my page for the August challenge:

Materials: A Flair For Buttons arrow pin, Studio Calico paper, Crate Paper border, Fiskars Jenni Bowlin
ribbon punch, American Crafts glitter Thickers, American Crafts "Alex" Delights, Pebbles flag, Fiskars
corner rounder, gold gel pen from Sakura, gold mini brads from American Crafts and Mister Huey Gold mist.

That's my sister Melissa.
She's a pro boxer.
She changes weight divisions once in a while but mostly she's a Bantam weight fighter (and now a world title belt holder- WOOT!).

I rarely talk to Melissa about "the boxing thing".
It REALLY bothers me that she risks permanent injury every time she does her job but she loves what she's doing and she's good at it so I've learned to keep my reservations to myself.

I kept the page simple to focus on the spectacular photos (that I DID NOT TAKE-  I promise to track the name down of this photographer- he did a fantastic job)

I used my favorite Studio Calico print, cut some 1/2 inch strips from a Crate print for the border and tried to use Diamond Stickles on vellum.
The water-based Stickles glue crinkled the vellum but I liked the wonky effect so I kept it in.

A whole bunch of fun new flair pin sets are up over at the
A Flair For Buttons Etsy page!

Now you!
Join the Xoxo crew and show us your Olympics inspired page!
Swing by to check out the other DT work- lots of great pages this month (as always!)
True Xoxo Girls Challenge Blog.

OH! Before I forget!

3 pages of mine are in this issue! German Art Scrap Magazine
http://www.diescrapperin.de An online preview will be coming your way soon!

I have a page in the August issue if Scrapbook Trends as well.
I would show it to ya but I need to go to Joann's to pick up a copy!

Have a scrappy day mi gente!
Michelle

Using fabric on a layout

I got a sewing machine so I could learn to sew pillowcase style dresses for Lola as I love them. I also wanted to make her Alice in Wonderland apron for her first birthday.
Needless to say it hasn't happened- yet. But the machine gets used- a LOT- on paper. One day I WILL learn to sew but for now I'm happy to just know how to make a straight line.

For this page I cut some flowers off the fabric that was used to make Lola's dress (purchased online- have not been able to master the pillow case dress yet) I then stuck them onto the paper using Zip Dry glue- MISTAKE! Here's what I recommend- use that iron on adhesive webbing they use to make quilts- it makes sticking things and sewing them on paper much easier- this is what happens when you skip that crucial step:

I love this series of shots- it's very Lil Red Ridding Hood.
The fold from 1 year of storage in the bed linens closet has also been preserved- oops!

I like that the stitching around the flower outline is uneven but
some adhesive webbing would have kept that fabric stuck in place.

This project came together so quickly even I was surprised- Lily Bee Hello Sunshine and some K & Company Handmade alphas and we are good to go!

Hipstamatic iPod App strikes again!!! Love the sunshine filter effect you
get using the Jimmy lens and blanko film!

My favorite detail from this project.

This is my first real attempt at a 2 page layout with matching pages. I really liked feeling like I had more room to play with but I didn't run around trying to find more fiddly bits to add- I just wanted to showcase the fabric (and my lack of ironing skills).

MuChOs SmOoChEs!
Michelle