opps.

I accidentally sent Trish the wrong "friends" page for this month's gallery. Here is the actual page I made with the July kit. I am so crazy about the Cosmo Cricket Early Bird paper. I know this won't be the last page I make using my stash of it.

Have you ever thought you finished a page, came back to it later and realized it wasn't quite done? I do this all the time. When I am finished with a layout I usually leave it on my scrap table for a day or two. When I come back to it I usually can tell if I am happy with it or if it needs a few more touches. This happened when I was working on last month's pages.

I started with this and thought it was a pretty cool simple layout.

Two days later, I went back added some more flair. I think walking away and returning with a fresh set of eyes definitely helped.

Wonder how I got that type on the page without a 12x12 printer? Take your 12x12 cardstock and trim to 8.5x12. Most printers will print a custom size and you can set up a 8.5x12 page in the properties. Just adhere the printed piece to a full size page and it looks like you printed on your 12x12.

Summer's Fare

Hi…Jamie here! I am ready to celebrate summer and all that it has to offer. How about you? Vacation time. Evenings by the fire pit. Baseball games. Birthdays. Holidays. It’s a great time of year. As with all seasons, food is a big part too of the many activities we find ourselves involved in. Grilling becomes a way of life. Fresh veggies from the garden add to the freshness that is summer. There is more time to experiment with a new tangy sauce, or make homemade dressings. As I come across enticing combinations, I need a place to write down the menu and recipe. It’s not always enough to have a recipe; the other foods that make up a meal are just as important to that wonderful taste experience.

Enter, July’s WIP kit. With some of the freshest, most summery papers I have seen in a long time. Websters Pages are in the mix, with a line called Sweet As Cherry Pie. How cute is that? It caused me to be inspired, as well as motivated to put together a mini book that will give me a home just for my summer recipes, as well as the menu’s that make for the whole taste encounter.



The book is very simple. I loved the patterned with the retro housewife stirring up some baked goodness. It’s called Mom’s Ingredients. Isn’t that great? That was used to cover the front. I added the title ‘summer fare’ with the Doodlebug Design cardstock letter stickers to the front. The inside is covered with the Set the Table pattern. I cut out the ‘label’ from Mom’s Ingredients, and sort of used it as a title page just inside my book, and again used the sparkly letters to say “good eats”.

The inside pages are ledger pattern papers. I am simply handwriting the recipe, or the menu (the cranberry ice tea Trish shared with us from last week is included too). As I come across ideas and foods that work, I will be adding them to my book. If I find something online, I often copy the text over to my editing software, and just print it off and add to my book, just to simplify the process. Nothing goes into that book until it’s family loved and approved. I know next year when I come across this sweet little book, I will be so thrilled it is all in one place ready to be tried and enjoyed once again.

And, now for the rest of my layouts for July. Thanks for stopping in!

July 2009 Guest Designer

I've been a fan of hers for a long time, and I'm so tickled to introduce...
Roree Rumph as the July WIP Guest Designer!!

I first fell in love with Roree's cards and attention to detail and found myself always lifting her ideas from over at the Sketch This blog. She has a great eye for color and can work those smaller projects too!! I hope you enjoy her layouts and projects as much as I do...









Hi... Roree here. I live in Birmingham, AL with my husband, David, and our daughters, Grace and Harper. I consider myself primarily a cardmaker, but I occasionally alter and scrapbook too. When I do scrapbook, my kids are usually the subjects of my pages. My style tends to be very colorful and detail oriented, and I love to add some sort of stitching (hand or machine) on almost all of my projects.

How long have you been scrapping?

I have been scrapping/paper crafting for quite a while now. Almost five years.

Who inspires you?

I am inspired by lots of people. Really too many to name. Scrapbookers, cardmakers, altered artists... everyone.

Please name 3 of your favorite manufacturers.

I have such a hard time narrowing down favorites. Right now I am loving October Afternoon, Pink Paislee, and Sassafras Lass. I could definitely add more to this list though.

What are you dying to try/get your hands on?

Anything new will do. ;)

Is there anything you’d never do on a layout?

I can't really think of anything that I just wouldn't do. I'd probably try anything once.

Is there anything you typically eat or drink while scrapping?

I usually don't eat or drink while I scrap, but occasionally I will have a Diet Coke.

For more info on Roree, be sure to check out her blog. You can also see more of her gallery here.
Thanks so much for sharing your talent with us this month, Roree!!


**Please note, the WIP newsletters will not be sent out until July 7th. Thanks for your patience! You can view the entire DT gallery here. Jamie will be sharing hers with us on this blog in the next few days. I think you'll agree--they did another amazing job with the July kit!!

Ribbon Experiments

Hi everyone! Colleen here...

I've decided to get a little non traditional with ribbon using the July kit. I experimented a bit with the last kit on my Mr. Pink layout by threading it through the Pink Paislee edged paper.

This is a big step for me. Usually I'm very traditional with my ribbon usage.
See? Here I just used it like I would a strip of paper:

Sometimes I'll use it to close something or keep something together like a mini album or hidden journaling:

With the July kit, I decided to take the ribbon and use it as a decorative edge:

What I did was wrap the edge with the ribbon, adhering it to the front and back of the paper. I like the look. It gives it a vintagey feel, which is perfect with this kit. I think what I might do is go back with the sewing machine and stitch with some brown thread.

What fun things have you done with ribbon? Link us up!

Time...

Why is it we never seem to have enough of it? Hi everyone Tina here talking about the challenges of budgeting our time and finding time to do those things we love to do. I know even with my kids grown I'm still constantly pulled in many directions.

Dividing my time with family, work and everything in between sometimes its hard to find time to scrapbook.

So lately when I want to do something crafty but don't have a lot of time I'll make a mini book or a favor of some sort. Usually quite simple and something you can put together in an evening.

Here are two of my latest "evening" projects, the favors I made with the new stampin up box dies and the mini book I used from the September 2008 kit.

The mini is some of my favorite pictures from out Chicago trip

have you told them lately.....

that you appreciate them? that you love them?
that you are thankful for all they bring to you
and your life? that your life is so much fuller because
of them? take a little time and let them know.


have you told your husband/boyfriend/partner
how much you love and appreciate them?
have you told them how much they add to
your life?



what about your amazing children? have you told
them how much you love them and how much
they mean to you and how thankful you are that
they gave you the best job in the whole world?



and your best friend? have you told him/her
just what they mean to you? that you would
go completely insane without them? that your
daily talks help keep you going? that you
would be lost without them?



what about your boss? i know not
everyone is thankful for your boss.
but see, i have one of the best in this world.
so Trish, i appreciate YOU! i am thankful for you.
i adore you, i appreciate all that you have added
to my life, you are amazing. ♥

Tis the Season...

You know what I've been up to???

If you're a local and love garage sales, be sure to stop by the Waterbury Community Garage sale. Currently, there are 70+ homes that will be participating in our development, located in N. Ridgeville, Ohio. The preview night is tomorrow evening from 6-9pm, and it is seriously the most wild experience. Be warned--police usually direct traffic coming and going from the development--it is that much of a scene. Add in the herd of neighbors who stroll along the way, and you have a great time. If you want to join us on Thursday or Friday, we'll be at it from 8am-2pm too. I hope you stop by and say hello--I love seeing the regulars every year!!

If you need specific directions or my address, feel free to email me at Turay413@gmail.com. My kiddos are doing a snow cone machine (thanks, Val!) and I've made a TON of $1 grab bags filled with at least 10 sheets of patterned scrapbook paper in each bag. Every year, that is the big draw--they're snatched up quickly!!

Have a great day!

Liberty Banner

I created this LIBERTY banner with the July WIP Project kit. So simple and FUN! I simply used a bunch of decorative edged scissors, pop dots and silver metallic pipe cleaners (not in the kit) to string together this creation...






For the circles in between the pennants, I randomly cut them from scraps and tattered the edges. Afterward, to give them some depth, I balled them up to wrinkle the paper, then opened them up. That simple!

Other ideas for banner titles, in case you want to change it up are: Patriot, Freedom, and America. Notice, all have 7 letters...

Have a great day!!

Father's Day

I know. I'm biased.
I'm sure you all feel the same way about your husbands and fathers too. In case you're in need of last-minute ideas, I wanted to share a few...

This one from Roree Rumph for Pink Paislee is adorable.
This album from Stacy Julian is really cool.
This snack is over-the-top, and I LOVE it...
These cute ideas from Martha...
And these awesome napkins folded in a shirt and a tie would make the perfect Father's Day table setting, don't ya think?

And don't forget this idea and this idea from previous Father's Days. I kinda like this tradition...

To all the wonderful men in our lives--Happy Father's Day!!

Summertime Beverages

This lemonade recipe is unbelievable.

So of course I had to try the Pink Lemonade version from the same site.

And this Limeade with a touch of mint one too.
And I couldn't leave out Iced Tea, my all-time fav. This recipe with cranberry juice is heavenly.

Oh my. This may take all day.

Don't you love summer?