Project life, week 2

The full spread:

Still not sure if I'm going to decorate the title block each week or leave some of them like this.
Left side: PL title block, pic of Brandon and his friend Jason "building" a catapult, PL journal block talking about my new typewriter, OA journal block talking about the catapult, SS journal block talking about weeding through my paper stash for the upcoming crop, and a pic of Rick with the honey cornbread muffins for his office potluck, printed as a square in Phototility and mounted on BG Life of the Party paper.
Right side: photo of the after results of the boys' haircuts mounted on a SS journal card, the Shipley donut logo cut out of the donut box and mounted on a PL journal block with a list of our usual choices for our Sunday tradition, photos of the Monday rainstorm with info printed on a PL journal block, photo and journaling of Rick and Brandon getting ready for the 8th grade career day, with journaling by both of them (handwritten) on a PL large card. Weekly recap on a plain journal card with title handwritten with a Bic Mark-it marker and journaling typed. The blank journaling card is a spot to record the loss of my beloved Texans in the playoffs, but I need to wait awhile before I change out the color ink cartridge in the printer to print the logo (Jacob will go through an entire new cartridge in a day and I just changed it out 2 days ago.)

365 layouts total: 69 and 3 mini albums. Have a few more to post on the vacation album, but am waiting to finish one last layout so I can post them as a group.

Project Life week 1

The entire spread
Left side: Not real pleased with the Happy New Year block, so might change out the sticker letters to something more noticeable. The title block, laugh decorative block and the red edge journal block are from the Becky Higgins Clementine project life core kit. Photo of me was taken with, and edited on, my iPad and printed at home using Phototility (a free collage making software). That a boy (Crate Paper sticker) block tells about Brandon getting A/B honor roll (that's his actual report card on the bottom left). Journal block next to the stack of photos picture is a Simple Stories cut out block and is a weekly review typed up on the typewriter).The red edge block is a conversation between Rick and Jacob, written in their handwriting.
Right side: First block is a collage of tops from receipts from after Christmas sales (talked about in the blue edged journal block). Photo of the boys (printed at Walgreens) with a Doodlebug sticker, with another Doodlebug sticker adorned journal block below it, referencing Jacob's "school today?" dry spell coming to an end. Photo of the rose is mounted on a plain journaling block from the BH kit with journaling typed on the typewriter. Orange journaling block (stamped with an Ali Edwards stamps) talks about getting back to a routine. Photo collage of tv shows we are watching right now was made in Phototility. Photo of us printed at home.

365 Layouts total: 68 and 3 mini albums. (I'm totally counting my Project Life layouts, since they take as much time as a regular layout.)

Project Life setup

Project Life is the same as the Project365 album I did in 2010. I swore I was never going to do another one, or if I did, I would do it digital. I found that for me, a picture a day was restrictive and while I did end up taking pictures of little things that I wouldn't have otherwise, I chafed at the idea that I HAD to take a picture every day and some days found myself searching for something, anything to take a picture of. As a result, I took very little photographs for the first 3 or so months of 2011, and didn't really get into a photo groove until Easter. So, I'm as shocked as anyone that I decided to do it again this year, and not digitally. Since discovering Pinterest, I've found a plethora of Project Life ideas, and I realized that I could make the project anything that I want it to be. I'm still doing a weekly format, but making it a little more "me" with patterned paper and bits of ephemera here and there and am liking it so far. To make it easier to stay caught up, I created a little PL station on top of my wall o'baskets in my room:

Easy peasy. I have some paper, a pen and a stack of sticky notes right there with my album to jot little notes and slap a sticky note on the area of the page protector where I want something to go. My little printer (HP A646) sits right there so I can print out a pic straight from the camera or memory stick. In the drawer is my ink pad and date stamp (so Jacob doesn't have easy access to the ink pad), as well as extra photo paper. On the bottom shelf is this:
A file box I got from the office supply section of Walmart a few years ago. I was keeping dies for my die cut machine in there, but I don't have very many non-alpha dies, so they were easy to move elsewhere. I took all the components of my project life core kit (Clementine edition) out of their boxes, cut up the Simple Stories/Crate Paper/Echo Park accent sheets and added in a stack of precut 4x6 white cardstock, my October Afternoon journaling cards, cute little notepads and these:
Prestamped journaling squares. So far I'm liking the set up.

Orlando vacation album, part 4

The weather has either been windy or wet and windy, but I finally gave in and photographed them in order to get them off my desk. :)

Basic Grey paper and an image printed from google.
Uh, ditto from above, LOL. Still needs a strip of journaling along the bottom. Will probably add that this week, with my new typewriter (squeeeeeeee!!!! I know, I'm a dork.)
MME paper and a piece gold metallic pipe cleaner from one of Jacob's art projects (I had trimmed it down to use on a page, and had the leftover piece still on my desk.)
When I originally pulled papers for this layout, I had grabbed the Basic Grey archaic, but since I used that on all the Jurassic Park layouts, I didn't want to use it on this one, too (plus, I was kind of sick at looking at it.) So I went with my other tried and true dino set, MME and a journaling spot from Jillibean soup. Based on an Allison Davis sketch (the same one from the rodeo layout, but flipped).
I could probably find another set of the letter stickers at Michaels and fix my second "a" but I'm trying to get out of the habit of buying letter stickers, soo...had to get creative. MMe striped paper, not sure about the blue. And look! Not one, but two kinds of ribbon. Trying to get into the habit of using ribbon, because I have a lot and can't bear to part with what I have left.
Totally winged it on this one. I had dug out the journaling card from MME then decided to see if I had any paper to match. The MME Quite Contrary line doesn't quite match, but I liked it the best and thought the tree leaf paper tied in with the story of Curious George throwing an imaginary stick into the tree for Scooby Doo.
I'm totally in love with this green paper from Crate Paper's Christmas line and struggling valiantly to keep from buying more.Not quite sure what to do with the open green area; I kind of like it, but it's kind of noticeable. Becky Higgins sketch, Martha Stewart photo corners, MM glitter flourish.
Jillibean Soup patterned paper, Bazzill border, MM glitter chipboard letters, and Thickers letter stickers.
Ok, it took 2.5 years, but I finally learned to weld words on my Gypsy! (see "land" above). I was on the right track, just missed a few steps. Crate Paper Toybox paper and stickers, Allison Davis sketch, QK letter die cuts, cricut Opposites Attract cart.

365 Layouts total: 67 and 3 mini albums

I'm a little behind (I should be at 73). I've been setting up my Project Life workstation, and I used my Christmas gift money to buy myself a typewriter to make my PL and regular scrapbook journaling easier. That, of course, meant having to clean off my desk to make room for it, which led cleaning up my room, which needed it anyway. Add in going through all my stuff in preparation for the crop on the 21st, and my scrapbook time has been used for everything but scrapbooking. I'm not too worried, though. I usually get 20+ layouts done at the crop, so I should be caught up after that.

Orlando vacation album, part 3

The more I look at it, the more I think that I need an arrow down in the bottom left to point out Brandon lined up against the fence. Sassafrass paper from HL and an image printed from google.
The Creative Imaginations drippy goo paper from the Halloween section at Michaels seemed fitting for MIB, so...After perusing my cricut carts for an alien, I settled for this one from B is for Boy, since just about everything else was more monster than alien. Added small googly eyes instead of paper ones.
I really wanted to use this funny pages paper for this section of the park as soon as I saw it, but when it came time to use it, I struggled until I remember an Allison Davis sketch that uses a 12x12 sheet as a background accent and gave it a try. The paper placement is AD,but the photo placement was whatever worked with my photos.
GCD Criuse line paper, which just love the colors of. Doodlebug twine and BG letters. There should be a photo of the mariners statue in the large open spot, but I didn't print it 4x6 like I thought so it will wait for the next photo run.
Another one I really struggled with. I really wanted to use 4x6 to show the details on the characters, but didn't want to do more than one layout. I set everything aside until after vacation, walked in my room and immediately knew what I wanted to do. Don't know why it took so long to come up with. Old, old Spiderman paper from Sandylion and an old MME journaling card from Scrapbook Village (sob!)
I really love when a layout can come together in about 10 minutes! It was literally choosing the layout of the photos, looking through my pink/purple paper holder, matting photos, sticking everything down. Longest was selecting a journal square!

365 Layouts total: 58 and 3 mini books (with two more waiting for titles...which means I am 5 behind to maintain 1/day averaging. Not bad for being out of town for a week and taking a couple days off to spend the time with the boys.)

Orlando vacation album, part 2

a.k.a. the dinosaur edition. :) I like how all these turned out, but man did they take forever, about an hour each. Normally I would have twice as many pages to show for that amount of time, but the Cricut (actually the mats) were slowing me down.

This one wasn't so bad, just a matter of adapting the Allison Davis sketch down to my page size. The letter stickers are Thickers, everything else is Basic Grey.
So, I went to start cutting the dinosaur, and discovered that 1) it is harder for me to use a 12x12 mat size with the gypsy and figure out where everything is and 2)my brand new out of the package mat...didn't have enough sticky to keep any paper adhered to it, so I had to tape the paper onto the mat, and if I didn't use enough tape I had to redo the cut again. Argh. I adapted an Allison Davis sketch, but I kind of wish I had more pics to extend the photo block to the left edge, but we really didn't take many pics in the Discovery Center, mostly because we were only in there about 20 minutes...yep, an hour on a layout for an activity that was only 20 minutes. I would be upset about that but, all the rides in amusement parks are short, so that's going to happen to me a lot with this album. Provo Craft (light textured tan) and Basic Grey (everything else) paper and stickers, OA label sticker and Dinosaur Tracks circut cartridge.
This one went a little faster, mostly because I used a dinosaur sticker instead of cutting one out. I used the hanging sign option for the font to mimic the banner in the movie, and I just liked the way it looked. Everything by Basic Grey, except "CAMP" (Dinosaur Tracks cricut cartridge) and OA label stickers.

365Layouts total: 52 layouts and 3 minibooks

Orlando Vacation album, part 1

The weather has not been cooperating to photograph pics, so the first two are kind of dark. :(

The photos from Destin Beach were dark, so not a lot to work with unless I changed them to black and white, which I didn't think about until just now. MME (blue)and BG (brown) paper, CI chipboard title and sonnets wax seal, WRMK string. If you look really closely, there are two translucent shells on the string. Allison Davis sketch.
Old Cockadoodle background. The tickets for the parks will tuck into the ribbon on the left...after I figure out which box they are packed away in. :)
A cute photo op area just outside the parks. AC paper, chipboard sticker from the Scrapbuck order.
Not real pleased with the lettering, but it was kind of what I was going for. October Afternoon paper, Karen Foster (large) and Stickopotomus (small) alpha stickers, Doodlebug twine and image printed from internet.
Allison Davis sketch, the only adjustment was swapping the journaling space and the title area. Echo Park paper and stickers, OA journal sticker, Doodlebug Frills border strip (pink and small green) and Bazzill border strips cut apart for the banner.
Who knew I'd come up with a use for the Cat in the Hat stickers 7 years after I first used them? Cat and kids stickers (Ek Success) paired with book stickers from the Michaels back to school section and Echo Park paper.
I think maybe I tilted the three smaller pictures a little too much. Echo Park paper, Doodlebug twine, title sticker from Michaels, Nestabillities dies used to cut the photos.
Bright and busy, which kind of matches the 'zoo' area. All Eco Park paper and stickers, and Doodlebug twine.
Severe change in tone, no? Old stucco paper from PC, brown paper from Colorbok, letter stickers from BG, vintage tags, stamps and button from MM.

Not real sure what I had in mind for this one... Very bulky because of the corrugated mat. Echo Park (green) and OA (floral) paper, K & Co sunflower sticker, Martha Stewart twine and Pebbles letter stickers.

365 Layouts total: 49 and 3 mini albums.