Over the Kitchen Counter: Angie's Place for Cooking and Crafts

2011 Calendar Album

I must admit I was feeling pretty badly about not keeping up with my yearly calendar album for 2011.  In fact, the empty November calendar grid sat on my mini Everyday Display for almost 3 months!  Then, in between quilts, I decided I wanted to scrapbook a simple project and realized it was actually easier to go back after the year was over to select and print the photos for each month.  Using Memory Manager software from Creative Memories makes it super easy to just click on each month and then choose the photos representing the primary events that occured in that time period.  (Did I talk about this last year?!!)

Thankfully, I had used a Quick Kit (also from Creative Memories) to put the album (roughly) together early last year and the calendar mats already had the titles and dates on them.  I picked up my stack of photos and was able to put together the whole album in a few hours.  When I looked at that empty November calendar I thought I wouldn't even bother starting the album for 2011 but now that I'm finished, I'm so happy I did it!  It's actually a great summary of the year's events and even though it seemed I didn't take very many photos last year, there were actually great memories for each month!  Ticket stubs, newspaper clippings, facebook photos, and all the regular yearly celebrations were all included in an awesome souvenir of the year that was!  Now I just have to decide what size album to make for 2012! 

Smile Scrapbook Page

Here is a layout I made for my daughter's 'before' and 'after' photos when she got braces put on her teeth.  I layered designer print papers and embellishments from Creative Memories and used a border punch to add some scallops to the edges.  A quick sticker is all I needed for my title - a super fast page to put together!

Christmas Scrapbook Layout

With Christmas just over a week away I thought I'd better get last year's holiday photos scrapbooked.  For some reason, they are my least favourite layouts to do and I (obviously) procrastinate when it comes to getting them done.  I thought the Holidazzle Paper and Photo Mat pack and embellishments from Creative Memories might help inspire me and they did make for a cute 2-page spread.

I cut my title using the Christmas Cricut cartridge and I cut the year 2011 using the Designer Calendar cartridge - I happened to get both in a bundle with my Cricut rewards points.  I added several photo mats and I'll sprinkle in some shape-cut photos around the full-size photos.  I popped up some ornament embellishments and added a bit of Dazzling Diamonds glitter to a few spots.  The last thing I did was use a small hole punch on the top of the ornaments so I could add a tiny piece of wire...that idea was stolen from my friend Diane who used the technique on her Christmas cards this year.  Very cute!

Best of Friends Layout

Unfortunately, it's been almost 2 years since I added a page to my 'best friends' album - it's taken that long to get together again with my far-away friend.

We only met for dinner at a restaurant so I took the opportunity to grab a quick photo of the two of us.  Since I only had one picture I enlarged it to 5x7.  I used this pretty paper from Creative Memories to cover the 8-1/2x11 scrapbook page and make a mat for the photo.  I cut the title (Best of Friends) using my Cricut and the Graphically Speaking cartridge (still one of my favourites!).  I also added some sticker embellishments (one popped up on dimensionals after de-sticking it with baby powder).

After I took the photo of my layout I realized I'd forgotten to add the year (which I always do) so I quickly grabbed my trusty Quikutz Squeeze and punched out '2011' to finish off the easy page!

Disney Album Started!

I can't believe I finally started my Disney album!  It was a bit of an 'ugg' moment to be back at the beginning again, facing bare pages and a huge stack of photos!  I am enjoying looking at the awesome Animal Kingdom resort again and it sure does look spectacular!  I have only done a few layouts so far and am really packing the photos onto the pages - there are so many good shots I don't want to leave out - the page templates are helping with positioning.

 

I bought all the packs of Disney Additions from Creative Memories (Princess/Mickey/Cars/Toy Story), as well as the Cheerful Power Palette papers and Additions.  For the first few pages of my album I also added some of the Rugged papers because they went well with the resort photos.

We keep saying 'this will be our last trip to Disney for a while' but somehow we keep ending up back there!  I don't know how many more ways I can present a Disney scrapbook! 

Titletopia

I don't often use alphabet stickers any more for scrapbooking titles since I got the Cricut and can just cut letters out of co-ordinating patterned paper.  However, on this page of my Boston album I wanted to use the cute stickers that came with the Power Palette...and because I'm so picky, I wanted them to be straight!

It's been a long time since I pulled out my Titletopia aligner but it still works like a charm.  You can arrange your letter stickers how you want them using the guides (there is a straight edge, wavy edge, oval or swirls - depending on which aligner you have) and then transfer them easily to the scrapbook page.  I remember when these first came out from Creative Memories and it made me so happy to finally have straight titles (I use the straight edge the most).  It's too bad that they don't carry this item any more because I really love having a way to get those stickers down the way I want them before committing them to the page!

Scrapbook Page

Guess what this is?  The LAST page layout in my Washington album!!!  Yay!  It's finally done.  I had a small stack of photos that were not yet in the album and when I went through them I decided that I could live without most of them!  I had just the back of one last page in the coverset so I picked out a few final photos to scrap.  I used a Nancy O'Dell page template and arranged the pictures with a small journaling box to sum up the trip.  I cut the title 'click' using my Cricut and the Creative Memories Traveler cartridge.  It has been so long since I've even turned the machine on that I almost had to remind myself how to use it!  Now that the album is done I can look back at over a year's worth of work to complete it.  It really was an awesome trip and now I just need to remember some stories to write in the journal boxes! 

Boston Album Done!

My Boston album is complete and it really was a pleasure putting it together.  I think I'm really on to something with this technique of rapid scrapbooking - getting all the photos down and then embellishing.  For some reason I feel more relaxed and creative when I know the album is basically done and all I need to do is decorate.

I don't usually use many of the Paper Frames which come with the Creative Memories Power Palettes but this time I used plenty of them...just not in the way they were probably designed to be used.  Sure, I framed a photo or two but I incorporated the majority of them as page accents.  Some I put down as they were (see above) but I ended up cutting most of them in half and using them along the edge of the page.  I inter-linked some for a nice effect and I really like how they look.

I also used more of those Memorabilia Pockets I talked about on October 25th...like here, where I added my signed Jed Lowrie card to my scrapbook.  I wanted to make sure this card stayed well protected so in the future my descendants can loot my album and sell it for hundreds of dollars!  Speaking of Jed Lowrie, I really like this page where I used several shots of him as a border.  I resisted adding the 'so handsome' title sticker on the advice of my scrapbooking friends!

Now that Boston is done I might just have the energy to go on to my Disney album!  (After I get that last page of Washington done, of course!)

Memorabilia Pockets

I love adding all kinds of memorabilia into my scrapbook albums and these Memorabilia Pockets from Creative Memories are the perfect, photo-safe way to do that.  You get 5 clear plastic pockets per packet (2 small, 2 medium, and one large) and they have adhesive on the back so you can just 'peel and stick'.  They are shaped like an envelope and have a self-adhesive flap closure.

I use these all the time and have 'pocketed' all kinds of stuff on my layouts - from dog teeth to baby hair, tickets, coins, and sand!!

I just added a couple of the Memorabilia Pockets to my Boston album.  One photo is of a building downtown that was designed from the image of the Lincoln Memorial on the back of the U.S. penny so I added a penny in the pocket to illustrate that 'fun fact'.

I also used one to hold the gravel from the warning track of Fenway Park...and mounted it right on the photo of the red dirt!  (No, I didn't steal it!  It was part of the vacation package!)

I like having these little trinkets as part of my memories and I know they are safe inside the pockets.  I never have to worry about them having negative effects on my precious photos (from acid or other chemicals, metals, or abrasives) and the pockets are just an easy way to incorporate souvenirs on my scrapbook pages.  They cost US$5.25/CDN$6.00 a package...

Steff's At it Again!

I had to share yet another package of goodies that Steff from With A Grin recently sent me.  This time I was spoiled with a collection by Anna Griffin - starting with an acrylic heart-shaped album from the Peyton Collection.  I've never worked with an acrylic mini before so I'm excited to try it!  There were also 2 packets of the most gorgeous satin ribbon - one in a stunning soft pink and the other is a delicate mauve.  If 36" of ribbon wasn't enough, there's another pack of 5 yards of different ribbon embellishments.  Next, a package of beautiful brads, one with gold resin embellies (feather, leaf, and butterflies), a collection of 24 journal tags just begging to be inked and distressed, and to top it all off, a paper punch!  The design is a cute scalloped flower from the Flora Collection.

Steff sends me the sweetest gifts and she has such a knack for picking out items which will help me pull together a mini.  I'm sure she's trying to get my creativity directed into minis because she knows I'm challenged when it comes putting them together!  I haven't done one since the last time she sent me some inspiration in the mail!

Now...she couldn't even leave it at that...also in the package was...
the funkiest apron I have ever seen!  It is so darling - full of colour and petticoats!  DH said I looked like Minnie Mouse! lol!  I actually love and use aprons so this was just icing on the cake!  Thank you again Steff for all your sweetness!  Now...I'd better get to work!