Spellbinders .. or weird little metal things!

Well I've taken another giant leap!  I have purchased (and learned to use) spellbinders with my cuttlebug!! 

Let's begin this story in the Hobby Lobby where I met my sister (my personal shopper) with our 2  girls in tow (4 and 7 - a story in and of itself!).  While wandering the aisles in what has become Nirvana to me we happen upon spellbinders and she wants to check out whats on sale.  Intrigued, I take a look at the sale basket and decide to purchase a "set" (is that what you call it lol) for the 8.99 clearance price. 

My sister informs me that I can use these in the cuttlebug, but that I must use a mat to make up the space difference and she suggest I buy a "plumbers gasket" from Home Depot - okay....

Well, long story short I took my new spellbinders, plumbers gasket and cuttlebug and started die cutting/embossing!  Many tries later I have successfully learned to die cut with the spellbinders - using the ABC (A plate, B plate, die cut and paper and C plate).  My many attempts to emboss the cut piece end in dismal failures...

So onto YouTube!  I learn may different techniques and successfully emoboss a die cut!!!!  The method that appears to work the best with my materials is to use an A plate, B plate, spellbinder facing up with the die cut on top, gasket, 3 pieces of cardstock and a B plate.  Voila!  It works perfectly - looks just like I purchased embossed cut outs. 

The possibilities are endless - I'm so glad I took a jump into spellbinders and took a walk down the plumbing aisle!

Learning to make your own layouts

Of course the easiest way to build a scrapbook page is to follow a proven layout that someone else has designed - and I have done several of these!  However, I find when I look through my albums that there is something very "me" in the layouts I create myself.  They may not be the prettiest or most creative,  but they make me feel good every time I look at them as well as serving as a visual history of my increasing knowledge of all things scrapbooking.

I've finally finished our Honeymoon scrapbook! It only took me 7 years lol.. ok, I didn't work continuously on it - in fact as you know I really just picked it up again in these last 2 years.  I went from stickers and 5 pictures to a page to cuttlebugging and pop dotting!  What I was most proud of was my ability to improvise and use the different "mediums" I was learning about.  

 

This is a page I am very proud of because I didn't let the "open space" scare me as it has in the past.. and I didn't feel compelled to add 7 pictures!  I used a textured plain card stock and stamped hearts in red and blue distressed ink and used scraps of my mickey papers as photo frames.  I actually cut out a couple of cute frames with the cricut, but darned if I can remember which cartridge!  I added some stickers and a finely cut out picture I took of the Epcot "ball" and voila - a page that really makes me happy when I look at it.  Reminds me of looking at the 'lake' at Epcot on that cool May day hanging out with my new hubby :)

Conventions and other scary places...

WARNING - I am not an expert :) 

My story starts over 8 years ago when we lived in Houston, TX and my sister and I signed up for a "beginning scrapbooking" class at a small store.  It was very basic, but quite eye opening and - like potato chips - it made you want MORE.  For a while I played at putting together scrapbooks, but I enjoyed the art of collecting the supplies more than putting things together.

Fast forward 5 years and we are living outside Fort Worth, TX and my sister picks up serious scrapbooking and buys one of these new "cricut" things... As an aside I kept calling it a Cry-cut until she set me straight.  As I was busy with work, pregnancy and new babyhood she soared ahead of me and became an expert on all things cricut, copic etc.  She's actually become my own personal trainer and resource lol.  Well, about a year ago I started seriously tackling scrapbooking again.

Now a story for others who might find themselves at the point I was in about a year ago this January.  My sister invited me to go with her to the Stamping convention in Mesquite, TX.  I said I would go (a little nervous because it seemed so hardcore scrapper - a world I wasnt sure I was ready for).

What was I nervous about? 
I wasn't sure...

1. What to bring with me .. was I under or over prepared and what WAS red tape? (red tape is a 2 sided thick "tape" that holds heavier items or will help you adhere hard to stick items like ribbon or things on metal)
2. Was my bag too much or not enough?  (take a big over the shoulder sack bag - you can put all your freebies and purchases.. YES you get freebies!!)
3. That someone would ask me to perform some miracle feat at a make and take ... and what WAS a make and take? (a simple project using the stall's products - stamping, card making etc - and you are helped by and expert every inch of the way)
4. That I could navigate or understand the stalls and booths. (you get a map and at some conventions a 'passport' where stalls can stamp a little book and earn you prizes or entries into drawings)

Well, I survived that first convention (and from what I understand - that big scary place was a "small one".   I even had fun!  I had seen things I had never thought of doing, things that seemed so easy in the hands of experts - and most importantly I saw people who loved crafting as much as I was starting to.

I've been to the Arlington, TX convention as well - and I was much better prepared...One day I hope to get to the big CHA consumer show (and although I toss that term around I only learned that is the big daddy convention 6 months ago lol).

Until next time...

First Post!

I've decided to start a blog to talk about all things I encounter in daily life - especially those that perplex me!!  I want to share with anyone who cares to listen - how hard it sometimes is to join a revolution in process.  What revolution you might ask?  The scrapbooking revolution for one! 

It seems that everywhere I turn there are expert cricut-eers, card makers, copic masters etc etc etc.  I'd like to share my experiences of trying to master these arts as well as anything else I'm trying to figure out. 

Follow me, or not - either way its fine, I feel better just for talking about it on this blog.  One day I hope to look back and this post and say "look how far I've come" (when I'm an award winning scrapbooker of course).