Just Buggin Challenge #21: Monochromatic Baby Brag Book

This week's challenge #21 over at Just Buggin is to use a monochromatic color theme on our Cricut project.  I wanted to make a brag book for a cousin that recently had her first baby (a boy!) and I decided to go with a blue monochromatic color scheme.

Using three varying sizes of acrylic sheets (Fancy Pants Designs) and some Heidi Grace papers, I made the base for this album.  The paper had two coordinating patterns in various shades of blue.  The top was a paisley and the bottom was a polka dot.  I alternated the two sides and covered the back and front of each acrylic sheet, round the right side corners on each page.

I used my Cricut to cut the large "b" on the cover using Plantin Schoolbook, then attached a flower embellishment and tied a ribbon around the top.

I used Calligraphy Collection to cut the words "baby" and "evan" on the right sides of the first and last pages of the book.

To embellish the brag book, I added coordinating blue flowers and mini flower brads (craft supply), blue cardstock strips trimmed with scallop-edge scissors and layered with the coordinating background papers, and a journaling spot stamped with CTMH's Frame of Mind Acrylic Stamp Set.  To finish, I tied ribbons (craft supply) on the two binder rings.

I left a lot of blank space for photos, journaling and mementos.

Thanks for looking!  :)

Just Buggin Challenge #20: "On Horseback" Layout

This week's Just Buggin Challenge #20 is called "About Pets": make a project featuring a pet (and of course use at least one Cricut die cut on your page!). Though the Mess Maker doesn't actually own a horse, I figured this layout still met the "pet" criteria, since some people actually do have pet horses! :)

This photo was taken at our local petting zoo last October when her cousins were in town. Up until that point, this normally timid and fearful (of EVERYTHING, especially large animals!) little girl wouldn't have had anything to do with horseback riding. But this day, she said, "I want to ride the horse", completely unprompted! So she did (three times) and had a blast. This is a moment I definitely wanted to capture!

For this layout, I used Geroge to cut the large background circle and the recently released Paisley cartridge for the horse die cut. How cute is this little horsie?!? It's actually a unicorn, but I just cut the horn off and ta-da! I layered the Chocolate and Colonial White cardstock (CTMH) for the main part of the horse and used black cs for the shadow. I used the Magic Moments patterned papers (CTMH) for the saddle and cut one of the little circle designs from one of the sheets to decorate the saddle (I also inserted a glitter brad in the middle).

I also used the Opposites Attract cartridge for the title. Using the "opposite" feautre, I cut the letters out of Colonial White, then used the "opposite shadow" feature to cut the shadows from black cs. I didn't like the stark look of the plain white letters so I decided to use one of my favorite stamping techniques to give them some detail: after cutting the letters with the Cricut, but BEFORE removing them from the sticky mat, randomly stamp over the letters using a coordinating stamp and ink. Then when you remove them, they have a perfectly coordinated random stamp pattern that complements the other patterns in the layout!

Supplies used for this layout: (all CTMH unless stated otherwise)

Magic Moments Level 2 Paper Packet

My Acrylix Stamp Set: "Dream Big"

My Acrylix Stamp Set: "Connections"

Adhesive Backed Rhinestone Frames

Ricrac in Hollyhock

Organdy Ribbon in Hollyhock

Twinkle Brads Jolly Assortment

Foam adhesive dots (Craft Supply)

black cardstock (Craft Supply)

My Creative Space is ORGANIZED!!!

We had the bright idea of switching my scrapbook room to the upstairs guest bedroom and moving the guestroom downstairs where the scrapbook room was...only a few weeks prior to the Noise Maker's entry into the world. Really was a good idea, just not a good time!!! Needless to say, it never really got the time and attention it required to become what I need...an ORGANIZED space to retreat to and create whatever it is I create those endless hours at my table...

Now that the Noise Maker is a little older (a whopping 4 1/2 months!) I finally feel like I have a moment or two here and there to devote to my hobby, and to organizing the space for it. I just finished organizing the closet last weekend and I can finally say that I'M DONE! Well, mostly. :)

So here it is...a whole new look from the bright colors it used to be when shared with the Mess Maker's playroom (which is now in the upstairs gameroom)...the black and white color scheme makes it feel clean and calming to me. Just what I need to get those creative juices flowing...

My Workspace

My "Creative Corner"

For the scrapbookers out there, I want to share my storage systems for anyone interested. If you are like me, you are always searching for the best storage solutions for your "stash". And, if you're like me, you are constantly changing your storage systems to make things "easier to find" or more accessible. I've spent LOTS of time online and looking through scrapbook organizing books and I've pulled from here and there to finally create a system that works for me. Oh, and as I was planning this space, I obviously kept my budget in mind...most of what I used is available at places like Hobby Lobby, Michael's, Wal-Mart or Target so you know they're reasonably priced!

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I have a toddler who likes to "help" mommy create and look through drawers and bins. So I knew a traditional desk with drawers at the bottom would never work. I needed a space that offered storage space above, so that anything that was a choking hazard or that she could destroy was above her level of reach. I bought a table top with adjustable legs (Ikea) and adjusted it to drafting table height. I had to buy a special chair made for drafting tables (online) to be able to sit at that height, but it's just high enough that the Mess Maker can't reach. :)

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I am one of those people that needs to see what I have or I'll forget I have it. So a lot of my stuff is in plain sight. This probably doesn't look as neat and tidy as it would in nice cabinets with doors, but I can always see what I've got and I don't have to search to find things. These are the storage solutions I came up with to accomodate my needs:

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Above-desk bins (Target) and under-shelf baskets (Wal-Mart.com) for scraps (organized by color), stamps (organized by theme) and other miscellaneous loose items (paper trimmer, stamping mat, crop-o-dile, etc.): Embellishment Centers (Michael's) with containers (Michael's) for small and/or loose embellishments (brads, eyelets, buttons, etc.), flowers, markers and rolled ribbon; organized by color when appropriate:
Clear (plastic) boxes (from Michael's) w/ lids for loose ribbons; organized by color:
Clip it Up system (Ebay) for stickers and packaged embellishments, organized by theme:
Vertical cardstock holders (Cropper Hopper-Hobby Lobby) store carstock by color:
Cricut cartridge and manual storage using "Snapware" boxes (Target)...these are meant to hold rolls of ribbon, but I took the bar out:
I made a divider for the small compartment to hold the cartridges:
The manuals are stored alphabetically in two large portions of the Snapware boxes (I used two large compartments to hold the manuals, and one small compartment for the cartridges:
Patterned paper is stored in containers (Target) with lids by color, except for four "themed" bins: girl, boy, theme (i.e. travel) and holiday/seasonal:
Magazine holders (Target) for magazines I subscribe to (I'm addicted!!!) and a cube shelf (Target) for other magazines, idea books and photo storage boxes (Hobby Lobby):

My "idea board" (cork board from Hobby Lobby covered with fabric/ribbon/tacks) holds things I've made as well as pictures of things that inspire me:

Inside my closet, I keep everything I can't fit out in the room (i.e. albums and mini-albums waiting to be used, items that can be altered, sticker maker, etc.) on shelves. This shelf (Office Depot) holds mainly albums and tins to be altered:
These bins (Target) used to be in the playroom before we moved it upstairs. They are perfect for miscellaneous craft items (like paint, paintbrushes, sewing stuff, etc.) that I don't use as often but would still like in plain sight:
In my closet I also store my supply of wrapping paper and gift bags...I'm a hoarder of these. I admit it. :) But they always come in handy when I want to make one of my little creations as a gift for someone:

So that's the majority of my stuff and how it's organized. It's been a work in progress...a LONG work in progress. But it's finally done and functional for my needs, at least until a better system comes along... :)