The Third Day -- Traveler's Page

“How often do you get to go on vacation with like-minded people,” my husband asked as we discussed the viability of taking our first trip west together. “There won’t be any drinking, smoking, or cursing!” He was right. We thoroughly enjoyed our time with the 37 other people we would get to know in a relatively short time. Most of these pictures were taken at a ranch near Cody, Wyoming. As I put them together, I found myself most impressed because I could actually fit the pictures to the names!


I added the photo mats after I designed my original page because the “map” paper seemed to overpower the photos. This unexpected change called for vertical organizational as opposed to horizontal. It still worked and everything fit! I love it when a plan comes together.

SUPPLIES

 Jolee’s Boutique “Traveler” dimensional sticker SPJT277

 Map page from K&Company’s Happy Trails paper pad (Code 626218)

 Carob Bazzill Cardstock, 1 sheet

 Inkdadinkado’s Coffee Bean dye ink

 Numbered 1.5” x 1.5” photos of people who went on trip. Double photos are 1.5” x 3.25”



PHOTO SIZES:

1 ½” x 1.1/2” (singles)

1 ½” x 3” (doubles)



DIRECTIONS

1. Print text onto 12”x12” Recollections Ivory base page using RPG #4625C (Brown ink)

2. Chalk base page with Coffee Bean ink

3. Trim map paper to 10.25” x 7.75” and chalk paper edges with Coffee Bean ink.

4. Cut photo mats from Carob Bazill cardstock.

5. Adhere paper to 12x12 cardstock adjacent to journaling.

6. Adhere “Traveler” title stickers.

7. Adhere photos in numerical order.

Cover, THIRD DAY Vacation Album

I’ve used this cover design on several scrapbooks and I just love it. It’s become a staple in my design toolbox. Inspired by a Jeannette Lynton design, I included some trip photo highlights to provide theme and structure.


The title, The Third Day, comes from Genesis 1:9-13. This represents the day of creation in which God separated the waters and allowed the land/earth to emerge. After this happened, He imparted life onto the planet which has evolved into this wonderful blue ball in our universe. I hope this will become a stepping off point for future trips west that David and I plan to take together.
EQUIPMENT
Cricut
Cricut’s Old West Cartridge
SUPPLIES
Neutral Cardstock Base
Dual-sided paper (2 uniquely patterned sheets)
Inkadinkadoo Coffee Bean dye ink
Pouncer
Favorite adhesive
Mini Sparkles

RECOMMENDED PHOTOS:
5.5” X 5.5” (1)
1.5” X 1.5” (8)

CUTTING GUIDE
9.5” x 9.5” (1)
1 5/16” x 1 5/16” (8)
1.75”X 1.75” (16)

To construct this page, I used a buttercup textured cardstock from Bazill Basic Premium Cardstock (#304888) as my page base. I cut a 9.5” square teal-colored mat, which was the reverse side of the beach pattern cardstock, from K&Company Happy Trails paper pack.

I selected a buttercup colored foundation Cut it into a 9 ½” x 9 ½” square.

I selected 2 dual-sided patterned papers for the 1.75 inch squares that edge the teal mat. So instead of four sheets of paper to create my patchwork edging, I only needed two.

I used my Cricut Create to cut out 1” letters from the Old West cartridge. I used Bazzill’s Bitter Chocolate from their open cardstock collection.

CONSTRUCTION
1. Crop your photo:
   a. Center piece is 5.5” x 5.5”
   b. Accent pieces are 1.5” x 1.5”
2. Cut your title letters with a one-inch setting on your Cricut or favorite die cut machine.
3. Get your 12” x 12” butterscotch (or neutral colored base) and set aside.
4. Cut 9.5” x 9.5” teal mat and set aside
5. Cut eight (8) 1 5/8” squares from your buttercup cardstock or the stock to match your base and set aside.
6. Cut eight (8) 1,75” squares from each of your two dual-sided cardstocks and set aside.
7. With your Inkadinkadoo Coffee Bean dye ink and pouncer, chalk the edges of your base, your teal mat, your square mats, your patchwork squares and your photos.
8. Glue teal mat 1” from the top and 1” from the right side. This will give you an approximate center on the page.
9. Glue your patchwork patterned pieces with maybe 1/16” showing along the edges.
10. There should be four separate patterns in each row (see sample).
11. Mat 1.5 photos with buttercup 1 5/8” buttercup squares. Arrange and glue them according to your      personal preference on the patchwork squares.
12. Glue 5.5” x 5.5” picture centered on the Teal mat.
13. Place project into page protect and start showing it off to friends and family.

There and Back Again -- Weight Loss Surgery

I’m starting a new personal project called There and Back Again. It’s a journey of seven-years- highlighting the ups and downs of WLS, how it fits into an active lifestyle, and what happens when it doesn’t. I’ll have a cover page, and table of contents. On “page 3”, I’m using K&Company’s Brenda Walton Olivia Rose 12x12 Specialty Paper Pad (Code:30-576759) and blue cardstock from Bazzil Basics Premium Cardstock 10-piece pack (#304888). Both AC Moore and Michaels stores in my area carry Bazzill cardstock. The birdcage underneath the journaling is a Tim Holtz Sizzix die cut. Though not my original plan for this embellishment, it seems to fit quite well in this capacity.


In his play, The Physicists, Friedrich Dürrenmatt wrote, “You have taken refuge in a prison that you have built for yourself.” In the same way, we may often find ways to entrap ourselves, sometimes in good ways and many times not, in various circumstances and conditions. I’m certainly no exception and these birdcages serve as a reminder of the traps awaiting us, to hinder our walk and deny us choices that lead us to fuller and productive lives. So, don’t be surprised if birdcages manage to find their way on many of the pages of this scrapbook

Certified and Excited

I believe that scrapbooking is all about legacy -- the stories we tell through pictures and journaling. These are the stories that we leave behind, the stories that our children and grandchildren might share in the days of the futurepast. Often, the key to good storytelling, to conveying the thoughts and emotions eddying around highpoints in our individual lives, is becoming familiar with the the tools and techniques to help us along the way. It would be pretty difficult to build a house without a hammer, wouldn't it? The same could be said about any worthwhile endeavor.

I teach scrapbooking. I integrated the teaching component into my business footprint (http://www.christianlifestyles.us/) in March 2009 when I became a Close To My Heart independent consultant (http://scrappigators.blogspot.com/ , http://ourscrappinglife.blogspot.com/ , and http://dianecook.myctmh.com/).

I stumbled across SDU almost a year ago (Oct 2009) when I started teaching classes for A.C. Moore in Dover (Delaware). I'm all about learning so the Scrapbooking, Design and You program's foundational approach to teaching others how to scrapbook along with its strong retail orientation would help me provide even better service to my client and my students. Little did I know that it would take almost a year to be enrolled and complete their training program. But now I have, and I am totally excited.

So, what's so great about SDU? It's much more far-reaching than I expected when I started researching certification programs last October. SDU is part of the EK Success brand which, in the papercrafting world includes but is not limited to:

• EK Success (Tools)
• Jolee's Boutique (Dimensional Stickers)
• Sticko (Flat Stickers)
• K&Company (Coordinated collections, paper, albums)
• Inkadinkado (stamping)
• Martha Stewart Crafts (all of the above and more)
• Licensing (Disney, Sesame, Marvel, Muppets, American Girl & Nickelodeon)

Since I completed certification and received my store assignment, I have been gathering tools. I've absolutely fallin in love with the Cutterpede paper trimmer. not to mention my Zig Writer pens, Melinnium pens, powdering tools, and more.

I'll be teaching SDU's four-session approach to entry-level scrapbooking at Micheal's in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware on Thursday mornings September 9, 16, 23 and 30 and Friday evenings September 10, 17, 24, and October 1. I'll be teaching the same course at AC Moore's in Dover on Tuesday and Thursday evenings, September 14, 16, 28 and 30.

To help promote the program, I'll be attending a Michael's Friday night crop on August 27 and conducting demos at AC Moore between 1:00 PM and 3:00 PM on Saturday, August 28th.

In the weeks and months ahead, I will be showcasing projects, product and people encountered along my SDU journey through photos, videos and more. If I don't see you at Michaels or at AC Moore, I hope to meet you online. Until then, happy scrapping!