Altered Idea Binder

Check this and other fun projects over on the Bella Blvd. Blog today !!!

I've always been one of those girls that would see something in a magazine and have to rip it out and tuck it away for later. Once I got married and had children, the types of things I tear out have changed to house plans and decorating ideas, etc. I've had this fun 'russel & hazel' binder for a few months now and I decided it was the perfect way to collect all my magazine pages, cut outs and layout/project ideas too! 

The binding was perfectly me already; black & white, so I just needed to embellish the plain kraft cover and make a little color magic happen inside.

I used two different Bella papers on the front but left a space in between to make a word border.  I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the Quattrofina and High Five alphas, and the smallest letters were perfect to add some of my favorite words to the cover. I added 12" border stickers horizontally and one running top to bottom along the left edge to pull it all together.

Once I had the base in place, I wrapped some twine close to the spine and added a crochet flower and a couple of flags to finish it off. 

I had a few different idea sections that I wanted to use this binder for so using a few more patterned papers, I created page dividers and added Chip Essentials for the tabs. 

For times when I'm on the go and just want to add bits that I've taken from magazines for later, I added envelopes to the face of the page dividers so I can keep them safe until I have time to add them to a page permanently. Of course I had to pretty these up as well so I used Designer Tape, cardstock stickers, Ciao Chip and alphas too. 

Supplies:

Mr. Boy: Heros, Hyper Stripe; Family Dynamix: Quadrants, Ciao Chip; Sunshine & Happiness: Alphas+Bits, Ciao Chip; Baby Boy: Baby Blue, Alphas+Bits; Too Cute to Spook: Itsy Bitsy Spider; Making The Team: Quadrants; Sophisticates: Sprinkles & Lace Oyster; Flags: Girl, Summer; Crochet Flowers: Juniper; Ciao Chip Essentials: Asparagus & Pickle Juice, Ice & Chlorine, Oyster & Oreo; Quattrofina: Spinach & Pickle Juice, Salt Water & Pacific, Milk & Oreo; High Five Alphabets: Green, Blue, Black & White; Designer Tape: Teal Stripe, Pickle Juice Dot, Jail Bird

Talk soon.

j.xo

it's been so long.....

WOW....I feel like the absolute worst blogger ever !!!  I've truly been so incredibly busy these past 10 days that i've barely touched my computer......

It is totally the time of year when my family is seemingly constantly at a horse show.....it's worth it tho as Emma's been riding like a dream lately and we're back at it again this weekend....

...... the girls had so much fun in their 'Team Class'.....

........and when she smiles like this the entire time she is on a horse, how can I say no :))

Having said that, I have been able to get into my office here and there and have several new projects almost ready to share with you....

Check back next week as I PROMISE to have some more inspiration coming your way ASAP :))

Have a fantastic weekend......I'm off to Vancouver now !!!

Talk soon.

j. xo

Happy and some Layouts.....

Happy belated Mother's Day !!  

I had the most wonderful day with my kids yesterday.....They cooked me breakfast AND lunch AND cleaned up while I read my book....then out for dinner with my parents - GREAT day :))

I did manage to put the finishing touches on a few layouts......

....my boy at the beach last Summer....

  

.....new Doodlebug was perfect !!!

We knew when Emma started riding at 4 years old that she was in it for the long haul....we weren't however prepared for the falls !!!  There have been many more since this one at age 5.....and she loves riding more than ever now...... and the falls don't happen near like they used too thank goodness !!!

LOVE the new Bella Blvd. Baby Girl for anything girly.....NOT just babies :))

BIG TIME Oilers fans at our house so when Alex found this donut at a Tim Hortons in Alberta last year he was THRILLED !!!

.....and once again the new Doodlebug paper was just right !!!

Hope you're enjoying the sunshine wherever you are......

Talk soon.

j. xo

over at the Bella Blog today.....

Great new altered projects over on the Bella Blog today !!

Here's mine.....

I was so excited to sit down and work with this magnetic board. I knew I wanted it in my office/studio space, but wasn't sure how I was going to pretty it up. As soon as I sat down with the Sunshine & Happiness collection, I decided to just 'scrapbook it'. 

I was hesitant to leave the outer edges uncovered, but decided that with all the fun bright colors of the collection, I would 'scrapbook it' on the kraft of the frame, just like cardstock.

  

I covered the silver magnetic center with a full sheet of 12 x 12 paper and created grass with a strip from the Borders patterned paper. I cut out several of the images from the Cute Cuts patterned paper to embellish with, and mixed them in with a Ciao Chip border and added Ciao Chip shapes throughout.  

Using several of the cardstock stickers layered with 3D foam, I adhered magnetic strips to the back to make them into mini magnets. I covered a clothespin with stickers and a Ciao Chip flower and added a magnetic strip on the back to hold a photo or note.

After tucking a couple of flags here and there I created a title for my board with the new High 5 Alphas and the 'Happiness' title from the coordinating Sunshine & Happiness Ciao Chip. I even added some decorative tape along the left and right edges of the board to jazz it up a bit. Once I had the base complete, I chose a few of my favorite photos of Emma and Alex and adhered them with the mini magnets and some decorative tape too!

Talk soon.

j. xo

AC Mini Album

I wanted to share this fabulous mini album with you that I created using fantastic Amy Tangerine product by American Crafts.

I love the concept of this mini album as it already has different pieces of patterned paper sewn into the binding...

....but of course I had to add more :))

....and LOTS of photos from this AMAZING trip to Chicago with my favorite girl :))

I added cardstock and patterned paper and Thickers and canvas stickers too !!

I did LOTS of typewriter journaling......

.....and talked all about my most favorite parts of this trip !!

I wanted Emma to know that this was as special to me as it was to her......

   

......and that I can't wait to to do it again.....

.....but that at the end of every trip is is absolutely wonderful to come HOME !!!!

If you think this album is something you'd like to try......

There are ONLY (2) LEFT here....so head in or contact the shop 

if you'd like to create this too !!!

Talk soon.

j. xo

......the girls

I hope you all had a wonderful National Scrapbook Day - I sure did !!

I got to spend my whole day with these fabulous ladies....and boy did they scrapbook.....

By the time they walked out the door, they'd scrapbooked for more than 10 hours and 

over 1000 layouts walked out the door !!

That's a whole lotta scrapbooking and whole lotta happy girls :))

Thanks so much to the team at BC Crop for Kids for inviting me over again to help raise money for their fantastic charity......

If you're looking for a fun weekend check out their site and REGISTER to join all of us again this October in Abbotsford !!

Talk soon.

j. xo

Happy National Scrapbook Day

Gotta love it....a day dedicated to nothing but SCRAPBOOKING.....

Today over on the Bella Blog we're sharing a little bit of where we create
and you won't want to miss this......AND at the end if you check out ALL THE POSTS you can enter to win the biggest most AMAZING PRIZE...and it's not just Bella goodies :))

I thought I'd share a few more pics of my space so you can see some of my favorite parts.....

I recently bought all new furniture for my space ..... because it is small I needed to use the wall space very carefully.  Ikea was the place for me as the Expedit shelving is perfect for 12 x 12" paper, trays ect....

I LOVE LOVE LOVE having this window in my space as the natural light is fantastic.....when it's not raining of course :))

This is my smaller Expidit and I love it for tucking bits here and there.....so it stays messy most of the time.....

......and of course my favorite new 'old' vintage typewriter in my little cubby.....

These guys are the 'legs' to my favorite new desk.....which i LOVE because they hold more paper !!!

....and this is my ABSOLUTE FAVORITE part......this desk has a glass top with a space underneath so I can store all my latest projects, work, planner and any other bits I can stuff inside !!!!

 I bought this FABULOUS candle while I was in Milwaukee and i've been burning it every evening - LOVE it !!!

.....as much as I am a bit of an organizer, I find that when I am in the midst of several projects (which is always :)) that I tend to create little piles everywhere - including underneath the glass of my favorite desk !!

I hope you've enjoyed a little peek into what my space looks like at this very moment......it changes often as I find something new to add.......

......but at the end of the day it is my most very favorite place in our home.....

Happy happy national scrapbooking day my friends :))

Talk soon.

j. xo

....a few more layouts

Hi all......Just a quick one today.....

Giving you more ideas on how to use your

Bella Blvd. "Spring Flings and easter Things" 

I created these for an Spring / Easter Layout Workshop and am so excited to add my pics to them (now that I finally got them printed :))

 .....now I need to sit down and do it - next week i hope (fingers crossed :))

Have a great day and I hope you sit down and create something fun this weekend......Check back tomorrow for some National Scrapbooking Day pictures !!!

Talk soon.

j. xo

a few layouts

I am SUPER excited to be travelling over to the lower mainland tomorrow to spend Saturday with an amazing group of ladies that want to scrapbook all day long.....

Yep - that's right.....these ladies will each head home with (21) layouts at the end of the day.....and (5) of them will be doubles so that's a whole lotta scrapbookin' !!

This is an event that I love and is for the BC Crop for Kids benefitting BC Children's Hospital.....What a great way to get lots of scrapbooking done and raise money for a wonderful hospital too :))

Here are a couple of the ones they'll be working on.....

....I have a FABULOUS American Crafts mini album to share with you this weekend so make sure to come on back.....

Talk soon.

j. xo