Project Life: Week Eleven

This post is long overdue, but there's been a lot of work happening, and I currently have issues with updating this at work. I've also been debating the future of  this blog. I want to do more than just crafty things, but that would involve another name change, or another blog, or something I haven't quite decided upon yet.

Until I figure that out, I'll keep posting my Project Life layouts and crafty things here. So, here's week eleven. I've been keeping up with making the layouts, but falling behind when it came to photographing and posting them here.

This week had a lot of photos that I wanted to include, and when I made it, I was trying to adjust my style a little bit and try being a little more creative with my layouts. Right side is Design C.

Here's the left side of my week. I used a variety of cards from Blush, Midnight, 5th and Frolic, and the March Studio Calico Kit. I try to keep my photos in chronological order as best I can, but I tend to group them in a straight line when I can't. 

This is the front side of my full page insert. It's design D. I didn't really want to journal about any of the photos on this page except the bottom left one, and since it was a vertical photo I just used pic frame to make it a 4x4 square and adhered it to a 4x6 blush card. I used my cricut to cut out the white shape next to it, and wrote my journaling on it so it would stand out a bit more. 

This bottom left photo of the left page, I stamped on a scrap of paper and adhered it to the photo. I wanted to draw attention to the photo and the silly expression on her face. I asked her to say cheese and that was the face she made. 

This is the second half of my layout. I used another card from the SC March kit, some blush cards, and a couple background cards by MAMBI (me and my big ideas). 

Here's the left side. I used the to left card to journal about the icing I accidentally smeared on the cupboard, and I used the bottom card to journal about Jon's Warhammer photos throughout the layout. I like to include his painting progress whenever I can because creating this album is my hobby, and I feel it's important to include bits of his in here. Plus the mat in the bottom left corner is super awesome! It's like a super fancy car mat, and I would absolutely drive cars on it. 

Here's the right side of my week 11. Jon's birthday was this week (hence the cupcakes). We didn't have a fancy dinner or anything for him since we were bothy working, but we took the cupcakes to work and shared, and then a couple days later my sister came by and we ate the cake. 

I used a similar stamp as the beginning of my layout, but it says this guy instead of this kid. I also stamped on the card below it because the journaling went with the photo on the previous page. 

My layouts could be prettier, but I don't always have the time to spend hours on a layout so I make them simple. Perhaps I'll go back and embellish more in the future when I have time. But ten years from now, no one will concern themselves with how much embellishing I did or what products I used. At least I hope not. 

Have a great day!

-Alexandria

Project Life: Week Ten

Can't believe its already week 10, feels like just yesterday I wast starting my album (I'll probably say this again around week 20, 30, etc.).

When I started this album, I knew I wouldn't use a single kit. I thought I'd stick to two of them, then I got Dear Lizzy and thought three would be okay. My pages have gone from bright and pastel coloured, to slightly darker colours. I'm okay with that, I love the variety. This week I used the Jade Edition.

Here's the left side of week 10. I watched a lot of Lost this week, finished one book and started another. I tried out a new recipe for dinner.

This week I included an insert of Jon's hobby again. I added a washitape paperclip to this insert (and all my previous inserts) in coordinating colours.

Here's the full layout with the back side of the insert. Sorry for the right side being a little darker, I was in a hurry to get these on the blog and ice cupcakes for Jon's birthday yesterday.

The top picture of this insert is possibly my favourite (sorry for terrible photo quality). Jon helped his dad take their dogs Snoopy and Dante to the vet this week.

Here's the right side. The top left photo is our neighbour lady and a friend shovelling the little bit of snow we had. The right picture is Gracie sleeping on her head by the window. I included a comic from the book I'm reading because it describes my life right now perfectly. I also included a book Jon got in the mail and was super excited about. Jon's friend visited this week and we played boardgames with him.

This the washitape paperclip I slipped onto this week's insert. I wanted something to tell other people who were flipping through that there was something on the backside of this page so they didn't miss anything. I think its a subtle way to draw attention to it.

Have a great weekend!

-Alex

Washitape Wednesday

That's right, I'm bringing Washitape Wednesday's back. Tiffany has stopped hosting the link up,  but I'm going to keep posting my washitape projects here, and you can feel free to share links to yours in the comments, or email them to me at creationsbycoal@gmail.com

I can't guarantee that this will happen on a weekly basis, but I'm going to try and do it at least once a month. I need to get my days better organized and plan ahead for the blog. Hopefully when work closes for renovations I can get myself ahead enough that I won't be so stressed about this. As it is, I can hardly do 3 days a week, I couldn't imagine if I'd tried to continue with 5 days a week.

Anyways, I was going to do a giveaway on my Instagram when I hit 600 followers. Clearly that didn't happen, I got busy, I didn't really have anything I wanted to give away that people would have wanted, but I thought that whatever I did, I could toss in some washitape envelopes. My goal was to make a dozen and have multiple winners (2 or 3). I ended up with 7 envelopes, but I plan to just keep working at it. I have so much washitape that using some of it up couldn't hurt.

I used a variety of tapes, either in the same colour, or in complimenting colours. I had a lot of fun doing it.

I added plain white address labels to the fronts of the envelopes. None of the tapes overlapped. I trimmed them so they hit each other, but nothing overlapped.

I tried to put the tapes on in a variety of angles and use a bunch of different patterns, but sometimes it's hard without making it all one colour. 

You can never have too much washitape!

-Alex

Project Life: Week Nine

Hooray for being all caught up, and getting this post ready for the week after. This week wasn't all that eventful, doing something exciting every week is hard.

This week I used the Maggie Homes core kit. I tried to stick to navy and green so I could use green tape on my month card. I choose my kit based on the pictures usually. this week they were really dark, but I managed to keep the page a little brighter with mostly white cards.

Here's the left side of my week 9. I try and reuse what sticky notes I can for planning, so I keep those on the inside edge of the album cover. I included the little bit of painting Jon got done this week to fill up a couple spots that would have been hard to fill otherwise.

Here's the right side, I rarely edit my photos, and I obviously missed that my sweater got into this shot. I didn't want to drag the step ladder into the craft room. I try and keep my week's journaling to one 4x6 whenever possible. I included a couple shots from dinner this week, and dying my sisters hair (which I do roughly twice a year).

I feel like we're getting into a routine of doing the same things each week (trying to change that up a little bit), and instead of using similar photos every week or a board game that we play roughly every week. My goal this month is to do something exciting at least one week out of the month, like take a trip somewhere, try a new recipe, or play a new board game. Hopefully spring comes soon and then I can do things outside and document those as well!

Have a great weekend!
-Alex

Project Life: Week Eight

Hope everyone had a nice weekend! I'm so close to being caught up with posting these! This week I had a lot of photos. I used the Maggie Holmes core kit, and one Kraft journaling card. I had so many photos that this week I put in an insert of photos.

This week I included some of Jon's painting since I've been including more about my hobby than his.

This is our Sunday. Jon had a tournament and I went with him. We went to a new-to-us restaurant and I snapped a couple pictures. On the drive home on Monday I snapped a picture of our Tim's breakfast.

The left half of this page is the first half of the insert. Jon's been painting a few commission projects as well as his own stuff, so I included photos of those, but they were a last minute addition so I put them into an insert.

Here's the full spread with the other side of the insert. 

Here;s the rest of Jon's painting work, and I included some journaling about what armies he's painting for what game, etc.

Here's the full right side. The last two commission pictures, a plate from my Great Grandma's china set that my mom save for me, my Project Life storage, a tree in our backyard, and a new recipe of Chicken Wings Jon tried out this week. 

Hopefully I can get back to posting cards and other crafty things once in a while!

Have a great week!

-Alex