September 23, 2013 Momento Mori

     

Calendar Album For Baby

Next year is going to be a busy year for being a grandparent! Earlier this year my youngest daughter married and then in June announced they would be adding to our family in late January! How excited they are, but it means so many choices they have to make...like an apt. that will hold them!! As newly marrieds and first baby on the way the MUST haves out weigh the would like to have frills. That's true for so many just starting out. I don't think it needs to be so harsh. Yes, they need sleepers, diapers, onesies, sheets and blankets. All those will come no doubt one way or the other. The gift I have just finished for them is a little bit of a luxury to some, but necessary to me!

I think it is essential to document your baby's life, and in particular the events of their first year. It should be fun and not a chore. Some of those baby books can be so forgettable and you may start and never finish. This one allows the parents to "just add pictures". Yes, there may be some modifications to fit the mats, a few facts to add, but it is nearly complete and will be fun to finish! It is a perfect gift for some one special and dear to you. I've done a 12 x 12 size here but there is also an 8x8 size that you could do something similar.  They've been a hit with those I've made these for before, but this time I did it with colors Libby approved.

Lib isn't a girly girl pink and purple kinda girl, so she didn't want pretty pastels but bold and bright colors. For a boy, that wouldn't be so bad but harder for me to swallow if it's a girl on the way. So I dove into this project to complete it before we all found out...boy or girl.

I began with 12 blank 12x12 Calendar pages from Mosaic Moments.
I also used two 12x12 grids in each of these colors: red, orange, yellow, blue, lime green and green.

I cut my own paper mats for each layout out of a pack of Best Occasions Primary colors Deluxe Cardstock (Wal-Mart). It's a 200 8x8 size pack that gave me plenty to work with and assured me enough paper to be consistent through out the book. The vivid colors matched well with the papers I chose to use from Doodlebug Designs.   

The purpose of the calendar is two-fold. One, it gives them a place to record all of baby's firsts...and a scrapbook page to put photos of baby from that month, side by side. Something I have also found to be a fun idea is to use a 1-1/4" punch (EK Success) to punch out portions of photos to fit in the calendar space. So they could include a photo from each day if they wanted, or just some of the highlights, a special visit or occasion.

This album will begin either in January or February depending on when baby arrives, she will be able to add the dates with a set of rubber stamps and a 2014 calendar. Picking from the 12 pattern pages she can choose whatever she likes for each month. Although the pages are bright they will only serve as mats in  a narrow 1/8" border and will be toned down quite a bit once completed. She can add journaling wherever she wants to and even leave some spaces open.

I had searched all over for rub-on dates that the scrapbook stores usually have, but could not find any anywhere. Now I see them being advertised for calendar making in time for the new year. So if you are inclined to do this project plan ahead...or you can find a set of stamps perfect for the job HERE by Tami Potter of Mosaic Moments.



Patterns from left to right top row first:
#43-#39-#25 alt.
#33-#13-#92 Flipped



Patterns from left to right top row first:
#34 - #80 - not a pattern
#3 - #10 - #12

All patterns are available on Tami's Blog HERE there are now over 100 easy patterns to choose from!

detail of pattern page #3

detail of the pattern paper used to choose the colors for the layout.

close-up of one of the page sections.



Months cut with Cricut and Xyron for adhesive. Added to back side of sheet of paper it is perfect for holding down on the Cricut mat and then placing on the calendars. The intricate curves of the lettering are easily covered.  



Title colors to match each of the pages.

Before I had the album finished I got the news that my son and his wife would also be delivering a baby in May, and my grand daughter, the frequent subject of my scrapbook pages, will be a big sister! Not so sure she's thrilled with that news, but we are!

And for Libby and Tony, they will be having a little girl! Tony will get his little princess...and Libby may have to get used to a new color palette! 


If you'd like to purchase the Mosaic Moments Grids, Calendar pages or rubber stamps please follow this link to snapncrop.com where you can purchase any of these items.

Click here to visit Wish in the Wind, LLC

Thanks so much for stopping by...

Andrea

My Workin' Man

It seems like only yesterday that this little boy was working hard at playing in my kitchen. We'd been working on some DIY project and the workmate was still set up when I caught him with his work apron and tools...and his sippy cup at his side...diligently, intently imitating what we'd been doing.

Now this little man is all grown up and finished with school, the bread winner in my home, taking care of his mama. He makes me so proud!

Doodlebug papers, screw brads, and title cut with Cricut were used to make this page.

 

 

Thanks for dropping by...

 

Andrea

 

DeNami Design Krazy for Kraft Blog Hop

  Welcome to the DeNami Design Krazy for Kraft Blog Hop!   You may have arrived from Wendy Elliot's fabulous creations DeNami's site or even dropped in because you've followed one of my links!   However you got here, thank you for coming and taking a look. It's been good getting back into a blog hop after taking the summer off for other things and what better time than for a Kraft Paper challenge? I'm sure you will see countless ways to make Kraft shine as you travel along the hop and for now let me show you what I've presented.    

 

Here's what I've used to make this card...

 

• A black linen card stock base
• Kraft layer stamped with N143 Gingham Background in Versafine Onyx Black Ink.
• Kraft layer cut with Martha Stewart Modern Garland edge punch and stamped with DeNami Design's N109 Polka Dot Border (this was my first DD stamp purchased years ago!) in Versafine Onyx Black Ink. Then wrapped in triple strands of Darice Hemp Cord with bronze strand. This layer was attached with foam mounting tape for dimension.
• Black cardstock was cut and embossed with Spellbinders Scalloped Circle Die and attached with foam mounting tape
• Kraft layer cut with Spellbinders Circle Die, stamped with I53 Medium Dot Circle Frame and F177 Thinking of You Circle both DeNami rubber stamps
• Black cardstock was cut and embossed with the smallest circle from the Spellbinders Circle Die set
• Topped with a rust red button tied with a bow made of the Darice Hemp Cord with bronze strand

detail of sentiment embellishment 

 

 

So now it's time for incentives before you move along the Hop...prizes!! Yes, DeNami Designs has prizes for those on the hop today...THREE give aways! THREE $20 gift certificates to

• a random participant (DT members not eligible)
• TWO people who comment along the way (there are 26 creative people for you to comment on and have 26 chances to win one of those TWO gift certificates!!!)

You have until Monday night, September 9th at 11:59 PST to leave a comment and get in on the fun!

 

So before you head on to the next stop please leave a comment and increase your chances of winning!!   Then head on over to GG Creations where Greta Hess will not disappoint you with what she is sharing today, she is a wonderful designer!!!   Thanks again for stopping in and sharing your thoughts...  

Andrea

     

Zoo Extra!!

The other day I posted my pages for the Mosaic Moments Circle Challenge with the promise of the next two pages I did of our day at the zoo. So today's the day...

the double page layout

There were so many beautiful floral beds throughout the zoo and I tried to capture as many as I could. The Hydrangea's were beautiful and I used two photos, one I reverse printed to get the look I wanted. My focal photo of the butterfly seat I've sectioned the center and added a Robin's Egg Paper Tile to highlight that center cropped photo.

For the sunflowers I used two photos 4x6 and kept all the pieces in order from top to bottom. I used most of one full photo and 4" of the other and only 3" down. With the extra pieces I could have  added them in elsewhere on this page or another.

the doors to the zoo also open to my hidden journaling

Now you may be saying that having a flap to hide the journaling means you'll never be able to access it, but there is a trick to make it all fairly easy to do.

 

Have your layout inside the page protector and be sure that it is firmly in place. Using an Exacto knife and a metal ruler works the best. Lay the ruler right alongside the folded edge of the journal block. This creates a nice taught surface perfect for making a good pierce through the plastic. Carefully cut along this edge being careful not to slice the folded edge or through the page below. Once completed slide the layout out far enough to slide the photo flap through the slot you've just created. The bottom half of your journaling will now be covered with the page protector.

 

to see more details on how to do this visit my Journella page where I go into more details on creating hidden journaling and cutting the page protectors.

For more info on Mosaic Moments Grids, Paper Tiles and Circle Frames
 Click here to visit Wish in the Wind, LLC

Thanks for stopping in...come back Sunday or Monday

for the DeNami Design Krazy for Kraft Blog Hop!

 

  ...Andrea

September's Circle Challenge

Welcome to September and the Mosaic Moments Design Team Challenge!

Here's a peek at the layout I've posted at Journella.

 

This layout was one I found to be so very fun to work on and I have to say it is also responsible for making me aware of how I need to scrap my photos as soon as possible to really capture the excitement of the event!

 

 

Be sure to stop in to see all the details on Journella HERE

 

Here are a few photos to show you what I began with... 

 

 

Two sheets of Black Mosaic Moments Grid Paper and one Ginger, all 12" x 12"and how I built on double color mats to keep the circle a bit more visible. 

Click here to visit Wish in the Wind, LLC  to see the Mosaic Moments products.

Using a slightly darker (spice) tone from the background (ginger)
I wanted to have a clear definition of the shape.

 

I may return to this pattern another time to create a page where the shape 

remains more visible in the end product. I'd like to play around with a few more color options!

 

Come and See the full layout and be sure to leave a comment

and visit the other Designer's papers too!

 

Thanks for stopping by...

 

andrea

 

Click here to visit Wish in the Wind, LLC