2019 Resolutions Update

So Far, So Good!

I've been keeping track, and so far, all my creative goals for January have been met. Woot! I've even worked ahead a little bit. I love to be creative, and getting all of these projects done not only gives me a great sense of accomplishment, but it also makes me happy--doing more of what I enjoy!

We'll see if I can keep it up....

Easy Hawaii Layout

Paradise Found

In my quest to try to update my scrapbooks, I'm jumping around and just making pages of anything I want. The other day I felt like using beach paper, and I ended up with this layout for our Ohau trip three years ago.

The pictures are from various sites around the island. I used a paperpad called "Utopia" from Authentique for the papers. I used four: the op half of the layout, the bottom half, the strip through the middle, and the punched flowers.

I added Nuvo drops to the flowers I made, and to the centers of the flowers already on the paper in the bottom right. I used my own handwriting for the journaling.

Thanks for taking your time to look at my layout. Hopefully, lots more to come this year!

Shae's Summer

Actually Scrapbooking from THIS Year...

I found a version of this layout in the book Time to Scrap by Kathy Fesmire.

This book is from 2009, and it just shows that you can update older layouts for newer pages. The paperclips and the small photos drew me to the design. Except for the picture in the upper right, I used 2x3 sticky backed photos from my HP sprocket printer--how easy! I'll definitely be looking for more ways to use these small photos to make layouts.

The close-up photo shows the journaling. I used premade Tim Holtz ideology sayings on strips of paper and added Nuvo drops to make the strips match the paper in the layout. "SUMMER" is made with CTMH "Posterboard Alphabet," to which I added Nuvo drops as well. 

Poor little Shae's book is far behind her older brother's, so I'm trying to catch her up. Thanks for looking, and leave a comment if you like it!

Beach Vacation Junk Journal

Memories and more Memories

We rented a van and took Jess and Neal and the grand kids to the Gulf Coast early last fall. We had an old-fashioned family road trip with messes, crying, car games, naps, good food, bad food, hotels, fights, beach days, shopping, walks (runs in the rain), sightseeing, laughs, smiles, and lots and lots of memories. Oh, and a hurricane named Gordon that took away some beach time, but gave us a couple fire alarms and quite an adventure.

I made this junk journal before, during, and after our trip. I just finished it today (the day I wrote this, not the day I posted it). It might get some more doodling added, but it could be done, so I'm classifying it as a "done" project.  Here are a few pictures of the finished book.

Look how thick and chunky this journal is!!! I love a chunky journal. I used the small Dylusions journal and the outside is made with Tim Holtz's Distress Oxide inks, splattered with water.  

I also love, love, love when ribbons an tags, an other "stuff" sticks out from the edges of  the journal. I added lots of ribbons and tags that would go behind the confines of the book. There's a sand castle charm, and the light blue rubber thing is the bracelet from a hotel we were supposed to wear to use the hotel's amenities.

I'm only sharing a few pages, but this is truly a junk journal. I followed no rules and used so many types of papers and embellishments. I even used four different types of photos. (1) regular prints from my digital SLR printed on my home photo printer; (2) phone pics from my Pixel XL printed on my home photo printer; (3) Fuji Instamax photos from my Fuji Instamax Mini automatic camera; and (4) phone pics from my Pixel XL printed on my new HP Sprocket 2nd  Edition. I intend to do a blog post on my Sprocket soon. 

So many fun memories. It was Finn and Shae's first time at the beach, and they loved it!

I can't begin to name all of the products I used. Those palm tree stickers are OLD. I have a painted inked background here with Dylusions, some misc. B&T papers for pockets, and some newer chipboard stickers. 

Junk journals are a great way to use up miscellaneous items in your stash of products and a great way to be creative. There are no rules. We have another big vacation coming up next September, and I'm already looking forward to starting my journal!

Journal with 1960s Vintage Valentines

This ring-bound journal is full of vintage early 1960s Valentines--the kind you would get in your carefully decorated shoe-box-turned-Valentine-box at school. I know these cards are the real deal, because my friend Jane actually received them in the early 1960s, they are addressed to "Jane" on the back, and the sack she gave them to me in was marked "1963."

Here's the front cover. I added lots of ribbons, glitter, Nuvo drops, and tags throughout the book.

This page has a "new ephemera" bottle cap attached to it.

This page has a lot of room for journaling.

A little tag with a heart pull tucks behind the "Dolly" Valentine.

This side pocket has a tag for either journaling or a small photo.

This "tub-e" page is one of my favorites. I think the ribbon on the inserts makes them kind of look like curtains.

This small folding piece tucks behind the tail and hearts in the upper picture.

A tag with another Valentines and a charm embellishment pulls from behind the bear Valentine.

The girl with the flower hat tucks behind the envelope, which has a tag that pulls out of it. The three hearts also pull out from the "heart" card.

1960s sexism shown here. The boy is the snake charmer, and the girl is hanging Valentines on a clothes line. Both have journaling papers slipped behind them.

These pages have four more Valentines and some Tim Holtz photo booth pictures.  In total, I think I used 16 vintage Valentines. My friend Jane must have been a popular gal!

This book is in my Etsy Shop: GoodGollyMsMolly If you're interested, please go take a look at it and the other handmade items I have for sale there.

Vintage Valentine Accordion Junk Journal

This is a little accordion Valentine journal I made using vintage Valentines and ephemera, mixed with some new ephemera that looks old. It has a string closure in the front.

These pictures show the album opened from both sides. Each "page" or panel is about 4x4 and is decorated separately, but they all have the same vintage feel, so they go together well.

This panel used all new ephemera and has a pocket for a tag for a little love note or photo.

I used a vintage BINGO card here and drew a heart over No. 14. The flowers are early 1900s ephemera, and the stamp & postmark are from an antique postcard. I added little dimensional elements like the hearts and the Nuvo drops throughout the journal.

I make another pocket here and added some vintage-look paper in it for journaling. The pocket is embellished with more antique ephemera.

The panel on the left as a to/from space for gifting, and there are two tiny paper tags tucked into vintage ephemera in the middle.

The left shows a page with vintage ephemera and vintage sheet music. On the right is an antique Valentine, which opens up to show the sentiment.

This shows the open Valentine.

On the right is a page with new ephemera: two photo booth reproductions from Tim Holtz, some stamping, and "LOVE" spelled with Scrabble tile stickers.

Here's the last page I have a photo of. It's a vintage Valentine with a stamped sentiment on dimensional adhesive. I added a little tag to the page with the numbers 14 on one side and a heart on the other. 

Thanks for taking the time to look at my art. This journal is in my Etsy shop: GoodGollyMsMolly Please visit the shop and take a look at all the items for sale there.

Another year, another list of goals

2019 New Year's Resolutions

This year, I'm going to just list my creative goals, and there are a lot.

1. Layouts (2/month or 24/year). I've really almost quit scrapbooking because of my love for journaling, but I really like making large layouts, and I really want to keep making some.

2. Christmas Tags (5/month or 60/year). This Christmas my tag making was one of the things I scrapped when the holidays got busy. I'm going to try to do few per month this year, so I'll have a stash by December.

3. Art Journal Pages (1/month or 12/year). This is going to be very subjective to achieve. I counted finishing my beach junk journal as fulfilling January's quota. I really want to do some "for me" art journaling though, and I have a "girl power" themed journal in mind for my granddaughter I'd like to get started on.

4. Cards (5/month or 60/year). This includes cards for personal use and cards for sale.

5. Etsy products (1/month or 12/year). These are items I put up for sale. Hopefully, this will be much larger, but I'm new to Etsy, and although I think it's going well, I don't want to set this goal to high for my first full year.

6. Blogging (4/month or 36/year). I haven't met this goal since 2015, when I posted 50 times. In 2018 I blogged 4 times--why even do it? So, I'd like to blog more, which should be easy, because I'm still creating all the time. We'll see. I did get a new laptop for Christmas. Maybe that will be the magic cure.

This all seems pretty ambitious, I know. But, so far I have completed 11 Christmas tags (6 over quota), 1 Art journal requirement (check), 8 cards (3 over quota), 8 Etsy products (7 over quota), I've blogged at least once (I hope to schedule some more artsy posts later), and I have two layouts "in production." And, it's only January 6! Granted, I've had some extra weekend and holiday time lately, but I find that when I create, it gives me the bug to create more. I just need to keep up the habit.

Cheers to you this New Year. I hope 2019 is a good one, and all your resolutions are met, personal and creative.