Product Wednesday - Anything Goes Wednesday

Hello all, and Happy Wednesday, again!

Well today is my final Product Wednesday here on the MemoryWorks Blog. I just can't believe that August is already gone.... by the way, where did summer go??? Anyway, I have enjoyed sharing some of MemoryWork's products with everyone, and hope that you'll check them out for yourself (live and in person)!

So, for my final Product Wednesday, I thought I would share a couple projects I worked on this past weekend:

Here is one of those cheapy acrylic frames from the dollar store (yes, $1). However, with a little help you can turn this cheesy little frame into a FABULOUS gift for someone!

The paper is from Pink Paislee's Daily Junque theme set. As well as the paper that I used for the butterflies. I just added a little Stickleness to them to make them pop!! I also used a little ZVA Bling. Here is a close up:

The word labels are also from the Pink Paislee's Daily Junque Ephemera Pack. The words and the butterflies are the only embellies on the outside of the frame. Therefore...you can change out the layout and get an entirely different look:

Here I used the Simple Stories Elementary Kit, for the layout. Still works with the butterflies and wording, but changes the look perfectly for a back to school picture!

Next, I finally finished a layout for this cute little picture I stumbled across of my daughter from 4 years ago. I used Echo Park's Playground theme set and alpha stickers. I also used my Sew Easy for the first time!!! It was 'so' easy... however, MY ability to go in a straight line seemed to be the most challenging aspect.

I think that wraps up Product Wednesday for August. Thanks for checking it out, don't forget to stop by to see who's hosting Product Wednesday next month!

Happy, Scrappy Wednesday!

Guest Designer Tuesday: Jenn's School Days!

Wow!  August has flown by so quickly.  I have enjoyed sharing some of my scrappy projects with you.  So here it is, my last entry for the month.  Since we're gearing up for back to school I thought I'd share this project.

I've designed this school album to track my granddaughter Eden's school life.  She is seven, and going into second grade.  I created this album using the Simple Stories Elementary line.  In addition to the papers and other elements of this collection, and Glossy Accents, I used a Bo Bunny 3-ring album, Sizzix stars and flourish dies, Stampin' Up! bird punch and Marvy Uchida scalloped circle and EKSuccess scalloped circle punches.  I've inked with Distress inks in Vintage Photo and Shabby Shutters.  Bakers twine, buttons, Sassafras alphas, and white envelopes from Staples complete the list so far.  After all, she is only just going into second grade, I have lots of years left to add onto.  :)


To give the apple a bit more distinction, I covered it, the stem and leaves with Glossy Accents.  I also popped up that panel.

I paper pieced the owl in the front, which I drew freehand.  Since owls are featured in some of the papers I thought it was a fun design element to add.  I also like to use up scraps and these types of embellishments allow me to do so.  Right now, you are seeing all the layers in the first few pages.  The album didn't have enough pages for preschool so I added some page layers that you'll see more of in the following photos.  The photo of Eden is one of my faves from her pre-day care days, when I was one of a group of people who took care of her.

I used the Pre-School & Kindergarten panels as pages here, dropped a photo off of the Pre-school side and embellished the overhang on the back.  I also used a bingo card panel as a page.  When I asked Eden who her Kindergarten teacher was she quickly spouted off a name.  I asked if she was sure that was her name and not her first grade teacher's name and she said, "Yes."  As I finished writing the name she corrected herself and gave me the real name of her Kindergarten teacher.  So I covered it up with a fun strip with the correct name, and decided to use a sticker 6 on her first grade panel to carry through.  I'll pop one of the deets on each panel as I go along.

First day of first grade!  Here is where the white envelopes from Staples figure in.  They are 6x9" and the width fit perfectly in my album.  I cut off the top to measure the same size as my pages.  You don't have to do that.  You could leave them if they fit into your album.  These envelopes serve two purposes-they become another page and you can stash report cards, awards, additional photos, anything you might want to save into them.  It's all in one place.  You can layer papers over them to decorate as I did, or use them plain, or stamp lines onto them for journaling special memories.

I interviewed her for her top 5 faves of first grade.  Somehow recess managed to be at the top of this list.  lol

Thank you, Jenn, for all your beautiful inspiration this month!!

Express Kit Monday

I've enjoyed sharing these fun Express Kit projects with you this month. Here are a few more from our TeamWorks member to inspire you!

Sheri Feypel

Sandy Zent

Lisa Harris

Stay tuned on Mondays in September for the newest kit of the month!

Inspiration Friday

Happy Friday!  Thanks for joining me throughout August for Inspiration Friday. I've had fun and hopefully you've been inspired by my creative shares this month.

For my last post this month I'm sharing both a technique and a tool!  I know you've all seen this out in the market before, and I'm here to say - nows the time to pick one up.... it's the Sew Easy by We R Memory Keepers.

If you have a love-hate relationship with your sewing machine 

(like me), but ♥ the look of stitching on your layouts and projects - this tool is a must have!  

Here's a glance at a couple layouts I created with the easy stitch effect of the zig zag head:

To start, you will need the stitch piercer tool which comes with a straight stitch head and the piercing mat.  I recommend going with the WRMK mat, it produces the best results.

From there, you can add the many interchangeable heads to your collection.  I love the zig zag (shown above), and will soon be adding others to my collection.

To use:

• First - practice on a scrap paper to get the feel and proper amount of pressure needed.
• Grip the handle with pointer finger extended to keep tool steady as you roll along the paper
• Apply firm, steady pressure with pointer finger
• Roll tool forward along the paper at slow-to medium pace, keeping level as you roll

Once your paper is pierced with the selected head design, simply thread using the WRMK floss.  (tip: depending on your desire for thick to thin thread effect, simply separate the strands of floss.  My top example uses 6 strands and my bottom uses 3).

Tips and photos courtesy of weronthenet.com

Get your tool today - it's SO Sew Easy!

Product Wednesday - Show Your Scrap Space!

Hello all, and happy Wednesday!

I've enjoyed sharing some of MemoryWorks products with everyone! So today, I thought I would share a sneak peak in to ME! I am luck enough to have a wonderful little room of my house to call my own.. my own Scrapbook Room!! Ha! Ha! My husband rarely enters the room, he says that there is way to much estrogen flowing around in there.. but I think he really means Creativity. He just doesn't understand the difference.

Anyway.. without further ado... Welcome to my Scrap Space (Warning, I did not clean before your visit):

My darling husband made me a 9 ft. table out of some leftover wood he had.. and now I can leave out all of my goodies! And my Cricut has it's own little space too!Yes... I keep all of my paper in a totes. But they are pretty pink totes! I could stand to be a little more organized there.

(Some) of my ribbon storage. If you look really close... you will see.... a foot! HA! I did a plaster of my daughters foot at the beach last year, so I keep it with my ribbon storage.

Here is the other side of my room. I usually have my sewing machine on this table, but today, it found it's home in another room.

I do like to store special occasion paper and embellies together. So, I found this little lovely, that keeps all of my holiday and special occasion goodies separate from my regular supplies.Well, I hope you enjoyed your tour through my Scrap Space. Don't forget, I'll be here next week for the finally Product Wednesday of August!

Happy Wednesday!

Guest Designer Tuesday: Mini-Album by Jenn!

Today I want to share the cutest little mini-album design.  You can easily recreate this with what you already have at home.  But don't let that stop you from picking up some great new papers too.  lol

I wanted to scrapbook the day my husband and I took our granddaughter Eden out kayaking for the first time.  This mini-album was the perfect choice for this project.  You'll never believe what the album base is made of.   Toilet paper rolls!  Who doesn't have those in the house?  Wait till they're empty of course, lol, and put them aside.  They make a great little pocket mini.

Along with the empty t-p rolls I used photos printed @ 2"x3" and lots of scraps, leftover tags and stickers, and miscellaneous doo-dads I had on hand.  This is the beauty of this mini--you can use up the bits and pieces leftover.  I also used one 12x12 piece of solid card stock to mat my photos.

Supply List:  scraps from MWE May kit including papers from October Afternoon; SS 100 Days of Summer card stock stickers, alphas and flash cards; ribbons; Maya Road library pocket from MWE June; Jillibean Soup Blossom Journaling Sprouts; Daily Junque Mini Notes & Labels; Brads from MME Stella & Rose; Broken China Distress Ink; Fired Brick Distress Stain; Glossy Accents; MME lime twist twine; 7 Gypsies Cable Rings; Mulberry Flower and a random button from the jar; silver pearls; paper clip; strong adhesive(double-sided tape); foam squares; glue dots; Cropodile; stapler; bone folder.

I started by flattening the toilet paper rolls using my bone folder.

I stained the edges of the t-p rolls with Fired Brick Distress Stain.  I made sure the edges were covered as well.

Next I chose the papers and cut them to size.  For my album I decided I wanted a bit of the toilet paper roll that I had stained exposed so I left about 1/8th of an inch border.  If you're like me and you buy the t-p that's on sale, you'll end up with different sized rolls, so use all the same rolls and measure to determine the size papers you need.  You'll want a piece for each side/page of the album and more for the pocket inserts unless you use leftover notes, journaling spots, or tags for the pockets.

Ink the edges of your papers with Broken China Distress Ink.

Using plenty of double-sided tape adhesive, adhere paper to the t-p rolls.  Do not be stingy on the adhesive, you want the papers to stay on.  Since there will still be a bit of a curve to the t-p rolls, you want to make sure to use enough adhesive to keep the paper secure.

Now comes the fun part!  Mat photos, place in album and embellish to your heart's content.  Create tags for pockets using leftover scraps, packaging, those extra journaling spots, etc.  Ink your photo mats, cut out titles, layer ribbons, flowers, banner, etc.  Pop up some of the embellishments with foam squares.  I cut a sun from a scrap, fashioning it after the sun sticker on the card stock sticker sheet (that sun was too big) layered it with a button and twine.  I like the look of matting words on scraps, and when I put the alpha stickers directly on the photos I gave them a light layer of Glossy Accents to make them stick, and to give them an epoxy sticker look.

One side of the pages and tag inserts:  I journaled on some and put photos on at least one side of each tag.  I added ribbons as little pulls.  The paper clip flag is cut from a scrap and the star in the square is another tiny scrap.  My philosophy is that any scrap I use up is one less I have to sort and file later.  :)

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The opposite side of the pages and tag inserts.  I made the little Eden banner from the flags on the card stock sticker sheet and popped them up with foam squares.  I cut the summer banner out from one of the SS 100 Days of Summer flash cards and popped it up too.

Using your Cropodile, punch holes in your album, one roll at a time.  You'll want to do this without the tags inserted.  Also, if you don't like the way the t-p roll sticks open at the binding edge, you can put a little glue dot between your binding holes and squeeze it shut.  I prefer to do that.  Thread your pages through your binding cable rings and secure.  Your album is complete.  Show it off to your scrappy friends and watch them do a double take when they realize you've made an album from empty toilet paper rolls.  :)

Here's another one I made, using MME lime twist papers and embellishments.  Here I've used ribbons to bind it together.  You can really put your own spin on these.  I'll post more pix of the June Fete mini on the Inspiration Gallery.  I hope you'll post your versions on the Inspiration Gallery too, I'd love to see what you come up with.