Starting my bullet journal

     After nearly a decade long hiatus, I am back to my creative pursuits.  Since I was here, I went back to school and got my teaching certificate.  I have embraced minimalism, got out of consumer deft and starting to establish some savings.  Last summer, I had three part time jobs and needed some organizational strategy and also wanted a creative outlet.  Enter the Bullet Journal.
     The Bullet Journal appealed to me because you can be as creative as you want and you don't need a lot of money to start.

I have collected many notebooks that I intend to use as a bullet journal.  The top right notebook was supposed to be my first bujo (bullet journal).  I got it at Walmart for around $5, maybe 6.  The bottom right set of notebooks I bought in Chapters. The were $12.95 from Studio Oh and are the most expensive of my notebooks.  The lower left notebook was from the Dollar Store.  I got it for $3 and there is no brand on it whatsoever.  All of these are lined notebooks which is not the preferred format for the bullet journal community who leans toward the dotted, hardspined Leuchtturm 1917.  I found the Leuchtturm at Chapters for 26.95 and just could not justify spending that amount of money on a notebook at the time since I was not sure how taken I would be with the bujo system.  I will however put it on my Christmas or Birthday wishlist or use it as an incentive for a goal of mine.  

Winter class

I was going to teach a class in October but that fell through. My design was Hallowe'en themed but I was not able to reschedule until November. I might use it next year instead. I used Spooky Spider wheel and Bitty Boos Too, Party Punch, and the tag punch. I used Bordering Blue and So Saffron Cardstock but the Orange patterned paper was from my stash.
I made the fall card while trying to come up with a different idea for the class in November. I used Autumn Fest and Best Friends Alpha in Bravo Burgundy and Always Artichoke. Around here there are still leaves all over the place in November but the card seemed more like September to me so I scrapped that idea.
I decided to go with a winter theme. I was going to avoid Christmas but the Party Punch stamps just seemed to fit. I kept the basic concept but did the peek-a-boo box instead of a scrapbook page. I'm hoping that the girls might be interested in scrapbooking in the future. I have so many ideas. I used Solemn Stillness, Itty Bitty Backgrounds, and Party Punch. I used Whisper White and Night of Navy Cardstock and ink and used some blue paper from my scraps.

Sisters of the Travelling Scrapbook

I signed up for this swap on Splitcoast Stampers a long long time ago but it took it's time getting to me. I actually was probably the worst holdup out of the whole bunch too. My pages are finally done though and soon ready to be mailed. With this swap we were given two different bags. There is a must use bag in which we must use 5 items on the page and a misc. bag. I took everything except the priceless title from the must use bag.

Scrapbook page for work

At work my supervisor was decorating her office and wanted a page from all her representatives about ourselves. My friends told me I should make a scrapbook page so this is what I did. I just did a simple page since I didn't know how long it would last. Unfortunately things tend to go missing or get destroyed rather quickly. So far it's not been harmed or altered and I actually had this up for at least a month.

Tool Time Tuesday

I don’t have a pic but I just have a generic heat tool. Heat embossing is what turned me to rubber stamping in the first place so I really liked this tool before I even learned what other cool effects it can create.

On this page I used my heat tool to emboss clear embossing powder over craft ink. I did this for the sit spin challenge that was to create a view master page and include flowers or something that would be thrown onto the ice while the skater is bowing. I’ve wanted to do a title like this for a while now ever since I saw it in a magazine a few months ago. I embossed the rose and have 6 different pictures in the viewmaster frame. I did not do any journaling but Lavinia's name and included the date in the title.

Stamps: Stipple Rose
Paper: Cameo Coral, Barely Banana, white cardstock for viewfinder
Ink: Barely Banana, Black Pen,
Extras: brad, ribbon

On this page I used my heat tool to emboss images to create a resist technique. I made this for the Try To Resist My Olympic Experience challenge that was to use emboss resist and to use colors from a different country's flag. I picked Azerbaijan whose colors are red, white, navy, and white.
I just had to scrap the only pics I had of Independence Day when I was in the States. Journaling reads: During the summer months of training in Los Angeles, we would always go to Canoga Park to celebrate the fourth of July. July 4, 1997

Stamps: Letterpress Alphabet, Brushstroke alphabet, Fun Filled
Paper: Glorious Green, glossy white
Ink: Night of Navy, Versamark, white souffle pen
Extras: clear embossing powder, decorative tape

Monochromatic Monday

I did two monochromatic sample pages for my National anthem challenge for this past VSBN. My challenge was to make a page using the colors or your country’s flag and use the kissing technique.

Journaling reads: This is my grandmother Audrey Harris MacLellan while she was still Audrey Harris MacLean. She worked as a cook in Halifax away from her home in Cape Breton. I believe that is where she met my grandfather when he was a WWII soldier before going overseas.

Stamps: fancy corner, Best Blossoms, Brushstroke Alphabet
Paper: Real Red, Whisper White
Ink: Whisper White craft ink , white Souffle pen, black pen
Extras: buttons, ribbon

Here is the second sample page with the reverse kissing technique. I inked up and then stamped off on the Background stamp before applying it to the paper.

Journaling reads: This is my Mom in the late '40's visiting her Uncle Fred and Aunt Helen Younker. Back then, a trip to the city was an occasion so she was always excited to visit them.

Stamps: Linen Background, Best Blossoms, Brushstroke Alphabet
Paper: Real Red, Whisper White,
Ink: Real Red, black pen
Extras: buttons, ribbon

I also did a card with this same monochromatic color scheme. I admit I goofed on this one. I really like the look of the card and included the quote because I really liked it. I wasn’t really meaning for it to be a bug or ladybug quote. Now the more I look at it, I think it looks like I wanted an ant image and put a ladybug by mistake or wanted a ladybug quote and put ant in the quote by mistake. Maybe I can fix this by adding a different sentiment in the future. I really like the layout.

Stamps: ladybug by Stampcraft
Paper: red, plaid, whisper white
Ink: Jet black staz-on, black pen

Scrapbook Sunday

Last month I only participated in 6 challenges during Virtual Scrapbooking Night. Gasp! I usually do them all or if I miss any it’s one or two challenges. This time I spent the first day cleaning up my stamp area. Worst thing is that it still needs cleaning, but I thought I’d strike while the inspiration was there.

I did this page for the Time's Up challenge which was to use numbers on the page, bonus for using one of the metal colors.

Lavinia had a great time visiting her cousins. They had lots of fun on the trampoline. She held her own with the older girls. They screamed when a bug landed on it and she would go right for it and flick it off. Then Matthew showed her some flips. Aug 06

Paper: white glossy cardstock
Ink: Bordering Blue, pink
Extras: basic grey Urban couture letter stickers, mulberry flowers, spiral, brad, gold pen.

I did this for the You Go Girl challenge that was to create a vintage page using black and white photos and using greys, black, white, and cream papers celebrating women of the past.

Stamps: Brushstroke Alphabet
Paper: costco patterned paper and grey and black cardstock
Ink: Jet black staz
Extras: prima flower, sequin, brad, lace and black ribbon, vintage hinge sticker, vellum quote

My Christmas Gifts are on their way

I am finally getting my Christmas presents. I just signed up to be a Stampin' Up! demonstrator. I'm pretty excited and can't wait to get my kit (my Christmas present, if you haven't already guessed) when it comes. All that rubber. Woo Hoo. I'm actually more excited about the ink coming since I haven't bought anything since last June and all my ink pads and spots are dry as a bone.

Stamp Set Saturday

I made these cards for Christmas. They are very quick and simple but look so nice on the glossy cardstock. I stamped the tree in Handsome Hunter and again with Versamark and heat embossed in gold. I used Solemn Stillness.

Stamps: Solemn Stillness
Paper: white glossy cardstock
Ink: Handsome Hunter, Versamark
Extras: Gold embossing powder,

I love this stampset and wanted to try another card that wasn’t for Christmas. There are a lot of winter birthdays in the family so it’s nice to have something wintery that isn’t Christmas. I used Solemn Stillness, Cute Converse for the saying, and stamped the corners with Linen.

Stamps: Solemn Stillness, Cute Converse, and Linen
Paper: Night of navy, Whisper White,
Ink: Night of navy, Whisper White,