Negativity

i've been spending a lot of time in my off hours scanning negatives.
my husband gave me the film and slide converter I'd asked for as a christmas gift. It took me months to get a chance to use it - but once i got started i've been a scanning fool. now i've got a ton of old photos scanned in and ready to print when i need them. For me - having these negatives scanned and in my computer served a few purposes. #1 - if anything happens to the negatives i know i've got another source for these memories. #2 - it's nice to have the ability to just quickly go to my computer files and pull up these photos instead of going thru the negatives. #3 - it's a heck of a lot easier to get prints made from the digital version than the negative. Remember the old days when you had to take your rolls of film or negatives to be printed... then wait? I've gotten so spoiled - just upload to Costco, order prints and have my prints the same day or the next.
Maybe for some people all the effort scanning wouldn't be worth it but to me - it's wonderful and worth the time. I'm still working on baby albums. And i've got a scrapbook project (other than my kids albums) that i'm going to be working on (a gift) - i needed to go thru a lot of these negatives to find pics. Now that's done.
The film and slide converter my husband bought me is a great little tool. I'll be able to use it when i one day tackle converting my grandparents slides to digital (that will be an undertaking of major proportions!). The only thing i wished i could convert is my 110 film. I've got a lot of 110 negatives.
As far as what i've been scrapbooking of late: graduation photos for both my kids, some random photos of my inlaws house. I need to get started with my daughter's baby album - that's the next ongoing project i'm starting. Maybe then i'll post some layouts. need to add a little pictorial to this blog!

Little Pieces

I mentioned last time I was working on a layout originally planned as a 12x12. And also that I croppped the photos using my rectangle Nestabilities - here's that layout. I fooled around with it a bit more. Decided to use my corner rounder on the photos as well. I also took out my Quickutz Zoe font - i thought it worked nicely with the Making Memories patterned paper for some reason. Regardless I'm liking the whole 8.5x11 size these days. And who would think you could fit 10 pics on two 8.5x11 pages?

I still have a lot to do with the negatives - mostly because events around here are demanding my attention. And I have to begin the next phase of my Photo Freedom project. I'm still wondering whether or not I really need to purchase the storage binders. My photos are all organized and in boxes. Buying and using the binders just seems almost redundant for me. I think - not sure - I can use the boxes as she uses binders. We'll see. Gotta run!

Negatives and tools

I finished my time line of my printed photos (ones using 110 and 35 mm film). I tracked down some negative sleeves at a local Ritz photo store. Actually 50 pages of negative storage. Each holds 7 strips of 35 mm negatives. (I will definitely be needing hundreds more of these negative sheets before I'm finished.)
Now I'm on a hunt for what to do with the 110 negatives. If anyone has seen storage (preferably sheets that fit into a binder: 3 hole, 8.5 x 11) I'd appreciate the info.
Anyway I began filling up those 50 sheets last night as I watched a little TV. That's going to take a bit of time - but little by little it will get done. I know in Stacy Julian's book "Photo Freedom" she says just throw the negatives in a box - keep them safe and don't worry about organizing them. But I am just not up for doing that. Her reasoning was sound (if some disaster happens she won't mind looking through the negatives) but for me - well I just don't want to do it. I have so many years of photos and will no doubt want to get reprints. I know this because as I've gone through the packs of photos I have found not all the prints are there. They were given away or used on some pages or I just don't know why they aren't there. So having the negatives organized is important to me. But like I said I will be doing the organization in small bites. A little here, a little there.
And a quick note before I run - I was working on a layout this morning. More for my son's baby scrapbook. I was looking at all the photos and realized they all could fit on 2 pages (instead of the original 3 I planned) if I cropped them a bit better. Then I realized I could use my rectangle Nestabilities and get this cropping done in no time. And I did! All cut to the same rectangle size in a matter of minutes. I love it!

Whilst I wait....

and wait and wait... sheesh you'd think they'd tell you when you order that its not in stock. I am a fairly patient person but when I order I like to know in advance I'll be waiting kwim?

So I'm while I'm waiting for my Photo Freedom I decided to finish up some layouts I started a bit ago.

You'll note I took the pics of the layouts before I did any journalling. I trust you can use your imagination on that ok?

Nothing spectacular but I tell you it is very fun to actually USE all this stuff I've bought over the years and even more fun to find out the colors etc all go very nicely together. I guess I am consistent in buying what I like and I like the same colors etc no matter the year!

Another thing I've noticed is that regardless of the poor photography, I love these pictures. They won't win any awards but they're real yaknow? The one of my husband, his Dad and my son - the Joe Boys -I just love this picture. I had t-shirts made for them for Christmas and I knew it was going to be one of those pictures we'd look back on later. My father-in-law was just so proud of his namesake as was my husband. (I think I hear Paul Anka singing "The Times of Your Life" right now... do you hear it too? ;-))

Okay that's enough for tonight. I'll keep you posted as to the arrival of my book!

edited to add - gee the pics I took of the pages really are blurry - sorry about that - the photos really aren't that bad at all.

Size Matters

okay

you've noticed I do mostly 12x12 pages.

what you haven't seen is that I've done lots of 8-1/2x11 pages (not to mention lots of minibooks of all shapes and sizes)

When I was working on my kids school albums

(which I have just been updating for the past few years with each new year - and they are almost complete as these kids are almost done with school - a fact that totally blows my mind but i digress....)

I had a lot of items that didn't really require 2 full pages or even one full 12x12 page. I used Creative Memories albums for their school albums. CM made (perhaps still makes) these page protectors for things like awards and such - and they were really just like 8-1/2 by 11 page protectors. I used those for all their awards and such. They threaded right into the album like the other pages. Then I realized I could just make smaller pages in the albums - why not? So those albums are a mix of 8-1/2 x 11 and 12x12 pages. I guess I was a little ahead of my time huh? Cos now I see this same idea being used by a lot of other scrappers - I guess it just makes sense huh?

So, the other day I was getting ready to go to my new scrapbook club. I was looking at the photos that were up next in my son's baby album (notice how I have the school albums worked on but I'm still just at the beginning of the baby albums? ha!) A few pics here - a few pics there. None that needed a big ole 12 x 12 page and certainly didn't need a 2 page spread. So out with the 8-1/2x 11 cardstock. I made these 2 layouts and have another on my drawing table. I forgot how fast and easy these smaller layouts can be - and really a lot less stressful to boot. Fast and easy is good. No stress is good. It definitely gave me a sense of accomplishment - and for me - faced with decades (yes... decades) of scrapbooking to do - well that is definitely a bonus! Makes me want to do more!

How to fix those not-so-good pictures

does anyone know?

Oh you thought I was going to tell YOU?!

Silly.

First of all - 21 years ago there were no digital cameras (at least not that I know of). I was using a Pentax - not anything automatic and I really hadn't a clue what I was doing. Sort of a hit or miss affair. Back then - I just wanted to take the pictures and for the most part i did ok. These are evidence of my lack of skill with that camera however I have photos and that's what I cared about.

When i pulled out these pictures they looked decidedly Christmas-y.

And they are not Christmas pictures.

Really.

My husband's Aunt had sent this adorable bear to my son as a gift. And I had good intentions of taking photos of our son every month (after receiving it) with the bear to chart our son's growth - seeing as the bear was so large I thought it would be funny to see when our son actually overtook him - sizewise (of course if you'll notice in the photos, my dear son had some major double chins goin on - gawd the child was adorable - if you only knew what he looked like now you'd fully appreciate the irony - think very slim). Anyway that didn't happen - the monthly photo taking - but I do have these photos (and some others with the bear that you'll see soon).
And they looked like Christmas. Until I decided to pair the photos with this paper by KI Memories and some Bazzill cardstock. I wanted to take the Christmas out so i opted for blues and greens. And actually i think it worked. The alpha stickers are also KI.

That's all for today folks. Go make a page!

First Halloween

Now i'm actually to the first Halloween (and folks - this would mean my son was 4 months old - I've got a lot of stuff to do huh? LOL)

I am happy with this one - the pictures kinda just fell into place and I just needed to add some paper and a little journaling. I used some Doodlebug paper and cardstock, a Hero Arts stitching stamp, some black ink, my Martha Stewart writing pen and a little ribbon. The alpha stamps are, once again, from Purple Onion Designs - this time Garamouche Small. Oh and a little bit of ribbon on the tag. And I did use a small circle punch for the reinforcement on the tag. The only thing I think I would think about adding is maybe some more of that stitching stamp on the borders at top or bottom. I didn't do it because lining it up to go across the page was more effort than I wanted to expend LOL. I could just as easily use my sewing machine to get the same job done with a lot less effort.

A Father Son Talk and Classic products

You may have noticed I've been using a particular color scheme for this album of my son's baby pictures. Not really a conscious choice on my part. More of a manufacturer's decision. Most of the baby stuff out there for sale is in some form or other of pastel shades. It varies slightly from year to year - some years there is an influx of the hot color combinations - but they are always pastelled down (i made that word up LOL - but you know what i mean). And actually all the papers I'd bought over the years I liked just fine. I bought them right? But you do notice that is what people expect to find for baby stuff - I have noticed some primary colored items but for the most part - pastel. And it can get a little boring. I pulled out theese photos of my husband and son and thought - no Making Memory boy paper for this layout. It just won't work. BUT... some Making Memories Kid Collection Embellishment Paper - Sam - will be just right! No I'm not a shill for Making Memories but I am a huge fan. I think they have made some of the nicest scrapbooking products ever. The word Classic comes to mind. How much more classic can you get than the paper I used in this layout? It will always look good - and on a variety of layouts. I also threw on some of their buttons (of which i have a huge supply) - I like buttons. And i was in desperate need of something to fill that space. The title is stamped using (another of what i consider classic) Purple Onion Designs Garamouche Medium. I used a Martha Stewart writing pen for the journaling - I keep forgetting to mention these wondeful little pens! Get some. They're great- and they come in a ton of colors (make sure if you're looking for the writing pen you don't pick up the permanent marker - totally different tip!) And of course then there are the photos. I just love these pictures of my husband and son.

scrapbook therapy

Things have been busy around here but i decided i needed to get back to my scrapbooking. Making pages can be almost therapeutic. You kind of forget what is going on about you and just concentrate on what you're making. I bet you know what I mean.

I went back to where i left off with the baby pictures and picked up the next 2 photos and put them on a page. I used that Making Memories boy paper, some cardstock, my scallop circle punch and my circle cutter from Creative Memories, as well as the Garamouche alpha from Purple Onion Designs.

Oh and guess what - i actually completed 2 more layouts this week. I'll post them tomorrow and Sunday - how's that! Hope you're getting some pages done!

Jumping Around

Chronologically speaking - jumping around.

I had been talking about these dinosaur Halloween costume pictures on Small Smackerels. I had the photos out and thought - why not. Just cos I've been working on the baby pictures doesn't mean I can't skip ahead, whilst I'm in the mood, and scrapbook these right?

I hunted through my supplies and found some paper and stickers. I even found some twistel! Remember that?

It's not the greatest layout but i like it enough. Cute colors, papers etc. The minute i started to agonize that the little trick or treat tag as well as the title were "floating" i said to myself - who the heck cares? did i really care? No. Deep down i didn't. This isn't some graphic design project or a design team entry. It's a scrapbook page. One day, I like to think my son and his future wife (whomever she might be) will look at it and say - gee our son really looks like his dad. (or something like that). Or maybe they'll say - we gotta get Mom to make our son a costume for Halloween this year!

The point is my son and future generations will have these cute photos to look at and reminisce about and that's what it's all about. Isn't it?

For the record:

Patterned Paper - Creative Imaginations

Stickers: All stickers are by Doodlebug except the thin black and white stripe border stickers which I got from Creative Memories (maybe they're Mrs. Grossman's huh?)

Twistel and Brads are from Making Memories.

Bat Stamp is a foam stamp from Making Memories - it may be hard to see but the black cardstock is stamped using the bat stamp and Versamark.

Getting back to "jumping around"....

I'm more of a chronological scrapbooker. I know many people are - I'd even say most people work on scrapbooks in this manner. And ya know I tried to get into the Simple-Scrapbooks-Stacey-Julian thought process about forgetting the dates and working on themes (that's a simplistic explanation). I even thought about trying her Library Of Memories Class - which sounds really wonderful. I know someone who did indeed take the course and they really spoke extremely highly of it. I have both of Stacey Julian's books: Simple Scrapbooks and the newer Big Picture Scrapbooking. I really enjoyed them both. I guess bottom line, it's just not for me. I like scrapbooking all my photos. I don't mind (anymore) that I have a bazillion photos to scrap. Eventually (God-willing) I'll make the scrapbooks for those photos. I have taken what I learned from those books and incorporated them into my own process and that's okay, right?

Thought I'd check in

i wish i could say i've gotten some scrapping done.
I do have a layout on my drawing table right now which is almost complete.
It's been a while since I've had a layout on my table this long - pretty much all week. I was actually cranking out a steady stream for a while there.
I'm hoping to finish that one up today and then maybe work on some Ready-to-go files.
The RTG works great if you actually have small chunks of time to work on getting the items pulled together. And time has been at a premium lately. Lots of the spare time I've had lately has had to go into other creative endeavors (see Small Smackerels ). And with the holiday season coming up I know I'll have to start working on Christmas cards. But I'd really like to continue with my son's baby/childhood albums (if I ever plan to get to my daughter's!). We'll see. Hope you all are making headway in your scrappin. And if we all have to take a break on it lets all solemnly swear we won't beat ourselves up about it!

merry-hearted boys

some cute happy pics of my merry-hearted boy when he was just 3 or 4 months old.
how do you like those chins?
it's so funny to look at these pics and know this kid now - he's so slim and has these wonderful cheekbones and strong jaw. but then again such a cute baby would have to grow into a handsome man. the best man (other than his dad of course).
it's hard to see but the quote is
"it's the merry-hearted boys that make the best men"
Ingredients: assorted buttons (i think all Making Memories brand), embroidery thread, KI Memories paper and some eyelets

what a face

now ya see in person, you'd be able to see the photos on this one - they're really sweet. he was (and is) adorable. but most of the photos have a lot of shadow. you may be able to see better by clicking on the image i just am not sure.

Regardless - more Making Memories baby boy paper (every time i use it i kick myself for not picking up the pack for girls!) some brads and those cute Doodlebug cardstock tag alpha stickers.

Who's that in the mirror?

A fast page with pictures of my son loving his little mirror. I remember getting a kick out of watching him look at himself - wondering at what point he'd realize it was himself he was lookin at.
More of that cute Making Memories baby boy paper as well as Quickutz CK Handprint for the title

a picture is worth a thousand words

and also a few quotes. hence this layout of my husband and our son sleeping. sometimes my husband could get him to sleep by just laying down with him. i think maybe it was hearing his heartbeat that lulled our son to sleep? maybe. who knows but i do recall feeling very grateful at the time.

More of those K&Co fortune cookie type quotes with the Making Memories paper, cardstock and a little ribbon. i originally thought i'd stitch those quotes down - who knows - i may go back and do that...

our little star

that making memories baby paper again.... i love this particular paper. all those polka dots - so cute. You know i had never bought a pack of patterned paper before this one. I'd always picked out paper by the sheet. I was never sure I'd use up a whole collection of papers - probably cos I'd never actually gotten this much scrapbooking done before! Yesterday, while i was out at Target, I looked for the girl paper - of course it wasn't there anymore. I coulda kicked myself for not buying it when i saw it. I learned long ago if you don't get it when you see it you might as well forget it! Oh well - i'm sure by the time i need the girl paper, i will find i have enough anyway. The boy stuff is always the problem - never girl stuff. I also used a doodlebug embellishment (the star in the upper right hand corner of the right page - can you see it?) as well as some K&Company "Proverbs to Go". I'd bought those proverbs on sale when the store was closing. They were quite popular at the time - the little strips of paper with preprinted things on them. I really loved the Proverbs version of this line - they seemed like chinese fortune cookie fortunes - all packaged up in a chinese food take out container. i thought let me see if i can find a few that would be appropos for this album. There are 400 two-sided pieces in the container - and i looked through them all to find suitable ones.

Yes - i'm nuts.

Baptism

I am quite behind in posting but that's the way things are right now. But i thought i'd sneak in a few of these baptism layouts. I used some more

of that wonderful Making Memories boy paper as well as a die cut of the cross I bought so long ago I can't even remember. It was a pretty die cut but it was black. Doesn't that seem odd? A black cross? Well I thought so - particularly for a baptism layout. So i covered it in versamark ink and then white embossing powder. Voila - now it's a white cross and looks more appropriate. Oh yes - there is also some vellum that has the word baptism all over it - i believe it is made by Rusty Pickle (but don't quote me on that!)

A conversation with you

i took some quick pictures last nite of the stack of layouts i've done to date that i hadn't posted. not the best pictures but i think its more important to get these up here - and hopefully show that i'm still plugging away and you can too!

this one is a two pager with pics of my cutie when he was somewhere between 2-3 months old. I would set him on the floor on a blanket and just start snapping pictures - talking to him all the time. I talked to that child all the time - I think it's really important to talk to babies. No baby talk - just regular chat. He seemed to love it. And was always talking right back to me - very animated as you can see by the pics. He'd babble and coo and squeal. We'd have a good old conversation. This continues today (sans the cooing - we definitely get some babbling and the occasional squeal!) The kid is a talker. He tells me everything (well probably not e-v-e-r-y-thing but most things - to the point I have to say hey... I'm your mother - I don't want to know that LOL!) He cracks us up most times. I recall a particular time - he was maybe 3 and he had woken up before us. He was quite happy and laughing and we all went downstairs to the kitchen to get breakfast. He told us he already had breakfast. We asked him what did he have? He brought me to the cabinet where the cereal was - I thought omigosh he got himself cereal - I said did you have some cereal? He said - No - I had cookies! He was laughing and thought he was hilarious - he knew he shouldn't have had cookies - but he also didn't lie about it. That's this kid. (can you tell i just adore this kid?) We did indeed have a discussion about cookies not making a good breakfast - just so you know.....

oops - in case you were wondering those alpha stickers are SEI (gosh i love using up my stuff!)

okay. gotta go.

3 faces of you

with a lot of things going on around my house i've not been able to post. i have a minute or two right now so i'm grabbing it. thank goodness i had taken a lot of pics but this is the last one - although i have a stack of layouts done i don't have them photographed.

this layout i used another one of those Making Memories Perspectives, some KI Memories paper and alpha stickers and a Doodlebug star embellishment.

we're so happy to meet you

some pics of my older sister and nephew meeting my son for the first time.
used a making memories "perspectives" (its like a big piece of cardstock with precut spaces for pictures - this one had 2 openings for pics), a papershaper square punch and my Purple Onion Garamouche alpha rubber stamps.