Oh Deer Me - February kit

Today I got my first kit as a new subscriber to Freckled Fawn's monthly Oh Deer Me embellishment kit. I am in love! Everything is so bright & colorful. This kit is very fun and I can't wait to use it in my future PL pages. 

The price is $30 a month plus shipping if you are a subscriber. Although it is a little more expensive compared to other monthly kits, I think it is a great deal. Lots of product. There is no way I could purchase these items individually and keep the total under $30. This kit is for people like myself, who love embellishments. There aren't any journal cards or paper included. That's ok for me because I have plenty of paper. I have a hard time finding embellishments that coordinate together, so this takes the hard part out of the equation. Now that I've gotten my kit, I can really see and feel the quality in the products. I don't mind paying a little higher for sturdy and unique items.

As the website states... every month you will get 3 staple Freckled Fawn products: 

1) a stamp set

2) a washi tape

3) and a wood chip set 

.....plus unique embellishments that can't be purchased anywhere else! Which could be items such as brads, alpha stickers, rub-ons, enamel dots, buttons, flair, paper flowers, stick pins, resin flowers, chipboard, twine, lace, crochet shapes, sticky pads, ribbon, foam stickers, cork shapes, resin shapes, cameos, metal flowers, epoxy brads, rhinestones, paper clips, button clips, pearl stickers, fabric brads, and much more.

Why should I subscribe? Hmm.. why shouldn't you?

You get a kit each month delivered to your doorstep filled with goodies! You get a $5.00 discount off each kit for being a subscriber! During subscriber shop hours you get 10% off add-on embellishments, and $1.99 flat rate shipping for those items. You can also buy extra-kit embellishments only available to subscribers, and get special discounts and offers!

If you'd rather just buy a certain month's kit, you can do that too. Individual kits will be listed for sale on the website on the 1st of each month at noon MST, they are $35 plus shipping.

The March sneak peak was revealed on Feb 20th. These are clues as to what is in the next month's kit!

If you want to be a subscriber click on the deer!

I will be sharing each month's kit contents with you, so make sure to come back and check it out! 

- the crafty love girl

Burlap alphas

Hey everyone! My Week 7 is finished, I made 3 pages for this week. I used a new page protector layout, Becky Higgins Design G for page 1 and 2 which are the 8.5 x 11 size pages. When I was shooting photos for my blog I got a few of Ollie! She was helping me out on set ;) To reduce glare from the page protectors, I have been taking the photos and cards out and setting them on the floor. I read this blog that said to use white poster board as a background when taking photos for your blog. So I tried that this week.

Other than my pages this week... I am very excited because I ordered the Big Shot from Sizzix! I have been eyeing it for over a year now and am super excited! I went to a friend's house to stamp Christmas cards and she had one and I was amazed at its embossing abilities! Now that I realize it can also cut, I had to have it! This will be so much fun and will probably get me on a card-making and stamping kick...grreatt!

Also, I joined a 2nd monthly kit club from a company called Freckled Fawn. Their kit is called OH DEER ME, (isn't that cute!). Their kits are solely embellishments, which is what I need most of the time. I haven't received the February kit yet even though I joined almost 2 weeks ago but tracking shows I'll get it tomorrow (which is today because it is 2:42 AM. I guess I'm still on that night shift time. I've been off for 3 days!)

All of the cards on page 1 are from the Maggie Holmes core kit except the "Live Out Loud" 3x4 card. The washi tape & bow are from Studio Calico.

Front:

back:

Design F 12x12:

So that is all! I've been busy learning new techniques for both my blog and project life and started using GIMP (a free software almost like photoshop). My freeze has melted...I haven't been good. The facebook PL groups are enablers!! Once I get my big shot I should be set, I'm gonna have 2 monthly kits to use and maybe some swaps... so my spending freeze is starting again, this time I'm going to try harder! (I was good for 2 weeks which is a long time in the scrapbooking addict's world!) Until next time!

-the crafty love girl

Lot of photos

I got Week 6 done! I wanted the focus to be on the memories in the photos, so I did less embellishments. The photos are from the surprise 70th birthday party we had for my grandma earlier this month. Lots of family and memories were documented! The cards are a mix from BH Project Life kits (Maggie Holmes, MH flea market, Blush, Jade) and a few cards from WRMK and Studio Calico.

New things I tried this week:
1) I used the Becky Higgins Design F page protectors for the last 2 pages.
(First page: Design A, Page 2 and 3: Design D)
2) I used stamps in my pages! I tried a few photopolymer clear stamps from SP & Company Stamps by Samantha Peyton which I received in a mystery box I ordered awhile back. Visit her store here!
3) On the 4th page I used a 4x6 portrait photo that was split into 4 - 3x4 card slots.

Enjoy!

- the crafty love girl

97 cents

Hi everyone! This week I was inspired by some washi tape that I got for only 97 cents! 2 rolls! So my color scheme this week was orange and gray. I picked these beauties up this week from Joann and also got some alphas! Everything for only $7.77! I used my gift card from Valentine's day because I'm supposed to be on a spending freeze...I'll talk about that later!

I participated in a swap this week and sent 1/3 of a my Maggie Holmes kit for a 1/3 of the Jade kit. I am in love! I wish I bought the core kit! I absolutely love every card and all the colors!!

      

Here are my week 5 pages! I used some cards & embellishments from the Studio Calico January & February kits and Becky Higgins Jade kit. And my orange washi tape! 

That is all folks! Until later, happy scrapbooking!! 

- the crafty love girl

Mint & Sunflower

Week 4 is done! I was kinda putting this week off because I have hardly any photos...and it seems like a long time ago (Jan 20-26) but I made it work and I'm proud of it! Every time I finish a spread, I think "this is my favorite!". But then I create another week and fall in love with that one, too. Project Life, I'm so happy to have found you! It feels so warm & fuzzy returning to the scrapbooking world and I feel so blessed to be a part of this community of Project Life-rs. I have been spending alot of time in multiple Project Life facebook groups and on The Pocket Source soaking up so much inspiration and creative ideas! Everyone is so friendly and positive!

A few awesome things 
about the PL online community:

1) Swaps. There is a whole fb group dedicated to this! You can find others who are looking for what you've got and swap for things you'd like. I swapped a 1/3 of my Maggie Holmes kit this week and can't wait to get my swap in the mail soon. I like the idea of swapping because I am budgeting my crafty spending, but you can also shop, too. Click below to visit! These are closed groups so you will have to ask to join!

2) Participate in an RAK. Random act of kindness. You send a random person goodies & you're on the list for someone to send some to you! I think this is great way to recycle/share things that you may not particularly like from a kit that you may have received and also to be nice and make someone's day! Alot of people are making their own 4x6 and 3x4's. I think that is great because they are truly unique! I got on a RAK list through the facebook group Project Lifers.

3) Learn! I have found a really cool website called The Pocket Source. It is a social network for pocket style scrapbooking. When you join, you will have a page that shows your activity feed, photos, & comment wall. The gallery allows you to share photos of your scrapbook pages and also to see & comment on other beautiful pages from pocket style scrapbookers from around the world! There are forums where you can submit questions and also a blog which will have product reviews! I think it's a pretty website, too. Check out The Pocket Source below!

Here are my week 4 pages! 

I used most of the embellishments from the Studio Calico February Sugar Rush kit (which is super duper cute!) and my cards were mostly from the Becky Higgins Maggie Holmes core kit with a few SC and WRMK cards thrown in there.

Is anyone else eyeing the Ikea Raskog cart? Thanks to the many who are sharing how they use it to organize their PL supplies!

BTW, I have a 1/3 of the Maggie Holmes kit if anyone would like to swap! Just leave a comment below!

Have a wonderful week yall!

- the crafty love girl

How and Why

I want to share how I prepare photos for my Project Life pages. There are many ways/techniques/resources that many of us Project Life-rs do to get things done, but I thought maybe I could offer some insight to others who may be like myself (new to Project Life and have been out of the scrapbooking world for about 8 years) but mostly to create an opportunity for others to share tips and ideas. I kinda feel like I'm still doing things a little old school, and that's OK because one of the beautiful things about PL is that there isn't a right way or wrong way!

Here are a few reasons why I PL the way I do:

1) There is a ton of info out there on which apps to use to create 3x4 photos and text on photos, etc. However, I don't have an iPhone or android phone. I have a Windows based phone. I love it, but the selection of apps aren't great. There isn't a real instagram app, I just discovered the instagram beta app recently. There isn't a Collect or Picframe. (Actually there are a few fake picframe apps but I can't get them to work.) So what I've been doing is printing my photos at CVS photo and creating a 4 x 6 collage with 2 photos. They are 2.5 x 3, but I kind of like how the 3 x 4 cards create a nice frame for the photos. If you have a windows based phone/tablet and know of some apps that allow you to make a 4 x 6 with two 3 x 4 photos in it...please share! I would love you forever!

2) I don't have a photo printer because I haven't found a need for one...Yet! Maybe after a few months of PL I will :). I don't feel the need to print at home because I "batch" my photos together for a few weeks so I can order them at CVS/Walgreens and get a good deal! I got 50 - 4 x 6 photos, and 6 - 4 x 6 collage prints (which equals 12 - 2.5 x 3 photos once they are cut) for $6.86! So that's around 11 cents before tax! I haven't tried the online photo printing websites because I'd rather pick them up same day!

3) Batching photos means I don't do PL on a weekly basis. That is probably why I am on Week 5, not on Week 7. I'm getting caught up! I promise!

So, if you have any ideas or think I could do something differently or more efficiently let me know in the comments! Thanks for stopping by and seeing how I get my photos ready for PL!

- the crafty love girl

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the little engine that could

I wanted this blog to be mostly about my crafty projects, with a few blurbs about my personal life. Here is one of those blurbs! I mentioned in my first post that I moved recently and have a new job. After 9 weeks of training I am finally on my "real schedule"-- Night Shift! I am still training, but on the night shift now. In a few weeks I will be let loose and be on my actual schedule which is 7 days on, 7 days off. I am so excited!! I am planning to get so much done on my 7 days off, but realistically I've spoken with others on such schedule and they do the same in theory, but in actuality they don't get as much as done as they had set out to do. That said, I am going to set small goals to get things accomplished and... relax! I can spend so much more time on my hobbies and travelling, working out more (hopefully), and visiting with family. I have been so busy training and having different schedules every week, it has been hard to keep up with my PL pages. Nonetheless, I am getting them done and sharing my progress! Hence the name of my post today. I had alot of fun with these pages this week. I think it was because I had so many more options...ahem splurges! Most of the journal cards I used this week were from the Studio Calico December PL kit and a few were also from the BH Blush kit.

Have a beautiful day!

- the crafty love girl

I'm on a freeze

Love. My. Family.
I had such a wonderful weekend! We threw my Nana a surprise birthday party for her 70th! Family flew in from Colorado and we surprised her at Saltgrass Steakhouse and she had no idea... her reaction was adorable- she just couldn't believe her eyes! My Papaw was surprised as well and it was just perfect spending time with family!

I will have so many photos for my PL pages this week, I may do a few pages! And I will share them of course!

I have splurged, big time on some PL supplies these last few weeks and I have so much to share. I am going to do a spending freeze and not spend any money on PL/scrapbooking until next quarter. This will be hard for me so I'm just going to avoid Michaels, Hobby Lobby, and Joann until then. It will be extra hard not to spend money online, but I will just have to cyber window shop! I have plenty and could probably have a year's worth of supplies to get me through. It is exciting and a little addicting accumulating scrap supplies and I've got to chill out.

Here are some PL items that I ordered from Amazon:

Flea Market Mini Kit (super cute!) I love the ultra-feminine vintage look with all the floral and polka dots.

 Pretty 4x6 cards

Pretty 3x4 journal cards

PL dividers, Blush edition to match my Blush partial core-kit

So is anyone else on a spending freeze for one of your hobbies? What do you like to splurge on? I will share more of my goodies next time! And I do have more! I'd love to hear from some other Project Life-rs out there, leave a comment and a link with your crafty product inspirations below!  

- the crafty love girl

Better late than never!

I have been super busy and haven't had a chance to share my crafty love in awhile...so this is a quick post showing my Project Life pages for Week 2!

Some of the items I used for these pages were from the January PL kit, Copper Mountain from Studio Calico.

I will be posting more about my recent hauls and goodies, when I get a chance! Thanks for checking out my post!

Studio Calico January Kit

New Studio Calico monthly subscriber right here folks! I stumbled across Studio Calico a few weeks ago, and oh boy,! I am so happy I did! I signed up for their monthly subscription- Project Life Kits. These fun kits include scrappy goodies designed for Project Life style pocket scrapbooking...items include embellishments, stamps, stickers, journal cards, and other cute items to enhance my PL pages! They are mailed every month for only $19.99 (if you are a subscriber)! I was very impressed because I signed up on Saturday and the kit was on my doorstep by Monday!

Each month a kit is delivered and if you click on this link you can sign up and we will both receive 500 studio calico points! So let's help each other out by clicking on my referral link here!

I have to share my goodies with you! So check out the photos below!

Did I mention I love monthly subscriptions!