Costa Brava in Pictures

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Between our Barcelona visits, we got to travel to Costa Brava for a few days.  We stayed in Blanes, but experienced most of Costa Brava from the Mediterranean on a boat ride.  Costa Brava expands the northeastern side of Spain along the Mediterranean and continues all the way to the French border and it is breathtakingly beautiful.  It has the charm of a smaller city with tons of character and architecture.  The water is as blue-green and as clear as it gets.  Our boat ride took us along the coast up to Tossa de Mar, which has gorgeous beaches, beautiful castles and amazing views.  Here's our Costa Brava recap!!

Barcelona in Pictures

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Ah...Barcelona.  We love you.

I'm finally getting around to uploading and editing my photos from our Spain trip.  I was kind of beating myself up for letting these images just sit in my camera for a few weeks, but you know what??  I'm so glad I waited to scroll through them.  It's kind of like taking a walk down memory lane.  When the memories are so fresh and present, it's easy to take all the beauty for granted.  I loved looking back through all one million of our photos.  Photos truly are a recorded memory.

Here's a look at our Barcelona adventures.  Most of our days were spent wandering around the different areas of the city.  Barcelona is HUGE.  Just huge...with so much to see and take in.  There is so much beauty and architecture that you have to stop and stare at every little street, alley, building.  We ended up taking one of those tour buses around Barcelona on our next to last day, and while I would typically say that was too "tourist-y" for me, I loved it!!  I loved being able to cover such a large area in one day.  And I also loved the perspective from the road, rather than the sidewalk.  Barcelona is full of history and character and amazement.  The quaint little streets with all of the flower boxes and lanterns were my favorite.  

Around Here...

This week has been all about "getting back into the swing of things" for me.  Kindergarten is in full session for my daughter, and I've been running around doing carpool, attending meetings and trying to figure out what in the heck is going on!!  I guess being out of the country for nine days will do that to ya.  :)


Around here....

Loving my new Instax printer.  I took it with us to Spain and printed out a ton of photos.  It's so cute and compact and easy to use.  The quality is better than my original Instax camera, but they are still Polaroids.  It's just a fun little toy.


Catching up on some work and emails and workshops.


Waking up with these two cuties and savoring every moment of it because I know it won't last forever.  Is there anything more precious than a sleeping child??  Yep...two sleeping children snuggled in together... :)


Pulling out my yarn to start a few projects.  (These colors are my favorite!!)


Spending way too much of our afternoon doing homework.  Luckily, Anna loves homework so she doesn't seem to mind. 


Being super silly with these two.
Trying to make up for all of those minutes I missed while we were in Spain.  I love them.


Finding some beauties in our garden.
These were waiting for us when we got home from Spain.  Not sure our garden survived our trip, though.  It looks kind of sad and wilted.  I'm hoping it makes a comeback, but I'm not so sure it will.  


Crawling into bed to work on my woven wall hanging.  I'm a little bit obsessed now....  It took me a while to figure the whole thing out, but I finally got it working.  I definitely pulled my yarn too tight in the beginning, so the middle of my hanging kind of pulls in, but I'm totally cool with that.  I want to experiment a little more with various yarns and thickness to achieve different looks.  I would love to spin my own yarn (one day)!!


(This picture cracks me up!)
Having fancy family dinner night at our house.  Our kids love fancy dinner night and it's so cute to hear them getting each other dressed up.  And they insist Scott and I get dressed up too (and dressed up in this photo for me = pool cover up because that's what I had on).  Oh...and we had tacos (fancy, right??).


Spending lots of time in the car with these two.  Back and forth.  Back and forth.  Drew keeps me company....


....sometimes.  And sometimes he falls right to sleep as soon as we pull out of the driveway. 


Hanging up my finished weaving and loving the way my craft room is coming together (although I haven't spent any time in here at all since I've been back!!  Eeeek!)


What have you been up to???  Whatever it is, I hope it's been awesome!

You Are My Favorite

My personality is kind of funny.  Some days I crave order and white and cleanliness, and some days I really want to get messy.  This layout came after I created this page for Wilna's blog (which she shared yesterday).  Once I got started with my paints and gelatos, I just couldn't stop.  Like...I couldn't go to sleep because I had some many ideas in my head....  So I got up and made this page and the process was so freeing!  


Using paint and gelatos, or any art media really, opens up my creative inner self I think.  I get a little "rush" of excitement and find the ideas come easier.

For this page, I started by coloring gelatos down one side of my page to create a vertical band.  I then used some water to blend the colors and tone them down a little.  Finishing the page was so easy.  Wilna's cut files and a few cut files from Studio Calico kept my page bright and white, but added in some movement and texture.



The transparency diamonds from the Penny Arcade kit at Studio Calico were just made for layering over paints and gelatos!  I love how they look against the colors and paired with the cut files.


A little pop of gold and a sprinkle of embellishments finished off the page!!


12 on the Twelfth: July Pictures


There are four million things in my head right now and I reeeealllllly wanted a few more days before the 12th, but being my OCD self, I had to pull out my camera yesterday and get snapping away.  I figured I was already six months into the year and I couldn't really back out now.  It seems the summer months make projects like this a little more challenging.  There's more going on, more people in and out and more things to do.  But it's a good reminder to capture our life, even in those crazy moments.

Here is a look at our day on July 12th...

Click here to see my previous 12 on the 12th photos.

If you played along this month, I'd love for you link below!!  





Project Life: June 2014


This spread covers the beginning of June....lots of lazy mornings, play time, dance recitals and backyard picnics.


I used a variety of papers, cards and embellishments from the Gossamer Blue July kits.  I used several of the Crate Paper Open Road playing cards because I just love them so much, as well as several journaling cards designed by Peppermint Granberg.


Keeping with my "simple is easier" method for this Summer, I added quick journaling throughout my spread and occasionally on my photos.  There aren't a whole of words here, but I feel the pictures tell the "story" and I am super happy with that!




I cannot even begin to tell you how much of a difference it has made to print my photos the size of the pockets I'm using.  It takes all of the guesswork out of "what should I put in this pocket" and makes my spreads come together so quickly and easily!



I used the words/theme on the journaling cards to dictate my journaling since I really didn't have much else to add to the photos.  And I love that I just went with the flow and documented those thoughts rather than trying to make the cards match my photos.

Easy peasy!!  





Fourth of July Mini Books & Travel Kit



Happy Fourth of July!!!

Every Fourth of July, we travel to my sister-in-law's house at the lake.  All of my husband's family joins us and it's such an awesome little getaway!  My sister-in-law is the queen of party planning, so we always have different themed nights and lots of yummy foods!  The kids run and play and there's lot of fun out on the boat.  Last year it rained like crazy, so we are hoping for nicer "lake" weather this year!

2012

2013


The kids don't usually have too much down time, but I always like to pack a few activities for them to  have incase anyone really needs some quiet time (like momma!!).

Last year, I put together a few books for the kids to draw, write, paint in and they loved them, so I thought I would do something similar this year!  


I used the papers and embellishments from the July Gossamer Blue Themed Add-On to make these super simple paper albums.  The books are 4x4 inches, include several pieces of patterned paper and a piece of printer paper and are sewn together down the middle.


I used two sheets of 12x12 paper and two sheets of printer paper to make these four books shown here.  

To make these books:
 Trim your patterned paper into 4x8 inch strips
Score each paper down the middle at 4 inches
Stack your papers together
Sew or staple where your score marks are


I used the Heidi Swapp Epoxy stickers that are included in the Themed Add-On to add a title to the front of each mini book.  I kept the inside super simple since I know the kids will enjoy filling them in with pictures and drawings.


I'm taking a few embellishments, stickers and wood veneer along with us, and packed it all into a paper bag.  I'm also taking along my Instax camera so we can snap some photos and add them into the books!  I can't wait to see how each one decorates their own book!

Video: A Day In The Life

Do you guys know that I have never completed a two-pager?  Nope...never!
I've always been so intimidated by the large amount of space and kind of clammed up whenever I laid out two 12x12 papers side by side (thinking how in the world am I going to fill this space???)

One of my pending assignments over at Two Peas was to record a process video of a two page spread.  Since it won't be going live at Two Peas anymore (insert super sad face here), I thought I would post the video here on my blog.  I would love to start including more videos, especially since I really do love making them and sharing them. I have a Vimeo account, as well as a YouTube account.  I know the ins and outs of Vimeo better, but it seems like YouTube has more traffic.  Any thoughts or suggestions for one vs. the other?

On to the video....
Here's a look at the layout I will sharing today.  It's based on the theme "a day in the life" and I used a photo collage rather than individual photos.  It came together very quickly and the large amount of space didn't seem that overwhelming once I got all my supplies and photos together!






Thanks so much for stopping by and spending part of your day here!!  I'm really missing Two Peas, so it's nice to be able to share videos and what not here.  
Would you like to see more videos??  I definitely enjoy making them!  Leave me some feedback and let me know what you think!!

xoxo


Challenge: Creating a Vertical Band




Creating a vertical band on your layout is a great way to bring movement and flow to your page.  You can use a column of embellishments, a patterned paper background or multiple photos to create this effect.

I love to add a vertical layer of patterned paper on my backgrounds.  Since I tend to gravitate towards a white background, the patterned paper can add a pop of color and little texture on my page.  For my layout above, I started by trimming a piece of paper to about 3.5-4 inches wide by 12 inches tall.  Following the rules of thirds, I layered my paper roughly on the right third of my background.  Next I added in a few more paper layers and die cuts to create depth and dimension.  These die cuts from Kim Stewart at Studio Calico are my new favorite.  I love all the intricate details and movement they create.  

Tip: I usually staple my die cuts to my patterned papers so I can move them a little rather than adhere them flat to my page.


I like to layer embellishments on top of my die cuts to help draw your eye to their delicacy.  And as you can see in the photo above, I often overlap the die cuts onto my photo.  I think it helps ground my image and my page.


To balance out the left hand side of my page, I created a small cluster of embellishments using tags, ribbons, a resin flower and a die cut.  It's simple, but effective in balancing out the weight of my page.


I would love to see your take on the vertical band!  You can use patterned paper, embellishments, photos, words, etc!  It's totally up to you!

And thank you so much to Maria and Anita who played along with my last challenge!!  You girls are awesome and I just love your projects!!



On my nightstand...


Books are my fave and I'm falling in love with reading all over again!  I used to be an avid reader...book after book after book.  But once I had children, finding the time to sit down and read (other than bedtime, you know when I fell asleep after the first page...) became such a challenge.  I've really missed reading so I made a challenge for myself to read one book per month.  Easy enough!  Now that I've started, I just can't stop.  I made it through quite a few books this year (or at least a lot for me!!).  My nightstand is overflowing with books and I just love it!

In case you are a reader too, I thought I would share a few of my most recent reads...

Calling Me Home by Julie Kibler
Awesome read!!  I found the character development of the story to be a little slow in the beginning, but it really picked up mid-way and I could not put it down.  Love the relationship between the two sweet ladies.  Highly recommend.

What I Had Before I Had You by Sarah Cornwell
I read this book as part of the Noble Paiges book club.  It was a quick, fun read.  I wanted more of concluding story at the end of the book, but you get what you get, huh?

The Paris Wife by Paula McLain
Great book!  I loved the insight (although fictional) about Ernest Hemingway, but I really loved the story of his first wife, Hadley.  This book also took me a while to get into, but once the "meat" of the story began, I was hooked.  Definitely recommend this one too!

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
Oh man did I love this book.  I cried and cried.  So bittersweet and touches my heart in so many ways. 
 Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn 
I flew through this book.  It kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time.  The ending??  Well...I feel like I deserved a little more than it gave me.  I'm very much a girl who loves the clips at the end of "based on true story movies" where they give you the current updates about the people.  I really wanted to know more, but the book was so riveting that I can't complain (that much)!

Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell
A sweet and beautiful story of first love.  I feel in love with both Eleanor and Park in the first chapters and flew right through this one too.  I couldn't recommend it more.  Super sweet!!

 Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline
Oh man did I love this book.  I loved how the author played on stories from two different generations, but had enough similarities between the two to make the book almost read like one story.  A wonderful book!  Highly recommend!

Next up is the The Rosie Project.  I've heard wonderful things about this book and can't wait to jump right in!!

What's on your nightstand??
Here's to finding the time to read!!  






My Take on Art Journaling...Part 3



My art journal is still one of my very favorite projects.  It's usually what I turn to if I have a few extra minutes to create something.  There are no rules and no expectations.  I can add a few photos, some journaling to myself, write a note to my children or just paint.  

My journal definitely still has more of a "scrapbook" feel to it, but that's pretty much my comfort zone so I'm totally fine with that!  Sometimes I will use the prompts from the 52 weeks of Art Journaling class over at A Beautiful Mess, and sometimes I will begin a quick page with a photo or idea in mind.

Sadly, my book is almost completely full (insert super sad face here).  I just love this size and the Dear Lizzy canvas album is my favorite.  I'm debating ordering another one or maybe starting a new journal in a Studio Calico Handbook.  This new one from the Brighton Pier collection is calling my name for sure!!

Here's a look at my latest art journaling pages.  I really have no order to these pages.  I tend to just adhere the back of one page to the back of the next and go from there.  The smaller pages tend to get shuffled around a little while I'm working on the book (i.e. I keep pushing them further back until I can figure out how I want to complete the back of the page).









Click the links below for Part 1 and 2 of my art journal.  :)
My Take on Art Journaling Part 1
My Take on Art Journaling Part 2






A San Diego Getaway

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If you follow me on Instagram you probably know that I spent this past week in sunny San Diego.  It is seriously one of the most beautiful places I have ever been to.  It's breathtakingly beautiful and the weather is oh so nice.  My husband was there on business and I was there on leisure.  The trip also happened to fall over my birthday, so it was a win-win for me.  I visited so many of the different areas of San Diego and I don't think I could pick a favorite.  I, of course, ended up with a zillion photos so grab a cup of coffee and join me for a little trip down memory lane....

There are so many words I could write here, but I will let the pictures speak for themselves.  If you ever have the chance to visit, San Diego, I couldn't recommend it enough.  It's just divine.

Here ya go...

12 on the Twelfth: June Pictures


Just like every month, the 12th kind of creeps right up on me.  And just like every month, I contemplate whether or not I actually want to charge my camera battery and concentrate on taking photos of our day.  And just like every month, I love doing it and I'm so thankful I decided to stay on this path.

I do love photography.  I am very much a novice and have so much to learn, but I love playing around with my camera and light and finding new ways to document the same moments that have likely already been documented.  

All of these photos were taken with my Canon (I have the Rebel T1i....super old, huh) and my 50 mm lens.  The 50 is my favorite lens by far.  It gets that pretty background bokeh and makes photos seems dreamy.  

I only shoot in manual mode, but it took me a few years to feel comfortable enough to do that.  If you haven't put your camera into manual mode, I highly suggest doing it and playing around.  When you shoot in manual, you have to adjust your shutter speed, exposure and/or aperture depending on your light and your subject.  This was the hardest part for me initially because I was always capturing a moving target (i.e. my kids) and I felt like I was fumbling to get the right settings AND the best image.  Eventually, I started practicing on random objects and got pretty comfortable with how to change my settings according to my light and subject.  But don't get me wrong....it's still very challenging to do on a moving target, especially inside where some light is good and some light isn't so good.  In the end, I take more photos than I should and then just delete the ones that aren't the best (to me).

So...enough with that little blurb, huh...
Here are the June edition of our 12 on the 12th photos.  I decided to change them to black & white when I edited them just for something different.  I'm not sure if I love them this way or not.....hmmm...

Our day was a very typical summer day....playing cars, pretend play, manicures, painting, giggles, pool, coffee and reading.


If you played along, I'd love for you to link up your photos in the comments section!!  If you missed it this month, there's always July.  :)

Birthday Gift Bags

Amanda Rydell is one super crafty lady.  I have been inspired by her for quite some time now and I am so honored to work alongside her on Maggie Holmes' Design Team.  She is a breath of fresh air and always comes up with the best ideas....for example...this awesome recycled gift card holder.  Amazing, right?

This little birthday set was inspired by Amanda!  It was so easy and simple to put together and I just love that it is 100% handmade!  My sweet little girl even got in on the action and added a few little bits and pieces to our gift.


I started by adding a few Crate Paper Styleboard rub-ons to a glassine bag.  I love using glassine bags.  They are perfect for adding softness and femininity to layouts and mini albums, and they work especially well for sending cards and small gifts.  The rub-ons worked perfectly with the smoothness of the bags and the pop of gold against the white is just beautiful!

I stamped "happy birthday" using my mini alpha stamps onto an office tag and then added a few paper scraps, glittered tape and a doily to create a small adornment on the glassine bag.  

I used a piece of gold dot kraft paper from the Styleboard collection as my card.  I trimmed it to slide right into the bag and added my message on the backside (which is plain kraft paper).


I included a few small birthday surprises (balloons, candles, notes and a bracelet) in the bag and I popped it right in the mail!!  So easy and perfect!!





Project Life Giveaway





I love Project Life and I thought I would share the love today!!  I've made a point to add more photos to my album this year and it's been awesome.  My pages are definitely very photo heavy, but it tells our story and I love that!  But...by using more photos throughout my spread, I have found myself swimming in Project Life supplies!!!  What better way to clean house than to have a giveaway!!  

Cleaning house and moving supplies always makes me stop and look back at our albums and books.  I fall in love with my Project Life albums all over again and find myself sitting for hours just looking and reminiscing!!





Each of these spreads just brings back so many memories and recharges my creative energy for getting those weeks and months done!!  And never once do I think about those days/weeks/months that I didn't photograph, or just threw somethings in a pocket.  I treasure those memories I have saved and can't wait to document more!!

If you haven't tried Project Life yet, I couldn't recommend it more!!  It's so easy and really can be anything you want it to be!!  

So to celebrate my cleaning and my love of Project Life, I would love to pass on some goodies to one of you!!  

There are several ways to be entered to win:
1. Leave a comment here on this blog post
2. Leave a comment on my Project Life Giveaway post over on Instagram, tag it #stephaniemakesprojectlifegiveaway
3. Follow me on Pinterest and pin the above photo!

I'll choose a winner next Friday, June 2nd!  

12 on the Twelfth: May Pictures


It's been such a busy week on my little blog that I haven't had a chance to post my 12 on the 12th photos yet!  It was a pretty typical day and I love that I was finally able to capture an "ordinary" day for us.  Taking 12 photos is still quite a challenge, though, when life is going full speed ahead.  It's the end of the school year here and I am swapped with assignments....  but what I really love about this project, is that it makes me stop and look at our day AS it's happening.  Sometimes things move so fast I can only appreciate our day-to-day once it's happened.  Documenting May 12th reminded me of all that I have and all that I am thankful for.  So cheers to the camera! 

Here's a look at our day:


Did anyone else play along??  Link up your photos in the comments section if you did!  I would love to see your day!!  

Happy Friday everyone!!  
xoxo




A Winner & A Giveaway

I have a winner for the Maggie Holmes Styleboard Prize Pack!!  Are you all so excited, or what??  

Congratulations to:

Yipee- my two favourite creative ladies together- you and Maggie Holmes!! Very excited for you, and us all to see the goodness you create:)

Louise...send me your address and I will get your info over to Maggie so they can send out your prize pack!!  Thank you to everyone who stopped here and left me a sweet comment!  It really means to much!!  xoxo

And how about a giveaway too??
Today, I am also super excited to be giving away a spot in Maggie's upcoming class at Big Picture Classes - Photo Connections.  The class begins on May 29th and I know it is going to be amazing.  I am honored to be a contributor to the class and will also be taking the class!!  
Here's what Maggie has to say about the class:
"My newest photography workshop, PHOTO CONNECTIONS starts soon!!
I have been working on this class for a long time and cannot wait to be able to share it with you!!
This class is less about the technical side of things and more about the MAGIC! I believe that the way to the heart through photography lies in the connections you create in your images. I am SUPER passionate about this subject and have sooo much to share in the lessons but here is a quick overview of what you will learn....
Secret 1: How to take group shots that capture the true essence of a relationship
Secret 2: How to snap portraits that are brimming with personality and authenticity
Secret 3: How to create visual connections through the rules of composition
Secret 4: How to connect to the stories behind your favorite photographs
Also >> Since this is not a class about the technical stuff, it is for ANYONE! You can apply the principles I teach no matter what camera you are using -- phone camera, point and shoot or dSLR! They all will work!!"

Hope to see you all in the class!!  If you would like a chance to win a spot, just leave a comment here in the comment sections and I will choose a winner on Sunday, May 18th!  Good luck!!


Project Life: April

I had so much fun putting together these Project Life spreads this month.  I used the awesome May Gossamer Blue kits and the designs and colors were just perfect for this time of year!!

I wanted to do something different and definitely mixed things up for me.  Breaking out of that "design A" mold from last year has been the best thing for me.  I love being able to think outside the box and get creative.  Don't get me wrong, though!  I'm still a big fan of Design A and frequently find myself floating back to it when I put my spreads together.  

For this first spread, I really wanted to use all of these photos of my daughter.  We were playing around with her rabbit ears one day and snapped a bunch of cute bunny photos of her.  Every single images makes me smile and I couldn't imagine trying to pick just one. 


I printed the photos to look like Polaroid images and then added them to the front side of a Design F page protector.  This page protector has ten 3x4 slots and one 4x6 slot.  I trimmed off the far right side and then sewed the 4x6 slot down the middle to give me twelve 3x4 spaces.  I didn't add many embellishments because I wanted the photos to speak for themselves, but I couldn't resist the Heidi Swapp "cuteness" script sticker and a heart flair button!!

Since the front side was pretty photo heavy, I decided to stick with a neutral, simple back page.  I used a piece of patterned paper from the Gossamer Blue kits and trimmed the 12x12 page down to 3x4 cards.  Then I slipped them behind my photos and added a small flair to the middle of the page.  



This spread was inspired by Elisa Cripe's 2014 title page.  I loved the way she incorporated triangles into her spread and have been waiting for the perfect photos and journaling cards to try this technique.  This was quite a labor intensive spread, but I do love the way it turned out!!


I started by designing a 3x4 photo card in Photoshop that had two triangular layers for my photos.  Once they were printed, I trimmed them out and then chose a few of my favorite Gossamer journaling cards from this month!  The cards in the Gossamer Blue Life Pages kit had the perfect orientation of phrases/colors/designs to trim them on a diagonal.


I left a few photos empty and added some sequins and stickers.  I love that transparent effect throughout my book!




So fun!!

I have one additional Project Life spread that I made with the May Gossamer kits!  It's a fun tutorial and I can't wait to share!

Happy Thursday!!