The August 2009 Main Scrapbooking Kit (photo by Kim Whitten)
Anyone who knows me, knows that I’m always willing to try something new. I’ve bungee jumped on a whim. I’ve jumped out of an airplane. I’ll eat just about anything. But when it comes to scrapbooking, I’m such a creature of habit. I find a tool or technique that I love and then you’ll see it appear on nearly every page I create for an extended period of time. It’s not because I lack creativity. And it’s not because I don’t want to try other things. It’s just that I like what I like and I want to keep doing the things I like.
Anyway. I’ve declared today, try something new day. I’m going to try using some new (or rarely used) techniques when I scrap. I’m going to force myself to step outside my comfort zone. Here’s some of the things I’m thinking about trying:
1. Using more fabric
I love fabric. I can spend hours perusing fabric stores. I buy tons of fabric with the intent of making something (anything) with it and then it sits in my craft room gathering dust. Fabric can be used as a background or as a border to enhance dimension or add texture to your layout. Personally, I’m planning on using old punches to cut various shapes out of some of the fabric I have on hand.
2. Gathering paper or ribbon
I use a lot of stips of various pattern papers when I scrap, and that can get a little boring after awhile. I want to create a new look and I thought I could do this by creating a “gathered” effect with my paper or ribbon. I found a great tutorial to explain just what I’m talking about, check it out here.
3. Make my pages more interactive
Interactive scrapbook pages are layouts that something on them that the reader can manipulate. Some pages have flaps that lift to reveal additional photos or journaling. Some of them have a tab that pulls out to show your text. While still others have mini books that open to show up to nine more photographs for that scrapbook layout. I know … hidden journaling has been around forever, but I’ve just never really jumped on that bandwagon. I think it’s time I tried it, just to add a little something different to my layouts.
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Have something new you’re going to try today? Tell me about it … I can add it to my list of things to try. Even if you don’t want to share, I encourage you to step out of the box. Add a little something new to your scrapbooking repertoire. You might surprise yourself and find your new favorite technique.
Are you looking at your July kit from Crazy Daisy and just not sure where to start? No worries. Here’s a little inspiration from some of our Crazy Daisy ladies!
Learning to Crawl
"Learning to Crawl" ... a layout by JJ Sobey
“Here’s another layout I made using the (now sold out) July kit from Crazy Daisy Kits. Just when you thought it was only good for ‘boy’ pages, here I go and do a ‘girl’ page. 
I fell in love with the gorgeous crochet flower in the kit. So pretty! I added a tiny pearl to the centre, and a few pearl swirls to the edges. To ‘soften’ the ticket, I added a little pearl to that, too.
A closeup of JJ's layout
I kept trying to use that swirl edge Prima journaling sheet on my pages, and I just couldn’t make it work, but it was perfect for this girl page. It cut it in half length-wise, so I could use it top and bottom on the page. Otherwise, half of it would have been hidden in the layers.
I added a few Prima flowers from my stash to this page, and a few more pearls. I love the look these give, and they mixed well with the buttons from the kit.”
Father
JJ's "Father" layout
“The July kit came with a bingo card stamp from Prima. The packaging itself was a great shape, so after I stamped the image on the kraft cardstock (also in the kit), I traced and trimmed the card to the shape of the packaging. These wooden brads from Chatterbox are great for masculine pages. I hadn’t seen them before other than on-line, and I’m really happy with the quality.
A closeup of JJ's "Father" layout
Again with this layout, I used a lot of the Prima rub-ons for borders and little details. And I still have lots left. I can’t believe how much I’ve used. I added a little Prima owl pebble I had leftover from the June kit. It just seemed to work here.
A closeup of JJ's "Father" layout
I love the size of these Prima journaling sheets. I often find that journal spots are too small for what I want to say. These ones are so big, I have a lot of options. I can cut them to fit, use them as photo mats, or layer them with the other papers, and still have lots of room for my journaling.”
Good Times
A layout by Kim Whitten using the July kit
“This 11×8.5 is pretty self explanatory. I used a strip of the JB star paper and distressed it with wrinkles and ink then laced it through one of the star conchos in the kit. I also cut out one of the large stars from the Cosmo paper and added it behind the white chipboard star with some pop dots for a little dimension. Added a rub on ink, ribbon and ric-rac with one of the wooden brads.
A closeup of a layout by Kim Whitten using the July kit
I liked the little cut off strip on the Cosmo paper so I left it on there so the “flip for fun” would still be visible…just thought it was a cute addition to the page. ”
Celebrate Zoo Time
"Celebrate Zoo Time" by Trace
“Here is my final project using this month’s Crazy Daisy kit, and I think this was my fave layout from this month.
I used the Jenni Bowlin journaling rubon with a white pen to make the journaling more obvious over the rubon itself. I used some of the other rubons to make some funky looking flowers, and added a button flower, and a metal buckle flower (after I threaded the celebrate sticker through it).
Along the top edge of the layout, I also used another journaling rubon (because I ran out of journaling room along the bottom of my page) and added a brad and some rubon stars that I applied to scrap paper, trimmed the design out and then adhered to the cardstock.”
A mini-book by Jackie
We’re so excited to introduce you all to the fifth member of our fantastic design team, Jackie Laing. She’ll be making her Crazy Daisy debut with our August kit, so make sure you check back to see all of her wonderful creations. Until then, here’s a little bit about Jackie.
“Hi, I am Jackie! I live in The Peace Country, BC Canada with my wonderful Husband Greg, and our beautiful daughter Sasha. I work full time as a creative writer for a Radio and Television Station. I have always loved crafts! When I was younger I would make collages from my teen magazines and plaster them all over my bedroom door! And about four years ago I stumbled across scrapbooking when I made a scrapbook of my wedding … I was instantly addicted!
Scrapbooking is my creative outlet that keeps me grounded. When I am not scrapbooking I love to spend time with my wonderful family, read, blog and play wii! I am honoured to be part of the Crazy Daisy DT, and I look forward to getting to know all of you. As we share our love of scrapping, and make some beautiful creations along the way!”
1. I can’t imagine my life without … Of course my family and friends and also SCRAPBOOKING! It is a huge stress reliever! It relaxes and excites me all at the same time! And it is a great way to spend a Friday night with my teenage daughter … I love having Mother-Daughter Scrap Nights!
2. My least favorite chore is … cleaning the bathroom and grocery shopping!
3. I would love to win a shopping spree to … a cool Scrapbooking store/online store, like Crazy Daisy Kit Co. Plus That Girls Fashion, it is a cute little local store that has the cutest clothes and purses!
4. My must have treat and music when scrapbooking is … extreme cheddar goldfish crackers and Reese pieces! I know it sounds weird, but the sweet and salty combo tastes amazing! So yummy! And I love listening to Country music! Keith Urban, Carrie Underwood or Sugar Land…I think my addiction comes from working at a Country Music Radio Station!
5. When scrapbooking, I love to use … unique embellishments and cool items from around the house, I love scrapping “GREEN” and using nontraditional items on my scrapbook projects! And of course I can never have to many buttons … I have a weakness for buttons!
6. My favorite creative project is … making mini books hands down! They are fun to make and are the perfect gift for family and friends!
7. I thought I would never … be a creative writer, and write commercials for a living! I am blessed to have a job that I truly love!
8. My worst habit is … biting my nails and drinking to much pop! I am trying to break both of these bad habits.
9. If I were a superhero, my super-power would be … to freeze time for myself, and anyone else I choose! This way I can have unlimited time to scrap, and spend time with my family!
10. You would never guess it, but I … am a closet Beanie Baby collector! I have over 110 Beanies! I love these little cuties filled with beans! My favourites are Peanut and the Bride and Groom Bear!
Check out Jackie’s blog to see more of her work
I always love to get something free … I’m constantly stalking countless blogs, entering my name and hoping to win something. So … we’ve decided to give you something free.
All you have to do is place an order for at least a three-month subscription before the stroke of midnight on July 31st and we’ll throw in a very special surprise gift. It will be awesome. You’ll love it. Trust me. Jennifer and I love to shop and we especially love to shop for scrappin’ supplies … so our shelves are overflowing with great giveaway goodies!
If you’re already one of our awesome customers … do not despair, you too can get something free. Just email us and extend your current subscription for at least three more months and you too will get a special prize.
We’ll send you your goodies when we ship your August kit … Speaking of the August kit. Have you checked out our little sneak peek of the main kit? Here’s some of the Jenni Bowlin paper that’s part of the August main kit. The colors you see here are the predominant colors of the kit. Aren’t they just so yummy?
Some of the paper in the August Main Kit!
A peek at some of the Jenni Bowlin papers in the August Main Kit.
We’re selling out month after month. If you want to make sure you get a Crazy Daisy main kit for August, you can pre-order it now. It’s still a big secret what’s inside … but we’ll give you a little peek. It’s filled with lots of Jenni Bowlin paper, Crate Paper and the cutest butterfly mini-album by Chatterbox that comes with a canvas “purse”.
The Chatterbox album, which is included in the August Main Kit
So here’s the deal. If you choose to pre-order your kit, you’ll be gauranteed to get a kit. When you pre-order, you credit card will be charge immediately, but remember that our kits don’t ship until the 10th of each month.
Check back later in the month when we reveal a few more photos of the August Main kit. It’s just so cute. We know you’re gonna love it.
I’m going on vacation next week. We’re headed to my parents’ ranch in Idaho. Every time we make a trip up there, I take a ton of pictures; and then by the time I get home, I feel overwhelmed at the prospect of scrapping them.
This year I have a plan. For starters, I’m planning ahead. I’m going to create a mini-book ahead of time. That way when I get back home, all I have to do is add my photos and journaling to the page.
Pick a size:
The first thing you’ll want to do is decide what size you want to use for your album. I’m planning on using an 8×8 book for this particular trip. I didn’t want a huge album, but I want something big enough to get plenty of photos and journaling on the pages.
Decide how to organize:
How do you want to organize your photos? Do you want to tell the story of your vacation chronologically? If so, you can dedicate each page (or two-page spread) to a day of your trip. Do you want to focus on the events of your trip? If so you can divide the book up by the various activities you have planned (like the zoo, swimming or the water park).
Pick a theme or color scheme:
When you’re prefabricating a mini-book, pick a theme or a color scheme and use similar colors and patterns throughout the book. It makes it more cohesive and instead of distracting from the story you’re trying to tell. It will enhance it.
Edit
You don’t have to scrap every photo that you take. Make sure you pick the best photos from your trip. Look for interesting photos that tell the story of your vacation. Don’t feel bad if you have more photos than you can fit in your book … you can always save the extra photos on your computer and look back them for years to come.
Need help getting your July mini-book done? Here’s what Trace did with her Maya Road star shaped chipboard album:
Trace's mini-book for July
“The title of this album is ‘live laugh love.’ I alternated using the chipboard stars, some of the patterned paper tags, and the journaling tags.
An inside page from the mini-book
I covered most of the stars with patterned paper, but for the front & back cover, I repeatedly stamped all over them, using the Bingo stamp and brown ink.
The back of Trace's mini-book
On one of the inside pages, I covered the chipboard star with my leftover rub-ons, to make it look like funky patterned paper. My inside pages are very simple…2 small pictures, rub-ons, and maybe a simple embellishment. I kept my journaling to the tags inside the book. I made this book for my nephew as a reminder of the special bond he shares with my son.”
To see more photos of Trace’s mini-book or other creations from our design team, visit our gallery.
Win our July kit, featuring items Donna Downey used on this layout, on Donna's blog.
The amazing Donna Downey is having a giveaway on her blog and guess what she’s giving away? A July Main kit for none other than Crazy Daisy! Go over there now and enter for your chance to win this great kit!
Still not sure you want to join the Crazy Daisy community and purchase the July Main kit? Here are five reasons why you should:
1. Kim Whitten:
“Here is a 12×12 using a some of the Crate Paper frames and papers. This one was screaming for my sewing machine, so I answered the call and just did some stitching around the frames and the outside edge. Also brushed on some of gesso to help those scallops show up better on the journaling sheet.”
A close-up of Kim's latest creation
2. JJ Sobey:
A layout from design team member JJ Sobey
“Lately I’ve really gotten into using small square letter stickers like those from Rose Moka and My Little Shoebox. Lots of options when creating longer titles. So, I sort of created my own version for this layout. I started with the Jenni Bowlin rub-on letters from the kit, and added them to one of the die-cut frames (Crate Paper), also from the kit.
A close-up of JJ's layout
Then I cut them apart to make individual shapes.I also inked the edges with Distress Ink, in “Brushed Corduroy”, then added them to my title. Easy, and adds a whole new look to rub-on letters!
There were lots of other Crate Paper die cut borders, frames, and journaling tags. I took this circle frame, and added it for a little interest. Also shown here are a couple of the Maya Road transparent tickets from the kit. I know I’ll be using more of those! Loads of Prima rub-ons in the kit, including borders and frames. The frames are sized perfectly for adding grunge edges to 4×6 photos. I never think that far ahead to print my photos ‘standard’ sizes, so I cut apart one of these frames and added it to the parts of my photo where it would be seen.
More rub-on details, and some coordinating Prima flowers I added from my stash. (Who says you can’t use flowers on a ‘boy’ page?) The journaling spot is actually another one of the Prima rub-ons. I added it to one of the die-cut tags.”
3. Grace Tolman:
Grace Tolman's "America the Beautiful" mini-book
“My America The Beautiful mini-book … incorporated the Maya Road star mini-book and the patriotic line from Cosmo Cricket. I think sticking to one paper line keeps a project from being too busy and it also makes everything easy and fast. The papers coordinated well and the stickers was a fun addition too. I even used some of the stickers as a key chain type of embellishment outside of the book. I adhered them to some pattern papers first then punched holes onto the edge and run it through the chain.
Shots of the inside pages
The inside pages doesn’t have much but I intend to fit in some index sized pictures of the Fourth of July festivities … ”
4. Donna Downey:
Here’s another awesome layout by our guest designer of the month, Donna Downey.
A layout from Donna Downey, our July guest designer
A close-up of Donna's layout
5. The July kits rock!
There are so many cool little goodies packed inside both the main and add-on kits for July. You’ll be amazed at just how much we were able to pack into these kits.
Some of the goodies in our July 2009 Main Scrapbooking kit.
More yummy goodness from our July kit ...
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