Scrap It: Heidi Swapp September Skies Page 2

Another September Skies page today - this one was done with leftovers (and a few additions) from my last post.

Even though the photos on this page are pretty ordinary, this was definitely a moment that I wanted to remember, with a story to record. I was lucky to meet Heidi Swapp in 2013 at the Paper Crafts Festival, where she demoed her Color Shine skills practically straight off the plane from a 14 hour flight! The ease with which she handle the Color Shine, and the amazing results, blew my mind!

I was lucky to be able to take one of Heidi's demo samples, which she kindly signed before posing for a photo. The combination of the terrible lighting/bad photographer (my otherwise lovely husband) have lead to photos that most people might choose to delete. But I'm a fan of candid shots, and if they are the only photos from the event, I say, scrap them anyway!

I used Teal Color Shine  on the white cardstock before a layered the September Skies paper. I thought it would be really neat to use the piece of resist paper that Heidi signed as one of the layers, and because all of her products coordinate, the colours matched beautifully!

I fussy cut a few elements from the patterned papers, and used foam tape to mix them in with the die cuts and acetate pieces from the September Skies Ephemera pack. After adding a sticker from one of my Buzz Words packs, and a few carefully placed drops of Georgia Peach Color Shine and Black Marble Dylusions, and the layout was complete!

Happy Scrapping

Tracey xx


Supplies for this layout: Bazzill Cardstock 'Lily White'; Heidi Swapp September Skies papers Midnight Shadows, Mountain Trail, Afternoon Breeze; Heidi Swapp 8x8 Resist Paper; September Skies Ephemera Pack; Black & White Buzz Words; Heidi Swapp Color Shine in Georgia Peach & Teal; Dylusions Spray in Black Marble;

Scrap It: Heidi Swapp September Skies Page 1

I've been scrapping a lot lately, making time here and there to get pages done and tell my story.

I just love Heidi Swapp's September Skies collection - the lime green and navy blue combos just pop against a white background. And I love how Heidi makes her new releases to interchange with her previous releases - your possibilities instantly increase!

For this layout, I wanted to capture the vibrant energy of the group of scrappers from Camp Mojo. I used Gold, Chartuese & Cherry Color Shine on the base paper, using the inner spray bottle tube to create droplets and streaks for movement. 

  

'Amazing' - Layout by Tracey Kinny for Dizzy Izzy Scrapbooking

I'm always in awe of how Heidi can combine geometric with floral patterns, its something I find really out of my comfort zone. So I let the September Skies papers inspire me, and used quite a lot of patterns grouped together. I love the results!

Detail from 'Amazing' - Layout by Tracey Kinny for Dizzy Izzy Scrapbooking

The Amy Tangerine stitch template camera was a perfect size to sit inside the one of Heidi's frames from the earlier 'Serenity' collection. And I finished the page off with a freckled Fawn arrow paper clip and some Studio Calico enamel dots (I just love enamel dots!)

Detail from 'Amazing' - Layout by Tracey Kinny for Dizzy Izzy Scrapbooking

Stay tuned for another September Skies layout later this week!

Tracey xx

Supplies for this layout: Heidi Swapp September Skies paper Afternoon Breeze, Open Air, Midnight Shadows, Mountain Trail; Serendipity Frames; Color Shine in Gold, Chartreuse & Cherry; Studio Calico Enamel Dots; Freckled Fawn Arrow; Amy Tangerine Embroidery Stencil Kit 'Hello'; Bazzill Floss 'Sunshine';

November Retreat - Getting Ready!

The boxes of new stock are starting to arrive, this can only mean one thing - Retreat Time!

In just 3 weeks time, it will be all systems GO, retreat madness. Our lucky scrappers will hopefully be all packed and prepared with photos printed and sorted, papers and embellies neatly organised. Oh, and hopefully some room for clothes and pyjamas in their cars!

Fleur and I, and our invaluable band of helpers, will likely be running around panicking about anything we may have forgotten, pricing the stock that always inevitably arrives the day before retreat.

We have some really fun challenges and games planned, including the return of the very popular Scrapbook Whispers Challenge that premièred last retreat. I can't wait to see what Ange will prepare for us this time. I especially can't wait to see what the results will be at the end of the weekend!

We've been putting together some very creative classes, some 'Quick & Easy' for those who like to churn & burn, others featuring learning new techniques for those who like to push their comfort zone. 

My favourite part of Retreat is always handing our goodie bags out, or as I like to call them, Retreat Treats.  We have been busy packing and crafting some unique handmade gifts, I'm pretty sure that this Retreats 'treats' will top them all! 

Here is a Retreat Sneak to get you curious!

Ooh, what could they be?

It is not too late to join us!  There is still time to book in for the whole weekend. Or if you can only make one day, we have opened up a limited number of Day Scrap places.  Come along with a friend, or come by yourself and make some new ones!


Saturday 8 November:

Join us from 8am until Midnight! (or any time in between!)
At The Tops, Stanwell Tops.
$80 includes all meals (breakfast if you arrive at 8, Morning tea, lunch, afternoon tea, Dinner, supper), tea, coffee
Opportunity to do classes, make & takes and challenges!
Also includes a goodie bag!

Sunday 9 November:

Join us from 8am until 2pm
At the Tops, Stanwell Tops.
$55 includes all meals (breakfast if you arrive at 8, Morning tea, lunch) tea & coffee
Opportunity to do classes, make & takes and challenges!
Also includes a goodie bag!

If you weren't able to make the whole weekend, but still wanted to scrap and enjoy the retreat experience, this one is for you!

Email us at dizzyizzyscrapbooking@gmail.com for more information or to book your scrapping space!

And remember, we will be open for shoppers to come and visit all weekend!
Happy Scrapping, 

Tracey

Project Preserve The Memories: Get Creative

In this final part of our Project Preserve The Memories series, Kristen gets creative!

Many thanks to Kristen for detailing her journey so thoroughly, and for sharing it with us. We hope that you have been inspired to jump in and get some photos into albums and document your story as well!

If you have missed our earlier posts in this series, you can check them out here

Step 10 – Be Creative With Layouts & Pocket Pages

Just because you are using a ProjectLife© Core Kit and pocket pages doesn't mean you can’t also throw in some full-page layouts when the photos call for it. Larger prints or odd sized photos and memorabilia are perfect for this!

You may also find yourself with one or more photos that ‘just won’t fit’ into any pocket page you have. This might be because it is the wrong orientation, or you have 10 photos and 9 pockets. Or perhaps you just don’t have a pocket configuration that suits that particular set of photos. Whatever your needs, think creatively about what you already have in your stash!

My We R Memory Keepers 9 pocket pages have vertical pockets, I have a collection of landscape photos. What to do...?

Here’s a couple of ideas...

In the example above, I simply rotated my pocket page to create landscape orientation pockets, trimmed off the excess 1.5” with my craft knife and ruler (so it ended up the ‘right’ width for my album including the same 1” margin as my other pages), punched some new holes and PRESTO I had exactly what I needed!  

Your page sizes don’t all need to be the same either, as long as they don’t overhang your album. In my 8.5x11 album I’ve used 5x7, 6x4, 6x6, 8x8 and even 4x4 (We R Memory Keepers instagram) page protectors for ‘mini layouts’ for 1 or 2 photos.

If trimming down a 12x12 page to create what you need, don’t throw away the excess you’ve trimmed off. Turn it into another mini insert! The spaces will be 6x4 or 3x4 in size if you have trimmed closely, so pop in some cards and photos and punch straight through if you don’t have excess for a margin to punch the holes in.

Step 11 – Adding Extra Photos

As family and friends see the album that you are creating, you will invariably find yourself the recipient of ‘extra’ photos that they have that belong in your album. Or perhaps as you work through you will discover photos that you missed previously tucked away.

Creating smaller ‘filler’ pages (using the techniques above) is the perfect ‘no-fuss’ way of quickly adding these extra photos. Simply pop them into the correct section of your ring-binder album, without the need to redo any of the pages you have already done.

I hope you have enjoyed getting started on your journey of preserving your memories as much as I have enjoyed sharing mine with you! We’d love you to share your own story with us, or photos of layouts you’re creating to preserve your memories. You can do this via our Facebook page or email them to us at dizzyizzyscrapbooking@gmail.com

Happy Scrapping!

Kristen
#ProjectPreserveTheMemories

Project Preserve the Memories: Journalling

Today we are continuing Kristens Project Preserve the Memories by getting into the storytelling and 'pretty' portion of the project: journalling & embellishing. Read on....

Step 8 – Journalling

In all honesty, journaling is the key to this whole project! The stories behind the photos are as precious as the photos themselves. If you are fortunate enough to have the stories/dates/locations/names recorded (or still have someone who can recall them for you) take the time to note them down. Voice record them. Anything!!

If you only have names, then some quick research might reveal a few extra details. A search of Birth, Death & Marriage records online gave me names, dates and locations for my Great- Great- Grandmother’s birth, marriage, children and death.  

Early photos have wonderful stories attached and I'm grateful my dad is still able to recall them for me, to preserve along with the photos.

Journalling onto cards as part of your layout is wonderful, but sometimes space or sensitive and private stories may require a little more creative approach. Some details of life are worth recording, but not necessarily displaying (so I've popped them in a LIFE pocket here). Pull-out journal cards can add a bit of fun too!

If you don’t have the information you need on hand, leave spaces (or pocket tags) where you think you may be able to add journalling later. The beauty of Project Life cards is that they look great left blank (as fillers) but could be journalled on later if a new story reveals itself. I have also intentionally left pockets empty on most pages (with a lovely filler card of course) in case any new photos materialise.

Handwriting... yes, handwriting. This is a source of discontent for many scrapbookers!

Although you may not like your own handwriting, I encourage you to use it!! Here’s an example... I asked my Dad to journal for this layout – the story of his dad being a butcher during the WW2 years. My dad’s handwriting is far from beautiful, but I love it. I love it because he wrote it. And I love the extra ‘touch’ it adds to the memory, the story and the layout.

I'm pretty sure that in years to come, those who read my scrapbooks (and yours) will feel the same... about OUR writing. So go ahead – put aside your own opinion of your handwriting and how it looks, and USE IT... because those people you scrapbook for will LOVE IT!!

Step 9 – Embellishing

The best thing about ProjectLife© Core Kits is that they are beautiful just as they are. And there are a variety of other brands now being released with hundreds of ranges to suit any purpose. Simply by using these, your ‘layouts’ will look complete. There’s no need to embellish further... unless you want to.

I am a scrapbooker at heart, and I love those pretty touches and depth that embellishments add, so I have included a sprinkling of them throughout this album. Nothing sharp and nothing too bulky though, and always paying attention to what photograph is on the other side and facing page (because they will press together when the album is closed).

Simple embellishments like paper or fabric flowers, buttons, die cuts and washi tape are perfect!

Our next post will be the conclusion of our series! Stay tuned!

Kristen xx

Project Preserve The Memories: The Fun Stuff

This week we return to our journey of Preserving The Memories! Kristen is back to help you with the next steps in your journey - now we are getting into the hands on scrapping!

So far we've put in A LOT of hours of preparation - removing photos from unsafe storage and albums, sorting, scanning and hunting down other keepsakes that belong with the photos. So now it’s time to get started on the FUN STUFF!

STEP 6 – Select your Tools Of The Trade!

The sense of relief I felt when I realised the difference that ProjectLife© was going to make to this project was enormous! I had put this off for so long, not sure of where to start and daunted by the enormity of ‘scrapbooking’ all of these photos... fitting dozens of teeny tiny photos onto a 12x12 page... papers... embellishments... Suddenly it was so straightforward, quick and easy!

After sorting your photos you will have a good idea of what sizes you are working with. And once you know what you’re working with you can choose pages that will suit well, and the corresponding size ring-binder album. The beauty of ring-binder albums (like the ones available from Dizzy Izzy) is that you can use any combination of pages in them and move them around as the need arises.

Because I had a lot of smaller vintage 2x3 photos I was thrilled to discover the We R Memory Keepers 8.5x11 pages purpose designed for this size! And the matching 8.5x11 full-size and divided pages complement perfectly for larger photos or ‘traditional’ layouts as well.

Quick Tip - Whatever size you go with, keep a variety of pocket pages handy, and draw up and print a ‘cheat sheet’ of the different configurations you have, for quick reference when you need to choose the right page for your photos. This will save you time as you work later on ;)

Then go ahead and choose a ProjectLife© Core Kit to use. These kits come with everything you will need to complete a whole album, with over 600 cards in a variety of coordinating designs. There is something to suit ALL styles and colour preferences, including a Heritage Kit, but I went with Cinnamon because I loved the colour palette and style of the cards. I also matched up some plain cardstock that I had in my stash, and set this aside for easy access when creating full page layouts. Packs of 12x12 paper to match the Project Life kits are also available for this purpose.

Step 7 – Start on the FUN STUFF!

Once you have the basic supplies you will need, start to work your photos into pages. The 3x4 Project Life cards are perfect for trimming down for smaller pockets and backing tiny photos so they fill the pocket and don’t slide around.

Because I'm working with the original photos (some people prefer to work with reprints from scans) I choose not to trim or crop any of these at all. But if working with reprints you have full freedom to print and crop to any size you need. (You can always print another copy if something goes horribly wrong). 

You can adhere your photos in many ways (double-sided tape, dots, washi tape) but I have opted for photo corners (again, because I’m working with the original photos) so they can be removed easily if needs be.

Coming up next... Journalling!

Jot Magazine

You may have seen that Dizzy Izzy are a proud sponsor of Jot Magazine.

Jot Magazine is a FREE online paper-crafting magazine created by Kim Archer and her amazing team of Jot Girls. It is jam packed full of some of the most delectable scrapping projects and is an amazing source of inspiration.

You can get your copy of the magazine here.

This month Dizzy Izzy have teamed up with Jot magazine to sponsor their June Mood Board Challenge. Kim describes the palette as follows "Our Mood Board palette features lots of neutrals with a splash of mint. Think linens and lace and doilies.. plus minty hues and little flowers, stamped alphabets, typewriter fonts, frayed edges and natural tones." 

You can enter via the Jot Magazine website here. The winning entrant will receive a $20 gift voucher to spend in Dizzy Izzy's online store or at one of our events.


Here's my take on the mood board challenge.  I've use the dreamy range of Heidi Swapp papers, Pink Paislee and Prima embelli's along with some handmade goodness from our very own Dizzy girls Tracey and Kate. 

Fleur x