PLxSU Trio #16: Stars

Hey, look at me!  Another page!  With the kiddo's swimming and summer camping, I am super pressed for time.  I have found creating digitally to be the quickest way to get out some creativity.

This week's PLxSU Trio challenge called for stars on July 4th pages.  I used Moments Like These and Seasonal Snapshots digital PL kits.  There's also several elements from Outdoor Exploration digital kit.

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PLxSU Trio #15: Calendar Pocket Card

Hey look, I made something!  I haven't cracked open MDS in a while, and it was really time.

This page is for the Facebook group PLxSU Trio, Challenge #15 Use a Calendar.  I used the newly released Project Life digital kit, Moments Like These.

Right now is the perfect time to enjoy more savings, because June 30–August 3, there are MORE items in the Clearance Rack and Weekly Deals. That means you can save up to 30% on even more Weekly Deals, or up to 60% on extra items in the Clearance Rack. You’ll want to hurry though, because Weekly Deals discounts are available in limited quantities before the items return to retail prices.

FREE Suitcase Box Project Instructions PDF, or any tutorial PDF of your choice, with your online order of $25 or more on MY ONLINE SITE.  Please use the hostess code C2TC3BS7.  For orders $150 or more, DO NOT use the hostess code; you will still receive the PDF instructions via email.

Digital Project Life Week in Review

Although My Digital Studio is going away on June 2 (previously purchased digital content and support available through June 9), I am glad there is digital Project Life content, including Stampin' Up content, available at ProjectLife.com.

Here's a couple digital Project Life pages I created for the Facebook challenge PLxSU Trio, which I hadn't yet posted for you.

The initial challenge called for splitting a photo over more than one "pocket".  For this layout, I used the Everyday Adventure PL kit.

Using the same Everyday Adventure PL kit, PLxSU Trio Week #2 challenge was to use a list on the page.

ALERT: Tomorrow is the last day to grab My Digital Studio digital downloads, software, and print products for 30% off.  Grab them while they are still available!

FREE Bow Tie Graduation Pocket Card Project Instructions PDF with your online order of $25 or more on MY ONLINE SITE.  Please use hostess code 2VKPW3YN, and make sure to check the box to allow your demonstrator to contact you.  For orders $150 or more, DO NOT use the hostess code; you will still receive the PDF instructions via email.  Please visit this page to purchase this tutorial.

MDSM111 Hello Weekend!

This week Jeanna is bringing us the MDS Monday sketch.

I took the liberty of straightening up the sketch to right angles to continue on with my Project Life kick.  Hope Jeanna doesn't mind!  I stuck with the Everyday Adventure PL kit.  More black & white, but here I also included a splash of color.

This page also covers Week 3 (stamp on a photo) and Week 4 (using arrows) challenges over at PLxSU Trio Facebook Challenge.

Don't Forget: All My Digital Studio digital downloads, software, and print products are reduced 30% through June 2.  Stock up before they are gone!

Here is this week's sketch -

MDS Elements: Everyday Adventure Project Life kit; Font: The Skinny, CK Alis Hand.

MDSM106 Apple Picking

Beth gives us this week's MDS Monday sketch.

I've mentioned that I really like the "week in review" type layout, so I took Beth's sketch and transformed it into that type of sketch, as best I could.

Here's this week's sketch -

MDS Elements: Enjoy Every Moment - dotted circle, Moments Ago, Amped Up Ampersands, Happy Life - week number, Convention 2012 DSP, Howlstooth & Scaringbone DSP, Alphabet Soup punches, Mini Flag Banner Punch, Daffodil Delight Striped Grosgrain Ribbon; Font: The Skinny, Arial Narrow.

Let's take a moment to discuss the "sunsetting" of My Digital Studio.

• Software, downloads, and printing services will no longer be available after May 31, 2015.
• MyDigitalStudio.net, MDS Facebook, Pinterest, and the My Library app will also be unavailable after May 31, 2015.
• Can I continue to use MDS and print at other locations (Shutterfly, Costco, etc.)?  YES!
• What about the downloads I have on my "wish list"?  Purchase them now before they are gone.
• What about the downloads I have already purchased?  You should back up your software and your downloads, as they will no longer be accessible through Stampin' Up.  You may also want to download any purchases in the "For programs other than MDS" form so you can use your downloads anywhere.
• We will be posting useful transition information on MDS Monday challenge site.

MDSM102 Daily Pages

Are you familiar with a daily or weekly scrap page, a page that documents a day- or week-in-the-life?  One specific example is December Daily by Ali Edwards.  In December, there are so many activities going on in that month, creating daily pages help document these busy times.  More generically, I think daily or weekly pages sprung out of Project 365, in which you take a photo every day.  Taking a daily photo frees you from having to frame the perfect scene, or document only important or exciting activities, and rather just photograph everyday life.  Society has embraced this type of photo-taking with the social media and selfie evolution.

Once you have these everyday photos, you need a format to tell the story.  Project Life layouts can be a great way to complete day-in-the-life or week-in-the-life pages.  In fun examples by Julie Fei-Fan Balzer, you can see how she uses the date of the week or month to help tell the story.  One digital kit specifically designed for these type of pages is Daily December Memories Photobook Template, not just for December, and it was from this kit I took this week's example layout.  When building pages from scratch, Project Life downloads such as Hello December, Seasonal Snapshot, or any other pocket card download and Day to Day Stamp Brush Set are perfect.

My challenge to you is to create a daily or weekly page.  Make sure you use actual dates as part of the embellishments or pocket cards.  They can be in Project Life format or any other layout.  Don't feel you need to stick to the example layout here; I've included the link to the Daily December kit for more ideas.  The charm of the page is to just use daily photos of what you ate, where you went, what you did.  Nothing fancy, but just a fun way to tell the story of everyday life.  Can't wait to see what you create!

Here's my page -

I actually showed this page first, since it follows the layout, but this next page really shows off the every day feature of the daily page.

Our last day in Acadia National Park for the year, first snow, and I went for a quick run before hitting the road.  This page just brings back nice feelings!

MDS Elements: Daily December Memories, Watercolored Winter, This Makes Me Happy; Font: Arial, Capsies.

I started with the Daily December Memories kit for my pages right after our trip to Acadia, in fact on the drive home.  It was fun to fill in the daily memories.  But I wasn't quite capturing the generic daily or weekly page idea I had in mind to show you.  I happened to be poking around Ali Edwards's blog today and found an example page I wanted to use immediately.

Now, this is what I meant for the challenge!  I finally got this out; I feel better.  :)  I really love these kind of daily or weekly pages, and I would like to make more.  It is best to make them when the memory of the week is still fresh in your mind.  Ooh, that sounds like a daunting task!

MDS Elements: Love Story Project Life, Day in the Life, Days to Remember, Chillin Out Pocket Cards, Bookstagram; Font: Bodoni MT Condensed, Arial Narrow, The Skinny, 1942 Report.

100th MDS Monday Blog Hop Celebration!

Welcome to the 100th challenge of MDS Monday!  We have a blog hop plus prizes for participating with our challenge.  Make sure to join us!  But, before you rush off, please click through our quick blog hop to check out each sample page from the design team, along with the challenge/sketch each used for their page.  If you are following in a circle, you have just come from Yapha's blog.

Whoa, that's a lot of pink for me!  I'm a sucker for a Project Life layout, so I used one from Beth's Challenge #67. 

MDS Elements: This Makes Me Happy Pocket Cards, Be Yourself frame, Silver Glimmer paper, Simple Stitches, Basic Pearls and Rhinestones; Font: KG Skinny Latte.

Click for...

MDSM88 Everglades National Park

Today Jeanna is bringing us this week's MDS Monday sketch, along with a request for lots of playful colors, patterns, and embellishments. Well, she might beat me with a wet noodle, since I deviated from the sketch right off the bat to fit my photos.

Using Happy Things Pocket Cards download, I think I used just about every pattern, embellishment, and most stamp images in the download.  I always have so much fun layering the items from the pocket card kits.  Colors - check.  Patterns - check.  Embellishments - well...  I felt like I layered so much already, so I resisted a bit.

Here is this week's sketch -

MDS Elements: Natural Composition Overlays, Happy Things pocket cards, Convention 2012 frame, Staple, Alphabet Soup punch, Mini Flag Banner punch; Font: Bodoni MT Condensed, CK Alis Hand.

MDSM80 PL Key Largo Fun

This week it's my turn to host the MDS Monday challenge.  We are playing with Project Life digital layouts again.   I just grabbed a fun layout from the photo pocket pages in the catalog.

One hint that helped me is to find a digital kit that works well with the photos and stick with it. That way the colors and styles worked together seamlessly.

Here's the layout (I rotated mine) - 

MDS Elements: Chillin Out Pocket Cards, Convention 2012 frame; Font: Juice ITC, Franklin Gothic Medium, KG Eyes Wide Open.

MDSM67 Another Acadia Vacation

As you know, Stampin' Up! has teamed up with Becky Higgins to bring us the Project Life product line with Stampin' Up! colors and flair!  There are traditional elements, as well as digital ones, along with many previously-released pocket card downloads.

In this vein, Beth brings us a Project Life layout challenge this week for MDS Monday.

            

Here's my page -

I would say I am still a novice at putting together an attractive Project Life page, but sticking with one pocket card kit really helps.  The good thing about a digital layout is you can span multiple pockets with an element, such as an arrow.  I was also able to reduce the opacity of the upper left frame.

Edit to add: I was really short on time this week, and I had one hour available to start this page.  Well, I picked photos, started, and finished in that time frame.  Project Life, along with sticking to a kit, makes for super quick and easy pages!

Make sure you check out all the design team samples; those girls really rock!

MDS Elements: This Makes Me Happy Pocket Cards, Rhinestone Jewels, KG Skinny Latte Font.

Hot Trend: Divided Pages

Divided scrapbook pages, aka Project Life pages, are a hot trend right now.  They are perfect for the every day Facebook and Instagram photos to tell the story of the recent week or month.  This past Saturday, we got together to scrap the For the Record Simply Scrappin' Layout in the Spring catalog.  I've been dying to play with some divided pages, so this get-together gave me a perfect excuse.

Some of the elements of my pages are copied from the demo magazine Stampin' Success, and I had to punt for the others.  Once the elements were done, I just gathered and printed a bunch of photos from kindergarten.  I have a couple more spots available for photos from the rest of the year.  With the Simply Scrappin' Layout, this came together super quick!

With all the coordinating papers and card stock, it is so easy to put together pocket cards.  I can't wait to work on the next one.  Note to self: Get more divided page protectors!  :)

Supplies: Paper: Summer Starfruit, Riding Hood Red, Island Indigo; Ink: Black journaling pen; Accessories: For the Record Simply Scrappin' Layout, White baker's twine, Corner Rounder punch, Spiral punch, paperclips.

Thanks for stopping by!

Mixed Media Challenges

Hi Everyone, I've been playing along with the Mixed Media Challenges on Splitcoaststampers.  It uses a lot of techniques we stampers are already familar with, but I love playing with media I haven't tried yet, such as acrylic paint, and I love getting messy!  :)

 

Actually Missy and I have made this a regular weekend event; we make pages in our Creativity Journals together.  She actually asked me a couple weeks ago if we were going to do a challenge again.  LOVE!

The first two challenges were posted here and here.  But since I moved from cards to journal pages, I've posted most on my SCS gallery.  I thought I'd share a few here to catch you up.

MIX3 - Text paper and red

For reds, I used brick red acrylic paint, Cherry Cobbler ink (splatter and sponging), red card stock, and red washi tape. Mediums include acrylic paint, stamping, and My Digital Studio.

MIX4 - Make water-soluble color move

Watch Dina's video for lots of fun color-moving tricks.  How fun is this drippy water scene?

MIX5 - Masking

Here I used My Digital Studio to add some Project Life-type elements.  I used downloads Box of Chocolates (free) February Wallpaper,  Hello There kit, and Candid Frames, added photos, and printed.

Edit to add: I forgot about this half-page I made a few weeks ago.  My first stab at the Sent with Love set.

Thanks for stopping by!

MDS Divided Page

Morning Everyone!  I really wanted to try the challenge on mydigitalstudio.net, Divided Page.  This is in the vein of the Project Life pages you may have seen out on the web.  I believe Project Life stems from Project 365, the goal to take a picture every day.  For Project Life, you scrap the everyday life events, every week or every month.  It is a great way to tell a story, and it doesn't have to be just photos.  Lots of memorabilia and fun stamps makes it eclectic and interesting.

This kind of scrapping is right up my daughter's alley, with all the little scraps of paper she saves.  I would love to have a place to put them.  And I love the idea of a month-at-a-glance kind of page or spread.  I'm pretty excited to get going with some Project Life pages.

For traditional scrapbooking, you can use the 12 x 12" Divided Page Protectors (pg. 169, Annual Catalog).  I think I've mentioned before I have a hang up with printing photos.  I'm never satisfied with the quality.  So My Digital Studio to the rescue.  Here's my first Project Life-type divided page in digital form.

Every little segment is an individual little tag-sized piece to design.  Oh my, I had no idea how time-consuming this could be.  And I need a lot more fun digital embellishments!  Of course Stampin' Up has some ready made templates available with the The Best Year Photobook Template, which would save a bunch of time.

MDS Elements: Stamps: Number It, Month by Month; Paper: Crumb Cake Textured, Day in the Life DSP, Christmas Cheer DSP, Summer Smooches DSP, Joyful Times DSP, First Edition DSP, Candy Cane Lane DSP, Christmas Cocoa II DSP; Color Palette: Sahara Sand, Early Espresso, Very Vanilla, Whisper White; Accessories: Dotted Scallop Ribbon Punch, Staple & Stitching, Attic Boutique Embellishments, Hodgepodge Hardware, Christmas Jingle - labels, Jumbo Eyelet, Sycamore Street ribbon, Delightful Digital Tape, Downtown Grunge - note tag (re-colored), Basic Pearls and Rhinestones, Blossom Builders Rhinestones; Font: Chalkduster, Bradley Hand ITC, CK Alis Hand, Bookman Old Style, You Are Loved.

I'm so glad I found an afternoon to sit down and try this page, and I can't wait for more.  Thanks for stopping by!