Category Archives: Up the Street

I’m unique. I admit it and honestly, I like it that way.

Imagine a world where we were all cookie cutter carbon copies. Boring.

Embrace those quirks and be yourself. There is just one you.

You’re like a snowflake.

Unique.

It’s freeing too.

We all see creative people we wish we could be like. I have quite a few. I have days where I hate my style and wish I could be so-and-so. How’s that for honesty?

So now and then I have to stop and remind myself. That I am me. I am unique and that’s OK.

There’s nothing wrong with being inspired by others as long as we don’t fall into the trap that we are not just as creative because our work doesn’t look like theirs. And truly, it shouldn’t. It should look unique.

Explore your own creativity. Find your style. Experiment. Drop your guard and just create for the joy of it.

Don’t be afraid to be…

Unique

This layout is of my unique and wonderful daughter. In some ways she’s so like me but in many ways, she’s not. She’s herself and she’s growing up and finding her way. I couldn’t be more proud of the young woman she is becoming.

I’ve created this layout with January’s Up the Street Scrapbooking Kit. I’m totally into the beautiful colors and prints Tara has combined. She has such a knack for putting a fabulous kit together. It makes creating easy.

I loved creating these snowflake details. They are die cut with the Basic Grey Snowflake Bigz die from Sizzix. Natural light was poor the day I took this photo but the die cut cardstock is a beautiful glittered cardstock that comes in the kit. It makes fabulous die cut embellishments. The rosettes are also die cut using a Sizzlets die.

Do you struggle with being unique? I hope this post inspires you to be your own creative person and enjoy the process.

Have a creative day!

After a rather wet New Years, we’re back to winter and more snow, snow, snow.

Actually, I love it. What’s winter without snow? Might as well have something fun to do in the cold weather.

With all the snow, today seems to be a great day to share one of my January Up the Street Scrapbooking Kit layouts. This kit goes on sale today and it is so wonderful to work with. The colors and prints were a dream to work with. I’m so glad to get some winter pictures scrapped. It seems that my albums are mostly of summer and this is a great change.

Brrrrrr

This kit includes the Glimmer Mist and a Pearl Adirondack Paint Dabber adding lots of shimmer to the project.

Keep warm!

Happy New Year! I hope it brings many wonderful things your way. It seems so hard to believe that it is 2011 already.

I don’t know what 2011 will bring. Perhaps some changes but hopefully not too many. I’m enjoying things the way they are right now.

One thing that won’t be changing is how I feel about my hubby. He’s the best. The fun hopelessly devoted title piece inspired this layout about him & I. It’s a sneak peek at the new January Up the Street January Scrapbooking Kit that will be released early next week. The colors are gorgeous and I’m enjoying the kit so much.

Hopelessly Devoted

Quick Tip: Use a die cut shaped paper as your page base for a unique look.

The beautiful Glimmer Mist spray is included in the kit. I love how adding it adds a great colorful and artistic look to the project.

I also believe we have a winner for that Hero Arts stamp set. Thanks so much for all the lovely comments!

random.org picked the winning number for me and it was comment #8.

Congrats Bessie Segal! I hope you enjoy your new stamp set. Please e-mail me with your address and I’ll pop it in the mail early in the week. The link is at the top of my sidebar.

Happy New Year!

One of the things I like best about scrapbooking is going back and reliving those treasured moments. A few months ago I came across this picture from about 13 years ago. Aren’t they darling? I spent a lot of the winter working on stitching that smocked dress and the bibbed shorts. I’ve saved both.

This layout uses the Very Vintage November, Up the Street Scrapbooking kit. I’ve created a stitched color block look using the Mix and Mend stickers and papers.

The denim flower is die cut from a pair of worn out old ripped jeans using the Tattered Florals Die. Waste not, want not…isn’t that how it goes? I’ve flipped the good and reverse side on each layer to get a two-toned effect.

Have a beautiful day!

More fun with Very Vintage, the November Up the Street Scrapbooking Kit. I love all the yellow in this kit. It’s not a color I often gravitate too but I think that will definitely be changing. It’s so happy and warm.

Just Be Yourself

One of my favorite parts of this layout is the die cut flower. Each of Tara’s kits comes packaged in kraft bags and I love incorporating them right into the layout. By looking at it a little creatively it transforms from packaging into an embellishment. I die cut the bag with the Tattered Florals Sizzix die and layered it together to create a flower. By purposely cutting it where there was printed text it ties in with the “tissue pattern” section of the patterned paper. Look close and you’ll see the top section of the bag used to mat the photo on the right.

Enjoy your weekend!

Recently my sweetie and I celebrated our 21st anniversary.

I love this man.

Reality was that he ended up taking care of a very sick wife for the actual date of our anniversary and we’ve ended up postponing a night away because I’m taking my own sweet time getting better. But that’s life, and marriage for that matter. Taking the good and the bad, hanging on tight and making the best of it. I couldn’t ask for a better man by my side. He’s got my back and I have his, and knowing this makes every challenge easier.

Today’s layout was created with the new November Up the Street Scrapbooking kit. Can I say that I love this kit? I bounced up and down when I got my first sneak peek. Absolutely stunning papers and embellishments that I’ve been dying to get my hands on all in one kit. Yay!

The kit is called Very Vintage. Like the name? Tara asked for a suggestion and so I got to name it. Go me!

you & i

I love the mix of papers Tara put together for this kit. Gorgeous Pink Pailee Sweetness, Crate Paper Restoration and Mix and Mend Sassafras Lass among others.

To highlight the years we’re been together, I’ve placed the accent title at the top right and stitched a circle around them.

Quick Tip: Changing your photos to black and white will make them go with anything. I also love the timeless look.

The chipboard and papers are sanded and layered to tie them all together.

Have a beautiful day!