THE 20 MINUTE LAYOUT

most of which was spent hand stitching that small pink line. True story.

So last week I saw on Sian's blog that the latest Jot magazine was out. Obviously stopped everything to browse it. Saw some cute stuff, got inspired by some challenges (need to try your bucket challenge Sian!! I need to get more words onto my layouts!) and saw a couple layouts that made me think "hey let's scrap lift!" Which is how this layout came to be. (this particular layout was inspired by the one on page 65!)

One central picture, a photo border I had been hoarding FOREVER (it's from Love Elsie, that's how old it is!!) and then a few embellishments based on the colors of the photo and border. A bit of stitching because why not. And then decided it needed more pink so i added the other paper as a border under my white card stock. I considered adding a lot more but hmm, not really me. I love that photo so much honestly that I could have just glued it on the background and still would have been happy with it. 

I also really like that it's a very "empty" photo that alone doesn't say anything and could be anything and still I look at it and that particular moment spent on the beach comes rushing back to my mind with all the stories that go with it (stories being told in greater details on other layouts. like this one and this one.) So yeah, it took me three layouts to record an hour spent on the beach. and I have more photos waiting!

SNAP SKETCH SCRAP // ONE

It's been a while since I made a layout. I don't think I really missed scrapbooking. Don't get me wrong, I love making layouts, creating, making stuff with my hands. But I am knitting a lot, and sewing and a few other stuff. My hands and brains are very happy at the moment with all those that I didn't really feel like I needed to scrap for a while. I missed stories though. It's been two years (!!!) since Canada and I have two half complete albums and hundreds of photos in a box. And I want to tell those stories. With words, papers and glue. So I grabbed my scrapbooking supplies and picked a few very random photos (those are the best). I wasn't quite sure what to do though. 

So I figured, hey let's take an online class! (i love classes, I'm nerdy like that). I'm a big big fan of Kelly Purkey. She's a/ super cool and b/ super talented. Also, her timing was perfect because as I was thinking about that she blogged about her Snap Sketch Scrap online class and how it was on sale throughout November. 10$ you guys. Filled with really cool content that happened to be exactly what I needed to get started.  A week later, we have two layouts. and two stories told. Success!

Indian Summer. We don't have that in France. So when the leaves started to change and suddenly the streets were filled with the most amazing shades of orange, pink, purple, red and yellow, I may have had the best time of my life. Fall in Canada was AMAZING. And I don't need more than the photo of a very awesome tree I walked by everyday to tell that story. I went a bit crazy with the background there (following the class instruction obviously!) Classes are only good if they force you to push through your limits right? I think it's awesome. The rest is just a whole lot of bits and pieces. And that title. I may be the owner of five different gold glittered thickets and I may have tried every single one of them on the photo before deciding on that one. Sometimes you just need a few upper case gold glittery letters.

And layout #2 (which is actually #1 because I made that one first)

This is a very random photo of a car that's not ours and a building I can't identify. But that's not the story. It's the story of five girls, going on a road trip to Toronto and the Niagara Falls, who spent 7 crazy hours stuck in a car (because apparently 3pm is the time you don't want to get stuck in traffic near Toronto. did not know that!), took way too many toilet breaks (5 girls!) and listened to very weird yet awesome french canadian Rap music (a story that got its own layout that I don't think I ever shared here, hum). Obviously that road trip was magic and crazy and awesome. So it deserved a cool yellow background. The two little photo corners/ arrow in red and blue is my favorite little detail ever (a very cool idea by Kelly!). The rest is a very random assortment of stuff, plus a few epoxy flowers because after all, it's a story about five girls. Looking at it, I feel like I want to go back and add a few more black lines and some more words. I might do. Still like it though.

So, yay, scrapbooking! Many more layouts to come! And stories. What's your favorite little random story?

MY CUP OF TEA // OCTOBER SOCKS

I finished my October pair of socks you guys! They are called My Cup of Tea socks and I never want to take them off! I used Oh Loops yarn in their Expelliarmus colorway. The yarn is a 80% superwash merino 20% nylon blend and it became the softest, prettiest thing ever after blocking! So glad I have two more skeins of that mix to knit with! The pattern is free on Ravelry and was pretty simple to memorize. The socks were knitted cuff down and I just followed the pattern for the heel and gusset, nothing fancy here (yet ;)). I'm quite proud of my toe, I'm getting way better at the kitchener stitch I think so, yay!

Monthly sock challenge 2 of 12 is thus completed! November now! I really really want to try toe up socks! But honestly a bit scared, they do seem way more complicated somehow. I do love the Leyburn socks though but the pattern isn't super generous in explaining the toe cast on and such so I have been digging the internet and youtube for tutorials and such, reading about the Judy's magic cast on a try! I however have quite a few things planned for November already so I think I might make the toe up my December socks using either the Leyburn or the Reasons to be cheerful pattern and go with a basic cuff down vanilla sock for November. I have a very fun multicolored skein of Oh Loops that would be perfect for it. Check my IG feed in the coming days to see what I decided ;) 

So, what are you guys doing for your November pair of socks?

FOR THE LOVE OF SOCKS

I did it! I've made a pair of socks! And I don't even wear socks! Well at last I didn't. But they are so comfy and pretty. and handmade! It's the beginning of a love story let me tell you. My family is warned, it will be a sock kind of Christmas ;)

I used a free Ravelry pattern called Hermione's everyday sock, perfect for beginners and super cute and not too boring (you wouldn't want your socks to be boring right!). As for the yarn, it's Malabrigo Sock yarn, it's 100% super wash merino, which isn't ideal for socks (it's better with a little nylon thrown in the mix!) but I just loved the color!

For the knitting itself, I confess, I did have to watch a few Youtube videos to help me with the heel (I highly suggest Martingale's 3 part videos How to Knit a Sock !) but other than that it was super easy. I apparently am kind of lucky because I followed the pattern to the word without any modifications or gauge checking and the socks fit me PERFECTLY. Maybe the designer is my feet twin who knows!

I improved my "technique" a lot between sock 1 and sock 2 and there is still a lot I would love to try/change with the next technique, especially for the heel, and the grafting. As everyone who knit socks for the first time, I was super afraid that I would run out of yarn and so made the cuffs not too long. And obviously I ended up with a LOT of yarn. I might have enough left for small mittens I think, or maybe baby socks for my nephew? We'll see!

`

Of course now I am addicted, and thus decided to join the lovely Liesl in her Monthly Sock Challenge! I have even already cast on my October socks! I will be using Oh Loops yarn in a lovely soft pink and another free sock pattern called My Cup of Tea (aren't sock pattern names awesome??). Very lovely, very girly and from what I have read so far not that complicated.

So what do you think, ready to knit some socks?

52 weeks of art journaling - TWO

On my 25th birthday i started working on a new mini album to record my thoughts on that special year, who i am and want to be, what i like and dream about and all the little details that make the everyday. I am following along with Rachel Denbow's class 52 weeks of art journaling (which is amazing!) and using a Dear Lizzy mini album along with a massive amount of scrap supplies i have been hoarding forever. Here's a look at some recent pages:

LOOK UP/LOOK DOWN is something I like to do when i am out taking photographs. It's a fun way to change your perspective and see things differently I think. But in my everyday life I am more of a look down walk fast kind of girl. Which is so bad because you know, the sky is so pretty and full of possibilities. Also, if you're wondering, those blue stitches are supposed to be stars yes :) On the left i just found a cute photo from a magazine and wrote on it with a sharpie. 

EVERYTHING WILL BE JUST FINE. Hopefully.

Next is my Summer 2014 Happy List. I got the idea from this post by Julia Paige just after watching the prettiest loveliest movie i've seen in a while. It's called Begin Again (or New York Melody if you're in France) and it's about love and music. Seriously, go see it :)

Other things that have been making me happy lately would be knitting, reading before bed, quiet days, happy mail and dancing. What about you?

One last spread, following a prompt from the class. What do you want? What do you need? I'm pretty sure happiness lies somewhere in the middle. Simplest page i've done so far. A piece of paper, a black pen. I really like it :)

Want to see more pages? There is some here and here!

Oh captain my captain

It was a stripe kind of day. It was morning, I felt inspired and decided to scrapbook. I started picking pretty papers and somehow ended up with only stripes. why not right? The stripes led me to the triangle idea and what do you know this layout was born. The background was the biggest challenge. It started with white bazzil but seriously didn't work. And then i found this pretty one in my stash. Bonus point for the fact that it's lines and lines of the definition of WATER. That's how i knew it was meant to be!

The title was super obvious too. I had just recently told Sian I thought she needed to see Dead Poets Society (seriously, watch it people, it's the best!). So i got stuck with the quote in my head. Then i saw that photo. And I had my story. 

Super simple, super quick to make. Looks like i'm scrapbooking again!

BREAKFAST IN NEW YORK

I have been trying to work on my archives lately and realized there was still a few layouts i haven't shared here. Including some of my favorite ones. So let's get back into the scrapbooking world alright?

This is probably my favorite layout design (well with this one ). The proof is, i've even used it before. Which i am perfectly ok with as long as the layouts end up in different albums.

Best part about this sketch is how simple and quickly it all came together: a 12x12 paper for the background, and then 4 papers from a 6x6 pad will do the charm. I think the best way to make them all work together (even though there are many different colors and patterns) is to stick to one collection (in this case,  Maggie Holmes). Then I added lots of kraft and brown since that was the main color of the photos. 

Also, i realize this is not the healthiest thing in the world, but I do think a starbucks + cupcakes combo makes for a very awesome breakfast.

So tell me, what are your go to layout designs when scrapbooking?

52 WEEKS OF ART JOURNALING - ONE

On my 25th birthday i started working on a new mini album to record my thoughts on that special year, who i am and want to be, what i like and dream about and all the little details that make the everyday. I am following along with Rachel Denbow's class 52 weeks of art journaling (which is amazing!) and using a Dear Lizzy mini album along with a massive amount of scrap supplies i have been hoarding forever. In other words, i am not buying a single new thing to work on that album, which i am quite proud of :)

Here's a look of the first few pages (following the one you saw on that last post):

 Rule #1: JUST BE HAPPY. If there was only one word in the universe, i hope it would be happy. Or maybe love. tough call. I have been working on myself A LOT these past two years to become a more positive person and embrace the little joys we (I) tend to ignore, so i made sense to me to start with a page on that topic. I printed a grid of some of my instagram photos from the #100HAPPYDAYS challenge i am doing (getting close to 80 days, loving it and super happy to have seen many people join since. it's super fun!) for the left side and then had fun on the right side photos and words i found in a magazine, cut then glued on the cardstock. Neon pink washi seemed like a very obvious thing to add so i went with it, plus a pretty flower cut out from Dear Lizzy. The black dot transparency was part of the mini album and is super cute!

One of the class ideas was to recreate grids (like on Instagram) to make a page. My brain likes grid a lot so i went with it super gladly, and made a collage using various photos of my knitting (i'm obsessed!). I left a few squares empty and then had the idea of making it about my creative process (which really is also my life process i think). DREAM. MAKE. REPEAT. The right page was inspired by something i heard on a podcast. it's about an artist who's business card says "Hello my name is XXX and i am a _______ . She left a big blank that she could fill just before handing the card. I love that idea. Somedays i feel like a business graduate and some days like a crafter. Some days i am a sister, or an aunt, or a friend, maybe one day a mom. That's what this page is about. All the things that i am.

That next page was inspired by that gorgeous forest shot i found in an old magazine. It's wild and beautiful and i thought it deserved it's own spread. I added a few photos from my walks in the park near my own, along with an Amy Tangerine card and one of my favorite quote from Mark Twain. Words to live by that i'll leave you with for this month ♥

dear 25th year

Please be a good one.

So, yep, i'm 25. And not super happy about it right now. But the way i see it, i now have 364 days to change my mind about it! And it starts with a cute album i'll be making as the year goes by, inspired by the 52 weeks of art journaling class taught by Rachel Denbow over at A Beautiful Mess. Playing with paper is just the best, i can't believe i forgot that for a while!

I have some other cool projects planned for that 25th year, which i'm hoping to turn into The Year of Craft, since i've come to realize that basically not much makes me happier than creating stuff. I guess i'm getting wiser as i get older ha!

the fun detail: i am a massive letter thickers hoarder, yet i didn't have enough shapes and fonts in black, so i just picked alphas i liked and painted them all in black! I guess this is my version of "messy" art journaling, but hey, I try!

DOCUMENTING A TRIP WITH PROJECT LIFE

Last Summer, i left for London for a quick holiday. When i came back,with my camera full of photos and my head full of stories, i wasn't to sure how to document it all. Had it been a 2/3 weeks trip, i might have made a mini album. For a very big trip (like the 4 months i spent in Canada), it would have been a full 12x12 album. In this case, i decided to include those 4 awesome days spent in London directly to my Project Life album, treating it almost like a regular spread. A spread with just a bit more photos let's say. 

Curious about my process? It's super simple. Here's how to document a trip, PL style, in just 5 steps and a few hours:

1// Print all your favorite photos in a bunch of different sizes: 4x6, 4x3, 6x12... Put them in your page protectors. I myself arranged them by day, then hour, then just because one looks pretty next to that other one ;)

2// Grab your box probably full of hundreds of different Project Life cards, and start putting one in every empty pocket. Most of mine were from past Studio Calico PL kits, plus some from the Midnight edition and finally some from die cuts sheets. I like to mix and match, but of course you could stick to a collection or a color combo if that's more your style. Just remember to alternate between pretty cards just here to decorate and journaling cards so you can move on to...

3// Grab your favorite pen and write everything about your trip. Why did you take it? How did you get there? What did you do? Visited? Loved? Loved not so much? Everything you want to remember, you write! I use various techniques to help me tell the stories, like fill in the blank cards, top 5, quotes... 

4// Embellish! Letter stickers, enamel dots, stamps... Whatever you like best. Also, it's very much ok to put stuff ON your photos. White space was meant for that if you ask me. As you can see, i didn't embellish much. Mostly because i thought the photos were enough, but that's up to you.

5// Memories recorded! Well done. Go and make new ones now. 

I'm thinking Copenhagen right now. What about you?

LIFE IS BETTER AT THE BEACH

Yes it is. Back in August, right before i had to go to the hospital for my first surgery, my parents and I went to spent the day at the beach. Even though i live in Paris, since France isn't that big, the nearest beaches (in Normandy) are only 3/4 hours away by car. Yet it had been a full year since the last time i had seen the sea. And boy did i miss it. The wind, the tide, the birds, the air, even the rocks that hurt your feet if your forget your beach shoes. Listening to the waves, it feels so much easier to just breath. and think. and live. 

Also, pretty photos! I took way too many, as per usual. I wasn't sure what to do with them though. Traditional layout? Mini album? PL style? I ended up printing a few small ones and ordering that big beautiful 12x12 shot. Then i made a layout. Lots of white space, delicate little details that made me think of how i felt that day. Except for the sewing (made by hand) the layout came together pretty quickly.

Then i put it away in my PL album (yes i mixed and matched pocket style and traditional style in the album :)). But that big beautiful photo felt quite lonely. So i put it back on my desk and finally, 6 months later, added words to it. Life is better at the beach. Made with a bunch of my favorite letter stickers. My actual inspiration for that is a class i am currently taking by Elise Blaha Cripe called Use your stash. I really, really love the final result. So much that i am thinking about framing the photo. But what would go on the left side of the layout then you say? Still working on that! Thanks for looking!

Heads up for my lovely readers: after many years using the internet under a pseudonym (alinor) i've sort of decided that the chat/msn days are over and will now be using my actual name (lea) for my blog, pinterest... My face is still the same though, so i hope you'll still recognize me ;)

BEACH BABES

Beach Babes! And as the journaling says, yes i just said that! Yes this is highly ironical. Or not. Wathever, we rock. :)

The photos were taken on the Toronto's island (remember, the nudist beach?), just after a quick nap on the sand (you can probably tell by our faces. except mine, too excited to sleep!). I wanted to use some soft dreamy colors so i started with the green and yellow floral paper (i'm pretty sure it's a Mint Julep / Basic Grey paper). i cut four strips and sew all around. Then added some pink. And peach . Plus aqua because i love it, and you know, it's a story about a beach. Most of the embellishments are from Travel Girl by October Afternoon (LOVE it)

I then added my journaling here and there. Most of the layout was already vertical so it seemed super weird to write on the horizontal. I think it works just fine this way, and i kind of like it when you have to do some work to read/view the full layout. Et voila :)

THE SUN GOES DOWN

 Hey there. I'm back with a new layout. I already told you a story about my road trip to Quebec and the big part music played in it. Well this is a new story about another song we listened to a bit too much in the car. The song is called Glad you came and is performed by Wanted.  I love it. Yet i haven't really been listening to it much (aka at all) since i came back from Canada. But just like Starships, i know that every time i will hear it, i will think of this beautiful sunset we witnessed when we finally made it to Tadoussac, all the way across Quebec. 

The layout does look extra simple but took me forever because i had to hand cut everything. I also used some of my Mr Huey's to create the rainbow effect behind the lyrics. That definitely was the fun part. The background is a Dear Lizzy paper, kind of perfect for a layout about music don't you think? ;)

That's pretty much it, i'll try and start posting more regularly soon (i am severely lacking motivation to do anything but sleep right now. could someone bring me a spice pumpkin latte please?)

Also, i really do believe that all that counts is here and now. So have a great day :)

PROJECT LIFE WEEK 25

Week 25. This spread might be my new favorite (you know, until next week). I just love the look of 8 4x6 photos and 8 3x4 cards in the middle. What do you think? 

The spread came together super quickly once i had the photos. Hardest part was to pick pretty cards to go with them. Lots of different colors, but i tried to make them work together. Like for instance i picked a pink card for the right spread, so i added pink elements to the left one as well. Giving more balance. And lots of black and white and grey to keep things from getting crazy. Super fun to do. Here are more detailed shots:

Left spread: loved this little heart card from the Midnight edition, but i wanted more pink so i stamped these cute polaroids. At first i only did the three in the middle but it didn't look quite right. Then stamped all the way to the top and bottom. much better. do you use this technique too?

More stamps: directly on the photo (using stazon). 

Right spread: my nephew is the cutest. Also, he liked to stand VERY close to the objective of the camera. i'm okay with that <3. More photos with little tabs on them. The awesome "crosswords" pink card which i filled with key words from the event told on the bottom two photos. And the simplest black and white card with a flair on top of it. LOVE IT. Simple is awesome.

A little embossed stamp. love love this quote. also: pink + green + grey = LOVE

 Aaaaand: this badge is the coolest. right?