Book of Me Archives - Scrapbook OBSESSION Blog.com

A New Scrapbooking Project . . . and A New BLOG?

Scrapbook ObsessionUpdated on May 11, 2014May 13, 2014

As I mentioned in my LAST POST about my scrapbooking haul from Michaels, I’m starting a new project: a combination Gratitude and About Me journal and mini book.

From Michaels, I recently bought this gorgeous pink 6×8 album, along with the Weekly Planner and Journal Pages sets, by Project Life. I got them for either 40 or 50% off using sales and coupons.

Here’s the album with JUST the Journal Pages set inside and, as you can see, it’s chock full.

I had to put this page first in the album . . . SO PERFECT!

Obviously, I’ll have to pull out some of the Journal Pages to make room for some of the Weekly Planner pages, which is fine because they’re pretty generic, basically just lined or grid journal pages with differing amounts of space to write on.

I also want to take out these divider pages and use the monthly ones from the Weekly Planner set. If this works out, I’ll have a similar set ready to go for next year, too.

So, back to the MAMBI Sticks from the other post . . . I’m going to use 1 or 2 of those on the cover of this new album. I’ll be handling this book a lot so I don’t want to make it too fancy.

I just love the watercolor look of that green one. It’s going to be hard to choose!

Then I’ll use the stickers from the medium-sized MAMBI set on the pages inside. I want them to be mostly journaling and, because the pages are so thick, I need to keep them flat as well. These stickers will be perfect. They make me happy just to look at them :)

I haven’t decided yet whether to include photo pocket pages in this album. I know there’ll be times when I’ll want to use a photo but, to save room, I *think* I’ll print any photos 2×3 or 3×4 and adhere them right to a page, then write the journaling around the photo.

The reason for this project: I have so many positives in my life right now. I feel like I’m at a point where things are becoming more and more clear – about what I want from life, how to be “a positive” in others’ lives, things I want to tell my kids, etc.

I’ve even started another blog with this new vision and I’m SO excited! If I stick with it long-term, I’ll share the link here ;) Hey, I realize my flaws and being The Queen of Unfinished Projects is one of them, including new blogs. Heh.

My new blog will include some scrapbooking and memory keeping but will mostly be writing – about things I think you’ll really identify with – along with photos and lots of other great stuff :) I’ve written drafts of five posts already and I’m having a blast!

I wrote a lot in school and majored in creative writing in college; I miss writing and expressing myself in that way (other than about scrapbooking, of course!). I was driving home the other day and in the space of 20 minutes, I’d written down NINE ideas for posts I wanted to write. Now THAT’S inspired!

I hope I follow through and am able to share it with you – wish me luck!

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Project Life: Exclusive “Life Lists” Cards from Big Picture Classes

Scrapbook ObsessionUpdated on April 28, 2014April 28, 2014

As a student of Big Picture Classes, I recently got an e-mail offer for some very cool EXCLUSIVE Project Life cards.

They’re called “Project Life Themed Cards: Life Lists” and they are awesome! I only had to see the first photo above to know I was “in” – how sad is that?? But check out the ordering page below for more pics and a video from Becky Higgins telling you all about them. The cost is $6.99 per pack and I paid $7.00 in shipping when ordering 2 packs at a time. {Yes, I got 2 then went back for 2 more}.

I have only good things to say about the customer service and packaging of this product. I got the e-mail from BPC and ordered them the same day on 04/19, received notice they had shipped on 04/22, and they arrived on 04/24. You know how when you’re super anxious to get something, that fast shipping is worth its weight in gold!

I had a customer service issue regarding shipping (an issue on my end, not theirs). BPC resolved it quickly and were super nice about it. It required special follow-up and I couldn’t be more appreciative (thank you Mark @ Big Picture Team!).

Okay, shut up Erika, these ladies just want to see the cute cards. Here ya’ go!

This is how they were shipped, in a small envelope and plastic packaging (cute logo sticker, huh?). They were in great shape, nothing bent or torn.

This is the whole batch together.

All of the cards have the same design and saying on the front and back but one side is horizontal and one is vertical. That way you can choose which orientation you want to place it on/in your project. Here are all the 4×6 cards {you get 12}.

And here are all the 3×4 cards {you get 48}. I showed half in the horizontal orientation and half in the vertical so you can see the difference.

I just love the colors and simple designs. The focus is really on storytelling via lists. A lot of them gave me a laugh and I can’t wait to fill them out over time. My head is percolating with ideas on how to use them.

In fact, I bought some extra sets because I want my whole family to fill these cards out. I think with summer boredom coming for the kids, it’ll be a great activity and something we can share and laugh about together. It’s a cheap way to keep them busy and, hey, mama gets some awesome scrapping material out of it.

I’m still not sure what I’m going to use my own set for but I think I’ll have the kids fill theirs out and take a photo to go along with each one, then fill a mini Sn@p! or Project Life album with them. I think the list topics will generate some fun, Project Life-type photos that wouldn’t otherwise make it into an album and THEY will be the photographers. How about you – how can you see using these Life Lists cards?

I don’t know if the cards are available to order for everyone or if you have to register on the BPC site first. But either way, if you would do me the favor of registering through THIS LINK, I think I get a little commission if you buy the cards. If not, no worries! Also by registering, you’ll get future cool e-mails yourself. Big Picture does amazing classes and lots of free events like online PJ parties, a huge National Scrapbooking Day event*, etc.

*YES! NSD is almost here. It’s officially the first Saturday in May (05-03-14) but the NSD joy seems to extend from late April through all of May. Now that’s MY kind of holiday! Is there anything you’d like to see at Scrapbook Obsession Blog for NSD? I’ve thought about doing a round-up of all the shopping deals, classes, etc. so please let me know if that would be helpful!

Hope you enjoyed the photos and the “Life Lists” PL cards! Even if you don’t buy them, I think they’re still a great resource for your own life lists you can scrap. That’s why I photographed each card so you can copy down all the prompts if you like :)

Enjoy and have a wonderful week.

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LOAD213: Layout a Day, Day 3

Scrapbook Obsession February 3, 2013February 3, 2013

It’s late Saturday night and I wanted to give a little update on my LOAD experience so far. It’s technically still Day 2 (02-02-13) but being on the West Coast, I receive the prompt for the next day at 9pm the night before (does that make sense?). Which is really nice because I can start working on the layout before I go to bed or at least start thinking about it.

Tangent: Okay, is this just me or are there others of you Scrapbook Obsessed who do this too? When I go to bed, my mind is usually still going a mile a minute – “Pay the electric bill tomorrow, buy dog food, don’t forget to call the water softener guy, when is that report due?, blah blah blah.” So oftentimes to calm myself down and relax so I can sleep, I’ll start thinking about scrapbooking – a layout I want to do, a new way to organize my Project Life cards, what I want to buy first from the new CHA stuff, what am I going to pack for the retreat? – that kind of thing. Works every time, baby! A few minutes later . . . ZZZZZZ Please tell me you do that too!

So back to LOAD . . . I now have 3 prompts . . . 2 layouts almost done . . . and 1 prompt I’m still kind of stumped by (if you’re a LOAD-ster, I’m sure you know which one I’m talking about, lol). I was waiting to see if the prompts would fit the overall concept I had for this class and so far they DO match so I’m going with it: I’ll be doing layouts for a Book of Me. Have you heard of these?

It’s basically where you – the one who always scrapbooks about everyone else in your life – actually scrapbook about yourself. Novel idea, eh? Because your family and your kids want to know about you too, silly! What makes you tick? What is your daily life like? How about that childhood? Hopes and dreams? Favorite things? So that’s what I’ll be scrapping with my LOAD layouts. If I get all 28 layouts done, I could have a full BOM album done at the end of the month – wouldn’t that be Rock Star-ish of me? Cue screaming fans.

And I did – thanks to some very helpful comments here and in the LOAD forum, including an answer straight from Lain herself – decide that it’s fine if I blog about LOAD, the prompts, and the layouts I make from them. And I have to say . . . the Ladies of LOAD are a pleasure to be around. Everyone in the forum is kind, helpful, excited, and passionate about scrapbooking. I couldn’t ask for a better group to be a part of.

So that’s where I’m at with LOAD. I can’t promise when I’ll post prompts and layouts – maybe a weekly round-up? Sometimes fitting in blogging is really hard, and I want to make getting layouts done this month the priority. But I’ll do my best!

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Challenged to Scrap

Scrapbook Obsession November 4, 2009November 4, 2009

Hi everyone :) Sorry to have been MIA. Everything is fine, just sooper dooper busy in regular life. In scrappy life? Not so much. I haven’t scrapped a lick since a crop I went to in, um, September? Sad but true. My friend Abby challenged me today to complete at least one layout by midnight, so I’m going to, LOL! I’m way behind on the Book of Me challenge she’s hosting, so that’s what I plan to work on :)

The NEW MESSAGE BOARD ~ Scrap Sisters Studio ~ has been going great. I’ve been trying to post a lot over there, especially making sure to welcome all new members when they post an Intro. I’m holding my title as the #3 poster on SSS (just like on AMR), with 195 posts made since October 25 (what’s that, 11 days, eek). When I have extra moments, I’ve been posting “Message Board How To’s”, i.e. instructions on how to do common message board things like putting a photo or image in your post, or create a poll.

Just wanted to let you know that I’m alive and will start posting again more often. Thanks to those ladies who were checking on me…it’s nice to be missed :) Hope all is well in your scrappy world!

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Making Memories 12×12 D-Ring Albums

Scrapbook ObsessionUpdated on September 27, 2009September 26, 2009

Okay, so I’m doing a BOOK OF ME, thanks to my friends at AMR. I only have a few pages done but this is definitely a project I’m going to continue with throughout my life. I’ve been putting my completed pages in a 12×12 postbound album I had already, an older one by Chatterbox. But … and I’m peeved … the album cover is warped even though it’s been stored properly since I bought it. So I need something else to use.

ETA 9-27-09: Okay, I finally took some pictures….

It’s hard to see in a photo but look at the top 1/3 of the album. It’s all wavy. Here’s a little better view.

Let me just say it looks much WORSE in person.

I’ve been thinking about going D-ring for this album, even though I’m pretty firm on sticking to Snapload for my everyday family albums. I hate the D-ring “interruption” in the middle of 2-page layouts, which is what I mostly do in my family albums. But so far, these BOM layouts have been 1-pagers and most will probably continue to be. So why not get a D-ring, right?

Well, the other day I was placing a MEMORY WORKS order for a friend from the crop I went to last Saturday. Tangent: She is getting these, from the Fancy Pants “Christmas Magic” line……sooooo pretty:

Anyway, I thought what a shame to pay $8.45 for shipping for just 2 little things, and have all that empty space in the box, right? I mean, it’s a travesty of some sort, yeah? So I’ll just search around the sale items at Memory Works and see if I can find something to add. You know, something I NEED not just want. I opened the SHOP OUR PRODUCTS section and noticed there was a new section called “Limited Time Only,” which are products they now have a limited quantity of and won’t be able to get more from the manufacturer (I tell ya, girls, it is SUPER hard to stock a scrapbook store or reselling company these days, with the limited and unpredictable quantities being released by manufacturers…not their fault, “it’s the economy,” right?).

So what do I see but this! The perfect color. The perfect design. THE PERFECT D-RING ALBUM!

It’s the Making Memories 12×12 embossed leather D-Ring ALBUM for only $20!! Yep, 20 bucks and with my consultant discount it’s only $16. It’s hard to see in this pic, but it has a pretty embossed design on it. They have several colors….light blue, mocha brown, red, pink, black, and yellow {you can see them all HERE} and it was hard to choose. But I went with pink since it’s one of my favorite colors, and it’s girly and “all about me.” LOL I also got some extra pages ($6 for 10 minus my discount).

If I can order one (or several) for you, please let me know. Just click HERE for info, or up in the top right where it says “I’m a Memory Works Consultant.”

Anyway, I’m so very happy…only $16 (plus $4 to split the shipping with my friend’s order) for a leather, embossed, D-ring album…I’m still in shock, but happy. And pretty in pink! Have a great day…

ETA 9-27-09: My new album is here!! So pretty….. and not warped, LOL!

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Book of Me: Challenge Layout #1

Scrapbook ObsessionUpdated on July 14, 2009July 13, 2009

Over at my favorite message board home ~ AMR ~ we are just starting a Book of Me challenge. It will be going on in the coming months, with periodic layout challenges by ABBY aka ScrapbookFrenzy.

The first challenge was “Stuff That Brings Me Joy.” Here was a sample layout Abby provided to give us some inspiration:

LAYOUT BY REVLIE

Here is Abby’s submission for the first layout. She liked the above layout so much, she chose to scraplift it. I love her take on it. It’s going to be so fun to learn more about my online friends through these Book of Me layouts, like this:

LAYOUT BY ABBY

Edited to add a layout by AMR girlie LISA aka LBOregon….

LAYOUT BY LISA

… and layout by AMR friend ANGIE aka mommiextwo

Here is my take on the first BOM challenge:

LAYOUT BY ME {ERIKA}

The base is Bazzill cardstock (is there any other kind?), and everything else is from the PINK PAISLEE GRAB BOX I just got. I think I’m going to try and do most of my BOM layouts with the PP stuff, so I will actually use it and not hoard it like I usually would cuz it’s SO cool. What could be more special to use it on than a book about moi, LOL!

So, “Stuff That Brings Me Joy” is AMR friends, summer rain, lazy Sundays, hugs & kisses, Bible study with my girlfriends, down time with a good book, vanilla lattes, good wine made by friends, and scrap mags. Wouldn’t this be a fun layout for YOU to do? {Hint, hint}. What stuff brings YOU joy? Don’t you think your family and friends would like to know? I had so much fun doing this layout that I went on to create another layout about my job. {The journaling is not done or I would post it}. The BOM challenge at AMR is very easy going; you can do the challenges presented, skip the ones you don’t like, add ones from other sources, whatever you want to do, in whatever way, size, or style you’d like. I love that, because this is a very personal book so I’m glad I can make it the way I want to and not feel pressured to work on it when I get busy and don’t have time.

I posted my layout at AMR asking for some CC (constructive criticism), asking if I should maybe replace the photos with black and white or sepia versions, because I almost feel like all the color looks too busy. But the consensus SO FAR seems to be that it’s fine the way it is. I love those girls over there….they are so encouraging and made me feel a lot better about it. {Can you tell I lack scrap confidence?}. I can scrap shop like nobody’s business, but when it comes to putting my layouts “out there,” I feel so inferior and talentless after seeing all the beautiful work ~ all the artistry ~ that is out there.

But I decided to take the plunge because I feel like doing a Book of Me is SUCH an important thing to do. For all the scrapping you have done, for all the birthday party and travel and Christmas layouts you’ve completed, what do your scrapbooks say about YOU? How many photos of YOU are in them? If you were to die tomorrow, how much of YOU would be left behind for your family?

When I think about this subject, ALEIDA FRANKLIN always comes to mind. Please think about doing a Book of Me for your family. There is a ton of inspiration online for doing one, and we would love to have you join us at the All Moments Remembered message board. It’s quick/easy to become a member and it’s just one big bunch of friendly and helpful ladies over there.

Have you or will you do a Book of Me scrapbook? If you have linkees, I’d love to see them :)