Tag Archives: Big Picture Classes

May 23

Project Life, weeks 18-21

I have been behind in my Project Life because I’ve been busy with work, a little bit lazy (I’ve been so tired lately!), and working very slowly on my pages. I’m trying to improve how my weekly pages turn out (remember, it’s part of my summer bucket list) and they seem to take me much longer to complete than before. It’s almost as if I’m creating a mini layout for each day! It would easy to continue as I have done before and type right onto my photos in Photoshop, or slap a journal tag on, scribble something out and call it a day. I don’t want to do that right now; I’ve been seeing some amazing pages on Pinterest, and I want to take the effort and spend some time being a little more creative. I’m trying new techniques and thinking outside the box for ideas and inspiration. That goes for my regular layouts as well, and I decided to complete one more of the challenges from Big Picture Classes’ Creative Crop since my brother sent me some awesome photos from a recent family get-together. I kind of piecemealed some ideas together: one of the challenges from BPC was to use new techniques and products that we normally don’t go for, and I also sort of incorporated Studio Calico‘s class lesson from their class Pop Off the Page. So, I put all my eggs into one basket and went for it, coming up with this layout:

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I got a little carried away with embellishing this layout above, but I was having so much fun, and experimenting at the same time, so I just let it be.OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAI like to add extra page protectors to my weekly pages; sometimes I have too much for one page, but not enough for two pages. These are the products I use to add extra photos:

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These are wonderful; I was introduced to them by Ali Edwards in her One Little Word class. Can’t live without them, now!

protectorsAll of these page protectors, including the flip pockets are currently available at Amazon.com, and the link is here.

Sometimes I cut and sew my page protectors to suit my needs; I also may add washi tape and staples, I just use my imagination. May was a busy month for me with birthdays, National Hospital Week and Mothers’ Day, so I had extra photos and ephemera I wanted to include, so having these extra protectors has been indispensible and very practical. I highly recommend them. Unfortunately, however, on another note about Project Life products, I have just come to realize that my favorite binders (the black or white Signature Binders made specially for PL) are no longer available at this time. Bummer, because my binder is getting pretty full and bulky, and I need a new one. Call me finicky, but I like my binders to match for a single year.  If anyone hears of  these binders being available at another retailer (Scrapbook.com is also out), please let me know.

For now, enjoy documenting your unique life and have some fun with it. You will enjoy looking back on these books in the years to come!

Thanks for dropping by!

Jennifer

 

 

May 19

Summer Manifesto

One of the challenges in the International Scrapbook Day Creative Crop at Big Picture Classes was “Create a summer bucket list to create and capture memorable summertime adventures.” I didn’t have a chance to complete that task, but I told myself that eventually I would, and yesterday was the day. Although the class is over, I still want to go back and complete some of the challenges I didn’t do, so you may see some of them here in the near future. Here is my bucket list layout for summer:

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERANot only do I want to stay caught up with Project Life, but I want to improve in the way I do it. I would like to see it look more stylish and cool, like the photos I see on Pinterest. Slapping a journal tag with sloppy writing onto a photo and then stuffing it into a pocket is no longer good enough. I want to have more fun with it, and make more of an effort in documenting not just the happenings of the day, but my feelings, moods, troubles, music I’m into, books I’m reading, and t.v. shows I can’t get enough of. That goes for my daughter, too. I need to spend more time listening to her, and documenting her ever-changing self. She won’t let me take pictures of her right now, but I will concentrate on other aspects of our lives in a better, prettier, more unique way. I want to see some movies, any movies (except scary ones) this summer with big buckets of popcorn (hold the butter) and huge amounts of soda; I want to go to the coast for at least one day (it’s only a 2.5 hour drive from my home), and I’m crossing my fingers and toes that I will be very busy taking an anatomy class as a pre-requisite for the nursing program. All of this I will be STRIVING for (using my One Little Word), and more (eating better, being more positive, taking risks and adventures, exercising, etc., etc.)

What’s on your summer bucket list? Why not put it on paper and decorate it all up? That would make a great vision board! Thanks for stopping by!

Jennifer

 

May 5

Happy International Scrapbook Day!

I know that “Scrapbook Day” was yesterday, but I’m still working on some of the challenges from Big Picture Classes, and I know I won’t be able to finish for a few more days. Oh, well! The deadline just ended for submitting projects which qualifies me to be entered into the drawing for one of the many fabulous prizes, but I want to continue to finish every challenge offered to put into my scrapbook album. I’ve been so busy with life lately that almost the only scrapbooking I’ve been doing lately revolves around keeping caught up with Project Life for the most part, so it has been nice to create some real layouts from some of my photos which otherwise would continue to “hang out” in my computer, unseen, their stories untold. It’s nice to have so many photos that I can use (I’ve been taking a lot, lately), and plenty of stories and experiences to document. I was so looking forward to yesterday, and I enjoyed myself thoroughly! Anyone else out there participate in any NSD events?

Here are the challenges I was able to complete:

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Challenge #1

 

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Challenge #2, adding more photos to a layout by incorporating a modified divided page protector.

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Challenge #4 (I skipped #3 for now), using many photos using a 2-page sketch that was provided.

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Challenge #5, creating a layout about someone or something you love, with a sketch provided.

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Challenge #7, scrapbooking the last photos taken on my phone. I downloaded the recommended app called “Fuzel” (the free version) to create the collage, then printed it out and completed the layout from there.

I had so much fun yesterday, and the best part was the fact that it was my birthday. My birthday wish for myself was to be able to stay home and scrap my little heart out, and I really did have fun! My mom participated as well, and we texted each other to keep in touch and compare notes which made the day even more enjoyable!

When I complete the rest of the challenges I will be back to post those layouts as well. In the mean time, happy scrapping, and thanks for stopping by!

-Jennifer

Jan 12

This year, it’s all about striving.

Happy New Year! Once again, I am enrolled in Ali Edwards’ class One Little Word at Big Picture Classes, and the word I have chosen this year is:

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAAt first, I was going to go with the word LEARN, but that’s only part of what I would like to try to accomplish in 2013. I want to learn and grow; see and accomplish, and many more things that I will STRIVE to do more of. It would be unrealistic for me to expect myself to actually meet every goal I have, therefore I will do my best to strive to work on these goals. For January’s assignment, we are asked to stamp our word onto 12 cards, expand a bit on our chosen word, and put the cards into divided page protectors. I copied a lot of what Ali did with her cards because I like her style.

olwThese are my hopes and intentions, what I strive for in 2013. Here’s to a great year, and thanks for stopping by!

Jan 5

December Daily…..finished!!

Finally! I have completed my December Daily album! I am so excited, but, now I have to finish Project Life and get 2013 started! Egad! I’ve been busy with work, getting sick, Christmas, New Year’s, and my 13-year-old’s birthday, as well as other life obligations. It doesn’t help that my computer is so darn slow. Yes, I did take it to one of those computer geek repair shops a while back, and they said nothing was wrong. It worked as fast as lightning for them, of course. Just like a car, huh? Anyway, instead of posting my DD photos here, I put them on Flickr so it would be easier (there are something like 36 photos of my album).

I used Basic Grey’s Aspen Frost collection, some My Mind’s Eye stickers, Ali Edwards’ digital Christmas files from Designer Digitals, bought some silver and gold glitter paper at Michaels to cut my own stars with either my EK Success star punches, or my Big Shot for the larger sized ones. I also bought some washi tape at Michaels as well as the bright red Chevron tape from Two Peas In a Bucket and I couldn’t tell you what brand it is. I also used various things I already had in my stash, or downloaded from Pinterest. My mom was wonderful about stamping some Project Life cards for me with stamps she received from Studio Calico (Thanks, Mom!).

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAThe entire December Daily album can be seen here.

Now, on to Project Life. I don’t tend to show many photos of this project here because I do such a rush job, there wouldn’t be much to see.  I am going to try to do a better job this year. Hopefully.

Are you taking Ali Edwards’ class One Little Word at Big Picture Classes? I am, but I still cannot think of my word. Nothing has come to me, except maybe the word LEARN. I have a lot I want to learn, so I can grow more, personally as well as professionally. I’m mulling it around in my brain. It would be interesting to know what your word is, if you’re in this class, and let me know. Thanks for coming by, and Happy New Year!

 

Oct 26

Things That Make Me Happy.

“…Or, rather, people who make me happy”….Thus is the beginning of my journaling for Cathy Zielske’s third drill for Big Picture Boot Camp (I am way behind!). This drill is all about symmetrical squares. I love this, because it makes for easy scrapbooking! Using a grid, and using photos/papers of the same size is always fun for me; I think it satisfies that linear desire in my brain– line it up and make it look neat. The layout we were to create has a “what makes me happy” theme, and as I went through my photos in Photoshop, I started focusing on faces and decided to make my layout about the special people in my life for whom I am grateful to know.

Drill #3

Perhaps it’s the time of year, but I have been feeling especially grateful not so much for what I have as much as who I can call friend. It may be a little early for Thanksgiving, but what are you grateful for?

Thanks for stopping by! Next up: Ali Edwards’ and journaling.

Sep 25

Being sketchy….

Life has been very busy for me lately, so I haven’t had the opportunity to do much scrapping lately. I signed up for28 Days of Sketches at Big Picture Classes, and I only had a chance to do maybe a quarter of the sketches. I didn’t stress, though, I can still access the classroom and get the sketches when time permits, and this past weekend gave me the opportunity for that time (finally!). I only completed a few more layouts, but I at least there was progress. Just for fun, here they are.

I do find it helpful to have a sketch to work with when I have a blank piece of paper in front of me and no idea where to begin, and I can tweak the sketch any way I like to suit me. I have never used sketches before, but now I really like the idea of using them. I don’t have a way of showing the original sketches here, but I pretty much stuck to the sketches as they were. And I forgot about one more layout I did a while back that I never showed you:

I don’t much care for the yellow ribbon down the middle, but the color worked for me, and hey, I’m not submitting it to Creating Keepsakes anyway. I’ll be back when I can finish more layouts. Until then, thanks for your patience in waiting for a post!

Aug 3

The Signs of Summer.

Here is day 12′s sketch from Big Picture’s “28 Days of Sketches”. I’m a bit behind, but it’s tough when I work full-time and have loads of other responsibilities at home! But here is my take, simple and unfussy.

This class sure is fun! Thanks for stopping by!

 

Jul 28

Working with sketches

HI there!

I am not one to normally work with a sketch when I create a layout, but considering my recent slump, I felt I needed to accept a bit of help. Enter, Big Picture Classes “28 Days of Sketches”. I needed this. Each day, I am given a sketch and I may interpret it as I choose, and do as I wish, but I really appreciate being given a starting point at which my own individual ideas and creativity may take off.

My sketches so far:

This is exactly what I have needed. Now, instead of overlooking sketches, I will pay closer attention to the nudge they may give me when I am at a loss. Look beyond what you normally see to find what you need. Don’t be afraid to try new things, and experiment, always!

Thanks for stopping by!

 

Jun 16

The End of 31 Days.

Today was the 31st day in Ali Edwards‘ class “31 Things”, via Big Picture Classes. Each day we journaled in depth about the subject of the day, given to us each day in an email from Ali. It was difficult for me, with such little time, to write at such a level. This was not a  superficial “That was the Christmas I went to Grandma’s house” on a tag, no, Ali kept saying, “Remember, go deeper.” So, I reached deep inside myself and pulled out memories and thoughts I had long forgotten, and subject matter I would rather keep to myself, and poured my heart and soul into each day’s journaling. I tried to take photos, but that was not easy either. I pretty much feel emotionally drained at this point, so I’m just going to show you some samples of my pages, and give you a link to the rest.

I cut the given words out onto kraft paper with my Silhouette SD and just stapled them on. For the rest of the entire album, go to my flickr website here. Just remember, please, that I have poured my heart out and talked, for the very first time here about some difficult subjects for me. Please have mercy, and thank you for coming by!