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it’s PROJECT LIFE TOOOSDAY!
and it was a nice, “status” quo week. The poptarts will be in next week’s layout LOL.
So??? have you started yet??? LOL
So here’s a little peek into my home. Feel welcome 🙂
I used many Elle Studio tidbits and doodads.. LOVE. They just come in SO handy! I am always on the lookout for new goodies to put in project life.. you know.. to be HIP and CURRENT..LOL and of course CUZ I NEED NEW STUFF right? hmph
Ok here’s my 2 page spread this week..
welcome to my week! I have highlighted a few images.. if you look closely, you may just see a tantrum happening..LOL. I actually asked tyler what he was not happy about then cuz I couldn't remember.. and neither could he! LOL
Ok so the picture above made me laugh SO hard.. it was taken at Michaels.. they grabbed these hats to entertain themselves.. but the first thing I thought this picture resembled was THIS! Is that HILARIOUS or what? LOL. I should include a little picture of this behind the picture but I did write about it next to it..LOL
my STUUUUUUUDDDD muffin.. after a haircut (and a little bit of ELLE studio going down the side)
Now this post it note pad (THE OMG) was sold at my bookstore along with other cute things I picked up (www.knockknockstuff.com).. you will see them throughout the weeks to come. What a shame about Whitney... so sad 🙁 RIP Whitney.
Saturday night CHINESE TAKE OUT Before a VERY big game.. MOntreal vs. Toronto... our home is a very big CANADIENS fan...LOL.. I could honestly care less but gotta pretend. It was funny because I wanted to take a picture of the actual end score on my iphone.. so I went to a hockey website and saw that Montreal was playing last night against North Carolina (i think).. anyway.. Ryan says to me.. I wanna watch the game.. I said nonchalantly, Oh they are playing North Carolina? he was DUMBFOUNDED..LOL. So I am learning some things doing project life..LOL. P.S. I HATE the label I put on top of that picture.. it's dark, does not match and is SO SEALED down I would have to get a truck to lift it so I left it and it is BOTHERING me..LOL
well that’s it :).. and you will notice that I always write TO the kids.. not ABOUT the kids.. that’s just me 🙂
Now let’s see DENABELLA’S layout
and Sheryl’s
and here is Elaineabella’s from the UK! She finally got her kit and couldn’t wait to play!
Hope you have a VERY crafty day 🙂
mwah!
Em
It’s PROJECT LIFE TOOSDAY and I’m a bit long winded.. but please read..LOL
and I would like to take attendance. LOL. I know you are all out there but why aren’t you blabbing on my comments? hmmmm? Just say hi.. come ON.. I dare you. DOUBLE DARE YOU.. LOL. Can it be shorter than hi? Just put an “h”.. and I will know what it means 🙂
Ok now that I have gotten THAT outta da way.. let’s talk a little bit about Project Life shall we?
After interviewing several people I have realized that Project Life means something a little bit different to everyone. I can’t speak for anyone else but I can CERTAINLY (as you all know very well) can speak for myself..LOL .. So here goes.
First of all, I must say that my friends and family CANNOT believe that I have ACTUALLY COMPLETED week 5 of this project..LOL. Did I not say I was COMMITTED this year? Let’s not talk about weight loss.. LOL.. let’s FOCUS on Project life.
So what does Project Life mean to me. Well, first and foremost, I consider Project Life “history in the making”.. I know it sounds dramatic but truthfully that is what I am doing. I am creating a foundation/a history for my children and the rest of the generations to come of what life was like for me and for them at this very moment in time. I am being REAL.. I am being RAW.. so in a sense, it is also an outlet for me.. a type of raw journaling that I am “ok” with everyone seeing. I write TO my children in the first person. They are my audience. Things I think of when I look at a picture of them etc. So having said that, Sistahs, if you happen to blow up a picture or two of mine to take a looky, you may see swear words.. you may see raw emotion… you may see silly pictures that you would NEVAH take… but I am essentially inviting you, once a week, to enter my private life. I am really putting myself out there, which most people don’t really do. I don’t know if the “others” are smarter than I am LOL.. But I just feel that my purpose is not just a business oriented purpose (as you will notice with all my posts) but it is a PERSONAL purpose… journey for lack of a better word.
I am not only here to inspire. I am here to vent to you.. to share my life with you.. to let you join in on my ups and downs and goofiness. By sharing my stamps with you, my art journaling pages, my mixed media canvases, and now my Project Life pages, I hope you understand that each of those things represents a different side of me. My stamps are a part of me.. the artwork, the actual artists involved, the steps to getting the final image to convey MY message are all an integral part of my being.. along with all the other outlets.
If I can’t convince you or inspire you to do anything, I plead with you to at least start documenting your day to day.. anywhere! Create a “lifebook”.. for you and the generations to come. You don’t need to spend a lot of money (although that really is the fun part..LOL.. who am I kiddinK).. you just need to GET. IT. DOWN. And no FLUFF. Get it REALLY down.. what you’re feeling etc. Everyone will appreciate it later. Promise.
The nice thing about Project Life, is that if you DON”T feel like being creative, you DON’T HAVE TO! it’s all prepared for you.. insert cards etc.. all you need to do is take the pictures. I can’t even begin to tell you how much I regretted the last few years of my children growing up and having NO PICTURES really.. or very few. .. I can’t regret it forever so I have started NOW, with Project life.. to pick up my PHONE and take pictures.. and I have felt so good taking them..
Every week I say to Denabella .. “uch I didn’t take ANY PICTURES this week”.. and then when I sit down, and recap my week, I see that I did!! And you know what? if I didn’t, then oh well… it was a slow week, I may journal more.. or put in more “WEATHER” pictures..LOL but at least I am doing it.
Another thing that Project Life means to me is that i can FINALLY USE MY STASH OF GOODIES!!! That’s an amazing relief.. you feel like you are actually using stuff and not just collecting! Little bits and bobs.. things you find just on your craft table..all can be used in Project Life… it’s DA BEST.
Now another thing I do for Project Life is challenge myself every week. Like.. what am I gonna use in my layout.. I pick a 6*6 pad or a collection pack that I have never touched and I challenge myself to use that every week and to be creative with embellishments.
This week I got a little OBSSESSED (I know that’s hard to believe) with SEWING on my little cards. Now you all remember my bEEyOOtiful Bernina my dad bought me a couple of years ago for my birthday? Well.. I plug it in, the lights go on and ain’t no one home..LOL.. it’s not working!!! I had Ryan examine it.. I thoroughly gave it a physical.. NADA. I have to bring it in for servicing.. so of course I flirted with Ryan a little and off we went to Walmart to get another one so that I could sew on my little cards.. Yes I am a little Obssessive but i try to be cute about it 🙂
OK I get all weepy when I write about Project Life… I feel that that is where Scrapbooking is headed.. I feel that we are starting to feel our “mortality” and that is why I feel the need to document.. Uch.. ok I am gonna be happy now… Let’s take a looky at what my week was like.. shall we? NOW IF YOU DON’T WANNA SEE THE “F” word.. then DON’T read the text portions of my layout..LOL. and I didn’t even type it.. my friend did. so THERE.
Another little thing my whole store was obsessing about was our new shipment of ELLE’S STUDIO products. Honestly.. If there was any tool I would recommend for Project Life, it would be the Elle Studio line.. First I need to shout out to my friend ELLE (pronounced ELL-EE) who was SO amazing at getting me my product quickly.. She is a JEWEL. Ok what’s so special about Elle’s stuff. Well, Each card/snippet/tidbit is CLASSIC.. you can use it all over project life.. you can use them 1000 times, and you really wouldn’t notice that you have used it before. They are all so cleverly thought out and so “a propos” (which basically means.. uch can’t translate.. it means “having to do with the subject at hand” I guess)… They are so much fun to “cut up”.. you get many options on a lot of her product.. I actually think they deserve their own box.. that’s how special they are to me ..LOL So take a look at what we have.. we have limited stock as customers in the store have RAVAGED everything but I have a few things online that I think you will enjoy 🙂
Ok here we go! My week last week
2 of the 3 inserts for the week
3d page.. including a letter to Tyler explaining why he wasn't in much this week.. and it WASN'T cuz I loved Jayden more..LOL
see the recurring theme? I used an OLD collection pack of Crate Paper called Brooke.. and used the sticker elements to embellish blank journal cards.. and YES. I sewed them on. LOL
you will see our friends here and an "injured" Ty.. LOL. See the date circle and the note spot on the right? all Elle Studio. And YES, I sewed the circly date thingy. LOL
YA YA YA.. we are goofs.. and guess what? I SEWED THAT ARROW DOWN! LOL..
those little fingers that Tyler texted me drove me NUTS with love.. so I had to put them on my WEEK insert... I LOVE them. (and NO I did NOT sew on this one..LOL)
Last week I just walked around our bookstore here and SO MANY THINGS inspired me.. I honestly just took pictures for the heck of it to remind me of how they made me feel.. I didn't even have Project Life in mind.. but once I did the "review" of pictures, I KNEW they had to be in my book
This was a fun moment Denabella and I opening the ELLE'S STUDIO box.. NUM NUM NUM! And YES I was sniffing the envelope with love. Is that wrong?
Umm ya.. there are no rules in my house..LOL. Just kidding. I don't think Jayden thought I saw her. lol
Just to show you that I didn't even journal on the card on the left.. I just loved what it said. and the one on the right? Had an old chipboard thing on my desk that matched perfectly .. so out it came and on it went! LOL
see my little lillybee letters saying the sleepover? Ya, I sewed through them..LOL
Thass my week sistahs! Now we have some contributahs and even a new one! LISA! (ok so I forced her.. it still counts. hmph)
Here’s Lisa’s layout
Lisa's double page
closeup of first page
closeup of page 2
Here’s Denabella’s double page
and here’s Sheryl’s post
*sigh* I love these.
Now tell me.. if you are doing project life, I would love to hear what it means to YOU. If you aren’t doing project life.. what’s wrong with you? LOL.. just kidding. What’s stopping you from doing it.. if it’s a time thing, I can tell you how to do it short and sweet.. if it’s a money thing, I will tell you how you can do it for less.
as Nike says.. JUST DO IT..
Mwah.
Me.
P.S. don’t forget BELLARIFIC FRIDAY this week is a sketch…
P.P.S. AJ monday next week is scraps of fabrics
P.P.P.S. i love you.
please hold… one moment please…
it’s PROJECT LIFE TOOOSDAY
and just wanted to share my CRAZY week… ya know.. it seems so boring as life passes and then when I sit down with my pictures from the week.. I am amazed that I captured some of that..LOL…
For this layout I really only used TAGS and LABELS.. LOL. I made Paulabella run to Staples in Michigan and buy me all of the Martha Stewart/Avery labels that has ever existed to mankind.. They are GORGEOUS. Paulabella, an amazing friend, managed to bring her daughter for the “haul”.. She shipped it that night and I got it 2 days later.. it was phenom… UNTIL…. I found out they sold it here. Hmph. I didn’t tell Paula so when she reads this.. I am gonna run VERY far..LOL
here’s DENABELLA’s page
Sheryl’s Project life pages
and Helenabella’s pages
This is SOOO much fun to do.. and I kinda feel like a spy looking at other people’s stuff.. but they let me right? LOL
Hope you start doing this sistahs.. you will love it and it’s such a great way to use up your “stash”!
and NO, you don’t need to start on January first.. you can start any time..
Mwah mwah mwah
Em
it’s.. PROJECT LIFE TOOSDAYS
Hiya sistahs! So did I convince you to start Project Life yet? I am having a blast with it.. so along with stamping, mixed meda’ing, art journaling and lifebooking.. I have taken on this project. I am IN LOVE. I am appreciating every moment and capturing the most inane ones too .LOL. I am also learning to accept the fact that I look HORRIBLE in the pictures..LOL.. but I am ok with that. I need to be in this album. I need to create this memory for my kids and their kids. I NEED them to see that I was boring at times and fun at other times.. sometimes I may shove in a receipt so that they know where their inheritance went..LOL. I was SOOOO overwhelmed in the beginning of this project.. just the ideas the what ifs etc.. but once I sat down and was surrounded by pictures and product, I was so happy and everything fell into place. My book doesn’t need to look like anyone elses. If I don’t want to embellish, I wont.. the most important thing I need to do is JOURNAL and take some pics.. THAT’s it. My Iphone 4S is my new best friend (the camera).. some pictures arent PHENOM, but I am ok with that. The mood is captured. Sometimes it may even be a BAD mood..LOL. My kids and hubby are also involved in this.. I sometimes hear “shouldn’t you take a picture of that?”, or “how good would that look in PROJECT LIFE? Denabella and Helenabella were talking about it all year and I must admit I was JEALOUS. Jealous that they had so much to talk about..but now I can partake in it! They are teaching me new things every day.. I am learning about a whole new product line.. I am creating FOR this product line.. and I am using what I have in creative ways. I will teach you how to do that too. I hope you take this journey with me.. your kids will THANK da bella 🙂 oh and you too!
I would love it if you sent in your layouts to post on Tuesdays…. I look at other people’s layouts and I just get inspired.. you will hear me say.. OOOHHH look what they stamped, stuck, glued, colored,pinned etc. This will be a great place for that inspiration. And because I love getting to know people, I would love to see a little piece of you 🙂
If you are ever looking for me on a Sunday afternoon… you can find me at my table, in heaven…
One of my challenges every week is to be able to find a place for my stamps.. they are so much a part of me, that they DESERVE a place in Project Life, no? It taught me a whole NEW way of looking at stampies.. it’s amazing! I challenge YOU to use stamps in your layout.. you will see different elements that you have never seen before.. or different uses for them… I PROMISE.
Ok let’s go!
Here is my layout from last week
My first page.. you will see on the top right, I used our stamp JOT IT DOWN memory block and P.S. my kids ARE goofs..LOL
In this close up, I wanted to fill up some of my card with prettyness so I used my FLUFFY FLOWER HEAD on the right..Love that touch
Here is a small teeny picture of the store in the middle of a class. I actually punched out the circle (you will see on bottom left picture) and found the negative on my table and used it here..SEE? you use your scraps! I then used one of the prompts from our new LIFEBOOK stamp series (that is Angela’s handwriting in a stamp.. )… you will see that in the next month.. these stamps will FORCE you to journal..:) I also think it is important to use your handwriting in PL.. it is YOUR imprint.. Stay Tooned for our new Lifebook stamps by Angela Urbano and moi…
Here is my SECOND layout (I had 3 for this week). I used a large shipping tag on the top left.. I also grab a 6*6 paper collection pad and that is what I use for my layouts that week and coordinate 🙂
I stamped COMPLETELY RANDOM journaling block on paper, cut it out and mounted it on a journaling card.. as Jayden would say “easy peasy LEMON SQUEEZY”.. so you can use it partially, or full on :). Love this stamp
Here is a picture of Tyler on Saturday on his way home from hockey..LOL. I also used COMPLETELY RANDOM JOURNALING BLOCK I stamped it on paper and cut out the top to stick it under the picture. You will see this stamp in another place too… please hold. LOL
Here’s my third layout.. (bored yet?)
Used a new app called INSTABOOTH for photobooth pics.. We had so much fun but looked SOOO bad..LOL
Here is Denabella’s spread
and here is Sheryl’s layout
Tell me this isn’t fun..LOL. Ok so don’t tell me unless you do think it’s fun..LOL
Don’t forget placing a comment HERE for your chance at winning $10 in Bella bucks!
to Tweet, or not to Tweet… guess what?
I’m a tweetin’!!!! I have been SOOOO afraid to tweet. I didn’t understand it.. nor did I want to. Sometimes I would test or DARE twitter to post what I write.. like that I am sitting in the doctor’s office..LOL.. I thought I would bother mr. twitter.. Uch I am nuts i tell ya!
Now I have more important BIDNISS to take care of.. showing some sneaky peekies for TOOSDAY’s release… YES TOOOOOOSDAY’s release.. didja hear me?? TOOOOSDAY’s release.. it is one of my bestest and BIGGEST and I love it..LOL.. I think I say that all the time don’t i? We have 2 new artists coming on board.. and I am SOOO excited for you to meet them 🙂 you will NOT be disappointed.
now if you wanna see some sneak peeks coming up in the next few days.. the only way you will see them is through…………. TWITTER.. or as I would say… TWITTAH!
So if you wanna follow me on TWITTAH… press the TWITTER icon on my home page, open an account and I promise we will have fun! I am gonna post a lot. Gonna post some sneak peeks.. things coming up in the store.. etc. I am LOVING this stuff.. Thanks HELENABELLA for creating an addicted MONSTAH!
Mwah sistahs..
3 little mini sneak peeks are up.. put a comment in so I know you came to visit!!
mwah
Em
PROJECT LIFE WEEK 1 and how to use your stampies in there
Hiya sistahs.. well I promised, so here it is. Please forgive the pictures.. I don’t think they are the greatest of quality but you will get the ‘picture’.. get it? project life, get the picture? LOL uch.. not so funny.
Well I am still on the mend.. between pneumonia and rupturing cysts, I am not too pretty, nor am I so pleasant to be around..LOL so I should be back on track next week.. my family hopes at least 😉
So has everyone visited us on Splitcoast? there is a lot of fun chatter going on..LOL.. lots of friends to meet.. it’s a great place to be! Also, don’t forget to “like” us on Facebook so you can see what’s going on in our little part of the world 🙂
Update on the DUKAN diet.. have had some personal emails asking questions.. well.. I have completed week 1/ ATTACK PHASE.. and have lost 7 pounds (I think.. I go on the scale 3 times, and get 3 different numbers.. so now I have made a deal that I just look at the first number..LOL).. I have not suffered one bit, nor have I felt like I have been on a diet. I am loving this but could easily quit any day so take everything with a grain of salt..LOL.. although I really don’t wanna quit.
Ok.. so there’s my catchup.. think I need to get out more? LOL
Here’s some pics of da PROJECT LIFE for my first week EVAH. Loved every minute of it. *sigh* if only I could retire…
it's my first week.. had to see what I had, no?
here’s my first page
here’s the second page
here’s a 6*12 insert cuz I had too many pictures for the week 🙂
was so proud of myself.. after Denabella and Helenabella tried to teach me Photoshop, I figured out how to put an overlay on my picture. go me! (you’ll see it on the left in white)
Here I used our WHO WHAT WHERE WHEN stamp (in the next two photos).. LOVE THEM!
here I used YOUR BOOK IS DUE stamp and covered a whole journal card to make lists!
and here I used our THUMBS UP stamp from our MOODY FINGERS set (don’t look at the book title n’k?)
Here I used the FILM square and the ARROW from our GRUNGY SET #1.. LOVE IT
and that’s really it for the week! I enjoyed working on it thoroughly! As I am an avid collector of embellishments, stickers, letters, brads.. grrrr….grrrrr…grrrr.. I have FINALLY found a way to put it all int GREAT use! There is nothing like DIGGING in my pile of goodies and finding just the right thing 🙂
Mwah to da sistahs who are STAMPING and DOCUMENTING LIFE!
Em
stay TOONED
will you be there? hmmm? will ya?
know what I’m talking about? hehehe it’s the event of the YEAR!
you can find all information HERE if you want to attend.. Angela Urbano and I will be hosting a class there.. well *ahem* Angela is actually teaching.. I will be there for entertainment..LOL :).. It is supposed to be an amazing event :).. anything that Catherine from SCT puts together is phenom.. so if you have not registered yet, might I suggest you do so ASAP? LOL
So lets discuss a little bit what the class Angela is teaching is about. First of all, if you dont know Angela, she is an AMAZING scrapbooker.. Life journaler.. her style is graphic and clean. Just gorgeous!
The class is called LIFEBOOK 101.. here’s a little excerpt of what the class is about:
“Are you one of those scrappers who can’t think of the right words to say on a layout? Do you hesitate when writing what you truly feel when you are in the moment? Do you suffer from JOURNALER’S BLOCK?
Conceived by Angela Urbano and Emily Block , Lifebooking is a new revolutionary way of looking at how we we scrapbook. Lifebooking is BOOKING LIFE not scraps..LOL. It’s time to track the little details of your life.. the simple facts to the most difficult emotions.. and the lightbulb to the Seinfeld moments we experience every day. A lifebook page doesn’t always start with a visual, a colour palette, a photo or pretty patterned paper.. Sometimes it’s the words that tell the story. Sometimes it’s the words that paint the picture. Sometimes it’s the words that capture the moment.
Angela will take you through “journaler’s block’ exercises to create a 12*12 double lifebook spread. Join us om our Lifebooking adventure. Check out our different lifebooking techniques which make us each unique as well as makes us one. We will arm you with tools needed to start capturing the words. They will arm you with the most POWERFUL TOOL needed. the power of YOUR WORDS. Lifebook THAT. ”
Angela and I have been hard at work developing a new concept. A concept that is extremely important for future generations. It’s called LIFEBOOK. It’s a verb.. ie. DO YOU LIFEBOOK? or OMG I HAVE TO LIFEBOOK this moment :)… it can also be a noun… I am a LIFEBOOK GEEK/NERD.. LOL ..
The foundation of lifebooking can be different for everyone… Angela loves to Lifebook on 12*12 pages.. I LOVE to lifebook in my journal.. you can lifebook on a napkin, toilet paper.. a bar coaster…
So what is a lifebook you ask? Well, it’s a place where you can document your every day musings, thoughts, events, conversations. A place to put random pictures that will be appreciated in years to come. How I can’t wait til my kids look back at my lifebooks and giggle.. cry.. and understand that their mom is more than a mom.. but a PERSON. Are you angry that you ate that MARS BAR? Stick the wrapper in your lifebook and write why you are angry about it and in 20 years, our kids won’t even know what a Mars bar is… in effect, it is creating your own history. Write the weather down.. your mood… what you REALLY felt this day or that day.. It’s your place to say it as it is.
Now along with the concept of LIFEBOOKING will come a series of PHENOM stamps that will be used in your lifebook.. whether it be on a 12*12 layout, your daily agenda, or your journal. These stamps will be a series of icons.. and prompts to help you get in the habit of lifebooking. They are the CUTEST things ever (if I do say so myself..LOL).. and they will be SO useful :). We will have a WHOLE series that you will NEED and WANT to collect.
I think the daily nonsense.. the daily grind is what scrapbooking is really about. Of course celebrating the loss of a tooth is an amazing feat.. but what about the tooth fairy.. how you explained her to your kids.. what about the PRIDE on your child’s face.. documenting what they felt.. documenting what you felt when your child lost that tooth… like OMG I KNOW this kid will need braces.. and how much is that gonna cost me! As TABOO as that sounds on a scrapbook layout, it’s OK to say that in your lifebook. Your kids will thank you for it. Trust me!
Wanna see a little sneaky peeky of the layout for the class? OHHH and there is a bonus single page layout and a card that will be taught in the class! And I will be doing make and takes with these new little stampies.
Can you see the stamps in this sneak peek? HMMMM? (that’s Angela looking very mysterious)
Trust me sistahs.. Join us in this journey. You will not regret it.
More to come
Mwah.
Mwah.
Mwah.
Lifebook a mwah, will ya?
Em