Home

I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving!  And maybe today you’re out and about (or even online) taking advantage of the crazy sales that come the day after.   Such a fun time of year!

As we move into the holiday season, I think more and more about home – the one where I grew up and the one I share now with my husband.  I sometimes even think about Diana Ross  singing “Home” in The Wiz.  Or maybe that was Aysha singing that! 

Like I remember my Mom doing, I try really hard to fill our house with the sights, the sounds and the smells of the holidays.  We crank up the fireplace, I light all my seasonal candles, decorate like a crazy person (I’m doing 3 Christmas trees this year!) and I spend the most time in the kitchen that I do all year!  It’s work, but I really enjoy it.  Then, every year I remember – home is not the “stuff” or even the ambiance.  It’s the people!  So, as long as you’re with the people you love and who love you – you’re home! 

So, today I’m sharing a layout that captures that sentiment.  The “home” we made of our stateroom on a recent cruise to Alaska.  It started out as just a layout about our room.  But then, as I looked at the photos, rememberd and thought about a title, I realized that it was more than just a room.  For the week we were on the ship, this was our home. 

Home Away From Home by Moanica Caston.  Cardstock: Bazzill; Patterned Paper, Layered Stickers and Brad: Simple Stories;  Cruise Ship Sticker: Jolee’s; Wooden Suitcase: Basic Grey;  Alphas:  American Crafts Thickers. 

I hope you make the most of this beautiful time of year – wherever you find yourself spending it!

Moanica

Keeping You In Stitches!

So, I had a ball last night at the June Scrapbook Pajama Party hosted by Classygirl!  I was able to complete this layout with the sketch that she provided here. (You can see the replay here.) It also gave me a chance to use my new stitched embellishment.  

Have you noticed the trend of machine stitching on cards and layouts lately?  I certainly have. But, the idea of pulling out my sewing machine everytime I want to add that detail just seemed to be too much.  So, I came up with an easier way to add machine stitching to my layouts.  

With this technique, you can create a bunch of stitched embellishments at one time and keep it handy for when you need it!  Check out the tutorial below and give it a try.  You can use different colors of thread and different styles of stitches. 

 Here's a close up look!

Let the Good Times Roll

Some crafters who used to only scrapbook have started art journaling and I must admit that I have jumped on the bandwagon too. I love the creative process of this art form. And while the hoarding of supplies can be just as great, I've found that when frugality is necessary there are some other options that will yield the same results.  One of those supplies is the stencils that are used for masking.  While they add much to the creative process, they can get a bit pricey since there is a constant parade of new ones coming out all the time.

So I started to create some of my own.  Using one of my diecut machines I have created a number of stencils that I enjoy using.  And they are very economical because  I used cardstock that I have in my stash.

The great thing about these stencils is that even though they may have been designed for art journaling, they can be equally creative on scrapbook layouts.  So my project this month uses one of my stencils I created on a scrapbook layout.  Here is the stencil I cut: Since the setting for the layout is a brick and mortar building, I decided to use this brick pattern.

So I start my layout by adhering the stencil on a piece of yellow cardstock and spraying it using a Dylusions ink spray.  You can also use any acrylic paint or color stains. Here is the layout:

So why not try using some masks on your layouts.  Remember they are not just for art journaling.

Managing the Unmanageable

As we reminiscence about the past year in our crafting,  we remember some of our successful and some not so successful (that was our thought) projects. Now as we contemplate the new year, we will probably continue to make some affirmations about what we want to do for the new year to come. Will we continue to craft the same way? Will we venture down different roads in our crafting?  Needless to say, for myself, there is still an area in my crafty life that will still demand some attention.  That is the management of my piles of paper scraps.

I am resolved to continue to get this under my control. So I will also continue to search for more ways to achieve this goal.  In line with that, my project for this month involves using up come of those scraps.  I was inspired by another crafter to use these scraps on a scrapbook layout.  The layout resembles a quilt so I guess you can call it Scrap-Quilt. I used strips of paper scraps and layered them on a solid piece of cardstock.  Then I added my picture and embellishments. I think the layout turned out great!  

I love the effect. What do you think?

Here are some other suggestions on managing those scraps:

1. Purge your piles of scraps by donating to a local schools' art department

2. Eliminate scraps that are smaller than a certain size( for example smaller than 2 in.)

3. Set aside a day when you can  create die-cuts with the scraps that you will use later on your projects

If you have any suggestions for managing scraps, please share them with us.  Happy scrapping!