More Small Storage Video

Even though it's not exactly Workspace Wednesday, I do have another video showing you some of my small storage solutions!

Nature Mini Album Video

Two videos for you today guys!  One shows you how I made the album and the other shows you how I decorated it!  Sorry for the bluish-colored light, next videos should be better!  I hope you enjoy the videos and thanks so much for watching!  Have a great day!

Announcing The Noble Paiges Book Club!!

Hey everyone!  I am very excited to announce that Paige Evans and I have teamed up to start a book club!

 I have felt the need for a book club in my life for a long time and I am so excited to be a part of this one!  And because it's online, you can all join in!  Here's a video explaining all of the details!


The book this month is:

The discussion will be held throughout the day on April 12th so make sure you are ready to discuss the books on Paige's blog as well as mine!  And if you go on over to her blog today, she's giving away a copy of "What I Had Before I Had You" so head on over and check it out!

Telephone Card Process Video

I put this card together using the Sugar Rush Card Kit from Studio Calico.  Enjoy the video!

Explore Layout Process Video

I was in the mood to scrapbook the other day so I just pulled some supplies from my stash and got busy using an old photograph I had of my husband and myself.  I hope you enjoy the video and thanks for watching!

Crafty Goals

Even though we're over halfway through February, I thought I would list out some of my goals this year that I have for crafting.  These are just general things that I would like to accomplish or try harder at.

1.  Use more white paper for backgrounds.  As much as I love those pretty patterned papers, the layouts I like best tend to be white or neutral backgrounds with tons of color on top.  I find these layouts to be more classic and feel more airy and ethereal.  So the patterned paper will probably be purchased in 6x6 pads from now on and on the plus side, it's cheaper that way!

2.  Make my Project Life layouts more embellished.  I want to use up more embellishments and treat my photos as mini-layouts and not just something to be put in a pocket.  I am going to make my Project Life more "scrapbook" style.  This is definitely not for everyone and not even the way it was designed to be, but again, these are the Project Life layouts that I tend to like the best.

3.  Sew more on my layouts!  I have a sewing machine and I even keep it plugged in and ready to go so that I will use it more.  But then I don't use it!  Time to sew more, even if I'm too lazy to swap out the white thread.  That's okay!  Just start sewing more; maybe I'll finally finish that quilt I was making for my nephew's first birthday (he just turned two lol).

4.  Include more of the little things on full-size layouts.  I feel like a lot of the 'little things' get put in Project Life and then I never scrap them in a traditional style.  But I have been loving my 12x12 layouts lately and I want to make more of them.  And I feel like I never have a recent, interesting picture of my husband or I, so I need to find other things to scrap about.

5.  Get more organized.  This is definitely an ongoing mission that I feel might never be accomplished.  I have found some good solutions lately even if they are a bit quirky and not nearly as nice as the beautiful spaces I see online.  But I'm not a professional and I would rather spend money on supplies than on storage.  So here's to making a cheap, weird space that works for me!

6.  Scrap my stash.  I literally have too much stuff to know what I have around.  I'm trying to use up older product, sort through everything and find out what doesn't work for me anymore.  I keep buying more enamel dots but I've never emptied a sheet of them!  At some point I will run out of space for storing my product.  And it makes me a little nauseous to see how much stuff I have (and money I've spent) and I'm not using enough of it!  This will also help me spend less money.  I just go 'shopping' in my stash!

7.  Print more Instagram size photos.  Even though formatting them and printing them and cutting them down and leaving that little white border is a pain--I still love the look.  I need to put more effort in so that I will like the end results that much more!

8.  And last but not least, I would like to start making some mixed media projects.  This is a total shock to me for two reasons--I never used to like mixed media canvases or books and I never thought I was 'artistic.'  And believe me, I use the word artistic in the loosest of terms!  Growing up I never enjoyed art class, I couldn't draw figures and I just wasn't truly that interested!  I did doodle a bit, but only in a weird way.  But I really got into scrapbooking and that led me to find other forms of art.  Just because I don't love a trip to the art museum doesn't mean I don't like art, or that I'm not good at it in my own way.  I like the creative expression of art!  I've always loved writing and would still love to make that a career some day.  But art is as therapeutic to me now.  And learning new styles and learning to like new styles is something that I enjoy.  I feel myself growing creatively.  I want to try drawing things!  I want to use new products!  I want to use the tools and products that I have in different ways!  A few years ago I never thought I would know what a brayer was or why I would need acrylic paint or that my scrapbook supplies would take up half a room.  But it's such a part of who I am now!  This has gotten a bit of topic, but I am going to try my hand at some mixed media, and hopefully I'll take you guys along for the ride.  I'm such a beginner at so much and I'm definitely not a natural at anything so if you feel like you're scared to try something--don't be!  I'll try it right along with you and we can make mistakes together!

Project Life Week 6 Process Video

Hey everyone!  I'll pretty much just let the video speak for itself, especially since I'm talking in it lol!  Enjoy the video and don't forget to check out the Just Add Color Review Video that I posted to see more of the kit and page protectors from the Just Add Color kit!  Thanks for watching and have a great weekend!

Just Add Color Video Review

Here's a video showing you some of the Project Life Just Add Color kit by Kerri Bradford and the page protectors that came with the kit when I purchased it from HSN.  One thing that I didn't show in the video was the sticker sheets or alphabet stickers.  I hope you enjoy the video and thanks for watching!

December Memories Process Video

I'm sure that I'm not the only one with tons of Christmas photos left to scrapbook!  Heck, why am I talking about Christmas photos?  I have tons of photos from years and years ago that I could scrapbook!  Anyway, today I pulled out some photos from this past Christmas and decided to scrap with them.  I also wanted to share with you what I do with the extra photos from an event when I have too many to scrapbook.  I simply have some 4x6 photo sleeves (as seen in the photos below) and I put the extra pictures in the sleeve.  Then I put it next to the scrapbook layout, so you can see the extra photos, as well as the scrapbooked ones.

Iguana Layout Process Video

I pulled a few things from my stash and my scrap box a while back and made this layout of my husband holding a bright orange iguana when we were in Mexico a couple years ago.  This was such a fun layout because I love that bright orange color and it was fun and easy to just pull lots of different things that I've had lying around for awhile but also I had fun using some of my newer things--like that camera stamp from Amy Tan's new Plus One collection.  Thanks for watching!

Hello Kite Card Process Video

I used the Sunday Sketch from Studio Calico to make this card using the Sugar Rush Card Kit.  I also used some embellishments from last month's Project Life kit to finish up the card.  I hope you enjoy the video and thanks for watching!

Window Guard Process Video

Here's a layout that I made featuring my favorite little guy in the whole world--my dog, Twix!  I used the Sugar Rush Scrapbook kit on this layout and really had fun with the colors and embellishments in the it.  I liked the subtle triangle pattern on the paper--it was muted and let me play with other colors while still having some pattern to it.  And that washi tape--I did not think I was going to care for it much, but once I got it onto the paper I totally fell in love with the pattern and colors!  This kit definitely turned out to be less 'sugary sweet' and pink and actually has lots of yellows and oranges to play with and I can't wait to use it some more!

Copic Marker Thoughts

I purchased my first set of Copic markers a couple weeks ago and wanted to try them out and show you guys what I learned.  So here's another beginner tutorial for you.


I can't wait to purchase more of these markers and learn some different techniques.  And I know I'm not the only one that shied away from Copics because of their cost.  In my Michael's store, in the art/canvas/paint section of the store, they sell Copic markers individually.  I didn't know this before!  And you can use coupons on them.  So I plan on purchasing them one or two at a time until I build up a more substantial collection.  They also sell a few 3-packs at Hobby Lobby and they also accept coupons.  At my store a 3 pack cost me about $12 instead of the $24 if I bought them individually with no coupons.  I'll share more of my learning experience as I go along.  I hope you enjoy the video and if you have any questions, comments or tips, please comment below!

Wood Veneer Storage Video

Here's another glimpse into my workspace!  Have a great day!

Heidi Swapp Color Magic Card Video

Hey everyone!  I love many things by Heidi Swapp.  Part of the reason why I love them is because they are sold at Michael's, where I can easily look at the items in person, not deal with shipping costs and times, and of course, I am able to use a coupon.  I love getting inspiration from her blog and recently she made an e-book that is chock full of inspiration, layouts and tutorials.  She even includes links so you can see some of her video tutorials!

This is where I first learned more about her new Color Magic Card sets.  I had never worked with her Color Shine products before.  I felt they were a little pricey and I liked more of the Mr. Huey's colors.  But I really liked these cards and when I went to Michael's they were having a 25% off Heidi Swapp sale, so that sealed the deal for me!  I know it's beneficial to watch Heidi's videos and learn from the expert, but I wanted to show you guys how a true beginner uses this product.  I often find that an expert's opinions don't help nearly as much as an inexperienced person's does, simply because they an inexperienced person is starting off on the same level that I am.  I also give a bit of a review about the products.  Thanks so much for watching!

Mrs. Poe Book Review

I wanted to share with you a book that I read recently that was amazing!  I definitely recommend it!  Check the video out to hear my review of "Mrs. Poe" by Lynn Cullen.

Pinterest Challenge--Brown Sugar Toffee Cookie Edition

My nine year old cousin stayed with us last weekend and what's the perfect way to keep a kid entertained?  Crafting and baking!  We accomplished both in one night and the cookie recipe I chose turned out perfectly!

I had been eyeing these Brown Sugar Toffee Cookies for over a week, which is way shorter than my normal Pin-to-reality time!  I had everything on hand except for the toffee bits but I will be keeping stocked up from now on!  We just used regular brown sugar and they came out fine, so no worries if you don't have dark on hand.  Also, I purchased toffee bits with milk chocolate and it didn't seem to affect the flavor of the cookies.  There was no chocolate taste at all, but next time I'm going with regular toffee pieces.

My food photo skills are definitely nothing compared to the original photos on their blog, but here's a quick photo I snapped of the finished product.  Yummy! 

If you're looking for a delicious cookie recipe to try--this is the one!  I will be definitely following Two Peas and Their Pod to get more great recipes!  To see what I'm pinning, follow me on Pinterest, there's a link on the screen to your right.  Leave me a comment and let me know what recipe you'd like me to try next!  

My Personal Pinterest Challenge Video

Hey everyone!  I hope you are having a wonderful day!  I'm so excited to share my new Pinterest Challenge with you.  The video explains everything so I'll just let you watch!

   

Project Life Week 5 Process Video

Hey everyone,

I'm running so behind!  Last week I went to two card classes in the evenings when they are normally a week apart, so that put me behind and then on Saturday I went over to a friend's house and made even more cards!  I had a fun and scrappy week but I got behind on some of my blog work.  I posted a picture of the cards that I made over the weekend on Instagram if you're interested in seeing them.  My handle on Instagram is kelseydnoble.  I also post sneaks sometimes of projects that I'm working on, so check it out!

Not to worry, there are plenty of videos and fun stuff for this week, but my schedule is just a bit off.  So today I'm going to post what was supposed to go up Saturday and Sunday!  Here's my video for my week five Project Life.  I hope you enjoy!  Check back later today to see another video!

Heidi Swapp Mini Album--Page 2 Process Video

Hey everyone!  Here's my second post for today!  I just have so much scrappy goodness that I want to share and there aren't enough days in the week!  So I've decided to just roll with it and post two videos a day if that's the way the timing works out!

Using the Sunday Sketch from Studio Calico, I worked on another page of my Heidi Swapp mini album.  I used the card sketch to make a layout because I thought the look of the window was perfect with the Heidi Swapp pages!  I hope you enjoy this layout and have a great day!

"Hi" Card Process Video

Today I have two videos to share.  The first one is a card from the Copper Mountain card kit.  I never had time to post it but wanted to share it with you before I get started making all my new Sugar Rush cards!  Hope you have a happy Valentine's Day!

Sugar Rush Unboxing Videos

Thanks to a great deal, I ended up ordering the Sugar Rush Scrapbook Kit this month in addition to the Card and Project Life Kits, so that means lots of extra videos for you!  And thanks to Studio Calico's evil roll-out plan of putting tons of their new stuff out during the free shipping days, I even have some extra stuff that hopped in my cart, haha!

In the first video I show the Project Life kit, along with the new Color Theory swatch that they sent and some of the things from their new collections that I ordered.  If you just want to see the Project Life kit, skip ahead to about the eight minute mark.

Also, bear with me on the lighting issues.  I'm trying different things out and trying to get it to look as good as possible, but it's definitely a work in progress.

Thanks for watching, I really appreciate it!  Please like and share this video and subscribe to my YouTube channel to see more content soon.  Leave me a comment of what you would like to see on this blog and channel!  It's the only way I know what you guys want to see!

Valentine's Day "Love" Art Process Video

Over the weekend I was browsing some of my favorite blogs, when I came across a super cute idea from Katie Bower.  I loved the third project that she had on there!  So I ran out to my local hardware store and bought some shims and then ran across the street to Wal-Mart to pick out some acrylic paints.  And the rest is history.  I have some tips at the bottom of this post if you are interested in trying this project for yourself.

The three paints I chose were Cranberry, Fuchsia and Pink Parfait.  But, as you saw in the video, I decided not to use the Fuchsia and swapped it out for some white acrylic paint that I had on hand.  One thing to note about the shims, is that mine were about eight inches long.  My store also sold nine shims in a small pack that were 5 inches long and that would be cheaper, as well as leave you with a lot less shims, haha!

Also, because I'm cheap, I only used one foam brush and just made sure that I went lightest to darkest and my colors came out fine.  And as far as painting the edges or sides of the shims, I left them plain because I liked the rustic/wood look, but that's your preference.  If you primed the shims first you would also get better coverage, but again, it's a personal preference.

The love that you see on there is from the new Dear Lizzy die set, but of course you could cut something out on your Silhouette or stamp letters on there like Katie did.  I hope you enjoy the video!

One last note (boy there's a lot of them, lol!) is that I went back in and glued a third shim to the back in between the other two.  Since the shims are uneven it was hard to get them to all be level on the back side.  I left mine leaned up against a bookcase, but I'm planning on making a St. Patrick's Day one for my grandma's door so I'll hang that one with twine I think!

Stop back by later to see three unboxing videos for the Studio Calico Sugar Rush kits!  Have a great day!

Another Die Cut Review...

Over on YouTube MsIslandV asked me to try out the Maggie Holmes and Dear Lizzy die cuts on some different materials so I made a video last night using cork and acetate sheets.  I had mixed results so watch the video to see how it turned out!

Project Life Storage Video

Hey everyone!  I hope you're having a great day!  For a lot of crafting blogs, Wednesday is known as Workspace Wednesday.  I thought I would hop on board this week!  I might not share a storage solution or photo of my workspace every Wednesday, but I love seeing the ways other people organize their supplies so I thought you might enjoy seeing I set up my space!  Today I wanted to share with you how I store my Project Life cards!  I love the Iris case and hope you enjoy this close up look!

Valentine's Day Mini Album Process Video

Hey everyone! Today I'm going to show you how I decorated the album and even how I made an interactive piece for the album!  I have a second video below that shows you the entire album, including some finishing touches that I added after I made the first video.  I hope you enjoy and tomorrow I'll show you how I store my project life cards!  Have a great day!

Valentine's Day Mini Album--Assembly Video

Hey everyone! I hope you had a great weekend! Last week I saw a video on Two Peas in a Bucket from the Make It Meaningful Series. It was a cute Valentine's Day mini album made by Jen Gallacher and once I saw it, I just knew I had to make one for my husband! My album is assembled a bit differently than hers so today I'm showing you how I put mine all together and then tomorrow I will share with you how I decorated it! Tomorrow's video will be a fairly long one, that's why I broke it up into two days. I just did this all with supplies that I had on hand because I had no time to order anything, so even though this album is a bit last notice, you can still finish it before Valentine's Day if you want!

I will also have a cute Valentine's Day decoration to share with you later this week too showing off one of the new Dear Lizzy die cuts, so watch for that!

New Product Share Video

I purchased some new products and they just arrived!  So many websites don't show enough pictures of an item so I wanted to share them with you so you can see the lines up close and decide if they are right for you!  I also made a separate video that reviews the new dies from Dear Lizzy and Maggie Holmes.  It is below.

Week 4 Project Life

Due to some technological issues there is no process video today :(  I have some photos to share with you of my Project Life for Week Four and I will be back with another Project Life video next week.  I also have some product share videos that I will be posting tomorrow.  If you want to see some of the new Maggie Holmes or Dear Lizzy collections up close, look for me tomorrow!

The letters from my title card are from the Dear Lizzy Polka Dot Party collection and to make the color match the colors from the Coral kit a little better I brushed them with a little white acrylic paint.  I just used a tiny amount of paint, brushed it on with a dry foam brush, and then I rubbed some of the excess paint into the foam with my finger to achieve this look. 

Showered With Love Card Process Video

Hey everyone! Here's another card that I made with the Studio Calico Copper Mountain card kit! Enjoy!

 

Hello Card Process Video Plus a Tutorial

Hey everyone!  I hope you are having a great day!  Today I have one of the last cards that I made with January's Studio Calico card kit.  I made this card using the stamp set and coordinating dies.  I found the 'hello' die to be difficult to use in the traditional way because it was smaller than a lot of dies that I have worked with.  So below I show a quick tutorial on how I stamped and cut the 'hello' and also how I stamped the outline and inside of the fish.  I hope you enjoy!

Below is a photo of the finished project!

Valentine's Day Wreath

Last year I made a Valentine's Day wreath for my grandma's door at the nursing home.  It received a lot of compliments and Grandma loved it.  I put it up again this year and the next day another resident asked if I would make her one.  I've seen other tutorials online but I thought since I was making another one, I would go through it step-by-step with photos and show you guys how I made mine!

I purchased a lot of ribbon at Michael's.  And even though it was forty percent off, it was still pricey.  I definitely recommend trying to purchase ribbon when the holiday is over and the ribbon is deeply discounted!  I made a fall wreath like this one and found a bunch of $1 ribbon at Wal-Mart, but no such luck with Valentine's Day ribbon.  But shop around and find some cute ribbon that you like in a variety of widths and colors.  You want a nice balance of colors in the varying widths also.  So for instance, make sure you have red, white and pink in thin, medium and thick ribbon.

Here's a photo of the ribbon that I purchased.  I actually ended up returning four of the thinner rolls of ribbon because I had too much and I probably could have returned another one or two because I had some ribbon leftover.  Total I used 18 rolls of ribbon, mostly in medium and thick sizes.

Hold back two rolls of ribbon in a thicker width.  You'll use these for the wreath base.  The thicker ribbons often have wired edges.  I prefer not to cut these and put them through my sewing machine.  I unwind the whole length of ribbon from the spool and then pull the wire out, one side at a time.  My husband usually helps me.  He will hold the ribbon and I pull the wire out.  You'll get the hang out of it pretty quickly!

Then I started by cutting all of the ribbon into 4.5 inch strips.  You don't have to be super precise and your cuts don't need to be perfectly straight.  This is a perfect activity to do in front of the TV.  If you have a rotary cutter and mat that is my preferred method.  I couldn't find mine this time, so I just cut a strip of ribbon and used that as my guide to cut the rest of my strips and I used fabric scissors.  Easy peasy!  Here's my ribbon after it was all cut

Next, start sewing the strips together.  There are several ways you could get your 'loops' of ribbon, but I found sewing to be the cheapest and quickest.  I don't like using hot glue, but that's definitely an option.  I just put the wrong sides together to make a loop and then run it through my machine.  I don't cut mine off in between, I leave them in a long chain so the pieces are all stitched together.  This is a cute idea for a banner also!

Here's my pile after they were all sewn together:

This shows you how they look stitched together.  I just go in with my scissors and clip as close to the ribbon as I can and snip them apart!  If you follow me on Instagram at kelseydnoble you will see that my dog helped me out while I was cutting these apart in front of the TV one night.

I purchased my wreath in the floral department at Michael's with a coupon.  I have heard that some dollar stores have wreaths and I would recommend getting one there if the quality is decent.  Depending on what color of wreath you have, you'll probably want to cover it with ribbon.  Even though you cover the entire wreath with the 'loops' there is some space that shows through unless you really pack the loops in tightly!  To save on ribbon costs, you can use a little less ribbon for the loops if you cover the wreath with a complementary ribbon color.  It's much nicer to see a little white or red peeking through than if you could see the wreath underneath.

To secure the ribbon to the wreath use a dab of hot glue at the beginning and then just wrap the ribbon around, overlapping slightly each time until the entire wreath is covered.  You will need two rolls of ribbon for a wreath this size.

The next step is to start putting all those loops in place!  My preferred method is straight pins.  I buy them at Wal-Mart in the sewing section.  The pins allow you to be flexible, if you have too many ribbons in one place, you can always unpin them and move them around.

As you are pinning (or gluing) the loops in place, remember that you want to cover the inner ring well so that when the wreath is hanging up, you won't see the ribbon underneath.  Vary the different colors and widths as you go along.  My method is to go around the wreath in pieces.  I start on the inner ring and go all the way around.  Then I go to the outer side of the wreath and go all the way around there.  Then I fill in the middle.  After it's all done, I look for places that need filling in.  The thinner pieces of ribbon are good for filling in spots at the end.  

To hang your wreath, simply use a piece of twine!  I chose pink and white (it's hard to see in the picture) but red, white, or brown twine would work just as well.  Hang on a nail or hook!  Here it is hanging in Irene's room after it was all finished!

I hope everyone enjoyed this tutorial!  If you have any questions please leave them in the comment section below and I will answer them as soon as possible.  I'll be back tomorrow with a video!

Using Colored Pencils

Hey everyone! We're getting a lot of snow today so I am glad to be able to stay home and scrapbook! I am a little bit behind because I was under the weather this weekend, but I am getting caught up today! I've got a video to share with you showing you how to use colored pencils on your cards or layouts! If you like the video subscribe to my YouTube channel to always see my latest content! Thanks!

Some Exciting News Plus a Process Video!

Hey everyone!  I'm in the beginning stages of starting a book club with Paige Evans.  We will officially be starting in a couple of weeks but I wanted to put the news out there!  So stay tuned!

Also for today I have a process video for you guys.  I made this layout a few weeks ago and haven't had time to post it yet but I wanted to share a traditional layout with you.  I kept it simple and just used some supplies from my stash.  This photo was taken while we were on vacation in Merida, Mexico and I decided to print it out on regular cardstock so the photo had a matte/cardstock finish which I really liked and I liked using the over-sized photo.  This was a fun, easy layout and I hope you enjoy the video!

Project Life Week 3 Process Video

Hey everyone!  Here's my Project Life for Week Three!  Enjoy!