Inside the Art: Joy Always

This month's kit over at Inside Out Visual Journaling is about This Moment.  I love the word moment.  A  moment frozen in time, I moment you will never forget or a moment you wish never happened....there are so many possibilities.

I went with the idea of the moment when my kiddos were born.  I have the worst long term memory.  Yet, I remember how I met my husband and the birth of both of my children so vividly.  I wanted to write some details down about the moments.

 

I love the papers in this kit and use this gem as is!  I simply added some extra details and a cluster with my photo.  I wrote a ton of journaling to share the memories.  Without Steve, I wouldn't have these two blessings.  One amazing moment led to two more.

 

Truth be told, there have been many other moments since then that are unforgettable!

 

 

Mother's Day Love

In celebration of Mother's Day, I am thinking about how much my two kiddos have impacted me.  They make me crazy, cause extreme irritability and fatigue.  But I can't imagine life without them because the giggles and hugs and love makes it all good.

 

I love this card from the Beautiful Chic line from Webster's Pages that speaks to how my kids are the best thing to ever happen to me.  I am so thankful for them and all their antics. 

 

 

I tell them often how I feel.  I say sorry when I yell too much or get grumpy.  I never apologize for holding them responsible for contributing to our house. 

 

This Mother's Day, I want to be spoiled.  But at the same time I am want to be grateful for all I have.

 

 

Heartfelt

I love it when you capture those awesome shots of the ones you love.  For this one, it happened to be Nathan's First Communion and my family was all dressed up.

Everyone happened to be all smiles too because it was an exciting day.  I created a heartfelt page about how blessed I feel.

 

 

I used the Strawberry Fields collection from Webster's Pages to make this page.  I love the grid design on one of the sheets of paper and simply cut along the edge to make a large border.  I grounded the page with the You Make My Heart Smile card.

 

 

I journaled my thoughts and added in some details.

 

 

 

It was a quick and fun page to make!  Still loving Webster's after all these years!

 

 

Happy Monday!

A couple of weeks ago I got a box in the mail full of new Webster's Pages goodies!  I jumped in and started creating.  I love looking at the journaling cards from each collection because they serve as my muse.  Often times a sentiment or phrase will spark an idea.  T

The idea of Dream in Color made me think of my kids and the message I want to send them.  I want them to believe that they can do anything.  They talk a lot now about what they want to be when they grow up.  I knew my profession by age 8.  I want them to dream big and see where that dream takes them.

 

I grabbed that journaling card and made it a focal point on this page.  I also used the bold black oval to draw attention to that side of the page.  I hand cut the scalloped border on the top and added  bunch of goodies from Webster's all around the page. 

I wrote directly to my kiddos, letting them know that they should dream big.  I included what they often talk about because it will be fun to see 10, 20, 30  years from now.  Will they become any of those things or will life take them in another direction?

 

I can't wait to see.

 

 

Inside the Art: Everything Here

I caught these really cool shots the night of the Father/Daughter dance at Ella's school.  She takes this event very seriously.  We have to shop for a new outfit, do her hair and put on some lip gloss.  Daddy is not allowed to see her dress until the big moment when she walks down the stairs.

 

Makes me imagine what her wedding day will be like...I can burst when I think about that.

 

I decided to scrap these photos to fit the Soft and Strong theme this month at Inside Out.  I mixed lots of patterns on this page.

 

 

 

Those letters actually spell out, Soft and Strong, but the glare on the gold killed it!  I have everything I need.  These two plus Nathan fill me up with love and contentment.  They are my soft, strong and my sense. 

 

 

I wrote this word in cursive and then hand cut it!  It is a solution for me when I am too lazy to pull out a cutting machine!

 

I love this pretty kit!  Be sure to check it out!  The club is also looking for guest designers!  It is really a great experience to explore through art.

 

Documenting the Happy

I have held onto this photo for a long time.  It is one of my favorites because it really captures a moment between three cousins.  I decided to use it on a page once I opened my box of Webster's Pages.  I loved the Happy collection by Allison Kreft.  I am a big fan of her Webster's work and gravitate right to her stuff.

 

I mixed some patterns on the page, but kept the rest simple with that gorgeous string lights paper.  I decided to place my photo right next to those mason jars.  I added some hand cut elements and stickers.

 

The hash tag statement got me!  I wanted to use a couple of pops of bright, but keep the rest pretty neutral.  I love all of the cute elements on the journaling cards and cut many of them out to use on the page.

I love the new Webster's collections!  I am loving my new Color Crush Planner and use it every day!

New Month, New Kit

April 1st and we have a new kit from Inside Out Visual Journaling.  This month we are focusing on Soft & Strong.  It is a cool new way of looking at the theme of the month.  I scrapped about what, or more importantly, who has made me both soft and strong.

 

My kids have soften me so much over the years.  Parenthood is this cool thing...you meet this cool little people and they just teach you about unconditional love.  Any hurt or habits you had before sort of melt away.  It is amazing.

 

They are my reasons why.  I had to make changes because I want them to know the best me.  That is the strength part.  Conquering your demons is hard, but when you have this type of motivation, it is worth it.

 

 

The kit has loads of fun goodies and I enjoyed working with it!  Be sure to check it out!

Webster's Pages: Beautiful Chic

I received a box of Webster's Pages and swooned!  The collections are great!  I was drawn to the bold colors of Beautiful Chic and went right to work.

That journaling card with the little girl's shoes spoke to me and I made a page about my daughter.

 

Aren't those shoes the cutest!  I did some hand cutting of the papers to get the Beautiful for my title.  I also cut the black doilie and the You Are Loved quote. 

 

 

I have another page on the way using Allison Kreft's new collection!  I adore all things Webster!  Check out the new collections on the Webster's Pages website!

 

 

Revisiting Bravery

This month is flying by and I have not been on the computer very much!  I wanted to jump on and post another page using the Inside Out March kit, BRAVE.  I had a great time exploring the concept of being brave and decided to take a serious approach to this page.

 

It is bravery in my world.  All the times I needed to stand up and be strong are documented.  The tragic, the ugly, the shameful, the empowering and the joyous.  It is amazing that brave can fit all of those things.

 

 

 

I kept the page simple, but the topic heavy.  It was healing to make this page.

 

I journaled enough to tell the story that I would recognize, but not get too personal.  My kids are young yet can understand enough.  Someday, I will more openly share these stories when they can better comprehend.

 

 

Relying on Others

Sometimes you rely on others to gain perspective.  You need them to tell the truth so your life can make sense and  you can move forward.  I believe in telling the truth and appreciate hearing it. 

I asked for the truth several years ago from my mom.  I wanted to know some things about my childhood.  I had some feelings and memories of happenings, but I couldn't clearly get the vision of what went on.

My mom told the truth and it must have been hard.  She had to relive some things and admit some truths.  I am grateful that she did because my flashes and memories made sense. 

 

I created this page for the Inside Out kit, BRAVE.  I loved exploring this theme.  It was empowering and healing.  I will share more about this page over at the Inside Out blog this month.

 

I believe scrapbooking should be about the stories and there is power in telling all sorts of those, even the hard ones.  If you are interested in this kit and the concept, check out the website for information about joining.

A New Month

A new month means a new kit from Inside Out Journaling.  Our theme this month is BRAVE!  I look that word and all it stands for.  Being afraid, yet still having courage to move forward and take action.  I did a lot of soul-searching and heavy journaling this month.

I started with this page about my kids and the power of their love.  I have tackled some demons and continue to do so because their love is so pure and unconditional.  I love how happy this page feels to me!

 

It is one of my favorites from the kit.  You can explore the kit club and sign up by going to the website. 

 

I did a lot of handcutting and doodling using the stencil from the kit.  My journaling means a lot to me as well.  I will be sharing more about this page and my other pages over at the Inside Out blog on Mondays.   Be sure to check it out!

She's Come a Long Way

Life is about growing and evolving.  As a mom, I have to constantly help my young kiddos learn the important lessons in life.  They are literally forming themselves as I type.  My daughter has a history of being very feisty.  Very...

It has been challenging to deal with.  Along the way, I realized that I played a role in it.  Maybe it was my reaction or what I was focusing on.  So I got to work and we renovated our relationship.  It has made a huge impact on her.





































I decided to document it on a page.  The theme this month at Inside Out is Restore and the kit is full of beautiful goodies.  I loved this kit!  Ella and I have restored our dynamic.  I had fun with this page, adding some whimsy and using a diagonal design.

Most importantly, I told the story.  It is a record of how far we have come!

For My Dad

The theme of the month over at Inside Out is Restore!  I love this word because is it healing and powerful.  I went right to the thought of restoring my faith.  Someone who has done that for me over and over again is my dad.  He restored my faith in men!  That restoration allowed me to feel safe enough to forgive in my life.

 

I will admit, this is not my favorite design ever.  But it doesn't matter.  The thoughts, ideas, and sentiments are what counts. 

 

This life is too short to hold onto fear or not trust in something.  I am just glad that I had my dad to help restore my faith at an early age.

Monday's Musings: Friendships

There is a saying, something about how you have some friends for life, some for a season and some for a reason.  I have been very lucky in life to have a great circle of friends that would qualify as the "for life" kind.  So what happens when there is a fall out.  What happens when a rift occurs?  And not just one when you are 14 or even 22.  I think you find your way back to each other, because it is too special not to.

I scrapped about this exact thing on one of my newest layouts using the Inside Out Visual Journaling kits.

 

These are two of my lifelong friends.  For Marcia and me, it was the 8th grade.  Tina came in 9th.  We have been together since.  I love these girls.  They are my sisters really and even though life is busy and we don't talk nearly enough, time stands still.

 

Except for once when two of us had an issue.  It was impactful. 

 

I share more of the story over at the Inside Our blog this month. Be sure to pop over to hear more and to gain inspiration from our whole team! 

 

Even though the rift was impactful, we found our way back.  Because that is what friends do.  Especially the most loyal ones.