The-not-so-epic-cardstock-Haul from Scrobby.nl

Cardstock, we all need it but it's so boring to buy but I make a few orders each year.

So I ordered cardstock, cardstock and some more cardstock from Scrobby.nl how has the best prices. Other "fun" thing like glue and a fine-lined bottle was on my need-to-have-list.

 I also had been drooling over the Travellersnotebooks from Webster's Pages and decided to finely get the blush one. Some ephemera from Maggie Holmes "Bloom" and a few pieces from the amazing "C'est La Vie" by Pink Paislee end up in my package. 

It was all good, intill I opened the package. 3 out of the four different cardstock typed I had ordered where bent, creased or just damaged. The big pack of 60 white sheets, base for all of my layouts, where all bent in the corner. I don't want bent corners on my layouts! 

The highlight of this order was the traveller's notebook, I had been saving for it and drooling over it and when I got it out of the packaging, it had a black smudge on it... *deep sigh* 

The other things where all well but this was supposed to be my epic-cardstock-haul, it turned out to be epic in a very bad way... I'm hoping to get hold of someone at scrobby.nl but intill then I'll just watch Nashville... ;)

Shopping List May 2016:

Webster's Pages Color Crush Travelers Planner Blush & Gold Foil Dots

American Crafts Cardstock Pack 12x12 white

American Crafts Textured Cardstock 12x12 Nickel Woodgrain

A-Kwaliteit Cardstock Kraft 20-pack

Transparant vellum 12x12 Clear

Ranger Studio Multi Medium Matte

Precision Tip Glue Applicator Bottle

Crate Paper Maggie Holmes Bloom Ephemera

Pink Paislee C'est La Vie Word Jumble

Pink Paislee C'est La Vie Ephemera

Pink Paislee C'est La Vie Paper Pad 6x6

Love Julia

Telling the hard things- Vägen tillbaka-

When I have things on my mind for a longer time it really helps to make a page. The process of sitting down and focusing on the topic. Trying to show it visually as well as writing about it. It's hard, but I feel so much better after, like I have gone over it enough and moving on. 

This page is about my longing to "get back" to my "normal" life that I had before I got my fibro-diagnos. I write about how much I fight and that I'm willing to do almost anything to get back. I also say that the more I try to get "back" the more I realize that it will never happen. I have no back to go, only forward. I wanted to show this that even though it's a struggle it's not hopeless. Color can tell a big story and I picked a few but happy ones. The Black and white photo was partly so I could add any color but also symbolizing the old and the new. 

Products Used:

"Bloom" 6x6 paper pad

Flower Paper "Bloom" 

Title Stamps "Brentano" 

Clear Stickers "Bloom"

Stickers "Bloom" 

Sentiment Stickers "Tim Holtz"

Date stamp by Shimelle

Mist Gold

Mist Mint

Love Julia

Scrappin many photos- "Från Ovan" 12x12 scrapbook

What I usually scrapbook now are stories or deep thought with a design that reflects my feelings and a photo to tie it all together. What I don't do very often is using many photos and no story but that is whats up today.

This was a fun challenge and I like how it came together but it really was a challenge. To make it a bit easier I like to make "recipes", stuff to add to make it a easy as possible. 

When scrappin many photos:

Keep it together- use photos in the same color family and size

Grounding- ground the photos with photo mate or corners, giving them a home

Framing- frame the page, make a statement of where the page ends and help to lead the eye

Title and info- a short title and info of the photo, here you want the photos to talk, let them.

White space-  or empty space, let the eye rest when it's not on the photos, plain background

I let the colors of my photos inspire the layout, kraft background and border of green leafs. The top and bottom borders are there to add interest but also fram the page. So are the flowers, they are pretty but also guides the eye back to the photos. My journaling is short and title in the bottom right corner, it's there but it is all about the photos. 

I hope you like this and it gave you some inspiration, and that you give it a try!

Love Julia

Telling the Hard Things 12x12 scrapbook page

Hard things happens to us all, different things at different times an they effect us in different ways. A hard thing for one may not  bother another. But we all get them and we all have to deal with them. 

I have had allot of hard things happen to me in the last years but I have found that scrapbooking helps. For some it might be odd or weird but sitting down, thinking about it, writing about it helps.

So that is the way I walk now, trying to deal with my W being unwell. 

My W, that I have rised sens the day she was born, have had a hard spring. With a tic related disease in the autumn and now we found out that her back knee isn't working right, she is a fighter. 

I wanted to make a page about the hard time that we are going through but still with a positive feeling, that we are all expecting the best. 

Products used:

paper Webster's Pages Beautiful Chic "Clippings"

title Pink Fresh Studio "glitter foam stickers" 

washi green strip 

watercolor flowers Julia K

stamp Penny Black "Dog Paws"

ink Umbrella Craft "Sunbeam"

mist Heidi Shine "Gold"

word strips Tim Holtz "small talk" 

I hope that I might have inspired you to tell something hard that is going on in your life now, if not on a scrapbook page but maybe in a notebook or an artjournal. I do think it feels so much better once it's out. Not that W's knee will magically be fixed but I have recorded how it's now that gives me a tiny bit of feeling in control. That even though this happens and I can't do anything about it, I can decide how it's told and we look on it. 

Love Julia 

Treasure-hunt Traveler's notebook

Here today I thought I would share my treasure-hunting TN. I started this notebook as a fun idea, to record the treasures I find at second hand and flea markets. I like the idea of documenting something small and seemingly unimportant. I think this would be really fun to do for gardening, cooking, knitting or anything that you like, something small that makes you happy. 

Those things are worth to document.

The book is made with thin patterned paper and just adding photos, (printed on cardstock), washi and some stickers makes it really fun but without much fuss. 

Love Julia

"Trandansen" 12x12 scrapbook using Maggie Holmes "Bloom"

On Easter my mom, dad, my little brother & I set out to see the cranes dancing at Hornborgarsjön.

Every year thousands of cranes gather there before continuing on their journey north. It was amazing, so many of them, singing and dancing (well more like shouting and jumping around) but I thought it was unbelievable and breathtaking. 

Now this was march 26 and still barely spring but I wanted to add some element to the page that said "it was amazing", something to pop against the dull colors of the photos. I thought the yellow flowers would be nice, flowers usually are positive and the yellow is a happy color. 

I placed them to frame the photos and added a embossed title in white. All to keep the layout light and fresh, with focus on the photos. 

Products used:

Maggie Holmes "Bloom" "Emily"

Maggie Holmes "Bloom" "Wonderful" 

Maggie Holmes "Bloom" stickers

Maggie Holmes "Bloom" clear stickers

Paiper Project "Brentano" stamp set

Embossing White

Heidi Shine "Gold"

Shimelle Roller date stamp

7 Papers Phrase stamp "Darcy"

WRMK charcoal cardstock 

I hope you have found this page inspiring and that you can make a big statement with just a piece of paper.  I cut up an entire sheet and I still have many flowers left, yes it takes some time but to me it's so worth doing!

Love Julia

"Wild & Free" 12x12 scrapbook FJ iNSD recipe challenge

Hello! I hope you all had an amazing time this past weekend and joyed in on the fun of international scrapbook day/weekend. I did quit allot this weekend but two layouts managed to be completed and I'll shear them today and on Wednesday with you! 

The first one was inspired but the Felicity Jane iNSD recipe challenge on their facebook group posted but Jen Schow (her video) the challenge was to use something craft, hidden, stamps and something horded. 

The colors of the layout was inspired by the background paper and the pink chevron bag that I got when I ordered from SirapiParis. This paper I wouldn't normally pick but when I saw it with the paper-bag I just knew it would make a really cute page. 

So the challenge,
craft- tag,
hidden-journaling in paper-bag,
stamp-the date (that totally smeared and looks awful,
horded- fabric tape.

Products used*:

Websters Page's-daydreaming-modern-romance

Heidi Shine- Sweet Mint

Maggie Holmes "Bloom"-moments

WRMK "Wildflower" stickers

Shimelle -Roller Date Stamp

(*available products)

And that is my page, a more "fun" page then "deep" but I just had to make something fun, not think to much and I really like it.

Love Julia

"YES" A4 scrapbook using WeRMK "Wildflower"

Sometimes I just have an idea that I really want to try, a pretty photo or to play with pretty papers. When I was making this page the story, prompted by a journaling card, started to take shape. I have been so focused on starting with a story, making sure I don't just spit out pages that I now just needed to play. And you know what, I love how it looks and what it is about.

"Come Away with me" YES that I want to! 

Don't we all sometimes feel that longing of just leaving it all and travel far away. Well a bit away any way. I have had that wanderlust now for month, longing for a break and just a change. But I wouldn't leave it all behind, W is of course invited to my imaginary adventure. 

Products used:

Papers: WeRMK "Wildflower" paper pad 

Ephemera: WeRMK Wildflower ephemera 

Thickers: Amy Tangerine -Rise and Shine "Grace"

Mist: Lindy's Stamp Gang "Midnight Rendezvous Raven"

Washi: Sketchy black dots from Lagerhaus No longer sold. 

Love Julia

Suntherapy 12x12 scrapbook using Heidi Swapp & Maggie Holmes

Do you document the little big stuff? What makes you feel better or worse, what makes you happy and smile? I have put more thought in to my pages this year, partly because I see scrapbooking as a form of therapy. I sit down, thinking about what's important and what will I want to know in 5 years. What can I learn from where I am now, what makes me feel better. 

One thing that makes me feel better, is lying out in the sun... with a blanket 

(I live in Sweden where sun is not the same as warmth)

I had gone through this page many times before I started so when I sat down I had a clear vision of what I wanted. Mind I'm not good following instructions even my own...

I know I wanted a big title, cut out, backed with pattered paper and stitched around. 

 Cutting out a big title by hand in a brush font is not for the faint of heart and then stitching around... 

I love it but yes, it took allot of time and yes, I will do it again!

 With a big title I wanted too keep the pages light and soft, small black and white photos, typed journaling on vellum and the same flowers as from the title backing. I added iridescent sequins to ad to the lightness and springy colors. 

 The page is about how good it is for me to be out, lying in the sun. My mom took these photos of me when W decided that she too needed some sun-therapy. It was a beautiful day, almost warm with singing birds, butterflies and bumblebees in the flowers. All of this I wanted on the page...

 The new line from Maggie Holmes "Bloom" has a sticker sheet with a bird, a butterfly and a bumblebee. Perfect for my page. I love how this page came together, the big title, the cute photos an the story I wanted to tell. 

Products used:

Title made in: Rhonna Design App

White cardstock

embroidery yarn

Heidi Swapp Wanderlust 12x12 paper pad

Floral paper title backing/ cut out 

Woodgrain paper

sequins

vellum

Maggie Holmes "Bloom" stickers 

Love Julia