Category: Book of Me

April 2, 2013

Simple Scrapper April Blog Hop

Welcome to Simple Scrapper’s April blog hop! This time we’ve got an amazing give-away. I promise you, you won’t be disappointed.

This month I’ve got two layouts to show you: The one I made using one of the new sketches from Simple Scrapper’s April collection and the one I made using April Story Starter prompts.

I really liked the letter-sized sketches this month! It’s been a while since I made a layout this size, and in a way I was amazed how crowded the paper became

For this layout I chose a photo of T and Nymeria, our youngest cat. I used I Lowe Scrap paper and a Sodalicious tag instead of journaling.

I cut parts of the title using my Cameo, but also added some flair and October Afternoon alphas stickers.

The banner was cut without measuring much. I added a doily to layer it all a bit more (a stapler for me, isn’t it?).

For the Story Starter prompt, I went a bit outside the box. I chose a self-portrait of myself, but added a card instead of that fourth photo on the sketch.

I used some Becky Higgins PL journaling cards as extensions of the photos and added the journaling.

The journaling is about one of the reasons why I chose this profession. The journaling on the card reflects many of the thoughts I have each morning as part of getting ready. It can be easy to feel down on yourself, feeling you never do the right thing, working as a teacher, so I try to tell myself what I do correct

Now that you’ve seen my pages, I really think you should hop on over to the next designer on the list!

Simple Scrapper (Jennifer Wilson)
Jeryn Carlisi
Lisa Corbin-Polak
Ronnie Crowley
Holly Humbert
Margrethe Aas Johnsen <– THAT’S ME!
Amy Kingsford
Aimee Maddern
Jean Manis
Van Nguyen
Melissa Priest
Celeste Smith
Sara Case Strickland

So, are you ready for the big give-away? Use the Rafflecopter widget below to enter a giveaway for a one-year premium membership at Simple Scrapper. There are three ways to enter and three winners will be selected. To be eligible, you must enter by 11:59pm CDT on Friday, April 5.

Use the Rafflecopter widget below to enter a giveaway for a one-year premium membership at Simple Scrapper. There are three ways to enter and three winners will be selected. To be eligible, you must enter by 11:59pm CDT on Friday, April 5.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Premium Membership at Simple Scrapper provides skills and shortcuts to help you simplify and find more meaning in your memory keeping. Each month members receive a new collection of sketch templates and Story Starters, story-focused prompts for pages and projects.

March 26, 2013

A friend is someone who…

Happy Tuesday!

Today I want to share a layout that I made after being very inspired by this week’s Studio Calico challenge. Kinsey’s layout is so gorgeous! I’ve never really used my Silhouette Cameo like this before – making a large, negative space title like this, but it was really fun! I chose to use one font only, but still emphasising some of the words by making them larger.

I chose to paper by Amy Tangerine only. I bought these last summer and haven’t used them yet (!!!). I love the colors and the patterns, but they haven’t really fit the layout I’ve made this year. I chose to spice things up a bit, but still try to choose papers that “fit the words” so that they were still readable.

I had originally printed a 4×6 photo, but seeing how large the title came out, I had to re-print as 3×4. I layered using the same papers plus some doilies.

It was so much fun cutting a large, bold title like this – I’ll definitely be doing it again! If you want to download the title as a cut file (.studio), you may do so here. I would love to see you create something with it, so if you do, please link me up!

Thanks for visiting today!

March 5, 2013

Simple Scrapper March blog hop

Welcome to Simple Scrapper’s* March blog hop!

This month I’ve got two layouts to show you: The one I made using one of the new sketches from Simple Scrapper’s March collection and the one I made using March’s Story Starter prompts. Let me show you!

I knew I wanted to make a layout using a “behind the scenes”-photo from a few weeks ago. My niece is a competition show jumper and it’s been so much fun taking her photos and cheering her on on the weekends. But what about the rest of the family? Her mom, my sister, is so busy getting both her and the horse ready. And her father drives them everywhere, holds the horse, etc, etc. My mom comes too, she encourages and shows support in good times and in bad. They’re often left out of the photos and therefore also my layouts.

I started with this photo:

After editing it (no cropping, just turning it into b/w), I picked out the papers I wanted to use. I’ve always loved October Afternoon, especially their double-sided papers with big illustrations on the B-side (like old school books), but they are so hard to use! I always end up putting them aside, thinking I’ll save them for something special. But this time I actually chose the B-side, knowing I’d have to cover much of it up.

I used many patterned papers and also a doily to build the layers on this, also adding a strip of paper on the bottom and some tape to the journaling spots.

Using different alphas helps create a focus on the titlework.

When layering like it, I only use adhesive on the center backs, not around every edge. That way the layers are “lifted” off the page, creating even more dimension.

I used March’s Single 1-sketch for this. If you’re not already a member and not sure if you want to join, use the Rafflecopter widget below to enter a giveaway for a one month trial membership at Simple Scrapper. There are three ways to enter and three winners will be selected. To be eligible, you must enter by 11:59pm CST on Wednesday, March 6.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

For the next layout I used March’s Story Starter #10. I built the page around November 2012′s sketch Single 3 and kept very true to it.

I used a simple dotted patterned paper for the background paper. I knew I had to use dots or lines in order to align the very detailed world map die-cut. Of course, I wasn’t accurate enough with the Kelly Purkey geotag stamp and therefore it looks like I live in England (but it is supposed to be Norway!).

I used twine for the lines from my location to different photos taken while at airports/on planes to illustrate travel. The title is made up of different alphas, highlighting specific words.

I used country codes around the photos to show which countries I’ve been to. The photos are layered on Marthe Stewart doily tags.

I added some Studio Calico wood veneer stars to illustrate the feeling of flying high when on airplanes. I also used Ormolu badges about traveling and wood veneer airplanes and camera. The strips on the bottom of the page are both patterned paper and a May Arts ribbon.

Please visit the rest of the participating designers to see all of their wonderful layouts:

Simple Scrapper (Jennifer Wilson)

Margrethe Aas Johnsen <– You are here!

Van Nguyen

Melissa Priest

Celeste Smith

Sara Case Strickland

Thank you for visiting today!

February 2, 2013

Summer of 2012

It’s been a couple of months and I can finally share this layout I made for Scrap365. I had been published in two previous issues after submitting layouts on a whim. I then received an e-mail asking if I’d be interested in creating specifically for an article. The article was a challenge of sorts, giving two very different designers the same recipe. This is what I made:

I used photos from the summer that had just past. From the top left: Building the deck behind the new house, our friend in our living room, the dead forest close to Stord (on our motorcycle bike-trip), Terje on the ferry, self-portrait, the lovely island Hidra.

If you want to get the issue, this layout was published in the December 2012-issue.

There will be a couple of previously-secrets layout coming soon, so keep watching this space!

January 5, 2013

Three New Projects

Hello! It’s Saturday!

My second post in December for Scrappin Studio has been up for almost a week, so I thought I’d share the projects here as well. All of these projects were made using Studio Calico’s December kits.

I’d like to start off with a layout with a photo of what greeted me when I came home one day. My husband loves his motorcycles and this year, since we’ve moved into a new house and he wants to take really good care of them, he carefully moved his favorite bike into his little den on the first floor…

On this layout I used the gold glitter paper to cut out a title using my Silhouette. The font is called Nova Solid.

I used a paper doily as a journaling spot (looks like this is starting to become one of my staples!)

The second layout is a scraplift of Tina Azimus’ layout by the same title. I really like doing layouts like this to pick some of the highlights of the year that’s passed.

On this layout, I’ve included photos from the entire year: My in-laws’ 50th birthday party, when I was offered a permanent teaching position, the trip we took on the motorcycle last summer, his sister’s wedding, my trip to Krakow, my friend’s wedding, our cats and general everyday photos.

My last project is a card lift. I really loved the card Emily Pitts made for Simple Stories and wanted to make something similar. For this card I used the Murray Hill add-on (B-side of the camera paper from KI Memories, as well as the alphabet stickers and fantastic smile washi tape from the same brand).

Normally I’m not a card maker, but simple cards like this works for me!

That’s it from me for this time. I’ve loved this chance of working with the gorgeous Studio Calico kits for Scrappin Studio. Jaime, thanks for having me guest twices this year. It’s been an absolute pleasure!

December 23, 2012

One new layout – Simple Scrapper

Hello!

This post comes to you from a storm-ridden region in the South of Norway. We’ve been inside all day due to strong winds. That means that I got around to making two layouts for Simple Scrapper, but only one that I can share with you today.

This is made from what’s called a “Story starter”*. Each month Simple Scrapper will share so-called story starters that is sure to kickstart your creativity!

I used December kits from Studio Calico and loved adding the smile washi tape behind the die-cut words on the white banners from KI Memories.

Thank you for visiting!

* This layout was inspired by a Story Starter from Simple Scrapper’s Premium Membership and made using a sketch template from Simple Scrapper’s Premium Membership.

July 31, 2012

I love you…

Another month, and another prompt from A Year in the Life of an Art Journal. While I do feel bad about not participating when the other guest hosts arrange the prompts, I do love to play when it’s my own.

I tried art journaling a few years back, but my love for paper and grids and order stoppe me from getting where far. Some people say I just need to get some paint on my hands and I will be converted. I’m not so sure. I’m a neat girl and that’s all there’s too it.

But, I realize that there’s a fine line between art journaling and scrapbooking and whichever style you choose, it’s still art. Whatever you call it, it’s cool with me.

Maybe it was the whole journaling-aspect that made me sweat? If you know my style, you know there’s not a whole lot of journaling going on on my pages…

THE PROMPT: Love
THE STUFF: A list of things you love right now, a photo of a person you love, etc.
THE TECHNIQUE: Hearts – draw one, paint one, sew one, cut one out from a magazine. Whatever you come up with!

I knew I wanted to make a layout with “flying hearts”, but my initial plan of cutting hearts from a newspaper with my Silhouette Cameo fell through pretty quickly when I realized my cutting mat is still too sticky… Pulling and scratching newspaper paper from the mat is no fun. Trust me on that!

I ended up using a patterned paper instead.

Background paper from Sodalicious, stamp by Kelly Purkey, tape from Freckled Fawn. I love these Thickers!!!
And I love my husband. Which this layout is about.

June 17, 2012

This is my story

This month’s assignment from Simple Scrapper is to scrap using phone-photos. As an avid Instagrammer I knew I had photos. The trouble was deciding which photos to use, and which story I wanted to scrap.

I chose a sketch from Simple Scrapper Premium Member’s May-gallery, which simply held the title “This is my story”. I chose this sketch because it held a lot of photos, arranged in a grid (and if you’ve followed me for a while, you know I love grids!). I decided to go with the title from the sketch and chose recent photos that tell some of my story. I use Instagram to share my life, my world, and it seemed appropriate to do the same for this assignment, adding another layer to the assignment.

I used my Silhouette Cameo to cut the background (“Circles with stars” is made by April Lewis) and added back some of the cut-out stars. I used a doily as a journaling spot and added some tape and a bit of Heidi Swapp Opanble to add layers to the layout.

Thanks for reading

June 12, 2012

This is the first day of the rest of our lives

This month I knew I had to scrap something about out new home…

Sketch template from Simple Scrapper’s Premium Membership

I took these photos rights after we received the keys and the house was officially ours. T’s expression is priceless! When I saw the first single-page sketch, I knew these were the photos for it. I know I’ve promised a house tour and that I have yet to deliver… I haven’t forgotten!

And because I feel like it, I’m taking the opportunity to brag a bit. I started studying to become a certified teacher back in August. It’s part time (which is really practical since I work full time) and all of the previous assignments has been “passed/failed”. Last month I handed in my big semester assignment on pedagogical theory … And…

Have a great day!

June 8, 2012

Style, style, baby!

So little scrapping these days, but this one came together in less than an hour yesterday… And that’s not counting the 30 minutes or so I used locationg Studio Calico’s “City of Lights”-kit. I received it right before we moved and I simply couldn’t remember where I had put it. I found it in the end, in the Experdit I use to store recent kits, photo paper and on which my photo printer is located. Go figure.

It was nice making something for me. I have scrapped lately, but for the DT’s I’m on. This is for me alone and I’m happy with the results:

This layout is based on this week’s Sunday Sketch from Studio Calico.

School is out in two weeks and I plan to play major catch up then. I haven’t done anything with Project Life since week 14 or so, but I hope that I can catch up and complete this year…

I’ll be posting some more new layouts very soon…! For those who still follow me, thank you for reading!

THE PROMPT: Love THE STUFF: A list of things you love right now, a photo of a person you love, etc. THE TECHNIQUE: Hearts – draw one, paint one, sew one, cut one out from a magazine. Whatever you come up with!

THE PROMPT: Love
THE STUFF: A list of things you love right now, a photo of a person you love, etc.
THE TECHNIQUE: Hearts – draw one, paint one, sew one, cut one out from a magazine. Whatever you come up with!