Sundays With Lorraine

Hello, my crafty friends and welcome back to the Weekly Scrapper! It makes me smile knowing that you found a bit of time to get crafty. One of my goals for this year is to make sure that I take the time to do more of what makes me happy. Since art is proven to be very therapeutic, it’s important to our well being, right? There you go, you now have a hall pass to be creative. 😉

Project Life inspired by Peanut & Bean

Pocket page scrapbooking has proven that it’s here to stay. Creating colorful pocket pages with a clean linear design is a great way to tell your story. I’m a little embarrassed to admit that i’m stepping outside my comfort zone as I have never done a Project Life album, so I had to do a little blog surfing about pocket pages. All I can say is WOW! I can’t believe I waited this long to embrace this amazing way to actually complete multiple albums in a reasonable amount of time. “Ya gotta love it!” The original post for this Project Life layout goes back a bit but I felI in love with the color scheme combined with using both color and black and white photos. Along with the perfectly coordinated pocket cards used to embellish the album, what’s not to love? It didn’t hurt that all the cards are available to print out for free on the Inspired by Peanut & Bean Blog. If you are new to Project Life click here and I will be happy to take you over to Becky Higgin’s Blog so you, too, can catch the fever.

I am now officially hooked on the endless possibilities that pocket scrapbooking has to offer. Whether you are going digital or you prefer shopping for your supplies at Scrapbook Expo (which I highly recommend) pocket page scrapbooking has something for everyone. I’m thinking of it as the instant gratification of scrapbooking. I’ve been in the scrapbooking industry for many years and I don’t know many people that are actually up-to-date with their albums  Yes, it’s time to play catch up, my fellow scrapbookers! Think about how with all the time we will be saving, we can be out creating lots more memories to scrapbook.

Hugs To All by Virginia Lu

Valentine’s Day doesn’t have to be pink and red as demonstrated by this sweet card designed by Virginia Lu. Yellow and orange wouldn’t have been my first thought for a Valentine’s Day card, but it’s absolutely adorable. Who wouldn’t feel a hug when they opened the mailbox to discover this handmade treasure?

Here’s yet another way to use your color mists. How about customizing your own paper and running it through your personal die cutting machine as Virginia did with the Stacked Hearts die by Simon Says Stamp. Think of all the possibilities! It’s also a great way to experiment with your different coloring mediums. Start out with some watercolor paper cut into A2 card size; this way when you come up with some amazing effects you can use them on your cards and tags. It’s the perfect head start on that next project as well as a great creative release.

Feel A Hug by Loll Thompson

I must confess I have a slight spray mist addiction since leaving CHA last week. There are so many to choose from and I love that you can mix up your own as Loll did here. Don’t they make the most unique one-of-a-kind backgrounds? Loll took it one step further and added more visual interest by using cling wrap and three different colors of spray mist, then ran some embossing paste through a stencil to get the beautiful tulip image. So clever!

I’d like to thank Loll for being such an inspiration and for sharing this fun technique. I hope you’ve been inspired to break out the cling wrap and give it a try. Click here and I will be happy to bring you over so you can follow along and takes notes. Loll’s card is a perfect example of what happens when you play with your supplies without fear. After all, you will never know what you are truly capable of unless you just dive in and have fun with your art. Keep up the great job of sharing smiles one handmade card at a time.

Year In Review: Photo Frame Display

I still can’t believe that 2015 is over; where did the time go? Realizing how fast time seems to slip by, I was inspired to print out some photos highlighting the year and scraplift this great idea. This project is also a great way to use the leftover pocket page cards that you’ve been collecting. I love it when I can walk into my scrapbook room and come out with a cute home decor piece. 😉  I hope that you’ve been inspired to get some of those precious photos off your phone and printed out so you can create your own year in review photo display.

You might want to make several because they make great gifts for those family members that live out of state. This way you can update the pictures throughout the year. Yes, you will be the hero of your family!  Click here so I can take you over to the American Crafts Blog where you can follow along with Gina as she shares step-by-step instructions to make your own year in review.

Seafood Cioppino Recipe

If you’re looking for a great seafood recipe to create in your slow cooker, this classic fish stew is just the ticket. There is something to be said about taking 20 minutes in the morning to prep the meal, forgetting about it and 4-5 hours later you have an amazing dinner with no muss and no fuss!

This stew pairs well with a simple salad, a loaf of crusty bread,and a bottle of your favorite white wine. I love that it’s easy enough to prepare for a change of pace in the weekly dinner rotation and is equally at home served to company. I’d be happy to take you over to the Taste Of Home Blog so that you can print out the recipe; this is one dish you will be making time and time again. Bon appetit!

Thanks for stopping by – have a great week and I’ll see you back next weekend with more projects to keep you inspired..