the thing about ‘once in a lifetime’ experiences is, of course, that they only happen ONCE! you have to CAPTURE them… so you will remember them! and so those who shared those ONCE in a lifetime experiences won’t forget either! You might remember that back in January, media team member Kim Jeffress, who lives in Brisbane with her husband and 2 boys, came here to LA and got a taste of a few theme parks…(that is until her oldest’s appendix burst! talk about memorable). Anyway, as you might imagine the number of photos and memories that Kim wanted to remember, and wanted to ensure her KIDS would remember are great! Take a look at how Kim used some clever ‘capturing’ techniques and created an absolutely show-stopping Memory file project. it’s amazing!
So this week I worked backwards. Normally when working with sketches we start with the sketch and then create our project. This week I had fun creating my project and then drawing the sketch inspired by my project . I have to say I may have put Maggie Massey into a bit of a spin with all my openables. Sorry Maggie. I cant wait to see what she comes up with later in the week using my sketch.So early this year my family and I flew from Australia to visit the theme parks in California. We visited Legoland, SeaWorld, Disneyland and Universal Studios. Along the way we had the chance to meet some of our favourite characters. I wanted to create a memory file filled with these fun memories.
I began with a Color Pop and Clear Pop Memory File and Mini Memory File and sketch 1.
sketch 1
I decorated the front of the Mini Memory File with my favourite photo from our trip, a photo taken at Disneyland. I added in some flags cut from scraps of pattern paper and a couple of Sentiment Stickers. I downloaded and cut with my cameo several words from Heidi’s digi cutting files, sprayed them with Gold Lame ColorShine and added them throughout my project. I found the mouse ears at my local dollar store. It was a headband, I just removed it from the plastic headband piece and glued it to the front of the memory file. I added a Color Pop Banner Delight to the bottom of the cover and added my title using letters from the Black and White letters.
Before I adhered the Mini Memory File to the yellow Color Pop file I added in some red ribbon and I also hid a small hole at the top of the file by adding a clip.
To complete the cover I tied on a lego figurine keyring to the bow to hold the Memory File closed.
sketch 2
I then created sketch 2 based on the Mini Memory File that opens to reveal the characters we met at Legoland. I misted a piece of Color Pop Pink Pop paper in Black Velvet and Sweet Cherry Colorshine and covered the inside cover and trimmed away the overhang with my stanley knife and I sanded the edges to give a bit more definition.
I added another digi word cut with my cameo and some flags on the left side.
On the right I adhered a large decorative baggie and overlaid my photos and title. I used some Pink Paislee Black Luxe letters. My journaling is added inside the baggie held with a small colored peg.
Now comes the tricky part. I tried out a new technique of joining my two regular memory files together
1 Create a gate fold on two memory files.
2 Take one Memory File(my black and white) and on one flap edge use scissors to cut a slit down the crease finishing 1 inch from either end.
3 Cover the inside of the yellow memory file with Serendipity Softness and Polka Pop pattern paper and then trim and sand the edges.
4 Cut slits 1 inch from either end of the original crease of the yellow Memory File just on one side. Then gently roll this memory file up and push it through the long slit you cut in the black and white one .
5. The 1 inch slits intersect with the long slit in the black and white one.
I have also created a step by step video for this technique.
When the first page is open this is what is revealed.
sketch 3
On the left side (which is the inside flap of the yellow memory file) I share photos of our time in San Diego this creates sketch 3.
I created a photo collage in a free online photo editing website called PicMonkey. I then Layered this over a piece of Black Pop Color Pop paper. I added a couple of banners using scraps and created my title using White letters from then Black and White letters. I included the digi word play from the Summer word set
I used a Mini Instaframe to hold my title which I typed out on my computer and laid it next to my photo.
The flap folds closed like this when the Memory File isn’t in use. You can see on the small flap I have used some Pink Paislee Gold Luxe letters to create my Disneyland title and the magical digi word.
Next up I used the two small flaps that is created when the two memory files are intersected . Once I had placed down my photos I used a Stanley knife to cut a hole in the clear Pop flap. I added a Color Pop Window Frame on the back and front of the window and added a red ribbon to complete.
sketch 4
Sketch 4 provides the basis for these two flaps. On the left side I added in some Color Magic Stars that I covered in glitter glue.
On the right I added a small baggie which holds my journaling then layered over one of our tickets. Under this there is another fav photo.
To cover the joins in the Memory Files I added some washi tape over each join.
Sketch 5
Turning the page again we see the outline of sketch 5. We see the back of the yellow flap. Here I am showing off my son’s favourite characters from Carsland in Disneyland.
I trimmed another piece of the Black Pop Color Pop paper to size, rounded the corners and attached this to the join using washi tape. This creates a further page in my memory file .
Using my iphone I filmed Lightening moving through the streets of Radiator Springs. I uploaded it to Youtube then created a QR code for ease of viewing my video clip. I printed it off and laid it over a piece of Serendipity Polka Pop pattern paper and a blue sheet from the No Limits paper pad.
This view shows the yellow memory file fully closed.
As I said previously I added in another page to accommodate my extra photos.
Sketch 6
Once this page is opened it reveals this and is the basis for sketch 6. On the left I covered the back of the Black Pop Color Pop paper with some Serendipity Singing Stripe pattern paper
I added a small baggie to hold my journaling and trimmed out the pink banner from the Sugar Chic paper pad and added this to the top of the baggie and added an epoxy word from the Vintage Chic Buzz Words set as well. Under the photos I laid a banner from the Color Pop Banner Delights that I had trimmed to fit.
I added a matching piece of Singing Stripe pattern paper on the left side to co ordinate then completed the page with some chipboard shapes from the Chipboard Stickers. The last flap is embellished simply with the photos a chipboard heart and a Definition Sticker.
Have I inspired you to get out all those “meet and greet” character photos you have been saving for a special project? I hope so!!
take a few minutes to really digest all the ideas and elements in this project! take a look at the sketches and see how they can be tweeked to meet your needs! and whatever you do… take a minute to watch kim’s video… because all i can say is BRILLIANT!
welcome back to WEEK 7 of our Memory File Adventure! today we welcome Maggie Massey as our ‘adventure guide’… first of all, can you believe that it’s been 7 weeks? WHAT the WHAT? time flies… i know that personally, i have been in a whirl wind, and i feel like the last 2 months have literally evaporated! amazing. SECOND… i wish that you could all know Maggie. This is a girl that has an ease about her that just makes you feel instantly happy and comfortable. she has the gift of gab, and an amazing ‘hostess’ quality. She loves so easily, and has such a freshness about her… you will see that in her project today… grab a beverage and prepare to be amazed!
Woo hoo! Week 7 of the Memory File Adventure! Have you been creating along with us? Well, if you are here for the first time, or if you have missed any of the previous weeks, you can find weeks 1-6 right here:
It’s Maggie Massey here and this week my assignment was “FOOD.”
Now, I’ll admit, I was really struggling when I first received this topic. I mean…food…really? What on EARTH was I going to do for this? In truth, I pondered and stewed and sat and took notes and changed ideas and pondered some more until it FINALLY dawned on me.
Whenever we gather with family & friends…whenever we invite the neighbors over…whenever we are being social, there is always food present…right? Food and it’s preparation and all of the things that go into cooking and family celebrations can be just as artistic & inspirational as anything else, right? So, it stands to reason that we must have memories that involve food…and those are what we are going to be documenting in these pages…
Here are your ASSIGNMENTS for this week:
1. Jot down some of your favorite family memories that revolve around food. These can be favorite Thanksgiving dinners, birthday parties, cooking with your kids, etc.
2. Find some photos of these occasions and set them aside to work with.
3. Collect a list of favorite family dinners or restaurants.
4. Find a favorite family recipe. It can be one that has been handed down for years or one that your entire family devours every time you make it! If you have a few of these, collect them all…
7. Gather your supplies… (please note, I used Heidi Swapp products for my pages…but you can use anything at all you have on hand…remember it’s the memories that are important here)…
*Create a little flip book with scrapbook paper: Cut 2 pieces of paper 4″ wide by 8″ long. Fold them in half lengthwise and staple them together in the crease.
Add a length of ribbon or seam binding around the middle of your book (to cover up the staples in the middle) and tie a bow in the front. You may choose to attach an embellishment to the ribbon here…I added a Color Magic Heart (sprayed with Georgia Peach Color Shine).
Adhere the little flip book over the “you are my FAVORITE” sentiment.
Now fill your book with “food related” memories…
*Use a paper clip to keep your little flip book closed
TIP: Don’t worry about making your memories sound “fancy” – just get them down on paper…
If you can read my memories up there you’ll see that I’ve written down things like: “when I was little my family would go out to eat almost every week with the Reeder family…often to “The Unicorn” in Lombard”…or…”I’ve never liked salmon but I’ve always wanted to like it” (that’s seriously weird isn’t it? But so true…I really want to like it…). Now obviously those things are not beautiful prose, but they are things I remember…and it’s important to me that I continue to remember them…
Page 26 BACK:
Now here is where you will need your recipe card…
*Copy your favorite family recipe onto the card and adhere to the back of page 26. Add a banner (I used a length of Heidi’s Color Pop Banner Delights) to the bottom of your card and any other embellishments you like.
If you don’t have a favorite family recipe, use a menu from your favorite restaurant…or include another of your stories here…
Page 27 FRONT:
Page 27 is a clear plastic photo holder…but I’ve created a couple of printables for us so that we can turn that page into another journaling page…here are the printables (you can download them using the links above):
For the front page I used the “Delicious” printable and added a memory about a meal I cooked when I was first married (a meal that did NOT turn out as expected…and, get this, I was just making tacos…yep – tacos)…
*Embellish your page with banners or other embellishments. I added a couple layers of Color Pop Banner Delights and a Definition Sticker (attached to a vintage plastic toothpick).
Page 27 BACK:
On this printable I added an anecdote about something that happened at our wedding on this page (along with a photo of us with our cake)…we had our reception in my parents’ back yard under a beautiful tent with tons of food…except we got none of it. And to top that off, one of my husband’s groomsmen ate ALL (ALL! ALL!) of the crab legs…did I mention he ate ALL of them???
*You can choose to add any embellishment you like to this page as well. I added the Mint Clear Pop numbers “’01″ (for the year we were married) and the Buzz Word “us” to my photo. I also added a Sentiment Sticker and sentiment arrow to my page.
TIP: Take a small piece of washi tape (about 3″), slip one end through a paper clip, adhere the ends together and cut a notch in the end. Use this clip to keep the top of the plastic page protector closed so that your embellished pages won’t fall out.
Page 28 FRONT:
For this page I created another printable…(you can download it using the link above):
*Cut 2 pieces of paper…one should be about 5″x5″ and the other should be about 2 1/2″x5.” Adhere them to your page, the larger one on top of the smaller.
*Adhere the printable near the bottom left corner of your top piece of paper, and place a Color Pop Window Frame over that. Staple a couple Color Pop Banner Delights and a paper flower to the upper right corner of your frame.
*Adhere the word “eat” to your bottom piece of paper. I used the Clear Pop Grey Alpha letters on mine…
Page 28 BACK:
*Here I added story about how Thanksgiving has become such a huge tradition in our home. I cut a piece of white cardstock to about 4 1/2″x5 1/2″ – added a photo of our Thanksgiving table, and told my story. A piece of washi on the right side of the cardstock adds some interest to the journaling and helps to anchor the photo on the opposite side.
*Add a few embellishments over the photo/journaling. I added a Clear Pop Tag (#grateful), a Color Pop flag (cut from the Color Pop Banner Delights) and a few resin dots…
Page 29 FRONT:
For the final page I wanted to make a place to store more recipes or memories, so I added a pocket.
*Cut a piece of paper to 5 1/2″x6″ and adhere on the sides and bottom to your album page. Sew around the edges (except for the top!) to add extra texture and interest.
TIP: Change this page up a bit by adding photos or more journaling.
Page 29 BACK
Because my husband works long hours on most days, one of the only times we’re all together as a family is during dinner. So, for the last page of my assignment I decided I wanted to add a list of some of my family’s favorite meals…and there is tons of room to add more as the kids’ tastes change.
Just seeing this list sparks memories of dinners we’ve had that have been worth remembering for one reason or another.
*Add some washi tape (I used bookbinding tape) to the sides of the page to make a frame around this awesome gray/white striped page.
*Add some banners/flowers/embellishments to the side of the page just to dress it up a bit.
And that’s it!
If you can’t think of any prominent “food” memories right off the top of your head, maybe this is a good time to start creating some…
Take photos of your Memory File Album in progress, post them to Instagram and tag them #hsmemoryfileadventure…and if you finish any of your “food” pages, make sure to tag me, too! @MidwesternGirl5 – I’d love love love to see what you’re creating!
And now…just because it’s THAT awesome, I want to share our family’s favorite recipe with you…I hope you love it!
CHEESY BEEFY CASSEROLE
1 lb. ground beef, browned & drained – seasoned with Garlic Salt, to taste
About 1 lb. macaroni noodles, cooked
1 can tomato SOUP
8 pieces American Cheese
Mix the beef, noodles & soup together in a large pot. Put one layer of the meat mixture in the bottom of a 2 quart casserole dish, top with 4 pieces of the cheese (lay them out in a four-square pattern…don’t just pile all 4 on top of each other…yuck). Then do another layer of the meat mixture & 4 more pieces of cheese (if you need to do another layer, go ahead, just make sure you end with cheese on top).
Pop it in a 300° oven for about 1/2 hour or until the whole thing is warm and the cheese has melted.
Serve to your family (my Mom always served ours with corn and baby carrots)…sit back and smile, because lady, you rock.
i will tell you that i am not really a ‘foodie’… but i agree with maggie 100% that FOOD is the CENTER of so many of our memories! and whether we think about it much, or not… they are interconnected with traditions, celebrations, everyday, after school, breakfasts, time together with friends and family… it’s just not fun if we don’t have yummy food!! since we are on the subject, i thought that i would share the recipie that will be going into my book this week, and that is my favorite Chocolate Chip Cookies! we usually make these every sunday, and without fail they are gone before they are all done cooking! they are our happy comfort food! i will share the recipe along w/ my secrets here…. and in my book. i have been trying to teach my kiddos how to make them- Cory is pretty close to mastering it, but the rest have a long ways to go! i like to eat them best frozen. and it’s always good to hide 5 or 6 away so you have a late night snack all to yourself… just a tip!
Heidi’s Favorite Chocolate Chip Cookies:
preheat oven to 350 F
mix:
1 Cup Butter Flavor Crisco (this is pretty key, the butter flavor is much better than regular)
1/2 C. sugar
1 C. brown sugar
***blend on medium high for at least 2 min. you want it to be really fluffy
add:
2 eggs
1 t. Vanill
***blend again for at least 2 min on medium high. fluffy again!
add:
2 C. flour
1 t. salt
1 t. baking soda
***blend until well mixed. i don’t waste time sifting, you can if you are into that kind of thing
add
1 c. choc chips (i like semi sweet most)
***guard the dough with your life. it’s delicious and people will try to steal it before you can bake it all up!
i use a small scoop to drop balls of dough onto a cookie sheet. i bake for 11 min. (actually, my new oven seems hotter, so i dropped to 10 min) they might seem a little doughy but take them out and remove onto a cooling rack and allow to cool. don’t over cook them. no one likes that!
ENJOY! ok EVERYONE: you know that next week is the 8th week of our adventure!! and it’s my week to finish this out… but i have decided to skip a week, and give you all a little ‘catch up’ time… i know i need that… i leave tomorrow for New Zealand and i am NOT quite ready to show you the last 4 pages! but i will tell you, that it’s a perfect way to kick off a brand new season (for me SUMMER!) i am so excited to finish off this amazing album, SO… just plan on me coming back with the final four (pages) on JUNE 3rd!
UNTIL THEN… i’d love to share some of your creations next monday here on my blog! i’d love to see what you are making on this adventure! i’ll be watching instagram for those of you tagging up your projects with #hsmemoryfileadventure. those of you who are picked and featured on my blog will receive a little surprise from me! so don’t forget to TAG IT UP… have a great MONDAY~ and MAKE PRETTY STUFF!!
while i probably wouldn’t classify myself as a ‘mixed media artist’… i DO love to get my hands all dirty playing with sprays, paints, inks and all kinds of different mediums! for years, i have loved to play with masks, stencils, foam stamps… and now that i have stencils again back in my line up, it’s been so much fun to PLAY and experiment- that whole “experimenting’ is a critical part of the creative process… i highly encourage some play time! Today… Jamie Pate shares a beautiful happy project that would make such a lovely piece of art in your home, or a wonderful gift… i always love Jamie’s soft textures, and inspiring results! take a look at this simple, yet fabulous piece:
I love to play around with mixed media art. It is one of those exercises that really has no rules. There is therapy in adding paint and stamps and paper and stencils to a blank canvas. Time does not always allow for me to play as much as I would love. But when this weeks Stencil Mania came up, I knew that some sort of mixed media would be involved for my project.
Today’s project is fairly simple and straightforward. I am going to show you how a few bottles of Color Shine and a couple of the Heidi Swapp Stencils can be the jumping off place to a fun canvas piece.
This project starts with an 8×10 canvas. The 12×12 Hexagon and the 6×6 Butterfly stencils were used to create this background. Mustard and Georgia Peach Color Shine was used first. An ombre effect of sorts was created by adding a bit of the Mustard Shine first and then a few sprays of the Georgia Peach. Now remember…mixed media can be very subjective. It can be hard to replicate exactly. So here today I just want to show you what the stencils can do. But know that you may not get this exact color variation on your project if you were to try this. Hopefully this will be an inspiration piece for you to show you just what a great effect you can get from the Stencils and mixing the Color Shine.
The fabulous 6×6 Butterfly stencils was used to make the next layer. (I may or may not be a huge fan of that particular stencil). I used Primrose Color Shine to give these shapes a good pop of color. To achieve this look, I placed the Butterfly stencil on the canvas, then used washi tape to keep it in place. Then I used paper towels to cover all the areas I did NOT want the Shine to show. And that’s how I was able to have only four of the butterflies show when there are actually six on the stencil.
Now that the background is in place, which I love by the way, it is time to play.
Color Magic Letterbox Alphas were used to spell CREATE. They were sprayed with Primrose Color Shine. I wanted them to have a bit of lift on the canvas, so they are attached with hot glue. You could also use dimensional tape to achieve the same effect.
The Chipboard Alphas with Resist were used to spell JOY. I wanted these to be a slightly different pink, and I did not want the resist dots to show through too much, so I used a pink acrylic paint to color. I like how the paint is just transparent enough to show a bit of the dots. Remember to make products work for you. Just one way is to paint embellishments.
EVERYDAY was cut on my Silhouette on white card stock. It was then sprayed with Primrose Color Shine. I added small dabs of liquid adhesive to only a few places on the back so that it would have a bit of a floating feel on the canvas.
The rest of the canvas is embellished with vintage sequins, Gold Confetti Arrow Rub Ons from Pink Paislee, a doily. tag, a clip and I trimmed off the ‘Serendipity’ word from the info strip at the bottom of one of the Serendipity 12 x12 pattern papers.
There are so many levels of detail you can achieve with the new Stencils. I showed you a real basic way to make a canvas background with a few of the patterns. You can also add more stenciling with more Color Shine, or paint or stamp ink. There are lots more embellishments you could add to your project too. The possibilities are truly endless. Hoping today this little piece simply gets your creativity inspired to make pretty stuff with these fabulous stencils.
i just love the look that Jamie achieved on the background here with the lovely mix of colors as she blends the different colors! there is so much versatility with these stencils and color sprays…it’s so exciting! i hope you will get your hands on some sooN!
so if you know media team member Jennifer Evans at all… (hopefully you are following her on insta)… you know that she is about 7 weeks away from delivering baby #2… a little girl. so, as you might guess, she is NESTING like crazy, getting ready for this sweet baby girl! take a look at the super cute idea that Jen had to stencil a cutie little dress for her sweet baby! ….
Come on. Tell me I am not the only one totally excited about Heidi’s NEW stencils released at Michaels!?! They are so much fun! I am head over heels in love of what Kim used her stencils for on Tuesday! Today, I am going to show you a technique that will have you pulling out any clothing in your closet just so you can try it yourself!
For this project I purchased this little dress on clearance from Target for only $4.90! Score! I wanted to decorate the top of the dress a little more.
How to:
1. Place a piece of cardboard inside the garment so that the paint doesn’t bleed through the fabric.
2. Lay the clothing on a hard surface and tape the stencil to the top with washi tape.
3. Put some paint inside a container and dab the brush into the paint. With an up and down motion, pounce the stencil where you would like to apply paint.
4. While the paint is still wet, carefully remove the stencil and wash it clean with soap and water.
5. Let the garment dry completely according to paint’s instructions.
Now, don’t get me wrong. I think this project is darling. But, I have to say that I wish I could fit into a pair of jeans right now because if I could I would be sporting a Heidi Swapp stencil on a pair of colored jeans in a heart beat!
This would be a great gift for a baby shower! But, every gift needs a tag!
To get this look, I sprayed the tag with Tropicana Teal and Mint Green Color Shine. Then, I placed the stencil on the tag. Using the brush inside the crackle paint, dab on to the stencil and carefully remove while it is still wet. Let it dry completely before misting again with Gold Lame’ Color Shine.
If you make something using the new stencils, make sure to use the hashtag #heidiswappstencils in Instagram so we can see what you do withthem!
i just love what jen did to create this beautiful tag as well! that yummy texture and detail in the background is jut amazing! and SO easy! get your hands on some stencils and MAKE PRETTY STUFF!!
hello hello… welcome to WEDNESDAY, and hence, a NEW episode of Create to Remember on My Craft Channel! as i try to keep up with my amazing Media Team… (and i am still not over how fabulous Kim’s stencil ideas are from yesterday)… today i share 4 fun different ideas for creating inside a decorative wood shadow box… now this shadow box that i am using is very lightweight, and made of raw wood. you can spray it with Color Shine, paint it with acrylic paints… spray paint etc, etc… they are so much fun, and make absolutely beautiful gifts!
i do show off the project that we are making in New Zealand next week… a really cool mini book that opens both right, and left, and up!! it only sits in the shadow box for ‘show’, but can be removed to look through and enjoy the book. i love that- dual purpose!
i also show a really cool project that i created using a binding mechanism and filling it with all kinds of different types of papers and mediums. I did some unique treatment to the wooden frame, and embellished it with gorgeous Prima flowers.
The third project is more of a home decor item than a paper crafting item – i show how to use the shadowbox frame as a little side table tray- a gathering place for little knick knacks. made this one for Capri and she loves, loves it…
last but not least… i painted some chalkboard paint all over the BACK of this frame, and created a small decorative calk board project.
what ideas are rolling around in your mind? i’d love to hear and see your creations! so get busy! MAKE PRETTY STUFF!
have you picked up the NO LIMITS paper pack? it has simple pieces to trim out and make easy cards like Midwestern... http://t.co/ZN79Mbjcpd18 hours ago
so don’t forget to TAG IT UP… have a great MONDAY~ and MAKE PRETTY STUFF!! 
