Playing Around With Project Life Vintage Travel Kit

I’d been hearing tons about “Project Life”  an innovative line of scrapbook products by Becky Higgins. I was thrilled when I had the chance to play with one of the newest kits  now available at Michaels: Vintage Travel.

This collection features deep blues, reds, browns and dark neutrals, and as the name suggests, lots of travel themed icons. This post is part of a paid campaign with American Crafts, but all opinions are my own.

I have been an on and off scrapbooker, and Project Life is a great way to scrapbook if you are just starting out or if you are a veteran.

Included in each kit are enough themed cards to complete an entire album. Included are cards with suggested layouts. You don’t need scissors, glue, or fancy tools. The albums support the card sizes from the kits and you can lay things out how you choose.

Everything coordinates with everything else and all of the cards are double sided. But kind of like how life is what happens when you're busy making other plans, I'm a person who doesn’t like to use stuff for its intended purpose so I decided not to make traditional scrapbook layouts with this cool Vintage Travel kit, but a smaller purse sized album that could then become part of a big 12x12 album or simply stand alone.

For this album, I selected several of the pre-scored cards from the kit:

Folded these along the score lines and then made an accordion style album by adhering the pages together with double sided tape:

Since everything coordinates, I didn’t really plan out a pattern. You could easily choose from one color family or use all of one pattern or theme or whatever you want.

I can’t have paper in my possession without tearing it. Just cannot be done! So I covered two pieces of chipboard with more of the cards from the kit, again, not particularly careful just eyeballed some coordinating colors.

I cut/tore a couple more cards and used PVA glue to adhere them to my album cover, going over the whole thing with some distress inks. Finished with an oversized eyelet on the front and back covers tied off with ribbon.

Here’s the inside where I can jot down notes or paste in ticket stubs, receipts, little things I want to keep or remember. I didn’t make it so fat that I can’t tuck the whole thing inside a bigger scrapbook if I want to. Haven’t decided yet!

This is the back cover. You can go check out the the Vintage Travel kit along with the Dear Lizzy 5th and Frolic core kits at Michaels, which carries one of the largest selections of Project Life. The Dear Lizzy collection features light blues, pinks, yellows and neutrals with birds, trees, houses, and keys.

As you can see from the pictures of the kit, there are a LOT of cards included in this kit so be on the lookout for some future projects, and maybe even an actual scrapbook !

There's A Michael's Store in Downtown Vancouver BC!

Mr. Chocolate, College Boy and I got away last weekend for a long weekend in Vancouver British Columbia. We love Vancouver and go there whenever we can. Most of the time when we go somewhere, I scout out where the closest craft store is because well, ya know! Knowing that we were going to be in the heart of downtown Vancouver however, it never occurred to me to check. Well what do you know?!

And I didn't even find it. Mr. Chocolate and College Boy did!  We split up while out one day and they came back to the hotel and said " Did you know there's a Michaels on Alberni street" . Since we're always teasing each other, I thought they were being sarcastic. HA! So off I went after dinner. 

Mod Podge supplies? Check 

Wall o ribbon? Check.

Scrapbook paper? Check. Along with everything else you expect to find at Michaels: beads, seasonal decor, paints, EVERYTHING. I guess why this was such a pleasant surprise is the store's located in the heart of Vancouver's "Rodeo Drive". There's an Hermes ( ca-ching) store on one corner, a Tiffany store (more ca-ching) on the other , Louis Vuitoon across the street. along with several high end boutiques and restaurants. 

Not to mention that it's two levels with origami doves going up the escalator. See? Even when I'm not trying to , I can't stay out of a craft store. 

If you ever get the chance to go to Vancouver BC do it. Not just for the Michaels of course ( although c'mon...that helps) but it's a vibrant city with so much to do. Check out this food truck: 

There are a bunch of fun food trucks around the city. Dining options abound and cover any type of food you could want. Drinks too! 

Signature drink of Cactus Club Cafe: Peach Bellini. YUM! 

DIY : Upscale a Dollar Store Tray (With Matching Journal)

I might have to start calling Mr. C, Mr. B. He’s become an aficionado of small batch bourbons (not to excess!)

I don’t mind because I get all kinds of cool bottles to play with. He mentioned the other day that he saw an online bourbon journal but it only allowed 5 entries until there was a charge for it, so I decided I’d go old school and make him a hardcopy journal. He’s also into watches and time pieces, and I already had some very cool clock themed paper in my stash. Win-win since I’m working to bust some stash this year.

For this project you will need:

1.) Dollar Store Silver Tray ( I got mine @ Dollar Tree)

2.) Pre-made (or make your own) chipboard journal….This was on sale after Christmas at Michaels for $.25! A whole quarter. Cheaper than making my own.

3.) Coordinating charms to match your paper of choice. These were NOT on sale at Michaels but they were $2 for the pack and totally justified given the $.25 journal ( which I may or may not have purchased more than one)

4.) Embellishments. In this case I had these Tim Holtz game spinner thingies in my stash. So my total cost was $3.25.

I cut my watch themed paper to fit the inside of the tray. Applied Mod Podge to the tray, applied the paper and finished with two coats of MP.

Before Christmas we saw some high end barware at Macy’s . Gorgeous, but $$.  I like my price a lot better!

For the journal, I covered two pieces of the chipboard ( it actually comes w/ four pieces but I’ll use the other two for something else) with the watch paper on one side and some number themed paper on the other. Mod Podged these on. Went around the edges with some aluminum tape.

I had a chipboard tag in my stash which I left naked and applied a scrap of the watch paper to, then edged with black ink.  I added one of the watch charms (one of four from my $2 package so this was $.50), and an antique embossed monogram sticker I had in my stash.

To finish off the journal, I added some of the game spinners to the watch hands on the paper.

Just gives it a little dimension. I cut the inside pages to size from paper I had on hand, and put on the ring that came with the journal ( added some ribbon on hand just cause) and done.

So now Mr. C or Mr B or whomever I’m married to , has a place to display his current favorite find, as well as keep track of what he likes, doesn’t like, etc. about them.

If adult beverages aren’t your thing, you could easily adapt this for any kind of theme from coffees / teas, flavored syrups, olive oils, balsamic vinegars or just cause you want to decorate a tray!

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First Cards of 2013

My first projects of 2013 happen to be my first craft love, cards. I have a few January birthdays. Proud mom moment when your College age child asks when you’ll be making the thank you notes he needs to write for Christmas presents.

I am on a mission this year to,  if not craft SOLELY from my stash ( hear that Mr. Chocolate…I did not say I was not going to my homes away from home so you cannot quote me on that no way no how) but to bust a lot of it.  So everything I’m showing here I already had in my stash.

For the first card ( above) I used a watch themed paper by Recollections. This paper is so great I hardly needed to add anything to it. But we can’t have that now can we? I ran a piece of kraft cardstock through my Cuttlebug using a Tim Holtz Alterations embossing folder.

I distressed my embossed watch panel with Tim’s ( we’re on a first name basis even though we’ve never met) Distressed Inks in Black Soot and some mica gloss inks in silver. Added a couple of sprocket gears , also from Tim’s line.

For the second card, I used a paper pack from EK Success “Life’s Little Occasions” line. I picked up a bunch few of these at JoAnn’s on one of my trips…they come in coordinated color packs and they also have sticker sets in themes like birthdays, anniversaries, etc. They’re usually in little bins on  the scrapbook paper or sticker aisle (this one’s called Black Punch Pack) and they’re great for bits and pieces or scrapbook journaling. Sorry…forgot to take a pic of the pack!

Pulled out three different pieces and added a black mat. The silver ribbon? Recycled from Christmas wrapping.

The tag in the middle is by Jolee’s Boutique French General line. Picked up a pack of these last year when they were 50% off. I embellished with another piece from my Life’s Little Occasions pack, and some leftover rub-ons.

For College Boy’s thank-you notes, I pulled out these fun black and white cards I picked up for $1 at Michaels some time last year. They’re by “Ditto / Studio G” and I know they still carry a bunch of their stuff at reasonable prices because I have had to force myself to keep walking past them! See? I can be good.

On another prior Michaels trip, I’d scooped up a bunch of vintage rub-ons in their then $1 section. College Boy likes things clean and not fussy so I kept these really simple and just applied them directly to the cards.

Do you have stash to bust in 2013? Please tell me I'm not alone :)

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Easy Christmas Countdown Banner

I haven’t hung this up yet since I haven’t decided where it’s going but thought I’d share this quick Christmas Countdown banner.

Once again, I fell in love with a paper stack. It’s an illness. I accept  I have it.

This time it was “Joyful Christmas” by Recollections at Michaels. Lots of vintagey goodness with some sheets full of glitter accents. Yum.

You can see how easy they made it to make this banner since there are a couple of countdown sheets in the stack. I just cut each one out and mounted onto a black panel.

I had these brads in my stash from after Christmas shopping last year:

Connected the corners using the brads but decided that 1-25 all together would be way too long so I did 1-12, 12-24 and then 25 as a standalone.

Framed "25" with a silver glitter scrap and snowflake brads. Used black and white bakers twine to finish things off.

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It's Overflowing

Ribbon and Jump Rings Necklace Part Deux: Cream and Amber

I had so much fun with the Ribbon and Jump Rings necklace I shared last week that when I found myself at Michaels again this weekend ( they really need to give me my own parking space) I went looking for another one of the ribbon necklaces I used.

No more black ( eeek! boo! it’s my signature color!) but they had the same one in cream so I decided to branch out! Hello , my name is Carol and I’m a neutral-holic.

I also picked up a package of these Trinkettes beads by Cousin (fear not colorful people they come in loads of colors) and while I was scrounging around in the clearance bin again, came across these gorgeous amber-crystal-cabochony thingies. $1.99. SCORE.

Similar to the black necklace I made, I strung large jump rings onto the ribbon necklace, over all of the layers.

Total number of jump rings: 11 It made sense to  me to have 5 on each side and one in the middle. No reason other than that's what felt right. You could use more. You could use less.

Then I put some of the Trinkettes beads on some of the large jump rings and the amber cabochony thingies on other jump rings and used smaller jump rings to attach everything together. I’m very technical! Seriously. This is super super easy and there are several different types of ribbon necklaces avail even if you don’t find this exact one by Bead Landing because I bought them all.

Cabochony thingy, Trinkettes beads, cabochony thingy Trinkettes etc.

Look Mom, I didn’t even use the black beads ( YET!). And yes I did drive to another Michaels looking for another black ribbon necklace. No luck. There’s another Michaels I’m checking out this weekend. Sssssshhhhhh.

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