Spring Cleaning!

The Spring Fling Crop on our FB page has been so much fun this week- and full of lots of great inspiration! Make sure to stop by (and you still have the weekend to participate in all the wonderful challenges). 

Friday's Challenge is - Do a little Spring Cleaning! 

I don't know about you, but every month I 

save things from my kits that I want 

"to use later." 

And then I forget about them! 

Today's challenge is about digging up those 

old treasures and putting them to use.

Use 

items from at least THREE old NM kits! 

(If you don't have any old NM kits, then three older 

items). I can't wait to see yours!

This layout uses items from at least 5 different kits, and probably a few more! :) It feels good to use up some of those things in my stash!

Project Life Pages with NoelMignon Kits!

I've been taking my own pace at Project Life. Even though it seems like so far my pattern is to catch up on a month at a time, I'm hoping to change that soon... but even if I do that all year, that's okay with me, because I love my pages and I think they capture a different side of things that my layouts don't always get. 

Here's some snippets of pages, using odds and ends from my NoelMignon kits! 

(Some of the Charm School and Hudson Valley Kits used here)

If I don't have enough for a full two page spread, I use a 6x12 page protector + a 12x12 page protector. It's just right! Above, the right hand side is a 6x12 page protector and it's laying on top of the next week. 

Some details- using Lily Bee Designs here and some more of the Hudson Valley kit! 

Decorative tapes and labels are my best friends for this project! 

Don't forget to add inks and paints- I love they way they look in a "structured" project like this!

I've been keeping a close eye on the Dollar Spot at Target- this pad of weekly planning sheets is perfect for summing up a week! 

How is your project life going? :) How are you making it look like YOU?

The Workhorse of Scrapbooking: Two-page layouts, continued

Hi!
Gretchen here!
I want to follow up Jana's post from Monday.
She showed you how she made a 2-page layout without having to 2 pieces of the same patterned paper for the background.
Jana used kraft cardstock as the base of her layout and then she used strips of patterned paper to extend across both sides of the layout.
And I have another trick for you!
I too made a 2-page layout without having 2 sheets of the same patterned paper.
Instead I took 2 different sheets of patterned paper and cut each in half.
(so each sheet of paper ends up being 2 pieces of 6"x12" paper)
I used 2 pieces of plain ole white cardstock as the base of my layout.

Then I took one of the patterned papers that I cut in half and put one half on the far left side of my 2-page layout and the other half on the far right side of the layout.
Then I took the other sheet of patterned paper that I cut in half and added it to the middle of the 2-page layout.

Make sense??
Once I had my background created, I added the pictures and embellished from there!

I used a combination of 2 kits here.
Most of the layout is from the Homespun kit.
But since this a baby girl page, I wanted a little more pink on it!
So I grabbed the pink cardstock, pink plaid patterned paper, Hambly rub-ons, and bling from the Charm School kit and added some pink to the layout.
So are you a little less scared of 2-page layouts??
Maybe??!
I hope so!
:)
Have a great day!!

Love Day & a Sketch

The minute I opened my Charm School Kit I fell head over heels for the gumdrop brads by We R Memory Keepers. I mean . . . how cute are they?!! :) I have been saving them for a special page where I could use the entire package as page elements. I decided to mount them on punched circles and scatter them down the right side of my page . . . sort of like falling snowflakes. :) And here is the result!

And here is a sketch to go along with it.

Here is a closer look at the details

I bought these delicious, glittery Scrapworks Chipboard letters from Noel's shop and love the way they tie in with the sparkle of the gumdrop brads!

I'd love to see your take on my sketch! Link us up here in the comments of this post, or come and show your creation to us in the Noel Mignon Forum.

See you again soon!

Jana Eubank

Lots of Kisses?!!

My four year old is quite a character. She is a mix of shy/introvert and independent/sass. She is not the most affectionate by nature, but she started a little tradition with me a year or so ago that is a daily routine now. She will every so often come up to me and smother my face with kisses, and declare in her little voice, "LOTS of kisses?!!"  It melts my heart because I know it's not in her nature to be so affectionate, and it's true innocent childlike love for her mama. 

It's one of those things I've been wanting to document for some time now, and I pulled out the Charm School kit to make a layout about it! 

I picked up an October Afternoon SprINKler in Hopscotch in my last order, 

and I love this pretty shade of pink! It worked perfectly with a Dollar Store heart doily as a mask to create this soft background. 

The little kraft envelope tucked behind the photos was the perfect spot for my journaling. 

I love that I now how this recorded and it'll be such a fun peek at this stage of her life! 

I challenge you to record a memory this weekend that is something 

you've been wanting to record and haven't sat down to do yet. :) 

2 kits, 2 cards, NO tape runner!

So have you heard about the This or That challenge for February??!
You have to either give up your paper trimmer or your tape runner.

Tough one, huh??!
Well I didn't get a chance to do the challenge in January so I definitely wanted to this month's.

I just didn't realize how tough it was going to be!!

After much deliberation I decided to give up my tape runner.
Even though I don't absolutely love my current paper trimmer, I figured my infatuation with brads and my stapler would make the no tape runner thing do-able.

So here is what I made and the proof that I did it honestly!
:)

Card #1 using the delightful Charm School kit...

The hearts & the "hugs & kisses" sticker are adhered with foam adhesive.
The striped paper is attached brads.
The cardstock matting the "hugs & kisses" sticker was stapled to the card first before I added the sticker.

Here's my proof...

And card #2 using the Cabin Fever kit...

The brown cardstock and the green/blue paper were stapled to the card very strategically.

Then the "baby, it's cold outside" sentiment was adhered over the staples using foam adhesive.
And here's the proof again...

(sorry for the poor quality of my "proof" pictures. i decided too late to take those pictures and had no sunlight at all!)
*****
You still have time to play along with us.
You have until the end of the month to make something without your tape runner or without your paper trimmer!
*****
Happy Wednesday!

Symbolism...

Hey there! Lisa here today!

Sometimes I add subtle symbolism in my layouts that I'm sure only I notice!

I love the little piece of fabric that is in the Charm School kit! It was the perfect addition to this page about my kids. I loved the mix of the softness of the fabric with the border zigzag's on the stickers. It sort of represents the meaning of this page, how my kids can go from fighting (the zigzag's) to cuddling on the couch watching a movie (the soft fabric) and then it's balanced out with the softness of the ribbon zigzag!

Happy Tuesday!

Postmarked with Love

For Valentine's Day, my daughter's Kindergarten class learned all about how a post office works by having their own Valentine post office. They each made their own mailbox and learned how to address, stamp, sort, cancel, and deliver the valentines to each person's box. I recorded this fun memory with the delicious papers and goodies from the Charm School Kit.

First, I created my background with strips of patterned paper from my kit that I had already cut down from other projects. I added a bit of the Crate Paper lace trim and some stitching. Next I built my design on top of the background, clustering together several elements around my three photos. The overlapping elements hugging each other connects everything together.

I LOVE that Noel Mignon kits always come with more than one alphabet. I love to mix my alphabet stickers for an eye-catching title. This time, I also added a die cut word as part of the title. I also cut out an image of a postmark design to go behind my title and strengthen the theme of my page.

I also cut out a file folder shape with my Cricut die cutting machine to house the story of this page. A patterned paper strip underneath the bottom of the entire design helps it to feel anchored.

I actually had a hard time choosing what I wanted that last patterned paper strip to be underneath my photo cluster. Did I like the strong red and the way it emphasized the Valentine theme? . . . or did I want a softer, more chromatic look with the printed kraft paper? Isn't it amazing how different a layout can feel just by switching out one of the patterns you use? Which one do you like better?

Happy scrapping!

Jana Eubank

How was your V-day??

Did you do anything special for Valentine's Day or get anything good??
Do tell!
We celebrate Valentine's Day every day in my house so we did not feel the need to do anything major yesterday.
{chuckle, chuckle}
But I did make some fun treats for my girls at work!
I mean, it was Valentine's day and figure it makes for a better work environment if everyone's chocolate stash is fully stocked!
So I grabbed my Charm School kit and made them a little something...

Easy peasy! And yummy!!
Well I hope you had a great Valentine's Day!
Or I hope you at least got some chocolate!
:)
Have a great day!
gretchen

Valentine's Day Postalettes

Tomorrow is the BIG DAY and I'm here with a quick and easy idea to help you send a Valentine note to your loved one . . . Valentine's Day Postalettes! The inspiration for this set came from a stationery set my mom owned when I was a little girl. She had the cutest set of postalettes that you would write a note on, fold into thirds and close with a coordinating sticker. There were also additional round stickers that you could fold over the side to make it more enclosed. I LOVED them! Opening one of those notes was like unwrapping a little present! I decided it would be fun to use that same idea to make cards with the Charm School Kit for each of my children to open on Valentine's Day morning.

First, I cut out an envelope shape using my Cricut machine. You could also use an envelope template found on the internet. When selecting your envelope shape, be sure to choose one that has shallow side pieces. You will be cutting those off to create the postalette and you want the top and bottom "flaps" to be long enough, and wide enough to cover your note inside.

Next, I covered each panel on the outside of the postalette with adorable patterned paper from the Charm School Kit. I decorated the back with a label shape to house the receiver's name, and then created a decorative piece to use as my "sticker" to close each postalette.

I also tied a length of twine (from the Cabin Fever Kit) around each postalette making it even more of a treat to unwrap and open! :) Inside I adhered a square of cream cardstock stamped with hearts (Charm School Kit) in gray ink. The stamps will frame my message perfectly!

So if you find yourself without a card to give your loved one, instead of fighting the crowds at the greeting card store, pull out your kit and create a darling postalette! It's more special than a store-bought card anyway. *wink*

Happy Valentine's Day!

Jana Eubank