Shop update...

New items are being added to the shop today. You can find all my goodies at Made by Mish.

I've got a fun Bookmark Kit in limited quantities. Look for the full photos of the finished bookmarks in a new post coming soon.
Larger size of glassine sacks.....perfect for those fun confetti projects and gift wrapping.
Airmail envelopes...love that stripe! Great for travel journals.
Library cards...watch for lots of uses for these. So fun to teacher gifts, students and crafty projects in general.
Unique printed tags....fun for journaling, cards and giftwrapping.
Garment tags....use to highlight prizes, sizes, quantities. So fun for Project Life.
Metal rim tags.....an all time favorite of mine. I like to layer them with patterned papers and add little accents or small stamps.
Assorted sizes of simple white tags.
Wide variety of manila tags. Did you see this post today? So dang cute! I use these all the time on cards and for my Project Life.
Assorted sizes of white tags...
And a few more items not shown here. Happy Shopping!!

Project Life Week 8, 2012

Today I'm sharing Week 8 of my 2012 Project Life. A pretty ordinary week for us...wishing for spring, sweet Charlie, grocery shopping, meal planning, a BB team dinner, big shop update. Something new...lots of new baby calves over at the farm.

This week I just went with the flow on my pages. I picked out embellishments simply because they were laying out on my desk, or maybe they were new items added to my stash.
I'm finding that my time to work on my PL pages is getting choppy. I don't have time to devote the 2-3 hours it takes to complete my pages all at one sitting. So I dabble. I work on a few inserts at a time here and there. Which is perfect because I treated each one as it's own little scrapbook layout....not really worry about if it matched the rest of the inserts or not.
Here's my main dated insert...which I just realize that I forgot to add dates to many of my inserts but I will remedy that soon. This one features the rain & the sunshine. Lots of missing letters from my alphabet stash so I'm mixing and matching now. You'll notice lots of little embellishments from recent kits in my shop. I'll try to point those out so that those of you who purchased my kits can see some samples in action. The details circle with stitching is one of those accents with stickers on top. The floral paper is from a discontinued Sassafras line. Some of my favorite papers ever from this collection.
A few photos of Charlie who is 5 months in these photos. Label with stamped name is from a recent shop kit. Grid labels are my own creation.
A bazillion kinds of toothpaste. Really? Do we need so much of everything? Just an observation from a recent Walmart trip. Base 4 x 6 card is a shop kit item made with Jenni Bowlin's days of the week stamp. Journaling is on shop kit item which is a PL card with Studio Calico "real life" stamp. A few paper scraps, a portion of a doily and stitching finish off this insert.
Basketball team dinner for the high school girls featuring Washi tape, Amy Tangerine people sticker, portion of a doily, scalloped paper cut with Papertrey medium scallop die, Elle's Studio insert card + machine stitching.
Grid paper base insert with scraps of patterned paper, a Studio Calico sticky note + small stamped tag from a recent shop kit. The "AM" round stamp is from Studio Calico.
Photos from a recent shop update + the mess that always follows in the rest of the house. An Elle's Studio base card was so easy to use. Just a little Washi tape + a Studio Calico chipboard butterfly was added.
A few shots of my parents right after delivering a newborn calf. I always love when I can snap a few shots of our parents. Stamp is from Studio Calico, journaling tag from Elle's Studio + a little Washi tape.
And here are my 3 x 4 journaling inserts. On the left I used an Elle's Studio piece layered onto some patterned paper + some Washi tape & machine stitching. On the right I created a Week in Review card using a Studio Calico stamp + shop item created with a small manila tag. I've really been experiment with cutting the tags down and using them in different ways. I love to use my Bic Markits to create bolder words/letters. Very quick and easy.
Here I used a small orange chevron sack (currently sold out) to hold some journaling about what Charlie's doing at 5 months old.
I love the little sacks and that all the small sizes in my shop fit into the 3 x 4 slots. No trimming necessary. And a tip: if you want to use the sack on the left side of the regular page protectors, simply cut the top of the slot open with an xacto knife. That way you can access the slot opening from the left side. On the outside of my sack I used a chipboard piece embellished with shop kit, chipboard letter and small sticker letters.
2 more journaling cards. On the left I used a new Banana Fish Studio printed tag (awesome) + some stamped Studio Calico words. On the right I used a Project Life journaling card embellished with some hand cut flags, Washi tape and the cute brad with ponytail girl.
Here I made a fun confetti sack insert (see below for more details) + an insert made with a Cobalt Project Life journaling card.

A few fun techniques this month. First I created a confetti sack inspired by Lisa Truesdell. She's the queen of confetti and just makes you wanna try it out. My confetti is square though, not circles. It was so easy to just take some strips of scrap patterned paper and snip some squares. If you zoom in close you can see a few more tidbits in the glassine sack too. I stamped a few small white tags with "bags" and "tags" to correspond with items I sold during my last shop update. I also tucked in half a paper doily + some snippets of yarns that I sold too. A little time capsule of my shop goodies. I ended up stitching 2 orange horizontal rows across my sack, filling each section then stitching off. Fun, fun! On top of the sack is small manila tag with chipboard letters and the date stamp.
Here I used a doily which I include in lots of shop kits on a few inserts this week. Instead of using a full circle I snipped little wedges of out the doily in pie shape fashion. Wherever I wanted a little *something* I just stitched on a portion of the doily.
And here was a fun way to connect my journaling card with it's corresponding insert card with photos. I numbered my photos 1 & 2 with little circles around them. On my journaling card I have the same 1 & 2 numbers with circles. The numbers are from Hero Arts tiny wood alphabet stamps. To make the circles that are very, very thin lined I used a new tool that I'm keeping in my stash. It's a regular lead pencil with the eraser taken out. The metal rim that is left makes a perfect little circle stamp. Just press it in ink and stamp.
And now....the aftermath of a week of Project Life. A happy little mess. I clean this up each time before I start a new week of PL or crafty project. I guess I better get on it because I have lots of assignments to work on.
Shop update:

I'm expecting a big parcel today full of fun new goodies for the shop. Look for an update possibly tomorrow or Friday, depending on how fast I can get the items photographed and up in the shop. I'll be tweeting and posting an update here on the blog.

Thanks for hanging out here a bit today! Have a great rest of the day.

PIP Day....Project Life In Progress..Week 8

Hello friends, hope your weekend was great! Today I have my PIP day post for Project Life Week 8. Last week's pages were all Valentine themed. This week it's nice to get back to just a mish mash of my supplies.

My Project Life routine:

I've had lots of questions about how I do my Project Life. Currently I have my groove down and it goes like this: Once I take that last photo on a Sunday, I'm ready sketch out my layout. I look through my iPhone/camera to find what photos I want to use by pairing them up with notes I've written daily in my calendar. I pick the best photos for each day (sometimes one, sometimes more) and decide if they will be square or rectangle or full size. I make notes of this on my little layout sheet. Then I'm ready to print. I email my photos from my phone to my computer then transfer those photos to my photo library. From there I edit then print. I then take my PL album with photos to my work table. I'll take some time to mull over supplies to see what I want to use. I select journaling cards, stamps, embellishments and patterned papers. That leads me to the photo below. I usually take a break right about here and wait for another time to work on my pages. Then the next day I'm ready to create and assemble the pages. Then I really try to get any inserts done this same week. And that's it.

Product Picks:

I just got a fun order from Banana Fish Studio, so many fun elements to use and the packaging is adorable. As a shop owner, I send out lots of orders each week. It's delightful to be on the receiving end sometimes, so when I receive a package just for me it's extra fun.
When I create kits for my shop I always make one for myself so that I can use the items for samples for you guys. I have a little stash from a recent kit or two shown below to use + I picked a few fun papers and some Washi tape. That Sassafras paper is one of my all time favorites. I have to use it in small pieces so I can savor it some more. This week's layout seems to be taking on a peachy/aqua/green theme. These colors were what coordinated with a few of the photos I took this particular week.
Chit Chat:

When I look my favorite Project Life weeks, I really try to analyze why I like those particular pages so much. One of the things I've noticed is that those pages have a lot of white/neutral backgrounds instead of busy patterned papers. So I'm trying to use more of those kinds of papers for my base 4 x 6 and 3 x 4 inserts. I've started a small collection of papers so that I can have a stash to pull from. Of course the blank Project Life 3 x 4 cards are perfect. For the 4 x 6 inserts I'm using some grid cardstock that I created + a few others that have pretty neutral backgrounds. That makes a great starting point for layering on patterned papers, accents, die cuts, stickers, Washi tape, stamps, etc.
Challenge:

It's always fun to find a new way to use a certain product in my Project Life pages. To keep things fresh & new, I like to look at my Pinterest Project Life boards and other blogs to find a fun little something to add to my pages. I'm also looking for a fun way to add inserts to my pages using the various Project Life page protectors.

Questions answered:

Q: How do you print Instagrams all on one page?

A: From my iPhoto library I select all the Instagrams that I want to print. I then hit print and that takes me directly to my printer settings. I adjust the size to a custom size of usually 2" or so and see if they all fit on my 8.5 x 11 sheet of photo paper or whatever size of photo paper I want to use. Then I just hit print. None of my Instagram collages are done with Photoshop, just my printer.

Q: What thread do you use when stitching on page protectors?

A: I usually use whatever thread is in my sewing machine at the time. Usually a white thread and I just stitch slowly. The plastic tends to grab the thread so you have to push it through the machine to keep a steady stitch length. Then I just trim with my paper trimmer.

This week:

This week I'll be finishing up Week 8 of Project Life and then will head straight for Week 9 to get caught up. I'll also be working on some cards sets for family, birthday cards and a few assignments. Look for a shop update later in the week too. I will have a few new kits and the mother load of NEW tags!

Okay, off to start my Monday. Laundry.......lots of work in between.....shipping packages.....and walking my puppy. Have a great day everyone!

Project Life Week 7....Valentine's Week

I've got my Project Life Week 7 done along with some inserts. You may have noticed that I haven't done a PIP (Project Life in Progress) Day post lately....have been a little busy so have just spent the time working on my pages to catch up. Hopefully I'll more time to get back to those as I do enjoy sharing the progress. I'll share a few thoughts with today's pages though.

You can definitely tell it was Valentine's week for Week 7. Lots of Valentine themed colors & products used, with a My Mind's Eye 6 x 6 paper pad as my inspiration.

I made a title card use that theme on a lot of the inserts...things we loved this week.
As I flip through my pages so far for 2012, I notice they are colorful...and busy...and jam packed with photos. Who knows if I will keep up this pace. Maybe I'll go back to very simple some day. For now I love the scrappy look and the many, many photos.
Starting with my title card, I used a page from the MME pad + chipboard stickers, Washi tape and twine.
Here are my 3 x 4 journaling cards. Each one this week has a photo. Just lots to share this week so I included it all. Here I used a free printable from Elle's Studio. I used my xacto knife to trim around the flag then slipped my photo underneath.
Charlie's first big snow day. He didn't know what to think at first but was soon plowing through the snow with his soccer ball. I chased him around while wearing my new boots...and pink, plaid pajama pants.
A movie night is always fun. The moms joined in also and we all saw The Vow. A very fun....and pricey night. I used a frame stamp from Studio Calico + a ticket sticker + sticky note from Studio Calico + stamped small white tag from my shop. You'll notice that all my dates are stamped on a small grid label this week. Those grid labels were from a kit shown in this post from my shop recently...just in case you purchased a kit and are looking for ideas.
Here I included some tags and a photo of some new shoes from a shopping trip. On the right I printed off a Facebook post that Jordan sent to one of her best friends. She altered a photo of her friend to make it look like she had really measly arm muscles. Always a crack up, that Jordy. Chipboard heart is from Dear Lizzy's American Crafts line.
We were hoping for a snow day but alas the bus came and went. This was our heaviest snowfall to date this winter..barely dusting the ground.
And sweet Charlie boy. He loves when he gets to ride up to the bus with the girls. He scrunches his head up into the dash so he doesn't miss a thing. He also got a new heart charm for his collar with his name engraved. I think the printable on the right was another Elle's Studio freebie. I typed my journaling on a Grid Label and then stitched on chipboard letters on top.
Another 4 x 6 insert with more chipboard. I ran out of *e's* so I used the negative shape from the packaging and backed it with patterned paper. More grid label dates + Washi tape + grid label journaling with tiny staples.

Here I used a Project Life journaling card, topped with a sticker, patterned paper scrap and chipboard arrow.

My last insert which shows a fun day we had around the farm. I used a sticker with *the end* stamp from Studio Calico to wrap up our week. On the very left you can see a quote sticky note from Studio Calico with an epoxy brad from My Mind's Eye.
And more inserts this week. I used a Project Life 8.5 x 11 page protector and made two inserts, front and back.
The first insert features a collection of Instagrams of all the little pretties I made for Valentine's Day. Sometimes I like remember what I've made after all those fun cards go out in the mail. I can fit 15 Instagrams on one sheet of 8.5 x 11 printer paper, using only my printer's programming for the collage. I think these sizes are 2 x 2.
I have to confess...big scrapbook pages intimidate me. I'm so used to working on a card size that when you give me a big sheet of paper and some photos, I don't know how to fill in the spaces. So I usually print lots of photos because that's my focus anyway....and just add a few embellishments.
I would love to make more layouts with 1-2 photos and that wonderful collage look.....but that's just not my style. I've always liked to include as many photos of an event as possible which just leaves little room for all the pretties. I do love it every now and then. I love that feeling of completing a layout. And I love all the inspiration I get from those scrappers that can make those beautiful pages. It's fun to pull little ideas on a smaller scale from those pages.
Here's the back side of my insert. This is a collection of photos from a junior high dance that Jordan went to. She got ready for the dance with 3 of her besties and it was so fun to capture their fun moments. I used more Instagrams on the bottom and just regular printed photos on the top of the layout. I got some freebie My Mind's Eye paper in a recent 2 Peas order and it was the perfect starting point for a layout. I trimmed the block style paper down to 8.5 x 11 and just added photos and patterned paper to all the blocks.
I used some stickers and punches as accents along with some Studio Calico stamps.
Scraps of patterned paper from my main Project Life pages were an easy way to tie this week all together. Again, lots of photos and just a few design elements.
And that's my Week 7. How are we all doing? Are you keeping up? I'm just enjoying the process right now. I have some busy weeks coming up in March and the end of the school year is where I have fallen off the last 2 years. I want to make sure that I make adjustments so that I can keep up this year. I might print less photos. I might just do simple journaling. I'm keeping it all in the back of my mind so that I can be prepared.

Okay, I'm off to do a little cleaning in my stamp room. I'll be back over the weekend to show you some fun thrifty finds from yesterday.....and what I plan to do with them. :)