Papers & Plums

The Night Before Christmas

December 23, 2011 by saramspencer

It’s the night before Christmas Eve, the day we exchange gifts here in Sweden. A day of food prep, candy making and gift wrapping.
And if you are a papercrafter you might be finishing up a few last minute Christmas cards.

These are the last two card I made.

The first one is colored with Copics and the second one with Prisma Pencils. I distressed them just a bit before adding glitter mist and embellies.

Well, I’ll keep this brief since it is, after all, the night before Christmas…

I wish you a Merry Christmas and Gods blessing as we celebrate the birth of the Savior, Jesus Christ.

Sara

Posted in Cards, Christmas, Copic Coloring, Prisma Coloring | Leave a Comment »

December Daily Covered

December 9, 2011 by saramspencer

I finished the cover for my December Daily album! I had a blast making this. Glue and ink all over my fingers and paper scraps all over the floor. I went to town with all sort of products and techniques a la Tim Holtz!! Yes, my desk is a complete mess. I wanted to create a wintry scene using my “rickety house” die. Here’s what I came up with. I think that “scary house” looks pretty cute in its winter getup.

An old cereal box made a great foundation for the cover. I simply cut out a 6″x 8″ piece and covered it with patterned paper. This particular one is from the Bo Bunny “Father Christmas” collection.

The house has been distressed with several shades of green and brown distress inks. A wee bit of glimmer mist on top and a faintly stamped wood grain impression on top of it. I used Antique Linen Distress Stain directly on my stamp for this part. It worked like a charm. It’s a bit hard to see in this picture, but I covered the back of the house with packing tape to cover the windows. I then sprinkled glitter on the sticky side (showing through the front openings) to create that frosted look. The snow marker is a new product for me and I love how it turned out, all puffy and white!

The alphabet stickers are from Sassafrass. To make them pop a bit more I colored around each letter with a brown marker. Then I covered them with a layer of Glossy. It gave them dimension and a pretty shine. I got that idea from one of Tim Holtz’ tags for Christmas posts.

The tree and the birds are PTI dies. After cutting the tree and distressing it with ink, I stamped it with a red flourish (also PTI). By this time I was so into adding lots of fun product that I went over it with red stickles too! I do like how it turned out. The little birds has a layer of Glossy to help them stand out. So cute, don’t you think? And the fence…this is another new Tim Holtz die that I think I will find lots of use for. So fun with the snow on top.

I know I already said it, but sitting down and just playing with all my craft supplies was a blast!! Next up is finishing up the first few days of December.

Thanks for stopping by,

Sara

Posted in Christmas, December Daily, Project, Scrapbooking | Tagged December Daily, Rickety House, Scrapbooking | 3 Comments »

December Daily in the Works

December 5, 2011 by saramspencer

I’ve been working on my December Daily album, inspired by Ali Edwards. I still have a ways to go, but I am determined to make it happen this year. So determined that I started my assembly of paper and embellishments over a month and a half ago. Go me!! =)

So far I have cut all my papers (Cosmo Cricket), Die Cut all my page numbers (PTI) and pulled out a few embellishments and alpha stickers that works with my color scheme.

I have also begun to take pictures everyday. I use my iPhone exclusively for this because that’s the only way I’ll get this done. I’m not a photographer so I use what I always have with me. A few pictures have already been uploaded for printing and I hope to see them this week.

To remember all the little stories throughout the day I am using Evernote on my computer and my iPhone to jot down short journaling paragraphs. This is tremendously helpful as I am prone to forget things very quickly!! That’s why I’m so excited about making this album this year. I know that in a few years from now all the details of the boys childhood and Christmases will be fuzzy so Scrapping my memories this way will be valuable for sure.

I hope to post actual pages within a few days.

Thanks for stopping by,

Sara

Posted in Christmas, December Daily, Scrapbooking | Tagged December Daily | 2 Comments »

Fall Inspiration

October 27, 2011 by saramspencer

I finally finished putting a card together using an image I colored with Copics a while back. I intentionally worked with both patterned paper and die cuts to create a front for my card. After all, practice makes perfect.

Since moving to Sweden I have discovered a whole slew of European paper craft blogs. One common design element that keeps popping up are little “piles” of embellishments wrapping around the focal point, be it on a Scrapbook page or a card. Some of my favorite card designers (Dawn McVey for example) also layers die cuts in a similar fashion. Well, I just had to give the “pile technique” a try too. =)

The most important thing I discovered during the creation of this card - I am playing, really playing with my supplies! And you know what, it’s really satisfying to do so. I am learning so much in the process. What I like and dislike, what works and a whole lot about what doesn’t. It’s a good thing, as Martha Stewart would say. =)

Thanks for stopping by,

Sara

Posted in Cards, Copic Coloring | Tagged copic, fall card | Leave a Comment »

Can We Fix it?

October 25, 2011 by saramspencer

I’ve been so wrapped up in my iPhone photography class that I completely forgot to share the layouts I made during the Scrap-a-thon. October is almost over so I better hurry if I want to post these in the same month!

One of the things I really enjoyed this time were the many challenges us participants were presented with. For someone who is completely new at Scrapbooking, it helped to get me started and keep going throughout the whole day. This particular layout was inspired by a movie poster. I’m afraid I forgot to take a picture of it but the idea is to let the colors, shapes and textures inspire your creation. We also had to use three elements from our welcome kit. Here’s what I came up with.

I just love these photos and I am so happy that I now have the memory of my boys and their tools documented. There’s not a single day that those tools don’t get a serious workout. Bob the Builder and Handy Manny are big favorites with my boys. Well, perhaps it’s mostly Caleb, but baby brother Joshua likes to do what big brother does, so for now they are both tool enthusiasts. =) As for the title…I couldn’t help myself. Those of you that watch Bob the Builder with your kids know that he really says “Can we fix it, yes we can!”, but Caleb’s very serious look made me change it. Don’t you dare question whether he can fix it or not!! LOL.

In this challenge I stretched myself to play with more patterned paper (I’m still a newbie at this) and I used Tim Holtz Distress Stains to create those fun splashes of color. I also found a great stamp set from Inkadinkado with steampunk type images. That corner flourish has little cogs in it! So perfect for my boys. I love to combine stamping with Scrapbooking. It’s the best of both worlds.

Before I’m done I just have to share a few more photos from my iShot That class.

I discovered that I really like Hipstamatic for outdoor photos

I’ve played around with Depth of Field

The PicFrame app, making collages

And more effects than I can count. So much fun!

Thanks for stopping by,

Sara

Posted in iPhone Photography, Scrapbooking | Leave a Comment »

iPhone Photography for Rookies

October 11, 2011 by saramspencer

Beautiful photos – on blogs, Pinterest, and Facebook – everywhere I look I see beautiful photos. It’s caused me to dream, to wish that perhaps one day I will also take great photos.

Believe me I know that professional photography is an art. It takes dedication and practice to learn anything well. But ever since my boys came along I’ve nurtured this wish to be at least a little bit better at snapping photos of them. For memory keeping and Scrapbooking. My point and shoot does the job, but the amount of fuzzy, out of focus and busy pictures in my photolibrary speaks of a need to learn a few things if I want to improve.

Enter the iPhone4. Yes, I’m so excited about this little phone of mine because I quickly noticed I got better photos with it. And, since I always have it with me I actually take more photos! More memories preserved. So imagine my excitement when I came across an online class called iShot That, a class focused on improving your iPhone photo skills. So far I have learned about several different Camera apps and this week we will be playing with more photo editing apps.

Please indulge me for just a moment!

I am learning to consider contrast and playing with abstract images.

I’m learning to get close to my subject

I’m learning to catch my subjects unaware and waaaaaaait for the perfect shot. Sitting there on the floor with my phone in their faces while they watched Cars was totally worth it. Look at their smiley faces!

I’m learning to look for strong lines and playing with fun filters. Who knew the fence in our backyard could look interesting?

I’m learning to be creative when photographing ordinary thingsI’m learning to capture everyday moments and everyday things. Very “Ali Edwards” if you ask me. I love how she tells stories about the everyday stuff. Learning to consider taking such shots is great.

All of these things are causing me to look for opportunities to snap a picture. Like this one, captured on a walk with the boys. I saw our reflection and thought it would be cool. I was a bit dissappointed when I couldn’t even see us in the original photo. But with a little bit of editing our reflection appeared. Magic!!

And this one - a bench full of apples! As if someone put them out there just for me to practice my skilz on. Ha ha. Love this picture.

And last but not least, my sons little feet. Getting close, waiting for the shot when his little toes curled just right. Well, it makes me happy. I want to remember these things. Why not have beautiful photos to go along with it.

Though I’m far from professional, I feel like a total star when I look at what I’ve learned so far. This is for me. Photos to frame, photos that tell those funny stories. Photos that help me remember all those wonderful every day things. It is a big thing to find that I WANT to bring out my camera all the time. =) Yes, this class is a real gift I’m glad to have found.

Thanks for stopping by,

Sara

Posted in Everyday Life, iPhone Photography, Personal | 2 Comments »

Magnolia Day

October 8, 2011 by saramspencer

Today I got up really early to head to the Magnolia Store in Borås together with my sister Anna and friend Malin. The Magnolia stamp company hosted their annual Magnolia Day and the first 50 visitors were promised a goodie bag for arriving on time. Well, I’m not one to say no to free craft supplies so though I questioned my decision when the alarm went off I am glad to say it was totally worth it!

Here we are wating in line (I’m behind the camera), freezing our little toes off. We had about 15 other stamp crazy ladies ahead of us. =) Behind us the line grew longer and as I learned later, some had traveled as far as from the Netherlands to come!! What?! Fun.

Along with their own stamp line, Magnolia carries a lot of fun supplies. I have to say I really like it. There are not that many stamp/craft stores in Sweden so I’m really happy I live relatively close to this one.

There were workshops to do for those that were interested. Anna and I sat down to learn how to color with Distress refills from one of the Design Team Members. The picture above shows her completed project.

Here’s my work in progress along with the cheat-sheet and my finished image. It was really fun to watch and learn how Camilla colored. She used very little water and that really helped control the intensity of the colors. I definitely learned something new.

At lunch time three very tired ladies were happy to sit down and share some lunch and a cup of coffee.

Though I’ve encountered Magnolia stamps while I lived in the States I never really used them much. Perhaps they are not my prefered style, but they are really fun to color. And the store is full of examples of really elaborate cards and projects that speak of hours of work! I’m very impressed by the artistry involved. So there’s no way I can live this close to the Magnolia Stamp company HQ and not give it a try!! So watch out. =)

And the goodie bag you say? Yes, it was totally worth it.

The first 50 all very generously received a bag full of stamps, flower embellishments, paper, brads and a die that I think adds up to a worth of almost $75!! Seriously! Very generous indeed.

Now that’s two Scraptastic Saturdays in a row…it’s gonna be hard to top that.

Thanks for stopping by,

Sara

Posted in Distress, Personal | 2 Comments »

“Fläder Saft” – A Taste of Summer

October 5, 2011 by saramspencer

Here in Sweden Fall is well on its way. Gone are the warm Summer days…hmm…miss them already. It might be a good time to remember one of the summery things I made this year. One of the very Swedish things I made – namely “Fläder Saft”. Inspired by my sister and mother, I too set out to make some of this Juice concentrate.

First, you need Elderberry Flowers. They have a real special scent to them. A bit lemony…

Which is perhaps why they pair up so well with sliced lemon, and of course, lots of sugar. Add water to the mix and let it sit in your fridge for five days to soak.

Next, pull out the “saft” strainer. A tool you’ll find available in most grocery stores here in Sweden. Strain the juice, which has now taken on a thick, syrupy consistency. I love the look on Caleb’s face. “We’re gonna drink this??, Ok…” LOL

Pour the concentrate into bottles or freeze in ziplock bags. I did some of both. To drink, just mix with water at a ratio of about 1juice concentrate + 5 water.

So very refreshing and especially appreciated as the days get darker and the weather cooler.

If you’ve never tried this and you live nearby an IKEA you might be able to find Elderberry juice containers in their restaurant. It’s so worth a try!

Thanks for stopping by,

Sara

Posted in Cooking | 1 Comment »

A Fun Filled Weekend

October 3, 2011 by saramspencer

I cannot think of a better way to spend a Saturday than to get together and Scrapbook and make cards all day!! October 1st marked the second time I got to participate in the Vårgårda Scrapmara, a Scrap-a-thon hosted by none other than my wonderful sister Anna and her two friends Eva and Malin. These gals do an AMAZING job making this day a special event. From 10am to 10pm all I did was participating in Scrapbook and Card challenges, visiting with other like minded paper crazy ladies, shop in the store on site and eat lovely food. Scrapfabriken brought a ton of stuff and I really enjoyed meeting Helen, the owner.

I’ve never really done much Scrapbooking before but since moving here I have met some really awesome paper crafters such as Rimna and even a couple of Americans!! They have certainly played a role in building my interest for keeping memories in a more artful way. Couple that with having children and you have a really good reason to make sure you write all those sweet stories down somewhere.

So much fun, so much FUN!!! I hope for sunshine tomorrow so I can take photos of the layouts I made.

Thanks for stopping by,

Sara

Posted in Personal, Scrapbooking | 2 Comments »

In my CASE, Inspired!

September 24, 2011 by saramspencer

Do you ever think less of your work when you CASE (Copy and share with Everyone) somebody? I noticed that I do. I’d love to be original every time I sit down to create, but that’s not where I’m at. Yet, when I share the finished product of a CASEd card I often hasten to add; “I copied someone else”. Like its a shameful thing. Almost as if the card in my hand appeared of its own will and as if the time I spent working on it meant nothing at all. How unfortunate! Making cards is a labor of love for me. I create because I love to do so. I find it restful and peaceful and it brings me joy when others enjoy what I made for them.

Well, my Mother-in-law recently told me that I shouldn’t think of it as a copy, instead I should say “This card was inspired by”. What a difference a few words can make! This way of speaking takes into consideration the time and labor it took to create my own version and it acknowledges that along the way I made it my own.

Let me show you what I mean. I found this card in a recent Paper Crafts magazine that I borrowed. I just snapped a quick photo with my iPhone, so unfortunately I cannot credit the person who made it properly.

I find this simply stunning. I wanted to try my hand at the square background you see behind the trees. Since I own the same stampset it would be a simple matter to try this. Here’s my version of this card.

Of course it’s obvious where the inspiration came from, but here are a few of the differences:

I turned it into a Christmas Card
I added “snow capped” hills
I added glitter and stitching

I love the original card, but what I love more is that it spurred my own creativity to take it a step further and make it my own. That’s nothing to be ashamed of!

Papers & Plums

Little bits of life, paper crafting, and fun

The Night Before Christmas

December Daily Covered

December Daily in the Works

Fall Inspiration

Can We Fix it?

iPhone Photography for Rookies

Magnolia Day

“Fläder Saft” – A Taste of Summer

A Fun Filled Weekend

In my CASE, Inspired!

Sara Spencer

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