Creative Jumpstarts 15

Happy Monday and welcome to our next Creative Jumpstarts challenge!!

This week's challenge is a photo challenge, but I kind of mixed it up a little and tackled a project I've been wanting to do for a while now!

The photo challenge is COLLECTIONS - and instead of grouping items together or finding items in a collection around my house, I decided to photograph and print a collection of Anna's artwork!  She is always bringing home page after page of stories, pictures, cards, and they usually just sit in a big pile in our kitchen.  I hate to throw them away, but let's be honest - we can't keep every picture she draws. So, to make things easier, I decided to snap a photo of her pictures, print her art collection and add it to my Project Life album.  

I laid each drawing on a white poster board and then took a quick picture of her artwork.  Then I printed them out on an 8.5x11 piece of photo paper, trimmed them down and popped them in a page protector!

I used my AMAZING fuse to create these pockets (since they were a little smaller than a normal 3x3 slot)!  The Fuse is so super cool - and SO much easier than pulling out my sewing machine!!

I added the photos back to back in three of the pockets and then added in the "art happens" patch from the Studio Calico Carolina Moon Scrapbook kit.

I have a few more drawings to add, so I think I'll add in an additional page protector.

I'm switching up sizes again this month for my Project Life album (my walk through video coming to the Studio Calico blog later this week), so I punched holes in the page protector and then added it into my album!  So so easy!

And that's my take on this photo challenge!!  We so hope you will play along!! Be sure to tag us on Instagram and post your projects here on the blog!  Happy creating!

Creative Jumpstarts were created by Marcy Penner and Stephanie Bryan to challenge each other with their paper endeavors. Delivered in the form of bimonthly challenges, they encourage us (and hopefully you too) to stretch supplies, think outside of the box and to remain intentional about the memories we capture.  Challenges are posted on the first and third Mondays of every month.  Projects are shared on our blogs and on Instagram using the hashtag #creativejumpstarts. We'd love it if you'd share along with us at either of those places and be sure to tag us (@helloforeverpaperco and @stephaniebryan) if you do!

Creative Jumpstarts 14

Happy Monday, friends!

Today, Marcy and I have another fun Creative Jumpstarts to share with you!  We are switching back to pocket scrapping this week and our challenge for you is to incorporate some type of insert into your albums!

I decided to work in my March Project Life album for this challenge.  I had a bunch of extra photos from March that didn't make it into my pages, so I created a vellum envelope to store them.  I used one piece of vellum, folded in half to create my insert.  Before I folded and sewed the edges, I printed a few digital brushes onto the right hand side of my page.  I love the effect the brushes add, and I love being able to see through the vellum pages.

I kept my pocket super easy by just sewing the edges, punching holes and adding in my photos.  I thought about including a few extra embellishments to jazz it up, but similar is definitely easier these days!! 

And that's our challenge for you this week - create an insert in your Project Life albums! And if you don't do pocket scrapping, then try and incorporate some type of "insert" or envelope onto your project!  Have fun and happy creating!

Creative Jumpstarts were created by Marcy Penner and Stephanie Bryan to challenge each other with their paper endeavors. Delivered in the form of bimonthly challenges, they encourage us (and hopefully you too) to stretch supplies, think outside of the box and to remain intentional about the memories we capture.  Challenges are posted on the first and third Mondays of every month.  Projects are shared on our blogs and on Instagram using the hashtag #creativejumpstarts. We'd love it if you'd share along with us at either of those places and be sure to tag us (@helloforeverpaperco and @stephaniebryan) if you do!

Creative Jumpstarts 13

Hello and happy Monday!!

Marcy and I are back this week to share a new Creative Jumpstarts challenge with you!!  This week we are switching back to a scrapbook recipe challenge!  As I've said before - these are my faves!  I love having a starting point (or a jumpstart!!) when it comes to creating a page.  

Here's the recipe for this challenge:

Striped patterned paper

Washi tape

Chipboard

I usually start by gathering my supplies and then printing out a photo (this photo is actually from our last photography challenge - black & white).  From there, I try to think of a few fun ways to use the recipe products.

For my page, I started with the striped piece of patterned paper as my base layer and then worked up from there.  Since the striped paper is pretty bold, I paired it with a few bold and neutral colors.  I always like to layer my photo on top of a neutral paper for some reason.  It feels more clean and cohesive when I layer bold-neutral-photo.  And I think it makes the photo pop from the page a little more. 

I had originally thought about creating an art journal page for this recipe, but after I created my base layers, I found that I really wanted that white space to balance out the bold black and pops of pink.  I utilized the extra space below my photo for some typed journaling and then finished with a few simple embellishments - washi tape, labels and a chipboard "A".

And that's my take on this recipe challenge!  It's a pretty simple and easy page overall, but I think the colors and the words really make it complete!

Ok!  So now it's YOUR turn to show up your take on this recipe challenge!  Pull out those stripes, washi and chipboard and get to work!  We can't wait to see what you create!

Creative Jumpstarts were created by Marcy Penner and Stephanie Bryan to challenge each other with their paper endeavors. Delivered in the form of bimonthly challenges, they encourage us (and hopefully you too) to stretch supplies, think outside of the box and to remain intentional about the memories we capture.  Challenges are posted on the first and third Mondays of every month.  Projects are shared on our blogs and on Instagram using the hashtag #creativejumpstarts. We'd love it if you'd share along with us at either of those places and be sure to tag us (@helloforeverpaperco and @stephaniebryan) if you do!

Creative Jumpstarts 12

Happy Monday!  And welcome to another fun Creative Jumpstarts!  This week we are back with a PHOTO challenge for you!  We loved seeing your take on our "get low" and "in the distance" photo challenges from the last few months and we know you will love this one too!!  

Our focus on photos this week is black & white.  I'm a big fan of black and white photos and usually find myself gravitating towards them when my photos are grainy or poorer quality, have busy backgrounds or when I take a photo using lamp light or overhead lighting as my main light source. 

Making a photo black & white can help bring out the main focus of the picture, while eliminating contrasting colors and harsh light.  The photo above was taken at night after she hopped into bed to read some books.  Her bedside lamp is on (which is why the photo is blown out on the left hand side).  The lamp light gave the photo a yellow/orangish glow, so turning to the photo to black and white eliminated those harsh colors.  The black and white also helps draw your eye to my daughter, which is always a plus in my book!  :)

I snapped this photo above of my son as he played around on my computer.  I loved being able to capture him leaning on the table just trying his hardest to move the mouse, but the photo had a lot going on in it....lots of colors, lots of objects.  Changing the photo to black & white brought the photo into a more neutral tone and helped bring the main focus to my son.  

I use the RadLab plug-in in Photoshop Elements to change my photos to black & white.  I really like the "Boring B&W" and the "Bitchin' B&W" filters.  They are fast, easy and still keep a good amount of contrast in the photo!  You can't be a one-click photo filter!  

And there you go....our photo challenge for you this month!  Play with your photos, go back through your hard drive and see if changing the photo to black and white helps bring your subject to life!!  If you happen to play along, tag Marcy and myself on Instagram!  We'd love to see your take on this challenge!  Happy snapping! 

Creative Jumpstarts were created by Marcy Penner and Stephanie Bryan to challenge each other with their paper endeavors. Delivered in the form of bimonthly challenges, they encourage us (and hopefully you too) to stretch supplies, think outside of the box and to remain intentional about the memories we capture.  Challenges are posted on the first and third Mondays of every month.  Projects are shared on our blogs and on Instagram using the hashtag #creativejumpstarts. We'd love it if you'd share along with us at either of those places and be sure to tag us (@helloforeverpaperco and @stephaniebryan) if you do!

Memory Planner: Creative Jumpstarts 11

Happy Monday!  Marcy and I are back today with a BRAND NEW Creative Jumpstarts challenge!  With all of the planner craze lately, we've decided to switch things up a little and add in a planner challenge.  Saying that Marcy and myself are a little obsessed with planners would be an understatement....I blame her, by the way, for my obsession.  :)

Our planner challenge for you this week is to add a photo into your planner.  Get those everyday photos off of your camera and into your planner!  I bet you will become obsessed too!!  

I'm a big fan of adding photos to my planner, but I usually slip them into the page protectors that came with each month in my Heidi Swapp planner.  Most of my daily boxes are full of notes, to-dos, reminders and written memories.  Last week, though, I was sunning it up in lovely St. John, USVI (and I decided not to take my planner with me) so my week was pretty bare and blank.  My trip happened to exactly fall over a double page spread in my planner, and I knew that photos would be the perfect way to dress up my pages!!

I sized and printed out five photos to fit in the daily boxes (and I've got a free template for you too if you want perfectly sized photos for your memory planner)!  I adhered them with some adhesive right into the daily boxes and then added a few little details about each days events to the left or right.  It was the perfect way to add in our memories so I can remember them later for my Project Life album and mini book!

I found the easiest way for me to get my photos the right size was to create a template in Photoshop.  I've tried eyeballing it, guessing it and winging it, but they never really came out the way I wanted.  I was wasting some of precious photo paper trying to size them down, so a template was a must!!

With the above template, you can drop three photos onto a 4x6 canvas, send it to be printed or print it at home!  Easy peasy!  I like a white border on my photos, so the boxes are sized to include that with trimming, but if you want them larger, just increase the photo boxes and you should be good to go!!  

Grab your memory planner photo template HERE!

What would have been "empty" boxes in my planner are now full of photos, words and memories!!  And if you aren't obsessed with how awesome and versatile these planners are yet, I don't know what else I have to do to try and convince you!  Ha!  :)

So that's our Creative Jumpstarts challenge for you this week!  Add a photo to your planners!  Be sure to tag us on Instagram and use the hashtag #creativejumpstarts !  We cannot wait to see your planners!!

Creative Jumpstarts were created by Marcy Penner and Stephanie Bryan to challenge each other with their paper endeavors. Delivered in the form of bimonthly challenges, they encourage us (and hopefully you too) to stretch supplies, think outside of the box and to remain intentional about the memories we capture.  Challenges are posted on the first and third Mondays of every month.  Projects are shared on our blogs and on Instagram using the hashtag #creativejumpstarts. We'd love it if you'd share along with us at either of those places and be sure to tag us (@helloforeverpaperco and @stephaniebryan) if you do!

Creative Jumpstarts 10

Hello!!  It's Creative Jumpstarts Monday over here today!!  You guys ROCKED the last challenge!!  It was so awesome to see all of your projects in the gallery and on Instagram!!  Color challenges are always fun, right???  We will definitely have to do that one again!!

M'kay!  On to this week's challenge!!  This week is all about those page protectors and the challenge is to use a TRANSPARENT ELEMENT in a Project Life spread (or some type of "pocket" page)!

I had so much fun with this challenge.  I wasn't really sure what kind of page I wanted to create since I'm working on a smaller scaled Project Life this year.  I thought about creating something 6x8ish since I really love that size, but as I mentioned in my January Project Life overview video, I had used up every.single.photo. from January (which is a good thing, I guess).  So, instead of a "weekly" type of page, I decided to create a Project Life spread about my love for my two sweet kiddos!  This spread was so fast and easy to put together!!  I love when that happens!!

I used several transparent elements on my page to give the spread a fun "see through" effect.  I think transparent elements make a spread so visually interesting!

For the middle of my spread, I adhered the "you are loved" gold foil stickers from Crate Paper onto a piece of trimmed transparency.  I slipped it right into the pocket and it gives the effect like the words are floating inside that pocket!  So fun!

I left the back side of the spread pretty simple and popped in a few photos, journaling cards and tags into the extra pockets.  I didn't really worry about adding in a bunch of words or details....this spread is pretty much just a "fun" spread!!  And I chose not to back the transparent elements with additional cards, etc. so you could see through to the next page.

And that's my take on this fun challenge!!  I can't wait to see how you incorporate transparent elements into your pages!!  Be sure to tag Marcy and myself on Instagram, and link up your projects in the comments below if you have time!!  As always, thanks so much for playing along!!!

Creative Jumpstarts were created by Marcy Penner and Stephanie Bryan to challenge each other with their paper endeavors. Delivered in the form of bimonthly challenges, they encourage us (and hopefully you too) to stretch supplies, think outside of the box and to remain intentional about the memories we capture.  Challenges are posted on the first and third Mondays of every month.  Projects are shared on our blogs and on Instagram using the hashtag #creativejumpstarts. We'd love it if you'd share along with us at either of those places and be sure to tag us (@helloforeverpaperco and @stephaniebryan) if you do!

Creative Jumpstarts 09

Happy Monday and hello February!  We just breezed right through January, right?  I feel like I blinked and it was gone.  Sigh...  

Since it's the first of the month, that means it's time for a new Creative Jumpstarts challenge.  It was so fun to see your take on our last photo challenge, and Marcy and I just love when you can join in on the fun!!  We are starting back over with our theme rotation, so we are back on a paper challenge now.  Yay!

The focus for this challenge is COLOR!  Having a color scheme in mind when starting a page is such a great building point.  Kind of like a recipe, I think it takes out a lot of the "guesswork" when it comes to putting a project together!  The colors for this challenge are grey, blue and yellow, as seen below on these adorable mittens!!

Image Source

I typically start a page with a photo in mind, but for this challenge, I began by shuffling through my papers and choosing several that went along with the color scheme.  One of my favorite things about these Creative Jumpstarts is that anything goes....I can dig into my old supplies and use papers that have been around for a while!  That Dear Lizzy "polaroid frame" paper was one of the first papers I grabbed for this project.  It happened to have little polaroid frames in all of the colors I needed, so I trimmed out a few of those and then selected a few other papers as well.  

I must have Marcy's new class on my brain, because once I trimmed out all of the papers, I couldn't help but put together a grid for this page.  Everything just lined up so perfectly!!  Once I had all of my papers together, I printed out two photos (one to stand alone and one to fit in a frame) and adhered everything down on my page. 

I added in a few dimension elements here and there just to give the page a little more pop and depth.  Pop dots would work great here too, but I'm fresh out (whaaaat??). 

I finished the page with some typed journaling about the photos and stitching on the cards.  I love adding stitching to my pages.  For one, it ensures that everything stays in it's place, but I also love the "handmade" look it adds.

Now it's your turn to take on this challenge!!  Don't forget to hop on over to Marcy's blog to see her take!  I saw a little sneak peek on Instagram and it looked amazing!  If you do play along, link up your projects here and tags up on Instagram!  Can't wait to see what you do with these color combos!!

Happy crafting!

Creative Jumpstarts were created by Marcy Penner and Stephanie Bryan to challenge each other with their paper endeavors. Delivered in the form of bimonthly challenges, they encourage us (and hopefully you too) to stretch supplies, think outside of the box and to remain intentional about the memories we capture.  Challenges are posted on the first and third Mondays of every month.  Projects are shared on our blogs and on Instagram using the hashtag #creativejumpstarts. We'd love it if you'd share along with us at either of those places and be sure to tag us (@helloforeverpaperco and @stephaniebryan) if you do!

Creative Jumpstarts 08

Happy Monday and welcome to another Creative Jumpstarts challenge!  I am having so much fun with these!  And I especially love how they touch on so many different areas (scrapbooking, Project Life and photography)!  It's fun to mix things up and these challenges are doing just that!!  This week, Marcy and I invite you to play along with our photo challenge!!  Pick up those cameras and get to clicking!

The photo prompt for today is "in the distance".  I went back and forth with ideas, but in the end, I couldn't shake the idea of an outdoor shot.  I have to admit, though, I don't think "distance" shots are my go-to.  Maybe it's because we live in suburbia where there are houses and trees and people just about everywhere.  This shot was taken out by our local lake at sunset.  I love the weathered look of this fence and how you can see the trees and glowing sky at sunset. 

I decided to incorporate this photo into my art journal and created a simple page using gelatos, thickers and my photo.  I selected colors that reminded me of a sunset and then watered them down and let them run a little across my page.  I sewed a title "chase the sun" into place and then added my photo on the right hand side with a small piece of washi. 

It's a very simple page, but I think the watercolors really help bring out the pinks and orange from my photo.  And the best thing about an art journal is that anything goes!!  It's the perfect place to experiment, get messy and explore different mediums. 

Be sure to hop on over to Marcy's blog to see her take on this challenge!!  And we so hope you can play along with us this week!!  Link up your photos here, and tag us over on Instagram!!  We can't wait to see your photos and how you use them in your projects! 

Creative Jumpstarts were created by Marcy Penner and Stephanie Bryan to challenge each other with their paper endeavors. Delivered in the form of bimonthly challenges, they encourage us (and hopefully you too) to stretch supplies, think outside of the box and to remain intentional about the memories we capture.  Challenges are posted on the first and third Mondays of every month.  Projects are shared on our blogs and on Instagram using the hashtag #creativejumpstarts. We'd love it if you'd share along with us at either of those places and be sure to tag us (@helloforeverpaperco and @stephaniebryan) if you do!

Creative Jumpstarts 07

Well hello 2015!!  I am so excited for this year!  As I mentioned on my Project Challenge post, I am totally up for trying new things this year!  I love thinking outside of the box and challenging myself.  The Creative Jumpstarts challenges are the perfect way to experiment with new scrapping methods, and that's just what I've done with this new RECIPE challenge!!  

Before I get share my layout, here is the recipe for this challenge if you want to play along with us!!  

ONE flair

TWO tags

FIVE sequins

As I mentioned on the last recipe challenge, I reeeeally love creating with recipes.  I love having a starting point and some kind of direction!!  I decided to switch things up and try out a new size for this page....remember...2015 is all about trying new things!!  I have always been a 12x12 girl, but I really wanted to try an 8.5x11 canvas.  I remember being scared of the 12x12 space, thinking there was no way I could fill up all that BLANK space.  Now, I'm scared to go any smaller, LOL!  :)

I started this page with a photo collage and two tags.  The collage and the tags ended up being the exact same width (score), so I decided to stack them on top of each other to create a vertical band on my page.  The collage of photos was originally one large collage, but I didn't really love how the collage looked stacked with the tags, so I decided to trim them apart and layer them along the right side of my page. 

All of these photos are from 2014, so I used some of the awesome large alpha from the Studio Calico Ivy Tower Add-on (which is crazily still available, so go grab it!!) to add the year to the front of one of the tags.  

The second tag is right under the 2014 tag and includes some journaling about our year.  I stitched along the far right hand side so the two tags would create a lift up flap (I am all about interactive pages, are you??).

I wanted the photos and tags to take up the majority of the page, but when they were stacked together, there was a good bit of space that would either be at the top of the bottom of the page.  Instead of leaving that space, I decided to add a fun row of embellishments in-between two of the photo strips. And I love how it turned it!  It breaks up the photos a little and adds a fun little pop to the page.  

After I added the embellishments, I realized that I didn't really leave a space or spot for the sequins (GAH)!  There was no way I was going to recreate this page using them, so I decided to just sprinkle them around my photos.  I could have totally done without them, but, a challenge is a challenge, so there they are!  :)

Right now, I have this page hanging up on a clipboard in my craft room, but will add it into the end of my Project Life album when I'm ready to take it down.  I really love the 8.5x11 size, so I bet you will be seeing more of these from me this year!!

And that's it from me!!  Be sure to hop on over to Marcy's blog to check out her take on this fun challenge!!  We so hope you can play along with our latest Creative Jumpstarts challenge!!  It's a new year and it's the perfect time to challenge yourself and use up those supplies.  Link up your projects here, and tag us on Instagram!!  Can't wait to see what you create!!

Creative Jumpstarts were created by Marcy Penner and Stephanie Bryan to challenge each other with their paper endeavors. Delivered in the form of bimonthly challenges, they encourage us (and hopefully you too) to stretch supplies, think outside of the box and to remain intentional about the memories we capture.  Challenges are posted on the first and third Mondays of every month.  Projects are shared on our blogs and on Instagram using the hashtag #creativejumpstarts. We'd love it if you'd share along with us at either of those places and be sure to tag us (@helloforeverpaperco and @stephaniebryan) if you do!

Creative Jumpstarts 06

It's time for another Creative Jumpstarts challenge!!  This week is all about Project Life.  I'm really loving the rotation through the different areas.....scrapbook, pocket, photo.  It's nice to mix things up every once in a while and think outside of the box and try something new!

Today's pocket challenge is to add some type of HIDDEN JOURNALING to your Project Life spreads.  This was a no-brainer for me as I love to add hidden journaling throughout my albums.  Hidden journaling usually means that I'm telling more stories and that is exactly what my goal is for next year (why not start early, right???).  Telling stories seems to encompass the "whole picture" for me.  I've been super guilty of just sliding photos in pockets and calling it done, but I really do strive for more depth and emotion in my pages.

For the most part, this spread came together very easily and quickly.  I started by printing my eight photos and then selected a few journaling cards that correlated with the month and overall "theme" of my photos.

I slipped the photos into place and then began my journaling.  I created a flip up photo card in the top left hand pocket to add in some extra journaling about my new obsession with the Serial Podcast (if you aren't listening, you just haaaaaave to!).  For the rest of my photos, I typed in small details about what was happening on that particular day.

I continued the same process on this right hand spread.  Some photos require a sentence or two...others can stand alone on their own, I think.  I also included some hidden journaling on this page by adding in a trimmed journaling card in the kraft pocket.  It holds a few notes about a movie date with the kids, as well as the movie tickets. 

I used a small paperclip and a day of the week tab along the left side of my flip up photo to act as a tab.  I love the look of the tab sticking out from the side of the page!

My finishing touches were a few stitches here and there just to hold everything in place!

And that's it!!  Be sure to hop on over to Marcy's blog to check out her take on this challenge!!

So what do you think?? Are you up for a Project Life challenge??  We'd love for you to play along with us!  I know life is super busy now, but taking time out to create is so fun and relaxing!  It's a great day to spend a few hours of alone time, right??  If you get a chance to play along, be sure to link up your project here and tag us over on Instagram (#creativejumpstarts).  

Creative Jumpstarts were created by Marcy Penner and Stephanie Bryan to challenge each other with their paper endeavors. Delivered in the form of bimonthly challenges, they encourage us (and hopefully you too) to stretch supplies, think outside of the box and to remain intentional about the memories we capture.  Challenges are posted on the first and third Mondays of every month.  Projects are shared on our blogs and on Instagram using the hashtag #creativejumpstarts. We'd love it if you'd share along with us at either of those places and be sure to tag us (@helloforeverpaperco and @stephaniebryan) if you do!