justem: little bits of this and that

Books, Yay! {Gossamer Blue Pinspired Layout}

Hello blog readers...all two of you. ;)  Happy New Year! I would love to say that one of my goals this year is to really try to bring back my blog, but let's be realistic...it's probably not going to happen. I will try to blog more often though, really, I will! ;)  To start off the year with a bang, I have a fun photoless Pinspired layout to share. This was featured today on the Gossamer Blue Blog. It was fun to make a layout without having to worry about a photo or journaling!  Not to mention, these Seven Paper journaling cards were so fun to use!!  This layout basically "lists" all of the books I read in 2015. In 2014 I started reading again after taking a five year "break" of being busy parenting and working. I read seven books in 2014 and challenged myself to double that in 2015. I met my goal and read 19 books last year - though only 18 are on the list because one was a terrible book club read that I'd prefer not to remember, ha!  Here she is...

Be sure to stop by the GB Blog for some more info about how I made my layout and a peek at the original inspiration!  Have a great weekend!

Be You. {Gossamer Blue + Color Inspiration}

Hi there! Pardon my brief absence! We've been busy celebrating the first days of school and adjusting (not well) to our new schedule!!  Today I have a Gossamer Blue layout to share with you. Originally, I had planned on this being my Pinspired with Gossamer Blue layout for September, but I ended up changing my mind and making a different layout for that blog post.  This particular layout was inspired by the following collection of photos:

(source: The Sweet Occasion)

If you were to have told me a year ago that I would be in love with Pink and Gold, I would have probably laughed in your face. I've never been a big pink fan, and I've always preferred silver to gold. However, gold is suddenly back in fashion, and I'm kind of digging it! ;)  Here is my super simple layout that was inspired by the collage above:

That pink polka dot paper is my favorite paper in the entire kit + add-ons. I LOVE this paper. I kind of want to wallpaper something in this paper. ;)  

I also used the mini letters from Shimelle as "confetti" amongst my mist drops. Different...but kinda fun. ;)

 This layout took me probably a half hour to make, and I love it much more than the layouts that I worked on for hours. ;)  I love how that always seems to be the case!!  Hope you are having a great week!!

Five and Fabulous {Gossamer Blue Pinspired}

Have you ever taken a layout "gamble"??  Where you have an idea in your head...and it might be cool and it might be a flop?  But you give it a shot and hope for the best? That would be the case with my latest Gossamer Blue Pinspired layout, which went up on the GB Blog on Friday.  The layout is VERY out of the box..."like a mile down the road from the box" is what I said on the blog. ;)  I knew it was pretty crazy, and I wasn't sure how people would react to it - but the response has been overwhelmingly positive, which, of course, puts a smile on my face!!  

For more information about my Pinterest inspriration and my process, check out the original post on the Gossamer Blue blog! Thanks for stopping by, and have a great day! :)

Rockstar {Pinspired with Gossamer Blue}

I can't believe another month has gone by so quickly!! It feels like just yesterday that I posted my March Pinspired layout!!  This month I had fun with a cool piece of inspiration, the cover a book all about breaking out of creative ruts - how perfect! ;)

(Source: Creative Block: Get Unstuck, Discover New Ideas. Advice & Projects from 50 Successful Artists)

I loved the look of the burst (rays? not sure what the proper term is here!!) coming out of the box, and I was already planning on using a square photo - it's like it was meant to be! Here is my take on it:

For more details, be sure to check out the original post on the Gossamer Blue blog!  Hope everyone has a great weekend!

 

So many beautiful reasons...

Happy Friday!!  Today I have a Pinspired post up on the Gossamer Blue blog!  I used two different pieces of Pinterest inspiration, including an Etsy print and a music poster. I had a really fun time making this layout, and I even include a short tutorial (along with some uber crappy iPhone pics taken at like 1 am) on how I created it. I am totally a sucker for handwritten text paper, and I LOVE this one from the new Studio Calico Print Shop line! I also wanted to have *most* of my layout be black and white with little pops of color, which was easy since the Gossamer Blue January kit was filled with all kinds of colorful goodies!

For more information on my process/inspiration/tutorial, hop on over to the Gossamer Blue blog!  Have a great day!

what i learned...

Good Morning!  Finally our "cold" spell is over (and by over I mean, it was still -8 this morning, but at least the windchill is no longer -40!) and M is off to school!  This means I can actually put into play our "routine" that I talked about last week!  Wish me luck!!  Today I have a layout to share made with my Gossamer Blue January kit.  If you follow me on Instagram, you probably noticed that I posted a selfie shot around the first of every month (sometimes I was a day early or late!!). This was a part of a challenge with my "Ventage" girls - Angie, Barb, Katrina and Stephanie.  At the end of the year I looked back at them, and it really made me think a little about myself and my looks. I have to be honest...I have never been a person who thought I looked very good. I have always hated photos of myself. I wouldn't say I had low self-esteem...it's not like I was crying in the bathroom over my ugliness, ha! It just wasn't something I really worried or cared about. I was not exactly attractive...and that was that. But, looking back at my photos from the past year...I actually thought to myself, "Well, emily...you don't look half bad!"  Even in the pictures where I haven't done my hair, and I'm not wearing any make-up, I realize that I look okay. I'm not a "young" woman anymore. I am a married mother of three. I am not as skinny as I used to be. I've got a ridiculous number of gray hairs. I don't have a clue how to look fashionable. But...it's okay.  I think I like this new me. She's not so bad. ;)  But anyway...this is supposed to be a post about the layout...

It's a pretty simple layout. It was already "busy" with all the pictures, I didn't think I needed to make it much crazier by adding a lot of paper and embellishments. :)  AND...it's 12x12 - shocking!!!  It was the only way to get all the pictures to fit! ;)  Thanks for stopping by and have a great day!

My friend & my buddy...

Happy Sunday!  Last day of "vacation" before Justin goes back to work!  I'm headed to Illinois today in the snow and the cold to go to a baby shower. It's a 6 hour (round-trip) drive for a 3 hour shower. I might be crazy...or just a person who wants to support a good friend in the same way she has supported me all these years - you can decide!  Today I have my Gossamer Blue Main-Kit Only layout to share.  My son has a bunch of little catch-phrases that he likes to say over...and over...and over again!  Multiple times a day he will beckon his daddy, only to remind him, "You're my friend and my buddy."  I knew I had to make a layout that used his little statement as a title. All these fun Studio Calico Print Shop papers are perfect! :)

I'm finding myself outlining a lot lately, which is something I used to do on every single layout a couple of years ago. What goes around, comes around, I guess! This layout fits my "kinda crazy" layout style I fall into once in awhile. ;)  I really love it. It's funny (and I SWEAR I'm not complaining about this, just observing) that the layouts of mine that are really "out there" are the ones that never get comments or likes on public gallery sites. It's a good thing that I don't scrapbook for comments and likes. ;)  

Hope everybody is staying warm and having a great weekend!

It all started with a sketch...

Hi! Tonight I have a little sneak of a fun layout that I created just for the new online class "It all started with a sketch" over at Come On Get Crafty.  If you remember, I the privilege of guest desigining for them back in June, and I was thrilled when Nicole asked me to contribute to the class!  Here is a little sneak peek of my layout, which is based on a sketch by the fabulous Adrienne Alvis:

and one more...:)

This was the first time in a LONG time that I got to create a layout using whatver product I wanted (and not a kit or a certain brand).  It was a lot of fun!!  Even though the class began last week, you can still join at any time. Definitely hop over there and check it out! Hope everyone is doing well!

Silly Things...

Hi there! Today I have a layout to share that I created for the February gallery at write.click.scrapbook. This month's theme was "Conversations." The little "word bubble" (or whatever they are called!!) pads of paper that came in the Studio Calico The Register add-on were screaming to be used on this page!!  I wanted it to look a bit messy, so I only used a bit of adhesive and sewed the bubbles down.  Some of them are starting to curl on the edges, but I'm okay...that's the "imperfect" look I was going or!  This page also the Central High main kit!

Hope you had a great weekend!!

Serious Cupcakery

I can't believe the weekend is almost over. And even more devastating?? My winter break is officially over...sob, sob!!  Back to work tomorrow. I'd lie if I said I was in any way excited. ;) I have a fun little Gossamer Blue layout to share with you tonight. It uses a lot from the Studio Calico Darling Dear line. I have to admit, when I first saw this line I wasn't in love with it...but I found it really fun and easy to work with!  This is my guy back in November when we made some cupcakes. He was loving it! It was a super quick and simple layout to put together, and the final result puts a smile on my face! ;)