Halloween Spread

And the follow-up scrap layout of the Halloween pics!
I only really had a handful of pics due to the whole... darkness and rain... stuff goin' on. And I didn't get to see the family as much as usual so I didn't get my goofy nephew pics.



But I'm glad I thought to take some pics around our block before it rained...



I'm enjoying another bowl of mashed potatoes as I type this... I had a sandwich in the car... but I was hungry again when I got home... and luckily Daryl didn't eat all the mashed potatoes.



And here's the making of the 12x12. The other side is PL style...



And now!!! Onto CHRISTMAS PROJECTS!!! WEEEEEEEEEEEEE

All dressed in Vintage

So I had the awesome pleasure of playing photographer for a beautiful friends wedding. I still have around a billionty more pics to edit... But for now I just thought I'd share a couple with the brides permission... Without revealing people or places... Just yet anyway.

What was awesome about this wedding was that the dress was in its third generation of brides... From grandma to mom to daughter... So sweet! Of course by this round,it needed a little TLC... But it was absolutely gorgeous!
My fav was the tule underskirt...

And the veil was a simple classic style... brilliant!

I have to hand it to you photographers out there... It's a week later, and I'm still sore.  That's probably the most excercise I've gotten in years!  If anyone else ever asks me to be the wedding photog...  I think I'll need to train a bit first.  Holy bajeez what a work-out!  And probably more fun than flipping tires...  at least in my opinion.  I could be wrong because I've never actually flipped a tire... lol.  But I know a lot of people who do it on a regular basis...

To me, fall is the best time of year and what was supposed to be a rainy day turned out to be absolutely perfect!! Who knows though... in a few years, fall could be in january.  Which would be cool cos that's my b-day month... tee hee...  then I could have a Halloween birthday party!

So overall, it was an awesome day and I was honored to be a part of it.  Congrats Meg!  You made a perfect bride and I hope your new life chapter brings happiness, joy, and blessings!

xo, Fitty

Keep Happy in a box, that way you'll never lose it.

So one of my favorite people to follow on Youtube is a gal who's channel goes by the name of PAPERSPEAKS.

Her name is Mel and she has a fun sidekick Pat ( a big white gloved pointer ).  She's a super duper nicehead and she does a lot of hand-made journals and cards and really cool stuff.

She recently posted a challenge to create something that would be like an aid when you're creatively blocked, or, as she put it, when you've lost your mojo.

And it happens to all of us no matter what we're into.   We play a crappy game of baseball, we sing bad notes, or sometimes we just wanna sit in the corner and cry.  And it's times like that where even the thing we love doing the most seems like a waste of time.  Though it probably doesn't seem like it... I feel like that quite often. I just wanna pack up my paper and photos in boxes and try to forget that I ever enjoyed scrapbooking. I start to wonder who I'm doing it for...  Will my daughter dread having her entire life documented in volumes when she's older?  I'm pretty sure the dog (s) don't mind.

Well anyhow... what I decided to make for myself was a recipe box just simply filled with photos that I like to look at. Because for me, the photo is what makes me want to scrapbook.  It's not the scrapbooking stuff...  it's taking a photo, printing it out and thinking...  SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEE... this photo is so delicious I could eat it!  And what makes it hard is that I take a gazillion photos a week, so just picking out a few to scrapbook is tricky. So for me ( for you for me... )  scrapbooking isn't solving my problem of getting photos out of boxes (or hard drives) and into scralbums, it's just highlighting what's in the boxes. I may actually get some good ol' fashioned photo albums and coordinate them with my scrapbooks.  So I can have the bulk of a photo shoot in a photo album, and then the real important stuff in the scrapbook.

So this was one of those CTMH recipe boxes I've had forever.   I had two.. but Roo decided to make one also.  She filled hers with smurf.  Who doesn't get a little happy from a box of smurf?

So I have different sized photos in here, some I took from Pinterest, some I took from my own photo stash, and I just tabbed the tops so I can pull em' out easy.

So out of all the challenges I've missed, I'm glad I was able to sneak this one in, because I think I actually will pick through this box when I'm feeling blue.  There's plenty more room in it to keep adding stuff so now as I come across something, I can just toss it in there.

Here's a link to what Mel made to help get her Mojo back.  I love it!

And thanks again Mel for the great challenge idea!  Looks like everyone got a very good something out of it!

Weekend Revisual: Project life July 20-21, 2013

Hi there frens!

Had a great weekend!  Just wanted to throw out some weekend pics, and then how we put them together for a weekend project life spread!

This first collage was actually made with a windows app called Turbocollage.  So far, a benefit is the ability to use a lot of pics in one collage.... like 20!  So I was able to sum up a birthday party pretty completely in three 4x3' spots on my PL layout.  Well... plus a couple 4x6's that stood out...

Here's some of the other pics we used:

And here's our spread!

And here's a video Roo did to tell you a very quick version of the entire weekend's activities...  she also goes on to demonstrate some Gelatos...  so if you're in need of toddler entertainment...  it's right here....  in a barbie dress.

Thanks and enjoy the rest of your crafty week!

Day in Revisual: Big time Rush Concert

This is me

So last month I took part in an online Studio Calico class called "This is me"with Lexi Bridges. She is awesome, just go check her out!

For some reason, I feel almost wrong scrapbooking about myself... like I'm saying...  "Hey, I think I'm cool!" or something.  It's like a selfie on facebook, you just don't do it unless there's some good reason or you have something ridiculous on your face that covers most of it. I don't know, but I think you all agree, it feels weird to move the direction of the focus off of our family, friends, and pets and onto ourselves.  And if you're a mommy, it's always all about the kids.

What intrigued me about this class was that the goal was to make a mini album. This is something I've never done. Like cards, I had little interest. But I can't lie, I'm now hooked. I love the idea that you don't have to pick out a cover (you can), but you can create the entire thing from scratch.

I cut some chipboard, covered it in fabric and vvvv wwaaa laaa I had the beginning and the end.  Now I just needed to fill it. To do the pic on the cover, I used printable fabric and then sewed it on the cover fabric that I chose before I modge-podged it to the chipboard.

The whole process was pretty dang enlightening. What was I going to include? That was tough... I feel like there are so many things that can be part of someone's life.. things that affect them on a daily basis. Though I felt like cleaning the house was not something that particularly touched me on an emotional level. Though re-organizing does have a way of setting free the endorphins of inspiration!

No, but seriously... I pretty much have to re-arrange my peg board or something before every craft session to get the juices going. It's like magic!

So anyway,  I narrowed my book down into a few catergories:

1. Family: ok, I know... but that's what makes me who I am. My family. And they're the most important. So of course, there's a big spread of my favorite little lady as well as the Hubs and the fuzzys.

The big swingy pic of Roo was also printable fabric. 

2. Interests/hobbies: Basically my crafty adventures using paper and a collection of sewing machines that each have a strength and weakness.. one with the fatal weakness of not working! Yikes!

3.  Music: Besides giving piano lessons, music is a big part of my life. When I was making this book, I decided to collect a handful of artists that I admired and just make a little pic collage. By no means did this include all, but whatever came to mind or what I've been listening to lately. This is where I really got sad... and happy at the same time... because I couldn't remember the last time I just sat and listened to an album... just for the sake of enjoying it. Granted, there's been a lot of disney and nick music blasting in my car due to Roo, but in-between audiobooks, there hasn't been a recent "GOD I CAN'T STOP LISTENING TO THIS SONG!" So I'm on a mission to change that. To make an effort to just listen like when I was a teenager with a new Belinda Carlisle cassette on the bed following along with the lyrics.

 4: Some random current interests/likes.

5: Goal. Yes one goal. To cure my headaches.

6. A short note to my Grams.  She's the one person I think about everyday. She was awesome and I miss her.

It's not over embellished... some pages are down right messy! But I decided not to over-think it and just let it be what it was going to be. So it ended up longer than I imagined, and much more journally than I imagined. I felt like I had so much to say about every page...  and in the end I was re-introduced to myself and I'm now kinda itching to pick up things that I put down throughout the years.

To not do things because I care what people think, or don't think... or say or don't say... but just to do them because it's fun and enjoyable.  To share for the sake of sharing and not worry about who will make fun of me tomorrow...  After all, does it matter? The most important things are the simple ones. So ENJOY them! And don't forget to take pictures!

I know ... I keep saying I'm going to do a workshop and never follow through... but I will! And I think this would be a great first project. So if anyone's up for finding yourselves in June, I'll make it a point to set something up.

Life is a project... Make it pretty damn it!

Just a project life installment here.

Sometimes there's no good reason for a photo shoot. That's the best kind! And Roo seems to think every minute has potential for good photo making... as do I.

So this scrap session is all about any ol saturday

Where not much of anything was going on...

but we had fun enough to document!

Please enjoy the making of this installment here below

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It IS super easy!

Is is sooo easy to throw a layout together in less than 30 minutes and still say "Yes. Instead of throwing that away, I will hang onto it!"

There is very little involved here...

1. Three different papers

2. Some letter stickers

3. A couple velum arrows

4. A few brads

5. A a touch of sewing and doodling.

ALL optional.

I threw together this super short vid... it's just a series of photos showing the very short evolution of this layout. Just to throw it out there that YES, you can do some scapbooking on a weeknight! I did this page on a thursday night in about 33 minutes. I used the December Studio Calico kit exclusively! Joining kit clubs I think is a great way to be inspired every month. It keeps things fresh and exciting!
I will be starting one in January for those of you who need a little push! And I will post some ideas along with each kit to get the juices flowing!

The video is not so great, I apologize... but it was the best I could do with my current set up here... :)
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=irzbvzwz8lk]

Planning is Important!

I say turn everything into a scrapbook! Like your planner!



Peter: "Hey Fitts, you up for roller skating this saturday at 6pm?  All the cool kids will be there!"

Me: "Yea sure, that sounds off the chain! Or should I say, off the left side wheels on my right foot! I'll be there for sure"

Peter: "Cool franks!  I'm so glad you could come, Wendy is going to be there and she hasn't seen you in like... EONS!"

Me: "No way! That's awesome!  I can't wait to catch up with her!"

and then my friend Mo texts me and says "ARE YOU SO EXCITED ABOUT GEORGE'S WEDDING TO PRINCESS BEAUTIFUL THIS SATURDAY!!!" 

and then I check my planner calendar thingie shoved in my way too many notebooks bag and there it is with little flower and heart stickers surrounding it. "George and Princess Beautiful get married"

So anyway, I'm on yet another mission to make my planner so damn cute that I can't go  a day without adoring it's pages and consuming the dated information!

Well, off to werky...  Have a FUN Wednesday and stay dry if you're in Jersey like me!

xo

Halloween in November

If you don't plan to scrapbook any other Halloween, plan to do this years. When has Halloween ever been in November?

I couldn't help but start with this photo because it's my favorite. It just... looks like I swiped it out of one of my mom's old photo albums.

We tricked and treated around Grandma's neighborhood just for a couple hours in the cccccooolld.  But from the looks of their collections of goodies, we could've said we were out all day.

This is mostly made up of Jennie Bowlin stuff.  A think I stole the yellow and grey polka dot paper from a Studio Calico kit...  and the instagram button. I just LOVE that. Even though this photo wasn't an instagram... it looks like it should've been.

Up in the top right corner where the scalloped circle is... well the main purpose of that is to cover up a BOOBOO! lol... I frequently get a little quick with the ink pad and end up dropping it on the paper.  So that's what happened here, i got a big smudge of brown ink up there and I just didn't like what it did for the page.  So I just punched out a circle and covered it.

IT's THURSDAY! my fave day! Except for my head hurtsness.... errgh.
And looking forward to some time with friends tomorrow night!... and the next night...
and... hopefully in there do some Holiday decorating around here!

xo
fitts Mcfinister!

Hay... A happy life tradition.

Yes, the pics in the hay that everyone has!

I have them too... And to go with my orange striped fall wardrobe... I have some orangey scrapcents!

October 6th, we went with our dear friends The ROSTA'S to the pumpkin patch...   We saw all the wood cutouts that almost looked just like the characters they intended to be.

This is made with the October studio calico kit... Which really had nothing to do with fall... But I went with a color scheme rather than a theme.



The sewing went a little wonky at some points, but it really doesn't matter in scrapbooking. There's no RULES! 

(put your shirt back on)  THERE'S ONE RULE!

I just LOVE that commercial!!!  I cracked up so hard the first time I saw it... and then the second... and then all the times I watched it on Youtube.

So where was I?  YES YES so there is a giant threadball of pink hell on the back of this page that I neglected to take a picture of.

I'm also getting bored with just shoving my pages into a plastic sleeve and into a binder.

I have this one 12x12 display item that i found on sale one day at AC Moore, and I LOVE IT!  It's like one of those photo flippers on a stand, but big. I'll take a pic of it when I get a chance...   so that's one way I like to display pages... but I tend to just throw in my latest creation, then switch em out.

Well, I better get my butt in gear so enjoy your weekend! 

Enjoy the colors! 

Enjoy the friends!

Enjoy the apples and the pumpkins!

AND Enjoy the ...  frost... to be totally current.

Sometimes... the day before is better than the day of...

Sometimes your daughter has a 3rd birthday.  Actually, it normally only happens once.  After 3, sometimes it skips 4 and goes right to 5... but it never goes back to 3 again. And you're at your moms house because she always has a picnic on labor day, so you bring your newly 3 year old daughter and you also bring your camera because you think you're gonna get some really good pics of her on the exact day she turns 3. But then it turns out to be the yuckiest most HUMIDIFIED day ever there was the whole summer and  your daughter spends the entire day in the pool with TURNY... (i love when nicknames evolve out of mispronunciations from toddlers ) .  Should be Tierney.  :)

So let's just say the birthday pics were a wash...  but the dancing vids from that day will be cherished!

Luckily the day before, I just happened to tote my camera to my friend Michelle's house for her son's 4th birthday party...  and sitting across from Roo, I was able to snap a series of her eating her philly swirl push up pop.  Though I could've easily included 15 pics, I chose my 5 faves and smooshed em into an instagram collage and then cut em apart after I printed them. And this is probably to be my last layout of summerness that I'll do until next year.



So just this past August I

finally got my hands on some Studio Calico kits.  So this is mostly from the August one ... or the September one... I'm not really sure because Roo mixed them together...

But hopefully I can dedicate some pages to just one kit exclusively..  because I LOVE THEM.

And I'm trying a new thing where I just kinda ...  turn off the brain and just go with it.  Ya know how when you think too hard, you just get frustrated and end up with nothing. This way, I just throw it all down and then edit later. Because after you've thrown down, inspiration surely follows and you suddenly just start getting ideas.

To make these sunshiney spotty lights, I used this simple app called "Bokehful".  You can make them in a few different shapes.. the hex is my fav...  as is prob. for most.

If I ever get a new iphone... I fear I may abandon my camera all together because between the apps and the ever-evolving quality of photos it takes...   I may just lose the need...

I've also been addicted to foam adhesives lately.  I feel this need to make things pop out..  So there are several different heights going on with the photos.  You can probably tell from the shadows... a couple are flat... then some are off the page a little, and some a little more.



There are some things in the works that me and my hubs are trying to plan.  Maybe some workshops or collage clubs.. lol.  But we'll keep you posted.  Would love to get together with some of my local friends and make some art!

Frankencomputer

So... I'm still putting the pieces together to try to make a functional computer.  
 
The one I've put together now is just missing sound... And the ability to play vid back without a hiccup. So I may have to bring the monitor back to moms and get speakers... And I'll just have to deal with the hiccups. 

I've still been piecing pages together on the side. I somehow figured out how to print a photo from instagram. I don't remember exactly but It involved emailing it to myself. And I somehow got to a version of it that was large enough to print nicely. It actually printed perfectly.

One of the last collage pics I posted to instagram I loved so much I had to use it for a page. I've been kinda saving the iPhone app photos for my smash book, but this one needed to be bigger.  

This page had a partner, but I'm still not sure if I like it...  

So hopefully I can get back to some videos for my new scraptastic youtube frens, but for now it's just not possible.  I'd use my iphone but I only have an 8 gigger, so it's got little mem left to hold a big flix. .. plus I'd need one of those spidery camera holders to hold it above my station... 

bleh bleh

who cares!

Going to bed. I think.