Challenge card.

This card is for a challenge that I posted in one of the MSN groups that I belong to. The challenge stated that a card or a layout had to be made using a sticky note, staple and paperclip. I add the sticky note in the picture, because if you just see the card it is hard to believe it comes from a sticky pad. Cute huh? Maybe you should try this challenge yourself.

No-More-Spending Help

How to “not spend” ideas:

1. Try not to take any card (debit or credit) where ever you go, instead be a kid again and try using cash only!!! This way you are more aware of how much you are actually spending.
2. Use your paper!! I know that what we have most is paper. So if you do decide to buy something, but either tools or embellishments, no more paper, and no more ribbon. For ribbon it is good to have the basic plain colors and that is it!
   
3. Once in a while look through all of your stuff, chances are that there are things I you have forgotten about and now you might have a fresh perspective on how to use them.
   
4. If you have to have a magazine each month then subscribe to one, it is cheaper and will keep you away from going inside a store.
   
5. If you can, try to do all of your shopping at the grocery store, they hardly have anything for scrapbookers.
   
6. Avoid the scrapbooking sections in stores. (i.e. Walmart)
   
7. Don't even enter Michael's, Joann's, Hobby Lobby, and if you have to, take your friend or your husband, he is sure to keep you in check. And make a list and stick with it.
   
8. Don't search for good deals. Whether you get coupons by the mail or by emails, just delete them and don't open them. If you are addicted chances are there will be something that you will like and will want to buy.
   
9. When you do decide to shop in those special dates (i.e. birthdays), don't go wild and spend $500 dollars! Look through your magazines and ads for a week prior to that date and select the things that you MUST have and stick to a budget.
   
10. One of the great things about the Cricut and the new software is that the only thing that you really need is paper. So use that to your advantage and make embellishments of your own. It will also make your page much nicer. On this blog I have made some really cute hot glue and Shrinky Dink embellishments. And at http://cricutsoftcuts.blogspot.com you can download some of my files to use with your software. The great thing about these files is that most of the things I have made are using just George, so even if you don't have all the cartridges, at least you have that one.
    
11. For albums 8.5x11” or smaller you can try and do some hybrid scrapbooking. There are some great free digital kits online that you can download, just look them up on google. And if there is a special paper that you like then you can scan it and then use it in your creation. This will save you paper and adhesive, and all you have to do is add a couple of extra elements. To get digital buttons, just scan your own, or ask a friend to scan them for you.
    
12. Of course, one of the best ways to save money is to get help from your friends. Trade with your friend half opened embellishments that you no longer want. And ask them to lend you their stamps, tools, or cartridges that you might not have.
    

You should print these ideas out and post them in your scrapping area to keep yourself in check. Happy scrapping!

Get Blog candy at:

http://destampincorner.blogspot.com/2007/12/blog-candy.html

Just go and follow the instructions. Really cute stuff too. :o)

Christmas cards

I loved making this little set of 4 cards with their envelopes, in total I made 6 little packages like this for six lucky ladies, the only thing different was that each stripped card had a different kind of sticker on it. 24 cards and envelopes in all, but I had fun.

Laura and Mubashir

This is another little fast book that I made for my friend and her boyfriend. These are fun and easy to make, the most useful thing to know when making this kinds of albums is to just know your techniques, and apply as many as you can without adding too much. This was a pretty fast make as well as the previous post was.

Aini and Caro's Novermber Adventures

While I was in Miami I couldn't help but bring some of my scrapbooking stuff, and after I bought my photo printer I was eager to finish at least a little project. With the help of my cousin Ainoa I created this really cute accordion album for her sharing the adventure of the time we spent together. I have never finished an album so fast, nor have I ever worked on something when I was as tired as I was that day. LOL. I love you Aini!!!
Journaling:
Ainoa,

I had so much fun with you . As soon as we saw each other on Thanksgiving we were inseparable! In you I know I can always find and love and smiles. In a matter of hours we tore down Miami and we shared great adventures. Thanks for being there for me, I promise I will always be there for you.

Love you!
(Thankgiving - William/Food/Movies - Black Friday)

Black Friday

I am really happy the way this layout turned out. First of all, I printed out these photos from my new printer so that in itself was awesome. Also if you notice, the two small pictures that are in color, as also black and white around the edges. Thanks to my printer I was more confident in applying more digital techniques to my pictures. The title "Black" is made out of rub-ons and it has the texture of the paper under it. I embossed a "3" on one of the tags. I only wish I had a little clock item to add to the whole layout. The border was hand drawn and the parenthesis are from thin chipboard. I really loved the results.

Swapping with Nancy

Nancy,

These are the last of your pages that I will be sending in this week. I hope that you like the first two, I know that you don't like color blocking that much, but I think they came out pretty cute, the whole page has a lot of glitter so I hope you enjoy the bling also. It wasn't easy doing the page with the Zach and Lacy pictures, because I wanted to do a double page layout, but I didn't really see any other pictures that I liked that much, so I just ended up with this, which I think came out pretty cool either way. I was happy because I was able to use my big stamp in the background and my very decorative stamp all over the heart. I also sanded the ages of the picture and added lots of cute buttons. Didn't know what to add at the top with the little slider thingy, so that is up to you.

Caro :o)

Quick 8.5x11" album

These are an example of the pages that I made for an album for a friend. Each page is 8.5x11". They are decorated simply with stamps and buttons and sometimes a combination of the two. The large spaces are for pictures and the little rectangles are for either more pictures or journaling. I stamped a really light flower with my embossing ink (but I didn't add any powder) so that they can leave the spaces blank if they wanted to. A cute title, and that is it. In total there was one patterned paper used and only two cardstock papers.

Arlo

This is probably the only picture I got of my fish, it is soooo hard to take pictures of it. Part of it is because it is scared of me, and also because it just keeps flapping his fins. He's cute though isn't he?

My favorite tool

Nancy,

This is the punch I was talking to you about. It is my all time favorite tool I think. Any tiny little scrap that I have, I can just turn it into a little tag that I can use for later on a layout, a card, or even a present. Just love these little guys how they come out. You can click on the picture to better see the dimensions. Can't wait for the one you got for me. :o)

The Zoo

I just love this mini-album. I am sooo proud of it because I think it is soo cute, from the little rhyme down to the paper-pieced animals, the foam stamp prints, and the felt flowers. So cute!!!!

Bubbles

Nancy, I really hope that you like this layout. It is one of my favorites of all time from the ones I have done. It took me a while to create all the transparent elements, but it was all worth it for this cute awesome layout. Notice the little safety pins with the beads. The only thing that this layout needs is some journaling.

12x12 layouts by Nancy

These layouts I liked as well. But to be honest (cuz you told me too) I think that the first one is a little to plain for my taste. BTW what do you think I should add to the blue tags on the second layout?

12x12 layouts by Nancy

Nancy,

Some people don't use flowers for layouts with boys, but you make them look grate with your choice of colors, I like the brown and blues that you used for the firsts and last layout. The middle layout with the background picture with the whole pile of papers is really cool and I really like it, specially since I would never had used the pictures that way. Thanks, I really loved your layouts.

Caro :o)

Mini-album/Card

This is from one paper bag. I think it would make a great card like mini-album thingy. It would be perfect for a boy on his birthday. It was really easy adding those eyelets to bag with my Cropidile. I love the fact that you can add as many tags as you want because the pocket is so large. I want to add a piece of velcro so that the whole thing closes perfectly. Oh btw, I made the little "just for you" embellishment with a stamp and a little epoxy dot. I like!

My favorite glue

I know that the picture is blurry, but you can still see how it looks like. I love this adhesive and I can now never scrap without it, it keep everything in place, and it will even glue down metal, so this one, is a keeper.

Paper pieced giraffes

These are my giraffes for the little rhyme book. I think they are sooo cool.

Nancy's layouts

Nancy,

I think these are my two favorite layouts from the ones that you sent me. I love the colors and I love the theme. I would have done the second picture more about them being brothers than about them singing, so the way you though about the whole thing really inspires me to look a thinsg a little different. I just love all the elements on these pages too. Love the paper clips on the top one and the stars, chain, picks, and tickets on the other one. It really gives these old pictures a great look. :o)

Wooden block puzzle

This is my first puzzle block. I messed up on it a little bit, but I learned a lot for the next one. Here's a tip, use strong tough paper, and it is better when the pictures are cut up instead of folded.

Falling Leaves

This is the September challenge for Divas 2 with the pictures in place. I only need to finish the journaling.

Workshop information

Register for my workshops

You can register for my workshops here: https://www.union.ufl.edu/leisure/secure/category.asp?subj=arts
The two workshops offered are,

Course#: 9011 Scrapbooking workshop: October 13th
and
Course#: 9010 Holiday Scrapbooking workshop: December 1st
$15 pays for one day.
Make sure that my name Carolina Diaz is listed next to instructor.

What are we going to do? We will be working on 2 or 3 projects that you will be making from scratch, this website has some examples of the many possible projects we will be working on.

Do I bring pictures? Please bring pictures if you want, and if you are please bring a lot of them. Like maybe around 30, we might not use all of them, but just bring them.

What else do I have to bring? Well you don't have to bring anything, but if you have already started scrapbooking then you can bring some of your stuff if you want, like your favorite papers or embellishments or pictures.

I have started a scrapbook already, is this class for me? Don't worry, I will show you the wonders of mini-albums and many techniques to go with them. You will walk out of my class full of inspiration and ideas that can be applied to the scrapbook you are already working on.

What if there is no more space in any of the classes? Well, I am pretty certain that if you can get 10 people, then it will be possible to open another workshop and this time you can choose from a mini-albums or a regular scrapbooking class.

I want to take another class. Well I am pretty sure that next Spring I will have a 7 day class, and it will be very different from the workshop but just as great if not better with all the different projects that I have to offer, and many more techniques and ideas.

I have more questions. Then please send me an email with them at caro3600@gmail.com

2007 album

Just wanted to post some of my other layouts.