Handmade Pocket Scrapbooking Cards

I created my first handmade pocket scrapbooking cards last night.
After getting some Uni work done I needed a creative outlet but my time was limited so I thought making some pocket cards would be a quick project to get my creative juices flowing.
Here are the 6 cards I created.
The one at the top left was a experiment and I am happy with it even though it didn't turn out how I intended.

Products used for those who wish to create similar cards.
Love This stamp set, RRP $15
Love Life stamp set, RRP $27
A Budding Friendship stamp set, RRP $27
Wild Wonders stamp set, RRP $21
White Daisy cardstock (1 sheet), RRP $15
Thistle ink pad, RRP $9
Sorbet ink pad, RRP $9
Slate ink pad, RRP $9
Black ink pad, RRP $9
Topiary Striped Washi, RRP $6.50
Sponge Daubers, RRP $6.50

This was a really quick project as I didn't worry about it being perfect, I just created and played, there are smudges due to my haste, so if I was making them for someone else I would of course take much more care.

Progress on my December Project aka December Daily style project using CTMH My Crush Holiday Happenings and Yuletide Carol

I was so excited to do my first December Project (like December Daily but a version that suited me).  I did some preparation making a waterfall, 2 pockets and 3 flips and then when it came time to complete my project life got hectic.
So I am really excited to share my almost completed project.  I need to get 2 photos reprinted, my titles cut and just a little bit of embellishment to go.  So I am calling this 90% done.
I have been computerless but my son still needed me to sit with him and supervise him during school hours while he got his work done (he has been off due to injuries/complications from his Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome so has had work to do at home and we created a at home school schedule similar to what his schedule is at school to keep him stimulated and in the flow) so I set myself up with my supplies for my December Project next to him at the dining table and got to work.
It didn't take long to complete what I have and I am incredibly excited as since this is a small project  once those last bits are done it will be my first completed album.
Sorry this will be a pic heavy post as I want to share it all with you. 
A list of items used with links is at the bottom of the post.

Cover still needs it's 2014 die cut and a little more embellishment.
I cut some red shimmer trim into thirds width ways with my 12 inch trimmer and put it around my tree.
The ribbon was wrapped around a book of Christmas stories the Elf brought the boys.  It is used on the cover and is tied in a bow on the rings at the page where the Elf photos and memorabilia are.  Note it is not CTMH but needed to be included.

I made a pocket for the cards we received, inspired by Pamela Korte her video also inspired my pocket flip cards and then I saw Ella Conner's take on this and added Itty Bitty Sparkles to the nailheads and on the page to the right.
The thin shimmer trim on my cover is also inspired by Ella's video.

 St Nicholas page still needs it's die cut title.  I have journalled in gold pen what St Nick brought the boys, they loved having St Nick come for the first time.

The page on the left is reserved for a collage photo of my 17yr daughters big clip as we affectionately refer to her donation of her hair for a wig for a Cancer patient.
The page on the right has a fold out for our tree decorating.

 The fold out.

I loved the quotes on 2 of the cards in the Holiday Happenings assortment and felt the belonged with Santa so I stuck them together and created a flip.
A little bit of red shimmer trim was left over from doing the cover so I added it to the HO HO HO.

My first attempt at a Waterfall was used for Christmas Eve memories.
I still need to do the journalling.

I utilised this pocket to keep all the little cards and notes that Alfie our Christmas Elf left.
The 12 pocket page is not finished, I have just put the photos in order, a few days I missed taking photos.  I still need to corner round the photos and 2 need flips as there are extra photos for those days, some other I will do flips so I can journal.

I added a red glitter gem to the North Pole.

The page on the right is Christmas Morning and I used 3 flip cards here.
The Dear Santa letter I am still deciding whether I will add one of the boys letters to this and the other letter to a page further on or whether I should write my Dear Santa letter here as a memento for the kids to see what Mum was wishing for.

The back of the 4 pocket page.
I loved these Christmas letter stickers from the Yuletide Carol Compliments and they really suited this photo of a large portion of the family and friends I was hosting in 2014.



 

The page on the left is where the kids Santa photo will go, the new photographer took the photo as landscape and it won't fit the page so I need to get it scanned so I can crop it.

I made a second waterfall using Colonial White Cardstock as my base for Christmas Day Lunch.
2 sections still need some embellishment and I need to complete journalling.

Note the blue washi is not CTMH but it went perfectly with my daughter's dress so I needed to use it, the silver went perfectly with my other daughter's dress and is CTMH.

The page on the left is the other page I am thinking of putting one of the boys letters to Santa.
The page on the Right is Boxing Day, it has 1 flip card and still needs it's journalling and titles done.




Items Used (excluding the ribbon from the elf and the little bit of blue washi.)
My Crush Holiday Happenings Book RRP $24
My Crush Holiday Happenings Assortment RRP $8
My Crush Holiday Happenings Badge Buttons RRP $8
Yuletide Carol Paper Pack RRP $15
Yuletide Carol Compliments RRP $6.50
Yuletide Carol Assortment RRP $9.50 note I was able to get a Double Page spread out of these supplies and I still have enough left for 2 more layouts.
Sparkles Clear Flourishes Small RRP $6.50
Silver Geometric Washi Tape RRP $6.50
Red Shimmer Trim RRP $6.50
Pink Glitter Gems RRP $5.50
Bitty Sparkles RRP $4
Topiary Striped Washi Tape RRP $6.50
Ruby Chevron Washi Tape RRP $6.50
There is a fantastic special on in June with the My Crush range.  Buy the book and the assortment pack and get the coordinating stamp free.  I just came across a video I did when I received my Holiday Happenings supplies and in it I mention I wish I had 2 more so the boys could do their own projects over the December/January Holidays so I think I may take advantage of June Special.

Getting Started on my December Project aka December Daily style album - Preparation

When doing my progress blog post I realised I hadn't done my post on my preparation though I had the photos, so I thought I should share my preparations with you, I would not stick things down next time except for the pocket in the front as I may want to change things, I did change what pockets I used my pocket flip cards in when I sat down and started putting photos in, embellishing, etc.

 When I received my Holiday Happenings supplies there were very few videos or blogs up utilising them so I drew inspiration from Pamela Korte and Melissa Laverty's videos for my preparations.
This was going to be my first ever December Daily style project, so I was excited.
I chose not to pre-decorate most items as I intended to create 3 double page layouts from the Yuletide Carol range and then use the left overs for this project, that of course change when I sat down this week and worked on this fun project.
I decided to use the pocket I created on the cover to house my Holiday Happenings Assortment and Badge Buttons but next time I will leave a bigger edge to fold under and glue as these were too heavy for what I put in there.

These pockets are 3x4 inches, to get the flip cards to fit I cut the width 1/16th of a inch under 3 inches.  I had limited Ruby cardstock so I just made my waterfall and 4 3x4 flips in preparation from the Ruby.

Pamela kindly gave me the measurements she used for her Waterfall, when I had photos printed working out what ones to use in this premade  waterfall I realised in future I would not premake them.
To make the waterfall work out how many flaps you need and the size needed for your photos, add 1/2 inch to the height needed of each flap to fold down to adhere

This fold out inspired by Melissa was so simple to create, I chose this page to adhere it to as the paper of this page I knew was unlikely to suit my December, in the future I won't adhere it until I have my December photos though.





I decided the 12 pocket page on the right would be perfect for my Elf photos so I created a pocket on the left to keep any notes/cards he left.

This was the only part I pre-decorated apart from added a Red Glitter Gem to the North Pole on the page under the 12 pocket page as I wasn't sure what photos I would have to work with.
I loved this bird from Yuletide Carol, it was calling for a Sparkle Flourish and Red Shimmer Trim.



This was so much fun, and doing the preparation gave me some much needed crafting time.
June 2015 My Crush Books in the Annual Catalogue will be on special - Buy the book and assortment pack and get the matching stamp free - so it is a great time to get supplies to do a fund project.

Changes to my blog and link to some new layouts.

I am going to make a change to this blog, I am going to post about what I have worked on so for instance Yesterday I worked on layouts for different packs so next post will be about what I have worked on this week (& one layout I worked on the other week that hasn't been posted yet) and then when I have completed all layouts for a pack I will do the "Club" post and you can contact me to get instructions.I want to keep the inspirations flowing while there are gaps in Club posts. I feel this is the best way to keep my blog active, many things cause a delay in my completing layouts for a paper range within the time I have allotted myself. Such as discovering I don't have the ink I need and then trying to source it locally or having to wait until my next order. Or kids getting sick, my hand playing up or just trying to create within the budget I have set for Club.
Sometimes I will plan on using a stamp and then when I am creating I find that stamp isn't suitable and it needs something different or doesn't need stamping at all and instead needs embellishments sometimes I will have planned on no stamping and then decide a layout needs stamping.
Sometimes I make a mistake when cutting and it means I don't have enough paper to complete the layout so have to substitute or adapt or wait for another order so I can fix things.
All this means when you get instructions from me you get a cutting guide that has been worked out so minimal wastage occurs for you (but not for me as that happens as I work things out for you), you get detailed instructions of what worked, links to tutorials on how to do things, such as how to save paper, how to create a specific embellishments, etc.


So Here is my first blog post in my new format I hope you find it inspirational.

Layouts from Whimsy Fundamentals and Yuletide Carol I have been working on.

Whimsy Fundamentals Layout 1.
Option 1.
For this Scrap Club I am using up left over embellishments from previous clubs.

Whimsy Fundamentals Layout 1.
Option 2.

 Whimsy Fundamentals Layout 2

Yuletide Carol Layout 1.
This layout will be used for my daughter's Year 12 Formal photos.
Her graduation is one of the things that impacting my ability to get Club layouts completed as since she wass home schooled through BSDE due to getting ill at the start of grade 11 her QCS exams and workshops were 4hrs from our home, she also had AMEB exams for Cello and many audtions for her Cello next year from auditions for her Tertiary Education to auditions for Orchestras and Ensembles all on top of regular parent and carer duties and my own University studies. 
She just has a few Christmas gigs to go and then we get a break for a about a month and then the big move for her happens so I am hoping we can have lots of crafting time together in the mean time.
It is a wonderful feeling knowing she has Graduated when 4 years ago we were being told this may never happen but thanks to BSDE, a 4 year Senior pathway, and a Mother's determination we have managed to help her achieve this and continue on the path she has dreamed of since she was 9 years old though it is a longer path and different to how she dreamed she is still on target to achieve her dreams.
Sorry got a bit off track but it is a exciting time for us.
A week later and discovered I hadn't published, here it is.

Preparing for my first year of doing a December project.

I was introduced to Pocket Scrapping last year and along with it I discovered December Daily, I was intrigued but the idea of daily photos was daunting.
This year I started to Pocket Scrap and I have not done daily photos but taken the usual important moments and I did a couple of weeks of daily life since things repeat themselves here a fair bit.  I really enjoyed it.
So I decided to try December Daily this year and as I was trying to work out how I wanted to create my album the new Catalogue came out and I saw the Holiday Happenings range and got really excited about this range for my December Project.
This year December will be different as I am introducing my children to some things I enjoyed as a child but most especially St Nick, I met my friend's Christine and Marianne when I was 6, there Dad was German and our Mum's became lifelong best friends.  So some aspects of a German Christmas entered my childhood at this point and it just made things that extra bit special.
I am also (if AusPost delivers him in time) doing my own take on the Elf On The Shelf/Kindness Elf.
Now to what this post is about, my preparations for my December Project.
I watched a couple of Youtube videos, checked out blog posts and have drawn inspiration from them.

I have prepared the base cardstock of a 7 flap Waterfall, Cards for pockets, Fold out pages and Cardstock Pockets.

Love Waterfalls for adding extra photos.















 

I chose this page to add my Waterfall to.

Cards slipped into pockets for extra space for photos and journalling.










I am going to use the 12 pocket page for my Elf photos, so I have made a pocket on the page to it's left to hold notes the Elf leaves.

I added a some bling, really excited about getting my daughter's graduation photos so I can finish decorating my book.

I have made a simple fold out on this page.

I put a pocket on the inside of the front cover, for now it is holding my assortment pack and badges but when my project is finished it will hold photos or journalling.
I haven't covered it in decorative paper yet.





The paper added to the Glacier pocket is the only paper I have added so far from Yuletide Carol as I chose this pack as it is not only perfect for Christmas but also my daughter's Graduation, she Graduated 2 days ago, so I am waiting on photos before I do my layouts.  I will upload my 12x12 layouts and my paper covered Holiday Happenings book once I have completed them later this week.


I have a few more fold outs & cards I want to do and to add a pocket to the back cover, I am hoping to finish my preparations this week and I will do a follow up blog post when my album is complete.

Products I have used
My Crush Holiday Happenings Book RRP $
My Crush Holiday Happenings  Assortment RRP $8
My Crush Holiday Happenings Badge Buttons RRP $8
Yuletide Carol Paper Pack RRP $15
Yuletide Carol Assortment RRP $9.50
Red Shimmer Trim RRP $6.50
Sparkles Clear Flourishes Small RRP $6.50
Pink Glitter Gems RRP $5.50, they have some cute red glitter gems in them and I have used them on the Joy page & North Pole spot on the map page.
Sparkles Clear Assortment RRP $4 I used these on the page that has the heading December and a Partridge with a calendar on it.
2 sheets Cranberry Cardstock RRP $22 also available in Adventure Cardsotck pack RRP $22
1 sheet Glacier Cardstock RRP $22 also available in Whimsy Carstock pack RRP $22
1 sheet Colonial White Cardstock RRP $

Here are the links to the YouTube videos and blog posts that I found inspiring for this project.
This video she creates pockets, a waterfall and flip cards.
This video is a flip through of her album.
This blog post is about a hinged page, I love how she fussy cut Santa on the Santa page.
This blog post I love the little To Do List and the use of the tab stickers and alphabet stickers.

Portable crafting within the house.

I got 2 of these carts at Aldi some time ago for $13 each, one is used for general scrapping supplies that my boys and I use and this one just has current range CTMH in.
My space only 1 person can fit in to craft so I often move some supplies out to the Dining room to craft with the kids or with friends visiting, carrying armful after armful got tiresome so I set these carts up, when not in use I tuck it away in a nook and when I need it I either wheel it over to my desk or out the dining table and have it next to the table.
This post I am sharing my Aldi cart for my CTMH supplies as the other one needs a bit of a tidy so I wasn't comfortable sharing pics of it.
I would really love to Upcycle a Change Table as that would be big enough and sturdy enough to hold my supplies the kids and I use and my CTMH Organisers.
I hope it is a helpful post for those needed a portable crafting station.

Here is my little Aldi cart all packed with CTMH supplies.
Bottom is ideas books, if I have a catalogue I put it here also.
Middle is current stamps, next 2 months of Stamp Of The Month, wet wipes and under them is my CM personal trimmer.

 Top has bucket full of paint brushes, scissors, pencils, etc (I use CTMH non stick scissors for cutting sticky things, grey handle scissors for cutting glitter tape, orange handle for cutting ribbon and white & blue handle for detailed cutting), stamp blocks, ink pad tower, versamark, stamp cleaner, piercing tool & mat, scallop border punch, adhesives, cardstock swatches, spare blades, eraser and business card.

 In this pic I have removed my ruler and 12 inch trimmer to show the paper.
I am currently working on layouts with Whimsy Fundamentals, Brushed & Yuletide Carol.

Behind the paper is my versamat and behind this is the 2 ideas books I am currently using to save me bending.






Everything I need to work on the layouts I am working on with CTMH ranges/