Photo Book

 Can someone recommend a better photobook website? I need something that shows accurate print previews. I've had a couple recommendations for Shutterfly because apparently their print preview is quite accurate. Costco's is not! :(

 After a month and a half of creating these digital scrapbook pages in Photoshop Elements, I finally had my whole alphabet photo book ready for B.  When I uploaded them to the Costco site, the pages were cropped in a little bit, which I assumed was for bleed and binding.  I adjusted all of my layouts accordingly as I created them, and the print preview looked perfect.  But when I printed it, entire letters and sections of pictures are lost in the binding! :(  I wish their print preview was accurate!

 I hear that Shutterfly will warn you if something is out of print bounds, but I wonder if that just applies to the Shutterfly elements or if it will show you what will be cut off from your FULL PAGE digital layouts.  Has anyone tried? I know I have a very limited audience on here but has anyone, by chance, ever printed a digital scrapbook in photobook form?

Any suggestions would be appreciated! I want to upload my pages to a new website as they are, not have to redo all of them like Costco suggested. Thanks for your help! :)

Another Scrap Wreath

 Here is another thing I can't get enough of. Between the blue/green one I made last year, and the felt rose wreath I made a few months ago, Jordan says we have too many wreaths.  But this is SO CUTE. It is perfect for Easter, spring, and year-round little girls!  It is so easy and I just can't get enough of these. For this I used a 10" metal hoop from the craft store and 6 kinds of fabric (30 - 1x7" strips of each fabric).

Fits right in!

Car Caddy

 I made this little car caddy for my sister-in-law and her new baby boy!  I hear there are a million tutorials online, if you need one! (I'm on a different computer right now and I don't have the link to the tutorial I used.)  To make this size, use 17x10" fabric for the front and back, and 17x6" fabric for the pockets (folded in half lengthwise). That way, when you divide the pocket into six, they are the perfect size for standard matchbox cars. (1/4" seams.)

 Fold the road over the cars, fold into thirds..

...and velcro closed! :)

"Snowflake Skirt"

I bought a sewing pattern for this skirt at Ace Hardware over a year ago and FINALLY made it. It is called the "Snowflake Skirt" by Butterfly Kisses. I wouldn't recommend the pattern because it has you do things in some really weird, unnecessary ways. But if you want to make one I would lend you the instructions plus some tips of how to do things differently! :) Other than weird instructions, I think it is such a cute skirt!



I am IN LOVE... with Digital Scrapbooking.

Ok, so it didn't take me long to cave in and start on a DIGITAL SCRAPBOOKING photo book for B.  I made her one of those "drag and drop" pre-laid out ones from Snapfish for 2010, and have been meaning to make one for 2011, but was too overwhelmed with the thousands of pictures I have and no idea how to choose which ones to use, which order to put them in, and which story to tell. The 1-2 year range is SO fun and exciting and she reached so many milestones and changed so much!  Then I had an epiphany.  An ABC book! I won't have to stress about the order of events, or rack my brain about which pictures to choose.  It can be all over the place, as long as the picture was taken in 2011 and starts with that page's letter.  Hallelujah!!!!!  It took me all day to make this spread, but I am SO EXCITED about it. I think it is just about the cutest thing I've ever made, besides B herself! :) Hopefully it will go faster now that I have a few of the kinks worked out. I've been looking through pictures and I almost want to make 4 pages per letter! I'm still having a hard time narrowing it down!  Anyway, here is the "B" page.  25 more letters to go! AHH!



Ribbon Flower Hair Bow

I've been asked to show how I make hair bows, so here is one style that I like to make because I think it is the cutest kind! I have to give credit to Kylee for this because I got it from her! She made one of these for B, and it was so cute that I had to try to copy it in order to have a second one to match for pigtails!

In this one, I did two flowers that are the same size but different colors. I've also done them different sizes, with different numbers of petals, etc. Be creative!

For this size, I cut my ribbons about 10-11" each. If I'm experimenting with lengths, I'll just make the bow right from the spool and not cut it until the end. Make your first loop like you'd make an "awareness ribbon".

Bring the long tail down and make your second loop like a figure eight.

Make a third loop inbetween your first two.

Make your fourth loop opposite of your third loop.

Take your needle and thread and go through all layers, back and forth a few times until it feels secure.  I've also done this where I sew the loops to the beginning of my ribbon as I make each one, but I think I like it best to wait until the end and just go through all of it at once.

I made my second flower the exact same size as the first one, and then sewed it on.  You could also hot glue it!  Then I just glued the button right in the middle.

Cover your alligator clips in ribbon to match the wearer's hair. For this size of clip, it takes about 3 3/4" of brown ribbon.  I put a dab of glue on the clip right underneath each of my fingers and then left the long tail unglued.  The long tail is on the TOP part of the clip. You want the top part to be covered and the bottom part to have exposed prongs so it can go into her hair easily.

Lay it flat, upside down, and glue your ribbon from the end of the clip to the end of the ribbon.

Pinch the clip open, fold the gluey ribbon around the edge of the clip and back down underneath, back towards the clip's spring.  I like going as close to the spring as possible (to cover as much of the bottom side of that top half of the clip) because the texture of the ribbon against her hair helps hold the bow in place.

Now just put a dab of hot glue on the back of your bow an glue it right to your clip! Ta da!

Valentines Week

 Lately I've been trying my hand at digital scrapbooking. Right now, the thought of actually doing an entire photo album is completely overwhelming, but I am in LOVE with using digital elements for cards and home decor! This is going to be Jordan's card from Brinley (after I write on it, of course).

Here is where this idea came from:

http://www.thedatingdivas.com/holidays/valentines-day/lucky-in-love/

I did the scratch-off card idea for Jordan and Brinley so they can have one little gift from Mommy every day until Valentine's Day. Hopefully Jordan won't mind that most of them are tailored to a 2 year old. :) Well, that's just how it goes when you're a parent, right? You can print this .jpg file off and use it yourself, if you want!

Here is a photo of the scratch cards ready to go! Jordan will open the card from Brinley on the last day.  Good thing he doesn't check my blog! The surprise won't be ruined! :)