Smashbook: Zentangle Fairytale

Today I'm featuring another spread from my Pretty Pink Smashbook. What I love most about SMASHing is that your book can be anything you want it to be... because there are no rules! And I use mine in so many different ways. Some of the pages resemble a scrapbook with lots of photos, captions and embellishments. Other spreads are journal-like with mostly writing and little or no embellishments. I even love to use it as an art journal with mixed-media creations, collages, and in this case Zentangles. It's so cool flipping through my book and seeing all of the different spreads... each one capturing what I'm feeling at that moment.

I was a newbie to SMASHing when I first made this spread 9 months ago. As a matter of fact, this was actually the 3rd spread I ever created, and my very first Zentangle pages. Although it looks complicated, it's not. All you are doing is repeating simple patterns. If you're a doodler like myself, you should pick it up easily. But anyone can do it, all it takes is some practice.

I choose to do this Zentangle in a Love theme because I love SMASHing about Love. This was just another way for me to show it. I think the Pretty Pink book is the best book to use when it comes to the subject of love. It's chock full of sweet, romantic pages with touches of pink and "lovely" little details.

I flipped through the whole book to find the perfect background for my Zentangle art. The pages I chose were covered in roses and had a large "Memo" label on the left page and a smaller "Forget Me Not" tag on the right. These pages couldn't have been more perfect for what I needed...it totally screamed "Love"!

Inspired by the gorgeous images and patterns on the internet, I started out by drawing my Zentangles freehand with pencil first because I knew I was going to make mistakes. (Especially with my 3-year old sitting right next to me bumping me every 5 minutes!) And from there, I just let the pencil flow...

Then I went over the whole thing with a black zig pen and erased all of the pencil marks. I added pops of color using a red colored pencil and with a black calligraphy pen, I wrote a favorite quote and filled in the "Memo" label with a special sentiment. I finished off the spread with a couple of photobooth pics taken during that moment in time, over 14 years ago.

I know that another Zentangle spread will be going into my book in the near future. It may have taken me a while to do these pages (thanks in part to my toddler), but it was all worth it. Those few hours were incredibly relaxing and fun at the same time. It's definitely a great way to wind down after a long and hectic week.... you should try it sometime :)

[*Update 5/12/2013: You can find my recent Zentangle spread here.]

Would you like to take a peek at my Pretty Pink SMASH* book? You can find it here. Are you looking for inspiration to fill your books? Be sure to check out my "SMASH* & PL" pinboard on Pinterest. Wanna stay updated on my recent posts and projects? Be sure to "like" my new fan page on Facebook!

Are you a SMASHer? Have you tried a Zentangle spread yet? Any thoughts, questions, or comments about this post? Feel free to drop me a line. Your feedback is always welcome and much appreciated.

Mahalo for stopping by!

Project Life: Week 15

Happy Wednesday everyone! I hope you're all enjoying your week so far...especially with this beautiful spring sunshine :) It's really given me the motivation to work in my books, and get caught up! I had so much fun putting together these last couple weeks of my Project Life album.... mostly because I loved documenting our family vacation! You've already seen Week 14, which was Part 1 of our trip in La Push, WA. Today I'm happy to finally share Week 15... the final days of our family vacay.

Life Documented

April 7 - April 13

"First Beach & Forks"

Week 15 - Full Spread

This week was so much fun!. I had a smile on my face the entire time I was going through our pictures from vacation. I took so many photos, it was difficult choosing which ones I wanted to showcase in this album. I ended up using a mix of different sized photos consisting of scenic shots, candids, poses, and touristy Twilight "landmark" pics. I put some of them through a couple of photo editing programs to get them to the desired size. [fotor for the square instapic and stacked photo collage, Photosheet for 3x4s.] I raided my stash for fun alphabet stickers and road trip/travel themed embellishments.

Twilight Printables I Designed on Silhouette Studio for Project Life

I searched everywhere for some cool Twilight inspired journal or filler cards to add to my spread this week. Couldn't find any, so I decided to make my own in Silhouette Studio. These are definitely better than anything I could have purchased! I just love how they turned out! I got to really personalize and design them to my liking. They're perfect on these pages...

Week 15 - Full Spread with Modified Insert

Week 15: Back Side of My Double-Sided Insert.

I knew a two page spread wasn't going to be enough room to hold all of the memories from vacation, so I decided to make a modified insert like I did last week. [Refer to Week 14 to see how I made the 6x8 double-sided insert.] It's the perfect place to hold the paper ephemera we collected from vacation, like postcards, maps, tickets, notes, stickers, cards, receipts, etc.

Week 15: Left Page - "Fun on First Beach"

This is a Becky Higgins Design A photo page. It's perfect for documenting our vacation. I used 2 of the 4x6 slots for scenic shots taken right from our balcony. I filled in some of the 3x4 slots with fun photos taken on First Beach. The 4x6 journal cards are from We R Memory Keepers, and I also included one of the 3x4 filler cards I designed (printed on Kraft paper). The last slot is the other side of the double-sided pocket from Week 14. It's filled with paper goodies like tags and receipts collected from our trip. I picked out some travel themed embellishments and diecuts, as well as a collection of different alphabet stickers.

Week 15: Right Page - "A Day in Forks"

This is another Becky Higgins Design A page. I filled these 4x6 slots with more of our vacation photos and another WRMK 4x6 journal card. I used a couple of the other 3x4 Twilight cards I designed especially for this trip. The remaining slots hold a photo collage of "The Treaty Line" and a square pic [with journaling] of some souvenirs we purchased. I finished off this page with a variety of alphabet stickers and more travel themed embellishments.

 I hope you all enjoyed my post! I had so much fun creating these pages and sharing them here with you. I have to say that documenting everyday life is great... but documenting a vacation is FABULOUS! I can't wait until our next trip!

Are you using Project Life to document 2013? Do you have a favorite week yet? Why do you love it? Any questions, thoughts, or comments about this post? Feel free to drop me a line. Your feedback is always welcome and much appreciated!

Thank you for stopping by!

Green Clean: Fabric Softener DIY

Hello World and Happy Earth Day Everyone!

I hope you all had a great start to your week :) April 22nd was officially Earth Day, but we manage to live the green life everyday. It's something we are quite proud of. And in honor of Earth Day, all this week I'm going to share some fun "green" projects with you. From homemade natural cleaning recipes to crafty reuse projects. It's going to be so much fun...but with a purpose!

A couple months ago I shared my Laundry Detergent DIY. Today you'll learn another simple recipe for the Laundry Room. Homemade Fabric Softener....

I did away with regular dryer sheets a long time ago, then I changed to a natural version of a specific brand. I eventually switched to plain old white vinegar during the rinse cycle. I did that for quite some time, and thought maybe I'd try my hand at making my own natural liquid fabric softener.

I wanted to continue my mission of keeping harmful toxins out of our home (laundry room included!), and also pair my natural homemade laundry soap with an equally impressive homemade fabric softener. Sure, it may take extra effort to plan, purchase, and make you own natural versions of standard (but essential) household supplies, but isn't the health of your family worth it? That's how I feel... and the Earth is worth it too!

You don't even have to start @ making your own cleaners. I do it because I love it! I get satisfaction from knowing that I made it myself. But you can easily take a big "green" step just by purchasing "greener" products. They may be more expensive, but not by much. Either way, you should give it a try...

HOMEMADE LIQUID FABRIC SOFTENER

Supplies:

• 4 Cups Warm Water
• 2 Cups Distilled White Vinegar
• Conditioner - You can use any type you want. I've used both natural (and expensive), as well as cheap bottles of conditioner.
• Essential Oil (Optional) -- Each oil has its own special qualities. You can even use your favorite scent!
• Container
• Measuring Cup
• Funnel
• Chopstick (or similar object)

*Tip: I made this a reuse project by repurposing my daughter's old BioKleen baby laundry soap bottle. It's the perfect size for this project. I used scrapbook paper and markers to make an attractive label, and clear packing tape to protect and secure the label to the bottle.

Directions:

I decided to mix/add everything directly into my storage container, but you may be find it easier to add your ingredients to a large open container (and mix it there), then later transfer your recipe to a final container. Whatever you decide, the first thing you'll want to do is add your water. The amount of warm water you add will depend on the size of your container. I use a total of 4 cups of water for mine. But to start, I only add half of that amount.

*Warm water helps to dilute the conditioner.

The next ingredient you are going to add is vinegar. I use a total of 2 cups in my recipe. Vinegar works naturally to soften your laundry as well as remove build-up caused by your laundry detergent. [Funky towels, anyone?] It also whitens whites and preserves colors.

*TIP: Use a funnel when pouring liquids to help make the job easier. 

Conditioner that smooths and softens your hair in the shower, can be used in the laundry much the same way. But it smooths and softens fabrics. Teamed up with vinegar, it's a winning combination! Whenever I make this recipe, I use about a quarter to half of the bottle. You can choose any conditioner you like. If you want to go natural, use a green brand. If you want to save money, use a less expensive brand. Some stores have $.99 conditioners. 

*When I first tried this recipe I used a cheap brand, and I'm still finishing off that first bottle of conditioner. {The Suave Naturals "Waterfall" scent smells fresh and clean, and gives the recipe that "Downy" blue color you see in most liquid fabric softeners.} You can save even more money by using conditioner you already have! {I've been using Wen a couple of months now and during spring cleaning, I found full bottles of different "green" conditioners that I forgot I bought before starting Wen's system. I now have extra supplies for this recipe, sweet!}

The final thing you need to do is mix up your recipe. I have an awesome set of bamboo chopsticks I picked up as a freebie years ago from a local asian supermarket. They are extra long and the perfect length to mix the ingredients together in the bottle. I mix it the best I can using the chopstick. Then I add the remaining 2 cups of warm water to further dilute the conditioner. Mix it around a little more. Then secure the cap, turn the bottle on its side and shake it around a bit. Gently, not vigorously. You don't want to make a bubbly mess.

You can now finish this off with essential oils (optional). Add the drops then gently mix it all together again. In case anyone is wondering, your clothes don't smell like vinegar...not one bit. If it's something you are concerned about, add your favorite essential oil to totally customize this recipe. But I completely skip that step. Whenever you're ready to use the fabric softener to do a load, just shake the bottle (in a circular motion) a few times to mix up the ingredients. 

That's pretty much it! Wasn't that easy?! I like to use my fabric softener recipe in a Downy ball which is made to release during the rinse cycle. Just add the liquid to the marked line, pull the plug, and drop it into the washer after adding the clothes. So simple. No need waiting around for the rinse cycle!

We've used this recipe for 6 or so months (along with my homemade Laundry Soap), and never experienced  stiff and scratchy clothes or linens, and static cling! Knowing that the stuff I make is as good, if not better than the name brand chemically filled bottles of cleaners, I am definitely sticking with this for good!  FYI, this recipe along with my Laundry Soap, are the only things I use in the Laundry Room.... well except for my "Homemade Stain Remover." And I'll be sharing that recipe in a future post...

Feeling inspired to create more "green" products? Try my homemade Dishwasher Detergent and Stain Remover recipes. Or check out my "Earth Mama" pinboard on Pinterest. It's full of ideas, inspiration and more DIYs for so many different things. From health and beauty care recipes to other essential cleaning products for the home. I'm sure you'll find something you haven't tried yet.

Wanna stay updated on my recent posts and projects? Be sure to "like" my new fan page on Facebook!

Are you and your family living a "green" life? Have you made the switch to homemade natural cleaners yet? Any thoughts, questions, or comments about this post? Feel free to drop me a line. Your feedback is always welcome and much appreciated.

Thank you for stopping by!

Smashbook: Our Love Song

Over time, I'm slowly going to showcase some of the spreads I've done in my SMASH* books here on my blog. So far, I've only been able to share my "100 Things I Love" spread, which as of today, is one of my most popular posts. I think the reason so many people like it, and refer to it often, is because I included a list [I made] to help anyone get started on creating their own list of "100 Things You Love." Be sure to check it out... it may be something you want to include in your book.

Today, I'm sharing another special spread in my Pretty Pink book.  If you know me and have seen the pages of this book, you know that I love smashing about "Love." It's one of my favorite subjects! Going 14 years into a relationship with my best friend has given me lots of inspiration for Smash* pages. I thought it was very fitting to include a page in this book with one of our favorite love songs. Believe me, it was hard to choose one song from a list we've developed over a decade of being together!

"Our Song: Forever" -- Smash*ed Nov. 13, 2012

The thing I love about pages like this is that these particular spreads are so versatile that you can include them in all of your books. I can choose a totally different song, embellish it a completely different way, and create it on brand new pages of each of my different Smash* books! Since every Smash* book is different and special in its own way, you never feel like your spreads look exactly the same in each book... unless you plan it out that way ;)

Since I love penmanship and handwriting, I'm never afraid to write on the pages of my books. It's one of my favorite things to do! To make sure that element will look its best, I choose a spread of pages that are lined in some way. The one I used here is a grid spread, perfect for writing. It also had a touch of pink from the flower on the left page, and a cute calendar on the bottom right. It was a wonderful jumping off point to get creative... 

....This set of pages screamed "love." So, I tapped into my love for the color pink with all of my alphabet stickers, the glitter gel pen used to write the lyrics of my song, and the tags and pockets I made to embellish the rest of this spread. It only made sense to use these pages to document "Our Love Song." 

You can easily customize a spread like this for your book. All you need is a song (with lyrics), "lined" pages in your Smash* book, a pen, pencil, and eraser, and some embellishments. I went ahead and added a pocket to hold a journal card that talks about the song and what it means to me. I thought it was great addition and filled up that large blank spot well. Paper scraps were used to create the pocket and banner. The spread wouldn't be complete without a photo.....

*TIP: When doing any type of writing in your books, write first (lightly) in pencil. Then go over your writing with your choice of pen, and thoroughly erase all of the pencil marks. It may be a time-consuming process, but it's much better than ruining the pages of your book because you spelled something wrong or needed more space for your entry!

You can find more pages of my Smashbooks in the tab labeled "Smashbook" at the top of my blog. I also have pics of some of my pages on my "My Books: SMASH* & PL" pinboard on Pinterest. If you are looking for even more inspiration, be sure to check out my "SMASH* & PL" board on Pinterest too! It's full of hundreds of ideas and inspiration, DIYs, and printables for everything Project Life, SMASH*, Daybooks, and art journals!

Wanna stay updated on my recent posts and projects? Be sure to "like" my new fan page on Facebook!

Do you SMASH*? Are you feeling inspired to create a spread like this in your book? Blogging about it? Link me up! I would love to see it :) Any thoughts, questions, or comments about this post? Feel free to drop me a line. Your feedback is always welcome and much appreciated!

Mahalo for stopping by!

Project Life: Week 14

This was my favorite week to document so far this year! Totally epic for anyone who loves Twilight! I'm so happy that the Hubby is a fellow TwiLover and enjoyed every single moment too, although I'm definitely more of the "fanatic". I had such a blast documenting our first family trip of the year,which was also our first road trip ever to La Push, WA. Home of Jacob and his fellow Quileute tribe. It was such a special adventure full of so many memories.....

Life Documented

March 31 - April 6

Week 14 - Full Spread

I was so excited to finally work on these! I kept last week extra simple specifically so I could spend more time planning and embellishing these pages. You can see there are lots of photos... from instagram pics to horizontal and vertical shots taken with my digital point and shoot. I love mixing them up! For journaling, I used a variety of WRMK 4x6 and 6x6 journal cards, some fun printables, and a Cameo cut. Embellishing was even more fun! A wood veneer, lots of tiny alphas, new thickers, cool Cameo cuts, and other tiny little details fill this spread.

Week 14 - Full Spread with Insert

I knew a two page spread wasn't going to be enough room to hold all of the memories from our vacation. These are only from DAY ONE of our road trip! (Week 15 is going to be fun putting together too because it's about the rest of our trip :) So, I decided that I needed a small insert. Big problem.... I didn't have one! I made use of what I did have, which were some old school photo albums. One of them looked particularly useful. It was a tall 6x12 album with pages of sleeves for three 4x6 photos. Although the pages were flimsy plastic (with paper inserts), I had to make it work! So, I cut off one of the 4x6 sections, so it is now a small 6x8 (double-sided) insert with two 4x6 sleeves. I trimmed off part of the paper inserts (so the white wouldn't show), added some reinforcements to the holes, and finished it off with a tab labeled "Memories". I didn't know whether those old photo pages protected photos, so I chose not to put pics in them. But use them instead to hold our paper ephemera from the trip. Maps, postcards, receipts, a pretty paper bag, tickets, passes, etc. Hey, it works for me!

Week 14 - Left Page

I'm using a We R Memory Keepers photo page designed specially for their 6x6 journal cards. These layouts are so much fun to use! I love using the 6x6 cards as my Title cards. I find that you don't always have to use the journal cards for writing. One of the other ways I use them is much like SMASH*ing, since all of the pages of SMASH* books are pre-designed, just like these journal cards. The size really gives you room to play around with your different elements. I even managed to fit an instagram pic and wallet photo on a 6x6 (with journaling)! I took lots of vertical shots during vacation and picked out two of them to showcase our "First Stop" in Port Angeles. You'll find lots of tiny alphas, some new thickers, an awesome "car" Cameo cut, fun stamps, and some extra little embellishments.

Week 14 - Right Page

Here I'm using a Becky Higgins Design A photo page. The vertical 3x4s are perfect for the little tidbits of info I wanted to document. I filled those slots with a calendar card, a Cameo cut with a square photo and some journaling, a (double-sided) pocket full of tags and receipts, and lastly my favorite card... a watercolor map (cut to size) of our final destination. I added a wood veneer geotag, a strip of washi tape, and tiny alphas to complete that card. I love how it came out! I filled the horizontal 4x6 slots with more cards and photos, one has an awesome layered Cameo cut. I embellished the WRMK journal cards a bit using more alphabet stickers, and finished off some of the cards with other cool details.

>> Find your watercolor map at maps.stamen.com. <<

Week 14 - Close Up of "Destination Cards"

Some time ago, I received some cute double-sided patterned pockets in a happy mail package from a friend. I've been wanting to use them in my SMASH* book for a while, but thought it would be such a waste for that "other side" to be covered up with glue. I decided to save them... and I'm glad I did, because they work perfectly in a 3x4 slot! The pocket can be seen on both sides of the page and hold all of my little paper goodies from our vacation. A few tiny alpha stickers in a sweet little sentiment finish the pocket. I love it!

Week 14 - A Pocket for Goodies

Well that's about it for Week 14. It was so much fun to put together! My daughter just loves flipping through my book and laughing or smiling at all of our memories. I'm excited to get started on Week 15 to finish off the remainder of our vacation! Can't wait to share it with you when I'm done... 

Are you documenting 2013 with Project Life? Have you found any fun elements to add to your pages? What do you think of the ones I've added in this spread? Any thoughts, questions, or comments? Feel free to drop me a line. Your feedback is always welcome and much appreciated.

Mahalo for stopping by!