valentines day: card ideas

already february--what?! somehow valentine's day always sneaks up on me, so this year, i'm collecting my valentines day ideas early!! i'll be posting a few v-day related posts (sorry if your anti-valentines, but i can't help it, it does have my all time favorite candy- *cough* sweethearts *cough*)
anyhow, our first post...valentine card ideas! plus one really pretty book idea.

first, shimelle with these really pretty envelopes. i never really thought about adding embellishments to the envelopes...good idea.

then, the creative cards of kristina werner. i recently discovered her blog, and i was instantly hooked. she makes some of the most gorgeous cards! i especially love her beautiful handwriting...so jealous!

and now, for that someone special who needs more than just a card...heidi swapp made this beautiful valentines book in a box. genius, and super pretty!! i have that stencil she used on the cover, but haven't used it yet, and this makes me want to create with it now!

 

i hope you found these projects inspiring to start your own valentines.
xoxo,
megan

January goals completed

for only being a month into the new year, i feel very accomplished. out of the nine goals i actually wrote done, i have completed three of them :) i'm pretty happy, and quite frankly impressed by myself.

goals completed...
-i have signed up for a gym membership and am actually going at least three times a week.
-i got a new job!! (i didn't mention that in my goal blog post, but i was really looking for a new job and i got it!) it's really a perfect job for me :)
-and i finally organized my scrapbook albums into themes. quite a task!

i'm happy and also very excited to get working on the rest :)
how are you doing on your goals?
xoxo,
megan

new gadget love - polaroid printer

i have been looking for a way to print my phone photos fast for scrapbooking and art journaling. i settled with sending them to walgreens, but i wasn't completely satisfied. then i found the polaroid pogo instant mobile printer on amazon.com. i was so excited!! after reading reviews and making sure it was actually a good printer, i ordered it :) i did the bundle pack on amazon, buying the printer and a pack of 50 photo prints (and of course i got the paper first- buzz kill). but the printer finally came...

...and i love it!! although there was a bit of a hitch, and after searching the internet, i found the answers. so for those of you who are interested, i made a pro/con list for you.


pros...
-the prints are super cute and tiny (only 2"x 3")- perfect for pages and journals!
-and bonus, the prints are on sticky back paper!
-small and portable, easy to take along
-fairly inexpensive; the paper is not ridiculously priced either, like other instant cameras
-the prints take less than a minute to come through

cons...
-is not compatible with the iphone!! see below
-the quality of print is a little lacking, but i think the outcome is unique and a bit vintage looking.

when searching and reading reviews, i did not see anything about not being able to connect with the iphone. i was mega bummed. but i learned that it is not polaroids fault, but apple's weird bluetooth restrictions. luckily, someone has already figured a way around it. it is not ideal, but i works. you can find the step by step instructions here.


after working through that problem, it worked great! needless to say, i'm pretty happy with my purchase!

xoxo,

megan

new pages :)

last weekend, i was super inspired by reading old scrapbooking magazines and the new pretty paper i purchased before. here is what i created...

"lady killer"
paper-my minds eye lime twist, basic grey; thickers-american crafts; rhinstones-michaels; brads-tpc studio

 
"kissy face"
paper-dcwv; letters-making memories fa la la collection; twine-my minds eye lime twist; embellishments-american crafts flair, making memories, michaels

xoxo,
megan

scraplifted project

most of the time i find my inspiration from online sources, but for this scraplifted project i found my inspirtation from creating keepsakes magazine. i've been browsing through old issues, since i haven't taken the time to renew my subscription this year :) i have always found it interesting to go back and look through my old issues and see what the latest trends were then, and how i can switch up once more.
anyhow...
here is a photo of the original layout...


(the layout is by Amy Tan, in case you can't read the description.)

and my finished layout...

xoxo,
megan

artist love: amy tan

amy tan is a recently love of mine. i discovered her blog and website soon after buying my first amy tangerine products. amy has such a unique style of scrapbooking and i love the fact that she started as a t-shirt designer!! i would say she has had some pretty awesome jobs :)

it doesn't take me long to spot an amy tan layout in a magazine or one of her pretty products on a page; her style is just so inspiring to me! i think my favorite part of her collections are the colors and fun elements. i can't not wait for her new collection coming oh so soon! i must have it all, especially this camera album!!

i hope you find some sort of inspiration from amy like i do.
xoxo,
megan

*all photos from amytangerine.blogspot.com*

scrapbook starting points with shimelle

shimelle from shimelle.com is starting her feature again called scrapbook starting points. she basically gives you a simple layout of papers before she puts on embellishments and photos. She lets you take the starting point and make it yours! sometimes the blank sheet is intimidating and i like having a starting point.
this is this last weeks starting point...

and my finished project...

you can post a link on her blog showcasing how you finished the starting point. shimelle gives a week (new starting points are posted on mondays) to join in on the fun! i love seeing how everyone makes it their own :)
xoxo,
megan