Blog | Ella Publishing Co.

Loved Ella's segment on sketches this week. If you are new to scrapbooking or have been scrapbooking for years, sketches can help take the "work" out of creating a layout.
This week's segment shows many different layouts using just one sketch. Check it out!

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I have been distracted lately…haven’t scrapped for several weeks!  Jen’s passion for anything artistic rubs off on me in a variety of ways.  While shopping a few weeks ago, Sarah and I saw a magnet that read, “I Make Things”.  If it wasn’t so expensive, I would have bought it for Jen.  In response to looking at something she likes, I don’t think I have ever heard her say,  “I can’t.”  Instead, she tells herself, “Why not?”  She is my biggest inspiration to trying new things.  My other inspiration comes from my friend (and cousin by marriage) Laura. She researches and learns to do many things. 

Why couldn’t I try and teach myself something I’ve always wanted to do?  I have always wanted to learn to quilt.  Jen recently started to make handbags, dresses, wallets, etc.  All with my little sewing machine Josh bought me a few years ago (which has lived at Jen and Dave’s for over a year).  When Jen got herself a new sewing machine for Christmas, mine came back home with me and I was determined it wasn’t going to collect dust.  In my younger days, I tried new hobbies (including quilting) and failed many times but I have to admit that was before You-Tube.  You can find tutorials galore on You-Tube.   One obstacle, I have had with sewing, was I couldn’t  thread a bobbin.  Jen would have to thread it for me.  A couple of weeks ago I taught myself using a “how to” video on You-Tube.  Remembering some sewing shows my mom watched when we were kids, I found episodes online and I am NOW quilting!  Ok…so I have a way to go to be a “quilter” but I am slowly learning… and seeing results. 

Yet, my first love will always be paper crafting and I am getting the itch to pull out my papers and make some cards or a layout or two.    

It has been awhile since I posted any new projects...well, it has been awhile since I scrapbooked.  I did finish this last night...

Your Smile by Rebecca Grinder

I did this one last month for the local Craft Warehouse monthly challenge.

Fancy Free by Rebecca Grinder

Craft Warehouse: Echo Park's Everybody Loves Christmas

I have gone gaga over Echo Park’s Everybody Loves Christmas.  A bright pallet of colors I love!  I couldn’t wait to create a bounty of Christmas cards.  Here is a sampling of my favorites and the others are posted on the slide show here. 

Reindeer Christmas Gift Card Holder by Rebecca Grinder

Add some dimension to a sticker by using some wiggly eyes and Liquid Applique.

Snowflake Christmas Wreath Card by Rebecca Grinder

I love to make Christmas wreath cards – and finding punches and stamps to make the greenery.  Green snowflake die-cuts work perfectly for the holly leaves.  I added some Liquid Applique, Stickles, and red rhinestones for the holly berries.

Tree Ornament Tag by Rebecca Grinder

This tag was my favorite!  I used a Pioneer Embellishment Glue Stick to hold together my upside down heart accordion ornament.  I used the glue stick to coat the ornament with adhesive and then poured fine translucent glitter for a vintage sparkle!  I sprayed a fine coat of clear acrylic for good measure (After uploading these pictures to my computer, I noticed the ornament separating in spots.  To fix those problem areas, I used my Beacon's 3-IN-1 liquid glue and placed a bobby pin to hold the paper in place until the glue fully dried.)



Craft Warehouse: Basic Grey Pyrus & Wander

When the Craft Warehouse Design Team got this month’s assignment we were all so excited over these two new lines from Basic Grey!  The collections come with a variety of double sided papers with a vast variety of prints making them very versatile. 

Pyrus is warm and rich in color and texture.  I love the greens and golds…lots of pears, flowers and trees.  Very earthly.   

The Perfect Pear by Rebecca Grinder

(click to enlarge)

Josh and I spent our last weekend of the summer on a little adventure.  We took a country drive and ended our trip in the heart of Oregon Wine Country. Farm to Fork, a little restaurant at the Inn at Red Hills in Dundee Oregon, serves an amazing gourmet meal.  After our meal, we took our coffee and dessert outside to the outdoor patio where we enjoyed staring at the blue sky and soaked in the peace and quiet.

I inked some of the Basic Grey Basics Accents journal blocks then layered, layered, layered.

Basic Grey’s Wander collection is bold in color and style.  The line is obviously perfect for all of your travel, vacation, and big city pictures/layouts but I was impressed by this line’s masculine retro accent prints perfect for boy themes as well.   

    

Together Sky's the Limit by Rebecca Grinder

(click to enlarge)

To make the skyline I cut buildings from patterned paper, included the chipboard stickers as well as some of Basic Grey's basics stickers.  I used foam dots for a 3-D effect.  Although this layout took me longer than I expected, I had a blast and was thrilled with the final result!

Craft Warehouse Salem Scrap Club

There are those layouts you just enjoy the process even more than the end result.  These layouts were so much fun to create.  I got my hands dirty...literally stained my hands red.  So much fun! 




I used some of my favorite pictures from my Cannon Beach ladies retreat trip from last winter.  I never get tired of looking at them... they remind me of a weekend of pure relaxation.  They are a testament of God's grace.  He taught me a lot that weekend and I don't want to forget a moment.  I remember...the sunset, the peaceful sound of the waves hitting the shore, watching a dog play catch and chasing a ball in the waves, star gazing and seeing a shooting star with a couple of new friends, walking along the beach alone with my camera...I am glad I took so many pictures of Haystack Rock so I can often gaze upon the breathtaking scene.





Fa.la.la...I created these layouts for Craft Warehouse to use in the Salem Store.  Although this layout is made with a new Christmas line of paper, the picture I used wasn't taken during Christmas time and has nothing to do with decking the halls.  I just thought the picture's colors went so well with the paper.  Ha!

This picture does have a great deal of meaning behind it... it was taken at a women's retreat in Monterey, CA and this was the weekend I knew Josh was "the one" God had prepared me for.  This week, my husband and I are celebrating our fifth wedding anniversary! It feels like yesterday we said, "I will and I do" and then it feels like, as soul mates, we have always been together.  This picture represents that moment in time - the crossroad - God's promise being full-filled.  At age 27, He gave me the desire of my heart.

Salem Craft Warehouse: Sept Scrap Club

Here is a sneak peek at some techniques I'll be sharing at the Salem Scrap Club this month.  For times and details check out Craft Warehouse's website here!