Nihao, Cupcake!

Repurposing Project Life packaging into My Inspiration Box for TWELVE. (StacyJulian 's class at Big Picture Classes)

I had a brilliant idea a few weeks ago. I wanted to make my inspiration box for Stacy's class, TWELVE. which will begin this week (YAY!) but I had limited supplies available since I live in China. Yes, I can get creative, but even that can become complicated and time consuming due to transportation issues, etc. I won't bore you with the details!

Anyway, I had a stroke of genius when I realized I had enough cardboard inserts in my Project Life 12x12 page protectors to cut up and use for my inspiration file. HURRAY!

 

I measured out the sizes I needed, got out my craft knife & Basic Grey cutting mat and had my dividers cut in no time.

 

I really wanted to use this Sephora box I had lying around (no Target or other adorable organizing stores in my neighborhood) since it isn't too big and even though Stacy said not to have a lid for your box, I love it's magnetic lid!

 

 

I figure if it is cumbersome, the design of the box allows me to cut it off easily if need be.

 

 

What do you think? I love it and can't wait to cover it with cute patterned paper when I get home. I wasn't able to decorate the box before leaving China for the holidays, but it is ready for me when I return mid-January. I'll be sure to post my finished project when I am finally able to finish.

In the meantime, I will use a three ring binder with page protectors to use as my sections.

I can't wait for January 1st when TWELVE. begins.

Speaking of January 1st, I will be hosting a One Little Word blog hop that goes live at 8 AM PST. It is the first day of Ali Edward's 2012 class and over two dozen new & returning students are getting together to wrap up last year's class and reveal our words for 2012. Click here to see our One Little Word blog hops from 2012.

EDITED on Jan 3, 2012: Just found out I have a really awesome BPC give-away coming up on MY BLOG! More details coming very soon...

Color Combo Blog Hop & DIY Banner Stamp (couldn't be easier)

Welcome to another Color Combo Blog Hop hosted by Amy. These are so much fun and it got me scrapbooking! I haven't been this inspired to make a page since Spawn of True Scrap in October. (Which was awesome, by the way!)

Our color combo for November is Coca Tints:

I love this combo. I originally thought I would make a Christmas page, even though I rarely make Christmas pages. But, alas, I ended up with the page about 798 (an art district in Beijing). I used a much truer red but I didn't do too bad with the other colors. That paint around the photo is actually beige and not white like it looks in the photo.

I had fun with the page using a few of the free style techniques I'm getting used to playing around with in my Art Journal class at Balzer Designs.

I'm also proud to report that I made my very first homemade stamp! Do you like the banner in my layout? I used a stamp I made from something I had lying around the house. It was a square of leftover medical padding. I'm not exactly sure where it came from, but more than likely it was from when my son broke his thumb over the summer. My mom was taking care of him (while I was in Beijing with my ill husband) and bought a bunch of supplies to rewrap his dressing every night, so I'm guessing it was in that bag and ended up on my desk. 

I've been eyeing it for the past week or so wanting to see if it would work as a stamp but I didn't know what shape to make.

Then I saw this post at Balzer Design's blog, where she carved her own banner stamps, so I thought, "what the heck?!" It is a simple shape and easy to reproduce. I took the nearest pencil, did a quick sketch on the medical padding, cut it out, slapped on some paint and I had myself a stamp! So, I had to use it on my layout. FUN!

See the Project Life Journaling Card to the left? That was the first test stamp. I think the image will be showing up on occasion in my Project Life album from now on. That Journaling Card will be in there because I've got to document my first homemade stamp EVER. 

Have you ever made your own stamp? If so, what material did you use and how did it turn out? I can see myself making more and I would love more inspiration.

 

The rest of the participants for the blog hop are below. It looks like there was an over sight and I was left off of the list. But since I organize two monthly blog hops, I know that things like this can happen with the best of intentions! I have copied the list from another blog (thanks, Joanne!) and I will do my best to participate.

To see everything SCRAPBOOKING on my blog, click here.

In the meantime, thanks for stopping by! And enjoy hopping to the other blogs on the list! Thanks to Amy for hosting.

 

 

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	http://istampscrapcraft.blogspot.com/
	http:/handmadebykirsty.blogspot.com
	http://spud-pickle.blogspot.com
	http://sugarandscrap.blogspot.com/
	http://digipage-blog.everything-digital-scrapbooking.com/
	www.MichelleRoycroft.blogspot.com
	http://scrapyourlife.net
	http://www.snapsandsnippets.blogspot.com
	http://scribblesstickingstitchingstroking.blogspot.com/