Uh January, where the heck did you go...

I have already failed at my goal of blogging more regularly. I just run out of time and ideas. I wanted the blog to be mostly about crafty things, but I lack motivation to start a project or I get started and stop to do something else. I could blog about other things, but who wants to hear about my boring life...I don't and I live it! I do have to say I am excited for times ahead. My hubs family is huge, lots of cousins all the same age, all getting married and all having babies. Life's definitely been busy. I'm expecting my first, another cousin is getting married, another is having a second baby. I'm also riding high right now because I won a huge giveaway for new moms from a local store. Seriously cannot believe my luck of late. I feel so incredibly blessed by everything that is happening and my good fortune. I'm one lucky lady.

Moving on to craft related things. I've done some more work to my baby book. My ink pad ran out of ink half way through, which made inking my edges rather difficult. This process also took forever because this book is thick. I have 15 or 16 signatures and each signature has a least one pocket or foldout inside, most have 2 if not 3. I wanted lots of space for photos because I am a camera nutcase. Needless to say hours upon hours were spent inking edges. The ink I used was Tim Holtz Distressed Ink. I also used his ink blending tool (see photo below). By the time I was done all my edges the foam pad on the blending tool was literally falling apart and full of holes. Please note that these foam pads will last a while when used properly (not how I use it) and while I used this foam pad for one project I put a lot of hours and ink into this bad boy. Both products can be bought at Michaels craft store and most (if not all) scrapbooking stores. I highly recommend both products.

This picture does not do the disintegrated foam pad justice. 

One of my paper collections is only one sided, meaning one side has pattern and the other is white. All the white will be grunged (made up word) up with ink, glimmer mist and covered with photos, journalling spots and other embellishments. Have I mentioned this book is going to be thick?!?! LOL

Now that my edges are inked and ready to be bound I need to work on my cover pages. The covers will be made up of heavy weight chipboard. The dimensions will be the same as the signatures, six inches wide by nine inches tall. I have to get started on designing my cover before I can bind my signatures as I have to bind the first signature to the cover and the second signature to the first, so on and so forth. It's a tedious process; I grumble, groan, mutter, yell, prick my fingers, untangle twine, and take apart mistakes, but the end result is so worth the pain. I'll do my best to take pictures of the steps as well as do my best to share my scrapping process. I'm a tedious scrapper. I map everything out first and it takes me forever to complete something. Probably the number one reason why I have not yet taught a class. Ha, by the time I would actually complete a book the supplies I used would be retired. I guess I could just substitute them with a different paper line and keep the book design the same. Hmmm...maybe that's what I will do...anyways the dimensions for the chip board cover pieces are photographed down below. 

If anyone is interested in scrapbooking or papercrafting and has questions do not hesitate to ask. I do get the odd question about supplies I use and where I get them from so I will try and post about them as I go. Also if you want details about anything I have blogged about previously or are wondering about who the people are that I give credit too, don't hesitate to ask. As mentioned in a previous blog post, I first learnt about this technique from Marion Smith. She is an incredibly talented artist, has a studio in Texas, and is incredibly sweet. I don't know her personally, but the great thing about this hobby is that you get to know people through blogging, twitter, their online classes, etc. I encourage you to check her out. 

Have a great night!!