I must admit, this is taking me a lot longer than I anticipated. But at least it is definitely a work in progress. This is what I have completed so far.
I still have 117 sheets of alpha cardstock to turn into stickers plus 4 cards of alpha stickers to add to that mix.
Originally, I was putting the alphas in 2″ x 2″ poly bags, but I have found it difficult to put that many alphas in them. So I ordered 3″ x 4″ poly bags to use. My hope is that it will much easier to store the alphas until I turn them into stickers.
I will report back once I have all of the alphas ready to turn into stickers. Please wish me luck. Feel free to offer any advice or suggestions on this project.
For a long time, I have struggled with storage options for my alpha stickers. I have tried putting them in binders and that worked for a while until I realized that if they were not in my sight, I would not use them. So, like so many others, I started watching YouTube videos to see how other people store their alpha stickers.
After watching a lot of videos, I have decided to try something I saw in one of the videos. I wish I could remember who’s video it was, but I just don’t. But, she used a divided freezer bin and some 6″ x 12″ poly bags, both found on Amazon. I also ordered some 4″ x 6″ photo protectors and some 2″ x 2″ zip plastic poly bags.
At first I tried some 1 mil poly bags and they just seemed to thin. So I ordered some 4 mil poly bags and they feel thicker, more sturdy for my needs.
Now that I have the supplies, it is time to start organizing. I will continue this series to document my progress every Saturday as I have a lot of alpha stickers and non-stickers to get organized.
Today would be our last day in Cozumel. Time has flown by but it felt great to do absolutely nothing in particular and everything we wanted to do. I will definitely miss the views every morning.
I decided this simple photo needs a simple layout. Of course, I found exactly what I need in 525 NEW AND INSPIRING SCRAPBOOKING SKETCHES. Simple and to the point. What a view.
We had a photo shoot of sorts at the resort. It was offered thru the hotel and, for the most part, we were pleased with the results. My husband, however, was not happy that I scheduled the shoot for first thing in the morning. Silly man thinks he can sleep on vacation, LOL! This layout came together real easily.
After we selected our pictures, we decided to take another trip to town. The only picture I took was of this mural that was in the process of being completed. I cannot wait to go back and see the finished product.
The mural photo needs a stand out scrapbook page and I think I captured it with the help of the sketch I selected.
Once back at the resort, Jim decided it would be a good idea to take the waterproof camera and get some pictures of some fish. So we walked south from the Melia Cozumel Golf and Beach Resort and headed to the El Cozumeleno. We stayed there one time and all I can say is it’s a nice place to visit but I do not want to stay there again. It just wasn’t the place for us. Too bad since he does have an amazing view.
Jim took the waterproof camera on a little adventure and captured some fairly decent shots. The GoPro came home with not footage. He really should learn how to use it before we go on our next vacation.
I love the sketch I selected and the way the finish product turned out. I have never used 5 photos on a one page layout. And now I know it is possible to do.
After we returned from our little adventure, we started packing, spent more time at the beach bar, and had out last dinner at The Iguana Grill.
Our last dinner deserves a black page. It is sad knowing that we will be leaving soon and we do not know when we will be returning. At least the sketch I selected still makes it seem like a happy ocassion.
After dinner, we found ourselves at the beach bar for the reminder of the evening/night. But we haven’t said our goodbye’s to our favorite bar staff.
The next installment will be us leaving and our final thoughts.
One of our favorite things to do in the mornings is to have a cup of coffee and watch the ship sail in. We typically count the number of ships that pass by to determine if we want to venture into town or not.
I decided I wanted to do something simple for this photo and I found a sketch that met my needs. I really like the way it turned out and I love that I actually used some washi tape I have had for at least a couple of years!
After breakfast we decided to walk around the resort to see what was on the street side of the property. We knew there was a building for the garden view rooms, but we did not know what was on the other side of it. Of course we say the beautiful plants but we also found a playground for children.
When I was looking at the sketches, I had initially wanted to do a 3 photo layout for the plants and a 4 photo layout for the playground. After looking at the photos, I decided I really did not care for a couple of the playground ones, so I decided to look for a 2 photo sketch. Much to my delight, I found similar sketches using the same background. When I saw the sketches, I had a paper come to mind as I had seen it in one of the paper pads I purchased years ago. I ended up with a 2-page layout that I am very happy with.
After our walk, we found out that lunch was being grilled on the beach today. They were tents set up with tables and chairs underneath and it was awesome. The food was good and everything was great until a huge wind came thru and sent the tent we were sitting under flying. I somehow managed to get my knee and wrist banged up and Jim ended up under then tent several yards away. Luckily there were no injuries But unfortunately lunch was stopped.
After all that excitement, we decided to be safe and just stay at the beach bar which has easy access to our room.
We still had a wonderful day and another wonderful dinner at the Iguana Grill that night.
The next installment is our last full day in Cozumel. Please come back to see what we did and how I put our memories into scrapbook pages.
There is nothing more enjoyable than having breakfast with a awesome view. It is definitely one of the reasons we return to the Melia Cozumel Golf and Beach Resort. The food is good, the location is great, and the staff are outstanding.
For my scrapbook page for this photo, I wanted something simple. I found exactly what I was wanting in the book 525 NEW AND INSPIRING SCRAPBOOKING SKETCHES. This page is simple yet doesn’t take away from the photo. One of these days I will learn how to take awesome photos.
After breakfast, we decided to take a walk on the beach. This walk took us north of the resort. I was able to capture some photos of the waves…
a shell on the beach…
and a few beach front homes.
The remainder of the day was spent like the rest of the days, doing nothing in particular and enjoying every minute.
At dinner, I was able to take a fairly decent sunset photo. This made me happy.
As you can see, some of the pages are not exactly like the sketch. I’m having to make adjustments according to the photo size I have and the paper and necessary supplies in my stash. I have tried to make a page as close to the sketch as I can and hopefully you enjoy them.
I really hope to do an many scrapbook pages as possible using my stash only. But today, I did order an adhesive refill for my Xyron Mega runner. It is the first one I have ordered for it so I’m not complaining. Thanks to Amazon, I should have it on Tuesday!!!! I have refills for my other sticker makers so I should not have to order any of these for a while.
I hope you are enjoying my Cozumel 2015 scrapbook pages. This was a 7-night trip so I am almost finished with this segment of the series. Not sure what will come next, but I have a lot of photos to put into pages!!!
I hope you return tomorrow for another installment of scrapbook pages.
It was another grand day in Cozumel. But what day isn’t grand when you’re enjoying a relaxing day and one of your favorite places?
Today we took a taxi to Mega, the most interesting store I have been to. I would described it as a Walmart Super Center, but so much cooler!!!! My only regret is that I didn’t take any pictures while we were there. But I did take some of the sites we walked to after shopping!!!! Plus some pictures of some sites while in the taxi returning to the Melia Cozumel Golf and Beach Resort. There is so much to see and do in Cozumel. But we always seem to just relax at the resort and go to town every couple of days or so just to walk around and buy stuff we do not need.
Obviously the scratch book pages appear to just fall right into place. I forgot to take pictures of the paper I chose. But I can tell you I did not go with my original selection!!! Luckily the sketches I’m using from 525 NEW AND INSPIRING SCRAPBOOKING SKETCHES really makes my scrapbook pages come together real easy.
The page above came together without a hitch. No problem deciding on the paper stickers I used. And I was very happy to be able to use another doile I purchased at Dollar Tree. The only issue I had with this page was how to adhere the doile to the page. I used a Scotch Craft Stick with minimal problems but I do think I need to consider finding a spray adhesive. Does anyone have suggestions?
After we returned to the resort, we spend the remainder of the day in the pool. It is definitely our happy place. On this page, I did make some slight adjustments. I changed the paper position so the lines would be horizontal since my photo was in portrait mode. And, I also triple matted the photo. I am happy with how it turned out and even happier that I was able to use some buttons from my stash.
And so ends another day in Cozumel.
If anyone has suggestions for a spray adhesive, please let me know.
I hope you come back tomorrow for another day in Cozumel.
Another glorious day in Cozumel. On this morning, we went for a morning walk after breakfast. Our walk took us south of the hotel in familiar territory. The only thing different was the new hotel they were building at that time. We have made this walk many times, often several times each trip. But seeing the construction was something we knew was happening but didn’t realize how much it would block our regular route. But that was ok, we were in paradise and that was all that mattered.
For this spread, I chose a sketch in 525 NEW AND INSPIRING SCRAPBOOKING SKETCHES that was found in the section labeled “Sketches with a Theme.” It was intended for a single page layout, but since I had selected 8 photos, I decided to mirror the sketch so it could be used as a 2-page layout. As I was putting it together, things just didn’t look like I had planned in my head. I changed to a different color paper for the background and mats. And I also added an extra sticker to the title area on both pages. I am pleased with the way it turned out.
After our walk, we spend the remainder of the day relaxing on the beach, sitting at the beach bar, and just loving the view from our room. I don’t think I could ever get tired of this view.
When selecting a sketch for this page, I found one I liked. I started going thru my massive stash of paper and I found a piece that was very similar to the sketch. So I decided to use it and just add the title. To me, for some reason, this paper just seemed to mimic the sketch. But at some point in time, I will come back to this sketch for another photo.
We ended the night having a nice dinner at the La Iguana Grill. It was the first time we have been there when the grill was open for dinner so we were very excited to make reservations and eat there. The food was amazing. We made sure to make reservations there for the remainder of our trip. It was that good!!!
I selected another sketch that reminded me of a dinner plate. The papers and embellishments just feel into place afterward. I decided to use a doily I purchased at Dollar Tree and it definitely came in handy. I cut off the edge and carefully placed it on the plate. But now that I look at it, I do not know if it does look like a plate. I’m not going to change it. I will just keep it as is and will definitely be more mindful in the future.
We ended our evening at the beach bar before calling it a day.
Tomorrow, will be day 4 of our Cozumel trip. I hope you will come back to see what adventures we will have!!!
The best part about spending time in Cozumel is doing absolutely nothing. Just relaxing and enjoying where we are at. The Melia Cozumel Golf and Beach Resort is quiet and definitely offers the relaxation we come here time after time. It is located at the north end of the island so there is not much noise. And the views are amazing.
Once again, and what I will be doing throughout this series, I selected sketches from 525 NEW AND INSPIRING SCRAPBOOKING SKETCHES for today’s scrapbook pages. I am truly enjoying the sketches the Scrapbooking Coach has put together. I’m finding that by using these sketches, I am really able to find a use for my stash that I truly need to trim down… A LOT!!!
Since our first trip to the Melia, we have always managed to be the first people to belly-up to the swim up bar every morning. Since it is an all-inclusive resort, we, actually Jim, want to make sure we get our money’s worth, LOL. Today is no different and we definitely had a cocktail to enjoy while admiring the view.
Since I was using a laser die cut for the title, I decided to go with a basic background for the title instead of what is shown in the sketch. I’m happy with the way this turned out.
On this particular trip, we found ourselves spending more time at the beach bar than the swim up bar. Which also meant our beyond pale bodies spent more time on the beach and in the water. I’m sure having a room so conveniently located also helped. Who doesn’t love catching some waves while relaxing and enjoying your surroundings and the one you’re with?
On this layout, I thought I would be happy with the red and oranges I had initially selected, but after looking at it when everything was in place, I just wasn’t feeling it. Luckily, I have a mountain of scraps so I was able to find something I feel looks much better.
Of course, the wildlife is abundant at the Melia Cozumel Golf and Beach Resort. Every trip we make there, we are sure to take some pictures of the iguana’s. They are happy, healthy, and are seen everywhere. And one in particular is HUGE!!!!
I am learning to embrace the art of fussy cutting. So far,t he cuts I am making for my scrapbook pages are not too delicate. But I will work my way to the smaller fussy cuts.
That’s it for today’s pages. I do find that I am having an issue with taking photos of my projects without having a glare on the finished page when I go to take a picture of it. If you have any helpful suggestions, please let me know.
Come back tomorrow, or maybe later today, for day 3 in Cozumel.
You know it is going to be a good day when you receive 2 online orders in one day!!! I’m a happy camper. Although, there is still one package that Shutterfly shipped on July 20th (with an expected delivery date of July 26th) that UPS conveniently misplaced. I contacted Shutterfly today to let them know what was happening. In less than 2 hours, Shutterfly customer service had responded and informed me that they would be reprinting my photos and mailing them at no additional cost to me. Obviously very good customer service!!!! I wasn’t really expecting anything, I was just letting them know what was going on!!!! I am so glad I upload all of my photos to them and I will continue to do so.
The first box I received today was from Baublebar. This is the first time I have ordered from them but I have heard a lot of good things about them by watching Marnie Goldberg youtube channel. I finally bit the bullet and placed an order. One of the pairs of earrings I ordered will not be shipped until August 25th but the other 4 arrived today. They have a section on their website that has 3 pairs of earrings for $48. Normally, that is more than I would spend but I have been eyeing a couple of pairs that were on there for a long time. The 3 pairs I selected are the Celestial Drops, Gabriela Stud Tassel earrings in Cerulean, and Pauline Hoop. I also ordered the Moonlight Druzy Drop earrings in blush. I must say, I am very happy with my selections. They will work perfectly with some of the outfits I am planning on wearing on our cruise.
The other box I received today was from Scrapbook.com. I routinely order various scrapbooking supplies from them and when I received an email saying they were having a sale on their adhesive, I knew I had to place another order. They definitely has the best prices for Xyron refills so I definitely loaded up, sort of. I ordered 6 of the Xyron “X” refill permanent cartridge and 6 of the repositionable cartridges. I have 3 of the “X” sticker makers so now I will have one that is dedicated for permanent cartridges and one for repositionable cartridges. I ordered 2 repositionable cartridges for my new Xyron 5″ Creative Station and 2 for my old Xyron 510 machine. Unfortunately I only received 1 for the 510 machine. I contacted Scrapbook.com and they responded very quickly and are sending me the missing item!!!!
Scrapbook.com also has their own line of adhesive products so I decided I would try some of their double-sided tape. I ordered 2 that are 1/8″ and 2 that are 1/4″. I also ordered some of their 6″ x 6″ double sided adhesive sheets. I cannot wait to play with these!!!! It is going to be so much fun!!!
The only thing left for me to do is to find a place to put everything!!!!
I knew I had to go to Hobby Lobby today to replace the scrapbook paper my glass of Cran-Grape juice fell on. I asked my hubby if he wanted to go with me and he said yes. Now, I know most women prefer to shop without their spouse. I’m typically that way with Jim, except when it comes to scrapbook supplies. Somehow he manages to find stuff that I would need, want, or could use. This trip was no exception.
Before we went to Hobby Lobby, we went to Michael’s as I had a 50% off coupon to use and I was wanting to get a refill cartridge for my Xyron Creative Station Lite. I prefer to use the repositionable cartridges because I often change my mind about placement of things. Unfortunately, Michael’s didn’t have what I wanted, but the did have the Tombow removable adhesive tape funner refill, so I got that instead!
Once we arrived at Hobby Lobby, my first stop in the scrapbook area was the adhesive section. I was looking for a glue runner eraser and I found one and only one there!!! I want to try it and see if it will really remove the excess adhesive from the pages. I then picked up the scrapbook paper I needed to replace (LOL) plus a few sheets of white textured cardstock. I told Jim we might as well look in the clearance section to see if there was anything of use and his watchful eye did not disappoint!
My middle granddaughter’s name is Victoria. I always have a hard time finding just the letter V. But today was my lucky day. My hubby found 3 so I bought them all!!! I also picked up some other goodies including a paper pack.
As we made our way to the check-out counter, I stopped back by the adhesive isle in search of something that would be a good adhesive for glitter. So far, I have not found anything that seems to work. If you are reading this and have any suggestions, please let me know.
The papers in the paper pack were actually pretty good!!
Once we returned home, I continued working on finishing up the Carnival Magic 2011 pre-cruise album, making and adding a few pages. All of the pages are now securely in the album. I do need to do some touch-up on the outside of the album cover but that shouldn’t take long to do in the morning!
Tomorrow I plan on starting the first Carnival Magic 2011 cruise album and continue working on the journaling. I know there will be more scrapbook pages made for these albums as I like to include the daily Fun Times in my albums. I have a feeling there will be at least 2 albums just for the cruise. And hopefully I can organize the contents of these boxes I received today!!!!
our life reality 