trisha harrison:here at no.30

Fall projects.

For as long as I can remember  - I have LOVED FALL. Yes Summer is totally up there and has it's own BEST stuff but FALL there is something about it the cool air ( which is here I tell ya) the change of the leaves, the time to put on big sweaters AND cowls! 

Good thing I have kept busy over the month of August and early September making and making and making these simple cowls how to vid here, This purple one above is the latest one that I started only three days ago and finished yesterday. I'm getting faster! I have seven cowls now and hope to get twelve made.

Now with the kiddos back to school I will be making more of these gifts for Christmas. It's a great time to start those projects and gifts that are homemade, the table runner I made a few weeks ago will also be something I am making more of for gifts & here to keep. I have a few more DIY's I am going to attempt and as always my first passion my creative habit of Project Life is getting caught up on and I have a few things to share there. Thanks for reading! Happy Friday!! 

 

 

The mini book | finished.

Last week I posted this mini book - in progress that post is here if you want to track back, So I finished it on the weekend & with everything memory keeping wise I kept it super simple using just things on hand in my office hoarding away. Get that stuff into your book - I thought to myself so happy I did!  Looks better there anyways. 

Not starting in order of pages here but somewhere in the middle I took a beautiful mess 8x10 paper that came in the kit and trimmed down to 4x6 placing a wood veneer on top, the opposite page has a cardstock in orange and then I took another 3x4 card and cut down and sewn on to the page. 

Oh happy day indeed. I took a transparency page from michael's craft store (clear + green) trimmed down to 4x6 and placed a cork sticker "oh happy day" from a beautiful mess. 

Left page is a full 6x8 photo & added in a little journaling right on the film photo.

Another 4x6 photo and used a Elise "today is" stamp.

This page I took again from a Beautiful mess kit and trimmed down to 4x6 adding in a weekly washi tape strip date stamped and journaled. Left side is orange cardstock and trimmed 4x4 photo + journaling.

This page I made a little side tab out of the fabric that I have been creating with from Ikea on various projects sewn onto the orange cardstock. Left side I trimmed down 4x4 journal on the film photo. 

Opposite side the fabric wraps onto the other side and I stapled a wood veneer full 4x6 on the right side + journaled on the film photo.

Full 4x6 with my hand carved stamp and drawn a box around the stamp. 

Photo is trimmed down to 4x4 on teal cardstock + stamp from a beautiful mess. Right hand page is a paper from my left over PL Seafoam edition. 

Photo trimmed to 4x4 on another Seafoam paper. Right side is a word transparency then a full 4x6 photo with date stamp on top.

This end page may be my fave, that photo of her and that silk screen painted pineapple to the right + stamped with the year wraps up the book just right.

Finally the back of the book, This was so so fun! I am really taking a liking to the mini books and hope to do a lot more with other projects. 

* Supplies used in this book : kraft cardstock and orange, teal found at local scrapbook store. A Beautiful Mess kit found here with paper stamps and stickers. Seafoam edition paper. Elise stamps. Transparencies from Michaels craft store. Wood veneers. Tiny attacher stapler. Martha glue pen. Rings to hold the book together found at staples. Sharpie pens. Cropadile punch. 

Thanks for reading! 

 

 

 

 

Week in the Life | 2015 the Album prep.

It's that time of year again, Week in the Life! Project created by my friend Ali Edwards who has been doing WITL for ten years now you can find out more info & how to order this kit on her site here. I highly recommend doing this project if you have never tried before, it is a great way to look at your everyday life from the "outside looking in" aspect. This year Ali set the date for August 17 2015 - August 23 2015.

The gear for this week is much the same of my regular everyday documenting, I do however plan on trying to use more of my big camera but still capturing things on my iphone 4s as that is my go to camera in general. I use my iphone 4s about 80% if not higher for PL it's a little higher this year but hoping to get a good mix of both for this project. It really doesn't matter what kind of camera you have to do this project - just that you take photos.

The kit! This year I purchased the kit from Ali and that is different for me because I like to "make" my own albums and through in papers and embellishments that I find, What made me change it up this year? THE KIT! Really it had everything I was looking for and more the design was PERFECT & well it saved me a ton of prep time.

Here is a shot of the whole kit opened up and this for me is the YES let's do this moment, The part where I get to dive in & make this a book! There are two album choices and I adored the "text" cover for me so here we go.

I am a big fan of the paper as always, but really the colours and the ... well the designs I love it and don't think I will need to add much to this kit at all.

Making it your own - as this is a kit and thousands will purchase the same one, you can still make it your own. I jumped right in with no pre plans on how I would take this on but once opened and had everything in my sight ... I quickly grabbed cut, stapled, trimmed, trimmed again and just kept going ....those transparent dividers up above got cut up and I am using them as 3x4 & 4x6 transparencies. 

The pocket that all our supplies came in was cut down to 2x2 & I used the day text portion of it for the front cover - I am using the 6x8 full page that is divided into  2x2 pockets as the cover page and end page.

The days from the transparent dividers I decided to cut them off and stapled to a trimmed down 6x8 with two 4x6 pockets to just one 4x6 and Stapled it back to the top.

Here is a closer look on how I am setting up my "layout" for the album, I love having this part all ready to "go" it is a huge time saver for later once you have all your photo's + that can be even more overwhelming.

1. The "opening page" or the starting off photo - this is a full 6x8 in this day (Wednesday) I might go full 6x8 or place a template from Ali's set - option is open. 

2. The 3x8 divider pockets that came with the kit, I am making those into the week's title page this one has the day on top and paper on the bottom ... but for other days I am adding in a full 3x8 photo in there. 

3. This is the 6x8 with two 4x6 pockets that I trimmed down and made one single 4x6 pocket. Either journaling or photo will go into this one. 

4. This is another 6x8 with four 3x4 pockets that I cut down to two 3x4 pockets for more journaling and photo's.

5. The "end page" for this day will go into these 3x4 pockets. You can see one of the transparencies I cut down top right with a wood veneer on top for good measure.

So far this works for me in the album and once we get to that point of adding in the photo's + words I don't think too much will change up. 

Title page - 6x8 with 2x2 pockets and transparencies, I also added in a sticker from my kit the page. 

There it is all ready to go next week - I know that for me this project on top of the PL documenting is so very rewarding, it's more in depth, more detailed and different in it's own way even though stories will be double told and shared in both books ... that's ok I want to remember all of it - from all views. 

Thanks for reading, If you are wanting more info on WEEK IN THE LIFE go here. If you are wanting to see my past WEEK IN THE LIFE go here. Happy Monday!

 

 

In the garden.

Here in the garden, here at no.30 things are sure growing WILD. I love it! 

Things sure are looking good, I picked these peas the other day ... Ava ate them like candy.

Hello Green bell pepper straight from the garden to the pizza we made on Sunday night. I have been gardening for seven years now and each year get's better! Harrison Garden 2015 so far so good! 

Adventures in Yarn.

I recently have taken up more yarn projects this year & it has been so FUN to "try" to mess up to start again and to mix all types of yarns + Colours. I am currently working on this scrap yarn blanket, but with the way it's looking I'm totally not only using scrap yarn but new stuff too. 

The first colour I used was that grey in the centre then casting off and picking up with a new colour all around so far I am happy with where it's going + how it's looking. 

Not too sure on the size I am going for but I guess I'll know when I get there. 

Totally love picking this little project up in between other current projects (Ava's blanket) and a few cowls I finished up for christmas gifts. I love that this one doesn't need all my attention but when I feel like adding I do. 

I first learned about the scrap yarn blanket here - so loved watching + learning! will keep you posted on the progress here, Thanks for reading. 

 

Project Life 2015 | Week 25

Here we are Week 25 - June 15 to June 21 2015, mind blowing that it's nearing the end of June & the ending of school for the kids! I am a broken record when I say that this year is moving fast here, but the school year went even faster.

Full view here of wk 25 - as mentioned before I switched this year from the 12x12 album to the 9x12 & it has felt great to switch - it totally works for me and highly doubt that I will go back to 12 x12. 

What happened this week - First thing that pops up in my mind is garden loving, but then date night, organizing, planning, dealing with migraines, watching Ava paint are all here. Written in but not seen is ... walking the dog, talks with Ethan about everything under the sun + I am totally in love with his outlook on life at only ten years old, trips to the store, drop offs and pick ups. LIFE stuff.

These weeks have so much packed into them it seems, but it's not necessary to have it all jammed into my PL don't feel like you need to put it all in - but sum it up. I am - picking and choosing the ones I want to tell each week and that is good enough and to be honest it would feel very boring if I did always add in the "same old same old" each week & after five years of documenting that could be seen.

Really it's all bout our lives & the "here and now" so I run with that I know from experience now that our next month may not look like the before so I know how much change happens in these books - It's AWESOME!

I love using parts of what is going on around us, I used "Bring on Summer" from Ali Edwards digital set and made it into a 3x4 but then when Ava was painting I tried out a little on my own and loved how it added to the Summer meaning super bright colours and then added the "go see do" wood veneers with martha stewart glue pen. 

My love for Elise's stamps is no secret by now & they have become a go to for me, but this time I used her digital set she is still selling as a set found here. In photoshop I added the "hers" & "his" in white on our dinner plates. LOVED using white and digital set was super easy to try out different phrases without committing until I was happy with how it looked. 

That xo card above is a beautiful mess kit - I subscribe monthly to their kits and have been very happy with the kits so far. "hello there" wood veneer added on top. 

That wraps up week 25! Looking forward to ending this part one album of the year that means only one more week in this vol. and we move onto vol. 2 - I love splitting up the albums and have done that after my 1st album it was far too packed and hardly closed and yes once I get more time in the world I have plans to go back and split that one too. It's also a nice break to the year I find when I look back. 

Supplies used :  Studio Calico kit, tiny attacher, Martha Stewart glue pen,Becky Higgins date stamp, Sharpie marker pen, Avery labels Ali Edwards Digital brushes, Elise Cripe Digital set, Sunshine edition, wood veneers, sewing machine to sew up the page pockets. 

Project Life 2015 | Week 23

 

Happy Saturday! today I am sharing my week 23 of my Project Life album & broken record here but each week, each year I LOVE this project more and more ... I have not been as consistent as I was last year in completing my weekly documenting, but more like working in batch weeks this year at least I have been for the last few months - so far that still works for me, I still enjoy it very much! Here we go 23 ... 

 

I am working this year in a 9x12 custom made protectors (you can also purchase these here) This change for me came early right at the start of my 2015 album and as a trial - I stuck with it and adore it! I love that I can mostly use 3x4 or still use 4x6 and split them if I need to like the one above. I did three of those in total here.

 

Adding in my own little brush work is a total extra for me more things I create the more creative habit and personal touch it adds to my album. If you are stuck try something different - if you don't like it, change it up. The "Yes" I painted on 3x4 card with calligraphy ink and sumi brush. The arrow points to the String lights we currently have hanging on our back fence above the garden, hello summer!

 

This week was busy but I love to find the quiet in these rolling into another type of weeks and although the whole story is not all on here I look back at this spread and know exactly what was going on.

 

This week I used some digital stamping "You're my favorite" all over here this week and this is no different than the hand stamp ones I use - except cleaner and I love using the digital ones for white colour stamping, You can find these stamps here. The last trip to the Garden centre was a nice surprise to see the stock of cactus plants I LOVED all of them - fought so hard not to bring them all home with me. 

 

Full view here, I am still using cut up stendig calendar for marking the weeks & still like that. I can sum up the week with a whole lot of garden time, backyard time enjoying the lights, enjoying beautiful plants, my time, and my weekly routine (drive downtown). Cheers to another week in the books.

Supplies used :   tiny attacher, Martha Stewart glue pen,Becky Higgins date stamp, Sharpie marker pen, Avery labels Ali Edwards Digital brushes , Sunshine edition, wood veneers, sewing machine to sew up the page pockets.

Project Life | Week 10.

 

 

Somewhere I skipped over week nine and ten here ... so let's go back a little &  week 10 of Project Life is where I will start. It's truly hard to imagine that nearly 14 weeks have gone past. I still feel like I'm just getting into the 2015 rhythm ... comfy into it but still.  

This week - March 02- March 8th, I might think back to this as my creative projects taking over my free time week. This week we also set the clocks forward for Spring and I loved welcoming more day light! 

This week - I used a mix of studio calico kits and sunshine edition kits from Becky Higgins and of course some Ali Edwards digital brushes that I made into 3x4 cards. 

Full page view here keeping with the rest of the album I am stuck on 9x12 and both sides this week are all 3x4 slots which is actually a favorite of mine.

Left side of the spread & close up of the AE brush "yes" I made into 3x4 card. I can't help but laugh at the yarn photo - I am full on knitting and have been for a few weeks now, yarn was something I never really paid much attention to at the craft stores until now I can't seem to leave the store without a new skein of it. YES to this month being a creative PURPOSE and to me taking the plunge. 

Thanks so much for reading - I know that there is a ton of Project Life inspiration out there, hope I inspired you to either keep going or to get started. 

 Supplies used :  Studio Calico kit, tiny attacher, Martha Stewart glue pen,Becky Higgins date stamp, Sharpie marker pen, Avery labels Ali Edwards Digital brushes  Sunshine edition kit, , wood veneers, sewing machine to sew up the page pockets.

Making stuff.

This year I was super inspired to get over a few creative humps that I never took the plunge on either because A. I didn't know how or B. I didn't want to fail after putting in money and time into another unfinished project & possible frustration that came from that C. Fear.

 SO this year I am tackling a few projects & so far things are going good it's a learning curve but I am so happy that I took on these creative projects - I have a follower around the house that takes my knitting needles and wraps the yarn around it "knitting like mom" she yells! I stopped and thought how cool is that because I took the leap to learn this & my daughter is now wanting to learn and I can Teach her one day! 

Of course I have to mention that the Internet is super helpful now vs. ten years ago when I thought about taking on these crafts like knitting, sewing, weaving and these are all very popular right now and you can find tutorials pretty much every where! I liked this video tutorial here for knitting cowls. I liked this video here on how to get your sewing machine set up to start sewing. I like this new ecourse that came out here pretty sure that's on my "courses to take" list and it's on sale right now! 

This cowl is the third one I tried & I started to play a lot with yarn size thick vs thin and I currently knit on needle sizes 4.5mm 8.0mm and 9.0mm this image above is on Takumi bambo needles 9.0mm 16in. 

I first started knitting on this size needle in February of this year & totally flopped the first project - It's ok I kept in mind that this might take a few go's at it, Not putting pressure on myself ... I "played" with the first one I made and it some how twisted in the round. Instead of scrapping it I thought I will keep it & use it as a headband ear warmer. 

 That's how it turned out on the front part the twisting just got worse the more I knitted - I have no idea how I did that, but for my very first knit project I kinda like it.

This is what it looks like on the back side. The right way. Again I found this pattern from this tutorial here.

Incomes project # two. This time I used a larger needle 8.0mm at 36in length - THIS IS HUGE this cowl in the photo above is folded in half, it's twice this length and surprisingly it was very easy to work with and I liked the thickness of the chunky wool. I started out with the grey fleck colour then that ran out and so I switched to all black to finish it giving it a colour block.

I really enjoyed this yarn and colour scheme. Photo above is my IG photo here about adding in a new colour. No twisting on this one (thankful for that) and kept at it. 

As I start really getting into these projects I noticed quickly how addicting yarn is ... my collection is growing, I some how can't leave the craft store without YARN. I figure at least I am putting it to use so no harm in purchasing more. 

So that's where I am at right now on the whole taking on new projects, It is totally a creative pursuit that I am on & loving it. Learning so much as I go. Again internet is so helpful! Maybe one day I will branch out of cowls and make something else ... one day. Thanks for reading & have a great weekend!  

 

 

March Project Life Blog Hop ... Week 8.

Welcome to the third of 12 Blog Hops from the 2014 Becky Higgins Project Creative Team! We are all passionate about Project Life & memory keeping and we wanted to continue to inspire each other and you as we move forward in 2015. Here is a look at what I've been working on:

Hey Friends thanks so much for stopping in for my first Project Life Blog hop with my fellow 2014 Creative Team members! Today I am sharing my Project Life | Week 8. I have mentioned before that this year I have changed my 12x12 format to 9x12 using various Becky Higgins page protectors & customizing them by stitching them on my sewing machine, I love that it's more personal this way. Ok here we go week 8 ... 

I love that number card above from the Sunshine edition kit ... great jumping off point and helps me add in little top bits of the week (much like a review of the week). 1.Routines/activities 2. Going to the Jets hockey game 3. making stuff 4. Laughing 5. Reading, Still Alice 6. Watching, House of cards on Netflix 7. Making time for us. 8. Adventuring 9. Loving 10. Sun shining. YES to all of that RIGHT NOW.

This week - we went on a little weekend getaway to a Fave spot north of us in the woods to Hecla Resort, We go there in the winters and to the cabins in the summers and enjoy both seasons so much! I wanted to add that part of the story in this weeks spread separately so INSERT and Insert.

I tried out something new and loved it also I took a full 12x12 page protector and took my 3x3 photo's I printed out put them where I wanted them to go and then sewn up the tops and sides of each pocket I created (most likely there is a easier way to make this spread but again I like doing it myself). It turned out the way I hoped. 

I Love this trips - each time we go it's the same road but different journey that we experience, That little person on the snow hill with the date stamped on it, that's me ... like I was shouting "we are here" to my self with my One little word being PURPOSE I think a lot more about "in the moment" what is the purpose of me on this hill in winter ... to be. So much fun to get out of town and just "be". 

While making the 3x3 pockets I wanted to add in one window, Also another fave thing to do in my pages. This one I used a word bubble wood veneer (another must on my spreads). 

That large number 8 is a cut out from my stendig calendar, Instead of using "title" cards this year I made a change and have been adding in these numbers with the weeks date stamped on it. Not sure if it will stick the whole course of 12 months and 52 weeks but right now it's working. 

This week I made that card from Ali Edwards digital brushes "Everday life cursive" found here. I am Thrilled to be on Ali's Creative Team this year & have been loving all the designs (as usual) I made the words appear like they were half on half off the 3x4 & only using the top half of the card the rest was filled in with my date stamp. "Make today Awesome" highlighted with a sharpie highlighter.

Hello February card was a 4x6 I cut down and made 3x4. Adding on two labels from this months "Cirque kit". 

Full view of insert & right hand page. 

If you have been following me from last year you know that I LOVE these stamp sets from Elise Cripe and also have her digital stamps you can find those here. For the love of ... Snow, Right now, together, pools, hotels, road trips, sun, getaways.

That giant Caesar was delicious a little spicy - but still delicious. I didn't finish it way too large for me. 

This week I added in my own brush script, Just took the original 8x11 and scanned it & printed it out on 3x4 in photoshop.

During our little getaway we pulled over on the highway go out walked onto the frozen (totally safe) Lake and seen the most beautiful Ice exposed from the snow that covered it ... We all loved seeing "through" the ice & the kids just loved that we were standing on a Lake - they wanted to do some Ice fishing but told them that's a whole other day adventure as it was getting late and didn't bring that equipment on this trip. I LOVED the colour of that ice so awesome.

At the hotel we LIVED in that pool, the kids totally woke up swimming and went to bed swimming. So fun to see them play in the water vs swim lessons where they have to do what the instructors ask of them - this was totally for FUN! Love that photo above of Tyler and Ava on his back & she is trying to push him under water. 

YES for the love of Road Trips. For the love of starting NEW projects like the knitting one I just started.

Full view above with out Insert. That wraps up this week 8 of my Project Life. We had a busy week with the Jet's Hockey game (we won in OT), Our Hecla Trip, I started my first knitting project, Trips to the local library and reading Great books, watching house of cards and LOVE it, Work and school (my work schedule has changed to part time and I am adjusting to that), Kids activities, playdates, making plans for spring break, thinking about birthdays coming up around the corner.  

YAY my first Blog Hop post, thanks so much for making it all the way through this long post. I Hope it inspires you, Stop in again I share a lot of everyday life here & on my IG. 

*Please note that these are fun and optional blog hops. If you don't see your favourite former team member, please visit their individual blogs to see what they are up too! We hope you enjoyed this hop!
Project Life is a memory keeping system from Becky Higgins. You can find out more about her system and product here.

Supplies used This week : Studio Calico Cirque kit  tiny attacher, Martha Stewart glue pen,Becky Higgins date stamp, Sharpie marker pen, Ali Edwards Digital brushes, Elise Blaha Cripe Stamps, Wood Veneers, Singer Esteem II sewing machine, Becky Higgins page protectors, Sunshine Edition core kit,

 

If this is not your last stop on this March Blog Hop please check out more Inspiring pages from my friends (click on their names) If this is your last stop in the hop then I hope you enjoyed all the pages you have seen & see you next month! Cheers.

Creative Team Inspiration: Autumn, Bobbi, Donya, Jess, Krista, Kris, Rachel,Tara