For the Love of Chipboard

I started my adventures in scrapbooking with one sole purpose, making a single, ever expanding album for my mother of my (then) only daughter. 4 years and one more daughter later I find I can hardly keep up with all the projects in my head or on paper. I have also moved away from the traditional album/page design that originally addicted me to this. Those projects get pushed to the back burner, a lot, driven by a muse that would rather create cards and home decor right now.

In the past few weeks I have fallen in love with chipboard decor letters. 8" high, 1" thick layered raw paper goodness in an end display at Hobby Lobby. I even picked up the project idea booklet sitting with the display of letters in all its $1.99 glory.

I'm never one to copy ideas straight from the books though; I am what you call a scraplifter. I take the ideas presented, mesh them into something of my own with slight twists, and viola, project all my own! This is exactly what I set out to do when I first rested my eyes on the selection of chip decor a few weeks ago. I knew I wanted to make something for each of the girls for room decor (new house, still decorating, etc.), but I wasn't sure exactly what, so I hit up the accompanying project booklet for ideas. 

This is the mesh that resulted for my oldest:

This is the culmination of several projects from the idea booklet. I wanted her to have something somewhat functional (the practical side of me) but yet cute, homespun and fun (yah, that -other- side). It now currently resides on her wall by her closet adorned with hats, scarves and what peg she has left over for her many handbags. How I grew a fashionista I'll never know.

I plan on expanding on this particular project in the near future, with a series of images and steps on how I created it. For now, its just enough for me to show it off and hopefully inspire someone else out there.

As I said before, cards are another route I take with scrapbooking. I really feel like I'm doing a disservice to the women who raised me if I don't remember a card on the proper holidays or personal celebrations. (And yes, I have forgotten them occasionally, or circumstances prevented me from hand creating them. I'm not perfect.) I'm also not the type who is satisfied buying something off the shelf to fulfill that request. This also comes from my heritage, as all the women on both my mom and dad's side of the family are crafters of some sort. If its from the heart, it means something more to the recipient (I would hope!), so that's always my intention, though I still am my own worst critic.

That being said, and having two birthdays this month (one now past, sorry Sis!), I hand tooled their birthday cards. Albeit the "gift" wasn't all that inspiring (gift cards), I hope the cards will be for someone out there.

Spawned from an idea in a magazine passed down to me, each has their own unique take. Enjoy!

My sister's version of the card:

















And my Mother's version of the card: