Kaitlin Sheaffer

March Scraptastic This Life Noted & Stamps

The March Scraptastic This Life Noted kit is up but it's sold out. But, I wanted to share because I love how this kit came out so much. Also, I designed the stamps for March and have already broken them in somewhat. 

The 'selfie' stamp from the It's My Life set was perfect for these photos that Jude takes (nearly every day!) on my phone. We jump in the car and he asks to play on my phone right away each time. He either takes photos, videos or looks on the map to see where we are going. I plan on using the Lost My Mind set to document some of this! 

The stamps on all of the sets can be used several ways (I am trying SO hard to come up with stamps that can be used over and over in different ways!) I am trying to use stamps more myself because I acquire so many! I love using them I just forget about them sometimes. It helps using the stamps and the kits because then I am always thinking 'I could totally use a stamp or card that says / looks like____'. So, I always try to scrapbook in between projects now because it keeps me thinking up new designs!

We've got the April kits ready to go and I am working hard on the next several months! So if you are looking to pick up one you can email Jessica at Scraptastic to get on the list because the last few months have sold out before they went live. 

February Print & Cut Labels

If you are anything like me you purchase blank labels anytime you see them. A few years ago I had several sets of blank labels in my shop and I used them up all the time. They just are a basic staple and I use them for several types of projects- not just scrapbooking. 

To go along with February's Scraptastic This Life Noted kit I put together this little sheet of print and cut labels. 

If you have a Silhouette machine...then you know how fun (and easy) these can be.

If you don't then you can still make use of them with a pair of scissors and the PDF that is included in the zipped file below. 

But, if you have a Silhouette machine and are familiar with the print and cut feature then you will have some fun labels cut in a few minutes. 

In case you are not familiar with the print and cut feature on the Silhouette, here are some basic instructions on how to get it to work. 

1. Open Silhouette Studio, set up mat size and paper size

 

2. Open the PNG file. You will see your label sheet open up without any cut lines (those are the thin red lines) 

 

3. Select the 'trace' button (looks like a blue butterfly on a mat (upper right hand corner))

 

4. Click 'select trace area'

 

5. Click and drag cursor to highlight area to be cut. It should make the images on the label sheet look yellow in the areas there are images and white in the areas there are no images. 

 

6. Use the trace settings to make the yellow highlight the images well (you might need to zoom in to check some areas. I usually check 'high pass filter' and play with that along with the 'threshold' button. 

 

*I just checked my trace settings and they were this: check high pass filter> 25.00 low pass filter> 1.00 threshold> 51% scale>4%

 

7. Click 'trace outer edge' This should trace each image with a red cut line. I zoom in usually to make sure it does get each area. If it doesn't, then just press undo and start over adjusting your trace settings.

At this point you will have a print file (with the images) on your mat and the cut marks (in the red lines). 

 

8. Click on the registration marks button (upper right hand corner)

 

9. Select 'show reg marks, move the reg mark margins to fit around the image and not on any of the images (I usually set the Left, Top and Right at .395 and leave the bottom .625 to make sure the bottom registration marks print on my printer. I also change the size of the registration marks to 5.0 and thickness to .50 because I want as much print space as possible. Alternatively, you could shrink down the label size by selecting the entire sheet of labels and the cut lines to make sure they are in the print/cut area on your mat. 

 

10. Make sure your registration marks are around your image, make sure your red cut lines are also in the right place

 

11. Go to File> Print and print your page. It should print with the three registration marks around the image (two on top corners and one on the bottom corner). 

 

12. Lay your paper on the cutting mat ( as it shows on your screen) Feed mat into cameo/ portrait

 

Note: Make sure your cameo/ portrait is on a flat surface, leave the lid up on it and make sure there is sufficient lighting (any of these things seems to throw it off a bit for me)

 

13. Select cut settings and adjust your settings as necessary. Select cut. 

 

14. Hopefully your machine starts reading the registration marks and when finished will cut right along the lines your file shows.

 

Download Kaitlin Sheaffer_Scraptastic February TLN print & cut

 

Wildflower Collection | Page Maps sketch challenge

 

A new month of sketches is up over at Page Maps and I was super excited to be invited by Becky to pull a group of guest designers together to work with both the Hello Again and Wildflower collection! It's always so fun to see these two collections being used and I haven't tired of it!

I loved seeing the different designer's styles and sketches go to work with the sketches!

Please go check out all of the beautiful pages these girls put together in the December update using these two collections and then head over to the Page Maps blog for information on how to win a Wildflower collection! 

Also the December Scraptastic This Life Noted kit is up! I am so loving how this month came out and can't wait to dive in! There are a few kraft colored cards in this kit and kraft tags and kraft flair!  Each card is double sided with either a horizontal design or an alternative design. I'm trying to really be thoughtful about how each design is implemented on the cards and taking others suggestions and input into consideration with each kit.  

And check out that coffee cup veneer! Seriously love it! Oh, and the gold + fabric paper clips! I am so excited about those. 

Documenting December

 

Pre-orders are up for the Scraptastic Stocking Stuffer kit! 

I had so much fun working on the designs for this kit. Initially I was pretty excited that I wasn't going to be working on Christmas designs this year- but then as I started seeing all of the Christmas product coming out I was a little sad. When Jessica asked if I wanted to work on some cards and flair for the kit it was an enthusiastic yes! 

This kit is jammed pack! Seriously, Jessica gave me a list of what would be in the kit and then she must have added even more because I checked the listing on the site and there were many items she hadn't told me about. I am SO excited to recieve it and get it started. The colors are so bright and everything goes so well together. 

I've documented our December in numerous forms before but never with a kit. Last year I didn't finish an album because I was too overwhelmed with a new baby and keeping up with the shop. But this year, having a kit ready and no shop duties makes it seem a little more doable for me. Fingers crossed that it is! I don't think I will do a daily version- there just never seems to be enough that I want to include to do daily. But, I am still going to do my best to get this album jam packed with photos! We all love looking back at our previous albums so that is always my motivation. 

You can see more detailed photos of what is included up on the site and a full list of everything in the kit. 

Also, each of the cards are double sided (like the This Life Noted kit is) except, because the orientation for the pockets in the album are all vertical, I decided to keep the backsides of each card a pattern in place of a horizontal design. A few cards have a different design option instead of a pattern, especially in cases with snow or weather related designs. The backside of those has either a warmer climate design or another alternate design. I tried my best to be thoughtful of different traditions, locations and such when designing the cards and I hope you will love it as much as I do! 

On another note, my beautiful Colorado is terribly flooded. We live right in the middle of it- on basically what has become a little island. Although all we have to show for this rain is a nicer lawn, if I travel any farther in any direction there is flooding, even within my own city. The road we traveled on just a couple of weeks ago to head into the mountains is gone and many people are stranded in their town. I've never seen so much rain in my life- and I've lived here since I was a toddler. Please keep Colorado in your prayers! We are all so excited when we get rain, it being so dry here- but this was too much for us! 

Project Life | June 9th-15th

Week of June 9th-15th: 

    This week I taught Reiley a few tricks on Illustrator and she started making her own flair buttons...which led to her opening her own Etsy shop (it's been quite a learning experience for her and I had her do 99% of the work so far). Lots of trips to the park and riding the train, lots of playing outside in the sprinkler (impromptu style with clothes on), and a visit from some out of town family. 

I used a bit of the Scraptastic July kit, the Project Life Jade kit on this left side. No embellishments. I tend to like the no embellishment look for my pages more. 

And on the right side I think both cards are from a Studio Calico Project Life kit. The little neon dyed paperclip is from my daughter's Etsy shop (I had to seriously beg her to give me some of those!) 

 

 

Project Life | May 26- June 8

I'm making it my mission to blog sans design team. Actually, if you have been poking around here, Facebook, Instagram etc- you might have noticed the shift from Ormolu to my name being the focus. On the Facebook Page I have officially made the change from Ormolu to Kaitlin Sheaffer Designs. I felt I needed to back away from the Ormolu name to incorporate everything I've been working on. I definitely hesitated when pushing the button on making the change...but change is good. It's exactly what I've been needing too. 

So, yes...going back to blogging on my own.  

 

Even though I haven't posted any of my Project Life pages here in like- forever, I've been doing a pretty decent job keeping up. Mostly because I gave up the plan to do a weekly spread and instead I just fill up with whatever photos I may have. Typically my spreads only have to do with one or two events (this makes it easy on me) and if I ever am short on photos I just fill up a spread with photos from two weeks (or three or four).Sometimes my pages are very light on embellishments, photos or words (or all of the above). But without this method, I feel as though I would have no documentation of our family.

In fact, the turning point for me was realizing in 2010 I had only made one layout. The next year I decided I was going to attempt Project Life for the second time. The first time, in 2009 when it was Project 365, was a bust and I stopped documenting sometime in April. In 2011 I kept up. Not perfectly though. I did the best I could and filled in with what I had. By the end of the year I had a 'complete' album. Only one album and definitely not week by week. I am not worried about missing a week though. I don't even pay attention to the dates our past albums because I am all about the pictures so I would not even notice a missing week anyway. 

I'm starting off with the week or May 26- June 8 because it's the most embellished of this year and it's the first page I used the Scraptastic This Life Noted kit (this is June's kit so I will be catching up to show July's kit soon). The left side plus facing side of the half protector is for May 26- June 1st. The back side of the half protector sheet and the right full side is for the week of June 2nd-8th.

Here is the full page. I added a half sheet page protector in the center to make room for a couple of more photos. 

This first half of the spread is all about a water gun fight the kids had with some cheapo squirt guns we bought in the dollar spot at Target. I think Jude spent more time squirting water into his mouth than at other people. 

Here is a closer look at the left side: 

And the right side.

I used the washi tape in the June Scraptastic kit to seal off the center page protector and cover the filing tab from the kit. I also used the die cut included in the kit on the filing tab. 

I also flipped over a few of the cards to use the basic graph side. I had not jumped on the sequin band wagon until I created the 'Summer Fun' card shown on this page. I am fully on board now. I think I really love the look of a grouping of sequins (versus sprinkling). I even bought more sequins after making that card. 

Here is the flip side of the divider: 

Here is the full right side (without the divider): 

I've been using the See & Stamp alphabets for stamping out the dates + this Cavallini set of stamps that I bought forever ago. I love the look of it, it's super easy and I have been doing it for the last few months. 

This Life Noted | Updates

Jessica and I just wrapped up putting together July's 'This Life Noted' kit. Despite bumping up the numbers several times, June's kit sold out. We ordered more for July's kit- but don't hesitate to shoot her an email here if you are interested. I've been playing catch up with my Project Life for June and am about to kick it into gear so I can be all ready for July's kit. 

If you have any questions about the kit you can leave it in the comments.
A few notes about it:

• The cards are 100# cover stock. They are heavy weight.
• They are double sided. Each month I am switching up the backs with a handful of other basic patterns so if there are any cards that are not necessarily your type- you can flip it over for a basic pattern. 
• They are sized for Project Life pocket protectors. We have them trimmed to slide right in without too much wiggle room. 
• The cards do not have rounded corners- because some people don't care for the rounded corners so we decided to do it this way. Easier to round than unround ;) 

If you are interested in getting on the list for July then now is the time! The nice thing about Scraptastic Kit Club is there is no commitment. Another nice thing is Jessica puts together two scrapbook kits each month and subscribers can choose which kit they want to receive- or hey, you can even choose both! It's such a flexible system and you still get a fun little box each month!

If you are interested in getting on July's 'This Life Noted' project life kit list (or any other kit!) you can send Jessica an email here.

AND...

I mentioned on Facebook and Instagram that I would put some more grab bags up in the shop this week but I haven't had time to put anything together. Summertime has been kicking my butt lately. I can't make promises to when I will have the next round of grab bags- but I will definitely keep everyone posted.

AND....

I have some exciting things coming up that I've been keeping under wraps for months. And finally (finally!) I can almost share!  Because of that, my blog (and even my facebook page) are getting mini-makeovers in the next few days. I know it might look weird for a while but I hope you stick around because it will make more sense by the end of this week...possibly within the next few days!