February Student of the Month- Marybeth Hancher

January 25, 2016 by marybethhancher 20 Comments

Hi, everyone!  I’m Marybeth, and I’m oh so happy to be here with you as a guest designer this month.  I’m a happily married mama to one sweet little lady named Nadia, a journal shop owner, blogger, and very messy documenter.  😉

I fell in love with documenting my every day life in 2012- I’m a photographer, so I’ve always taken my fair share of photos, but I never really did much with them in terms of archiving in anything but the standard photo album.  It wasn’t until my husband’s final deployment in the Navy that I intentionally printed and journaled the day next to all the photos I took.  He was going to miss our daughter’s first birthday along with every other milestone she hit during the 280 days he was out at sea, but I was determined to capture as much as I could each day and welcome him home with a book filled those memories & stories.  After I did it for that long, I simply couldn’t stop.  I enjoy making Project Life albums, filling homemade smash books & junk journals, and basically anything else I can get my hands on.  I typically don’t work in traditional scrapbooks or make large layouts for them, but I have a hunch I’ll be trying it out in due time.  😉

SO, now that you know a little about my story, let’s get on with it.  Shall we?

The February kit is AMAZING, isn’t it?  I just couldn’t wait to play with all the bits and pieces in that beautiful collection.  I wasn’t entirely sure what I wanted to make first, but I decided to start off with a mini album.

I’m a big fan of using my We R Memory Keepers envelope punch board whenever I have the opportunity, so I knew it would be fun to use some of these papers to make some fun envelope pages to be scattered throughout.For the cover, I used a couple pieces of chipboard that I had on hand, and after dribbling some of that beautiful Heidi Swapp Color Shine in Peacock that came in my kit, I just layered on some scraps left over from the pages, ephemera from the pack, and a wood veneer + sticker.  Easy peasy.
For the pages, I just mixed up some of the journaling cards, created some envelopes, and using the scraps of paper left over from them, I also cut out some tags.  And don’t you just love that acetate sheet?  SO fun!I also wanted to make the envelopes have a velcro closure, so I cut an adhesive velcro oval in half for each envelope…. it’s a little sloppy because my scissors got stuck!  Note to self:  Invest in those non-stick scissors you’ve had on your wish list for years.I also took a 4×4 page from one of my small Project Life albums and filled the 2×2 pockets with sequins from the kit.  I used my Fuse tool to close the pockets into little triangles & then filled the other two with ephemera from the pack.One of my favorite things about my albums are having all the little bits and pieces sticking out all over the place.  I enjoy watching people look through them in person and seeing their faces when they discover all the interactive pieces on each page.  It’s like watching them go on a treasure hunt.  😉I thought this “Awesome sauce” cut-apart was appropriate for this photo of Nadia looking like a cool kid in her big heart sunglasses.I also used the little scraps to punch out a couple tabs to staple on a couple envelopes.  I think it adds a nice touch and also uses up even the tiny pieces of paper.After I made this (and took the photos!), I gave it to sweet Nadia.  She LOVED it!  🙂  If you would like to see a process video, you can watch it here.

There was still tons of the kit left over, so I decided to make a quick pocket letter to share some of that gorgeous collection with a friend who just sent me some happy mail.  I don’t usually make pocket letters (this is only my 3rd one), but I couldn’t resist trying- especially since some of my scrap papers left over from the mini album fit well into the baseball card sleeves!The 12×12 cut-apart sheet in the Shine collection already has some great background images for Pocket Letters, so the only thing I had to do was cut them down slightly smaller so they would fit into the sleeve.  Worked out great!I decided to sew together a tiny vellum pocket and fill it with a bit of the sequins from the kit.  I embossed the front of it with “Sparkle & Shine” in my own handwriting to make it more personalized, and then put the pocket, well, in the pocket.  😉Then I glued one of the flair buttons onto a gold paperclip to make a fun little embellishment that she can use in her planner, journal, or wherever!Now all that’s left to do is stuff it with some more personalized things, write my letter, and then fold it up & mail it!

Thanks so much for taking a peek into how I’m using the Hot Mess kit!  I still have TONS left over, so I’ll be working on some more things throughout the month.  Be sure to keep in touch if you want to see more- plus I love meeting new crafty friends.  😉  You can find me on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.

Until next time!  XOXO