mash up/blog hop...heidi style!

Welcome to our first Heidi Swapp Mash-Up Blog Hop!

The definition of a Mash-Up (according to the Urban Dictionary) is, "v. To take elements of two or more pre-existing pieces of music and combine them to make a new song. n. A song comprised of elements of two or more..."

A Heidi Swapp Mash-Up is taking elements from two or more collections and to combine them to make something fabulous! We have asked each media team member to name two Heidi Swapp products and compile a Mash-Up List. Then, each team member took the full list and used that (and more!) to create their first Mash-Up project!

Here is the Mash-Up List:

At least 1 Day Glow Photo Corner
Sentiment Stickers
Color Magic Paper
Note Card (either Vintage Chic or Color Magic Notes)
Buzz Words
Color Magic Chipboard Alphas
At least 2 Pattern Papers from Different Heidi Swapp Collections
Neon Glow Tape
Staple
Handwriting - either your own or Heidi's digital words

First off, I am SO excited to be participating in my FIRST ever Mash Up/Blog Hop! How FUN is this?  I am loving the inspiration and it is so great to really work out of your comfort zone to create projects.  Sometimes rules are fun ;)

The inspiration for this layout comes from the words I chose to use for my title. Be True.  I wanted to create a layout representing the importance I feel on living authentically and how important I feel it is to live true to who you are and to always have dreams and work towards them.  In keeping with this theme, I also was really drawn to using stars and butterflies as symbols of being free, living true, dreaming big and achieving goals.

I love Heidi's No Limits Champion paper. It was the perfect addition to this layout.  The base of my layout is a 12 x 12 piece of Color Magic cardstock that I customized with Tropicana Teal and Gold Lame Colorshine.  I love these 2 colors together.  The gold lame was the perfect compliment to a color as bold as Tropicana Teal.

I then used the Just Dots paper from Vintage Chic as my matting for the No Limits Champion paper and added some Day Glow Neon Tapes as trim and stitching.  I mounted my instagram photo, embellished with a hot pink Day Glow Photo Corner and then added my sentiment stickers and title.  The title was created by combining Colormagic Chipboard Alphas and the "true" buzz word.

On top of my background I added some stars and a butterfly that I cut using my Silhouette Cameo. I also used my Silhouette to cut the Heidi Swapp handwritten word "discover" out.  

I adhered this piece of my layout using basic staples and left the one side open so I could add some hidden additional journaling, using my own handwriting.  This is one of my favourite things to do as I love to journal.

This mash up was SO much fun to participate in. I highly recommend doing something like this as it really pushes you creatively and is very motivating to use collections and products together that you may not normally be drawn to!

Now, we want to give you a chance to play along!!! Take our Mash-Up list and let it help you create your next project! You can upload your project to Heidi Swapp's Facebook Fan Page with a link to your project online or Instagram it by adding @heidiswapp and the hash tag #HSMashUp ! Those that play along will be entered to win this Vintage Chic Collection! One random winner will be picked by Monday, December 3, 2012.

To begin this super-sized mash up of pretty stuff start by visiting Heidi Swapp's blog! Then to
to see more Mash-Up inspiration from the media team, click over to see  Jennifer, Kim, Maggie, and Jamie's blogs!

Have fun and I cannot WAIT to see all of the gorgeous creations!

memory file love: road to hana.

i am in love with this project.

when i think of what creatively drives me, it always seems to fall back on the memories and emotions that i experienced during a particular time.  looking back on all of the incredible memories and photographs i came home with from my vacation to maui, i knew it was essential to create a project that would not only house a lot of photos, but would also give me back the experience that i had when i was there.

of course, that led me to the memory file.  Heidi Swapp sure knows an amazing thing when she sees one, and because of her genius visions i am a self professed memory-file-a-holic. i LOVE these files with all of my heart and they have truly revolutionized the way i document my memories and create my mini albums.  all of the stories i seem to want to share find their little homes inside these oh so pretty files.

This teal polka dot memory file from the vintage chic collection is probably my favorite pattern of all. i have no idea why but you can never go wrong with teal and polka dots. my favourite! i embellished the cover with Heidi Swapp goodies of all kinds: definition stickers, colour magic notes, day glow neon tape, sentiment stickers and a sugar chic pennant banners. i added some seam binding ribbon customized with gold lame colorshine and i added some of my own journaling strips. i am a story teller at heart, so this project has a lot of words and journaling. because i never want to forget.

inside i really just wanted to celebrate the photos.  i think that is another reason why memory files are amazing. you can just add photos upon photos, there is SO much room.  you can keep things simple, or complex. you can just add pictures, create layouts, or even add just straight journaling. i LOVE having so many creative options at my fingertips. Yet, it still remains one entire cohesive collection preserved altogether. i LOVE that about these files.  

Inside the large memory file, i added a mini file. I simply sewed it in down the center of the spine. I also added the memory file photo sleeves into the middle of the mini file so i could put even more photos inside. 

of course no project of mine would be me without adding my beloved instagram images.  i love these photos and they really bring me back to the time and place of when i had taken them. i also love how much character and artistry they add into my scrapbooks. i am so grateful for instagram! it has really helped me to document more of my "in the moment" experiences.

this page is probably one of my most beloved and favourite memories from the day we spent travelling the road to hana.  while we were driving there, matt and i had stopped to visit a scenic point.  as we were walking back to the car we were greeted by a really sweet couple. we exchanged smiles and hello's and started chatting.  we soon found out that they were also from canada, which was really cool. it seems that no matter how far a person travels, we really are never far from "home". during our discussion they had mentioned to us about an amazing thai place that we had to check out once we arrived in hana.  this was music to our ears. both matt and i LOVE thai food and would we have never stopped to chat with this couple, we may have totally missed out!  i just find it amazing how things like that happen in our lives. random connections and conversations have a way of bringing us to different experiences and events that may not have occurred was a different choice made.  so i forever will be thankful for that conversation and couple who shared with us something that now is one of my most cherished memories.

what was amazing about this restaurant was that it was a very small place. the kitchen was in a small trailer and the restaurant was basically built from a wall tent and picnic tables! it was SO cute.  this photo is the view i saw looking out. seriously? how lucky was I to have that as my view for lunch. i took this photo because not only was it beautiful, but i never want to forget that in my life, in one of my experiences i had the opportunity and blessing to not only enjoy and amazing meal, but while i did this is what i was able to see. so so lucky. again...i never want to forget. it was important for me to remember this. (also....how CUTE was that water bottle?) love the authentic details.

i also wanted to really take a moment and really spend some time journaling about what this experience meant to me.  this year really has become quite an incredible journey for me.  there were ups, and downs. some that i felt really defeated by.  but yet at the same time, i felt stronger and ready to take them on this year. i have no idea why but everything just happened as it did and i could not be more thankful for it all....even those moments that hurt so bad.  they really are gifts...some of course wearing REALLY good disguises...

i wanted to share this journaling for a few reasons. one because i think it is important to. second, i always remember a key note speech that Heidi Swapp had shared a few years back at her event Creative Escape. she talked about life and i remember her cute giggle as she spoke and said "no matter how pretty blogs look...this is real life and it is not perfect". i remember laughing and thinking to myself...that is SO true. it is so easy to get caught up and mislead by how "perfect" things can look when really it is REAL life. things are not always easy and good and it's important to be aware of that so that we do not get down on our own selves for not being good enough.

"as i get older, i think i become more aware of where i am in my life, where i want to be and the moments that matter most. i consider myself to be so blessed and lucky to realize the beauty and worthiness of travelling and seeing different places in the world.  all of my choices i have made in my life have brought me here and it has been such a journey.  this year especially.  i had viewed myself to be in a different place and space.  but things change. life changes. life happens.  at first i was confused and unsure.  but now presently as i reflect and look back and look forward life is exactly where it needs to be. i am where i need to be.  i think that is why this trip to maui was so unique and special. almost like a second chance to just be and enjoy and savour.  time to think and reconnect.  standing here in this photo i feel a happiness and joy that for a little while was gone. i am embracing the journey. every mile."

of course no memory file would be complete without another beautiful little mini album tucked inside for even MORE photos. i am still not yet done adding my photos but i know there are a ton tucked into this memory file. i love that about these! so much room to just keep adding!

i still have a few details and photos to this memory file as it is not totally complete, but almost there! it has been so much fun to compile and put together. again...Heidi Swapp I cannot thank you enough for everything you do and for all that you are.  you are such an inspiration to me and countless others who love to celebrate, document, and create.

xoxo

treasured memory from my heart.

i have always believed that one of the most powerful things about human connection and human nature lies in the creation of relationships, traditions and stories.  from the moment we are born we are embraced into a circle of established family with already set traditions and histories that we grow up to become a part of and learn from.  one of my most treasured relationships and memories is the one i shared with my grandmother.  she was the rock in our family.  there are not enough words to describe the positive influence she had and created within our family circle along with the knowledge, stories and traditions she passed down.  i was going through some of my older photos and found these two.  one is when i was about 4 years old, the other when i was 21 years old.  the bottom photo was actually taken 3 months before she passed away in april of 2005.

losing her was a very devastating, scary and sad time for our family. it is really hard to comprehend at times when someone that was always there and who you always counted on for things suddenly is no longer around.  it is then that you truly embrace and appreciate the photos and memories, stories and journals that hold secrets, stories and traditions that were a part of her and our family unit. 

as the holiday season is quickly approaching, there is no other time that i can think of where family and family traditions are always in your mind.  the holidays are always a special time where those things that we do only once a year are quickly approaching.  whether that is a special meal, certain vacation, or specific activity, the holidays hold so much of this.

this time of year was always a time when the women in my family would work closely with my grandmother to create and prepare some of our favourite holiday meal and dishes.  one of those dishes, potato and cheddar perogies continues to be one of those all time favourite meals.  in honour of my grandmother, my family and our traditions i created this cute recipe holder using Heidi Swapp's Memory Display to begin a collection within my family of all of our cherished traditional holiday recipes.  this recipe is the first.

the Memory Display stand is such an incredible product.  it is so versatile, the options are endless and it is completely customizable.  i began by switching out the background paper by using some Color Magic paper and Colorshine in Chartreuse.  I added it to the back by simple removing the sqrews from the binder mechanism slipping the original background out and adding in the Color Magic background.  I then created some 4 x 6 papers using the Sugar Chic line and created some tabs with my Silhouette Cameo.  I stapled these to the sides of my cards to separate the various recipes I will be collecting.  For my recipe I typed out the ingredients and directions in Photoshop Elements, added digital elements from the following Heidi Swapp collections: Adjectives and Instaframes and finished off with the cutest Disco Heart in pink and some gorgeous Mustard and Chartreuse Seam Binding Ribbon.

I cannot wait to begin adding recipes, stories and photographs to this Memory Display.  It is truly such a great way to house your favourite and treasured memories and would make the cutest gift.  I hope you are inspired to create one of your honoured family traditional recipes and begin creating your own family recipe scrapbook!

Also make sure to visit Heidi's online shop and grab yourself a set of the CUTEST Vintage Chic Calendar Printables.  They look ADORABLE in this stand too! And are a FREEBIE! You must go check them out.

xoxo

color fever {grateful}.

colorshine + heidi swapp + instagram + gratitude = 1 happy girl.

this equation truly sums up how i feel about my newest media team challenge and my end result. i loved creating this layout for so many reasons, but most importantly it was just so fun to put together!

my color fever challenge was to utilize a collection of very inspiring images as my base color palette and source of inspiration. from there i was to create a project that celebrated this color scheme.  a big part of that color scheme was to only use 3 (yes...ONLY 3 which was incredibly hard since they are ALL amazing) colours of Heidi Swapp Colorshine on my project.  I was only allowed to use the beautiful trio of Bronzer, Georgia Peach and Mustard.

my wheels began turning and i was inspired to create this layout. with us now in the month of november, a time of festive fall and thanksgiving themes surrounds us.  it is also the perfect time to reflect on the things that we love, adore and are so grateful for this time of year.  with all those thoughts in mind i knew that this layout had to incorporate some of my favourite moments from this past year that really evoked a deep sense of gratitude from within me.

immediately i reached for my file of instagram images and collected some of my favourites.  i often find that my instagram images are the ones that capture my appreciation for my everyday. those candid moments that i want to celebrate and honour so they were the absolute perfect fit.

i collected the ones that i wanted to use, and opened them in my home printer printing software. i have a canon printer at home and used the photo printing software that came with the printer.  to make my instagram images teeny tiny, i simply uploaded them into the software and printed them on a 4 x 6 page using the index card option.  depending on how many images i wanted on my index card, gave me the various size options.  from there i simply printed and cut out with my trimmer.

I began my layout with a 12 x 12 piece of Bazzill White Cardstock and randomly misted each of the 3 colors onto the background. I had no real plan here in mind. I just wanted to play. I love how the background came together and how perfect the Colorshine misted the paper.  

i then cut out some of the gorgeous Heidi Swapp Banner Delights with my Silhouette.  I used the Color Magic paper and once I cut them out I misted them with Georgia Peach and Mustard Colorshine.  

once all of my pieces were cut out, colorshined and set up i mixed and matched my instagram images and banner delights to create a banner across my page.  I layered pieces, mixed up random sizes and added a few of my photos into the banner.  i love this technique and it is so easy to do when your photos are small.  one of my favourite little details are the Heidi Swapp Sentiment Stickers added into my banner, but hung vertically. i just cannot get enough of those and want to use them in ANY way i can! after they were all adhered down i ran my sewing machine over the top and voila! my instagram/gratitude banner is complete!

of course no layout would be complete without a customized silhouette cut Heidi Swapp title.  the #grateful title is from her digital gratitude kit and i cut it out using white cardstock and then used all 3 colors of Colorshine to take it one step further. i adore how the colors blended so well together. the little flags at the top and bottom of my page are also ones that i made by simply using the Heidi Swapp digital elements in photoshop and printing them on orange cardstock. i hand trimmed them and then stapled them to the corners.

i hope you enjoyed my interpretation of the color fever challenge.  it was a great way to stretch myself creatively, yet work within a set of guidelines that really helped me think "outside the box". i definitely challenge you to see what you can create by limiting yourself to colors, or supplies. it is a fun way to push yourself, try something new and of course....make pretty stuff!

note: i LOVE instagram and i adore my followers!  please come join my inspiration journey with me!  my username is lbateman9442. see you on instagram!

memories of maui.

one of my most favourite things about going on vacation is simply the memories.  i LOVE vacations, and deciding to travel and explore the beautiful island of maui has truly topped my list.  after a very busy and blessed year, my husband and i decided it was time to just take a step back and take some time for us.  to just enjoy each other, our marriage and our time together...just us two.

i wanted to celebrate these memories while they are fresh in my mind.  i had so much fun using heidi swapp digital elements from many of her kits in order to add just a little extra something to my photos. i love how they add just that little extra, and are so easy to use!  i simply uploaded my photos into photoshop elements, and used the infamous 'drag and drop' method to add my text, no limits digital papers, buzz words, stamps and instaframes.  all of the incredible heidi swapp digital elements can be found here. definitely check them out! they are so versatile and so fun to use and play with!

we had travelled to oahu back in 2005 and truly fell in love with that island.  we had very high expectations travelling to maui and it is definitely safe to say that maui truly surpassed them.  it is such a unique island in so many ways.

one of the coolest parts of flying into hawaii during the day time is that after seeing pure blue ocean and sky for a 5 hour flight, out of nowhere these beautiful islands appear and take your breath away.  looking at these instagrams i remember exactly the anticipation and excitement i felt.  pure joy. makes me smile just thinking about it...and as i sit here looking back on these photos.

i cannot tell you how much i loved using instagram on my holiday.  i get giddy just thinking about all of the memories and moments i captured with my iphone.  i cannot wait to get started on my scrapbook and what's even better is that the online class with jessica sprague and heidi swapp begins this week!  it is called {mo}tography: rock your camera phone and it looks amazing! we will be learning a ton of fun techniques, tips, tricks and ideas into capturing and documenting instagram images.  i am counting the days till class starts and i cannot wait to begin creating my projects!  it is going to be an incredible class and you can find all of the awesome information here!

a truly favourite memory we shared together was our time spent together exploring and sight seeing around the island.  this included the infamous 'road to hana' and it was truly heaven on earth. hours of incredible rainforest surrounded us. waterfalls, eucalyptus, bamboo, ferns, tropical flowers...you name it we were immersed in it.  i loved this day.  one of my fondest memories that i will never forget.  it was one of the most beautiful and meditative experiences i have ever had.  every corner and turn was a new discovery awaiting.  everything just seemed so much more colourful and alive.  it was heaven.

the coastline and landscape of maui took your breath away with every drive we made.  we often found ourselves stopping randomly for some incredible photo opportunities and moments to just lose ourselves in. we took these photos the first day on the island.  it was so fun to just drive with no plan or schedule.  our job for the day was to just enjoy. what a blessing.

of course no hot vacation would be complete without days filled with beautiful beaches and silky sand in your toes.  we had so much fun taking in various beaches around the island, snorkeling (and seeing some of the most beautiful fish and biggest turtles ever!) and soaking in the sunshine. time did not matter. all that did was making the most of everyday.  something i thought a lot about during our time away and a feeling and practice i promised to myself to bring back to my everyday normal at home too. prior to our vacation i found myself feeling a bit powerless, overwhelmed and defeated with things.  it was nice to just take a step back and a deep breathe and realize that things are ok and will get done.  we also must enjoy what we have and where we are.  life can change in an instant and our present moment is precious.

it is hard to believe that it has come and gone so quickly.  it was an incredible trip for so many reasons and i am feeling so lucky to have so many photographs and memories at my fingertips to play with.  i am still deciding on the exact scrapbook album i want to make, but i am thinking it will definitely be some sort of memory file project for sure!  the amount of photos you can pack into one of those little babies is unreal!  

travelling definitely nourishes the soul.  sometimes i think that is exactly what we need at times to just regain a little focus and clarity that sometimes can get blurred by everyday pressures and demands.  of course these escapes do not always have to be a big vacation somewhere either.  they can be simple things like a hot bubble bath, cooking a nice meal, getting lost in an amazing book, or just painting your toe nails!  

i hope that you are feeling inspired to nourish your soul in whatever way you feel drawn too. maybe even take a moment to document it! capture a moment using instagram, or your regular camera or just write about it. it definitely can do wonders to bring you back right to where you need to be. :)