Scrapbooking with old and new supplies
Following on from those stages of grief, one thing that has helped me grapple with the acceptance stage has been the freedom to use absolutely anything on a page without thinking about whether it would be in stock or on sale or anything like that. Admittedly, one of the reasons I liked designing for Two Peas was that we didn’t have strict rules on what we needed to use. I think I would really struggle to hold a long-term commitment to design with the same kit or anything like that really. I’ve not done it, so maybe I am wrong. But while we had the freedom to use whatever we liked, it’s hard to earn a commission on an item that isn’t available, of course. So there were times when companies closed or collections phased out and I would put them aside and not pass them to my sparkly alter-ego.
But now? Anything goes. Which means vintage Sassafras is basically my new black. It’s been liberating, really! Bring on the colour.
Of course, the collections I’ve done with American Crafts are not shy when it comes to colour either. The Sassa fits right in with both the original Shimelle collection and True Stories. And there are ways those two collections fit together so you don’t have to phase anything out! Those glittery gold rub-ons from the first collection? We made the balloon die-cut piece just the right size so that glittery heart and circle layer right over the top. The teal in True Stories is also a more saturated version of the aqua in the first collection, so the papers work together easily too. (The numbers, dots, and stripes to the left are True Stories; the aqua to the right is the older paper.)
I haven’t added this to the journaling here but I should probably document it somewhere, so here is as good a place as any: I grew up so enamoured with the idea of England that most of the spellings and phrases that are different here didn’t come as a surprise. (There may have been one very awkward moment when I realised I missed a key bit of knowledge and had no idea why 10 Downing Street was such an important address, but that was quickly resolved with minimal fallout.) Colour and favourite and the importance of not reverting to the American ‘pants’ when you mean the British ‘trousers’ was all fine. Jelly on the other hand, totally threw me. Obviously I’ve had a few years to adjust to the idea, but if this is all new to you, gelatine – the wobbly, fruit-flavoured, and brightly coloured dessert – is basically known by the brand name Jell-O in the states, but in the UK, that brand only exists as a fancy-schmancy import (at a truly ridiculous price, I tell you) and is instead called jelly and sold under a few brand names. Which is mostly just confusing because jelly in America is more like jam, and jam is a word used in both countries for the same thing, so we finally get to something that makes sense to everyone. (I grew up thinking the difference between jelly and jam was that jam had actual pieces of fruit in it while jelly was smooth. It was only as an adult that I learned that jam was made with the whole fruit while jelly was made with just the juice.) To add more confusion to the jelly mystique, the packet size is roughly the same in both countries, but if you open a box of Jell-O, it’s a powder. All the jelly I’ve purchased in the UK is already gel – like a super concentrated version of the final dessert that you dissolve and then reset. I have absolutely no idea why on this entire earth I find this entire situation so compelling. I know it’s not, and yet my mind continues to wander through the mysterious etymology of jelly.
Meanwhile, Wonder Boy just really likes it when birthday parties have jelly and spoons, and the more jelly he eats, the less accurate his spoon aim. The first time he ate jelly was at a friend’s birthday, where he didn’t have a spoon. He tried it with his hands and decided it was too sticky for his liking, but he still wanted to eat more. When all the other party-goers were distracted by cake and blueberries and other such things, he crawled over to the plate and purposely planted his face in the jelly in a stealthy move that even ninjas have not mastered. He really does not care what it is called. Win some, lose some.
Oh. Yes. Scrapbooking, that thing I’m meant to be discussing. Ahem.
I always reach for 12×12 papers and I’m trying to remind myself that I have a bit of a 6×6 stash now too. The cut-aparts scaled down to that smaller size really have my heart, and they layer well with stickers. In this little grouping, from the back there is a True Stories sticker with the navy blue strip cut away, a rainbow starburst Sassa die-cut, a journaling cut-apart from the 6×6 size, a yellow Sassa flower, a vellum and gold foil label from Crate Paper, a True Stories word sticker, an asterisk from the gold Fitzgerald Thickers, three navy enamel dots, and the red heart and yellow number from the True Stories sticker book. Plus some gold Color Shine mist! Bringing those Sassa layers back to my table has made me smile so much. Sometimes you just love a product and you could use it for years… or at least I seem to be doing that at any rate!
Blue Moon Scrapbooking has quite a bit of both collections, including big discounts on some of the items. Sassafras, on the other hand, may require some searching. Unless you are like me and have it all saved in a special drawer that may or may not sing a little song when you open it.
Read more about: american-crafts
29 June 2015
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29 June 2015, 19:34
Just a tip- jelly should always be eaten with a straw. It makes the most wonderfull rude noise, and kids (and sometimes adults), find it hilarious. Maybe try it at home first? I’m sure Wonderbay would love it!
29 June 2015, 19:39
I get the Sassafras thing. I might have my own small stash yet…
Anne-Liesse
29 June 2015, 20:38
I have an Iris container full of Sass… from warehouse sales and the few pieces my LSS had that I hadn’t already purchased… I am trying to use it, but SO WANT MORE!
29 June 2015, 21:56
Love the story. Love how you layer.
29 June 2015, 22:27
Enjoy the freedom! I enjoy seeing your videos because they’re typically a mix of old and new. I am a bit over seeing kit club vids, because the same papers etc appear over and over. In fact, I have these past few days been binge watching old Shimelle and GG videos – always inspiring!
30 June 2015, 06:09
I do miss Sassafrass. I was absent from scrapbooking for a few years (cheating on it with that minx, quilting) and was so sad when I returned to the (paper) fold and it was gone. :-( But thank you for the clarification on the difference between jam and jelly! I’m a Scot and thought it was a pieces-of-fruit thing. Now I know! I should probably have asked my Granny…bet she knows!
30 June 2015, 10:43
There is an online Australian store called craftonline.com.au that still has some sassafras in store. In the clearance section of the store. I bought some earlier this year.
30 June 2015, 14:52
I love the “jelly” story! ALso, I MISS sassafras and flair designs terribly!!! THanks for using them and reminding me to go find my remnants.
30 June 2015, 15:47
The jelly / Jell-o misunderstanding happened to me when I studied in England.. my flatmates couldn’t understand why I would ever eat a “peanut butter and jelly” sandwich.
1 July 2015, 09:14
Such a pretty, cheerful l/o! And I love the jelly story. It’s so funny how one little word can be different things in our so-close cultures. And that photo is a sure smile-bringer! Maria
1 July 2015, 09:35
Loved your post and your layout. The photo of Wonderboy is adorable. I have some of my now adult son, with a face stained with “jam” after eating breakfast. None with “jelly” however.
6 July 2015, 06:41
Great page!! And I miss Sass too! WB is so cute with that jelly covered face (us Aussies use British English!)
8 July 2015, 21:27
I love this layout, I love your joy in old supplies, and I love your jelly story! It could be a scrapbook page all its own. =) It’s nice to see you using “old” stuff because I haven’t scrapped in so long that all my stuff is “old” now (although, just a couple years). I really want to get back to it but I just moved and I have to finish organizing my craft space first. In the meantime I love seeing this inspiration! =)
5 August 2015, 17:32
I just reread this (having first read it at the time of posting) and must say that I am enthralled with the jelly situation as well. I have from childhood had a crush on Britain which still hasn’t been realized or waned in the least. So all such stories are always so interesting and this one has me begging for more!
14 January 2017, 08:27
I somehow have no recollection of this layout. It’s quite lovely and shows how well you can mix your first two collections. My sister lives in Birmingham. We’ve had quite a few discussions about language differences. She said “moped pizza” once that led to quite a lengthy chat. Love the picture. I have a similar one of my daughter with blueberry yogurt.