Stylin'

My "Discover Your Scrap Style" class begins this week, and I am so excited to begin. This is one of my favorite subjects to talk about. I love teaching and helping others to feel more confident about what they are doing creatively. Gosh, to me, it's so important to be able to enjoy this hobby and not stress about it and hopefully, this class will help you figure out better how to really express who you are in your projects and spend less time agonizing over how to do things. 

My sweet friend Jana Eubank has taken this class before (crazy. CRAZY.), and this is what she said about it: 

"Virginia's class was a lifesaver for me! As a creative person I can love and appreciate all styles of design, but when it came to defining my own I was lost in creative confusion! Virginia's class helped me to pull my thoughts into focus and think about what really makes me tick creatively. The Design Workbook was a blast to make and the information in Virginia's workshop is something that I refer to time and time again. I no longer waste my money on supplies I know I won't use, or doubt myself as I create projects. I feel confident in my design decisions, because I have finally been able to define my style. Thank you, Virginia!"

She's so sweet! Love you Jana! 

(Shhhh. Here's a peek into my Design File workbook we'll be making!)

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If you're interested in taking this class, there are still options for you to take the class! 

Kit + Class: purchase here

(*You can check into the class at any time; you aren't stuck with time constraints.)

Class only: $12.99- just email me at 2blackflipflops at gmail dot com

What makes your style stand out in a crowd?

How do you differentiate between your style and following a trend... and how can you make the two combine?

We'll be covering this and a bunch of other topics in my upcoming class, Discover Your Scrap Style!

Hear what one of my former class attendants, Michelle Rydell, had to say about my classes:

"Virginia is a fantastic teacher!  I loved how she had plenty of tutorials, but also left room for me to interpret things in my own style.  She was really "present" as a teacher.  She was always there to answer questions right away, gave us feedback, and lots of encouragement!  I learned so much, and I LOVE the project I made!  I would take another class from Virginia any time!!!

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Class only- $12.99

Class (discounted) and kit- $38.99

The kit includes: 

4 Studio Calico Papers (Classic Calico and Take Note selections)

3 Basic Grey Papers ( *NEW Clippings and Paper Cottage selections)

1 roll Freckled Fawn Washi Tape

10 yards Twinery Twine

3 Shabby Chic Tags

1 Heidi Swapp Large Memory File Folder

1 set Heidi Swapp Memory File Tab Labels (12 pieces)

1 set Heidi Swapp Memory File Fotostack Openables (6 sections)

1 12x12 sheet Basic Grey *NEW "Clippings" alpha stickers

1 yard seam binding

6 Basic Grey "Clippings" Snippets

You can either email me at virginiatillery at gmail dot com for more info, 

or click here to get your own kit & sign up for the class! 

The girl with kaleidoscope eyes...

Elizabeth Manna posted a fun vintage circus themed "Inspiration Monday" at NoelMignon  this week, and that theme has been bouncing around in my head this week. When I began working on my layout for today's post, I naturally went to our Inspiration Monday pinterest board  for a little jumpstart. 

I loved all the bright happy colors, the stars and banners, and the stripes. This particular image jumped out at me: 

(source)

So it was the jumping off point for this layout- can you see the inspo?

I cut apart the piece of Echo Park striped paper from the Boardwalk Kit and formed rays out from my picture. I worked hard at being bright & colorful and staying true to my style, without getting too busy looking. Part of the way I did that was by keeping all of the embellishing pulled in close to the picture, including my misting droplets. 

My photo was one I originally instagrammed, but I cropped & printed it at 4x6 instead of the standard instagram square. The lovely sparkles on it are actually a digitized bokeh that I made with an iPhone app filter (picfx). 

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Don't forget to snag your kit (or sign up for my class)! It's coming up soon! 

(And Noel's popping in a little surprise in one of those kit boxes!) :) 

Sweetening the deal...

Are you sick of hearing about my class yet? 

Well, I did want to tell you one little extra sweet deal... Noel is going to include a copy of this fun idea book in one lucky participant's kit box! (Those who have already signed up are included in this as well!)

Heidi Swapp has been a long time influence for me in my own style, and we'll be using some of her products in my class. This is such a fun book! 

Have a great Saturday! 

Making a layout go from drab to fab

I'm blogging today at NoelMignon on how I made this layout go from just alright: 

To something a bit more special! 

I was able to know what sort of things I could add to my layout because I know what my style is.... come check out my class and I can help you to 

know what special touches to make to your projects too! 

Discover Your Scrap Style Online Workshop!

Have you ever wondered why it is that some scrapbookers' layouts are 

identifiable a mile away?

Do you have trouble deciding what purchases to make or what supplies you want to pull out because you're overwhelmed by it all- or just love it all?

Have you ever thought, "I wish I could figure out what my scrapbooking style is?"

Then this class is for you!

Join me, from the comfort of your own home & at your own pace, hosted by  noelmignon.com for an online workshop style class; July 19th-21st! You can purchase the class alone for $12.99 OR combo class ($10.00) + kit ($28.99) for $38.99! 

The nitty gritty:

I don't claim to know everything about style and design, but I do know that I have grown from doing scrapbook pages like this:

to ones like this one, that better reflect my personal style and design sensibilities:

(We'll even discover how those early projects had clues to our personal style!)

This is going to be an interactive/discussion style class- not focusing on projects; however, I will be teaching you how to make a Design Workbook and producing a layout that features "your style." I'll also be including lots of visuals and printables (hey we're scrapbookers- we are visual creatures!). We'll be discussing what factors can go into helping you discover your scrapping style, key things to look at in that process, and some practical steps for pinpointing those elements.

What you get: 
-my research and discussion on style elements
-my workshop guiding you through at least 3 different hands-on activities that help you define your style
-a completed Design Workbook (the kit comes in handy for this!)
-a layout that represents your style (using supplies you already have on hand)


Please feel free to email me at 2blackflipflops at gmail dot com if you have any questions concerning this class; once you sign up, I will send you a supply list.

Looking forward to chatting with you all in July!

Watch for more info on when you can purchase it in the shop!

Join me at my Scrap-A-Palooza Class!

You are cordially invited to Scrap-a-Palooza, Birmingham's Biggest Scrapbook Party. This special event, hosted by Scrapbook Mania and Scrapbook Princess will be May 6th & 7th at the Wynfrey Hotel in Hoover, Alabama.

(There's a special rate for those staying at the Wynfrey, too! Rooms for the event are $115 a night. *This is not included in the event price.)

Crop time that will be 6:00 P.M. till Midnight on Friday and 9 A.M. to 9 P.M. on Saturday. Attendees will receive a goody bag full of India and Paulette's "Favorite Things". (How fun is THAT?!)

Breakfast and lunch on Saturday are included in the fee. Games are planned along with a "Treasure Chest" full of prizes.

All this for the cost of $139.00. :)

Classes taught by Gretchen McElveen, Christine Ousley, and Virginia Tillery (hey, that's me!!!) will be available at additional cost. These 3 talented designers are planning some special projects just for this event.

$50 will save your space. Call Scrapbook Mania or Scrapbook Princess (205-640-3999 ) to sign up.

Here's some sneaks of my class:

Vintage Style Sweet Sign class

Join me as we create a little vintage-inspired signage for your front door
or some other sweet place in your home. I'll show you how as we use some of
the fun "Paper Girl" collection from The Girls' Paperie, along with metal
signs.The extra special thing about this project is that you'll want to make more
and more of them; they are *great* for gifts! I've been making these signs
for 4 years now, and I keep going back to them.

I think you'll really like
them too. :)

Please bring: scissors, brown or black inkpad, adhesive, black pen

She Art Canvas

I'm taking Christy Tomlinson's "She Art" online class, and it has been a whole lot of fun. I'm not a big class taker, because I tend to be 1) cheap, and 2) think I can figure things out on my own, but I'm so glad I took this one. I've learned so much already, and it has been a lot of inspiration for my creative spirit!

This is the first "girl" canvas I've made. I've got plans to make some more... lots more. :) I want to do a canvas series for all of my kids.

(All of the odds & ends I used on this, besides the paints, came from Noel Mignon kits. They are great for mixed media projects because of all the little cool things she adds!)

Christy Tomlinson is offering her 3 week class again starting April 11th. I highly recommend it, even for you "non-class-takers" like myself. :)

Proof of Life MiniBook

Now that the class is over, I wanted to share with you guys a few of the insides of my album. This book is to be a true scrapbook; ie. a book of scraps of my life. I'm excited to already be using it to record my days!

I specifically want this project, and the ones that stem out of it, to help produce a spirit of gratitude in myself. As I recently read,

“Gratitude bestows reverence, allowing us to encounter everyday epiphanies, those transcendent moments of awe that change forever how we experience life and the world.” (John Milton)

(created with the Very Virginia kit from NoelMignon)

Proof of Life Class Starts Today!

I've had such a tremendous response to this class, and I just wanted to thank you all!

If you have signed up for this class, the fun starts today on the NoelMignon message board. If you have NOT received an email from me with information on how to access the class, please email me directly at 2blackflipflops at gmail dot com so that I can get you the information. I would hate for someone to be overlooked!

And please remember that the material can be accessed at any time, at your leisure. I hope you all find it inspiring!

Some Q/A about my class

Thank you guys so incredibly much for your support for my class! I am always humbled by the fact that I get opportunities to be able to share some of my ideas with others in this wonderful craft.

I had a few questions about the class that I wanted to answer, and if anyone else has questions, please feel free to add them to this post and I'll add them in here and answer them, too!

Anonymous said...

Is there anyway we can view a recording of the class if we can't be online at the scheduled time?

January 2, 2011 9:21 PM

Absolutely! Actually, there will be a whole private section in the NoelMignon forums that will be dedicated to the class. Once the class is "open," you can have access it at any time, at your convenience!

Lelia said...

Virginia, this sounds like so much fun! I used to have a bag filled with scraps of things I loved - clothing tags, magazine ads, etc. Not knowing what to do with it, I think I finally gave up and tossed it.

I've never taken an online class. How do they work?

January 3, 2011 8:53 AM

Thank you, friend! Oh, I hate that you tossed that bag! It could have been put to good use. ;)

The way I do online classes, is once you sign up, I will send you an email a few days later outlining supplies you need to gather, and a few other details to prepare for the class. There will be a private section set up on the NoelMingon forums that you will be given a password for. I will run the class for several days (I'm not entirely sure how many it'll be yet, but 3 or 4) and have different parts of the class posted on each day. I do somewhat of a "lecture/blog post" with different images with my thoughts behind the concept of the album. I also have portions based on inspiration, techniques, and examples of my album. I include step by step instructions on the actual project, and since I have a video camera, I will be including some videos this go around as well! We will also have a private chat night where we can discuss some of the album and bring inspiration to each other.

The wonderful thing about an online class is that 1) You can come in your pjs. and 2) You can do it on your own terms- middle of the night or naptime or whenever is most convenient to you. If you can't make it on those days, you can still come back to it at a later time to review the material.

I hope that answers the questions thoroughly enough! And again, thank you guys so much for your support! :)

Proof of Life: a field book for every woman

Would you like to join me for a brand new class?!!

Designed exclusively for Noelmignon.com, I invite you to come along as we go on a bit of a whimsical, creative venture at the start of this new year.

a study and sampling of our daily lives

something fat and full of odds & ends sticking out.

the truest form of the word: *scrap*book

quotes we love, piece & fibers from our day... what it was like

to be us.

at this time.

a proof of our life.

I'll be sharing with you some thoughts on my philosophy behind this sort of album, a step by step tutorial on how to create my version of this album, some journaling prompts, exclusive images created just for you, and embellishing techniques (including my very favorite product, masking tape!).

The class begins on January 15th, 2011, on a private forum in the Noelmignon.com message board. You can purchase your spot in the class for only $8.99 on the paypal button below.

*Please note that I will be sending further information & instructions to whatever email address is listed on the paypal account you check out with, so make sure that it's up to date with the correct information. :)

And the coolest part of all this? Noel has created a gorgeous kit called "Very Virginia" especially for this class!

My album will be created entirely from this kit, so while it's not a requirement for you to purchase this kit to take part in the class, it will be what all my examples & tutorials will be based off of. You can purchase it here.

(You can also see a full list of contents -over 20 patterned papers-, and the adorable Britt doing a review video of the kit, here!)

In which I give some answers and do a little sneaking...

Thanks guys on the comments about my Christmas decor below! I'll snap some more pics tomorrow of the rest of the house. I just love this time of year. *happy sigh*

That reminds me- a while back, on "The Ol' Room Switcheroo" post, I had a couple of questions. Sorry for answering them so late!

gssfam said...

I ABSOLUTELY love it! :D Great job! I wonder if you would do a post on your scrap space? I saw a shelf with scrappy stuff...I have limited space but I have ended up spreading throughout the house! :D

November 17, 2010 4:10 AM

I will give you a whole blog post about that soon! I have limited space too, so I can share with you what I do- if you share yours! :)

Sarah Rose said...

Oh my goodness, I adore your playroom! I have been longing to put one together, yet not wanting it too look...well... obnoxious. You may have given me the inspiration I need! Do tell, though... what do you have rigged to hold the dress-up clothes?

November 17, 2010 12:32 PM

Thank you so much! The old one was a little obnoxious, but the new one is working PERFECTLY for us. I love it!

Our little dress up spot is just some of these doo-hickeys that hold up little curtain rods, and then an adjustable curtain rod. They are screwed into the wall (I know, horrors) and hold up decently well, although the little metal rod gets kind of wonky sometimes with the weight of all the clothes. I think I am going to replace it with a dowel rod since it'll be a little sturdier. It's worked well for us for a long while now, though, and it gets a lot of use.

This question reminded me of a great blog post I read yesterday about Designing With Kids In Mind. I really liked what she had to say, especially about bedrooms being designated places to relax.

Okay, so those questions are taken care of- any else that I need to answer that I've forgotten?

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In other news.... here's a little sneaking at my very favorite kit to ever exist.

And how could I not love it- it's named Very Virginia.

Yes. After me. Yes. I am freaking out.
And it gets better (or at least, I think it does!)!! I'll be teaching a companion class. I'll be sharing some more tidbits about it this week!

Oh- and of course, this kit is from the fabulous NoelMignon.com :) Subscribe to her newsletter by emailing her at noel@noelmignon.com or "like" her on facebook to keep up to date on all the latest news!