A Title Page

I like to start each of my kid's albums with a year that ties it to a year in school.  But I dread these pages - for whatever reason, they are almost always a struggle.  And my daughter's sophomore album is no exception.  I've been adding layouts but the first page is blank.

When I saw this month's sketch at My Creative Sketches, I decided to use it as inspiration for the layout I kept putting off - and I still put it off til the sketch link-up is almost closed. 

But I took the time for one tradtional layout last week and this was it.  I took lots of inspiration from the sketch and the opportunity to play along with one of the Christmas Carol challenges at My Scraps and More.  (These challenges are fun because they are inspired by Christmas carols but don't require holiday layouts.)  The O Christmas Tree Challenge was to use a tree, branch or leaves on your layout.

 I used bits from my Canyonlands kit from Studio Calico, my November kits from Citrus Twist kits, and other bits from my stash.  The end result was a fun page using one of her school photos. 

I think it is going to work perfectly as a title page.  And the sketch gave me a chance to use lots of bits from my stash - both old and new.

I am going to try to sneak in some more scrap time this week.  Hopefully I will have some layouts to share and some pages from my December Daily finished.  Hope you are having a great weekend.  Thanks for stopping by.

Repeating Shapes

Paper Issues sponsored an online crop over the weekend that was filled with great challenges.  (If you want to play along, the challenges aren't due til midnight Saturday, so there is plenty of time.)  One of those challenges was to use at least 10 circle, triangle or square shapes on your layout.  Now this sounds pretty easy, but I was stumped.  (And yes, I know I do a lot of grid design, but nothing was working.)

I decided to use squares and knew I wanted to vary the size of the squares on my layout.  And I picked a picture.  But I spent more time than I want to admit staring at the piece of paper I thought I wanted to use as my base.  Finally I pulled out some scraps of white cardstock and cut them into 3, 2 and 1 inch squares.  Then I moved them around on the base paper until I was happy with the design.

Next I replaced one of the 3 inch squares with my photo.  Then I started digging through my basket of small scraps for papers that coordinated with my photo.  (The photo was of beach glass, so I was looking for a "beach-y" mix of colors.)  Each time a scrap caught my eye, I pulled it out and cut it into a square.  Then I would replace one of the white cardstock squares I had used to develop my layout.  I repeated this process til all the cardstock squares had been replaced with patterned paper.

I used some Evalicious puffy alphas - these are white with gold polka dots - to fit my title into the grid.  Next I added a few trips of washi tape and a puffy rectangle sticker to break up the squares just a bit and link to the rectangular title.  I added just a few embellishments to finish off the project, trying to coordinate with the colors in the patterned paper.  Some gold splats and I was done.

How do you use your scraps?  Link me up to your projects - I can always use some new ideas.

Thanks for stopping by.

#Look - and a challenge (and a prize)

I haven't been scrapping as much lately and I certainly haven't been spending my 30 minutes a day in my scrap room.  But for the last couple of days I have been thinking about scrapbooking and what it means to me.

While I scrapbooked (is that a word?) on and off starting in high school, I got serious when my children were little.  I've been playing with paper pretty seriously for more than fifteen years now.  Somewhere along the line, almost all the pictures from my childhood got lost or thrown away.  It was important to me that I preserved those memories for my children so that the same thing didn't happen to them.

When I started scrapbooking it was all about the event and big moments in their lives - birthdays, holidays, the big game, the first day of school.....But over time, and especially in the last few years, my focus has shifted to more of the moments and things that make up everyday.  And the act of creating became way more important to me.  In fact, I know - and my family knows - I am a much happier person if I find at least 30 minutes to create every day.

That focus on the everyday little things is the biggest gift I have received from scrapbooking.  It makes me much more aware of the world I live in and helps me look at things differently.  So last night I decided to try and capture that in a layout.

I found a black and white photo of a tree trunk in box of random photos.  I took it during the Snapshot class at Studio Calico last September.  I think the prompt was "Texture."

I used a grid design that allowed me to use a lot of small details that seem unrelated but really went with my theme.  Plus it was a great way to use up lots of bits sitting on my desk. I really like all the bright papers and embellishments with the black and white photo too!

So I am going to focus on the things I love about scrapbooking and hope my urge to create comes roaring back.  In the meantime, I am going to try to remember to look at the everyday things. I thought maybe you all could help me too.  So here's the challenge:

Pay attention to the things you see everyday (you probably already do this if you are a scrapbooker).  Take a photo, make a layout and link me up.  I will pick one person at random to receive a $10 gift certificate at their choice of Paper Issues, Studio Calico, Citrus Twist or My Scraps and More.  All entries have to be posted by August 1 at midnight. Your layout should be a new project.

I can't wait to see what you come up with.  And I can't wait to be inspired by you.

Thanks for stopping by. 

Not Where I Was Headed

I'm having a lot of fun with the sketches from the My Scraps and More Sketch-a-thon this month.  And most of the time my layouts end up looking something like the sketch I started with - even if I turned it or changed the angle.  But once in a while, the sketch and my finished layout part company by the time I'm done. 

Saturday I started with this sketch.  It called for 3 photos.  I only had one, but I had a plan.  I was going to use one of those Maggie Holmes acetate letters and a piece of patterned paper for the the other two photos.   I think that's when I started to go my own way.

Then I looked at all the layers drawn under the two photos on the sketch.  Those became two strips of paper under my "substitute items."

The same kind of layers were drawn down by the other photo - suddenly those became four strips of patterned paper.  And that fun diagonal frame in the sketch - it became another square of patterned paper that connected the two components.  And now  that pretty sketch had turned into a grid style layout - still pretty, but very different from the sketch.

It just took a couple of things to finish off the layout.  I added small alphas right on top of the acetate alpha to create my title, added some ink splats (of course) using tinsel, seafoam and blush colorshine, a couple of bits from the new Pink Paislee collections, and some veneer butterflies from my stash. 

This is what I love about sketches.  They provide a great starting point and leave a lot of room to bring your own style to your finished project.

What would you make with this sketch.  If you give it a try, link me up.  I'd love to see.

Thanks for stopping by.

Stuck!

Lately my favorite starting point has been a good sketch.  And when I came across this sketch at Stuck! Sketches, I loved it.  So I printed it and put it in a pile of sketches I love that is accumulating on my desk.  (That way I don't have to spend time finding a sketch when I'm ready to scrap - they are just ready for me.)

I pulled some papers and embellishments from the Studio Calico Lisse Street kits as my starting point and went to work.  I even used my cuttlebug and a tag die to cut a project life card into a tag shape. 

I just kept adding layers til I was happy with it. I kept adding strips of paper and even ripped a piece of the sevenpaper gold triangle vellum when I was too impatient to hunt down my scissiors - But I like the look of the torn paper her.  Then I went to my stash - there are some "vintage" Dear Lizzy stickers on here that worked perfectly with the colors and feel of my layout.  I also added some wood buttons from freckled fawn that were sitting on my desk and some Crate Paper Crapft Market dimensional stickers with burlap to finish it off.  And of course I need some ink splatters - these are with Mister Huey's opaque white.

Thanks for looking.

Making Patterned Paper

So I think I mentioned the 30 minute layout class at Big Picture Classes before.  I finished the class today (it took me exactly a week - and I did all the assignments).  The last lesson was about using a single color of ink and a stamp to make your own patterned paper.

Now I have a lot of stamps from kits, but almost never use them.  So I considered marking the lesson complete and moving on.  But stamps are a big investment and I did "have to have" all the Color Theory ink pads (because that would motivate me to use my stamps - talk about rationalization).  So I rummaged through my stamps to see if one would catch my eye. 

The floral stamp from the Yeats, a September Project Life Add on At Studio Calico caught my eye.  This was strange since I almost never use floral paper, but I went with the impulse.

I started with a sheet of smooth white cardstock and selected the Gray Area Color theory ink.  I like the soft gray and thought it would keep the floral from being too overwhelming.  I stamped the darker images first.  Then I went back through and added the lighter images by stamping off some of the ink on a piece of scrap paper.  I ended up with this - which I loved.

In the class the hand stamped paper served as the base of the layout.  But I had a hard time making that work for me.  So I cut a piece to serve as the base for the large photo block and a strip for the bottom of my page.  I kept the color scheme super simple - working with aqua, gray, black and white - and touches of gold of course.  I added lots of paper layers trying to get a mix of textures and patterns.  I mean we don't have to talk about how long the white corrugated paper might have been living in my scrap room.  And the gold foil heart layer is a project life card from Pinkfresh Studios.

I loved this photo of my daughter (who bought the same shirt for my mother and herself so they could twin - I mean how many teenagers want to "twin" with their grandmother?  The title is from a Valentine my mother sent Elisabeth (several years in a row).  I tried to add embellishments that captured the love and fun I saw in the picture they are mix of studio calico, kit exclusives, sevenpaper, crate paper, freckled fawn and elle's studio.  And lately I don't seem to think a layout is done unless I've added rub on and splatters.

Maybe this will inspire you to dig out those stamps.  Thanks for stopping by.

Washi tags

Every year I decide to make my own tags.  Some years they are pretty elaborate.  One year I cut tag shapes with my cricut and called it good.  This year, I've made a few pretty elaborate tags, but for the most part I am using shipping tags and washi tape.

I have tons of washi tape - does anyone ever finish a roll? So this is a great way to use some of it up and add a personal touch to my packages.  So I am layering on the washi, adding an embellishment or two, and calling it done.  Here are some examples.

You can create really different looks by mixing different washi tapes and placing differently.  And you can coordinate perfectly with your wrapping paper.  (Or just make tags you like and buy wrapping paper that matches your tags - I've done that before.)

Thanks for stopping by.

Gratitude Documented

Shanna Noel introduced me to the Gratitude Documented project.  Each day in November you document something you are thankful for - big or little.  Since I'm struggling to find the positive in life lately, it seemed like the perfect project for me.  So this weekend I spent some time pulling together a kit.  (I have way too much pulled but editing to this point was tough enough)

I chose a Basic Grey Capture album for my project.  I want a feminine feel for my project.  And the decorative binding, dividers and pages are a perfect start.  I love the variety of pages and page protectors you get in a Capture album.

The dividers and pages provided a starting point for my album, but this sheet of patterned paper from Printshop served as my true inspiration piece as I picked the rest of my supplies.  I love the colors and soft feel to this paper - definitely feminine without being fussy.

Next I dug through my 6x6 paper to pull some sheets that might work.  And I might have a 6x6 pad from Printshop on its way here for this project too.

 
Next I pulled some Project Life style cards - most of them are from Studio Calico kits.

 

Then came my favorite part of any project - embellishments!  I started with washi tape and glitter tape because I thought it would be easy to choose. 

Then two of my favorites - wood veneer and enamel dot style embellishments.  Here's what I picked.

 

Next came stickers - I picked both dimensional stickers and traditional stickers and labels.  I also tried to mix different manufacturers and lines to get an eclectic look.

 

Then came tags, bags, envelopes and folders

And then there were some miscellaneous elements I just loved for this project - like the wood card from Studio Calico and the metal leaves from Freckled Fawn.  

And no project is complete without diecuts and transparent elements.  I picked a pack from Basic Grey's Mint Julep collection, Dear Lizzy Fifth and Frolic Chipboard and some chalkboard pieces from Studio Calico's Thataway collection.

And finally alphas - I tried for a variety of sizes, fonts and textures.

 

And if that wasn't enough, I know I'll be digging into my stash for inks, sequins and other bits and pieces - I'm just not good at limiting myself when it comes to supplies.  

I'm excited to get started with this project.  I think its going to be a fun project to put together and really good for my outlook on life.  Now, what to do with that album cover?  

Have a wonderful Wednesday!

Recipe Challenge and Roundabout

Studio Calico Kit Subscription

Use this  link to sign up for a new Studio Calico kit subscription and we will both get 1000 rewards points - that's good for $10 off an add-on!

http://www.studiocalico.com/welcome?ref=f7503d08
Last week the weekly challenge at Studio Calico was a recipe challenge.  Here are the "ingredients."

vellum

yellow

frame

stars

at least two tags

Now it just so happens that vellum, frames and stars are some of my favorite things right now.  So I was all over this challenge.  I started with a piece of colored cardstock from the Roundabout kits and came up with this.

The bright cardstock base really makes the other elements of the layout pop.  And I used my Texture Boutique to create a piece of vellum with a custom look

 I used Mustard Colorshine to make a white tag yellow.  The ink didn't want to adhere to the tag, so I used a tissue to wipe the ink across the tag, creating a fun look.  And those frames from Crate Paper are still some of my favorite embellishments.

That geotag from Freckled Fawn is great and I love the chipboard and glittered stars from Studio Calico. 

Thanks for stopping by - Have a great Tuesday!

Lily Bee Challenge

Lily Bee is sponsoring a challenge and the prize is a Gossamer Blue kit.  The challenge is looking for a summer themed layout using at least 50% Lily Bee Products.  I like Lily Bee a lot but have a hard time finding much in my local stores.  So I started by pulling all the Lily Bee papers and embellishments I had in my stash.  I had a pretty good selection of papers, but almost no embellishments.  So I picked a base paper and then cut other papers to create a custom look.

Since time at Lake Erie has meant summer to me since I was growing up, I knew I wanted to use that as my theme.  Here's what I ended up with.

 

The pieces I cut from Lily Bee paper seemd to bright against the orange and white background paper, so I added vellum circles.  Most of the stickers are Lily Bee, but I added Studio Calico stars and Freckled Fawn enamel dots.  And that heart in my title is from Fancy Pants. I don't know if its a winner, but this layout makes me smile when I remember time at the beach.

Have a super Sunday!  Hope you have a chance to scrap.

I'm Published!

I'm so excited!  For the first time ever, one of my layouts is published.  You can find it in the online magazine Life Paper Scrapbook on page 71.  Here's my layout.

I pulled this together using the June kits from Studio Calico.  Those kits included great twine and this was the first time I played with letting it just wander across the page.  I used little pieces of wood veneer, little stars, and brads (where I cut off the prongs) hold it in place.  It creates a really great look.

 

I loved these Heidi Swapp alphas and am still using them.  They create sch a unique look.  And the Elles Studio background paper was perfect!

Then it was just about adding little bits and pieces. This leaf was in my stash and was from freckled fawn.

The Life of A Little Sister

Last weekend was the Oklahoma benefit crop and I'm still working on some of those challenges (I know I won't get them all done, but I'm doing as many as I can.)  One of those challenges was a layout that talked about the weather.  It was the perfect opportunity to use this picture of my daughter from a few years ago - she's sitting in the rain watching one of her brother's play soccer and she says its all she did for the first 10 years she was alive.  (She exaggerates a little bit :))

I tried something different for me on this layout - I mounted my patterned base on a piece of cardstock for added dimension.  I always love the look when I see others do it, but I'm not sure it is for me. 

I love this vellum heart on the picture - these stickers were from the Studio Calico Darling Dear collection and I've been hoarding them.  The subtle impact is just great.  (My stash of hearts is almost gone though.)

And while I was working on the layout, I got some happy mail from Chic Tags.  I was lucky enough to win the Sunday challenge a couple of weeks ago and I got to pick $25 dollars of goodies from their store.  The banner tag at the top of this layout was the perfect touch.

And look at all the goodies I have to play with in the future.  (This package totally made my day.)

Hope you have a terrific Thursday.

A Quick Soccer Layout

I haven't pulled together a soccer layout in at least a week.  And as much as I complain about all the soccer layouts I do, I must miss them.  When I saw the Sunday layout sketch at Studio Calico, I knew I wanted to try a soccer layout.  Here it is.

I love the contrast between the bright colors in the papers I chose (mostly from Studio Calico Collections or kit exclusives)  and the black and white photo.  And the coolest thing about this layout - see that strip of wood squares - I found it when I made a trip to the woodworking store with my husband.  I think I paid $2 for 3 feet and it is so fun to use non-scrapbooking things on a layout.

Have a wonderful Wednesday!

The Impossible Challenge - No Patterned Paper

My Scraps and More started their summer challenge event on Friday - and the first challenge was tough.  Put together a layout with no patterned paper.  Since I love patterned paper and mixing patterns, I was totally stumped - until I got started.

I used gold lame and primrose colorshine on white cardstock to create the base for this layout.

Then I created a photo block by layering cardstock, vellum and handmade paper.  I added lots of vellum and transparent elements from Studio Calico, Basic Grey, Heidi Swapp and Glitz.

I used ribbon, twine, washi and wood veneer for more texture.

And I finished it with a cluster of vellum and transparent pennants, wood veneer, and of course,  sequins at the top of the page.

By the time I was done I didn't even miss the patterned paper.  This was a great creative exercise.  Give it a try - make a layout without patterned paper. 

Have a super Saturday!

Layering with Pop Off The Page

This month's class at Studio Calico is Pop Off The Page 2 - I missed the first class, so was thrilled to have a chance to take this one.  I am always trying to add dimension and texture to my pages and am excited to try new things.

This week's challenge was about layering with patterned papers. I love to add layers, but struggle with keeping a clean feel to the layout.  I tried layering in a horizontal pattern across the page for this layout.  It ends up adding lots of dimensions without getting too busy.

I started with this picture of my daughter - I love the vintage feel of the photo (even though it is only a few years old).

 I thought I'd share some lessons learned (even thought they may be obvious to you.)

1.  When you don't like an effect you create, don't give up.  I started this page by using gold lame color shine with a mask to create a background texture on white cardstock.  I hated the effect.  But when I wiped the mist of with a paper towel, I love the soft, beigey-gold color I ended up with.

2.  If your picture is dark, add some darker papers to balance the feel.

3.  Repeat patterns and colors.  I used some of the patterned papers more than once and repeated the gold color shine on the doily.

4.  Not everything has to glued down  - loose edges and pieces of trim add lots of interest and texture.  For instance, this gold ribbon is much prettier loose than fastened flat to the page.

5.  Add embellishments after you finish your layering.  Cluster small embellishments for bigger impact.  And mix up your embellishments - variety is way more interesting to the eye that a single style of embellishment.

6.  Repeat elements to tie the layout together.  I added a new piece of trim to the top of this layout, but layered with the resin flowers and the gold ribbon to tie it together.

I'd love to hear your tips and tricks for layering and making your layouts pop.  Hope you have a great Sunday.

This Is Me (Still)

Last month I took a great class at Studio Calico - This is Me.  The class was intended to help you put together an album about yourself.  I loved the idea, loved the class -- and got almost nothing done during the month. But I found even thinking about what to include a really rewarding way to think about where I am and where I want to go in the future.

I decided to use a SNAP binder for my album, but turned it on its side so it had a landscape orientation.  I shared the cover and my title page here.  I also did a couple of non-traditional pages about places I want to visit and how things change last month.  But mostly I didn't get past the cover.

The dividers I did broke my album up into a section on the basics (sort of just the facts), The Good (things I feel good about), Needs Work (things I want to improve on in the short run) and Goals and Dreams (big wishes, bucket list, and long term goals).   I don't think I shared these when I did them.

I used gesso, spray inks, washi tape, wood veneer and my favorite Amy Tangerine alphas on these.  And let me admit now that I love picking colors and patterns that appeal to me without considering the personality of people I'm scrapping about.  It is so fun!

Since I didn't get very far in April, I did promise myself that I would work on doing a few pages each month til I felt like I had a finished project.  Because the pages are small (6x8) they really go together quickly.  So yesterday I did two pages about things I feel good about - baking and my nook.

Dear Lizzie, Heidi Swapp, Studio Calico, Freckled Fawn, Simple Stories, Elles Studio - and inspired by the color challenge at Life Paper Scrapbook

Simple Stories, Heidi Swapp, American Crafts, Dear Lizzy, Elle's Studio, Basic Grey, Studio Calico.

Both of these projects started with Planetarium kits and add-ons which I supplemented to finish my pages.  And I have to admit that I am currently addicted to those Heidi Swapp arrows that resist spray inks. 

I have lots more to do in this album and will share as I get pages done.  I'm working hard to keep it fun and not become a task, so you never know when I'll have more to share.

Hope you had a chance to play today.  Enjoy the rest of your Saturday.