Brimfield Is My Favorite

It's no secret - I haven't loved the Studio Calico kits lately.  Far Far Away (back in January I think) was really pretty though there were pieces I struggled with and I really enjoyed Lisse Street (maybe March or April), but the rest of the kits have been challenging for me to use or just totally not my thing.  But Brimfield is a home run!  (Yes I still think the kit should have some more stuff for the price, but it was beautiful and fun to use.) The papers are gorgeous - beautiful color and patterns that are classic and versatile.  It felt like the kits that inspired me to become a subscriber three years ago.

Which made me think - what really makes me love a kit - it's not the stamp (in fact I sold the stamp in this kit.)  I think it is versatility - I made five layouts with the goodies in my September box before I broke it up into my stash.  And I when I look at them they all look unique.

Four of the layouts were in prior blog posts - one is soft and romantic, one features a train and has a little bit of a vintage feel, one is super bright and fun, and the fourth one features soft colors and feels classic.  And the fifth one (at least to me) captures a sense of contentment, mixing bright colors with pastels.

inspired by sketch at Citrus Twist kits

So I'm putting away Brimfield after five layouts - but it was a good one!  (That star transparency is going to end up in a December Daily) In fact if it goes on sale down the road, I will be trying to nab another one.

Thanks for stopping by.

I Do It For Me

Sometimes I think all my layouts start to look the same - I like patterned paper backgrounds, lots of colors and patterns and bits, layers and grids.   Some or all of those elements are in all of my projects.  So then I think I need to do something different - but I don't even know what that is.  And I end up with no layout or a layout that I don't like - I think because I tried too hard. 

This summer I have really struggled with inspiration and motivation.  I've spent a lot of time thinking about why and trying to get back on track  -- which leads me to why I scrap.  Sure the memorykeeping and story telling is great, but that's not why I scrap.  And I love it when people like my projects and I get compliments and recognition in online communities.  But mostly I scrap because the act of doing it makes me happy.

So not all my projects have to be works of art.  I would love to be on a design team someday, but every layout is not an audition.  I will get that opportunity when and if its meant to happen.  And the truth is my favorite layouts (and probably my best ones) are the ones that make me happy while I am creating.  So its ok if I stick with mixing colors and patterns, grids and layers -- in fact its perfect since I will find the joy in creating again.  And if they all look alike, that's just the way it is.  I guess you would call it "my style."

So here you go - a layout with a patterned paper background, lots of layers, little bits and pieces and it's a variation of a grid design.  And I love it.  I smiled while I made it and I smile when I look at it.  (Who knew I would end up loving those transparent bird die cuts?)

Design inspired by sketch at Studio Calico

Thanks for listening to me ramble on.  I'm off to play with paper.

Make It Work

This is the first layout  I made with Brimfield and I think it might be my favorite.  The colors and patterns in the papers are timeless.  Those chipboard phrase strips are one of my all time favorite things.  And I love how the products in the SevenPaper baby collection (Clara) coordinate perfectly.  The die cuts and the vellum stars came from those extras that I added to my September box.

But we had a "make it work" moment.  I needed a tag that coordinated to fill in that top block of my grid.  Despite my collection of shipping tags, nothing was quite right.  So I went to those Clara die cuts to see if something would work.  There was a cute onesy with a gold star but it just wasn't right for this super girly picture.  So I turned it upside down, trimmed off the neckline and the sleeves and punched a whole in the center of the crotch.  Add some baker's twine and there it was - a super pretty tag that was perfect for my layout.

I'd love to hear about your "make it work" moments (I feel just like Tim Gunn).  Thanks for stopping buy.

Layered Labels

I have always loved labels.  They are pretty, fun and versatile.  But they don't always work for journaling.  Sometimes I have too much to say and sometimes I don't have much of anything to say.  So I either end up with tiny little writing crammed onto a layer so that you can hardly read it or awkward blank space where it looks like I forgot to write something.  And so my label stash grows and grows and .......you get the picture.

But layered labels are my new favorite thing.  I pull several labels in different shapes and sizes and stack 'em up.  Maybe I add a few stickers, enamel dots or other small embellishments. Foam squares and glue dots can add extra dimension.   Or those phrase stickers that are all the rage - they are perfect for this.  Then I end up with a dimensional embellishment using up some of my favorite things in my stash.  And I can customize it to fit both the story I'm telling and the space I have to fill.

A little washi can anchor your cluster and add extra dimesion and texture too.

design inspired by sketch at Citrus Twist kits

 So you probably knew all about layered labels.  It is such a great way to build a custom embellishment.  But just in case you didn't...........

Thanks for stopping by

Finding My Way Back

I haven't been creating much but I think I'm finding my way back - Yay!  The September kits from Studio Calico are beautiful and I have made three layouts so far with them.  I especially like that I have made some soft and pretty things and some bright, fun things. 

This layout was inspired the sketch at Stuck!  They posted a new sketch this week.  Since it featured lots of layers, it gave me a chance to use lots of the pretty papers in the Brimfield kits.

And here is my take on the layout

I tried using my cuttlebug and dies out of vellum for the circular elements.  I know I'm probably the last one to this party but I love the effect.  (The die is from a Pinkfresh Studio embellishment kit.)


I have some more Brimfield layouts to share so keep an eye out.  Thanks for stopping by.