Black and White

If you visit here much at all, you know that I love mixing colors, patterns and textures.  It is my favorite thing about scrapbooking. But sometimesa challenge helps nudge (shove) me out of my box.  This week I came across two challenges that would take color (mostly) out of the mix. 

One of the March "Layout A Week" challenges at Studio Calico asked that you make black and white the focus of your project.  And one of the challenges at the Paper Issues Spring Crop called for a monochromatic layout.  So I went for it.....

I limited myself to black and white (and a little gold) for a layout.  And to be honest, I kind of love it.

I focused on mixing patterns and textures while trying to maintain a "light" feel.  The black plastic grid was from an ancient Studio Calico kit and had been hanging on my peg board forever.  When choosing papers I used two vellums (because they add lots of texture without adding much visual weight) and patterns that were predominantly white.  A chalkboard shipping tag added a different texture and a pop of black.  And the black and white photo really pulled it all together.

I'm not giving up all those pretty patterned papers but this was a fun exercise with a great end result.  And that nudge out of my box is the reason I love creative challenges.  It pushes me to try something different I never would have tried.

I hope you're finding your own scrappy time.  Try something new the next time you sit down to play.  You might just love what you make.

Whitewash

Every once in a while a collection features a product that I fall in love with.  When American Crafts first introduced the Hazelwood collection (designed by 1Canoe2), the 12x12 sheet of wood veneer with the floral pattern caught my eye.  It was beautiful, but I just wasn't sure what I would do with it.

Naturally that didn't slow me down a bit - I got my hands on a piece at my first opportunity. My first thought was that I would use it as the base of a layout.  And honestly, I think that would be beautiful.  But in the end, I tried cutting it.  I used a box cutter in my craft room against a ruler to score it and then found it broke off quite nicely.  And that means I can use it as a unique layering element on my layouts - perfect to add dimension and texture.

But when I tried to use a piece on this layout, I found that the color didn't work well with the yellow patterned paper.  I was setting it aside when I thought about how Joanna Gaines is always treating wood and brick to maintain texture when refurbishing houses. (I am addicted to Fixer Upper lately and wish she would come fix up my house.) So I pulled out a tube of white acrylic paint and an old rag.  By squirting the paint directly on the piece of wood veneer I wanted to use and immediately wiping it off with a rag I created a whitewash look that made the veneer more neutral and a perfect layer for my project.

You still see the pretty floral pattern, but the effect is much softer.  After the paint was dry, I used a soft olive chalk ink on the edges to help add definition to my layers.  Here is the finished layout.

The wood adds all the dimension and texture I was looking for and still works well with the yellow tones in the patterned papers.  I knew all that time I spent watching HGTV would pay off.

I am planning lots of crafty time this afternoon.  I hope you find time to play today too. 

Layers and More Layers

I love the look of clean and simple pages.  But when I start to create a page, I just can't help myself - I want to add lots of layers and details.  And when I started following the Lovely Layers class at Big Picture Classes, I just wanted to create even more layers.

So when I saw this week's sketch at Studio Calico, my first thought was that I would pass.  The inspiration layouts (both the original by Mandie Pierce and the one Maggie Massey created using the sketch) are gorgeous, but they definitely fall within the clean and simple design perspective -- and that's just not my thing right now. 

But the sketch was stuck in my head.  So instead I challenged myself to use the sketch to create a layout that used all those layers I love so much.  I came up with this:

Both the inspiration layouts featured a black and white photo. I chose to use a black and white photo also - it was an easy connection to the inspiration pieces and I am increasingly drawn to the simplicity in black and white photos as a counterpoint to all the color and texture of the layers.  And, as a bonus, a black and white photo can be effective even when photo quality isn't as good as I would like.

Next I focused on the design and pulled out the elements that I liked.  I decided to focus on a relatively large rectangle as a base, building a layered element at the bottom corner, using a horizontal piece at the bottom of my photo bloc and creating an embellishment block to one side of my photo.

I started by creating some patterned paper layers on top of and under the large rectangle base to support my photo.  I tried to vary the colors, patterns and textures while keeping the feel light. The dark strip at the bottom of the page helped to balance all the light colors.

Then I dug into my ephemera stash to add detail.  My favorite thing about the whole layout is probably the embellishment cluster at the bottom of the layout.  Its a mix of some favorites that have been in my stash for a long time.  And I love that the stitched border echos the scallops in the original layout.

This was a great exercise for me - the trick with sketches is to make them your own. 

I'm hoping to spend some scrappy time this weekend.  I hope you find some time to play to........

It's All About the Feelings

I scrap for lots of reasons - and I often say that the biggest reason is that creating makes me happy.  It is essentially my substitute for therapy.  But sometimes life reminds me that the art of memorykeeping is really about capturing feelings - whether they are the feelings generated by little everyday moments, milestones, or even really hard things.

Recently my mom got some scary health news.  And while I am 54 years old, I have never imagined life without my mother (even when she makes me crazy).  I live several hours from her and when she called, my first instinct was to find a recent photo.  It made me smile and it made me cry.  But I knew I wanted to scrap it.

The photo sat on my desk for about a week while I thought about the story I wanted to capture.  I knew I wanted to create a pretty layout that featured a black and white photo, but I wasn't sure about the feelings I wanted to capture.  I finally just started - and then the message was clear:  "You Will Always Be Mommy To Me."

Most products are from the December Citrus Twist kits - added maggie holmes chipboard, alphas and cosmo cricket tissue

I didn't add a lot of journaling, but the act of making the layout helped me process everything I was feeling.  Because that's what it comes down to - she's my mommy and I will always need her.   (I really recommend using a creative project to help work through hard things.)

I had just finished listening to the first lesson in Raquel Bowman's class, Lovely Layers, at Big Picture Classes and put lots of things I'd learned to work on this project.  All the little details she suggested added so much impact to the design.

First I added a little bit of stitching to one of the layers.  I don't have a sewing machine and am not a great hand sewer, so I went for a bit of stitching on one layer instead of stiching a complete frame around one or more layers.

 I tried to add lots of textures to the layers - I used lots of patterned paper, some vellum with gold, a tag, and some old Cosmo Cricket tissue that I crumpled to my layers.  And I added a bit of chipboard between some of the layers to add dimension.

And I tried to create different edges on the papers used for the layers.  The doily obviously had a pretty round lacy edge.  I tore the edge on the vellum and tore the bit of tissue.  I distressed the edges of some of the layers and inked others.  And I don't have any border punches, so I used a corner punch to add a bit of extra detail to one of the layers.

I'm ready now to support my mommy in this chapter of her life.  I will no doubt be scrapping my way through it (even if the projects are unrelated) as a way to cope with the stress and worry.  And if you could find a minute to keep her in your prayers, I would sure appreciate it.

I hope you have a wonderful weekend - I plan to create and appreciate little moments.  This weekend I want to "TRY" to find the joy in the everyday.  I hope you do the same.

It's All About the Brads

I joined a "support group" on the Studio Calico website for my fellow crafters who are trying to spend no money or only a little money on crafting supplies this year.  Pam started the group and is really working to keep us on track with weekly challenges.  And this weekend she challenged us to use some of those brads in our stashes.

I totally bought into brads as an amazing embellishment and have a basketful - even after a couple of big purges.  They really can be a great way to add color, pattern and dimension to a layout.  But it turns out that I hate using them.  I move things around so much while I am putting a project together and don't want to create a hole for the brad (just in case I change my mind again) until I am absolutely happy with the way a page looks.  But without really attaching the brad it is really hard to see how it looks.

But I remember someone telling me you can take the prongs off  brads and use glue dots to attache them.  And you know what - it works like a charm.  I can move brads around to my heart's content and know how they will look.  I used 8 brads on this layout inspired by the Sunday sketch at Studio Calico.

Supplies from January kits at Citrus Twist kits and my stash.

The layout is bright and fun.  And the brads add lots of detail without a lot of fuss this way.  I just might be inspired to use up more of those brads.

I'm hoping to scrap some more this afternoon.  I hope you have some more creative time planned too.  Happy Sunday!

Watercolor Splatters

Every Sunday Paper Issues posts a scraplift challenge on their facebook fan page.  The inspiration layouts are always amazing, but I'll be honest - I don't take the challenge very often.  But this week, the challenge was stuck in my head.

This is the inspiration layout by Michelle Arseneault Gallant - her design is simple but the color choices are really striking.



So I decided to do my own version of the layout.  - I had a single photo of my dog (one of my favorite subjects lately) and used this layout as inspiration for my own design.

I maintained the general design but added more layers under the photo - I love mixing patterns and colors in the layers under a photo. I started with the papers and embellishments in the January Citrus Twist Scrapbook and Pocket Life kits.  I found a neutral strip that worked well at the top of my page - no cutting needed.  I added a few extra embellishments (the blue heart clip, the gold heart, the too cute die cut and the wood stars) from my stash.

Then it was time for some ink splatters.  If you visit here much, you know that just about every project has some ink splatters.  I usually use spray inks on a round paint brush.  But I really wanted to match the dark blue in the paper and die cuts -- and I just didn't have an ink that worked. I pulled out my cheap set of watercolors from Michaels, got the brush really wet and picked a blue that matched the papers.  I used the paint to create the splatters and it worked perfectly!

So today was a win - I finished a layout, tried something new with my current stash and fit in some crafty time for the seventh day in a row.  I'm feeling pretty good about sticking to my resolutions and "trying."

I hope you're having a good week too.  Thanks for stopping by.

Stuck?! on an Angle

I am trying to get back to some of my creative habits that helped keep me scrapping.  One of the best of those was following the challenges at Stuck?! Sketches.  They publish two sketches each month and they usually provide lots of opportunity to play with layers and details.

So while I am wrapping up my amazing 4 day weekend, I decided to check out the current sketch.  I was excited to see that it was a fun diagonal design.

My layouts tend to be either horizontal or vertical in design so this sketch provided a fun challenge.

I started with the January kit from Citrus Twist Kits (my last one for a while) and a photo that brings back all those summer feelings.   I added lots of bits from my stash and created this layout.  There are quite a few pieces from Crate Paper Wonder, an older Crate paper line, Simple Stories, Dear Lizzy and Studio Calico kits mixed in with the pretty supplies from the kit.

I stuck really closely to the sketch and used layers and embellishments to tell my story.  And my tip for the day - check out the packaging - that fun yellow piece with the blue scalloped edge that is one of the bottom layers - that was the backing in the die cut pack from the Fancy Pants Joy Parade collection.  It is so cute and perfect here. 

I will be returning to work tomorrow but am definitely going to squeeze a little scrapping time in.  And you never know - maybe another blog post.   In the meantime, thanks for stopping by!

This Year ......

Last year was a rough one for me - in lots of ways, including creatively.  I lost all my inspiration and motivation in late spring and never managed to get started again.  And I pretty quickly gave up - I would go weeks without making anying.  But that didn't stop me from continuing my three kit subscriptions (2 at Citrus Twist and 1 at Studio Calico) plus buying lots of extras.  So needless to say, my stash is totally out of control.  I wouldn't use it all if I scrapped nonstop til I was 100.

And the reality is - I really am happier if I am having regular creative time.  So I decided to set some creative goals for myself this year.  My One Little Word this year is "TRY" - because I want to challenge myself but I also need to give myself permission to fail, to have bad days, to be less than perfect.  (That's a story for another day.)

So here are my goals:

1)  BUY LESS AND MAKE MORE!  I really admire all the ladies I know who are taking a no spend approach to this year.  But I know that I don't have that kind of willpower.  So instead I'm going to try to use more than I buy.

To this end I cancelled my Citrus Twist kit subscriptions - both the scrapbook and project life - and kept just the Studio Calico subscription.  To be honest I can't exactly explain why I chose to keep the Studio Calico subscription instead of the Citrus Twist subscription - I think the Citrus Twist kits are probably a better value.  And I reserve the right to buy an occasional Citrus Twist kit that I really love.

I am also trying to buy fewer extras with my kit subscription.  In January I ended up with only the scrapbook main kit, the 4x6 pad, a piece of Moonstruck vellum, and an extra pack of the kit die cuts.  And instead of add-ons, I pulled some items from my stash that coordinated with the kit supplies.

This seems to be working pretty well (but I am going to try and pull less next month or with my January Citrus Twist kit (I didn't cancel til this week) so that I might use up more of what I pull.

2)  Try new things or things that I don't do often.  I am not hugely addicted to tools, but I do buy things and not use them.  I've experimented with my fuse (almost a year after buying it) and done a silkscreen project since the first of the year as I've worked on my December album.  I also managed a little handstitching on a layout yesterday.

3)  Find at least 30 minutes to create every day.  Experience says that I am a generally happier person if I create every day.  And I have found that the more regularly I create, the easier the process becomes.  And since I am lucky enough to have space where I can leave projects in process, I really have no excuse to not pull this one off.

4)  Finish at least one in process project.  I have December albums for 2013, 2014, 2015, and 2016 started.  My son's senior year album (he graduated in 2013) is half done. And there are some other things.  So the goal is to finish one of these things.  Honestly, it is probably going to be the 2016 December album, and then I might try to tackle a second one.  But regardless, the goal is to finish one thing.

5)  Put layouts in albums!  I have a nasty habit of letting layouts stack up instead of putting them in albums.  And before long, it becomes a huge job.  I spent a weekend this fall putting more than 100 layouts in albums - and that wasn't fun.  So the goal is to not let that happen again.

6)  EVERY DAY IS A NEW START!  This is a big one for me (not just creatively).  I tend to get caught up in what I didn't get done the day or week before, and never get started at all.  So the goal is to start each day thinking about what I will try to do instead of what I didn't do or can't do.

So here's hoping 2017 is a great year for you and for me.  I scrapped my hopes for my daughter, but they are really my hopes for all of us.

Just Start, Live in All Caps and Have a Fabulous Year.  Happy New year.

I've Been Stuck.........

I haven't been around much for the past several months. Honestly, I didn't have much of anything to share.  The spring and summer months were super frustrating for me creatively.  At most I think I made one or two layouts a month.  I just was uninspired and actually avoided my scrap room.

But creating is my happy thing and I really missed it.  So as time went on, I tried to push myself out of my slump.  I took an online class based on sketches .... that actually provided the inspiration for the few layouts I made, but it didn't really provide a jumpstart.  I tried a big purge, but that didn't do it either.  And I just got more frustrated. 

Then last weekend Paper Issues hosted an online crop .......and I was suddenly all in.  I made 15 layouts in 4 days!  (I'll share some of my favorites in the next few days).  And when I went back to work after the long weekend, I kept scrapping. 

Sketches have always been my favorite inspiration.  So when I finished the crop challenges, I went to Stuck?! - it's one of my favorite sketch blogs.  The current sketch is right up my alley with opportunities to layer and play with lots of embellishments.

I pulled out the November kits from Citrus Twist Kits and went to work.  Here's what I came up with.

I added a couple of doilies,, a label and a piece of vellum were from my stash.  Every thing else came from the kits.  The pack of Jillibean Soup die cuts in the project life kit is incredible.  It included all the die cuts on this page and I have tons of pieces left. 

 
The exclusive veneer and chipboard worked perfectly with the die cuts.......

And that little dog was perfect for the story I was telling.....

The exlusive puffy hearts and the enamel dots in the kits were just right too.

I am anxious to get back to scrapping, so I am going to say good-bye for now.  I will be sharing some of my crop layouts and hopefully some new creations.  So I will be back soon.  But for now, enjoy your weekend!

Do Over

I wasn't very motivated or inspired last week - but I got up yesterday, determined to make something.  It was really early when I got back from walking the dog (about 6) so I was really excited to see that Citrus Twist had already posted their weekly sketch challenge.

I really liked the sketch and the CT take on it was very cool.  But I really struggle with layouts that use lots of circles.  And my goal was to make something - not get frustrated - so in my head I turned those circles into squares.

I used my May Citrus Twist kits - they are gorgeous with lots of Pink Paislee Fancy Free, Maggie Holmes Bloom and other coordinating supplies.  And made this.

It was close to the sketch, I photographed it and posted it for the challenge.  An hour later I walked by my scrapbook table, looked at it and didn't like it at all.  Am I the only one who does that?

So I started to pull it apart - but took a breath and thought about what I didn't like - and, being me, I decided there wasn't enough layer or detail in the layout.  So I dug through my kit goodies and got to work.  And ended up with this.

Same layout but with more layers and more details.  And I am so much happier with it.  This is the only thing I made yesterday, but I learned two things.

• When I don't like a project, starting over isn't always the only solution.  Take time tot hink about how to improve the first attempt.  Small changes can make a big difference.
• It's important to know your style - and rely on those elements when you are stuck.  Stretching and trying new things is important and fun - but going back to what you know and love is the best way to find your mojo.         

I wish I could stay home and put those lessons to the test this morning.  But I'm off to work.  Have a marvelous Monday.

Using a Transparency

Transparent elements are big in scrapbooking right now.  And I am a huge fan - I love that they provide opportunities to add color and texture but generally maintain a light feel.  But 12x12 transparencies are coming with lots more color and pattern than ever before - and I think they can be a bit challenging to use.  In fact, my stash is growing quickly - they are so pretty but I end up not using them. 

So when the Spoonful add-on at Studio Calico came with this Dear Lizzy transparency I was determined to use it.

I found the perfect inspiration is a sketch at Citrus Twist Kits. The diagonal design seemed to provide a great opportunity to incorporate the transparency to add color and pattern as a background element.

It turns out - that wasn't as easy as I thought it would be.  I ended up piecing together several patterned papers, including the transparency to create a custom background.

Once the background was done I worked on a photo block.  And I'll admit that I had a hard time with placement - the vertical orientation in the sketch just didn't work well.  I think I moved the block around for 15 minutes and it just didn't look right.  I added the pink and white striped paper from my scraps on a whim - and was really surprised that it seemed to work to anchor the whole thing. 

Because the design was busy and I had used a number of bold patterns, I kept embellishments to a minimum (a challenge for me).  But I thought it was really fun to add a second transparent element with the acetate word from Pinkfresh Studio.  And I was really surprised at how well the hot pink thickers worked on top of the transparency. Finally, I couldn't call it done without a few ink spatters.

So what's accumulating in your stash because you love it but can't quite figure out how to use it.  Challenge yourself to put it on a project this week.  You might just be surprised with the end result.

Have a great Sunday.

Capturing the Everyday

I started as an "event" scrapbooker - you know - capturing all the stuff we do.  But as I've scrapped more and gotten older, I am increasingly focused on capturing the minutia of everyday life.  I want the albums I put together for my children to include bits of everyday life that will bring back memories of everyday (and things there kids won't understand at all). 

Nothing is bigger in my daughter's everyday life right now than snapchat.  But I suspect it will be long gone by the time her children are teens.  So I decided I wanted to do a layout that at least would make her think back to the time when she couldn't go an hour without snapchat.

I started with the current sketch at Stuck?! Sketches and the May kits from Studio Calico

It has lots of opportunities to layer and add bits and pieces so it was perfect for me.  I ended up with this.

I really stuck closely to the sketch.  But I moved the banners to the bottom of the photo block instead of the side of the photo block.  To balance that change I shifted an embellishment cluster to the top corner of the photo block.  The title stayed at the bottom of the page but shifted to the opposite side (another result of the shift in the banners.)

Most of the supplies are from the Jolly Holiday kits.  But I did pull that fun veneer grid from my stash.  And this was a great time to dig into my die cut stash to help build embellishment clusters. 

And I can't wait til my daughters children are going through her album and ask her what "snapchat" is.

Hope you're finding time to scrap this weekend.  I'm on a roll so I better get back to work.  Have a great weekend.

Jolly Holiday

My May Studio Calico kit - Jolly Holiday - came last week.  I have to admit that when I opened it, I was seriously underwhelmed.  It just didn't seem to fit my style well, I didn't think the "specialty paper" was special and it seemed light on embellishments.  But I have had it since Thursday and made 5 layouts so far.  Admittedly, I have mixed in bits from my stash with the kit (but I tend to do that anyway).  So I have to say that the kit has been pretty darn inspiring.

The first layout I made was inspired by last week's scrapbook sketch (May 8th) at Studio Calico.

 It is such a fun take on a grid design.  And I had a picture of some pretty macaroons on my desk that I had been waiting to scrapbook.  So between the sketch and Jolly Holiday, I came up with this.

I didn't try to copy the sketch exactly.  Instead I went to my desk and created my own design with the sketch in mind.  The elements that really stuck with me was the series of elements running horizontally across the page, the use of some circles, the strips above the main block of squares and the title placement.

Most of the bits here are from the Jolly Holiday kit and Spoonful add-on.  I am super excited by the bright pink thickers I used for the title.  I wouldn't have ordered them, but they are seriously the perfect pink.

I am still totally in love with the big acetate words from Pinkfresh Studio and was excited to get more of them.  But I tried attaching it with a liquid adhesive here and it didn't work well at all (as you can see) - so I am back to the tiny attacher or an adhesive roller.

And the acrylic bits I added - they were perfect and from a recent haul from Colorcast Designs.  It was hard to part with the asterisk (I get a gold star for not hoarding), but it was just the thing for this layout.

I'm super excited about the kit now - hope you are finding inspiration in your supplies too.

Thanks for stopping by.

Go!

Sundays are often my best chance to play in my scrap room.  And it seems like the ideas tend to dry right up.  So the first thing I do on Sunday mornings is go to my favorite inspiration spots to get that creative spark going.  And today it worked!

One of the places I check every Sunday is the Studio Calico blog.  SC publishes 3 sketches on Sunday - a scrapbook sketch, a documenter (project life) sketch and a card sketch.  This week I liked all the sketches but the documenter sketch was the one that inspired a layout right away.  (I think it is a lot of fun to adapt a sketch to a different type of project.)

I'm not sure what drew my eye - maybe the arrows - but I looked at the sketch and immediately had an idea for a layout about my daughter getting her temps.   I turned the sketch on its side for purposes of a traditional layout (though I think it would work well with a horizontal orientation too).

I just received the Jolly Holiday kit last week and started with supplies from that kit.  Then I went to my stsh for some arrows, some oversized letters and some scraps of neutral papers.  And I ended up with this.

I still seriously love the giant chipboard letters - these are from the Ali Edwards shop - the color is Astoria.  I just wish I could be more vowels (and maybe a few other letters).  And I have been hoarding those arrow die cuts - now I know why.  They were perfect for this layout.

Hope you find time to play today.  Have an amazing Sunday.

Mixed Media Effects With Rub Ons

I love the fun backgrounds I see people create with all the amazing mediums available.  But I am a little bit scared of paints and other mixed mediums on my layouts - I don't use them enough to be really comfortable and I feel like I don't have control of what I'm creating.  So I've come up with a fun technique using rub-ons that creates a similar effect. 

I love rub-ons and almost always snag them when they come out these days.  But I don't always remember to use them.  And I've learned - the hard way - that rub-ons get old.  Eventually they either don't want to release onto my project or they leave part of the image on the protective sheet in the packaging.  But they are still a great source of color and are fun to use.

Here is a layout where I used lots of old rubons - I started with a pretty piece of patterned paper from Pinkfresh Studio along one side of my layout.  Then I pulled out rubons that seemed to coordinate to create a mixed media effect.

There are a couple tricks to this technique -

• Make sure you get incomplete images - you are creating color and texture and not shapes or images in most instances.
• Layer the rub-ons over each other.  It creates a more irregular effect and adds dimension.
• Adding in some black and white words or images helps anchor the effect
• Make sure some of the rubons go on to the patterned paper to tie the two elements of the layout together.

I added some ink splatters in coordinating colors to finish the layout.  And I didn't do it here (mostly because I was lazy) but adding in tiny enamel dots, sequins or bits of wood veneer can really make the whole thing pop.

So there you have it - a mixed media effect with no mess.  It's super easy and a great way to use up those rub-ons in your stash. 

Thanks for stopping by - have a great Tuesday.

Tomorrow is the Day!

I know it's a little silly, but I think you will understand - I get super excited for National Scrapbooking Day.  Some years, life gets in the way and I can barely squeeze in anytime for challenges - and I get totally bummed out.  But this year, I've mostly cleared the weekend (and my desk), so I am ready to go. 

I've been keeping a list of events so that I would have lots of challenges to keep me inspired and motivated this weekend.  Here are some of the places I will be playing (just in case you don't have your own list.)

PAPER ISSUES

 

Paper Issues is hosting challenges all day in their closed Facebook group - Paper Issues Friends and Fans.  Their challenges are always fun, the chatter on Facebook is hilarious and supportive and the giveaways are awesome.  If you aren't a member of the group, you can ask to join and they respond really quickly.

CITRUS TWIST KITS

Citrus Twist Kits offered weekly deals for the past several weeks as part of their NSD celebrations. Earlier this week, they hosted an instagram hop with their design team.  Each stop includes a challenge, but you don't have to enter the challenges to be entered in the drawing to win a gift certificate.

STUDIO CALICO

Studio Calico is also hosting challenges all day tomorrow.  Members of the Creative Team will be posting challenges in their member forum all day.  They also have an instagram giveaway scheduled for midday Saturday.  Finally, they have a free printable on their blog and are offering 30% off an order from the shop with the code SCNSD16.

HIP KIT CLUB

Hip Kit Club is hosting challenges Saturday and Sunday in their closed Facebook group (Hip Kit Club Member Forum).  They are also planning some games - I love their kits and exclusive products (I really want to subscribe) and am hoping to win some goodies.  They also mention "other surprises" and I am a total sucker for surprises.  This is another group you may want to join today.

CLIQUE KITS

Clique Kits is hosting two events - the first is a YouTube hop.

The You Tube Hop is on the Clique Kits channel and starts this morning (8 CDT).  It sounds like a great way to get inspired for the weekend.

Clique Kits is also hosting an NSD crop with challenges to keep you scrapping.

 

Clique Kits is offering challenges and prizes on Friday and Saturday.  (I really want to stay home and play this morning.)  If you are looking for their event, their Facebook Group is called "The Clique."

There are so many more places to participate in NSD events.  Manufacturers often have hops and/or giveaways too.  I'm reluctantly off to work, but will start my celebrations this evening.  If I've missed an NSD event that sound fun, please share in the comments.  I need all the inspiration I can get!

Have an amazing day!

Workspace Wednesday: Enamel Dots

I have two sons and one daughter.  I love them all uniquely and love to create layouts about them all.  But for years I was frustrated by all the pretty bling that just didn't work on those boy layouts.  Then My Minds Eye put out enamel dots.  I called them "bling for boy layouts."  And I went a little crazy - I think I bought one of every pack I came across for at least a couple of years - I wanted all the colors and sizes.  But it turns out I never finished a pack - ever. 


I started keeping them in a basket but it got too full.  Then I had an enamel dot drawer filled with packs of enamel dots.  It was chaos - I didn't know what I had, I couldn't find the colors I needed and I quit using them because they were too hard to find. 

 I thought about purging some of them, but honestly I will use them eventually if I can find the colors and size I want.  And I would likely just buy more.

There had to be a better way to store them.  I know some people put the packs on rings so they can flip through them easily.  But honestly, I had way too many packs for that to be functional - I would need a zillion rings.  And it would still be hard to find the color I wanted since most packs include several colors.  (I tend to look for supplies by color so that guides most of my organization strategies.)

And honestly my scrap room is full to the brim.  I don't have lots of extra room for storage so I felt like my options were limited.  But I do have a handy husband - and I have the drawer I had been using.  I just needed to make it more functional.

I wanted to do two things

• Eliminate all the packaging - it just takes extra room and makes them harder to use, and
• Store them by color so I would use them.

So I put my husband to work making dividers for my drawer.  He cut foam core into strips and we used two sided tape (that Creative Memories photo tape that is still in my stash) to put them together. I guessed at the size of the sections but new I wanted a few larger compartments because I had more of some colors.  We ended up with 13 sections.

Then I cut apart the backing on the enamel dots  so that I had strips that were a single color.  I put those into the sections of the drawer.

It works great.  It is easy to dig for just the right size and color.  It is easy to put new ones away (I am trying hard to buy none since I have a lifetime supply but they occasionally come in kits and once in a while I forget myself.)  And honestly - I am using them more because it is easy to pull out the drawer and find something that works.

Hope you're having a good week - thanks for stopping by.

All the Colors

Sometimes I get stuck in a color rut - lately its been all about blue and yellow.  But the April kits from Citrus Twist had lots of bright, fun colors.  So I went looking for a picture that would work with a layout that uses all the colors.  I found an old one of my daughter looking through her haul on Halloween.

Then I hunted down a sketch that provided the chance to use lots of layers and bits so I could pull out the colors in the photo.  The April sketch at Paper Issues was perfect!

I focused on the layered horizontal elements, the large circle, the banner and the tag for my layout. 

I started with papers from the April Citrus Twist kits - the green, the black and white stripe and the small piece under the tag.  Then I went to my scraps and stash to pull out other pieces.  .  I was excited to used the acrylic "hooray" from a recent haul from Colorcast Designs.  Then I kept adding bits from both the Citrus Twist kits and my stash til I felt like the layout was balanced.  The bit of black and white polka dot paper was the last thing I added - and it made all the difference - it seemed to ground the whole layout.

I hope your Tuesday is filled with all the colors - thanks for stopping by.

Those Words

Every so often I read a blog post where someone is talking about being inspired by product.  And I never quite understand - I love all my pretty paper and embellishments but they don't really inspire a project. 

But then I got my hand on these acetate words from the Life Noted Collection by Pinkfresh Studio. 

I had a pack in my stash but haven't cracked them open.  But a partial pack came in my April Citrus Twist kits - And they are amazing.  The colors are bright and fun, but the translucent nature of the product adds a certain lightness. I immediately tried to use as many of them as I could on a single layout.

My first idea was to use them to create a patterned paper feel across the bottom of my layout - and that looked pretty awesome, but I couldn't figure out the rest of the layout.  So I ended up with a basic grid design.

Products from April kits at Citrus Twist kits

They were so much fun and really framed the photo perfectly.  I was also excited to see how well they worked with other embellishment pieces - especially the Amy Tangerine Better Together rubber bits. 

I've just about used up the ones that came in my kit - now the challenge is to keep myself from hoarding the pack I have in my stash.  Oh - and when I was looking for a product photo for this post, they were gone at most of my favorite online stores.  But it turns out they are on sale at Scrapbook.com.

Hope you have a great Monday. 

Turn It

My Creative Sketches is one of the first places I check when I need a little inspiration.  But this month I really struggled to make the sketch work for me.

I really don't know why - the design seemed to provide for lots of layers and embellishments - my two favorite things.  But I was stuck.  Then I turned the sketch on its side - literally.  I printed it and turned it on its side.  The layout practically flew together then.

Most supplies from April kits at Citrus Twist kits

After I created the basic design with the circle shapes and paper strips I played with embellishments.  My favorite thing here is the large Pinkfresh Studio acetate word that layers over the photograph and several of the patterned papers.  I feel like it really brings the whole thing together.

Hope you're having a great Sunday.  Thanks for stopping by.