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.

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.

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.

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.

Old and New

I know I've said this before - I love getting kits where I get a mix of supplies that are coordinated - sometimes in ways I would never have thought of.  But as I work with a kit, sometimes it feels like all my layouts start to look alike - the same papers, embellishments, etc.  So after the first few layouts (or even before), I often start adding different papers or embellishments from my stash to a  layout.

The Studio Calico kits in March (Homespun) had a very distinctive look.  And while I liked the kits more and more  as I worked with them, I felt like I kept using the same papers or embellishments.  It felt like everything was starting to look the same.  So while I was waiting for my April kits to come ), I tried to do one more layout.  And I challenged myself to use the products differently and/or to mix in bits from my stash.

I started with a photo from when my daughter was much younger - these old photos have really inspired me lately.  I ended up with this layout.

I ended up using a lot of the kit papers that I had been drawn to on previous projects.  And my design was really simple - that meant I really needed to be thoughtful about the embellishments.  I added the rubber banner, vellum leaves, kraft sticker and hearts from my stash.  The seemed to work perfectly with the papers, were perfect for the photo, and provided most of the detail for my layout. 

And I used a couple things from the planner kit in unexpected ways.  I am totally addicted to the little washi strips that come in the planner kit and layered several of them over the title.  And I turned a checklist banner sticker on its side at the bottom of the page.  I used the small puffy dots from the puffy star stickers in the scrapbook kit to "fill" the holes on the checklist sticker and created a fun, unique embellishment.  After that a few ink splatters finished off the layout.

Now I have to admit that this layout took forever (all week) to put together because I kept trying to find the perfect bits in my stash.  And I like the things I used better than the things I pulled initially.  So while I stand by the idea of mixing in bits from my stash, I need to get way better about making a choice and moving forward. 

My April Studio Calico kits are coming today.  The top of my Ikea cart is all cleaned out and ready for them.  I super excited to have new goodies for the weekend.  It's supposed to be cold and dreary so I definitely plan to get some scrapping in over the next few days.  I hope you have a great weekend.

Thanks for stopping by.

3 To Inspire

I've talked about the "3 To Inspire" challenges at Citrus Twist kits before.  They post them on their blog every Saturday and they are some of my favorite challenges.  I check it out first thing on Saturday mornings and am almost always inspired by the combination of elements.  I usually use the prompts at some point even if it isn't in time for the challenge deadline.

Last Saturday's was a really good one.  You had to use:

• 2 tags
• kit packaging
• banners 

If you don't subscribe to their kits, you should know that the kit packaging is exceptional.  Each kit comes in a brown paper bag and is tied with bakers twine.  I have a big pile of bakers twine from my kits I find myself going to frequently when a layout needs a little something extra.  Plus small bits are often in glassine or small brown bags inside the larger kit package.

So here is the layout I came up with - I've been really inspired by photos from the days when my kids were little and cute lately and loved this easter picture I came up with.

Most supplies are from March kits at Studio Calico (Homespun and addons)

I used twine in two colors for my kit packaging, 2 tags from the Maggie Homes Bloom collection, and a couple of banners I cut myself.  And I love this picture of my daughter and a friend.  We lost touch with this family when she switched to Catholic schools and the photo brought back lots of memories - which was a good reminder about the value of this craft.

I'm going to dig for some more old pictures to scrap - hope you're having a great weekend.

Thanks for stopping by.

Getting (A Little) Messy

I've been really lazy about writing here lately and definitely want to get back on track.  A lot has been going on with my family lately, and this seems to be one of the first things that doesn't get done.  But I've been busy creating and doing some reorganization, so I have lots to share. Hopefully this will be the week I get back on track.

One of my creative goals this year is to experiment more with mixed media.  I have the supplies, but almost never use them.  I've spent some time thinking about why I don't use those supplies more and can come up with a long list of reasons.

• I am too impatient to wait for things to dry
• I don't think of myself as artistic and don't have the confidence to experiment
• I love playing with papers and embellishments, and I am not sure how to incorporate mixed media into my style....

.... I could go on, but you get the idea.  So I am going to try and push out of my comfort zone by playing with a mixed media technique at least one or two times a month.  This month I tried a silkscreen (which I know is super easy) and ink splatters which I already use on almost all of  my projects.  The idea is to try something, not to get overwhelmed with the process.

I started with the current sketch from My Creative Sketches.

For my layout I stayed close to the sketch but dropped the large rectangle down into the bottom corner of the layout.  I also moved the strips of paper in front of that rectangle.

Papers and embellishments are from March Studio Calico kits - Homespun and addons

I also added a larger square of the bright green paper and covered most of it with white vellum to create additional dimension.  I wanted the pop of color but too much of that green was going to overwhelm the other papers.  I used a label and a project life card to extend the feeling of strips on the far side of the photo.  And that little woodgrain flag is a vintage studio calico color theory flag from my stash.

Because I don't plan well, I built my layout design and then went back to add the silkscreen leaf motif in the top corner.  The silkscreen was in the March scrapbook kit at Studio Calico and is just lovely.  After I stuck it to the top corner of the paper, I randomly added small bits of Color Theory acrylic paint in 4 colors - mint hint, limelight, blush crush and coral bay - until the design was well covered.   I pulled up the silkscreen and washed it right way. (This is an important safety tip if you want to use your silkscreen more than once.)  I was thrilled when I came back and looked at the way it turned out.  It picked up all the colors in the paper strips but was still soft and simple.  And it dried really quickly ........  I added a few gold spatters around the leaf and down at the bottom of the page and I was done.

At the end of the day, I called this experiment with mixed media a success - I pushed myself a little bit out of my box and ended up with a layout that still looked like I made it.  It's taken me a long time to develop my style and I don't want it to get lost in a rush to try all the new things.

I'd love to hear any suggestions you might have for other mixed media techniques I should try.  I have gelatos, watercolors, acrylic paints, gesso, lots of spray inks and who knows what else tucked away here.  It's time to use them more .....and of course I've never been afraid to buy a new supply.

In the meantime, thanks for stopping by.

It's All About Embellishment Clusters

I'll admit it - I love embellishments.  I love buying them, sorting them, and using them.  Sometimes my husband says my layouts are more about the embellishments than the photos (and sometimes he might be right).  They just might be my favorite thing about scrapbooking.  After all, embellishments provide so many opportunities for mixing and matching, for creating a mood  or bringing back a feeling and just making a layout my own. 

So when I saw the April 1 sketch at Stuck?!, I was super excited.  It just cried out for embellishment clusters.

I started by pulling supplies from the March kits at Studio Calico (Homespun and the add ons).  One of the add-ons included the die cuts from the Maggie Holmes Bloom collection so I had lots to play with.  Then I dug through some old pictures and found a photo that inspired me and seemed to go with the papers and embellishments I'd set out.

And I'll be honest - I didn't start with the photo block or the focal point of the layout.  Instead I started with my favorite part of the sketch - the embellishment cluster at the bottom of the page.

 I added some extra die cuts, wood veneer, enamel dots and washi from my stash.  And I made some decisions.  I knew I didn't want everything to be perfectly square so I used a long narrow acetate diecut to anchor the cluster and arranged embellishments in a bit of a topsy-turvy way to try and keep a bit of a fun feel to the layout.

Then I got to work and used the patterned papers I pulled to create the photo block and the focal point of the layout.  The photo block included another large embellishment cluster - this one built mostly from floral pieces from that Maggie Holmes die cut pack.  I used foam squares under some of the pieces to add dimension.  I also layered some of  the die cuts under the paper layouts for added interest.

I did add a few wood veneer hearts and some enamel dots to link this cluster to the embellishments at the bottom of the page.  I also repeated the sparkly "XO" but layered it on top of my photo in some dead space.

I thought I was done at this point, but I let the layout sit for about 30 minutes and came back to give it a second look.  I decided I needed something to balance the floral cluster on the other side of the photo.  I went back to the Maggie Homes die-cuts and some paper scraps.  Another wood heart and some more enamel dots finished it off.

I used the "E" for my daughter's initial - I can't spell "LOVE" anymore but it worked perfectly here.  And I used a scrap of floral vellum under the tag with the heart cut-out.  I used foam dots under the die cut to make the most out of the airy feel of the vellum.

After that I was just about done.  I added the title (I'm seriously addicted to those black rubber alphas from the kit) and some gold ink splatters.  And I made sure some splatters fell on top of the die cuts to help bring everything together.    Here's what I ended up with.

I have to admit that I lvoe everything about this one.  All those flowers are a bit out of the norm for me but they were so much fun to play with!

Thanks for stopping by - hope you have a great Sunday.

Using a Sketch From Memory

I haven't been around  for a bit - mostly because we've been having computer and internet problems.  Thankfully, they are all fixed now and I can share some of my projects.  And the good news - the computer problems inspired me to use a sketch a different way.

This is the first sketch for the month at Stuck?!  I checked it out and then lost consistent internet connectivity.  Generally I print out the sketches and have them on my desk when I work.  As a result my design usually stays close to the sketch or I make conscious decisions about moving or replacing elements on the sketch.  This time, I worked from my memory of the sketch.

Here are the elements that stood out to me.

• circles
• vertical layers
• a horizontal layer
• embellishment clusters

So  I used those elements to build my design.  (I did go to my stash for some pieces.)  Here was what I came up with

So instead of working directly from the sketch, I worked with my memory of the sketch.  I used two circles but didn't layer them directly - instead my vertical layers acted more as a link between them.  And I really only had one embellishment cluster that i used in combination with the title to create the horizontal element in the sketch. 

It was a fun way to work with a sketch - I'm glad circumstances nudged me in a new direction.  And I was really happy with the  finished product - it was fun and unique.  I will definitely take this approach again at least some of the time when I am working with a sketch.

I have lots more to share - keep an eye out. 

Thanks for stopping by.

Tool Talk - Distressing

I don't have any Workspace Wednesday Hints this week, but as I've been slowly cleaning and organizing in my craft room, its lots of fun to find some of those forgotten items (both tools and supplies) that were past favorites.   And sometimes those old favorites work with new goodies to provide inspiration for the perfect layout.  This is a big advantage over a big purge with help from my daughter - she's great about pushing me to purge and keeping me focused,  but she doesn't give me the time to appreciate finds and put them to work.

So last week I came across my Creative Memories distressing tool.  It is really just a blade in a handle with notches that makes it easy to pull along a sheet of paper for fun distressed edges.

 As soon as I saw it, I knew all those pretty papers in the Studio Calico Savannah scrapbook kits just demanded to be used on a pretty "shabby chic" layout.  So I pulled a bunch of papers and scraps and cut rough squares and rectangles in a  variety of sizes.  I ran each piece through the distressing tool on all 4 sides.  I wanted to run an ink pad along the distressed edges for added dimension.  But the charcoal I started with appeared to dark in many instances - so I used gold to accent the distressed edges.

 The papers were really pretty but I wanted to add more details and layers.  I had added two sheets of stickers from the Basic Gray Dear Heart collection to my box and they were perfect for this.  I used the distressing tool and ink on the stickers too - but the gray seemed to work better this time.  I added the stickers between the layers and in a cluster at the bottom of the photo. 

The title is from the Pinkfresh Studios Happy Thing collection and is another goodie I rediscovered recently - I still have a couple of words left there to use up.  (I have determined that the reason my supplies appear to be so out of control is that I never finish anything - so I am trying to finish at least one partial pack of something every week this year.  I don't figure I will do it every week, but I do think I will finish some things if I work on it.)

 I finished the layout with a couple of distressed pieces of paper at the top of the page and added a small embellishment cluster.  The pink rubber banner was from the November Studio Calico kit and the color was perfect for this Thanksgiving layout. 

And the distressing tool - it is now in the tool caddy on my desk - I wouldn't want it to get lost again. 

Hope  you're having a great week. 

Making it My Own

Paper Issues has a scraplift challenge every Sunday.  I don't always complete the challenges, but I never forget to look - it is always eye candy!  This week's layout was by "Orange Gearle" and I loved it!

I loved the basic design, the bold colors, all the mixed media work and all the fun details.  But it was way outside my comfort zone.  "Messy" scares me a little and I have to be in the mood to experiment - otherwise I am just too afraid of ruining a project (totally dumb since I am playing with paper, but still scary).  And I rarely use such bold color combinations - I am generally drawn to soft colors in my own projects.

But the basic design stuck with me - and I had an idea that was definitely inspired by the design in the inspiration piece.

 
See - totally in my own way.  Everything was from my February Studio Calico box (except the shipping tags).  I layered the tags and photo, slid the heart paper underneath after inking the torn edge to add a bit more dimension and slid the woodgrain paper under the gold hearts to help make them pop.  Then I stitched through the tags using a paper piercer and gold thread.

Essentially I replaced the mixed media work with layers of paper.  But I was inspired to dig out one of my all time favorite stamps and do some repetitive stamping using pink and gray ink on the shipping tags.  I created a couple of embellishment clusters (the top one includes the title) to finish my basic design.  The last thing I added were paper strips at the top and bottom of the page to anchor the layout.

Easy -peasy.......And I captured the basic elements of the inspiration layout while adapting it to my own style.  And honestly, it would have gone together in about 30 minutes if I hadn't added the stitching.  I am just a slow sewer. 

Hope your week is going well.  Thanks for stopping by.

Playing With Color

Every month a member at Studio Calico hosts the Layout a Week Challenges.  The challenges are generally applicable to traditional layouts, project life and card-making.  Its always fun to see what people come up with, but this month the first challenge might be one of my favorites ever.

Carson Riutta (also a member of the SC Creative Team) is hosting the February LOAW challenges and her first challenge was so much fun.

The challenge was to mix at least 10 inks and then blindly choose three.  Use just those three colors (plus neutrals) to make a project - layout, project life spread or card.  I love mixing colors and patterns but this challenge made me really nervous.  And I'll admit it - I was prepared to cheat and pick over if I really hated the colors that I ended up with.

I took all of my color theory ink pads (except the black, greys and creme brulee) and laid them o0ut randomly at my desk.  Then I had my husband mix them up.  I held a sheet of  stickers in front of my face and picked three at random.  Here's what I ended up with.....

That's right - purple rain, lime light, and glass slipper.  I happen to really like all of those colors, but I never would have thought about using them together in one project.  My daughter took one look and told me I really lucked out.

I decided to make a spring card for my project.  So I left the ink pads on my desk and when through my small scraps looking for papers in that fit my color story.  And I found a great card sketch at Paper Issues.

Here's what I ended up with.

I used a metal die to cut the word happy out of a piece of scrap paper and used some puffy stickers from Evalicious for the sentiment.  The tag pulls out and provides a great opportunity to add a "secret message" when I am ready to give the card away.  And those purple jewels were left from the Lemon Lush collection Studio Calico issued about a million years ago.  (Yes I am still hoarding papers and embellishments from that collection.)

This was a great way to experiment with different color collections.  Play along - and if you are a member at Studio Calico, don't forget to link to the challenge thread - a gift certificate goes to a random winner every month.  And link me up too - I will come give you some love.

Scrappin' My Snow Day Away

Yay!  It's a snow day - alright, I could have gotten to work but instead my husband and I chose to rain on our (teen-age) daughter's parade and join her in a snow day.  Because yesterday was a holiday for me this creates a 4 day weekend and I am having a ball in my scrap room - which brings us to this bonus blog post today. 

A new sketch went up at Stuck?! yesterday and I used it as inspiration for a layout this morning.  And I knew I would forget to link to the Stuck?! blog if I didn't go ahead and post today.  Anyway here is the sketch.

 I loved all the fun layers and couldn't wait to play. And I have to say that I really love my layout. 

Most of the papers came from the SC Savannah kits but I dug in my stash for some greens.  that matched the green dots in the polka dot paper framing the layout.  The title (actually gold but winter light stinks) was from the scrapbook add-on.  It is another one of those things I didn't think I'd use, but it was perfect for this.

I combined this sketch with the LOAW challenge Carson Riutta posted yesterday - finish something on your project.  I finished a pack of white rubber stars and those Pinkfresh wood/enamel chevrons were all by themselves in a package.  So I finished two things.

And finally, a quick tip - That polka dot paper was the perfect frame for my layout, but I kind of love it and it's a kit exclusive.  It was going to be hard to get more and I hated the idea of wasting the whole sheet to create the border around my layout.  So I cut the middle out - I have most of the sheet for another project or projects.

I'm going to go start another project - I have another layout idea and extra time to play.  I hope you are having as much fun as I am today.  Have a great Tuesday!

Not So Pink After All

As I've been playing with my Savannah kits and extras, the papers (or sides of papers) that were not pink started to stand out to me.  So I thought it would be fun to try and make a layout that featured those papers for a really different look from the kit.

Here's what I came up with.

Everything on this layout but the label and the red flag behind the photo came in my Savannah box.  The bright green paper and the jewel tone dots on the My Mind's Eye paper in the paper add-on really changed the feel.  The black and gold paper is a card from the Documenter kit and also helped to create a more masculine tone.

And that big rubber "Yep" that I used for the title - I have to admit thinking I was never going to use it.  But it was perfect for this layout.  And that is my favorite thing about getting kits - finding out that the things I never would have bought are so much fun to play with. 

I'm really loving the Savannah kits and can't wait to play some more.  I'll be back soon to share what I come up with. 

Thanks for stopping by.

Pink for Fall Photos

I got my February kits from Studio Calico last week.  They are really beautiful -- and really pink.  Now I like pink and use a lot of pink in my projects.  But these kits might be the pinkiest kits I ever have seen.

Since I don't take many (read not any) Valentine pictures, these kits are a bit of a challenge for me.  But they are really lovely, so I decided to see what photos I could use that would be a bit of surprise with the pink papers and girly patterns.  I started with a fall photo from a trip to the apple orchard.  My daughteri s wearing a bright red sweatshirt, but it worked well with some of the pink papers.

design inspired by sketch at Citrus Twist kits

The papers I used are a mix from the scrapbook add on and the main kit.  I fell in love with the chipboard in the scrapbook add-on (from Crate Paper Hello Love).  And the pops of yellow helped to balance all the pink.

I'm off to embrace the pink - hope you're finding some time to craft.

Thanks for stopping by.