SAM - Scrapbook Circle February kit

Hi there and happy hump day!  

There are simply too many pieces of beautiful embellishments in this month's Scrapbook Circle kit to not use them!

I decided one great way to use them is to completely indulge my love of layers and using them all on one page.

I love this photo of my son and thought printing it over sized and in black and

white would be a great backdrop to all these glittering hearts!

 

The exclusive Scrapbook Circle gold vellum die cut is such a luscious embellishment!
It was hard to use at all! ;)  I love John Legend and had to include this lyric of his, it seemed so perfect. 

Thanks for stopping by today!

SHE WAS A SHOWGIRL - Scrapbook Circle Designer's Choice

Happy Sunday!  Yesterday on the Scrapbook Circle Blog I share a page I did using the February ‘Today is Beautiful’ kit and ‘Dream Big’ Add-on.  This was one of my favorite layouts this month, mostly because I had fun putting it together!

I always enjoy being creative, but I love a page that just comes together quickly, simply because I just relax and play!  The only thing I knew I wanted to do on this page was use this photo of our sweet Lola.

She is a great subject for scrapping because her color always lends powerful contrast to a page.  Her coat looked blue/black in this picture, so I used lots of navy to bring that out. After choosing the Dear Lizzy Thickers for my title, I used them as inspiration for the remaining color palette.  The pink was a great contrast to the navy.

The pack of Maggie Holmes ephemera has so many great pieces for layering.  These elements made it really easy to bring out the rest of the colors in my title.  Navy, pink, mint and gold…so lovely together!

Thanks for stopping by today!  Stay warm and dry and have an amazing day!

right now - Come On Get Crafty DT Sketch Challenge

The new February Sketch is up at Come One Get Crafty today!

It is a super cool sketch by new DT Coordinator Danielle Higginbottom-Brown...

very inspiring!  This is my take and the sketch below.

I decided to use the circle as a ring instead of a solid piece, sewing lots of embellishments to it.

I took the large gold butterfly stickers from Pebbles Home+Made collection and punched
a smaller butterfly out of It...giving me 2, and a butterfly outline.  I thought it
looked pretty fun and a great contrast to the black!

I used one of the large cards from Elle's Studio Penelope collection for my daughter to write her current favs!

Check out the other DT members pages on the Blog HERE and
be sure link your own sketch for a chance to win a prize!  
Thanks for stopping by today!  Have an amazing weekend and stay warm! :)

CUZ - Come On Get Crafty & #tbt Video

Today on the Come On Get Crafty Blog I am sharing my LO for this weeks 'Something Old, Something New' post!

I love this idea and am excited that it has been added to the regular lineup on the blog.  It is great to work with some of my old stash and obviously incorporate the new products burning a hole through my craft desk! ;)

Last time I focused on Crate Paper, this weeks I am using all Dear Lizzy products, several different older collections and combining them with new pieces from the Serendipity line.  One of the best things about using collections from the same manufacturer is that most of the colors are all in line with each other.  Crate Paper has a warmer, vanilla base to all the papers and embellishments, while Dear Lizzy's are mostly white based.  I don't know if I would have truly recognized this observation if not for these projects!

Click below for the video or HERE for the my YouTube channel:

I started this project knowing I wanted to use Dear Lizzy, but chose all the colors and patterns being inspired by the photo, something I don't always do.  I chose this chevron stamp and heat embossed it across my background to create a resist.  I used a fast & easy watercolor method with my Distress Inks (see the video!) and started layering from there.

Other than the color and the giant speech bubble card, I didn't really have a plan.  I decided to use this layered flower I die cut using the new Serendipity metal dies and the Serendipity 6x6 pad.

I love all the patterns in the collection, but the smaller scale suits my style better.  I used lots of the enamel embellishments from the Polka Dot Party collection and the Serendipity Tickers for my title.

Thanks for stopping by today!  Have an amazing day!

XOXO - My Own Sketch - Come On Get Crafty

Happy Valentine's Day!

Our kids have a long weekend because of President's Day on Monday, so this might be a great time to fit in some scrapbooking!  Come On Get Crafty has started a few new awesome weekly posts including a sketch, optionally done by the designer!  I loved this challenge and created the sketch below.  I have always made rough sketches of my ideas, so hand drawing one was the way I decided to go!

 

 

The main reason I designed this sketch is because I wanted to use Project Life cards instead of paper.  I love the idea of Project Life and although I don't do it now, don't discount it in the future.  I do love the idea, the cards and organized approach and in this case, the ease of choosing colors and patterns that all work perfectly! 

 

I chose two cards, one hot pink, one teal and in different texts and size of pattern.  I wanted to use some gold accents and cut out a couple of the tiny accents from Basic Grey.  I also fussy cut out a

couple doilies from the Crate Paper vellum and anchored both sides of my design with it.

The perfect complement to these colors was a contrasting pop of black!  I used a couple of the chalkboard stickers from Jen Hadfield for my journaling and my title in the Amy Tangerine foam Thicker phrases.  I also threw on some India ink splatters to really tie in the black and mounted the whole piece ot a hot pink background from Dear Lizzy.

I hope this sketch inspires you to create a layout of card or other project, of not from the sketch,

then maybe the colors or combination of Project Life cards with other traditional scrapbooking products!

Thanks for stopping by today and have an amazing day!

ME + TEA - Scrapbook Circle February Kit Challenge

Yesterday on the Scrapbook Circle Blog we featured the Kit Inspired Challenge: Triangle Love using- Inspired by the Basic Grey "Flirt" patterned paper.  I loved the colors and pattern of this paper, so I decided to use it just as is!

The back of this paper is the banner piece in this matching coral color.  Part of what is great having the extra paper pack!  Using the back coordinating side!  I thought it would work great with this Instagram I had taken of this raspberry tea.  Each tea bag has a different message...a fun surprise!

 Lots of other pieces in the kit use triangle too, these faceted vellum hearts and the exclusive Scrapbook Circle vellum die cut card.  Some of the white rub-ons from My Mind's Eye are also 

tiny triangles...I painted a wash of watercolors under the banner I matted the photo too.

Thanks for stopping by today and make sure you go to the Scrapbook Circle Blog to see how DT member Jamie took on the same challenge!  You can find the details about the challenge on the original post HERE.

Hope you have an awesome day!

#tbt - Unity Stamps { & video }

 Happy Thursday!  This is the third project and video in my #tbt Series!

Hard to believe I have made it three weeks in a row, considering how crazy our life is!?%&*
I did do something rather simple though...3 cards, all using Unity's Itty Bitty Stamps and some
older Valentine patterned papers from Crate Paper.

I made a video showing my process from start to finish.

Click on the video above or you can find it on my YouTube Channel HERE.

These were just a few of the Itty Bitty stamps I have, I think the images are so sweet,

the perfect size and one sentiment to go along with it.

I cut out some watercolor paper using the stitched rectangle die from Lawn Fawn and

then stamped all the images using StazOn ink.

I watercolored each image and used either Stickles or the Wink of Stella glitter brush to add some sparkle.

 I adhered each watercolored image onto a piece of paper from the 2012 Crate Paper Valentine collection.

I make all the cards I send to people, but I also enjoy giving sets of blank cards as the gift itself...

that way the recipient can have a handmade card available to give someone else.

Thanks for stopping by and have an amazing day!



Surrounding Spring - Scrapbook Circle Designer's Choice

On the Scrapbook Circle Blog today sharing one of my pages using the February ‘Today Is Beautiful‘ kit and the ‘Dream Big’ add-on.   The photo I am scrapping inspired every decision about this layout, from the color palette, to the repeating, to the embellishments pointing to the center.
 

 

I do have to give credit to my husband for this Instagram photo he took! My daughter had a friend over and they spent hours playing in the backyard.  Later we found the project they had been working on,  carefully placing white gravel and red berries in a heart share around these new daffodils!  It was such an unexpected surprise to come across that it had to be documented.
 

 

I really wanted the photo to stand out and tried to keep it as simple as possible, using just a few embellishments all directing your eye to the center, quite literally, with arrows.  I thought this red polka dot paper from Authentique was perfect, but toned it down with a piece of vellum on top of it.  I also wanted to soften it a bit more by tearing the corners.  The vellum curled around the torn edges and gave me the inspiration for the title.
 

 

One of the best exclusives in the kit this month are the gorgeous colored vellum die cuts.  Obviously, the red one was perfect for this.   I chose a few other vellum die cut pieces from the Maggie Holmes ephemera pack.  Over embellishment is easy for me to do, so I had to show some restraint to keep my page simple.  I am a huge fan of pretty papers and products, but the photo was the most important part of this creation.
 

I hope this finds you all surrounded by a little love too, in whatever form it may be!  Have an amazing day!

 

 

 

 

enjoy today - Scrapbook Circle February Sketch

Hi there!  Today is the February sketch challenge reveal at Scrapbook Circle.

As usual, awesome sketch and I didn't stray from it at all!

The papers in the February "Today is Beautiful" kit has THE most amazing papers and I didn't use
one piece of cardstock on this layout.  There are too many gorgeous pieces in the kit to be used!

I used a chevron stamp from Dear Lizzy that was included in a kit last year; just to provide some

additional texture behind the photos and to replace the circular element in the sketch.

I used the February Digi Cuts on some watercolor paper with my Silhouette.  I layered the title over one

of the larger rub on words, but it is hard to see in the photo.  This was my obligatory New Year selfie page! 

Thanks for stopping by and make sure to hop over to the Scrapbook Circle Blog and participate
in the Sketch Challenge for a chance at the prize below!  You have until Feb. 24th so get busy!
Have an amazing day!

SMILE FAST - Come On Get Crafty & #tbt Video!

Hi there everyone!  I am so excited about the new topic for a weekly post at Come On Get Crafty!  Old / New

is to combine new products with older stash together in layout, card or other project.  I love that idea, especially since I really need to work through some stash! ;)  I decided to just focus on several collections from Crate Paper, 2 older ones and 2 newer ones.  This is the layout I came up with...

 

Click below for the process video I made:

I was looking through my stash and really wanted to use the Crate paper square overlays from the older

'Close Knit' collection.  They gave me the idea to use lots of squares in different sizes, whether in patterned

paper, overlays, or the photos themselves.  I chose papers from the 'Close Knit' and 'Flea Market' collection

for my older stash and then paired it with stickers and chipboard from the 'Notes and Things' and 'Kiss Kiss' collections.

I used tinted modeling paste on a doily shaped mask for some texture and color on my

white cardstock base.  I also decided it would be fun to have the patterns in the papers have

circular elements within the square shape to provide some contrast.

I used dimensional adhesive to mount my photos onto some of the patterned paper or overlay squares.

After getting the main grid of photos and papers adhered, I embellished using the new collections

in chipboard and stickers.

Using the same manufacturer, but varying collections is great because the colors are all based in the same hue.

The pinks are all different with the same hue, working well together.  I love using all the latest products and seeing all the new innovative designs on the market!  It is also great, using some of my favorite pieces that have been

hoarded or hadn't found the perfect project to grace!

Thanks for stopping by the blog today and hope you have an amazing day!

A Mini Album + New Video series - #tbt

Hi everyone!  I am excited to share a new idea for a video series I am going to do called #tbt!
I will focus on products way, WAY back in my stash and combine them with newer
products from the same manufacturer or designer.

While filing away the giant stack of scrapbook layouts after Christmas, I started sifting through lots of old idea books and looking through a lot of my all time fav inspiring scrappers.  When I first began scrapping, vellum and acetate were pretty popular as well as script stamps and titles.  They have come full circle and back into popularity.  It made me look back at some of my products and tools that I have hoarded since then, and happy I did!  With all that in my head, I decided to finally finish this mini album I started for my daughter.

Click on the link below to see my process video or click HERE to see it on my YouTube channel.

My first focus for this series is Heidi Swapp.  I love her style, always have!  She had word phrase roller stamps 9+ years ago and her new collections are so innovative and amazing.

This is the opening page in the album and a hidden journaling card that starts to describe the premise of the book.  I pulled about 5 different patterns of paper from September Skies and Mixed Company, white cardstock, her Project Life set with watercolor and color magic die cut tags, some of her mistable and die cut embellishments, vellum, doilies, and 2 rolls of washi.  I wanted to keep it simple and stick to a color palette of white, pink, turquoise, yellow and gold.  I printed all my photos in black and white, to make them pop against all these colors.

I misted on the 4x6 color magic cards and watercolored the 2x3 die cut cards.

I used plain white shipping tags and used a variety of older stamps, newer stencils

and just paint to add a little background pattern to my journaling.

I painted the edges of all the tags with gold paint to make them stand out a bit

and backed at least one page with a layer of dry embossed vellum.

I thought the vellum was a great way to tone down the color in the teal but still be able to read the words.

A few of the journaling ideas came from a couple blogs I found on Pinterest, advice for your girls.
http://www.thankyourbody.com/31-life-lessons-want-daughter-know/
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/lindsey-mead-russell/ten-things-ten-years-olds-should-know_b_1553134.html

I used a few of Heidi's mini stamps here and there.  I also rounded most
of the corners, since her Project Life kit has all rounded corners.

I used a gold doily on this last page and wrote directly on the page.

The cover of the album was done about 9 months or so ago and the process video of it is below!

Thanks so much for stopping by and checking out my album!  Hopefully I'll have a new #tbt
video every week as part of this series!  Happy February and have an amazing week!