Highlights of 2016

For the last challenge of this year, Mari and I decided to do a highlights page of 2016. This challenge proved to be one that I loved and I hope that you try this as well. For this layout, I ended up choosing 8 photos from the year, and making sure to include one of the entire family, and one of each child's passion (music and softball). 

In order to keep the focus on the photos, I printed them in black and white. The colors were all over the place and I did not want to worry about trying to find papers that would look good with all of them. These are stories that I have either already told in my album, or plan on telling, so I did not feel the need to have elaborate journaling included on the layout. Instead, I decided to have the focus be on the title, which is a bit unusual for me but I love the end result. Underneath the title I printed out captions for the photos and love the way that it fills in the space below the title. 

Using the Impact font, I used my Silhouette to cut out the year. If you do not own a die cutting machine, you can still achieve this by printing out numbers on paper, tracing them onto your background page, and then cutting them out with a craft knife. Once I backed the numbers I poked holes around the numbers and then proceeded to stitch around them with dark grey embroidery floss.

All of the supplies that I used are from my Felicity Jane kits, with the exception of the enamel dots, twine and embroidery floss.

 This is one of my favorite layouts from this past year. I will most certainly be doing this type of layout again next year and I hope that this inspired you as well. I have linked my process video if you'd like to take a peek at how this page came together. Be sure and check out Mari's video as well...her channel is linked in the details section of my video :)

Stuck?! Sketches Reveal

It's the fifteenth of the month and that means it's time for the second sketch of the month from Stuck?! Sketches. I love this sketch...yes, I know that I always say that but I really mean it!

I decided to pull out my Crate paper Bundled Up collection from 2013 for this page. I fell in love with the colors and the snowman in this collection and it was so fun to use on this page. I stayed pretty true to the sketch altering sizes and directions to better suit my layout.

 On the background I used white modeling paste through a Heidi Swapp polka dot stencil. I didn't want to add a lot more to the background and thought that this was a great way of adding texture and visual interest.

 The snowflake stamp set is from HoneyBee that was a Clique Kit exclusive last year. 

I have a process video for this layout if you'd like to take a peek at the process :)

We would love for you to play along with us this month and show us your take on the sketch. Be sure and link it up on the blog for a chance to win a prize from one of these two sponsors.

Scrap the Challenge #24 Mood Board

This week Mari and I decided to use a Christmas Mood Board as our inspiration. There are so many things that I love about this mood board. 

The colors are a bit softer, and the overall feel is light and bright. The ornaments have a vintage feel, the trees are gorgeous, and the pop of gold is just pure magic. There are so many ways to get inspiration from a mood board. Let me share some of the things that I thought of looking at this board. 

1. documenting a favorite ornament

2. finding papers that match the color scheme

3. documenting my love of Christmas florals

4. creating a page that has hanging ornaments as my design element

5. using jute, twine, a bow or ribbon on my page

As I was looking through my pictures from last year in December, I stumbled upon a photo that I had taken of my husband's craft tree that he decorated as a young boy. This immediately became my story that I wanted to tell.

After his mother died the family went to clean out her home. We found this special tree in storage. I couldn't believe that she kept it for so long (some 40+ years) and we happily took it home. The cardboard tree was decorated with gold tinsel, styrofoam egg cartons  for the ornaments, and sequins were glued on top. The tinsel was coming unglued, and styrofoam ornaments were cracking and falling off, and you could see that many ornaments had lost their sequins. I didn't just want to throw it away though, so I took a picture of it so that we could remember this sweet tree. 

I was inspired by a layout that I saw on the Felicity Jane Facebook group using the FJ cut file available in the Silhouette shop. I did use the single tree and made my own background by welding several of the trees together. The journaling will be added to the tag that is tucked in the kraft bag behind the photo.

I chose to change the muted colors in the mood board to those that are brighter but in the same color family. The bow in this cluster was also inspired by the board.

These alphas are one of my all-time favorites. I am running low on lower case vowels, so I alternated upper and lower case throughout the title.

The papers and word phrases are Crate Paper Snow & Cocoa, flair from Pretty Little Studio, gold alphas are Studio Calico, gold glitter hearts and enamel shapes are Freckled Fawn, and I'm not sure about the kraft bag.

Here is a link to my process video. Be sure and check out Mari's beautiful layout as well. I have linked her channel in the description box on my video. Have a wonderful day and I hope that this mood board inspires you like it did us!

Stuck?! Sketches December 1st Reveal

Today I have a new layout up for Stuck?! Sketches and I have to say that the sketch is one of my favorites. When I first saw it my immediate thought was to scrap a Christmas layout since stars and Christmas just go together. However, I decided to scrap a photo of my daughter's softball team instead and love the way that it turned out.

I remained true to the sketch with the exception of adding a paper strip at the top of the layout. Most everything used on the layout is from my Felicity Jane kits with the exception of the Maggie Holmes puffy word stickers, and the branding strip at the bottom of the layout.

The colors in the uniforms are my albatross. I like to scrap pretty colors and burnt orange is just not my idea of a pretty color. I chose to ignore it and picked neutral papers and added a pop of yellow. The tiny black sequins are so cute. I tried for quite a while to make them have a random look in the clusters, and finally just decided to glue them down. 

Stitching straight lines is not always easy, especially around a shape. I started underneath the paper layers so that if my stitching did not line up it would not be noticeable. If I started stitching at one of the points on the star, the likelihood of me matching up the ends perfectly is practically zero. I'd have a better chance of winning the lottery :)

While the saying on this wood veneer piece isn't the most appropriate, it does work and I really liked the way that the banner looked underneath the title. Speaking of titles, let me just say how much I love these alphas from Felicity Jane. The white outline around the black letters just looks amazing. It's the little things that make my day!

I am going to go back and stamp the date on the labels. I didn't have it when I was making the page, and I forgot to do it before I took the pictures. I have a process video for this if you'd like to take a peek at my process.

We'd love for you to play along with us at Stuck?! Sketches and have a chance of winning a prize from one of these two sponsors. Have a wonderful day!

The Big Doughnut Eating Contest

It seems appropriate to post this layout and process video a day after Thanksgiving! This layout I created for Cocoa Daisy using their Main kit Sprinkles, Paper Add-On, and DITL kit. Before I get into the details of the layout, I want to issue you a challenge. Make a layout documenting a story that you have been wanting to tell. In my case, the story that I wanted to tell did not have a specific photo to go along with it. Nor, am I sure how old I was when it occurred. It doesn't matter!! Seriously. I decided to use a picture of me during that time frame and to guess the date. There...story told, layout made, and I love it!!

My first thoughts when choosing the background was that I would journal on the lined paper. I love this Dear Lizzy paper! Both sides are awesome, so it was a hard decision to use it as a background. Once I started making my layout, it became apparent that I would need to type my journaling so that I could get all the details recorded. I just love the pattern papers this month, and I wanted them all on my page.

I often outline paper layers as a way to bring the different patterns together, especially when the patterns are a bit whimsical. 

If you watch my process video, you will see how I almost made a big mistake when adhering my title. Since I moved them around, I decided to stitch them to my page. The stitching also helped to group the words and the title together. It is a rather long title, and the arrows pointing along with the stitching help to bring your eye right where it belongs. 

I have a process video for this layout if you'd like to take a closer look. I also talk about the story in a bit more detail on the video...the amazing thing is that I still love doughnuts! I hope that you and yours had a wonderful day full of good food, family, and blessings abundant. I'll be back soon :)

Scrap the Challenge: Using Two 4x6 Photos

This week Mari and I were challenged to create a layout using two or more 4x6 photos. This was an easy challenge for me this week. I used to scrap this size exclusively, and have several "go-to" layout designs that work for me. These photos of my daughter have been in a pile for me to scrap for a long time, and inspired me to pull out one of my Felicity Jane kits that I have been hoarding.

The bright papers in this kit are some of my favorites! The pinks, yellows, and greens are just so fun and I absolutely love both the gingham and the floral papers. Of course I needed to use these, and when I have pretty patterns I like to make sure that they can be seen on the layout and are not hidden. For a fun touch, I stitched around the paper layers in black thread and love the extra detail it provides to the layout.

 The journaling is about some of her sweet baby features that I did not want to forget. She had the most kissable and squishable cheeks and this momma sure did love on them quite a bit.

I have several Felicity Jane stamp sets and used one of them to stamp on the label in Versafine ink. This ink always provides a crisp image making it one of my favorite inks to use on a layout.

The flower die cut was fussy cut from the printables that were included in the kit. The yellow doily is from Doodlebug and the sequins are from my stash. Be sure and check out Mari's video as well. I have linked her channel in the detail section of my video. Thanks so much for joining me today, and I hope that you have an amazing day!

Stuck Sketches November 15th Reveal

It's time for the another sketch reveal from Stuck?! Sketches. I really enjoyed this sketch and yes I know that I say that about sketches quite often. Usually my vertical design pages use horizontal photos or I flip the sketch to make it a horizontal design. This sketch calls for vertical photos and a central design, and since this was quite different than what I normally make, I stuck pretty close to the sketch.

I have these cute photos of my daughter's new tennis shoes and thought that the Cute Girl collection by Crate woud be perfect to document this sweet memory. I know that some people may think that documenting shoes may be a bit silly, but I would love to see photos of things that I loved growing up, so I am trying to include little things like this in my scrapbooks. 

I've been trying to incorporate more patterned papers as my backgrounds and found this patterned paper perfect and easy to use as a background. The kitty face patterned paper is such a nice contrast to the pops of black and is so darn cute! 

This cluster is my favorite because of the bow clip! I have a mental block when it comes to clips, and I just could not resist buying them. So...I made sure to incorporate one on this page. 

These Thickers have been on my desk and begging to be used. It makes me happy to finally get them on a page! These papers were a perfect combination for them and I love the subtle stripes on the alphas. I don't usually mix silver and gold on a layout, but I did on this page and really like the way that it turned out. The gold hearts coordinate with the bow clip nicely.

I hope that you play along with us at Stuck?! Sketches this month. If you do, be sure and link up your layout to the blog for the chance to win a prize from one of these sponsors. I have linked up my process video below if you'd like to take a peek.

We Love Doughnuts

My family loves doughnuts, and when I heard that my favorite doughnut shop was opening up 10 minutes from my house I knew that I'd be in trouble in a good way. For this layout, I'm using the November kit Sprinkles by Cocoa Daisy. The theme of this kit is doughnuts, cupcakes, and coffee....all yummy and vital to my existence :)

I gutted the background paper and used it as a border around the cardstock. The colors are perfect and it helps frame the layout. Outlining layers in black pen is one of my favorite things to do on a layout because it brings such a big impact to the overall look.

 The exclusive flair in this kit are so sweet (pun definitely intended). I had to make myself put them both on this page and not hoard them. They are just so cute!!

All of the supplies with the exception of the doily can be found in the Main kit, the DITL kit, and the Patterned Paper Add-on.

The journaling is pretty simple and just describes which doughnuts are our favorites. I'll sum it up for you...they are all my favorite!

Camera paper is one that I love to have in my kit, especially when the cameras are different colors. They make such fun little additions to a cluster. I also machine stitched through the puffy stickers for an extra bit of detail. 

I have a process video if you'd like to take a peek at how the layout came together. Thanks so much for joining me today, and I hope that you have a great day!

Cocoa Daisy Sprinkles

I am so excited to be sharing with you my first layout using the Cocoa Daisy November kit Sprinkles. I love this kit, the doughnut theme, and the colors are right up my alley. However, I chose to make my first layout a non-themed layout to prove that not all of the layouts need to be about doughnuts and cupcakes...although that is not necessarily a bad thing :)

If you have followed me for a while, you know how much I love Maggie Holmes. This bird paper of hers in the Gather collection is just stunning, and I knew that I "needed" to showcase it on my page. To add some texture and interest, I used a distress tool to rough up the edges, although scissors work as well. 

 For a bit of added interest in this cluster I tangled up some gold thread and tucked it underneath the photo. This reminded me of a nest and I love it when the details of my embellishments match the theme or journaling of my page.

 Included in the Main kit are these gorgeous sequins from SpiegelMom Scraps! I scattered them across the page and love the subtle bling they add.

One of my favorite things about this layout is the title. How gorgeous is that gold embossing?! I was so excited when I saw just how lovely it turned out! Embossing is a great way to change the color of chipboard Thickers to make them work for your layout.  Adding further interest, I stitched some messy stitching underneath the title, and along the branch that the bird is sitting on. You might not be able to see that small detail, but in person it adds aonther special touch.

If you'd like to take a closer look at my process, I've linked my video. Thanks so much for stopping by and I hope that you have a great day!

Scrap the Challenge

Today Mari and I tackle a challenge proposed by one of our subscribers. The challenge is to use a Christmas themed collection on non-holiday photos. I must admit that when I saw this challenge I did not want to do it. I have a tough time documenting holiday layouts with holiday collections (although I don't have a problem buying the collections, lol). However, I will say that I am pleased with the end result. I decided on using the Wish Season collection by Fancy Pants. I went through the ephemera and pulled out things that weren't overtly themed. I also pulled a few embellishments from my stash as well.

My daughter is a character. She is such a fun girl and makes even the mundane, little things a fun experience. Shopping in Target with her is always an adventure. This night she was finding the most random things like this taco pinata and being super silly and I am so thankful I got a few pictures of her goofy personality. 

The die cuts are from the same collection, the gold hearts are Studio Calico, and the "Love This" puffy sticker is from Evaliscious. 

 The embossed carstock added a bit of interest to this page as well. I always love the look of it when I use it. I tried to be a bit more creative with the title and think I succeeded. It's a bit random, but it fits the theme of the photos.

I have a process video up for this challenge. Mari also has a beautiful page to share so be sure and check out her channel as well. Thanks so much for stopping by and I hope that you have a great day!