A New Year and a New Sketch!

Happy New Year! Today I have the first sketch from Stuck?! Sketches for 2017 and it is a fun one!! This sketch is a perfect one if you have scraps, border strips, or washi tape that you want to use. Charms Creations was kind enough to send us some beautiful embellishments to use on our page so I chose the papers based on the embellishments. 

This photo is one that I took while getting our Christmas card pictures. It's not the photo that we chose to use on our cards, but I really love it and wanted to get it on a page. 

I really liked the circles behind the photos, and decided that wonky gold stitched circles would be a perfect addition to the page. I knew that I would need a template to follow since I have trouble stitching a straight line...so I used a circle die to trace a circle on the background. Since the circle would never come out perfect, I stitched many circles that increased in size.  If you look closely, you can see that a few of the circles are covered by the doily. These were the first few circles that I stitched, and I like the effect of them peeking out behind the doily.

Originally I added stars on the page randomly and in the embellishment clusters. As I was moving them around, a few of them ended up on the circles. They looked so good that I decided to add the stars all around the circle and it's one of my favorite things on this page.

 The title Merry and all of the papers are from an old Hip Kit club kit. The washi is from my stash, the tag is Basic Grey, sequins are Felicity Jane, and die cuts and word phrases are Pinkfresh studio.

I have a process video for this layout as well if you'd like to take a peek.

Be sure and check out the blog to see what the rest of the design team has created. We'd love for you to use the sketch as inspiration, and if you upload it to the blog you have a chance of winning a prize from one of these sponsors. 

Thanks so much for stopping by and I hope that you have a wonderful new year filled with lots of scrappy time :)

Playing Catch Up

The end of the school year is always crazy. I have tried to keep up with things but I missed blogging about several videos that I have posted. The next few days I am going to spend catching up on the three videos that I missed :)

The first layout is You are my Spring which was made using the March Hip Kit. The green and white striped paper is an exclusive watercolor paper designed by Kim Watson and I fell in love. This spring color of green is my favorite shade of green to work with when creating pages.  My original idea was to put some watercolor behind the photo but it went wrong...it was an awful mistake. Ugh! I did not have the extra paper add-on so I was determined to fix this. I let the watercolor dry and then I added a few coats of white acrylic paint over the watercolor. While it isn't the perfect fix, it was pretty darn close and I was able to create a page that I like.

The Basic Grey flowers that came with the kit were so fun! I layered them around the photo and for some added interest I placed some pink thread under one of the clusters.

The title for my layout was inspired by the PinkFresh quote. Sometimes I just want to scrap a picture because it is a sweet photo. I don't always feel the need to journal, so the quote was a perfect addition.

Here's a link to the process video. I hope you have a great day!

It's Time to Hop....

A YouTube video hop has been orchestrated by Tuesdae Hubbard and I am thrilled to be included with this bunch of talented scrapbookers. I've linked each of the channels to make it easier to follow along in the hop. Here is the line up:

Robin Voak

Tuesdae Hubbard

Kelly Barron *video linked below*

Gina Beth

Maggie Mylow

OhSnapGonzo

Tupelo Kidd

Sarah Swann

Hannah Lemieux

Our challenge was to use some type of ink or mist product and i chose to use my Shimmerz watercolors. They were a birthday present to me and I just received them and really had not had a chance to play with them very much. This set is the one that I chose to start with since it had a good variety of colors that I knew that I would love. I chose Coral Reef and Me & Blue to coordinate with the papers and embellishments that I chose for the layout (March Hip Kit).

Usually when I make a mixed media background, I start with a white cardstock as my base. However, I had recently watched a video of Missy's that inspired me to use my favorite paper of the kit as my background. I'm not going to lie...it was a huge step for me to put gesso on this page. I love the paper and my tendency is to hoard papers like this because they are just too pretty to cut up. While the end results of this layout are okay, it is not my favorite layout that I have ever made. You know what? I am completely fine with that and rather proud of myself for not only using the paper right away, but trying something out of my norm.

I love the layers of flowers in this cluster. I pulled out some wood veneer that I had leftover from a previous Hip Kit. The stamped hearts were added after I finished the layout because I missed that part of the suggested technique for the blog hop.

I need more of these sweet pink birds. I really wish companies would put more than one of my favorite die cuts in the pack or offer them for sale as a digital item. I would love to have more of these sweet birds and I have used both that were included in the die cut pack.

I cut down the word Loveliness to Love so that I could use it on this page. I didn't think that I would use the entire word and it is better to use it up while I can make it work instead of putting it in my stash.  

Here is a link to my video. Be sure and check out the other videos. Thanks so much and I hope that you have a great day!

Sibling Love...

I love the outtake photos just as much as I love the actual "staged" photo that I try and get of the kids. These photos show a bit of their personalities and I just wanted to make a page showcasing their silliness. I used the February Hip Kit for this layout and love the colors that were selected along with the Shimmerz products. I NEED MORE...yes I said need and not want....I really do need them :)

I watered down the Dazzlerz with a small amount of water and then painted some yellow on the page where I knew that I was going to place the stencil. It worked extremely well and I love the look of the stenciled phrase.

I struggled a bit with the layout, but after walking away from it for a while, I decided that some messy black stitching was exactly what it needed. I love the look and felt like it gave the phrase somewhere to "sit" so it didn't look lost. It was also perfect for me to use the Heidi Swapp glitter alphas to add my title.

I didn't use a lot of embellishments because I felt like they weren't needed and I did not want to take away from the mixed media on the page. A few black Thicker hearts, some enamel dots and mist were all that I added to complete this page.

I have a process video if you'd like to take a closer peek at the process: 

Exciting News...

I'm thrilled to be continuing on as a contributor to the Crafty Maven Getaway YouTube channel. Hannah has done a wonderful job with this channel and the ideas behind it since we have lost 2 Peas as a resource. There are also a couple of new faces and I can't wait to meet them. 

I also have another layout share using the October Hip Kit. I made this before Christmas and it has been on my To Do list for a very long time. This layout features our kitty Juliet, and the awkward position that she sits in on this stool. How on earth can that be comfortable?!

I fussy cut the flowers and added them to two of my clusters. I didn't mind this at all because the flowers are not hard to cut out and they really make a statement. I also used the Baxter kitty word stickers in each of the clusters and they most certainly pertained to my crazy kitty.

I have had these wood grain enamel dots in my stash for a very long time and was finally able to get them on a page. I love it when that happens because I hate to have things hanging around in my stash. 

This kraft doily I found at JoAnn's in the cake decorating section. They are made by SEI, and if you've been scrapping for a while you will recognize the name.  

If you'd like to take a closer peek at my process, the video is below. Most of the products came from my Hip Kit, and I've tried to name everything else. If you have a question, please leave me a comment or send me an email. I'll get back to you as soon as I can.

Free Flow Wednesday on the Crafty Maven Channel

Hey friends! I hope this week has been treating you well.  Today I am up on the Crafty Maven channel with a layout that I created using my stash, specifically items from previous Hip Kits that I hadn't used. When I break down kits (I can't kill them...I've tried), I put the contents into an iris container containing odds and ends from previous kits that I would like to use up. If I get tired of looking at it in the iris container, it then goes into my stash or purge pile. I was thrilled when I successfully used everything for this layout from the iris container...I think that was a first for me!

The mood board this week is a beautiful board filled with bright aquas and citron greens. It felt a bit contemporary to me, which is not my usual style, but I challenged myself to stay true to the board while staying true to myself. I decided to pull the colors from the board, the flower. the bow, and the layers underneath the clock.

I decided to use white cardstock as my base and then have the pops of color as my paper layers. The papers are all from Chickaniddy, and I don't know the names of the patterns since these were scraps and 6x6 sheets. I did pop the photo up on craft foam and placed a doily underneath the photo. I decided on using the white doily to keep the layout looking bright and airy. I very lightly distressed the edges of the papers to give them a bit more texture and interest. It always helps to do this before adhering the layers together...ask me how I know this :)

For the pop of yellow I decided on a Dear Lizzy tag that has been in that container for a very long time...I am not sure what collection it is from, but I am happy that it made it onto a page. The glitter bow is from Heidi Swapp, the enamel dots are from Doodlebug and MME, and the ephemera and gold hearts are from Pink Paislee Citrus Bliss line.

I had not planned on backing this layout onto another piece of cardstock, but I had to when I placed my layout directly on the Heidi Swapp mist that I had laying on my desk. To be fair, I was cleaning up, however one should always clean up liquid things first! Lesson learned.  I quickly pulled up the bottom layers and then trimmed off an inch of the left side of the layout. At this time, my phone was charging because the battery was low. I decided to finish the layout while I had the time. I found this cardstock which was a perfect match. The border was a bit too much for my tastes, so I decided on backing the layout onto a piece of vellum to soften the edges. I gutted the vellum because there is no way that I was going to waste any more than I had to underneath the layout.  I did sew the layers down with simple white stitching around the edges.

I plan on journaling on this layout, but haven't decided if I am going to do it by hand or typed strips underneath the photo. Juliet (kitty) has slept in Emily's room for as long as I can remember. Throughout the night she manages to get on Emily's pillow and Emily is lucky if she has a little bit to rest her head on. My goal is to continue to document the little things like this...for these are the things that I would like to remember in my childhood.

Other supplies used were Heidi Swapp Citron Color Shine and the word dream is also from one of her lines. Thanks so much for stopping by today! I have a link to the Process Video if you'd like to take a peek. 

Crafty Maven Getaway post a few days late :)

I'm up on the Crafty Maven channel along with Jen Stokes with a layout created that was inspired by the lovely Missy Whidden.  Missy is known for her mixed media and use of colors.  I decided to use my November Hip Kit because of all the bright colors with the silver embellishments.  I strolled through Missy's layouts and lifted little bits of different layouts, but the main thing was the spelling of Chrithmuth with the title.  I had already printed these pictures and knew that I wanted to do a layout, so when I saw her version I knew what I wanted to create. Here is a link to view her page, and here is my finished layout.

 

I used the silver paint dauber that was in the color add-on to help create the silver color to my modeling paste.  The stencil that I used was in the add-on as well. It's a little bit over the top for me and I wish that it wasn't quite so busy, but not every layout has to be perfect and I'm learning to embrace imperfection.

 

I used a mixture of fonts to create this title.  The aqua PinkFresh Studio letters were in the kit, and I also used October Afternoon mini market stickers in Peppermint and the Brighton Pier Thickers.  This was not my original title, but this change definitely was needed and gave more equal weight to the title. 

 

This little party penguin was adorable and I thought he'd be perfect on a page about losing your front teeth.  Why not? It was definitely a celebration for Emily. I couldn't find my supply list to write them down, but most everything I used is from the November 2015 Hip Kit.  If you have any questions, send me a message or leave me a comment and I will do my best to answer it. Here's a link to my video on the Crafty Maven channel.

 

Serenading Mr. Jingles

I will have to confess that when I first saw online the November Hip Kit, I liked it but didn't love it. That all changed once I had it in my hands!  The exclusive papers by Kim Watson are beautiful and the quality of the paper is better than most.  I don't like scrapbooking Christmas themed layouts, but this kit made it fun for me to play this month.  My goal is to create 5 Christmas themed layouts in addition to my December Daily...I've already made 2 so I'm almost halfway there!

I knew that I wanted to showcase this red snowflake paper, and I love this layout design because I think that it really lets a patterned paper shine.  In addition, I think that the 2/3 white space really makes the colors look clean and crisp.

In addition to the main kit, I purchased the color add on which included the stencil that was designed by Kim Watson.  I wanted to add a bit of texture paste behind the photo to add further interest without cluttering the page.

I love how the white texture paste looks on the white cardstock.

This cluster is my absolute favorite!  I love the mouse and used different widths of foam adhesive to add more interest to the cluster.  I usually place my title around the photo, but I really like how this turned out.  I'm not sure why I haven't done this before, but I will definitely be doing it again.

Here's my process video if you'd like to take a closer peek.

Supplies:

Hip Kit Club Exclusive "OH WHAT FUN" PAPERS - designed by Kim Watson

Pink Fresh studios - HKC Exclusive - Aqua Puffy Alphabet 

Pink Fresh Studios - Christmas Wishes - Die Cuts

 Hip Kit Club Exclusive 6x6 Stencils designed by Kim Watson

October Afternoon - Mini Market Alphas - Peppermint

You + Me

I hope that you had a wonderful Thanksgiving!  We did and of course we ate entirely too much but that is part of the holiday :)  I finally had a chance to edit this video...the layout has been completed for a couple of weeks.  I used the October Hip Kit and love the mix of Jen Hadfield and Pink Paislee papers.

 

I embossed this with American Crafts gold glitter embossing powder.  It's not as sparkly as I was hoping.  If you have one that you love, please leave me a comment.  A girl has to have her bling!

 

I love the way that the title nestles around the photo. 

 

The fox nestled among the flowers is my absolute favorite!  He is just so stinking cute! 

 

I have a process video if you are interested in taking a closer peek.

 

 

Supplies:

Pebbles – Jen Hadfield DIY Home – Blue Skies Paper

Pebbles – Jen Hadfield DIY Home – Wood Floors Paper

Pink Paislee - Cedar Lane - Riverside Lane

Pink Paislee – Memorandum – Punch Card Paper

Pink Paislee – Cedar Lane – Puffy Stickers

Pebbles – Jen Hadfield DIY Home – Ephemera Paper

 Simple Stories – We Are Family – Wood Veneer Shapes

Pebbles – Jen Hadfield DIY Home – Gold Foil Washi Tape Sheets

Pebbles – Jen Hadfield DIY Home – 6×12 Stickers

Pink Paislee – Cedar Lane – Glitter Arrows

Pink Paislee – Cedar Lane – Gold Feather Paper Clips

Pink Paislee – Cedar Lane – Word Jumble Mini Stickers

Pink Paislee - Cedar Lane - Silver and Gold glitter foam

Prima mist gold

Tim Holtz distress ink - Corduroy

 

 

 

Emily and Juliet

This layout I created combining the August and September Hip Kits along with a couple of things from my stash.  I knew right away when I saw the Dear Lizzy bold pink stripe that I wanted to use it as a background.  I found this picture of my daughter and our kitty from 2006 and thought that I needed to make a page telling the story of how we couldn't have found a better kitty for Emily.  They have a special relationship and I wanted to have that story told.

I did struggle a bit as I was making this page trying to find a home for the title and the balloon embellishment.  I walked away from it for a bit, and when I came back everything seemed to fall together.  

I love the way that part of the title rests on this PinkFresh wood veneer and the kitty card was absolutely perfect.  It helped to bring together the colors of the photo plus the black and cream papers that are on the background.  I love how just one thing can make the layout cohesive.

The doily made the perfect "home" for the balloon to rest on, and the bow was the cherry on top. 

I have a process video if you'd like to take a closer peek.

Supplies:

American Crafts - Dear Lizzy - Documentary - Me & You Paper

American Crafts - Dear Lizzy - Documentary - Bear Hug Paper

Crate Paper - Wonder - Ephemera

Crate Paper - Wonder - Enamel Dots & Sequins

We R Memory Keepers - Wildflower - Gold Word Thickers

American Crafts - Dear Lizzy Fine & Dandy - Woodland Gold Thickers

Pink Fresh Studio - Pretty Things - Wood Veneer Shapes

 American Crafts - Dear Lizzy Fine & Dandy - Phrase & Accent Thickers

Crate Paper - Wonder - Glitter Shapes

Crate Paper - Oh Darling - Layered Paper Bow Clothespins

Another Cute titled layout

I've said it before and I'll say it again, I am not the best at titles.  I love it when I can use Thickers or embellishments as part of or as my entire title.  For this layout I combined a bunch of my leftovers from previous Hip Kits along with items from my stash.  I also challenged myself to make a more masculine layout and I really like the way that this page turned out.  

I was finally able to use these adorable PinkFresh Studio wood shapes.  I love them but they have been difficult for me to use.

This cluster makes me happy!  I love all the bits and pieces and bonus points for using some items that have been in my stash for a while.  

I have a process video if you are interested in taking a closer look at my process. 

Supplies:

Dear Lizzy Documentary - Me and You

Dear Lizzy Documentary - Bear Hug

Dear Lizzy Documentary - Hello Love (used branding strip)

Doodlebug doily

PinkFresh Studio Happy Things veneer stickers

Cosmo Cricket Tiny Text

Glitz Teeny Alpha Woodgrain

Crate Close Knit epoxy brads

Crate Wonder glitter stickers

October Afternoon Daily Flash Stars and Hearts

Thickers - Celebrate

                                    Mr. Huey's Skyscraper

I'm Twerking on the Crafty Maven channel

Twerk it Thursday...that name cracks me up everytime I see it.  Today TinaGale and I are up on the channel with out layouts.  We chose to work with the same sketch and it is really neat to see how we both changed it up a bit to meet our needs.  Here is the sketch that we chose to work with this week.

Here is the inspiration piece that we used this week as well.

I'm pretty happy with how this layout turned out.  Most importantly, this story has been told and hopefully my son learned a lesson.

I can be a bit sarcastic and this Amy Tangerine die cut worked well for the title of this layout.  I usually don't like to mix a bunch of fonts on one page, but these worked so well together that I had to put them on the page.  Here's a nice close up in which you can see the cracked screen.  The long Freckled Fawn arrow was perfect and I love that it points where the cracks are on the screen.

I decided that I could totally get away with using the zebra washi tape on this page as well.  It's rare  and I think that it relates well to destroying two phones in two weeks.

Here's the process video if you'd like to take a peek.

Supplies:

Amy Tangerine - Finders Keepers - Bright Eyes Paper

Amy Tangerine - Finders Keepers - Expedition Paper

Amy Tangerine - Finders Keepers - Seeker Paper

Amy Tangerine - Finders Keepers - Rub-Ons

Amy Tangerine - Finders Keepers -  Die Cut Shapes

Amy Tangerine - Finders Keepers - Washi Tape

Amy Tangerine - Finders Keepers - Puffy Stickers

Time for Braces!

I remember having braces and how much it hurt after they were adjusted.  It's hard to imagine that teeth actually hurt, but they do!  Today's page is the before and after pictures of my sweet girl when she got her braces put on.  I am using September's Hip Kit and I love all of the Amy Tangerine Finder's Keepers line that is in the kit.  It is just so pretty and I love the cobalt blue!

I used my gelatos to make the background and used the Finder's Keepers paper as a guideline for choosing the gelato colors.  I love the enamel hearts in the line and would love to have more...they are so sweet!

I backed the acetate camera with white cardstock so that the gelato background didn't peek through.  It helps the camera to really stand out on the background.

I have a process video if you are interested in taking a peek.

Supplies:

Amy Tangerine Finder's Keepers -  Bright Eyes

Amy Tangerine Finder's Keepers -  Seeker

Amy Tangerine Finder's Keepers - Expedition

Amy Tangerine Finder's Keepers - Enamel Hearts

Amy Tangerine Finder's Keepers - Rub-ons

Amy Tangerine Finder's Keepers - Ephemera

Amy Tangerine Rise and Shine - Misting stencils

Doodlebug doily 

October Afternoon Daily Flash alphas

The Cut Shoppe - Tall Type alpha

Gelatos