Double Header Today :)

I have two process videos to share today, one for My Creative Scrapbook and the other for the Crafty Maven Getaway channel. First up is my final layout using the July main kit from MCS. This layout is a bit different for me and layouts that I usually create, but sometimes it's fun to step outside of your creative comfort zone. The bright colors of this kit are so fun and I wanted to showcase them as focal features on the page. I chose the floral as my jumping off point and then selected the pink and orange as my other two main patterns. I'm not a fan of orange, but this orange polka dot has won me over :) It is the perfect shade and is so much fun with the whimsical polka dots. I decided to place the pink strip on top because I felt like the orange polka dot has more visual weight and thus would ground the layout. Outlining the layers helps to make the patterns stand out and pulls in the black on the Hello banner.

 Often I struggle when it comes to using banners on my page. I found that it was so easy to use this when I had the loose grid on the page. It felt like it belonged in that corner and the chipboard title nestled perfectly underneath.

Embossing is a technique that I just don't do enough! I always love the results and the green helps to pull in the few other green accents that I have on the page.

I decided to outline the banner as well so that it wouldn't get lost on the bold orange paper. This kit came with so many embellishments! I used quite a few on all of my layouts and I still have a ton left. 

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

Next up is my layout for the Crafty Maven channel. The mood board this week is so bright and fun. My initial thought was  the Summer Daydreams collection by PhotoPlay. Sadly, I don't have it so I used the Sunshine & Happiness collection by Simple Stories.

Disclaimer: I used a sketch for inspiration and I cannot find it at the moment. I don't like to use things without giving credit, so if I find it I will link it :)

Again, I chose to outline the paper layers so that they would really stand out. The 4x4 card makes the perfect title and I thought it was perfect for these photos.

I love these colors together. For added interest I looped some thread in each of the clusters and chose colors that weren't as dominant.

This girl is one of my favorite images in this collection and I thought she was perfect for this page. I need to look up the date of these photos and then I will finish this journaling spot. I am a procrastinator when it comes to things like this, but I am trying to get better :)

Here's a link to my video. I'd love for you to check it out. Have a wonderful day my friends!

Sweet Friends (My Creative Scrapbook)

Hello friends, I am back with another layout to share using the July kit from My Creative Scrapbook kit club. I chose to focus on the pastel colors of this kit and scrap a page of my daughter and one of her friends dressed up for their school dance. If you follow me on Pinterest you might have noticed that I pinned a bunch of layouts and sketches with circles. Circle layouts are trending, and I decided to be brave and take a stab at a layout with circles...including my picture. Cutting my photo in a circle was a big deal for me...I know that it sounds silly. However, I started scrapping in the height of Creative Memories and the debut of their circle cutting system and EVERYTHING was cut into circles. It has taken me a long time to get over my phobia of circles, and I am so happy with the way this layout turned out.

 I used my Shimmerz watercolors and the packaging technique to make the background. I decided to keep my design on a diagonal to help me from feeling overwhelmed with where to place the circles. I think that it also helped that I had pre-cut several circles out of coordinating papers in different sizes. It made it so much easier to swap circles out and make sure that the patterns were separated.

The peach and aqua just screamed for a bit of gold so I added gold stitching and gold Heidi Shine mist for a little pizzazz.

  
I folded over the ribbon trim that came in the kit and stitched it down with gold thread. Good thing that I don't mind that the ribbon is not straight :) I think that it adds to the charm and helps to anchor the title. To complete the layout I added a few embellishments on the clusters and threaded the buttons with gold thread. 

I have a process video if you'd like to take a peek at how it came together. 

Sunshine and Happiness & Alligators (say what?!)

Hey friends! I am back today with a layout that I made using the main kit from My Creative Scrapbook kit club. The main kit is full of Simple Stories Sunshine & Happiness, with a bit of Kaisercraft, Pink Paislee, and Heidi Swapp thrown into for a beautiful summer kit. Here is a photo of the main kit...love these bright colors!

The pictures that I chose to scrap were silly ones that I took of my kids on vacation. We were at Alligator Adventure in Myrtle Beach, and of course Patrick thought it would be hilarious to put his head inside the mouth of the alligator statue. Boys...what can I say?

I love the fact that everything coordinates so well even though the products are not from the same line. I cut this cute saying from the Kaisercraft cut-apart sheet. It's the perfect addition to this cluster.

I think that one of my favorite things about the Simple Stories alpha sticker sheet is all of the phrases that come along with it. They are so versatile and I love the little extra bit that they bring to a layout.

I decided to outline all of the papers with my black Staedtler pen. I love the contrast that it brings to the papers. This is a great technique to help bring papers of different collections together, or in this case to make the layers pop off each other.

I have a process video if you'd like to take a closer look. Have a wonderful day my friends!

Be a Splash of Color

I love this line Life in Color by Simple Stories, and was excited when I learned that the June main kit from My Creative Scrapbook had several pieces of the collection. It is fabulous and I was inspired by one of the cut-apart sheets to scrap the photo of my daughter and her friend. They were both in yearbook together this past year, and often they would get assignments and need to go out and take pictures. They took the silly photo of their shadows and I fell in love with it as soon as I saw it.

I decided to keep this design simple. I have used this layout design before and loved the way that it turned out. I find that by adding chipboard elements and stitching that it helps keep the layout from looking "flat". It's relatively simple to create, and once I decided on the placement, the page flew together.

I decided not to journal on this layout, but may go back and make a note on the back with her friend's name. I felt like the quote said everything and more than I could possibly think of to say. It's perfect for this artistic and fun photo.

I outlined around the "Today" letter stickers, and stitched around the photo and the 4x6 card. I felt like the whites were getting lost on the cardstock and it helped that part of the title to stand out more on the page. 

The black stitching also adds a bit of weight and contrast to the page. I had so much fun making this page. It's a bit different than my usual layouts and I really enjoyed the process and the end result. I have a process video if you'd like to take a peek. Have a wonderful scrappy day!

My Creative Scrapbook day....

It's Wednesday and that means it's time to share another layout that I created with the My Creative Scrapbook April main kit. This month the papers are from Simple Stories Carpe Diem collection and I absolutely adore this collection with its bright colors and whimsical designs. I had just received my Shimmerz watercolors and decided to play with them a bit and make my background paper. These watercolors are beautiful and so much fun. I will be adding more to my collection when I have some extra scrappy cash. 

One day I went in to get Emily up from her nap and this was how I found her. She had undressed and then redressed herself. She had on two tops that were twisted around. I had to run and get my camera because it was so funny (these were the days when a phone camera was obsolete). This photo makes me smile every time I look at it.

I fussy cut this large floral from one of the papers. The florals in these papers make it pretty easy to fussy cut and I think that it makes a big impact on the page.

The sticker sheet contains a bunch of phrases and I love these phrases and thought that they described the photo pretty well.  I did not want to add much to this cluster because I wanted the layout to feel light and bright even with the pops of black.

I used some light modeling paste through a polka dot stencil to add a bit more texture to the background. Some areas are bright white and others took on the colors of the watercolor that I added afterwards. I'm addicted to adding black stitching with this collection...I might need an intervention :)

This kit includes the frames with this collection. I have a ton left and have used several on the layouts that I have created. It's nice to feel like you get your money's worth when purchasing embellishments. I have a process video if you'd like to take a peek. Everything used was from the kit with the exception of the mixed media. 

My Creative Scrapbook Guest Layout

My daughter is into softball...she would practice daily if there was a place I could take her. She loves every little thing about it. So you can imagine just how disgusted she was when she broke her thumb sliding into home. To make matters worse, she was called out by an umpire that clearly needed to get his vision checked...truly not being biased this time ;). Anyway, I finally took her to the doctor on Tuesday (the big incident occurred on Sunday) where x-rays revealed that she had a hairline fracture and they splinted it. On Wednesday evening I received a call from the clinic stating that the radiologist read the x-ray and that she needed to see a pediatric orthopedist. Fortunately I had the pleasure of working with a great one and was able to see him the next day where she bought a cast. At least it was a pretty one!! Yes, medical professionals truly make the worst of patients...this wasn't my first time, nor will it be my last.

I knew that the kit from My Creative Scrapbook would be perfect with all of the bright colors in Emily's cast. The frames make great embellishments to highlight her thumb and her cast. I stitched around the white cardstock with black thread and was so pleased with how it turned out. The yellow doilies are from Doodlebug which I had in my stash.

I fussy cut some flower clusters to use as embellishments around the frames. I left a small black border to make them pop.

The sticker sheet has three different alphas and I used two of them with this title. They are all good fonts and I found them extremely easy to use. Machine stitching is one of my favorite ways to add texture to a layout and the black thread really makes the layers stand out against one another.

 I love the dog and was determined to use him on a layout! Isn't he the cutest thing ever?! A 3x4 card was cut down and placed behind the black frame. The sentiment was absolutely perfect for these pictures and add so much to the story that I told. I added journaling underneath the title on the white cardstock.

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

I Am...

I have loved the I Am collection by Simple Stories from the moment that I saw it. I never bought it though, because let's face it. You can't get all the pretty things unless you have a sugar daddy or an endless bank account. Since I don't have either one, I just made myself be content with what I had. I do have a sweet scrappy friend, and she offered me up her collection to make a layout. REALLY!! Now she has made layouts with her collection, so I wasn't digging into something unused.  I took her up on it since I have lusted after this collection for so long and I love the layout that I created.

I am a big fan of their brads that stick like enamel dots. I strongly dislike poking holes in my paper and hoping that I put the hole in just the right place for the brad. It can be difficult to cover up a hole in your layout that you don't want.

The I Am collection has some great word phrases, and I chose a few that were perfect for where I am in my journey. I decided to add a bit of machine stitching through them to give them a bit more texture. Everything on this layout is from the I Am collection with the exception of the doily and enamel dots.

I will tell you right now that I almost did not publish this video. It was a bit emotional for me as I was doing it, and at the end of the voiceover I noticed that I had broken out in a rash on my chest and neck. It's real life though, and I decided to throw caution to the wind and put it out there and hope that it would touch someone that needed it. Thanks for stopping by and I hope that you have a great day!