Hello friends! It's a new year and time for a new sketch from Stuck?! Sketches. This is a fun sketch and my layout doesn't really look too much like the sketch in the end, and that is okay. Remember sketches are to be used as inspiration in whatever form that you need them. Of course you can follow them exactly, which I will often do when I am lacking mojo. 

I love the diamonds that are falling down the page. I am not ready to stop scrapping Christmas though, so I challenged myself to create another page. This cut file by Paige Evans has the same feel which is why I chose to use it. 

I had a blast creating this background. I first used a clear gesso to prime the cardstock, then used Shimmerz mists to add color to the background. After that was dry I stamped tiny gold stars with gold ink and adhered sequins from SpiegelMom Scraps.

The letter stickers are an older collection from Pinkfresh Studios. The cursive font works well and stands out from the mix of serif fonts that are on the papers and stickers. 

Yes, I am just a bit crazy and I did stitch the entire cut file in gold thread. I can't help myself...it is a sickness, but I just love the end result.

All of the papers used are from Crate Paper's Falala collection. At this point I have almost used up the 6x6 paper pad and am wishing that I had a second one. I love it that much!

If you watch my process video you will notice that I stamped directly on the layout. I did not use the right ink though, and the top phrase bled a little and it was just bugging me. I pulled out some labels and layered the phrases on top to fix it. The stamp set is an older Citrus Twist stamp that is no longer available, the puffy sticker is from Pinkfresh Studio, and the gold alphas are Heidi Swapp.

I will be documenting the ornaments in my December Daily and will be telling the stories behind the ornaments. I did not really have room on the layout to journal and I did not want to cram it on the page and make it look like an afterthought.

We'd love for you to play along this month with this fun sketch designed by Laura. Be sure and link up your project to the blog so that you have a chance to win a prize from one of our fabulous sponsors.

Here's a link to my process if you'd like to see how this page came together. Take care, Happy New Year, and have a wonderful day!

Stuck Sketch Reveal

I am so excited to be sharing with you this sketch and layout! I pushed myself out of my comfort zone with this layout and am so pleased with the end result. 

I searched hard through my stash to come up with papers that would work with this layout. Everything except that background patterned paper came from my scrap drawer! I found two patterned papers that had the appropriate shade of green, but neither were the right type to back the badge. So, I pulled out my watercolors and Shimmerz, and created my own background.  

To create this Slytherin badge, I did a google search and found an image that was not too detailed so that it would cut nicely in my Silhouette. To make the different layers, I copied and traced it three times and cut it out with different colors of cardstock. Then, it was time to layer them on top of the watercolor paper and glue the pieces down. 

The glitter bats are from the Target dollar spot and I think they are a few years old. The sequins are from SpiegelMom Scraps and the perfect shade of green. I cannot tell a lie...I did specifically buy them for this layout. However, the shades of green are quite lovely and will work well for other projects.

The "Under Your Spell" sticker has been in my stash for a very long time. These Thickers by Pebbles are similar and have some great phrases.  The black word stickers are by Tim Holtz. I think that it is incredible just how versatile these phrases truly are...I would have never imagined that I could find one to work on a Halloween layout.

We would love for you to play along with this sketch! If you do so, be sure and link your project to the blog for a chance to win a prize from one of our sponsors. 

Thanks so much for stopping by today. I have linked my process video below if you'd like to take a closer peek at how this layout came together. I have also figured out how to share the link for the Slytherin silhouette file that I created. 

Slytherin Badge

Sweet Moments with Citrus Twist

I'm excited today to be sharing my first layout for Citrus Twist. The main scrapbook kit this month is right up my alley with the colors and patterned papers.

The rose gold foil accents in the collection are lovely. This butterfly is my favorite embellishment and I stitched through it not only to secure it, but for some added texture.

Hand stitching has been a love of mine since I was a little girl. These die cuts come to life with a bit of stitching in the centers. Choosing embroidery floss to match the die cuts made my stitching easier and gave me a bit of wiggle room in case my stitches were not quite on target.

To jazz up the background I chose a heavyweight acrylic paint by Liquitex and used a large dry brush to paint it on the background. I find that using the heavyweight paint that my paper does not buckle nearly as much, nor do I need to use gesso.

We all know that Thickers are notorious for not sticking to the page. These alphas have a gorgeous design which allowed my stitching to blend in. Subtle details are some of my favorite to add to my pages.

All of my supplies can be found in the Good Vibes Scrapbook Kit . I have a process video if you'd like to see how this page came together. Thanks so much for stopping by, and I hope you have a great day!

Sketch Time!

It's time for a new sketch to be revealed from Stuck?! Sketches and it's a fun one :) This sketch calls for a vertical design and four small photos. While I love it like this, my photos just did not work and if you watch my video you will witness my struggle. This is the beauty of sketches though! I just turned it and made it work for me and I love how the layout came out.

The problem that I was having with my photos is that the orientation is different. Dora is looking to the right, and Backpack is looking to the left. When I had the photos on top of one another it just didn't look good to me. Switching the orientation allows the photos to look at each other which makes for a more pleasing presentation.

I put some gesso on the background and used some mist to make my own background. I had a lavender mist which was a great way to incorporate the lavender in the photos. To finish off the background I used modeling paste with a heart stencil to scatter some hearts across the page.

The papers and alphas are from various Felicity Jane kits, as well as the sequins below the photo cluster.

I am so glad that I took these photos of some of my daughter's favorite toys. Honestly, I wish that I had taken more photos like this. My nostalgia has been in high gear and making this layout was just so much fun.

If you have a chance, stop by the blog and see what the other DT members have created using the sketch. Better yet, make a layout with the sketch and link it to the blog for a chance to win a prize from one of the sponsors.

As soon as I have the video for this uploaded, I will link it below. Thanks so much for joining me today! 

March 1 Reveal

Happy Wednesday! It's the first of the month and that means it is time for a new sketch for Stuck?! Sketches and as usual it is a great one! There are so many ways that it can be changed up...you can use 2, 3, or even 4 photos. It is also easy to change the size and orientation by using rectangular photos as well. 

Here's my take on the sketch. I kept things pretty close to the sketch except for backing the photos with a circle paper layer. Instead of the circles, I decided to loosely paint a square to help unite the photos in a loose grid. 

Most of the supplies used on this page are from Dear Lizzy Saturday line. This puffy sticker of the girl with the bun is so stinking cute! I have tried to work her onto a page several times now, and am so happy that she finally has a home.

The aqua alphas are from Freckled Fawn and I am in love with them. They are slightly smaller than Thickers, but still large enough to create a great title. I also busted my stash and used my favorite October Afternoon mini-market alphas and the flair. I miss that company :(

To bring a few circular elements to the page I added two doilies. The heart enamel dots are from an old Amy Tangerine line, and the enamel dots are Freckled Fawn. The phrase stickers are from Simple Stories.

I have a process video for this layout if you'd like to take a peek. I will link it below. We'd love for you to play along with us at Stuck?! Sketches! Be sure and link your project up to the blog for a chance to win a prize from one of the following sponsors.

Stuck?! Sketches Reveal

Goodness gracious can you believe it is time for another sketch reveal? I know I sound like a broken record, but Laura designs some great sketches that I find so easy and inspiring to use. I had my Valentine's Day supplies still out from my February 1st layout, so I decided to use them to document this fun picture of me and my daughter in matching shoes :)

I am still crushing on white texture paste on white cardstock. When I find a technique that works and I love, then I will do it again! Most everything that I used on this page is from Crate's Kiss Kiss collection with the exception of the wood enamel shapes (Recollections), the printed tag (American Crafts) and the gold cursive alpha (Heidi Swapp).

The best part of the layout for me, is using holiday themed product on a non-holiday layout and I find that Valentine's day products are super easy to use. The "Seriously Cute" sticker and the "So Fun" chipboard heart were the perfect embellishments for this page. They complemented the journaling and I love it when my embellishments add to the story that I am telling.

For added whimsy I outlined a few of the paper layers and added polka dot tissue paper under the photo. Some pops of gold and black helped to make the page stand out, and worked beautifully with the colors in the photo.

 We would love for you to play along with us at Stuck?! Sketches. If you do so, don't forget to upload your layout to the blog so that you have a chance to win a prize from one of these two sponsors. 

I have a process video if you would like to take a peek at my process. I was having trouble uploading it and will update this link when I have it ready to view. I hope you have a great day :)

Stuck?! Sketch Reveal Day

I cannot believe that it is February already! Time just will not slow down, and I am trying my best to stay caught up :) It is time for the first sketch of the month to be revealed. This is such a versatile sketch and I'm sure that I'll be referring to it at a later time. 

Before I chose my photos, I had already decided that I wanted to do a Valentine's Day inspired layout and use Crate's Kiss Kiss collection from last year. I held off on buying the collection this year since I had barely touched what I bought last year. It was hard to resist the cute things but I prevailed!! I printed my photos 3x3 to allow me some room to layer some patterned paper under the photos. 

The edges of the heart were getting a bit lost on the page so I stitched around it several times with black thread to give the heart a whimsical look. 

 The background was a bit boring so I switched the cardstock to this dotted swiss by Bazzill and then used some Heavy Body Acrylic paint to jazz up the background. Any type of acrylic paint will work, I tend to prefer the heavy body because it is a bit thicker and easier to control. I used a dry brush to paint broad strokes behind the heart and the photos. This was a great way to add some visual interest and mixed media without it getting too messy. If you're scared of the mess, try this technique. It's minimally messy and I think that it has a pretty big impact for the little bit of time that it takes. 

The layout did not originally have a title, but I felt like it needed one. These Thickers are from the Kiss Kiss collection and I love the font. Titles are not my strong point, and I didn't want a generic title, so when I came up with the title "Mine" I was very happy. It is Valentine themed, perfect for the page, and not my usual title of "Love". Definitely a win!

 Be sure and stop by the Stuck?! Sketches blog post and see what the rest of the design team has made with this sketch. We'd love for you to play along with us!! If you upload your layout link to the blog you are entered into a raffle to win a prize from one of our sponsors.

I have a process video if you'd like to take a peek. Thanks so much for stopping by and I hope that you have a great day!