Sweet Joy

Scrapbook Layout - Sweet Joy -

A close up of the layout...

Hello everyone,

I have been putting my creativity to good use this week.   I have so many beautiful pictures to document, and not enough time in the day...  

This particular picture is a favorite of my entire family, as it is my youngest sister (she has autism, so she socializes differently than the average teenager) leaning on my husband shoulder and actually smiling for the camera - A miracle on both sides!!-.  

 I have been meaning to dust off my mixed media skills, so I channeled my inner artist for this layout.  I started by adding splashes of shimmering pink and mint watercolor on some white cardstock. I was drawn to  a cross pattern for all the splashes of color.

the lack of gesso caused the paper to buckle a bit during the process.

Once the color splashes had dried, I added a few stamped hearts -i used black ink to create some contrast-.  To add texture,  I use a polka dot stencil with white shimmer paste just on the outer corners of the cross pattern.

A close-up of  the mixed media details.

While the paste dried, I went ahead and started working on building the layers for the picture.  I used papers from Craft Smith's Mint and Pink collection from Michaels. 

I added a gold acetate 6x4 card as the mat for the paper layers.

Another look at the layers  of  the layout...

Using staples adds dimension to the layers

For part of my title i used some water color paper to cut a banner using my Silhouette Cameo.  The Joy banner comes from Paper Issues.  Once I cut it, I used gold acrylic paint to add shine to the banner.

I chose to enlarge the banner to be the same size as the paper cluster...

Once all the  parts were ready,  I went ahead and printed the picture in black and white ( this way it creates a lot of contrast to the rest of the layout).  And started assembling the page.

A side look of the paper cluster

To complete the title I used a cut-out from All Gold Things collection from MME at the top of the picture.  This also helps to balance the  large banner at the bottom of the page, and frames the picture at the same time.

A scalloped tag on the background softens the straight edges of the paper cluster.

Finally  I added a few sequins and some star shaped confetti to complete the piece..

I am so pleased with the end result. I hope you like it, too.

See you soon

P.S.  Remember April is Autism Awareness Month, i would invite you to get some information on how this chromosomal disability can affect kids and adults and their families.  We love our little sister, and her disability -autism- is one of the biggest blessings our family ever received.

The completed layout...

Materials used:

Cut file -Joy Banner-,  Paper Issues.com

Banner cut-out,  water color paper

Gold Acrylic paint, Heidi Swapp Marquee Collection

Patterned Paper,  Mint and Pink collection, Craft Smith, Michaels

Ephemera and title, All things gold collection, My Mind's Eye

Shimmer water color,  Artist Loft, Michaels

Mint and Pink Color shine, Heidi Swapp

Heart stamp, Recollections, Michaels

White screen paste, Heidi Swapp collection

Polka dot Stencil, Heidi Swapp Collection

Tag,  Recollections,  Michaels

Love This Life

Scrapbook Layout  - Love This Life -

Hello all!,

we are almost done with our complete spring/house cleaning; so there is lot of time to scrapbook and document memories... There are quite a large amount of pictures sitting in my file that are worthy of  a beautiful layout...  So i will be busy for the next few nights and days...

This was the starting point for the layout

This layout started with a different idea in mind, and transformed as it progressed.  At first I used a free cut-file from www. lovepapercrafts.com  to form the title.  I wanted a bold and large title so I used 3/4 of the page when sending it to the Silhouette Cameo to be perforated...  I then used 3 different shades of blue thread to stitch each word respectively.  

A light coat of white color shine to the inside of the letters gives them a bit of spark.

Here is when I change my design, and opted to cut out the letters and attached them to a blue ombre paper.  Once i had place the title, I went ahead and pull a picture of my baby chewing on his blue disk.  I layered lots of paper in white, blue and green patterns to add some lift and create a frame for the picture.

Most of the ephemera was pieces from Heidi Swapp's MInc collections that
were foiled with blue and teal foil.

A few tags and stickers added interest to the piece.  I tied in the stitching theme with a little bundles of thread at the corners of the picture.  Since the page needed some balance, I added a few banners and a simple tag with to the top left corner of the layout.

The banners are made up from the backing pieces of the journaling label
used in this layout

I added  sequins in different shades of white, teal and blue to complete the page.
  I hope you like it as much as I do...   See you soon!!

The completed layout

Materials used:
cut file - title -,  "Love This Life",  www.lovepapercrafts.com
Patterned paper,  Recollections,  Michaels
Chipboard ephemera,  Heidi Swapp's MInc collections
Labels,  Freckled Fawn.

Choose Joy

Scrapbook layout  - Choose Joy -

Hello everyone,

It has been a while since i have posted one of my current layouts on my blog.  It is not that i have not been scrapbooking, but I am designing for Scrapbook Nerd and Quirky Bits-N-Pieces for reminder of the year, so I have been busy creating projects for them... Soon I will be posting them...

As always i have a folder full of pictures to scrapbook,  this one is a favorite.  As always my daughter and niece posing for the camera, but in this one they recruited my sister, too.  Since I wanted to keep it girly and fun,  I chose pastel colors and this beautiful cut file from Studio Calico (Camelot XO).

Only some of the cuts are folded and glued to the mat.
The shadow that the cut produces adds dimension to the layout.

I chose this beautiful purple Marble paper from Mambi's Love collection to create the cut-out, and backed all the cuts with MME papers from older collections.  I like printing my pictures in black and white, as it helps with the colors and it brings them out  on layouts.  

The title came from an old chipboard sticker page.
Since the background is rather busy, I chose to add my journal inside of the cutout pieces

Since I have a rather busy background, i chose just a large cluster of embelishments for the picture.  I tried to combine the different pieces with the colors of the layout.  So I picked from different sticker collections.

I love to keep cards, little envelopes, etc.; the purple tag is one of this year's
Valentine's Day cards from Starbucks...   Let's just say I am a good customer...

Finally i just added a few chipboard stickers around the cut-outs and a few drops of purple smooch spritz...  I love the colors, the cut file and the picture; together they make the perfect combo... I hope you like it too..

See you soon..

The finished layout...

Materials Used:

Cut file,  Camelot XO, Studio Calico

Pattern paper -main cut-out- , Love collection, MAMBI

Pattern paper -cut-out backing-, My Mind's Eye

Title - chipoard sticker -,  Recollections, Michaels

Hear Tag - Valentine's Day Gift Card - Starbucks

Ephemera -Circle "Hi"-,  MInc collection, Heidi Swapp

Chipboard Stickers, Mambi collections

Chipboard sticker -arrow- ,  Wonder collection, Crate Paper

Label,  Maggie Holmes collection, Crate Paper

Ink splatters - Frosted Grape, Smooch Spritz.

Happy Happy Happy

Scrapbook Layout - Happy Happy Happy -

Hello!,

I have started creating layouts for all my nephew's birthday party pictures.  Here  is the first of many to come.

Lots of hand embroidery and shimmering watercolor on the layout

We all love this picture of my mom and my nephew on his birthday.  It just shows the bond my mom has with each of her grandkids.  So to capture the feeling, i pulled an Ashley Horton  cut file design for Hip Kit club (free download) and enlarge it so that it cover half of my layout.   Once i had sized it, i set the Silhouette Cameo to perforate the edges, instead of cutting them, and i get the perfect spaced dots to stitch.

I picked happy colors for the script.  It took a few hours of
work -I usually do it while watching tv-

Once I finished the stitching (it took me a few nights),  I went ahead and color inside the edges of the script using shimmering watercolors from Michaels.  At first I was not sure of  how it was looking, so I threw a second coat of the same shimmery watercolor, and voila!, the effect was incredible.

I added splatters of the watercolors along each respective edge.

I chose to print the picture in black and white to make sure it popped next to the script.  I simple mat and just a layer of paper from MME's Jubilee collection that matched the colors of the script.  I wanted to highlight the picture, so i used a small amount of embelishments.  A few tags (one of my faves), and some cut outs were enough to finish the page.

A close up of the picture

Finally I trimmed a half inch across all edges of the white cardstock, and attached it, using the sewing machine, to a  striped white and black paper mat ( i usually just cut an edge mat about 1.5 inches wider than needed) A few lined of journaling for future reference, and it was done.  I love the finished result, it makes me Happy.

I hope you like it too.

The finished layout

Materials Used:

• White Cardstock, American Crafts, white
• Cut File, Hip Kit Club Downloads, Ashley Horton Design
• Mat for layout,  Documentary collection, Dear Lizzy
• Patterned paper, picture mat and layer,  Jubilee Collection, My Mind's Eye
• Paper clip -hi-,  Freckled Fawn
• Tags, banners, cut outs - Recollections, Michael's
• Phrase sticker, Teresa Collins Designs, Our Daily Stories collection
• Photo tabs, Pebbles
• Shimmer watercolor, Artist Loft collection, Michael's