Layout 4: January 28, 2011

CHA is tomorrow and that means crazy crazy fun! New products, great ideas, meeting people, and lots and lots of money being spent!

I'm excited to see what's new and get some things ordered for classes over the next six months but also, I am ready to get through one last CHA until my "no new paper" pledge expires. May 31, 2011 I will be able to buy new scrapbook paper for myself! Last summer, after much discussion and reflection about my incredibly ridiculously huge supply of patterned paper, I made a pledge that for a YEAR I would not buy any patterned paper except for classes and the rare design team assignment that requires me to buy paper. For a whole YEAR!!! I have made 3 paper purchases for design team stuff since June 1, 2010 -- Indie Girl by Sassafras Lass, 1934 by Cosmo Cricket, and some Bella Blvd for a contest I entered (and won!). That is it!!!

This layout was created for Donna Salazar Designs' DT for her new Antiquities Collection by GCD Studios. It's super easy (even though it looks complicated) and perfect for one 8x10 pic of four 4x6s.

This pic is actually from the wall in the award winning GCD Studios booth at CHA that we set up today!! Here's a how I made it:

First I sprayed Smooch Spritz in Black Velvet on the page. Yes, that is one of the new larger sized Smooch Spritz bottles--it is the BOMB!!!

Before the ink dried completely, I smeared it across the page with a paper towel. The trick to this is to keep a straight line going.

I then spritz the page with some Smooch Spritz in various shades of blue. My photo had a lot of blue in it so I wanted the background paper to pull that from the photo.

I then added the photo, an 8x10 tilted to the left. Instead of an 8x10 you could use a grouping of 4x6s trimmed to 4x5 and then arranged into a block.

After I adding a photo, I trimmed a border from one of Dona Salazar's Antiquities papers and stapled it to the page with a Tim Holtz Tiny Attacher. I know, it is a small stapler but I just love it!!! I folded over the ends of the border for a little added interest.

I then added embellishments to include an old zipper I got on a trip to downtown LA, sequin stars from my etsy shop, and diecut gears using Donna Salazar's new Spellbinder dies.

I then scrunched up some of the edges of the paper to reveal a black cardstock base I added underneath, a little journaling, and voila! Hope you're getting alot done during this inspiring week of new products coming out!!

Tuesday Inspiration

I stumbled upon this blog all about shabby, vintage campers. So cute!

http://www.vintagecottagecamper.blogspot.com/

What a life that would be...I'd need one to live in and one to scrap in!! The photos are great sources for inspiration, color combo ideas, and just fun to look at.

enjoy!

Layout 3: January 21, 2011 (Finally A Two Pager!)

We're in the middle of winter, a great time to get snapshots of the family enjoying the season. A few weeks we got hit hard with snow here in California (yes, it does snow in the mountains and higher elevations! LOL) Of course the kids really got into it -- who doesn't love a little snow in your own front yard!?

I created a layout for these fun family memories using papers and stickers from Bo Bunny Press with the Colorbox Fluid Chalk Ink Cat's Eye Queue in Chocolate & Blueberries, Smooch Spritz, and Sparkle Fibers.  I used Smooch Spritz to create a frosty back drop (on an otherwise plain piece of cardstock) for my layout and Sparkle Fibers to create "ice" on a border. I also posted this layout over on the Clearsnap blog. If you haven't gone over there and checked in as a follower yet, head on over right now!! We're always doing giveaways and in the next few weeks, we'll be giving you a peek at new products coming out.

Clearsnap offers Glue Gloss which is perfect for adhering Sparkle Fibers to a project but did you know, you can treat Sparkle Fibers just like glitter and use it without adhesive? One of my favorite things to do with glitter (and now Sparkle Fibers) is to use the BACK of a sticker as my adhesive. On this page I used a Bo Bunny Press border sticker to adhere Sparkle Fibers onto to make a wonderfully "icy" border. Here's how:

Clearsnap Supplies:

Sparkle Fibers in Snowdrift

Colorbox Fluid Chalk Ink Cat's Eye Queue in Chocolate & Blueberries

Smooch Spritz in Vanilla Shimmer and Navy Twinkle

Craft Funnel

Other Supplies:

Paper, Stickers - Bo Bunny Press

Paper for Buttons & Epoxies - Kaiser Craft

Epoxy Shapes, Buttons - Epiphany Crafts

Twine - Joann's

Cardstock - American Crafts in Denim

Pearls - Prima

Journal Spot - Pink Paislee

I first spritzed the entire background (two pieces of  Denim Cardstock) with Smooch Spritz in Vanilla Shimmer. I love Vanilla Shimmer because it is virtually clear, only adding "Shine" to a page with little color. 

 

To get a fine mist on a project, hold the Smooch Spritz bottle about 18-24" above your project and spray. The fine mist will waft down and settle onto the page to create a soft but ultra-shimmery effect, just like frost on the ground. To get more intense color and shine, spray closer to the project, about 6" away, like I did in the photo above.

To add a little color and depth, I spritz Smooch Spritzed in Navy Twinkle in a couple of spots on each background page. This gives the background dimension and makes the "frost" feel a bit more organic. 

After I sprayed the background, I inked the edges of all of the page elements. This page uses one full sheet of double-sided 12x12 paper and a 3" x 12" piece of another patterned paper. It's a great economical layout and if you are making multiple layouts for a single event, you could use 5 sheets of patterned paper (4 of the same pattern and one different)  plus 10 sheets of cardstock to get 4 different layouts using this design.

Cut the 12x12 Paper to make a 2" x 12" piece and a 10" x 12" piece. Ink the edges of 2" x 12" piece with the Colorbox Fluid Chalk Ink Cat's Eye Queue in Chocolate & Blueberries and adhere vertically to the right hand page about 2" from the right edge (Green pattern in the layout above). 

Cut the 10" x 12" piece down to 4"x 10" and 8"10. Round the corners on one 10" side on each piece of paper. Ink the edges with the Colorbox Fluid Chalk Ink Cat's Eye Queue in Chocolate & Blueberries and adhere the 4"x 10"piece to the left hand page and the 8"x 10" piece to the right hand page, slightly overlapping the 3" x 12" paper. The rounded corners should be facing away from the seam between the pages and the sharp corners should meet up at the seam.

Round the corners on one 2" side of the 2" x 12" patterned paper piece leftover and ink the edges with the Colorbox Fluid Chalk Ink Cat's Eye Queue in Chocolate & Blueberries so that the pattern on the back is showing. On the sample the front of this paper is white and the back is purple. Adhere across the bottom of both pages, about 2" onto the right page, and cut apart at the seam between the two pages.

Add photos and some of the large snowflake stickers from the sheet to the layout to get the bulk of it completed.

Add one Border Sticker (Maroon Scalloped) across the 2" x 12" strip.  Now's the fun part! I love this technique for stickers that have a great shape but a difficult-to-work-with pattern, like this flower shaped one from Bo Bunny Press.  Alot of their sticker sheets have this particular border on them and every time I try to use it, it blends into the background on my page.But the shape is fun so it is perfect for making a glitter or Sparkle Fiber accent like I did on this layout.

 

 

Make a small pile of Sparkle Fibers in Snowdrift in a glitter tray or on a piece of paper (that you can later use to help funnel the Sparkle Fibers in Snowdrift back into their container). Remove one of the stickers borders from the sicker sheet. Press the back (sticky side) of the sticker into the pile of sparkle fibers until you can no longer feel any tack from the sticker when you touch the sticky side. The adhesive on the sticker should be completely covered with Sparkle Fibers in Snowdrift. It's wonderfully icy looking!!

Insert a Clearsnap Craft Funnel into the Sparkle Fibers in Snowdrift bag and funnel the remaining fibers back to be stored. I love the Craft Funnel--even if you have a glitter tray or use a piece of paper rolled into a funnel, the small (and cute!) Craft Funnel helps you get every last yummy bit of glitter, Sparkle Fibers, or whatever else you are funneling where you need it to go and it has so much more control than a glitter tray or piece of paper alone.

Adhere the Sticker Border to the page with 3D Foam Dots. I added self-adhesive pearls to the border for some extra bling. 

 Now add a title, Journal spot, extra Stickers, and buttons + epoxies to finish it off. 

The matte patterned paper, photos, and stickers between the icy Sparkle Fibers border and the shine of the Smooch Spritz on the background make for a layout with alot of depth and interest.

Hope you're inspired to make your winter pages icy with Sparkle Fibers and Smooch Spritz! There are kits for this layout available in my etsy shop in case you want to make it too :) Here's the link: http://www.etsy.com/listing/66278274/fresh-powder-12x12-scrapbook-layout-kit

Happy Scrapping!

Layout 2 - January 14, 2011

I love a layout with a large focal point photo. This layout includes one 8x10 (cropped) and two wallets -- think school photos!! 

I have to laugh at how "fancy" I feel myself getting with my new camera. Last year I had a job working with a marketing company promoting Canon products. Part of the job included working with a Canon Rebel T2i camera. The focus of my work was really with photo printers and not wanting to get too attached, I didn't get too crazy with learning the camera. In fact, it is a wonder I even figured out how to turn it on.


The job ended abruptly--the contract was canceled with the marketing firm and I found myself without a job (the only "real" hourly job I've had in like 5 years!) on my birthday no less! Oh, and let's not forget this part--I had to give the camera (and most of the printers) back.

So after a few days of trying to figure out my next step, mourning and so on, I talked the hubby into helping me get a new camera. We researched and researched...and finally got the Canon Rebel T2i on sale at Target. And then we stayed home most of the week because I'd spent nearly every last dime on it and had no gas. Okay, that might be a little embellished, but it was that dire in my bank account after that camera purchase!

After all that, I'd better learn to use this camera and start getting "fancy"! I am still shooting mostly in auto but having fun trying new things. So this pic of my family at Union Station is one of those photos. I am glad they are willing to entertain all of my requests for different poses! Don't get me wrong, I am not here thinking that now that I bought a DSLR that makes me a photographer and I am going to start booking sessions with people. But I would like to take better photos and the DSLR has really helped!

For the focal photo, I had to get down on one knee and look like a looney leaning over to get this pic but I am glad I did!! Knee and back problems aside! I am trying to ignore the looks from my parents and nephew that they think I am nuts :P

Now on to the fun stuff -- here's how to make this layout in about 30 mins or less:


Supplies:
Paper - Sassafras Lass, Cosmo Cricket, Scenic Route (Circle)
Stickers, Brads - Sassafras Lass
Epoxies and Buttons - Epiphany Crafts
Embroidery Floss - Joann's 

I trimmed the 8x10 down to 7x9.5. Then I trimmed two 4x6 photos down to 3.5 x 2.5. You can use wallets or just crop your 4x6s like I did.

Add the photos across one side of your layout -- if your 8x10 was in portrait orientation, arrange the photos vertically along one side of the paper.


I chose this Sassafras Lass paper because I love the pattern. It's one of those papers where you really don't want to cover up the pattern but you have to put your pics somewhere--putting them as far away from the focal point in the paper pattern helps the eye travel around the page and helps you preserve what you loved about the paper in the first place.

After adding my photos I cut two strips from the UPC strip along the edge of a Cosmo Cricket paper, Circa 1934. I made these into little "flags" and adhered them to the back of a circle I punched from lined paper. 

I have lots of these kinds of circles laying around in cups and in my drawers -- they are perfect instant journal spots and a great way to use scraps. And if you make a mistake, you can always create another one on the spot. Adhering the flags to the back of the journal spot before putting it on the page allowed me to position everything before it was permanently stuck. 

Once the Journal Spot was on the page I trimmed it and added journaling with a Sakura gel pen.

To finish off my "visual triangle" I added a flower sticker (from the same collection as the paper) to the line between my photos and the paper. The, like last week, I have buttons and epoxy accents using my Epiphany Crafts shape tools and scraps. I also made epoxies from one of the Cosmo Cricket Circa 1934 papers that look like typewriter letters. I used MYD = New year's Day and LA = Los Angeles. I learned from my friend tammy i that you really don't have to have a "title" all the time. But I love letters so this is my title in a way.

 
In the gaps between the groupings of epoxies and buttons I made long stitches with red thread, the same thread I tied in the buttons. And that's it!

Enjoy!!!

We Got A Winner!

Inspired.By.Love said...

I Actually Did It! *Woot* *Woot* It Was SO Much Fun! I Wish I Was This Carefree & Fun With All My LO's! I Think The 'Confetti' Was Just Genious & Can Be Incorporated Into Just About Any Theme! Thanks For The Inspiration! Here Is My Layout For This Week: http://www.scrapbook.com/galleries/321825/view/3064135/-1.html

January 10, 2011 2:27 PM  

 

Please email me at hydrangeahippo[at]yahoo.com with your snail mail addy to claim your prize. Woohoo!! Love your layout too btw.

Layout 1 - January 7, 2011

My first layout of the year!! WOOHOO!! Okay, well not really my first since I made some class samples but the first I'm sharing here :) So without further ado, here's my layout, featuring pics from New Year's Day:

Some of the yummy details on this page:

 

 

And here's how to make to it, in about 30 minutes:

Gather your supplies, photos, and adhesives.

Supplies:

Stickers - Sassafras Lass, Studio Calico (Grey Strip and Labels), October Afternoon (alphas)

Epoxy and Button Makers - Epiphany Crafts

Thread - Joann's

Paper - Sassafras Lass, American Crafts, Bo Bunny (flower in buttons), Stampin' Up! (teal in button), Bella Blvd (stripe in buttons)

Pen - Copic

Trimmer, Scissors - Fiskars

Adhesive - ATG by 3M, This To That 3D Foam Dots by American Crafts, Zip Dy, Glue Dots Mini

Sequin Stars - hydrangeahippo.etsy.com 
Other Tools - Sewing Needle

This layout comes together really fast because the layout of the photos is really simple--a column of 4x6 prints to one side of the page. The embellishments elevate it to more than a "simple" page.

Adhere the 4x6 prints in a column to the right of the page, about 1.5" from the right edge.

Lay a border (trimmed from the patterned paper) across the page between the bottom and middle photos. Trim with scissors to the desired length, just longer than the photos are wide.

Using 3D foam adhesive, adhere a section of the border (trimmed from the patterned paper) between the bottom and middle photo.

 

Adhere a scrap of the border to the upper left of the page, about 1" from the top.

Cut a sticker in half and apply to the left edge of the border and photos. Save the scrap sticker to use on another project. Add more stickers as desired.

I tucked a border sticker under the top edge of the paper board on the photos and added some label stickers for journaling.

Make buttons and epoxies from scrap paper ( I used my big pink scraps bag) using the Epiphany Crafts Shape tools. You can use spare buttons and brads or punch paper for these elements as well. I like the Epiphany Crafts Tools because they allow me to make totally custom embellishments.

Tie Thread in bows in any buttons. Apply embellishments to page.

Here's the fun part -- crumple the bottom left corner and the upper right edge of the page, Tack down with stitches using the same thread as in the buttons. This will tie those colors and elements in the page together.

Adhere the layout to a contrasting paper so that the edges of the contrasting paper show where the layout has been crumpled.

Apply a strong adhesive like Zip Dry to the underside of the crumpled areas and apply sequin stars. Add a few extra stars sprinkled around using Glue Dots.

Add a title and journaling and you're done!

To kick this blog off with a bang, post a link to your layout you create this week here in a comment on this blog post. I'll choose one random winner next Thursday night at 5pm and post the winner here on Friday. What do you win? A Priority Mail Flat Rate Envie FILLED to the brim with goodies!! (US entries only please--I'm sorry but the international shipping rates have been too high for me to do giveaways).

A blinkie is coming soon, I promise!!

Hope you get lots done!!

--Jennifer