2016 - Week #2

Hello and Happy 2016 to you and your family.  I hope everyone is having a great start to the new year.
Today I wanted to share a layout with you that is representing my new year.

I started with a photo of my family.  My husband and my three kiddos.  My printer was running low on colored ink so I printed it it black and white.  I made it a square because I just liked it that way.  A little different from a traditional  4x6.  So then I went to my scrap closet and stood there looking at my paper collection.  I haven't bought new scrapbook paper in a long time, but I need to get moving on using it up too before I then decide I don't like the paper anymore and need to get rid of it all and buy new stuff lol.

So I pulled out some stuff and sat down at my desk.  I knew already that I wanted to turquoise and grey colors on my layout but some of the other stuff I had pulled out for the background just weren't making me jump up and down.  So I grabbed this dark grey textured cadstock, which I loved the best so far.  But there was just something still I thought it needed.
So I spritzed it a few times with some white craft spray and made sure it got a few big globs and set it aside to dry.

While it was drying I decided that my layout would just be those exact colors, the turquoise and greys.  I dug through all my stash drawers and found coordinating papers and embelishments.

I knew I had to use the turqouise patterened paper with the cameras on it.  It was meant to be since the picture of us was my actually taking a "selfie" of us.  So then I found the small strip I had of the cursive black and white alphabet.  So I knew that the black and white would go perfect with the color theme I already had going on.  And it was just a scrap piece and already cut down to a great size.

I wanted my focus to be on my title (besides the photo) so I wanted it to be large.  I also wanted it to really stand out, so I framed the 2016 in a thin border.  I cut the border out in white and the actual numbers I cut in a silver metallic cardstock.  I used the Xyron Creative Station to adhere those to my page.

What I like to do for my layouts is start with the basics.  I cut just a thick strip of the camera paper and attached it to the grey cardstock.  Then I attached the alphabet paper just below it.  I knew that is where I wanted my photo, so I laid it there but didn't attach it just in case I wanted to move it around just a bit.

So once I start with those basics then I go through my drawers to find matching things that I can add to my layout. The tag to the right that said twenty in the exact right colors was perfect, except it said thirteen on it.  So to solve that I just trimmed off the word thirteen and added some silver numbers at the end to make it a perfect fit for my layout.

 I found a pocket card that said make a wish, which I thought was perfect for a layout about the New Year.  I found the Arizona tag, and although it does not match my layout, it has meaning to my family.  We just moved to Arizona 5 months ago and we are starting the new year here.  So I like the small pop of color it gives and also what it represents to our family.

I instantly fell in love with the glittery silver frame and decided to frame my journaling inside there.  I found some tags that matched and of course some washi tape.  I glued everything down and then added some extra little enamel dots and silver heart stickers to complete my page.

I think the layout really represents so much about our family with the color theme, the Arizona tag, our photo (which we are all wearing our Miami Dolphins gear), and a bit of sparkle too.

I hope you enjoy and I am looking forward to sharing more layouts with you this year.

Xyron - Creative Station Review

I had the opportunity to review the Xyron Creative Station machine.  

Let me just start by saying WOW, I love this machine already and I have only used it now for the first time.  

I have never had a machine that could do as many things like this one. The cartridges are so easy to change, they just snap right in. 

First I started with the laminating cartridge.  No heat at all required.

I decided to make a little meal planner for the fridge.  I printed this one out and trimmed it down to size.  (Well I did print it again so the words weren't cut off, and apparently I forgot to take a picture of the correct one).

Then I just aligned the paper up to the left side, turned the handle and it laminated itself as it came out the other side of the machine.  

It was really that simple.  Once it came out, there is a trimming blade right on the Creative Station.  I trimmed it off, then trimmed the excess laminate off with my trimmer. 

After that I took a roll of magnet that I had on hand and cut 3 strips to add to the back of the meal planner laminated sheet.  

Because the roll has been rolled up for so long, once I added the magnet strips to the back of the laminated paper, it was trying to roll right up.  So I took my smaller Xyron Mega Runner out and ran it quickly on the sticky side of the magnet strip.  Because the adhesive is so strong, it worked perfectly to hold in place, and keep it from trying to curl up.  

Then I attached it to the fridge and used some dry erase markers to fill in some info.  Perfect.  

So then I decided I wanted to use the magnet cartridge and see how that did. 

I printed some Becky Higgins quotes from my Project Life App, and used the laminate cartridge on them first.  

I trimmed them down to fit in the smaller 5" cartridge and ran them through the machine.  

Once those came out, I trimmed them down with my paper trimmer, right to the edge of the paper and it did great.

I added those to the fridge as well.  

Because I just couldn't stop using it, I used the regular permanent adhesive for part of a layout too.  The outline of the 2016 was so thin, I didn't want to use my mega runner, so I ran it all through the creative station. Worked perfectly! It made it so much easier to attach them to my layout.  

My conclusion on this AMAZING machine is that I don't know why I didn't have this in my life sooner.  I love it and am already thinking of what I can use it for next.  

Maybe some laminated math cards for my kids, or magnets of my kids for the fridge.  I think the ideas are endless.  I am so glad I was able to review this!

Have you used the Xyron Creative Station?  What is your favorite cartridge? 

~NICOLE

A Glimpse into My Style Week #35

Does anyone really have a set specific scrapbooking style?  I don't even know really what to call these so called styles.  I just create what I like and I follow many people on social media with plenty of different "styles".  I don't follow any specific rules or anything, I just kind of go with what looks good to me.  In the end if you are happy with your own pages, that is all that matters anyways right? Ya.

I would have to say that I think my scrapbook pages have changed so much since my first days of creating layouts.  I will never forget going to my grandmas house for my aunts Creative Memories party and spending like $100 on an order of supplies and albums.  I think I was hooked from then on.  I later branched out from the "rules" of CM that you were supposed to follow and started buying (and collecting) scrapbook supplies from other companies and stores.  

In my early days I have to admit I did not do a lot of journaling on my layouts and I look back and see that it was different in my eyes back then, I think it more just about events on paper to me.  It was just like a photo of each person at a party, to show the event happened.  Over the years, and after having children I have learned that the purpose for me in scrapbooking is more about remembering the emotions or special event, or capturing the character of my children, or the funny things they say.  I want to look back on my layouts and remember that feeling I felt or that special event we went to, or laugh at the funny things they said, or remember my sons favorite toy when he was 2 that I may have forgotten about as the years went by.

Here are a few of my current layouts I wanted to share with you.

This one I wanted to capture that feeling of us traveling to Arizona for the first time for a job interview for my husband back at the begining of the year.  *A fun note : we now live in Arizona because of this and another trip in July for this job. *  When I look at this layout I instantly feel that emotion of our first trip out here and seeing that Arizona sign.  

This is another one of my favorite layouts. I love the color turquoise and I love the pop of yellow paired with it in this layout.  This is also on a 12x12 clear sheet of acetate.  I loved the straight lines of the papers and then the tilted look of the photos.  I turned a few of my photos in black and white and then kept one in color, and it just happened to work out that that photo adds visual color to the layout since the water matches the overall layout.  

This one I wanted a list type journaling to record some of my daughters favorite things at 5 years old.  I made this layout the same colors that we did her 5th birthday party in.  I look at this layout and I remember the party instantly.  

This layout was alot of fun to create.  Instead of creating several different layouts about different things and events that happened last summer, I made one layout with all the fun things from that summer that we did.  It is a great way to record many events at one time.

Some fun little things about my "style" that I tend to go to with every layout :

* I have an obsession with enamel dots.

* I love to use washi tape as a added little pop of something extra.

* I always leave a white boarder around my photos.  

* I love to layer papers 

* One of my favorite things is saving tags from clothings to use on my layouts

* I have to have everything matchy matchy in some way or another.  

* I don't have a problem mixing paper lines, I just go for what matches for my layout idea. 

Well there is a little glimpse into my style of scrapbooking.  I hope you enjoy and thank you for stopping by.  

You can always find me over on my blog RANDOM RAMBLING 

WEEK 27 - MAKING MEMORIES HAVING FUN

I think out of all our memories from this summer, this one is by far my most favorite.

I really loved the photo I took and the impact it had on me in black and white, so I wanted my layout colors to be not so bright and let the picture shine.  Because to me the picture is what tells me the story, that brings me right back to that moment in the pool.  

Now let me ask you this, have you ever created a layout without patterned papers?  I did for this layout.  I was looking through my stash of stuff and thought I would look through my cards I have on hand for pocket scrapbooking.  I found the quote one and instantly knew I wanted this to be right next to my picture on the layout.  Well as I was looking through the rest of the cards, I came across the polka dot ones and the chevron ones.  They matched since they were from the same collection.
The best part is that they are pre cut down to a small size and I don't have to fuss with any trimming.  A win win in my book anyday.

So I lined up the patterned cards on the bottom of a white sheet of cardstock and attached the large quote card to the left side above that.
When I was going through my ever growing stash of tags, I did happen to find this little piece of turquoise scraps that was cut like a flag, so I trimmed it down to add a little more color to the layout.

I then added my photo that I printed at home in a 5x7 size and added a piece of that scrap I cut off from the flag on the right side of the photo.  This added a little pop of color on the right side of the layout as well. 

I found my little frames, and decided to add a few color photos from the same visit to the pool.  I thought these in color would add more to the layout than in black and white.  In color they actually matched the layout quite well, and then to me it makes the large black and white photo pop so much more. 

After I added my photos, I added the tags to the top of the quote card.  

Then I added my hand written journaling on a card and attached that to the bottom side of the quote card.  Want to know something fun, the little saying card at the top that says "this is pure happiness", well it was a large card, but I only wanted the top saying to show, so I trimmed most of it off and the journaling is actually on the bottom part of that card.  I would rather be able to use the bottom half instead of just lost underneath something anyways.  Great way to get the most out of your supplies. 

The last and final thing I do on all my layouts once the main elements are down and in place, is add some fun little extra details.  I added the enamel dots, and all the grouping of matching stickers on the bottom right side of the layout under my photo.  Then I added the tiny little paper clips to the quote card and the word stickers to the small photo frames.  I think all the last extra detail elements sometimes help finish off the layout.  All I do for this is take out my bucket of "extra" stuff, and see what I have that matches or goes with the theme of my layout and add as I go along.  

Thanks for stopping by and checking out my layout. 

What is your favorite memory this summer?

When I am not here you can always find me on my blog over at RANDOM RAMBLINGS.

~NICOLE

WEEK 22 - SUMMER 2014 LAYOUT

Sometimes when I have so many events or things I want to scrapbook I feel overwhelmed with the thought of being so far "behind" and trying to play catch up, while still living life and continually making more memories.
So when I was sitting at my desk trying to think of what layout I wanted to do next, I thought what better way to tackle many events at once, and put them all on one layout.  So now instead of a layout for all 20 of these things, I have one .

I combined all my photos from all our fun summer events and made this collage in photoshop.  I printed it on one piece of paper.  When I trimmed it down I left a little white border around all entire thing. I just like the look, to me it gives it a little more finished detail look.  

 I started with the photo collage and built the rest of the layout around that.  I cut the photo grid apart and added the turquoise banner strip, which spread the photos across the page higher, Seperating the photos with the banner in there, gives a more cohesive look.  It groups all the sides and elements together in some way.
I used my favorite font sweet pea for the word summer and cut that and 2014 out of pink patterned paper and white cardstock.  I used the white cardstock as a mat for the title, to make it stand out just a bit more.  

I wrote out my journaling in my microsoft word program and printed it on kraft cardstock, then turned it sideways and added it right next to the photos.  I used tiny number stickers I had on hand to number each photo, and in my journaling I used those numbers to tell what each picture is. 

I added some tickets to the side of the journaling, which add a fun little element to that side of the page.  I used a little washi tape in a few places and some enamel dots for a few pops of added color on the left side of the page. Lately I don't think I know how to make anything without washi tape and enamel dots.  But they are so fun, so go with it I say.  I found in my stash the cute little wood veneer bike and since I had a photo of the kids on their bike I just had to use it.  

Something I have really been embracing over the years is using papers and embelishments from different manufactures on a page.  I used to "think" I could only use the same line of stickers, and papers and embellishments together, like I was breaking some kind of unspoken rule if I used one from a different company mixed with another on a layout.  Well I don't know why I was like that, but now I am completely embrassing using whatever works together.   So now I shop my stash for whatever color, or look I am going for and let me tell you it is amazing the things I find right in my own stuff.  That is how I found the good times this way sticker (that was in a set of back to school stuff), and the days of the week were in a fall themed kit.  See just look in your stuff you would be surprised how things work with other things that you may not have thought of.  

Do you use collages to combine multiple events on a scrapbook layout or do you prefer to just scrapbook one event per layout?  

Thanks for stopping by to check out my layout.
When I am not here , you can find me over on my blog at RANDOM RAMBLINGS .  If you stop by make sure to say hello.  :)

WEEK 18 - BACK TO SCHOOL

I thought that in honor of school almost being out, I would get this layout done from my sons first day of school this year.  I try to always make their own scrapbook layout to go in their Project Life School Albums.  I got Caleb's done, but I never got around to Jacob's.  So I told myself I had to finish it before this school year was finished, which for my boys is next week.

I came across this grid patterned paper and I loved it.  I love a grid looking layout.  There is something so clean about the way it looks to me.  I loved most of all the little sections on this paper, and I decided the ones I didn't care for the most I could cover up or embellish.

 I made myself some notes in pencil as to which ones I wanted to add photos to.  I also added some information that was perfect in some of the sections.  There was a spot with the days of the week listed, and since the kids have an nontraditional schedule, I thought this was a perfect spot to put this in there.

Another thing I always make sure to do on each of the kids school layout is their grade, school name and teachers name.  Then I make sure that somewhere on the page I have them hand write their name.  I love this element, so that we can compare each year to how their writing changes.  I always have them write it in pencil first and I carefully trace over it in pen.  Especially if they are writing right on the layout itself, this has saved us some major disasters a few times for sure.  

I printed the photos I wanted to use from thier first day so that they would fit in the boxed I wanted them to go in.  I love this too because it makes it look like they now have perfect borders around the photos. 

For the rest of the boxes, I tried to just add some basic embellishments that went with my back to school theme.  I added some word stickers all together to form somewhat of a subway art look, which I love.  I added some text stars, because to me anything with text says school and the same with stars.  

I die cut a 4 from some yellow grid patterned paper that matched the rest of the layout, and the "th" and "grade" using black cardstock and attached those right in one of the boxes. 

I finished off the last of the final touches with some yellow ruler washi tape on each photo, to give it the look that the tape was holding on each photo, and a small tiny paper clip on the top left card, that I also added to the layout.  I added a little journaling in a box that was lined and that completed my layout.  

I am excited to be able to add this to his school album and maybe this coming year I can get it done before he is about done with the school year.  

~NICOLE

You can always find me on my blog HERE at RANDOM RAMBLINGS. 

WEEK 14 : ALWAYS BE THANKFUL

When I started this layout the end result was much different in my mind.  But that is ok because I love the way it came out.  I had these papers and this photo set aside for quite some time but just wasn't sure what direction I wanted to go with it.  Did I want to focus on what we were doing that day and why I snapped the picture or just use it to focus on them only.  In the end I did just that, I used it to focus on them and a message I want them to remember for all their life.  ALWAYS BE THANKFUL.  

http://nicolemantooth.blogspot.com/

I cut up some of the papers and the cards and glued them down.  This was part of my original plan, so I was pretty sure that is where I wanted it all to go.  The rest was more of a progression as I played with things and moved them around.  

I decided the big empty space needed something big as well and I really wanted to use that vellum &.  So with matching alphabet stickers I added the kids names. The rest of the space still felt so blank to me.  

http://nicolemantooth.blogspot.com/

I thought the left side seemed a little blah as well, so I cut down some thin strips and glued those down to help balance out that empty side.  

Sometimes I have to walk away from a layout to actually figure out what I want to do to it.  So that is what I did.  I walked away for a few hours and when I came back to it , it evolved into exactly what it ended up being.  

Next I added the journaling which really brought it to life.  I just printed it right on my patterned paper from my printer.

I then added the vellum leaves and the circles over the leaves.  

It still was missing one small thing to me, and that is when I knew it needed these wood veneer hearts.  PERFECT.  I just used a little liquid adhesive to attatch those to the layout and done.  

I think since the layout is kind of in a grid type format, the hearts really tie each part together.  The colors of the layout are muted so it isn't to girly or too boyish for a photo of all the kids together.

The last final thing I decided to do was sign love, mom on the bottom of the journaling.  I can't wait to add this to the album now.

~NICOLE

WEEK 12 - WELCOME TO OUR 2015 TEAM

We are so excited to announce our new 2015 Design Team!  Each of these ladies is talented and we can't wait to see what they come up with to help inspire you to use your stash and make some amazing layouts each week!  Here's a little more about them: 

Hi my name is Felicia Young and I have been a scrapbooker for 18 years now.  I am a mother of three adult children and two grandchildren.  My husband and I have been married for more than 21 years and we enjoy each other's company.  Scrapbooking has been my passion as well as photography, which I am a certified photographer (that is my second passion).  I love to travel, take photos, and listen to a variety of all kinds of music.  When I am not scrapbooking or doing photography, you can catch me watching classic musicals and movies.  

I first started with a bunch of photos of my children when they were babies and younger. It was then when I wanted to do something different with my photos, so I went to Target and there I found a box with a photo album and a bunch of die cuts, paper, stickers, a mini punch, and decorative edged scissors and I took it home.  That was my first kit!  

Now I do more scrapbooking than ever, I am also a Project Lifer since Becky Higgins came out with the project life and it is now going on my 6th year! I have also developed quite a few techniques over the years and since my style of scrapbooking is clean, I incorporate the new styles as well as with some old school and new techniques and that is the way I stay fresh and motivated.

http://rosescrapco.blogspot.com/

My name is Jen Stokes and I have been scrapbooking for about 15 years.  I am currently a WAHM and homeschool our 2 boys, aged 12 and 10.  I have a wonderful techy husband who loves photography.  We moved to the stunning Victoria, BC Canada about 3 years ago and in our adventures as permanent tourists and a busy family, I never run out of topics to scrap about.  I would classify myself as a fairly "clean" and linear scrapbooker, but I am always trying new things and do like to get messy once in a while.  I am quite active on social media and started doing process videos this year for both layouts and Project Life.  I scrapbook to tell our stories.  To capture our memories.  I used to only scrapbook the big events but now I relish telling the small moments, the things I don't want to forget or that I want to look back on in life and will make me smile.

http://scrapsbyjen.blogspot.com/

Jennifer will be popping in every once in a while with a great layout for us!

My name is Nicole Mantooth.  I live in southern California with my husband Jacob and our 3 kiddos.  Little Jacob is 10, Caleb is 7 and Chloe is 5.  I love photography, scrapbooking, I am a project lifer, and making wood signs.  I also love to read.  I love spending any free time we can find with my husband and the kids.  I love going on walks and watching Lifetime movies.  I love being crafty and can most often be found in our office working on something.  I am looking forward to sharing layouts with you while I am here.

http://www.nicolemantooth.blogspot.com/

Hello!  I am honored to be serving as the design team coordinator for Layout-A-Week!  I have been scrapbooking since 2003 and I haven't looked back.  It's my creative outlet and with a military husband and two girls and two dogs, I have plenty to document!  We are currently stationed at our fourth base, in New Mexico, and my husband and I are both originally from Florida.  I am a stay-at-home mom and wouldn't have it any other way.  I do process videos on YouTube and I also am active on social media.  I hope to help inspire and spark some ideas for you and get inspired in return with our awesome team!

http://thescrapangel.blogspot.com/

We are so excited to bring you a new layout with stepped out tutorials and videos each Tuesday.  We hope you join us each week, we'd love to see what you make!

WEEK 11 - IN THE GARDEN

 Since my husband and I were talking about this years garden I thought what better time than to document last years garden.
I started with some green background paper and cut out "polaroid" shapes from kraft color with my silhouette cameo.  I printed my photos in squares and framed them with the polaroid cut outs.

 I cut double notched flags from vellum and hand wrote what each of the fruits and vegetables were.  I adhered those and added a rhinestone on each side just for some added pops of color.
Then I filled another poloaroid with some patterned paper and topped it with vellum to give it a more muted look.  I wanted the pictures to be the main focus, so added the vellum still gives the pattern but not as bright.  I did this for another polaroid and added a welcome spring sticker over that.
I made a few flag banners and layered those in the top right corner.
I added vellum to another polaroid and wrote my journaling inside of that.

 For my title, I used another 2 polaroids and filled those with corrugated paper.  I cut my title using my silhouette cameo, in a patterned paper in a light blue stripe and also in black.  I layered the black behind the light blue, for a bit of a shadow look.  I think it gives the blue an extra pop.

On the bottom of the journaling polaroid I added the hashtag #mantoothgarden because when I share on instagram that is the hashtag I always used.

One thing I just realized is that I forgot to add the date on this layout, so I am going to make sure I do it right away so I can compare from year to year, what we had and what grew and didn't grow so great.

Hope you enjoy my layout, and this really makes me want to get out there to our garden this week and get it ready for new seeds.

Thanks for stopping by and you can always find me on my blog RANDOM RAMBLINGS or on INSTAGRAM HERE .