Sweet Baby | Scrap the Boys

For June, our challenge at Scrap the Boys is called "Sweet Baby Boy," and I used this beautiful photo of my friend's baby to create my layout.

I was having a major case of missing mojo and decided I'd scraplift myself, which is something I often do when I'm stuck staring at a blank page for way too long. Here's the page I lifted, one I made last year for Scrap the Boys. Different colors and papers and a few tweaks made it into a completely different layout.

Here are some details. I used Crate Paper's Little You collection from a bunch of years ago, mainly a 6x6 paper pad and the chipboard pieces, as that's mostly what I had from this collection. I started by cutting strips of various patterns and laid them out. I didn't feel like they had enough definition since the colors are so pale, so I distressed the edges, and when that still didn't do the trick, I matted the strips on dark gray cardstock. 

I decided to use kraft cardstock because almost all my layouts are on white and I just thought these pale colors would look nice against the kraft. Before adhering the strips, I stenciled some hearts on the background using a Bramble Fox stencil. The acrylic hearts you see on my layout are also from Bramble Fox. 

I arranged various chipboard pieces around the layout, adding phrase stickers, more chipboard, and Bramble Fox Perspextives for added interest. I still have a bazillion of these little Studio Calico wood veneer tweets because I kept buying packages whenever I saw them on sale. They're so versatile and so adorable.

I thought "Baby" was such a dull title but I wanted to use that pretty chipboard banner piece, so I added the word Sweet, made from a metal die in my stash.

For a finishing touch, I added Nuvo drops around my layout.

And because I never call my layout done right away, the next day, before photographing my layout, I decided to add some cross-stitches for another detail and another texture because I think lots of different textures make a layout so interesting to look at and touch (I store my layouts in boxes instead of albums and gift them in decorative boxes too).  And that camera is a Studio Calico wood veneer to form a visual triangle with the two wood birds.

If you haven't played with the Scrap the Boys challenges, they're always very fun and open ended, and the design team always has wonderful inspiration in lots of different styles! I hope you'll come play along!

Happy Campers: CSI: Color Stories Inspiration Case File No. 412

We have a fun Case File for our first June challenge at CSI: Color, Stories, Inspiration. Here's what I created:

Here are the Case File and clues that inspired my page:

Besides using the basic colors, I documented my friend's camping trip for the Testimony. I had fun looking through my stash to find Evidence clues and managed to use: plaid, solid, ledger, and woodgrain patterns, wood, camping-themed items, grid composition, signpost, arrows, owl, bear, canoe, cross-stitches, trees, different size alphas, zipper, and sunburst.

Here are some details. I started off my page making a sunburst in the background using a stencil from Bramble Fox. I distressed paper squares and then layered them on a brown for added dimension and definition. The little sign was trimmed out of a patterned paper. I don't know the brand because it was one of those papers from JoAnn's that are from different well-known collections, but they don't identify them. The wooden stars are from Studio Calico, and the 3Dcamping stickers are Paper Studio from Hobby Lobby.

Grid layouts are a perfect design for multiphoto layouts. Plaid pattern was one of the clues, and I was happy to find a plaid paper in the colors for this challenge.

I've had this wood veneer tree in my stash forever, and it was a perfect little detail to add to this square. The clips on my layout were made with metal dies.

Woodgrain pattern was another clue, as was grid pattern, and the phrase stickers I added have a grid pattern in the background.

The "explore" badge came from the same paper as the sign in the upper right square, and the bear is from the 3D sticker set. I added a sticker that had some hearts matching the phrase stickers because I always add hearts to the pages I give away.

Another detail that met two clues--an arrow and wood.

And I found a canoe, which was a clue, in the 3D Paper Studio sticker pack, and it was the right color!

Instead of three squares in the middle row, I added one long rectangular one for my title. I found a title in the camping-themed paper that I had fussy-cut the sign and patch out of, and added that to the title. The little cross-stitches were added because that's a clue. I found a matching owl sticker in my stash and sat him atop a wood-grained title, mounted on a pop dot. Finally, I added a zipper, which was a clue, made from a Bramble Fox metal die set.

I'm typing this and thinking I could've added a compass to this page, but I guess I missed that on the clues list. It's so fun digging through my stash, old and new, in search of details for my CSI pages. I hope you'll come play along because it's such a fun challenge. And be sure to go check out the beautiful inspiration from the team!

Laugh | CSI: Color, Stories, Inspiration + Scrap the Boys Collaboration

CSI: Color, Stories, Inspiration teamed up with Scrap the Boys this month for our first April challenge, which is dedicated to April Fool's Day. Here's what I created:

Here are the Case File and Clues:

I used lots of clues--the color scheme, the topic clue, and loads of Evidence clues--so fun digging through my stash. I included stripes, solids, dots, chevron, glasses, mustache, washi tape, stars, banner, labels, doodles, clouds, speech bubble, googly eyes, cursive font, something fuzzy, circular embellishments, sunburst, and paint in the background.

This page was so fun to make. I used mostly old stash on here, which always makes me happy! I started out by making a sunburst in the background using a Fox Cut stencil from Bramble Fox. I added splatters with different colors of watercolor and then outlined them with a fine-tip pen. I stitched down strips of paper from my paper scraps drawers and then started embellishing. The brads are fuzzy, from the something fuzzy clue. Flair was a clue, and the flair badges I used are from A Flair for Buttons. So were speech bubbles, and I cut this one out of an old Echo Park paper. The beautiful translucent acrylic hearts are from Bramble Fox. I always add hearts to the pages I give away.

I always love the opportunity to use googly eyes, and they fit right inside the acrylic eyeglasses I found in my stash, which was a clue. The mustache was another clue and made a fun addition to my title. Washi tape as another clue and I added some wonky torn pieces here and there on my layout.

Clouds were a clue and I found a paper with yellow clouds in my stash and fussy cut them. Labels are a clue and I cut an old Martha Stewart label in half so I could use it in two spots.

Here's a shot from the bottom left, which shows some more circular elements, which was a clue. I don't know why so many of my flair badges are getting rust spots. Disappointing!

I hope you'll come check out the inspiration from both the CSI and Scrap the Boys design teams and play with us!

Grinchy | CSI Case File No. 401

Merry Day after Christmas! 

Today I'm sharing a super-fun layout I made for CSI: Color, Stories, Inspiration.

Here are the Case File and clues for this challenge. 

I used the basic color scheme of pink, red, white and two different greens. I tried to add all the Evidence clues and managed most of them: plaid, solids, geometric patterns, Christmas-themed items, bow, wreath, circle, animal, scallops, transparent elements, buttons, stamping, metal, pleats, and clothing (stockings). 

The greens in the picture made me think of this fun photo of my friend's dad dressed up as the Grinch on Christmas, and the combination of the pink, red, and greens reminded me of a super-old Ki Memories Christmas paper that's been in my stash for at least a dozen years. I made the wreath by fussy-cutting the ornaments from the paper. It's a shiny paper, a little tricky photographing. I distressed the edges to add another texture to my page.

Once I arranged all the ornaments in a circle, I stitched them down with my sewing machine and then set to finding other clues that I could add to the page. buttons, snowflakes, metal, stamping, and a few more clues found their way onto my layout and added lots of different details and textures. I added the stockings to the edge of the photo to 1) meet one of my clues and 2) I always add hearts to the layouts I give away.

I found a red cardinal puffy sticker in my stash that met the animal clue. Scallops, pleats, and transparent elements were other clues and I tucked those behind the photo. I made the pink pleated piece with a Martha Stewart scoring board. That green transparent loopy bit is an old My Mind's Eye transparent frame. I just cut a piece off of it.

The Florence alphabet by Bella Blvd is the perfect font for a playful touch. One of the clues was bows, and I found a pink plaid puffy sticker bow to go beneath my title.

This was lots of fun to make and I was so excited to finally use that old Ki Memories paper! I hope you'll come play with us for a chance to win a gift certificate or a guest designer spot. 

Purrfect Friend | Bramble Fox

This is my most recent layout for Bramble Fox. 

I was so excited to see the new cat-themed products in the Bramble Fox shop, including this Cat Wreath cut file. Yes, Bramble Fox is now carrying cut files, and they're all so beautiful and detailed and they cut PERFECTLY--no snags at all, and all the negative pieces just come right out.

I chose some patterned papers from my scraps drawer to back the cut file and added some texture behind the cut file with a subtle background stamp.

 

I scattered some details around the wreath including the adorable Cat Treats, some enamel dots, phrases cut out of the Paper Snips 001, and some hearts from some older Bramble Fox packs, along with some hearts made with an older Bramble Fox die.

The sweet title is from the Pretty Kitty pack and comes with two different titles to make two projects. Above the title, I adhered that cute little cat face from the Cat Treats pack and added some googly eyes for a playful touch.

The "meow" and "purr" Perspextives were also included in the Cat Treats pack and were perfect for placing directly onto the open spaces in my photos.

I love working with Bramble Fox products. Their Perspextive acrylic embellishments really add that WOW factor, as do their new cut files. A great way to try the Bramble Fox products is to subscribe to their Fox Box or their new Fox Box Plus--both have great perks. You can read about these options here. And don't be scared off by the fact that this is a company in the UK. Their shipping is very reasonable.

Hello Sunshine | CSI Case File No. 388

I made this layout last month for CSI: Color, Stories, Inspiration, featuring a picture of my friend's daughter. 

Here are the Case File and Clues that inspired this layout:

The beautiful Scene was found on Pinterest.

I was inspired by all the florals and greenery in The Scene, as well as the wreath. In addition to using the colors, I used the following Evidence clues: stripes, flowers, greenery, layers, wood, paint, jars (in the photo), hearts, wreath, circles, lemons, cursive, flair.

Here are some details. I started with a free cut file from Paper Issues called Bud Wreath. I love white on white, but the cut file was getting lost on the background, so I added some yellow ink with a blending brush and some paint splatters, and it still wasn't standing out enough, so I cut it a second time in green and mounted the white on top of that, and that did the trick. 

I looked through my stash for yellow floral paper but couldn't find any, so I decided to use some Vicki Boutin flower stamps to add to my wreath. I used alcohol markers to color them in. The title is from a Simple Stories foam sticker pack. I always add a heart (or more) to the layouts I give to my friends, and I found a perfect flair badge to add, which met the heart and circle clue. And I found a paper in my stash with lemons for the lemon clue and fussy cut those to add to my floral clusters. In retrospect, I wish I had flipped the design because it looks a little top heavy, but I don't always see these things until they're on the computer screen and it's too late.

Once I had all the flowers arranged, I added some more details, like the branches made with a die from Simply Graphic, some phrase stickers, and some rub-on phrases. I tried to add dimension to the stamped flowers and leaves by adding some folds in them. I stitched the white page onto a green background--that paper is really old, by K&Co. Some wooden hearts and enamel dots finished off my page.

Even though this challenge is over tomorrow, we've got new challenges every month at CSI, so I hope you'll come play with us!

Look Forward | CSI Case File No. 389

Wow! It's been almost a year since my last blog post. The past few school years have been extremely stressful and busy, but I am now officially retired as of last week, and one of my goals is to keep up with my blog. Not sure if anyone reads it, but it's satisfying for me to document my scrappy pursuits if for no other reason. If you do read my blog, can you drop a note in the comments?

Over the next few weeks and months, I'm going to intersperse my blog posts with ones I never had a chance to write. Today, I'll begin with my most recent layout for CSI:

Here are the Case File and clues that inspired my layout:

Clues I used: I used the color scheme and a combination of the prompts from the Testimony to write a list of things I'm looking forward to doing in my retirement, which was a week and a half away from the time I created this layout. Evidence clues I used are: pattern similar to the one in the scene, fruit, ampersand, paint, paintbrushes, triangles, decorative border (in the form of pom-pom trim, wood accents, metal, circular elements, tropical themed item (the pineapple), something transparent, stamping, and metal dies. 

And some details...

Sometimes when I get stuck, I scraplift myself, and this layout that I made 9 years ago popped up in my Facebook memories, so I used that as my design inspiration. You can see the inspiration for that layout here.

I've said it lots of times before, but one of the things I love about my challenges is that it gets me digging into my stash, and I used almost exclusively older stash for this layout and even though it's scraplifted off of a layout I made almost a decade ago, I still think the page looks fresh and new. That floral/scallop paper is an old paper by My Mind's Eye. The lettering for the title is a really old set of Thickers. The font is one of my favorites--2Peas Tasklist. I used to buy all their fonts and over the years of acquiring computers, I've lost track of all of the 2Peas fonts except this one.

I always try to cram in as many clues as I can, and in this one small close up I've got wood, 2 metal dies, pattern like the one in The Scene, metal dot, a decorative border (the pom-pom trim), and circular elements.

I chose a stencil to add some more circles--this stencil is from Bramble Fox. I mixed texture paste with some watered-down Distress ink and it wasn't exactly the color I was going for and it looked blantantly off, so I swiped a bit of gesso with my finger on each the circles to take the emphasis off of them. That did the trick and gave them an interesting look. I may try that again! I love happy accidents!

In this closeup you can see I used the something transparent clue--I fussy cut some circles out of an ancient Hambly transparency. The wooden ampersand met two clues--ampersand and wood.

When I was looking for an orange patterned paper, I came across this old banner pattern by Studio Calico and fussy cut a strand of it to add an extra bit of happy celebration to my page.

And of course I love it when I can find the perfect phrase stickers in my stash to help me tell my story.

Triangles were a clue and I found some enamel ones to match the heart I used in the photo above. I was trying to figure out how to include a tropical-themed item, which was one of the clues, and I found a pineapple in my stash to make a visual triangle with my other two wooden pieces, and I figured it wasn't too much of a stress to include a tropical item on this layout since I'll be in a perpetual summer break of sorts!

I just love the bracket die from Simply Graphic. I used it to highlight a picture of me on my morning walk because I look happy in this picture and also one of my main goals in my retirement is to finally get my weight loss journey under control now that I don't have the stress of my job. You can see I added another Hambly circle for another visual triangle on my page.

I also used the paint and paintbrush clues--the paint brushes and paint tubes were stamped on watercolor paper and then I painted them with cheap watercolors. (Stamping is also one of the clues-so that was a triple play!) I raided my paper scraps drawers to find papers in the colors of the Case File, roughed up the edges and add some outlining to give them extra detail and then zig-zagg stitched them for added texture.

To round out my layout I found a third perfect phrase sticker with a wonderful promise for my retirement to create one more visual triangle.

I would love for you to leave a comment letting me know you stopped by even if it's just "hi." I hope you'll come play with us at CSI--we have prizes and guest designer spots and a whole lot of fun!