Caldey Island, Wales Layout

The Layout
This summer I visited Caldey Island near Tenby, Wales. It is a small island with 40 residents, 20 Cistercian monks and an Arts and Crafts style abbey. We walked to the southern point of the island which afforded spectacular cliffside views. I was twirling around like "the hills are alive" scene from Sound of Music. My Dad was reenacting the "It's..." scene from Monty Python and I don't know what the other two were doing, but we all had fun.

The Challenges
I used the September sketch from Life.Paper.Scrapbook. The main variation is instead of having thick strips of paper behind the photos, I made thin washi strips above and below the photos.

I chose my colors from their September Color Challenge, but muted them with vellum over the top. 

The Details
I chose some washi tape based on the color combo and placed it on white cardstock. I then placed a sheet of vellum over the top and stitched a seam down the middle of each strip. I cut out the strips in varying widths and adhered them on my layout.

On top of the strips below the photo, I placed my title with an embellishment cluster of stick pins and sequins. 

I placed some journaling spots on the side of one photo.

I toned down the colors of my background strips and embellishments so the photo colors would stand out. This layout came together quite quickly unlike some others that I keep altering and still can't get it right.

I'm also entering this in:
Ladybug Crafts: September Anything Goes
Crafting by Designs: Anything Goes

Thanks so much for stoppin' by,

Sweet Stamps Guest Designer: Butterflies

The Challenge
This month I am thrilled to be a guest designer with Sweet Stamps. I love working with their red rubber stamps which gives a much cleaner edge than clear stamps. They have weekly and monthly challenges, so there are 5 challenges a month if you'd like to participate. The challenge theme this week is Butterflies. If you have a project which features butterflies, then link it to this post at Sweet Stamps.

The Layout
For my butterfly project, I wanted to make a layout with butterfly patterned paper. I stamped my own background using just one stamp (Bold Medium Butterfly) in a variety of colors. To keep the emphasis on the colorful butterflies, I faded my photos prior to printing them. For more details on this layout, please visit Sweet Stamps' blog.

The Supplies

Cardstock: Bazzill

Patterned Papers: My Mind’s Eye

Chipboard Stickers: My Mind’s Eye

3-D Stickers: My Mind’s Eye

Alphabet Stickers: Doodlebug Design

Brads: My Mind’s Eye

Wood Shape: Studio Calico

Stamp: Sweet Stamps

Date Stamp: American Crafts

Ink: Prima Marketing, Stampin’ Up

Pens: Copic

Glitter Glue: Ranger Ink

I'm entering this in the following challenges:

Addicted to Stamps and More!: Anything Goes

Flutter By Wednesday: #251 Anything Goes with butterflies or fairies

Thanks so much for flutterin' by,

An American in London Layout

The Layout
I wasn't sure how to scrap my photos from London as they all looked similar - selfies in front of various famous buildings. Instead of having to choose between the specific sites, I decided to make a fun general page. At least I now have a representative page for the whole trip.

The Sketch
When I saw the August sketch from Life.Paper.Scrapbook., I thought it looked like a camera with photos in the lens so I decided to run with that idea.

Variations

• I rotated the sketch 90° counterclockwise.
• I made the patterned paper square into a camera. 
• Instead of the two photos, I made one circular photo to fit in the entire lens. 
• Since the Instagram icon camera was square,  I replicated that look. 

The Details
I wanted a soft wash of color on my white background to anchor my camera. I stamped some blue ink onto a craft mat and sprayed that with water. I also sprayed water on my white cardstock. I used a sponge to dab the ink onto my paper. The water made the ink bleed and spread out like watercolors, which was the effect I wanted. It took me three tries experimenting with different products until I achieved the look I wanted.

Here is a closer look at the background with the title cluster. Since I used the Instagram icon, I wanted to use "Insta" in the title. 

I brought back some souvenirs for the purposed of scrapping them so I wanted to incorporate stickers I bought from the Tower of London gift shop, leftover coins and a keychain. 

Underneath my journaling ticket, I made a row of embellishments from the keychain charms and coin. 

In the camera viewfinder I placed a tiny picture of my husband in front of the Queen's Guard's sentry box. Of course next to him I had to use the Queen's Guard sticker. 

It is always fun to interpret a sketch in your own way.

I'm entering this in these challenges:
Life.Paper.Scrapbook.: August Sketch
MilkCoffee: Bon Voyage/Vacation
Paper Crafting Journey: Anything Goes

By Lori Designs: #53 Aqua and Red

Thanks so much for  visitin'

Stamping Your Own Background

The Layout
I have to admit that sometimes I'm not entirely satisfied with a layout, but I just have to let it go as it did its primary job of preserving a memory. But then there are other times, when I'm really happy with how things all come together on a page. With today's layout, I thought, "This is so me" when it was all said and done.

The Challenges
I am guest designer with Life.Paper.Scrapbook. for their color challenge which begins today. Aren't the autumnal colors simply gorgeous?

I'm also a guest designer for Sketches in Thyme and used their sketch #120.

It seemed like a perfect pairing to combine the fall color palette with the sketch. 

I'm also entering this layout in these challenges:
The Artistic Stamper: Postcards, Travel, Holiday
Five Simple Things: Inspire Me Fridays #116 Anything Goes 

Just for Fun: Anything Goes
Yumi & Fumi Handmade: #21 Anything Goes

The Process
I searched through my stash hoping to find a collection that had all the colors in it already. I guess that would have been too easy. I couldn't find anything with just the challenge colors without adding new colors into the mix. I decided to make my own background paper.

I have a rainbow collection of used Stampin' Up inks that I acquired through Craigslist. I obtained many colors at a fraction of the cost. I wanted to spend less money on specialized colors that only occasionally come into play. From my collection, I chose inks in the color combo. I didn't end up using all of these colors.

I drew lines across my page where I wanted my designs to go. Since it was an archery theme layout, I chose arrows for the design. I stamped across the page leaving a space for the photo area. The Fiskars Stamp Press made it easy to line up my arrows. Since two of my stamps were thinner, I had to stamp them separately from the other arrows.

Here are the finished arrows which perfectly match the color challenge. 

To further my archery theme, I made my own target embellishments. I had some round chipboard stickers that I altered with Copics and gems. 

I also colored in some plain wood veneers with Copics. You don't always need to purchase supplies in your exact color scheme or exact theme, just alter and use what you have. 

This is a look at my title block where I mixed and matched alpha stickers, chipboard letters and wood veneers.  

Supplies:

Cardstock: Bazzill

Patterned Papers: Basic Grey

Chipboard Die Cuts: We R Memory Keepers, SEI, Basic Grey

Alphabet Stickers: Doodlebug Designs, Authentique

Chipboard Alphabet: Basic Grey

Ink: Stampin’ Up

Stamps: Studio Calico, Sandylion, Lil’ Davis Designs

Stamp Press: Fiskars

Wood Veneer Shapes: Studio Calico

Glitter Glue: Ranger Ink

Gems: Doodlebug Design

Markers: Copic

If you also love this color combination and want to join the color challenge, please see Life.Paper.Scrapbook.'s blog post. If you love this layout sketch, please see Sketches in Thyme's post. 

I learned that I don't need to purchase specific themed embellishments or papers, I can probably make my own from my existing stash. 

Thanks so much for stoppin' by,

Sketches in Thyme: Laugharne Castle Layout

The Layout

Last month, my Chicago Bean layout was a top 3 winner on a sketch contest at Sketches in Thyme. I was asked to be a guest designer this month on their blog. I always love working with sketches and was thrill with this opportunity. I chose to make my first layout about my trip to Wales using my favorite photo spot as the focal point. 

The Sketch
I started by using sketch #119 from Sketches in Thyme.

The Details

When I looked at the sketch, I thought that the long yellow rectangle would be a good place to put a large background photo and then I'd place a smaller photo on top. I printed out different background and foreground photos on regular paper to play around with the arrangement. 

I liked the landscape view better than the portrait view so I rotated the sketch 90 degrees. I placed a digital frame along with digital images on top of the main photo and printed that as one photo and the background as a separate photo. 

   

That way I could double mat the photo to add some dimension and make that the focal point of the layout. I blended the date and journaling into the layered elements at the bottom of the photo.

I'm a multi-photo gal at heart and thought it looked sparse at this point. The Bo Bunny Mama-razzi 2 papers I was using had a filmstrip pattern on one of the corners so I cut that piece out and printed some photos to fit in the 1 x .5" spaces. I could even fit one of the tiny pictures into the lens of the Studio Calico wood veneers camera. I this manner, I managed to place to place 6 photos onto the single paged layout while maintaing the look of a single photo sketch. 

To balance out the title and embellishment cluster in the upper right hand corner of the layout, I placed a banner in the lower left hand corner. That was the finishing touch to complete my layout. 

You can also use this sketch and link your creation to their blog anytime during the month of August for a chance to be a guest designer too. 

I'm entering this in the following challenges:

The Memory Nest Whimsical Wednesday #8: Summertime Share

Five Simple Things: Inspire Me Fridays #115: Anything Goes

Totally Paper Crafts: Challenge #179: Summer Fun

Thanks so much for stoppin' by,

Wrigley Field Layout

The Layouts

A few days ago I shared my Chicago Bean layout. I made a companion page to that layout, so in the scrapbook the two pages would match as they have the same theme and color scheme, even though it isn't specifically a double paged layout. 

The Tour

Another highlight from the trip was a behind the scene tour we took of Wrigley Field. My hubby grew up in northwest Indiana and was always a Bears, Bulls and Cubs fan, but had never walked around the ballpark. The tour took us to the normally inaccessible places like the press box, dugout, clubroom/dressing rooms and the outskirts of the field. 

The Details

The first layout I made upon returning home was actually this Wrigley Field layout. 

I used the contents of my "Summer Fun" kit from Scrapbook & Cards Today's blog. It had the red and blue Cubs colors within the kit colors, and it made it easier to get started with the scrapping. I bought a Cubs keychain for the purpose of scrapping and incorporated it into the title. The softball was on a price tag, which I carefully pealed off and reused. 

I used some Elle's Studio Tidbits tags as functional embellishments. I grouped three of them under the title with my journaling included. 

I grouped a row of them at the top of the page as a sub-title. I stamped on some of the tags and added embellishments to others. I threaded them with a yellow cord to tie them together. 

Realistically, these are probably the only pages I'll make of my Chicago trip. In two days I'm off to Wales and London, so I'll be inundated by new photos and souvenirs to scrap. I'm really glad I got these two pages done in the interlude. 

The Challenges

I'm entering this in:

Life.Paper.Scrapbook. - June Color Challenge

Crafts and Me Challenges: Anything Goes
Through the Craftroom Door: Anything Goes
Make it Monday: #147 Anything Goes

Thanks so much for stoppin' by,

"Bean There, Done That" Chicago Layout

The Trip

Last week, I was in Chicago for the first time and did a lot of the touristy things there, number one being taking pictures in front of the Cloud Gate sculpture in Millennium Park. 

The Layout

After returning from a trip, I like to immediately make one layout. That way, if I never get to making a mini-album or multiple layouts about the whole trip, I'd at least have a representative page for the year. Here is my layout about visiting "The Bean". 

The Details

I had this sheet of patterned paper, called "Let's Go" from Simple Stories that I wanted to use. I cut the arrows into strips and laid them out on my background paper, but found it to be too busy. I didn't want to give up on the idea, so I inked the edges in black and left a small space in between the strips, then it was not so overwhelming. 

I used sketch #114 from Sketches in Thyme for my layout. 

Here is my title using small Authentique alpha blocks. I also added a small silver bean I cut from a scrap of metallic paper. 

For my journaling, I wrote on a tag and added a piece of jute. Next to it I used a Maya Road wood veneer Polaroid frame on a leftover photo, which is actually our reflection off the Bean. 

I had purchased a "Summer Fun" kit from Scrapbook & Cards Today's blog. As I was packing for a crop, I just grabbed the kit as it had the colors I wanted for this layout and made this layout at the crop. 

I'm entering this in:

613 Avenue Create - #26 Anything Goes

Amusing Challenges - Anything Goes

Challenges $ Everybody - #23 Anything Goes

Simon Says Stamp! - Anything Goes

Sketches in Thyme - June Challenges

Thanks so much for stoppin' by,

Life.Paper.Scrapbook. Magazine

The Issue
Hello all! I've been following an Australian blog called Life.Paper.Scrapbook. that showcases crafters from around the world. They have really beautiful projects and fun challenges on their blog, plus they publish a free quarterly online magazine. As this is a relatively new site, their second issue just came out on Friday.

Life.Paper.Scrapbook. Issue 2 online magazine

I really admire the clean look of the featured projects so when I saw that they had a publication call for the second issue, I decided to submit a few of my own creations. I was quite surprised but delighted that they chose three of my submissions. To see the issue, just go here.

The Details
My layout, "Who Loves Their Auntie?" featuring Zemira as a little baby can be found on P. 56 of the Scrapbook Gallery. Here is a peek of the construction process. I'd just folded the squares to make my cathedral quilt and was lining up all the pieces.

My layout, "Welcome to L.A." about Lulu's arrival at LAX can be found on P. 78 of the Pet Gallery. Here is a peek of when I laying out the design of the page. 

This was the first time they had a Card Gallery, so I turned in this, "Somebunny Loves You" card which features a digi-stamp that I turned into a die cut on my Cameo. This is found on P. 98. 

Take a look at the magazine or the blog to see all the beautiful projects from designers around the world. You won't be disappointed. 

Thanks so much for stoppin' by,

Love to Scrap! Easter in Bloom Layout

The Challenge
Welcome to the latest challenge for Love to Scrap! entitled "No Cards Allowed!" Any type of project can be entered, except for cards. I made a layout about going to Knott's Berry Farm with my nephew during Easter week. They had some special events during Knott's Berry Bloom.

The Sketch
I saw this Becky Fleck sketch on Pebbles Inc.'s blog last October and I stored it in the back of my mind, just waiting for the perfect opportunity to use it. It was a great fit with my photos and paper collection, so I was glad to finally be able to use such a cute sketch.

The Details

I chose American Crafts' Dear Lizzy's 5th & Frolic collection because of its beautiful spring colors. I cut out some Polaroid shapes from a piece of patterned paper in the collection and arranged those as the background grid to replicate the squares. The centers of the Polaroids were white so I filled some with different patterned papers or mini photos. I also left some as is. 

I mostly followed the sketch except I moved the main photos from the right to the left side of the page to better accommodate my journaling block. The little boy and girl graphics on my journaling block would have covered too much of the photo. 

Our sponsor for this challenge is Bugaboo Digi Stamps, who I just love. They gave all the DT members a different image to work with. I chose AKV sign it since it was so versatile and looked perfect for a journaling block. I actually imported the stamp into Silhouette Studio Designer and made a print and cut file. I printed it on my printer, then the Cameo cut it out for me so I wouldn't have to fussy cut around stick people with all those thin appendages. This technique is a great time saver, especially if you have to print and cut multiples of the same image. I then colored the image with Copics. 

Lastly I used some American Crafts foam alphabet stickers for my title. The foam alpha are pliable and much easier to maneuver than chipboard alphas. Also the adhesive is better so they don't fall off like the chipboard letters. I was at a crop and my friend Becky donated these letters to me since I only had black alphas with me. 

The challenge runs until June 23 and the winner will receive 7 digital stamps from Bugaboo Digi Stamps. Please join us and link up your creation or just drop by Love to Scrap! to see all the other projects from the design team.

I'm entering this in:

The Crafty Bloggers Network - Challenge #12: Bright and Breezy

Make it Monday - #145 Anything Goes

Eureka Stamps - #44 Anything Goes

Mema's Crafts - June Anything Goes

Thanks so much for flutterin' by,