Hybrid: Text as Graphics

[[Warning: Whinge about to occur!! Ugh, so since moving to my new place, I haven't found a good spot in which to take photos of my pages. The photos are coming out light in some places, dark in others, the colors are always off and I just can't seem to figure it out! Honestly, and I hate to admit this, its half the reason why I'm not updating the blog. I know I'm too much of a perfectionist but it's seriously driving me nuts!!]]

Ok, now that I've got that off of my chest, I have a new page to share and a new challenge to issue. It's my monthly Hybrid Diva Ch{all}enge Masters prompt.

This month's challenge is to use text as graphics for your page. I managed to do this in a variety of different ways.

With the help of Word and some text boxes, I created this "fancy" title. I liked mixing the fonts and the text sizes for a more graphic effect.

I added this tab to the top of my page. It's a theme I'm going to stick with for awhile. I think since I didn't get to participate fully in Shimelle's Learn Something New Everyday class, I've subconsciously been tagging things as "learned" in my head for awhile. I thought this was a fun way to incorporate "life lessons" into my journaling and my pages. I'd love to have a whole album with the theme of life lessons.

And then I made some baseballs. And I'm LOVING these little guys. They were the launching off point for this month's prompt. They're cute, simple and super easy to make!

All you'll need is a block of text, a circle punch and I choose to use distressing ink, but obviously that's optional. Print your text, punch it out, distress or embellish as desired. Viola!

I hope you'll play along. And be sure to check out more Week 2 challenges this Sunday! (I'm a bit early) Thanks yall!

xxbesos

j.leija

Hybrid: Journaling Strips

Hello Dearies! It's me again. Shocker, I know. No one has missed scrapbooking and this blog more than me, that's for sure. But I finally feel like I'm getting a handle on that tricky work/life mix that has eluded me these past few months. I'm all moved into my new apartment, still in the process of unpacking and decorating, but I'll get there. And yesterday, I organized (as best I could) all of my scrappy goodness!! Thus, I was finally able to take some time to sit down and scrap.

Even without work and all of the things I've been doing, I still haven't felt as inspired to scrap. And I know it's because I'm bored with the troves of old photos I have, just waiting to be put on a page. They aren't inspiring me at the moment. So when Urijah came to visit last weekend and we got the chance to take him to the pumpkin patch, my scrapbooking was reinvigorated.

So here's my happy little pumpkin page! I had to compartmentalize my life a bit, and created this page for two challenges I'm issuing this month. One for Scrapbook Challenges, the other for Ch{all}enge Masters.

This month, I get to issue the By the Numbers challenge over at Scrapbook Challenges. Typically, I'm suppose to provide a "formula" or "recipe" of elements to include on your page, but, I want to do things a bit differently this month. Since signing up to do this challenge, that old song "1..2..3..4..5! Senses working over time" has been on repeat in my head. I looked it up, it's originally done by XTC but I know the covered version by Mandy Moore. I thought now would be a great time to challenge you all to create a page using the theme of senses. You don't have to use all of the senses, just pick one.

Urijah was only interested in patting the pumpkins, on our trip to the patch. He'd touch them and thump them and that was about as high as his level of interest would go. But now I have all of these great photos capturing him using his sense of touch. I choose a few choice tactile embellishments to highlight my touch theme. Like that great braided ribbon done by Making Memories. It's all nubby and a bit rough. I also used some textured cardstock and those glitter accents have a grainy feel to them.

So that's your challenge fellow Scrapbook Challengers! Create a page highlighting one of the five senses: touch, see, hear, smell, taste.

And now on to the Ch{all}enge Master portion of this duo challenge!! Since I'm the hybrid diva, I had to add some hybrid elements to the page. This month's challenge is a tried and true method of many a scrapbooker, the use of journaling strips. I had fun with these, varying the fonts, bolding things here and there, and then placing them in a non-linear way to emphasize the light-heartedness of the story.

I love how fonts can be a great visual element for emphasizing the story you're trying to tell. I wouldn't be doing my hybrid diva duties justice, if I didn't include a challenge using the variety and versatility of fonts!! So go to town! Mix them, bold some, italic others. Add Wingdings. And when you've cut them up and are placing them on your page have fun with spacing. Wrap them around a photo. Link them with eyelets. Get crafty!

Just to make it clear, this month's Hybrid Challenge for my fellow Ch{all}enge Masters is to incorporate journaling strips onto your page.

So that's the bit about the challenges, now on to the bit about the photos. As the journaling above tells you, we took Urijah to the pumpkin patch, only vaguely caught his interest and then lost it completely when he saw a dog being walked on the street. He loves dogs!! He set off trucking on his tiny little legs after it, as soon as he noticed it on the sidewalk. After that, he couldn't be less interested in those crazy orange things. But my mama was happy that we at least got a photo or two with him and some pumpkins.

Aaannd...I feel like I've done enough talking in this scattered and random post! So I'll just about stop now. I only want to add that if someone creates a page that's good for both challenges, link it up in the comments and you'll enter in for a chance to win a $10 gift certificate to the online retailer of your choice! Just as my little treat for the brave soul that chooses to tackle both :) And when you think about it, they aren't to difficult to combine. Just saying...

Happy Scrapping yall!!

xxbesos

j.leija

F{all} into a Ch{all}enge

Welcome to the Ch{all}enge Masters F{all} into a Ch{all}enge Blog Hop! The challenge Divas have gotten together to create some fantastic Fall themed projects for you to be inspired and enjoy. You should have arrived here from Katie's Blog (our resident Altered Art Diva). If not, then you need to start back at Tammy's Blog (Stash & Tag Diva). We all have a secret word that you need to collect to spell an autumn phrase and to be entered to win one of the grand prizes. All the details are on Tammy's blog and you don't want to miss out on any great prizes along the way as we all have something special that you can win!

Here's my project for the hop. I can't claim that those pumpkins were my original idea, I know I've seen them somewhere but can't for the life of me think where!! But they're so cute and so easy to make :) All I did I was punch some scallops out of cardstock, folded them in half and adhered them together. Viola! Cute and simple and quick (which is what I need right now) sweet lil pumpkins.

Now we are sending the ch{all}enge out to you! We want to see your fall themed projects! You can upload them to the Ch{all}enge Masters gallery. You'll need to sign up to the forum and while you are there we hope you'll have a look at all the great challenges we do every week! You have until midnite on Saturday September 25th to upload your project and then the winner will be announced a few days later! You can win a fantastic prize pack!

And just for commenting on my post, you could win this fall themed RAK!

Here's my secret word, be sure to write it down so you can submit to the big RAK!

And now you're off to the lovely Karen P's blog. I'm sure she'll wow you with her festive fall creation! Happy hopping yall!!

xxbesos

j.leija

Hybrid: Photo Frames

Happy Sunday!! The second Sunday of the month to be exact :) That means, a new hybrid challenge issued for Ch{all}enge Masters!!

This month's challenge is to use a digital frame to frame your photo. I've been experimenting with this a bit in the last few months, as I don't have many of scrapbook supplies at my disposal (what with the living out of a suitcase and all). It adds a certain pop, much more so than plain old cardstock!

And this photo needed to pop off of that beautiful (frame worthy itself) vintage botanical/aviary patterned paper done by 7 Gypsies. I used a vintage frame done by Rhonna Farrer. Now, I plugged my photo in digitally, but you could also print it out and adhere the photo "manually" (wow that's a weird of saying use your hands) as well. When I was done, I simply printed it out using my 4x6 photo printer, cut it out using my trusty scissors, added foam squares to the page to give it some dimension and adhered it to my page.

Now I love this paper but it is so flat. Which is why I wanted all of my embellishments to have some dimension. Thus the Thickers, that gorgeous Jenni Bowlin vintage pin, and the lovely floral/feather accent done by K&Co. (had to reference back the birds).

I feel like I've been taking a page out of Stephanie Howell's scrapbook, using a generic type photo and using it to tell a story. This story, is the one about Matt and I living in the same city for the first time since we started dating, 1 year & 10 months later. I know it's crazy! It's so nice to have him around on a day to day basis, to do all those random things together, to watch that store of movies that I've been wanting to watch with him. It hasn't been perfect, by any means. But I'm just happy to have a real life boyfriend, and not a Skype version!

So if you have a minute, play along with my hybrid challenge (please, please, pretty please!!) This month's winner will receive a kit from My Scrapbook Nook! Happy hybriding :)

xxbesos

j.leija

Hybrid: Words on Photos

I know! I know! I'm a tad bit late in posting this. But I've had the biggest mental block concerning this page. It could have something to do with the photo's significance. No! It definitely has something to do with that! I mean it's a photo of me, James and Patrick standing on the Great Wall of China!! If that's not a totally epic photo to scrapbook, I don't know what is.

I really wanted this photo to be the main focal point of this layout, so I felt that adding some text to it would immediately draw your eye in. I added this Remember Word Art from Ali Edwards because it truly encapsulates everything that I wanted to say about this photo, in a fabulously graphic way.

Which is why, as the Hybrid Diva over at Ch{all}enge Masters, I chose adding text to photos as this month's challenge.

And then the white text became a theme in this layout. I added some white letter stickers, and did my journaling with my handy white gel pen. It was late when I wrote it so it doesn't really make much sense but the jist of it was that not only did we get to see the Great Wall of China, but we also hiked it! A whole 10k portion of it. That's about 6 miles people! I can definitely say I've been up close and personal with that Wall.

It's hard to tell due to the quality of the photo, but as far as you can see in this photo, we walked. Up and down, twisting and turning with the wall itself. Let me tell you, those hills were KILLING me! There was literally a moment when I sat down and was like "James, I don't know if I'm gonna make it." But I did, I survived the walk!

I have so much more to talk about concerning this experience, but I'll have to save that for future scrapbook pages. Because believe me, this is not the last you will be seeing from this day! For now, I'm just happy to have this one page done!

xxbesos

j.leija

Wanderlust

Ah that word, don't you just love the sound of it! The romantic images it conjures, the street cafes, the cobblestone paths, lovely windy streets. It's also a word, I've recently learned, that not everybody knows.

This month's journaling prompt over at Ch{all}enge Masters is to use a definition on your layout. Figured with a word like wanderlust, it wouldn't hurt to define.

Wanderlust. noun. A strong innate desire to rove or travel about. Check, check and check!

I did much better with this whole kit thing, this go around. In fact, Stephanie's Wanderlust layout was my main source of inspiration and the very reason I purchased the kit in the first place! I loved her clean, simple and graphic design and did my best to make it work for my own style and photo.

I guess what I'm trying to say is, I liked my first kit. I'm not sure if I'll subscribe, since it is a travel themed one and I am a sucker for that particular theme, but I'm definitely considering it. What about yall? Do you subscribe to any kits? If so, which ones?

xxbesos

j.leija

{All} Week 3 Challenges

Back again with the Week 3 challenges from Ch{all}enge Masters! Let's start with the rules:

The rules for all of the Ch{all}enge Master challenges are as follows:

• Each submission must be a newly created project specifically for the challenge.
• Only one entry per category.
• Challenges may be combined, but each submission is one entry no matter how many challenges are entered.
• Each submission must be uploaded to the proper folder in our gallery no later than 11:59PM ET on July 31, 2010 to be eligible for the random draw.
• Each submission must follow ALL requirements of the challenge to be eligible for the random draw. For example, if the challenge states blue must be used, then there must be some blue in the project in order to qualify.

Calendar Challenge by Karen P

For my challenge you will create a layout choosing at least 2 things from each list below, now if you think of something that is not on the list but starts with the indicated letter, you may also use that.

Here is the list:
J-Jewels, Joy, Juice, Java, Jungle, Jingle, Journaling, Jump
U-Underline, Umbrella, Unforgettable, Unbelievable, Unexpected, Under, Ultimate, Up
L-Lavendar, Lilac, Letters, Lace, Laugh, Look, Love, Lazy, Limegreen, Layer, Live, Life
Y-Yellow, Yesterday, Yard, You, Year, Youth, YoYo

Journaling Challenge by Diana

This month we're going to try "journaling by definition". Make a layout on any subject you wish. The challenge is to choose one word that describes your layout and/or photo(s) and use the actual dictionary definition of the word on the page. You can use those definitions you have in your stash, or make it like I did is up to you.

Scraplift Challenge by Pat

This month I picked Suzanna's LO. I love the design, colors & the beautiful photo on this page. Please use this LO to get your inspiration. Have fun!

Sketch Challenge by Marianne B

This is my first time actually making up the sketch for you all here at CM so I hope you will like it and find it usable. Please feel free to make it your own since the finished product is going into your scrapbook! Please post your entry to the gallery and also into this thread! Enjoy!

Stamp Challenge by Anne

Take an existing stamp and look at it "outside the box" of what it was originally intended for. For example, your heart stamp can be used to make a shamrock or a flower or butterfly wings, etc. Please either include a photo of the original stamp (as it was intended to be used) or describe it really well so we know exactly what it was and a photo of your challenge. This challenge can be incorporated into a layout or made into a card, your preference.

Stash Challenge by Tammy

For this month my ch{all}enge theme is 'tool time'. I want to focus on those tools that we all have in our stash but are just collecting dust these days...you go to a crop or a class and they demonstrate the newest must have tool, so you buy it, try it out for a bit and then it just sits on a shelf..well this month I want you to get those tools out and actually use them! Maybe its a border punch, or a pair of decorative scissors, your Cuttle bug or a particular CB folder that you've not used in ages or sizzix, even your xyron sticker maker, look around I bet you have something just collecting dust. Blow it off and put it to use at least once this month! Make sure you let me know what tool it was! I'm curious to see what we've got just hanging around.

xxbesos

j.leija

Classic, Amurrica!!

As promised, here are a few layouts I created for Week 1 & Week 2 Challenges over atCh{all}enge Masters.

We're from Amurrica!!

"Amurrica" is said in a way that only Monica has mastered! It sounds something like a deep country hillbilly and it was a running joke with the group of us out in London. It's funny people's perceptions of Americans, you never knew what people were going to say when they found out you were American. For the most part, no one judged. They were just interested in talking to someone from somewhere different.

My British co-workers were very interested to know what the big hoopla about the 4th of July was about. And even more tickled to find out that all of the Americans were going to be touring the river Thames, in celebration of our country's freedom...from the British. Oi!

I pretty much threw everything and the kitchen sink onto this layout. The shiny-er, the glittery-er, the jewely-er the better!! It also plays into three of the challenges over at CM; Blade Master, Go Green, and Technique! I used the Martha Stewart Loops edger punch for the Blade Master challenge and created a pinwheel for the Technique challenge. But my favorite part is what I did for the Go Green challenge. Did you notice the Coca-Cola label at the bottom? Yeah, I cut into a Coke can and using my scallop punches, punched out tin cut outs. You can't get any more American than Coke!

I love this page! It's just so symbolic of America for me. How we're such a melting pot of nations. Poland, Ireland, Germany, China, Thailand, India, Mexico, Africa make up our heritages, but we're still all Americans!

Classic

I decided I needed to add a bit to my feeble little All About Me album (I think there's only maybe 4 pages in there...) so I took on this week's Book of Me challenge and also incorporated my Hybrid challenge. And to boot, I used Sketch 208 from Scrapbook Challenges as the basis for my layout.

This month's Book of Me challenge is to create a layout about you favorites right now. Don't know why or how I came to it, (actually I mis-read the Daily Grind prompt so I do know how...) but I decided to create a page about my favorite jewelry and make-up. The stuff I wear everyday!

I wrote about my ring, my favorite earrings, the necklaces my mama gave me and my favorite nail polish. And I printed it out on a transparency to satisfy the Hybrid challenge. The flowers were cut using my handy dandy Slice, crumpled them up to give them some texture and finished off with a Prima sequined center and a Making Memories Pearl brad.

See, our challenges aren't so bad. And you can combine a few to create some really interesting pages! I hope you'll stop by and maybe participate in a challenge or two :) Happy Scrapping!

xxbesos

j.leija

Summer Lovin'

This summer Ch{all}enge Masters is hosting a Summer Lovin' contest for a fun prize! A $25 gift certificate to the online store of your choice. Totally fabulous! Hate to say that the sign up for this event is closed but do be sure to check out all of the Weekly Challenges. Someone who participates in one of the challenges will win this month's equally awesome prize, a $30 gift certificate to your favorite online store! And the opportunity to be the July Monthly Master! I think that's pretty good incentive to participate in a challenge or two :) Check back tomorrow to see how I approached some of the challenges.

Best Day

This weeks challenge was to be brave and to cut up a photo in rectangles or squares. I remembered this sketch I'd found at Page Maps and thought it'd be perfect for a layout that needed a photo cut into squares! Figured this photo of Mama and I in Italy would cut up nicely, without chopping into our faces! I was very inspired by the colors of the photo, the yellow in my sweater, the blue in mama's shirt and that so bright green in the plant behind us.

As part of the prompt for this week, you'd get a bonus 40 points for using a mask on your layout. I have these favorite masks that I use over and over again, but the thing is, they aren't actually masks. Prima makes these great felt stems, that are beautiful in their own right, but just screamed mask to me the moment I saw them. I arranged them on my background paper and hit them with green, yellow and blue Maya Mist and outlined a few of the edges to give them dimension.

The title of this layout is actually from a song lyric of Taylor Swift's. I just got her album a few weeks ago and LOVE it! I think I know all the words now, I've listened to it so much. But this one in particular, for some reason, has been on repeat in my head. I'd already decided to use that photo of me and Mama when I realized that this song would be a great way to journal about us, this day and our propensity for giggling.

Journaling reads: "We were in Rome, touring the Papal Residence, soaking up the gorgeous Italian sun, and were just taking a break from all the walking we'd been doing. I have no idea why we were laughing. Who knows with the two of us! We're always giggling about something or other, which is why this is my favorite photo of the two of us. What a wonderful day to remember and what equally wonderful memories of so many seemingly small moments with my Mama."

"I love you for giving me your [Asian] eyes. For staying back and watching me shine. I didn't know if you knew. So I'm taking this chance to say...that I had the best day, with you, today."

Lifeline

Last week's prompt was to scrap about a tool you can't live without. I'm not the greatest with just scrapping random things, so I wanted to use something that was relatable to other areas of my life as well. My Mac laptop is definitely something I use for my scrapping, but was also a big part of my life while I was aboard. I call it and this page, my lifeline.

Journaling reads: "My roomate took this photo of me on my Mac, back in our very first flat in London. I'll say I was doing homework but Sarah and I both know that rarely happened in our room and only ever at the last minute. While I was abroad, that computer became a lifeline to home and the outside world. I emailed, chatted, Skyped, searched, planned, browsed, Facebooked and occasionally homeworked from that glorious machine. My baby? A (now vintage) 13 inch Macbook that I purchased myself when I was a senior undergrad. My first BIG purchase. It just wouldn't be right to create a scrapbook about life in London and not include something about my Mac!

Fun note: 3 of my 5 flatmates also owned a white 13 in. Macbook. They were always laying around the flat and you'd have to open all of them to find your own!

What can I say? I'm sentimental! But what scrapbooker isn't?! It's by far and away my most used tool for all things, scrappy and otherwise.

That Mac accent is about the most cutting edge as it gets in my scrapbooking. Can you guess how I did it? I painted it! Well, first I printed out the Mac logo and cut it out of a scrap sheet of paper and used it as a template. Then, I painted horizontal stripes in the colors of the rainbow. After, I inked the entire thing with Versamark and embossed over it with clear embossing powder. It gives it this great sheen. My one of a kind accent, that I'm so very proud of!

Disclaimer: please don't sue me Apple! I swear I haven't received any monetary compensation for this layout. But I am always looking for sponsors ;)

xxbesos

j.leija

{All} Week 2 Challenges

I'm back with the newest challenges from Ch{all}enges Masters! You have until the end of the month to complete as many challenges as you like :) And this week's challenges are just as good as last's! You can click on the challenge name and it will take you directly to that challenge over on Ch{all}ange Masters. Or you can click the the challenger's name and either visit their profile or blog.

Ad Challenge by Mary Jane

Last month, I received a JoAnn's ad in the mail that I thought would be perfect inspiration for some paper crafting. I wanted to use the shapes and colors on my own project and thought maybe everyone else would be able to find their own inspiration in this ad.

Blade Master Challenge by Cindy Blair

For this month’s ch{all}enge I want you to do a layout or card where you make your own embellishments and borders with decorative edges. You should be able to do this with scissors, punches, or die cutting machines. The only requirement is they must be your own, not purchased.

Color Challenge by Sally C

The color combo for this month: lime green/orange/aqua/purple. You may add a neutral as well: white/black/cream/brown but I'd love to see the colors listed as your main colors used.

Go Green Challenge by Jackie W

This week I want you to scour your KITCHEN. Go in there, take a look in the cupboard, fridge, etc. and see what you can find that you can recycle and use on your page or cards. You'll be surprised at what you can find :)

Hybrid Challenge by Me

My hybrid challenge for the month of July is to print onto something other than plain paper. In my example layout, I layered masking tape over my background paper and printed directly onto that. I think it has a really awesome texture and effect. I love that you can still see bits of the patterned paper vaguely underneath.

You can vary this challenge plenty of ways. You can print journaling, titles, digi elements onto transparencies, envelopes, brown paper bags, recycled packaging, canvas. Skies the limit!

Kitchen Keepsakes by Suzanne

Do you have special drinks that you usually only have in the summer time? Show me a layout with your favorite liquid summertime refreshment! Mine just happens to be my fav alcoholic beverages, but it doesn't have to be.

Recipe Challenge by Karen G

Here is your challenge for this month:

1 Butterfly
2 Photos
3 Papers (can be a mix of patterned and cardstock)
4-5 flowers

Additionally – I want you to think outside of the traditional journaling box and do something different with your journaling (put it in a shape, make it hidden with a pullout tag, make a pocket for it, whatever you can come up with!).

Surprise Challenge by Colette

One of my favorite techniques is to crop several smaller images and fit them into the space allowed for one photo. The images don't have to be the same size, you can vary them as you need. And, they don't even have to be all of the same event or time frame. In fact, the pictures I used in my example were taken randomly over the period of more than a year. But, there are a couple of guidelines to follow to make it work.

1. No matter how many photos you use, they need to fit into the rectangle shape you're working with. Meaning, they all need to line up around the outside edges. It's okay if they have to overlap somehow 'inside' the edges ... but, you're going to want them to appear as one photo that has a straight top, bottom and sides.

2. I find it's visually appealing if you have one photo that is dominant. Dominant can mean that it's larger than the others or perhaps it's in color and your other 'supporting' photos are black and white. This isn't a hard and fast rule ... but, it's good design to create a focal point, and that's true in this instance, too.

3. Mat your grouped photos. Having them all on a photo mat will make them appear as a single element. It will reinforce the appearance of a single photo in your page design.

The rules for all of the Ch{all}enge Master challenges are as follows:

• Each submission must be a newly created project specifically for the challenge.
• Only one entry per category.
• Challenges may be combined, but each submission is one entry no matter how many challenges are entered.
• Each submission must be uploaded to the proper folder in our gallery no later than 11:59PM ET on July 31, 2010 to be eligible for the random draw.
• Each submission must follow ALL requirements of the challenge to be eligible for the random draw. For example, if the challenge states blue must be used, then there must be some blue in the project in order to qualify.

So there you have July's Week 2 Challenges! Click on each challenge title to get ALL the details, as I simplified for the post a bit. Be sure to stop by and take a gander at all that's going on with the Divas! And perhaps participate in a challenge or two :) Happy Scrapping!

xxbesos

j.leija

Hybrid: Printing onto Tape

Hi, hello and welcome to my blog! If you've been before, know that I do appreciate you all so much. If you haven't before and this is your first time, well than a might big Texas "hi, yall" to you!

A little bit about me and my scrapping...Hi, I'm Jamie :) I'm 25, from Texas and currently living in San Antonio. I've been scrapping since I was 13, when I attended a Creative Memories party put on by an old teacher of mine. I've been hooked every since! For a brief time in college, I was an art and then a photography major (but ended up graduating with a business degree) so I have a bit of schooling in these awesome mediums! Fun facts, I've lived for various amounts of time in Spain, England and Thailand and L.O.V.E. to travel! It's my one true passion! I've been fortunate enough to have visited over 20 countries and have the goal to hit 30 by my 30th birthday. I also have a 14 month old nephew named Urijah whom I adore! He's my whole world so if you're ever wondering who that cute bebe is that I scrap all the time, it'd be him!

But enough about me, today I'm sharing my very first Hybrid Challenge for Ch{all}enge Masters! I'm so excited to be the new Hybrid Diva and hope that I'll help to inspire you all to think a bit more hybridly and maybe even help you bridge the gap between paper and digi scrapping.

Now if the term Hybrid is new to you, this is my not so technical definition. To scrap hybridly is to combine both traditional paper and digital elements into your scrapbook layouts. This can be achieved simply by printing out a title and including it on your page. If you print anything off of your computer and include it in a page, Bam! You've just made a hybrid layout.

My hybrid challenge for the month of July is to print onto something other than plain paper. In my example layout, I layered masking tape over my background paper and printed directly onto that. I think it has a really awesome texture and effect. I love that you can still see bits of the patterned paper vaguely underneath.

You can vary this challenge plenty of ways. You can print journaling, titles, digi elements onto transparencies, envelopes, brown paper bags, recycled packaging. Skies the limit!

This is a Hybrid layout I created of a day trip my parents and I took to Rome. We toured around Italy for 5 days, a few years ago when they visited me while I was living in London. Our home base was Florence/Tuscany but I coerced [read dragged] them around the country, determined to see as much of as it as I could. It was definitely a whirlwind trip but we had the best time!

I used two sheets of the Girls' Paperie On Holiday line for this 2 pager, perfect paper for travel photos! Also went for 8 1/2 x 11 page sizes which is new and different for me. Plenty of tape featured on these pages, loving how easy it is to use and manipulate.

Well there you have my first Hybrid challenge. Phew, glad that's over with. Wasn't too bad ;) I hope you'll play along or at least approach your next layout with a new idea to consider. Happy Scrapping!

xxbesos

j.leija