Curious Cat

Someone was very interested in yesterday's layout shoot. So interested she climbed into the light box. Isn't see cute?! Still so tiny but we like her that way. And yup, her tail is that short.

cheers & besos,

Jubilee: Go See Do

Do you ever just completely lose your mojo? Just aren't feeling creative even one little iota? That happens to me sometimes. Its been happening to me the last few weeks!! (Which is not helpful as I'm putting together my Christmas cards...)

My head just wasn't in the game for some reason. I was watching crafty videos. Browsing galleries. Trolling Pinterest. But nothing!

Then I just made something. A layout...and a sacrificial one at that. It wasn't my finest piece of work but it also wasn't the worst. And with it out the of way, I was able to create this layout. 

Creativity is like a muscle, the more you use it the stronger it gets. 

Studio Calico's Jubilee kit came in the mail today (well yesterday, but I picked it up today). There's just something about receiving new goodies in the mail, and especially scrapbook goodies! I spread everything out to pour over it and then went to iPhoto to pull photos I thought would work. 

These snaps from my trip to Chicago this summer were the most inspiring to me. So I started there. I added a few of the brushes to the main one, along with text filling in some of the details.

I didn't know what I wanted to do with this page other than that I'd like to try out this design. Sam's (aka WaiSam) layout was what I had in mind. But I also had Jina Jean's layout pinned, which is where Sam's inspiration originally came from. All I went off of was separating my page into three bits, lining things up along the top and bottom edge and adding a simple title in the middle. 

I didn't look at either of their layouts until this page was finished. I didn't want to be very influenced. I just knew I wanted to try out this design!

This ended up being a no patterned paper layout, but I didn't mean for it to be! I even intended to use some of the Project Life cards. But once I started stamping and filing things in, I kind of ran out of room for any paper.

The title was the very last thing I added to this page. I made sure to cut out some of the fabulous designs that came with the kit & the class. I cut them all out of white cardstock with the intention that I would mist or paint or ink them. But of course I never do! There's just something about a crisp white.

Also, I only adhered the top loop of the "g" down so the rest would be floating. I like the dimension it adds.

Stamps, gelatos, sequins, printables, wood veneer, cork stars, mist splatters, hand stitching. I threw it all at this page. Circles are the primary design element since there's some great polka dots painted on these guys. [Link to article on the exhibition]

And, I didn't want to box out the page too much. Plus, I like circles! And there are some great circle stamps in the kit.

And so I think I'll call an end to my lack of mojo. Thank goodness!! I'm loving this page. I'm loving my new kit. And I'm loving that I'll have some down time this week to make some pages =)

In case I don't update before then, have a Happy Thanksgiving to all of my fellow USA-ians.

cheers & besos,

Superpower #2

Elephants are my favorite animal. Did I ever mention that? It's true. I love them. They're adorable and kind, intelligent and emotional. In my opinion, the best animals on the planet (aside from my kitten of course). They also have long memories. Which made them the perfect representation for one of my superpowers!

We all have superpowers. I have exactly two. Two things that I'm better at than the average person. And one of them is my memory. 

I was pulling out of a parking spot the other day, paying attention to my driving but otherwise zoning out. I must have been remembering something because it struck me as one of those "there you go again" moments. One of the times that something very old and totally random popped into my head. You see, my superpower even surprises me at times.

And I thought to myself, I need to make a page about that.

Here it is and I have to say I'm in love with my ellie! Isn't she gorgeous?!

As I was sitting there thinking about the page I would make, I knew that I wanted to have her pieced together from different patterned papers. Don't know why, but I knew that's how I would make her.

I purchased an elephant cut from the Silhouette store and edited & sliced it up into a bunch of pieces using the Silhouette software. I tried to make sure that most of the pieces were smaller than 2x2in so that it'd be easy to put down a bunch of 2x2in squares on the cutting mat.

I had just visited Archivers and grabbed a few sheets of the new Printshop line. So I was dying to cut into it. They have nothing to do with the theme of this page, and that's 100% ok with me. They're just so pretty all together!

I hand wrote my journaling directly on the page AND created my own custom cut with the help of my iPad and the Noteshelf app. This was the first time I had ever tried it and I love love LOVE how it turned out!

I opened up a blank sheet in the Noteshelf app, hand wrote "memory" a few times, saved and sent the photo to my e-mail, opened it up and traced it with the Silhouette, and then cut it out. It takes a few steps and is a bit more time consuming. But I think it's totally worth it. I'll never have to buy words again!

Let me know if its something you'd like me to create a tutorial for. Happy to do it!

And thus my love affair with the Silhouette continues. If you haven't bought one yet, you just might need to add it to your Christmas list!

cheers & besos,