8 1/2 x 11 Love

Bah! The colors in the photos are driving me nuts! They printed too dark and under exposed. I will most definitely be reprinting them here at home. So try not to let them distract you too much =)

I have a deep and abiding love for 8 1/2 x 11 sized layouts. There's just something about their proportions! I can't quite put my finger on it but they are definitely pleasing to my eyes. I wrote a post over on the Scrapbook Circle blog featuring the two 8 1/2 x 11 sized layouts I made with the You are my Favorite main and This was Fun add-on.

There are some master 8 1/2 x 11 scrappers out there. Off the top of my head I can think of Cathy Zielske, Mel Blackburn, Sasha Farina, & Marcy Penner.

Do you scrapbook in this size? Share some links in the comments if you're so inclined!

cheers & besos,

Summer Camp Challenge

I kind of can't remember the last time I was this excited to share a page! I spent a quiet Friday evening putting this together. 

Jennifer posted a fun challenge called Summer Camp in the Simple Scrapper Facebook Group. It was a re-run of a fun challenge/event the community did in 2013, before I joined. So this whole exercise was new to me. I had so much fun playing along!

Without giving anything about the challenge away, here's the direction I was given for my page:

Story Direction-Event or Trip
Page Background-White or cream cardstock
Paper Selection-No patterned paper
Journaling Style-Long column
Design Foundation-Asymmetrical clusters
Embellishing Rule-Mixed title work

I wasn't at all worried about not being able to use any patterned paper. And it definitely helped that my background was white cardstock. Because then I was able to create my own background with the help of mists and stencils and stamps!

It also meant that my photos and the colors I worked with really popped of the page!

Event or Trip was my assigned subject. I did one better and combined the two. The page is about an international music and dance festival we just happened to wander into when I visited Prague.

What better to scrapbook this adventure with, than my Ali Edwards "Go" Story Stamp & Kit. I loved all of the orange in it so I played that up as much as I could. I pulled out two journaling cards, just one of the chipboard pieces, the acetate geotag, plastic "go" and of course, the Story Stamps.

I used just about every last one of the stamp phrases and paired it with my Hero Arts Ombre Butter to Orange ink pad. It's subtle but I kept the ombre going when I stamped down in a long column on the left of my page. I sprinkled my journaling in with all of the stamping.

The embellishing included a lot of geotags and the stamped "awesome memory". I also mixed two sets of alphas and my own handwriting to create the title. The "go" could be considered part of the title, but really I see it more as embellishing.

I love playing along with challenges. The more restricted, the more I end up loving the pages. At least that's how it seems. This page is definitely evidence of that for me. I love love love how it turned out!

To my fellow Simple Scrappers, Jennifer posted the Summer Camp Challenge in the Facebook group on June 29 if you're looking for it.

If you're not a Simple Scrapper member, there's more info on it here.

cheers & besos,

Simple Scrapper

I have an important (and fun!) announcement to make. 

I'm one of the new Creative Team members over at Simple Scrapper!! 

I could not be more thrilled. I have loved being a part of the SS community these past 11 months. I've made so many pages and had so much fun doing it. AND, I'm so excited to be working with the incomparable Jennifer Wilson. She is so fabulous and wonderful at helping scrapbookers hone down what they love to do and helping them find time to do it!

I'll not extoll to verbosely on how I'm behind blogging (as per usual), but I put this video together over the summer in the hopes of doing a round up of all the things I had created as part the Simple Scrapper community. This was just one example of a page made with one of the sketches/templates you get as part of the membership.

Click here to see the variety of projects I've made as part of the membership this year. 32 to be exact (I'm a nerd, I have a spreadsheet…)

And Jennifer throws some really great events. We're gearing up for Holiday Focus just now. It's a free event that it's meant to act a holiday scraping support group, helping you focus and complete whatever type of project you're hoping to make this holiday season!

If you're even slightly curious about SS. I'd suggest signing up for Holiday Focus. It's totally free and a nice warm introduction into the group.

Simple Scrapper has become one of my little homes on the web. I have loved sharing with this group of ladies over the year. I'm beyond excited to be working as part of the team!

cheers & besos,

Hi 5!

Look at that cute little face. Yes, he's scowling but it isn't for the reason that you think! He was sooo sick. Like terribly sick. And we didn't realize that until he was already at the house. We hung out for a bit, ate some cupcakes and then took him home, I promise!

But let me chat a minute about this page. It's the last page I made using the Island Paradise kit. I made this for the layering challenge Tessa posted over on the Scrapbook Circle blog. This page features a TON of layering, as you can see.

I also used those cute foxes from the Tiki Torch Add-on. Can you see his fox folding chair in the background there? It's Urijah sized and adorable.

I built up my layers under the photo and on top of the photo and used a formula of layers in three different spots. I love how chunky it ended up being.

I hope you have a lovely weekend! I'm so excited for this three day weekend =)

cheers & besos,

Crossroads

I'm back into the swing of scrapbooking! But not back into the art of blogging it seems. I have so many projects to share with you all too. For now, I'll share this layout. It's up on the Scrapbook Circle blog today. I got to play with the Circle Round up challenge this month and of course the lovely Island Paradise kit and Tiki Torch Add on. You can read more about this page over on the blog!

Here's wishing you a fabulous beginning to the week!

cheers & besos,

End of my Twenties

I scrapbooked!! And I'm so excited to share a new page with y'all. You have no idea. I've missed scrapbooking and creative play, even blogging!

I wanted to play with the June Simple Scrappers sketches before the end of the month. This layout is based off of one. I loved all the hearts.

I've been wanting to do a "my favorites" page for awhile now. And knew I just wanted to use a cute picture of me. This photo of me and Mama at my cousin's wedding was the last one I took.

The theme of the page is my favorites at the end of my twenties. Just a few random things that I'm loving right now.

I ended up buying the Studio Calico Hello Hello scrapbook kit last month. It's the first scrapbook kit I've bought in awhile. I just loved the colors. It was fun to play with a kit for this page. Good prep for my new design team =)

 I used the SC Project Life stamps on this page. I waned more black and white elements on the page.

And that's all she wrote….about this page. I'm happy to be back guys! Can't wait to play & share more!

cheers & besos,

National Scrapbook Day 2014

Jennifer Wilson's NSD pages had me so inspired to use that fab SC NSD Mini kit! Here's what I came up with. I pretty much used the whole thing, with the exception of a few of the embellishments.

I've shared this on message boards and with my fellow SSers but I typically don't get to properly enjoy NSD. And that's because it's right around the same time as our biggest work event. This year I managed to squeeze in some scrapbooking on the day, but really I should have been working!

I've said it many times (4 times actually, as long as I've been working at the Consulate) but I've never scrapbooked about it before. And I really didn't want that wood veneer date to go to waste. So that's how I came up with the page

I wanted (and want to continue) to use project life cards on my pages. So I placed them around the page and tried to figure out how to incorporate them as photo mats. I knew from the beginning I was going to have to do a double page layout. It meant that was a lot of empty space. But I prefer white space to a busy over crowded canvas.

I think I used all but 2 of the SC NSD Stamp set. Love it when I get to do that! It makes me feel like it was a good purchase =)

I'm so happy with how this page came out. It was just fun to play around with pretty products, to see what came out.

cheers & besos,

The Burren

I love sketches and challenges and scrapbook recipes. But sometimes, I love just sitting at my desk and playing. That's exactly what I did with this page. I went looking through my Ireland photos to see what I wanted to work on and these immediately stood out. They weren't the most beautiful photos (I mean its Ireland for goodness sake!) but at soon as I saw them, I was flooded with memories. 

I knew when I sat at my desk that I wanted to do some stamping and these diamond stamps were my weapon of choice. Can you see what I was going for here? I wanted the diamonds to mimic the rocky cliffs. I used a variety of gray inks and some gray and silver embossing powder to achieve the look.

I really liked the monochromatic look and feel. It makes the blue in the photo really pop! For embellishing, it was just a few blue pieces here and there. I also doodled some diamonds with my pencil.

I hid my journaling behind the photos on a tag I made out of patterned paper. It's full of all the stories that happened in the 10 minute time frame when these pictures were taken. I also added an extra photo in the back. If you read the journaling you'll figure out why it's hidden.

It was so therapeutic to just sit at my desk to play. Add bits here and there and remember this day, this moment, this time with my friend. 

cheers & besos,

Blue Valentines

As promised, here are those blue valentines, one each for my Papa, my Popo and Grandpa by the River.

If they look similar to the pink ones from yesterday, then they should. I used the same basic supplies, only added a bit more mist to the one with the big die cut heart. I also handily used the positive space from that one die cut to add the “you”.

I have to tell you, washi tape continues to be one of my most favorite supplies. Its just so versatile, and of course, PRETTY!

cheers & besos,

Pink Valentines

I made some very special people valentines last week. These were so sooo easy to make. Washi + Die cut + Mist splatters + Twine and that’s all she wrote.

I was just so inspired by these great cuts and digital brushes from Studio Calico. They made these a cinch to whip up.  

The three of them are for my Mama and two Grandmas, such lovely adorable ladies who deserve some happy mail.

I also made a few for their male counterparts. But I’ll be share those tomorrow.

cheers & besos,

Color Swipe Cards

Quick share tonight yall, I'm anxious to get some scrapping in since I won't be around this weekend! 

I made some quick thank you cards for a few of the Studio Calico CHA crop challenges. I was inspired by Eyoung Lee's lovely cards. They're a bit similar but mostly different. I had fun making those color swipes! The color combo came from the Color Challenge.

I'm so excited that I got to use these awesome Evalicous stamps that Studio Calico put out this past month. I loved that little typewriter. I stamped it on the envelope and used a gelato to add some color.

For the card itself, I used a blue and pink gelato, some spray mist and paint for the swipes. Then I sprinkled some gold mist over the top. I made 12 of these cards in under an hour while watching the Golden Globes. They were so quick and so easy! And I love the bright cheery color. It really was a fabulous color combo to work with.

On the inside, I used that Evalicous stamp again and some neon pink ink to add a quick sentiment. I'm planning to handwrite thank you and include my note.

And now for an evening of Project Life-ing and some Downton Abbey. Tata!

 cheers & besos,

OLW 2014

I picked a word. Or maybe it picked me. I don't really know. I don't usually pick words because I never stick with them. But this one just wouldn't leave my mind once I thought of it, and I figure its a good point of focus for my year.

This year my one little word is open.

I had fun making this page using a Simple Scrappers sketch and the Studio Calico Antiquary kit that I picked up for cheap on the 2Peas For Sale or Trade Board.

I just joined Simple Scrappers and I'm so excited about it. I took Jennifer's Art + Science class at BPC and just loved her organized teaching style. She has me excited to play this year. You might just
consider joining in.

Oh and if you're wondering about my December album, I decided I want to film a quick video talking through the pages. So much easier than writing it all out. Look for that in the next few days!

cheers & besos,