Christmas recap/using my Imagine/Valentine's Day

Happy Monday!
I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday weekend.  I had a wonderful time sharing with family and friends.  One of my favorite moments was the excitement in my kid's faces when they opened their gifts from "Santa".  I love how they look when they first wake up with their PJ's and messy sleep hair.

During the holidays I got an order for 2 identical 12x12 scrapbooks by Christmas Eve.  It was for a friend so I gladly accepted the challenge.  I created 36 pages in one week.  A bit challenging with two kids running around but they behaved great.  They even helped me out.  Here are just a couple of pages and images from the book.  I moved my Imagine machine to my craft area and used it throughout the book along with my regular expression cartridges.

On to Valentine's Day.  I'm not even near ready for another holiday, but as I browse through blog world I keep seeing more and more Valentine's related posts.  I'm not quite there yet but have some great ideas brewing in my head.  Will start posting soon.


Enjoy the photos and I hope everyone has a wonderful New Year.  All the best for 2011!!!

Liz

My love affair with.....

TWINE!  You're probably thinking why Twine? A while back ago I went to my local crafts store and saw it on sale. I had never used it before and thought I was probably wasting my money but I bought it anyway.  Months and months passed by and it just sat there in my ribbon stash.  This ugly and dingy roll looked pretty pathetic surrounded by rolls and rolls of beautiful ribbon.  One day among all that ribbon I couldn't find the right one for the project I was working on.  I grabbed the twine and the love affair began.  I use it all the time.  It's obsessive already...here are a few projects I've done recently...

Have you done any projects using twine?  I'd love to see them.

CLICK ON THE PHOTOS TO SEE THEM LARGER.  

It's all in the layering

Hope you're all having a fabulous Saturday!  Here's a page I made a few nights ago.  I used My Minds Eye paper stack.  I took a few patterned papers, layered them and voila!! I also distressed all my edges and inked them with "Vintage Photo" distress ink.  I added some embellishments and used the Cricut to cut out the "Happily" (Gypsy Fonts cartridge)  Here are some tips I found on scrapbook.com on paper layering...see photos after tips.  

Mix different size patters together - such as a one large pattern with a few smaller patterns.
*** Use consistent patterns with different colors - such as all stripes, all circles, etc.
*** Use patterns with similarities other than color - such as all geometric shapes - with one pattern being stripes, one being squares, one being circles, etc - or all plant themes - with a small floral print, a large floral print, a leafy print, etc
*** Use a solid piece of card stock to pull together several patterns using the same color.
*** Use patterns with subtle similarities - such as a striped pattern with thin black accent lines, a leaf pattern with black lines accenting the leaves, and a square pattern with thin black line accents.
*** Use patterns with the main colors within the same color family.
*** Put all your patterns on your desk beside each other - take three steps back and squint. If something sticks out like a sore thumb - remove that pattern and look again.
*** If you have a pattern you want to use, but it doesn't quite match, try changing it - for example if you have a few patterns with a yellow base color and one page that goes well except for the bright white in it, use your chalks to change the white to yellow!
*** When using bright patterns, if you like them together, but something just isn't quite right - try "inking" the edges white. It will soften the colors and give it a more unified look.

Materials

Distressing paper (I did this to all of them)

inked all the edges

Start layering

more layering...

and more layering...

one last layer..this is actually the
mat to my photo.

Add some embellishments and here you have it.  

Pockets, pockets and more pockets

Happy Friday!  Hope you all have a wonderful weekend.  I've discovered something new. (not new just never done it before)  Recently I was working on a scrapbook album and found myself with a bunch of receipts, tickets, brochures, room keys...etc   I decided to try implementing a pocket here or there and here's what I came up.  I couldn't help myself.  Every opportunity I had I added a pocket.  They're great! It really helps with spacing on your layouts.  

ENJOY!

Baby Shower Album

Happy Hump Day!  Friday is just around the corner.  Wanted to post this baby shower album I made last month.  The person who requested was going to give it as a gift to her daughter-in-law who is having twin girls.

Here are a couple of close up pics.

Sneak Peek!

Happy Tuesday everyone!  Hope you're all having a wonderful day.  Just a quick note to show you a sneak peek of a wedding/honeymoon album I'm making.  I can't wait to show you the rest!!  I used the sweethearts cart.  The swirl is from Tim Holtz.  I misted it to give it that nice copper shimmer.  Have a great day and Happy Scrappin"

Last one!! I'm done with weddings for now.

Hello everyone!  Happy Hump Day!  Been busy the last few days so I haven't had a chance to post.  So here's the last of the wedding layouts I made for my in-laws album.  I still have to print the pics.  Once I do that I'll post a slide show of the entire album.  It very very simple...its going to have 5 picstures.  One large one on the top right and then four smaller ones all around.  The pics are only of the couple in different poses.  I"ll post the finished one as soon as I have the pics.  If there's room for more embellishments I'll add them on there too.  Here you go enjoy.

Vintage wedding layout...lots of techniques

Hello!  Welcome to Thursday!  I can almost taste Friday!!  The weekend is within reach.  Just finished this layout on Wednesday night.  I started it Monday but couldn't get my "juices" flowing.  So I set it aside and picked it back up on Wednesday.  TA DA!!!!  It has a bunch of different techniques.  I'm pretty happy with it.  My mother in law is going to love it!

Here's the complete layout.I chalked with charcoal all around the pages and around every embellishment.  Added a couple prima flowers (also chalked around the edges and used Tim Holtz distress ink (VIntage Photo) to tone down the color.  Used the distress ink for the bottom border of the layout.  It gives it more of a vintage look. 

The Family Tree tag - I used Transparent embossing powder in some areas (it's actually kinda shiny but you can't see it in the photo.)  Also glimmer misted it with the Copper, tied a bow around it and added that nice big blingy(is that even a word) brad.   The next embellishment I simply used a distressing tool for the edges and then used Glossy Accents glue to make it look like an epoxy sticker.  On the top of the next page...It's an acetate with the sentiment.  I used a polka dot card stock behind also glimmer misted and distressed around the edges.

Simple layout/Easter eggs

Hello Everyone!  Hope your week is going well so far.  I can't wait until Friday and its only Tuesday.   I haven't had much time to make much these days.  My boys were keeping me busy with all their Easter activities.  Anyhow, here's a nice simple layout to add to my in-laws album and I couldn't help myself and added the eggs I dyed with my kids this weekend.   Enjoy!