Write. Click. Scrapbook.

In Review

This has been such a fun month. After mini month, it is always refreshing to be back to layouts and projects. And such amazing layouts we have had.

Kelly started us out with a burst of spring. Then Jenny helped us with our two page layouts, and Lisa sparked our imaginations for digging deeper into our project life albums. Then this week we got ready to say thank you to our teachers. 

 

With just 3 days until our new gallery, it is time to look back at our April gallery, Shapes.

This month's theme lends itself nicely to evaluating the layouts for design magnificence and skill. Let's go one by one and and pull out some design elements that work and which can help you create stronger layouts.

That's it! Please enjoy your weekend and your scrapbooking and we will see you Monday with a new theme week!

Scrapbooking Over the Fold Day 4: Embellishing and it's give.away.day. featuring ELLA PUBLISHING & BIG PICTURE SCRAPBOOKING!

Welcome back! Jennifer Larson sharing a few embellishment tips on two-page layouts before our giveaway.

 

I love embellishing. Love Love Love. The problem? On two-page layouts, there tends to be a lot of photos, so how do you do it without making the spread look too full? Here's some ways I do this on a two-page layout.

 

1. Visual triangle

The visual triangle is a classic, I know, but I admit, I love it. Here I used the speech bubbles to create a visual triangle that led the eye across the page, and gave some humorous side comments to the main journaling as well.

 

Diane Payne did a great job of creating a visual triangle with her stars, which were perfectly thematic as well!

 

2. Balance across the spread.

I learned this from Stacy Julian in her book, The Big Picture. She described a basic embellishment principle that has served me well: what you do on one side of the page, you should do on the other. I would add, with some asymmetry. On the left I added an embellishment cluster, and on the right I made the same cluster but smaller.

 

And here Diane Payne did the same thing: punched circles and dots on the less, the same but fewer on the right.

 

3. Go with very little embellishment.

You can see on some previous pages that I love embellishments; in comparison, on this page I haven't included many embellishments. I'm not crazy enough to go without--not me! Still, this page is mainly photos and strips of patterned paper, plus a stitched circle around the main subject in the big photo.

 

Christa Paustenbaugh was much more austere than I: just the pinked circle next to the main photo plus some tags and a button. Note the visual triangle!

 

This page by Marnie Flores is a perfect example of how stunning a page can be with few embellishments. Look at how beautifully the attention is drawn to the photos! Love the journaling on the photo.

 

And now, for the giveaway!

This week we are excited to have help for three of you!! First, one of you will receive a free copy of the Danielle Flanders' eBook from Ella Publishing, Embellishing Handbook.

Here is a little bit about Danielle's book. 

When it comes to embellishing, how do you know what should go where? And how do you know when enough is enough? Get help from Danielle Flanders' timeless tips for accenting and adorning your scrapbook layouts and cards. In this eBook, you'll learn Danielle's top five strategies for WHY we embellish:
● to establish a focal point
● to set a mood
● to reinforce a style
● to add character and creativity
● to incorporate texture

You'll also delve into her top five strategies for HOW to embellish more effectively:
● vary scale
● use repetition
● choose odd numbers
● create accent clusters
● combine patterns
Each embellishing secret is illustrated by two different projects—a beautiful layout and must-try card idea, all designed by Danielle herself. Get ready to embellish like a pro!

This ebook will certainly contain some strategies for finding places to embellish on your two page layouts!!

 

Next, another lucky reader will take home a free copy of May Flaum's new eBook from Ella Publishing, Fashionable Fast.

Here is a little bit about May's book.

You've heard of being fashionably late, but what about being fashionably FAST? Join the speediest scrapbooker on the block, May Flaum, as she joins forces with five of the fastest (and most fabulous) scrapbookers she knows in Fashionably Fast: 10 strategies for stylish, speedy scrapbook pages. This two-time author and popular instructor has compiled her 10 best time-saving strategies, which are illustrated by 20 gorgeous scrapbook pages and accompanied with 30 minutes of exclusive video instruction! See how easy it can be to accelerate your scrapbooking process without sacrificing artistry. 

 

And our third lucky reader will get a spot in Lisa Day's new class, 28 Days of Sketches.

Here is a little about the class:

Lisa Day is back with another round of 28 sketches! This time, in addition to receiving 28 daily sketches accompanied by layouts from Lisa, you will also receive exclusive layouts and cards from seven fabulous guest stars! This means that you will receive 28 brand new sketches and 56 exclusive projects to inspire you to create beautiful layouts and cards quickly.

Another exciting new addition is that in addition to the 12" x 12" daily sketch, you will see the sketch adapted to a double page layout and an 8 1/2" x 11" sketch. All this means MORE inspiration and MORE ideas of how to make a sketch work for you!

 

We hope these books and this class help your layouts come together more quickly and more beautifully. If you would like to be considered for our giveaway, please leave us a comment telling us more about your use of two page layouts. Do you love them? use them? Exclusively or never? Do you struggle with them? And if so, what part? We love gaining insight into your struggles so that we can help you resolve your issues!

Comments will remain open throughout the evening. Three lucky numbers will be selected at random and posted tomorrow morning. Please remember it is your responsibility to check back and to claim your lucky number before midnight Saturday.

Thanks again for coming! Tomorrow we'll share the lucky number and some journaling tips.

 

Scrapbooking Over the Fold Day 3: Number of Photos

Jennifer Larson again. I'm so glad you're here sharing more about scrapbooking two-page layouts! Today I'll write about the number of photos I use on a two page layout.

Total honesty: I've never scrapped a two-page layout with fewer than 3 photos. Maybe I did one with two photos once that I can't remember, but one or zero photos? Never. Still, one can scrap a variety of photo amounts with two pages, though the size lends itself nicely to scrapping a lot. Here's some examples of how I've scrapped different amounts of photos.

 

1. 0-4 photos

Like I said, I tend to scrap at least 3 photos on a two page layout. This one I used a one-page sketch from Studio Calico.To make it two pages, I looked at the middle of the sketch and sort of stretched it on either side. I hope that makes sense. Grouping the photos together made them look more substantial on the wide 12x24 spread.

More common for me: I stretch the photos out in a line. Here I made use of Pink Paislee's darlng photo frames to house my small photos and make them more weighty on the page.

This darling layout by Christa Paustenbaugh uses three photos on a two page spread. I love how the title goes across the white space on the starring photo! Plus, check out the banner of fun stuff along the side of the starring photo. So much fun.

 

2. 5-7 photos

This too is more common for me. Like I said before, I love lines stretched across two pages. I've heard once that's a good way to unify two pages, with something stretching across the span. Here I used paper and photos. Still lots of white space.

Another winter layout (Sorry! Snowing here today in Minnesota), this one by Diane Payne. I love so much about the page: the colors (not typical winter), the one big photo framed by smaller detail shots, the die cut paper bookending each side. So many design ideas!

 

3. 8-10 photos

A lot of photos, but doable with some breathing room. Since we went to Space Aliens restaurant for my son's birthday, I followed a space theme, making my photo mat planets and orbits.

And here's another page by Diane Payne, this time with 8 photos. I love how they are housed on polaroid frames, taped down by washi.

 

4. 11+ photos.

Otherwise known as a boatload, this is an amount I do rarely, but it's not too difficult. I trim the photos until they all fit across one block, filling in empty space with patterned paper and embellishments. I think there are about 23 photos on this layout. It leaves not much white space, but there is room for small embellishment clusters and a dramatic title.

Another page full of photos, and as a mother of boys, this one by Diane make me smile! I love how clean the page looks with so many photos stretched on the banner, and the pairing of the old and young photos on the bottom is terrific. Great ideas for scrapping school photos.

 

So glad again you could come back and visit! Tomorrow is a special day: I'll talk about embellishing, which I love!

Scrapbooking Over the Fold Day 2: Photo Selection and Size

Hello, Jennifer Larson again, sharing more about creating two-page layouts. Today I'll write about how I go about selecting photos to scrap and deciding how to size them.

 

First, photo selection: I keep a list of page ideas to scrap in my journal, but when I edit photos, I also figure out which pages I want to do. Based on the number of photos, I know if it will probably be a one or two-page layout. It's pretty simple: more photos or more big photos (I swear that's grammatical), I will do a two-page layout. Fewer photos or smaller photos means a one-pager.

In general, I look to see if any photos are "lead actors." Those I size bigger--4x6, 5x7, or larger. These photos will be the star on the page and should be bigger.

If the photos are "supporting actors"--providing detail and color but maybe supporting the story rather than being the star--those I print smaller: 2.5 square, 3 square, more rarely 4 square, or wallet sized. (NOTE: I don't print at home. I send them to a local developer online.) Sometimes a story might be all "supporting actors," sort of like the cast of Friends. It's the ensemble that's important in that case, not one photo above others, so those I print all the same size.

 

Next, more specifics about photo size. There are basically 4 types of photo sizes I use on a two-page layout:

1. A BIG photo with several smaller ones.

My local developer doesn't print 12x12 or 8.5x11 photos, so I can't do a photo on the whole page unless I send away for the photos to be mailed to me. Then I have to wait, and I hate waiting to scrap, so I rarely do that. My local developer DOES print 8x12, which I love. It doesn't fit the whole page, leaving some room for paper strips and embellishments, like on the page above, Around Town. I mostly added smaller photos plus one normal sized photo to complete this photo record of the places I go in my town.

On this page, I did something similar, this time with a people photo. I find this photo of my husband and son walking in the woods evocative, so I loved enlarging it to epitomize the lovely scene. (I'm pretty sure this is a Donna Januzzi sketch.)

 

2. Several 4x6 photos

I used pure 4x6 photos on this page about my beloved scrapping group, the Scrappin' J's, because to crop the photos would be to leave out details from our scrap retreats and shopping trips. It is harder to fit a bunch of 4x6 photos on a two-page spread, so when I want this to happen, I follow a hint I got from Angie Lucas at Simple Scrapbook years ago when I found the online scrapbooking community: I start at the middle, placing the photos there, and working outward until all the photos fit well and look good.

 

3. Tiny photos

This is an example of a page filled with supporting actors but no star. I didn't want to highlight one photo or one moment, so instead I tried to show the process where I documented my vacation via Instagram. To do so, I printed them all 2.5 square. (NOTE: I am not a Photoshop Elements expert, but I learned to make a 4x6 print that housed smaller prints by following this tutorial by Cathy Zielske. It's for a multi photo grid, but the concepts apply to fewer photos on a 4x6 print.)

 

4. Cropped 4x6 photos

(Please ignore the bent page; I have no clue how that happened!) Although a lot of time I plan on making a two-page layout when I'm editing photos, sometimes I print them and then decide on design later. That's the case for this page: I'd printed the photos then decided to use a sketch by Allison Davis. So I did what scrappers have done for years: trimmed the photos to fit the design, keeping the best photos the largest. (NOTE: The photo of my husband and me I took using the classic extend-an-arm technique. It's served me well for getting photos of me and my guy.)

 

Thanks again for sharing my process for selecting and sizing photos! Come back tomorrow when I talk about the number of photos I use.

Scrapping Over the Fold: Two-Page Layouts

Hello! Jennifer Larson here, sharing some of my favorite pages to make: two-page layouts. I make one page layouts, sure, but since I am a mostly sequential scrapper, I record a lot of events, and those pages always seem to have a lot of photos, which makes scrapping two pages easier for me.

 

Here's what I'll be sharing with you this week:

• Day 1 (that's today!): Two-page layout size
• Day 2: Photo selection and size
• Day 3: Number of photos
• Day 4: Embellishments
• Day 5: Journaling

 

On to today's topic...

Page Size

1. 12x12 spread

I have always been a 12x12 scrapper, so these are the two-page layouts I make the most. It's the size I did for this month's gallery page, Everyone's Favorite Meal. Advantages: you can fit a lot of photos, journaling, and product without it looking too squooshed.

 

2. 8.5x11 spread

I do this less often, selecting it when the photos I have would look cramped on one page (either 8.5x11 or 12x12) but would like like they were swimming swimming in a vast ocean on a 12x12 spread. I used this size on the above layout, Future Scientist. I had three 4x6 photos I trimmed a bit of their backgrounds, and when I tried making this into a 12x12 spead, there was just too much open space. If one can feel agoraphobic about a layout, that was me. When I trimmed the papers down to 8.5x11, though, it all looked Just Right.

 

3. 12x18

I got the idea for doing this type of two-page layout from write. click. scrapbook., I believe from Jody Dent-Pruks? (Loyal readers, correct me if I'm wrong and you remember who it was!). My albums are American Crafts 3-ring binders, which mean I can fit all sorts of pages in them. Why not put a 12x12 page next to a 6x12 page? I use this spread rarely, but it's good when my photos are too tall for 8.5x11 but too narrow for 12x12, like I did on this page, Lego Club. I used basically two horizontal stacks of 4x6 collage photos across the pages, then added only one 4x6 vertical collage to the left, the perfect amount and size for a 12x18 spread.

 

4. 8x8 spread

This is my least used two-page layout. With 8x8, I've discovered I need to have only small photos (wallet size, for example) if I want several photos on the page, and since I tend to use a lot of photos on most of my pages, I tend not to gravitate toward this size. Still, There's something sweet and intimate about this size. It's like a page in miniature! This layout, Family Outings, I made for a Big Picture Classes class with Lisa Day a couple years ago called, This is Me. It was terrific, and I was assigned to use an 8x8 sized album, so I got some practice making 8x8 spreads.

 

Thanks for reading my first day of two-page layouts! Please share in the comments which size of two-page spreads you tend to use, especially if there's a size I haven't mentioned!

scrapbook!

This is one my favorite times of year. Breaking out of the winter doldrums, and seeing the sunshine would be joy enough.  But it is also a time of peaceful interlude for school, sports, and family. A status quo month with few changes and few hiccups in the schedule. Which is a good equation for getting to scrapbook. And this month I have been so inspired by all the mini albums. I have lists of new journaling thoughts for layouts, and new colors schemes, and new design ideas. Looking through the minis also gave me some ideas for taking photo series. Oooh, I love percolating creativity!!

 

For our scrapbook! Saturday, we have our favorite three offerings: a sketch, a color palette, and a trend watch. Three more ways to inspire you and help move you to scrapbook.

 

THE SKETCH

This month, Diane created a sketch

based upon Amy's beautiful layout from her blogging week last month.

And look what our amazing team did with it.

 

Celeste stuck true to the sketch cleverly making a digital title that mimics a cut file. Celeste always has such nifty ways to incorporate trends whilst sticking true to her style.

 

Lisa made a vertical rectangle layout substituting one of the photos for a journaling card. I like how she striped the washi tape and stamped over the edges of the tags.

 

Monika also put a lovely and spring-y layout together. She added a matte around the sketch, and dropped one of her photos down. A fun twist on the sketch for certain.

If you would like to download a layered template you may do so here! Please leave us a comment if you take a turn with the sketch so that we might see your good works!

 

ROYGBIV

This month the color palette

is based upon Deb's mini album cover.

Doesn't it feel so current and trendy? I couldn't wait to use it on a layout! I have had these pictures waiting for something soft and light and black and this set of five colors was absolutely perfect!

I used the same kit that I used for my mini this past week. Being digital means I can use the color balance to match the colors on the palette. Teehee. So sneaky!

Did you notice that Deb and I used nearly the same arrow? Love that. Great minds, and all that... :)

TRENDING

This month I noticed many cut elements in our mini albums. There are lacy doilies, cut files, and laser cut wooden veneers. They remind me of acrylic chairs: add just what you need without adding visual clutter. I was excited to try my hand with some digitally created cut elements. (I know, I know, I could just use my Cricut, but I'm out of adhesive... :) ) I did the title and then decided it was the perfect thing.

I hope that you have had a fun Saturday! Thank you for stopping by! I hope to see your layouts when you are done!! 

Welcome, December!

It's December. Which means more good food, family gatherings, and a break from school for the kids. December also has a tendency to bring madness, and chaos, if you let it. Which we will not, right?? 

This month we return to December Dailies with each day a new author. We will have layouts, cards, home decor and more. All to help you through your holiday scrapbooking and preparation. It begins Monday with Celeste and a printable. You loved it last year, so don't miss it this year!! 

But for now, today is a new gallery! Did you see our new countdown banner? Do you love it? We do, too! And the countdown has ended which means it is time for you to see some new layouts!

This month, we are scrapbooking Our Favorite Photos. December can be very busy but those photos that we love seem to draw us in, no matter what the todo list, no? We hope you enjoy seeing some of our most favorite photos turned into favorite layouts!

As always, if you would like the see the layouts a bit bigger and to have the journaling to read, click over the photo album! Enjoy! And we always love your comments telling us how much you love us!

 

NYC After the Storm| Aliza Deutsch

12 x 12 | materials patterned paper (Basic Grey, Studio Calico, Echo Park, Lawn Fawn) + embellishments (Crate Paper, Amy Tangerine, A Flair for Buttons, Paper Source, My Mind’s Eye ) + stickers (American Crafts)

A Note from Aliza
In the days following hurricane Sandy, while we went a few days without some basic amenities, I was overwhelmed by feelings of gratitude for all that we usually have. I knew the experience would find its way into some layouts. So, you know, I made sure to photograph it.

December Fun Fact
It’s my birthday this month! 

 

Cherish | Vivian Masket

12 x 12 | materials cardstock (Bazzill Basics) + patterned paper (Crate Paper) + wood embellishments (Crate Paper) + ribbon (May Arts) + die cutting machine (Silhouette) + fonts (Pacifico, AL Uncle Charles)

A Note from Vivian
I really wanted to use this gorgeous baby-themed patterned paper with my photo but it didn’t match. A simple fix – I converted the photo to black and white, which enabled me to use these papers.

December Fun Fact
Is it wrong that I am already thinking about Christmas cookies when there’s still Halloween candy left?

 

A New Favorite I Christa Paustenbaugh

12 X 12 | materials cardstock (American Crafts) + patterned papers (Crate Paper, Echo Park) + stickers (Jillibean Soup, October Afternoon, American Crafts) + wood veneer (Studio Calico) + brads (Crate Paper, SEI) + die cuts (Maya Road, Banana Fish Studio) + chipboard (American Crafts) + flair (Ormolu) + buttons (Crate Paper) + tape (Bella Blvd.) + twine (The Twinery) + stamp (Banana Fish Studio) + embossing powder (American Crafts)

A Note from Christa
Since our move in May I have been making a conscious effort to put myself in front of the camera more often instead of hiding behind it. Even on those days that I don’t feel like I look pretty or have make up on or my hair done. My kids and family don’t care and just want to see me in those photos. This is one of my new favorites from a recent spur of the moment photo shoot. I treasure this photo!

December Fun Fact
Many people can’t imagine Christmas/the holidays without cold and/or snow. I’m luckily not one of those people! I’m looking forward to enjoying Christmas outside in my shorts and possibly a light sweater if I get cold. 

You're My Ocean & Stars | Celeste Smith

12 x 12 | materials digital kit (Ahoy Love by Audrey Neal, Retired) + tags (Toolbox Tags vol 1 by Gennifer Bursett, retired) + template edges (Beautiful Memories by Erica Coombs, retired)

A Note from Celeste
My favorite photos are typically staged photos that include both boys looking at the camera and smiling. It is rare to get the two of them in the same place, sitting still, and in a mood to cooperate! By converting my photo to black and white, I was able to make it work with the colors in this kit. My older son's orange shirt would have clashed terribly!

December Fun Fact
Christmas break is coming! 11 days to just veg out and re-read the entire Harry Potter series for the sixth time!

 

Joy | Monika Wright

8.5 x 11 | materials patterned paper, embellishments, stickers, twine (My Mind’s Eye) + paper doily (craft supply)

A Note from Monika
Even though I’ve scrapped this photo before, it just speaks to me. Even though we have tried to have more children since this photo was taken, this is our first official family photo as a family of five. My son is now taller than all of us and no longer lives at home, but we remain a family of five.

December Fun Fact
This photo was taken 6 weeks after our youngest was born and she just turned 7!

 

My Current Favorite | Lisa Ottosson

8.5 x 11 | materials patterned paper (Panduro Hobby) + embellishments (Dear Lizzy) + stickers (Websters pages, Pink Paislee)

A Note from Lisa
I went with my current favorite photo. First I thought that I might do a page about what I think are the most important photos, but I came to the conclusion that all my photos are important for different reasons. This one is important because it is my favorite right now.

December Fun Fact
I love photos! I do. I love taking them. I love looking at them. I love to play with them. I love finding them in thrift stores. I love photos!

 

Joy | Diane Payne

8.5 x 11 | materials patterned paper (Studio Calico) + embellishments (Studio Calico) + stickers (Studio Calico)

A Note from Diane
I've scrapped this photo before with a series of other photos but I love it so much I wanted it to be the main focal point of a page. From a technical standpoint, this photo isn't fabulous but I captured the excitement of the moment in this candid shot and I smile every I look at it.

December Fun Fact
Christmas is my favorite time of year. I enjoy spending more time at home with my family and always put up the Christmas tree right after Thanksgiving so we can enjoy the lights and decorations for several weeks.

 

These Moments | Jennie McGarvey

12 x 12 | materials cardstock (Bazzill), patterned paper (Lily Bee Designs, Echo Park) banners (Elle's Studio) stickers (American Crafts) stamps (Cocoa Daisy) Embossing Powder (American Crafts)

A Note from Jennie
I was holding onto this photo because I love it. It's not a masterpiece, as it was just taken with my iPhone, but it's the boys and I -- with true expressions in a lovely setting. I'm happy to have it and it's definitely a current favorite.

December Fun Fact
I am absolutely not a fan of the cold. Bad for a girl living in the midwest.

 

Oreo | Kathy Martin

12 x 12 | materials patterned paper (Pebbles) + alphabet stickers (American Crafts) + accents (Pebbles)

A Note from Kathy
My favorite kind of photo is the everyday kind that capture the little moments of our lives. While posed pictures are beautiful and there are so many great photographers today, I still prefer the shots we take at home. They aren’t always the best quality, but they are the real deal.

December Fun Fact
We currently have three cats, two parrots and two sugar gliders.

 

I've Grown | Francine Clouden

12 x 12 | materials patterned paper (Making Memories) + die cut butterflies (Making Memories) + glitter letter stickers (Making Memories) + journaling spots (Making Memories)

A Note from Francine
Since Kieran came along I take way less photos of myself. I know it's really important for me to be present on the scrapbook pages, so photos of the two of us are really special to me. I just need to try to take more like this!

December Fun Fact
I'm currently obsessed with Instagram. I know, I am late to this party, but better late than never right?

 

Love You | Amy Coose

12 x 12 | materials cardstock (Bazzill) + patterned paper (My Mind's Eye, October Afternoon, Lawn Fawn) + embellishments (Simple Stories, October Afternoon, Kaiser Craft) + stickers (Simple Stories) + Silhouette Cameo

A Note from Amy 
I don't have many pictures of my hubby and I so when I get one, it's very special. We snapped this one before a party and it's one of my favorite photos that we have together.

December Fun Fact 
I am a homebody by nature, so winter is one of my favorite seasons. I love having an excuse to stay in my warm clothes, snuggled by a fire, drinking coffee all day.

 

So Tiny | Valerie O'Neall

8.5 x 11 | materials kit (Studio Calico Poodle Skirt) + patterned paper (American Crafts) + die cut shape (American Crafts) + alpha stickers (Pink Paislee) + stamp (Studio Calico + Hero Arts) + vellum (Office Depot) + ink (Staz On) + other (striped washi, sewing machine, thread) + font (St. Marie)

A Note from Valerie
So tiny! Look at that perfect tiny, little hand! I thought it would be cool to use vellum as my background, so I printed out my journaling on a sheet and went from there. Everything is from Studio Calico's Poodle Skirt kit except for the washi and the vellum.

December Fun Fact
We always get a real Christmas tree every year. I think it's such a great tradition, and it's one less thing we have to store the rest of the year.

 

Captured | Sarah Pendergrast

12 x 12 | materials patterned paper (American Crafts, Studio Calico, Basic Grey) + embellishments (Studio Calico, Sodalicious, Basic Grey, American Crafts, My Minds Eye) + stickers (Jenni Bowlin, American Crafts)

A Note from Sarah
This month's theme was photos that matter. I chose this photo because I think it captured the love between these two in a natural unforced way.

 

 

30 Years Later | Katie Ehmann

12 x 12 | materials patterned paper (Studio Calico, Bazzill Basics, American Crafts) + embellishments (Studio Calico) + stickers (Studio Calico) + stamps (Studio Calico) + ink (Hero Arts)

A Note from Katie
This layout means a lot to me because last Christmas my sister, cousins and I re-created a photo that was taken 30 years ago. The idea that 30 years went by so quickly is both fascinating and frightening to me! I used my Silhouette Cameo for the title and backed it with POW paper to give it a little punch. All patterned papers and embellishments are from Studio Calico's Darling Dear line. I love how it works with the colors and vintage feel of my photo! I tucked some hidden journaling on the tag that says "pull".

December Fun Fact
I love December! Family traditions, holiday crafts, Christmas movies, Christmas presents, Christmas songs, Christmas cookies...you get the idea ;-)

 

You're My Favorite | Christine Newman

12 x 12 | materials cardstock (American Crafts) + patterned papers (October Afternoon, BasicGrey, Studio Calico, American Crafts, Echo Park) + vellum paper (Strathmore) + embellishments (Freckled Fawn, BasicGrey, My Mind's Eye, American Crafts, October Afternoon, Studio Calico) + twine (The Twinery) + stamps (Studio Calico, American Crafts, Freshed Baked Paper Goods on Etsy) + ink (Momento, Prima) + digital graphics (Lauren Grier, Elle's Studio) + die-cut machine (Silhouette) + font (Blackout) + Photoshop Actions (Totally Rad)

A Note from Christine
This layout has one of my very favorite photos of my husband Todd. He just looks so handsome. Plus, he was standing in front of Ghirardelli chocolate store in San Francisco. Which makes two of my very favorites in the same photo! :) This also might be the first time I've used a dark background for a layout. I would love to do more of them.

December Fun Fact
I hate shopping in the crowded stores in December, so I do almost all my holiday gift shopping online, or I make handmade gifts.

 

Brickmasters | Jennifer Larson

12 x 12 | materials cardstock (Stampin’ Up!) + patterned paper (My Mind’s Eye, Simple Stories, Pebbles, Jillibean Soup) + embellishments (Simple Stories, American Crafts, October Afternoon, Lego Club, Stampin’ Up!) + punch (EK Success) + chipboard (American Crafts) + ink (Stampin’ Up!, Jenni Bowlin) + stamps (Studio Calico) + fonts (Gill Sans)

A Note from Jennifer
The journaling says it all: I’ve taken the boys to Lego Club for the past three years, but these two photos are my favorites. I took them on my iPhone with Instagram, and I love them because of how grown up they look. And for the first time ever, I’ve used one of their Lego Club stickers they get but never use. Stolen for a good cause!

December Fun Fact
I always make a Lego advent calendar for Christmas. I buy two small Lego sets, about 250 pieces each, one for each boy. I made a Karen Foster drawer calendar for this, and every day I insert a clue into the day’s drawer. (My boys trade off days: my older boy gets odd days because his birthday is odd, my younger boy gets evens because his birthday is even.) When the boys figure out the clue and go to where the clue leads them, that boy finds a few Lego pieces. That lasts until Christmas, and on Christmas morning each boy finds the directions for the Lego set he’s been collecting under the tree. It’s so much fun for them, though they’re getting better at figuring out which set they’re getting.

 

Beauty is a Light | Amy Sorensen

12 x 12 | materials patterned paper (My Mind's Eye, Basic Grey) + large alphabet stamp (Close to My Heart) + small alphabet stamp (Studio Calico) + ink (Close to My Heart) + Sunshine in my Soul font

A Note from Amy
I read a challenge somewhere on someone's blog recently to let your children hear you compliment yourself. This layout grew out of that challenge—it really is something I need to work on. The photo has me, my mom, and my younger sister Becky; my daughter Haley took it for us. It's a photo that matters for several reasons to me, but mostly because I don't have enough pictures with me and the people I love. I need to work on that too!

December Fun Fact
I think dark chocolate Lindt truffle balls are one of mankind's best creations!

 

Sock Monkey Joy | Deb Duty

12 x 12 | materials patterned paper (Basic Grey) + stickers (Basic Grey) + stamps (Basic Grey, Technique Tuesday)

A Note from Deb
This layout is about one of my favorite photos from last Christmas. I love how Mason is smiling proudly with his sock monkey and Alec is still looking his over trying to decide whether or not he likes it.

December Fun Fact
I'll be finishing up my third year of Project Life soon. I'm excited to start again in January!

 

My Boys | Paula Gilarde

12 x 12 | materials Alison Solids (Maplebrook Studios) + Messy Stitched Borders Green No. 1 (Katie Pertiet) + Splatters No. 3 (Katie Pertiet) + Readymade Banners For Dad (Studio DD) + Essential Words No. 2 (Ali Edwards) + Wooden Alpha No. 5 (Katie Pertiet) + Doodle Do Frames No. 1 (Katie Pertiet) + Staple Its (Pattie Knox)

A Note from Paula
We had a photo shoot with a local photographer earlier in the year - this is one of my favorite shots, of my two boys.

December Fun Fact
I'm a big fan of advent calendars. One year we had 5 going at one time - I think that might have been a few too many though!

 

Every Single Day | Emily Spahn

8.5 x 11 | materials patterned paper (Pink Paislee) + chipboard alphabet (Basic Grey) + wood stars (Studio Calico) + stamps (Sodalicious, Becky Higgins) + pin (Maya Road) + tab (October Afternoon) + wash tape (MT) + sticker (Authentique) + mist (Studio Calico)

A Note from Emily
This is one of the hardest layouts I’ve ever made. This is my dog Maddie, who we lost this past January to Lymphoma. She was six years old. This photo was taken two days before she passed, exactly three months after she was diagnosed. She was suddenly so sick and weak. Her eyes were filled with sadness. It still breaks my heart to look at these photos, and this is the first time I have scrapbooked a layout about her since she’s been gone. She was so much more than a dog. She was our family…our baby. And, like the layout says, I miss her every single day.

December Fun Fact
December is a month of traditions! One of our favorite December traditions is going as a family downtown (Chicago), having breakfast, and visiting the Christkindlmarket. This year will be our sixth (or maybe seventh!!) year! I can’t wait!

 

Live Out Loud | Erin Sweeney

8.5 x 11 | materials patterned paper (My Mind's Eye, Basic Grey) + stickers (7 Gypsies) 

A Note from Erin
This layout is not new. In fact, it’s been posted here on wcs before. But I love it. And when I saw the theme was favorite photos I knew I had to use it again. I LOVE these pictures of my daughter Mackenzie. They are so her. They capture her spirit, her personality. And these pictures perfectly accompany the journaling, describing who Mackenzie was when these were taken. She’s five now, and still just as spunky!

December Fun Fact
Today I’m running a 5K with jingle bells on my shoes and reindeer antlers on my head. Merry Christmas!

 

Twenty Years | Emily Pitts

12 x 12 | materials cardstock (American Crafts) + patterned paper (My Mind’s Eye, October Afternoon) + journaling card, stickers, green alphabet stickers (Simple Stories) + chipboard alphabet (American Crafts) stamp (Kelly Purkey for Cocoa Daisy, Cocoa Daisy) + washi tape (My Mind’s Eye) + adhesive (Glue Arts, Recollections) + embossing powder (American Crafts) + pen (EK Success) + floss (DMC)

A Note from Emily
I was going to scrap a very old photo, but then I took this one and it captures the relationship my husband and I have so well that I had to scrap it instead.

December Fun Fact
My scrap loft is finally clean! It only took me a year, but it’s all cleaned and organized in a huge IKEA cabinet. I got rid of about 50 pounds of stuff in the process, donating and recycling it. I’m a much happier person. Over Christmas break, we are going to pull the white carpet out and install hardwood. I’m so excited!

 

Happiness | Marnie Flores

12 x 12 | materials banner (Michelle Underwood) + tape (Michelle Underwood) + ribbon (Michelle Underwood) + word strip (Lori Whitlock) + fonts (KG Ray of Sunshine, Letter Gothic)

A Note from Marnie
Favorite photos for me are often the last ones taken. I'm incredibly fickle that way. So when I went hunting for one that was more that just the most recent favorite, I remembered about this one. I love that it captures emotion. I realized as I was picking favorites that most are the ones that capture my kids just as I see them. A face, or a muted sound, or a look--just a little something that gets it right. I love that.

December Fun Fact
My kids have never ever ever wanted to sit on Santa's lap. Instead, we go to the mall with the second floor, and wave to him from upstairs. One year he waved back. They were five hundred and sixteen times more excited than I could have imagined. The write letters for the real Santa and feel no need to sit upon a strange impersonator's lap. Why sit when you can wave from afar? Silly mites.

Keeping you in Stitches: Free Hand Stitching

It's Jennifer Larson again, here to share one final day of hand stitching on layouts. Now that we're comfortable, we're going to be brave: we're going to try free hand stitching on our pages.

It's not really free hand stitching, mind you. That would be like this Lutheran girl walking into church early and sitting in the front row. No, we'll be planning, sketching, and piercing before we stitch. Still, the design will be our own.

Here's some of the ways I add free hand stitching:

1. Stitch a trail

I like butterflies. They move a lot, sort of like my boys. When I put a butterfly, or a bee, or something that moves, on a page, I draw a path and stitch it, either a backstitch or a running stitch. Make sure you make the path loop at least once, because that's crazy fun.

 

2. Extend digital patterns with stitches

I made this photo collage with Photoshop Elements prehistoric (Version 3?) and stamped flourishes on the edge. I thought it would look cool to extend the flourishes on the the page, so I hand drew and then stitched, linking the photo with the plants on the journaling card.

 

3. Make a thematic design

(Note: if you are afraid of spiders, scroll quickly down. Don't even pause.)

OK, I am scared of spiders, but this was a fun page to make. I hand drew the web and stitched it, and took the photo of myself with the page design in mind.

 

4. Connect two-page layouts with stitches

The sketch from Scrapbook Generation that I used for this page had the curve on the bottom of the photo mat. Since my page was about snow, I envisioned some swirls along the bottom as well. I drew them, then stitched, then added some die cut snowflakes blowing in the wind. (Note: I always use Scotch scrapbooking one-sided tape that I buy at Target to tape down the threads on the back of the page. Here I stitched to the edge along the middle, then taped that final stitch down.)

 

5. Create embellishments

This is another page I made using a Scrapbook Generation sketch. I hand cut the flowers from patterned paper, but they sort of blended into the background, so I hand drew some petal extensions, then stitched in white thread to make them pop. Oh, and I added some Algerian Eyes in the title O's too, because why not?

 

 6. Follow the design and stitch

This page is about my geekiness; I mean, my license plate says DETHSTR. When I finished the basic page, I thought the bottom of the page looked a little boring, so I added some running stitches to the bottom of the zigzags. To me, these look a bit like the bullet trails in Space Invaders (remember that game?). These stitches also separate the list journaling. And then I added some Algerian Eyes, sort of the Space Invaders as they explode. Kapow!

Thank you so much for sharing this week with me. I hope you enjoy adding some stitches to your projects like I do!

Keeping you in Stitches: Adding Details

Jennifer Larson again, sharing some of the ways I figure out how to add stitches to pages. But first, Happy Thanksgiving to all our American friends! We hope you have a day filled with family, love, and laughter. And good food, too! Don't forget to print out the gratitude cards for those gathered round your table today. It will make a quick and easy mini album for a Christmas present...

 

Getting back to stitches... How do you decide where to add details through stitching?

For me, I tend to focus on the three major parts of my pages:

1. the title
2. the journaling
3. the focal photo

When I add stitches, I want to add them to important parts of the page, so I start by looking at one of these three parts. Here's some instances where I stitched to draw attention to the title:

On this page, I put a stitcker under the title; unfortunately, it wasn't long enough for the whole title. I added some cross stitches to finish out the line and add texture.

 

I did something similar on the next page:

This was a fairly simple page, so I wanted to add some pizzazz. Since the page was about the 4th of July, a star seemed in order; since I have star punches, I used one as a template to stitch around the title. Just enough pizzazz!'

 

On the next page I added stitching to both the title and the journaling:

I hand drew the word "photos," punched holes, then stitched the title. To draw attention to the journaling, I stitched around the numbers.

 

Here I used stitching to draw attention to the focal photo:

I mentioned earlier this week that I like to stitch photo corners; I did this here.

I also added some cross stitches to the title and some embellishment clusters. When I started scrapbooking, a design principle that was emphasized involved making sure that embellishments were "nailed down" with buttons or brads to the page. (This might have been a reaction to sticker sneeze.) Cross stitches do the same thing, but less obtrusively.

 

Because I cannot get enough of stitched photo corners:

This page use iPhone photos, which were only OK--in darkness, sort of yellow. I think the stitched photo corners draw them together and make them seem a bit more formal and special. Which of course all photos are, even if they lack technical polish.

 

Finally, getting back to cicles, which I can't get enough of...

I do this technique a LOT, probably because I am not a terrific photographer (heh). When I want to draw attention to the subject in my photo, I stitch a circle around it. Here I had taken a photo of my son playing soccer at night, and the photo was just too dark and muddy. I loved the colors, though, and I wanted to record the memory, so I used my Bazzill circle template to stitch around my dude in the red hat.

I've had such a fun week sharing my stitching habits with you. Tomorrow we will be bold and daring and talk about stitching outside the box: stitching free hand!

Keeping you in Stitches: Templates

 

 

Jennifer Larson, back again, this time to share an easy and gorgeous solution for hand stitching on layouts: templates.

 

 

Templates make backstitching easy. You can add various shapes to your pages with a template. In particular, I love the Bazzill Stitching templates, though Stampin' Up! has come up with some nice templates too. Kinsey Wilson sells some that are made to order; I've never bought them, but they are very pretty. You could email her and ask about their availability.

Here's what I've done with templates that you could do too:

1. Use the templates as is

My favorite stitching template is the Bazzill Flourishes template. I love clustering elements, then using the template to punch holes and stitch around the clusters. On this page, my clusters went from the lower left to the upper right of the page. NOTE: you don't have to use the whole template.  I only used half flourishes on most of my stitches.

 

2. Use paper as a template

You can use patterned paper as a stitching guide: just stitch around the patterns that exist on the page, or cut them out and use them as guides on another page. Here I used a Jenni Bowlin piece of patterned paper that contained stenciled lettering; I outlined the letters and then paper pierced them and stitched for the title.

 

3. Use chipboard or wood veneer as a template

If you're like me, you have a lot of chipboard shapes left over that maybe you haven't used in a while. Those serve nicely as stitching templates. I also use wood veneer for a similar purpose. I had a wood veneer starburst from My Mind's Eye and used it to cut out patterned paper in that shape, then stitched around it for the sun. I also used a Bazzill flourish border template for the bottom border. Just for fun.

 

4. Use punches as a template

I have a lot of punches in various shapes, mostly circles. Since I'm having a love affair with circles right now, I'm using them a lot to stitch circles around number or just add them to various parts of the page. Case in point: this page. I punched patterned paper circles in various sizes, then put a slightly larger punched circle over as a template. That didn't work so well--my circle was never perfectly matched to the one underneath--but when I used the negative space as a template:

 

Perfection! I traced the circle perfectly around the punched paper on the page, punched holes, then stitched. Exactly.

These were just a few ideas for using templates to stitch beautiful designs easily and quickly. Tomorrow I'll share ideas on how to find the perfect place to add stitched details!