Write. Click. Scrapbook.

Memorializing the Fun

Halloween is one of those occasions that photos are nearly as important as the actual event! Perhaps it is that the costumes are often a once-in-a-lifetime wear. Perhaps it is the care and cost that goes into getting dressed for just one night. Perhaps it is the fact that it is a photo that can be compared year to year to see growth, and changes. And one photo will conjure up so many memories.

We want your photos to be successful this year, so here are a few tips from our team.

 

Take Your Photos Early

Jennifer lives in Minnesota where it gets dark early. Knowing that trick or treat photos aren't really possible, she does her photos early while there is still daylight. Though this requires a little extra planning, you will certainly be happier to have photos that are not underexposed or flashed bright white. 

And if you are concerned about your photos appearing too posed, ask your subjects to do something that their costume might do. The results may make you giggle! Look at Jennifer's boys...

... and Amy's kids.

Capture Your Pumpkin With and Without Sunlight

Capture your jack-o-lanterns in the sunlight, so you can see the detail of the carving. Then take one without your flash at night (set your camera down on the ground or on a tripod to hold it more still) to get the magic of the flickering lights. Katie takes hers after the trick or treating is all wrapped up. A nice end to the evening.

 

Repetition Repetition

When she got out years of photo to create her mini album, Monika noticed that she had photos of her husband applying her son's Dracula make-up and then photos of him applying her daughter's kitty cat make-up years and years later. She was struck by the passage of time. How quickly it goes and how comforting to see things stay the same.

In looking through her pumpkin carving photos, Marnie noticed that no matter how much her kids change, there are things about them that always seem the same. She giggled at the repetition and how glad she was to take a hundred million shots each year so that she has the in between faces, too. 

 

Take Advantage of Porch Lights

Don't forget to watch for interesting porches along the way. They can make for terrific backdrops

and provide wonderful lighting.

DOWNLOAD AND BACKUP

Marnie has twice lost Halloween photos due to computer malfunction, and once to a stolen camera. She suggests backing your Halloween photos up to a third party source that night and then printing a copy for good measure. And never travel with a camera with film in it. Oh, wait. None of us use film anymore. :) 

 

Spooky Edits 

And just for fun...

We know we have told you about PicMonkey before. Right now they have all sorts of Halloween edits. Look at the fun you can have!

 

Fun, gruesome, or downright disgusting, they have a little for everyone!

 

We hope you have enjoyed Halloween week! We would love to hear from you to learn what you loved best! Don't only 12 days left--don't wait too long to order your costumes and stock up on your candy!

It's Who We Are

We are scrapbookers. We may use our products to decorate our homes, create cards, or generally make stuff, but what we really do, and love, is scrapbook. Here are some Halloween layouts to inspire you to create your own. Cheesy theme paper not required. Orange and black not required. Photos not even required. Just you and a story to tell or a photo to preserve. Add in some paper and embellishments and an amazing layout is right around the corner!

 

COSTUMES

Celeste

 

Celeste

 

Diane

 

Valerie

 

EmilyS

 

PUMPKINS

LisaO

 

Diane

 

Deb

 

EmilyS

 

EmilyS

 

EmilyS

 

MINI ALBUMS

Remember how Katie made that amazing wall art with the October Afternoon Witch Hazel line? Well, she also put together a Halloween mini album that is awaiting its pictures. Look how amazing this is! Much like a December Daily, but for Halloween. It really is more fun to scrapbook the season beforehand when you are really in the mood. And not after when you have emotionally and mentally moved on! Perhaps Katie's album will inspire you to create your own!

 

And once you have an album for this year, why not make another for years' past like Monika did?

Wow! What a show! What a team! It just doesn't get better! Thirteen ways for you to document your spookiness! Seems like such a good number for the occasion!

Thank you for stopping by! Tomorrow is Thursday AND give.away.day. Yeah, baby. It's going to be a great one! See you then!

Something Spooky This Way Comes

This week we are getting you ready for Halloween! All week we will be bringing you ideas for your home, your kids, and your scrapbooks! Let's get our spooky on...

 

Home Decor

Halloween lends itself to the most wonderful decorations. It's got to be the luscious colors of autumn combined with the dark shadows of Halloween. And nowadays, Halloween papers are filled with graphic scrolls, flourishes, and elements that make possible items that are grown up and kitsch free.

Diane put together a Halloween cone with a piece of patterned paper and some holiday frill. Add a timepiece, a pair of sparkly bats, some candy, and it just doesn't get better.

 

Using the same fringe, Diane coordinated her candle decor. This is a quick way to dress up your candles for the season, and it's easy to switch out once November comes.

Here is a closeup so you can see the glitter and the pennant.

Having fallen in love with the new October Afternoon Witch Hazel line, Katie used the stickers and some papers to put together this amazing wall art.

We knew you would want a close up. Isn't it adorable? (in a spooky way, of course!)

And speaking of wall art, Paula and Marnie made some too! Paula rocked the web by making every section a different pattern. First she used her Silhouette to cut out the spider web and then she added each of the patterns by hand. Truly a work of art.

 

For her, not nearly as elaborate, but still festive print, Marnie searched online for dictionary pages with Halloween on them. She found one, downloaded it, and used it as her background. Adding a digital flourish from Echo Park and the word "boo" she printed it on regular white cardstock. 

Here is a closeup.

Then for a bit of whimsy, using two parentheses, a digital black cat, and a new favorite font, Marnie made a 4x6 print that she put in the backside of a $1 frame from Ikea.

 

Perhaps Halloween decor is fun as we just don't take the holiday too seriously. How could you take a candy holiday seriously? All those candy corns and bitesized snacks... Mmm. Did I make you hungry?

Tomorrow we will be back with some projects you can do with your kids! See you then! And if you have any Halloween home decor you have made, we would love to see it in our Flickr gallery. We will be checking all week and featuring your week here Friday if you want to add some in!

Welcome, October!

Welcome, October! We are officially entering holiday season. This month brings Halloween, and then it is just a quick few weeks until Christmas! Okay, okay... I know. Let's not panic!

This month we have lots of fun in store! First, for the remainder of this week we have some very special guests. Deb Duty will be next, followed by our first collaborative theme week of the season to help us get in a spooky mood. Teka Cochonneau will be finishing up our month. Can't wait!!

And now, let's have a drumroll as it is 

A new month always brings a new gallery! This month, our theme is Pinterest Made Me Do It! For the past year, Pinterest has swept the online community. For scrapbookers, it is a dream come true as it is just so completely visual! With just a click, you can see specific loveliness. We thought you might like to see how Pinterest impacts us and affects the pages and projects we make!

Don't forget that there are now two ways to enjoy the layouts. You may scroll below, or you may click over to the photo album! The layouts will be full size in the photoalbum and the journaling will be available there, too! But again, you may stay right here and get a taste of each layout. Enjoy!

 

Sweet Girl | Katie Ehmann

12 x 12 | materials patterned paper (Crate Paper, Kesi'Art, Basic Grey, American Crafts, Hambly, October Afternoon) + embellishments (October Afternoon, Studio Calico, Ormolu, Prima, Kaiser Craft, My Mind's Eye) + stickers (American Crafts) + vellum + typewriter

Inspired by this pin. The original source may be found here.

A Note from Katie
I loved the circles in various muted tones and shades. I decided to go with a more monotone approach and only used colors that coordinated with my photo. I covered some of the punched circles with vellum.

October Fun Fact
While summer is my favorite season, I love October in Michigan. Pumpkin patches, cider mills, jumping in leaves, and Halloween are a few of my October loves. Plus, our neighborhood holds a scarecrow contest which is super fun and I most certainly plan on winning this year!

 

 

The View | Lisa Ottosson

Inspired by this pin.

A Note from Lisa
This page just happen to be inspired by one of Diane Payne's layouts! I have had it in my "Paper" board on Pinterest for a while and I love the tags with the journaling.

October Fun Fact
Do you know I have a series on my blog called From pin to reality? Yes, it is where I actually use all the cool stuff I pin to good use as inspiration! 

 

 

Life With a Brother is More Fun | Deb Duty

12 x 12 | materials patterned paper (Studio Calico, Authentique, October Afternoon) + embellishments (Studio Calico, October Afternoon) + letter stickers (American Crafts, Pink Paislee, October Afternoon) + stamps (Studio Calico, Basic Grey)

Inspired by this pin. The original source may be found here.

A Note from Deb
I chose this layout to scraplift because I love the layers and the messy look. I did some misting and for the first time distressed the edges of my paper!

October Fun Fact
I am getting ready to go to my first crop in about 15 years!

 

 

Four | Diane Payne


12 x 12 | materials patterned paper (Jillibean Soup) + embellishments (Jillibean Soup, Pebbles, Inc., Divine Twine)



Inspired by this pin. The original source may be found here.

A Note from Diane

I thought the colored tiles with the paint swatches below made a great design for a layout and used it as a sketch. I substituted bold bright colors for the subtle hues and added my photo, jounaling and embellishment cluster to right of the design.


October Fun Fact

October is my favorite month of the year!

 

Spring Recital I Christa Paustenbaugh

12 x 12 | materials cardstock (American Crafts) + patterned papers (Jenni Bowlin Studios) + stickers (Jenni Bowlin Studios) + plastic flower (Jenni Bowlin Studios) + chipboard (Jenni Bowlin) + jewels (Making Memories) + stamp (Jenni Bowlin)

Inspired by this pin. The original source may be found here.

A Note from Christa
I loved the quilted look of this Pinterest piece and wanted to replicate that in part of my layout. I cut 2” squares and cut them into triangles to all fit together in the same pattern as the quilt. I then stitched it to look more like a quilt effect.

October Fun Fact
This is the first year we won’t have to worry about it being too cold on Halloween to wear non long sleeved costumes. Living in a sub-tropical climate has its advantages, one of them being short sleeves and shorts while going out trick or treating!

 

On My Mind | Jennifer Larson

12 x 12 | materials cardstock (American Crafts, Bazzill) + patterned paper (Studio Calico, Echo Park, My Mind’s Eye, American Crafts, Kesi'Art) + embellishments (Studio Calico) + stickers (American Crafts, Pink Paislee) + punch (EK Success) + circle cutter (Coluzzle) + ink (Jenni Bowlin) + fonts (Times New Roman)

Inspired by this pin. The original source is here.

A Note from Jennifer Larson
I am a wonderful pinner-from-Pinterest but a lazy creator-from-Pinterest. As a result, I purposefully scrolled back to find inspiration from one of my oldest pins. I found a pin from the Indigo Bunting back from March, which made me want to scrap a page of what’s on my mind, using the various-sized circles as inspiration.

October Fun Fact
I will be running in my fourth 5K this month, which is definitely on my mind right now!

 

Smile | Valerie O'Neall

12 x 12 | materials cardstock (American Crafts) + vellum (Strathmore) + markers (Copic) + stamps (American Crafts, My Mind's Eye) + snapshots tag (Elle's Studio) + stamp ink (Staz On)

Inspired by this pin. The original source is here.

A Note from Valerie
This layout was inspired by a camera illustration by Dan Gnelding of Grayhood Design & Illustration.
This was such a fun challenge! It was actually a little hard to narrow it down and find the one pin I wanted to use as inspiration. I also had a lot of fun trying out this new technique with the vellum and Copic Airbrush System that I've had in my head for awhile. It worked almost as well as I imagined.

October Fun Fact
I just finished reading Kisses from Katie by Katie Davis. LOVED it! I want to buy multiple copies and lend it to everyone I know.

 

Inspired by Pinterest | Kathy Martin

12 x 12 | < b>materials card stock (Bazzill Basics) + patterned paper (My Mind’s Eye and Teresa Collins) + embellishments (Fancy Pants, Love My Tapes, My Mind’s Eye, Pebbles, Tim Holtz)

Inspired by this board.

A Note from Kathy Martin
I’ve been keeping a crochet and knitting board on Pinterest even though I don’t know how to do either. Just a couple weeks ago I decided to take the plunge and found a YouTube tutorial saved on my board and taught myself to crochet.

August Fun Fact
I finished the scarf and look forward its snuggly warmth around my neck this winter. I’m currently working on a blanket and I’m a quarter of the way done!

 

Cusp | Francine Clouden

12 x 12 | materials patterned paper (Dear Lizzy, Amy Tangerine, American Crafts) + chipboard stickers (American Crafts) + stickers (American Crafts, Amy Tangerine) + stamp (Dear Lizzy) + brad (Amy Tangerine) + masking tape + baker's twine + mini clothespins

Inspired by this pin. The original source is here.

A Note from Francine
As soon as I saw this ad on Pinterest I added it to my inspiration board. I just loved the large photo with the hanging tags, twine and mini clothespins. The great thing about inspiration is that you don't have to use everything, just the elements that stand out to you, You will notice that my layout has nothing to do with the holidays.

October Fun Fact
I'm looking forward to cracking open the first butternut squash from our garden this month.

 

Milo | Celeste Smith

12 x 12 | materials digital kit (Daydream by Tracy Martin at One Story Down) + alphabet (Noted Alphabet by Valorie Brown at One Story Down) + font (Traveling Typewriter)

Inspired by this pin. The original source is here.

A Note from Celeste
When I saw these pretty stitched cakes, I knew I wanted to use a white on white stitched background on a page. I love how the stitching gives the background some nice texture and draws the eye from the top left corner to the heart of the page.

October Fun Fact
Last year, Halloween was cancelled in our town due to a crazy early snowstorm that downed power lines and trees. The boys were so unhappy. They can't wait to get to trick-or-treat again this year!

 

NYC | Paula Gilarde

12 x 12 | materialscardstock (Core'dinations) + embellishments (Jillibean Soup twine and buttons) + stickers (Cosmo Cricket, October Afternoon, Studio Calico)

Inspired by this pin. The original source is here.

A Note from Paula
I've always been a collector of memorabilia. Even before I started scrapbooking, I used to save my tickets stubs and bits and pieces from places I visited. I occasionally try to incorporate one or two into my layouts but when I saw this layout by Amanda Jones on Pinterest, I was inspired to use ALL the ephemera I collected from our trip to NYC. It's a fun way to remember everything we did. In fact, I liked it so much that I pinned it twice!

October Fun Fact
I'm looking forward to the return of chilly weather so that I have an excuse to spend time indoors working on all the crafty projects that I've pinned!

 

be-YOU-tiful | Teka Cochonneau

8.5 x 11 | materials patterned paper (Jillibean Soup, Sassafrass) + embellishments (Jillibean Soup, Studio Calico) + stickers (Jillibean Soup) + stamps (Studio Calico) + washi (October Afternoon)

Inspired by this pin. The original source is here.

A Note from Teka
Pinterest is one of my favorite inspirational sites. I use it for ideas for backgrounds, colors, quotes, tutorials and so much more. Today I wanted to use a title from a cool quirky sign that is originally from Etsy.

October Fun Fact
October makes me want to cook. For some reason I crave curry when the weather starts to cool.

 

Rides | Vivian Masket

12 x 12 | materials cardstock (Bazzill Basics) + patterned paper (October Afternoon) + flashcard (October Afternoon) + washi tape (October Afternoon) + stickers (October Afternoon) + die cutting machine (Silhouette) + font (Typenoksidi)

Inspired by this pin. The original source is here.

A Note from Vivian
I love the look of confetti, but I find the mess of it daunting. I solved that problem my creating reverse confetti. I used a Silhouette cut file that contained multiple different shapes and then simply backed it with a vibrant patterned paper to create a fun confetti-look background for my layout…with one-step gluing rather than gluing down a hundred pieces of confetti..

October Fun Fact
October is my favorite month of the year. It always brings both our first snow and lots of days in the 80s (sometimes after the first snow!). The colors are just gorgeous everywhere we go.

 

Today | Alexandra Sirugue-Macleod

8.5 x 11 | materials paper and stamps (Penny Black) + glassine envelope and tag (Staples)+ paper clip (Target) + alphabets (Quickutz)

Inspired by this layout.

A Note from Alexandra
I love Laura’s fresh style and was inspired to lift the design of her page. It is an 8 1/2 by 11 inch page and it bears the same title "Today." The stamp and patterned paper (Madison collection)are from Penny Black. I used white ink and white embossing powder to stamp/heat emboss the border (Puzzle Parts) over a wash of water colors. The glassine bag is adhered underneath the stamped image and allows for more journaling to be tucked away.

October Fun Fact
While attending the Sorbonne, I worked as a bookie every morning!

 

More | Amy Sorensen

12 x 12 | materials patterened paper (Crate Paper, Echo Park, Pebbles) + alpha stickers (Basic Grey) + pennants (Silhouette) + fonts (Origin, Cafe Rojo)

A Note from Amy
My layout was inspired by two different pins. The first one wasn't actually pinned in Pinterest though! I first clicked on this pin that Lisa Kisch had pinned to the WCS Write board. Then I followed the link to the original website, The Handmade Home, and while browsing her blog I found this post (which has a funny bit about comic sans), which introduced me to the font Cafe Rojo. When I saw it I was like,hmmmmm, that looks just like a Basic Grey alpha sticker. So I dug around in my drawers until I found one. (These happen to be from their Lemonade line but there are several Basic Grey stickers that match this font nearly exactly.)

Still with me?

My next step down the inspiration path was to this pin also done by Lisa in the WCS Write board. I loved the repetition of the word "more," so I went digging through photos to find some that would work. The thing I loved about this process is that I might never have scrapped these pictures, because they're not very good—bad indoor lighting and grainy results. But they fit so well with the idea that I went ahead and used them anyway!

October Fun Fact
Back in September I told you I'd be trying to finish my son Kaleb's dinosaur quilt. I didn't quite manage to finish it, but the entire top is pieced and I'll start quilting it soon!

 

Shaved Ice | Erin Sweeney

8.5 x 11 | materials patterned paper (KI Memories, Scenic Route, Studio Calico, My Mind’s Eye) + stickers (American Crafts)

Inspired by this pin. The original source is here.

A Note from Erin
I pinned this game to my Halloween board since I’m starting to gather ideas for Mackenzie’s preschool Halloween party. I drew my inspiration from the buckets - replicating the circles and placing them on top of strips of patterned paper, just as the buckets are on rectangles of concrete.

October Fun Fact
My baby has just turned 2, which means I officially no longer have a baby, but rather a toddler. Let the terrible two’s begin!

 

Scenes | Emily Spahn

8.5 x 11 | materials {Gossamer Blue kit}: patterned paper (Bella Blvd, Jillibean Soup, October Afternoon) + alphabet stickers (Webster's Pages, Jillibean Soup, Prima Marketing) + buttons (Bella Blvd) + die cut tags (Chic Tags) + washi tape (Bella Blvd) + twine (Lawn Fawn) + cardstock (American Crafts) + border punch (Fiskars)

Inspired by this pin. The original source is here.

October Fun Fact
October is a month that I have a love/hate relationship with. I love everything about fall…apple picking, the pumpkin patch, football games, etc. However, I do not love that we tend to be busy with said fun activities every single weekend! We are definitely a busy family that's always on the move! But, I wouldn't change it for anything…before we know it, the snow will be here!!

 

Rockin’ Her Birthday Duds | Sarah Pendergrast

12 x 12 | materials patterned paper (American Crafts) + embellishments (October Afternoon, Studio Calico) + mask (Studio Calico) + mist (Studio Calico)+ stickers (American Crafts Thickers)

Inspired by this pin.

October Fun Fact
I’m secretly jealous of my daughter’s obsession with everything “rockstar.” I can only wish I was as “cool” when I was a kid! I have a feeling though she’ll eventually end up like me, a sporty nerd. ;)

 

Count | Emily Pitts

12 x 12 | materials cardstock (Bazzill Basics) + patterned papers, alphabet, stickers (Simple Stories) + floss (DMC) + chipboard (Maya Road) + embossing powder (Prima) + thread (Coats & Clark) + pen (EK Success)

Inspired by this pin. The original source is here.

A Note from Emily
I am not a huge fan of the hexagon shape, but pull it out like this and I find it really cool. I knew it would be easy to replace one of the hexagons with a photo, but was worried how to do that with the precision it required.

AH HA moment—a template! I hand cut an elongated hexagon that would fit over the photo, traced it in the middle of a large piece of paper and then cut it out again so I’d have a template to use when I cut the photo so it would fit perfectly in the shape. I used the same template to create all the shapes, hand cut them, and then moved everything around until it looked right.

I wasn’t too sure how to place my title, I usually don’t block one like this, but by leaving the top left and bottom right of the design open so you’d have a visual place to enter, see the title inside the shape, move to the photo, and then exit through the other space. I am happy with how it turned out.

A hand-stitched title supported the playful feel I was going for, and the happy and energetic repeated pattern is fun, kind of quirky, and full of life, very much like my daughter and her dear friend.

October Fun Fact
If my life were a movie, I’d want Drew Barrymore to play me. I also really like the subjunctive tense.

 

Our New Normal | Marnie Flores

12 x 12 | materials patterned papers & elements (Crystal Wilkerson) + font (KG Call Me Maybe)

Inspired by this pin. The original source is here.

A Note from Marnie
I loved all the colors and the banners and well, just everything about Nicole's layout. I added in a place for journaling at the bottom because I just didn't want to detract from that top left hand corner white space!!

October Fun Fact
Last summer, Costco had a lifesize skeleton guy for sale. My kids convinced my sweet spouse to buy it (something which I am sure took all of .01 milliseconds!). Today is the day the scary guy gets to come play. They are soooooo excited!

 

Dare Greatly | Marnie Flores

8 x 10 | materials patterned papers (Crystal Wilkerson) + ruler (Lori Whitlock) + elements (Jen Barrett Designs) + font (dropping tears sans)

Inspired by this pin. The original source is here.

A Note from Marnie
The beauty of Pinterest is that once you find something you love, you click on the designer and then suddenly lose yourself and fall in love with all sorts of other things. Then you try to make one just like it. Then you realize that you need to just be yourself. Then magic can happen. Just need to let go. That's the hardest part.

Before we go, we wanted to let you know that one of our partners is having a sale! Blurb is offering 15% off any book you create with promo code FALL15OFFBOOK. As the cold weather season begins, a Blurb book makes the perfect indoor project for the entire family. Plus, with Blurb, you can create a photo book by uploading your Instagram and Facebook images! Don't let your pictures sit in a camera. Capture your favorite moments today and create a photo book that you can cherish for a lifetime. Enjoy creating your Blurb Book today! Be sure to click through the link to let them know we sent you!

That's it! Another amazing gallery from our equally amazing write. click. scrapbook. team!Thank you, dear readers, for stopping by and please leave a comment for our designers letting them know how much you loved their layouts!

In Review

Hello and welcome to our final September Saturday! We have had a wonderful month here and hope that you have had as well. While we love our Summertime Dailies, our week long author weeks are near and dear to our hearts, and this month has been spectacular! Marnie got us off to a good start with a week of preparations for a "new year." Then Francine provided us all with a much appreciated photography skills week. Monika spearheaded an inspirational week demonstrating the many uses of twine which lead us right into this technique week filled with Kathy's amazing talents, hints, and suggestions.

And as if that wasn't enough, we had our Saturday workshop challenges. Did you practice adding in details as per Amy's helpful article? Or maybe you were inspired by Lisa's monthly photo challenge? You still have a couple of days before the calendar changes to put together a plan for the month of October... Lastly, Marnie brought you three more page starters, with a sketch, a color combo, and a design trend.

It really has been an incredible, information-packed, inspiration-filled month.

Before we welcome October, as with each month's end, today we are taking one last walk back through our gallery. Let's look back at Looking Back!

 

This month we are going to maintain our lists, but with a twist. Using our gallery layouts, we've put together three lists of ten things we can try on our layouts.

1. make a list of things that you mightn't have expected from your life Diane
2. find a childhood photo and let your mind wander. spend 10 minutes recording memories. Vivian
3. write about something that affected you greatly Celeste
4. find a childhood photo. write down the thing that first comes to mind. Deb
5. relate the story of a skill that was acquired Erin
6. find a then and now photo pairing and record the changes Christa
7. write about a recent event as if it had happened longer before. see how (if) your perspective changes. Alexandra
8. record things about your older children that their younger selves would have loved Amy
9. compare and contrast a photo from now with a photo taken on the exact day two years earlier. Marnie
10. document your ongoing (or everchanging!) food loves Francine

 

1. use a now and a then photo Francine
2. find an photo that you haven't scrapped that shows a snippet of real life Emily
3. gather a selection of photos that span a year and use them all on one layout Jennifer
4. use a photo more than 15 years old Monika
5. find friends who have shown up in photos over the years. put the photos all on one layout. Paula
6. enlarge a closeup photograph Teka
7. find a photo from the same day two years earlier. use both on one layout. Marnie
8. ask your parents for a photo of you as a child with your grandparent(s) Kelly
9. go take a photo of a place you used to live/visit/spend time (even if it doesn't look the same) Katie
10. take a photo of your rearview mirror or side mirror to help emphasize a reflective layout Diane

 

1. use a graphic element three times in varying proportion Katie
2. mask and mist Valerie
3. punch an element out of your patterned paper and then use the punched piece elsewhere on the layout Lisa
4. use patterned paper that helps tell the story of your layout Kathy
5. use a calender element on a page about change Christa
6. use varying shades of the same color Sarah
7. try out a new size Alexandra
8. trim your photos and papers in varying sizes of the same shape Jennifer
9. keep all your page elements in a central column Teka
10. use two primary colors and one secondary Deb

 

30 more reasons to scrapbook!! And to help you create some fun pages we have a new printable for you that accompanies our theme of Looking Back.

You may download it here. And for extra points, see if you can name the tv show that inspired the 90s tag!

Have a terrific weekend and we will see you back Monday for our brand new gallery!

Layouts featuring The Twinery

All this week, our write. click. scrapbook. members will be showcasing projects, layouts, cards and altered items featuring baker's twine from The Twinery. I've had a sneak at what will be featured and you're going to love it all! 

 

It seems that we're not the only ones in love with baker's twine from The Twinery. Happy Tuesday...Monika back again today with my teammates Amy Sorensen and Katie Ehmann. Goodness, do we have some goodies to share today.

 

LAYOUTS 

 

What's not to love about Katie's layout. Not only did she highlight the photo of her sweet daugheters, she used baker's twine as part of her title treatment and as extra splashes of color. Buttercream is used on the button, Mandarin is wrapping the journaling cards and Charcoal is used to spell the word Love.

Using what I think is all 22 shades of The Twinery baker's twine, and attaching the strands with tiny staples, Katie allowed her journling cards to do her journaling for her. Clever. Unless she's hidden her journaling on the shipping tag and isn't telling us!

 

 

Amy always weaves perfectly composed journaling into her layouts. Her commitment to telling her family's story is evident in every page she creates. Again, a rainbow of baker's twine on this layout. Says Amy, "I used the twine in one of my favorite current ways, which is filling in a big space with contoured rows of twine. I started by drawing a wave shape with glue, and then just started adding twine and glue, twine and glue, until the wave was filled. I also did this with the round spot on the yellow square." Perfection.

 

 

Here, Monika simply wrapped strands of Denim, Marschino, Marigold and Peapod around her cardstock border sticker.  

CARDS

Katie has featured one of The Twinery's newest shades, Strawberry, in a card that has so many uses. Hurry, pull out all your 1 inch wide scraps and whip up a few cards so you'll be prepared when it counts. 

 

And here are a few cards that Monika created. They both use Buttercream baker's twine. The first example has the twine wrapped around a punched scallop shape. 

 

AND ONE MORE

Amy has created a fantastic project that is just so perfect for the Season...how darling are these sugar-crystal pumpkins, wow! And what's even better is that her daughter created the friendship bracelet stem on the tall pumpkin. I do love a mother-daughter craft project! Amy's also an exceptional quilter and I bet she made the quilt featured in her photo.

 

 

Amy is featuring a tutorial for her sugar-crystal pumpkins on her blog today, just for you. 

 

Until tomorrow,

 

 

 

write. click. scrapbook. is pleased to have had the opportunity to team up with The Twinery in creating our projects this week. Connect with The Twinery on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Flickr.

The Twinery's twine is made from 100% cotton, it's eco-friendly and made in the USA. Whether you're gift wrapping, crafting or tying up baked goods to give to a friend, their baker's twine adds a fresh, yet nostalgic look to any project at hand! Baker's twine from The Twinery comes in 22 delicious colors and is uniquely twisted against a bright white hue, creating an eye-popping burst of color and a creative embellishment! And all that color lends to a fun, candy-striped look. 

Welcome, September!

September is here. This month, not only will the leaves begin to change; so, too, does our format. We hope you enjoyed this year's summertime dailies. A delightful smattering of technique, permissions, and inspirations, our summertime dailies are a carefree schedule for a carefree season.

But school is back in session and so are we! Our weekly author series return beginning Monday. This month, you can look forward to the reading the wit and wonder of Marnie Flores, Francine Clouden, Monika Wright, and Kathy Martin.

They have four weeks of top notch content ready for you--we look forward to seeing you each day as you stop by for some scrapbooking fun and learning. If you haven't already, you may want to consider subscribing to the our feed, then you won't miss a thing! Just click the subscribe button up there and to the right in the grey navigation bar!!

 

A new month always brings a new gallery! And this month, the theme is Looking Back. September seemed the perfect season to look back and document a change, a memory, or something that you hadn't yet. We hope you enjoy our layouts! And now, you have two ways to enjoy the layouts. You may scroll below, or you may click over to the photo album! The layouts will be full size in the photoalbum and the journaling will be available there, too! But now, you may stay right here and get a taste of each layout. We hope that allows you to comment on the projects more easily and to let each designer know how much you appreciate the time and effort they spend to bring you a little artistic love! Enjoy!

 

The More Things Change | Francine Clouden

12x12 | materials patterned paper (October Afternoon, Studio Calico, Crate Paper) + chipboard stickers (October Afternoon) + stickers (Glitz Design, Authentique) + Bingo Card (Jenni Bowlin) + button + spray inks

A Note from Francine
This page documents Kieran’s abiding love for hummus. He is 8 months old in the first photo, and 21 months old in the second. Looking back at the first photo from the perspective of the second is when I first realized how much he had changed from being a baby!

September Fun Fact
I can’t believe I am saying this but I am actually looking forward to cooler autumn days. Not winter though, never winter!

 

 

Little House | Katie Ehmann

12 x 12 | materials patterned paper (Echo Park, My Mind's Eye, Tim & Beck for Studio Calico, Simple Stories) + embellishments (My Mind's Eye, Studio Calico, Freckled Fawn) + stickers (American Crafts, October Afternoon)

A Note from Katie
I took this photo of my grandparent's old house a few months before it was demolished. I spent much of my childhood visiting this house, and am so grateful that I have these memories documented. I hand cut the big patterned paper heart with pinking shears and then cut it again, flipping the outer heart to make the contrasting border. I used wood veneer hearts as embellishments to tie the theme together.

September Fun Fact
I love September because it is the start of the college football season and I get to watch my alma mater, the University of Michigan Wolverines play in The Big House! There is nothing like cheering them on with over 107,501 screaming fans! Go Blue!

 

 

Looking Back | Diane Payne


12 x 12 | materials patterned paper (October Afternoon, Pebbles Inc.) + embellishments (October Afternoon, A Flair for Buttons, Studio Calico, My Paper Shop, Milky Way Jewelry, Whisker Graphics) + stickers (October Afternoon, Basic Grey)



A Note from Diane

With the theme this month I thought it would be fun to reflect on where I've been since I was a little girl and what I wish I would have done a little differently along the way. I hope this layout will give future generations a better idea of what I find important.


September Fun Fact

When I was a little girl, my parents took us on two week long summer vacations by car. It brings back fond memories for me and is probably why I love road trips so much!

 

 

Remember | Emily Spahn



8.5 x 11 | materials {Gossamer Blue kit}: patterned paper (Echo Park, Pebbles, My Mind’s Eye) + cardstock (Stampin’ Up!) + buttons (October Afternoon) + resin flowers (Prima) + chipboard buttons (My Mind’s Eye) + chipboard alphabet (American Crafts) + twine (October Afternoon) + die cut (October Afternoon) + metal flower (EK Success) + journaling sticker (My Mind’s Eye)>



A Note from Emily

A long time ago I printed out a bunch of 5x7 photos. I don’t know why I love this one so much…something about the “everyday-ness” of it all. It’s even more special now, as our dog in the photo passed away earlier this year. I love recording these simple ordinary memories.






September Fun Fact

September is my favorite month. It’s my birthday month, but I especially love it because it signals the beginning of fall! I can’t wait for sweater weather, football games, changing leaves, and all of the other amazing parts of fall.

 

 

First Father's Day | Valerie O'Neall

8.5 x 11 | materials cardstock (American Crafts) + patterned paper (Sassafras, My Mind's Eye, and Crate Paper) + circle tags (Elle's Studio) + mask and mist (Studio Calico) + alpha stickers (October Afternoon) + stamp (American Crafts Dear Lizzy) + other (buttons, shipping tags, twine, and date stamp)

A Note from Valerie
I don't have a school-age child yet, so I decided on this photo to look back on from my hubby's first Father's Day. I started with a very neutral black and grey color scheme, but a little color ended up finding it's way onto the layout.

September Fun Fact
I'm canning for the first time ever this year. I've had a garden for four(?) years now, but this is the first time I've had enough excess for canning and been brave enough to try it.

 

 

Then - Now | Lisa Ottosson

8.5 x 11 | materials patterned paper (Amy Tangerine) + embellishments (Sweet Shoppe.com Kristin Cronin-Barrow, iloveitall on etsy)

A Note from Lisa
Late August always makes me look back on the year and several years as my daughters birthday is August 31st. This year she turns 13…

I wanted to quickly add that the now and then circles are from a digital kit that is called For the love of: conversation. It was bought at Sweet Shoppe.com.

Also, when I went to look for older photos of Myrra (the dog) and Stina (my daughter) I couldn´t find any although I know we have several. I really wanted to include some of them on this page, so I dug out our old home videos and took screen shots! The photos are terrible of course, but the memories are surely not! The older photos are held in the glassine bag.

September Fun Fact
Right now I am freaking out about officially being a mom of a teenager!

 

 

A Day to Remember | Vivian Masket

12 x 12 | materials cardstock (Bazzill Basics) + patterned paper (October Afternoon) + mini-album pages (October Afternoon) + die cuts (October Afternoon) + stickers (October Afternoon) + chipboard (October Afternoon) + pen (Sakura) + font (Typenoksidi) 




A Note from Vivian

Mini-album pages, used as both a journaling spot and patterned paper, helped me to pull this layout together quickly.

September Fun Fact

I created this layout while on vacation at my parents’ house, not far from the beach where this photo was taken.

 

 

Third Grade 2012 | Jennifer Larson

12 x 12 | materials cardstock (Bazzill) + patterned paper (Pebbles, October Afternoon) + tags (Elle’s Studio, Studio Calico) + stickers (Pebbles) + floss (DMC) + templates (Bazzill) + pen (Zig)

A Note from Jennifer Larson
I am terribly behind on school photos. Rather than going back over a year to create layouts for each milestone event, I put them all on one page, using a circle ( and many more circles!) to symbolize the year.

September Fun Fact
I teach high school English, and let me tell you, the teachers are just as nervous and excited on day one as the kids are!

 

 

here's the story | Celeste Smith

12 x 12 | materials kit (One Little Bird & Sahlin Studio Worn at The Lilypad) + masks(Robyn Meierotto Cut It Out at Design House Digital) + stitching(Robyn Meierotto In Stitches Neutrals at Design House Digital) + frame (Kitschy Digitals Vintage Photo Frames at Kitschy Digitals)

A Note from Celeste
This is the last photo I have to my mom and dad with me. We weren't much of a photo taking family. I wish I had more! Unfortunately, this story is a little sad. My father is now having chemotherapy and has a long road to travel. We are hoping for the best!

September Fun Fact
My oldest started middle school this year. It's amazing I'm excited and nervous for him all at the same time. Let's hope he catches on to it quickly - he's my forgetful one!

 

 

8 Years | Kathy Martin

12 x 12 | < b>materials cardstock (Bazzill Basics) + patterned paper (Little Yellow Bicycle) + embellishments (American Crafts, Jillibean Soup, May Arts, Bella Blvd)

A Note from Kathy
This October marks eight years since we moved cross country from Hollister, California to North Carolina. It’s amazing to think back through these years and how much has changed and how we’ve grown as a family.

September Fun Fact
There’s actually a Hollister, California, but it’s not a beach community like the famous Hollister clothing company. We lived in Hollister for six years. It’s a small town between San Jose and the Monterey Bay surrounded by world famous farms. Most notorious are the strawberries from Watsonville, but there’s also Gilroy, the garlic capital of the world and Castroville which is the artichoke capital of the world.

 

 

Looking Back | Monika Wright

12 x 12 | materials patterned paper (Pebbles) + embellishments, letter stickers, border (Pebbles) + flapper, flair button (Ormolu) + sewing machine (Singer) + punch, die cut (Stampin’ Up) + shipping tag, chipboard (craft supply)

 

A Note from Monika 
Looking Back...this month’s theme. So I literally went looking back to a stack of photos that have been calling out for some attention and pulled this photo of my now 20-year old son. This photo was printed 3 years ago at which time I sat down and wrote some journaling about the photo. How’s that for looking back on a photo taken 17 years ago and journaling written 3 years ago finally coming to life on a layout.

September Fun Fact 
I haven’t ridden a bike since I was in my teens. My husband earned incentive points through his company and chose a bike for me, which I am guessing means I need to get my little tooshie on and actually now ride. Watch out girls, Mama’s on two wheels!

 

 

My Fish School Bag | Deb Duty

8.5 x 11 | materials patterned paper (Studio Calico, American Crafts, October Afternoon) + embellishments (Studio Calico, October Afternoon, Prima, My Paper Shop) + letter stickers (October Afternoon) + stamps (Studio Calico)

A Note from Deb
With the theme this month, I decided to go way back. I've been scanning old photos from my mother's house. This was the first day of preschool when I was about to be four. I have such a bad memory so it's really nice to have old photos to help remind me of things I had forgotten.

September Fun Fact
When I was little I so wanted hair like Marcia Brady. I was very happy when I got my first Chi flat iron about ten years ago. Finally I can have straight hair! I've been flat ironing it ever since. I wear it curly (which is better described as frizzy) very rarely.

 

 

Looking Back | Paula Gilarde

12 x 12 | materials template (Meant to Be Layered Template (Katie Pertiet)) + metallics (Lynn Grieveson) + labels (Banner Labels No. 1 (Katie Pertiet)) + title stickers (Wooden Alpha No. 8 (Katie Pertiet))

A Note from Paula
I can't believe I've know these girls for almost 20 years. It makes me feel old! We got together recently and it made me think about all the fun times we had over the years.

 

 

Blessed Love Happy | Teka

8.5 x 11 | materials patterned paper (Jillibean Soup) + embellishments (My Minds Eye) + Bling (Recollections) + Twine (Jillibean Soup)

A Note from Teka
I love using products on a page that are leftovers from other projects. Makes me feel "green". The kraft banner is actually a page left over from a mini I did for Jillibean Soup.

September Fun Fact
I always feel the most creative in the morning after a fresh cup of coffee.

 

 

Little Red Tricycle | Erin Sweeney

8.5 x 11 | materials patterned paper (My Mind’s Eye, Studio Calico, American Crafts) + embellishments (K & Company) + letter stickers (American Crafts) 

A Note from Erin
I printed these pictures 2 years ago, yet somehow they never got scrapbooked. As Mackenzie will be turning five soon, it’s fun to look back at her as a toddler.

September Fun Fact
I lose things. Often. I’ve lost two sets of keys with the remote keyless entry – both after driving home. How does that happen?

 

 

& Time Flies I Christa Paustenbaugh

12 X 12 | materials cardstock (American Crafts, Crate Paper, Echo Park) + patterned papers (Studio Calico) + stickers (Crate Paper) + wood veneer (Studio Calico, Studio Calico) + brads (My Mind’s eye) + chipboard (American Crafts, Studio Calico) + flair (A Flair for Buttons Etsy Shop) + wood veneer (Studio Calico) + twine (Ormolu) + die cut machine (Silhouette SD)

A Note from Christa
The theme for this month came at just the right time for me, but also broke my heart in half too. My oldest is getting ready to start her final year of elementary school so I dug up an old photo from when she was starting her elementary school journey at the ripe old age of 5. I see the physical changes in her, but also remember all the emotional and mental changes too. She’s starting her 4th different school this year and I couldn’t be more proud of how resilient she is!

September Fun Fact
I love September: the crisp air, football get togethers and a regular routine in our house. This year is a bit different though: no crisp air in September in a tropical climate and those football parties will be during the week after the games are already played in the States! It’ll be a new normal for us!

 

 

1976 | Sarah Pendergrast

12 x 12 | materials patterned paper (Studio Calico, Basic Grey, Jillibean Soup, My Minds Eye) + embellishments (October Afternoon, Studio Calico, Banana Fish Studio, K & Co) + stickers (American Crafts. October Afternoon) + tools (QuicKutz, Silhouette, Martha Stewart)

A Note from Sarah
My design was inspired by a Hambly overlay. I used butterfly punches and die cuts to replicate the design using a yellow gradient.

September Fun Fact
I’m the youngest of five kids, and the closest to me in age is seven years older. It was a happy mix of being a bit spoiled as the “baby” and an only child at the same time!

 

 

Looking Back | Alexandra Sirigue-McLeod

 

Still Here | Amy Sorensen

12 x 12 | materials paisley stamps (Close to My Heart) + round swirly stamp (Hero Arts) + fleur-de-lis and bird on a stem stamps (unknown) + StazOn ink (Tsukineko) + markers (Copic) + clock hands (Silhouette) + ribbon + Samo Sans and Janda Stylish Script fonts

A Note from Amy
For the stamped border, I wanted a colorful swirl of pattern and bright hues.To make it, I stamped with big stamps, letting the images come out a little messy and soft so they could blend into each other. Then I just had fun coloring in all the blank spaces. I wrote the journaling in a similar way, with run-on sentences and ampersands and a stream-of-consciousness feel.

September Fun Fact
My September goal is to finally finish the quilt I've been working on for my seven-year-old. Since he was four. The only good thing about my procrastination is that now I know to make it bigger than I had originally planned. Someone should check up on me!

 

 

Two Years Later | Marnie Flores

8.5 x 8.5 | materials patterned paper (Creativity by Crystal, Crystal Wilkerson) + fonts (Josefin Sans Std, Bebas)

A Note from Marnie
I thought for this month's gallery, I would be putting together a layout comparing all three kids on their first day of kindergarten. But when I opened the folder for Poppy's first day, I saw this picture. And knew that this was the story that needed to be told.

September Fun Fact
I have something every single day this month. And on a couple of days, we have three places to be at the same time!! It's going to be a fun month!

 

Bike | Kelly Jeppson

12 x 12 | materials patterned paper (American Crafts) + letter cut-outs (BasicGrey) + circle punch + white gel pen

A Note From Kelly
My parents gave all the kids in my family a cd of "vintage" family photos, and this is one of my favorites from the collection. It's a photo of me and my cousins with my grandpa, who passed away when I was pretty young. We used to all go on bike rides together, with me on the back of Grandpa's bike because I was too young to keep up with the big kids. I know that the photo is grainy - it was probably taken circa 1980.

September Fun Fact
My husband just bought me a road bike - I'm still trying to figure out how to shift! And I think she needs an Italian name, as she's a Specialized "Dolce" model. Any suggestions?

 

Thank you, write. click. scrapbook. team for creating a most beautiful gallery! And thank you, dear readers, for spending your precious time with us! We hope you feel inspired to create some fun today!

In Review

Summer lovin'
Havin' a blast
Summer lovin'
Happened so fast...

Grease had it so right! Our Summer Lovin' gallery was a total blast and it all happened so fast. August has somehow melted away but before we go, we need to take one last look back at our beautiful gallery and its lovely layouts!

 

This month our gallery featured 11 single photo layouts, 14 multiple photo layouts, and 1 minialbum. If you copied each layout, you would have scrapbooked 86 photo and told no fewer than 25 stories. This month brought lots of geometric shapes, brought to you by misting, cutting, and silhouetting. There were also a handful of negative shapes, with color peeking in from behind. Color was ever present, with nary a black and white photo to be found! Instagram continues to trend with phone photos giving our digital slr's a run for their money!

As we look back through the gallery project by project, let's compile one last set of inspiration lists! (Unless of course you want more? and then we need to hear your comments letting us know that this is a feature you would like us to continue!!)

 

First up, 26 journaling ideas for your summertime pages.

1. Francine - write about a single moment on a family vacation
2. Vivian - a trait about you or your child you notice while away from home
3. Deb - let your title help tell the story
4. Alexandra - capture a change of thought from times' past
5. Kathy - do you cheat on your summer foods during the remainder of the year?
6. Diane - tell what you see every single summer
7. EmilyS - tell of an unplanned tradition
8. Celeste - do you have a con artist in your family? details, details....
9. LisaO - seeing your hard work pay off
10. Valerie - the ease/unease of seeing old friends
11. Katie - the season that best fits you or your family members
12. Christa - soccer moms unite! tell what you do for your children!
13. Paula - tell a time when the weather got in the way
14. Teka - what is your favorite summer footwear and why
15. Erin - today we took a spontaneous field trip...
16. Sarah - relate your childhood to a current moment in your children's lives
17. Amy - in between moments, stages, ages, and their trials
18. Monika - this week my kids got along/didn't/something in between...
19. Katrina - describe a summer scene you see every single day
20. Jenny - ask each member of your family to relate their summer's top 5
21. Kelly - make a list of things you remember from a summertime outing
22. Keshet - make note of a new favorite food stop
23. EmilyP - capture a story from your grandmother
24. Donna - compare this summer to last
25. Marie - write a bitty love letter to someone special in your life
26. Marnie - find a photo from summer that you love and write about it

 

Next, 26 photo ideas for your summertime pages.

1. Francine - take a photo of a time that might have been frustrating
2. Vivian - snap your subject and then snap the sky
3. Deb - put your camera on "running man" mode and snap away
4. Alexandra - include some background that will give your historical perspective 
5. Kathy - prove it's your favorite food by showing it from different occasions
6. Diane - take an action photo from the back. try to capture the feeling of the movement
7. EmilyS - take a photo of a sign
8. Celeste - goggle shots rock!
9. LisaO - take a picture of the food you grow
10. Valerie - follow around some little friends and capture their bond
11. Katie - watermelon eating is sloppy and colorful and makes for a lovely shot
12. Christa - take a series of photos that includes a detail shot, a macro shot, and a few backgrounds
13. Paula - take a photo of something that challenges the season
14. Teka - shoot down - feet and shoes!
15. Erin - don't forget a family shot
16. Sarah - turn up your shutter speed for a fast action shot
17. Amy - photos of having fun
18. Monika - capture the emotion of a relationship
19. Katrina - the view out your car window on your commute
20. Jenny - place your subject in the lower third's grid intersection
21. Kelly - capture everyone who came along for the trip (you, too!)
22. Keshet - something new to you
23. EmilyP - flower by flower, or food by food, or person by person
24. Donna - let a background help provide size perspective
25. Marie - find a repeating event but capture it from the front, back, top, bottom, side, ...
26. Marnie - take a photo before you grab a napkin for a summer drip

 

Lastly, 26 bits of design inspiration.

1. Francine - use the bottom strip from your patterned paper
2. Vivian - hang your photos from a laundry line
3. Deb - use different fonts for your title
4. Alexandra - mist an embellishment but not completely
5. Kathy - use two contrasting patterns in balanced sizes
6. Diane - mist over stickers and then remove them
7. EmilyS - tilt away: the cropping of the photos, the placement of the photos, and all the papers around them
8. Celeste - coordinate your colors to those in the photo
9. LisaO - use a title font that mimics your design asthetic (rounded for rounded, squared for squared)
10. Valerie - add a date to your layout
11. Katie - balance an oversized title with a small subtitle
12. Christa - pick a focal photo and find a way to bring attention to it
13. Paula - use a photo as your background
14. Teka - use a repeating graphic element in an unusual way
15. Erin - round two corners while leaving the other two square
16. Sarah - add a speech bubble
17. Amy - use a set of photos from an outting as a backdrop for a related story
18. Monika - crop a photo so the angles are askew
19. Katrina - draw a color pallette from your photo
20. Jenny - incorporate a list
21. Kelly - use a map as your patterned paper
22. Keshet - find paper that allows your photo treatment to shine
23. EmilyP - stitch a border around a photo
24. Donna - add a doily to a boy layout
25. Marie - add an icon to help support your story
26. Marnie - "cut out" a title digitally by using inner shadows

That's it! 78 ideas to help keep your pages coming! No ruts allowed!!

 

As a thank you for the time you have spent with us this month, Marnie created a printable for you to help you with your very own Summer Lovin' pages.

You may download it here!

Thank you for stopping! We would love to see your inspired pages!

scrapbook!

For many of us with school age children, this seems to be one of the busiest times of the year. And for those of us with kids in fall sports, our driving/sitting/watching obligations fill the leftover minutes quickly. Despite our hectic calendars (or perhaps because of them?!), our photo pile grows taller and taller. Wooed by the perfect lighting of August evenings, we take lovely summer's end photos. Tasked with school shopping and meet the teacher nights, we take milestone photos. And squeezing in those last minute summer todo items, we document document document. While our pile of photos grows, our time to scrapbook shrinks. 

But do not panic! Soon, the schedule will resume regular programming. And until then, we are here to help you! Today we bring your three challenges to help you put together pages in no time flat! Armed with your photos, and a story to tell, this week we bring you three design starters that we know will be just the nudge your page needs to come together quickly.

 

SKETCH

This month's sketch has room for eight photos! Looking to Erin's Summer Lovin' Gallery layout, Hiking in Bedford, Donna created a template that is perfect for a collection of photos.

Using Donna's sketch, I put together a layout in record time and didn't have to sacrifice any of the photos that I really wanted to include.

Keeping the same orientation, I completely made use of the photo grid, but left out the right side background paper in exchange for some lovely white space. Doing so created some breathing room which allowed for a bigger embellishment, and also more room for journaling--you know how I love my words!!

 

Katie also made great use of Donna's sketch.

Look closely at how Katie rearranged the photos. The shot of Maya in her life jacket takes center stage as it is just a hint bigger than the others.  At first glance, I thought Katie must have sacrificed a photo to get this, but she didn't! There are eight there, just like mine. Isn't it fun to see the difference little changes can make? 

Before we leave Katie's layout, I can't help but notice some other little details. The sunshine is cut out of the red, and the yellow is adhered from behind. Not only does this mean she didn't have to cut and glue each of those tiny little sunshine rays, but it also adds a very current feel, emulating the silhouette trend. And in the center of the sun, behind the button, Katie cut around and around, then pulled the paper forward, allowing for extra contour and depth. Oooh, it's the little details that take a layout from great to fanfreakintastic!

And as always, you are free to right click the sketch up above to save it or if you prefer a layered template, we have one for you, too, that you may download here! Please leave us a comment and a link so that we may see your work of art!

 

ROYGBIV

This month, I fell in love with the colors in Katrina's Summer Lovin' layout, Picture Perfect.

Grey as a color is practical and calm. Blue is harmony and contemplation. Green is hopeful and signifies life and growth. No wonder this layout makes you breathe a bit more deeply and linger a little bit longer.

Here is my color layout.

I know the color element are small, but I love how they shine! And hope that you see that using color doesn't mean using COLOR!

 

TRENDING

This month there was a huge trend in the gallery! Look through these layouts and tell me what they have in common: Vivian, Kathy, Diane, Celeste, Valerie, Christa, Keshet, Donna, and Marie. I'll give you a minute...

...

See it?

...

You guessed it--background graphic elements: grids, graph lines, hexagon outlines, circles, lines, these layouts have them all! Such elements are especially beloved around here as they add a clean graphic nature to a layout without a lot of visual clutter.

I added some lines to a layout and love how it looks!

If you love the look, check out the backside of your patterned paper. Chances are better finding it on the reverse!!

 

There you have it! Three reasons to scrapbook today! Really, I mean it! You will be glad you did, and I can't wait to see your layouts! Soon, please? :)

Wonderful Washi

As a scrapbooker, is there anything better than pretty paper?! How pretty tapes to adhere and decorate those pretty papers?!!

Have you joined the washi tape craze that is happening in the scrapbook world?  I'll admit, I'm usually a couple of days late and several dollars short of trends in general and that definitely goes for scrapbooking too.  I join in about the time that all those things are going on clearance and everyone else has moved on to the next phase.  This one, though, I've actually dabbled in and joined in the party (on time).  Plus I figure I'm in the land of all things washi over here in Japan so I should jump in and put all those pretty tapes to work on my pages and cards. 

I'm definitely not one that is associated with cutting edge and inovative, so I also asked my fellow WCS washi lovers to show me some of their cool washi tape pages.

As most first timers, my washi tape experience started off like this, with just a little dab at the bottom for added color:

I've seen a lot of layouts with just a bit of washi along the edges of photos, paper or embellishments as if to adhere them together (kind of is too!).  Some scrappers choose to keep the somewhat torn/jagged edges, or if you are a bit too linear like me, then those strips can be cut with scissors.

To stay with the holiday theme, I took my washi one step further and used it as edging on my (still unfinished) December Daily album. For this project it served as strips to enhance the book, rather than adhere a photo or paper together:

Teka took her mini album one step further with washi tape and used it to bind the album together:

Teka, Francine and Katie forgot about the patterned paper altogether in these layouts and used their assortment of washi tapes to serve as faux paper instead.  I absolutely love this effect on pages and am amazed how different it looks with all the various colors and patterns.  Francine and Katie chose to leave their washi ripped at the edges, whereas Teka went a clean and linear route on her layout for a fantastic look.

Francine:

Katie:

Teka:

Francine has also used her washi tapes to create a chevron embellishment and journaling spot on this layout.  A totally different look, but still using those washi tapes:

I created this small embellishment on a layout recently to hold a flair button within a title.  Unfortunately I can't share the entire layout since it's being published, but can at least share this small piece of it!

Another great use of washi tapes are with cut outs or your Silhouette die cutting machine.  Teka used her Silhouette to cut arrows for her layout then backed those cut arrows with some of her washi tape for added patterns and textures:

I used my Studio Calico Ampersand Mask as a base for this card featuring some of my favorite washi tapes.  I adhered the tape diagonally (I cheated a bit and used additional adhesive on the back-shh), then layed the ampersand down and cut around with a craft knife.  The bonus is that I now have a decorative ampersand for another page/project:

And finally, one more creative and clever idea on how to use washi tape from our very own Jennifer Larson.  She went a step further and PRINTED on her washi tape! Genius I tell you!

Jennifer also included some helpful hints for printing on washi:

1. Type your journaling. Leave enough space to put varying tapes and widths. You may need to experiment.

2. Tape the washi down on top of the journaling. You may need to overlap, but don't overlap on the printed journaling.

3. Run through the printer again.

4. Very Important: Spray with an art fix spray! Washi is not too porous, and it will smear.

5. Let dry.

6. Affix to layout. Keep in mind it is somewhat see-through, so don't put it on bright or highly patterned paper.

Phew!  So there you have it-lots of different uses for washi tape on all your upcoming projects and pages! 

Have we missed a use for washi?  Let us know your favorite way to use washi on  your pages!