Layout of the Day...

Do you ever feel like you get into a grove and you start to see particular patterns emerge everywhere you look, it happens to me quite often (perhaps because of the unusual amount of tetris I played in my younger days). Lately that pattern has been grids, everywhere I look...websites, scrappy mags, online galleries, I'm drawn to the grid. So I decided to try it on a layout myself(yep the layout I've been talking about since I began my foray into digi is the same layout) I also wanted to try out Emily's great tips on making pleated flowers she posted on the Studio Calico blog a couple of weeks ago(how time flies) oh yeah...and...I wanted to work in some stacked frames that I see Paula use all the time. And maybe that's the problem, individually I love all of the elements, together I'm not so sure...but two weeks is about the longest I've ever fussed with a layout and I'd say it's about time to lay down the cards on this one and walk away. Time to start something new, don't you think...


Note to self: I've been spoiled by my work machine with the full version of PS where cropping and straightening is a breeze. Trying to see if 'I can live with' just photoshop elements; definitely need to research how to do the perspective crop at some point.


Patterned Paper: Basic Grey (Wisteria)
Frames: Katie Pertiet
Embellies:Tim Holtz (tickets), Making Memories (Button)

A couple of cards

It's early Saturday morning and I'm on a mission to get several of the crafty projects I finished recently, posted. I don't know why downloading and cropping the photos has seemed like a monumental task the past week, then again everything seemed a little more difficult this week.

This first card I like to call 'Ode to Inky Button'. I worked a class that the fabulous Angela taught last week on two of my favorite things, Bellas and Copics. She was kind enough to stamp a couple of images of girls I don't have so I could play with them at home. I set out to make an Angela-esque card with Cupcakeabella. While mine is not nearly as cute as hers, I think I worked in most of the Inky Button trademarks. Let's see...Bella? Check!, Ticket edges? Check! Bling? Check! Copic layering? Check! Embossing Folder? Check! Black Ribbon? Check although for true IB style it should be wider. Glassy Accents? Check!




Supplies:
Stamp: Cupcakeabella
Cardstock: Hammermill(White) Prism (Green) Bazzil (Pink)
Bling: Kaiser Craft
Other: Cuttlebug Embossing folders, QK scallop circle

This second card has quickly become one of my all time favorites. I designed it for the January Frenzy at the store, but of course forgot to post it here...or did I post, hmm I guess I should have checked before I started this post. C'est la vie.



Supplies:
Cardstock: Bazzil
Patterned Paper: 'tres old' Tres Jolie, MME
Ribbon: AC
Other: QK Thank You Goosebumpz, Tim Holtz ruler --- I love, love, love this ruler... so I went to find a picture of this ruler in case you wanted to run out and get one and you needed a picture and found something even better...because I know how much we all love Tim, how about a demo from Tim himself.



Happy Saturday!

Happy New Year!

I hope your year is off to a great start...have you made any resolutions? I made just a few hopefully doable. One of them was to be creative in someway everyday...so far so good.

I finished a layout I started at Viv's on Tuesday, it will most likely be the Sunday sketch on the store blog on Sunday. I thought it was about time I posted something here first. I don't know what possessed me to so the diagonal strips...what a pain, never again...well, maybe...I do like the way they turned out. I just need to come up with a shortcut to get the angles correct, I know I have a protractor around here somewhere.


Then I was once again inspired by Becky and decided to take her challenge to create a page about things that make me happy using the scraps laying around. I had this vision of a page made of scalloped circles...sadly, the vision just didn't come together, truly I tried stapling and stitching and it just didn't work. Plan B...a scalloped circle border...much better although scanning and merging didn't do it justice. I'm not sure about the finished page...I think it's a bit ironic that it's about my scrapbook style, but not really my style. What I do appreciate it that it stretched me creatively to finish and that's what this year is all about (at least I hope it will be)
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Vacation Mission 1...Accomplished!

The Travel Album is finally ready to go to the store. This class/album has been a true labor of love. The paper arrived about a month ago, but I had to wait to finish working on another class before I could start. I knew I wanted to use the mask with alcohol inks for the cover and a few techniques from a CKU class by Debbie Schuh. I had most of it done about a week ago and then was cursed not once, but twice by the Bind-It All gods. Depressed and distraught (can you really be both or are they synonyms?) I couldn't face the book for a week. Last night I felt I could conquer my fears and finally get it ready to take in. After lots of practice on the bind-it all I was once again confident enough to try on the book and voila, finally! a good bind. I had to rework some pages, but I pretty happy with the overall result. Here are a few sneak peaks...










Here's the cover, I think it's my favorite part.


and a few of the inside pages. The goal is to make an album that can travel with you and you can add to as you go. Lots of pockets and envelopes to store treasures along the way. Added bonus...lots of ink techniques, I'm going to channel my inner Tim Holtz.



Just in case you're interested...the class will be on June 18th.