A layout for MME + a Chickaniddy Sneak!

Happy Thursday, friends!  I'm really excited to share my latest layout for My Mind's Eye with you today!  It went up on the blog a few days ago.  It features the new Jubilee Wild Berry collection, which is just amazing.  I saw this background paper and it was just begging for some color!  So I grabbed my gesso and watercolors and gave it some :D

I was inspired by the 3x4 journaling cards in this line.  This one (You are such a gem) was already painted with a pink watercolor effect, so I tried to recreate that look in the background.  I knew I wanted to use that as my title.  I love the black against the pink, and that font is awesome.  I did use a few decorative tapes from other MME lines as well.

Here I layered lots of goodies...die cuts, frames, chipboard, thread, flair...it's all so fun and easy to put together in a cluster.  I also like the visible texture from the gesso and watercolors.

These little days of the week sticky notes are so fun!  And there's a whole stack of them...so you probably won't run out any time soon.  I added a chipboard button and flower, a brad, an enamel heart and a die cut.

Flair pins...eeeeek!   Need I say more?!  I felt the need to layer things on top of my photo in this layout.  It just worked.

And a final shot of the watercolors down at the bottom.  I can't get enough of paint these days!

And before I go, I am up on the Chickaniddy blog today!  I'm sharing my first layout as a design team member for the new term.  It's a cute Halloween layout, and I hope you like it!  Check it out HERE.  Here's a little sneak of it....

Thanks so much for stopping by today...I am so thankful for all of my blog readers!

La La La Love You / My Scraps & More

Hello there :)  The layout I'm sharing today features an older Glitz collection...Finnley.  I worked on going through some of my stash last month, and my Glitz lines were the target.  I made four pages using a few of my stashed away collections.  I made this one for one of the summer challenges over at My Scraps & More to use a HUGE title on a layout.  I chose this adorable cut file from The Cut Shoppe and blew it up really large.  It just seemed to be meant to work with the design of this layout, and I really love how it turned out.

I jazzed up this beautiful green background sheet with a stencil and modeling paste and a little watercolor.  I used black & grey to add a little bit of darkness here and there since there are black elements scattered around the page.  I doodled an outline around the title to make it pop a little more.

I used lots of stickers from the collection as well as some of the pocket cards, die cuts and giant rhinestones.  This line is actually a baby collection, but it reminds me of Christmas. I made a layout about neither, and it still works!  I think it's because of all the green in my photos.  I also added lots of stamping on my background.

Layers are so much fun to build.  I think my favorite part is building a layer cluster and tucking things in underneath.  I added pop dots to my photo...it just adds that little something extra to the page.

I hope this inspires you to use a really big title on a layout.  Don't be afraid to go bold!  It's really fun!

Thanks for visiting me today, and have a great Tuesday!

Creative Scrappers #278

Hey there, friends!  It's time for another awesome reveal over at Creative Scrappers!  I had a lot of fun with this sketch...check it out:

I love layering, white space and triangles.  There is a lot you can do with this sketch.  I hope you play along with us!

I used some of the new American Craft's Shimelle collection for this.  To begin, I created a messy background on white cardstock.  I took several mists, sprayed them onto plastic packaging, and used that to smudge the color around.  I used grey, orange, teal and reddish-pink to bring out all the colors in my papers and embellishments.

The washi tape strips were all from my stash...the striped one came from Walmart!  Yep...they have a little selection of tapes now.  The red & white star one I found at the Dollar Tree last year!  Random!  It doesn't stick very well, but I still like it...and there's always glue...haha :D

I love all the fun travel embellishments in this collection.  I decided to fill up some of that white space on the sketch.  Since the photo was taken on a road trip to Georgia, I wanted to use the red bus, the suitcase and the "Go Somewhere Lovely" sticker.  I also pulled out a bicycle rub on from an older collection.  It was kind of scratched up and didn't rub on very well, but I like the sketchy way it looks.
I also layered in some Tim Holtz rubons I have in my stash as well as some triangle stamps.

Here you can see my photo layers a bit better, the stamping and the rub ons.  I also found a cute bicycle flair pin from Studio Calico in my stash.  We had just finished an RPM class, which is a stationary bike workout...similar to Spinning, which is what I teach.

See those black dots?  That's from the stamp in the Shimelle line...I LOVE IT!  You can add little texture dots onto any project with that...I really love how that looks.  I also used some Studio Calico alphas for my vertical title on the right.

I hope you join us with the sketch :)  The prize up for grabs is from My Creative Scrapbook!  Awesome kits with awesome goodies!  Don't miss out on that!

Thanks for stopping by, and have a great day!

We're So Fancy / My Mind's Eye

Happy Friday, friends!  I wanted to share my latest project for My Mind's Eye with you today.  I was asked to create a layout for September's Glitter Challenge, so I jumped at the chance to use some of the new glitter products in the Just Sayin' collection!  I used glitter paper, glitter die cuts, glitter chipboard and glitter enamel arrows.  That's a whole lotta glitter! :D

You can see the post on the MME blog HERE...and play along for your chance to win a collection of your choice!

I chose a set of busy photos to scrap.  My friends and I went out to dinner to celebrate a birthday a few months ago, and we couldn't stop singing that crazy "Fancy" song.  It eventually turned into a joke, and I knew I had to use it as my title.  I was inspired by the handwriting in this collection, so I grabbed a black marker and wrote out "fancy" and cut it out.  I also knew right away that I had to use that sticker "lovin' this group of humans"....so perfect for this!

I used a little bit of watercolor on my background to add more of that pretty green/teal color.

As usual, the chipboard pieces in this line do not disappoint.  They are pretty and bold, and the colors are just beautiful.  And check out the rub ons!  I forgot how much I love those!

I'm also loving these enamel shapes...the glitter is amazing!  I added in some thread, as well.

This crown die cut was another perfect piece for my "fancy" page...haha!  It was just meant to be.  I love when you get an idea and the pieces just fit.  Another fun element to this collection is the alpha stickers...they have this awesome colored shadow.  Love!

Glitter mania!  This really sparkles in real life...sometimes the photos don't do it justice.  You can't have enough sparkle...especially on a fancy layout :)

Thanks so much for stopping by today!  Have a great weekend!

Saturday Love / GDT @ The Cut Shoppe

Hey there, and Happy Thursday!  I wanted to share the fun layout I created for my Guest Designer spot over at The Cut Shoppe!  I was featured there on Monday, and you can see the blog post HERE.  I was thrilled when my awesome friend Ashley Horton asked me to be a GDT for her new cut file store.  If you haven't checked it out yet, you MUST!  She's constantly adding designs each week, and they are ALL amazing.  Her designs make using your Cameo so much fun!

I started with the Arrows with Attitude cut file and enlarged it so it would fill up my entire background.  I used white cardstock, gesso and watercolors to create the background.  I pulled colors from the various American Crafts and Studio Calico papers and embellishments I chose.  Once I cut the arrows, I simply adhered it over the painted cardstock.  I traced and doodled on the left side, and then I left the right side alone.  I liked the way it kind of went from darker to light as your eye moves to the right.

This is from the Say Anything file.  I cut it in white and then painted it to match.  I LOVE this font and the little heart attached!  I paired it with a die cut to create my title, and I popped it up to add dimension.

Here's a close up of the file....I like the way it pops up in various places.  I think it adds more interest to the textures.

And one last shot of my layers.  I layered papers, stickers, chipboard and thread...the more layers, the better :)

Here are the files I used, and they're available in the store.

Make sure to check out The Cut Shoppe's STORE and BLOG.  You won't be disappointed!  So much inspiration!

A huge thank you to Ashley for welcoming me as a Guest Designer!  I had a blast and will continue to use her cut files.  They're awesome!

Thanks for stopping by, and have a great day!

Big School Girl / Chickaniddy Crafts

Hey there, scrappy friends!  I hope you had a nice weekend.  We had an extra day because of the Labor Day holiday yesterday, so we spent it in the pool :)

Today, I'm sharing a layout I created for Chickaniddy Crafts last week.  To celebrate the time of year when all the kids go back to school, my layout focuses on that big first day.  I just love seeing little pre-schoolers with huge backpacks on!  My little Paige was ready to go with her new Dora backpack.

I used the Twirly Girly collection for this page.  I covered most of the background paper with gesso to give it a bit of a faded look.  Next, I added some watercolors to the left side.  I used the colors from the collection.  I used my Silhouette Cameo to cut the alphabet file, and I like the way it pops against the watercolors.  I used several sentiments cut from patterned paper and one of the tag stickers.  This collection has a lot of birthday pieces, but it can definitely work for any type of layout.

Here you can see the watercolor a bit closer.  It really is an easy way to add extra color to your layouts.  Adding gesso first allows it blend a bit better rather than just applying it straight to the paper.  I find that blotting it with a paper towel or napkin also helps to not warp the paper.

I know I say this a lot, but I love layering!  I made this one flower look like two just by cutting it in half so I could layer it behind the photo.  This collection also has lots of little label-type pieces that are great for layering, like that little yellow piece peeking out from behind the photo.

I think all of these sweet sentiments are perfect for this page!  I decided to layer and stagger them at the top of the photo.  They are such fun colors and can be used for just about any fun photo.

I hope this inspires you to get into the school spirit and create a back to school project.  Check out this fun collection for some ideas!

Have a great day!

Supplies Used: TG140S09 A Girl's Generation, TG140S11 Never Grow Up, TG140S07 This And That, TG14EB02 Sticker Sheet, TG14EB06 Brads, TG14EB04 Mini Sticker Tags, TG14EB01 Alpha Stickers, DN14EB06 Brads, DN14EB02 Sticker Sheet; Other--Liquitex Gesso, Watercolors, Stampendous Ink, Black Sharpie Pen, Silhouette Cameo, Cardstock, My Mind's Eye Decorative Tape, Recollections Washi Tape.

Scrappy Blog Tour + Guest Designer!

Hey, everyone!  Last week, I was tagged by my good scrappy friend Jenni Calma to participate in the Scrappy Blog Tour.  I'm sure you've noticed Jenni's amazing work...she's on several design teams, creates amazing YouTube videos, and has an awesome scrappy style.  I love that she thinks outside the box and tries new things.  I like that while she has a fun style that is recognizable, most of her layouts are very different from each other.  If you're like me, sometimes you feel that all your pages start to resemble each other....but not Jenni's pages.  They're all so different, and I love that about them!

Here are a few questions and answers so you can get to know me a bit better and get a better insight into my scrappy brain :)

1.  What am I working on right now? 

I'm working on my next project for My Mind's Eye...the new Jubilee line is swoon worthy!  I love getting messy, and as you can see here, this layout has a messy background :)  My fave!

2.  How long does it take me to create a project?

Oh man.  I'm all over the map with this one.  Sometimes I can finish one in a few hours.  Most times it takes me days.  Yes, days.  Here's why.  I scrap in spurts.  With two little girls constantly running all over the house, I'm always in "mommy mode."  So I may scrap for 20 minutes here and then come back 30 minutes later and scrap another 20.  I've never really timed myself.  I don't think I've ever created a layout in one sitting, though.  Often I have to start a layout and then leave it for a while.  Once I come back, I'll have fresh eyes and want to add this or change that.  One thing I love to do while I create is watch YouTube videos of other scrappers.  Watching and hearing the process of others inspires me!

3.  What are my favorite things to create with at the moment?

What things AREN'T my favorite is more like it...haha!  My desk is full of my favorites right now.  Watercolors are at the top of my list nowadays.  I think I use them on almost every layout lately.  I have an old Echo Park collection out right now...about to work on a Throwback Thursday layout for My Scraps & More...I LOVE old collections that I find on my shelves!  It's like shopping for new stuff...except it's old  :)  Mists and sprays are ALWAYS my fave.  Stencils and templates.....LOVE!!  Especially using them with modeling paste and mists.  And lastly....washi tapes!  I have a huge collection and I LOVE them!!  Oh, and my Cameo is also a big favorite these days.

4.  How does my writing/creative process work?

I don't really have a "writing" process.  As far as creative process goes, it all depends.  Sometimes I start with a sketch.  Sometimes I start with photos.  Either way, I always aim to make my photos the focal point.  Once I decide on photos, I'll choose the collection to work with.  I go through the papers and choose the colors and patterns I like.  This will determine whether I print my photos in color or black & white.  If I start with a white cardstock background or a busy patterned background, I'll reach for the gesso, stencils and modeling paste.  I like texture, and I try to do that first.  Then I'll begin adding my paper layers and add embellishments last.  I don't have a notebook or anything, but I do have a gazillion sketches saved to reference when I need a jump start.  I'm kind of a "go with what inspires you at the moment" girl :)

5.  How do I become inspired and stay inspired?

My favorite way is by checking out other scrappers' blogs.  Don't get me wrong...I love Pinterest, but I don't spend as much time there.  I get the most inspiration out of others' layouts and projects.  I really enjoy browsing through gallerys, and I also like to go back and look at my old layouts.  Sometimes I find an old page of mine that I'd like to try again.

6.  What is my signature style?

This is the question I always dread!  The answer is I have no idea how to describe it.  I've been told I have a very recognizable style, but I don't know what you'd call it.  Maybe a mix of messy meets order?  I like to get messy with paints, yet I like every little detail in its place.  It's like my Jekyl and Hyde scrappy personalities coming out at the same time.  Does that even make any sense?  Haha!  I LOVE layers.  I love tucking things underneath layers.  I love die cuts.  I love bright colors.  If you have a word to describe all of this, please let me know! :D

I am tagging two of my favorite scrappers to participate in this fun Scrappy Blog Tour:

Audrey Yeager

I've been a huge fan of Audrey's for years.  I love her trendy style and her attention to detail.  She always focuses on her photos and makes every layout with such precision.  She has been on many design teams over the years and is currently the owner of My Scraps and More.  She's amazing, and you should definitely hop over and check out her blog!  (And her store HERE!)

Allie Stewart

Oh my goodness....Allie!  I've had the pleasure of being on the Chickaniddy Crafts team with her the past six months, and we're both continuing on for the next term.  Her style is so fabulous!  She is amazing with mixing lots of patterns together and using die cuts.  Every little detail just coordinates perfectly.  I love that she and her husband and cute doggie are almost always the focus of her work...she's just the sweetest thing!  Definitely go check out her work HERE!

You can see their Scrappy Blog Tour features next Monday, September 8th.  Thank you so much for visiting me and reading about my all-time favorite hobby!  I truly love all of you fellow scrappers and blog readers.  You inspire me every day!

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In other fabulous news, I was asked by my awesome scrappy friend Ashley Horton to be a Guest Designer for The Cut Shoppe this month!  Yay!!  The layout I created using a few of her cut files is up on the blog today.  If you haven't checked out her cut file store, you simply must.  I absolutely LOVE all that she has created!    

Here's a sneak peek of my layout:

Thanks so much for stopping by today!  Have a GREAT Monday!