I loved creating my Halloween layout using Suzanna's sketch from The Scraproom, so I decided to play along in November as well. The sketch can be found in the November JumpStart Sketch Challenge on TSR blog. I created my own kit using papers and embellishments from my stash.
The sketch called for an embellishment cluster at the top of the page and I decided to repeat the labels as well as a word strip to repeat elements on the page. I find that repeating similar elements helps tremendously in making a page look cohesive and intentional.
By overlapping the foam words that create the title with different elements on the page -in this case the photo and the different patterned papers or placing the word sticker on the seam of two different patterned papers= I am able to connect the items and let them appear as a unit.
If you want to hear all about my thought process and why I chose certain papers and embellishments and see me struggle, please check out the process video on my process video on youtube.
Hi Shimmerz friends, it's Simone again with another 12x12 layout. This month for the Shimmerz color challenge I picked Shimmerz "Pink-O de Mayo". I love the light pink tone of this shimmerz and also that it would work so great for cold, snowy winter layouts. However, here in the San Francisco Bay Area it cools down, but never enough for snow. So I decided to scrapbook something else instead. In September I went to my first scrapbooking crop and met some of my online friends for the very first time. I had such a great time and this layout tries to capture that feeling. I love how it turned out!
I prepped my background with white gesso and then used the Dazzlerz "Foiled Again" and a stencil by Tim Holtz to create a textured background behind the area of my photo. Look how amazing this looks. The "Foiled Again" is so sparkly, I just love it! On top of that I added the my colors and I have to admit, I just couldn't use only ONE color. I had to add some Coloringz "Pink Stiletto" as well as Shimmerz "Teal the end of time"- I just love when I can use two or more colors and create so many different shades. That's what makes using mixed media so much fun. I used a brush and the trusty packaging technique to add my color and then created the layout on top of that.
In some areas, I went back in with a brush and the paint to add even more color after I had created all the different layers in my layout. But somehow it still felt flat. I decided to just accept that when I stumbled across phrase stamps while I was grabbing my date stamp. Well, that was just the answer and when I saw the phrase "be adventurous", I grabbed my ink pad and added stamping to the background. Don't you think that it rounds off the layout perfectly?
Here is a link to my process video on youtube. If you place an order in the Shimmerz Store, don't forget to mention my name Simone in the comments at checkout to receive a free mini surprise product! Thanks for stopping by today!
SUPPLIES: Shimmerz - PINK-O DE MAYO, Teal the end of time Coloringz - Pink Stilettos Dazzlerz - Foiled Again
My friend Suzanna is a member of The Scraproom Design Team and created a sketch for their October Jumpstart Sketch Challenge. So I decided to participate and I'm so glad I did. I had completely forgotten how much I enjoy working from sketches. The photos were taken last year at our elementary school's Fall Festival where they had a Halloween photo booth. I used papers from Pebbles Inc. as well as some new items from the Elle's Studio October release.
I layered some of the embellishments behind the photo and then staggered them in height, I love how it looks. The spider repeats on of the motifs from the banner, connecting both parts of the layout. The same idea goes for the wood veneer banner. By placing the little witch die cut all the way in the background -even partly behind the photo- I was able to make one of the cute die cuts work.
If you've seen my layouts, you know that I usually don't use wood veneer, but these Halloween themed wood veneer just jumped into my cart when I shopped at Elle's Studio. So I made it my mission to use them on this layout and it couldn't have worked better: this cat just fits right next to the photo and walking on one of the paper strips from the bottom of the page.
If you want to hear all about my thought process and why I placed cards and embellishments the way I did, please check out the process video on my process video on youtube.
This month the Shimmerz team chose one color to use on their project and I picked Shimmerz Coffee. I love the hue of this brown, sparkly shimmerz and since I already knew the photo I wanted to document I also knew this color would be a perfect fit. Somehow my project ended up being a layout in colors very suitable for the season but not at all revolving around the typical Fall topics. And I'll tell you that I couldn't be happier about it! It turned out perfectly!
I used various different free cut files from the Paper Issues store and only cut the pieces that I liked most. I resized, turned and cut pieces out of the files. I also placed different patterned papers on my cutting mat - all of this was a first for me and not everything turned out the way I envisioned it. But what I noticed again and again, if you never try you won't find out if you would actually be successful. This was a great start. I cut leaves from white cardstock as well as patterned paper. The white leaves were then colored using the Shimmerz Coffee as well as some other Shimmerz colors but spreading the color onto some packaging an dipping the leaves in the paint. I absolutely love how they turned out. If you have never tried this, I highly recommend the technique. It is very easy and since the color doesn't cover all parts equally you already have a great color variation just like that!
I then layered some paper at the top, placed my photo and created two vines of leaves coming off both sides of the photo. The open space that I created with these branches, I then used for my long title as well as my journaling. Before I added the vines and the title I added paint splatters to the background, it felt very odd to have a plain white background with piles of mixed media leaves and torn paper stacked on top. The splatters made it look messier and therefore it all blended well together.
Here is a link to my process video on youtube. If you place an order in the Shimmerz Store, don't forget to mention my name Simone in the comments at checkout to receive a free mini surprise product! Thanks for stopping by today!
SUPPLIES: Shimmerz - COFFEE, So Sappy, Wisteria Lane, Pink-O de Mayo Inklingz - Miner, Miner 49er, French Twist
This layout was inspired by the "love you to the moon" free cut file by Paige Evans and was perfectly complemented with the colors of the August Cocoa Daisy Memory Keeping kits and the dark blue and purple mists from the Shimmerzpaints store. I have slowly been collecting these amazing dark colors like the new Coloringz Ahoy Matey or the lovely Vibez Grape Soda and Blue Jeans. With all the white that was contrasting the dark colors it was so easy to use them. If you watch the video you will see, that there is no perfect formula for adding the colors onto the gessoed background. It's misting packaging with color, then smudging the color onto the paper and repeat until you feel you have ruined your paper. Which is usually the point where you will then check back with the photo and additional items and realize that you will cover all the color and you will need to cover even more of the background in color.
This closeup shows how well the blues, purples and teals work together and create a dark but still very colorful background. I added in several gold accents using gold alpha stickers, blue denim die cuts that I colored with a mixture of Grape Soda and Ahoy Matey and gold splatters using Vibez Glorious Days and Inklinz Miner, Miner 49er.
The dramatic background didn't need very much else, so I simply backed my photo with white cardstock and layered several die cuts around the photo. I tried to add gold thread but that was a disaster - I don't know if I'm just not capable to form a thread ball that looks appealing or if it's the special metallic gold thread.
Here is a link to my process video on youtube. If you place an order in the Shimmerz Store, don't forget to mention my name Simone in the comments at checkout to receive a free mini surprise product! Thanks for stopping by today!
SUPPLIES: Vibez - Jeni B Blue, Grape Soda, Blue Jeans< Glorious Days Coloringz - Ahoy Matey Inklingz - Miner, Miner 49er
I cannot believe that this is already my last layout for the Stuck?! Sketches Design Team. Time sure has flown by! Here is the March 15 sketch that Laura Whitaker created. During the past 6 months I usually started looking for photos and stories that would suit the sketch. Asking questions like: How many photos do I need to tell this story? Can I use several smaller ones or should I use one large photo? After finding the right photos I then built a page kit around those always checking back with the sketch. Laura's sketches are very detailed and (if you choose to read them like that) even suggest the volume of each paper.
After I had assembled my page kits, I then went to create and most of my layouts came together so quickly. Except for when I chose to use mixed media. Which to my surprise I used fairly often with these sketches. One reason could be that I felt secure knowing the layout would come together due to the sketch and so I could focus all my energy on trying out new techniques with mixed media. For this layout I used my Distress Oxide inks and stencils and started adding some texture to the background. Unfortunately, most of it got hidden by the embellishments I added later on. And then I built my layers according to the sketch.
When I started embellishing I went all out. And I loved adding all of the different die cuts and chipboard pieces everywhere. Sometimes I have such a hard time just placing one die cut and finding the perfect spot for it, trying it in so many different places. But this time, I went with quick decisions and stuck them down as soon as I thought it would look nice. And I love the how much dimension the many embellishments add to the layout.
The original title placement is to the bottom left of the photo cluster. I chose the top right instead for two different reasons: the title was quite large and bold and would have put too much weight to the bottom of my layout and with the added journaling the layout wouldn't have been balanced properly. The other reason was a lot more practical since the chipboard banner made it quite hard to place a title there nicely without a lot of adjusting and tweaking.
Here is a link to my video on youtube where you can see how this layout came together. Please make sure to check out the Stuck?! Sketches blog and have a look at all the other layouts by the Design Team. We would love for you to play along and link your layout to the link up to win some lovely prizes!
Thank you so much, Laura for having me on your team, I had such a great time in the past six month and find I created some of the best layouts with the help of your amazing sketches. I'm so sad my term is already over!
It's March! How did that happen so quickly? Let me share this new sketch with you today that was created by Laura Whitaker for Stuck?! Sketches. Look at all the possibilities the sketch offers: you could stitch the circles, layer different patterned circles behind each other. Use washi tape for the stars, replace one of the photo spots with a journaling card or do something completely different. My first idea was to use differently colored embroidery thread and stitch the circles.
But then I accidentally stumbled across this free cut file from Paper Issues, I think what made me connect this file with the sketch was the circle obviously but also the stars in both. I was excited about using another cut file (you might have noticed that I am really starting to like them) and so I decided to go "that route". I kept the whole layout very simple: I used five different patterned papers, three photos, black card stock for the cut file, water color to do some mixed media on the background, a star stamp from feed your craft, alpha stickers and a date stamp. But even though I really love heavily embellished layouts, I don't think this layout is missing a thing. It is perfect just the way it is.
The title consists of two parts and is placed along the outer edge of the circle. Before adhering the cut file circle and photos onto the colorful background, I added tiny star stamps to several places along the circle to emphasize those areas where the photos and star embellishments would be. I really love this effect. The star cluster is from the feed your craft Plattern Play stamp set.
I love how the watercolor mixed media background turned out. I started using the packaging technique but then went in with my brush and just added color and water where I thought it looked right. Since I'm still in the beginning stages of using mixed media on my scrapbooking layouts, I'm still excited about it every time I use it and curious to see if what I envision in my head will come to life on paper. Luckily, it is just paper and the worst case would be a paper that ends up in the trash can instead of my album.
Here is a link to my video on youtube where you can see how this layout came together. Please make sure to check out the Stuck?! Sketches blog and have a look at all the other layouts by the Design Team. We would love for you to play along and link your layout to the link up to win some lovely prizes!
Remember my journal background that I created using Shimmerz Coloringz in January? I loved the effect of the spread and decided I wanted to do a layout based on it. So I brought out my Coloringz and Vibez again and in a first step mixed them with white acrylic paint and created a rainbow effect in the middle of my 12x12 card stock. I did this so that there would be one part of the card stock that was completely covered in paint.
After the paint was dry, I used the mists with a paint brush and dipped it to the top of my colored background and let it drip down the page holding the paper vertically. I mixed the colors as I went and loved the effect that I was able to achieve. I did not treat the card stock with gesso so the mist would run smoothly across the acrylic paint but once it reached the plain card stock it slowed down and started to soak into the paper. I loved how the color started to feather and intensify the individual streaks.
When my background was finished I started working on the layout and used a cut file to create part of my title which is the most prominent part of my layout. I backed each letter with scraps of patterned paper that matched the rainbow background. Then I added my photo and embellishments and called it done. Ok, maybe this sounds a bit too easy and I should add that I spent quite some time with the decision making process of where exactly each individual embellishment should be placed. And this description also lacks the fact that I didn't like my square photo. But I have a process video where you can see me make all the decisions and find a solution for my photo, which I now like much better!
Here is a link to my process video on youtube. If you place an order in the Shimmerz Store, don't forget to mention my name Simone in the comments at checkout to receive a free mini surprise product! Thanks for stopping by today!
SUPPLIES: Coloringz - My Bleeding Heart, No Yoking, Don't Citron Me, Oh Say Can U Sea, Well Blue Me Down, Heidi Ho Blue, Pink Stilettos Vibez - Jeni B Bleu, Blue Jeans
Oh the doilies on the sketches ... there is another one here on this sketch for the February 15, 2018 challenge over at Stuck?! Sketches. I love this sketch - it is such a great way to feature one special photo prominently on a page. And that's exactly what I did.
You know I couldn't use a doily, so I replaced it liberally with mixed media and a free heart cut file from Paper Issues (unfortunately I wasn't able to locate it in their store). That's the great thing about sketches, you do not have to take them literally, the doily simply suggests a "something behind the main photo cluster that sticks out unevenly on multiple sides". And that's exactly what my mixed media background does too. I scrapbooked a photo from the photo booth at my sister's wedding. Originally, I wanted to make a lovey-dovey layout for my husband, but somehow that story didn't really go with the crazy layout and so I decided to document the wedding instead. And I think that was the right decision.
I used Shimmerz Vibez and Inklingz to create the background using the packaging technique and then decided to leave the cut file white in order for it to be visible on the page but still take a back seat. I was debating filling the hearts with patterned paper but then quickly decided against it in order for more of the pretty colorful background to be seen.
This close-up of one of the embellishment clusters shows how all the different layers complement each other and add to the beautiful texture of the page. I really love this specific part of the layout, especially because I was able to use that holographic unicorn on the page. When I purchased the ephemera pack I wasn't sure about if I would even use any of them. And then I get to use one on the very first layout that I made using the beautiful "Glitter Girl Collection" by Shimelle.
Here is a link to my video on youtube where you can see how this layout came together. Please make sure to check out the Stuck?! Sketches blog and have a look at all the other layouts by the Design Team. We would love for you to play along and link your layout to the link up to win some lovely prizes!
I don't know if this happens to you, but I tend to fall head over heels in love with new scrapbooking collections and have to have them and then, once they are here I put them away because I'm too intimidated to use them. Last Fall I purchased several items from two collections: Wild Child and Glitter Girl and put it away to hoard it. For the February Stuck?! Sketches I decided to make an effort to pull out the new stuff and use it. Laura's sketch was a great jumping off point to get me started!
I decided to scrapbook these two photos of my oldest son at his DARE culmination. I remembered I never scrapbooked them when I worked on the same (but different) layout for my middle son. After I pulled out the photos I did not only go through my new papers and embellishments but also looked for coordinating patterns in my stash of patterned papers and created a page kit. And I'm so excited about this discovery! I know page kits aren't a new thing, but they are new to me and I loved having everything there in my bag: papers, embellishments, photos and the sketch. And once I have some free time, I can just grab an scrap.
Here is a closeup of the upper embellishment cluster. I primarily chose the lion for the color and it just felt right there. But then I remembered when voicing over the video that the DARE mascot is DAREN a lion. And so this quite random embellishment makes sense after all. When playing around with my embellishments and the placement of them, I noticed a diagonal tendency that I then emphasized by choosing red embellishments to be placed on the diagonal and by adding the star stickers as a final touch.
This closeup photo shows the title and the chipboard camera that is so old I don't even know what collection it is from. And yes, it's pink and I don't even care: It's close enough to red. I love the dimension it adds to the page and think the combination of old and new embellishments working together so well makes it even better! I added my journaling along the bottom of the
Here is a link to my video on youtube where you can see how this layout came together. Please make sure to check out the Stuck?! Sketches blog and have a look at all the other layouts by the Design Team. We would love for you to play along and link your layout to the link up to win some lovely prizes!
I had so much fun working on Christmas-themed layouts during these past two months. And combining them with the amazing sketches from Laura was exactly the right amount of Christmas scrapbooking and left enough room to work on other non-Christmas projects. For this sketch of the January 15, 2018 challenge for Stuck?! Sketches I was able to try yet more new things.
If you watch the video that is linked down below, you can see me making some pretty rookie mistakes. That's why it was so hard to take a picture of the finished layout because it wouldn't lay flat. I stayed very close to the sketch and only changed minor details. During the past weeks I have been greatly inspired by Missy Whidden, so I had to use some mists and gold thread on my layout. But let me tell you, it looks much easier to make the perfect thread nests than it actually is. The thread would always untangle before I was able to stick it underneath a layer.
Here is a closeup of the labels and word strips that I piled upon the title. I felt something was needed to balance the layout and connect the top embellishment cluster with the title. Since I used the big star as a focal embellishment in the bottom cluster, I repeated the star theme along the stitched circle at the top left side.
And finally, here is a look at the right embellishment cluster that I changed after I filmed the video. I had found the deer after I considered the layout done. When taking off the other die cut, I accidentally ripped the star so I needed to add more layers in order to cover the mistake. To finish the layout I added some more splatters of the two Shimmerz mists that I had used: Coloringz - Chocolate Brownie and Vibez - Glorious Day. If you order from their website don't forget to mention my name in the comments to receive a surprise gift with your order.
Here is a link to my video on youtube where you can see how this layout came together. Please make sure to check out the Stuck?! Sketches blog and have a look at all the other layouts by the Design Team. We would love for you to play along and link your layout to the link up to win some lovely prizes!
Happy New Year! I'm so excited for this new year to come! I'm going to start it off with yet another Christmas themed layout for Stuck?! Sketches. This sketch designed by Laura Whitaker was quite challenging for me.
But I'm happy that I persevered and tried anyway because I really like the way this layout turned out. I used gesso to prep the background paper and then went to town with mists creating this breathtaking look at the night sky. At the bottom I added a row of houses that I fussy cut from a patterned paper.
To bridge the gap between the title and the embellishment cluster, I added a strip of patterned paper and then fussy cut the trees from a 6x6 cut apart sheet. I really love the whimsical touch this adds to my layout.
To tie the bottom part of the layout in with the night sky I later added mist splatters and puffy stars. Here is a link to my video on youtube where you can see how this layout came together. Please make sure to check out the Stuck?! Sketches blog and have a look at all the other layouts by the Design Team. We would love for you to play along and link your layout to the link up to win some lovely prizes!
Is it unoriginal to start a blogpost the same way I want to start every post for Stuck?! Sketches? But the truth is: those posts make me realize how quickly time flies. Yes, it is already the 15th of December. Can you believe it? I definitely cannot! As I said in my last post, I decided to use the December sketches that Laura Whitaker created for Stuck?! Sketches and create my very first Christmas layouts. Don't you think that the triangular shape in the background just calls for a Christmas Tree?
And this is exactly what I did. For my background I chose a woodgrain paper that I received in a Cocoa Daisy kit, then I drew a triangle that I cut out and backed with a green patterned paper. To be able to use watercolor on top of the papers I primed the paper with gesso, then added watercolor and stitched around the whole shebang. The photos and layers behind the photo cluster are on the lighter side. The exclusive Cocoa Daisy vellum was just too pretty. Then I decorated the tree with Christmas ornaments that I fussy cut from last year's Cocoa Daisy Planner kits. Since this is a companion page to the layout that I created for the December 01 sketch, I didn't need any more journaling.
Here is a closeup of the Christmas Tree and the decoration. I simply fussy cut the ornaments from the paper then arranged them on the tree so that they pleased my eye. Then I went back in later with enamel dots and puffy stars and filled in the gaps. I really love how it turned out. Especially so, since the colors of the ornaments aren't your typical scrapbooking colors.
As I wrote above, I went a bit lighter on the layers behind the photo cluster. I didn't want to cover up the tree with too many layers. I love how the vellum picks up all the different colors in the layout and combines them. To give the photos a more cohesive look I backed them all with the same patterned paper, fittingly a black and white paper with ornaments from the Pinkfresh Studio "December Days" collection.
We would love for you to join us this month and create a project off this sketch. Be sure to link it up to Stuck?! Sketches for a chance to win a prize from one of our sponsors.
Here is the process video where I show you how this layout came together.
Today I want to share the new Stuck?! Sketches sketch with you that was designed by Laura Whitaker. I decided to scrapbook some Christmas memories for my December sketches, so look out for December 15 where I will share another Christmas layout. I fell in love with the Pinkfresh Studio line: "December Days" and bought several pieces of that line. With the sketch printed out I went to my past December photos to look for photos that work with the sketch and found these two of my husband, sons and brother in law all busy working on building Legos after unwrapping the presents on Christmas Eve. However, the photos were horizontal instead of vertical as suggested in the sketch. How great that we can make the sketches work by simply turning it 90 degrees.
I used all different kinds of papers as well as washi to create my strips, that I adhered with just a tiny bit of glue and then used my sewing machine to stitch them to the background. I love the texture that it adds to the layout. Before I added the strips, I primed my paper with gesso and used watercolors and some packaging to add color to the background. I'm always a bit too hesitant when it comes to the size of the color splotches and so I had to go in later after the strips were added and enlarge the area. Otherwise it wouldn't have been noticeable at all. Then I started embellishing, I created two clusters in the areas where the staggered photos left some open spaces and thus almost squaring up the photo cluster. The third cluster of embellishments is up above the title and finishes the layout nicely. I added lots of journaling to the side. I really love that it melts into the background. It is there and if you want to read it you can but it doesn't force you to.
Here is a closeup of the bottom cluster that I struggled with for a very long time. The stack of presents wasn't high enough to cover the whole height of the photo and it took me a while to realize that I didn't have to align it with the bottom edge of the photo.
This is the top cluster with the title. I just love it! Did you know that the first E isn't an E? It actually is an F because I didn't have any more Es in that color. I tucked the letters under the photo and so the bottom part of the E didn't show. What an easy solution to make a wrong letter work on a layout.
We would love for you to join us this month and create a project off this sketch. Be sure to link it up to Stuck?! Sketches for a chance to win a prize from one of our sponsors.
Here is the process video for this layout where you can see me struggle for quite a while and then see the layout come together quite easily and quickly after that.
