Gettin' By

Whip-Up-A-Page Wednesday

Today I've got a page from the mid-month JBS Mercantile gallery for ya, featuring my sweet boy!

S U P P L I E S :

The base of this design was established by grouping together several of the journaling cards from the Echo Park "This & That" line. I stamped the silhouette on one and used two more as photo mattes. I also included a manila tag, stamped with a JBS exclusive chevron stamp (look for it on sale in July). Some of the This & That stickers, popped up on foam squares finish the look, along with a die-cut title. (I used a calligraphy brush in Illustrator to create it.)

Hope you have a AMAZING Wednesday!

Whip-Up-A-Page Wednesday

It's time for another installment of Whip-Up-A-Page! As I was looking through the humungous and dangerously tall pile of layouts on my desk trying to determine which one to feature today, I came to the realization that I SUCK AT PUTTING LAYOUTS INTO ALBUMS.  Rather, I let them collect on my desk until they resemble the Leaning Tower of Pisa, and then I transfer them to our dining room table, where they will remain until Thanksgiving, the one time of year we actually use that table for dining purposes.

But enough about my inadequate organizational skills. I don't think I've featured this page on the blog yet (and if I have, well tough cookies! I'm OLD and I don't remember!) and it's one of my favorite recent creations.  The color combo + large chevrons just make me happy:

S U P P L I E S :

I used papers from Lily Bee's new Buttercup line, with a dose of aqua and gray cardstock thrown in. That aqua color is one of my very favorites shades of Bazzill - Kachina. I buy it in bulk!

1.  Trim several strips of cardstock and patterned paper 1.5" wide. Arrange on background of page at an angle. Trim ends of each strip to line up (mine are cut at about a 120˚angle and I marked each strip with a pencil line before cutting).

2. Cut various circles sizes from patterned paper.  Layer with doilies, buttons, and stickers in the upper left side and lower right side of page.

3. Print three photos (mine are 3 x 3, 2.5 x 2.25 and 1.75 x 1.75) and adhere on top of circles.

4.  Add chipboard letters and journaling strips. Embellish buttons with twine.

And there you have it! Have fun and enjoy your Wednesday. (And keep your fingers crossed I'm not mortally injured by falling layout piles, ok?!)

Whip-Up-A-Page Wednesday

Whew - I made it to Wednesday! And if you had witnessed the first two days of my week, you'd know that's a reason to celebrate.  So let's toast to Wednesday being the day that signifies the-weekend-is-two-days-away-HURRAY!  (okay??)

Thought I'd revive the ol' Whip Up A Page today with a layout I did for Lily Bee a few weeks back. I had been pondering all the possibilties for whiling away the moments of the extra day that Leap Year provides. The photo collage (which features a whopping seven Instagram photos) highlights those ideas.

S U P P L I E S :

 

The whole design sits atop a striped background that I created by alternating the Lemonade and Linen polka dot papers from Lily Bee's Handmade line.

I tucked in an index card from the Buttercup line for a little pop of yellow:

And the title is a combo of Thickers and a die cut from the Silhouette:

And that's about all I can whip up for today! Wishing you all the best as we slide into the weekend! (Can I get a HELL, YEAH!?)

Whip-Up-A-Page Wednesday

It's been quite awhile since I've hosted an installment of Whip-Up-A-Page and since today is Wednesday and I happen to have a page lying on my desk ready to share, it would seem that the stars are all perfectly aligned in the scrapbook universe.  So let's get to whippin' up that page, shall we?!

S U P P L I E S :

This is a simple page design that could fit a variety of themes: Valentine's Day... love...wedding...open heart surgery...OK, maybe I'm stretching it there. But grab some coordinating patterned paper and let's get creating!

1. Trim a piece of white cardstock to 12 x 3.5. Adhere across the bottom of the Dotted Swiss background.


2. Cut out a variety of hearts in different patterns and sizes. I used some chipboard shapes in my stash as templates for some, and free-handed others. You could also use punches, pre-made die cuts, or a die cut machine to cut your hearts.


3. Layer some of the hearts with accents - a scalloped edge of cardstock, stickers, or vellum (I stitched mine into place with my sewing machine.)


4. Adhere your assortment of hearts across the seam between the white and tan cardstock. Use foam squares to add dimension to some of the hearts.


5. Print photos (mine are approx. 4 x 2.75") and adhere them on the upper left side of layout. Print journaling on white cardstock; cut in to strips and place to the right of photos.


6. Die-cut the title from red cardstock. I used my Silhouette to cut out the font Dancing Script, but you could also use stamps with red ink or red alpha stickers for the same effect. Then add your subtitle in small stamps with black ink.

Easy, right? And in no time at all you've got a lovely page straight from the heart. Full of love. And ready for Uncle Earnest's triple bypass photos. Or, uh, whatever other topic your little heart feels like scrapping.

Enjoy your Wednesday, my dearies!

Monday Re-do.

I had every intention of blogging yesterday, but after waking up in a state of extreme soreness from my first Killer Buns & Thighs workout on Sunday I was unable to do much more than lurch around the house like Frankenstein, mumbling incoherently about ibuprofen and candy corn.  Which, while it may be seasonally appropriate, is a less-than-ideal state for blogging.  After typing the same phrase (it went something like: "Sore muscles… ehhhhhrrrrrrgggg… pain… rrrrraaahhhh… need Advil… urrrggghhh… hurts so much.… ooooowwwwwwww") about eighty different times, I gave up.  And thought I'd try again today.

And by try again, I mean post a page and then shut up.  It's what I do best. :)

SUPPLIES:

This week, Lily Bee Design is partnering up with Elle's Studio for a blog hop showcasing some of our favorite products.  So leap on over to those sites to check out the eye candy (and enter to win some fab prizes!).  My page above features the Lily Bee line, Memorandum, and the Mix & Match Numbers Tags and Turquoise Pennants from Elle's.

I'm off to find some ice and ibuprofen...and fight with my internal Frankenstein about whether or not we'll be be able to face another Jillian workout this morning.  It's a regular variety show around here, I tell ya.

Happy Tuesday (ehhhhhrrrrrrggg....)

Lift This {Two} Pager!

I don't make two-page layouts as often as I should (I think I find it difficult to design in a rectangular space) but every now and then, I need a lot of photos to tell my story and the extra space is nice. I did this simple spread with the August Jenni Bowlin Mercantile kit and it's an easy design to lift:

Feed the Birds | supplies:  Bazzill cardstock (Cream Puff, Green Tea, White OP) + Basic Grey patterned paper + Bazzill Flocked Vellum + Fancy Pants flocked transparency + JBS medallion stamp + Studio Calico wooden alpha + Prima pearls & jewels + JBS inks (Fountain Pen, Chili Powder, Stick Candy) + Creative Memories circle cutter + Typenoksidi font

1. Matte photos on light green cardstock block. I used 3 - 4x6 photos and 5 smaller photos, all sized to a height of 2 inches.


2. Cut approximately 13 circles in various sizes from patterned paper, vellum, transparency, or stamped cardstock. (I used the medallion stamp from the kit for several of the circles). Arrange circles across the two page spread.


3. Dab wooden letters with black ink and let dry. Adhere to lower left side of spread.


4. Print journaling on white cardstock. Cut into strips and adhere around title lettering.


5. Adhere block of matted photos to layout using foam squares.  I aligned my block so the first 4x6 photo is on the left side of the center line and the rest are on the right.


6. Embellish some of the circles with pearls and rhinestones:

This layout is also featured in the debut issue of the JBS Mercantile Gazette, a newsletter available now on the Jenni Bowlin blog.  Go download the pdf file and print it for future inspiration! It's packed full of layout ideas, tips and tricks from the Jenni Bowlin design team.  After this month, the Gazette will be available for anyone who purchases the monthly kit or who has a kit subscription (so go reserve your membership now - kits have been selling out quickly!)

And enjoy your Wednesday, my friends!

Lift This Page!

We are officially entering our last week of summer vacation...and so begins the frantic cramming of all those last-minute summer activities into our schedule.  I always have mixed emotions about August...I love the idea that school supply shopping and crisp fall days are just around the corner, but part of me mourns the passing of yet another fleetingly fast summer. {s i g h }

So, yep, the next seven days will be packed. Hayden is off with Grandpa for a fishing/golfing adventure; Riely has a sleepover and a VBS camp, and I am getting myself organized (and excited!) for two different scrapbook teaching events this fall....details to come! It's a crazy time, but the light at the end of the proverbial tunnel is the sanity and structure that a regular school/work routine will soon provide.

And now, onto today's layout! It's based on a simple "divide & conquer" method I like to use when approaching a page.  I've created four main quadrants with patterned paper and filled each with photos, journaling, a title and embellishments:

Easy | supplies:  Bazzill cardstock (Date Swirl, White OP) + Lily Bee patterned paper (Porch Swing, Milk Bottle, Cottage Garden, Pearls & Heels, Cider ) + Lily Bee stickers (Picket Fence Cardstock, Picket Fence Alpha) + Lily Bee Chipboard accents + Basic Grey chipboard letters + Creative Memories circle punch + Martha Stewart butterfly punch + Bazzill twine + Courier font + machine stitching

1. Cut four pieces of patterned paper to approx. 3.75" x 5.25". Adhere to center of cardstock.


2. Print two photos (3" x 4.25") and use foam adheisve squares to adhere to two of the quadrants.


3. Use existing chipboard or die-cut flower shapes (I used these from Sassafras) to trace flowers onto Lily Bee patterned papers.  Trim out and embellish the centers with circle punches or buttons.


4. Print journaling on white cardstock. Trim into strips and adhere to lower right quadrant.


5. Use small letter stickers + chipboard letters to create title.


6. Embellish as desired using stickers, punches, chipboard, twine, buttons and machine stitching.

Be sure to stop back on Thursday, as I've got a great giveaway you won't want to miss!  Enjoy your Tuesday!

Lift This Page!

I'm in the midst of a creating-for-CHA-and-simultaneously-trying-to-pack-for-a-long-anniversary-weekend-away-with-the-hubby-while-hopped-up-on-mega-doses-of-caffeine-and-operating-on-very-little-sleep frenzy over here. Whew! I can tell you that there are some fabulous scrappy products hitting the market soon. And that I really, really despise packing.

Anyway, today's lift is a simple page I made with this month's Jenni Bowlin Mercantile kit and I bet you can whip it up in less than 30 minutes. Which means you'll have plenty of time to scrap and then scoot on over to my house and help me pack.  Sound like a plan?

Cheers | supplies: Bazzill kraft cardstock + patterned paper (My Mind's Eye, Sassafras Lass) + My Mind's Eye brads + American Crafts Thickers + stickers (Sassafras Lass, My Mind's Eye) + punches (Creative Memories, Fiskars) + American Crafts pen + machine stitching

1.  Punch approximately 26 squares (mine are 1.5") from various patterned paper. Arrange in a quilt pattern across the page, placing each square on the diagonal. Trim off any squares that hang over the edge.

2.  Punch approximately 6 squares from kraft cardstock. I stamped mine with watermark ink + the exclusive Soda Water stamp that came in this month's JBS kit, but you can use any stamp/ink you like (or just leave them plain!).  Slice each kraft square in half diagonally and use the halves to cap off the top and bottom row of the quilt pattern.

3. Use a scallop punch to make a 12" border for the top edge. Stitch it in place using red thread.

4.  Adhere a 4x6 photo to the bottom right of the page.  Apply title stickers and embellish with flower and label.

5.  Write journaling with pen and adorn a few of the squares with embellished brads.

And you're done!  Now can you tell me exactly how many pairs of shoes a girl needs for a romantic 4-day vacation with her husband? Please tell me that ten pairs is not too many. After all, one cannot truly celebrate 13 years of marriage if not wearing the appropriate footwear, right??

Happy Wednesday!

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For more great design advice and scrapbook inspiration, check out my Ella Publishing ebook, Design Workshop. In it, I share 10 essential steps to design success with 22 full-color layouts, plus 43 bonus tips and tricks.

Lift This Page!

At the almost halfway-point of June, I'm going to blatantly ignore the fact that summer is zooming past at a much, much faster pace than I can keep up with.  Besides the fact that it's flinging the days at me at an alarming speed, summer is also on my sh!%* list for throwing me a nasty virus that had me laid up in bed much of the weekend, watching old episodes of LOST, and nursing a very unhappy tummy that rumbled and churned at the mere mention of anything more potent than a few sips of water.

Needless to say, after a few days of being down for the count, my Agenda of Official Mommy Tasks & Undertakings has transformed from a mere to-do list into a tome of epic proportions. Remember what happens when you feed gremlins after midnight? Yeah, that's sort of what's happened to my list - it's multiplied into a chaotic and destructive force.  So tell me, short of blowing the whole thing up in a movie theater, exactly how do I tackle it?  Someone really needs to write a mom's manual for juggling work, home, and kids' activities successfully during the summer months.  A simple, step-by-step list of how to fit it all in and get it all done.  Hey - kind of like my Lift This Page posts!   So....if I explain the scrapping, you tell me how to do the rest - deal?!

Today's page was made from the Granny's Cupboard kit at Studio Calico.  The basic framework is a 9-square grid, with a square of asymetrical flowers thrown in for fun.  So let's get started!

Precious Gifts | supplies:  Bazzill vanilla cardstock + patterned paper (Girl's Paperie Vintage Patchwork, Girls Paperie Cabbage Rose, Little Yellow Bicycle, Studio Calico, Lily Bee Design + Making Memories chip letters + October Afternoon mini alpha + brads (American Crafts, Pink Paislee) + My Mind's Eye velvet trim + Typenoksidi font + machine stitching

1. Print 4 photos approximately 3" square.  Trim 4 pieces of patterned paper to the same size. Arrange in grid and adhere to cardstock. Machine stitch around edges with black thread, if you really feel like it.
2. Use existing chipboard shapes to trace various flowers onto patterned paper. Trim out shapes and adorn each center with a brad.  Adhere to grid using foam squares:
   
3. Affix chipboard letters + mini alpha in upper left square as title.
4. Print journaling on white cardstock and trim into strips; adhere to lower center square.
5. Embellish additional squares with whatever your little heart desires!  I added a strip of velvet trim to the upper right square and traced a circular pattern on the pink square in the top row, using this chipboard piece that came in the kit:

So there you go - a finished page!  And I'm off to figure out how to best to tackle this day, which will inevitably lead to me playing Wii with the children, eating popsicles, and possibly watching Gremlins on Netflix.  Probably not productive, but fun nonetheless.  Enjoy your Tuesday!

 

Whip-Up-A-Page Wednesday.

It's the middle of the week and time for another installment of Whip-Up-A-Page! This one uses the beloved butterfly stamp from Jenni Bowlin and a super easy stamping technique for making patterned paper. Don't be intimidated - it's a simple process with no measuring or precision required. Um, hello, if a stamping clutz like me can pull it off, so can you! So let's get going, shall we?

Just Believe | supplies: Bazzill Cardstock (Adobe, French Vanilla) + JBS patterned paper + JBS stamp + JBS inks (Chili Powder, Chewing Gum, Fountain Pen) + JBS bingo card + JBS tickets + JBS alpha + JBS buttons (chipboard, sew-on, rhinestone) + JBS butterfly + JBS tag + May Arts ribbon + pens (American Crafts, Bic Mark-It)

1. Use the three inks and the butterfly stamp on the ivory cardstock to create patterned paper. A detailed tutorial on this process can be found on the Jenni Bowlin blog.

2.  Trim stamped cardstock to 9.5" x 6". Trim gray patterned paper to 9.5" x 3.5". Adhere both pieces to background cardstock. Write your journaling on the top and bottom edge.

3.  Adhere mini bingo card and scalloped journal spot (I stamped a mini title on mine) on left side. Apply strip of tickets to cover seam between the papers. Tie ribbon in bow and affix over tickets with mini stapler.

4. Use foam squares to adhere photos to right side. My photos were printed 3.25" x 4.75".

5. Affix alphabet stickers to bottom right edge. I colored mine with a gray marker.

6.  Add butterfly and various buttons as embellishments.

Any questions? Just let me know!  If you decide re-created this page, I'd love to see your version, so link me up. (And just a note: if you are looking for additional Whip-Up-A-Page or Lift-This-Page posts, you can click on those links under the Catagories Cloud over in the right hand column and it will list all my previous pages!)

Happy Wednesday!