Gettin' By

Summer Sunshine

We've had such a mild summer here in Colorado, with most days in the mid-80s and afternoon thunderstorms almost everyday that keep it nice and cool. And I totally don't hate it. My flower pots are flourishing, the air conditioning bill is insanely low, and I can still take long walks with the dogs without worrying about their big old paws melting into the sidewalk. And bonus! I have yet to have my annual sweaty lady meltdown where I declare my hatred for heat, sunscreen, and mosquitos and then drown my sorrows in giant vat of ChickFilA ice tea. But it is only July 11, so stay tuned... 

In celebration of (not-to-hot) summer sun, I have a colorful layout entitled Sunshine that seemed perfect to share!

 

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I began this page by stamping circles on teal cardstock to make my own polka dot background. I used an ink slightly darker than my cardstock, but watermark ink would work great as well. This is an easy way to customize your cardstock and add a subtle texture or pattern!

 

To bring lots of vibrant color to this design, I collected several tags (these are from an older SCT Delivered kit, but I linked similar) to layer over a floral paper as a free-form sort of photo matte.

 

 

And I finished it off with a fun tulle flower and a sprinkling of stars. I don't usually try to add this many colors to one page, but I love how it turned out. And it definitely says SUNSHINE!

 

Hope your day is sunny with the perfect side of iced tea!

 

Simple Saturday | New Purpose

Last spring our family made the decision to start fostering dogs for a local rescue (from whom both of our Great Danes were adopted) and since then, we've hosted eight dogs while they waited to find their forever homes. And while our house is almost always full of dog hair (and the more prevalent dog farts!) our hearts are just as full of love for these resilient and deserving creatures.

While we have fostered many different sizes and breeds in the past, our current fosters are both Great Danes and we're housing a record FOUR giant dogs. One of which I may have surprised my husband with on Father's Day - I'm SUCH a thoughtful wife! That's a combined 365 pounds of canine sharing our adobe (and approximately that same weight in dog food is being stored in the garage).  They're all asleep on my office floor right now, giving me time to share a layout - appropriately enough - about fostering dogs!

 

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I relied on my favorite grid design to include seven photos on this layout, along with lots of cute patterns and accents in the remaining squares. Each block in the grid is approximately 2x2, leaving room for a nice border of white space around the grid.

 

 

Two of the squares in the framework aren't actually squares at all - the blue pennant in the second row and the tag in the bottom right under the title. I like to have a few elements that "break free" from the straight lines & right angles of a grid and add a bit of whimsy to the page.

 

Since the title wouldn't fit into one square, I let it span over two, combining a die cut word with gold foam Thickers. It helps give the title more weight and provides a "base" for the grid to rest upon.

 

Looking over the cute faces on this page makes me so happy that we took the leap and started fostering! It's not always easy, but I've witnessed firsthand the difference it can make in a dog's life. And their grateful kisses are awfully hard to beat! If you've got questions about fostering, feel free to ask as I'm happy to share our experience. And be sure to check out Big Bones Canine Rescue for other ways you can help.

Have a doggone great weekend!

Quick Cards | Squeeze the Day

I'm definitely not known as a card maker, but after recently having an awkward moment standing in the middle of the Target greeting card aisle and loudly proclaiming that STORE BOUGHT CARDS ARE A TOTAL RIP OFF (much to the embarrassment of my horrified daughter) I've decided that making my own cards is pretty darn awesome. Also, I've undoubtedly firmly validated my membership in the Grouchy & Cheap Old Ladies Club.

But seriously, since working with the SCT Delivered Kits (and making cards regularly with them) I've loved creating a small stash of handmade cards that are ready for special occasions. Here's a quick summer card I made using scraps from the Summertime Dreams kit!

 

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I loved this lemonade paper from Pink Paislee, but couldn't quite get it to work on a scrapbook page (and my kids refused to participate in staged photos of them working a lemonade stand just so I could make a layout - go figure). But a small square of it was perfect for a bright, happy card. I used the striped B-side of the same paper for the upper portion of card.

 

 

The tag in the center of the card was part of the kit printables (love these and they can be reprinted over & over for multiple uses!) that I stamped the word SUNSHINE repeatedly across. As a lover of all things typography, I'm always trying to work extra letters into my design. This little phrase is subtle but reinforces the sunny theme of the card and adds another layer of detail.

 

Beause the original tag didn't quite fit the lemonade theme, I covered up the watermelon graphic with a die-cut lemon. I also fussy-cut a butterfly from patterned paper to mount near the lemons. A sprinkle of enamel dots was the final embellishment!

 

 

So that is my quick card for today! And all that money I didn't spend on Hallmark I'm putting towards a nice cold lemonade (with vodka - IT'S FRIDAY!)

In Honor Of Fathers...

Happy Father's Day! I've rounded up some of my favorite dad-theme layouts to share today (and bonus - they come without corny jokes and the famous socks & sandals combo!). Here's to celebrating our dads and all they do for us!

 

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(Since this is round up of layouts old & new, I've done my best to add supply lists with products that are similar and currently available.)

 

 

Hope today you are celebrating with the men that make your life great - whomever they are! 

 

 

 

Simple Saturday | Sweet Choir Memories

I'm just now checking to see if there's a snowstorm in hell, because I BLOGGED TWO DAYS IN A ROW YOU GUYS! Just goes to show what you can accomplish when you apply yourself. And refrain from watching "just one more episode" of Parks and Recreation while finishing that second pot of coffee. Yes, POT. Never underestimate the power of caffeine to get shit done, people!

Today I wanted to share a layout using the SCT Delivered kit, Summertime Dreams. And if I can manage to type with my crazy shaky hands and racing mind, I will do just that. Right after I tell you I LOVE COFFEE! And oh yeah, HERE'S THE LAYOUT!

 

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This is a super simple 4-square grid design that I fancied up with a decorative border. After adhering a 2" wide strip of striped paper along the left edge, I layered lots of ephemera, tags and die cuts atop it, trying to keep all the elements in the pink/aqua color palette. Foam adhesive helps elevate each layer and makes the border look more dimensional and SO FUN!

 

 

The cute bicycles were fussy-cut from the Pink Paislee Horizon Paper 13. This is such an adorable, whimsical collections from Paige Evans. Love everything she creates!

 

 

A few enamel dots and a bit of baker's twine finish off the border, easy peasy. This is also a great way to use up little bits and pieces from various ephemera packs. Just sort them into color coordinating groups and the next time you need a quick page accent, arrange them into a creative border. I'd LOVE to see what you create!

 

And before I wear out my CAPS LOCK key on this caffeinated high, I wanted to remind you that you can grab the Summertime Dreams kit (which has everything you need to re-create this layout and more!) for 10% off by using the code LISA10 at checkout. It's the perfect way to spoil yourself with some summer scrapping (while drinking coffee, of course!)

Time to Shine | SCT Delivered Summer Kits

I always think summer will be a time to slow down, relax the schedule and make time for all things I haven't gotten around to during the business of the rest of the year (like, uh, BLOGGING??) And then before I know it, June is half gone and my summer bucket list has gotten longer rather than shorter. And with Hayden heading off to college in California this fall, I'm even more determined to pack.in.all.the.things over the next fleeting months. So after checking Spend 3 Days Straight in PJS and Watch All The DVR Content and Place Largest GrubHub Order Ever off our bucket list, we're rested and ready to tackle all the other activities!

And while scrapping isn't on the list, I do have quite a backlog of layouts ready and waiting to be shared here. So I definitely will be popping on here to highlight some of those. Not the least of which are my layouts with the newest SCT Delivered Kit, Summertime Dreams! I always love the vibrant, happy colors of summer and this collection captures that vibe perfectly. Today I'm sharing my double-page layout, but check back on Saturday to see the single!

 

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I had a hard time deciding what papers from the kit to use first, so I opted to incorporate several as a colorful border on the left hand side of the page. I mixed both pattern paper and cardstock strips added some stamped images and stitching for more dimension and detail.

 

 

I also added stitched grid lines to serve as a base for my embellishment clusters. Atop one, I created my title block with a tag, ephemera, stamped images, stickers and a fun shaped paper clip!

 

 

To draw the eye to the right side of the spread, I made another stitched grid in the upper corner and added more bits of ephemera and tags.

 

 

Double-pages are quickly becoming my favorites because I can add in so many more fun elements (and these kits always include lots of them!) If you'd like to grab one of the Summertime Dreams kit, they are available on the SCT website now. And if you use the code LISA10 and check out, you can get 10% off your purchase. (Coupon code is good for the spring and summer scrapbook kits and card kits!)

 

And now I'm off to enjoy the summer!

New Puppy | SCT Delivered Spring Kits

Last week our pup Wednesday turned one, so I thought it's be a perfect time to share one of the layouts I did featuring her as a cute little runt. I used the spring SCT Delivered Kit, Spring Fling as the color palette was perfect (and the llama paper totally reminded me of Wednesday!)

 

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I created a dimensional background by layering lots of squares of papers (all stitched around the outer edge) with foam adhesive. I also added two frames with stitched detailing after filling the centers of the frames with patterned paper. 

 

 

The kit came with several printable tags and I used the daisy and heart banner from that set to reinforce the pink, girly theme and add some interest in amongst all the square papers.

 

 

The title is a combo of a stamped word (from the exclusive kit stamps!) and silver Thickers that help keep the soft, feminine feel of the page.

 

 

It's crazy how fast this little girl has grown up. I'm so glad I took lots of photos when she was small to document it (because it didn't last long!) Here's a look at the first six weeks we had her - I still need to add in the growth that occurred after 18 weeks!

 

Have a wonderful day - and don't forget to hug your pups!

For the love of patterned paper | BasicGrey

I'm a proud hoarder of patterned paper and despite the fact that I use it on just about every layout I create, my stash is always expanding. Some of my very favorite patterns were from BasicGrey and when I came across this page using their Dear Heart line, I was reminded just how much I miss their amazing papers. They always produced gorgeous collections of papers that worked together seamlessly (and creating with them was so easy!) 

 

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So while I was lamenting the fact that BasicGrey papers are no longer available, I decided to turn to Google and see if there was any hidden stash out there on the world wide web. And while I did find a few papers still available (yay!), I was even more thrilled to see the digital collections of many BG lines available at Snap Click Supply Co. They currently carry the Dear Heart line I used on this layout, as well as many of the well-loved BG collections.

 

 

I used lots of the patterns to fill the centers of my heart cut file, and you could easily print the papers from the digital collections to re-create this look. (Tip: one of the best - and cheapest - papers for printing digital elements is Staples Basic Photo Paper in Matte!) 

 

For even more texture and dimension, I added chipboard, felt and enamel heart accents atop my die cut. This is a great way to use up little bits from your stash! I look for pieces that match the general color scheme and theme of my page and mix them in liberally.

 

 

Hope you enjoyed this blast from my scrapbooking past! And now I'm off to download some delicious papers (and bonus - they won't even take up any room in my supply closet!)

 

Wardrobe Wednesday | Cladwell

Target Moto Jacket (similar) + Knox Rose Tunic (ebay, ThredUp, similar) + AG Nikki Jeans + Freebird Lasso Booties (similar, similar) + Jack Wills clutch (similar, similar)

 

I've always known there are certain pieces in my closet that I'm drawn to - the ones that make me feel pulled together and stylish even when inside I feel like a bridge troll.  And after about four months of using the app Cladwell (which basically helps you inventory your closet and keep track of what you actually wear) I'm learning exactly what are the go-to pieces in my wardrobe. And spoiler alert...it's not the plaid mini skirt or sky-high tweed pumps I convinced myself I needed in a whirl of retail therapy on Black Friday.

 

 

Loose tunics and distressed jeans are at the top of my "most-worn" list and the outfit today is no exception. There's something very easy about grabbing a colorful drapey top (that drapes away from the body and doesn't remind me that I may have eaten a cheeseburger and fries last night) and soft, broken-in jeans to pull together a look. And when I can mix in a few different patterns and textures (hello florals and animal prints!) I'm even happier.

 

Cladwell has helped me to focus on the pieces I truly love and offers lots of different outfit options based around what I currently own. For this tunic alone, it offers more than 50 outfit combos with pieces already in my closet. Here's just a sampling:

Cladwell has also helped me be a smarter shopper, because I'm starting to realize what type of items I love and wear regularly (and which ones need to be purged!) When I can quickly look at my closet stats and see the plaid mini skirt has zero wears, yet the floral tunic has 10, it makes it so much easier to let the skirt go - and replace it with something I know I'll wear! If you're looking for a way to feel less overwhelmed with by your wardrobe, I'd totally suggest grabbing the app (it's free!) and diving in. It takes a bit of time to get everything inventoried and start tracking your outfits, but it's well worth the effort.

And when you're done, you can totally reward yourself with a cheeseburger and fries.

 

 

SIMPLE SATURDAY | Happy Hearts

Since we just celebrated Valentine's Day, I thought I'd share a page full of love (and not coincidentally, HEARTS!) One of my favorite ways to reinforce the theme of a page is to use repetition. In this case, I've used the heart shape to convey lots of love, and they are also a perfect way to bring color and pattern to the design!

 

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This page features two 4" square photos that I positioned on the right side of the page. After selecting my patterned papers, I cut a variety of sized hearts on my Silhouette Cameo and used them to fill the remaining space. I overlapped the shaped and used foam adhesive to pop some of them off the page for more dimension.

The shape of the hearts makes it hard to fill the whole space evenly without leaving little spots of trapped white space. But buttons area great way to fill these blank spaces! I used an assortment of sizes in colors that coordinated with my patterned papers.

 

For the title, I fussy cut two conversation bubbles from one of the papers. To help them stand out from the sea of hearts, I added a baker's twine border around each oval. Then I adhered them overlapping with foam adhesive. I also used this border technique on the edge of my page. Baker's twine is an easy way to add a fun textural element to your design!

Hope your weekend is full of LOVE!