Gettin' By

Bubble Border Technique

Looking for a simple way to use up some paper scraps and create a super cute layout? How about a bubble border! This easy technique is a great way to draw attention to a photo and I love the fun energy all the little circles add to a page. Here's the scoop on how to do it!

S U P P L I E S :
Bazzill White | Bazzill Vellum | Hey Hello Papers | Multi Stripe Paper | Journal Card | Alphabet | File Tab
Enamel Dots | Circle Punch | Date Stamp | Buttons | Foam Adhesive

 

The first step is to cut a large heart from white cardstock - mine is 10.5" at its widest point. I adhered the heart to my page base with foam adhesive, which allows you to tuck some of the circles underneath the edge. Once the heart is in place, you just need lots of colorful circles to layer around the outer edge!

 

I used my Silhouette Cameo to cut circles ranging from 1/4 to 3/4 inch out of scraps of patterned paper, but you could also use punches or die cuts. I cut a lot more circles than I actually needed, but it's nice to have a large assortment of sizes and colors when you're building the border!

 

Be sure to overlap your circles and completely cover the edge of the white cardstock. Don't worry about keeping things in a straight line - the fun of a bubble border is it's a little bit wonky!  

You can also add small buttons, brads, or enamel dots to give your border some extra texture. Sequins or eyelets would also work well too!  And you aren't limited to the heart shape, either. Your base shape could be a circle, square or hexagon. The bubbles will make just about any shape a little more whimsical!

Happy Scrapping!

 

Snapshots | Inspired by SCT

It’s always a fantastic mail day when SCT magazine arrives in my mailbox and I was so excited to curl up with a big cup of coffee to peruse through the gorgeous pages of the winter issue. There's just something about flipping through an actual paper magazine that no digital content will ever replace. And naturally, the inspiration I found in the issue led me to my scrap table to create!

 

I was especially inspired by Erica Thomson’s Inspiration Challenge layout on page 49 with the layered circles in a simple grid formation. I am a sucker for a good grid, and I immediately wanted to create a page using that same foundation!

 

S U P P L I E S :

Bazzill Kraft  |  Bazzill White  |  Crate Paper Magical Forest  |  Chipboard  |  Alphabet  |  Puffy Stickers
Coffee Ring Stamp  |  Scallop Punch  |  Circle Cutter  |  Ink  |  Gems  |  Date Stamp  |  Foam Adhesive

 

 

I wanted to highlight some everyday photos together on the page, and this grid framework gave me nine different spots to incorporate pictures. I chose five photos, leaving the other spots open for featuring fun embellishments and a title.

 

 

After cutting patterned paper circles from the Crate Paper Magical Forest collection (but before adhering them!) I decided to add an additional layer of texture to my grid with stamps. I used a few circle-shaped images as well as an ink splatter stamp to to frame some of the circles in the grid. This is a subtle way to add another layer of detail so don't forget about your stamps!

 

 

A bit of stitching adds additional texture to my circles, and layering up embellishments is also a great way to add tactile dimension to a page. And don’t be afraid to let elements hang off the edge of the circles! It visually connects the circles by breaking up the white space in between them.

 

 

I saved the lower right corner for my title, which combines chipboard letters with a die-cut word (cut on the Silhouette from the font Love Mama). 

 

 

So are you inspired to create a circle-based grid? Other shapes like stars, hexagons and the traditional squares would work too! I’d love to see what you create!

Family | Scrapbook & Cards Winter 2020

While I typically work with 4x6 (and smaller) photos on my scrapbook pages, there are some photos that just need to be enlarged! Our annual family photo shoot usually yields some great shots from a professional photographer, and I always want to showcase these captures in a special way. And I did just that on a recent assignment for SCT!

 

S U P P L I E S :
Bazzill Admiral  |  Bazzill Lava  |  Simple Stories "Cozy Days" Papers  |  Blue Dot Paper  |  Gray Plaid Paper
Large Floral Paper  |  Blessed Paper  | Small Floral Paper  |  Pink Plaid Paper  |  Gray Text Paper
Chipboard  |  Die Cuts  | Twine  |  Enamel Brads  |  Scallop Circle Punch
Scallop Border  | Silhouette Cameo  |  Foam Adhesive

 

If you have a great photo, give it center stage by enlarging it to fill a big portion of your page. Here, I've printed my photo 9.75 x 5.5 to roughly occupy the top half of the page. Then I filled the lower space with a repeating squares to keep the design organized. You know I love a grid!

 

 

The Cozy Days paper collection has so many lovely patterns that are meant to play well together, so I mixed florals, plaids, dots and text in layered squares. Don't be afraid to embellish the embellishments - adding stickers, brads, gems os stitching for added interest and fun!

 

 

 

My title takes up the space of two of the grid blogs and was printed on a tag, along with a die cut "family" from the font Jenthill. Don't feel constricted by a grid format - you can alter it to fit your elements as needed!

 

Have you created a large photo layout lately? If so, I'd love to see it!

Count the Ways | Scrapbook & Cards Winter 2020

I'm a self-proclaimed font geek, so when my assignment for the winter issue of SCT involved incorporating numbers in a layout, I may have spent an entire day browsing font libraries to find the perfect bold, curvy type to showcase those numbers! Dafont.com is one of my favorite free font sites to get lost on and with more than 50,000 fonts available for download, it's easy to do. 

This is the page that resulted, and I absolutely love the stacked numbers for a list-centered layout. And the cut file I created of the numbers is a free download as part of the Bonus Content in the winter issue!

S U P P L I E S :
Bazzill White  |  Maggie Holmes Marigold Papers  |  Woodgrain Paper  |  Striped Paper  |  Yellow Dot Paper 
Pink Grid Paper  |  Aqua Diamond Paper  |  Teal Green Paper | Blue Floral Paper  |  Stickers |  Alphabet
Silhouette Cameo  |  SCT Cut File  |  Foam Adhesive

 

I loved the colorful stripe paper in the Maggie Holmes Marigold collection and thought it would be a great way to break up my list-style journaling, which is chronicling the many ways I love my hubby! After cutting the numbers from various patterned papers and adhering them to the white cardstock frame (also cut on the Silhouette) I was able to determine the placement of the typed lines.

 

I selected the woodgrain paper for the left edge of the layout since it gave a nice solid background for my photos. I also added some texture to the stripes by machine stitching a zig-zag between each color.

 

The small stickers in the collection were a perfect accent to each of the numbers, and I selected them to color coordinate with the papers. Because the stickers were slightly translucent, I adhered them first to white cardstock and then trimmed them out before applying them as accents to the numbers. This helps them to pop more and makes it easy to adhere them much like die-cuts!

A simple title block that's a mix of chipboard letters and stickers fit perfectly in the lower right corner and completes the page. Hope it inspires you to try a numbered list on your next page - and if you do, I'd love to see it!  Happy Scrapping!

BSD Cut Files | Crazy Daisies

It's no secret I can't scrapbook without my trusty die cutter, the Silhouette Cameo, and I rarely create a page without it! When I first started scrapbooking, I used to hand-cut pieces from patterned paper, or trace stencils to cut out with scissors, (oftentimes with less-than-perfect results and more than a few swear words muttered!) The Cameo truly revolutionized my cutting process and love the crisp, clean pieces it yields to perfectly accent my pages.

On this recent layout, I used my Crazy Daisy cut files to create layered florals to surround my photos. It's the perfect way to incorporate lots of different patterned papers in a neat, organized way!

S U P P L I E S:
Bazzill Vanilla  |  SCT July 2020 Sampler  |  BSD Crazy Daisies Cut File  |  Picnic in the Park papers
Blue Skies papers  |  Enamel Dots  |  Vine Stamps  |  Alphabet Stamps  |  Puffy Stickers  |  Bird Shape
Pink & Blue Ink  | Silhouette Cameo |  Foam Adhesive

 

After selecting an assortment of pink and blue papers, I cut four layers of petals in various sizes to create my daisies. This is a great way to use up smaller scraps or put those 6x6 papers pads to work! Each flower was layered from largest to smallest and topped with an enamel dot center. If you want extra dimension, use foam adhesive between every layer.

 

The stamped vines on the background cardstock help connect the flowers without adding any bulk. I love subtle stamping in the background to bring a design together!

 

Below my photos, I grouped an acrylic title with additional stamping and a typed journaling block, giving everything a solid base upon which to rest. 

 

I'm thinking these floral cut files will be perfect for upcoming pages about spring and easter...which seems like a distant dream as I look to my window to endless snow, ice and subzero temps. Until spring, stay warm, my friends!

BSD Cut Files | Floral Wreath

One of my favorite techniques for framing one or two photos is a large circle, and I've created these frames from stickers, die cuts, punched patterned papers and more. But since a circle frame is a lot like a wreath, I decided I needed to create a cut file incorporating leaves and florals - just like something I'd hang on my front door!

 

S U P P L I E S :
Bazzill Cardstock: Kraft, Yellow, Coastal, Ivy, Lava, Dusk   |  Jillbean Soup Patterned Paper  & Die Cuts
BSD Floral Wreath Cut File  |  Pearls

 

To begin this design, I first lightly traced a 9-inch circle with pencil in the center of my cardstock. I determined the size and number of my photos and where the small block of journaling would go, which I printed directly on the cardstock. Then I set to cutting out the components of the wreath, using a mix of patterned papers and cardstock.

 

For this wreath, I cut 18 of the 3-leaf pieces, 12 of the large leaves, and 6 of the berry sprigs. I laid them out along the penciled circle, curving them slightly along the arc. To form a visual triangle around the center of the wreath, I selected three floral die cuts to position within the leaf cuts.

 

 

A few pearl accents and butterfly stickers embellish the wreath, along with a simple tab & washi tape accent in the upper left corner!

 

 

You can find the wreath cut files in my Etsy shop, along with many other designs I use regularly on my pages. If you create something with it, I'd love to see it, so please share a link!

 

Scenes from Winter | A modified grid

I've gotten questions about using a grid framework for a layout when your photos are different sizes or orientations - and YES it's totally possible to create a grid with a mix of photos! The layout I'm sharing today is a great example of a "modified grid" that's not necessarily a symmetrical series of squares or rectangles - and it's great for adding a mish mash of pictures!

S U P P L I E S :
Echo Park Papers  & Stickers  |  Gingham Paper  |  Enamel Dots  |  Date Stamp  |  Typewriter Style Font
 Paper Trimmer  |   Foam Adhesive

The first step in creating a modified grid is to select the photos you want to incorporate. Once I have an idea of which photos I want to use, I create a mock-up of each photo using scrap paper to represent each photo size & orientation. (You can also do this in a word processing program - just create boxes to mimic your photos!) Then you can start to arrange the photos and trim them down until you find an arrangement that looks balanced. It's easiest to start with the largest photos first, and then fill in the gaps with smaller pictures.

 

Of course, you'll want to leave space for your title and/or journaling. Just treat it like another block in the grid! And these elements don't have to be square - in fact, some curves thrown into the grid help break up all the straight lines. 

 

And if the grid starts to look unbalanced or off-kilter, try adding subtle background "filler" like I did with the grid stitching (which could easily be drawn with pen if you're not a seamstress!)  These subtle elements fill up space but don't detract from the focal points.

 

Honestly, these are some of my favorite layouts to create because they're a bit funky and unexpected and you can bend them to fit your needs. Probably because I, like the modified grid, am also a little wonky and unexpected!

Keepin' On The Grid

If you're at all familiar with my scrap style, you know I create LOTS of grid-based layouts. And yes, nine-square grids seem to be especially popular with the voices inside my head. But despite the fact that about every other layout I create is a grid, they don't all end up looking the same. (And if you flip through my albums and tell me they do, indeed, all look like repeats, then we just can't be friends.)

What I love about the grid format is the smaller canvases it contains - so many little places to put a photo, journaling, title or just a cute embellishment! I love filling each square with part of the story, tying them all together with colors and patterns. This recent layout is a great example of just that!

S U P P L I E S :
Bazzill White  |  Bazzill Rain  |  Bazzill Java  |  Magical Forest and Marigold Papers  |  Chipboard  |  Rainbow
 Bow  |  Stickers  |  Metallic Pen  |  Enamel Dots |  Scallop Border  |  Silhouette Cameo  |  Foam Adhesive

 

I began with nine patterned paper cut to 3 x 3 to create the base of my page.  I opted to top four the squares with photos from our annual family photo shoot, which I printed at 2.5" square with a white border that helps them pop off the background.  This left five squares for the rest of my page elements (and the fun part of selecting small pieces to adorn them!

Rather than a wordy title, I chose to use a simple monogram -  D for Dickinson -  as the page ultimately didn't need a super descriptive phrase. The monogram is cut from brown cardstock using the font Battle Road (a free download!)

After using a tag to hold brief journaling on one square, I filled the remaining squares with matching textural embellishments. I love to layer different pieces from the same collection - chipboard, stickers, die cuts - to create little interesting vignettes. The rainbow is a favorite - I'd love to have a huge one to hang on my wall! 

 

As a final touch, I trimmed down my white cardstock background to 11 x 11, allowing me to add a 1/2" scalloped cardstock border around the entire page and still fit it in a page protector. I used a scallop die cut to create mine, and it didn't quite create a perfectly square border (the corners are a bit wonky).  I think I need to design a set of cut file borders to perfectly frame a 12 x 12 page. Adding to my to-do list now . . .

 

I think I love grid layouts because they are relatively fool-proof, and sometimes you need a creative technique that doesn't require too much thought. Gotta save the brain for more important duties like which pair of slippers to don today or which wine to open for happy hour, amiright?!

Incorporating Memorabilia (& Decluttering Your Counters!)

Hey there and happy 2021! Tis' the season for organization and de-cluttering, so today I'm sharing layout that will help you do just that! If you have kids in school, you know the amount of paper and projects that come home every week can be overwhelming. And those special items, like awards or report cards can get lost in the clutter. But because of their size, it’s often hard to include these important milestones on a scrapbook layout. The solution? Turn it into a photo!

 

S U P P L I E S :
Bazzill Blackbird  |  Floral Paper  |  Gingham Paper  |  Yellow Dot Paper  |  Typewriter Paper  |  Chipboard Letters  BSD Floral Cut Files  | Journal Tag  |  Scallop Punch | Paper Clip |  Enamel Dots  |  Twine  |  Silhouette Cameo

 

 

 

(And yes, this layout features a photo from 2013! I'm here to dispel the rumor that there's such a thing as "caught-up" in scrapbooking!)  A mere eight years ago, my daughter was recognized at her elementary school with a monthly citizenship award and the certificate awarded to her was a letter-size that would have taken up most of my layout. So I simply took a photo of it on my phone, resized it to a smaller canvas, and had it printed as a 4x6 print. TIP: Your photos should be 300 dpi resolution at print size for best quality.

 

 

After printing, I have a miniature version of the certificate that’s perfect for including on a 12x12 page, and still leaves room for other elements. Even though it’s significantly reduced, you can still see all the details on the award. And displayed on the page, it’s no longer contributing to the big piles of clutter on our kitchen counters!

 

 

 

A bold title is a great way to set the theme of the page, with a mix of a die cut word and chipboard stickers. I love the font Super Clarendon for making titles like these - it’s a bulky serif font that’s perfect for using with electronic die cut machines.

 

 

A layered die-cut flower ties in the floral pattern on the bottom half of the page and helps complete the grid of four elements in the center of the page - Photo, Title, Award, Embellishment. The die cut is part of a layered floral set available in my etsy shop!

 

 

The story of the layout was typed on a journaling tag that slides behind the photo, easily accessible with a pull of the twine. When I adhered the photo to the page, I used a solid line of adhesive on the sides and bottom edge, leaving the top edge open to allow for the tag.

 

 

And if you’re feeling nostalgic and don’t want to trash the original certificate, you can always adhere it to the backside of your layout like I did.  Hope this inspires you to include important memorabilia on your next page - it’s a simple as taking a quick snapshot! Now if only I could use that technique on my closet....

December Giveaway #4 | Comfort & Joy

The Christmas countdown is nearing it's end - are you ready?!?  I'm spending the day wrapping gifts and am currently getting fueled up for this marathon session by sipping an egg nog latte and perusing my options for Christmas movies to watch while I wrap. I always love the IDEA of wrapping things, but I usually lose my inspiration about three gifts in and just want to get it done. (The last gifts wrapped are usually short on paper, sealed with duct tape and topped with a non-matching bow.)

But before that, I wanted to share one last layout (and a giveaway!) before Christmas arrives. Here's a favorite double-pager that would be perfect for documenting the holiday season, as it incorporates nine photos, with room for plenty of cute embellishments & journaling!

S U P P L I E S :
Bazzill Jade |  Bazzill White  |  Bazzill Petalsoft  |   Tree Paper  |  Snowflake Paper  |  Aqua Diamond Paper
Pink Lined Paper  |  Green Grid Paper  |  Chipboard Letters  |  Die Cuts  |  Enamel Dots
Pine Boughs  |  Scallop Border  |  Silhouette Cameo 

 

I love a design that uses vertical, horizontal and square photos all in one and this one worked perfectly for all our winter family photos! I used simple seasonal accents in three spots, combining pre-made dies cuts with faux pine boughs and snowflakes I cut on my Silhouette. (There are similar snowflake cut files available in my etsy shop!)

 

 

Journaling & the page title on a tag in the center help to connect the two blocks of photos. Don't be afraid to cross over the center line of a double-page layout (as my journaling block does) because it makes the page look like a whole canvas, rather than two halves!

 

 

 

 

So does that get you in the holiday spirit? Well if not, this certainly will! Today's fun giveaway includes the Comfort & Joy collection from Close to My Heart, along with three sets of stamps, perfect for all your holiday projects!

 

If you'd like a chance to win this festive collection, just leave me a comment today telling me your favorite go-to holiday movie!  I'll pick a winner on Christmas Day and announce them here! (US address only, please!)

And now I'm off to start the wrapping...wish me luck!