Gettin' By

Simple Saturday | Divide & Conquer

Sometimes when I'm starting a layout without a specific design in mind, that blank 12x12 canvas staring back at me is just too intimidating. And my creativity freezes up, forcing me to do - what else? Eat chocolate. And when I'm done, I return to my scrap table with a new approach - divide and conquer. And hope that the chocolate smears can be covered with a nice large scrap of patterned paper.

On this layout, I divided my page into two separate columns. The right side of the design (about 1/3) holds a vertical column of photos while the left side (about 2/3) contains my journaling, title, and lots of fun bits & pieces.

S U P P L I E S :

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The different patterned papers on the background define my columns, and I lined up the elements in each area on the center axis between them. The one exception is the "love" tag, which breaks across the border and helps connect the two sections visually.

When I arranged the elements on the left, I tried to use a few white tags to coordinate with my white grid on the right. On the largest tag with my vellum title, I used a grid pattern that echoes the grid paper on the right.

Much like a grid helps me divide the page up into smaller canvases, this type of page division helps to organize the design and give me a home to place all the elements. So the next time you're stuck with where to begin, try the divide & conquer technique. And a little chocolate never hurts, either!

Crate Paper | She Rides

You guys. There is currently a sky-high tower of layouts teetering on my desk (I stopped counting at 80!) that is sure to (a) topple and cause someone bodily injury; (b) get ruined with the unintentional (but inevitable) spilling of one of the numerous half-full coffee cups nearby; and (c) substantially boost American Crafts album sales once I actually get around to putting them away!

In order to avoid scenario a or b above, I'm making it my mission to reduce the size of this stack by posting the pages and getting them into albums.  Which means regular scrappy posts for you and hopefully a cleaner desk for me. Hold me accountable, ok? And if I stop posting, it's safe to assume the pile collapsed and I'm buried under mounds of patterned paper and Thickers. Send help.

I'll apologize in advance that the supplies used in many of these layouts are not current but I'll do my best to list sources when available. Today's page is from the bottom of the stack, so it definitely uses older Crate Paper - and a photo taken nearly 4 years ago - but you could easily recreate a similar look with new Crate lines.
 

S U P P L I E S :

Crate Paper - Open Road - Main Street	Crate Paper - Open Road Collection - 12 x 12 Double Sided Paper - Mae's Cafe	Crate Paper - Open Road Collection - 12 x 12 Double Sided Paper - Scenic Route	Crate Paper - Open Road Collection - 12 x 12 Chipboard Stickers
Crate Paper - Open Road Collection - Ephemera Pack	Crate Paper - Open Road Collection - Chipboard Frames	Crate Paper - Maggie Holmes Collection - Styleboard - Sticky Pad	Crate Paper - Oh Darling Collection - Thickers - Printed Chipboard - Sweetie - Fabric
Little B - Twine - Naturals	Hero Arts CLEAR Card Buttons CH106	Doodlebug Design - Boutique Buttons - Assorted Buttons - Lily White	Bazzill - 12 x 12 Cardstock - Classic Texture - Chantilly
Bazzill Basics - 12 x 12 Cardstock - Canvas Texture - Aqua	Silhouette America - Cameo Version 2 - Electronic Cutting System

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The base of this design is a 7 x 8 piece of pink polka dot paper (one of my favorite Crate papers ever) on which I layered lots of smaller bits. Unlike most of my pages that have one journaling block, in this design I scattered my journaling in a few different places.

 

 

To soften the blockiness of the paper squares, I added in lots of round and curving elements, including chipboard, translucent buttons, flair, vellum doilies, and a loopy title that was cut on the Silhouette. It's amazing how much energy a few round elements can give the design (and bonus - they keep the eye moving around the page!)

 

I should also note that I edited my photo with several Photoshop actions that gave it a softer, vintage look. The bright green grass in the original wasn't playing well with this color palette, and this version has a more timeless feel that goes better with the pastel tones.

 

And there's one down! (And lots more to go - good thing I have plenty of coffee sitting around!) Happy Friday!

Give it Away Thursday: Creative Cards

Well hey there, blog-o-sphere! Despite my best intentions, I can't seem to get myself organized/inspired/focused enough to post on any kind of a regular basis anymore. And it's not just the blog that I've been avoiding. Exercise, meal planning, housekeeping, laundry, email and general adult responsibilities are all areas in which I'm largely underachieving. I figure I've got a few more months of coasting until that damn January rolls around and starts implying I need to set goals and be motivated and actually accomplish stuff, right??

But in hopes that you'll overlook my random and infrequent posts, I thought I'd host a much overdue giveaway today, and share a few recent cards I've made as well. Cards are a great option when you just don't have much time to commit to creative endeavors. Because we all know there's just so many hours in each day. And, hello! Those DVR'd shows aren't just gonna watch themselves.

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One way to speed up the creative process? Limit yourself to only one color! Here, I picked out my favorite Bella Blvd supplies, all in the shade of pink. This makes it easy to pull a design together because everything automatically coordinates. But don't think monochromatic has to be boring! I used lots of different textures - from washi tape to a feather to a felt bow - to keep the card interesting and fun.

 

 

 

Another way to pull together a fast card is to use the scraps you have leftover from a layout. After I'd finished a layout design with these papers, I used the scraps and a punch to make enough circles to cover the background of a card. Before adhering the shapes, I inked the edges with coordinating colors to add some dimension. With a die cut sentiment centered on the front, this quick & easy card is complete!

 

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To give you more ideas for all things cardmaking, today I'm giving away a copy of the first issue of Card Creations from Scrapbook & Cards Today. It has more than 100 card designs with creative techniques and tips to inspire you!

 

If you'd like to win a copy of this issue, just leave me a comment today telling me what you're currently avoiding/neglecting/evading/generally slacking on. Because I can't be the only one shirking my obligations, right? I'll leave comments open until Monday, October 26 and post the winner here!

Happy Friday eve, my friends!

 

 

Elle's Studio | October 2015 Kits

I'm a little bit sad that my favorite month of October is flying by with such alarming speed. Are we really already almost halfway through?? This means I may have to extend my feeding frenzy on candy corn, carmel apples and pumpkin muffins well into November. I'll just consider it training for my Thanksgiving feast, yes? 

Speaking of wonderful treats, the latest Elle's Studio kits are on sale now and contain some of my very favorite items of the year. The little acrylic houses and the gorgeous jewel-tone vellum feathers are nothing short of FABULOUS. Here's the pages I made with all the lovely goodies!

 

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I managed to use all of those cute houses on this one page, but they were so cute lined up next to one another! I layered them over cut files of the same shapes (which are available in the October Digital Cut Files bundle).

 

And just to show that this kit can work with any color palette - from pastel to deep autumnal hues - here's my second page! Using some of my favorite Instagram shots from last October, I created a cluster of photos and tags that I encircled with the large leaf cut files.

 

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The random circular stitching helps connect the leaf die cuts and I also sprinkled in some rhinestone, glitter and wood dots for added sparkle.

 

 

Be sure to head over to the Elle's Studio design team gallery for lots more inspiration on how to use this month's kit. And until October 14, anyone purchasing  the October kit + Tradition stamp will receive the Exclusive Kit Mini Course for October, for FREE via email!

 

And with that, I'm off to enjoy October while it lasts! Now where did I hide those mellowcreme pumpkins?

Wardrobe Wednesday | Scarf Weather

 

I always get so excited to pull out the box of winter clothes from under the bed and rediscover all the forgotten pieces that were packed away so many months ago. Especially the plaid scarves, which seem to signify fall's arrival even more emphatically than the pumpkin-spice latte. At the first sight of a falling leaf, I'm wrapping up my neck and wrapping my hands around a giant coffee, just waiting for the crisp harvest breezes to start.

Of course, autumn doesn't always cooperate with my wardrobe wishes, teasing me with cool mornings - Wear a scarf! it screams - only to warm up to sundress weather by early afternoon. Ha! Fooled you, you sweaty idiot!  Errr, not that I actually hear fall talking to me.  Because that would be weird, right??

So while fall tries its best to throw me off with its erratic weather and mocking commentary, I'm trying my best to make it work. This beloved plaid scarf (that's actually really lightweight cotton) paired with shorts and a breezy shirt, is helping me do that. It's an outfit that's got a definite autumn vibe, but can still get through an 80˚ afternoon. And my floppy hat (a new buy for the season) stylishly hides any sweaty hair or melty make-up that all this fall fever might bring. But I will take that latte iced, thankyouverymuch.

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asos plaid scarf (old) | similar, similar
J. Crew tux shirt (sold out) | similar
Mossimo Boyfriend shorts (I cut the cuffs off mine!)
Old Navy Felt Panama Hat | similar
Toms Desert Wedge booties
Silver Aztec cuff | similar

BasicGrey | Splash into Summer

I think fall is officially upon us, as the momentous shutting-down of the air conditioner happened this week. Yay for open windows with crisp autumn air! And yay for cheaper electric bills (and strategically reallocating that money into the wine fund!)

So to bid farewell to summer, I'd thought I'd feature a favorite summer page today. I used the BasicGrey Adrift collection, which has proven to be a great match with my plethora of water-themed photos. I love the orange, aqua, and navy color palette, with a nice dose of yellow thrown in - it meshes so well with lots of summer page themes!

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These photos were taken more than five years ago, in an era I not-so-affectionately call BI - before iPhone. The photos off my old Blackberry were definitely crappy quality, so printing them any larger was out of the question. I kept them small, which allowed me to get eight of them into the design.

 

 

I layered the photos over randomly sized squares of patterned paper, with tiny die cuts, frames, stickers and embellishments tucked in. I added machine stitching around each paper piece just for a bit of definition and I used foam squares to layer it all together for added depth.

 

 

I had so much fun mixing up all the color and patterns and filling in the blank spots with embellishments that I forgot to leave room to include my journaling (oops!).  Luckily I was able to solve that problem with a journaling sticker strategically adhered to the back of the layout:

 

 

It will be one of those little "easter eggs" for my family to discover in the scrapbook albums. Kind of like the secret stash of mellowcreme pumpkins and candy corn I've got hidden away in a dark corner of the pantry...shhhhh!

 

Happy October, my friends!

 

Finally Friday.

Can I just say I am so over this whole Mercury-in-retrograde-total-lunar-elicpse-super-moon thing we've had going on for the past few weeks? I knew there had to be some logical explanation for my crashed computer, broken espresso maker, on-the-fritz a/c unit and illuminated check engine light on the car. Apparently, the universe wants to see how I handle #firstworldproblems while being under-caffeinated and over-sweaty. (I'll give you a hint....it's not gracefully nor patiently, but it does involve a lot of profanity. And wine.)

My extensive web research tells me it all should all be over by October 9. And despite my strong urge to remain in curled up in bed in the fetal position until then, I've decided to pop on today and make a small effort toward keeping my blog afloat. The red planet be damned. 

Last week while I was likely drowning my sorrows in a bottle of cheap pinot grigio, the new issue of Scrapbook & Cards Today dropped. I hope you've downloaded or received your hard copy by now (and if not, go here!) Its arrival on my doorstep was a much-welcome distraction from life's stresses. I love losing myself in the inspiring layouts, photography and projects within those pages and it never fails to recharge my passion for this amazing hobby.

One of my contributions to the fall issue was this two-pager documenting our back-to-school scene last year:

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Despite their protests about photography other times of the year, my kids seem to know that the sacred back-to-school photos are not negotiable with this mama. My own childhood photos always included the first day of school photos (even when other events might have been overlooked by the camera) and I love the tangible milestones these yearly captures provide. And, honestly, after a few days of watching their frazzled parent mutter deranged threats to various small household appliances, I think they knew better than to test my fragile sanity by not posing for photos with big smiling faces.

 

I combined both kiddos on this page (though will likely do separate pages for each of their albums as well) and the new Teacher's Pet collection from Echo Park was the perfect supply. I know I've gushed about the line before (it was heavily featured in the Crop & Create: Delivered autumn kits!) but I really do love it. It's such a great mix of neutral grays and tans - the paper clip pattern is seriously my fave - with pops of classic school colors like red, blue and yellow. 

 

 

 

The layout design has my photos spanning the width of the spread, with a big bold title set vertically on the end. I tucked in clusters of circles above and below the photos to help soften the straight lines and provide bases to feature some of the cute embellishments. On the largest navy circle, I adhered my journaling strips.

 

 

Maybe it's because of the chaos of the last few weeks, but I'm feeling especially grateful for the familiar routine that the start of school brings to our lives. Both kiddos are settling in nicely to their new schedules, despite the presence of a slightly unhinged mom. But things are looking up! This week I've got my iMac back with a brand new hard drive, have restored the majority of the files, and am reveling in the fact that at this Friday's happy hour, I actually have some small victories to celebrate...planetary divergences notwithstanding.

Happy Friday folks!