Gettin' By

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!

 

 

December Giveaway #3 | Gnome for the Holidays

Happy Friday! Let's kick off the weekend with a holiday layout AND another giveaway, shall we? Today I've got my go-to layout design to share with you and if you've been following for any amount of time, you know that involves a grid. I love this simple framework for including lots of photos (or cute embellishments) and it's perfect for documenting occasions with a large amount of photos!

 

S U P P L I E S :
Bazzill Smoky  |  PinkFresh Studio Papers  |  Ephemera  |  Puffy Stickers  |  Enamel Dots  |  Twine
Square Punch  |  Mini Stapler  | Foam Adhesive

 

I was able to fit seven photos in this single page by creating a grid composed of 2-inch squares. You might think small photos don't have the impact as larger ones, but I love being able to have so many shots to capture the moment in a clean, concise design!

Stitching a grid onto cardstock helps lay out the design and helps keep things straight & organized. I usually lightly sketch the lines in pencil with a ruler before sewing.  I also used the stitched border on the patterned paper squares within the grid.

 

I used the pattern papers in between the photos to reinforce the holiday theme of my page, and selected the embellishments for each square based on the color of the paper. I love using foam adhesive to pop the accents off the background and add dimension to the design!

 

In the bottom right square, I opted to place my title and have it "break free" from the square lines of the grid - it adds a whimsical, playful touch and keeps the design from being all straight lines and right angles. I also typed a few lines of journaling along the bottom edge, but you could easily put your journaling in one of the square areas instead!

And now onto the best part of the post....a fun GIVEAWAY!

Today's prize features the adorable Tula & Norbert collection from PhotoPlay Paper, as well as two gnome stamp/die sets from Close to My Heart that perfectly coordinate! If you'd like a chance at winning this cute package, just leave me a comment below telling me your favorite holiday drink! I'll pick a winner and announce them here on Monday. (US addresses only, please!)

Enjoy the weekend, my friends!

December Giveaway #2 | Jingle Joy

Hello friends! Yesterday I sat smugly in my studio sipping coffee and browsing blogs, reveling in the fact that MY CHRISTMAS SHOPPING WAS DONE! This is a feat that has never happened prior to December 24, and I was darn proud of my procrastinator self. That was, until I opened my email to discover that three of my orders placed weeks ago were being canceled due to lack of inventory and all warm and fuzzy feelings were quickly replaced with Grinch-worthy grouchiness. Sigh.

So while I drown my shopping sorrows in an egg nog latte, I thought I'd hop on and share another layout from the winter SCT Delivered Kit. Because colorful pages of Christmases past are sure to boost my spirits, right?!

 

S U P P L I E S :
SCT Delivered Winter 2020 Kit  |  Bazzill Phoenix  |  Bazzill White  |  Striped Paper  |  Green Snow Scene Paper
Pink Cherry Paper  |  Red Grid Paper  | Ephemera |  Red Thickers  |  Kit Exclusive Stamps & Tags 
Twine  |  Enamel Dots |  Scallop Border  |  Foam Adhesive

The bright colors of the Bella Blvd Fa La La collection definitely inspired this page - I love adding a touch of pink to holiday pages! I created a border on the left with the striped paper and added lots of the coordinating ephemera atop the paper.

 

I used enamel dots and some of the smaller stamps from the kit exclusive set in between the ephemera pieces. Smaller stamps are perfect for filling in areas of trapped white space and can work just like small embellishments!

 

For the title, I used the kit stamps again for the word "Christmas" and stacked it above the red foil Thickers. A few more pieces from the ephemera pack and some small star stamps complete the title.

 

To try and counter my bah-humbugs today, I'm sharing another giveaway that will hopefully brighten one of your holiday seasons! Today's package is a set of papers, cardstock, stamps & banners from the Close to My Heart Jingle Joy collection! It's perfect for December Daily projects, holiday cards or gift tags!  If you'd like to be entered to win this set, just leave me a comment today and tell me....are you done with your holiday shopping??  (US addresses only, please!) I'll announce the winner here on Friday!

And now I'm off to scour the stores (masked up and with plenty of hand sanitizer in my bag!) in hopes of finding those missing items to complete my Christmas shopping - wish me luck! 

December Giveaway #1 | SCT Delivered Winter Kit

It's the season of giving, and it's also been FOREVER since I've hosted a giveaway here on the blog, so today I'm kicking off the first of many holiday giveaways! Up for grabs today is the newest SCT Delivered Kit, Peppermint Express. It's a sweet concoction of holiday products sure to bring a festive feeling to your scrap table!

This is one of the may layouts I created with the kit and I love how perfectly it worked with our winter family photos!

S U P P L I E S :
SCT Delivered Winter 2020 Kit  |  Bazzill Starmist  |  Bazzill White  |  Red Polka Dot Paper  |  Green Snow Scene Paper
Blue Village Paper  |  Multi Stripe Paper  |  Snowflake Stickers  | Kit Exclusive Cut Files, Stamps & Acrylics
Silhouette Cameo   |  Blue Ink  |  Foam Adhesive

 

I highlighted my 5x7 photo with several pieces of the patterned papers and the kit exclusive printable tags, all layered to make a unique photo matte. I added stitching around each of the paper squares, which is one of my favorite ways to add a hand-made touch to any page element.

The kit stamp set included a snowflake image that was perfect for filling in a few spaces on the background. I also sprinkled in some of the vellum snowflake stickers and larger die-cut snowflakes that are part of the exclusive kit cut files.

 

I always love the acrylic titles included in the kits and layered the "WISHES" title with one of the kit cut files for a mixed-font title that really packs a punch!

 

So now onto the best part...the giveaway! I have one of the Peppermint Express kits ready to mail to one lucky reader! If you'd like a chance to win this it, leave me a comment telling me what you'd create with the kit! I'll pick a winner on Wednesday and announce it here. (Open to US addresses only, please!)

Stop back by on Wednesday to see if you've won and to check out another December giveaway!  Happy holidays, my friends!