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! 

ALL IS BRIGHT (CALM, NOTSOMUCH)

A little more than two weeks until Christmas - is anyone else in denial?? I have about ten million other things I should be doing to prepare, yet here I sit composing a blog post. Because what fun are the holidays if you aren't running around like a crazed lunatic the last few days? I hate to deny myself the pleasure of that insanity.

So instead of ordering Christmas cards, finishing the tree decorations or organizing teacher gifts, I'm posting this festive layout for y'all! It features one of my favorite shapes - the star - grouped together to make a dimensional wreath frame for my photos and journaling.

 

S U P P L I E S :

To start, I simply sketched a circle centered on the cardstock and then machine stitched several times around the circle with gray thread. It doesn't need to be perfect! (Coincidentally, this is also my mantra when it comes to Christmas decorations and holiday baking!)

 

 

Then I die-cut lots of stars (ranging from 1.5" to 3") from several papers. I used 17 stars total, but you can fit less or more, depending on the size of the circle and the size of the stars. Once the stars were cut, I scored each one from point to valley and gently folded along the score lines to make them three-dimensional.

 

Large glue dots (the 3D kind) are great for securing the stars to the page and also help keep the centers from getting smashed. I arranged mine around the stitched circle, filling in any gaps with small snowflake stickers and die cuts as well as sequins for a bit of sparkle.

 

In the center of wreath, I arranged my two photos, journaling and die-cut sentiment to serve as the layout title. (Full disclosure: I actually printed the journaling on the white cardstock after penciling in the circle and determining where my photos would go, prior to creating the star wreath. I use Adobe Illustrator to layout my elements and help me determine where to type journaling, but I believe you can do something similar in Word.)

 

And now I'm off to actually cross something off my holiday to-do list....does drinking eggnog and watching a Hallmark Christmas movie count??

Hello 2017...let's do this!

Happy New Year! (and while that isn't in all caps, I am totally yelling it!) After the past year filled with lots of trials, obstacles and general crappiness, I'm heartily kicking 2016 to the curb and welcoming 2017 with a big hug and an equally big glass of champagne. I've spent the past week preparing, planning and generally getting pumped up about the possibilities and fresh start this new year offers. One thing that's definitely high on my list of projects for 2017 is this blog and bringing some fresh content and perspective to it. I miss connecting with readers, sharing projects and documenting daily adventures here, so I'm hoping to jump back in with both feet and make this a fun place to visit!

We spent the past few weeks reveling in holiday events centered around friends and family. After surviving some tough life lessons that 2016 threw at us, we were happy to focus on love, laughter and a few lazy days together. One tradition that we didn't get to squeeze into the season was our annual visit with Santa. Though it's always a fun occasion, this year we opted to play Santa instead, and went shopping for a child on the Angel Tree. But we did reminisce about past visits with Santa, especially last year when he surprised us by showing up at a neighbor's Christmas party. I documented the night on this layout that was featured in the fall issue of Scrapbook & Cards Today:

 

S U P P L I E S :

InLinkz.com

 

That night, Santa told stories, listened to Christmas wishes, and brought us some delicious holiday treats during his visit. And of course, the photo ops of the evening brought great joy to this scrapbooker's heart! I enlarged my favorite family photo to 7x5 and included two smaller shots from the evening below it. This left a perfect space to fill with my title and a simple line of journaling. 

 

 

On the left side, I cut lots of patterned paper circles and layered them with die cut shapes, washi tape and sparkly brads. It's always fun to decorate these "mini canvas" in the theme of the page and it's a great way to use up little bits & pieces. 

 

 

I have a whole new batch of photos from this year that are ready to be edited and scrapped, and revisiting old pages always sparks my inspiration. And one new thing I'm trying to incorporate into my routine this year is allotted creative time - a block of time that's scheduled in my week for me to work on personal projects that have been floating around in my brain for awhile and need to be brought to life. Rather than wait for the elusive "free time" to work on these things, I'm actually going to build them into my calendar just as I would any other task or responsibility. I'm starting to realize the importance that creativity has on my mental state, and I truly believe that allocating time to nurture that will help me be more productive (and happy!) in other areas of my life.

 

So what are you focusing on in this new year? (And are you as glad as I am to see 2016 out the door?!) I'd love to hear your creative plans and goals for 2017 - and hope we can continue to share and motivate one another! 

 

Twelve Days of Christmas | Deck the Halls

Merry Christmas! On this final day of the Twelve Days of Christmas, I have one last page to share featuring the Christmas tree at our mountain cabin, where we'll be spending our holiday. I also have a cool giveaway that's perfect for the new year - my holiday gift to one lucky reader!

I have long collected rustic stars and cabin-themed ornaments, so when we bought our mountain getaway I was so excited to decorate a Christmas tree there. Finally the fishing, skiing, and outdoor-themed decor would have a perfect place to be displayed. The kids helped me deck the halls in our new retreat and this page documents those memories:

S U P P L I E S :

InLinkz.com

I selected a transparency printed with silver snowflakes as my background (it's from the new Pink Paislee Yuletide collection) and stitched it to piece of white cardstock, trimming the whole thing to 11.75" x 11.75".  I'm always partial to a crisp white background, but this one has some holiday sparkle that makes it just a bit more special! After arranging my three photos on the right side, I wanted to fill the remaining space with a grid of circles that would resemble small Christmas tree ornaments. 

 

I used two circle punches (1.5" and 1.25") to create these layered pieces. Each one features an embellishment or accent from the Yuletide line, with metals, sequins, rhinestones and epoxies mixed in for a festive touch. I used a title sticker along the bottom edge, along with my journaling strips, which gives the whole design a nice "base" to rest upon. 

Since this page was featured in the 2016 Creative Planner, I have one to give away! It's full of seasonal eye candy, sketches, tips & techniques, and plenty of space to keep track of your creative schedule and ideas! If you'd like to be entered to win this planner, just leave me a comment today telling me one scrappy goal or resolution you have for the new year. I'll pick a winner on December 30 and post them here (and the planner will be mailed soon after!)

 

Hope you all have enjoyed the Twelve Days of Christmas - thanks for stopping by and celebrating with me! I wish you all the merriest of holidays and hope you are surrounded by love and warmth and all things happy. I'll be back in 2016 with new posts and features, so will see you in the new year!

 

Thanks so much to everyone who stopped by during the Twelve Days! I ended up with TWO planners to giveaway, so here are the lucky recipients!

Twelve Days of Christmas | Ho Ho Ho

Merry Christmas Eve! Since Santa is likely gearing up for his big delivery schedule tonight, I thought it only appropriate to post one more layout in tribute. This one features a family photo from last year's Santa visit, along with a virtual snow storm of snowflakes all over the page!

S U P P L I E S :

InLinkz.com

 

For this page background, I repeated three snowflake designs, scaling them to fill a 12 x 12 canvas, and then cut them from white cardstock. On the backside of the cardstock, I adhered circles of Bella Blvd patterned papers to fill the negative space. Then I cut more snowflakes from vellum and layered them on the front side.

 

I embellished the centers with clear rhinestones for a sparkly winter feel. Then I added my photo and a chipboard title (with one Santa sticker thrown in for good measure!). To create the gray journaling strips, I filled my text box with a gray background and made the text white before printing on cardstock. Then I cut the box into strips and adhered them below my photo.

 

Wishing you all a wonderful Christmas Eve - and be sure and stop by tomorrow for the final post in the Twelve Days of Christmas and another fun giveaway!

 

Twelve Days of Christmas | Hey Santa

I'm a big fan of repeating your favorite page designs over and over because (1) I'm lazy, and (2) good designs never die! One of my tried-and-true designs is the Circle of Circles, and it's perfect for Christmas pages because of its resemblance to a holiday wreath!

S U P P L I E S :

InLinkz.com

 

Yes, I have scrapped this photo before, but our Santa Stories often deserve more than a single page in the album! On this layout, I enlarged the photo to 5x7 and then encircled it with 2.5" circles punched from various BG Juniper Berry papers. I then adorned each circle with trims, die cuts, tags and sparkles that make them look like festive Christmas ornaments ready for the tree.

I used one of my favorite embellishment methods -  keeping the accents in the same color family as the base paper. Because the circles create a lot of movement and energy on the page, I wanted to keep each individual one somewhat organized and monochromatic so the page wasn't too chaotic.

 

My title is combo of letter stickers and a Silhouette cut. I can't remember which font I used for "Santa" (when I convert my titles to vector outlines, I lose the font info!) but if you'd like to download this cut file, just click HERE! Enjoy!

 

 

 

Twelve Days of Christmas | Merry Fluevog

First off, I apologize for yesterday's post being so late. Though the post was drafted and ready to go, I accidentally scheduled it for 5:00 pm instead of 5:00 am - oops! I will chalk it up to raucous birthday revelry (though there's a good chance it was just due to old age.)

At any rate, today's post is on time and ready to go! It features a super easy border created with stickers and die cuts. It's whimsical and fun and perfect for holiday pages!

S U P P L I E S :

InLinkz.com

 

The 5 x 7 photo is a tribute to one of my favorite shoe designers, John Fluevog. On one Christmas, we all happened to be wearing Fluevog shoes so we snapped this festive photo by the tree to document the occasion. I used small alpha stickers to spell out the title in the blank space on the photo. Behind the photo, I layered strips of patterned paper alternating with a punched scallop border strip.

Along the top and bottom edges, I lined up stickers and die cuts, trimming off the overhang (with the exception of the tabbed sticker). I arranged them to be slightly staggered and with various shapes and colors, creating a border with a lot of interest and detail.

To make the stickers go farther, you can use any portion you cut off the top along the bottom edge. This border is great for using up all those random leftovers on the sticker sheet. And when your stickers are used up, you can ask Santa to bring you more! (Only three more days til Christmas - are you ready??!)

 

Twelve Days of Christmas | Celebrate

Because my birthday falls on the 21st of December, (which, not-so-coincidentally, is TODAY!  Feel free to leave birthday salutations and gifts cards to wine.com!!!) I'm often asked if I feel a bit ripped off for having a birthday so close to Christmas. But truthfully, I feel lucky to have a personal celebration that happens during a time of year when most people are celebrating. The sparkling lights, holiday parties, and all-around festive atmosphere is perfect for celebrating that 29th birthday (even if it is for the 15th time!)

Last year I requested that my birthday celebration be a formal affair, and with guys in tuxedos and girls in dresses (albeit not white dresses with blue satin sashes, but I guess my fondness for the Sound of Music is not always shared as fervently by everyone) we headed out for a fancy dinner on the town. This layout celebrates that occasion, with full homage to the holiday season thanks to a decorated Christmas tree constructed out of punched snowflakes and adorned with sequins, mini jingle bells and gold cord.

S U P P L I E S :

InLinkz.com

I created the tree with die-cut snowflakes, but you could replicate the look with punches as well. I adhered them in the center of each snowflake, bending the edges up slightly to add dimension and texture.  Once the flakes were secured in the shape of the tree, I added a gold cord and strung red foil sequins on it to mimic ornaments. I also stitched small silver jingle bells throughout the tree which add sparkle and shine!

 

The title is a cluster of stickers that I adhered with foam adhesive and embellished with a sequin and journal strips. And I inadvertently lied when I added "42nd birthday" to the page, because it was actually my 43rd birthday. But math (or memory) has never been my strong suit. I'm more about the white dresses with blue satin sashes. #fashionista #indenial #29thbirthdaybaby