sketch support | awesome

It’s one-page week at Sketch Support again. Head on over there to get a free copy of this week’s sketch & check out what the rest of the creative team came up with.

I decided to use a picture taken of my son on his 7th birthday and incorporate an interview with him for my journaling. I used the same questions for him on his 6th birthday (and on Olivia’s 5th last year too). The questions came from Cathy Zielske’s Story Guide Layered Template #1 available here.

Supplies – patterned paper: October Afternoon, Echo Park, Sweet Caroline by My Mind’s Eye, Cosmo Cricket; epoxy paper clip: Sweet Caroline by My Mind’s Eye; letters: Thickers by American Crafts, Authentique; chipboard accents: Bella Blvd; label sticker: Cosmo Cricket; interview questions: from Cathy Zielske’s Story Guide Layered Template #1; ink: Tsukineko; other: embroidery floss

Since you can’t read what he said too well, I thought I’d include his “awesome” answers:

My favorite food is: sushi
My favorite sport to play is: soccer.
The best show on television is: Beyblade Metal Masters.
The coolest person on Earth is: Jack.
My best subject in school is: playing tetherball.
The thing I do the most awesomely is: Bakugan battles.
If I could change my name, it would be: Monsoono.
If I could go anywhere in the world, I’d go to: China.
My favorite color is: green.
When I grow up, I’m going to become a: I don’t know.
The thing my parents are too strict about is: cleaning up my room & not letting me watch shows on TV that I want to watch.
My current favorite band is: LMFAO (I’m Sexy & I Know It).
The last book I read was: Bakugan Ultimate Handbook.
Three words that describe me are: good friend, funny, smart.
When I was little, I used to: ride my bike around the block with my dad.
My favorite season of the year is: summer.
The snack I could live on is: Gushers.
The food that makes me want to puke is: yogurt.
My best friend is: Jack Hutchison.
If I had one wish it would be: to have a whole bunch of toys.
My best memory is: riding CA “SCREAMIN’” with my mom.

Variation #1 – I didn’t use anywhere near as many embellishments! I wanted this layout to be a bit more “clean & simple” since it’s about my son…not that a layout about a boy can’t have embellishments, but I really liked how it looked without much extra.

Variation #2 – I used a few label & word stickers, plus a “7” (since this is when Brandon turned seven) in place of the flower/button embellishments.

sketch support | fun times

Two page week just wrapped up at Sketch Support, so it’s time to share my layout. Head on over there to get a free copy of this two-page sketch & check out what the rest of the creative team came up with.

Supplies - patterned paper: Sweet Caroline by My Mind's Eye, Basic Grey, Echo Park, Cosmo Cricket; letter stickers: Thickers by American Crafts, Authentique; chipboard embellishments: Bella Blvd; journaling spot: My Mind's Eye; ink: Tsukineko

Variation #1: I really toned down most of the embellishments. The patterned paper was busy enough that I didn't want to add too much! I did keep a few of the "label" spots. I also omitted the "word" & just kept my title on the left.

Variation #2: For my journaling block, I cut a calendar journaling spot in half (& kept the rest to use later), inked the edges, & overlapped two of the areas.

april 2010

I finally finished! This layout has been sitting on my desk for over a week because I couldn't think of what to write. Thank you Brenda for another great layout!

For my journaling I used the font Gill Sans and 2Ps GG Love Me for the flower accent (lowercase q). The title letters were blank chipboard from American Crafts that I inked to the correct color. Both the ink & letters came in the kit from Green Tangerines.

Here is an example of the paper cutting I was talking about last week. I traced around the edges of the butterfly & clouds with a pencil & then cut along that line. I wanted them to be outlined by the original background paper, so I couldn't cut along the lines of the image.

I punched the circle flowers out with my 1 3/8" circle punch & cut around the turquoise flower.

I love this sketch & kit. And the paper really is a more summer line, so I'm glad I have quite a bit leftover for another layout.

april sneaks

I've been working on a new layout for the past couple of days; the month in review kit for April from Green Tangerines. It's another one of Brenda's designs, and so far I haven't strayed to far from it.

It includes fun paper from We R Memory Keepers that can be used in strips or cut apart. As you can kind of see above, I've cut a few shapes out of the patterened paper. In the past, I've always free-handed it around whatever shape I was cutting out. This time I lightly outlined each shape with a pencil first & cut on that guideline. Oh my gosh was it easier! I was actually pleased with the results (for a change!).

I'm hoping to get this layout finished soon...Right now I'm trying to come up with my journaling. I love doing these month in review pages, so I need to get better about taking notes throughout the month & writing something to sum it up at the end of the month so I don't have to come up with something three months later.

January :)

Now that it's July, I thought I'd scrap my January pictures!

Brenda used this layout for her Month in Review kit for Green Tangerines in February. I didn't get that kit, so I decided I'd just copy her idea. I've used this layout before, and I really like how you can fit a lot of pictures in it, along with some patterned paper.

I also inked the edges of the patterned paper this time around. I like how it adds an "edge".

And with this layout, I've used my February kit for six layouts plus three cards! I did add-on some cardstock, because I use a LOT of that. But I also still have quite a bit of stuff leftover for whatever I want :)

Cards from my February kit

I used to make a ton of cards, all hand stamped and personalized. I had a huge stash in a box (that was organized by type of card) so I could grab whatever I needed on a moment's notice.

Then I had baby number three.

I don't know about you, but I could handle two kids. Three threw me for a loop.

My youngest is now 20 months (how did that happen?!), so I'm finally starting to breathe again & get my card stash replenished. I'm doing that by using my leftover bits & pieces of patterened paper, cardstock, letter stickers, and embellishments from my February Kit (and others). I figure this way I can make a few cards pretty quickly each month when I go to scrap.

First, I cut my 12x12 sheet of cardstock into three 4x12 strips. I then trimmed down each to be 4x11 because I wanted to make sure each card would only be 4x5-1/2" when folded so it would fit in a standard envelope.

Then I cute 1x3-1/2" strips of patterned paper from the scraps I had left. I inked all the edges & adhered them to the front of the card. Next I added the pretty rick-rack ribbon & a journaling label. I added some small letter stickers to the label & was not quite done.

I wanted to incorporate one of the straight clips on this card. So I punched out a 3/4" circle of patterened paper & glued it onto the clip. There isn't a circle on here that I covered, but I thought it looked pretty cool there. Then I added some of the glossy accents on top of the paper. It was a bit blah, so I blinged it up. Perfect!

Onto my next card...I played around with a sketch I've used for a few layouts & made it work for a card. That's what I love about sketchs: you can tweak them into anything! This time, using a sketch helped me use a few scraps of patterned paper to make another fun card. I used some more letter stickers on this one, as well as a fun flower punch. Of course I had to add some bling before I could call it done!

Okay, that was fun! It was so awesome being asked to be a guest designer! I love challenging myself to use everything from a kit box together. I know some people separate out everything, but that's not me. I like using it all together like it was meant to be. This kit was so fun! I can't wait to see what's in store for the March kit!

And if they ever need another designer... :)

February Kit, part 2

More fun layouts from my Green Tangerines February kit:

Brandon & Olivia are 14 months apart. Actually 13 months & 3 weeks, but who's counting, right? They've shared a room since the day she came home from the hospital, and because Brandon was so young when she was born, he hasn't ever know her not to be around. I've been wanting to create a layout about this for quite some time, and I finally was inspired to get one done.

I used this layout design about a year ago, when I did a photo a day for January. I really like how I could fit in a ton of photos of the kids together & still fit in bits of patterened paper. And I love how the zig-zag  pattern on the paper makes it look so different in each spot I used it.

I had fun adding some bling to the seam between the two papers.

And my favorite part: cute little handmade flowers! I punched out two circles for each flower, using one sheet of double sided paper. The smaller circle is 3/4" & the larger one is 1-1/4". After I punched them I crinkled them up & put a brad in it. It was so easy! I will totally be using this idea again!

But not on this next layout, LOL, it's of my son :) Being a pirate with my mom's swiffer duster. Oh yeah, he's cool. I know the photo is dark, but I was so thrilled to get it because it is so him right now. Lately, he'll grab his pirate hat & that "sword" & then go around telling my mom & I what to do. We have to say, "yes pirate" or go on time out.

I had so much fun doing this layout. I really had some creative mojo going on!

We all got some plain metal clips in the kit. One of mine was already tricked out by my friend Brenda, who is on the design team at Green Tangerines. She punched a circle out of the patterened paper, glued it to the inner (solid) circle on the clip, and then added some glossy accents to give it that faux epoxy look.

I can be a bit OCD when it comes to my scrapbook layouts, so I had to used three embellishments on this page. I used her clip, plus I made two more. Super easy, and just the right touch. I only wish I had more! On the clip below I also added a "b" letter sticker for Brandon. And I added some of the glossy accents to the letter stickers in the title to puff them up a bit. I need to do that more often.

Lastly, on this layout I added some fun word stickers that were in the kit too. I really like how they're not all the same font & size. It makes it look like I cut them out of a magazine, like a project I used to have to do in elementary school.

Monday...some cards...

Green Tangerines Kit Club & February layouts, part 1

Have you heard about it?

I've been a subscriber for the last few months, and an admirer before that. I love how someone else has done the dirty work & figured out what papers go together (so I don't have to buy a whole line! score!). And then they've added a bunch of other fun goodies to those papers. Even better!

Recently I was asked to be a guest designer for the February kit! I was beyond thrilled! I had so much fun creating a bunch of layouts from this kit.

I *love* these label stickers from October Afternoon! They add such a neat little extra touch for journaling. Honestly, I used to only do journaling on the computer & I've been converted to handwriting because of these cute labels. :)

I am such a sucker for letter stickers! Any color, any size, any shape...I'll use them all :)

I had fun doing this layout. I was so thankful that we had some awesome weather in mid-February! I brought the kids up to the park specifically to take some pictures so I could scrap them :) I added a grunge edge to the photos in photoshop elements before printing them and used a fun sketch I found on Alison Davis's blog.

I used another one of Alison's sketches on this layout. I've been a diehard sketch user for a LONG time!

I inked the outside of each of these circles to give them a little oomph, and to tie them in with the label stickers. I love mixing up prints like this.

And yes, that is real wood there! How awesome! When I found out I was going to use real wood on a layout I thought I'd use it on something more "natural". But then I got these photos back of my kids playing in a cardboard box & knew it would be best here.

A suggestion for using the wood paper: lots of adhesive! It has a natural "curl" to it, which will flatten out, but adhesive will help. I used that sticky tape (yes, I will admit, I have watched a too much Dora the Explorer) that has the red backing on it. I've seen it at Michaels & Stampin' Up.

I have a lot more layouts I did with this kit. I'll share more of those tomorrow...

You can see all of my layouts & those from all the regular designers at the Green Tangerine's Flikr Gallery.

Lego Master Builder

A few months back, the Lego Store at Arden Fair Mall hosted a Lego "Master Builder" event. Kids could come & build large blocks that would then be used to build a HUGE Yoda from Star Wars. Brandon is our Lego king, but he wasn't too into it. Olivia, on the other hand, build a ton of blocks.

I finally got around to scrapping it the other night, at my last Green Tangerines Scrappy Hour :( . Our last local scrapbook store is going out of business (they lost their lease). A few of us would gather & crop monthly, so it's sad to see it go. They will continue their kit club, so that eases the pain a bit.

Anyhow...I digress...I based this layout on a sketch I made of one in the Creating Keepsakes 4x6 Photos book.  I used more goodies from my September kit club.

And then, instead of scanning it, stitching it in PSE, and getting that horrid stitching line, I photographed it. I must've had the flash on for this one because there's a glare on the bottom. and the vertical sides are all wonky, like I didn't have the camera straight. So I definitely need to perfect this technique! Any hints?

fun summer memories

I love doing a layout with all of those "leftover" summer photos. I saw this cute kit at Green Tangerines & picked it up. I love the colors on it! The scalloped border is from my now-defunct larger corner rounder (it kept getting stuck in the "punched" position); I took off the outer corner guard & used it to make individual scallops.

more October Afternoon

I shared these photos from our visit from Gram this last summer, and I finally scrapped it right before heading off to Tahoe last week.

I used more from my July kit from Green Tangerines. Most of it is October Afternoon (also from my stash that I'm desperately trying to use up!), and I think the buttons were from the May kit. I name the kits because honestly, I usually can't remember/don't know the line of the paper/product I've used. Or I simply don't feel like getting up & looking at it!

I saw this layout in the December Scrapbooks, Etc. Or at least a very similar one; they had it as one of their sketches. I had purchase the October Afternoon journaling cards last summer because they're just so darned cute, and I was happy to see a layout with one. And I was able to scrap a photo for a needed "blank page" in my album.

Christmas stuff already?

Um, yeah. It's in 37 days if my math is correct. Wait. It's in 52 days? Oh whatever. It's coming sooner than later! My husband must think I'm a goof for stressing about it being in 37 days!

So have you started on your holiday projects? Last year I got this cool advent calendar kit from Green Tangerines, designed by my friend Brenda. I wasn't able to get it done in time for last year so I need to hustle & get it done for this year. I finally got my spray paint for the background tin, so I just need to get that done & then I can finish. I'm not sure what pictures I'll put on it this year, so that might be blank for the time being. And I think I might keep the backs of each blank. I love how Brenda put cool things on the backs of each, but with school & everything else going on, I don't want to commit to something we can't necessarily do.

And I keep trying to think of other fun things to include around the house. I wish I could list them all right now, but I really ought to be doing some other things right now! So I'm getting distracted!