A Whole New Look at Themed Paper

What do these 3 pieces of paper have in common??

Absolutely NOTHING...

unless...

you add this piece of chipboard to the equation.

Now I have an interesting color pallette and a whole new way of looking at these Christmas themed papers.

I love mixing and matching paper lines.  I also love using paper for ways in which it wasn't intended.  Remember the THIS page and THIS one ??  Both use Halloween themed products for pages totally unrelated to Halloween. The result is often very unexpected, eye catching and also kind of rewarding to think outside the box a little bit. 

Which takes me back to my new favourite page: 

"My girls have taught me..."

Supplies: Paper (Nikki Sivils Scrapbooker), Transparency (Creative Café), Chipboard (Basic Grey), Letters (American Crafts, Jenni Bowlin, Rose Moka), Flowers & Trim (Prima), Ribbon (Pebbles Inc.), Cardstock (Prism), Brads (Queen & Co.)

What makes this one my new favourite?  The photo for sure. It was taken on Mother's Day and I still can't believe sometimes that I have three children. I also love the bird holding the banner.  It relates to the theme of my girls teaching to me look at the world through their eyes.  I also like the "Name" detail on the top of the background paper.  It allowed me to integrate the two names the girls have for me.  Callie always calls me "Mommy" whereas Julia always uses "Mama". I have no idea why, but those are the names they use.

Ribbon Design Tip:
I really like giving my ribbon some texture by folding it and making a ruffle. The only problem is, I rarely have enough of one single pattern or color to get around my entire shape.  What I have been doing lately is using two ribbons that have different patterns, but the same color.  And you know, I don't think anyone notices the difference.  Take another look at the Itchy Itchy Spider page.  I ran out of dotted ribbon and made a last minute substitution.  Can you find it?  Check out this detail shot to spot the two ribbon patterns on this page.

I'll leave you with that for today.  Don't forget to take another look at your themed papers and see what you can do to breathe new life into them.

Cheers,
Tracey

the Itchy Itchy Spider

I discovered a new paper company to add to my list of favourites.  Best Creation Inc. is the mastermind behind this beautiful line called "Once Upon a Dream".  The paper is a heavy weight, double sided cardstock completely blinged out with embossing and glitter on each and every page.  This line also has TWO die cut pages.  What more could I want, really?  Those of you who know me well, know that I do not generally gravitate towards this type of themed paper.  In fact, this particular line is completely like nothing I would have ever purchased a year ago with the pretty pink and purple colour scheme paired with castles, crowns and all things girlie!?!  I can't believe it myself sometimes.  It has been a long time coming, though.  I guess this is just another way my girls have changed me, and for the better. 

All that being said, you don't see many castles and crowns on this page.  In fact, the designer of the line would probably do a double take to see it paired with a spider and a spider web!! LOL  I guess I haven't been completely transformed!! I couldn't resisit though.  Julia's version of the "Itsy Bitsy Spider" begged to be documented.   I promise to have a proper "Once Upon a Dream" project for you very soon with more crowns and bling that you've ever seen on this blog.

Supplies:  Paper (Best Creation Inc.), Transparency (Hambly), Chipboard Spider (Riff Raff), Felties (Sassafras Lass), Letters (Pink Paislee, Rose Moka), Ribbon (Michaels), Trim (Dollar Store), Brad (American Crafts), Adhesive (Helmar), Shimmerz, Stickles (Ranger)

Design Notes: 

-Helmar's V2 Vellum adhesive is amazing for working with transparencies and acrylic.

-Helmar's Craft glue made the ribbon folds a breeze to create.

-The spider was inked in black and then covered in a coat of bubble gum Shimmerz.

That's all for today. Thanks so much for stopping by.

Blooming & Glossy Accents Tip

I LOVE spring.

I LOVE warm weather, green plants, flowers and longer days. 

I even love the smell of mud as the snow thaws because it reminds me of spring.

Suffice to say, scrapbooking spring photos makes me happy.  And if this weather keeps up, I'll be scrapbooking summer photos very soon.

Now that we have that established, I'll get to today's layout and tip.

"Blooming"

All Supplies My Little Shoebox except cardstock (Bazzill)

I use my Glossy Accents often and one of the ways I like to use it is to highlight different shapes and designs on two dimensional patterned paper. Since the bottle has such a fine tip, it allows me to work with more intricate designs, like these heart shapes. All you need to do is cover the area you want raised with the Glossy Accents and set it somewhere safe to dry.  For me, I need to do these things right before going to bed.  This way I can be assured that I'm not going to smudge it or that a curious toddler won't put their finger in it. 

I also used it in each of the flower centres. For those of us who are tactile, the end result makes you want to run your fingers over the top of it to feel the dimension.  This tip is another of those little details that aren't immediately noticed, but make a difference in the overall feel of the page.  It's kind of like getting a great new hair color that makes people look at you and notice something different but are unable to put their finger on what the difference is.

So there you have it - another of my fussy little details using Glossy Accents.  Hope you give it a try.

Faux Scallop Paper

Each and every time I get together with friends to scrapbook I learn something new.  It might be a time saving techique, a great new Dollar Store find, or a storage idea.  These little gems really are invaluable and help me create a deeper understanding and love of the craft.  So I decided  to add a new Tips & Tricks label to my blog so that I can share some simple ideas I've picked up along the way with my blog readers. 

Today's tip is on creating faux scallop paper. I love everything about shaped papers.  When I don't have one, I create one and that is exactly what I did with this page. 

Supplies:  All supplies My Little Shoebx except letter stickers (Pink Paislee), Buttons and Floss

I traced the scallop shape from a My Little Shoebox paper in pencil.  This gave me the template I needed for sewing.  I simply poked holes all along the traced lines, erased the pencil marks and stitched the scallop.  For added interest, I stitched an inner circle and embellished it with cut out hearts and buttons.

The added hearts and buttons really give a nice playfulness to a page with such fun photos of my daughter and her favourite dog.

To take this tip one step further, I got the BEST DIY shaped paper idea from Cindy.  Before you use a piece of pre-made shaped paper, trace it onto a sheet of chipboard.  Cut it out and you have your own template to use whenever you want to create that shape again.  Store all your chipboard shapes in a plastic ziploc bag in your craft bag.  Isn't that a fantastic idea??  Cindy is full of them.  I am so lucky to be surrounded by such talented friends.  :)

That's all for today.  Thanks so much for stopping by!

Footprints of Love

Supplies:  Paper, Die Cuts, Transparent Accents, Mini Alpha, Word Sticker (My Little Shoebox), Measuring Tape Trim & Pins (Making Memories), Bingo Card (Jenni Bowlin), Lace Paper (Basic Grey), Lace (Walmart)

Journaling Reads: It won't be long before you are walking, skipping and jumping with these cute little feet.  But for now, I will savour every moment you are a tiny baby and after you've grown I'll have this page to remind me of this special time.

"I am Cute" - Scrap Within Reach

This is the first time I was actually brave enough to try and punch a border around the entire perimeter of a layout and you know what?  It worked a whole lot better than I anticipated. I like it when that happens. I only had to make one repair. It is barely noticeable. The trick is to turn the punch over when you get near the end so you can properly line up the border with the corner.  I used on of Martha Stewart's border and corner punch sets for this one.

Supplies: Paper, Kraft Mini Bags, Ribbon, Trim, Rub-ons, Letters (Scrap Within Reach), Lace Paper (Basic Grey), Flowers (Prima, Petaloo), Leaves, Bling (Prima), Border Punch (Martha Stewart)

I used Scrap Within Reach's Afternoon Tea Collection for this page.  There are so many wonderful extras that compliment this paper line.  What's also nice is that you can mix and match many of the Scrap Within Reach lines.  The small letter alphas you see here are actually from the Urban Garden line. 

Here is a close-up of the detail on the Kraft Mini Bag. 

And this butterfly is one of my most favourite Dollarama finds.  :)

I'll leave you with that and wish for a wonderful weekend.  Thanks for stopping by.

A couple of new cards

I have two My Little Shoebox cards today. The first is fun and whimsical while the second is totally different and is more elegant. I love that these products can easily be adapted to suit my mood.

"Home is Where the Heart Is"

Supplies:  Paper (My Little Shoebox), Chipboard Sun (Riff Raff), Cardstock (Bazzill)

I love that the pattern on the background paper gives the illusion of scenery behind the houses.  I also chose this paper because the colour makes me think of a sunset.

"Thank You"

Supplies:  Cardstock (Bazzill), Paper, Die Cuts, Transparency (My Little Shoebox), Stamp (myStamp BOX), Pearls (Jenni Bowlin)

I really like the look of tone on tone so I created a wedding themed thank you card using white cardstock and My Little Shoebox transparent flowers.  I layered one flower with paper, another transparent flower and pearls to give it more dimension.  The sentiment is from one of my favourite myStamp BOX sentiment sets.  The font is just perfect for this more elegant card. 

Now I have to pick one to send in with my design team application.  Only a few more days left before they are due.  Decisions, decisions! 

Have a wonderful day. Thanks for stopping by!

Perfect Day

Supplies:  All products My Little Shoebox except cardstock (Bazzil), Pearls (Kaisercraft), & Button

Here's another example of mounting pieces cut from patterned paper with craft foam.  If you missed the tutorial on this, you can find it HERE.

To add some dimension to the cut flowers, I added pearls. I didn't put a pearl on each of the little circles, so for cohesion and added strengh I added dots of glossy accents to all the bare circles.

Journaling Reads:

We thought we had it all figured out this time. We were having a baby girl by Caesarean section on February 24th. There were no surprises this time, or so we thought. The Saturday before your expected arrival marked the mid way point of the winter Olympics in Vancouver. I had had a busy day of visiting and checking more things off the “to do before baby arrives” list. We even took your sisters out to supper that evening. By 11pm, I was beat. I just nicely settled into bed when I felt a funny little pop. I tried to tell myself it really couldn’t be anything because if my water really broke, I’d know it. Right? Right. I couldn’t shake that nagging feeling that I should get checked out so I got up, packed and got myself ready to go. By the time Uncle Bryan arrived to look after your sisters, I was in full labor and there was no question you were coming early and FAST. We flew through the doors of the hospital at 12:30am and you were born at 1:06am, a mere thirty minutes later. There was no C-section. There wasn’t even time to park the car. We joked afterwards that you made your own Olympic time that night. Before we could process what was happening you were in my arms; happy, healthy and content. Though it wasn’t as we had planned, it really was the perfect day.

You're the Best Mommy Because...

-You gave us a baby.
-You let us eat at restaurants.
-You take us to the scrap room with you.
-I like to pick flowers for you.
-You take me to school.
-You are the best Mommy ever (no trades)!
-I like your projects you do for us.
-I love your cooking.
-You spoil us.
-I like your clothes.
You are the best Mommy ever!

There is nothing like a homemade card with this written on the inside to make a person's day!  I am truly blessed.

Happy Mother's Day to all you wonderful Mothers!

Guest Designer & Scrap Within Reach

When Chantal asked me if I'd like to be a guest deisgner and showcase Scrap Within Reach products on her blog, I didn't hesitate to say, "yes".   Here is a peek of one of the pages I made.  Scrap Within Reach released two new lines this season, Urban Garden and Cambridge, and Chantal carries them both in her store. 

This page features the beautiful Urban Garden line.  I know I've said it before, but this colour combination is not one I've ever seen done before and I just love it.

Supplies:  Paper (Scrap Within Reach), Shaped Paper (Crate Paper), Journaling Cards & Paper Bag (Scrap Within Reach), Letters (Scrap Within Reach & Websters Pages), Chipboard (Michaels), Buttons(Making Memories & Jenni Bowlin), Sequins (Rusty Pickle), Stamp (myStamp BOX), Tickets (Making Memories), Gems (Kaisercrafts), Border Punch (EK Success)

I love all the little extras that you can get to coordinate with this line.  The mini kraft bags are just adorable and the journaling cards are double sided.  The alphabet is actually square, but for this page I wanted a round letter so I used a mini circle punch to change the shape. It worked perfectly.  There are just so many possibilities with this line.

Make sure you hop on over to the Scrapbooking Gone Wild blog for more Scrap Within Reach pages.

THANKS again, Chantal, for the opportunity to share my love of Scrap Within Reach products with your customers.

Stamped Titles

Supplies: Paper (Websters), Chipboard (Maya Roads, Pink Paislee), Journaling Paper (Making Memories), Stamps (myStamp BOX), Stickers (Websters), Border (GCD Studios), Trim (Craft Supply Store)

From alphabet stamps, to symbols and sentiments there are many different ways you can use your stamps to create fun and interesting titles.  Join me on the myStamp BOX blog today for a Wednesday challenge on stamping titles!

Check out these links for more stamped titles:

-Puppy Love

-The Look of Love

-Let it Snow