Fun & Funky!

Ask me what my favorite scrapbooking magazine is and you're bound to get this answer...CK - hands down! It seems like my favorite pages are created from inspiration clipped from that magazine. Two columns in particular are sources of amazingness - "Studio A" and "Ask Lizzy". The page below was based on, ok virtually COPIED from, a page by Elizabeth Kartchner. It was just too cute not to recreate and add to my scrapbook!

Ultimately, one of my favorite things about Lizzy's designs is her use of color. She's not afraid of mixing colors and patterns. I think the variety adds real flair to a page and is also a great way to utilize those small scraps. I find that some of my favorite patterned papers end up on LOTS of pages this way...and that just makes me so happy!

The page design here was super simple. One photo - though the circles could be minimized to make room for two or three, some paper strips, and circles. I chose to highlight my photo with a frame rather than just a cardstock mat. I also used various border punches to jazz up the paper accent strips. I cut all the circles using my Spellbinders dies on the Cuttlebug machine; a couple were accented with scallop borders and three were accented with various floral accents. I love these flower stickers (from Scrappy Cat) because they're glittery and layered. Perfectly completed and ready to stick to your page! Finally, I wanted to add some journaling (not featured on the Lizzy original). I opted to cut a larger circle using the Creative Memories cutter to keep with the theme. Then just add a title and some cute flower brads for good measure. How much fun is that?!

Be Happy!

I'm believe in the scrapbooking belief that recording moments is just as important as recording birthdays, holidays, and events. Sometimes the best emotions come from everday moments..and a picture snapped without staging. For this page, I wanted to document our life right now. Our goals and brief thoughts...and to just scrapbook a nice page.


















I wanted to keep things neutral by staying with only a few colors. Because of the darkness of the photo, I chose a light teal. Not sure where the idea to cut the lace to fit inside the decorative stamp-edge paper came from, but just did it. Felt like it added just the right touch of texture and dimension. I found various accents that would match - rub-ons and gems mostly. I carefully accented the photo and title with the embellishments. Overall, I really liked how the page turned out. See my additional post for close-ups of the embellishments.

Be Happy Part #2 - Closeups

Just some close-ups of the accents...



I punched circles using my infamous Cuttlebug and Nestabilities dies. Inked up the edge and popped up on dots. This accent is from a rub-on set purchased through the Scarlet Lime monthly kit (made by Pink Paislee). I added gemstones for a personalized look.


Here I wanted to show two of the other accents. The top left one features rub-ons from the same package as noted above. This super cute metal flower with gem was also supplied in the Scarlet Lime kit. For the subtitle circle, I diecut our initials using the "Sophisticate" Quickutz font on the Cuttlebug. The teal border under the letters was also part of the rub-on set.

The final accent is an amazing gem accent from Basic Grey. I love how the whole thing is ready to go...just peel and stick! It's so sparkling and wonderful. Bought some new pearl versions too...flowers, swirls, etc. Available now at Picture This! I definitely recommend trying them for a quick, easy, and beautiful page accent.

For product specifications, please contact me at laura.leland@gmail.com . I can usually identify where I got the product too...if you'd like recommendations, just let me know! Thanks for looking!

Still here...

I'm sure you thought I forgot how to scrapbook...or upload to my blog. Something that kept me away for almost 3 months! Nope, just been busy is all. Enjoying the few months of nice weather we get here in Eau Claire, WI. But last weekend (in celebration of my birthday) my sister, mom, and I stayed the weekend at Green Haven Retreat. I enjoyed MANY hours of uninterrupted scrapbooking time and have some brand spankin' new pages to share!


















This page was totally inspired by another Ali Edwards layout (featured in an old Studio A CK column). Loved the idea of making the background a TEXTURE rather than using color and/or pattern. Her layout used a black background, but I wanted something a tad more neutral - kraft was perfect. I started by diecutting varying sizes of circles using my Spellbinders Nestabilities dies and my Cuttlebug. Next, I gathered several pictures of Adam and I from different times and places in order to find a couple which were "croppable". These were also cut into circles using the dies. The main photo was originally a 5x7 print...however, it featured us holding our "mini bowling balls" which DID NOT evoke quite the right mood for the page, so I cropped it to be longer than it was taller.

Many of the elements were more trial and error than anything. I wanted to add pops of color and texture but not overwhelm the overall neutral feel of the page. I choose a Basic Grey pattern, a deep brown cardstock, and a bright pink cardstock to match both the colors in the main photo (i.e. my shirt) and our wedding colors (sort of the basis for the page). I kept the accents simple and consistent with circles, felt flowers, and brads. To add the final bit of dimension, all of the circles are popped up with foam squares. (This took a while! My secret to keeping the rows as straight as possible? I cut strips of cardstock and temporarily adhered them down, lining up the circles above them. When the row was done, I removed the strip and started a new row.)

Supplies:

Paper - (kraft cardstock) Papercut; (brown and pink cardstock) Bazzill Basics; (white journaling cardstock) Georgia Pacific (brown/pink pattern) Basic Grey;

Accents - (felt flowers) Stampin' Up!; (golden brads) Making Memories; (gemstones) Joann; ("us" acetate) Heidi Swapp; (gem flower) Kaiser Craft

Tools - (scallop and plain circles) Spellbinders; (funky circles and heart diecuts) Cuttlebug; (scallop border punch) Stampin' Up!