Smile It's Spring

Hello friends! It's the weekend and today I wanted to share a layout that I created for A Flair For Buttons.

In April, I went to a scrapbooking retreat and decided to hand stitch a layout of daffodils because I wanted to hang it in my home to celebrate spring which happens to be my favorite season. With the long, harsh winters where I live, it is always great when the birds are chirping, the trees are blooming, the grass is green and the flowers are sprouting up in the gardens.

Daffodils are such a happy flower and when I saw a Daffodils Flowers Cut File designed by Paige Evans, I knew that I wanted to use my sketch pens in my Silhouette Cameo and sketch the daffodils design so I could hand stitch it. Yes, it was a labor of love, but I really enjoy the process and personally, I find it very relaxing and therapeutic.

After the design was stitched, I wanted to add some more color so I decided to take my Distress Oxides and a water brush and water color inside of the stitched design.

Adding a photo to this layout just didn't seem right because I wanted the hand stitched and watercolored daffodils to be the star of the show.

The embellishments to complete the layout were kept to a minimum so I added the yellow watercolor circle flair button to dot the "i" in the word "smile". It was from the Watercolor Circles Flair Set from A Flair For Buttons. I also added some coordinating sequins and enamel hearts. The title completed the layout and I went with yellow, green and black alphabet letters to give it more interest.

For photography purposes, I took photos of the layout before I framed it in a 12X12 scrapbook frame so there wouldn't be any glare from the glass frame.

I hope you are inspired to try something a little different by adding flair buttons to dot the "i" in a word and also some hand stitching and water coloring. Just have fun with it!

Thanks for stopping by and be sure to check out all the wonderful flair in the A Flair For Buttons shop.

Flair Used On Layout

Watercolor Circles Flair Set

Lori

Hello friends! Happy Friday! Today I wanted to share a layout that I created of my daughter in law Lori. She is such a beautiful soul and I am so proud of her.

I added two flair buttons from A Flair For Buttons. The "Be Brave" flair button is from the Inspirational Words 4 Flair Set and the orange circles flair button is from the Pastel Circle Flair Set. 

I began creating the layout by purchasing  the A Flower Bunch Cut File designed by Paige Evans. I cut it out on white card stock with my Silhouette Cameo. 

I used the cut file as a "stencil" and created two layouts. For this layout I used the positive shape. First I took my Vicki Boutin Small Stencil Brush and Vicki Boutin's Art Crayons and dry brushed the cut file. Then I backed the cut file with patterned papers from Vicki Boutin's All The Good Things 7X10 Paper Pad. 

I began by blending some Abandoned Coral Distress Oxide, with a round foam applicator, onto Vicki Boutin's All The Good Things 12" X 12" White Foundations Mixed Media Art Paper. I placed the cut file on top and popped it up with several foam squares to give it some depth. To embellish the layout,  I added ephemera pieces and stickers from Paige Evan's Pick-Me-Up Collection and sprinkled some enamel dots from Pinkfresh Studios and the title of the layout "Lori" with some gold alphabet stickers that were also from Pinkfresh Studios.

I am happy how this layout turned out. Be sure and check out the A Flair For Buttons shop for hundreds of flair buttons that are suitable for so many themes.

Have a creative day!

Supply List

Adhesive - Liquid Adhesive - Tombow,  Adhesive Foam Squares - 3L Adhesives, 

Alphabet Stickers - Pinkfresh Studio - Gold Alphabet Stickers 

Art Crayons - Vicki Boutin Art Crayons (Cool)

Background Paper - Vicki Boutin 12"X12" White Foundations Mixed Media Art Paper 

Cardstock - (Cut File) - American Crafts (White) 12"X12" 

Cardstock Stickers - Paige Evan's Pick-Me-Up Collection 

Cut File - Paige Evan's - A Flower Bunch Cut File 

Electronic Cutting Machine - Silhouette Cameo 3

Enamel Dots - Pinkfresh Studio

Ephemera - Paige Evan's Pick-Me-Up Collection

Flair Buttons - A Flair For Buttons (Inspirational Words 4 Flair, Pastel Circles Flair)

Ink - Ranger -Tim Holtz - Distress Oxide - Abandoned Coral

Ink Blending Tool - Ranger - Tim Holtz Mini Ink Blending Tool

Patterned Paper - All The Good Things - Vicki Boutin 7"X10" Paper Pad

Stencil Brush - Vicki Boutin Mixed Media Stencil Brush  

Multicraft Challenge

Hello scrappy friends!

Recently, I was invited by Creative Scrapbooker Magazine to participate in the Multicraft  Challenge.

If you aren't familiar with Multicraft, they are a Canadian based craft supply company that has affordable, good quality craft products. In fact, I recently saw some of their products in my local Walmart as well.

Three scrapbookers were invited to take part in the challenge and given exactly the same products to create a layout, card or whatever suits their fancy. It is always intriguing to me to see how each person has a unique take on these types of challenges. No two people come up with the same creation.

I was immediately drawn to the gorgeous papers in the kit and knew that I wanted to create a dreamcatcher.

Here are some instructions on how I created this layout as follows:

1. I began my page by taking a 12 X 12 piece of white textured card stock. 
2. The purple ink that I used is by the Multicraft Forever In Time Collection. I "stamped" the ink pad onto my craft mat and used a water brush to add some water and mixed the ink and water together and using the packaging technique, I stamped the paper. 
3. I wanted a little more texture so I added a script background stamp, that was in my stash, and pressed the Multicraft purple ink pad onto it and stamped around my page until I was happy with the look. I felt that it still needed something so I added some splatters of Heidi Swapp Color shine in Gold Lame. 
4. Once it was all dry, I took the fabulous Multicraft gold pen and colored the Multicraft chipboard flourishes with gold and let them dry. 
5. Now it was time to assemble my page. 
6. The white feathers with the gold dipped tips are so gorgeous that Multicraft has and I knew that they would be perfect for assembling my dreamcatcher.  I fussy cut some feathers from the beautiful papers and arranged then on top of the white with gold dipped feathers and adhered them to the card stock. 
7. I added a patterned paper strip near the top of my page. 
8. The die cut circle above the feathers is a cut file from Just Nick that I cut out on white card stock with my Silhouette Cameo electronic cutting machine and colored it with the gold Multicraft pen.
9. Once it was dry, I backed it with some patterned paper from the Multicraft patterned papers and adhered it to the chipboard flourishes and feathers. 
10. My photo was matted onto some of the pretty Multicraft handmade pastel papers and added a tag and scraps of patterned paper behind the photo to give it more layers.
11. I added a gold line near the outside edge of my white cardstock background with the gold pen and a ruler and also the pink paper that mats my photo. 
12. Finally, I hand journaled the date on the bottom right hand corner of the white card stock background.  
13. My title was created with some pretty sparkly aqua American Craft alphabet "Thickers" from my stash.

The layout is now complete.

Supplies On This Layout

Adhesive Foam Dots - Multicraft Forever In Time Collection

Alphabet Stickers - American Crafts

Card stock - White Textured - American Crafts

Chipboard - Fab Scraps

Digital Cut File - Just Nick Digital Cut Files

Electronic Cutting Machine - Silhouette Cameo - Silhouette America 

Handmade Papers - Multicraft Forever In Time Collection

Ink - Purple Ink Pad - Multicraft Forever In Time Collection

Feathers - White/Gold Dipped - Multicraft Forever In Time Collection

Mist - Heidi Swapp Color Shine - Gold Lame

Patterned Papers - (Dreamcatcher)  Multicraft - Forever In Time Collection 

Stamp - Script Stamp - Recollections (Michael's)

I hope you enjoyed my tutorial and layout and are inspired. 

Have a wonderful day and happy creating!

Blessed To Be Your Mom

Hi friends! I always love created family themed layouts and this one of my daughter and I is no exception.

The March Sketch for My Creative Scrapbook was my starting point.  Fellow design team member Laura Whitaker designed the sketch. I love the simplicity of the sketch.

I used the March Creative Kit and an exclusive cut file, that are included in the kits, on my layout.

I love the circle alpha stickers included in the kit to add to my title. 

I really love the colors of the papers in this kit and the feather patterned paper that is so trendy. I added some chipboard elements to the layout to give it more dimension and interest.

Be sure and play along with My Creative Scrapbook and the monthly sketches. Check out all the details on prizes that can be won just by uploading your take on the sketch.  

Happy creating!

My Creative Scrapbook December Tutorial

Hello friends!

 Christmas and the holidays are just around the corner and I thought it would be fun to share a step by step tutorial of this festive layout using the exclusive bow cut file and the December Creative Kit from My Creative Scrapbook.

You will need:

Basic Supplies

1 sheet of black textured card stock (I used a 12 inch by 12 inch sheet)
2 sheets of white textured card stock ( I used 2- 12 inch by 12 inch sheets)
Cellophane (some cellophane packaging from the kit works well)
Dimensional foam squares
Dimensional foam tape
Electronic die cut machine (I used the Silhouette Cameo for this layout)
Glue pen (for adhering the thin paper strips to all four corners of the outside edge of the layout)
Laser square (optional)
Mister (to add water to the cellophane and paints)
Paint brush (I used a round watercolor brush)
Paper piercer and cushioned mat (for adding the brads)
Pencil
Ruler
Scissors
Scotch tape
Sewing machine (or embroidery needle and embroidery floss in red)
Sewing thread (I used red thread)
Tape runner adhesive (I used my Scotch ATG gun)
Water
Watercolor paint set (I used the inexpensive Michael's brand set)
Photo (measuring 3 1/2 inches by 3 1/2 inches)


Kit Supplies (From The December Creative Kit)

Brads

Thirteen (13) assorted brads from the kit (as shown on layout)

12 inch by 12 inch Sticker Sheet

Hey Santa sticker
Merry & Bright sticker
Phrase stickers (naughty or nice, and ho, ho, ho)
Star shaped stickers

Chipboard stickers

Green tree chipboard sticker
Present chipboard sticker

Complimentary Cut files (November 2017 included with the purchased kit)

Bow

Patterned Papers 

Multi-colored stripe patterned paper (also cut the red and white stripe diagonal paper strips from this for the four outside corners of the layout)
Cream paper with red, green and black polka dots
Red, green, and white plaid paper
Red and white dotted paper


Instructions

1. For the base of the tree, cut out a triangle out of one 12 inch by 12 inch sheet of white card stock.

Machine stitch 1/4 inch from the outside edges of the paper with red thread.

When the stitching is completed and the top thread has been worked through to the backside, turn over the paper and secure the threads to the backside with scotch tape. Trim threads with scissors. 

Using the the round watercolor paint brush,

 the watercolor paint set, and the mister filled with water, mist the green watercolor paint. 

 

Also mist the cellophane packaging with the mister. 

With the round brush, pick up some green paint with the brush and paint the water misted cellophane packaging. 

"Stamp" the white card stock triangle with the paint. Keep on applying paint several times to the cellophane packaging and "stamping" until the desired coverage and effect are achieved. 

Once the tree is somewhat covered in paint, let air dry. A heat gun would speed up the drying process but isn't absolutely necessary.

Center the "tree" onto the 12 inch by 12 inch sheet of black card stock and when it's centered, add tape runner adhesive to the backside of the tree and secure in place.

Import the bow cut file into your electronic die cutting machine. Trace the design and enlarge the size of the cut file to 2 1/2 inches long by 2 inches wide and fill the page. 

On my photo below, I created fifteen bows. 

Cut fifteen bows out with the electronic die cutting machine onto a 12 inch by 12 inch sheet of white textured card stock. Set one bow aside for another project because this layout will only use fourteen bows. 

Using the positive shape of each bow, back each bow with patterned paper. To do this, I trimmed the patterned paper by placing it underneath the white card stock bow and trimming it to the same size of the bow.

 I made four multi-colored striped bows, four red and white dotted bows, four red, green and white plaid bows and two cream with red, green and black polka dot bows.

   Using some foam tape or small foam squares, trim into very small pieces and adhere to the underside of the white card stock bow. 

Place the patterned papers on top of the white card stock bow and foam strips. Align exactly and press down to adhere. Be sure the desired patterned paper will be adhered to the foam strips because when it is turned over,  the patterned paper will have a shadow box effect with space between the bow cut file and the patterned paper. This gives each bow more depth.

Add brads to the center of each bow alternating colors. I added a total of thirteen brads as shown below.

Place each bow down (using fourteen of the bows) onto the green triangle being sure to space evenly apart and that the brads are added to the center of each bow before adding a foam square to stick down permanently. This is where I used my laser square to be sure everything is aligned and centered correctly.

Cut a piece of multi-colored striped paper to approximately 1/8 inch larger than the photo. Adhere to the photo. 

Add dimensional foam strips  add to the back of the matted photo. 

Adhere the matted photo as shown on the photo below.

Find the red "hey santa" sticker and add a foam square to the backside of the sticker and adhere to the bottom right corner of the photo.

Add some star stickers to the right side of the photo as shown below.

 Add four star stickers to the top left side of the layout as shown below.

On the multi-color striped paper, locate the red and white diagonal stripes and cut out 8 strips measuring 2 inches long. Adhere to each corner of the black card stock background flush with the outside edge.  For the "trunk" of the tree, cut a small strip of the multi-color striped paper with scissors and adhere to the bottom of the "tree".

With the "naughty or nice" and "ho, ho, ho phrase sticker, adhere to the top and bottom of the photo as shown.

With the "merry and bright" sticker, adhere to the left side of the layout as shown.

For the title, adhere the "Merry Christmas" chipboard stickers to the layout as shown using small foam squares or small foam strips cut to size. 

Adhere the green chipboard tree behind the red "Hey Santa" sticker. Adhere the chipboard present on top of the green tree chipboard as shown below.

 

The layout is now complete! 

This is the cut file that is included with the December Creative Kit and also the December Main Kit at My Creative Scrapbook. 

This layout would also be nice framed in a 12 inch by 12 inch black shadowbox frame to hang on a wall for the festive season.

I hope you are inspired to create your own dimensional bow tree. Thanks for stopping by and be sure to reserve your gorgeous kit today at My Creative Scrapbook. 

 Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

Lee-Anne