Home Is Wherever You Are Layout

Hi folks,

Boy, it's been a while since I've sat down to create a layout. I've been so obsessed with cardmaking lately and buying all the things that I've neglected my first love, scrapbooking.

I'm not exactly sure how I would describe my scrapbooking style. I think I'm more of a classic, clean and simple type of girl. I prefer simple layering and embellishments. Once in a while I'll bust out a cut file to use as a background. I've even dabbled a bit into mixed media. I very much enjoy the creative process and all the latest and greatest techniques, but I prefer the focus of my layouts to be more on my photos and journaling, the rest is just there to complement that. To me, that's the whole point of scrapbooking.

For this layout, I used a Page Maps sketch as a starting off point. This sketch was in the Summer 2018 issue of Scrapbook & Cards Today Magazine.

I really liked the clean and simple design of this sketch and as you can tell, I did not stray very far from it at all.

I used patterned papers and embellishments from the Twilight collection by One Canoe Two. The leaves and circle surrounding my title is a cut file by Nicole Nowosad that you can download for free here. I used my Silhouette and cut it out of patterned paper.

I added some machine stitching, gold sequins, and gold splatters to the background. It's hard to see in the photos but I also used a paint brush to add some gold watercolour paint in a few areas, just to break up all that "white". I was a little light handed with the paint. In hindsight, it probably could've used a bit more.

I matted my photos on American Crafts cardstock, printed out my journaling and called it done!

There is something so satisfying about completing a layout. I'm glad I got my scrapbooking mojo back. I just hope it doesn't stay away for too long again.

Thanks for stopping by and have a wonderful day! :)

Beautiful Mermaids

Hi folks,

I'm so excited that I finally bit the bullet and subscribed to Simon Says Stamp's monthly card kit! I'd been on the fence about it for so long mainly because I already have two monthly subscriptions from other companies, but I just couldn't hold off any longer. Month after month I've oohed and aahed over their kits and the projects their fabulous designers create with them. I've even bought some of the products separately which is crazy because from a cost perspective you get way better value by subscribing.

I was so excited to receive my first kit recently, called Sea Treasure. Just look at those gorgeous mermaids! 

And here's a card I created with the kit. First, I cut out a panel from Strathmore Watercolour Cold Press Paper. Using a brush I wet the panel with water. Then I watercoloured the blue ocean background using my Artist's Loft watercolour pan set. I added gold paint splatters from the Kuretake Gansai Tambi Starry Set and used my heat gun to speed up the drying process.

Once the panel was dry, I stamped the seagrass on the ocean floor with the SSS embossing and watermark ink pad (included with the kit). Then I heat embossed it with the SSS ultra fine mermaid embossing powder (also included in the kit). 

I then stamped the mermaid, treasure chest, clamshell and all the sea creatures on some smooth white cardstock and coloured them in with Copic markers. I fussy cut all the images and glued them down to create my scene. I popped up the mermaid with foam adhesive to give the card some dimension.

For the gold coins, I painted them using the Kuretake Gansai Tambi Starry Set...a trick I had seen Kristina Werner do in this video. I then heat embossed the punny sentiment using Ranger white embossing powder.

I stamped some bubbles and added some gold sequins (included in the kit) and adhered my finished panel to a standard A2 size white card base. And that's my completed card!

I had a lot of fun playing with these stamps and can't wait to create more cards with this gorgeous stamp set! I'm also looking forward to seeing what goodies will be included in their October card kit! I love being surprised! Thanks so much for stopping by!

Doodlebug Design & Pinkfresh Studio

Hi friends,

My mojo was in full swing this past weekend so I took full advantage and created a bunch of cards using the July SCT sampler. The SCT sampler is a subscription-based product that includes a variety of papercrafting goodness from some of my favourite companies. Each month a new sampler arrives in my mailbox and I have no idea what's inside! I think that's my favourite part about this subscription...the element of surprise! For more info, you can check out the Scrapbook & Cards Today Magazine website by clicking here.

All this from just one little package! I think it's such a great value for what you are getting. So totally worth it.

Thanks for stopping by. :)

Lawn Fawn Double Slider Surprise

Hello friends,

It's a long weekend here in Canada which means more time to play in my craftroom! Today I made a Christmas card for my sponsored child, Hamdiya, who is 11 years old and lives in Ethiopia. I used the brand new Lawn Fawn Double Slider Surprise die which is a fun, creative way to make an interactive card. I hope she has as much fun playing with the card as I did making it!

First, I watched this instructional video by Kelly-Marie Alvarez of Lawn Fawn to learn how to create the double slider mechanism. I mixed and matched a bunch of Lawn Fawn stamp sets to come up with this cute scene. I used Distress Oxide Inks to create my sky background. Once that dried, I stamped the snowy background from the Lawn Fawn Snow Cool set with Versamark Ink and white heat embossed it on all three panels. For the "snow banks", I die cut them from white glitter cardstock from Simon Says Stamp using the Lawn Fawn Stitched Hillside Borders. I used Copic markers to do some basic colouring and added Wink of Stella to add shimmer to the lights and the stars. All the supplies are listed below.

Cardstock:
Neenah Classic Crest 110 lb. Solar White
Lawn Fawn 110 lb. Raspberry
Lawn Fawn Knit Picky
Simon Says Stamp White Glitter Cardstock

Stamps/Dies:
Lawn Fawn Double Slider Surprise
Lawn Fawn Push Here
Lawn Fawn Simply Winter Sentiments
Lawn Fawn Here We Go-a-Waddling
Lawn Fawn Ready, Set, Snow
Lawn Fawn Snow Cool
Lawn Fawn Winter Village
Lawn Fawn Holiday Helpers
Lawn Fawn Stitched Hillside Borders

Other:
Distress Oxide Inks Stormy Sky
Distress Oxide Inks Tumbled Glass
Lawn Fawn Lobster Ink
Ranger White Embossing Powder
Wink of Stella Clear
Various Copic Sketch Markers

I hope you liked my card today and that you are able to find time today to be creative! Remember to do what you love and love what you do!