April Layout Sketch with Practical Scrappers

Good morning! I'm so excited to bring to you this month's layout sketch from Liz Chidester. It's such a fun sketch; I could not wait to use it as inspiration.

Last month, I traveled to Minneapolis to visit my bestie, Anna. She recently moved there. I was so excited to see her new job, home, and city. More importantly, I was excited to just see her. How lovely friendship truly is. This photo was taken in the first few moments of our visit. I spotted her inside a crowded Starbucks and couldn't contain myself. I screamed her name, made a scene, and had her sister snap this lovely photo.

I layered various papers, stickers, and cut outs to complete this layout. Rather than the scalloped edge along the top left side, I chose to use the triangle I had cut out of the orange patterned paper. My favorite part of this sketch is the multicolored background. I so often forget that the background doesn't need to be a solid piece!

Head over to the Practical Scrappers blog to see the different interpretations of this sketch by my fellow design team members. They rocked it! I'd love to see you use the sketch too! If you do, please stop back here and leave me a link in the comments. 

SUPPLIES
Patterned Paper: Echo Park (Kraft Doily, Tailored Journaling Cards, Documented, Charming Border Strips), Amy Tangerine (Afternoon Delight), October Afternoon (Paid In Full)
Stickers: Simple Stories (Icons), BasicGrey (Fact & Fiction Alpha), Dear Lizzy (5th & Frolic Small Accents & Phrases), Amy Tangerine (Sketchbook Fabric Stickers)
Inks: Sakura Gelly Roll Pen (White), ZIG Writer (Black)
Bling: Paper Studio (Rainbow Crackle Round)

Creating Titles with Movie Quotes

Hello! Yesterday I shared a sneak peek of today's post on my Facebook page. I've been spending my nights working on my travel albums, including this layout from a recent trip to New York City.

My roommate and I love the movie, Remember Me. We quote lines from the movie often, including this one: 

"Yeah, Tyler. Can we make this a non-smoking statue?"

The statue they're talking about in the movie is located in NYC's Central Park. Therefore, we just had to locate it while there this past summer. I used the quote as the title of this page documenting that special moment. It's the small details like this that I want to remember long from now.

I layered a few different patterned papers to the base cardstock, adding a few doodle lines to each piece with a black marker. I've seen vellum popping as a layer on various blogs and loved the added texture it gave. For this page, the vellum works as a mat for two of the larger photos.

The title is a mixture of American Crafts Thickers, BasicGrey sticker letters, and stamped words. I used KinderStampO's Say It In Type clear stamps and StazOn black ink to finish off the quote. 

Thanks for stopping by today! Come back tomorrow for a new layout sketch from Practical Scrappers. 

SUPPLIES

Cardstock: American Crafts (Light Kraft)

Patterned Paper: GCD Studios (Melody Ross Soul Food)

Chipboard Embellishments, Metal Flair, Alphas: BasicGrey Facts & Fiction Collection

Bling: Paper Studio, A Muse Studio (Black Pearls)

Stickers: American Crafts (Organize Yes, Please Amy Tangerine)

Chipboard Letters: Studio Calico (Heyday Black Bliss Thickers)

Cut Outs: Ormolu (Made Little Labels)

Stamps: KinderStampO (Say It In Type)

Inks: StazOn (Jet Black), ZIG Writer (Black)

How many squares can you layer on a card?

Good morning and thanks for stopping by. I'm sharing the newest sketch from Unscripted Sketches! Have you played along yet?

At first glance, this sketch looks a little busy. Many of my fellow design team members turned this sketch into a scrapbook page. And it worked! They rocked their pages. When you study the sketch, you'll see there is a main focal point, four squares in each corner, and two rectangles on each side. To keep my card from being too overwhelmed, I got rid of one of the rectangles on each side and created this:

I used Marvy nesting punches to create the rectangles, squares, and circle. Next, I add some doodles to the pieces, embossed a sentiment, and adhered it together. It ended up being the easiest card I created this week! 

We'd love to see you join in the fun! You still have a few days left to link up your own paper crafts creation using the above sketch as inspiration. 

 CARD SUPPLIES
Cardstock: Paper Cut, American Crafts
Patterned Paper: Bo Bunny (Ad Lib Collection)
Stamp: Penny Black Inc.
Inks: VersaMark Watermark, ZIG Writer (Black)
Embossing Powder: Ranger (Seafoam White)

On Trend :: Enamel Dots

Good morning, Paper Crafters! I'm positive that you've seen this trend popping up everywhere. Enamel Dots are in, and the On Trend Team of Practical Scrappers is serving up a healthy dose of dot infused inspiration. Before heading over to see the full lineup, let's take a closer look at the project I created for today's post. 

I stacked two large and two small A Muse Studio paper flowers onto my card and used different sized enamel dots to create the centers. I also placed the self adhesive dots directly onto the paper to create an embellishment cluster. The dots are part of The Sweetest Thing collection by My Mind's Eye. Many of the On Trend Team is showcasing dots from MME today; however, I've seen this product available through many other companies. 

To complete the card, I added a sentiment from Unity Stamp Company, paper piecing the heart. I also added some A Muse Studio chevron ribbon. Rather than tying a bow, I cut a triangle out of one end and adhered it to the card front with Scor-Tape.

 Have you played around with this great trend? Stop by the Practical Scrappers blog to find my more uses for Enamel Dots!

CARD SUPPLIES

Cardstock: A Muse Studio (Sugar)

Patterned Paper: American Crafts (Dear Lizzy 5th & Frolic 6x6 Paper Pad)

Ribbon: A Muse Studio (Chevron Onyx)

Flowers: A Muse Studio (Meadow Mix Paper Flowers)

Stamp: Unity Stamp Co (To the bitty Moon)

Ink: StazOn (Jet Black), ZIG Writer

Enamel Dots: My Mind's Eye (The Sweetest Thing)

*You can purchase A Muse Studio Products from my Webstore.

Drill #6 :: Double The Fun

Good morning! We have a great drill for you today - A two page sketch from our very own S.W.A.T. Design Team Member, Jenessa Franco. Let's take a look at the sketch:

This began as a bit of a challenge for me; I don't often create two page layouts. But I'm so happy with the end result. I was able to fit so many photos on one cohesive page. 

These photos were from a recent trip to Minnesota. While there, my friend Anna set aside some time to check out the Minneapolis Institute of Arts. She's such a sweetheart. I love hitting up every museum possible. 

I used the arrow stamp from the I Was Here Set by A Muse Studio several times in the layout. I love using StazOn ink to stamp on the combination of photos and paper. No smearing and it dries fast!

We want to see your take on this great sketch too! Head over to the S.W.A.T. blog to link up your own two page layout using the above sketch as inspiration, and you'll be eligible to win this fantastic prize pack!

LAYOUT SUPPLIES

Cardstock: American Crafts

Patterned Paper: Bo Bunny (Country Garden Collection), K&Co (Beyond Postmarks Letterpress Specialty Paper)

Stamps: A Muse Studio (I Was Here)

Inks: StazOn (Jet Black), ZIG Writer (Black)

Embellishments: Simple Stories (Sn@p! Labels), BasicGrey (Hey You Snippets, Fact & Fiction Letters)

April Card Sketch :: Orange You Glad

I'm watching the snow fall outside my office window here in Green Bay, Wisconsin. But Practical Scrappers is bringing a little Spring my way with this month's card sketch. Take a look:

How fun! I decided against the flowers, switching it out for this great stamp from Unity Stamp Co. I didn't stray too far from the rest of the sketch, and kept the bright, spring colors. The orange and leaves were paper pieced with pieces of coordinating cardstock. The center of the orange is a lighter color than the cardstock and is actually a patterned paper scrap.

Please visit Practical Scrappers to see my fellow design team members rock this sketch. We'd love to see you take the sketch and create your own Spring-inspired creation!

SUPPLIES
Cardstock: A Muse Studio (Sugar), DCWV (Double Sided Cardstock Pad)
Patterned Paper: Amy Tangerine (Sketchbook 6x6 Pad)
Stamps: Unity Stamp Company (Orange You Glad)
Ink: StazOn (Jet Black)

Life Recap :: Where I've been

Hello friends! I can't believe it's been a full week since I've posted here. Life's been a little rough lately. I've wanted to avoid it... Life, people, work... Maybe I need a vacation, or a slap in the face, or a new multivitamin. I rounded up some photos from the last two weeks to show you what I've been up to while being melancholy. 

I caught up on Project Life, printed lots of photos, and organized my space... Only to make a mess of it again. Isn't that the crafty cycle?! There's a desk somewhere in that picture. Somewhere.

I cried a little when I stepped outside to see everything covered in snow and ice. In April. But that's Wisconsin. It would have been just fine had I not been hit on the head TWICE by ice chunks dropping off the tall street lights. 

I couldn't complain too much, because my dad took a few of my friends and I to see a late night showing of Jurassic Park in 3D. I may have had to hold onto my roommate a few times. The dinos are bigger, badder, and coming right for your face! Coolest dad around?! I think so.

We also welcomed my nephew, Hunter Scott, to the world. My brother and his wife named him after my dad (Scott, the cool 50 year old that goes to dinosaur movies and hunts a whole lot). He's the sweetest, most perfect thing... And we're already spoiling him. The world needs more babies.

I took my cousin, Megan, to this fun bar & grill downtown just blocks from my home. Do you see the excitement on her face?! I'd like to say it's because she was sitting across from me - a pretty face and a spunky personality - but she'd probably tell you it was because dessert had arrived. 

I rediscovered Freaks & Geeks... oh, Netflix, thank you for giving me hours of uninterrupted binge watching. I'm finally catching up on a bunch of design team work, and I'm so excited for the projects that will be posted on this blog in the next few weeks!

I headed to one of our favorite restaurants, Curly's Pub, for some major food-love. In a world surrounded with people getting hitched and popping out mini-me's, it's nice to have a few friends that are in the exact same stage of life as you. No expectations, no pressure... just pure happiness. 

Do you know what else makes me happy? The sale category at Two Peas in a Bucket and Unity Stamp Company. Daaang... Look at that loot. New scrappy things coming soon! 

It's always fun to look back at this cell phone full of random pictures. Even in the rough times, God has  blessed me abundantly. Thanks for joining in on today's recap... I hope you can look back and discover your own mini blessings. What have you been up to?

Card Roundup

As part of my job as the Creative Genius at Creations Galore, I create 3 new Make N Takes for our customers each week. Here are a few clean and simple cards from the last few weeks. If you're near Green Bay, Wisconsin, I would love for you to stop in and create with us!

For more information on the supplies used for each card, visit the Creations Galore blog.

Use It Tuesday :: Sticky Situation

Hey there paper crafters! It's time for a new Use It Tuesday challenge. We're challenging you to dust off your stash and play along with us! This challenge is called STICKY SITUATION! Grab all those hoarded items that stick - rub ons, stickers, glue dots, glue sticks, and embossing powders. 

All of the supplies used to create my card today were made from scraps around my craft room. I was so proud of myself - even the ribbon, card base, and die cut that I used! I'm so happy Use It Tuesday has forced me to look around... These would have most likely ended up in the trash or collection dust rather than making this gorgeous card.

Most of this card is paper. For my sticky item, I used a sticker from a 12x12 sticker sheet. The sheet, along with the paper pieces and brads, are from Bo Bunny's Prairie Chic Collection. I wanted to pop up the sticker; therefore, I went to my trusted Powder Tool. The tool, from EK Success, deactivates stickers. This way the sticker will not adhere to the card front when placed into an envelope and will keep its dimension. 

Link up your own project to the Use It Tuesday blog by Noon Friday, April 19th. I can't wait to see what you create. 

CARD SUPPLIES
Cardstock: American Crafts
Patterned Paper, Sticker, Brads: Bo Bunny (Prairie Chic Collection)
Die: Lifestyle Crafts (Nice Set)
Ribbon: Creative Imaginations
Powder Tool: EK Success

Excited for Baby :: Card & Update

If you've found your way here from Practical Scrappers, keep scrolling to find the On Trend post. This is my second blog post for the day :)

We have been anxiously awaiting the arrival of my nephew; therefore, my mind has been stuck on all things baby. Here's a cute picture of my brother and his beautiful wife... 

Ah! Baby, Baby, Baby! You can come any day now, little guy! With all that said, here's a cute card I created with him in mind.

CARD SUPPLIES

Cardstock: American Crafts, Paper Cut

Patterned paper: We R Memory Keepers (For The Record Collection)

Stamps: Lawn Fawn (Plus One)

Ink: Memento (Tuxedo Black)

Ribbon: A Muse Studio (Onyx Sheer)

Bling: Kaisercraft (Gold)

Punches: EK Success (Scallop Edger, Corner Rounder Large)

On Trend :: Sequins

 Good morning! I hope you had a wonderful weekend. The Practical Scrappers On Trend Team has another trend for you to consider: SEQUINS! 

I was a little skeptical of this trend when it first arrived on the paper crafting scene. I had first seen them in an A Muse Studio catalog and decided to give them a try, ordering them in pearl. After creating with them, I am hooked. You can see some ways I've used sequins in the past here, here, here, and here. It's just like using a brad, pearl, or rhinestone! 

For today's On Trend Post, I wanted to share this layout I recently created using sequins to add just a few metallic elements to the page. I added the sequins with ZIG 2-Way Glue, but any tacky glue or glue dot would work great! I've added them throughout the layout, anchoring most to embellishments that were already on the page. 

The elements from this layout are all scraps from around my craft space. In the pictures I'm wearing a colorful, floral dress and wanted those same bright colors and bold patterns to be present on the page. These friends are the craziest, funniest, wildest people that I know. The pictures captured a calm moment between us that I had to document. A typical picture has Nick in Matt's arms, Rachael kissing my cheek, me insulting Matt, and Nick eating something.  

The title was cut using the Bebas font {which can be downloaded here} and my Silhouette Cameo. After adhering the letters to the page, I used a ZIG Writer to add black doodling. The arrows and chevron cards were cut from the Cameo as well... Leftover pieces from a recent project. 

Don't forget to head over to the Practical Scrappers blog to find even more sequins inspired projects! You're going to love what my fellow On Trend teammates came up with. I dare you to get your hands on some sequins and add them to all your paper crafting projects! Thanks for stopping by :) 

Dig Deep

Happy Saturday, friends! It's time for another S.W.A.T. Drill, and this challenge is made especially for all you hoarders out there! 

Don't worry... You are not alone. Let's be honest, we all have excess embellishments, paper, ribbons, and stamps! S.W.A.T. is challenging us to DIG DEEP into your stash and find that product you bought years ago and find a way to make it trendy and new! Here's the layout I created for the challenge:

The background papers are from the Weekend Market collection by Bo Bunny. I love, love, LOVE this collection. I needed to get my hands on every piece of it! When I did, I held on tight, hoarding every piece. The colors are muted, fall colors and the paper is a distressed style. To make it more trendy, I added some gold accents and arrows cut from my Silhouette Cameo.

After arranging the photos on the page, I realized I didn't have a focal point. Therefore, I added a mat to  the main photo and adhered it to the page with foam risers.

I had a lot of journaling, so I added a pocket with a pull out tag and wrote on both sides of the tag. I added a few embellishments to decorate it. 

I used my Silhouette Cameo to cut out the title as well. Just love that machine! These photos were from a recent show I went to at the last moment with my roommate, Rachael. Her aunt called her the day of the show with 2 tickets. We found ourselves in the FRONT ROW of the Colin & Brad: 2 Man Show at the beautiful Weidner Center for Performing Arts in our city. If you're familiar with the show Who's Line Is It Anyway, then you know how much we did LAUGH at this show. Rachael was even called up on stage as part of one of the skits. What a wonderful evening!

Head over to the S.W.A.T. blog to see the beautiful creations my fellow design team members have created. They have turned old, forgotten products into beautiful, trendy treasures! Then dig deep into your own stash and create something. We'd love to give you a little blog love, but more importantly, you could possibly win this great pack of American Crafts goodies to replace your hoarded items!