Scrapbook Process Video: Stamping & Scrapbooks

I've been filming some process videos again and I started with the Studio Calico Starlight Kit and stamps this time around. I started out with a photo from Disneyland (naturally!) and some of my favorite patterns from this month's kit to create an interesting, colorful layout that's fun and easy to make. 

I used a sprinkle of buttons and strong shapes to create movement. That and a few tips on how to bring more stamping into your scrapbook layouts. Take a look at how the layout came together in the video below.

Tips & Tricks:

• For a quick and easy way to get all of your stamped text centered perfectly, remember to stamp first, then glue. It's much easier to center your paper elements around a pre-stamped image or sentiment. 
• Emphasize the repetition of shape in your design. Nothing adds more fun to a layout than a burst of floating circles. Emphasize the circular design with alphabet stickers, buttons, or sequins. 
• Add a final layer of texture to your layouts with a sprinkling of buttons, sequins, or enamel shapes. The final touch is an important one! 

Creating colorful pages with textured elements is a fun way to tell a story! Thanks so much for stopping by and watching today. Now go break out your "Starlight" Kit and get to creating!

Video: Designing with Stars | Studio Calico

Hey there, we're getting ready to celebrate Easter this weekend. It will be house full of kids and family dinners for us. I've been creating like mad lately so I can take a nice creative break this week. I'm looking forward to it.

This is the latest video I made using Studio Calico's Written in the Stars kit. I love the vellum stars in the kit and that's what I focused on in this layout.

Take a look at the video to see how to create movement with shapes:





Thanks so much for watching. I hope this gives you a spark of an idea to create some star magic. If you do, please post it in the Studio Calico gallery and tag me. I'd love to see your spin!

Happy Easter to you and yours. I'll see you next week.

Process Video: Blended Ink Techniques + Felicity Jane

The minute I spotted the solid "now what?" stamp in the Emeline kit, I thought polka dots! And so that's exactly what I did. A beautiful burst of rainbow hues on a stark white background.

Take a look a the video to see how the blended ink technique is achieved. It's a lot simpler than it looks.

Creating custom backgrounds is a great way to use stamps. The colors and pattern possibilities are endless!

Supplies Used:  Emeline Kit  |  White Puffy Alphabet  |  Emeline Stamp Set

Process Video: Watercolor Transparency + Pinkfresh Studio Card

This summer I started making cards in between scrapbook projects. While watercoloring has been popular in scrapbooking for some time, I haven't really given it a try. The smaller canvas of a card isn't as intimating for me to try new techniques like this.

Watch the video to see my beginner self try out this new to me technique for easy watercoloring:

Here's the same technique on another card. I like to create several cards with the same supplies that are already out. That way I can practice the technique over and over in the same sitting.

If you've given the transparency watercoloring technique a try, drop me a comment and let me know how it went. I'm still in the learning stages and would love to share ideas.

SUPPLIES | Click on the photos for more info:


         

Process VIDEO: Starburst Circles Design + Shimelle

Circles and rainbows, two of my favorite design elements come together in this starburst design. It creates a great backdrop for the black and white photo.

Sometimes the best ideas aren't the first ones you think of. Watch the video to see how to easily fix a design gone wrong:

This page highlights the relationship between a father and son. The journaling is written as a note to my boy. I love this journaling style because it let's me speak from the heart.

Turning a rainbow of circles into a background is a fun way to tell a story! Simple acrylic shapes, layering cardstock stickers and a bold black Thicker title make for an easy layout with a punch of design.

This melding of design and story is my favorite thing about scrapbooking. To be able to 'speak' and create something with my hands is what it's all about.

SUPPLIES | Click on the photos for more info:

          

Elle's Studio Mini Kits Review + Video

I have a product review video of the new Elle's Studio kits up on You Tube Channel if you'd like to take a closer look at each mini kit: 

I've been practicing my filming skills again and hope to have more You Tube videos up very soon! I haven't kept up with making videos since my Two Peas day and let me tell you - the learning curve is steep. But I've missed sharing through video so I'm going to give it a go. One last summer trip planned and then it's back to crafting and sharing!

If you'd like to be kept up to date, subscribe to my channel.  Thanks so much for watching. xo

Process Video + Shimelle.com

I’ve been a longtime fan of Shimelle, both as a teacher and all around good bean. She’s passionate about this paper + story thing and I love that.

For my layout I was really inspired by Shimelle's Scrapbooking Colour Schemes with Pink layout. 
The first thing that caught my eye was the beautiful color scheme. I love bold pops of color and this layout delivers. I also like linear designs that feature repetition of a shape or element so that’s where I ran with this design.

I have a process video here that walks you through on how to dress up plain wood veneer and create a bold band of repeated shapes. Let me know what you think! I’d love to see what you create.

Process Video + Crate Paper

This vacation photo reminds me of one thing. My son’s constant chatter pool side. At 7 years old, it was a chorus “hey mom, look at me, hey mom, look at this.” So while I really wanted to relax and get lost in a book, it wasn’t happening.


I think back to this vacation and remember two things: “hey mom” and the image of his little behind. This picture captures that story.

The words are definitely the focal point here and so the photo is surrounded by them. Oh, and the flamingos. I love those hard and had to find a way to use them! Take a look at this quick process video to see how it all came together:

Documenting words + photos is at the heart of scrapbooking design for me. This page and stage in my boy’s life is part of the story I want to tell.  And that “look at me” stage? - it has mostly passed just like I knew it would. 

SUPPLIES | Crate Paper Poolside | October Afternoon Labels | Crate Paper Enamel | Wide Format Printer | White Linen Cardstock |  Scraptastic Summertime Rolls Kit

Process Video + Scraptastic Kit

KIT | Scraptastic July Kit 

STORY |  I made this layout to document a seasonal tradition. At the start of every summer,  I make my  entire family ride the flying swings. Some go more willingly than others. I don’t have to force the kids, it’s the adults that give me lip.

Our first trip to the boardwalk and this ride mark the beginning of the season. This time I was able to capture that tradition with a flying  iPhone shot. Luckily I didn’t lose the phone and captured this great picture of my shoes over the boards. The colors in the photos + the candy colors in the kit went together like PB&J.

VIDEO | Take a look at the video to see how the design process came together:

I was able to highlight my favorite part of the kit – those big, colorful dots. Keeping the design on the clean and linear side compliments the photo + the ‘stuff’.  And that’s where I’m happiest creating.

SUPPLIES |  Scraptastic July Kit | Fun in Sun Enamel Dots | Poolside Chipboard

Process Video + Simple Stories

As summer starts to come to a close, I find myself looking through vacation photos and feeling nostalgic. Last year our entire family got together and rented a beach house in Ocean City, Maryland. 8 adults, 3 kids and 2 babies under two in one house. Can you say cray cray? This was my husband's idea of relaxation so I just drank coffee and went with it.



I used the 4x6 SN@P! binder album in a bright, sunny yellow. It's filled with page protectors in 3x4, 4x4, 4x6 (divided) sizes, blank ledger pages and chipboard yellow dividers. 

Take a look at the video to see how it all came together (and please subscribe to my YouTube channel for more inspiration!):

Here's a closeup of some of the details. I used a 4x6 transparence from the Summer Vibes Collection Pack to create a divider. 

These pages came together really quickly. I limited the supplies to chose from and went for a cleaner, but still layered look. The pops of color and fun icon in the line keep it from looking to plain.

Here's to celebrating summer, big family vacations,  and mini albums!

SUPPLIES:   SNAP! Pocket Assortment  |  Summer Vibes Collection |  Hello Pink Scissors | SNAP 4x6 Albums | 

Simple Stories Life Documented Planner: Here We Go!

Here it goes, I’m jumping into the planner craze! If you have no idea what I’m talking about, Google “planner addict” and you will see!

I knew this was something I would love. I’ve kept many planners over the years, but stopped in favor of the iPhone a while back. There’s something about seeing all of my plans and ideas on paper that I have really missed. Add stickers, organization + colored pens and this stationery loving girl is sold. Plus, every once in a while I peek at my old planners and it’s nice to see what my life was like as a college student. It’s a time capsule that makes me smile. My priorities and to-do’s have changed radically.

The Simple Stories Life Documented planner collection is perfectly bold, colorful and graphic – just my style! Watch this video if you’d like to see how I set up my planner and how I will be using it:

Happy planning!

Marco Island meets Scraptastic Ki

DESIGN NOTES:  I was recently sorting through a big pile of layouts, putting things away when I came across this layout created not so long ago with the Worth Wondering kit over at Scraptastic. It's based on a sketch that the team worked with in April. I love that we get to work with sketches, it frees me up to concentrate on color and embellishment and less on figuring out how things are going to fit together. My favorite part (other than the photos) are the stitched circles. They add movement, texture and ground all the important elements of the design.

THE STORY:  I can't believe it was almost exactly one year ago that I was taking in this view from our balcony. Marco is an idyllic little place located on the Gulf of Mexico with white sand beaches and turquoise waters. This was a very laid back, relaxing vacation for us which is unusual for us, but sometimes so very needed.

All of these pictures were taken with my iPhone. The vacation was so relaxed that I couldn't even be bothered to take out the heavy DSLR. It was risky, but I'm happy with the shots that I was able to get. I liked them so much, I made this mini and video for 2Peas last July:

Here's a process video that explains how to organize, sort and scrapbook vacations in a mini album format: