As I said in my previous blog entry, I'm applying for a design team for the first time. This blog entry is my submission. Even though it's for Emma, the owner of Auntie Em's Scrapbooking in Cornwall, ON, I thought I would share this entry because I get to show off five of my favourite layouts.
A few thoughts about my style before I begin:
I believe that scrapbooking is about the pictures and preserving memories. For me, a lot of embellishment on a page, although beautiful and I admire people who can do this well, is not my desired end result. I want the pictures and the stories to stand out. Also, being a mom, wife, having a full-time job, and everything else in my life, is not condusive to spending six hours on one page. That would drive me nuts!
I like clean lines, somewhat semestrical pages that showcase the pictures and include journaling to tell the story. You will see that I often repeat papers, embellishments, etc., from the first page onto the second page of a two-page layout.
So, here we go...
Layout #1: Coffee Break
What I like about this layout:
I love the bright colours in this layout! The child featured in the pictures in my little guy Sam. Since I have a boy, I don't get many opportunities to use pinks and purples - which happen to be my favourite colours. Having my friend Kathleen in the pictures gave me the permission I was looking for to use "girly" colours in a layout going in Sam's album.
On this day, Kathleen and I made a trip to a local Starbucks and we took Sam with us. These beautiful pictures of Sam and his godmother are the reason I drag my camera with m everywhere! The smiles on their faces can't be beat. Beautiful happy people in beautiful happy pictures deserve bright happy paper.
On the first page, I used four different pattern papers. My latest obsession are border punches. On three of the pattern papers, I used one of my favourite border punches. I glued them on a piece of cardstock, alternating the side with the border. Although the pink paper has a pattern, it is less busy. Therefore, I was able to use it as a background for my page title. Then, all that was left was to add my great pictures, a piece of yellow ribbon and a sun sticker using pop-up tape.
On the second page, I repeated three of the four pattern papers used on the first page. I also repeated the yellow ribbon but added a brad at the top for some sparkle. The flag sticker, which I've noticed has been very popular in a lot of kits over the past year, fills some white space at the top of the page. Journaling, which I believe is essential to the vast majority of scrapbook pages, is the final touch.
Supplies: Cardstock, Echo Park Summer Days collection (paper, journaling box, stickers and brad), Fiskars border punch, ribbon, Fiskars corner rounder, brown pen.
Layout #2: Baywatch Babe
These photos were taken at Doré Lake, near Eganville, ON. My mother-in-law rented a cottage there and invited my husband Matt, Sam and I to vacation there with her.
What I like about this layout:
I love the pictures! Sam was so happy at the beach. I had so many great pictures that it was difficult to choose which ones to scrapbook. I really like that I was able to put so many pictures in one two-page layout. I also think that the white background really make the pictures pop.
On the first page, I used three different pattern papers and cut them in long strips, about 3" wide. I rounded the corners of each strip. To make them stand out more, I used Tim Holtz's Distress Ink to ink the edges. I then chose five vertical pictures and used pop-up tape to make my favourite picture stand out more. I used a pre-made journaling box to tell the story. Finally, I added the title Baywatch Babe. My inspiration for the title was the picture at the bottom left of the page. Sam is running into the water, splashing like they did in the intro to "Baywatch".
The second page posed more of a challenge. I had so many great pictures left! I decided to do the page this way to allow me to use as many pictures as possible. Mission accomplish I think since there are ten pictures on this one page! This page is a lot more work than it looks. Measuring the space between each picture is quite time-consuming but worth it!
Supplies: White cardstock, Fancy Pants Designs Beach Bum collection, Fiskars corner rounder, brown pen, Tim Holtz Distress Ink.
Layout #3: Grumpy?
Another layout featuring my favourtie little man! That being said, he wasn't my favourite person on this day. The title says it all! It was his 3rd birthday party and he was miserable! Even his grand-maman Juliette (featured on the second page - she's one of Sam's favourite people) couldn't cheer him up.
What I love about this layout:
I love that an imperfect memory can become a great layout. By scrappin' it and making it humorous, my sense of accomplishment is even greater.
On the first page, I used two pattern papers from the same collection. I cut the scallop pattern out of the paper on the right and glued both papers side-by-side. I added a red ribbon to the seam between the papers but decided that it would look better and fill some of the white space if I went the whole length of the page. I matted the picture with a third pattern paper and added it to the page using pop-up tape. I then added the title using stickers from the same collection as the paper. Looking at the page at that point, I thought it was too plain, even for me. I'm not afraid of white space but I thought that it needed more. I found this yellow rope and thought it would work perfectly around the picture. I finished it off with the oh-so popular flag sticker and the scroll sticker from the collection.
On the second page, I repeated the pattern papers, the yellow rope, and the red ribbon. I took advantage of the presence of a Big Shot machine (which is my list of scrapbooking tools to purchase because it's awesome!) and used the Tim Holtz Alterations dies to cut the paper flower and the box under the two vertical photos. As final touches, I added the red die cut border and the red 'October' sticker.
Supplies: Simple Stories Happy Day collection, cardstock, various dies, ribbon, rope, pre-cut border.
Layout #4: Divas
Contrary to what you would believe by the layouts I have showcased so far, I don't just scrapbook my son Sam. I also have a separate album for all my non-Sam related events during a year. This layout is in my 2010 album. Just before Christmas 2010, my friends Nathalie, Natalie, Diane and I went out for a pre-Christmas celebration at Moxie's. We always have the best time together! Scrapbooking these memories is so easy because I remember them so fondly...and usually with a bit of a smirk!
What I like about this layout:
I like this layout because of the people in it (of course!) but also because I took a line that I believe is juvenile and used it for an adult layout. And it totally works!
On the first page, I used four pattern papers from the same line and cut them in long narrow strips. I glued them vertically and accented the left side with a light blue ribbon. I sanded the edges of two pictures and added them to the page. I cut a journaling circle myself out of a fifth pattern paper from the same line. I used Tim Holtz grungeboard letters for the title. I used Glimmer Mist to make them blue - grungeboard takes Glimmer Mist so well! The backdrop of bright red cardstock really make all my choices stand out.
On the second page, I layered pattern papers from the same collection differently by using a border punch and by using a template to cut the parenthesis pattern. Following the same technique as the first page, I sanded the edges of each of the four pictures. I added a small title and covered the letters in Glossy Accents for some extra shine. I finished off the page with some journaling.
These pages make me happy...'nough said.
Supplies: Echo Park Everybody Loves Christmas collection, cardstock, Fiskars border punch, Glossy Accents.
Layout #5: Je t'aime
Last but not least is a layout I made this past weekend at Auntie Em's all-day crop. I made this layout during the daily challenge. Laura handed out a few sheets of pattern papers and a few embellishments to each person and a Page Map. The challenge was to use the Page Map as an inspiration and use the papers and embellishments to make a layout. Afterwards, we would all vote for our favourite.
These pictures were taken during Sam's 3rd birthday party at my parents' place. I took them myself...yes, I have long arms!
This was my submission:
What I like about the layout:
I have to say that I really like the stitching, even though it was so much work! The hour of work was worth it though because I love the end result. I used four of the pattern papers, white ribbon and clear embellishment provided. I used one of Emma's rectangle scallop punches to make two cuts and added them to a square. The red border, the two trinkets, the letters used in the title (I used Glimmer Glam to make them brown) and the twine used in the stitching are from my private stash.
When I started this layout, I knew that it was going to be the end page to an album. After every one of Sam's birthdays, I start a new album for the next year of his life. It's always a bit difficult for me to figure out how I'm going to end an album. I know that this page will be perfect to end the album chronicling the 3rd year of Sam's life.
I'm super proud to say that I won the challenge! I was so excited to win because I never win anything...unless it's a draw. Winning gave me the confidence to apply for the design team. But the most important thing is that I love the layout.
Supplies: Cardstock, various pattern papers, white ribbon, Glimmer Glam, corrugated cardboard letters, Bo Bunny trinkets.
Well, there you have it folks, my submission to Auntie Em's design team. I would love love LOVE to get picked (did I mention that I would love to get picked...? Cause I would love to get picked!). If I don't, it's still been a pleasure to go through my layouts and pick a few of my favourites to show you.
Too often, scrapbooks are not looked at. They sit on shelves were no one takes them out to be appreciated like they should be. I encourage all my friends who scrapbook to share their creations, either by taking out their scrapbooks more often or by starting their own blog.
Happy scrappin'!
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