Monday, March 18, 2013

Chillin'

I loved the sketch at scrapbooksteals for Amber 4. Even though I have to admit that I am loving the sketch every week but just not finding the time to make the layouts. I have been working on my vacation album in project life format and it was a good change to make a complete 12x12 layout after a long time.
I had so much fun creating this layout. I used the circular mask from Studio Calico to create a fun effect on the circular mat. I used Heidi Swapp's color shine in Teal and Gold. I also had some washi tape that was steal from scrapbook steals that had gold chevrons. So I used this and another washi tape as a mat for my journaling and as backgrounds for the photos. I cut out the arrows and the title using my Silhoutte Cameo. I also used the negative of the arrows in the bottom of the page. I didn't want to throw them away and also the bottom of the page looked a little empty. These days none of my layouts seem to escape the rhinestones from Scrappin' supplies. So sprinkled them generously all over it. I used wooden stars as accents to the left of the page. I first misted them wheatfield color by October Afternoon and sprayed on more of the Gold colorshine. I used the Coral Couture Cardstock by DCWV. For the photos itself, I used that of me and my son just hanging out at home. I like the effect the black and white photo paired with its colored counterpart on the same layout. So here is the finished product:

Here is the sketch by design team member Bev Code:

I am also submitting this project to MCM #18 - a world of washi at scrapbooksteals.
 

Saturday, March 9, 2013

Cover Page of Project Life - MAUI

First of all let me show you some images of products that I ended up getting to start my project.

1. Seafoam binder by Becky Higgins

2. Seafoam Core Kit from Becky Higgins
3. Page Protectors - Big Variety Pack from Becky Higgins
 
4. Paradise beach 12x12 patterned paper and stickers from Echo park paper
 
 
Of course, these are the major products that I got, but I also ended getting some stickers and also plan to use some other lines of patterned paper that I already have.
 
So here is my cover page. This is a shameless scrap lift of Amy Tangerine's cover page for her Maui vacation. Actually her layout was one of the biggest inspirations for me to do the whole vacation album in project life format.  You know in my mind it is okay to scrap lift if it really makes sense for your photographs once in a while. I used a page protector with 4 6x6 pockets and developed a 12x12 photo and cut it apart. I love the statement it makes. The embellishments are simple and to the point.
 
 
Here are some closeups of the embellishments:
 
 
For the embellishments, I used stickers from paradise beach collection, washi tape from Indie Chic, Rhinestones from Scrappn' supplies.
Hope you like my first page. Stay tuned for more to come.


 

Yummy goodies

I just can't stop buying stuff .... especially anything that I think will go with my Hawaii project life album.
I saw all these videos on Two Peas In a Bucket website and ended up buying a bunch of different colored enamel dots from Amazon. They are so cute and they seem to be the rage right now. By the way I recently became member of the Amazon Prime program and I can't believe it took me so long to do so. It is amazing to see stuff at your doorstep almost the next day after you order it. It think if you do a lot of online shopping, being a member of Amazon prime is a no brainer.
 I also ended up buying a bunch of Washi tapes from Scrapbook steals because the colors were great. Can't wait to splatter them all over my project life album.
Here are my goodies:

Sunday, March 3, 2013

Another way to use Cascade Trails and Winner of the Giveaway

I made another project life page with more of our aquarium trip photos as I couldn't fit all the photos I wanted to in one spread. I used the cascade trails designer templates in yet another way to enhance this layout. I used them as a guide to place my blue rhinestones.



My mom and I end up buying all the photos sold to us. In the aquarium too, of course they took a photo of our family (which was not great at all) and of course my mom and I ended up buying one copy each. For this project life spread, I cut apart the folder they gave us the photo in and inserted it into the sleeves. It had some really good information on it. Also the beautiful photo of the turtles is not something I clicked. It came with the folder along with the photo of our family. I had to totally use it. Here is my project life spread:



I kept this page very simple and basic. I did not do to many enhancements because the photos were large. The background paper is from Paradise beach collection from Echo Park and the rhinestones are from Scrapp'n supplies.

Stay tuned for more project life pages. I have made a few more already but haven't had the time to post them. I have many more to go though.

Thank you all for stopping by today and now for the most important news..... the winner of the giveaway is mangelica..... please send me an e-mail with your address. I will send you your own cascade trails templates from Kiwi Lane shop. Congratulations and hope you enjoy using them as much as I did.



Friday, March 1, 2013

Blog Hop with Kiwi Lane Designs and my own giveaway

This is my first blog hop with Kiwi Lane Designs. The Kiwi Lane team is filled with such talented and encouraging women. It is such a privilege to be part of this blog hop.
When we were given the choices to pick our templates for this blog hop, I picked Cascade Trails.  This is how they look just to give you an idea.


These templates totally remind me of water. We had just come back from a vacation to Hawaii and I thought it was the perfect set of templates to use on my vacation pages.
I have to say it is so easy to use the Kiwi Lane Designer Templates. When you place them on paper and start drawing around them, they don't slip around which makes a huge difference in ease of use. It also makes the look of your layout more predictable as you can place the templates around on the pages and visualize the look of your page even before you are done.
Firstly I made a traditional two page layout with photos of my kids at the beach in Maui.


I used the three cascade trails 1A, 2A and 3A to make this layout. I wanted to show off all the different shapes you can cut out with this set. Once I decided how to place the photos, it came together really quickly. I also used Tiny Wacky 1T to create the look of the splash. I also used it to create my jounaling block. I used Paradise Beach collection from Echo park paper for my patterned paper and some of the stickers. I also used stickers from October Afternoon and rhinestones from Scrapp'n Supplies. I put a few drops of Aleene's liquid glaze on the layout to create the feel of water droplets on my page and it was done.

Next I made a non traditional page for my Project life vacation album. Here I used the templates in a very different way. Instead of using them as templates, I used them as masks. I taped them to a white cardstock and misted them with a teal colorshine mist. I want to mention here that the mist cleaned right off the templates.


I used 3A and 3B templates for this. I have to say that they are my favorite. On the left side of the page, the effect is more subtle as it is in the background of my journaling and the chevron blocks. But on the right side, you can see the effect in it's full glory.

 
 
For this project life spread, here are some of the other products I used - stickers from Paradise Beach collection - Echo park paper, 100 days of Summer - Simple stories, suzy's zoo, Core cards from Project life Seafoam kit, Teal ColorShine by Heidi Swap, Recollections chevron stamp, date stamp and label maker from K&Company. 

I showed you the usage of the templates in a couple of different ways and formats. Hope you enjoyed it. Do get a set your own to play with soon.

I also want to mention that I am doing a GIVEAWAY for the followers of my blog. If you are not a follower, do start following the blog by clicking on 'Join this site'. If you leave a comment here and if you are a follower, I will send one random winner a brand new set of Cascade Trails from Kiwi Lane Designs. The address I will be sending this to will have to be in U.S.A. or Canada only.

Also a random winner from ONE of the 10 blogs (including the Kiwi Lane blog), will be given a $25 gift certificate to the Kiwi Lane Shop, for leaving a comment

You have time till 3 Mar 11:59 P.M. MST Sunday to leave your comments.  I will announce the winner on 4th March. Now hop on to talented Leanne Bourassa's blog.......

1. Kiwi Lane
2. Becky Williams
3. Jenny Urzua
4. Jennifer Budge
5. Gail Owens
6. Neela Nalam ------> You are here
7. Leanne Bourassa <------ Go here next
8. Teresa Gray
9. Jenna Hipps
10. Jennifer Nicholes