Northwest Stamper

Tag: scrapbook layout

  • Quatrefancy Window Sheets for Scrapbooking

    Stylin Stampin Inkspiratin DT badgeOk, so I know I promised to share some projects with the Christmas Star single stamp today… but that was before I remembered that today was the Stylin’ Stampin’ Inkspiration’s scrapbook sketch for the month!  I love playing along with sketches and I don’t scrapbook nearly enough…. so design team duties came first today.  But, I do have my Christmas Star projects and post ready for you… it is just moved to Wednesday now.  I promise this time. Smile 

    But, I still have a fun project to share today!  The amazing Jennifer Campbell put together a great sketch this month and I love it because it was so easy to put together an interesting layout with it.  In fact, this page came together from looking at the sketch to done in less than an hour!!

    September Scrapbook Sketch Layout

    September 2013 SSI scrapbook sketch layout

     

    I have a stash of photos that I know I want to scrap that I got printed at Costco a couple months ago, and so I grabbed the pile and started flipping through until I found the perfect photos I wanted to scrap.

    It was so special to me this year at convention that I had a group of downline who were able to attend with me and share the awesome experience.  And it was so fun to have some friends to cheer with, lounge with, or just share ideas we saw or heard around the convention center.  I really am lucky to be able to call these gals my friends!

    Once I found the pictures and looked at the sketch, I knew I wanted to recreate the group bag tag for my main embellishment.  I used the Fun Flower die to create the same shape, added the Fancy Flower punch, and then a 1-1/4” circle punch out of designer paper.  Then, instead of our group name, I used the Banner Greetings hostess set to create my sentiment and as a throwback to the banner shape in the original sketch.

    My other fun variation was to use the Quatrefancy window sheet that comes with the Quatrefancy Specialty designer series paper.  This is one of those papers that often you look at and think,” how in the heck am I going to use this?”  Well, I loved the subtle pattern effect it gave and thought it would be a great accent to pull out the pattern from the Convention backpack we received this year.  Since the pattern was the same, it was a great way to tie together the photos, designer series paper (from the same pack) and the background paper.

    Using window sheet papers this way is great because it is EASY to figure out adhesive.  If nothing else, you have a HUGE piece of cardstock (from your photo mat) that will be covering up parts of the window sheet strip, and so you can happily put adhesive in that area.  And in this case, I decided to layer some Pear Pizzazz taffeta ribbon over the top, and so I could also run a strip of adhesive across the window sheet to glue it to the base cardstock and then just adhere the ribbon over the top of the window sheet to hide the glue.  Sneaky, huh?!

    So, there you go.  A fun, easy sketch and some ideas to get you started.  If you want to play along and try it out yourself, you can use the sketch above and then hop on over to the Stylin’ Stampin’ Inkspiration blog to add your finished photo to the Linky there.  Or just visit to see other great takes on the basic sketch.  Have fun!

    Card Supplies Used
    Stamps – Banner Greetings
    Ink – Midnight Muse
    Paper – Pool Party Core’dinations cardstock, Quatrefancy designer paper, Pear Pizzazz cs, Whisper White cs
    Accessories – Big Shot, Fun Flower die, Fancy Flower punch, 1-1/4” circle punch, Pear Pizzazz taffeta ribbon, Rhinestones

    spaced shop now sig bar

  • Stamping with an Embossing Folder for a Scrapbook Sketch

    Happy Monday!  Today over at the Stylin’ Stampin’ INKspiration blog, we are sharing a fun scrapbook sketch idea. 

    I didn’t create the sketch, but let me tell you how much I LOVE designing off of sketches.  It makes the scrapbooking process so much easier for me because I don’t have to think too hard about the set-up of the page (or card!) and instead can focus on things like which color do I want to use and what should I write in my journaling.

     

    Oh, and did I mention that my layouts are typically like my cards…. I start from a sketch or design, pull in key elements, and then totally change everything else up.  But hey!  It’s the inspiration that is important – and the fact that I’m actually getting my photos in an album!

    You may be wondering how I got that honeycomb look on my base paper for my scrapbook…. well, check this out… I used my embossing folder as a stamp!!!

    Seriously, its totally cool!  First I wiped my ink pad across the raised side of the embossing folder to ink it up.

    Then I just flipped over the embossing folder and pressed it down like I would a stamp!  I liked the distressed (didn’t get all the ink down on the paper) look, so I didn’t worry about evenly pressing and getting it all off on the base paper.

    Then for my accents, I created my own layered ribbon banners in the upper corner.  I took some of the Strawberry Slush Ruffle Trim and the Natural Trim ribbons and layered them.  Then snipped the ends at an angle.  Then to soften it even more, I use the Flower Shop bundle to get the simple flower to go on top.

    Finally, I needed a title and ended up actually cutting out my letters using the Typeset Alphabet Bigz dies in the same Wisteria Wonder as the background paper.  But that was a little too tone-on-tone and so I drew around the outside of the letters with my white gel pen to make them pop a bit more. 

    I would say that it worked!  And look at that face… isn’t Sweet a good title too?  Smile  Ok, I really didn’t know what to title these too pictures but I loved them so much that I had to scrap them somehow!

    So, I hope you got some inspiration!  Play along and create your own scrapbook page with this sketch and let me know what you think!

    spaced shop now sig bar

  • Scrapbooking Sunday: This Paper is not just for Valentine’s Day!

    When I first saw the More Amore Designer Paper and the Hearts a Flutter stamp set I had Valentine’s Day on the brain.  And in fact I originally got both for a Valentine’s Day treat class I was holding earlier this year.

    But as I started going through pictures and wanting to scrap this picture from Leadership convention with my mom, I saw the quote printed on the paper and thought it would be just right.

    The quote is

    A loving heart is the truest wisdom – Charles Dickens

    Perfect for a picture of my mom who flew out to Orlando, FL with me from Seattle, WA to share the learning and excitement of Leadership and my first time being eligible to attend Manager’s Reception.

     

    So with my base paper chosen, I started adding embellishments and it turned out the Hearts a Flutter stamp set and framelits fit my mood just right.

    I grabbed some scrap fabric from the retired Springtime Vintage collection to add textured borders instead of my usual paper layering.  Then I tucked in some banners I cut out using the coordinating framelits.

    For the journaling block, I just created an extended photo mat with Very Vanilla paper to give me space for my writing and then added some stamping and a little bit of ribbon to separate the journaling from the picture.

     

    It turned out to be a fairly quick layout but one that I love for the great memories it captures!

     

    To Order Stampin’ Up! Products Anytime, click here!

    See the Latest Availability & PDFs of all the retiring stamps and accessories here

    Supples Used
    Stamps     – Hearts a Flutter
    Paper – More Amore designer paper, Very Vanilla
    Ink – Real Red, Basic Black marker
    Accessories – Big Shot, Hearts a Flutter framelit, Springtime Vintage fabric, Crochet Ribbon, Stampin’ Dimensionals

  • Scrapbooking Sunday: Got to Love Those Kiddie Rides

    This is why I have a hard time giving up my old patterned papers.  Because that pack of paper that you thought totally wasn’t your style and you have no idea how you would use it…. well, along comes a scrapbook layout that suddenly that paper is perfect for and you are so glad you didn’t chuck it in the recycle bin!  And today that paper is Big Top Birthday from Stampin’ Up!

    Everytime we go to Fred Meyer, Nicholas *has* to ride the Fred Meyer kiddie ride truck.  We walk in the door and as we walk by the area with the truck he notices it and asks if I have a quarter so we can ride it.  Sometimes I do, and sometimes I don’t, but either way we invariably stop so he can at least sit on the truck and pretend to drive it.

    And of course, now that Caitlin is getting older, she has to get in on the action as well and wants her turn!  So, I had to snap a picture a couple months back of each of them in the truck and create a layout just for this ride.

     

    I had no idea what I wanted to do, so I started shuffling through my (I’ll admit) large amounts of misc patterned papers and cardstock and the bold primary colors in the Big Top Birthday caught my eye.  I had a hard time getting myself to use the paper when I was working on cards because it was so bold, but when used as an accent for a scrapbook page – suddenly it was a whole new paper!

    But, one of the best things about this layout was creating my embellishments from random supplies around my craft room.  I especially like how this tag turned out:

    It’s a simple rectangle of the Natural Composition designer paper that I snipped off two corners to make the tag shape.  Then I used on of my beloved Jumbo Eyelets (why did these have to be retired!?!) to give me a grommet for my Stitched Pacific Point Grosgrain ribbon.  Then I just used a little bit of linen thread to tie the ends of the ribbon together and added some matching cardstock trim to the bottom of the tag.  Add some dots with the White Gel Pen and some journaling and there you go!

    I have to admit, I LOVE how this layout turned out and its kind of nice to do a layout that doesn’t involve pinks and flowers. Smile

    To Order Stampin’ Up! Products Anytime, click here!

    See the Latest Availability & PDFs of all the retiring stamps and accessories here

    Supples Used
    Stamps     – Rough Type Alphabet (retired)
    Paper – Whisper White, Basic Black, Pacific Point, Daffodil Delight, Going Grey cs (retired), Natural Composition designer paper, Big Top Birthday designer paper (retired)
    Ink – Basic Black, Pacific Point, Real Red
    Accessories – Large Star punch (retired), Small Star punch (retired), 2-3/8” Scallop circle punch, 1” circle punch, Scallop Trim edge punch, Crop-a-dile, jumbo eyelets (retired), Stitched grosrain ribbon Pacific Point, Linen Thread, White Gel Pen, Stampin’ Dimensionals, Sponge Daubers

  • Scrapbooking Sunday: Layering, Misting, and More!

    I’ve been trying to start up scrapbooking classes each month… partially because I wanted to have some balance in my classes and also because I am dreadfully behind on my scrapping.  So, creating layouts for a class forces me to get some extra pages done!

    So, this month, I ended up turning to the Tea for Two suite from the Spring Catalog as my inspiration in creating two 12×12 pages.  I designed them so they could stand alone or be a two page spread.

    Layout #1: Best Things in Life

    So, this page is designed with the Basic Grey pieces to be mats for 4×6 photos – that means once you drop in your pictures there will a little grey mat plus the Old Olive mat behind that.

    My favorite embellishment is this layered flower above the photos:

    I took one of the Tea Lace Doilies (one of the best deals in the catalog! You get 24 doilies for only $2.95) and I sponged it with a sponge dauber and Calypso Coral ink.  You just have to be careful that you don’t rub too hard or you will tear part of the doily off.  Thankfully, in this case, you can tuck the yucky part (like I did!) under the grey photo mat.

    Then I stamped the flower image from Betsy’s Blossom and punched it out with the 1-3/4” Scallop Circle punch.  For the top layer, I used one of the new Designer Build a Brads to create a cute topper.

    Now, here is the trick – I snipped off the brad tines from the back of the Build a Brad!  Then stick your brad into a Stampin’ Dimensional and stick it to the front of your embellishment.  This raises the brad up off of the photo mat so you have room to slide your photo underneath!

    I also thought it needed something in the upper corner so I used Besty’s Blossom again for the bird and leaves.

    And I used this great sentiment from the Feels Good stamp set for my title.  If you are wondering about the shape I used for the title block, it is actually the largest of the Labels Framelits that I hung off the corner of the page and then snipped away all of the extra.

    Layout #2:  Misting Fun

    This is the second layout we created.  I’ll try to go fast since I know this post is getting totally long. Smile  This page was my “play with all the tools on my craft table” layout.

    First I started by misting the corners of my base paper.  I started with Whisper White cardstock and then spruced it up by making my own So Saffron mist.

    ***************************

    To make your own mist, add some rubbing alcohol to one of the Stampin’ Spritzers.  Then add a few drops of your favorite re-inker to the mix and shake it up.   I would add about 10 drops of reinker for about every 1/4 of the spritzer bottle you fill with alcohol.

    ***************************

    Then I used my Color Spritzer and my Calypso Coral marker and spritzed over the So Saffron mist with Coral splatter.  It adds just a touch of coral to the page without jumping out at you.

    Finally a few more touches… I used some of the Pool Party Core’dinations cardstock (sanded down of course!) to accent my photo mat for my 5×7” photo.  Then I cut out more of the images from the Betsy’s Blossom stamp set for a corner embellishment, which is also popped up on dimensionals so you can stick your photo underneath.

    Finally I had to grab some of my new This and That items to finish it out.  The rotary date stamp for the banner label (I wasn’t sure which picture I wanted to use so I left the date blank) plus some washi for more color at the bottom of the page!

    Whew!  Ok, made it through all those photos!  I just love scrapbook pages though because you can use all your different papers, tools, and accents to make one big cool design.

    So hopefully this gave you some new idea and I’d love to hear what you think about these pages.  I love hearing what you think in comments, so if you have a minute please leave a comment and let me know what you think!

     

    To Order Stampin’ Up! Products Anytime, click here!

    Supples Used
    Stamps     – Betsy’s Blossom, Feels Good, This or That rotary date stamp
    Paper – Whisper White, So Saffron, Old Olive, Basic Grey, Tea for Two designer paper, Pool Party core’dinations cardstock
    Ink – Chocolate Chip, So Saffron, Old Olive, Calypso Coral, Calypso Coral marker, So Saffron reinker
    Accessories – Tea Lace Doilies, 2011-2013 In Color Printed brads, Stampin’ Spritzers, Color Spritzer, This and That washi tape, Designer Build a Brads, Stampin’ Dimensionals, 1 3/4” Scallop Circle punch, Big Shot, Labels Framelits, Spone Daubers, Itty Bitty Punch Pack, Stampin’ Sanding System

    image

  • Scrapbooking Sunday: Scrapping with Washi & the This & That Line

    Last week, I got my This and That bundle and finally had a chance to sit down and start playing with it all.  So, this is the first project I created with it:

    this and that scrapbooking layout

     

    The full collection (which I had to grab since you get 15% off if you get it as a bundle) includes:

    • 12×12 designer paper
    • 4 pack of stickers
    • 3 rolls of washi tape
    • rotary date stamp
    • spiral bound journal with embossed cover

    This and that collection Stampin up

     

    I had a bunch of friends who had gotten into the washi tape craze and I even had a couple spools of it but I was still trying to figure out how I was going to use it.  However, it seemed to get easier for me as I started playing around with this layout.  The first place I used it was for making a border at the bottom of my blue designer paper and then I layered a second pattern of tape to highlight the photo above.

    This and that washi sample scrapbooking close up

     

    Then I ended up using the 3rd pattern of washi tape at the top of my page as an accent over the top edge.  You’ll also notice the rotary date stamp on the journaling section.  You pick your sentiment and the date, ink, and stamp.  When I stamped, I wanted to add a little something else, and turns out a mini brad fits perfectly between the sentiment and date.

    This and that rotary date stamps and washi tape close up

    I also wanted to use some of the stickers that come in the collection.  I knew I was going to use the journal with most of the stickers but I decided that these chevrons (which are each individual stickers) would be a good color accent on that side of the page.

    This and that stickers close up

     

    So, overall, I wasn’t sure what I thought of the heavily distressed look of the papers but it turned out when used together they look great.  Especially when you are using black and white pictures.

    Finally, I wanted to share something that I didn’t realize when I ordered the journal.  I knew that each page in the journal is designer paper in nice base patterns (no big words or overwhelming elements), but I didn’t realize the first and last page were pocket pages.  Plus inside the front pocket were tucked 2 pocket pouches that can be glued in anywhere in your book (or other projects)

    this and that journal inside

    I still can’t decide whether to use my journal for carrying with me to record the random funny things my kids say and do, or if I want to use it for all the inspiration I see for projects and designs.  Kind of like an offline Pinterest!

    You can see the entire This and That collection online here

    And don’t miss out on the free shipping promotion!  You have until tomorrow evening to receive free shipping on any order no matter how big or small!

     

    To Order Stampin’ Up! Products Anytime, click here!

    Don’t Forget!  RSVPs and mail order kit orders are due soon for the Print Poetry Class coming up on April 20th!
    Can’t make the party?  Class by mail and instruction only options are available – check it out here

    Print Poetry Camp & Class by Mail

  • Scrapbooking Sunday: Using Stamps as Accents on a Baby Page!

    I know it is St. Patrick’s Day and so I should be posting something green, but I finished this scrapbook page for my daughter and just had to share it with everyone for this week’s Scrapbooking Sunday!  So, you can virtually pinch me but I hope you enjoy the ideas for this weeks layout.

    I’ve been trying to get through some of the recent backlog of photos I printed opportunistically and then never got scrapped.  Smile  This is one of the photos from right before we left the hospital after she was born.  I may not look my best, but it is one of the few pictures of I have of her and me and so I’ll love it no matter how I look.

    This whole layout actually started with me wanting to use the elephant from the Patterned Occasions stamp set exclusively available during Sale-a-Bration but to use it for a baby scrapbook page.  So I grabbed my Pink Pirouette marker and started coloring the elephant and making an elephant parade.

    One thing I noticed is that the markers are so juicy and the pattern of the elephant is so intricate that extra ink gets caught in the spaces so it wasn’t as crisp of an image.  But I didn’t care and couldn’t be bothered to try again using a post-it note to mask the stamp itself.

    But then I tried again using a mix of colors for one more fun elephant accent.  This time I left the flower in the image and cut it all out.  I accented it with a 1 1/4” scallop circle punched out of Pink Pirouette cardstock.

    Finally, I needed a little more something at the top of my page and my Hearts a Flutter stamp set and framelits was exactly what I needed.  I just adhered my baker’s twine across the top of the page and tucked my banners under the twine where I wanted them.

    I even like the Summer Starfruit designer paper from the Sale-a-Bration flyer (Sycamore Street designer paper) as my background even though initially I was not a fan at all of this pattern. Smile

    Don’t Miss the Start of Sale-a-Bration Send Off Week! Giveaways and more!

    Don’t forget that this is the last week to get your free stamps and accessories as part of Sale-a-Bration.  To remind you (and me!) of the fun ideas and projects you can make with the different stamps and accessories, I’ll be holding a send off celebration here on my blog all week capped off with a Sale-a-Bration Send Off Party on Friday.

    All week you can get entries for prizes and drawings!

    So, come back tomorrow when it all kicks off and you can start celebrating and winning with me!

     

    To Order Stampin’ Up! Products Anytime, click here!

    Are you earning your Northwest Stamper Rewards?

    Every order gets you closer to your FREE stamp set! Click here to learn more!

    Patterned Occasions Baby Scrapbook Page Recipe:
    Stamps:     Patterned Occasions*, Hearts a Flutter
    Ink: Soft Suede, Summer Starfruit, Rich Razzleberry, Markers: Pink Pirouette, Rich Razzleberry, Soft Suede, Gumball Green
    Paper: Pink Pirouette, Rich Razzleberry, Soft Suede, Very Vanilla, Primrose Petals core’dinations cardstock, Sycamore Street designer paper *
    Accessories: Sycamore Street ribbon & button pack*, Big Shot, Junior Timeless Type sizzlits, Hearts a Flutter framelits, Square Lattice embossing folder, Glue Dots, Stampin’ Dimensionals, Crochet Lace trim, Early Espresso baker’s twine, stapler, Sanding Block, 1 1/4” scallop circle punch

    * item that is available for free with a $50 order through 3/22/2013

  • Scrapbooking Sunday: Butterflies & Tea for Two!

    Ugh, I am terrible at titles for blog posts but I am so excited to share this scrapbook layout with you today!  I just LOVE how it turned out and hope you can use some of the ideas I had to dress up your own scrapbooking layouts and cards.  I used the Tea for Two designer paper and the Bloomin’ Marvelous stamp set as my inspiration for the theme of the page.

     

    So, this is a layout that I had to create because each year I always go to the Stampin’ Up! convention and of course, the big celebrity is Shelli Gardner herself!  And so, I had to get Caitlin (and my) photo with her last year and document it.  Because if there aren’t pictures, it didn’t happen…. right?  Smile

    So, let me show you some of my accents and details that went into this page so you can use them on your own projects later:

    Heat Embossed Title

    Ok, so, if you’ve been in my craft room, you know I’m obsessed with alphabet stickers and alphabet dies so I can create custom titles for my pages.  Well, sometimes I have stamps that fit just right for my title and when that happens, I love to do some heat embossing.

    In this case, I pulled the convention-exclusive stamp set they handed out last year and stamped the flourish frame in Versamark and embossed with Basic Black embossing powder.  Then I stamped the words from the same set in Versamark and embossed again with white embossing powder.

    And did you see those butterflies?  My mom suggested earlier this week that you could layer the small butterfly punch on top of the Elegant butterfly punch.  Well, I decided to give it a try by stamping the butterfly from the Bloomin’ Marvelous Sale-a-Bration stamp set and punching it out with the Elegant Butterfly punch.  Add a little Dazzling Details glitter glue in the center of each butterfly and you get this:

    I wanted to add some texture and so I first added the Stitched Grosgrain Whisper White ribbon along the middle of the strip of chevron designer paper from the Tea for Two designer paper pack.  It was a perfect subtle touch.  And then (of course after I glued down my pictures) I decided I wanted to add a doily too.  So, I hacked up one of the paper doilies and gently pulled up the edges of my photos to tuck it under.

    And then finally, even after sponging the entire edge of the page with Calypso Coral ink, I decided that the upper left corner needed something.  So I grabbed some scraps of the different patterns from the Tea for Two designer paper pack and snipped the ends into banners and glued/stapled them to the top of the page.

    I am really happy with how it turned out and hope you got some fun ideas too!  I’d love to hear what you think.

    P.S. – Don’t Forget! 

    Today is the LAST DAY to sign up for My Paper Pumpkin to get your kit in March!

    Make sure you are signed up and then let me know so I can get you your bonus gift from me!  Sign up here

    To Order Stampin’ Up! Products Anytime, click here!

  • Scrapbooking Sunday: Sunburst w/ Sunshine & Sprinkles

    Look, it’s back!  It’s Scrapbooking Sunday!

    I love, love, love making cards.  But boy did I miss making scrapbook pages.  I have photos piled up in my craft room and that is only the ones I’ve printed in the last year thinking I was going to be getting way more scrapbooking done than I did!  So, I decided to play along with a sketch challenge at ScrapbookSteals and um… I think I jumped back in at a challenging time.

    We had to make a sunburst on our scrapbook page! I had never done that before and it was a challenge for me.  But I just LOVE how it turned out!

    I used the Sunshine and Sprinkles designer paper because I liked the bright and cheery colors and how they matched so well with the summery colors and feel of the photo (that is my daughter Caitlin last summer in our new inflatable swimming pool.  Also one of my favorite pictures of her!)

    The sketch called for buttons in your sun rays but as I was playing with my buttons I realized that my “x” buttons from the Bitty Buttons set looked kind of like stitches and I was sold.  Smile

    And as I tried to figure out what I would use for a title for this page, I remembered the Vintage Verses stamp set (on of the Free exclusive sets from Sale-a-Bration) and thought the “There’s Only One You” was a perfect fit.  Combine that with the cool background shape from Everything Eleanor, and BAM! Title done!

    You can also see in that picture the Melon Mambo striped organdy ribbon (which I’m way more in love with than I thought because it is so soft and vibrant!) and the Delicate Details lace tape which I thought would be a great subtle accent for the page.

    Finally, I have to show you the last touch that I’m kind of proud of… the Baker’s Twine flower!  I made it myself!

    I started with a glue dot on the page and a piece of Island Indigo Baker’s Twine.  Then I formed loops and with each loop, I ran the twine back over the glue dot in the center  (I had to add a second glue dot over the first to help hold it all down but it all worked out).  Then to finish off the center I had a Wisteria Wonder printed brad that I covered in Crystal Effects and dipped in Dazzling Diamonds glitter.  Let it dry and then set in the middle of my flower for a cute finishing touch!

    I love how this page turned out and hopefully you got some fun ideas for incorporating into your own scrapbook pages.

     

    To Order Stampin’ Up! Products Anytime, click here!

    Are you earning your Northwest Stamper Rewards?

    Every order gets you closer to your FREE stamp set!  Click here to learn more!

     

    Sunshine & Sprinkles Sunburst Scrapbook Layout Recipe:
    Stamps:      Vintage Verses, Everything Eleanor
    Ink:  Daffodil Delight, Markers: Basic Grey, Melon Mambo, Gumball Green
    Paper: Sunshine & Sprinkles designer paper, Crumb Cake cs, Whisper White cs, Lucky Limeade cs, Very Vanilla cs
    Accessories:  Bitty Buttons, Itty Bitty punch pack, Crystal Effects, Stampin’ Trimmer, Paper Piercer, Paper Piercing Template, In Color Designer Brads, Island Indigo Baker’s Twine, Delicate Details Lace Tape, Melon Mambo striped organdy ribbon, mini silver brads, Stampin’ Dimensionals, glue dots

  • Sycamore St Scrapbook Layout: Great Grandparents

    Some incredibly talented girls I know started a paper crafting challenge blog a year ago called The Paper Girls Challenge Blog.  They post challenges twice a month for fun and (sometimes) prizes.

    Well, I was so honored to be asked by them to be one of two guest designers this month – so I totally know what cool challenge is coming up later this month… and no, I’m not going to tell you.  hee hee!

    Anyway, today is their first challenge for February and it was:
    Use Twine in Your Project!

    Ta da!

    Now, their challenge doesn’t have to be for a scrapbook layout – I could have done a card.  But I do cards all the time and I figured I needed the extra challenge. Smile

    So, I decided to show some quick and easy ways to use twine.  I grabbed my Island Indigo Baker’s Twine and wrapped some around all four sides of an 8.5” x 8.5” piece of River Rock cardstock.  Then I tucked some pictures under the twine – I was going for the “memo board” look.  So parts of the pictures are over the twine and some are under.

    Thanks to my amazing foresight, I made sure to dress my daughter in a brightly striped shirt so that it would match great with the new Sycamore St designer paper that you can get free from the Sale-a-Bration catalog.  Ok, so this picture was from May 2012 and I totally lucked out, but I’ll take it!

    I also wrapped some twine around the “G” in “Great” at the top of the page, but of course realized late last night that the top of the picture is a bit blurry.  Oops!  So, trust me, it is wrapped around the “G” and looks cute.

    TIP:  If you have alphabet letters that you think are starting to blend into the background of your page like mine were.  Grab a marker (in this case, my Island Indigo Stampin’ Write marker) and with the fine tip, trace around the letter on your page.  It gives the letters a subtle border that really helps it pop!

    Think you have a cool idea for using twine or just want to try to use the twine you have sitting at home?  Visit The Paper Girls Challenge Blog to see more inspiring ideas and then create your own project and add it to the challenge list.  I’d love to see what different ideas you create!

     

    To Order Stampin’ Up! Products Anytime, click here!

    Are you earning your Northwest Stamper Rewards?

    Every order gets you closer to your FREE stamp set!  Click here to learn more!

  • It’s a Scrappy Blog Hop For the New Year!

    Last month I was totally honored to be asked to participate in today’s Scrapbook Steals Blog Hop.  They were going to be featuring page design templates from Kiwi Lane Design Borders and, since I had never tried them out before, I thought it would be a blast to give it a go.  Especially since I knew I would have all my new Spring Catalog goodies to play with too!  The awesome thing is that these templates can be used with anything you have in your stash, so use them on old – new- thick – or thin!

    Well, I have 3 projects for you today and hopefully you will get some new ideas for trying out border templates as well as catch a glimpse of some new Spring catalog (and Sale-a-Bration sneak peek!) items in my samples. Smile

    1.  The 12×12 Scrapbook Page

    You may not think much of using a template for a 12×12 layout, but the neat (at least to me) part is that the templates I was given to use are the “Madison Avenue mini” templates, which means they are only 8” long!

    What is a 12×12 purist to do??

    Well, after careful investigation of my templates, I discovered that two of them fit together seamlessly to give me a 16” curve to do with as I pleased!

    extending kiwi lane templates

    So I found an interesting curve line, used Post-it notes to tack down the templates, and traced away!  I decided to cut out the vintage-y flower pattern from the Twitterpated designer paper… and what you can’t tell at all because of how I ended up placing my pictures, is that the curve lines exactly match at the top and the bottom of my page.  I meant to do more with that but the matting for the photos got too big.  Oops!

    I loved the line though, and so I decided to ruffle some ribbon, following the curve at the top of the page.  To achieve the look, I just ran some tape along the same path as the template that I used to trim my paper.
    TIP – If you are going to do this, you really want to use Sticky Strip / red backed double sided tape.  I tried using my ATG for the adhesive thinking that was really strong but in less than a week, the ruffles were popping up and off the page.  So go for the tough stuff!!  Go redline/Sticky Strip!


    (psst – this may be one of the free ribbons coming available during sale-a-bration. ;)).

    And since I wanted to do some journalling but thought a straight edged rectangle would look wrong in my curvy layout… I grabbed one of the templates I used for the top of the page and used the curve to cut my journalling block.

    using kld templates for journaling 

    Psst – check out more SAB sneak peeks!  (Button, stamps, punch!)

    2.  An 8×8 Layout

    Since my templates were the mini version and 8” long, I decided “what the hey!” and figured I’d put together an 8×8 page.  The curvy lines made me totally think of hills and so I thought it would be perfect for a park picture of my daughter Caitlin from this summer.

    I couldn’t decide where to do my journalling so I, again, went with the whimsy and wrote it out following the curves of my hills.

    And if you are curious, the background paper and the sun are all created out of the new Tea for Two designer series paper.  The circle that is the middle of the sun is an element on one of the patterns, so I just cut out two circles and chopped one up into wedges – pizza style – to make the sun’s rays.  I LOVE how it turned out!

    3.  A Card with Masking

    Finally, I wanted to break out of the scrapbooking shell and use my templates in a totally different way.  Since sets contain “A” and “B” pieces that are just a rectangle with the patterned line cut through the middle, that means you can just slide your A and B sides a little apart and make a cool area for masking!

    I did my masking on grid paper so I could slide the templates down the same amount each time so I could make my own background pattern.

    masking with KLD templates

    And speaking of backgrounds, can I share that this card was totally inspired by my 2012 Stampin’ Up! convention bag sitting on the floor across from me?  Smile  Can you see the similarities?

    image

     

    So, my projects are simple compared to some of the amazing scrapbooking layouts you will see with these templates, but I love how easy they make a touch of whimsy in my projects!  I will also admit that I get a lot of my scrapbooking ideas from Scrapbook Steal’s weekly MidWeek Mojo sketch challenges; but I didn’t realize how much mojo you can get from stacking and playing with these templates that give you lots of fun shapes and curves to work with!

    Alright! So I’ve shared a lot with you today and I hope you enjoyed them!

    Please, leave me a comment and let me know what you think of my projects and first foray into designing with border templates!  Plus, Scrapbook Steals will be giving away a $20 gift certificate to one lucky commenter from across all of the blog hop sites.

    And now, check out some of the other awesome ideas shared by some SUPER TALENTED ladies!  Thanks again, Kerys, for the invitation and the chance to participate in the blog hop this month!

    Go hop and be inspired!

    To Order Stampin’ Up! Products Anytime, click here!

    Need a Spring Catalog or Sale-a-Bration flyer?

    shoot me an email to jennifer@nwstamper.com with your contact info and I’ll make sure one will be making its way to your mailbox shortly!

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    Every order gets you closer to your FREE stamp set!Click here to learn more!

     

    12×12 Scrapbook Page Supplies
    Stamps:     Pretty Petites (SAB), Ciao Baby, You’re Amazing
    Ink: Basic Grey, Calypso Coral, Pool Party, Crumb Cake, Versamark
    Paper: Twitterpated designer series paper, First Edition specialty dsp, Basic Grey cs, Whisper White cs, Calypso Coral cs
    Accessories: Sycamore Street ribbons & button pack (SAB), Petite curly label punch (SAB), Natural Trim ribbon, heat gun, white embossing powder, embossing buddy, glue dots, Stampin’ Dimensionals, Madison Ave mini Kiwi Lane Design border templates

    8×8 Scrapbook Page Supplies
    Ink:     Lucky Limeade ink pad & marker (for journaling)
    Paper: Tea for Two designer series paper, Lucky Limeade cs, Melon Mambo cs, Basic Grey cs
    Accessories: Bitty Punch Pack, adhesive pearls, Sticky Strip, corner rounder punch, sponge dauber, Madison Ave mini Kiwi Lane Design border templates

    Convention Bag Card Supplies
    Stamps:     Made For You
    Ink: Basic Grey, Summer Starfruit
    Paper: Whisper White cs, Vellum cs, Summer Starfruit cs
    Accessories: Two-Tone Ribbon (Basic Grey/Basic Black), adhesive rhinestones, glue dots, Stampin’ Dimensionals, Madison Ave mini Kiwi Lane Design border templates

  • Happy Birthday to my Baby Girl!

    Its been a busy week all leading up to today which is my little girls 1 yr birthday. Smile  So, I hope you don’t mind if I share my proud mama moment with you!

    I can’t believe how a year ago today, a cutie patootie joined our family…. see, isn’t she cute?

    Caitlin Baby scrapbook layout

    And over the last year she has grown to a cute and fun almost toddler!

    2012-12-08 12.17.38-13

    I am so grateful for today and for my husband and Stampin’ Up! for allowing me to stay home with my kids!

    To Order Stampin’ Up! Products Anytime, click here!

    Its INK-REDIBLE December!
    Get a FREE set of 10 ink pads with a qualifying order or party; or get them free when you join the Stampin’ Up! family! Learn more

    Are you earning your Northwest Stamper Rewards?
    Every order gets you closer to your FREE stamp set! Click here to learn more!