a layout and a shout-out

WARNING: Somewhat-embarassing early-90s fashion ahead...you've been warned.

Hey there, y'all! While I have a big old backlog of projects I could/should be sharing with blogland, instead I have a brand-new one today -- I just made it yesterday, and the photos are hot off the camera! 

A bit of background: I've been taking the above online class from Shimelle Laine that's winding down now, and it's really helped me rethink where I put pages in my albums and where my blank spots are -- one of my biggest blank spots is my earlier (not-as-cute-as-a-baby-but-instead-rather-awkward-tween-and-teen-) years, so I've been finding favorite older photos to scrap lately. This one called to me from the old shoebox 'o photos:

Oh man, didn't I warn you? Here, you see me with four of my 9th-grade pals (I'm in the orange - shocking, I know), and we're all modeling stylish ensembles from my very own closet in my very own living room during one of my very own sleepovers. Note, please, the lace-trimmed bike shorts and leggings with those babydoll dresses, the floppy hat on my friend Becky, the bangs. Oh, the bangs. (you could also note the original Nintendo unit, which Andrew and I still have AND which still works, believe it or not!) How could I resist scrapping this photo? 

A photo like this called out for something funky and fun, so I turned to my Amy Tangerine Sketchbook collection, which I Lurve. Loaf. Love, and used it:

Quite minimal for me, really. I dig it, though. The Mister Huey splatters and inked edges grunge it up a bit. I could get hooked on using little skinny paper bits as a page border.

...and it wants those outfits back! I used the Bits from the line here and as embellishments around the photo. Thickers are also from the same line -- relatively un-messy glitter is a good thing. The cardstock is very nice white woodgrain stuff from Studio Calico.

The photo mat is a pocket that holds my typewritten journaling (on a grid index card -- yay for cool, cheap office supplies), and the thread I used here and elsewhere is actually neon pink, but neon just doesn't photograph well, does it? With a few exceptions, everything came from Scrappy Chic (as usual), but it's also at 2peas and stuff too if you aren't local.

And now for a shout-out for my scrappy friend Sue, who inspired this post by quite rightly noting that the card in my last post was rather Tangerine-esque in its watercoloriness. Thanks, Sue, and congrats on being named to the Get it Scrapped! Creative Team -- that's so awesome! You can read about it at her blog (linked above) and here.

I'll be back with another layout using this line -- one that's an absolute riot of color and pattern. Yay!

Enjoy your day!

Eight-in-one.

Hey y'all -- Happy Monday!

I have been on a layout tear of late, and I figured I'd try to catch up on some projects. The eight layouts below were all made just for me, just because. Some I made at a crop at Scrappy Chic; others I made after being inspired by my Pretty Paper Party class over at Shimelle Laine's website. Eight is a lot, so let's get on with it:

{a quick note: I realized for the first time that I can make photo collages right in Picnik -- and with a lot of options and control over proportions. Makes me happy! A click here will enlarge the whole thing.)

Clockwise from top left: 1. Photo/CHA; Paper/Authentique. 2. Photo/CHA; Paper/Kaisercraft. 3. Photo/CHA; Paper/Studio Calico, Echo Park, Dear Lizzy, Anna Griffin. 4. Photos/Detroit Jazz Fest. Paper/Crate Random.

Notes: 1. I love this photo of Chris and Katie on the escalator -- we were looking for a banquet, but we weren't finding it...yet. 2. The Paper Crafts people had copies of their then-newest issue -- the first time I had a card published! I totally snuck this photo :). 3. Holy pattern-combo, batman! I love the cluster of embellishments -- all of which were within arm's reach on my desk! 4. Holy photos, batman! I count nine. One of them might look familiar from this post, but this layout's all about the fireworks.

Next:

(The Picnik collage tool has a "wonkiness" control -- great for not-quite-straight on photos like these!)

Again from top-left: 1. (cute)Photos/our bedroom :); Paper/Prima, Studio Calico 2. Photo/our bedroom; Papers/Crate, Authentique, Grant Studio [mostly kit leftovers]. 3. Photo/our bedroom (see a pattern?); Paper/all scraps. 4. Photos/my aunt's backyard; Papers/My Mind's Eye (various lines), Crate.

Notes: 1. Holy cuteness, batman! I love these photos of Simon snuggling up next to Andrew's back - under the covers, no less! 2. Another snuggle -- this time from June, when Simon was just a little guy. 3. Oh, that photo -- this is definitely frame-worthy. I let it take center-stage on the layout because I love it soooo much. 4. This is CASEd from one of the class sketches -- I CASEd it again because I love it -- that layout will follow soon.

Patterns I can see in these eight layouts: Clearly, I like to scrap about Simon and Andrew! I also really like kraft. And grey. And I guess I'm not afraid of mixing patterns or paper lines. I also like doilies and mists quite a bit right now, though the mists don't always photograph clearly. Single-photo layouts come together most quickly for me, though I'm pretty proud of my two-, three- and NINE-photo layouts too! I've been intentional about layering more, and I think it's starting to stick. What do you see? Let me know.

Anyway, I hope this wasn't sensory overload for you! I know the details are sketchy -- if you'd like to know how something was done, or where my embellishments came from, etc., just ask in the comments.

Next up: catching up on Scrappy Chic layouts! See you soon -- have a lovely day!

Looking up in Wonder.

Hey there, people! I mentioned last post that I've made a lot of stuff for Shimelle Laine's Pretty Paper Party class (which has been quite inspiring). Today's layout is inspired by all that fearless paper- and pattern-mixing that's part of the class, as well as Shimelle's sketch of the week, which just happens to be perfect for square photos...

...and it just so happens that I have a pile of square photos to scrap -- they just arrived last week from my first order at PostalPix, an iPhone app that allows one to order photos straight from the iPhone photo library (convenient!), AND they offer square prints, which is perfect for a Hipstamatic fiend like me (awesome!) If you're interested, the prices, quality, and speed of delivery are comparable to other developers I've used as well. 

Anyway, when I saw the GORGEOUS Head over Heels collection from Lily Bee, I knew it had to be part of my November Scrappy Chic kit, because I could see this photo in my head and knew it would be a great combo. (Note: y'all know I am NOT usually a floral-paper kind of girl, yet here I am! I think the class is working....). My goodness, shall we get on to the layout already? Ok!

Holy cats, is that a cute baby or what? I can brag since she isn't mine, right? Ha. I took this photo of my friend's daughter, Sahana, back in April, and it still gets me every time. Since she's looking up (in wonder), I bumped the photo block to the bottom of the layout, but left the title up there at the top to give her something to look at ;). The title work is my second-favorite part of the layout (besides the photo, of course!):

I laid down a bunch of strips of my latest washi tape acquisitions (from Hambly and Amy Tangerine - so yummy) before layering on my title (letters from Studio Calico, October Afternoon, and My Mind's Eye [the pretty fuzzy ones]). Love. My supplies (including my embellishments, which are from Pink Paislee, Kaisercraft, and Elle's Studio) are all from Scrappy Chic, and this layout will soon be there too, so keep an eye out, local folks!

Thanks for an inspiring sketch, Shimelle! For now, I have to get back to the real world, sadly -- in the meantime, have a lovely day!