Over the Mountains and Through the Woods

I wanted to use this title on this layout but the only way I could get it on the layout would be to put it over the photo.  I wasn't keen on the idea because I didn't want to cover any of the large photo.  I'm from the school of thinking that every detail in the photo is important. But I went with it and I think it ended up turning out pretty good.  Goes to show that you can still cover part of a photo but still get the desired effect you wanted, even without every little detail.

New Chairs

When I saw this paper line by American Crafts, I just had to have it!  It's too cute and perfect for winter camping pictures!

Capitolio

I struggled a bit with this layout because the letters I wanted to use for the title  were missing the T.  I tried to find something else but I kept coming back to this set that I really wanted to use.  After a while I decided to go with some thing else so I packed up this letters and as I was putting them away, I noticed I could make the T out of another letter.  Because I was holding the package upside down, J looked like it could easily be altered to look like a T.  I was so happy about it!  Can you tell the T used to be a J?

Playa

I am the biggest procrastinator when it comes to journalling.  I'm not sure why, it's just not my favorite part.  I created this layout a while ago and had the blue rectangled on the layout waiting for journalling.  When I finally mustered up the desire to journal, I realised that nothing would show up on the blue area.  I struggled for a bit trying to some up with ideas, seeing as my white signo pen had decided to dry up, until I remembered my vellum.  It has been so long since I used vellum on any layout!  In fact, I had a hard time finding my vellum adhesive!

At the "Cho"

Have you ever had an idea in mind when you started a layout thinking it would turn out awesome? Well that was the case with this layout but it ended up being an epic fail! I'm not sure why I feel that way but when I look at this layout there is just something wrong.  I'm thinking it might be the patterned paper or the glittery title.  In the spirit of being a rounded blogger, I thought I would post this, even though I really don't like it, so that everyone can see that we all have layouts that don't turn out. I would love nothing more than to rip this one apart and start again but really who has the time for that. So here it is, done, even though I am not loving it.

His & Hers Playlists

Steve and I have very different tastes in music and I wanted to document that. It's not that we hate each others music, it just that if you were to listen to his playlist you would notice it has more of an 80's rock vibe where as mine is more R&B and Hip Hop. I actually heard him say once that I'm the reason he stays current on any hit music!

When I saw this DCVW paper pack, I had to buy it.  Neither of us are performers or even have a clue about music theory but we love our iPods.  Is it bad that I bought a whole paper pack just for this layout?!  Sure I will use the rest of it for other purposes but the reason for the purchase was this layout. 

I had quite a bit of left over pieces after making this layout so I decided to make a card.

Scrap Cards

Normally when I finish layouts, I have a large number of scraps left over.  Some times I will cut them into strips to use as borders or into 4.5 x 6.5 photo mats for use later.  Other times, if the inspiration hits me, I will make a card or two.  Well the last couple of layouts I did (see the last three posts) I felt the inspiration and created the following cards.

Our Little Sock Monster

This is another layout I did for a challenge over at Club Creating Keepsakes.  I will admit that I have always wanted to do a layout about our dog, Angus, who loves to steal the socks right off your feet, I just never got around to it.  When I saw this paper by Jillibean, I knew I had to use it for this purpose.  The hardest part was trying to get a picture of Angus with a sock in his mouth because when he gets one, he runs around the entire house like a crazed looney!

I know this picture doesn't show it that well, but I put glossy accents on all the eyes of the monsters.  It adds a really cool dimension to this already super cool paper.

Grandma's Recipe

This is a page I created for a challenge over at Club Creating Keepsakes.  When I saw this paper by Jillibean it made me think of my Grandmother's spaghetti sauce recipe - probably because the collection was called Pasta Fagioli.  So I ventured off and got a picture of the famous family recipe and started my layout.  The envelope on the bottom right has the journalling about how the recipe came to be and inside of the envelope is the actual recipe.  I am so happy that I was inspired to do this layout as this is one of my favorite meals and always makes me think of my Grandmother every time I make it.

Summer Memories Mini Book

I was visiting my grandfather last week and we spent a large amount of time talking about the summers we used to spend together at the cottage.  During summer holidays, my brother and I would stay with our grandparents at the cottage and till this day it is still some of my fondest memories.  My grandfather told me that this time was also his favorite time and I thought that as a thank you for all the years of happy memories that I would make him a mini book with a couple of pictures from that time.  I warn you there are a lot of pictures so please bare with me and if you do you will see there is a tutorial at the end on how I made the flower on the front cover.

And as a thank you for reading all the way through, I have a quick tutorial on how I made the yellow flower on the cover.

Step 1:  Cut a strip of patterned paper 1.5 inches by 12 inches and place it on your scoring board.

Step 2:  Using your bone folder, crease the strip every quarter inch the entire length.

Step 3:  Now fan fold the now creased strip of paper.

Step 4:  Now take the two ends of the paper strip and glue them together so that you have a continuous circle.  Stand it on one end and then applying pressure, pull the top down and out while pushing the bottom in until it lays flat.

Step 5:  Now place a small piece of scrap paper under the pressed flower and squeeze some glossy accents in the middle of the flower.

Step 6:  This is the hardest part.  Because the glue takes a little while to dry you have to let it sit and dry.  Now the flower will want to lift up so while it dries, so place something a little heavy on top until it is dry.

Step 7:  Now that it is dry, you can decorate the center how ever you please.

I hope you enjoyed this post.

Mojitos

Ok I will admit it ... I love Mojitos! I must seeing as I made a layout about them. I thought that seeing as most of the pictures of Cuba featured a Mojitos in the background somewhere that maybe they deserved their own layout. I even learnt how to make them while I was there so if you are interested in a mean Mojitos, let me know and I will give you the recipe!

Photogs

The nicest thing about travelling in a large group is that there ends up being more photos of me because there is always someone else there taking pictures too! It's so nice. I guess that just means that I need to hand off my camera more often when it's just me and Steve!

I love the film strip ribbon from Tim Holtz! It's so cool and works great on so many different layouts. I got the bright idea that I wanted the film strip to be rolled up on one end but it didn't want to cooperate for me. Because the ribbon is plastic it didn't want to stay put with out me holding it in place while the adhesive dried. So even thought it didn't quite work out the way I want (I had to cave and use a brad to hold the end of it) I still really like the look.

Bride 2B

The photo totally inspired this layout. It's of my sister-in-law, the day before she got married standing line at a bank in Havana. Doesn't she look so happy? Originally I was going to make the title "Bride To Be" but it didn't fit right in the space I wanted. Then it downed on me, using texting lingo instead so that is where the 2B came from! The white flower is made from a piece of fabric and is really easy to make.  Here's where I learnt how to make them.  Now the product they are using, Glubers, wasn't available so I improvised by covering a chipboard punched circle in adhesive and it seemed to do the job pretty good.  I then stuck some pins in the middle of the flower and I was done.  It looks so pretty!

Friends

I'm still on my homemade flower kick and here's another one. It's easy to make really. If you are doing it all in patterned paper you can simply cut three different sized flowers using your Cricut but if you want to use felt like I did in this one, you will need to use your Cuttlebug. Please see below for a tutorial on how I pulled it all together. I hope you like it.

Before I start, first off I want to apologize or the quality of the photos but it was dark when I shot the photos.

Step 1: Using my Cuttlebug, Nestabilities flower dies and a double sided patterned paper, I cut out the flower shapes.

Step 2: Using the smaller die, I cut the shape out of felt. An important tip that will help you to get a clean cut of the felt is to put a piece of scrap paper under the felt before cutting.

Step 3: I put a couple of pop dots on the middle sized flowers.  Now make sure they are spaced as close to the outside as possible.  You will see why in a couple of steps.

Step 4: Adhere the middle sized flower to the bigger flower.  You will also notice that before adhering, I ran the middle sized flower through my Cuttlebug in an embossing folder.

Step 5: Now I place the button in the center of the flower and using my paper piercer I poke holes through both flower layers that match the button holes.

Step 6: Thread a needle and start from the back.  Make sure to secure your end really well to the back of the flower.  This is important!

Step 7: Thread on the felt flower and button and then stitch until secure.  You want your stitches to be as tight as possible without ripping the paper.  This is why you placed the pop dots far apart and it will dimple the center of the flower.

Step 8: For added color and depth I inked the edges of the petals and using my thumb I curved the petals slightly.

And there you have it, your own version of the flower I made for this layout!  Have fun!

Zipper Flower

I know I promised this tutorial last week but it has been a busy week for me and unfortunately I didn't get around to this until now.  But I figured late is better than never!  Right?!  So without further ado ....

Step 1:  Cut a circle out of chipboard.  I use chipboard for all my handmade flowers as it provides a solid base that doesn't warp with most adhesives.

Step 2:  Take one side of a zipper and using your glue gun (it's the best adhesive I tried) add a little bit of hot glue to the chipboard along the edge and place the zipper in it.  You may have to work the zipper a bit to follow the curve of circle.

Step 3: Once you have wrapped all the way around the chipboard circle you start moving inwards repeating the same method you used in step one in small sections at a time.

Step 4: Continue all the way around the circle, moving closer and closer to the center until you have run out of room.

Step 5: Adhere a button or a brad to the center of the flower.

And there you have it.  Your own zipper flower.  The best part is you still have the other side of the zipper to make another flower or you can barter it for something with another scrapbooker!