Family Tree Page in progress...

I  am terrible about making layouts and not adding my photos.  I know!  Some people can not even begin to scrap without having their photos in hand.  I have a good memory and I can create a layout with the photos I intend to use in mind.  I have even scrapped a layout before I have taken photos, and then staged the photos so they coordinate the layout.  Am I the only person (wierd-o) who does this?

In December, Nick's grandparents celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary!  What an amazing milestone, indeed.  So I had the idea to have all of their children (spouses included), grandchildren, and great-grandchild get together and have a family portrait shot with the grandparents.  Grandma was thrilled!  Grandpa does what grandma says, so it went off well.  Now we all have these amazing family portraits for our homes.  Well, I scrapped this layout with the intention of adding a cut-up version of the family portrait to it.

I was thrilled when I realized that this family tree printed paper had the exact number of spaces for photos that I need to put everyone on the page.  How cool is that?  Now, all I have to do is print out an 8x10 copy of our portrait and start cutting it up.  I have not decided whether I should print the photos in color, black and white, or sepia tones.  Any thoughts?

Here are a couple detail shots to show off some of the buttons and patterned papers and textured card-stock I used.  You can see also, where I have penciled in the names of the family members who's photos will go in what places.  This was fun and easy to do.  I will post a finished product when I add my photos.

Summer Time and a sketch

This layout uses more of my awesome stash of  kit remnants.  I have a ton of candid shots of Estella, and these were fun and made me think of Summer because she got a hold of her Uncle's sunglasses and was hamming it up for the camera.

I used my copic markers to color some clear bling to coordinate with the colors I used in my layout:

I love the way they turned out.  I have been doing this a lot.  Coloring my embellishments to match.  It's pretty crafty, and stretches that dollar.  Who doesn't need that?  I would love to hear any crafty tips and tricks you all have to share!

 This is the sketch I started out with for the layout above.  Would love to see your interpretation.  If you decide to play along, please send me a link.  I love seeing other people's work.

Thanks so much for visiting!

Old + New = CUTENESS!

Here is yet another layout using some leftovers from my collection of "Get the Edge" kits.  I have paired an older photograph of Estella (circa. January 2007) with the newer papers and embellishments from a kit from late 2010.  I am digging the end result.

 

The journaling reads:  "She is our Joy and our heart's Delight".

Here is a detail shot to show the depth added by popping up the heart shapes.  The heart shapes are actually the "waste" from a giant Martha Stewart Valentine border punch.  I was pretty pleased with myself for thinking of using them!

I love these plastic letter stickers. Too cute!

Thanks for visiting!!

Ruth Lake and a Sketch

More Scraps!  I have been using up the leftovers from my kits and have been quite pleased with the cute layouts I have been turning out.  I am notorious for having a ton of layouts with NO PHOTOS on them (I know!) and so I have been printing out a bunch of photos that have been lying in wait on my hard drive.  The photos from this layout are more taken from our trip to Ruth Lake a couple years ago.  I used this SKETCH:

I created this layout above.  I have been using a lot of sketches lately and find that it is very easy to use them as a springboard for my creativity.  I have even started out with a sketch, and then the process of my layout turns into a finished product that looks nothing like the sketch I started out with.

Here, I used my trusty signo white gel pen from Stampin' Up!  I probably have at least five of these amongst all of my scrappy supplies.  I love how consistent and smooth they write.  I used it to create the faux stitching around the banner embellishment.

More signo used here to outline my photos and add definition and fun to the page.  Don't you just love these puffy stickers?  Too cute!

More details:  Signo detailing, check out the awesome tone-on-tone patterns in these papers.  I love that fresh look it gives.

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Something Fishy...

I am steadily working through my kit leftovers and was able to make this cute layout from some of the extra bits and pieces.  I love the colors and the fun-ness of this layout. 

This photo was taken in 2009 at Ruth Lake.  Nick and I took Estella to the lake for a day of fun, fishing and swimming.

Here is a detail shot of the photo and title of the layout.  I used a pencil to draw the fishing line beyond Estella's pole, and down the page...

...to this cute little detail.  

Thanks for stopping by and looking!

Using Up Those SCRAPS

 I LOVE the "Get The Edge" monthly kits from my LSS, Scrapper's Edge.  These kits are always overflowing with tons of awesome new products.  Papers, ribbons, stickers, chipboard and die cuts are often found within the bag I grab each month.  Each kit comes with an inspiration sheet, showing at least one-if not two-12x12 two page layout diagrams and two card diagrams made from the contents of the kit.

Everything coordinates so well, that I store all of my leftovers in their bag until I find a way to use it.  Well, I have been reorganizing my scrap area, and I came across a huge stockpile of kit remnants.  I made it a point to use these up.  This is a layout using scraps and extras from my kits.  I hope you like them half as much as I liked putting them together!

This is one of my favorite photos of Estella.  I took this picture at the mall when she was laying on the platform of the play structure and peeking out at me.  The Photo was taken in 2008.  Journaling and layout were done in March, 2011.