Things have been quiet on my blog and website for the past week or so. I was enjoying a much needed Fall break with my husband and son. Though we did not travel anywhere, we sure did enjoy the time we spent as a family. I did manage to finish a few projects for JBS Mercantile prior to my time off. Both were shared recently on
the JBS Mercantile Inspiration Blog.
I was honored to see this layout featured on the JBS Mercantile Store's front page. I was experimenting with a few items on this layout when I made it. First, I wanted to color the large letter stickers. I used Bic Mark It's. I started with a light brown which seemed to be drying out a bit.( it was well used). The results were less than stellar with the coloring marks quite evident. I didn't want to scrap the letters, so I colored over it with a darker brown. Some of the coloring marks are still visible, but it reminded me of wood grain, so I kept it.
My second experiment was the wood grain background. It's a sheet of thin wood by My Mind's Eye that was available in the artisan kit. The wood sheet was thin enough to be cut by my paper trimmer. I noticed that it had a tendency to curl, so I mounted it on a piece of cardstock to add stability. This also prevents the wood sheet from cracking. I layered some patterned papers in the open space between the two wood pieces, then I ran it through my sewing machine. The wood sheet is thin enough that it passed through my machine with no issues.
The third experiment was the design. I chose to move the design to the right side, adjacent to the edge of the paper. I used packaging from the Fancy Pants True Friends Flair and journaled on it. This layout is all about how celebrating the Fall and Halloween has changed since we moved to the Bahamas. I also compared how what we experience is different then in the US. In the eight years we have lived here, this is the first Fall display we have ever found. We have noticed some halloween decor and costumes. Some neighborhoods do trick or treat, but not all. In fact, Halloween candy can only be found on one or two end caps in a few stores here.
This layout was created for this month's JBS Mercantile Inspiration Blog feature "
From Pinterest to Page." I decided to once again work with the large letter stickers.These letters aren't my usual style, but I didn't want to just pack them away into my stash. I searched Pinterest for the perfect inspiration.
I also chose to add a mason jar sticker. There is a whole pack of them in the main kit this month. I like mason jars, but find them challenging to use. I was able to work a jar into the page by adding themed items such as Jack O Lanterns and orange enamel shapes.
It remains to be seen whether or not I can kill this kit. I have been very frugal with the papers. I am performing my usual method of cutting out the paper behind the mattes to use on other pages. I think I can get another layout or two from this kit. Stay tuned to find out.
