Fussy Cutting

It's actually a sewing term, or so I have been told. It's something I like to do when I have a very intricate patterned paper. Sometimes the design works better for me if I isolate parts of it rather than use the whole sheet of patterned paper. Using a craft knife also helps my budget out. I can create my own custom embellishments for a fraction of the cost. This was the case with the next layout.

We had visited Aspen on a Business trip with my husband. I wanted something that represented the city. I had a sheet from Little Yellow Bicycle with leaves all over it. The leaves reminded me of Aspen and the colors were perfect. I chose to use my craft knife to cut out several of the leaves which I then layered to create a border.

A Little Town Called Aspen By  Christy Strickler
Supplies: Cardstock: Colorbok; Patterned Paper: Little Yellow Bicycle and
Artsylicious; Alphas: Making Memories and October Afternoon; Brad: K and Co,
Flower: Prima;  Mist: Tattered Angels; Paperclip: Basic Grey
Other: DMC floss, cardstock; Sketch Inspiration # 237

When documenting cities you have visited, choose symbols and color palettes that remind you of your trip.

For more ideas for Scrapbooking about cities:

12 Ideas for Scrapbooking Travel To Cities

For more ideas for using your craft knife:

Inside MacGyver’s Tool Box: Using Your Craft Knife on Your Scrapbook Pages

Photos With Bears and Other Animals

Sometimes my son hates it when I play the role of Mammarazzi. Other times, he actually makes requests. This was one such occasion, though, I believe that towards the end of the day, he was regretting his request. My husband had taken us along on a business trip to a conference in Aspen,Colorado. Throughout Aspen and Snowmass, we saw a variety of statues. Most of them featured bears. My son had the grand idea that I should take his photo with every statue we saw. I was quite happy to comply, for as soon as he made the request, scrapbook layout ideas had begun to swirl in my head.

Photos with Bears and Other Animals by Christy StricklerSupplies: Cardstock: American Crafts; Alphas: Sassafrass, October Afternoon
Chipboard and Stickers: October Afternoon; Other: DMC Floss

We don't camp a lot, so I took the opportunity to use the cutesy camping theme stickers and chipboard elements. Try to think out of the box with your supplies. Just because something was designed to go with a camping theme doesn't mean you have to use it that way. I sewed a trail throughout the page to signify our walk through town. It also helps lead the viewer through the page.

When exploring a city, look for unique landmarks like these to document your journey. For more ideas for scrapbooking about cities, check out this article at Get It Scrapped:

12 Ideas for Scrapbooking Travel To Cities