Sunday, May 29, 2011

Summer is here!

 What can I say...summer temperatures are definitely here. It brings with it trips to the beach, time at the pool, and afternoon thunderstorms with cooling rain. I think it's time to break out the squirt guns and get some great summer photos. It all sounded so wonderful...until I realized I still had last year's summer photos to finish scrapping. Not only that...I still had last year's summer themed papers to use up! Time to pull out those summer albums and finish up the last few pages. 
   The page I am going to share with you today is actually page two of a layout I did last summer. I scrap in an odd pattern sometimes. While my albums are chronologically organized, I scrap the photos that I feel like here and there. Sometimes, I will complete a full  two page spread in one sitting, while other times, I will do one side of the two pages. I save the photos and papers I use right there inside the page protector. It's nicely organized and things don't get lost. The only disadvantage to this method is that, as my style and skill become more defined, there is sometimes a different look to the 2nd half of the page if I wait too long to scrap it.
  Anyhow, here I sat with scraps from page one...papers and embellishments from the Fancy Pants Rusted Sun collection. I had 4 photos all 3 1/2 x 5 in size. I think part of the reason I had not gone back to this page is that I had been struggling with how I wanted to place these photos onto the page. For whatever reason, I wanted something more than a usual grid with 4 photos. I just didn't know what I wanted to do exactly, until I came upon a wonderful sketch from Sassy Lil Sketches. I saw the circular element on the page and instantly knew I wanted to cut one of the photos in a circular shape.

Sassy Lil Sketch 5-21-11
  Once the photo was cut, I realized the page needed a little something more. I wanted to continue with the sun and beach theme, but did not have the lovely yellow paper from the rusted sun collection. I chose to use a Martha Stewart plaid style stamp and some orange ink on yellow paper. It closely resembled the pattern found on the suns in paper I had already chosen to use. I then decided to add some detail with white opaque marker and brown pen. I remember using pens and markers more often in my early days of scrapbooking. I have happily found them once again. They are such an inexpensive and quick way to add just the right something to many a page.
  Since the two sun shapes seemed to be such a large attention grabber, I chose not to add a lot of other design elements to the page. I am rather pleased with the way it brings your focus right to the photo of my son. Now…I must go and try to finish off some of those other albums. It seems I have several that need just a few pages here or there to be called finished

Saturday, May 28, 2011

The Beauty All Around

For the counterfeit Kit blog hop, please click here.

  Well, today has been a busy day for posting. Can you tell my internet was out earlier this week?!?! It's amazing just how much one can rely on such a thing. Especially since that somebody remembers a time when there was no internet! Anyhow, after a hectic week and no internet, I finally got a chance today to sit down and play with my stash. I have been wanting to make a page for Scrapping the Music's current challenge. Music Lyrics make the best titles! Initially, I had intended to use the phrase " as big as the Ocean blue"...however, I switched things up and chose to use " the Beauty all around us." It was the perfect fit for these photos of last year's summer flowers.
  The funny thing about scrapping the flowers is that the current challenge at Scrap Our Stash is all about flowers. Earlier this month, I had been struggling with finding photos or a topic to use flowers with. I sure wish these flower photos had been found earlier! Either way, I shall be posting this page over there for show and tell Sunday. BTW, there's just a few days left to post flower projects over there and then a fun new challenge will begin! Now...for my layout...
  Months ago, I received this lovely mask in an RAK from Club CK. Today was the first time I got to play with it! As many of you know, I mostly scrap my son and husband. So I rarely scrap with pink or flowers. These flower photos afforded me the perfect opportunity to do just that. I chose to use Crate Paper's pink plum collection because the pink's mixed perfectly with the browns and oranges for a wonderful summer inspired palette.  I fussy cut the butterflies from some of the paper and added antennae made from curled wires. Adding the wire antennae and 3-d foam to the butterflies added some wonderful dimension to the page.
Pencil lines sketch 238
viva pink glimmer mist
Spun Sugar smooch spray
mask by Crafter's Workshop
Paper, brads, stickers, and chipboard from Crate Paper's pink Plum collection
wire for the antennae
Making Memories noteworthy alphas

The heat of the summer months may be upon us, but as you can see, the beautiful flowers and birds make up for that. So if the heat has you down, don't stop to complain. Instead, stop to search for some of the beauty around you.

Blog Candy Alert!

If you are here for the Counterfeit Kit Blog hop, go here or scroll down to the next post.

  My friend Stacy has some awesome blog candy. For a chance to win, pop on over to her blog to check it out!
It LOADED with TH goodies and well worth trying to win.