Paper Thrills Challenge #15

There is a color challenge at Paper Thrills, today! I think this summer palette was tailor made for me. I literally pulled out one sheet of each of my favorite card stocks, and my layout followed!

Check out the challenge and why not play along!

Feeling Lucky?

What keeps you from scrapbooking more? For me the answer is usually time or space. I love my family room scrapdesk, but it doesn't solve my space issues (and my kids like having bedrooms.) For now I'm making do with the space I have, but I am finding ways to conserve on time.

Some days I love to agonize over the design of my pages, choosing exactly the perfect item from my stash for each element of the page, but when time is of the essence, one of my favorite ways to save on my time is to avoid reinventing the wheel. I love to use sketches, kits with pre-matched papers and coordinated embellishments.

Check out what I created with the Close to My Heart's Lucky kit workshop kit:

The kit includes the sketch and directions to complete the layout, a paper pack that includes 12 B&T papers (double sided pattern papers) and 10 sheets of coordinating cardstock, hemp, buttons and a stamp set!

Once I had chosen my photos, the layout was quick and easy to create thanks to the kit. I altered the original sketch by using two 4X6 photos on the left page. Also, I only had two small photos for the center of the layout, so I added a stamped embellishment on the right page between the photo and the journaling spot.

The best part of the kit is that I had lots of leftovers - again, already color matched.

I created this additional layout based on the Illusion pattern in the Magic book with the scraps I had leftover from the Live Today layout. All I had to add was two cardstock base pages and the 4X6 cardstock block under the title.

While all the scraps were still on my desk, I pulled out three card bases and created these cards.

Talk about saving time! I used this one kit to create two double page layouts and then made three cards - in blues and greens no less - to which I could add sentiments later. And I still have lots of the kit left!

Interested in learning more about the Lucky workshop kit? I would love to have you join me for a workshop session on June 29 or July 6. Contact me to reserve your spot! You'll feel lucky, too!

Paper Thrills Challenge - Lucky #13

A new Paper Thrills challenge is live today!
This challenge was just what I needed to jump start my creativity with some difficult photos.
Here's a sneak peek:

Why not head on over to Paper Thrills to check it out? You could even play along...

Making titles more interesting

At a recent scrapnight, my friend Kerrie (visit her over at Scrappy Happening) said that her layouts were looking like my style. That got me thinking about what defined my style. Interesting titles is one of the things that I came up with. Since I'm an English teacher I like my titles to be witty, clever and to the point. Also, I love to use multiple fonts on my titles. It is an easy way to emphasize the main word or words. It helps me to use more of my markers, letter stickers, and stamps. It also helps me to fit my title into the space I have - even if it is long.

I went  back through layouts from the last year and found lots of examples of titles that fit this description. 

One of my favorite techniques is to use stickers or stamps for the main word and use a handwritten script for the supporting words.

Sometimes handwriting doesn't work for the subject, but I still want the interest of varied fonts.Using two different stamped alphabets works well.

Or mixing stamps with stickers, chipboard or die cuts. 

Sometimes I want the effect of multiple fonts and colors, but I don't want to use stamps (or I don't have enough letters for the whole title) then I use stickers, die cuts, chipboard, you name it!

  

I like the way mixed titles look. They fit with my style of scrapbooking. And they help me to make a dent in my stash of stickers, die cuts stamps.

What about you? Do you have a signature title style? I'd love to hear your suggestions!

What I love right now

1. One dollar paper packs - if I can see the patterns before I buy. I can get a lot of bang for my buck! All the pattern paper in these layouts is from one pack!

2. Pop dots. I love the dimension that they add to a layout - any layout!

               
3. Star accents. Stamped, chipboard, brads, you name it, I love it!

 
4. Stamping. For pattern paper, accents, borders, you name it! I'm not just using my alphabets anymore!

 What do you love right now?