July Paper Trail - Balloon Ride

Welcome to the paper trail!  This month we are hopping along with the Balloon Ride paper pack. You may have arrived here from Diane's blog or this may be your first stop. Either way, I hope you travel our circular path to see some lovely creations with this paper pack.

Although I've never been in a hot air balloon, I was immediately drawn to the soft colors of this paper pack. Something I appreciate about Close to My Heart paper packs is that themed packs also include papers that coordinate but don't extend the theme. For me this means if I like the colors, I can use the pack no matter what the theme. This month it meant that I could use thus vintage travel themed pack to tell stories about my kids in our own yard.

 My layout this month plays on the blues and pinks in the paper.

It seems I often end up with three photos of an event and then I debate: one page or two? For this layout - design inspired by Cathy Zielske - I spaced the three photos over two pages. This let me showcase the paper and still focus attention on the photos. I also like that this design gives the story the same presence as the photos.

I punched circles from other papers in the pack to accent the layout and included a bit of Metallic Baker's Twine for sparkle.

I had some circles leftover when my layout was finished so I decided to make a coordinating card. (This is one of my favorite quick and easy, supply saving techniques.) Here is the card I came up with:

 

I love the variety in this paper pack. The pinks and browns look so different without the blue. Come back Thursday to see another layout that focuses on the browns! In the mean time, I hope you'll hop on along to Linda's blog to see what she created. 

Happy crafting!

June Jubilee Paper Trail Blog Hop

Come celebrate with us on the Paper Trail Blog Hop! This month we're featuring the Jubilee paper pack. If you've arrived here from Tracey's blog, you're on the right track. If this is your first stop, I hope you'll follow the links through our circular hop to see what we've created with this fun paper pack.

I love the vibrant colors of this paper. They seem like the perfect way to celebrate summer and what says summer more than the last day of school?

I wanted a simple design to focus on the photos. I used to of the pattern papers as well as Indian Corn Blue and Kraft cardstock.

I added a bit of flare to the title are using one of the adhesive badges from the Jubilee Assortment.



The bold patterns are also perfect for using as background papers as I did in this layout about our home.  I started with one of the more embellished pieces of paper so that I only had a to add a few touches.

 I matted my photo with another patterned paper from the pack and stamped my title.

I added the journalling tag tied with some twine to tell the story.

With a few more badges from the assortment to support the title and theme of the page, this was a quick and simple page, and I am very happy with the way it turned out.

Thanks for stopping by. Won't you leave me a comment and then be sure to continue on to Trisha's blog. I'm sure you'll like what she's created!

Timberline on the Paper Trail

Welcome to the Paper Trail Blog Hop! You're on the right track if you've arrived here from Linda's blog. If this is your first stop, I hope you'll continue on through our circular trail to see all of the creations.

This month we are hopping along with the Timberline paper packet. I love the rich colors of this paper, and the theme made it perfect for capturing memories of a summer hike!




I started with the Workshop on the Go. I love these kits because they make creating layout so easy since they include papers, patterns, stamps and embellishments that coordinate! The workshop layout wasn't a perfect fit for my photos, so I decided to take advantage of the flexibility of the kit and use the supplies to create my own layout!

I used the Hat Trick pattern from the Magic pattern book to emphasize my photos and two of the fun outdoor-themed patters in the paper pack. I personalized the layout to our specific adventure by stamping hiking boots - from the workshop exclusive stamp set - across the page in two different places.

The wooden signs from the Timberline assortment further added to my hiking theme. and I rounded out the embellishments with some brown buttons and fibers - even a bit of sewing!
 







I had many landscape photos from our day hike and struggled to choose which ones to include on my layout. In order to allow room for one more, I used the button slide technique also from the Magic book. Here is my interactive element in action:

Although I have created interactive elements before, I had never followed any of the technique directions in Magic. It was surprisingly easy, and I love the way it turned out. The technique directions even include steps to modify the page protector so that my interactive element can be protected in an album! I will definitely be trying more of these techniques in the future!

Thanks so much for stopping here on the hop! I hope you'll check back next week for more fun layouts. Until then, head over to Diane's blog. I'm sure you'll love what she has in store for you!

Ariana on the Paper Trail!

Welcome to this stop on the Paper Trail Blog Hop! You've likely arrived here from Inky Fingers, Karen's blog.  If not, never fear. As always, our hop is circular so you can start anywhere! 

I love the Ariana paper pack! The patterns are elegant and include my favorite color ever: Outdoor Denim. True confession, Outdoor Denim is one of the few ink pads I have worn out past the point of re-inking. I

This elegant floral paper was perfect to record an elegant birthday celebration. Ariana features kit exclusive colors Ariana Coral, Ariana Green and Ariana Grey. I didn't have enough Ariana Coral for my design, so I went into my stash to see what I could find. I came up with Blush cardstock which worked well for my project. Here is how my two page layout turned out.

The left page:

The right page:

 

I used the stamp set from the Ariana Workshop on the Go to create these flower embellishments using the rock and roll technique. Since I had used Blush cardstock, I used that as a base for my stamping and rock and rolled with Hollyhock.    

Workshops on the Go are a good bargain and they come with products that already coordinate perfectly including an exclusive stamp set!    

I also used a new favorite stamp - Banner Wishes - to create the title for my page.  A few sparkles including one small flourish add some elegant details.

 

I decorated the edge of the Outdoor Denim cardstock using the Scallop Border Punch. The border is a strip of Blush cardstock embellished with another sentiment from Banner Wishes.

Thanks for stopping by! I hope elegant Ariana has inspired you. Please leave me a comment and let me know what you think before you continue on the Paper Trail to Mary's blog, The Road to Peace of Mind or Escape?

Today - on the Paper Trail with Skylark

Welcome to this stop on the Paper Trail Blog Hop! You've likely arrived here from The Happy Scrapbooker, Diane's blog. If not, never fear. As always, our hop is circular so you can start anywhere! 

The colors of Skylark had me ooing and ahhing from the get go. The combination of Lagoon and Kraft was perfect!

I'm still working on Easter photos from a few years ago. (You can see others in last month's hop!) Fortunately for me,  my kids' Easter outfits from that year coordinate perfectly with this paper!

I created two coordinating pages. This one features my two kiddos.

The chipboard complements provided a perfect title and accents. I added just a bit of bling.

This second page features my two and one of their beautiful cousins. 

Again, I accented with chipboard complements and some bling.

 The "Picture Perfect" accent hung over the edge of the page a bit, so I just trimmed it down.

Skylark paper and complements were tons of fun to use! I think there will be more Skylark in my future.

Now, hop on over to Betsy's blog, Stamp Scrap Fever, to see what she has created. I'm sure you'll be inspired!

A Lovely Easter on Ivy Lane with the Paper Trail

Welcome to the first Paper Trail blog hop of the new Spring/Summer Idea Book!  Whether you're arriving here from Amy's blog or this is your first stop, I know you're going to enjoy the elegant look and lovely colors of the Ivy Lane papers!

The combination of colors: Blush, Hollyhock, Ivy Lane Green and Ivy Lane purple, together with
the flower motifs reminded me of spring, so I turned to Easter photos. I used pattern from Make it Your Heart Vol. 2. I love starting with a pattern like this one - and then changing it to fit my layout.

Here's a closer look at the left page. I love the way the yellow of the chick pops against the colors of the paper.  The pattern included three photos on the strip, but I only had two. I cut the pieces the same size and then used the remaining space for my title.

Tip: Use patterns as a starting point, then change them to fit with the photos and products you want to use!

And, here is the right page. 

I used fancy embellishments to emphasize the elegant paper even though my photos were a bit more playful. In each embellishment cluster, I included a Cricut cut rosette, a butterfly and pearls.

I created the title using Cricut Artbooking cartridge and one of the coordinating stamp sets - Sweet and Lovely.

Thanks so much for stopping by! Come on back later this week to see more projects made with new products! For now, hop on over to Karen's blog. I'm sure you'll like what you see!

Paper Trail Blog Hop with Sarita

Happy New Year and welcome to the Paper Trail Blog Hop! This month we are hopping along with Sarita. You may have arrived here from Betsy's blog, but if not, don't worry our hop is circular. Toady, I have one layout made up of four pages to share. One layout made up of four pages? How? I used a True Fit Folio - a 12X12 folder - to create an interactive page. 

Here is the main part of my layout - what you would see when you turned the page in the album.

And here are the other two pages hidden behind the right hand page above. 

I love the number of photos I can include in one layout with a True Fit Folio. The colors of Sarita reminded me of Advent - we use purple, blue and pink in our church. With the True Fit Folio and Sarita papers, I was able to capture many moments from our Advent season.

And here are some details. The title using the retired Cocktail alphabet.

I stamped in colors that coordinated with the paper pack - Gypsy, Goldrush, Outdoor Denim, Lagoon and Cotton Candy. In addition to the Lagoon washi tape, I used the hostess rewards stamp set Washi Wonder to embellish this layout.


The only embellishments I used on this layout were stamps. I feld that there was enough going on with the patterns of the paper, number of photos and variety of washi tapes.








Since my layout focused on the Advent season, I used some holiday stamps as accents.










Thank you so much for stopping by! If you would like to read more about creating with True Fit Folios, stop back on Friday. I'll be sharing some of my thought process when creating this four page layout. Until then, I hope you'll continue on to Lynn's blog; I'm sure you'll love what she has created.

There is a Proplayer on the Paper Trail!

Welcome to the Paper Trail blog hop! This month we're hopping along with Proplayer. If you've arrived here from Linda's blog, you're on the right track. If this is your first stop, don't worry - our hop is circular!

I love the colors of this paper! Ruby and Pacifica are such vibrant colors and they are fun to work with! I have to confess, however, my kids are young and therefore aren't really into video games. I wasn't sure how these papers would work for me, but when I started creating, I loved what I came up with!

I apologize in advance for the quality of my photos. Hopefully the sun will be out tomorrow and I'll be able to share new ones.

The colors of this paper were perfect for some photos of kids at play -both with the clothes and the playground. When I used the patterns in small bits, I found that they seemed more geometric and less game specific. I used embellishments from the Proplayer assortment, Slate Polka Dot Washi Tape, a frame from Dimensional Elements Snapshots and arrow stamps. I liked the way the circular embellishments mimicked the patterns in the paper and the arrows focused attention on the important parts of the page as well as showing movement - as the photos of the kids do!

I decided to emphasize the geometric nature of the patterns again in this layout. (It is nice that the people I photograph wear so much blue!) Notice, I used round embellishments - here it was Durables Round Studs - and arrows - here made from the Ruby paper - just as I did in the previous layout. The materials and theme were largely the same. This is one of my biggest tips in scrapbooking - when you find something that works, use it and use it again!












Thanks so much for stopping by. I hope you'll be back in the next few weeks to see some more fun projects. Now head over to Amy's blog to see what she has created - she is a pro, you know!

Frosted on the Paper Trail

Oh, the weather outside is frightful, but the fire is so delightful...

Are you singing yet? Although the weather here isn't quite frosty yet, Frosted is here on the Paper Trail! If you've arrived here from Karen's blog you're on the right trail. If not, don't worry. Our hop is circular!

I taught a couple of Christmas card workshops using this paper during this fall. Here are some we made.

On this card I used the Single Snowflake stamp to embellish the card base and then used two sides of the same B&T. The sentiment is from Glory to God (a set you'll see more of here later this week.)

On this card I added in some neutrals using Bamboo cardstock and Cashmere Ink. The stamps are from Scandinavian Wishes, the October stamp of the month. I also added a bit of bling - the star from the Sparkle Holiday Shapes.












When the card workshops were over, I had leftover pieces. I couldn't just throw away that beautiful paper, so I created this layout. I added Twilight and Colonial White cardstock behind the B&T paper and then Startdust Glitz Glitter Gel on top. I think the added sparkle is just the right thing for this paper!

Thanks for stopping by! Check back next week to see more artwork using the Glory to God stamp set. Until then, hop on over to Betsy's blog to see what she's created!

Babycakes and a Dragon

Welcome! If you've arrived here from Linda's blog, you're on the right track. If this is your first stop, welcome to the Paper Trail blog hop! This month we are featuring the Babycakes paper packet. Don't let the name fool you, though. This paper packet is fun and versatile!

The alphabet paper inspired me to create this layout featuring my daughter and a story she wrote:

In addition to Babycakes, this layout features a Flip Flap from the large assortment to protect my daughter's original story. This way, you can read the story in its entirety.

 

The page beneath the Flip Flap gave me a spot to record my thoughts on her writing, without competing with it for space on the page.

I stamped my title directly on the polka dot pattern paper. I like the way the Chocolate Ink looks on this paper, but if you want a darker shade using dye ink you can always double stamp - stamp your image once then re-ink the stamp and stamp again in the same spot. This technique gives a bolder version of the same color.

The heart stamp (as well as the stamp near the top of the journaling) is from the Workshop on the Go kit. I love that each workshop includes an exclusive stamp set because stamps are reusable! Often the stamp sets are what inspire me to purchase the workshop kits.

This kit also included the bronze shimmer trip I used to embellish. I have to confess, this was the first time I used the shimmer trim. I was impressed! What a fun and easy way to add a bit of sparkle to a project!

The shimmer trim also inspired me to pull out these retired (read "been in my stash for years") glittery brads. I thought they did a nice job of tying together the sparkle and the circles.

Thanks so much for stopping by. I hope you'll be back on the weekend to check out some more projects. Until then, hop on over to Amy's blog. I know you'll be impressed with her "baby"!

Life is Sweet on the Paper Trail with Huntington

Thanks so much for stopping by! This month on the paper trail we are hopping along with Huntington. If you've arrived here from Mary's blog you are on the right trail, but don't worry, this is a circular hop so just start here!

I love the vibrant fall colors in this paper packet. I especially loved the exclusive stamp set featured with the workshop on the go. 

I stayed very close to the pattern found in the workshop guide only changing the size of the photos and the journaling block.

I loved the way the colors featured my fall hike photos without overshadowing them and the stamped title worked well!










The added dimension of the foam adhesive and multiple color stamping worked well with the stamps that already give the appearance of dimension.










Here is the left page:

And here is the right:

I love that the Huntington Assortment features both wooden spool tops and canvas shapes. It is so easy to add texture with each of these items. It was also lots of fun to combine them. The sprinkling of stamped leaves and sparkles were great finishing touches.

Life is sweet with workshops on the go! It was easy to combine the elements of the kit to create this fun layout. The best part is that I still have more paper and embellishments - and of course the stamp set. I will certainly be making more fall layouts with this kit! In the meantime, please continue on to Linda's blog to see what she created. I'm sure you'll fall for her project, too!