See it. Live it. Doc|u|ment it!

Mistletoe Madness!

I've been making lots of cards to spread Christmas cheer! This batch features Making Memories paper (Mistletoe) and lots of QuicKutz shapes. I added texture with Stickles Rock Candy (snow) and shine with Glossy Accents (especially on die cut letters). I can't pick a favorite, so I'll just have to make several of each!

Don't you love the flourish die cuts as antlers for the reindeer!?

It doesn't show in the photo, but there's snow on that branch!

Here's an example of Glossy Accents over die cut letters.

Here I layered QK borders, buttons, and glittery snowflake foam stickers.

This one is 5x7 finished size. It looks like a lot of detail, but it's pretty simple!

I'm going to teach a class this month and you'll get to make all 5 cards, plus some bonus package tags! It's called QuicKards and it's only $20 at Scrapbooks from the Heart. Call the store if you're interested in signing up. The class is Saturday, November 21 at 11 am and your kit comes with all the paper and die cuts you need. You just bring your adhesives and paper trimmers!

Linear Layouts

I like this one for lots of reasons: the people in it, the colors of the paper (BG Granola), and the funky letter stickers (AC Thickers). I cut the large flower from patterned paper and embellished the tiny flowers with some blue brads. The rub-ons are by Hambly Studios. I love all the shades of blue sky in the pics, too!

The layout is basically (3) 4x6 photos portrait style, and (2) 6x4 photos landscape style (trimmed so they are only 6" tall combined). Add in layers of patterned paper and your title with a couple embellishments, and you're done!

 

Here's another with mainly 4x6 photos. I used BoBunny papers, Reuse gift set by QuicKutz, the 4x4 branch die by QK, and a Prima stamp (owl).

 

One last linear layout for you! Here I have two rows of 4" tall pics with space left open for my crackle-painted cars. The title is created with Scenic Route chipboard letters (I will miss SR!). The patterned paper is Little Yellow Bicycle's Traveler and the chipboard shapes are by Maya Road.  So now that you have some inspiration for fast pages...go make some for your own albums!

Christmas Babies!

I decided to make a layout with all of my friends who have December birthdays (since I'm one of them, too!). I used Kelly Purkey's sketch from 2 Peas Super Sketches class as my inspiration. I like the tone on tone in the top margin (that's something I don't usually do!) and I love how simple the layout is.

 

I used Cosmopolitan alphabet die set by QuicKutz, as well as the scalloped border die and the circle journaling spot die. The rub-ons are by Basic Grey. The little sub-title in the bottom right corner is actually circles punched with a hole punch and then letters are written in with a white journal pen. I did a little bit of machine stitching along the bottom edge of the green margin using purple thread to match the rest of the layout!

 

9 Ways to Embellish Chipboard Die Cuts

Pop on over to the QuicKutz Blog to check out all my tips for livening up your chipboard die cuts! I'm sure you have even more ideas than the one listed. Leave a comment and share your creative ideas!

  

Frightfully Cute Now Posted!

If you took my class at SBFTH (or if you just want to make your own mini album at home using Fancy Pants papers), I now have the full size pics posted in the MiniBook album located at the right of the screen. If you are not working with a kit, I used Fancy Pants Trick or Treat patterned papers, lots of QuicKutz shapes and Silhouette digital diecuts, fuzzy adhesive vinyl, Bazzill cardstock, buttons turned into spiders, Tim Holts web masks, and a Jenny Bowlin Bingo card (cover). We punched the binding holes with the 7Gypsies Binderie Punch. Since I already posted the cover recently, here's some inside pages:

 

Frightfully Cute Mini Book Class

I'm teaching a class October 12 at Scrapbooks from the Heart in OKC called Frightfully Cute! It starts with a Jenni Bowlin 5x7 Halloween Bingo card for the cover embellished with QuicKutz shapes and fun techniques. Inside there are lots of colorful, festive pages embellished with more QuicKutz shapes, new QuicKutz fuzzy vinyl, inking with masks, and loads of journal blocks. The album is made with Fancy Pants "Trick or Treat" patterned papers and can be expanded with more pages if you need more space for your pictures. But! No more peeky-peeks of the inner pages! You'll just have to take the class. ;)

Something old. Something new. Maybe just a little blue.

Wanted to share a layout with you: it has mix-n-match pics from different events and years. It has new paper and old paper, patterned and solid, textured and not. It all supports the theme though!

I love all of these pics for different reasons. The first one is my son (who turned 15 yesterday!!) when he was 3 playing peek-a-boo with PaPa. The second is the girls at Youth surprising us with their creativity and strength on a game night. The third one is some friends & I trying on kiddie hats at Ikea when we were famished and tired from shopping. I have a confession, too! I chopped off my hubby from that last one! gasp...shriek!  But it's really OK because (a) he wasn't smiling and that would kill the theme and (b) he is still in the original layouts I did of the trip where that pic was taken so I think I'll be forgiven! ;) Something NEW I tried on this layout: Jillybean Soup paper (it's the backside of the school papers!) and Jenni Bowlin crepe paper ribbon (I ruffled it and tacked it with dry adhesive to the back of the scallop border). Something OLD I did (as in "a technique I use often" old): QuicKutz dies, drawn stitching,  and Maya Road rub-ons! I used the scalloped border and the scalloped journal circle by QuicKutz. I love the journal circle because it makes little cut lines that are almost invisible but make your journaling super-straight! Have you been trying new techniques on your pages? Leave me a comment with a link to the gallery where you've uploaded them! I promise to take a look!

Back2School Card

I discovered another paper line to adore: Jillibean Soup! I picked up some school print paper at Creative Escape and decided to put it to use! I love how it all just goes together so well! (OK, I know! That's why it's called a "collection.") Anyway, I added a few QuicKutz shapes to it just to complete the look!

The striped paper is actually from the Daily Grind collection that Fancy Pants released, the green alphabet stickers are American Crafts Thickers, and the red 2 is from the $1 bin at Target (I can love a bargain can't I?). I used 2 different 2x2 apple shapes and the 2x2 tab shape by QuicKutz. The little eye chart fits in a pocket and the school house is cut from patterned paper that was covered in school houses. The inside has blue notebook paper (from Jillibean Soup) and another apple. So fun! I'm sure to get some brownie points from one of the boys' teachers now! (J/k)

 

Ambushed!

I was just working my way through my Creative Escape photos and found this one that Jen took! I have to say that they got me good! I was picking Silly String out of my hair later that evening! My roomies arrived before me and hung the banner (made by Georgia with her Silhouette!). While I was checking in, they raced back up to the room to hide in the closet and bathroom. When I unlocked the door I started talking to myself saying things like "where'd they go?" "Why'd they leave me?" "I'm hungry and they already ate lunch!" They were trying not to laugh as I stood there wondering what to do next. I saw a gift on the floor and assumed it was from the hotel or the Creative Escape people (they give you gifts in your room each night, after all!). I opened it up and my friends jumped out of their hiding places and started dousing me with silly string! It was their way of congratulating me for getting chosen to be a QuicKutz Ambassador. It was worth being ambushed. :)

Delight in Die-cutting!

Ahh...Fridays! It's time for the weekend. Well, that doesn't usually stir emotions of relaxation in me because our weekends are far from relaxing. Between sports, classes, events, and church activities I'm usually ready for Monday to come back! All the same here's a lovely card to "delight" in:

Very simple, yet worthy of giving! I used Basic Grey Lemonade papers and Bazzill dotted swiss cardstock. I love that little bird! I have the 2x2, 4x4, and Silhouette version of that shape. Crazy, huh?! It actually comes with a birdhouse, too, and it's part of the pop-up collection of shapes. Anyway, I cut the bird twice; once with the pattern side up and again with the pattern side down so they could face each other. I put a teeny little foam dot under each bird's wing and I used adhesive pearls for the eyes. Like I said, it's just "delightful!"