Birthday Layout with Echo Park Paper and Cricut Imagine

It's my turn to post today over at the Cutters Creek blog, so here's what I shared:

I am just loving the new A Boy's Life collection from Echo Park Paper!  It's really helping me get some pictures in my scrapbooks, and this time I decided to work on some older pictures I've been neglecting.  The best part is that the colors in this collection work so well with a lot of things you probably have in your stash.

I even pulled out my Cricut Imagine (which I've also been neglecting!), since I was documenting a birthday party, and there wasn't much in the stickers that would work for that.

I printed & cut my title image from the Imagine More Cards cartridge.  I sanded & distressed all of the layers.  Then I inked the bottom layer using an ink pad in my stash that darkened the blue enough so that it would better match the papers.  I popped up all of the layers using the ASI Kool Tak clear foam squares.

These journaling circles were printed & cut from the Imagine More cartridge - they are the notebook paper centers of a flower.  The distressed feel of both the Imagine More and Imagine More Cards cartridges are a perfect match for this collection.  I popped the circles up also, because of the ribbon bulk, and added the "a perfect day" sticker from the collection.

Lastly, I added a banner using stickers from the collection and a white gel pen.  One additional item to note:in order to match the distressed feel of the papers, I used a white core cardstock and sanded it all over with fine sand paper (220) to lighten it in spots.

Items available at Cutters Creek:

• A Boy's Life collection, Echo Park Paper (NEW)
• Brown distress ink of your choice, try Tim Holtz Distress Inks by Ranger
• White pen, try Inkssentials White Pen
• ASI Kool Tak clear foam squares
• ATG Adhesive
• Cricut cartridges (by special request - just ask!)

Other:

•  cardstock with a white core (I used Close To My Heart)
• hole punch (I used the Crop-a-dile) and eyelets
• coordinating ribbon (I used American Crafts)

Thanks for coming by today.  Be sure to check out the Cutters Creek blog too - there's a great design team with lots of ideas using your favorite products!