I Did a Bad, Bad Thing

But I'm going to make up for it!

I completely forgot to share with you my latest published layout. The July issue of Create magazine is online and free for download.

My layout uses papers and stickers from Pink Paislee, handmade paper, shapes and words cut with the Cricut, and more.  To see a better quality picture, more great Readers Gallery projects, free sketches, and more in 277 beautiful pages, head on over to Scrapbook Generation and download your free copy today. You can also download the sketches from the magazine free in their online store.

I even have a special offer for you today! You can save 10% on your first purchase with SG using this link. I highly recommend their sketchbooks, which you can purchase in hard copy or digital form.

Create for Halloween

Today I'm sharing my last two projects from October's Create magazine. I'm doubling up because they were both made with the same supplies.

First up. a two-page layout from the Halloween Gallery:

There was no requirement to use a sketch for the Halloween Gallery, but of course I did anyway! This was made with the Scaredy Cat Paper pack from Close To My Heart, Bazill cardstock (because I did not have 2 sheets of the matching Thistle CS from CTMH yet), and the Halloween Greetings stamp set with Black and Sunset ink. I also used some White Enamel Stars that I colored with an orange Copic marker.

I used mostly the same products to make this Halloween card with the required card sketch:

Don't be scared by how complicated this looks! While I used the sketch exactly as drawn, there are several other examples in Create where they used a looser interpretation. And this really isn't as hard as it looks either. It just took a little thinking, and I temporarily adhered a triangle (from the art department) to my paper trimmer so everything was cut at the same angle.

Again, I used the Scaredy Cat paper pack. I switched to stars from the Scaredy Cat Assortment because all three colors were already there for me - no coloring! I again pulled out the Halloween Greetings stamp set for my broom and sentiment, using black ink and White Daisy pigment ink for stamping.

Thanks for checking out all of my Create projects this month! Be sure to go check it out for yourself, and maybe even submit something for the January issue based on one of their free sketches.  Speaking of which, the sketches are available for free download in the Scrapbook Generation online store. Past month's sketches are all there as well.

Simple Stories and a Sketch

I'm back today with another project I had published in this month's Create magazine. This one is a fun two-page layout.

When I saw this sketch I knew right away the pictures I wanted to use, and they were just taken a week earlier! I think this is the soonest I have EVER scrapped photos, lol. I also knew just the papers, and was hoping I had enough left to make this work.

All of the paper and stickers are from Simple Stories. The Summer Fresh collection is retired, so I knew what I had left was it. I think it turned out nicely; I even used one of the circle elements for an "award ribbon" for an extra bit of journaling.  The journaling area on the left page is pretty much cut straight from a piece of patterned paper, banners and all.  I added some textured cardstock from my stash, and swiped ink (CTMH) on it to make it look similar to the denim pattern paper in the collection kit. I also used ink pads and sponge daubers (CTMH) on the edges of my papers for added dimension.

I hope you enjoy the design of this layout as much as I do. Be sure to check out the current issue of Create for yourself, and maybe submit one of your own layouts for the January issue.

Time to Create Again

If you have not yet seen the beautiful digital magazine Create, where the heck have you been?! Seriously, I just love this thing... it focuses on sketches for layouts, cards, and tags (and we all know sketches are my favorite). And since it's published by an actual scrapbook store, each issue they pair up with one of their manufacturers, whose design teams match up their products with one or more of the sketches featured in the issue.  My favorite part? They feature US, the readers!

Every issue has a Readers Gallery, featuring projects submitted using sketches from a previous issue. And this month, they've started a "seasonal" section featuring ANY project that fits the theme(s) for the month. This month, they have both a Halloween and an Autumn section.

Somehow, I managed to have four projects in this month's issue, and I'd like to share them in a little more detail here. Today I'll start with my one-page layout, featured on page 181 of the October issue.

I almost never use white as a page base anymore (CM overload from back in the day I think, lol) but it was absolutely perfect for this layout! I loved the sketch, with all of the strips on the background. I opted to use washi tape for all of my strips, except the skinny ones, making it super fast & easy to  make. I did layer the blue lacy tape on white CS first, just for extra contrast against the similar color background. Easy and AWESOME!

I also want to point out my page title, as this was my first time using an SVG file from Miss Kate's Cuttables. If you are an SVG user, you should totally check them out! It was super easy to layout, cut, and assemble, and I will absolutely be returning for more.

Finally, I want to note that most of the pattern papers I used are from Close To My Heart's Chalk It Up line. Yes, it is absolutely a "school" theme if you look at the sample artwork in the catalog, but that doesn't mean you can't use it for other stuff. The pastel colors are perfect for Spring & Summer projects, and the circle pattern paper I used absolutely reminds me of water.

Here's a list of everything I used:

Bazzill: cardstock
Close To My Heart: Chalk It Up paper pack, Scaredy Cat paper pack ("L" in POOL), ink, adhesive sequins, washi tape (gold dot, gray dot, orange chevron), Dream Pop paper pack (gold dot vellum, retired)
Love My Tapes: Washi tape (blue lace, black swirl)
Miss Kate's Cuttables: Pool Party Title cut file
Scrapbook Customs: South Dakota dimensional sticker

Be sure to check out this month's Create magazine for yourself, and maybe try your hand at one of the sketches for the January issue.

Sketch Me If You Can!

So, I know I have lots to share with you for the Kit of the Month this month, but I also have lots of other things I haven't shared yet that need to be! I'm starting with this one because there is a deadline to share and I'm late getting this up thanks to back-to-school drama.

I think you all know by now how much I L-O-V-E sketches. And I particularly love the sketch books and downloads from Scrapbook Generation. Their online magazine, Create, has been continuing to gain in popularity and I've been submitting (and awesomely, being published) about every other month lately. So here is the layout I had published in the August issue:

 

This layout was a great fit for some Lego party pics I had waiting to be scrapped. And the Echo Park Paper line I used was perfect too! SG just seems to always know what I need in a sketch and it works out great.

This sketch featured a nice large area for a title, and I chose to use a large patterned paper to feature a stamped title for my page (stamps are discontinued from CTMH). That awesome border is all made with stickers and chipboard pieces from the EPP All About a Boy line. I just added a few brads and some twine.

I love the pennant banner trend and hope it sticks around for good! A good way to use some paper scraps, and I added the B-O-Y pennant chipboard shapes along with a few gear stickers and twine.

The sketch called for a tag for journaling, so I used the center of a 3x4 "Project Life" style piece and trimmed off the corners. I just added the hole reinforcer sticker and some ribbon/twine. Easiest embellishment ever!

So, want to try your hand at some of their sketches? You can download them for free from their online store, and if you want to submit, the deadline is September 5. All submission instructions are on page 203 of the August issue of Create.

I Love You To the Moon and Back

Today's card is a great use of scraps from various paper lines.  I submitted this for the May issue of Create magazine (it's on page 232) using their card sketch for the month.  When I saw the sketch, I instantly thought of one of the stamps in this month's stamp of the month, that says "I Love You To the Moon and Back".

Using the circle as a moon, I used paper from the Babycakes paper pack, and added layers of Lagoon cardstock and silver Glitter Paper from the Black & Grey pack. The background paper is the constellation pattern from the Timberline paper pack.  I added random assorted star embellishments, including buttons, chipboard, brads, washi tape, and paper scraps with the Epiphany Crafts star shape tool.

Remember, any $50 purchase gets you the stamp of the month for only $5. Here are all of the images included in this months stamp set:

Also, there are just a few days left for our National Scrapbooking Month promotion. That same $50 purchase also makes you eligible to purchase our Free To Be Me paper pack for only $5! It includes vellum, foil, UV-coated cardstock, and these great trendy patterns:

I have to tell you, I love these papers so much I had to place a second order this month so I could get a second pack! Be sure to come back here tomorrow to see more with these fun papers.

CREATE With Me

If you've been visiting me for a while you know a few basic things about me:

1. I LOVE sketches and patterns on which to base my work. They leave out the hard work and let me concentrate on the "fun" part.
2. I generally work with only certain brands of paper. I have found over the years that quality matters when I'm putting things together, and certain brands also fit my style(s) more than others. So, you're likely to see things on my blog using Close To My Heart (of course), Graphic 45, Echo Park/Carta Bella, and My Mind's Eye, with the occasional rogue brand thrown in.
3. I dig a good challenge. I like to stretch myself with different challenges and see how my projects are similar and different from other people's choices.

So, when one of my favorite places decided to produce a digital scrapbook magazine (the magazine is digital, not my scrapbooking, lol), I was all in! (Yes, pictures are coming I promise - keep reading!)  I have been in love with the sketches from Scrapbook Generation for a long time. The clean lines fit my style and I find them easy to modify if I need something slightly different. For the premier issue, they wanted items for their Readers Gallery that fit 3 of their specific sketches. I submitted to each category and had the pleasure of having all 3 selected for publication! Here are my projects that were published in the January issue of CREATE magazine.

For this 2-page layout, I used mostly Bella Blvd products, along with CTMH cardstock and Epiphany Crafts shape tool and star bubble caps. I modified their sketch slightly by rotating the left page to use a landscape main photo instead of portrait.  You can find this project on page 197.

This single page layout was so much fun to create. It is the title page for a vacation album, and can I say that I just love how the focus is really on that dragon head?!  You know I don't do single pagers anymore, except first & last in an album, so I want them to be extra special and this fit the bill perfectly. Graphic 45, Bazzil CS (it seriously looks like leather guys), and title cut with my Cameo using fonts on the computer.  You can find this one on page 206 of CREATE.

This is one of my favorite manly cards I have ever made. Echo Park paper & stickers, CTMH & Bazzill CS, and Epiphany Crafts round bubble caps & setting make a masculine but not-so-serious card. Both the Mustache and speech bubble are from the Artiste Cricut cartridge. You can see this card in a spotlight on page 215 of CREATE.

I would love it if you go check out this fabulous new magazine. And, did you know that Scrapbook Generation is also a scrapbook STORE? They have a fabulous brick & mortar in Springfield, Missouri. My goal is to someday go to one of their fabulous weekend crops, but it is quite a drive from Northeastern Illinois! Luckily for all of us, they also have a newly revamped online store where they carry many of my favorite brands, as well as all of their fabulous sketchbooks in hard copy and digital format. I receive absolutely no compensation for saying that I highly recommend them!

Thank you for sharing in my excitement today! I'd love to read your comments, then be sure to go download your copy of CREATE and see all of the other designs using these same sketches, plus some great articles.