[ Ali Edwards ]

Your Story Is A Fantastic Adventure

[ SUPPLIES: All digital products from Designer Digitals: AE Life 12x12 Text Frames; AE Remember Sentiment Stacks; AE You Word Art; Katie Pertiet Blue Stitching; Katie Pertiet Tabbed Dates; Katie Pertiet Photo Clusters No.16; Katie Pertiet From My Bookshelf No.1 (alpha) ]

Just a quick note letting you know that there is a giveaway today over at the new blog Write.Click.Scrapbook. that includes a package of four of my favorite products from Designer Digitals (three of which are featured in the layout above).

Write.Click.Scrapbook. is a new collaborative blog featuring a variety of different people who were involved with Simple Scrapbooks magazine before it ceased publication. Read more about their philosophy and why they started this blog here. Definitely one to bookmark.

I should also have a photo up today over on Shimelle's blog as she celebrates a week of posts called "I love this photo..."

So Many Options : Layout Accent Two Ways

VERSION ONE [ click for larger version : photo © she saw things ]

 
VERSION TWO [ click for larger version : photo © she saw things ]

My Studio A column in the July 2009 Creating Keepsakes (available now) talks about the endless options for background papers when creating layouts and telling your stories. It addresses the fact that there is no right or wrong choice in this process. Some people prefer cardstock, some patterned paper, some solids, and some prints. It's all about personal preference.

As you have probably noticed by now, I tend to have a personal preference lately for white cardstock backgrounds.

I was thinking about all these choices as I previewed Heidi's Tuesday Tutorial video and was inspired to create a second version of the center accent for the layout you see above. The top one is super simple and was how I originally created the page. The second includes stamping and a chipboard butterfly under the felt heart accent - this one came about after watching the video.

One of the things I have always loved about scrapbooking is that there is so much variety. I love the chance to learn from other people, to see what they are doing, and be inspired to try something new. Sometimes it's a new technique, other times it is a way of jouranling, and other times it's the whole package someone presents when telling their story.

The next time you approach a project or layout I invite you to take a step away from your own personal comfort zone and go in a direction that is different from what you normally create. Modifying an accent like the one here is a very safe way to experiment and mess-around a bit without the fear of "wrecking" your whole layout.

Here's a look into the process of creating this layout:

1. In your photo editing program add the 8.5x11 Remember Outline Word Overlay to your photo. For a tutorial on recoloring overlays go here or here. Print at home or upload to your photo developer. I printed this one here at home on my HP Photosmart D7360 using the borderless printing option (works awesome right to the edge of the photo paper).

2. Print a second 8.5x11 Remember Outline Word Overlay onto a sheet of white cardstock. This will be the foundation for your content on the second page. For a tutorial on recoloring overlays go here or here.

3. Print the Remember Sentiment Stack word art onto the Jenni Bowlin Mini Die Cut Label Paper. To do this I ran a sheet of computer paper through the printer first, saw where the image/text was going to appear, and then temporarily adhered the die cut on top and ran it through the printer again. 

4. Add journaling to one of the die cut label pieces. Hand-write, stamp, run it through your printer, etc. For this project I used my old typewriter and again temporarily adhered the Mini Die Cut Label Paper onto some basic computer paper to make it go through easier. I love using this old typewriter.

5. Now this is where the creative choice came in for me on this layout. Super simple or more decorative & messy? For the simple option I just used some pop dots to adhere a small rectangle of corner-rounded Making Memories patterned paper and a felt heart.

For the decorative option I decided to follow Heidi's lead and group a bunch of stamping together on top of the mini die cut label paper. I used a couple different colors of ColorBox fluid chalk ink from this set. I topped the stamping off with one of the chipboard butterflies (that I can't seem to get enough of from K&Company) and the same felt heart/patterned paper combo as the simple option.  

In the end I like them both. The second is definitely more bright & fun & artsy than the first. Some days I feel like creating that way and other days the perfect accent is the simplest option.

SUPPLIES : Bazzill Basics Cardstock; Jenni Bowlin Mini Die Cut Label Papers; 8.5x11 Remember Outline Word Overlay by Ali Edwards for Desginer Digitals; Remember Sentiment Word Stacks by Ali Edwards for Designer Digitals; Jenni Bowlin Felt Heart; Making Memories Patterned Paper; K&Company Chipboard Butterfly;

Wednesday Sponsor Giveaways are moving to the weekend. They will now run from Saturday morning through Sunday late afternoon with winner's posted on Sunday evening.

A very warm welcome my newest sponsors Susannah Conway, Scrapista, Blue Moon Scrapbooking, Renee Pearson Digital Training, JBS Mercantile, and House of 3.

Designer Digitals New Product Update : May 2009

(1) Generations Pen & Ink

(2) Wood Type Alphabet

(3) Love Sentiment Strips

(4) Love You Sentiment Stacks

(5) Graduation Hand Drawn Brushes

(6) Remember This Layered Template : see example below

Click here for the full supply list or here and here for a close-up version of the right and left sides of this layout.

Celebrating Mom With A Layout

This is the weekend for celebrating Moms (who should be celebrated everyday if you want to the truth).

I am excited that I get to spend time with both my Mom and Chris' Mom on Sunday. It's always fun to have a house full of family.

One of the ways I am honoring my Mom is by doing a page that celebrates how thankful I am for her and the impact she has made on my life. Love you Mom.

Here's a peek at how I put this layout together:

STEP BY STEP
1. Find a photo or photos of your Mom. My photo was scanned (and enlarged) and printed 6x8 inches at 300dpi.

2. Paint a background sheet of white cardstock (I used an 8.5x11 inch sheet). Use a dry brush (meaning do not dip it in water) to apply paint to the page. I used Claudine Hellmuth's Studio Paint in Traditional Tan, Yellow Pastel, and Purple Palette. Set aside to dry.

3. Create a new canvas in Photoshop (File/New). I made mine 4.5x8inches at 300dpi. Open the Mom Word Art (or create your own) and drag and drop the .png file you want to use onto your canvas. Layer more than one if you feel like it and recolor (Edit/Fill). You could also add in other decorative brushes (such as florals) for even more depth.

4. When you painted cardstock is completely dry, print your word art onto the cardstock by running it through your printer.  You could also make a card using this same technique of painting on cardstock and then running through the printer to add your text.

5. Trim your photo and your painted/text piece. Lay them together and round the outer corners. Sand around the edge.

6. Use a piece of scotch tape to temporarily hold the photo and the painted/word art together. Use the pink Marvy scallop circle punch to remove a circle.

7. Using a leftover piece of the painted cardstock punch the smaller scallop circle.

8. Stamp the heart using Versamark and sprinkle the platinum UTEE on top. Use a heat gun to set the powder.

9. Adhere the photo and painted/text piece to your background paper. Adhere the smaller scallop circle using foam dots or dimensional glue dots in the center of the large scallop circle.

10. Trim 1/2 inch across the top of your background paper. Using a scallop border punch choose a coordinating patterned paper and punch across all 12 inches. Trim to 1 inch and adhere behind your base piece of paper.

11. Use a sewing machine to stitch a zig-zag across the top with cream thread. Stitching across seams like this is a nice way to "join" two pieces of paper together visually (in this case I adhered the paper so the stitching is not the only thing holding it together).

12. Adhere circle ribbon over the seam where the photo and the painted paper meet.

13. Attach metal arrow turns on opposite edges with brads. 

14. Place tiny letter stickers on photo. What sentiments you use will depend on the photo you are using and how much room you have. Don't forget the date.

15. Journal around the edge of the photo/painted piece.

SUPPLIES
Background Paper: Bo Bunny Chiffon Dot
Paint: Studio Basics (Claudine Hellmuth for Ranger)
Word Art: Mom Word Art by Ali Edwards @ Designer Digitals
Scallop Border Punch: Fiskars (Apron Lace Border Punch)
Patterned Paper: K&Company (Brenda Walton)
Scallop Circle Punches: Marvy
Heart Stamp: Catslife Press
Embossing Ink: Versamark
Ultra Thick Embossing Enamel in Platinum: Ranger
Letter Stickers: Making Memories Tiny Alphabet
Metal Arrows: 7gypsies
Pen: American Crafts Precision Pen
Ribbon: Scrap Within Reach

I am really liking Twitter. Lots of great ideas and link sharing going on there. Follow me here.

Cloth diaper post coming this weekend.

Seeing Things

[ Supplies: AE Baby Girl Tags; AE Baby Pink Patterns & Solids; AE Baby No. 1 Word Art; Andrea Victoria Faux Bois Spring Paper Pack; Anna Aspnes CurvyCorner Stitched Blocks No. 1; Katie Pertiet Library Card Collection Basics; KP Curled Notebook Paper; KP Botanist Overlay No. 4; KP Clock Part Elements ]

I have been finding a nice rhythm between my digital and paper scrapbooking lately. Some days I feel like just working on the computer and other days I want to cut & paste (and then of course there are the days when I do both). I don't have any set rules for why one story would be told digitally and another with paper. It's really more how I feel at the moment. These days this is often dictated by the new little person in my world.

Something I hope you see, whether I post a digital or a paper layout (or one that includes a bit of both), is that they are both open for translation (read more about the idea of translation from a post last November here). The digital layout above could easily be replicated with paper elements (see sketch to the left).

So much of creativity is about how you see things; and more often than not how you allow yourself to be open to seeing things in new ways. 

It's been my experience that many of us tend to pass by things in our surroundings with a nonchalant "this doesn't apply to me" thought as we rush on to the next thing on our list. We move too quickly to whatever is next: the next image, the next page, the next person, the next job, the next thought, without really looking or giving something the chance to inspire us.

Today I challenge you to take a closer look at something you initially pass by. Slow down. Do a double-take. Take a deep breath. Let yourself be inspired by something you would normally skip. This could be an image online or a conversation or a new person or something you read in the newspaper. 

There are so many gems hidden in our world if we just slow down enough to experience them.

Today is the last day of Designer Digitals Quarterly Sale: 30% off everything in the store. Here are a couple shopping suggestions from the layout above:

Baby Girl Tags: these would work great printed on cardstock and used on a paper layout. There's also a Baby Boy version. 

 

Katie Pertiet's Library Card Collection

 

Anna Aspnes CurvyCorner Stitched Blocks No.1

 

Katie Pertiet's Clock Parts

Curious about digital scrapbooking? Wondering where to begin? Check out the links here for more information.

Working With Digital Word Art from Paperclipping

Noell from Paperclipping set me this great video tutorial on how to use my digital word art from Designer Digitals. In this lesson she shows how to add the word art to a photo, change it's color, and then print it out and add it to a paper scrapbooking layout.

Noell is using The Story Word Art in her tutorial. 

And just a heads up : Designer Digitals Quarterly Sale begins today at 6pm Eastern. A great time to stock-up!

Paperclipping is an online scrapbooking show. Want to learn design principles? Check out Paperclipping.com to learn how to tell your stories using techniques and concepts to spark your creativity.

Sweet Baby : New Stamps & A Layout

[ Supplies: Technique Tuesday Fundamentals Postage Frame; Technique Tuesday Sweet Baby Stamps; Making Memories Flower Patch Trim; Hambly Butterfly Transparency; Adirondack Dimensional Pearls in Butterscotch; SEI Praline Glitter Chocolat Paper Patterned Paper (white with grey) ]

I am excited to introduce you to the newest stamp set in my collection for Technique Tuesday. Sweet Baby stamps are now available through Technique Tuesday's website or ask for them at your local scrapbook/stamp store. These same designs are also available as Digital Baby Word Art at Designer Digitals.

Here's a run down of my process for creating the layout featured at the top of the post:

1. Begin with a sheet of textured white cardstock for your background. Paint a large rough-edged square in any color (I used cream paint and a foam brush). Let dry.

2. While the paint is drying, apply the Adirondack Dimensional Pearls to the Fundamentals Postage Frame. I put it on with my finger and then ended up adding a bit of lighter yellow paint on top of the pearls to tone it down just a bit.

3. Cut patterned paper to fit with the photo behind the postage frame. Adhere photo to patterned paper.

4. Stamp two of the Sweet Baby Stamps onto the patterned paper. Use a different color for each stamp. Hand-draw the black line and heart.

5. Adhere Making Memories Flower Patch Trim along the seam where the photo and patterned paper meet. I often use Therm-O-Web super tape to adhere ribbon. 

6. Adhere the postage frame to the photo/stamped patterned paper combination. I used the super tape for this task.

7. Using one of the lined sentiments from the Sweet Baby collection, stamp directly on to the painted postage chipboard. I used Technique Tuesday ink from the Earth Essentials pack.

8. Staple the Hambly Butterfly Transparency on top of your painted piece of cardstock. I just used two mini staples on the top corners using Tim's new mini-stapler which is awesome.

9. Lay your photo combination on top of the background transparency/cardstock and choose your placement. I went for the bottom right corner. Once I figured out where I wanted that piece on the page I lifted up the transparency, laid the photo combination on top of the cardstock (not adhered, just sitting there) and journaled around the outside following the square shape.

10. After hand-journaling I picked up the photo combination, laid the transparency back down, and then adhered the photo combination on top of the transparency (using the hand-journaling square as a guide for placement). Some of the journaling is covered by the white of the butterflies which I decided was completely fine. If someone wants to read the journaling they can lift up the transparency (this is partly why I only stapled on the top). 

11. Don't forget to add the date! I just noticed that I forgot to add a date somewhere on the layout and will make that adjustment before putting it in her album.

2nd Annual Autism Awareness Fundraiser Crop at Ben Franklin Crafts in Bonney Lake, Washington : Ben Franklin in Bonney Lake is hosting an Autism Awareness Fundraiser Crop again this year on Saturday, April 25th from 6pm to Midnight. Cost is $35. You can find more information on this event here.

15% off Designer Digitals

Now through Tuesday at 6am Eastern Designer Digitals is offering 15% off. This kicks off a month of promotions celebrating the site's 4th Anniversary.

Here's a couple of my newest products:

 

You Word Art

12x12 Handdrawn Frames No.1

This Is The Day Word Art

Days of the Week 12x12 Handdrawn Frames

I also wanted to highlight this cute page created by Designer Digtials Guest Creative Team Member Laura Grimes that uses a couple of the above products:

Check out Laura's gallery of projects here.

Quarterly Sale @ Designer Digitals

 
Just wanted to let you know that the Quarterly Sale began today at Designer Digitals: 30% off all products in the store through Tuesday, February 24th at 6am Eastern. There will be chats all day on Saturday with freebies given out every hour.

My complete collection of digital products can be viewed here.

Products used in the above layout include: 

Grid No. 2 Layered Template

Memory Tags

09 Date Stamps

Katie Pertiet Negative Sleeves

Katie Pertiet Spring Wings

Jesse Edwards Weave Me Sunshine

Hope you have a great weekend!

Baby Reflections Journal/MiniBook

One of the things I am hoping to do over the next few weeks after the new baby arrives is document some of those thoughts, feelings, emotions, and observations in a little journal/minibook. The concept is simple; putting it together is simple. In this case I wanted something that was smaller, that could go in a bag or sit on my bedside table, that was easy to grab and jot down my reflections. 

Am I going to have another more traditional baby book? Maybe. Most likely I will just start doing some scrapbook pages that document the stories of her life that will go into a 12x12 album. I imagine that some of those stories may come from what gets written down within the pages of this journal.

I envision adding a few photos to this little book (photos glued back to back and added in as pages) and other pieces of "stuff" maybe from the hospital, tags from clothes, etc.

The inside follows a simple formula of printed journal cards and patterned papers. I have been holding on to these patterned papers from Anna Griffin for years and was so excited to finally put them to good use. They are some of my favorites. 

The "A" stamp is from the See and Stamp Jumbo Uppercase Alphabet Stamps set. Ink is Color Box/Hero Arts (it's the perfect little selection of six pinks). 

The album I am using is a new three ring Memory Binder album from Heidi Swapp/Janet Hopkins that fits 5 inches x 7 inches pieces of paper and should be available in March. Here's a link to scrapbook.com where you can sign up for notification when it becomes available. It comes with a bunch of different pockets and pages and envelopes and such but I removed them for this particular project. I did leave two page protectors in the back as collection pockets.

The interior pages are a combination of patterned paper and "reflections" journal cards that are available for download through Designer Digitals. Simply open on your computer and print on white cardstock. What's cool about these cards is that they don't have to be used in a baby journal. The cards include the words: reflections, remember, memories, moments, today, and together. Use them to document a new life, one that has passed on, an adventure, your one little word, a time of transition, daily thoughts, etc. So many possibilities.

The scalloped edges on the patterned paper were created using the Fiskars Threading Water Border Punch and the new Scallop Sentiment Border Punch (scallops without the holes). For the pages like you see above, I took two small strips of the patterned paper, adhered them back to back, used the border punch and then adhered it between two journal cards. These pages are a bit wider than 5 inches with the scallop border added.

Making Memories dimensional hearts "sweets" adhered with a glue dot. Perfectly simple.

Making Memories Trim + Heidi Swapp Heart Ghost Shape + Tim Holtz Trinket Pin

I repeated the basic foundation pattern and flow for each spread: metal-rimmed circle accent, plastic "sweets" heart from Making Memories, and finally a piece of trim with a heart and dangling accents.

"Exhibit A" stamp from Catslife Press.

 

 

Making Memories Trim + Jenni Bowlin Felt Heart + Making Memories Love Charm

And repeat again. I didn't do the patterned papers in any particular order - just adhered them to the backs of some of the journal cards.

I have no idea where that butterfly stamp is from anymore. Anyone?

 

 

 

Here's a look at it standing up:

I can't wait to begin filling it up. For now I am leaving the cover plain - maybe I will do something with it or I may just leave it as is. It is now tucked away in my hospital bag - ready and waiting for this next experience to begin.