Orange and Blue - and Some Vellum, Too!

This layout uses two sheets of gorgeous blue and orange paper from Quick Quotes Paper Company and one of their Vellum Journaling Strips.  I wasn't sure about the designs on this "Tin Type" line of papers, but loved the blue/orange color combination, so I took a closer look.  I flipped these two sheets over and found, to my delight, a much more subtle pattern that was easy to use.  I cut a die cut flower pattern out of the orange sheet using the Paper Lace Cricut cartridge and added a journaling box from Simple Stories that I had in my stash (it's cut apart behind the photo to make it appear bigger than its original 5x7 size).  I really liked this vellum title strip, but wanted to make it stand out on the page a bit more.  I love how placing colored and/or patterned paper behind the vellum can change the whole look of it - this makes it easy to match to your layout.  I opted for a small polka dot green print.  Adhering vellum can be challenging, too.  I was out of vellum tape, so I decided to just add a couple of stitches to adhere it to the green paper.  I simply threaded a needle with two colors of thread and doubled it up and stitched a few irregular "stars" to attach the vellum to the green paper.  I then could use my regular adhesive to attach the strip to a piece of chipboard (okay it was just some cardboard) and then used glue dots to attach the whole thing to my page.  Basically, I took a $1.00 vellum strip and with a few items I already had in my stash, turned it into a $3.00 embellishment.  Now that's frugal - and pretty, too!  

I was also drawn to the same color combination on this Nikki Sivils line of papers called "Messages".  It also sported some cute telephone and typewriter graphics and fun little phrases.  I was excited to use the "You are just my type" title for a layout featuring a recent photo of my husband.  I used one sheet as the background and cut a large shape (from Storybook Cricut cartridge) from a sheet of ledger paper (so cool!).  The other two sheets had all sorts of graphics on them, including the strips of typewriters and telephones (just cut them apart and layered 3 strips behind the photo).  I fussy cut the big typewriter and popped it out on the page with foam dots.  The small banner punched out from the die-cut sheet and I threaded a bit of twine through the four pieces to connect them before I adhered it with glue dots onto my page.  I love how this layout turned out.  It was nice to create a page for the man who, after 17 years of marriage, is STILL "my type."

I had lots of elements left, so I also created a few cards.  I used some plain cardstock from my stash and layered various embellishments to create these three cards.  I especially like the "you light up my life" sentiment - too cute!

You can find these fun papers at Scrapdoodles right now.  Challenge yourself with a new color scheme, have a little fun with the vellum strips and send a few "messages" to your friends and family.  I think the Nikki Sivils "Messages" won't last long, so hurry in!

New DCWV Stack and July Stack-a-Holic Challenge

Ahh, I do love me a good stack.  Stack o' paper, that is!  DCWV is always coming out with fun new stacks that I "have" to have.  I found this one on my last trip to JoAnn's - the "A Type of Art" stack.  Fun colors, glossy accents, and really awesome type art.

I needed to catch up a bit on our girl's scrapbook - it just won't do to be a year behind, so I had to finish up July of last year. :) I used the stack, along with the July Stack-a-Holic Challenge sketch on the DCWV blog to create a couple of awesome layouts.

Here's the sketch:

Here's my layout.  I needed two pages, so I just converted the sketch a bit by flipping the second page.  Everything is from the stack.  I cut out the title with my Cricut and decided to use the negative space when I pulled it off the mat.  "Summer" is hand cut from one of the pages and it conveniently sat above the word "fair" on the print below it, so I highlighted it with a simple paper outline, since the animals were at a summer fair.  How convenient! 

I completed a second layout, too.  Used my Cricut to cut out the heart and scalloped circle embellishment.  I like how the "I love you" from another sheet in this stack fit so perfectly in the heart cut-out.  Now that's love!

Now, go find yourself a stack and catch up a little on your scrapbooking!

Scrapbooking Your Faith

It's almost time for another round of Scrapbooking Your Faith.  I love this class and am thrilled to be able to offer it again at My Creative Classroom.  Join me on this 4 week journey to explore Faithbooking. Learn how to create layouts that incorporate your faith and family values. Each week you’ll be encouraged to focus on one or more “faith words” and receive journaling prompts, layout ideas, downloadable and printable words and quotes to use, tips, and techniques that will inspire you to create beautiful layouts that ensure your albums not only reflect your life events, but your core beliefs as well.

Class starts July 6th - all online and at your convenience - Scrapbooking Your Faith at My Creative Classroom.  I hope to "see" you in the classroom!

Chore Chart Project

We've been thinking a lot about our girl's growing sense of entitlement.  (Yes, I know she's only 3 1/2, but we are there nonetheless.)  The shocked look on her face and moans and groans that come from her little lungs if one of us tells her "no" is amazing to behold.  We decided it was time to teach her more deliberately that not all in life is free.  Most of the time, you have to work hard for the things you want.  We want her to enjoy hard work and the sense of accomplishment one gets from working hard.  We looked at a lot of ideas for chore charts and rewarding (with money) some of the work that is completed joyfully and to the best of her ability.   

We decided to keep it simple and flexible.  I found a chore chart made with the Cricut Chore Chart cartridge that we really liked.  It is primarily pictures - so our girl would understand it.  It included some "chores" that are habits we want her to develop, such as brushing teeth and cleaning up toys.  It also had some pics of things we need to work on - brushing hair (without screaming) for one.  We like how you can put up 5 chores a day and turn them over to reveal a star when they are completed.  It's then a quick check at the end of the day to see how she did.  We've decided that for each star earned, she will earn one dime.  We'll just drop the dimes into a jar and count them up at the end of the week - probably Saturdays, so we know how much we are giving to church, putting in savings, and putting aside to spend.  She currently has been asking for another Polly Pocket.  I told her she had to do more jobs to earn it. We have a bank for her with "save" "spend" and "share" compartments and the money she earns throughout the week will be appropriately deposited.

Two stars - actually 3 at this posting - earned today - whoo hoo!  Unfortunately, there was WAY too much whining and screaming about the hair brushing.  No dimes for that one and it will stay up to try again tomorrow.  She did clean toilets, though.  What a girl :)