Christmas Visitor Layout with Kiwi Lane

Welcome Kiwi crafters!  Today, I have a single page layout with just one photo on it.  Yep. One solitary photo.  I tend to gravitate towards scrapbooking groups of photos from a single event, which then leaves me with a pile of single photos.  And that pile sits around while I figure out what to do with those somewhat random photos.  Most of these photos have at least a little bit of a story behind them- but some don't.  This is one of the photos that had a short story, but I still wanted to remember the moment.  So, what happens when you have a single photo and a short story??  You have room on your page to add lots and lots of layers!! This sounds like a job for my Kiwi Lane Design Templates!  Instead of trying to keep my layers somewhat simple because I have multiple photos on a layout (which can mean multiple focal points and craziness, if you're not careful), I'm free to add layers of embellishments to my templates without it feeling overwhelming.  

Here's what my page looked like after I framed it with my templates:

And my layout after I traced, cut, inked and replaced:

Supplies: patterned paper (My Mind's Eye); brads (We R Memory Keepers, All My Memories); glitter tape (American Crafts); sequins (Teresa Collins, Hazel & Ruby, glitter alphabet stickers (Making Memories); glitter glue, ink (Ranger); pen (Staedtler); 1" circle punch (Marvy Uchida)

Templates:

Abbie Road 3A

Mini Abbie Road 3A & 3B

Cedar Trails 1A

Winter 3

Christmas 1, 4

Tiny Holiday 8T

Tiny Bracket 1T

Originally, I had five templates on my layout.  I added and took away templates until I liked the layout and ended up with eleven templates.  That's one of the perks of using the templates- you can see exactly what your page will look like before cutting a single sheet of paper! And you can arrange and rearrange until you're happy with the look without wasting anything!!  

Let's talk about my page a bit.  First of all, the subject is a spider.  Yep.  We had a spider in our Christmas tree that was helping add to our decorations.  It would spin these perfect little webs that would span between the blinds, the ornaments and the pine needles.  (The web is visible in the photo in person, but didn't translate well as a photo of a photo.  Bummer.)  It was so beautiful that I wouldn't let anyone destroy the web or get rid of the spider.  It lived in the tree in our living room until we took it out after the holidays.  This seems like such an odd thing to document (and, it probably is!), but this was something I wanted to remember.  It was out of the ordinary and a bit strange- just like us! ;)

Next- layering.  Don't be afraid to layer!  Use your templates to plan your page so you can see what those layers will look like.  You can add more elements to your template shapes that add more visual layers.  I used hard embellishments on the ornaments (sequins and brads) so they sparkle and shine.  I also added sparkly glitter glue to the trees to imitate snow and bring some sparkle to the other side of the page.  I put the sparkle in one more spot on the layout (the title) for balance.  Another layer was added by simply popping the small ornament and small tree off the page with some foam adhesive.

So there you have it- a Christmas layout about a spider!  I hope you were inspired by something in this layout- not necessarily the subject matter. ;)  

Thanks for stopping by and Happy Scrapping!

Winner, Winner!!

Actually, just one winner... and that winner is....

cghundley (Carla from Utah)

Congrats Carla!  You have until Monday, October 20, 2014 at 11:59 pm MDT to contact me at glo_owens(at)msn(dot)com to claim your prize.  If I don't hear from you by then, I'll have the powers that be (random.org) pick a new winner.

Thanks to everyone who played along!

That's it for today- Happy Scrapping!!

Happy World Card Making Day!!

....well, it will be on Saturday.  But, around here, we like to get an early start on any party! ;)  And I think a giveaway is in order for this party, right?  Details for that part will be at the end of the post, so look at the pretty cards and then follow the instructions for the giveaway.  Got it?  Good!

Here are some holiday cards I made using my Kiwi Lane Designs Templates:

"Falling For You"

Supplies: cardstock (American Crafts); patterned paper, sticker (Doodlebug Designs); ink (Ranger); pen (Sakura, Staedtler)

Kiwi Lane Templates:

Mini Colter Trails 2A

Nature 4

Tiny Nature 4T

Tiny Holiday 2T

Tiny Brackets 1T

Autumn 2

"Spooky"

Supplies: cardstock (American Crafts); patterned paper (BoBunny); sentiment (Doodlebug Designs); ink (Ranger); enamel dots (My Mind's Eye)

Kiwi Lane Templates:

Autumn 1, 5, 6

"Cornucopia"

Supplies: cardstock (American Crafts); patterned paper, stickers, washi tape (Doodlebug Designs); ink (Ranger); pen (Sakura, Staedtler)

Kiwi Lane Templates:

Celebrate 7

Tiny Shapes 7T

Tiny Holiday 2T

Tiny Nature 1T

Autumn 3

"Let it Snow"

Supplies: card stock, glitter glue (American Crafts); patterned paper (Pebbles, Inc.); brad, twine (Creative Impressions?); ink (Ranger); pen (Sakura, Staedtler)

Kiwi Lane Templates:

Tiny Traditions 3T

"Joy"

Supplies: cardstock (American Crafts); patterned paper (My Mind's Eye); stamp (Studio G); ink (Ranger, Tsukinedo)

Kiwi Lane Templates:

Tiny Holiday 1T

Cedar Trails 1A

Tiny Traditions 2T

So do you feel ready to tackle the holiday card season now?  I hope so!

Now for that giveaway- simply leave me a comment telling me which holiday is your favorite to make cards for.  That's it.  If you want a bonus entry, become a follower of my blog and let me know in your comment that you have become a follower (or let me know that you're already a follower).  You have until Sunday October 5, 2014 at 11:59 pm MDT to leave me a comment to win.  The winner will receive a set of Tiny Holiday Templates like this one:

I hope you enjoyed my cards!  Don't forget to leave a comment to participate in the giveaway!

Thanks for stopping by and Happy Scrapping!

 

ScrapbookSteals.com's Midweek Mojo Series- Pansy

Did you know that ScrapbookSteals.com hosts a weekly sketch challenge?  I'm pretty sure I've mentioned it once or twice before, but I'm going to do it again. ;)  The challenge starts every Wednesday and ends the following Monday.  It's lots of fun and gives you a bit of a push in a creative direction for your scrapbook pages.  There is a series of 10 weekly sketches that you do in each set.  I was able to do a layout based on all 10 of the Pansy series sketches and here they are (click on each title to go to the actual sketch):

Pansy #1

Pansy #2

Pansy #3

Pansy #4

Pansy #5

Pansy #6

Pansy #7

Pansy #8

Pansy #9

Pansy #10

This is only the second time I've completed all 10 sketches in a series.  I usually get a few in each series done, but rarely all 10. And for that, I say WOHOOO!  :)

Thanks for stopping by and happy scrapping!

Graduation Day! Layout with Bella BLVD and Kiwi Lane

Hello!  It's my turn on the Kiwi Lane blog today with a two page layout I made using Bella Blvd's fabulous "Family Forever" paper collection.

Here's what my layout looked like when I framed my pages:

And here's my finished layout:

You'll notice that I did end up switching around some of my templates and adding in a few more between the time I framed my layout and when I got my finished product.  And that's ok!  It's all part of the process and one of the benefits of using Kiwi Lane's templates!

Ok, lets talk about this paper!  I'm a paper snob.  I'll admit it.  I rarely buy paper sight unseen (and weight untouched) because I like to know exactly what it feels like before I use it.  And if it's too thin or has a funky texture, I won't use it.  Plain and simple.  I hadn't used much from Bella Blvd in the last few years, and I always kind of hold my breath when I try a new-to-me manufacturer.  I was not disappointed in this paper!  It's a great weight- not too thin, not too thick- and is nice and smooth.  Why is texture so important to me?  I tend to do my journaling right on my pages and it's soooo difficult to write on paper that is super lumpy bumpy or has grooves in it.

So on to the paper collection... what can I say? Have you seen it's cuteness?!  I'm in love with the patterns, and I love how well they work together!  This collection has a bunch of colors and patterns going on, but so did my photos.  I thought they might clash, but I was pleasantly surprised by how it worked out!  I love how the colors of the photos are echoed in the "Family Forever" collection.  It's seriously a new favorite!

Templates:

Rings 1, 2, 3, 4

Clara Lane 1A &1B, 3A & 3B

Scallops 2A & 2B

Photos

Mini Photos

12" Strips

Thanks for stopping by and Happy Scrapping!

August Blog Hop Winner and a Layout with Mon Ami Gabby and Kiwi Lane

Whew!  That blog post title is certainly a mouthful!!  And without further ado, the random winner of a set of Tiny Celebrate templates is...

 bird said...

I love your layout!! And I am already a follower!!

August 22, 2014 at 5:53 PM

Congratulations bird!!  Please send me an email letting me know that you are my blog hop winner and also your mailing address and I'll get that little package of creative goodness out to you as soon as possible!  (You have 2 weeks from today to claim your prize.  If I've not heard from you, I'll randomly choose another winner.)

Now on to today's post:

It's my turn on the Kiwi Lane blog today, and I came up with a pretty simple one page layout using Mon Ami Gabby embellishments and Kiwi Lane templates.  As with the majority of my layouts, I started with framing my page with my Kiwi Lane templates like this:

I have a slight confession- this is not my real "before" photo.  My real "before" photo was too difficult to see on the floral paper with the cream colored background.  So I staged this one on a green background so you could see how I framed my page.  You're welcome. ;)

And this is what my finished layout looks like:

Supplies:  patterned paper, card stock, journaling card (Echo Park); blue flower, crepe paper, tulle (Mon Ami Gabby); letter stickers (Pebbles, Inc.); jewels (craft supply); pen (Staedtler)

Templates:

Playtime 3, 4

Accents 1

Tiny Nature 1T

Nature 1

Photos

Pretty cute, huh?  Did you know that Mon Ami Gabby sells rolls of crepe paper?  And it's thicker and wider than that stuff you get at the party supply store to decorate for birthdays parties, etc.  To get the ruffled effect on the scalloped border just below the photos, simply stretch the edge of the scallop (after you've traced and cut) and then let it contract.  The light yellow mesh border is actually a tulle that has some foam-like stuff sprayed on it.  I know that's not very descriptive, but I'm having a hard time trying to find the right words... anyway, it's a bit messy to work with (tiny bits of the yellow and white foam were all over my work space), but I loved the look when I layered it in with the crepe paper!  And most of the foamy bits stay in the tulle, so don't worry if it seems like there's a lot coming off. :)

One other thing I did with this layout was sand all the edges, instead of inking all the edges.  The reason for this is that I wanted to keep the layout feeling light and airy (like a spa) while still defining the edges of my layers.  So I used a nail file and sanding block to take off just enough of the top layer of printed paper to get the white core to show.  I did the same thing around my photos, too.

I've seriously loved all of the products that I've been able to use from Mon Ami Gabby this month!  They add so much to my layers and work so well with the templates from Kiwi Lane!  If you haven't had a chance to check them out, I highly suggest either visiting their blog, Facebook page or Pinterest boards, and Instagram, if not all of the above.  They are full of fun and creative ways to use their plethora of embellishments!

Thanks for stopping by and Happy Crafting!

Kiwi Lane's August Blog Hop!!

Wahoo! It's blog hop time!  You should have hopped over from Charity's blog, but if you happened to wander over from somewhere else, I highly recommend that you scurry on back to the beginning of this Kiwi Lane blog hop!  There's lots of fun to be had, a few prizes along the way and some awesome inspiration you won't want to miss!  If you happen to get lost along the way, here's the entire line-up:

1. Kiwi Lane Designs 

2. Barb 

3. Alicia 

4. Charity 

5. Gail (You are HERE!!)

6. Connie Wallenbrock  (Go HERE next!!)

7. Brittany 

8. Christina

Make sure you comment at every stop along the way- you'll be entered to win a $25 for the Kiwi Lane Shop (Yippee!!).  You have until 11:59 pm MDT Sunday August 24, 2014, to leave your comments.  One random commenter will be picked from one of the blogs on the hop.  The winner will be announced on the Kiwi Lane Blog on Monday, August 25th.  And there might be another little prize given away on this blog, too.  You'll just have to read all the way through to find out... :)

So, I always have a hard time picking a project to make for blog hops.  I feel like I need to show you some fun and new or exciting way to use the templates.  I was struggling to come up with something this time, so I started sorting through photos.  I found some that we took while visiting the Tracy Aviary in Salt Lake City a few years ago and it got my creativity going.  I decided to use my templates to create a wetlands scene, complete with birds.  You ready?  Here it is:

Supplies: cardstock (Bazzill, American Crafts, Provo Craft, DCWV, We R Memory Keepers); patterned paper (My Mind's Eye, Scenic Route, Imaginisce, American Crafts); alphabet stickers (American Crafts); enamel dots (My Mind's Eye); ink (Ranger); pen (Staedtler)

I'm so in love with those little birds!  I made them using the paisley and banner shapes in the Tiny Celebrate template set, and the wings were made using a leaf template from the Tiny Nature set.  I added black enamel dots for their eyes and drew some legs.  Cute, no?  I used the circles and ovals from the Tiny Shapes template set and the grass was done with the ice crystal shapes from the Winter and Tiny Holiday sets, along with a Tiny Wildflower template.  I used Martha Stewart fringe scissors to make the grass blades.  Here are some close ups of the birds:

And there you have it!  Don't forget to comment for a chance to win a $25 gift code to the Kiwi Lane Shop!

And as an added bonus, I'd like to giveaway a brand new pack of Tiny Celebrate templates (pictured above) to one lucky commenter on this blog.  Just make sure you tell me what the best part of your summer was (in your comment) to be eligible to win!  You can also follow my blog, if you'd like.  If you do, I'll give you a bonus entry in my giveaway- just tell me you are a new follower in your comment (or tell me that you're already a follower).  You have until 11:59 pm Sunday, August 24, 2014 to get your comment submitted.  I'll announce the winner here on my blog on Tuesday, August 26th.

Thanks for stopping by!  Head on over to Connie's blog to continue hopping!

Templates:
Tiny Celebrate 5T, 7T, 8T
Celebrate 5
Tiny Nature 1T
Tiny Wildflower 5T
Tiny Shapes 3T, 4T, 7T, 8T
Tiny Holiday 3T
Paisley Place 1A & 1B
Sunnybrook Lane 1A & 1B
Winter 1
Photos

Home Decor with Mon Ami Gabby and Kiwi Lane

So I'm stepping out of my box for my post this time.... or maybe I'm stepping off my page... I don't know.  

Either way, I got to work with some splendiferous products from Mon Ami Gabby!  Have you ever heard of them?  Chances are, if you've ever gone to a Scrapbook Expo or Creating Keepsakes Convention, you've seen them! They are the company that has embellishments galore- and tons of super cute stuff!  Every time I've seen them at a show, I've had to hold back to keep from buying everything in sight (which they would have liked, I'm sure, but my bank account would have cried.).  Anyway, I was given a whole plethora of pretties to work with in shades of blue, yellow and white.  So much fun!  I wanted to showcase Mon Ami Gabby's products along with Kiwi Lane's templates and I wanted to step off the page, so here's what I came up with:

Supplies:  paper (Making Memories); burlap (DCWV); stamps (KI Memories, Hero Arts); ink (Ranger, Tsukinedo); paint (craft supply); jewels (Doodlebug); flowers, buttons, ribbon and crystals (Mon Ami Gabby)

Templates used:

Tiny Celebrate 3T, 4T, 6T

Paradise 4

Mini Scallops 2A

It's a little hanging tray with the following quote: 

"Shared joy is double joy and shared sorrow is half sorrow. -Swedish Proverb"

I've had this quote hanging around my scrap space for a while (ok, more like YEARS!!) and had always wanted to use it on something and never had.  This seemed to be the perfect opportunity!


So the tray that I started out with was something my grandma game me a few years ago and had gotten buried on my desk.  I found it recently and had it fresh in my mind when my Mon Ami Gabby stuff arrived, and an idea was born!  Here's what the tray looked like before:

(Sorry for the icky picture.  It was late at night and I couldn't get the lighting right.  One of the hazards of midnight crafting, I suppose.)

I sanded it and put a coat of ivory acrylic paint on it, then scuffed the edges and corners for a shabby look.  Then I hand stamped the quote.  And that's why it's kind of funky.  I know the spacing is uneven and nothing is in a straight line.  It adds to the charm, right?  Or it reveals that I'm still a novice stamper, even though I've been doing it for 12 years....

Anyway, once the paint was dry and the quote was stamped and trimmed, I started to layer... and layer.... and layer!  That is one thing I really like about Mon Ami Gabby and Kiwi Lane- they encourage layering!  Mon Ami Gabby has this super cool burlap ribbon that has wired edges and is printed with a chevron pattern and I fell in love with it as soon as I saw it.  Only it seemed to be too overwhelming for my small scale project.  So I used my templates on the ribbon to break it up and keep some of the cute ribbon, without an onslaught of pattern.  For the top banner, I folded the ribbon in half and used part of the Tiny Celebrate 6T template to cut small triangles out.  I then used hot glue to attach it to the wire that I cut off the ribbon.  

For the bottom part, I used the Mini Scallops 2A template along one side and kept the wire on the other side so I could do some pleats. 

I loved how the Kiwi Lane Templates added some more depth to the layers of flowers, buttons, ribbon and crystals from Mon Ami Gabby!  I also liked that I combined rough burlap, delicate paper roses and elegant crystal teardrops on this project and it all worked together to make a shabby chic decor piece.  I hope you try some layering on your next home decor project- especially mixing elegant with rustic. You might just love it!

And if you have loved looking at the fabulous products from Mon Ami Gabby, they have a wonderful Pinterest board you can follow HERE  and you can follow them on Facebook HERE.

Thanks for stopping by and Happy Scrapping!

"Detour" 2 Page Layout with Kiwi Lane and The Paper Loft

Hello, hello!  I'm here today with a two page layout featuring The Paper Loft's "On the Go" collection.  Here's what I came up with:

Supplies:  patterned paper, card stock, word cut outs (The Paper Loft); alphabet stickers, twine (American Crafts); wood shapes (Studio Calico); buttons (Doodlebug Designs); ink (Ranger); date stamp (7Gypsies); pen (Staedtler)

Templates used:

Chestnut Drive 3A & 3B

Aspen Court 2A & 2B

Happy Trails 3A

Adventure 1,2,3,4,5

Tiny Wacky 3T

Journey 5

Photos

There's not too much to say about this layout- it went together super fast with the help of my Kiwi Lane Templates!  And I was loving how well the "On the Go" collection went  with the photos I had from one of our stops along Route 66 a few years ago!  

If you've never had the opportunity to use a collection from The Paper Loft, I thing you should fix that- their paper is a great weight (sturdy but not so thick that you have a hard time getting your scissors through it) and they have beautifully coordinated patterns in their collections, along with solid white-core double sided card stock and sheets of fun words and images that you can cut apart.  Seriously- give them a try!  I loved working with this collection and I have plenty left to make quite a few more pages about more stops on our trip down old Route 66.  I'll make sure I post those here on my blog when I have them done. :)

Thanks for stopping by today and Happy Scrapping!

"Happy" Layout with Hazel and Ruby and Kiwi Lane

Hello, hello!  I'm here today with a layout I made using Hazel and Ruby's Celebrate Word Masks, Pass the Tissue Quote Collage, Sequin Tubes Green with Envy and Gone Typo collection kit.  Here's what my layout looked like after I framed it using my Kiwi Lane Design Templates:

And here's my finished layout:

Supplies: cardstock (American Crafts, Core'dinations); patterned paper, tissue paper, sequins, masks (Hazel and Ruby); buttons (Basic Grey, October Afternoon); alphabet stickers (Making Memories); spray ink (Studio Calico); ink (Ranger)

Templates used:

Chevrons 1A, 3A

Mini Madison 3A, 3B

Tiny Accents 4T, 5T

Accents 4, 5

Photos

Photo Mats

I used my Hazel and Ruby masks and some spray ink to have two of the word "happy" remain white and I used them as a layer of my title.  I used a few ink colors- blue, green and yellow.  It helped bring in the patterned paper and broke up some of the white background.  Here is what my background looked like after I sprayed it:

Then I just peeled off the reusable masks (and they were super easy to use, by the way!) and started building my layers.  I used both sides of the Mini Madison templates together to make a longer border for the tissue.  Then I tore the tissue against the edge of the templates to get a funky and messy look.  

The look was finished up with a few sprays of my yellow ink and left to dry for a few minutes.  I used double sided tape and the smashing method to attach it to my page as a border under the two larger photos.  The smashing method is pretty much what it seems- I put one side down on the tape and smashed and folded until I got a look I liked.  The last layer of my page was the brown letter stickers to finish off my title and some buttons and sequins. 

And there you have it!  I'm so loving these Hazel and Ruby masks!  As soon as I started using them, a plethora of ideas and uses popped into my head- can't wait to use them again and make more pretty stuff!!

Templates used

Chevrons 1A, 3A

Mini Madison 3A, 3B

Tiny Accents 4T, 5T

Accents 4, 5

Photos

Photo Mats

Envelope Mini Album with Kiwi Lane and Fancy Pants Designs

Hey there!  It's my turn on the Kiwi Lane blog today with a simple album using my Kiwi Lane templates, Fancy Pants Designs Nautical collection and manilla envelopes.  Yep, as in office supplies.  

I've always been a fan of using office supplies in my scrapbooking, and I've found that using manilla envelopes is a fun and inexpensive way to make an album.  An added bonus is the extra storage you can get by using the envelopes as pockets.

For my album, I wanted storage for some of the larger memorabilia that we picked up on our trip to Tybee Island (maps, brochures, post cards) and I didn't want to glue them in an album or cut them apart. I considered a few different sizes of envelopes to use that would fit the bulky papers and finally settled on 10" x 13" cut in half.  Like this:

I cut the envelope in half so I had a more manageable album size that would still have pockets large enough to store my maps, etc.  (Don't worry about things falling out of the cut through the middle of the envelope- it will be closed off enough after you bind it to keep larger items in the pockets.)

After deciding on my envelope/album size, I set to work building one page at a time.  I used just one pair of border templates through the whole album and just a few tiny templates for some embellishment and color.  I only put the paper and photos on the album pages at this point.  I used patterned paper from Fancy Pants Designs' Nautical collection, along with some of the pockets, flair and stickers from the same collection. I loved that I could get a slightly different look for each area of the island we visited and I was still using the same collection!  

After all the paper and photos were on, I used my Zutter Bind-it-All to punch the pages for binding.  It looked like this:

I could have done holes down the entire length of the book, but I kind of liked the look of two different sections of binding.  

When all the holes were punched, I bound it with some wire binding and the Bind-it-All once again.  

When my book looked like a book, I added my "hard" embellishments like buttons and brads.  The reason I wait until my book is bound to do this step is to avoid accidentally placing something hard where the holes for the binding needs to go.  Let's just say I've learned that one the hard way and I want to pass on my knowledge. ;)

Now my book is done and I can add my memorabilia to the pockets like so:

Here's what the entire book looked like, page by page:

Thanks for stopping by!  Have a great day and Happy Scrapping!

Templates used:

Sunnybrook Lane 1A & 1B

Tiny Brackets 1T, 2T, 3T, 4T

Tags 2, 4

Tiny Tags 5T

Adventure 1,2 

Tiny Sweetheart 4T