Don't forget to visit my Etsy shop to see more of my work!

Friday, April 4, 2014

April BLOG HOP!!! with Kiwi Lane



It's time for a blog hop!  Who's excited? Me, ME!!  Are you excited, too?  Well, you should be!  Why?  Because you're going to have crafting inspiration coming out of your ears AND there's a prize!  Here's the scoop- ONE random commenter from one of the blogs along the hop will win a $25 gift code to the Kiwi Lane Shop.  How's that for incentive?!  So make sure you start at the Kiwi Lane Blog and comment along the way (including the Kiwi Lane Blog)!  You have until Sunday April 6, 2014 at 11:59 p.m. MDT to make you comments.  The winner will be announced on the Kiwi Lane Blog on Thursday April 10th. 

Here's the line-up of blogs, just in case you take a wrong turn along the way:
  1. Kiwi Lane 
  2. Gail Owens (You are Here!!)
  3. Catherine Povec  (Go Here Next!!)
  4. Jennifer McDermott 
  5. Kristy Lee 
  6. Heather Conklin 
  7. Misty Buck 
  8. Jennifer Nicholes 
  9. Barb Rapp 
  10. Christina Steel 
For this month's blog hop, we were asked to create something using the Celebrate and Wacky template sets from Kiwi Lane.  Here's the two page layout I came up with:
Supplies: patterned paper (The Pier by Crate Paper); brads (Echo Park); alphabet stickers (American Crafts); wood shapes (Studio Calico); plastic flower (Queen and Co.); stamps (Autumn Leaves); pen (Staedtler); ink (Ranger)

Templates:
Photos
Wacky 1, 3
Celebrate 3, 5, 6, 8
Tiny Celebrate 3T, 4T, 5T, 6T
Tags 1
Tiny Tags 1T

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

And a few detailed photos:

I loved the look of this paper for these photos- and I couldn't resist using a collection called "The Pier" to document our walk down the pier at Tybee Island in Georgia!  I loved the look of the weathered wood with the distressed colors that were reminiscent of wind tattered beach umbrellas and canopies.  I wanted to add some whimsy and almost a celebratory feel to my layout and I accomplished this with layering two shapes (the long triangle/pennant from the Celebrate sets and a tag from the Tag sets) in two sizes.  I also tucked the ticket shapes under the photos on one side to add to the fun feeling of the layout.  To add a hint of the sun and sea to the layout, I used a template from the Wacky set to make a "sun" shape on the left page, layered with "clouds" from the Celebrate and Tiny Celebrate sets.  I added a splash of blue in a wavy shape from the Wacky set to mimic the water on the bottom of the right page. 

Sometimes when I get everything on the page, I feel like some of the shapes are blending into each other, when I really want them to stand out from each other.  When this happens, I use a pen to highlight the shapes that I want to stand out.  This time I used a fine tipped black pen to do some quick outlines of the cloud shapes, the tickets, the pinwheel and the banner where I put the title.  I made my outlines quickly and didn't worry about perfection- an added bonus of using shabby-looking paper!

To make my journaling spot, I stamped a lined image on my left page using distress ink.  I thought it looked too neat for the feel of the layout, so I stamped it again- the same image just slightly askew from the original.  Then I used my pen to write my little story.

This layout turned out almost exactly like what I framed it to look like using my templates- and it's exactly what I had in my head!  Don't you just love Kiwi Lane Designs Templates?!  I do!

And for an added bonus for getting to the bottom of my long-winded post (Sorry, kids.  I'm wordy.  It's not gonna change anytime soon.), how about another giveaway?!  In the comment that you're going to leave on this blog post (ya know, the one you need to leave so you can be entered to win a $25 gift code to the Kiwi Lane Shop...), please tell me what template set you've had your eye on.  Or which one is your fave, if you happen to have them all.  You have until Sunday, April 6, 2014 at 11:59 p.m. MDT to leave your comment.  I will draw a winner and announce it on Monday, April 7th.  The lucky commenter will get to choose a template set of their choice from my stash!  Hooray!

That's it for now- don't forget to comment!  Happy Scrapping!

44 comments:

Unknown said...

I love your 2 page layout. I am going to have to try some of that paper. This is my first blog hop. I think I am going to like it.

Unknown said...

What a beautiful layout ! Please keep sharing ideas. I love this site

klmow said...

Love your pages! I think my favorite templates are Scallops and Celebrate

Dawnree said...

I love this page, great design and use of pattern and color. Wacky and celebrate are 2 of my favorite sets. I have had my eye on the chevrons set lately.

TINA said...

Your tag border along the bottom is AWESOME!! I love it! I even have "the pier" paper, so expect to be copied ;) it was so fun meeting you at the Expo!! I really really need the photo sets still... But my all time favorite sets are the big flowers!

mmup57 said...

Love this layout ... will have to case this one for my son and DIL Honeymoon pictures!

Kathy Burrows said...

Thanks for showing how you planned your layout with templates. I don't have any of the templates yet, but I have been following Kiwi Lane Designs for a month or two now and have been eyeing some of the wavy shapes. Like the way you used the wavy shape in this design.

Anonymous said...

Love the idea of the tie-dyed paper. Great layouts too.

Shawna K said...

super cute Gail! I always love your work!

Anonymous said...

What a delightful layout - love the colors! You asked what we would wish for from KLD - I have 2 or 3 of the tiny sets and really love them - my fav so far is the Tiny Accents and the Sweetheart. I've been looking at the Celebrations or Nature sets - think those will be my next purchase. See I'm just as wordy as you - sorry! :) Lynn

Unknown said...

Cute layout. I have my eye on the tiny accents.

Kelly M said...

Love your layout! And thanks for showing how you framed it out with your templates!

Suzylutz said...

I love the tag border! I may have to copy that. I love the large floral template set.

Becky Walston said...

I have the whole set, but love all the minis.

goffy28 said...

Wow!!! I love the paper and the design you did. I love the Kiwi Lane Templates you used.

Monika H said...

Your layout is so cute and colorful. The Pier collection works perfectly with your photos. I have that collection as well, and your layout has inspired me to use it with my summer beach photos. I love the Scallop templates in my collection, but have my eyes set on the new Chevron set.

lindaplus3 said...

Love your layout pages,,, very nice job :)

Unknown said...

I love your layout and the Pier collection papers you used to go along with your summer photos. The new chevron template set is one of the sets I have my eyes on.

Unknown said...

So many ideas! You are an inspiration!

Roseanna C said...

Thanks for the inspiration, cute layout. I like the tags template set.

Unknown said...

Fun layout. Celebrate templates are so much fun!

Unknown said...

Love the sun and clouds.

lindanell said...

Love your layout. Especially find your tips helpful such as using a pen to outline a shape. Thank you.

Chantre said...

Awesome color scheme! Thank you for the inspiration!

Janet said...

Awesome, as always! Makes me want to play with my templates instead of cleaning today :D

Deborah Johnson said...

Adorable layout - I love the banners under the photos. Celebrate is my fav!!!

Jean Bullock said...

Great layout. I love the background chevrons and how the layout let them "frame" the pictures. I like the Celebrate templates.

Barbara Duncan said...

I am not so creative so the templates are great, love the layout with the banners.

Linda C. said...

I love your layout - especially the funky flag banner at the bottom. I scrolled down to see some of your earlier blogs and found so many great ideas. The Fall Mini Album from Oct. 16, 2013 is beautiful. I had thought these albums would be too hard to do, never thought about using Kiwi Lane Templates to make the pages of the books. I keep changing my mind on which Kiwi Lane set I want next but I think they would be the Cascade Trails and the Tiny Floral.

Melissa said...

love your layout and all the bright and colorful pattern papers!!

Steph said...

Such a festive layout! Thank you for sharing!

Sherian said...

I love the colors in your layout, so fun and full of great pictures.

I template set I am saving for is the paisley dr or something like that. I don't have any, so gotta start saving to get them all.

Pam Wesson said...

Really cute the way you used all the banners at the bottom. I love your layout!

Robin B. said...

Pretty layout! I love the layering and the variety of patterns.

tsmayol said...

Great layout! I like how you used the template from the Celebrate set to showcase your title. I'm still learning how to use my KLD sets so I'm glad to see your before framing picture. The next sets on my list are Abbie Road and Wacky. Thanks for sharing!

Sue D said...

Fabulous layout. I like your choice of papers and the sun and clouds. I have had my eye on the Adorn set of templates.
slrdowney at hotmail dot com

Anonymous said...

This I love! I have several set of pics about trips to piers that I could so scrap lift this and use on. I have been wanting to get the large bracket templates in the fun border set.

nancy carroll said...

LOVE the lO, awesome colors, thinking I would love the tags or tiny tags, they come in so handy and don't have any good ones..

nancy carroll said...

Changed my mind and decided I really like the celebrate the best...

Kate Rosloff said...

Love the movement and color on the page.

Natalie said...

I love everything about your layout. I love how you explained your thought process of why you put each thing where and what it represents. I have a similar thought process when creating pages. I do think that Kiwi templates are fabulous. Celebrate and Wacky are two sets I use most often. Thanks for sharing!

Holly A said...

loved your use of the tags, they are on the top of my wish list

Heather (goldiecar) said...

I love all of your layers!! Thanks for letting me play with all of you this month!!

Jennifer Budge said...

LOVE Again!!! Everything you do is amazing!!!