New "Live Life" Paper Kit with Kiwi Lane

Hey Kiwi Lane friends!  Have you been dying over the new Kiwi Lane paper lines, too?  I think I'm in love with all of them!!  So, to show how great they are, I've made a 2 page layout and a card to share with you today.  Both were made using the new "Live Life" collection from Kiwi Lane.  

Here's the "Framing" of my layout:

And my completed layout:

While I was making my layout, I noticed some black dashed lines along one of the printed strips that I was using.  And what goes well with a little bit of black printed on paper?  Doodling!  For my tree, I took the Tiny Nature 6T shape and doodled along the edges.  I knew I would be stacking it on the Nature 6 shape and the doodling (along with a few foam adhesive dots between the layers) help set apart the layers and add depth without a lot of bulk.  

And, of course, I had to add a little bit more doodling so I did a simple outline around the Tiny Bracket shapes for journaling, the tree trunk and the leaves of the dragonflies.  A simple addition that adds so much.  And remember- doodling doesn't have to be perfect.  The imperfections add to the charm. :)

And what do we do with our leftovers?  Make a card, of course!

The printed card is part of the Kiwi Lane "Live Life" paper collection.  I used a few templates from the Elements template set to mimic the printing on the card for a simple card.

And that's it for today!  If you, too, couldn't resist those super cute Kiwi Lane paper collections, I'd love to see what you made with yours!  Feel free to share them to Kiwi Lane's Facebook page or blog.  Or you can share the link in the comment section of this blog post.  Can't wait to see!

Templates used:

Journey 1,6

Rings 1,2,3,4

Nature 6

Tiny Nature 6T

Playtime 4

Tiny Explore 1T

Tiny Brackets 1T,2T

Paisley Place 3A,3B

12" Strips

Thanks for stopping by and happy scrapping!

Family Fun Layout

Well, if you follow Kiwi Lane's blog at all, you'll have already seen this layout.  Because, well, I'm late in posting.  Again.  I feel like I should be saying "as usual" at this point.  Sigh.  The reason for my tardiness this month?  I was on vacation with my kids!  Yep, I took my kids and drove a few thousand miles and went to visit my sister and her family in the Madison, Wisconsin area.  We spent two weeks covering lots and lots of freeway, playing with family, seeing some sights and doing a little bit of nothing.  It was fun, but I'm glad to be home.  And don't worry.  There are plenty of photos from that trip for me to scrapbook.  And, who knows? Maybe they'll even make it onto a page sooner rather than later.... yeah.  Right!  :)

So here's what I made using my Kiwi Lane templates:

Supplies:  patterned paper, brads, printed chipboard, enamel dots (My Mind's Eye); alphabet stickers (Pebbles); ink (Ranger); pen (Staedtler)

And here's how I framed my layout with my Kiwi Lane templates:

Honestly, there's nothing super special about this layout.  No tips or tricks that I can think of.  If you can see any, let me know. ;)  

Templates:

Cascade Trails 1A, 1B, 3A, 3B

Adventure 1, 2, 3, 4, 6

Tiny Explore 4T

Tiny Accents 3T

Tiny Wacky 1T

Photos

Thanks for stopping by and Happy Scrapping!

S'mores Day 2 Page Layout using Kiwi Lane Design Templates

(Sorry this is posted late- I had it scheduled for next month, for some unknown reason...)

Hello!

I have a 2 page layout to share today.  

Supplies: cardstock (American Crafts, WRMK); patterned paper (Simple Stories); letter/number stickers (American Crafts); brads (Doodlebug, WRMK, Basic Grey); pen (Staedtler); ink (Ranger)

When I was putting my supplies together for this layout, I chose this patterned paper by default.  It was the only collection on my table that had colors that wouldn't clash with the clothing in the photos.  I hate to admit it, but there it is.  Sometimes proximity and color play a rather large part in my paper choice.  This particular collection gave me a few issues that I needed to find solutions for, though.  First- I didn't have very much patterned paper to work with.  I'd already used the collection on a layout, so I had 2 sheets of pocket page style cards and 3 pieces of patterned paper that had half used or more on each sheet.  Second- The theme of the collection is summer/beach/vacation.  So how did I come up with a 2 page layout with the aforementioned problems?  Here it is...

For the issue with paper amount, I added solid card stock to the mix.  The collection was full of bright, bold color so that limited options to light colored or white card stock for the background.  Since part of my patterned paper was yellow (and I knew I wanted to use it for layering), that meant I'd use white for the background. Decision made!  Easy peasy.  I also used a solid green card stock with the chevron border along the bottom of the layout for a bit more depth.  Because the patterned paper is so bold, I chose to keep my embellishments simple.  I used a few layers of my Kiwi Lane Designs Wildflowers, Tiny Wildflowers, Tags and Tiny Tags Accessories for most of the embellishments.  I also used a 3x4 card to fill some space with a title.  And I used a black pen to outline many of the accessory shapes. This adds a bit more dimension without bulk.  The final touch was adding some brads to the tag shapes and the small chevron on the left page.  I added small brads that are the same color as the paper on the chevron.  This is another technique to add some dimension and interest to a simple shape without adding a lot of bulk.

What did I do about that summertime theme?  Well, you know those sheets of pocket page cards?  I used those to mat my photos, adding more color to the layout and covering the theme that didn't apply to my photos.  I cut my photos 1/4" smaller than the cards for the perfect thin mat.

That's it for this layout!  I hope you fell inspired to use those scraps up on more than just cards, and use those pocket page cards on more than just pocket pages!

Thanks for stopping by and Happy Scrapping!

Template list:

Chevrons 1A, 1B, 2A, 2B

Mini Colter Trails 1A

Tiny Tags 3T, 5T, 7T

Tags 1, 2

Tiny Wildflower 2T, 5T

Wildflower 1, 2

A Winner... better late than never.

I totally spaced announcing the winner of the Tiny Celebrate Template set... D'oh!!  Classic example of Mom-nesia. Sorry!   If you've been waiting on the edge of your seat, I'm here to finally put you at ease!  Annnnnnddd the winner is:

goffy28

If this is you, please shoot me an email at glo_owens(at)msn(dot)com with your mailing address and I'll get your new templates sent out to you.  (You have until Friday Jan. 30, 2015 at 11:59 pm MST to claim your prize)

Thanks for playing and have a Scraptastic day!

Birthday Calendar with Kiwi Lane plus a GIVEAWAY!!

As I was looking through my craft supplies and considering what I'd be making for my project this month, my eyes settled on a frame that'd been sitting on my desk for a little while.  It's one of those TOLSBY frames from IKEA that you can pick up for 99 cents and it looks like this: 

You can get them in a few different colors, but I opted to pick up a few white ones to have on hand.  You could also paint them with spray paint, from what I understand, although I haven't tried it.

When I purchased the frame, I had a few projects in mind.  One of them was a flip calendar to organize important family dates like birthdays and anniversaries.  And what better way to kick off the new year than to be a little more organized!  So, I grabbed a few basic supplies along with my Kiwi Lane Designs templates and got to work making my calendar.  And this is what I came up with:

Each page is made with a lightweight chipboard that has been covered with pretty paper.  If you don't have any chipboard on hand, a cereal box works as a great alternative.

I used a few of the Tags templates.  I did have to trim off about 1/4" to make them the right size to fit in the frame.  Here are a few pages:

And, of course, you have to make the back pretty, too.  ;)  I used some scraps and a scallop template to add layers.

I finished up by decorating the base of the frame with a few flowers.

The whole project was fairly easy and was pretty fast.  It would be a great Saturday project!  And a cute way to start your year with a bit of organization!  

Enter to win this set of Tiny Celebrate Templates!!

And what's better than a new project for the new year??  New supplies!! How would you like to win a set of templates to start your year off right?  Well, just leave me a comment telling me what project you are working on and you will be entered to win a set of Tiny Celebrate templates (like the ones pictured above)!  I'll even give you an extra entry if you start following my blog and let me know in your comment (one comment will work for everything!)  And if you are already a follower of my blog, let me know in your comment. :)  You have until Monday, January 19, 2015 at 11:59 p.m. MST to leave your comment.  I'll randomly choose a comment and announce it on Wednesday, January 21st.

Thanks for stopping by and Happy Scrapping!!

Template list:

Tags 5, 6, 7

Adorn 3A, 3B, 1A, 1B

Tiny Accents 1T, 2T

Tiny Celebrate 4T

Tiny Shapes 3T, 7T

Tiny Tags 1T

Delight 1, 2

Tiny Brackets 2T

Tiny Nature 1T

Supplies:

Patterned paper- Simple Stories

Burlap paper- DCWV

Chipboard alphabet stickers, gray card stock alphabet stickers- American Crafts

Glitter alphabet stickers- Making Memories

Green card stock alphabet stickers- Scenic Route

Eyelets- WRMK

Small epoxy dots- Teresa Collins

Flower punch- EK Success

Ink- Ranger

Circle Punch- Marvy Uchida

Ribbon- Fancy Pants, Pebbles, AMM, May Arts, Polar Bear Press, Personal Sentiments

Midweek Mojo Petunia 7

I was able to get my version of Petunia 7 done this week... and on time!!  Hallelujah! ;)  Haha!  In all reality, I love doing weekly layouts of the sketches at ScrapbookSteals.com.  Even if I don't always get them done on time to enter the weekly drawing.  This is the original sketch (done by the awesomely talented Melissa Denhe):

And here's what I came up with:

 I used Dear Lizzy's Neapolitan collection and a few other coordinating embellishments from American Crafts, along with my ever-present Kiwi Lane Designs templates.  Did you know that Kiwi Lane release 3 new sets of templates this week?? Well, they did!  I used one of the sets for this layout, but you can go HERE to see all three sets... and maybe order your own, if you'd like. :)

Here are a few close up shots of my embellishments:

Thanks for stopping by today, and Happy Scrapping!!  Stop by tomorrow for a great Kiwi Lane project and a Giveaway!!

Templates: 
Elements 2, 5, 6, 7, 8
Cedar Trails 2A & 2B

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