Gams

Tuesday, March 26, 2013

Sweet Blessings: A (Published!) Layout Share

Have you checked out the brand new spring issue of Scrapbook & Cards Today?  If not, you are in for a real treat!  It is filled with loads of wonderful and inspiring ideas, seasonal scrapbook pages, cards and a multitude of fun tips and techniques.  If you can't find this magazine locally, you can view it in its entirety online here, or find out details for becoming a subscriber here

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I am honored to have my very first published page with S&CT magazine in this very issue!  When I received my complimentary copy in the mail early last week, I was surprised to find my page at the very front of the magazine, gracing the table of contents! Here's a look...

Supplies used: Patterned paper, buttons, felt flower, kraft diecut title - Jillibean Soup; Cardstock - American Crafts, The Paper Company; Pearls - Jenni Bowlin; Border punch - EK Success; Foam adhesive - American Crafts; Doilies - Wilton; Other - embroidery floss (DMC), machine stitching, computer font.
I have held onto these Jillibean papers for quite some time.  I think they found a nice home with these pictures taken on Easter last year. 

As you can see, there was a subtle pop of red on some of flower centers in the floral patterned paper.  I loved pulling out a bit more of that unexpected color to enhance my page and the bits of orange/red in my pictures.


I added more tiny accents of red with pretty pearls scattered about the page.

 
The patterned paper topped doilies add a nice softness to the overall feel of the layout.  This one in particular helped create a nice backdrop and also to draw focus to the page title.

 
I hope you'll stop over and check out this new issue!  It really is full of some wonderful designs and super talented designers!  Thanks for visiting me today!
 
 
 

Monday, March 25, 2013

Walk this way: A Pebbles Layout

Hi friends!  It's Mix and Match Monday over on the Pebbles blog today, which means I pulled out loads of Pebbles goodies both new and old and whipped up a happy little page to share with you!

Mixing and matching Pebbles products across collections is easy as can be! My starting point in creating this page were the sweet pink rhinestone flowers from the Basics collection. Right when I saw them, I was reminded of these pictures of my baby girl in her little track suit with a flower on it, that matched the Basics flowers almost exactly. From there, I matched up some additional patterned papers from Basics, then turned to my other Pebbles collections to tie in the remainder of the color palette from my photos. Seen and Noted has so many great aqua colored prints that I knew would work well on this page. The subtle kraft chevron background is from Walnut Grove, and creates a nice grounding place, with all of the additional bright colors and patterns I have mixed in.
Supplies used: Pebbles - Basics Begonia Chevron (751367), Basics Begonia Mini Dot (751368), Basics Glitter Foam Powder Thickers (732161), Basics Pink Rhinestone Flowers (747219), Walnut Grove Cassandra (751305), Seen and Noted Lots of Love (751315), Seen and Noted Everyday (751318); Other - October Afternoon sticker label, Fiskars arrow and circle punches, computer font, machine stitching.
This cute little label is from an old October Afternoon sticker sheet.  I loved that it gave me the opportunity to add a bit more journaling to the page. 


Another look at those sweet little rhinestone flowers.  I liked them so much, that I nearly used up a whole package of them just on this one page!

 
If the flowers weren't enough, these glitter thickers definitely reinforce the girly theme of the page! 

 
Thanks for stopping by today!  I'll be back soon with more to share!
 

Wednesday, March 20, 2013

Festive for the Fourth: A Bella Blvd Layout

Last week, I gave you a sneak of one of the projects I put together using Bella Blvd's brand new All American collection.  Today, I can finally share that page with you.  You can also click over to the Bella blog to see my page and many other pretties from the Design Team girls!

So without further ado... ;)


Supplies used: Bella Blvd - All American: Seeing Stars, Borders & Cute Cuts, Alpha + Bits Stickers, Chip Icons; Freestyle Sophisticates: Saltwater; Designer Tape: Red Chevron; High Five Alphabet Stickers: Blue; Button Market: Stars, Stick Pin Flag: All American Words; Other: American Crafts cardstock, EK Success scallop border punch, Heidi Grace silk ribbon, sewing machine, computer font.

Upon first laying eyes on the cute new All American collection, I immediately thought of the many festive tshirts and outfits I have bought for and dressed my children in over the years. I anxiously rifled through years and years of photos (thank goodness for digital files!), to grab many of those pictures of my kids showing off their American pride as they sport the red, white and blue. 

A few close ups of some of the page details...
 


 
As you can see, the adorable imagery and color palette of All American was a great compliment to these pictures and memories, and made putting together this page a snap!
 
Thanks for stopping by!
 

Friday, March 15, 2013

Bella Blvd new mid-show release: All American

Today is the day for the reveal of Bella's first patriotic paper collection...



A quick peek at a page from the collection catalog reveals that this line will be beyond perfect for all those parade, fireworks, festival and cookout pictures we all take during the Fourth of July holiday.

 
I love so, so many of the darling papers in this line, but if asked to pick a favorite it would be this one - 'United We Stand':
 
 

And the 'B side':

 
I even have a little sneak peek of a project that I've done that will be up on the Bella blog next week (as well as loads of other inspirational goodies from the rest of the design team):
 
 
 
 
To get a closer look at this fun, and festive new collection from Bella, as well as a few project samples, click on this link to the catalog supplement here.
 
A visit to the Bella blog today, will also provide you with more details and pretty pictures of this line, as well as a chance to enter to win it before you can buy it!
 
The All American collection will begin shipping to your favorite scrapbook retailer on April 1st, so keep an eye out of for it then and in the meantime start planning your pages!
 

Thursday, March 14, 2013

A hint of an upcoming announcement! ;)

Have you been following the Bella Blvd blog this week or perhaps reading the little teasers they've been revealing on Facebook?  If not, you might not yet know, that Bella has a fun little announcement that will be revealed tomorrow.  Here's a hint...



Any guesses?  Well, stop back to my blog tomorrow for lots more info and maybe even a sneak peek or too, of some things that I've been working on!  Can't wait to share this little secret I've been holding on to for a few weeks now!  See you then!

Wednesday, March 13, 2013

Stylin' in your shades: A Bella Blvd Layout

Hi crafty friends!  Sorry for the mini blog absence.  The kiddos and I have been 'down for the count' with one final (I hope!) winter bug and boy, was it a doosie!  Last Friday brought about 4 separate doctor's appointments, four different diagnoses (from ear, throat to sinus) and four rounds of antibiotics.  Yuck!  I don't know how my hubby managed to avoid all this, but thankfully he did because someone needed to take care of us all!  (Thanks, honey!)

Sickness or not, I think we're all in the mood for a little sunshine at this point in the year.  That is just what I have for you today - in paper form, though, of course!  I'm up on the Bella blog with a bright and fun page today.  In fact, you may need to put on your sunglasses before you take a peek (you've been warned! ;)).


Supplies used: Bella Blvd - Sand & Surf: Beach Balls, Borders, Cute Cuts, Alpha + Bits, Miniatures; Love and Marriage: Cute Cuts; Engaged at Last: Bachelorette Party; Kiss Me: Borders & Cute Cuts, Alpha + Bits; Freestyle Sophisticates: Saltwater; Designer Tape: Ice Stripe; High Five Alphabet Stickers: Piggy-Punch, Other - American Crafts cardstock, Theresa Collins gems, Doodlebug gems, misc buttons, machine stitching, crochet thread, computer font - Veteran Typewriter.
The cat's eye glasses from Bella's  Kiss Me collection Cute Cuts sheet, look so similar to the glasses that my daughter is wearing in this photo, that I couldn't help but to pair them together on a page. While I loved the sentiment that was originally on the glasses, I decided to alter the lenses with a bit of patterned paper, to make them look even more like those that my daughter is sporting! The next step was to dream up a fun title and to pull out some bright and sunny papers from the Sand & Surf collection to complete the page.



How about this sweet little sun?  I couldn't resist adorning it with a coordinating button and some twine. :)


For lots more crafty inspiration, be sure to stop by the Bella blog and see what other 'Free for all Layouts' the other talented designers have dreamed up.  I know you won't be disappointed!  See you soon!

Tuesday, March 5, 2013

Love That Smile: Bella Blvd Layout

Over on the Bella blog today, myself along with a few other designers, are showing off some sweet pages using the new crochet hearts!  I, myself, am in love with Bella's new line of Crochet Hearts. The texture and color palette of the whole collection is just divine. I had so much fun incorporating them into this page.

 
Supplies used: Bella Blvd - Love and Marriage: Esther Fleming Floral, May Eighteenth, Turner Hall Ballroom, Cute Cuts, Alpha + Bits; Engaged at Last: Engagement Chipboard Icons, Bachelor/ette Chipboard Icons; Miniatures; Sand & Surf: Paradise; Kiss Me: Love Notes; Finally Fall: Borders; Crochet Hearts: Orange, Pickle Juice, Saltwater, Scallop; Designer Tape: 12mm Combo Pack; High Five Alphabet Stickers: Piggy-Punch; Bazzill cardstock, EK Sucess large scallop border punch, American Crafts button, crochet thread, machine stitching, Computer font - Veteran Typewriter.
 
They proved to be the perfect monochromatic embellishment to add to many of my patterned banner strips, behind my focal photos.
 
 
 
I accented a Scallop Crochet Heart with a chipboard leaf and heart, to add a pop of color and bring focus to my title and journaling block.
 
 
I even 'hid' the beginning part of my title in this little area at the top of the page.  Again, it creates a subtle, but fun monochromatic look, by layering the like-colored chipboard letters over the patterned papers.


 
I am certain that you will see me sneaking these fun new dimensional embellishments onto my latest scrapbook pages over and over again!
 
Hope you'll pop on over to the Bella blog and see what beautiful creations the other designers have made with the crochet hearts!