BODIE LIGHT

I can't believe it is September and I've done my first layout of our travels in 2011 - Talk about way, way behind!!! 

When I saw this file created by LisaJane, I knew I had to skip ahead and scrap this photo of the Bodie Lighthouse.

BODIE LIGHT - May 26, 2011 - Outer Banks, North Carolina

JOURNALING:  General Information - Bodie Lighthouse observation trail

PHOTOS:  Images by Shetzers Photography

SUPPLIES USED:  Lighthouse cut file by LisaJane at FileKutz, BasicGrey Granola and Basics White patterned paper, Stickles Waterfall glitter, Stampabilities Black ink, Tim Holtz Distress ink in Faded Jeans, Doodlebug Design paper frills in Lily White, Diamond Glaze, Sand paper, mini pop dots, Recollections mini round gems, Recollections faux pearls, Autumn Leaves For the Record journaling stamp, Tsukineko Goose Bumps, Cricut Expression, Sure Cuts a Lot software, Bernard MT Condense font

TECHNIQUE TIP:  This wonderful file from LisaJane at Filekutz matched the photo of me in front of the Bodie lighthouse so well, that I knew that I just had to use it.  I wanted a fairly simple layout in terms of patterned paper but wanted to recreate the comotion that is always found near the seashore with breaking waves and lots of birds.  I decided to cut out several extra birds and waves from the cut file and re-create a seashore on this page.  A little glitter and diamond glaze to mimic the water and a little round gem to mimic the light in the lighthouse and I was all set.

WONDER

WONDER - May 4, 2010 - Zion National Park, Utah

JOURNALING:  To get to our campsite in Springdale, we had to drive through the tunnel.  It was a tight fit

SUPPLIES USED: National Park paper, Best Occasions paper, K&Co Boy Scouts title

TECHNIQUE TIP:  I don't know about you, but I love to buy the most unique patterned paper but then I struggle with how to use it because "I don't want to cover it up".  Anyone else ever had that problem?  Well, this paper had a great map of Zion National Park that I wanted to use as my background, but I wanted to leave a large portion of it visible so I decided to only add two other more solid looking papers and create an interesting weave pattern to it to add some texture and dimension.  I didn't want my title "floating" on the layout, so I anchored it by placing a round journaling tag behind the O.  A couple of ribbons and butterflies on my solid paper and I accomplished my goal of having the majority of my patterned paper visible on my completed layout.

UTAH BOUND

UTAH BOUND - May 2010 - Utah

JOURNALING:  May totals:  2,912 miles in 45+ hours of driving

SUPPLIES USED:  K&Co Road Trip papers and embellishments

TECHNIQUE TIP:  There are times when a scrapbook page does not need any photos at all to tell a story, but a map and good journaling will do the trick.  On this layout, I wanted to show an overview of our trip from the very southern tip of Texas all the way into Utah and its beautiful National Parks.  The K&Company Road Trip paper and embellishments were a perfect match for this travel themed layout.  The background paper that I used was very busy so I needed lots of "white" space to come from my embellishments.  A very simple daily calendar sheet and colorful but simple title helped add interest without making it too busy.  A small map to outline our journey took the place of where I would normally put a photo - Don't be afraid to substitute maps and other memoribillia for spots normally reserved for photographs.

TOURIST

TOURIST - May, 3, 2010 - Flagstaff, Arizona

JOURNALING:  We overnighted in Flagstaff, AZ at a Camping World with hopes of getting our leaky slide fixed before we headed North.  They found the problem but could not fix it.

SUPPLIES USED:  Postcard, Papers & Embellishments by Best Occasions

TECHNIQUE TIP:  Sometimes I just don't have the right picture for a layout or I know that I just want a layout that is geared more towards journaling.  In those cases, I visit a couple gift shops and look for a postcard that gives a great overview of the place or thing that I'm visiting.  Don't forget that postcards and other gift shop items make great central elements or embellishments on your pages, not everything has to come from the scrapbook aisle in your local store.

WE'RE OFF

WE'RE OFF - May 2, 2010 - South Padre Island, Texas

JOURNALING: Pinkie's outfit here was actually a dog's outfit.  Sandie surprised us one day!  Although we have really enjoyed our stay in South Padre Island, it is time to start the trek north.  We left early on May 2 and drove over 700 miles to overnight in a rest area just east of Van Horn, Texas. 

SUPPLIES USED:  Roam papers by K&Co, Cricut Expression, SCAL basic shapes, Flamingo svg file, Vellum letters for title, Journaling cards

TECHNIQUES TIPS:  For those of you who don't know me well, you may not know that besides my hubby and myself, we have a pink flamingo, Pinkie, that travels with us across North America.  I can't say enough how much I love my Cricut and use it at least once on almost 95% of my layouts.  I wanted this layout to showcase our silly travel companion and an even sillier outfit that a fellow camper dressed her in.  I did not have a flamingo embellishment so I set out to look for one on the internet for a svg file that I could create my own flamingo. 

LARGE ANIMAL RESEARCH STATION

LARGE ANIMAL RESEARCH STATION (LARS) - July 10, 2010 - Fairbanks, Alaska

JOURNALING:  We walked around the L.A.R.S. to view all the animals

PHOTOGRAPHS:  Angela Shetzer of Shetzers Photography

SUPPLIES USED:  Bazzill Black cardstock, DCWV World Traveler patterned paper, Bazzill stitch templates, Stampabilities Black Ink, Fiskars Threading water border punch, American Crafts precision pen in Black, Tsukineko Goose Bumps, Sketch by Template Tuesday on JessicaSprague.com, Magnets, Floss

TECHNIQUE NOTES:  I think stitching is a great addition to almost any page and its well worth the increased time it takes to do the layout.  For this layout, I started off with the Bazzill stitch template for the long stitched border on the right.  As much as I love the designs for the Bazzill templates, I always feel that they are a bit blocky and produce an uneven stitch.  To fix this, I start by punching the template onto my paper and then when all done with the template, I go back and punch a hole in the middle of two template holes.  The result is a much smaller stitch and smoother lines especially on curves. 

Don't be afraid to modify your templates and add your own personal touch to your pages.

Here is the original sketch that this layout is based off of.  Please visit JessicaSprague.com for more great templates and great challenges.

LETS GO FLY A KITE

LETS GO FLY A KITE - April 30, 2010 - South Padre Island, Texas

JOURNALING: Ted gets a kite flying lesson from Matt. 

SUPPLIES USED: Font: Lucida Calligraphy, Roam papers by K&Co, K&Company Handmade paper ribbon (buttons), File folder svg shape, Cricut Expression, Sure Cuts A Lot (SCAL) software

TECHNIQUE TIP:  Probably my most common comment on scrapbook page layout design is that I hate to see white edges on anything.  You will see that about 95% of the edges of my photos, embellishments and papers have been either inked or painted to give them some dimension and to get rid of those white edges.  In this layout I decided that I didn't want to mat my smaller photos, but a liberal coating of dark brown paint gave them a faux matting and also got rid of those dreadful white edges.  In this example I used a large foam paint brush and dabbed paint all around the edges to soften the hard lines of this linear layout and add some interesting texture.

Snowy Commute

I finally finished my Bald Eagle album from last year in Haines, Alaska.  This is the final page for the album.

SNOWY COMMUTE- November 24, 2010 - Haines, Alaska

JOURNALING: During a snow storm, this Bald Eagle takes flight.

PHOTOS: Bald Eagle images by Shetzers Photography

SUPPLIES USED: Based on June 1 page sketch by SketchSupport.com, Patterned Papers from DCWV's Lodge pack, Diamond Glaze, EZ Dots adhesives, Stampabilities ink (Brown & Black), Brown ric rac ribbon, Dress It Up Tiny Wilderness button, Michaels Stud Embellishments, Epiphany Crafts Bubble Caps, Carolees Creations Tiny Worn retro Alpha, Hero Arts Circular Design Stamp, Studio G Snowflake stamp, Kaiser Craft Grid stamp, Tim Holtz Antique Linen distress ink

TECHNIQUE TIP: When I saw this beautiful paper from DCVW, I knew I had to use it on my last layout of the Haines Bald Eagles. The silver stampiing into the paper with the wing patterns matched the natural woodsy mood that I wanted for this layout. A minimum of embellishments helps both the paper and the wonderful photo stand out to showcase our national bird.

Alaska Pipeline

ALASKA PIPELINE - July 10, 2010 - Fairbanks, Alaska

JOURNALING:  We drove north of Fairbanks to visit an elevated section of pipeline.

PHOTOGRAPHS:  Matt & Angela Shetzer of Shetzers Photography {http://www.shetzers.com}

SUPPLIES USED:  Bazzill Black cardstock, DCWV World Traveler patterned paper, BasicGrey Basics white patterned paper, Cricut Expression with My World and Hey Dude cartridges, SCAL software with svg border cut, CK Deco Font, Recollections Boutique Fleur Gems, Black Diamond Stickles, Ranger Black Enamel, Doodlebug Designs Paper Frills in Black and Ladybug, Stampabilities Black ink

TECHNIQUE NOTES:  I'm not really an "industrial" look scrapper, but the hard cold steel of the pipeline in my photos just called out for that type of a layout.  I started out with a plain sheet of black cardstock for my background and added some grey patterned paper that I cut scalloped edges on to mimic the round pipeline.  I cut out pieces of an informational flyer that I had picked up and "saved" to add some interesting facts about the pipeline.  I then cut a few oil related pieces from some cricut cartridges and added some Black Diamond Stickles and Ranger's Black enamel as some imitation oil drops and I was all finished. 

Don't forget that not all photos have to be in a predetermined size such as 4 x 6.  My larger pipeline worked great as a panoramic as the sky and grass did not add much but a very long pipeline captured the feeling of the seemingly neverending pipeline.

SEA TURTLES

SEA TURTLES - April 30, 2010 - South Padre Island, Texas

JOURNALING: Ted visited us from April 29 to May 2.  We visited Sea Turtles, Inc who care for the Kemp's Ridley Sea turtle.  Pictured here is Gerry, a 30 year old Atlantic Green Sea turtle, who can weight up to 600 pounds. 

SUPPLIES USED:  Font: Lucida Calligraphy, Roam paper by K&Co, Wild Raspberry borders by K&Co, Cricut Expression, Sure Cuts A Lot (SCAL), shell shape svg

TECHNIQUE TIP:  The font of Lucida Calligraphy is one of my favorites so I wanted to use it in larger size for the title of this layout.  As with many fonts, one of the issues is that it is quite skinny and my Cricut doesn't always handle it too well.  I decided to weld together the letter using my SCAL software and that made the letters stand up well to the cutting.  A little bit of black ink in places and I have the perfect title.

For more examples of layouts using borders such as these by K&Company, click HERE.

The Sunny Side of Life

I wanted a very simple but colorful layout to showcase our wonderful sunset photos. The papers chosen in this layout were chosen to compliment and help paint the mood of the photos. The sand textured background paper paired with a bright orange paper that is bordered by the black core'dinations strip mimics the silhouetted lines that you see in the main photo.

THE SUNNY SIDE OF LIFE - April 2010 - South Padre Island, Texas

JOURNALING: N/A 

SUPPLIES USED:  Stamped Cricut Cartridge for all letters of title, Tahiti Stack by DCWV. Core'dinations Black Magic papers, Fiskars paper crimper

Moment

I wanted this layout to really emphasize the two completely opposite photos of my husband, from hard at play to hard at sleeping.  I decided to use a sepia tone on the photos to make them similar so they seemed to fit together.  It was distracting to use a very colorful beach photo with a very bland inside photo so this seemed to be the best alternative to making the photos fit well together.  A cute flowered paper and some additional flowers all around made this a very quick and easy layout.  

MOMENT - April 2010 - South Padre Island, Texas 

JOURNALING: Matt had a great day of kiteboarding and was so exhausted when he got home that he fell asleep in the chair. 

SUPPLIES USED:  Stamped Cricut cartridge, Tahiti Stack by DCWV, EK Success corner rounder, Various flowers & gems, Inking on papers, Photo edges are painted with brown paid

Camp More Work Less

Camp More Work Less - Wow, this was definitely our theme as we left a very hectic month of packing all our belongings into storage, finishing up work, renting our homes and stocking an RV for a two+ year trip.



Camp More Work Less - April 3, 2010 - South Padre Island, Texas

JOURNALING: We arrived on South Padre Island on April 3. We would spend the next 4 weeks relaxing on the beach & kiteboarding.

SUPPLIES USED: Travel Stack by DCWV, K&Company paper ribbon, Cricut Stamped Cartridge, K&Company dimensional stickers

TECHNIQUE TIP:  I love using tags on my layouts for journaling (as you can see), but I wanted to start using them in different ways so I created this title using layered tags.  The tags and their bottom layers were cut on my Cricut Expression using the Stamped cartridge.  I love this cartridge and the irregular lines that it gives to the letters.  For more examples of layouts using tags in various ways, please visit my techniques for tags online gallery.

Another tip is that even though this is not a double page layout, when I open my scrapbook, this pages faces the one I posted yesterday (see post below).  I wanted some sense of congruency between the pages so I utilized the same patterned paper in both to unify the two single page layouts and complete the mood.

Our Trip

Sorry that I have been MIA for a bit, but we've been traveling quite a bit over the past few weeks. We have made the drive from South Padre Island, Texas, all the way to Asheville, North Carolina so I haven't had any scrapping time at all! :-(

The following is a layout from our time last year on South Padre Island in Texas.  To see more layouts from the Texas areas, visit my online gallery here.

Click on image for full size viewing

Our Trip - April 2010 - South Padre Island, Texas

JOURNALING: April 3 arrive.  April 29-30 Ted's visit.  May 1 Depart

SUPPLIES USED:  Travel Stack by DCWV, K&Company embellishments, Tim Holtz Distress Ink

TECHNIQUE TIP:  I wanted to convey the overall beach and palm tree theme throughout this layout, but didn't have one set of papers or embellishments that I thought worked.  I combined both DCWV and K&Company to come up with the perfect themed layout.  Don't be afraid to mix and match manufacturers.

FileKutz first Sketch Challenge with FREE SVG

I am excited to announce the first sketch challenge by FileKutz Design's.  Lisa Jane is offering this freebie file of a Swirl Background DOWNLOAD IT HERE {Password is: iagreetouswirl} and the only rule is you must use it, or part of it on your card, layout or project.

To play along, just post your sketch project to your blog or gallery, then include a link in the InLinkZ form at the bottom of the Design Team Blog. The winner will be chosen on May 9th, so you have just a little over two weeks to work on your idea!! The winner will win 5 free files of there choice from ANY of Filekutz Design's. You can see all of LisaJane's design's between these two places HERE and HERE. To qualify for the prize drawing, have your layout, card or project linked here by noon EST on Monday, May 9.

To be in with a chance of winning this awesome prize, here's this weeks sketch for you to use in your entries...

 

Here is a picture of the Cut File offered for this challenge:

How about some samples to jump-start your creativity? Here's what our fabulous Design Team have made this week!

These are the Moments

This is probably my favorite photo of my youngest brother, his wife and my adorable niece.  However, the conversion of the photos to Sepia was not an accident.  While the photos of the faces of all three were wonderful in both photos, the backgrounds were awful.  For example, in the one of my niece laughing, the background contained a purple cat house, not all that appealing.  I recolored the photos and blurred the backgounds to give more focus on the facial expressions that tell the story!!!

For more ideas on how to get rid of those square photo corners, check out my PHOTO CORNERS GALLERY HERE.  Here the rounded corners add just a hint of softness that helps convey the feelings captured in the photos.

These are the Moments - March 22, 2010 - Joplin, Missouri

JOURNALING: N/A- I decided not to journal on this layout because the clear epoxy quote sticker conveyed the perfect sentiment.

SUPPLIES USED: George & Basic Shapes Cricut Cartridge, Graphically Speaking Cricut Cartridge, Jasmine Cricut Cartridge, Mirabelle by The Paper Studio

Road Trip

I mentioned a couple of days ago that we were traveling in our fifth wheel across North America, well this layout is the start of the whole trip.  We were leaving Colorado (our home) and just crossing into Kansas on I70 heading to my family in Missouri.  I snapped this photo of Matt driving the truck and fifth wheel in front of me.  I was driving my car to leave it at my sisters home in southwest Missouri.  Considering that the truck started with 6,923 miles when this photo was taken and now has over 32,000 miles on it, I think we've been on the go this past year. 

Road Trip - March 21, 2010 - Road Trip - Kansas

For more layouts featuring vellum as a supply, please visit my gallery.  On this layout, the travel quote was on vellum that I affixed over the inside punchout of the frame (around the photo).  No waisting supplies here.

JOURNALING: I70 on the Kansas border. We left Colorado to start our RV adventure. 6,923 miles on the truck's odometer.

SUPPLIES USED: K&Co - Road Trip patterned paper and embellishments

Gotta Scrap

I am always amazed at how much "stuff" that we scrapbookers accumulate.  Here, my sister and I have "stuff" spread out over two huge tables as we got together for a scrapping weekend.  Since we live in different states, we don't get to do this very often so its always very special memories when we do.

Gotta Scrap - January 20, 2010 - Silverthorne, Colorado

For more layout examples using transparencies, please visit my Gallery.  I loved being able to call attention to my beautiful sister using the cute white doodled transparency frame.

JOURNALING: Laura flew into Denver on Jan 20 for a scrapping weekend. We were joined by Monica & Britney at the condo.

PHOTOS: By Angela Shetzer of Shetzers Photography - Converted to black & white using Photoshop

SUPPLIES USED: Fiskars border punch, My Minds Eye - Complete Boy patterned papers, Plantin Schoolbook Cricut Cartridge, Transparency Photo Frame, Epoxy Stickers

SUNRISE FLIGHT

I wanted this layout to be very simple and to concentrate on the beautiful sunrise image. When I found LisaJane's Evergreen border, I knew that I had to use it to enhance this layout. I choose a single set of trees and cut them out in various colors and then placed them throughout the layout.

TECHNIQUE TIP:  Using the same embellishments three times in this layout creates a visual triangle that helps move the readers eyes through the layout and pulls it all together. The natural fiber paper provides a great base for the trees and definitely mimics the rugged Alaskan coastline where this photo was shot.

SUNRISE FLIGHT - November 24, 2010 - Haines, Alaska

JOURNALING: As the slow winter sun rises, this eagle and Matt were treated to a beautiful orange glow.

PHOTOS: Bald Eagle images by Matt Shetzer of Shetzers Photography

SUPPLIES USED: Evergreen Border SKU: LK00265 by LisaJane at Filekutz, Sketch by Becky Fleck Page Maps 2 book (page 60), The Paper Studio Affinity cardstock, The Paper Company Kraft cardstock, K&Company Julianne patterned paper and journal tag, Stampabilities Brown ink, Tim Holtz Spiced Marmalade distress ink, Font: My Own Topher, Handmade paper, Doodlebug Design Paper frills, JudiKins textile cube stamp

Here is a photo of the complete set of Evergreen Borders that is available for purchase at FileKutz. I used the third set in this layout.

Waiting for the Fight

I always struggle with journaling right on my layout but I took the plunge on this page and was quite happy with the results.  As I almost always finish my layout with my journaling, I guess I am afraid that I'll mess up an otherwise complete layout.  My Ah Ha moment was that if I mess it up or spell something wrong, then all I need to do is to put some type of journaling tag over it.  Problem solved!!!

For examples of more scrapbook layouts using ribbon and fibers, please visit my online gallery HERE.

WAITING FOR THE FIGHT - October 31, 2010 - Haines, Alaska

JOURNALING: A third Bald Eagle waits patiently as two others fight over the salmon on the Chilkat River in Haines, Alaksa.

PHOTOS: Bald Eagle images by Shetzers Photography

SUPPLIES USED: BasicGrey Porcelain patterned paper, Kraft cardstock, Bazzill Just the Edges, Sketch by PageMaps2 page 29, JudiKins Textile Cube and Treasure Cube stamp, Ranger Distress Ink in Frayed Burlap and Fired Brick, Font Daisy Regular, EK Success punch, Making Memories Kraft words, Fiskars Scallop scissors