One+Sun=Fun

A few weeks ago, I came across a monthly challenge hosted by DCWV (Die Cuts with a View). I love challenges because they often give me that extra little push to get a layout or card finished, and often even challenge me to try something new!

In this case, I have had a layout sitting partially finished for over a year now!  Actually, if I’m being completely honest, “partially” is a bit of an overstatement.  The truth is that I had my paper pack chosen, my pictures mounted on white paper, and…well…that was about it!  Since the paper I had picked out was the super bright and cheerful Cotton Bloom Stack from DCWV, I used this as the little (???) kick in the rear that I needed!

So I grabbed the sketch that was provided for the challenge, and went for it!  Although the sketch was great as is, I decided to have a little fun and try turning it 90 degree clockwise!  It actually worked a bit better with my pictures (the emphasis changed a bit), to I stuck with it! This is actually a great tip if you are working with a sketch that just doesn’t quite fit for the project you are working on – try rotating or even flipping it and see what happens!  It took my brain a few minutes to comprehend where all the embellishments would be, but the fun thing about sketches is that anything goes – they really are just designed to be an inspirtation, not necessarily a specific map that cannot be changed or altered!

So with the help of some buttons, the Flower Shoppe Cricut cartridge, some Trendy Twine in Kraft,  and my handy-dandy- scissors for some fun fussy cutting (need some tips and tricks for handling fussy cutting???  Have I got a post for you!), One+Sun=Fun was created!

This was T on her first birthday enjoying some fun in the sun with her Oma and Opa!

Now, it kind of feels like a layout isn’t complete right now unless there is a little hidden element somewhere in there, so let’s see if you can spot the difference:

Oh wait, I’m not quite finished:

So, a little hidden spot to place some jounraling and an extra hidden tab for another picture and I was ready to clean up my scrappy space…just remember, clean is in the eye of the beholder!!  My goal was to try to create as much dimension as possible without having the elements stick up, and I think it was pretty successful!!  Oh, and I think I finally understand why banners seem to be all the rage right now – what an easy way to use up scraps and tie all of the colours together on your layout!  I think I see more banners in my future!

As for other things in my future, I think I will take on the July DCWV challenge as well for another layout I have had on the backburner for awhile!  How about you?  Care to join me?

Post #100!

I can hardly believe that I have finally hit post #100 here at Scrappy Canuck Studios!  In just about two years (with a little bit of a break during the first few months), I have had a lot of fun sharing project ideas and tutorials here on the blog.  Some of you have been with me on this journey right from the beginning – and to you I say – thank-you! There is nothing more encouraging than posting and knowing that there is actually someone out there reading what you have to say!

Pages 110 and 111!

The timing of this post is really great, because I have two fun layouts to share with you today, featuring each of my little gals, and inspired by Dr. Seuss.  I have been holding these ones back from sharing on the blog as they were both published in the newly released Summer 2012 edition of Canadian Scrapbooker!  It’s a huge honour to appear on CS’s pages, and to be able to have both layouts appear side by side is really beyond imagination.

Created with MME Quite Contrary, a few BasicGrey buttons and a bit of twine.

If you look closely, you can even see the “blinged out” dust speck, hanging out on the clover!

The first layout was inspired by a quote from the book Horton Hear’s a Who.  Horton is one of my favourite Seuss characters, and I thought the quote, “A person’s a person no matter how small” would be perfect to capture some of the first pictures we have of our youngest – little toes, little ears, little fingers!  The paper was all My Mind’s Eye Quite Contrary, with some alphas from Echo Park’s Life is Good collection.  The pompom “clover” was created with a bit of Twinery Twine, and the stem was simply free-hand cut and colored with my fabulous Copic markers.  And you will all be so proud of me – for once, I was able to create a layout in which the pictures were not “straight”

A few layers add a bit of dimension

A few layers add a bit of dimension

The second layout has become one of my favourites!  I love Dr. Seuss not only for his intriguing stories, but also for his whimsical illustrations. His style is so recognizable, and there is something about the “freeness” of his work that I enjoy looking at!  So, for the second layout, I wanted to try to emulate his style as best I could for a fun picture we have of our older daughter (her dad was using the pillow to make her hair stand on end, and stand on end it did).  Inspired by the quote, “From there to here, from here to there, funny things are everywhere,” I used an illustration from the book Mr. Bown Can Moo as a guide for the background.  All of the plant shapes were drawn and then cut out of Sassafras Nerdy Bird paper, and then layered one on top of the other.  I then took a my black Zig pen, and doodled away.  I fussy cut the letters for the title after printing a “Dr. Soos” font onto the patterned paper (I definitely could have used a Silhouette), and voila – a playful Dr. Seuss inspired page.

So, that’s it for post #100!  If you have a chance to pick up the latest Canadian Scrapbooker, you won’t be sorry!  There are some amazing layouts inside!

As always, thanks for stopping by – I really do appreciate it!!

So it’s been quiet here at the studio…

And I have an excuse!  My inlaws came into town for a visit, so I had to keep the scrappy space cleared off so we could actually eat meals at the table together (for those of you who don’t know, I am a kitchen table crafter – okay, maybe a full kitchen crafter).  And then came the little one’s Baptism – so the kitchen table still needed to stay clean.  And now – head colds!  All four of us at once!  I think my craftiness is stuffed up there somewhere in my sinuses – blah!

Actually, the story or the in-law visit reminded me of some fun news I have to share.  I have been sitting on a layout that I created over the summer because I received some fun news in September that it was being published! Canadian Scrapbooker sent me the good news, and now that they have published their Winter 2011/2012 edition, I can share the layout with all of you (especially those that might not be able to see the layout in the magazine).

A page created to help my in-laws celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary

I have to admit that I was a bit surprised the page was published – I often see so many details and embellishments on published pages, and this one is quite simple.  Some pretty paper, a bit of cardstock, some ribbon and ink and voila!

I love the dimension on the layered fussy cut paper

The page is created with12X12 K&Company Ancestry.com paper – two pages in fact.  I used one as the base for the page and fussy cut the gold detailing out on the second page to layer (here’s an interesting tip I learned – if you are layering on glittery paper, try using Glossy Accents as an adhesive – it’s so thick that it won’t soak into the glitter. YES! Another GA tip).  There is a hidden journaling tag behind the smaller picture that has a little message just for them.  And really, that’s it!  So if you happen to see the magazine, check out page 50!  You’ll see my very first published layout!

What do you think?

Happy Thanksgiving!

So, it is Thanksgiving here in Canada today!  The days are getting shorter, the weather is getting cooler, and you can definitely tell that snow is not far away (in fact, we can already see it out on the Rockies)!  It really is a neat time to think about the things that we are thankful for.  For me, my adorable and healthy family and extended family, a beautiful home, a job I love.

In celebration this day, I thought I would just take a quick minute to share with you a layout I created recently!  I used to work in a historical village, and we would pass the time between visitors to our house by learning traditional crafts.  My favourite house was a little sandstone building where I could sit by the old piano and learn how to hand quilt!  This little layout of my second daughter was inspired by those days in the sandstone house:

This paper just reminded me of beautiful fabric!

It’s a beautiful and simple “log cabin” design inspired by the quilting world!  Using some beautiful BasicGrey Origins paper, I created a 5X5″ design that I could use on a 12X12 sheet of paper.  It’s a great pattern you can try too!

Simply start by cutting some patterned paper into 1″ strips.  Choose your centre pattern, take one of your strips of paper and cut a 1″ square.  You now need to create the following strips in different patterns:

And a beautiful flower had to find a place on this page

• 3 – 1″X2″ strips
• 2 – 1″X3″ strips
• 3- 1″X4″ strips

Simply start from your center square and rotate your way around it using the next longest length.  When you finish, you will have a 5″X5″ square panel that you can add to a layout.  This could make a great pattern for a “baby” themed layout or card as well!  Hmmmm…maybe I need to check out a few more of the quilting patterns!

So, even if you are not celebrating Thanksgiving in your country today, remember to take some time to think about the blessings in your life!  Thanks for stopping by today and I would love to hear about the things in your life that you give thanks for!  Leave me a comment if you have a moment!

p.s. – I was playing with my circle punch and some scrap paper last night and created a bunch of different paper flowers!  Can’t wait to share them with you!  Stay tuned!