Scrapbook Sunday - Summer Splash

Here's a summer page to get you feeling warm.  I'm not sure why I didn't get a picture of the entire page when I photographed this a couple of weeks ago, but you can get an idea of the layout.  I'm not thrilled with the pictures with Christian and Kent because of the shade.  However, I wanted that interaction in the layout.

The background paper is a blue and green dot vellum over a green patterned paper.  I like the pictures to have some progression in a layout because it seems to tell a better story.  Here, Christian was giggling about getting into the water, but eventually did and even trusted his dad to float on his back.  I loved using the "tape" on the pictures - great product!  The letters are stenciled and cut (when I had time to do that type of thing!).  They are outlined and layered over blue gingham ribbon so they pop a little more.  My favorite part of this layout is Christian's expression.  I miss that baby - he is 11 tomorrow (Monday).

Happy birthday baby boy.

cindy

Scrapbook Sunday - DIY Easter Place Cards

So far on Scrapbook Sunday I've been showing completed pages I have done, but today I couldn't wait to show you some place cards I made several years ago for Easter.  I think I found this idea in Family Fun magazine.  They are a great example of paper piecing:

These are not too hard to make, although they take a bit of time.  Hopefully, you are not having too many people to Easter dinner - I had 12 that year :)

You need scrapbook paper in two solid colors, one in a patterned color and some white for Mr. Bunny.  You also need vellum paper, brads, a little ribbon and some 3-dimensional adhesives - like sticky foam squares.

Because I made these several years ago, for this tutorial I used slightly different colors.  First cut your card (background paper) into 3"x 5 1/2" rectangles and fold in half.  If you have a scoring tool, this will make your fold cleaner.

Next, cut your front square in a contrasting color.  Mr. Bunny will sit on this square.  I used pastel green because it matched my china pattern.  Cut the squares 2 1/2"square.

Next cut the patterned paper in a rectangle about 2 1/2" x 1".  This will be the background for your vellum name.  I used a pink gingham, but you can use any pattern.  

Now comes the part that many might find intimidating but it's pretty easy.  Take the white paper and draw a head (like a fat pear), two ears and two fat feet (look like elongated circles).  You might want to start by drawing them, but once you feel comfortable, you can probably cut them without patterns.  Remember, each Mr. Bunny is unique.

Next, draw two big dot eyes close together, a long skinny pink nose, a little line below the nose and whiskers on the face.  You also need to draw paw makers.

Using your computer's printer, pick a fun font and print the names of your guests on an 8 1/2 x 11 piece of vellum.  A thicker, paper weight vellum does great in a printer.  Once you print all the names, cut them in rectangles just a little smaller than the patterned paper.  Get some tiny ribbon and tie little bows.  Add a little hot glue drop if you are nervous about the bows coming apart.  Now you are ready to piece.

Start with the background paper and glue the square onto the front half.  Place each piece of Mr. Bunny on top of the paper, with the head on top of the ears and feet.  You may want to use a 3 dimensional adhesive to make Mr. Bunny pop (or in his case, hop).  You will want his feet to slightly overlap the patterned paper and his ears to stick up above the fold.  A pair of tweezers will help immensely.

Now you want to layer the patterned paper (in purple above) over the green and then the vellum with the name over the patterned paper.  You are going to hold them together with metal brads.  (Here's a bonus tutorial on how to apply a brad.)  A brad is a small piece of metal you drive through your paper to attach papers in a decorative way, or, in this case, attach a piece of vellum.  It's very hard to glue vellum without it showing.  I also like brads because they come in a variety of colors.  On my sample I used a pastel green brad, but here I'll show metal brads.

That long silver thing is a brad tool.  Notice that the end is not flat, but has a tiny point that you insert in the brad to hammer it.  PLEASE make sure to use a hard surface when using a brad tool - the harder the better (granite countertops, tile floors, heavy wood furniture) - AND a self healing mat (or plastic cutting board in a pinch) under the papers.  If you don't, you WILL have a mark in your surface underneath the papers. Use a hammer to tap the brad tool down, pushing the brad through the papers you want to hold together.  Holding the brad in place, flip the paper over and you should see the shaft of the brad sticking up from the papers, like this:

Take the same brad tool and insert it over this side of the brad and pound it down.  It will force the brad shaft to spread, "grabbing" the paper.  (I would show a photo, but the truly despicable photo hosting website, PHOTOBUCKET, is holding my photos hostage until I pay a hosting fee.)

You've done it!

Your guests will be so impressed at your craftiness and that you cared enough to make beautiful place cards.  Depending on the colors you pick with your dinnerware and tablecloth, they can also make an attractive addition to your table.

Happy Easter!

cindy

Scrapbook Sunday - Easter 2003

This was an easy page to put together.  It was part of a two page spread.  (My son was on one page and the rest of the family was on the other :)

This page was a combination of some really funky paper someone gave me and traditional paper cutouts.  I used foam adhesives with the cutouts for a three dimensional look.  I was surprised at how well the traditional pastel greens and blues matched the funky paper.  The pastels also coordinated with Christian's outfit, which was one of the reasons I used them.

Again, I like to focus on individual subjects (Christian was definitely that in many layouts).  I was also happy with the different sizes of pictures, with a larger picture and a couple of smaller related pictures.

Notice my son is about 2 in these pictures.  He's now almost 11.  I keep thinking that doing Scrapbook Sunday is going to get me to start scrapbooking again.  I'm still waiting for that to happen :)

cindy

Scrapbook Sunday - Superstar

I haven't done a Scrapbook Sunday for a while, mostly because I'm too tired on a Sunday night to put it together.  I swear sometime I'm going to get the pictures done during the day so I have better light.  Oh well, on with the Superstar.

This is a page I did for my guy when he was about 2 (my little dude will be 11 in April).  I like doing pages like this - a single subject without an event.  Sometimes these little opportunities come along.  Christian just found some sunglasses and beads and he just did his thing.

The page was pretty simple because I wanted to keep the focus on the subject and not a bunch of fancy stuff.  I used some paper letters and glued each one on the page.

I love mats.  I have a hard time doing a layout without them, mostly because I cut my pictures in squares or rectangles.  These mats were plain blue on green (to match the background paper).

I also used brads to attach the pictures (can you tell I also like brads?)

Sorry for the fuzzy pictures.  I miss those chubby cheeks and how serious he was about everything.  I had (have) the cutest boy!

cindy

Scrapbook Sunday

It's been several weeks since I did a Scrapbook Sunday.  I picked a page from Mackenzie's book.  I wanted to use black and white pictures and I thought the blues would be an interesting combination.

Sorry for the blurriness, but I had a hard time taking these.  The mats are doubled (cream on navy blue).  I really like that technique for framing pictures.

The sayings are ripped vellum sayings with blue chalk brushed on the edges.  I liked them because they describe all the possibilities for my baby.  I then used buttons with adhesives and a ribbon across the corner with printed letters.

She's 8 now and she is different and so much more.

cindy

Scrapbook Sunday

I'm enjoying this look back at holidays in my scrapbooks.  This layout was from 2002.  By this time I was creating some of the best pages I think I have created.

I did a lot of layering and patterned paper.  I also cut out all those letters and the waves of construction paper behind them.

The best part of this layout was the poem I created based on "The Night Before Christmas".  Hopefully, you can read it below.  It was pretty clever if I say so myself :)

By the way, Christian did get his Chicken Dance Elmo.

cindy

Scrapbook Sunday

After spending time recently at the Phoenix Scrapbook Cottage, I realized how much I missed scrapbooking.  I tried to chronicle my kids, but am only up to the summer of 2003 (my daughter was born in 2003).  I have a lot to do.  I thought I would start Scrapbook Sundays as a way to inspire myself by looking at one layout I've done in the past.

For this first Scrapbook Sunday, I went back to 2001 right when I started scrapbooking.  My sister got me started with Making Memories materials.  I have always worked in 12x12, but in those days I worked directly on the white page.

Back then I liked to cut pictures in circles and ovals.  I like the side borders and use of a stencil to create an area to journal.  The little tiny marks on the page were put there by me.  I don't remember knowing about patterned paper then.

The stickers were big for me then too.

This is from my son's baby scrapbook and the idea was to show him what our life was like when he arrived.  Although I wouldn't want to show all the pages, I'm still pretty happy with some pages, both for content and appearance.

 

cindy