Copycat Circles

Happy Friday!  Today I want to share a layout that was "scraplifted" from my inspiration journal.  

I recycle my magazines, but before I add them to the recycling pile, I rip out any pages that contain layouts or techniques that really spark my interest; these pages are then cut down and stapled into my inspiration notebook.  

I never scraplift entire pages though (seriously, it's way too stressful for me...I'm the same way with sketches, but we'll save that for another post!).  Usually one or two elements on a page catch my eye, and those elements I will then use as one of my layouts.

For today's layout, I was inspired by a page that contained a column of circles.  In today's video, I walk you through my process:

(You can hear my boys and cats in the background.  I really had to edit this one...my kitten kept jumping in front of the camera!)

Here's a close-up of the row of circles:

And one more time, here's the completed layout:

Do you keep an inspiration notebook?  Or do you pin all your favorite designs on Pinterest?  I actually do both.  ;)

Have a great weekend!  I'll see you next week!

Hand-Stitching 101

Today I'd like to share a little tutorial on hand-stitching.  Sometimes, I like the extra texture and home-made appeal of a hand-stitched word or pattern on my layouts.  For this layout, I wanted the word "heart" in the title to pop:

To create the hand-stitched word, I first found a font I liked (Kunstler Script) and printed it out on copier paper.

I then roughly cut out the word and placed it where I wanted the hand-stitching on my page:

Next, using a paper-piercer, I punched holes at roughly quarter- to eighth-inch intervals for my stitches:

Now, I could start stitching!  I used a variation of a backstitch for the letters.  Here is the work mid-progress:

A few minutes later, and I was finished!

In places where the paper was raised because of the needle, I used my fingernail to push it down and clean up the holes.

After adding a few letter stickers to finish up the title, I was done!

Depending on the size of your lettering or  pattern, hand-stitching may take some time, but I think it is well worth it.  And it's such an easy way to add something special to your project.

Happy Weekend!

I'm feeling loopy...

Happy Friday everyone!  Today I've got a video tutorial on how to make baker's twine embellishments for your pages.  These are so easy to make, and they turn out so cute!

Here's an example from a recent layout:

I think these may be some of the least expensive embellishments you can create...and all they take are baker's twine, craft glue, and some wax paper!  Watch the video for a complete tutorial (my kids were sleeping during the filming of the first half of the video, so my voice is quiet at the beginning):

Punches and Paper Piecing

Today I'm going to share a little home decor piece I made for my craft room.  My middle son and I share a very unpleasant trait...we're worriers.  Whenever my son starts worrying or stressing about something, I sing "Three Little Birds" by Bob Marley to him.  As an homage to "our" song, I put together this little piece:

I ended up using butterflies on my project because I had them on hand and they matched the paper I was using (it's "Fresh Goods" by Pebbles, an older line, but still one of my favorites).

This ended up being a really quick and easy project (my favorite kind!).  For most of the elements, I used punches that I already had on hand.  I used a Fiskars squeeze punch for the clouds:

I used a circle punch for the center of the sun, and then I cut out the rays freehand:

The grass was created by using a scallop border punch and then slightly bending back the curved edges:

To finish it up, I pulled out some OLD Making Memories Tiny Alphabet stickers and then outlined each word with a black journaling pen:

I then adhered the piece into a Fancy Pants "On Display" frame (remember those?) that was in my storage cabinet.  Quick, easy, and it makes me happy.  I call this one a winner.  :)