LOAD213 Starts Today!

Posted on February 1, 2013 by daydesigns

I can finally tell you a secret that I’ve been keeping since November … Lain asked me to contribute 7 layouts for LOAD213!! I know, right? Me?! How cool is that?! Love that lady!!

As you read this I am relaxing in an all-inclusive resort in Mexico so at time of publication (doesn’t that sound posh!) I don’t know exactly what Lain’s prompt for today will be. The prompt I was given was to create a page with no words.

Huh?

I gave it some thought and finally came up with the idea of using symbols to communicate rather than words. While searching for pictures to use I realized that the easiest symbol for me would be hearts. Most of my pictures are of my girls and (as much as they drive me crazy!) I love them to death! So, this is what I did.

Can you feel the love? 
I started by applying pink paint over a laser-cut heart sheet (from my stash!) to create the back ground image of hearts. You can’t tell but I knew I’d be placing my picture and everything in the middle so I only painted around the edges. While the paint was drying I used my Big Shot and my Heart Framelits (from Stampin’ Up) to cut out a pile of hearts from scraps of pink patterned papers. All the papers were just from my scrap drawer – love that drawer! I purposefully made some hearts solid and some with cut out hearts inside them. That way I could mix and match them while laying them out on my page.
When it came time to lay everything out I kind of went a little heart crazy! I wanted to surround the picture with the hearts – over, under, beside, you name it. And I wanted to try not to have any hearts with the same pattern next to each other. 
Here are some detail shots for you.

I added some doodling around the heart stencil to further emphasize it.

I found heart shaped gems and sprinkled them around as well as filling this little heart cut out with red and pink sequins (an old Martha Stewart set).

I even embossed some of the card stock papers – this one has a wood grain pattern.
Well, there you have it. My first commissioned work! Hope this helps kick off LOAD213 with a bang! Thanks for stopping by today … now back to the beach for me! I’ll see you on the message boards when I get back!

Posted in layout, LOAD, LOAD213 | Comments Off on LOAD213 Starts Today!

Altered Candy Tins for Practical Scrappers

Posted on January 30, 2013 by daydesigns
Today on the Practical Scrappers Blog we are sharing some of our altered items with you. Last April I made this to hold all my Stampin’ Write markers.
I used an empty Poppy Cock tin and some of my Stampin’ Up! supplies. I’m not sure why, but it never made it to my SU blog. Oh well, you are seeing it now! When the call came down for some altered items I was immediately reminded of this tin and I set out to make more.
Here they are in progress. As I was reorganizing my scrap supplies I recognized the need for better storage solutions for some of my supplies. Washi tape being one of them. I love that I can now take this tin to my desk or the dining room table or put the lid on it (the lids for all these containers are on the bottom in case I need them) and take it to a crop. One other thing that I find I collect a lot of but forget to use because they get buried, are extra shapes I’ve punched. The tin above labelled ’embellishments’ is where the majority of these will go now.
Here’s a look at my process.

I took the Almond Roca tin above  and covered it with a piece of scrap paper.

Then I punched some borders and attached them, layering some washi tape on top and a row of washi around the bottom too.
The addition of a pre-cut, pre-sticky fabric flower (found in my ’embellishments’ tin!) and some alphabet stickers and I’ve now got a handy place to put all my extra flower embellishments. I seem to collect a lot of flowers!

Here they are all finished. I’ve now got handy places for my extra chipboard pieces, washi tape, embellishments, markers and flowers.
See? 
Thanks for stopping by today. How do you store your extra bits? I’d love to hear about them in the comments section.

Posted in Altered Items, Practical Scrappers | Comments Off on Altered Candy Tins for Practical Scrappers

Let’s Get Sketchy – Last January Sketch

Posted on January 28, 2013 by daydesigns
Welcome to the last January reveal for Let’s Get Sketchy. You know what that means right? If you are at all interested in the $40 GC from Artful Delight then you’ve got to get those layouts submitted! To be eligible you need to have submitted to at least 3 of the 4 challenges. This week it was Team B’s turn to wow us (hope you’ve checked out the blog for their versions of the sketch this week) but I am playing along too. Here’s the sketch we are working with –  it’s a gorgeous one from our very own Bev Code.

And here’s what I did with it.

Last year I scrapped a picture of Marley at 4 – they were both taken at the same time so this is me “catching up”so to speak! I was hoping to post a link to the other one but I can’t find it anywhere and it’s among my lost photos now (hard drive blew up, remember?) Ah well. Doesn’t matter!
It’s amazing to me that Paige used to look like this! All chubby baby cheeks!! Sigh. They grow so fast!
Anyway, the orange swirly paper was one that I found during my inventory. It’s an old Theresa Collins that came in her Gratitude mini album set. (For some reason I have 2 of those sets! Guess I’d better get busy!!) There’s barely any orange in the picture of Paige but for some  reason when I put it underneath the photo it just felt so right! I’ve added a few highlights of pink to tie in the pink in her shirt and to keep it from feeling too “fall-like”.
Here are some close up shots for you.

I had a lot of fun creating this floral detail. It’s not my usual style but I really felt the sketch called for more than what I would normally do so … sometimes you’ve just got to step out of your own box!

Thanks for stopping by to check out my layout this week. Hope you will play along with us! Have a great week everyone!
Posted in layout, Let's Get Sketchy, Paige | 7 Comments

Pre-LOAD213 – Scrap Happier Blog Hop

Posted on January 25, 2013 by daydesigns

Hi everyone! Welcome to my little blog! Hopefully you are here for the Pre-LOAD213 Blog Hop and you have come from Heather’s blog … if not, head on back to her blog to start at the beginning. Although I suppose it doesn’t really matter if you start from the beginning, middle or end, just as long as you’re here and enjoy the Hop!

Some of my fellow Scrap Happy Sisters and I have decided to put on this Hop to get you in the mood for LOAD. Not familiar with LOAD? Well then, let me start by saying that LOAD stands for LayOut A Day and is run by our Scrap Happy Fearless Leader Lain Ehmann … or should I say our Scrap Happy Super Hero Lain? 🙂 (Little inside joke there!) She leads us through a month of creating one layout every day using (or not, whatever floats your boat) a different prompt each day. This will be my … 5th (had to stop and think!) LOAD. I have had various degrees of “success” completing a full LOAD but I’ve ALWAYS had fun!

And that’s what our theme is this time around … indirectly. Check this out.

Isn’t he a happy little guy? We are going to be Scrapping Happier next month!
How? Well, I’m glad you asked! When I said we will be creating one complete layout a day for 28 days some of you may have gasped and thought, how is that possible? I work full time, I have 6 kids, and a horse,  and a sick Auntie who I take daily meals to … No worries Mate!
Insert gratuitous Hugh Jackman picture here.
(Another inside joke!)
There is NO PRESSURE to “finish”. There are NO SCRAPBOOK POLICE patrolling the Flickr boards wondering where your layout for 2/13/13 is. There is NO WALL OF SHAME for those whose lives got “in the way” (gasp!) of scrapbooking (is that even possible?!) In short, THERE ARE NO RULES! 
Oh, I lied, there is one rule …. SCRAP HAPPY!

With that in mind, here are my top 5 tips on HOW TO SCRAP HAPPY DURING LOAD213.
1. Be prepared (see this post for my tips on getting prepped for LOAD). Short version, stock up on essentials.
2. Wake up every morning excited to watch a new video from Lain! Yay!! Is there a better way to greet the day than by hearing Lain’s voice?
3. Don’t forget to breathe. Once every few seconds should do the trick!
4. Put a small (or large, whatever makes you happier!) dish of your favourite candies next to your scrap table. If you need a pick me up, a shot of energy or just something that makes your tongue sing happy songs, then ingest one or two (handfuls) of the aforementioned candy and carry on scrapping.
5. DON’T PANIC! And if you are about to panic because your dog just ate the picture you were going to use that went perfectly with the prompt Lain gave and the piece of Authentique paper you smuggled home past your husband’s watchful gaze, then STOP … BREATHE … and Google images of Hugh!
I hope I have got you to laugh today. Maybe while you’re laughing you’ll remember that in the end this is supposed to be an enjoyable hobby for us all. Don’t take it or yourself too seriously and I know you will scrap happier!
Thanks for stopping by today. Now head on over to Dani’s blog for some more ScrapHappier advice! If you’re not signed up for LOAD yet (and why not, may I ask?!) you can go to Lain’s site and see if there are any spots left. You won’t be sorry!! See you in February!!

If you get lost along the way, here is a list of all the participants today. Have fun!!

Heather Dubarry: http://noexcusescrapbooking.com

Julie Shepler: www.sheplerfamily.com

Kristie Sloan: http://kristiesloan.com/blog/

Katrina Forman: http://k84mansramblings.blogspot.com

Jessica Baldwin: www.inkyaddict.com
Oh, and if you liked the tone of this blog post, or you just want to know why I keep showing you pictures of Hugh Jackman, you may like being a part of our ScrapHappy community. We are pretty much like this 24/7 on the message boards. Funny, irreverent, sassy and extremely helpful!

See you on the message boards!

Posted in LOAD, LOAD213, ScrapHappy | 16 Comments

So, Just What is S.W.A.T?

Posted on January 23, 2013 by daydesigns

A few days ago I posted to my Facebook page that I was asked to be a member of the design team for a BRAND NEW challenge blog called S.W.A.T (Scrap Warriors Advanced Training). We are spending the last couple weeks of January introducing ourselves before the first official challenge kicks off on February 2nd.

Today is my turn … you can pop over to the SWAT blog for my bio – if you’re a follower of mine then you probably know it all already! While you’re over there be sure to start following the blog and our FB page so you won’t miss out on any of the challenges. Each designer is sharing 3 of their favourite projects and while the pictures of the projects are included in my intro, I thought maybe a little background on why they are my favourites would be nice. A little context goes a long way!

My first favourite is this layout I did of my 3 girls – they are definitely my favourite scrapping subjects!!

In July of 2011 I became a Demonstrator for Stampin’ Up! so this was created to showcase some of the products in a catalogue that was coming out. If you’re interested in seeing detail shots you can visit my old SU blog by clicking here. Sometimes our vision meets our needs in an extremely pleasing manner. This was one of those times. I loved the colour combination. I loved how fun the giant accordion rosette was. I loved the way my title turned out and of course, I loved this picture of my girls. In fact, I loved this so much that I framed it and it sits on my kitchen windowsill … see …
(The small tile in front is an encaustic tile I made at a class offered by my store – The Upstart Crow. If you are local and crafty, you’ve got to check out their calendar of classes! I may even get to teach some eventually!)
My second favourite project led to a discovery. Here’s the layout.
It was made during LOAD1012 and the prompt was (I think) to use a wood grain or wood element. I didn’t have one that I felt went with the photos I wanted to use, so I made one! This was a regular piece of kraft card stock that I added white paint onto using a 1.5″ foam roller. To get the wood grain lines I used a combination of a piece of cardboard – separated to show the inner folds – and the end of a paint brush. Here is the paper before adding the pictures etc.

My home made wood grain patterned paper
I have since used this same technique to tone down a particularly bright piece of orange card stock.
LOAD1012-11 Picking the Perfect Pumpkin

Pretty cool, eh? Next time you’re faced with a garish colour of paper, try putting a paint wash over top! You may be pleasantly surprised at the effect you discover.

My third favourite was a set of cards I made for a class I was promoting during my Stampin’ Up days. I’m not the biggest card maker but every now and then I do enjoy the challenge of making cards. I find it a challenge anyway! Here are the cards.

I realize you can’t see all the cards in this picture very well and if you’re really interested in close ups of them all then please visit my Flickr Gallery here. Why are these a favourite project? Well, I put a lot of time and thought into these cards and I was really pleased with how they turned out. In fact, I think I will be sending them to my kids PAC as a part of a silent auction item for our Parent Dance next month. Assuming I still have them all that is!
Well, thanks for stopping by to check me out! I am looking forward to working with the talented set of designers Lanette has put together and to seeing what you guys come up with!

Posted in SWAT | 1 Comment

Your Story Matters: Winners of the Blog Hop

Posted on January 22, 2013 by daydesigns

Congratulations to the three winners of our “Your Story Matters” blog hop! We had hundreds of entries, but these three random winners were chosen to receive a FREE copy of “Your Story Matters:”
Lori Horvatt! (from SassyScrapper)
Candyj! (from Ecoscrapbook)
Angel! (from ScrappinginSingapore)
If you are one of our lucky winners, please email support (at) layoutaday (dot) com to claim your prize by Wendesday, Jan. 23.
Didn’t win? You can still sweep up a copy of this most excellent idea book here.
Posted in ScrapHappy | Comments Off on Your Story Matters: Winners of the Blog Hop

Let’s Get Sketchy Reveal Day

Posted on January 21, 2013 by daydesigns

Can you believe it’s Monday again already? It must be because there’s a new sketch over at Let’s Get Sketchy. Check it out …

Please head over to the blog to see what the rest of my team did with this.
Here’s mine.

I confess to cheating a tiny bit on this layout. I started with one of the pages I’d pre-planned for my Disney album! (Insert sheepish grin here!) When I say I’d pre-planned my page, I’d used Shimelle Lain’s ideas from her “The Perfect Collection” class from True Scrap 3 (you can purchase it and other classes from True Scrap 3 here). She talked about taking a kit (either from a Kit Club or one you’d put together yourself for a specific project) and cutting the papers into various sized boxes straight away. Sounds scary I know but there is a method to her madness! Once the papers are cut up you create several base layouts – both single pages and double page spreads – and then all that’s left is to add your pictures, embellishments and journaling. Before you know it you’ve got a pile of completed pages!
I was dithering over what to scrap for this sketch and in the end had to give myself a swift kick in the you know what and just get something DONE! Pre-made pages to the rescue! I felt the design of this was a good match to the sketch and then went from there. 

The flower here was made using some of the paper streamers the girls collected on this day. I used an extra large glue dot and just twisted and wrapped until it was covered. The brad finishes it off and is also handy for keeping stray ends in check.

I used lots of these word stickers on this and the stars were from my buddy Lain!

There wasn’t a ton of space to journal but I managed to fit the basics on. If I want to add more at another time I can add a 6×12 insert or something.

While I technically did not use anything from my inventoried stash (yes, I am keeping track of all the papers I’m using up this year!) it still feels incredibly good to get one more Disney layout done. Thanks for stopping by today. I hope you will play along this week – remember there is a $40 GC to Artful Delight up for grabs this month.

Posted in Disneyland 2012, layout, Let's Get Sketchy | 4 Comments