The Waterlily Gardens Layout

Wow - I think this is the longest I have gone between posts. I feel like a slacker! We have been so busy exploring with our visitors, taking LOTS of photos, but other than that, not really being so creative. Except of course, the baking of 231 butter cookies for Hayden's cultural fair at school yesterday, and the recreation of 'cool belts like the Indians make' for Campbell and Bridie (did manage stamping, embossing, and eyelets on those!)

So here is a layout from a while ago. We had had a family trip to the very lovely waterlily gardens in Waihi, and I decided to try to recreate the waterlilies on a layout...

At the time 'Bodacious Bouquet' was the stamp set I had that was most likely to resemble waterlilies (if you squint your eyes a little!) and I was quite pleased with how it turned out. The lily pads were just flowers (I am thinking from another stamp set?) with a cut up the middle. Attached in random fashion, with some of the 'leaves' and flowers raised up with stampin dimensionals. The block of photos (6 photos, punched into squares) is also raised from the celery and blush mat, using dimensionals (having first attached the photos to a piece of hidden card to make life a little easier!)

Of course no waterlily garden would be complete without a dragonfly, the perfect 'DIY' embellishment. I first stamped it in place using celery ink on the celery 12 x 12 card, then stamped again on vellum, cutting out just the wings, and attached them over the dragonfly that was already stamped on the card. I added another card body over top of the wings using a dimensional (partly to hide the adhesive showing through the vellum) and added a couple of brad eyes. Because the wings are slightly offset, it kind of gives the impression the dragonfly is actually flying...

With only two days of school left for Hayden, we are in need of more teachers gifts - that promises a good chance of another post soon. If all goes well! On the other hand, Rocky Mountain National Park is calling us!

In the blink of an eye...

First a confession - this isn't a new project, but I thought I might share it anyway, because it kind of fits in with the 'Arthur Howard' theme I have been running with lately.

A couple of years ago, we were watching Hayden do something, I don't remember what now (good story so far?!) and it suddenly struck me that he was growing up. Fast. When the heck did that happen?! So I asked Peter - when did Hayden get so big? and at the exact same time as he replied 'gradually', I thought to myself - 'in the blink of an eye'. Thoughts that followed this...

1. Boys and girls see things differently!


2. Wouldn't that be great for a scrapbook page?


3. Perfect for the Ali Edwards layout I saw in that mag - now which mag was it...? (for the record, it was Creating Keepsakes, July 2006, p76

Hayden was born pre digital camera - so we have a LOT of actual photos of those first few years. (We have a LOT of photos of Campbell and Bridie too, but they are of the digital variety - not actual prints). Many of those photos are bad, or duplicates, or fuzzy etc - they are never going to feature on a layout of their own. But on a layout like this, they are perfect! Just cut them into circles, size depending on the photo, and you are good to go. There were 14 photos on this layout....

fourteen!

Not to mention some stuff from the stash

(at the time Hayden was 7).

Now this really was a super quick and easy layout - perfect for clearing out those shoeboxes of photos (sorting through the photos was probably the longest bit). A little bit of handwritten journalling around the outside of the page (part journaling/part frame) and there it is - still one of my favourite layouts. Other than a piece of cardstock, and all the photos, the ingredients for this one were simple - some Autumn Leaves rub on lettering, Tim Holtz Design 'H', '7' and tape measure strip, and a black pen.

If you were impressed by the fact that two years on, I could not only remember the ingredients, but also the page number of the magazine that had the original Ali Edwards layout, then I have a little secret. Although I would like to lay claim to a freakishly mega memory, it is pretty clear that that is not the case. It all comes down to what is happening behind the scenes....

Yep, right there on the back of the layout - ingredients, inspiration, and of course the date and a name. Maybe you all do this already, but if you don't, you should start! One day you might need to know that stuff!

Before we had kids...

life was different. Very different. Cue another Arthur Howard inspired layout...

This was a fun layout to do, and it was very quick and easy - I suspect you will be seeing a few more along these lines in the future! Although I have done a few mini album projects, all of my album layouts have been 12x12 (30x30cm)... until now. This was the first time I had done a layout 'this size' ('this size' being a hybrid between A4 and letter - I may need a separate post to explain that one!) ANYWAY...

The original plan was for a 12 x 12, and then, as the journaling grew, chatterbox that I am, the plan changed to a double page layout. Next thing I know I am checking how it would look 'this size' , and the 12 x12 plan had been abandoned.

The beauty of this size, and the reason it is suddenly now my favourite, is that you just type out the journaling, and print it on the card. No fiddling about to get it in the right place. No figuring out how to get my computer journalling onto my 12 x 12 card using my A4/letter printer. No cutting. No sticking. Just type and print. SIMPLE.

To add a little interest, and help to break up that big block of journaling, I changed the letter size to emphasize different words or sentences. The 'titles' were the largest size, and I also used a different colour to help them be seen (they maybe could have been a little bit bigger again, but this size is nothing I cannot live with). The first page was life before kids, the second page was life with kids. For both pages I started many of the sentences with 'before we had kids' to help tie them together.

To finish up I added a strip of patterned paper, and a sticker border to the bottom of each page, and then attached the photos on top of that. The photos are all from different occasions, but all show us being big kids. I am thinking I may make a note of dates and locations on the back of the layout, but the front will stay as is - the photos are really just to reinforce the sentiment in the journalling. This way the emphasis can be on the words.

I decided against any additional embellishments - this one is going to be a nice, simple layout. I went through a phase a couple of years ago when lots of my layouts were like this - some computer journalling, straight lines, minimal fuss and bother. They are still amongst my favourite layouts. Combine that kind of simple with 'this size' layout and those albums will be full in no time!

Using those scraps (and not many words!)

So as I mentioned in that last post, I do have a wee collection of scraps. You just never know when you might need that itty bitty piece of ribbon/paper/card etc! Sometimes I do use them too, and here is an example.
Step One.

Gather together a collection of patterned paper scraps, and a coordinating piece of cardstock to stick them all on to. These ones all happened to be from the same pack of papers (a now retired one - SU's 'enchante' - you can get the same patterns, just different colours, while stocks last - 'le jardin'). Being from the same pack they all coordinated nicely for me - one less thing to think about!

Step Two.
To make them look a little less like a collection of scraps arranged on some card, I sponged the edges of all the paper pieces with perfect plum, or celery ink - depending on the paper, to give them a softer look. This is a really simple but effective technique that can add the finishing touch that is often needed. Just a matter of patting a piece of sponge (I cut mine into 6) onto the inkpad, and then rubbing it across the edge of the paper. Repeat as needed. Done!

Step Three.

Covering up all that work! Well not quite. Now you arrange your photos as desired, leaving space for embellishments and peeks at the patterned paper. This is a great way to scrapbook a lot of photos on one layout. This particular layout - about the friendship my children share (most of the time!) also allowed me to scrapbook seemingly unrelated photos from different days and adventures.

Step Four.
The finishing touches. I just used some stamped flowers that I cut out, small ones in groups of three, and a couple of larger ones, and then a couple of 'wordy stamps' as a focus - one of last years sale-a-bration sets, and the very versatile 'carte postale' set that many of you have. I love it when the sentiment on the stamp sums up what I am thinking. Great for when you don't have the room, or the inclination, to add journaling to your layouts.

journaling done!