Laura Vegas

Scrapbooking And A Little Bit Of Everyday Life

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  • i got chills – a bella blvd layout

    i have a layout up today, on the bella blvd blog.

    Sarah_IGotChills

    when i first saw bella's new mid-release collection, winter wonder, i fell in love with the colors and patterns of the papers. they are papers that i can see myself using on everyday layouts, just like THIS one. but when i got to the stickers, they were definately winter-themed. being a california born-and-raised family, that does not experience "winter" as so many of you call it, how would i ever make use of those stickers?

    Sarah_IGotChills_detail1

    then i accidently came across these photos of sarah. from years ago. hmmmm. these are as close as i'm going to get to "winter" photos. what i should tell you is that i took these photos in august, i believe. which, where we live, is the dead of summer. an average day for us would see temperatures in the low-to-mid 100's. so why is my child all bundled up, as if she was freezing to death, or headed out to the snow?!?!

    Sarah_IGotChills_detail2

    partially, because she's a bit of a wingnut. and partially, because she said she was cold. i think she had just taken a shower, probably after soccer practice. and she claimed she was cold and couldn't get warm. maybe because we had the air conditioning on, seeing as it was SO hot outside. lol! and sarah being sarah, she took full advantage of her coldness to get a good laugh. she piled on TONS of clothes, scarves, mittens, hats, and jackets. anything she could find. she actually does this sort of thing all the time. quite the funny one 🙂

    Sarah_IGotChills_detail4

    i really wasn't sure where i was going with this page, when i started. i cut the four strips of the green and aqua patterned papers, and adhered them to the outside edges of the page, to create a framed look. i added the snowflake paper to the center of my "frame", and cut the large circle from the pink pattern paper. my intention was to add my journaling where the ribbons are, and my ribbons where the journaling is. somewhere along the line, they got flopped.

    Sarah_IGotChills_detail5

    before i adhered my snowflake patterned paper to the page, i misted it with some blue spray ink. just a touch, to add some interest to the paper. then i used some glitter brads to accent the centers of some of the snowflakes on the paper.

    are you all ready and prepared for thanksgiving, tomorrow? i've been put in charge of making a ham. sounds easy enough, and yet, i have never bought or made one before. there's a reason i don't consider myself a real "grown-up". since a real grown-up has more than likely cooked a ham, by the time they're my age. lol! i must figure that out this morning. wish me luck 🙂

  • CK Club – Pinterest Challenge

    Today, I have the opportunity to host the November Pinterest Challenge over on the CK Club website. I really do hope you guys join in on the fun and would love to see how the various images had inspired you.

    PinterestChallenge

    I choose four images for this challenge. I intended to just use this first image (source), for the inspiration for my layout. I loved the taller, narrower prints. And the black and white prints, since I don't scrap black and white photos much anymore. 

    PinterestChallenge2

    Somewhere along the line, I decided to use this second image (source) as part of my inspiration as well. I didn't incorporate all the colors, but I think my layout has a lot of the same colors mixed in.

    Alyssa_Spunky

    I printed up these old photos of Alyssa, and made them 3.5 x 7.5 inches. It was a bit of a challenge to find images that could be cropped in this taller, narrower size. Especially, since I tend to crop in so much when actually taking my photos. But I found these three photos that worked.

    Alyssa_Spunky_detail2

    Since I printed my photos in black and white, I was able to choose any colors and papers that I wanted to use. I decided to go with the Summer's End collection from Fancy Pants. I like that it picked up a lot of the colors from the second Pinterest image that I had chosen.

    I cut a bunch of strips of the pattern papers, ranging from 1 inch wide to 2 inches wide. I cut them in varying lengths, and trimmed the ends to mimic flags. I distressed the edges, and then adhered them across the page, overlapping them just slightly. I adhered a strip of ribbon, to cover up where the photos and the pattern paper strips meet.

    Alyssa_Spunky_detail1

    For my simple title, I used some text printed chipboard alphas from Bella Blvd. While I do usually journal on the majority of my layouts, every now and then, a layout doesn't really need any extra words on it. I felt that "spunky" summed up these photos nicely. I threaded some buttons and glue dotted them to the ends of the ribbon to finish off the page.

    To see the rest of the images from Pinterest that are included in the Challenge, and get all the details on how you can join in the challenge, click HERE. You have until November 24th to play along with us.

  • CK’s scrapbooking holidays & celebrations *GIVEAWAY WINNER*

    i missed announcing a winner for the new scrapbooking holidays & celebrations special issue, by creating keepsakes, from last monday. better late than never, right?

    Winner1

    Winner2

    congrats karen!!! email me your mailing address, and i'll have your free copy of this special issue sent out to you!

  • FREE digital printables: bella blvd

    0 FREE PRINTABLES

    you have to go and check out the bella blvd blog today! stephanie has designed some amazing digital printables, and wants all of you to have them. for FREE!

    20 FINISH UP

    how cute is this! it's a 5×7 thanksgiving album, for recording what everyone is thankful for this year. you can create and assemble your album before the holiday, and when you get together with family, it'll be all ready for everyone to fill out. by the time the dishes are done and everyone is taking naps on the couch, your album will be totally finished!

    head over to the bella blog, where stephanie has shared a complete tutorial on creating this album, start to finish. at the bottom of that post, you'll find links to download all the digital printables. we hope you enjoy them!

  • the news is out

    i was excited to see this up on the creating keepsakes blog today:

    CKannouncement

    i have loved being a part of this team of talented designers, and am super happy that i was asked back for another year on the CK dream team! we've already been hard at work on the first part of 2012 stuff, and i can't wait to see what the rest of the year has in store for us! you can see the announcement HERE.

    p.s. you might notice the blog looks a little different. not saying it'll stay like this. just feeling like i need to freshen it up with a new look. it's a work in progress. way too many choices, and it takes me forever to make decisions on things like colors and fonts 😉

  • they r just so cool – my mind’s eye guest designer

    i have two more projects to share from my october guest designer gig, for my mind's eye. these were both created for the MME november newsletter.

    2011_11_MME_newsletter_sketch_JanaEubank

    i was given this sketch, by MME designer jana eubank, and was asked to create a two page layout from it. i use sketches quite often, but this was the first time i have turned a one page sketch into a two page sketch. turns out, it's pretty easy to do.

    TheyRJustSoCool_spread

    do these photos look familiar? i think only one of these photos appeared on my layout from yesterday. but they were all taken at the same time. do the colors of my papers look familiar? a bit different from my layout i shared yesterday, and yet the layouts have the same feel to me.

    when i sat down with the sketch, and my big stack of MME papers, i had the idea to scrap these photos. the other layout had photos of all four of the girls. but i wanted to do a layout, with just my girls. i had TONS of pics from that day, and i wanted to get more of them in the scrapbook. once i printed my pics, and went to pick out papers, i kept finding myself drawn to certain papers. the ones that i used on the layout from yesterday. lol! it was hard to get that layout out of my head, i guess, and imagine the photos with other papers. 

    TheyRJustSoCool_page2

    i started my two page layout, by stretching the outside border across the two pages. that way, i had the brown woodgrain paper going around the outside edge of both pages. i also added the verticle strip of pink glitter paper to the first page, and layered a strip of aqua paper that i punched using a large scalloped border punch.

    TheyRJustSoCool_page2detail1

    want to know a quick way to add a border around your layout? while a lot of my layouts look like i have matted a large paper to the center of my background paper, i have a few ways to get this look, while saving paper. for this layout, i simply cut six 1×12 inch strips of the brown woodgrain paper. i snipped off the ends of some of the strips, at an angle, to give it a mitered look. then i just adhered all the strips against the outside edge of my background cardstock. i basically "framed" my entire spread.

    TheyRJustSoCool_page2detail2

    i have my large pattern paper circle, just like the sketch. except i adhered my circle, so that it goes onto both pages of the spread. i added my title to the circle, which i had machine stitched before adhering to my layout.

    TheyRJustSoCool_page1

    the sketch called for two photos, along with a block of journaling. i decided to move my journaling, and shifted the photos down a bit. to stretch the sketch across two pages, i just kept going with the photos. i managed to get six photos across my layout.

    TheyRJustSoCool_page1detail2

    i love white cardstock. one problem i have had in the past, is that if i have too much white space on white cardstock (confusing?!?!), then i don't love it. it feels empty. this is one reason i'm loving using the mists. i simply spritzed on some green mist. obviously, this takes a little planning ahead. knowing what area you want to mist, and where your photos and embellisments are going to go. i did mist the white cardstock, before i adhered down the brown strips of pattern paper.

    TheyRJustSoCool_page1detail

    i had a few of these die cut journaling tags, that had the little flag ends on them. they're larger tags, that had some text at the top. i cut them both down a bit, so that they would fit well on my layout. some simple hand journaling, and brads to embellish, and i was finished.

    2011_11_MME_newsletter_sketch_JanaEubank

    i was also asked to create a card, off this sketch.

    HappyForYou_card

    i created a mini version of the sketch, on this tiny 4×4 inch card. same idea, with the brown strips of pattern paper, added to the edges of the white cardstock card base. then i added a small square of pink pattern paper to the center, and machine stitched around the edges.

    HappyForYou_card_detail

    i have the verticle aqua strip of pattern paper, along with a small scalloped edged piece of cardstock. i figured if i kept the basic design and paper placement like the sketch, i could take some liberties with the rest of the sketch. like my sentiment.

    check out the MME november newsletter, where you can find full detailed instructions, on how to create both the layout and the card.

  • photos on the farm – a creating keepsakes layout

    i have two layouts to share with you, and i was going back and forth between which to share first. i decided to share the one that is featured in the new scrapbooking with fabric & notions special issue, by creating keepsakes, first. then tomorrow, i will share the second layout, and you'll see why they sort of belong together.

    PhotosOnTheFarm_spread
    as seen in the Scrapbooking with Fabrics & Notions Special Issue, from Creating Keepsakes magazine. copyright creative crafts group. posted with prior permission from the publisher.

    i was asked to do a layout that featured stamping on canvas. i came across a full 12×12 sheet of canvas, and i knew i would use that somehow for my title. the canvas reminded me of these photos of the girls, along with my friend deneen's girls, that we took about a year and a half ago. deneen had a co-worker that lives on a small farm here in town, and she let us come and take photos of our girls on her property. i had yet to scrap any of these photos, and figured this was the perfect opportunity.

    PhotosOnTheFarm_page1

    i had fun pulling the colors for this layout from my photos. i pulled the pink from sarah's shirt, and the aqua from alyssa's shirt. i pulled the green from the tractor and added in the yellow just for fun. the green paper is actually from the mistables – resist collection from pink paislee. there are shiny parts of the papers, that act as a sort of "resist", so that the papers are perfect for misting and inking. for these strips of paper, i rubbed some green distressed ink all over them. the rest of my papers are all from my mind's eye. i love mixing up colors and patterns into fun combinations.

    PhotosOnTheFarm_detail1

    i decided to cut my canvas into flag banner shapes, which are so popular these days. i dug out some super old foam stamps, from making memories, and stamped my title onto the canvas pieces using brown acrylic paint. with the chunkier font, the paint worked perfectly. once they were dry, i did a little machine stitching around the edges of each flag.

    PhotosOnTheFarm_page2

    for the scalloped border strips, i used one of my favorite stamps from hero arts. it's a shorter stamp, at about 6 inches wide. so i just stamped it four times, and then pieced two strips together on each page of the spread. with the photos and embellishments overlapping the stamped border, you really can't see that they're two seperate pieces. i stamped the border onto white textured cardstock using versarmark ink, and then heat embossed with a brown distressed embossing powder. this gave lots of texture to the strips.

    PhotosOnTheFarm_detail2

    i layered together a few flowers and bottons for my embellishments. the large paper flowers are older ones from making memories, and the canvas printed flowers are from jillibean soup. i had the aqua paper flower, and used that on the second page to pick up the aqua pattern paper on the first page. however, i didn't have a yellow flower for the first page, to pick up the yellow pattern  paper from the second page. so i took a white paper flower, and misted it to match.

    check back tomorrow, to see the second layout 😉

  • CK’s scrapbooking holidays & celebrations: GIVEAWAY

    not only did the scrapbooking with fabric & notions special issue come out this past week. but we have another special issue, by creating keepsakes, that hit stands. this next one is called scrapbooking holidays & celebrations.

    Holiday-cover

    Whether your holidays and celebrations are casual get-together or formal events, this special issue from Creating Keepsakes magazine is sure to be a trusted source of scrapbooking inspiration! The gallery of 50 outstanding ideas is a quick source of scrapliftable layouts, and you'll also discover ways to make your relationships shine on your scrapbook pages, photo-taking tips to catch meaningful moments and details of your celebrations, and journaling ideas to capture the points of view of your loved ones. Learn ways to create easy holiday accents and even ideas for storing your holiday-themed supplies. Pick up this issue today for non-stop scrapbooking inspiration for all your celebrations during the upcoming year!

    Lauraholiday

    here's a peek at one of my layouts in this issue. actually, it's my only layout in there. lol! when i was asked to do a summer birthday party layout, i was all over it. with the girl's having june and september birthday's, the majority of our birthday parties have been pool parties. i'll share more about this layout soon.

    i have a free copy of this special issue to give away to one of my lucky blog readers. just leave me a comment, and i will randomly draw a winner on friday morning.

  • seasonal framed set: a kerri bradford studio project

    I have another share for Kerri Bradford Studio today. As part of "Get Started Now" week on Kerri Bradford's blog, the design team has been sharing ideas on creating cards/gifts/decor for Christmas now before the real craziness of the season begins.

    In_transit1_lg-450x450

    As I was trying to think of a framed project I could make for gift giving, I came across Kerri's In Transit #1, which is full of subway art. I really love the look of subway art, but had yet to try cutting any of these on my Silhouette.

    After a few minutes of pondering the themes in the kit, I decided that I would make a set of framed pieces that could be used throughout the year. The beauty of my plan, was that even though I created 5 different themed pieces, I only needed one frame to use with all of them. I choose to do a Valentines Day piece, a St Patrick's Day piece, a spring piece, a summer piece, and a family piece.

    IMG_4054_edit_resize

    I started by taking out a really nice, worn wood frame that I happen to have handy. My opening on the frame was 8×10, so I cut all of my subway art pieces at about 8.5" tall. The designs are wide enough, that you can cut two of each design at once, on one sheet of cardstock. I just copied and pasted the shape, so that I could cut two of each. That way, I can make two sets of these framed pieces for gift giving. I find it so much easier, to mass produce things right from the start, if you have any thoughts of making more than one of something. When all my shapes were cut, I adhered them each to a piece of white cardstock that was slightly larger than the subway art piece, and I distressed the edges of the cardstock.

    SeasonalFrames_CompleteSet2

    I then picked out some basic pattern papers, with tone on tone prints, in coordinating colors. I added some machine stitching around the edges, and adhered my matted subway art piece to the pattern paper.

    I took some scraps of white cardstock, and misted them with different colors of mists, that would coordinate with each piece. After they dried, I used my favorite scalloped edged border punch on the strips, and slipped them under the sides of the subway art. I then raided my stash of flowers and brads, and added a few to each piece. Really simple and really easy.

    SeasonalFrames_Family

    A family themed print.

    SeasonalFrames_Family3

    SeasonalFrames_Love

    A Valentines Day/Love themed print.

    SeasonalFrames_Love3

    SeasonalFrames_StPatricksDay

    A St Patrick's Day print.

    SeasonalFrames_StPatricksDay3

    SeasonalFrames_Spring

    A spring print.

    SeasonalFrames_Spring3

    SeasonalFrames_Summer

    A summer print.

    SeasonalFrames_Summer3

    SeasonalFrames_CompleteSet

    All this took was a few sheets of cardstock and pattern paper, some flowers and brads, a frame, and a little creative energy. And you have a great seasonal framed collection of pieces to give as a gift, where the recipient can change out the pieces throughout the year.

    Getstartednow

    Don't forget about Kerri's "Get Started Now" sale, that ends tomorrow. You still have time to load up on great designs, so that you can start preparing and working ahead on all your cards, gifts, holiday decor, and scrapbook creations!

  • CK’s scrapbooking with fabric & notions – GIVEAWAY WINNER

    i know i said i would announce a winner this morning for the new special issue scrapbooking with fabric & notions, by creating keepsakes. well, i know it might be late in the day for some of you, but it's definately morning to me. the girls are off school today, and i didn't have any daycare kids, so we slept in until 10:00am. and it was glorious! anyways. on to the winner.

    Giveaway1

    Giveaway2

    congratulations chris! email me your mailing address, and i'll have the generous folks at CK get your copy of the issue mailed out to you.

    IMG_4054_edit_resize

    i thought i'd share a peek at what's coming tomorrow, on the blog. this is a fun project that i created for kerri bradford studio. also, make sure to check out her blog today, as she has an awesome one-day only friday freebie! you'll also want to check out the fun projects that the rest of the design team girls have been creating.

    it's the weekend. this one is going to be just like last weekend, except more hectic. last weekend, i think we spend close to 20 hours on the soccer field. and this weekend, will be about the same. sarah's team took second place last weekend in our end-of-season tournament, so we move on to inter-city tournament time. and alyssa has her end-of-season tournament. 7 games total. and to make it more interesting, they're in totally different cities, that are over 30 minutes apart. and even more challenging, is that game times are close to each other, if not overlapping. this is where you have to decide what game you want to see more, or what child you love more than the other. lol! just kidding. i'm going to do my best to spread my attention evenly, even if it means logging more miles in the van, going back and forth. the things we do for our kids, right 😉