Life's Trivialities

Scrapbook Generation's CREATE layouts

Did you see that the latest and greatest issue of Scrapbook Generations' CREATE magazine is out? Did you happen to catch that is also the LAST issue of this superb FREE magazine?!... :( I fully support Debbie and her writing and just know she will write an outstanding story. I can't wait to read it!

If you are looking for the full magazine, here's the link; http://issuu.com/sgcreate/docs/create_-_issue_17_-_november_2015/205?e=10435885/31412839

I have projects on pages 20, 64, 98 and 108 of this issue. Two layouts, a card and a tag. You will find them below. There are also 4 inspirational sketches created by Allison and Debbie in the magazine that are worth downloading!

The above layout is about using mixed media on your layouts with quick mini tutorials on the "how's" of what each of us did. I smooshed Faber Castell gelatos on my an acrylic block, misted it up and smooshed the color onto cardstock. The new Elle's Studio winter/Christmas collection colors are perfectly suited to this picture of Mia shoving Belle's reindeer antlers on her...

The above pocket page filled the bill for the color challenge. Not your typical Christmas colors but sublime for these pictures of Nikolas and I before heading out to the Holly Ball for Cotillion. The yellow'ish color I interpreted more as a yellow gold.

When it comes to sketches, I'm either literally or rather liberal! This card and the tag to follow I went rather literal. Not much variation. I am not much of a card or tag maker so literal works for me. The "Pumpkin Spice" collection from Simple Stories that I used above is just about one of my favorite Thanksgiving/fall collections of all time!

Some more great Simple Stories used to interpret another great tag sketch! I cut the tag size down so as to be able to use it in a pocket scrapping project, possibly even my December Daily this year.

Those are my CREATE creations for the November issue! Be sure to swing by the Scrapbook Generation site and check out the other amazing projects from the talented design team. Thanks for stopping in today!

Fall layouts / CREATE Magazine / Simple Stories

Speaking of fall, have you seen the latest issue of Scrapbook Generations' CREATE Magazine? It's full of fall! All kinds of great crafting goodness to do with Autumn, Fall and things fall-like! Be sure to check it out HERE.

One of the two layouts I have in this issue! I have always been a huge fan of Debbie and Allison's sketches, particularly the double page sketches. I was excited to showcase this Simple Stories collection with this amazing sketch!

The grid of squares in this sketch are fantastic! And you know what makes it even easier? 6x6 pads! You don't feel quite so guilty hacking into those 12x12 pages! Easy math too!

So many picture possibilities with this sketch! I stuck relatively true to the sketch but think about all those squares as photos too!! Did I get the gears a turning?!

I usually manage to flood the magazine with projects however this month, I had but a few. This was the second and last of the layouts. If it's a fall, collection, I must have it and this collection from Carta Bella was no different!

Lots of layers using lots of great fall colors! I love this picture, taken at the corn maze last fall. The place of that star was ideal to really make the sun flare radiant, don't you think?

A fun little embellishment cluster. And empty journaling spot... :)

CREATE Magazine July 2015

Good morning scrappy friends! Earlier this week Scrapbook Generations released the latest (and greatest) issue of CREATE magazine; a free, digital papercrafting magazine. With the shortage of scrapbooking and papercrafting magazines these days, it's nice to have this FREE options. And more of Allison's great sketches. FREE!

You can view whole magazine in it's glory HERE.

I had fun playing with the single page sketch this month. I used some of the new Simple Stories So Rad collection for this;

After MANY years, we finally replaced Nikolas' swim bag. The mildew and smell were... Well, let's just say it was time. He certainly got some mileage out of that bag! The traditional team bag in the old size was no longer available so we had to order the Carolina blue online and have our friend Mary Anne from the swim shop embroider the team logo and his name on it for him. Out with the old and in with the new!

Another Nikolas/swimming layout! Most of my pictures lately have been swimming pictures - kind of the story of our summer so far. It's his "thing" and summer is about summer neighborhood swim and the (short) long course season for our year round team.

The above layout is based on the color challenge in the magazine. Red, white, ecru and blue are the colors. Those of you who follow my work know that I use a lot of those colors anyway so this was a no brainer for me. Our swim team colors are red and blue.

This is my favorite of the three layouts! In addition to a single and double page layouts, Debbie and Allison create some fantastic card and tag sketches. The gals from the team demo these in the traditional manner and then a few more of us show you how you can stretch the sketch and use them in other ways. Here, I used the tag sketch and converted it into a layout! I just love the mix of polka dots and stripes and the stark black and white contrasted with the vibrant colors. FUN!

I have had fun playing in my stash lately! I am really trying to make a concerted effort to be more of a stash buster... Trying would be the key word there. Speaking of, be sure to tune in in a week for the latest "Scrappin' Our Stash" blog hop. We are hopping early this month.

So, be sure to check out the CREATE magazine!

 

More CREATE Layouts / Simple Stories

Today I have two more layouts to share with you from the May 2015 CREATE magazine, created by Scrapbook Generations. You can access the full magazine HERE. Yesterday I shared with you the featured manufacturer's, today I will share with you article layouts.

There are two themes in the magazine this month; travel and birthday. I went for birthday. Obviously! I didn't want the traditional birthday papers but used the "I Am" collection from Simple Stories instead. Just perfect for this collage of pictures of Mia as she admires and blows out the candles on her birthday cake. Two more weeks and she will be doing that again but with one additional candle!

In the journaling section of the magazine, this months suggestion is to use a list for your journaling. We were recently down at Clearwater, Florida for a swim meet and I had Nikolas list his top 10 favorite short course events. The meet was the last year round swimming short course meet for him. As he's only 12, I imagine that this list might change over time (assuming he continues swimming over time). I have tried to get the kids to participate in the telling of their story more and a great way of doing that is having them create top 10 lists. Some of them I ask that they write on the journal card or reserved spot for me. They are growing more comfortable with that idea and freaking out less. Michael, I'm still working on...

Be sure to check out the magazine in it's entirety! There is something for everyone as the styles vary from shabby sheek too clean and simple. Mixed media, clean lines, you name it, there is something that will appeal to the various style favorites out there.

 

May 2015 CREATE Magazine with PHP and MFT

Wow... Wow! Debbie from Scrapbook Generations does an utterly amazing job putting together the every other month CREATE magazine and this latest edition is no exception. It's free! 319 pages of free! With free sketches. Not just layouts but a card and a tag sketch too! How can you not be blown away?

You can read the whole magazine HERE.

I have 4 layouts in this issue as part of the design team. Two for featured manufacturer's and two layouts for articles in the magazine. I would love to share two of those with you today!

My Favorite Things was one of the featured manufacturer's for this edition. This is one of my absolute favorite layouts! The chevron stamp was one of the stamp sets that I ordered as well as the stamped flowers and coordinating die set called Modern Blooms. I created my own work of art to document my Mia's school field trip to the Virginia Museum of Fine Art!

You can see the flowers better in this detail picture as well as the chevron from the Desert Bouquet stamp set.

The other featured manufacturer is Paper House Productions. I got the Paris collection and it is perfect for this summary page of my 2013 to Paris! All the bits and pieces of ephemera are perfect for livening up the page and adding some visual interest that compliment the theme.

Be sure to stop in tomorrow to see the other two layouts that I created for the magazine!

Projects from March 2015 CREATE Magazine

Hey there! A week ago, the March 2015 issue of CREATE magazine, a FREE crafting magazine published by Scrapbook Generations was released! I had several projects in the magazine that I would love to share with you if you haven't already seen them. You can see the magazine in it's entirety HERE.

First up, a St Patty's day layout based on the most recent single page sketch. You can download the sketches for free! Allison and Debbie's sketches, as you might know, are amazing! So incredibly inspirational! You will see that I flipped the sketch horizontally in order to have the picture work to my advantage.

For the product section, we worked with chipboard and each of us used techniques of our choosing. I painted gesso onto the chipboard "M" on the right hand page of this pocket layout then pressed the impression of a stamp into the wet gesso. Once it was dry, I rubbed Distress Ink over the paint in area so you could see the impressioned image.

Here's a closer look at the end result;

I also got to work with the tag and card sketches this go around!

One of the Pebbles' collections from my design team term put to good use. I don't know what I'll do with a tag "as is" so I thought, as I created this, it would look great in a pocket scrapping page to fill one of the pockets for this Easter!

And finally, a birthday card created using the amazing "I AM..." collection from Simple Stories! I just LOVE this collection. Between the sketch and ease of matching things with this collection, this card came together SO quickly. Being as I'm not a regular card creator, that's big!

Be sure to check out all the other greatness to be found in this edition of the magazine! There is so much variety, it's amazing! And don't forget the Doodlebug team and their contributions!

 

CREATE January 2015

Another AH-mazing edition of Scrapbook Generation's CREATE magazine is available for your perusal today! You will not be disappointed. It is sure wow you with creative inspiration. Not only is it chock full sketch fun but creative challenges and Jillibean Soup! Check it out HERE.

I have a few layouts that I would like to share previews of;

A little Superbowl fun for an upcoming weekend! This is based on another fantastic Scrapbook Generations two page sketch! FREE to download, by the way!

Some My Mind's Eye wintery wonderland for a winter themed layout.

Jillibean Soup has always released collections that appeal to me so seeing them as the featured manufacturer for this edition with awesome!

Last but so VERY not least, in fact, I think it's my favorite of all the layouts I created for CREATE this month, a Pink Paislee layout about love. Not your traditional valentine's, romantic love but a love of books.

Be sure to check out the full layouts and those of many other incredibly talented designers!

 

Beach Walk with Pebbles Inc and SG CREATE Mag

Scrapping recent events in our lives has fallen a bit by the wayside lately... So when I saw this CREATE magazine sketch, I just had to capitalize on the desire to get some recent pictures and memories commited to paper, per se. Be sure to check out the August edition of Scrapbook Generation's CREATE magazine! This layout is on pages 172-3!

More gold! If you follow my blog and read the last two posts you'll know that photographing the gold (or anything shimmery for that matter) has been a challenge for me. Love the trend, just can't figure out how to best capture it. That said, the above shot looks pretty good, don't you think? LOVE the Thickers that coordinate with this new collection Home + Made from Pebbles Inc.

Layering all the banners was such fun! Big ones, little ones, skinny, tall and small, I used them all!

Kraft cardstock from Core'dinations, that is what that NEW awesome cardstock is! I'm glad you asked! It comes it two varieties; textured and solid. It is AH-MAZ-ING!!

Allison and Debbie's sketches are downloadable for FREE from the magazine each month and if you create anything with them, be sure to submit them for publication in the Reader's Gallery. Also, this month's magazine has the DESIGN TEAM CALL that you've been waiting for! AND, a coupon code for 20% Authentique! Be sure to check out the magazine!

 

Princess Belle / Create and Bella Blvd

Yet another fantastic issue of Scrapbook Generation's Create magazine is out! You can click HERE to see the full issue in all it's glory.

In the Readers Gallery, on page 181, is a layout of mine featuring some Bella Blvd and the Princess Belle, I mean, Mia as Princess Belle the evening of the Father-Daughter Dance. We had this yellow dress that she wore for her cousin's wedding as a flower girl that was perfect for an impromptu Disney themed event for which I really didn't want to buy a full costume. Paired with a de-thorned red rose and some curlers in her hair, she was the Belle of the Ball!

I turned the yellow wood grain patterned paper into a flip "lid" for hidden journaling on top of a journaling spot. The yellow fussy cut flower isn't adhered down at that left hand corner so as to be able to tuck the corner of the "lid" behind the flower to secure it. Pretty tricky, eh?!

Washi tape folded in half makes for great penants and banners for this cluster! Love the black to help pop the color! And different sized enamel dots for the contrast in the opening of the letters.

Another great edition full of great sketches and lots of great inspiration! If you haven't already done so, be sure to check out all the other work! 201 pages chock full o' goodness I tell you!

Layouts in June issue of Create

Create magazine, a FREE (yes! free!) online magazine published by Scrapbook Generations has some of the most inspirational scrapbooking and cardmaking content I have come across! There are sketches, articles, layouts galore, a tutorial and all kinds of crafting goodness. A few weeks ago the June issue with released along with two of my layouts.

First up, on pages 198-199 is a double page spread I created using vellum and Bella Blvd based on amazing two page sketch.

Michael replaced my broken waterproof camera for me recently and we got some really fun pictures while at Aquatica for Spring Break. The colors were perfect with these Bella Blvd papers that I mixed and matched across old and new collections - as I do!

A modified cut file cut using my Silhouette made the perfect waves for us to frolic and swim amongst!

A mix of patterned paper and washi make for fun banners at the top of your page.

And another two page spread can be found on pages 218-219 that I created based on the one page sketch. When you have more photos than the sketch calls for but like the sketch, just S T R E T C H it out! LOL!

This Pebbles collection, Birthday Wishes, is RIGHT up my alley! Those of you who know me and follow my work know that bright colors are what I create with best. THIS was designed for me! And for this birthday girl! I do believe this young lady has had many birthday layouts featured on the blog lately. Well here's another to accompany the collection!

Twinery bakers twine is the perfect compliment to these balloons! The pop of black grounds all the color a bit as well.

Some more Twinery twine on the button that comes from the collection which I used to dress up the pennant. Love those little confetti like stars! So festive!

Oh! the things one can do with foam adhesive! And stickles! Each of the candles (there are seven for her seventh birthday!) has a dab of Stickles to make the flames sparkle, as they did on her cake!

Now to do something with all the pictures from this years birthday!! We had a friends party this year and weren't at home. It's tougher to get pictures of kids you aren't all that familiar with and in lightening you don't really now. But they did turn out! And the girls had a good time, that's the most important part!