Life's Trivialities

Creating with Sketches Volume 3

This past week Kristine Davidson released her THIRD, yes, third, book of utterly amazing and inspirational sketches!

There are 120 fantastic sketches and many of them have a layout as an example. I was fortunate to be able to use one of those sketches and have a layout published in Kristine's book.

I mixed and matched a couple of Bella Blvd collections and used some amazing Little B dies for the Core'dinations vellum star and the circle on the bottom right.

The digital version of the book is currently available for download for $10 while you can preorder a copy of the printed format for $18. Expected delivery is towards the end of October. You can purchase HERE.

Here are a few detail shots of my layout;

I have gotten great use from my nested Little B dies as used above with the stitching inlay on the star.

Lots of stars for my super star swimmer!

Thanks for stopping by! I hope you're inspired to pick up a copy of Kristine's amazing sketch book!

 

Creative Scrappers Sketch 277 / My Minds Eye

Creative Scrappers sketches always grab me. Always! This one was no exception. What I love about sketches, one of the many things, is that I can put a layout together lickety split with a sketch. Through in a paper collection that I love and it's that much faster! Such as the Jubilee, Mint Julep collection from My Mind's Eye. Swoon!!

So sketch number 277 from Creative Scrappers folks, that's the inspiration. You can find it HERE. It looks like this;

And this is my interpretation;

I decided to forgo the triangles for other elements on the side and some "garnish" to the header and footer of the layout. I really do make an effort to journal too, so that had to fit in there somewhere too! Isn't this collection just sublime with those black and white silhouette pictures? That splash of black and white just wraps the whole thing together!

I love the hints of gold poking out from behind pictures, the edge of the page and hanging from the top banner. Gold! It's a trend that I'm all aboard with. I can't say that about a lot of them but this one, it's golden!

Not part of the sketch but my own personal touch. I didn't have black mist so I had to compromise. I used the black Caran D'Ache crayon that came with my collection and flicked it around the page some for the little added depth to the page.

Jenny's sketch is quite the inspiration! Thanks Creative Scrapper's and Jenny! This layout came together in less than an hour thanks to the sketch and My Mind's Eye's awesome collection!

Oh! And Kristine is putting together another sketch book! You can find the details about creating a layout based on one of her sketches HERE!

Full Stream Ahead / Creative Scrappers

There was a new sketch reveal today over at one of my favorite sketch sites, Creative Scrappers, and I had time to play along. Sketch 275 is, like all other CS sketches, definitely inspirational!

I just received a box from American Crafts with the new Pink Paislee collection Solstice in it; perfect for this picture of Nikolas paddle boarding! The hints of red in the collection and the nautical theme just suit the topic and colors in my picture.  Unfortunately, some of the gold elements are really difficult to photograph. If you haven't seen the collection, that gold anchor is really shiny, much better in real life.

This gives you a much better look at the layers and details surrounding the anchor and it's true color! The backside of that Core'dinations vintage was a perfect match for a more subdued salmon/red to match the banner which I fussy cut from the journal card.

I little splash here and there to make my paddle boarder feel like he's really working! :)

I just love the colors of this collection! The salmon and navy mixed with the gold; swoon!! Gold is all the rage these days, everybody has it in amongst their collections. Teresa really started quite the trend me thinks. At least, that's who I'm giving credit to for the gold kick off. Do you like the trend? Who do you think started it?

Thanks Creative Scrappers for another great sketch and inspiration to put this together!

Hurricane Mode Layout / Creative Scrappers

Happy Memorial Day to my American friends! Thank you to all those men and women and their families who stood by them who served and protected us!

Creative Scrappers has been sharing some fantastic grid based sketches lately that have really inspired me to play along. Today I am sharing my interpretation of sketch number 269 from Kristine Davidson. She creates some of the best sketches, truly! Be sure to head over to the Creative Scrappers blog to see the sketch and be inspired by the examples that all the gals have created.

Here's my version;

Yup! A bit of a throw back pic! I have had pictures of our buckling down and camping out in the house with Monopoly and Frosted cupcakes for hurricane provisions sitting in my "to scrap" (create a layout, not the traditional use of that word!) pile for ages and finally found something that inspired me to create with one of them! This was the kids' first hurricane and we tried to make it as "fun" for them as we could. We were singing campfire songs by lantern light; "99 bottles of blood, take one down, pass it around, 98 bottles of blood"...

I adhered to the squares and geometrics of the sketch but shrunk it a bit to leave some white space on the page. I then filled the squares with coordinating bits of emphera that I found in coordinating colors. No one manufacturer here but a lot of Basic Grey. Those pieces from BasicGrey's Hipster collection were the inspiration for the colors and I went from there digging through scraps and my stash for complimentary bits and bobs.

Twinery twine! No layout is complete without! The journaling is hidden in the pocket that has the washi handle to the right of the picture. Not hidden because it's secret but because I didn't want to disturb the visual scene.

It was fun filling all the little squares with bits of this and parts of that. It was like Project Life in a way. This would make a perfect PL type layout too!

Thanks for stopping by the blog today!

 

Happy Fall Layout / Creative Scrappers & Imaginisce

Popping in today to share with you a layout that came together lick-edy split thanks to a great sketch and some tried but true Imaginsce product! I have been trying to get myself out there a bit more and participate in the scrappy world more than just fulfil my obligations. Though I love those obligations, it's nice to create without a purpose too. I did just that with Creative Scrappers sketch 268 and a little mixing and matching of Imaginisce lines.

I know it's not fall... But I have a million pictures from fall and Christmas that really need scrapping and I don't want to wait anymore! So I mixed some Imaginisce Bushel of Fall with Outdoor Adventure and supplemented with a little Core'dinations Shattered cardstock, Lawn Fawn sequins and die and Chic Tags wood veneer.

With regards to the sketch, I stuck to the overall content, the 6 circles, the title in the center, bottom circle and one picture but that was about it. I wanted support embellishments that were in my collections and that supported my theme.

Do you feel that Autumn breeze blowing the leaves around?! That Twinery twine breeze? Shattered Core'dinations and those Lawn Fawn dies are something you will see again at a future date. They are the perfect compliments of one another!

The Bushel of Fall collection by Imaginisce is the first collection were Imaginsice included journal die cuts and phrase die cuts perfect for titling! It was such a great addition! I used a number of the die cuts here.

You can submit your Creative Scrappers layouts based on the recent sketches until the end of the month! This sketch is fanastic, you can't go wrong with it! My layout took a whole of 30 minutes! Why not play along?!

Creative Scrappers / Sketch 257

Morning!! Another fantastic Sunday morning and another candle lit on the Advent wreath! A mere week and a half away! Crazy...

With the boys away at the annual Christmas swim meet out at Virginia Beach, I have had the benefit of a girls weekend and spending some time at my scrappy desk, working away while Mia watches limitless amounts of TV and movies! Lucky! A gift in and of itself really!

I took the opportunity to combine my favorite cardstock, Core'dinations, and my favorite sketch site, Creative Scrappers, to come up with this layout;

This is based on the sketch number 257. You can see the sketch here and see all of the wonderful interpretations from the ladies on the design team.

I absolutely am smitten with Tim Holtz Kraft-Core Seasonal Impressions as you see used here in the red. The paper is like the ever popular subway art posters but without the color. You can create your own color by sanding to reveal the kraft core, as I did. Or, if you want more color, you can use chalks or inks to add color ontop of that sanded surface. Cool, eh?

The nifty Score-Pal is useful for creating embossed edges that are particularly stunning in Core'dinations' Black Magic collections! We all have our obsessions and you have just met a number of my Core obsessions; Black Magic and Crabgrass green cardstock! Both abound in my collection!!

Meet my latest embossing folder picked up on a recent wander down the aisles of AC Moore (I still want to call it Ben Franklin...)! It's a Darice folder, beautiful isn't it. My recommendation to the creators of embossing folder companies, when you have a directional folder, such as this, please put the flap (connected parts of the folder) on the SIDE, not the top. I cannot tell you how many folders I have cut apart so I can use them to suit my needs. Anybody else have that "problem"?

And a special shout out to my friend Celia; thanks for the silver sequins bow from Freckled Fawn! It's the perfect compliment to my layout! Funny thing is I thought I would use the pink on a girly layout for Mia or the green on a Christmas layout of her!

Get It While You Can!!

Kristine Davidson's Creating With Sketches, Vol 2 is available as of today in the e-book format!! The book has 60 pages, 55 designers and 125 sketches...chock o' block o' full of inspiration!

These sketch books are going to go - FAST!! Kristine's sketches are amazing and will increase your scrappin' pleasures. And, to entice you even further, each sketch comes with a color example. You have a visual representation of what *could* be. If that's not enough to get you to run out and buy it then how about this; save 2$ OFF A Digital Copy ... COUPON CODE CWS2Discount. Just go to
store site ... www.creative-scrappers.com/store and shop away! You won't regret it, I promise!

I was lucky to be a part of this amazing opportunity. Here's the layout I created based on one of Kristine's trendy sketches;

I cut the triangles into the background (with my trusty Cameo) and the colored paper is behind the "window". A bit of stitching on top for a teeny argyle like look.

I really need to take my sewing machine in and get it tuned up... I need to send my camera in too for that matter... The idea of being without either for a second is not acceptable however... Dilemna, don't you think?...

That topper with the triangles was a royal pain to put together. But it sure was worth the time! The finished effect with the other triangles is perfect. If I may say so myself!

I used a transparency! My titling is on top of the clear, un-designed part of the transparency.

So don't forget to buy yourself a copy. The beauty of the e-book is you can carry it with you on your iPad or laptop and reference whenever. You don't have to lug around a paper copy. Tell Kristine that Suzanna sent you while you're there! LOL! Have a great day!

 

You Want This!

I almost feel like I need the Uncle Sam "I Want You" poster with a title like that...

You don't want that, but THIS you do want. I promise you!

I have been on the Creative Scrappers team and designing with these sketches for a few months now and they are AWESOME! Absolutely amazing. A few of the layouts I've created with them have been picked up for publication, feature, etc.. You cannot go wrong with Kristine's sketches. I highly recommend a preorder/purchase. You can head to the site HERE for preorder!

You won't regret it, not for a minute! I promise! It's a worthwhile purchase.

Creative Scrappers #248

Another Sunday?!! Seriously?!... Time is zipping by and my term with Creative Scrappers is just zipping along. Another reveal Sunday today and yet another amazing reveal. You have GOT to check out this sketch with speech bubbles by Nicole Nowosad, it's fantastic!

I love this picture of my Nephew from my trip to Paris. When I saw this sketch in my deadline pile, I immediately thought of this picture! The kid talks! And talks! And talks! Perfect for the speech bubbles. I had thought of recording a conversation between the two of us. But other than our teasing banter back and forth about the "r" in Tristan, I couldn't remember a particular conversation... I'm not good at that kind of thing.

I can't resist the bright colors of this collection from Imaginisce! I am such a fan!! I think you might know that by now. I had fun with the tone on tone between the green chevron and the polka dots down at the bottom of the page. For a little added emphasis, I used a pen to add some dots to the chevron.

A little close up of how well the papers coordinate. A Smash label from K&Co also paired up perfectly.

Can't scrap without my Cameo and washi anymore... Love the wood veneer from Studio Calico and was only too happy to find one suitable for this project.

I hope you had a smashing weekend! We have! Smashed some PB's at the pool and have added more state champ events to our roster. Mia is just churning out amazing results in the pool despite her proclamation that she doesn't like swimming. Tribe (Nikolas' basketball team) has moved another rung up the ladder despite not having one of their best players; a tribute to the boys' ability to play together and the amazing coaching. Nikolas shot a basket!! He's finding his comfort on the court!

Creative Scrappers #246

Another fantastic reveal day today over at Creative Scrappers. Juliana Michael's sketch is fantastic, so much so that this layout came together lickity split.

My interpretation;

I have used this Fancy Pants "The Good Life" collection a lot. You might have noticed! The colors are right up my alley. Like Juliana's sketch, so easy to use! Effortless.

I inked up the edge of the yellow patterned paper for a little added contrast and pizzaz. I found some Chic Tags on a recent trip to Archivers and had to have a supply to add to my stash. They mingle well with the Jillibean Soup, Ormolu and Kesi Arts journal spots that already existed.

Have you noticed the copious use of the Cameo lately? Not just me but the greater majority of the scrappy world? Every layout I see these days has fun arrows and loopy, scripty words everywhere! It really has changed scrapbooking, in my opinion.

There aren't many reveal days for Creative Scrappers left so be sure to stop by and play along while you can. Hopefully Christine will get the rest and rejuvenation she's seeking so we can have our sketches back in the Fall!!