Life's Trivialities

Sing Loud, Sing Proud / Stamping a Colorful Border

This is it, my final blog post for 2017! A layout with stickers and stamps, a plethora of photos and just one little piece of patterned paper. I never thought I'd create a layout with such a minuscule amount of patterned paper. Never say never, my friends!

That stamped border just makes this layout, don't you think? I had created the center of the layout and really needed a border. I toyed with the usual 1/4 inch border but wasn't sure what paper to use. I also knew I wanted a patterned paper with all the colors that would tie everything together. Given all the product I used was Pretty Little Studio and they don't make 12x12 paper, that wasn't an option and I was going to have to come up with another solution. Cocoa Daisy stamps to the rescue!

Various colors stamped at various heights with varying degree of overlap. That simple! And a smaller stamp with thicker diagonals add a bit of interest to it, switching things up a bit! I will definitely repeat this technique again!

Using all these fun stickers and bits and pieces from Pretty Little Studio was a blast! While they aren't all from the same collection, they coordinated together so well! I also used stamps from Kerry Bradford (from ages ago...) to get the background for my title work and some "verbage" on the layout. The way all the color pops the black and white pictures just makes me happy.

I even journaled! Not a lot but enough to share the story. This was one of those nights were both kids had something going on so Michael and I had to divide and conquer. I'm so glad I was able to be at her chorus concert as she really sounded lovely!

 

My final blog post and video for 2017! I have some fun stuff lined up for 2018 so I do hope you will pop in and join me! January 1st is scheduled and ready to go! I can't wait to share more process videos and creative fun with you!

 

Swim Journal / Stamping with Cocoa Daisy in a Travelers Notebook

Yup.... I have finally opened the can of worms and traversed down that slippery slop of the Traveler's Notebook! LOL!! When I first toyed with the TN last week for SpiegelMom Scraps, I had two ideas; the Elf Antics that I shared with you and will share again on Thursday. And, a swim journal for my son. A quick and simple way of documenting each meet that he attends and races in. A place where I can include a picture and his results from the meet. Perhaps even journal a little bit. I'm hoping to get him to write a little something himself - a way of processing his own emotions and figure out race tactics and strategy. A way of coping with the disappointments of not always performing as he had hoped, eventually.

I used the stamp cancellation stamp to add some fun water waves to the die cut letters! Truly, the best way to see how this came about is to view the YouTube video that I'll link up below. Literally all that is is die cut letter, a stamp and some watercolor. DEAD EASY!!

I then moved on and used the December Cocoa Daisy memory keeping kits inside the journal for a double page spread about Nikolas' first high school swim meet. Taking on new adventures and documenting them, one swim meet at a time!

You can see better in the close up above how I used the diagonal stripe stamp to stamp a border around the double page spread in an ombre, varigated effect. By stamping in different hues and "depth" of the stamp, it created a really fun border. The thicker diagonal really punctuated the effect and finished things off nicely!

I really used the stamps from this month's pocket and 12x12 memory keeping Cocoa Daisy kits a ton and can see where they will be used frequently moving forward! I'm so pleased with the way this all turned out! My adventures in the realm of the Traveler Notebook have gotten off to a great start!

 

As I have mentioned before, this whole world of Travelers Notebooks is new to me, should you have any advice, do share! Be sure to visit the SpiegelMom Scraps YouTube channel on Thursday to see the latest in Henry, our Elf on the Shelf's adventures!

Thanks for stopping in today! Take care!

 

Racing in Paradise / Cocoa Daisy

The October Cocoa Daisy memory keeping kits are unique! Gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous! But for this gal who loves bright, primary colors, I had a bit of a challenge scrapping with them. I tend to like themes and this kit didn't really have a theme or a vibe that I could tune into. So I struggled. Not every kit is going to be easy for you to work with and sometimes, that challenge is just what you need to force you to see things differently. Like the artistic theme that I had to work with for SpiegelMom Scraps a couple of months back. There was a lot of mumbling and grumbling that went on here in the scrappy nook. And there may or may not have been a few tantrums pitched. But the end result were layouts that I LOVED and are some of my favorite layouts. This kit hasn't resulted in favorite layouts but is has certainly pushed me to look at things differently.

This picture of my son swimming down in St Petersburg this past summer was nowhere close to going to work with this kit were I to have used it as it was. PhotoShop to the rescue and convert the picture to a sepia tone that matches the woodgrain in the chevron pattern. This pool that the kids raced in was literally feet from the ocean. They were truly racing in paradise with sand and palm trees just behind the chain link fence.

There wasn't much technique to this layout other than a bit of aging of those salmony, pink letters that were included in the kit. They were a tad bright for the more aged, weathered look of the remainder of the elements on the page so I brushed Distress ink over them then sanded them a bit. You can see the process and how that worked in the process video at the end.

I did use the stamps from the DITL and the main kit; the year as seen in the picture above as well as a label that is a layer below the picture. There is some sumptuous silk ribbon that comes with the kit this month. I used that in the tag that is poking up from the exclusive patterned paper with succulents on it.

 

As you can see, there is always a way to make supplies work for you. You just have to think out of the box and your comfort zone sometimes! Thanks for joining me today! Catch you a few days!

 

Apple Picking / Cocoa Daisy / Process Video

I'm back at it! Stamping on my layout! What do you think about stamping on your projects; are you a fan or not? Are you scared or is it totally in your comfort zone? Somewhere in between, perhaps? I started out petrified. What if I make a mistake and it ruins the page that I spent hours creating?... I found ways to make it more workable for me. Sometimes, I don't like the way it looks and I chuck the stamped cardstock in the bin or recycle pile. Other times I think, I'm so glad I did that! It's like knitting or a sport, the more you practice, the more comfortable you are the better the results. Keep at it!

The stamping on this layout was done with a sentiment stamp from the main September Cocoa Daisy Memory Keeping kit. It was inspired by on of the patterned papers that is an exclusive this month and had a subtle handwritten sentiment in the background. I fussy cut the leaves from that same patterned paper and wanted to reproduce the look of the sentiment.

You can see the ombre, fading effect better in these close up pictures. I used the cats eye stamp that came in the kit and just kept on stamping, overlapping, a few times. The sequins collection is an exclusive for Cocoa Daisy from SpiegelMom Scraps. I NEED more of those leaves! There is something about sequins on fall pages that looks so fitting. Especially those yellow/golden bits. It's like the gold hue I love so much during the Fall (or Autumn).

Mixed media comes into play for this layout. I used one of the subscriber exclusive cut files as a stencil or mask and applied Shimmerz Texturz paste for a little added "umph" to the layout. If you watch the process video, you will see that the stencil itself looked really cool after I was finished with it. I liked it so much, I saved it and used it in another Cocoa Daisy layout.

More fussy cutting! Aren't those toad stools adorable? I love the organic effect that the thread ball tucked into the ripped paper provides!

I hope watching my process and seeing others stamp on their projects encourages you to try it, practice it. Stamping can really add so much to a layout or card!

Thanks for stopping in today and give your stamps a chance!

Cocoa Daisy February Kit Layouts - edited

Hey scrappy peeps! I had really hoped to have a process video to share with you today to accompany these Cocoa Daisy layouts however, the stars aren't aligned and that isn't going to happen. I had to update my video driver and apparently my already edited video didn't update with it. And while I'm sure there is a fix to it, I just don't have the time right now to research and fix. So, you get to view the layouts and enjoy them in their 2D glory!

I created this letter sized layout for the stamping blog post. The greens in the layout aren't that neon in real life... My options in editing the pictures were either that or yellow. Neither all that representative of the actual color but more green than yellow so that's what I went with. I used the stamp from this months kit and "heads and tailed" it, ie, I used it right way up then flipped it upside down to create the oval. I love the way it turned out and created the perfect frame for my pictures.

I think this layout is my favorite layout that I created from the February kits. I had a really fun video that showed my creative process and explained the story behind the layout. They aren't great pictures but it's a great memory and sometimes, that is what scrapping is all about - preserving the good memories. Better yet, I got Nikolas to write out his own journaling in his own handwriting! That is my boy's 14 year old handwriting on that page. Better yet, he didn't complain. Too much! I had such fun with the digital cut files, watercolor and hot air balloon stamps from the kit. And that cloud flair! Swoon!

I have a third layout that I had wanted to share without you however, not only is the video not working but the pictures are gone... I had issues with my laptop recently with files missing and apparently I was not able to recover everything... It's late as I draft this post so too late for picture taking. Which is fine, the process video that accompany the missing pictures layout is a technique process that I would really like to share. So, an excuse to re-take pictures and re-edit video! But sure to tune in again soon as I WILL recover from this minor fumble! I WILL NOT let technology get the better of me!

Edited - I was able to recover the process video for this layout, Brave, however the yet to be seen layout video is unrecoverable... I hope you enjoy this process video and watching how it all came together!

 

Thanks for stopping in!

 

The Best Cake / Cocoa Daisy / Stamping

If you follow me on Facebook or Instagram you will have seen the pictures I posted last month of the most delicious lemon cake EVER! Nikolas requested a lemon cake for his birthday so a lemon cake he got! This layout is all about that cake and the birthday boy with such a request. Oh! And Cocoa Daisy stamps from the November kits!

I used a simple circle grid layout as the foundation for this layout and then set out to fill the circles with either a photo or goodies from the kit. This came about as a result of that fantastic wreath stamp from the kit. I had toyed with hand coloring it but decided in the long run that I preferred the simplicity of the puffy bird sticker alone.

See what I mean about just leaving it alone? Why ruin a good thing?! I love that Nikolas will still smile for pictures for me! He knows that if he wants certain things, I get certain things. One of those very crucial things are smiles in pictures. None of this grumpy teen nonsense he Snapchats all his friends.

Eventually, I will attach a YouTube video to this post... And you will see that I changed the title from inception to conclusion in the creating of this layout. Initially I had Best Cake. It felt like a fragment and needed more. Hence, The Best Cake Ever. Because it really was about the best cake ever! I'm not a huge baker. While I love sweets, there is no need for them hanging around the house. Nor is there much time to bake. So that this came out as well as it did was a feat in and of itself!

Be sure to stop by the Cocoa Daisy blog HERE and see all the other fun projects the design team put together with their November Cocoa Daisy stamps!

So Grateful Card / The Project Bin

Stopping in on this dreary, rainy day with a quick card share! I'm all about quick when it comes to card creations, nothing too time consuming from this chick. After all, it's all about the sentiment and there's no better collection of stamp sentiments than those from The Project Bin!

The stamp for today's card came from the "Autumn's Calling" stamp set. Just perfect for this time of year.

I am so grateful you stopped by today!

 

Leaves Are Falling / The Project Bin

Fall is officially here! The weather is cooling down, the leaves are slowly but surely beginning to change! My absolute favorite time of year! AND Starbucks has leaf shaped gift cards. What better way to share your love of pumpkin spice latte's than with a leaf shaped gift card and a homemade card created using a sentiment stamp from The Project Bin. Better yet today is National Coffee Day so this would be THE perfect gift for that coffee loving friend!

I used a sentiment from the Autumn's Calling set from The Project Bin. I love that the stamp sets are accompanied by not only the sayings but also by "support" elements, such as the leaves. With such wonderful sentiments, it really doesn't take much to create a thoughtful and creative card.

I really should have picked up more of those leaf gift cards while they were there for the taking!

Are you celebrating National Coffee Day today? I don't know about you but if it weren't for my morning coffee, life would be rough! Here's to coffee!!

 

Happy Halloween Card / The Project Bin

It's been a while since I've shared a card and this is a great one to catch up with! I created this using a sentiment stamp from the Haunt It collection from The Project Bin.

A clean and simple background that I created using some watercolors is all it took thus allowing the witch on her broom stick to stand out! The odd sequins and sequin star add to the night sky.

You will see from this close up picture that the background isn't quite as washed out as the overall picture makes it look. There is a fair amount of color and the clean water splashes on top of the color create a faded star look for the starry night sky.

This Autumn / Stamping with Cocoa Daisy

Another great Cocoa Daisy month! Today some of the design team gals are sharing how they one, two or three of the stamp sets (possible even four if you count the Planner kit that I don't get) on projects today. I have a layout not only using THREE of the stamp sets but cards from the Day in the Life kit, the exclusive patterned papers, print and cut files and the digital cut files and other great kit goodies! Talk about a lot of goodness all on one page!

Each of the circles is a pocket card that I punched using a 2 inch punch other than the two with the "take a message" circular stamp which is just on white cardstock. I love that you can use the pocket cards for things other than their intended use. Smaller canvases that are great on their own in pockets or on layouts as modified canvases.

I used the dotted line to create another layer between the bigger strip and the thinner, green strip at the top of the layout. I could have easily traipsed upstairs and stitched a line but decided that the stamp would allow me to have a similar look without having to leave my scrappy space! Stamp for the win!

Above is a stamp from the exclusive stamp set from the Build Your Own options this month. Having just spent 9-10 days out at Sequoia and Yosemite and a lot of time outdoors, I just knew I NEEDED this stamp set for out outdoor adventures. I have used it a lot already. You will certainly see it scattered as a continuous theme through out my vacation pages. Look at the detail in that stamp! So crisp and clean! And, of course, the digital cut file and the "this" from the exclusive print and cut files.

The smaller pine cone stamped on the green circle is also from the exclusive set I mentioned above. The numbers that I used to stamp the year are from the Day In the Life kit. Also in the stamp set are the days of the week. Just perfect for pocket scrapping or planners for that matter. I also used the main stamp set to create that little label that the birdie is sitting on and fussy cut it. Looks just like a die cut label, doesn't it?!

Fun with circles and stamping today! Do you stamp on your layouts? I used to be really afraid to do it... I was terrified that I would make a mistake and that would be that for the layout... There is no room for disaster with my Type A personality. I have truly grown more comfortable with it as I stamp more and more on my layouts. I almost can't create a layout unless I have stamped on it these days.