Sunday Sketch with Kira

Hey everyone!  It's Kira and I am back with another layout for Sunday Sketch, this time working in my Travelers Notebook.

Here's a look at the sketch this week:


And here's my take on it:

I started this layout by choosing my photos, since the sketch called for two, I grabbed these two of my youngest son playing in the sprinkler.  I had already printed them in color before I started this layout, so a lot of the products I chose were to coordinate with the photos.

The sketch called for journaling in between the photos, so I thought this would be a good time to to use one of the journaling cards in the pocket life kit.  I found this one that says "Feel the Sunshine" and had some peach tones to it that I felt work well with my photo.  But a little fun fact about me:  my handwriting is HUGE!  So I knew there was no way I could fit my story on this journaling card.  Instead, I used a few of the phrase stamps from the main kit and the PL kit and stamped all over the card.

I added a cluster just to the side of the journaling card, since the sketch called for a paper clipped cluster at the top of it, but didn't want to cover up the "title".  I loved this little mer-cat stamp, but didn't think I would ever find a reason to use it on a page.  But I thought, "When would be better than with a photo of Ellie in the sprinkler?" and it made it on the layout.  It only made sense that I would add the other two mer-cats at this point, right?

I also built a little cluster to the left of my page.  I wanted to bring in the blue and green (aqua?) to that side of the layout.

You can see that I adjusted the placement a lot with this sketch/layout.  But always keeping the main points of the sketch.  I loved the layers at the top of the sketch, so I used a paper from the PL kit and a paper from the main kit and stitched them together (prior to adding them to my TN).

And built a little cluster on top as well.  I finished off by adding my journaling to the white space.

I hope you try out this sketch yourself!  I can't wait to see what everyone creates!

xo,

Kira

3-to-Inspire with Chantal

Hey guys!

It's time for another installment of 3-to-Inspire. The Savannah kits have been an absolutely pleasure to create with and contain some of my favourite items to date (aka vellum and Pink Paislee puffy stickers). My project was inspired by an Instagram post by fellow scrapbooker, Anke Kramer. I fell in love with all the beautiful water-colour butterflies in her project and I decided to create my own.

Your take on this challenge can be in the form of a layout, a traveller's notebook or a pocket page spread. Don't forget to include all three of the listed items in your project, in order to be entered to win a little something towards your next purchase, in the Citrus Twist Kits store.

1- Include hand-cut items/shapes on your layout
2- Create a cluster (or multiple clusters)
3- Use at least one patterned paper on your project

Here is the project that I came up with, using the above prompts;

I rarely use water-colour in my projects and so this one definitely took me out of my comfort zone. A few splashes here and there is what I've typically done, but I was a woman on a mission!

I first cut out some butterflies of different shapes and sizes, out of water-colour paper, with my Silhouette Cameo. I then proceeded to add some color, starting at the edges of the shape, working my way slowly towards the inside of each one, in a dabbing motion. Once the bodies were painted-in with some black water-colour and were done drying as well, I used a pencil to outline the wings and draw in some details. 

My background is simply a repetition of the Alpha Stamp, stamped straight across the page. 

I then added a few splashes and drops of black ink and let that dry for a while, before I randomly added some Thickers onto my project. I was now able to glue down my painted butterflies and my photo to the page and I then went ahead and sewed on some hand cut details (the X's) to complete my cluster of elements.

Now it's your turn to show us what you've been inspired to put together. Don't forget to upload your project to the CTK Facebook Fan Page using hashtag #3toInspire, for a chance to win a $5.00 discount to the store!

Pocket Life Challenge – with Melanie

Hello friends! Excited to be here today to share a fun Pocket Life challenge! I’m a strong believer that in order to stay caught up with my projects I need to keep things simple, so my challenge to you today is just that – Keep it Simple!!! 

My 2018 album is currently 9x12, I say currently because at the beginning of the year it was 6x12 but I didn’t have space for all of my stories so I switched to 9x12. I’m very tempted of going back to 12x12, which I used years ago, maybe I’ll keep that for next year! 

So far this year I’ve stayed caught, well almost, with my 2018 album. I’m about 3 weeks behind, which is really good! I think I stayed “caught up” mostly because I use more pictures and keep my design very simple.

As you will see, I used one of the 4x6 journaling card from the Savannah Pocket Life kit, for the top right pocket. I could have certainly added journaling, embellishments, even a picture to “fill” the card, but I decided to keep it as is. The title of the card says it all, “highlights”, from the week I’m documenting. I didn’t feel it needed anything else.

So I challenge you to use your cards and leave them blank, do not add journaling or embellishment, even if you feel the need to “fill” it. 

Simplicity is often the best way to go! Hope you enjoy my challenge, happy crafting!!

April GraceBox with Rachel

The April Grace Box was filled with lots of goodies to Bible Journal with. One of my favorite products to work with is paper pieces because there are so many variations of layouts you can create with them.  Today I’m sharing five different pages of layouts I created using the April Grace box.

For the first layout I wanted to use this “hey girl hey” ephemera (isn’t it the cutest?)  in combination with the new clear alpha’s from Illustrated Faith for the Hebrews 10:24 verse. “And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works....”  this verse is reminding us that if we want to be able to finish this race we need one another to succeed. We need to encourage others and be encouraged to complete the task God has given us. God knew we would stumble and want to give up so he gave us one another to help us stand strong. So gather with your girlfriends and start stirring!

For most of these layouts I just layered paper pieces on top of each other and then added some washi and some paint splatter to the top. I left room on most of my margins for journaling space to document what I’m learning from the verses.

For this next layout I went with hexagon shapes and just built them down the margin. The clear alphas are the perfect size to add titles and key words right in the middle of the text because you can see through them and they are narrow enough to fit a lot of words in. I love them! At the top of this layout it says, “Our lives should be in harmony with the Gospel we claim to bear.”  An easy way to add to any of your grace box kits is to type up a quote, or something your pastor said at church,  or a blurb from a devotional your reading on your computer and print it out on clear sticker paper. If your handwriting isn’t your favorite it’s an easy way to add lettering to your pages. 😉

And for my last layout I used the rub ons. I am really enjoying the rub ons from American Crafts! I traveled by plane to Texas for Spring Break and wanted to bring my Bible but didn’t want to bring all the paints with me. So I grabbed the rub ons and these new Block Alpha stamps and created this page from the seat of the airplane. I love that you can achieve a painted look without any of the mess. And how gorgeous is the gold foil rub ons? Those gold fireflies are adorable!

Thanks for following along. I hope you enjoyed seeing multiple different layouts from the same kit. I pray you get time in your Bible creating and connecting with your Creator!

Till next time, Rachel 

“Love This” Pocket Pages by Suzanna Stein

Hey there, crafty pals! I’m so excited to be back sharing another project and post here on the Citrus Twist Kits’ blog!

If you’re anything like me, you might forget to take pictures in the moment, and then find yourself trying to document small stories with only a few photos. Today, I’m going to share a few tips on how to work with just a couple photos and tell a small story in a full layout!

For this layout, I wanted to tell the story of a fun lunch date - I only took 2 photos (one before we left and one in the car), the photos are very similar, and my story isn’t super long.

A lot of everyday moments and memories end up like this, and if you’re not a weekly pocket page scrapper, these little stories can go untold.

I started out with my two photos, and then chose 6 cards from the kit that I liked together. I chose the placement of my photos - because these two photos are so similar, I chose to put them on opposite ends of the layout.

When deciding on the “ratio” of cards, I used this model: 2 decorative, 2 title, 2 journaling.

By following a layout model, or ratio, for layouts like this, I am able to go into it with a plan and not feel lost or overwhelmed. I started by embellishing my decorative cards, since this was the simplest step.

Then, I moved to embellishing my photos.

From there, I worked on my title cards - I used one for a very descriptive “title” or large sentiment, and the other for a general sentiment that described how I felt about the story I was telling.

I’m a person of few words when it comes to my layouts. I usually go with a sentence or two and let the photos tell the story. With a story like this, where the photos don’t tell very much, except who I was with, using your feelings on the moment can make a huge difference!

Thinking outside the box with the cards you choose can also make a big difference. The “Here & Now” grid card was perfect because there isn’t a ton of journaling on that card, but when you’re looking at it, it seems as though it tells a big part of the story of this layout!

I also used stamps to fill in empty spaces on cards throughout the layout. It’s a subtle step, but makes a huge difference in the overall layout.

I really love the way this layout turned out and am so happy I documented this small everyday moment. These are the memories I love to look back on, and I know in the future, I won’t care how many photos I had, how similar they were, etc. All that matters is that the story was documented!

Whether the memory is huge and you have tons of photos, or it’s a small everyday moment with just a photo or two - I encourage you to document it and don’t be afraid of using an entire layout for it - every memory is special!

I’ll be sharing more crafty goodness with the Savannah kit throughout the month over on Instagram!
Thanks for reading!

- Suzanna

Tuesday Tutorial with Nathalie | Create a TN insert with Digital elements

Hello friends!!!

Nathalie with you today.  Have you visited the new website already?  Well, besides being fresh and user friendly, now the shop also offers digital copies of the PL cards.  These cards do not only increase the number of options for pocket pages, but can also be used to create your own patterned paper, ephemera, and so much more.   So today, I want to show you how i combined the new digital journaling cards with the beautiful Savannah main kit in my Traveler's Notebook.

This month's Savannah Scrapbook kit includes a 8.5x11 sheet of vellum (i am kind of addicted to vellum, and import it monthly to my stash!!) which is perfect for creating an insert or tip in for my Traveler's Notebook.

For this "insert", i used Photoshop to create my own patterned paper using one of the digital card images.   I am not a master at Photoshop, but this process (which is the one used to add digital stamps to photographs) is simple,  easy to follow, and pretty much foolproof.  So sit back, and see how i used the digital card to create the print on vellum:

Isn't that easy?!!  As a daily journaler,  the option of going hybrid for some of my entries helps to reduce the bulk added to the inserts.  Plus this way, i get to transform my beloved vellum into this beautiful translucent paper that can add that special touch to my pages.

Now, if you have seen my work before, then you know i like adding inserts/tip-ins in my books. This time i used the printed vellum as a means to add my title, and offer a peak of what the next page encases, thus tying all the pages together.

The new page is more of a traditional TN entry, and uses this month's Savannah scrapbook  and embellishment kits (the grid paper is the packaging from the Pinkfresh Studio cardstock stickers!) as well as the This is Life "Detours" stamp set.  Here are a few more close ups of the spread:

This entry came together in no time once I had the printed vellum.  Honestly, I devote 20 minutes a day for my daily TN entries, and going hybrid is a good way to speed your daily documenting.  The following video, will show you how easy is to create this vellum insert/tip-in for your notebook:

Well that's it for me today.  Remember to stop by the new Citrus Twist  Kits store to check not just the kits but also all the new digital files available for purchase, and lots of free new ones (trust me there are a lot more coming your way!).  As always let me know if you have any questions.  I cannot wait to see how you use the new digitals in your documenting processes.

XOXO

Nathalie

Let's Get Digital-Candace

Hello friends!  Candace here to get a digital with you!  I can't even tell you how excited I am that CTK is now offering digital components to their kits.  I am a true hybrid scrapbooker at heart.  I love having the flexibility to create and manipulate product designs to fit my personal style and story.

This month I wanted to create a fun vellum overlay using the digital journal cards.  Here is a look at the final spread in my traveler's notebook.

To start my spread I opened the digital card in photoshop with the png file.  Next, I knew I wanted the words in grey going across the vellum so I needed to change the color of the words.  Using the eye dropper tool I picked up the grey color on the card.  I changed the background of the card to white and used the paint bucket, with the grey selected, to change the color of the words. 

I printed out the sentiment on vellum and cut it to create a page in my travelers notebook.  To make it look like a seamless page I added my photo on top of the page flap.  To add a bit more color; using my tiny attacher I added tabs to my custom vellum page.



In my snapchat photo I had a bunch of hearts floating above my head.  I thought it would be fun to sew a few of the cute hearts from the ephemera pack among the photo hearts.  I LOVE how it turned out!







I wanted to create a little envelope to hold my journaling.  Using a 6x8 sheet of paper from the kit I created an envelope and sealed it closed with a wood button.  



I had so much fun putting this spread together! It is so full of fun and color and I could have never created it without going digital!  Love digital!  Keep an eye out for more posts from our design team with inspiration and tutorials on using the fun new digital elements! Thanks for stopping by!  Candace