3 to Inspire with Marie-Pierre

Hi everyone!

After taking a long break to move to Europe, I'm so happy to be back to the Citrus Twist Kits blog! :) I hope you are ready to get inspired! I have a Project Life spread for you today!!

The September Pocket Life kit was totally my style! I loved every little bits and pieces!

This is the left page:

And this is the right page:

Here are some detail shots.

To "type" on this little typewriter die cut, I used my printer. I typed my text in Photoshop, the first "adventure" is written in dark grey and the second one in light grey and then I printed it on a plain piece of paper. I taped my die cut over the text and ran the sheet again through the printer. I used to have a typewriter but I found that the process was pretty much the same to type on die cuts or cards. I find that by using my computer, it's easier to center my text and I like that I can adapt the size of the text for what I need.

I used a small label and some puffy alphas to write a title on my journaling card.

I found this house card so cute that I didn't want to mess it up. I only wrote some words on it and finally decided to add a star (from the embellishment kit). Sometimes, simple is just the better way to go!

I turned this 6x6 paper into a 4x6 journaling card. And I even stamped a bit... :) Makes me happy.

Here again I used the puffy stickers to write a title for the right page:

And I used the 2 little birdies die cuts to guide the eye between these 3 photos that are linked together.

I stitched a little bit. I stitched the label under the "the container is here" title and I stitched the black and white heart die cut in the middle of the photo. I added a small word label that I mounted on foam dots.

This paper with the cute houses has to be my favorite! I decided to let it shine! I added a sigle label on top of it to add just a bit of journaling.

And now here are your 3 prompts to get you started:

- Use your favorite card or paper and let it shine by adding only one simple thing to it.

- Use small alphas to create a title or 2.

- Try some stitching. It doesn't have to be a lot and it doesn't have to be with the sewing machine. Just get a needle and sew something into place.

Have fun!!! And don't forget to share your 3 to Inspire creations in the gallery and/or our Facebook Forum. I can't wait to see what you make!!

Marie-Pierre

PL Sketch Friday with Tara

Happy Friday! It's Tara and I'm back for this week's Pocket Life Sketch Friday challenge. Don't forget to read through the end to see how you can win some happy mail.

My challenge this week is to add in as much journaling as you can - even if it's just a word or two, a lengthy paragraph, or in a list format with bullets. You can even use word stickers, alphas, cut apart words, and phrases to help with the journaling too.

Here is my finished spread:

Here is the left side and my introduction for August:

Here is the right side:

I cannot get enough of all the pretty papers, the 4x6 card with cut apart words, and The Reset Girl's ephemera kit in this month's "Maggie" Pocket Life kit (we are sold out of this month's kit but you can start a subscription with October's PL kit). I really pushed myself to use use up all of the lovely contents of the kit this month instead of keeping it all for a rainy day.

Here are a few close ups:

I didn't take any photos from our Vacation Bible School event, so I printed out the image of the theme we used. It fit perfectly with the pops of colors in my spread.

I added in a short phrase depicting Elliot and his silliness. Something that simple can really capture the moment!

I couldn't get enough of the Maggie Holmes gold stickers in this month's Embellishment Kit.

I also thought listing what's happened this week instead of writing an in depth review would be a fun
change. I added in "this"/"that" from the stamp included and used my Kelley Purkey alpha stamps for the "AND".

I even found another way to add more journaling! I love hidden journaling if I want to keep some things private. This time I used the cute ephemera as an extra layer and made it interactive too.

Another label sticker below helped me do a quick explanation of the spaghetti noodle.

Finally, here are your sketches:

 

Thank you for stopping by today! For your chance to win, create a layout based on these sketches - either pocket pages or traditional scrapbooking, you choose! Post your layout to our Gallery and/or Facebook Fan Page and title it PL 09/16. Post your entries by Friday, September 23, 2016.

Happy Weekend! Xxo, Tara

Tuesday Tutorial: Making a Mini Album with Tara

Hello lovelies! Today I'm sharing a simple tutorial to make a mini album. After my first attempt at making one, I have fallen head over heels for these little guys!! They are so cute and I'm on a mission to make more. This mini album is going out to my parents this time.

*Warning - this post is picture heavy - I wanted to share the entire mini album with you!

I used September's "Maggie" PL kit with the Embellishment kit. Here is the cover of my mini album:

I loved the exclusive patterned paper in the "Maggie" Main kit and used that to cover my album. 

Here are the materials I used to make the mini album:

I cut down my 8.5x11 inch paper to 6x8 inches. I then scored the paper down the middle at 4 inches. This makes my mini album roughly 4x6 inches. I then assembled the three sheets together and the outer patterned paper and lined them up at the score line. I took a small punch and made 5 holes down the center. I used some thread, a needle, and used a saddle stitch to bind the book together. If you don't have these materials, you can always use washi tape or glue. This is a simple way to sew an album if you don't have a sewing machine, like me. Don't forget to glue down the cover paper to the kraft/cardstock paper.

Here is the assembled mini album:

You can see here the middle of the book where I hand-stitched it:

Then comes the fun part! Getting out your photos, pretty papers, and embellishments and filling it up! Here is my completed mini album:

I just love the gold Maggie Holmes stickers so much.

I kept the left side simple since I had a lot of layered patterns on the opposite side. This is one of my favorite photos - I used it in my previous album!

Here is a close up:

I can't get enough of the cut out words included on a 4x6 card in the PL kit. I cut them out and used them a ton this month!

A close up of the next page:

This time I really wanted to capture my boys' writing so I asked them to each share a little note. This mini album is for my parents and I knew they would love to see their handwriting.

I re-used a glassine envelope from a previous kit and cut down the 4x6 card. I love how my son drew a moon and a star to go with "I love you to the moon and back" phrase. The Crate Paper Cool Kid yellow star paper clip is my favorite!!! I used it to keep the two 3x4 cards together and secured in the glassine pocket.


We have a funny little story about the "Grandpa/Grandma Taco" thing and it's something we continue to laugh about. I love how the boys still call my parents that and I'm pretty sure it's special to them too.

Here is the next page:

I loved the ephemera pack from The Reset Girl that was included in the PL kit! I couldn't stop finding more ways to use the cute little pieces. I added in some stamped phrases from this month's stamp too.

And the last page:

Thank you so much for stopping by. I hope you give making min albums a go! I had so much fun creating this one.

Have a wonderful day!

Xxo, Tara

Sunday Sketch 9/11

Today is Sunday which means it is time for a new sketch. Here's the sketch I worked with, but today I want to show you how you can use a 12x12 sketch not only for a layout but also in your Pocket Page albums!



Here is my traditional layout using the sketch. I was using only the September Pocket Life and Embellishment kits so I had to get a little creative. I stuck pretty close to the original sketch here, but enlarged those circle elements and got a little stitchy!




Here is the process video of how this layout came together...


Once I had finished up the layout, I moved onto an insert for my Project Life album.

It really is easy to use a larger sketch for an insert or pocket page, you just need to get a little creative moving and adapting the elements of the sketch around. For instance, I moved my date stamp to the top tag, and replaced the second circle at the top with a label.

So, here is the process video of how I put together the insert...



Now it is your turn to create something with the sketch, let me know if you decide to use it for your pocket pages – I really can't wait to see! Don't forget to upload to the gallery or facebook group for the chance at a $5 gift certificate. Place 9/11 in your title so we don't miss your page.

Pocket Life Sketch Friday | September 2, 2016

Happy Friday and good morning! 

This is Melissa here with you this morning and I'm sharing some pages from my Project Life album using the September Pocket Life kit!

 I loved all the goodies that came along in this month's kit! I really like the embellishment kit that had the sequins and paperclips!

Below is the sketch I made based off the spread shared above.

Make sure you share your pocket pages with us! We would love to see how you are using the kits :-)

Thanks for stopping by!