Simple Strategies- Just Start Stacking!

Hello, and happy Monday, everyone! Melissa here with a Simple Strategies post to get your week off to a good start.

When I started the layout above, I actually didn't have a clear idea of where I wanted to go with it or even what photos I wanted to use. I did have a vague idea that I wanted to stack up lots of embellishments from the Printshop vellum die cut pack in January's Main Kit, so I decided to start with that and see where things went.

I used the colors in the scalloped paper (also in the Main Kit) as inspiration for the pieces I chose to layer, and I also decided at this point to pull in some of the Chic Tags paper clips that matched. I arranged the elements in a loose line down the center of the page, not really in any order- just stacking and playing until I was happy with the look.

I decided to try out the exclusive butterfly next, thinking that it would be a great way to tie all of the pieces together. I also added a few of the exclusive wood veneer clouds from this month's kit.

Remember that up to this point I had just been playing with the layout and simply piling things on- no pressure, just creative fun! Once I got it to a point where I really liked the look, I started to stick everything down.

First I cut out the middle section of the scalloped paper so I'd have some pieces left for other layouts, then I layered an 11.5x11.5 in the middle and stitched around the edges.

I had one more idea I wanted to try before putting everything together- arranging the die cuts in the same color order as the background paper. I loved the orderly look this gave to everything!

I keep lots of photos printed and ready to scrap, so it only took a few minutes to flip through them and find two to use that worked with the colors and theme that I already had going with this page.

All that was left after that was to add a title and some journaling!

Not every layout has to start with photos and journaling. Sometimes if you're stuck for a place to start, begin with the embellishments and paper that most inspire you and simply play with layering them up and arranging them on a page. It might be just the creative kick start that you need!

Sunday Sketch with our Guest Designer

My sketch layout is about Jimmy, a fun-loving, crazy yet thankful dog that seems to be smiling all the time. He had a very tough life until my brother adopted him from a local shelter. He is a sweetheart who loves to eat, run, have fun and lick people's faces!



The sketch is awesome! I was happy to see all that white/empty space. I love creating layouts just like that! I have also enjoyed the circle in the backround that I've created using a white acrylic paint (and then added some splatters,too). Another "not from the kit" item is white alpha thickers JOURNAL by Amy Tangerine that I've used for the title.



The "&" sign, "smile" sticker, little hearts and stars and orange self-adhesive stones come from the january embellishment kit.



I went for grey/white/orange color pallete as I like to work with just some colors on a page or project - and with awesome sketches like this one! :)



To play along with the Sunday Sketch Challenge, upload your layout(s) to the gallery by January 18th to be entered in a drawing to win a $5 Citrus Twist gift certificate to our store or add-on kits. When uploading to the gallery, please include "Sketch 1/12" along with your layout title.

Winners!!!!

Sketch Winner ($5 Gift Certificate):
Sketch 12/22:  barbp
Sketch 12/29:  cecilescrappe
Sketch 1/5:  ssaucier

Guest Designer Top 5 Winner (win ONE of Guest favorite items):

Zoey and the furballsJanuary 1, 2014 at 12:02 PM

Wow, it's so nice to meet someone from Slovakia. I've been watching the team in the world junior hockey championships.

Guessing Game Winner($5 Gift Certificate to CTK store):

Kathy SkouJanuary 2, 2014 at 5:35 AM

LOVE this Jen!!!

Please email Trina at CitrusTwistKits@yahoo.com to claim your prize.

Satruday Inspiration with our Design Team

Each month we all make something other than a layout, it can be a card, a tag, a mini album, an altered item, even a PL page.  This is the day were we get to share those projects with each of you. 

First up is Melissa with some cards: "As I was working with the January kits, I spotted a few pieces that I knew I would likely not use on layouts and decided to put them to use on cards instead. I rarely use colored cardstock for layouts, so I cut one sheet from the kit down to make a pair of 4.25" by 5.5" cards and then used the narrow little strip left over to make a skinny card, too. The "XO" and "Happy Valentine's Day" sentiments are from the cut apart sheet in the Add-On kit, and since I don't normally have Valentine's photos top scrap, onto cards they went!"

     

Next up is our Guest Designer Lucia:

"As the Valentine's day is not that far away, I'm sharing a "#lovenote" card that I've created. I've used a white Core'dination cardstock to create the card (it's a 6x6) and embellished it with the mix of main and embellie january kit. Let me say how I LOVE those sequins!!! I can't even describe the colors, they're something between neon and pastel, just beautiful! And they literally shine on the white background :) I scattered them on the cardstock and then glued them on with a hot glue gun. I've used Studio Calico letter stickers from the embellie kit for the title which I sewed over (and then sewed around the edges of the card as well) and added some pom-poms - these are lovely and add the project a fun look :) "



I'm up next: "I was drawn to those cute pom poms in the January Kit and just couldn't get them to work for me on a layout. I really wanted to play with them so I created this card around those pom poms."

“Hi here is Amélie and this is my card made with January Add-On kit. On this card, only button comes from my stash. Enamel dots come from a previous kit”. Jen is up with a PL page: "I created this title page for my 2014 Pocket Life album using the main scrapbook kit this month! I also used one of April's awesome free calendar printables. I decided to include a lot of photos and let those tell the story of our New Year's Eve."

Playing with Pocket Life with Sam

Hello there! It's second Friday of year 2014. I am so honour to be able to share my very first Pocket Life 2014 cover page with all go you. The thought of starting a new PL album for year 2014 makes me excited and nervous at the same time. Just because I could start fresh - making new plans and setting new style/strategies for my new PL album , and also I might just skipped the 4 weeks that I have missed out in 2013 and move on to a brand new year. I was thinking missing just 4 weeks out of 52 weeks isn't too bad right? And I am pretty sure I have scrapbook those more scrap-worthy and important moment into my 12x12.

Besides feeling excited with all the new plans for my Year 2014 PL, I am having blank page syndrome too.It always occur to me whenever I start using a new notebook or planner. And also, i didn't have any cover page for my 2013 PL album till now. I was waiting for an awesome page or idea to strike so that I could make a fabulous cover page for my 2013. And it didn't happen at all. I just on from the 1st album to the second album without any cover page. hahaha. Does that sound familiar to you too?

And here I am, with my cover page for my PL 2014, with my One Little Word - MAGIC. The cover page is not fantastic, it is simple, took me less than 30 mins to complete it. I spent most of the time to look for my favourite photo out of 13 thousand photos on my iPhone - thats why it is time consuming.

To overcome my blank page syndrome for starting a new PL album, all I do here is print plenty of photos (slightly smaller than 2 inch x 2 inch), cut some pattern papers to fill some of the pockets, add some sequins and stitch the pockets. And oh boy! I love this month kit to the max because Trina reads my mind! She had designed a wood chip pieces in the word ' MAGIC' and that is so part for me to include my One Little Word to my cover. 

Just in case you are wondering what made up of my printed photos - those are mainly photos of baby (because my 2013 is all about him), my love & my family, my scrapbook and craft photos, my scrap area etc. 

Sorry for writing such a long post without much photo. I hope that this post would inspire you to do something about your PL album cover page if you haven't!

XoXo

Sam

6x6 Paper Play with Jen

Happy 2014 to all! I am thrilled to be posting my first layout of the year using the January PL and PL Embellishment kits. In nearly a year of being a CTK Design Gal, I have found myself saying numerous times, "THIS is my favorite kit!" While it's always true, this is really my favorite to date. SC's Print Shop is an incredible collection of bold and subtle, bright and soft. For this layout, documenting my 39th birthday (eep!), I went bold. The words on the hot pink and white script pattern were the perfect message for my layout. Cutting just the strips I wanted from the pattern served as a use of the paper as well as my title.

And, the gold doily? Yes, please! This year is going to be golden...we are just days from moving into our dream home, baby #3 arrives just a few days later and the year is just bursting with promise. I wanted to see as much of that beautiful shine as possible so left it mainly alone, save for an overlapping label sticker (PL Kit) and the Thickers (PL Embellishment kit).

The other little additions were circle punches from the black/white frame pattern, a scallop cut following yet another design in the paper pad and a few hand cut hearts. I used my white Sharpie poster paint pen to add in a few splatters to mimic the look in the script pattern to unite the background.

Tuesday Tutorial with Sandy

With Valentine's day coming up, I thought it'll be fun to share a gift-wrapping project. My gift box is covered with some coral mesh (from my stash), a Printshop script paper and topped off with cute Basic Grey pom-poms threaded onto baker's twine that Trina wraps the Main Kit with. That takes care of the hot pink, but I need some hearts to complete the lovey, dovey look.

So I combine these Flea Market and Close Knit patterns, using a homemade washi tape technique, to create a customized design of superimposed hearts that sits in the centre of my wrap. If you are keen to make your own washi tape, all you need is some clear packing tape.

Homemade Washi Tape :

• adhere packing tape over the desired pattern
• turn over and thoroughly soak the B-side paper with water
• rub off the B-side paper to reveal the desired pattern

 

This technique transfers ink from coloured parts of the design onto the packing tape while the white areas, which is just the base paper, is rubbed off and becomes transparent. So it is most effective if you select designs with some parts of the design in white or cream. Hope you have fun making your own washi tape and creating some fun gift wraps.