TN Challenge with Sarah

Hi, CTK friends!

It's Sarah here today back with another TN challenge.  Today we're breaking out our stamps and getting inky! :)

My challenge for you today is to create a stamped background in your TN.  There are many ways you could go about this challenge- from sectioning off areas to stamp to stamping on cardstock and then adding it into your notebook like pattern paper.  Or, you can just go all out like I did here and ink up both pages of the spread!

This month the gorgeous Magic Happens stamp set released from CTK and I found myself instantly in love with this little gem so that's what I decided to use on my pages here.

I started with the two tags that are in the stamp set because they are the largest pieces and provide the most structure due to their shape.  Once I had those down, I started slowly adding in sentiments using a few different ink colors.  I stuck to only a few colors since this page is already quite busy.  After all of the stamping was done I didn't really need to add much of anything else, but I did embellish a bit more using some pieces from this month's Pocket Life kit.  I like how those elements bring in a different texture.

I'd love for you to give this challenge a try. :)

Happy Crafting!

Documenting Memories with Nathalie

Hi there!  I am so happy to be sharing my first project using the new Heartbreaker kits.  This month's kits are beautiful, and there is the gold!!!   You are going to love them all!    For this project i combined the Scrapbook kit, embellishment kit, and the new Conversation Starter 2 stamp set.

I love our Goddaughter so much, and after having her visit us from Ecuador last month, i was so inspired to work on her Scrapbook.   For this page, i used  liquid watercolor from Pinkfresh Studio -available at the CTK store- to create the background. 

I used  a few cut files available for free at the CTK digital shop to create the wreath and large floral cluster on the page.  This month's Heartbreaker kit is filled with beautiful papers, so i pulled a few of them to back the cut file, and the picture of my little one.

A bit of foam adhesive was used to set  all the pieces in place on the page.  First I used a combination of embellishments from the Shine On collection which are available in the Scrapbook Kit and embellishment kits along with the Conversation Starter 2 stamp to form the title.   I created a subtitle at the bottom of the wreath using a few Pinkfresh Studio stickers available in the Scrapbook kit combined with the clear stickers from the embellishment kits.

I added a few more subtle details around the the layout using the cut apart elements --available for free at the CTK shop -- and some gold stickers from the embellishment kit.   I love CTK stamps , they are so versatile, in this case, i softly curved them to add the sentiment around the circumference of the wreath.   After a few lines of journal the page was completed.  The following video will show you a more in-depth look at how this page was created:

Love how this turned out!   The Heartbreaker kits are so fun to play with, you are going to fall in love with them!

Remember to share your projects created with the kit on the CTK fans page on Facebook, or on social media.  As always do not hesitate to contact me if you have questions on how this came together.

XO

Documenting the Everyday and More!

Hey, there!  I am so excited to be back and share with you how I am continuing to document the ordinary, and the little bit more extraordinary, in my Travelers Notebooks.  There's so much fun to be had in these pages -- and whether you're using a micro size or standard size, you can pack in the fun!

This is another page in my All About Me travelers notebook insert.  I am using a standard size wide and it's been so much fun to put together!  I love that I am able to use not only whatever I want in it (I mean, it's all about ME!) but I can also use lots of feminine colors and accents -- which is so fun since most of my documenting is either masculine, or gender neutral.  

I used some of the beautiful die cuts from the September Heart Breaker Pocket Life kit, (aren't they SO pretty?!) and then the favorite card from the month to mat and tie the whole page together! Now, obviously the die cuts aren't the only pretty accent -- I wanted to build a little more, so I used the epoxy sticker (love the color!) and the gold script puffy word, too.  I love how it all ties together and really lets me creatively tell the story.

Now, let's talk about another album I'm working on. This is a personal size insert which is a really manageable size. There's enough room to really tell the stories but it's small enough to not have to feel overwhelmed.  This album is my favorites.  I don't have to break it down, it's enough to include the photo because it tells a favorite story or it's a favorite photo.  This one is BOTH.  How awesome, right?

I kept the lefthand side simple because the photo is completely the show stealer and makes me laugh outloud.  So, a couple of die cuts and a 6x8 patterned paper from the September Heart Breaker Pocket Life kit made it SO EASY and super cute.  It is a great example of how a really good and engaging page doesn't have to be complicated.

Now, the stamp - it's stolen my heart.  This is Life - Magic Happens is exactly the perfect name for this stamp set and it was the perfect stamp for this layout.  Obviously, this is a Disneyland layout - and magic is everywhere there.  I couldn't help but embrace that and use a black, yellow and red color palette for my stamping.

I hope you'll give documenting in a travelers notebook a try if you haven't already! May I suggest any of the September kits as the perfect accents to your stories and photos?

Tuesday Tutorial with Trina: Storytelling

Hello everyone! I'm happy to be here today to share a little bit about how I tell stories when I craft. On today's blog I'm focusing on telling some of those stories in our new Skinny Traveler's Notebook (available in our Shop) but you can use any size, format or medium to do this.

Supplies
I kept my supplies pretty basic for these stories including:

• Fiskars trimmer
• Skinny TN Album
• Tombow Adhesive Tape Runner
• Tombow Glue
• Precision Pen
• Scissors
• Two Inks: One black, one in Sunflower
• Stamps
• plus bits and pieces of elements from the September "Heartbreaker" Pocket Life kit

I like to tell stories of our life and usually find myself about 6-8 weeks behind (anyone else behind?). I also like to include flashbacks from my past including my childhood and our daughter's. The events in today's blog post were from a trip in July, taking our daughter back to college in August, plus a flashback. Here is what happened.

Story 1: Back to College
I like to start with a clean desk and it definitely gets messier as I work. This story focuses briefly on McKenzie's return to college. This is how my desk looked partway through the first spread I worked on.

I documented the story crafted around two photos: in the car when we arrived on campus and a photo that our daughter sent to us soon afterward when she successfully assembled her first piece of furniture for the new campus apartment on her own. This story is short and simple. Don't worry about how much you write — your stories can be short or long.

Story 2: California Trip
The next story is from a trip that McKenzie and I took to California (we do this annually) and our California trips always include a lot of mountain time, hiking and swimming in rivers and lakes. It's up to you if you like to tell your stories in your handwriting or by typewrite.

I like to mix my stories up between typewritten and handwritten. The graphic designer, vintagy part of me likes how the old typewriter looks. But the storyteller part of me loves handwriting, too, as it is my signature. I love looking back at the letters my mom wrote me. Now that she is gone, her handwriting is a part of her that I get to cherish. I know one day all of my scrapbooks will pass onto McKenzie and I want her to feel that touch, too

I used vintage ledger paper to journal on. I found old ledgers in my dad's belongings and love that I can put them to use with my storytelling. (These ledgers are from circa 1950 and are a great way to weave a little vintage family into my albums.) Since the paper is quite thin, I glued it down onto white cardstock.

Here is another close-up. I added a foam pop dot to the back of the heart ephemera for some dimension.

Story 3: Flashback to My Childhood
This is my last story for this tutorial and is a flashback to one of my childhood birthdays. I love that the photo is black-and-white. It's of my sister and I standing in my aunt's backyard. This photo drew me in because I have a big bandaid on my cheek and this became part of the story.

I used three stamp sets for this page.

• September This Is Life "Magic Happens"
• Conversation Starters version 2
• plus July This Is Life "Daily Routine"

The Conversation Starters (v1 and v2) are fun to use. You can use some of the phrases as a jump-off to tell one of your stories. In this case, the "this childhood memory" and "in three words" instantly pulled at my heartstrings.

Before I stamped I mounted the layered photo onto the lower half of my page. The photo is matted, framed with a pattern paper border, then mounted on a strip of town fabric.

I used numbers from the July This Is Life "Daily Routine" stamp set to stamp the numbers 1-3 in Sunflower yellow. I used my Precision pen to write out the 3 words.

I layered some fussy cut vintage music with a shell button and epoxy heart sticker on top of the photo.

On the facing page I told part of the story behind the photo. Again, I used an old piece of ledger paper that I matted with pattern paper. I typed the story onto the ledger before I mounted it on the pattern paper. Last, I included embellishments plus one of those lovely gold phrase puffy stickers.

Don't be afraid to tell your stories. I'd love to see some of yours so be sure to tag us on Instagram at @citrustwistkits and use the hashtag #ctkstorytelling.

Happy storytelling!

xo,
Trina

Kit Love with Candace

Hello friends!  Welcome to September and a beautiful new kit!  This month's kits are called "Heartbreaker" and they will truly break your heart they are SO beautiful!  This month there is a mix of goodies from Maggies Holmes, Amy Tangerine and (of course) CTK exclusives!  Check out the video below to get an up close look at the kits, stamps and add ons for this month!

So many beautiful and inspirational goodies this month!  I am most excited to play with the vintage paper and the new Conversations stamp set!  Here are links to all the goodies I talked about in the video.  Leave a comment below letting me know what you are most excited to pick up and create with this month.  Happy shopping & creating!

September 2018 "Heatbreaker" Scrapbook Kit:

https://citrustwistkits.com/collections/current-kit-subscriptions/products/september-2018-heartbreaker-scrapbook-kit

September 2018 "Heatbreaker" Pocket Life Kit:

https://citrustwistkits.com/collections/current-kit-subscriptions/products/september-2018-heartbreaker-pocket-life-kit

September 2018 Embellishment Kit: 

https://citrustwistkits.com/collections/current-kit-subscriptions/products/september-2018-embellishment-kit

September 2018 Pattern Paper Play:

https://citrustwistkits.com/collections/current-kit-subscriptions/products/september-2018-pattern-paper-play

September 2018 Conversation Starters v2:

https://citrustwistkits.com/collections/current-kit-subscriptions/products/september-2018-conversation-starters-v2-stamp

September 2018 This Is Life "Magic Happens":

https://citrustwistkits.com/collections/current-kit-subscriptions/products/september-2018-this-is-life-magic-happens-stamp

September 2018 Travelers Notebook "Mom Duty":

https://citrustwistkits.com/collections/current-kit-subscriptions/products/september-2018-travelers-notebook-mom-duty-stamp

Sunday Sketch with Kira

Hey there!  It's Kira and I am back with another Sunday Sketch!  Here's a look at the sketch we will be using this week:

And here's a look at my take:

Since I am currently working in a 8.5x11 format for my scrapbooking, I am always looking for ways to make 12x12 sketches work for me.  This sketch was perfect once I just flipped it!

I started by building my layers, I used mostly the exclusive papers from the "Heartbreaker" Pocket Life kit, but there's also a paper from the main kit that I tucked in there. I added some machine stitching to my layers to give it some extra texture and used some foam to add some dimension.

I used this photo of my son Elliott, which was taken on his brother's birthday.  My oldest son isn't a big sweets fan, so I made ice cream sandwiches with homemade cookies in place of a cake and added some whip cream on top to add the candle.  The birthday boy definitely wanted to blow out his candle, but then the ice cream cookie was handed off to his brother who has a sweet tooth.  I love how in this picture it looks almost as big as him!

I played off the photo for my title.  I used the "Wonderful" piece, included in the embellishment kit, along with the "sweet memories" sticker (also included in the embellishment kit).

I added some die cuts from the exclusive PL ephemera, some stickers from the Maggie Holmes sticker pack and some chipboard from the Amy Tangerine thicker pack.

I finished off the whole layout with some black watercolor splatters!  I can't wait to see your take on the sketch!  Make sure to join us over in the Facebook group to share your projects!

xo, Kira

3-To-Inspire with Sarah

Hey, CTK friends!

It's Sarah here back with a 3-to-inspire challenge for you.  Today I'm going to be working with:

- Pattern Paper
- Stamps
- Stickers

Instead of using these products the same way I usually use them in my TN, I wanted to challenge myself you try something new with each supply.  Let's take a look at how this came together.

First, I used patterned paper to create a tag and a pocket in my TN for some journaling.  For the pocket, I cut down a piece of patterned paper to be the size of my notebook page, and then cut it in half diagonally. When adhering it to my notebook page I was careful to apply adhesive only to right and bottom edges.  This way there was plenty of room to tuck my tag inside.  I also took a branding strip from one of the papers to add a pop of pink to the edge.  It seemed like a nice transition into the plain white paper.

Next, I added a little bit of stamping to my tag.  Normally I go pretty crazy with my stamping, but for this project I wanted to keep it simple and just add a little something to spruce things up around my journaling.  

Finally, I used some of these clear stickers to create a pattern background for the left page.  I love how this turned out!  I've created my own background using stamps before, but I've never tried it with stickers.  Not only is this technique much faster, but I love how all of the different fonts look together!

So there you have it!  A pretty simple TN page using 3 products in a new way.

Happy Crafting!