Tuesday Tutorial: Stamping with the New Kelly Purkey Stamps

Hi everyone! It's Trina here to share a tutorial using Kelly Purkey's new stamps sets from Hero Arts (available in our store beginning April 1st).

The Kelly Purkey alphabet set grabbed my eye and I know this is one stamp set I'll be using for many years to come. I love the creative background shapes included with this set, so you can stamp a color shape to fill your letters. This layout was made using the April "Flight of Whimsy" Main kit. If you haven't heard, the price on our Main kits just went down!

Here we go. First, here is a picture of the stamps (plus one, upper right, that I haven't used yet) I played with for this project. The stamp in the lower right is our April stamp add-on, with alphabet lettering and that adorable plane by @fabworqs:

Here is my layout:

Next, the supplies and tutorial. Here are the basic stamping supplies I used:

• Jet Black StazOn Ink
• ColorBox Cleaning Pad (for cleaning the stamps)
• Acrylic stamp block (to adhere stamps to)
• Prima Fluid Edge Chalker

Following is a mini tutorial on how to use the Kelly Purkey alphabet shapes with the alphabet letters. I didn't use this sample in my layout, but plan to tuck it into a PL sleeve.

First I stamped the colored shape using my Prima Fluid Chalk Edger in yellow. Next, I inked up my letters with StazOn Jet Black ink and stamped over the colored shapes. Don't worry if the stamps don't align/overlap perfectly:

Next, a close-up so you can see how the black ink alpha letters overlap the stamped colored shapes. The little car, just adorable, is from one of Kelly's stamp sets, as is the string of punctuation. The tiny alphabet letters are from the April 2015 Embellishment kit.

Once I practiced on my scratch paper, I started stamping on my layout background. Before I glued anything down, I ran my background pattern paper into my old typewriter and did some journaling.

Now for the close-ups of my layout. This first photo shows my fussy-cut title. I wanted to mix some of the pattern papers from the April Main kit "Flight of Whimsy" (presale begins tonight and reveal happens tomorrow night):

I used some Amy Tangerine Rise & Shine washi strips as part of my layering:

Thanks for visiting our blog today!

Trina

Sunday Sketch with Emma

Hi all :)  It's Emma here to tackle this weeks Sunday Sketch!

I love sketches as a starting point for any layout but I have to admit this one kind of threw me at first! Here is the sketch I tackled this week:

And here is my take on it!

Because I was a little unsure of those pretty hexagons I've stuck pretty close to the sketch and just adapted it for my smaller sized page (6x8).

 

I really enjoyed the challenge of this sketch, it was a little outside my comfort zone (not used a hexagon before!) but I really like the end result.

Now it's your turn to take on this week's sketch! We love to see what you do with our kits and sketches so please make sure to upload your projects to the Citrus Twist Gallery. And remember, by uploading your take on today's sketch to the gallery by April 4th, you will be entered to win a $5 Coupon to use on anything in the CTK Store! Remember to add "Sketch 29/3" to the title line!

Pocket Life Sketch with Janine

Hey everyone, it is Janine here with the Friday Pocket Life sketch. Unfortunately it is Saturday already, because I managed to fell asleep on my couch last night. Can you believe it? Spring is making me tired, that's for sure!

But now I'd love to show you this week's Pocket Life sketches, made by the wonderful Trina Craig.

The 8.5x11 layout I created, that is roughly based on the first 3x4 sketch, was made with the beautiful PL March kit, that is already sold out. But if you like our Pocket Life kits you can start your subscription with the April kit. :)

This layout is about my son's name and how my husband and I decided to name him Gabriel. I wanted to record that story, because his name means a lot to me. Actually I loved it since I was a teenager, and that is quite some time ago.

Here are some close ups:

I decided to cut out a big "G" of white cardstock and paint it with black paint, trying to paint it thick enough so it will leave a structure on it, because it was going to be the main element on this layout.

After I had decided where to put that gigantic "G", the layout startet to come together nearly all by itself. It is quite simple, but I love the way it turned out. I really wanted to focus on the G and the journaling.

That's it for today, I hope you feel inspired. If you do, please show the results in our gallery. It is always so much fun to see what you can do with Citrus Twist kits.

Have a wonderful weekend! :)

3 to Inspire with Michelle

Hello! Michelle here with this week's "3 to Inspire" challenge! You can find this challenge here every Saturday for those who need a little extra creative push or for those who just like a challenge!

Your take on this challenge can be a layout or a PL spread and remember that you must include all 3 prompts on your project. This is what I have for you on this last Saturday in March.

1. Use colored cardstock.
2. Play with circles.
3. Include two or more wood veneer pieces.

Here is my take using the March "Happiness Is" Add-on Kit:

 

I used a hot pink cardstock as the base of my layout and layered circles from the Pinkfresh Studio shape pack under the photo.

 

 

I misted three pieces of the new Elle's Studio wood veneer before adhering them.

 

 

Now it's your turn! Use the three prompts to create your own projects and share them with us here in the gallery and/or in our Facebook Forum. You can also upload to Instagram and tag us @citrustwistkits. Can't wait to see what you all do!

 

Michelle

Design Team Call: Pocket Life

Design Team Call

We are looking for 1 or 2 new creative team members to the Citrus Twist Kits family of designers.

Deadline: April 12, 2015

We will select and notify those chosen by April 16, 2015

Details

Term: June 2015 through May 2016

Needed: Up to 3 new creative team members. While we are focusing on U.S. designers, we are open to seeing applications worldwide.

About

We are searching for a Designer with an active blog who is strong in social media, including Facebook, Instagram and Twitter and who specializes in Pocket Life (PL).

You should be able to meet deadlines, create tutorials (photo or process videos), participate in blog hop events, take part in our CTK Facebook community, comment on Gallery uploads and promote Citrus Twist Kits through your blog and your social media channels.

Each month you will work with a Citrus Twist Pocket Life kit plus either our Embellishment kit or our new Sprinkles kit.

Previous Design Team experience is not required.

Commitment

•   3 project pages or spreads a month plus one alternate project. About once every 12-16 weeks you’ll be asked to create a tutorial (around one of your 3 projects) for our Tutorial blog.

•   1 alternate project per month: card, additional PL page, mixed media, scrapbook page

•   Once every 8 weeks you will be responsible for our weekly PL Sketch day on our blog. Based on one of your monthly projects you will create 3-4 PL sketches to share on the blog.

•   Participate in blog hops

•   Feature your CTK design work on your blog, in our gallery and share sneaks and layouts on your Instagram account. (You will also be assigned posting to the CTK Instagram account for a one week period, once every 4 months.)

•   Actively promote Citrus Twist Kits on your blog(s), Facebook, Instagram or Twitter accounts and in other galleries and forums to which you belong to

Submission Guidelines

Deadline is April 12, 2015

Please email your bio, 5 samples of recent PL pages or spreads and a paragraph on why you think you will be a great fit for the Citrus Twist Kits creative team and any design team experience you have. Please include a link to a process video if you have one available to view. 

Include links to your blog, Instagram and online gallery to view your work.

Email Your Submission

Include Pocket Life Design Team Call plus your name in the email Subject line and email to: citrustwistkits@yahoo.com

Thanks so much for your interest in becoming one of our Design Girls. Good luck!

Fun with layers

Happy Wednesday! Today I'll be sharing a very special project encompassing my love of layers and my lack of card making experience.

Jeff and I will be celebrating our fifth anniversary very soon and prior to this project, I had made a grand total of one, teeny single card. I've never had the desire to explore card making but with this special occasion right around the corner, I thought I'd give it a second try.

I really wanted to keep it simple; essentially translate my layout techniques as much as I could onto a smaller surface.

I've seen many cards, lovely ones and I found it extremely hard not having to use a picture of someone or something on my project. It's hard to break a habit but in the end, I went ahead and grabbed one anyways. I thought I'd use it as an opportunity to announce the subject of my card all the while adding a personal touch. Using Photoshop, I added "5 years" directly onto the photo but since the word art was now mostly hiding my picture, I decided I needed to change the opacity of it to achieve something along the lines of a "see through" effect. In order to do this, I chose to "overlay" the layer instead and duplicate it three times.

I grabbed a bunch of paper leftovers from the Main March Scrapbooking kit and grouped them together, stapled the picture and paper lot together and added a few bits here and there. My new favourite thing to do is adding enamel dots to vellum elements (flower, leaves, etc…).

And voila! Tons of loverly layers.

Tuesday tutorial with Lucia

Hello everyone :)

Here's my Tuesday tutorial - and it's a process video! :-)

I recorded my creative process of one of the layouts from the March Main and Sprinkles kit which you might have seen already in the gallery or on my blog.

It's a simple and clean layout, just the way I like it. Starring: Pepsi my cat (again) :-) 

Here's the video, enjoy!

Lucia ♥

Let's Get Digital: Cut Files for Your Inspiration!

Welcome to Let's Get Digital! It's cut file play time here today. In Seattle we are experiencing a super sweet, sunny, early spring and all the leaf buds and blooming daffodils inspired these files.

Here is a picture of some of the cut files I made for your inspiration today. These were cut on my Silhouette.

Here is the layout I made using the cut files. I wanted to have the cut outs make a lace-like look on the page, so used white-on-white to achieve this.

I cut apart bits and pieces of paper and embellishments from the March Main kit to create more pattern and texture on the background of my page:

Here you can see the cut outs randomly layered behind my photo. I gently curved the cut outs up so they would lift off the page for added dimension:

I finished it all off with sprinkles of Heidi Swapp Gold Colorshine Mist, enamel dots and sweet word stickers, new from Crate Paper:

We have this month's digital cut file uploaded over on the Facebook Citrus Twist Kits Fan Page. You can visit the fan page and download to play.

Have fun!

SKETCH SUNDAY WITH EVE

Hello !! It's time for Sunday Sketch. 

I did this layout ;)

 Now it's your turn to take on this week's sketch! We love to see what you do with our kits and sketches so please make sure to upload your projects to the Citrus Twist Gallery. And remember, by uploading your take on today's sketch to the gallery by 3/28, you will be entered to win a $5 Coupon to use on anything in the CTK Store! Also add 3/22 to the title line.

3 To Inspire with Janine

Hello beautiful people, it's Janine here sharing a new page for the '3 to Inspire' series! You can find this challenge here every Saturday for those who need a little extra push to get scrapbooking or who just like a challenge!

Your take on this challenge can be a layout or a PL spread including all 3 prompts on your project:

  1. Use cut files.
  2. Use at least one black and white photo.
  3. Use at least three pieces of patterned paper to layer under your photo.

I kept it quite simple with the three prompts, as you can tell. For this layout the b/w photograph was perfect. As I took the photo last year in November, it has really prominent autumn colors that wouldn't have fit with the patterned paper pieces that I chose to use. I love that I always have the option to use a b/w photo when this happens. :)

So - here is my take on this week's challenge:

I do love the CTK Cut Files, aren't those leaves pretty?? I did cut them with my Silhouette out of white cardstock and layered them under the left corner of my photo.

And another close-up:

That's it for today and now it is your turn! If you'd like to participate, please upload your layout to the Citrus Twist Kits Gallery by Saturday, March 28th and include "Inspire 3/21" as part of your title.

Can't wait to see what you come up with! Have a wonderful weekend. :)

Pocket Life Sketch Day with Trina (Including "Flashback" Pages)

It is Friday Pocket Life sketch day here at Citrus Twist Kits and I'm here to share both PL sketches and progress on my 2015 Pocket Life plus a peek at some of the flashbacks that I do every month in my PL. If you ever have a week where you don't have photos or you have older photos you need to catch up with, create a "flashback page." I always make and include at least 1 flashback page a month using favorite old photos. I don't worry about what year they are from.

These pages were made with the now sold-out March Pocket Life kit. (If you like our kits, you can begin your subscription with the April kit.)

For my 2015 Pocket Life I'm working with the Studio Calico Brighton Pier Handbook albums, available here in the Citrus Twist Kits Shop.

Here are your sketches for the week. Two of the sketches were used to make my 6 x 8 pages, instead of 4 x 6 cards.

Here is a current photo and a a tribute to our senior family dog, Jessica. Jessy joined our family in 2002. This is an 8 x 6 page.

These are 2 flashback pages--keeping the dog theme going!--of me and my siblings as kids playing with our dog's puppies. I've always loved these two photos and they've been sitting in my childhood photo stash:

This flashback page was created around a great picture of me and my brother, getting along. While we didn't always get along, we were inseparable as kids. (The chipboard deer is from Maggie Holmes Open Book Chipboard from the CTK shop.) I've been thinking alot about my brother lately and that's what made me reach for our childhood photos.

This is another 6 x 8 mini scrapbook page (that's me in the background):

Here are my close-up shots.

Typing, sticker words and tiny alphabets were perfect for the journaling on this page.  I also cut out one of the Craft Market paper letters from one of the pieces of 6 x 6 paper that came in March's kit:

I love using layers and the 6 x 6 paper that comes in the Pocket Life kits makes this easy. Gently fold up the corners afterwards for dimension:

I always go with any mistakes I make on my pages. I mistyped my brother's name (I know, silly me), so typed it on a new piece of paper, cut it out and glued it down over the misspelling:

The word "FAMILY" was hand sketched and cut from one of the 6 x 6 Craft Market papers that came in my March PL kit:

I used the March PL kit stamp set, plus some of the older kit and add-on stamps, to stamp random thoughts about my brother:

I have a challenge for you this month: Pick an older photo of you as a kid and do a flashback in your Pocket Life! We'd love to see you as a child shared on the Citrus Twist Kits Fan Page over on Facebook.

Trina