Sunday, January 31, 2021

Sunday sketch with Alena



 Hey everyone!  It's Alena with  layout for Sunday Sketch.


Here's a look at the sketch this week:



Instead of creating a traditional 12x12 layout, I wanted to show you how easily these sketches can translate into a Life Crafted Album's pages.



I just divided the layout exactly in the middle.



On the left page I created a layering using Tickets and Tags ephemera pack and pink floral ephemera.



The title on the right page was made using a CHLOE ALPHABET & NUMBER stamp.


Well, then it is time for you be inspired by the sketch to create a page of your own.  Remember to share your creations with us on the Citrus Twist Kits Friends page on Facebook or by using #CTK, @Citrustwistkits on social media.  I cannot wait to see what you create with this sketch.




Saturday, January 30, 2021

3-to-Inspire with Diane


Hi everyone, Diane here with another 3-to-inspire challenge for you! You can find this challenge here every Saturday for those who need a little extra creative push to get scrapbooking, to keep scrapbooking or for those who just like a challenge! Your take on this challenge can be a layout, Traveler's Notebook page or a spread in your Life Crafted album. And remember that you'll want to include all 3 prompts on your project!

Your prompts this week are:
  1. Document something you are currently watching/reading/doing/eating/drinking ...
  2. Use colours and patterns inspired by your current thing
  3. Add some stitching or sparkle (or both)!

I started my page by grabbing a screenshot of my current obsession from Google and printing it so it would fit on one half of my Life Crafted album spread. Then I chose a paper from the Sweet Story 6x8 pad that would: 1) coordinate with my photo and 2) allow me to stamp and journal on top of it. In the end I went with a very subtle gold, pink and white stripe.


Then I chose a card stock inspired by Bridgerton itself! I ended up going for a lovely Lavender colour, which I took over to my computer and cut to size using my Silhouette. I not only cut the pages, but also created a frame sized to fit my patterned paper behind it.


I then placed my photo and florals where I wanted them so I could work out where to stamp my title with the Currently stamp set. Then I added my journalling directly onto the patterned paper with my typewriter. I used my sewing machine to stitch the paper behind the card stock.


Then I adhered down all the florals around my photo and journaling, making sure to layer some in front and behind to create the illusion of depth. The last step was to add plenty of sparkle with some sequins and a few puffy hearts in coordinating colours!


Here's a look at the process this spread took ...



Thanks for stopping by today and I'd love to see any page you create using this challenge so don't forget to tag me and share over on the Citrus Twist Facebook Fan page!

Sunday, January 24, 2021

Sunday Sketch with Marsha

 

Hey friends!  It's Marsha here today, and I'm excited to be hosting this week's Sunday Sketch Challenge.  I always love using sketches, and this one was so fun to work with.

Here's a look at the sketch:



Here's my layout based on the sketch:


I chose to create a Life Crafted layout rather than the 8.5 x 11 size represented in the sketch.  That's one of the great things about using sketches- you can be inspired by them but create a layout in a format that suits your style.

I rotated the sketch 90 degrees counter-clockwise, so the photo was on the right side of the spread and trimmed a patterned paper from the Crate Paper Marigold 6x8 Paper Pad to use as the background.  I printed my picture and trimmed it to look like an Instax because I knew I wanted to use some of the Instax ephemera pieces from the Hearts and Such Die-cut Ephemera.  Following the sketch, I added some patterned paper layers behind my photo and used the ephemera die-cuts and Sunshine Puffy Alphabets to embellish. 


I also did some stamping using the Currently Stamp- one of my favorite stamp sets from the shop because it includes so many words and phrases that can be used on any type of project.  To finish this side of the spread, I added some of the Heartbeats Vol 2 Wood Veneer.


On the left side of the layout, I trimmed a piece of white cardstock to use as the background.  I changed up the sketch to include an embellishment cluster at the top of the page using more of the ephemera pieces.  I followed the sketch and added some handwritten journaling to the page.


I also added a bit more stamping using the Currently Stamp.  For the title, I used an ephemera word die-cut and a Heartbeats Vol 1 Wood Veneer.  To finish off the page, I added some machine stitching to a few of the ephemera hearts.  This was one of my favorite features of this week's sketch!


I hope I have inspired you to create a layout based on the sketch.  Be sure to share your projects with us on Instagram using the hashtag #citrustwistkits.  I can't wait to see what you create!

xo,

Saturday, January 23, 2021

3-to-Inspire with Nathalie

 


Hi there!

Nathalie with you today to bring you a new 3-to-Inspire challenge for this week.   At the beginning of the year, our friend and fellow CT, Shannon, decided to create a new photography challenge for the year.    10on10 is a way to capture your life in 10 frames on the 10th of each month.  I love the idea of curating our daily lives through photo and story, and decided to use a Coral Life Crafted album for this project.


I used my stash,  the 6x8 Big Numbers stamp set, and  Bailey Thick and Theme Stamp set to create the cover of my album.




Well, on January 10th, I focused on taking pictures that show all about preparation (it was easier for me to focus the lens on a unifying theme).   Then used these 3 prompts to document them on the Life Crafted album:

  1.  Use numbers (stickers, stamps, diecuts)
  2. Bring on the florals
  3. Use one accent color 

I had an idea on mind for my layout and here is how it all started:



I started my layout with the first picture of the day enlarged to 4.25"*8".  I added a few banner pieces from the December add on kit -making sure they sit a bit off the page-, then added a puffy number sticker at the bottom of the picture.



For the other side of the layout, I cut a piece paper - December Add on kit - to fit 4.5"x8.25".  Here I used a cut apart card from the Marigold collection 6x8 paper pad.  I pulled floral ephemera (December release) only in yellow for this spread, and used them to embellish the card.   Then, added a few more pieces of ephemera from the Add-on kit and added my title using Foam Black alpha stickers.  However, I did not glue the pages, as I needed to find a way to add the other 9 pictures and story.  This lend me to create an interactive spread.





I used the Digital New Starts TN papers to create the background paper for the page.  I copy the same image next to each other then sized it to fit a canvas of 9.5"x8.25".  This was scored at 5" and 51/8"from the right edge.  I cut vellum  at about 4.25"x8"to serve as the canvas on each of the insert pages.  I knew the best way to layer all the pictures was a modified grid.  So, I sized my photos to fit 2"x3"  and set 3 of them on the center paper, then used another one to add my story pages.




I wanted to continue the floral theme in the spread. So I chose to add just one photo on the inside of the spread flaps, then added more yellow floral ephemera, a puffy number and a ticket with the date.  Then used Photoshop to create my lines of journal to fit inside a 4"*3" canvas.




I used the same configuration for the other side of the spread, thus adding my 9 pictures to the inner flap and pages of the spread.    Here is a look at the complete inside spread:




Having the large florals, and even sized pictures made it easy to put these grids together.  The yellow puffy alphas help to number the stories and used them as a reference to write the story.   The large yellow florals cap the grid nicely, while the small cluster of flowers help to complete the grid, but also serve as a way to guide the eye through the layout.

I hope these three prompts:  Numbers, florals, and one focal color help you document your days.  Remember to share with us your finished projects, and check Shannon's social Media feed to get more information about the challenge.
Cannot wait to see what you create!






Sunday, January 17, 2021

Sunday Sketch Challenge with Desiree

 


Hello crafty friends!

It's Desiree and I am so happy to be creating here on the Citrus Twist blog with you today.  My first project is this lovely 8.5 x 11 sketch.



I was really excited to bring this sketch to life.  My plans were to incorporate the lovely floral ephemera from the Hearts and Such ephemera pack on a 12x12 layout.


I started this layout by layering white cardstock at an angle on my patterned paper background.  I chose the blue because I thought it with let the blue “Happy” script ephemera pop.



Next, I layered my photos using the New Starts Digital collection.  The delightful colors and patterns in the 4x8 papers were perfect to add to this layout without taking the focus away from the photo.  I embellished the layers with florals, labels, and hearts from the Hearts and Such ephemera pack. Of course, I also had to add tickets to my cluster from the Tickets and Tags ephemera pack.



In this layout, I really wanted to focus on using the Currently 4x6 stamps.  The sweet stamped sentiments really helped me to remember the mood of the photo.  Also, the stamps were a great way to add to the cluster without making the layout too heavy.  I have to admit I loved using the different fonts and shapes of the sentiments on the stamps. 




To add a little more depth to my layout, I turned down the corner and allowed hearts to peak out.  I also repeated the pattern and let hearts peek out from behind my photo.  The Heartbeats Limited Edition Wood Veneers and the Puffy Heart stickers really help me to finish off my layout.


I added my title using the Deep Turquoise and Bright Pink Puffy Alphabet stickers.  They are my new favorite.  The slim profile of the puffy alphabet stickers made them so easy to use.


The lovely embellishments from this month’s release made it really easy for my layout to come together.  Hope you enjoyed it.  Happy creating!




Saturday, January 16, 2021

3-to-Inspire with Ingunn

 


      Happy New Year, everyone! My name is Ingunn, and I’m excited to share my first blog post for the Citrus Twist Creative Team!


 One thing you should know about me – and which I am sure I’m not alone in – is that I am NEVER caught up with my scrapbooking projects. The silver lining of this procrastination is that I can sit here in the grey January Pacific Northwest gloom and relive my sunny memories of summer!


We didn’t go on a real summer vacation this year due to the pandemic, but we were able to sneak away from our everyday life for a three-day trip to Mount Rainier National Park. I’m just now getting around to scrapbooking about it (in a Calypso Life Crafted Album), and I’m planning for this to be one of the last pages of the album, a sort of summary of why this trip was so awesome. 


My three ingredients for this spread are:

1 // COLOR: I picked out the three tickets from the Tickets & Tags Ephemera Pack and paired them with chipboard stars from the same color family.



2 // BULLET POINTS: I tend toward long, rambling journaling, but sometimes there’s just less pressure if you divide your story into digestible little chunks instead.




3 // VISUAL TRIANGLE: In order to create a visual triangle on my layout (to guide the eye and help the page look balanced), I added one last die cut piece from the Hearts & Such Die Cut Ephemera pack to the upper right side of the spread.


I also added a title using the White Foam Alphabet from the shop, which happily includes stars! I used a star instead of the “o” in love to repeat the stars I had used elsewhere on the page.



Thank you so much for stopping by, and I hope you will join me in scrapbooking earlier, brighter, happier days as we struggle through dark times up here in the Northern Hemisphere!  

See you again soon,

Ingunn


Sunday, January 10, 2021

Sunday Sketch Challenge with Nathalie


 Hi there!

Nathalie with you today to share a bit of inspiration using this week's sketch.   We always talk about how versatile sketches can be, as they are the blueprint for your project. Think of sketches as the bones of your project, the rest is up to you.  Well, let's start by showing the sketch:


The sketch  was designed for a 8.5x11 page with lots of layers.  Here is how I interpreted the sketch in my Life Crafted album:



I flipped the sketch 90 degrees counter clock wise and then pulled the New Starts Digital collection, a few of the stamps and lots of embellishments from the shop to create this spread.



The bulk part of the sketch (once flipped) is on the right side of the page.  Here, I used papers from the New Starts Digital collection, as well as a few from the December Add-on kit, and tried to follow the layer sizes.  I switch the location of the embellishments so that it balanced the page  a bit better.  In addition, I stayed with a very masculine palette and a hint of pink since the picture is of my two boys.



I followed the sketch and left lots of negative space on the left side of the spread.  However, I replaced the "typewriter title" with a mixture of stamps and textures.  I used the Madison Alpha stamp set to create a word that will fit across the width of the page. Then added  a second word using the teal puffy alphas from the shop.  I bulked up the title by adding the date using the Bailey Alpha 4x6 stamp set.  A small cut apart element with enamel dots just bring it all together.


The major difference is the location of the journal.  In the original sketch the journal sits to the right of the picture (above it once you flip the sketch).  I changed the small journal spot for a tag, and created a pocket between the layers behind the picture.  A bit of stamping -Currently Stamp set-  at the top of the tag just bring the look of the original sketch to the page.   Just love how easy this came together in a really short time, so I decided to follow the same idea to document the following day's story, too.



For this layout, I changed things a bit.  First of all, I flipped the sketch counter clockwise, and enlarged the picture to fit in the negative part of the sketch.




This time, my title is placed on top of the picture.  For this, I used Orange puffy alphas as well and enamel dots.  Then used the Currently stamp set to add a bit more sentiment to the title.  CTK stamps are so flexible you can easily curve them to create a circle with them.





This time, I used the sketch as inspiration for the paper layering, however used a 4x8 tag as the background.   The New Starts Digital collection is amazing, and so easy to combine.  I resized some of the TN papers and added a piece of the Marigold paper pad in the layers.  Then added pieces of Florals Die Cuts, Tickets and Tags, and New Starts Digital cut apart elements to complete the  page.

I really hope these have inspired you to use the sketch to create a project of your own.  Remember to share with us what you have created, use the hashtag #citrustwistkits or tag us using @citrustwistkits. I cannot wait to see what you create.

XO