Lovely - Layout using the January digital file with Anna

Hello lovelies! Hope you all had a fab January and tomorrow we are heading over to February!
Wow! Time flies! I have had a blast playing with the January CTK Sugarland kits, the colors are awesome and so fun to create with. Though I can't wait to start play with the new February kit soon.
And trust me, it's just as fantastic as always! Trina is the best Kit maker ever <3

Well, lets have a look at my, probably, last layout made with the Sugarland Kits. And I have used the January free CTK digital file as well. Ohh, and I have made a process video for you. You will find it at the end of this post :)

I have a crush on the CTK exclusive star paper, for sure. And that ampersand file, designed by super  talented Kira Ness, is just amazing.

Aww! Pom-Pom's! LOOOOVE <3

I hope you found some inspiration here today!

And now, grab a cup of coffee or just something and enjoy this little process video!

Thanks for stopping by!

Until next time, take care! Hugs Anna xo

3 - To - Inspire with Anna

Hi dear CTK friends! Anna here today sharing this months last 3 -To - Inspire challenge!
I love this fun challenge, always full of new inspiration to give us a little extra push to get scrapbooking. And also for the chance to win something little extra from the CTK store as well.

I hope you'll join in this week using the following prompts:

1. Use Chipboard or Cardstock stickers
2. Use 3 or more patterned papers ( using both front and back side of one paper counts as 2 )
3. Use some thread/ twine on your page

And here's the page I came up with!

I mixed my Main Scrapbook Kit with the Embellishment Kit for this page. To get my 3 patterned papers I've actually used the front and back side of one paper plus one more :)

Isn't that pom-pom trim just gorgeous? So lovely! 

I created a cluster of different embellishments from both kits.

Another cluster using one of the labels from the CTK exclusive cut apart sheet together with some of the embellishments and CTK exclusive phrase stickers. And, of course, some machine stiching. In fact it's rare for me to not use any stiching on my layouts, lol!

That's all from me!

Now it's your turn! Use the three promts to create your own projects and share them whit us here in the gallery and/or at our Facebook Forum. I can't wait to see your take on this challenge!

Thanks for stopping by! Take care! Anna xo

Sunday Sketch with Jordan and Nathalie

Hello sweet, crafty friends!  Jordan here today with my very first Citrus twist blog post!!  It is such a blessing to be a part of the Citrus Twist team.  I have been an admirer of these products and subscriber for a while, so to be here sharing this with you is such an honor for me!  Even better is that I get to collaborate with the talented Nathalie today!

Here is the starting sketch:

And here is my final take on it:

I chose to use the gorgeous Sugarland main Scrapbook kit only for this one.  I stayed pretty true to the original here.  This kit is PACKED with gorgeous colors, word art, and die cuts.  It was very hard to narrow it down. In the end I chose a bright, upbeat palette to match the happy mood of the moment I chose to document.  I really, really loved the pink and blue papers this month, so I chose to use those for my main colors.  I accented with pops of yellow, which is always a favorite color for me to accent with.

The puffy word stickers are perfect for just about any cute, catchy title you could think of and coordinate with just about any layout! 

I added a few layers behind the photo from the die cut pack, a fun pom-pom frame (who does't love pom-pom's?!) and there you have it.  A fun, bright layout to document a perfect day with my family.

All together this page took me about 30-40 minutes to put together.  That's the beauty of a sketch!  It takes so much of the guess work and re-arranging out of the process.  You can get your scrappy time in and still have time to go out and make more beautiful memories!

After all, that's what this community of creative scrappers is all about!  Making memories with the ones we love and documenting our story along the way.

 I hope you enjoy today's sketch and we look forward to seeing what you create!

Blessings, Jo

                                          ------------------------------------------------------------


Hi there!

Don't you just love how Jordan used the sketch to create her gorgeous layout!  So in love with her color palette  - i might just have to borrow it for a future project ;)  -

Now let me show my take on the sketch, and as usual, i twisted it a bit.  Here is my project:

For this page I am working with the beautiful "SUGARLAND" main kit, as well as the embellishment, patterned paper kit, and a few of this month's stamps  (I pretty much got everything Trina put together in this month's kits!!!) . 

As you can see, I chose to flip the sketch, and added a layer of mixed media instead of paper as the background for the picture.   The rest of the layout pretty much follows the sketch  (*wink, *wink,  *wink!)

I chose a more masculine color palette since i was documenting a picture of my son and little (my nephew) together.     Pieces of paper from both main and Patterned paper kit were torn to match the edge of the antique book page that is included in all the kits.  Also, the second picture was replaced by the pompom frame, and large ephemera piece.  Just love all the embellishments included in this month's kits!!!

Finally, I decided to move the title so that it forms part of the cluster at the bottom of the page, and just tied all my clusters by adding all the black and white stars that i found in all the kits! 

Now it is your turn to create a project of your own using this week's sketch!  Remember to  add today's date on the title when sharing it on the CTK gallery or CTK Fan's page in Facebook (there is always a prize draw for all the entries at the end of each month!).  We cannot  wait to see how this sketch inspires you!

Till next time,

Nathalie

3-To-Inspire with Kelly

Hello friends! It's Kelly here, and today I am here with 3 prompts that inspired me to create this layout, and hopefully will inspire you as well.

This week's prompts are as follows:
1. Use a photo that you love
2. Stitching (can be hand or machine)
3. Using the pom pom trim

This layout was created using the Main kit "Sugarland". This was the first layout that I created using this kit, and also the first one that I created after the holidays. If you are anything like me it can be hard to jump start my creativity if I haven't been at my scrap desk in a few weeks. So, I chose a photo that I love as my jumping off point.

This banner from the Carousel sticker sheet was the perfect size to add underneath the label, and I love the way that it brings a pop of turquoise up to this cluster. Banners can be a bit challenging to use so don't be afraid to trim it and just use part of it.

The book sheet included in the kit is a wonderful way to add more texture and interest to your project. I did trim down the sheet a bit and then tore the edges to make it look a bit worn. 

Pom pom trim is one of my favorite trims to add to the page. It's whimsical and adds so much visual interest. My final touch to the cluster was to nestle the arrow clip on the die cut in between the words. 

I have included a link to my process video in case you would like to see how my page came together. I hope that these prompts have inspired you to get out your kits and to play!  Remember to share your creations with today's date in the gallery and the CTK Facebook group. Thanks so much for stopping by and hope that you have a wonderful day! 

Jordan here today as well to share my take on Kelly's prompt.  I was so excited when I heard what her 3 items would be, because...stitching!!!  And pom-poms!!  Two things I love to add to my layouts!  It's rare for me to finish any type of layout and not stitch something on my page.  

  I used the Sugarland Main Kit as well as the Embellishment kit here.  I really love chipboard embellishments because they add texture and dimension to my pages. 

I chose this sweet photo of my middle and youngest playing so sweetly in my daughter's room.  The softer pink, mint and grey paired really nicely with my photo so I chose the papers that complimented the colors of her room.

And then I added pops of yellow, because it is one of my favorite colors to accent with!  I love the bright, happy vibe it adds here.  I finished it off by stitching the pom pom trim and a few layered papers down the side of the layout and adding a tiny cluster near the top left.

I hope you enjoy the challenge and I look forward to seeing what you create!  Happy crafting!

Make Your Own Printables with Chantal

Colour is my jam and like many, I have a load of things pinned on my Pinterest board (colour combos and wonderful graphics). Once in a while, I'll get inspired and I'll create something of my own in Photoshop, for my projects. Digital printables are a quick and easy way to add a little "oomph" to any layout and keeping it simple is best. If you have a cutting machine like me, you can create custom flags and tags but if you prefer to stick to your manual punches, circle printables in 1in, 2.5in and 3in, are THE best!

First off;

1- choose a great font (e.g., something that can still be clearly read when sized at 15 pt)
2- pick out a colour palette
3- find a few simple words and/or sayings

Font Guideline Tips

Remember, if you're mix and matching your fonts; opposites attract. Like serif & sans serif, fat & skinny and uppercase & lowercase. An example of great font combinations are Lora & Source Sans Pro and Futura & Georgia Italic.

The below project was created with some of this month's Sugarland goodies and a few basic printables that I designed in Photoshop, especially for this layout.

As a special thank you, here's a link to a few Sugarland coordinating printables. Enjoy!

Happy creating!

3-To-Inspire with Emma

Hi CTK friends!  It's Emma on the blog with today's 3-To-Inspire challenge!  We love to share this challenge every Saturday for those of you that are looking for a little extra push to get scrapbooking, to keep scrapbooking, or those just looking for a challenge (and the chance to win a little something is a nice little bonus!).

I hope you'll join me this week using the following prompts:

1. Create a "grid" style layout
2. Have your title on a different angle, i.e. it could be vertical, diagonal or even curved (just not running horizontally)
3. Use atleast 2 different pattern papers on your page

And here is the page I came up with!

I mixed a few pieces from the Main, Pocket Life and Add-on Kits for this one.  My page started with my photo, the truck/van die-cut, the tag die-cut (that I've printed the journaling on) and those gorgeous pink alpha's from this months PL kit.  I layered them on top of one another to form a grid-style cluster in the middle of the page.

To fill the large white space left at the top and bottom, I added a couple patterned paper borders, layering the different patterns and machine stitching them in place.  I picked the pinks to tie-in with the title and the pinks of the cupcakes in my photo's! 

For contrast on my page I used the pops of yellow at the top and bottom (puffy stickers at the bottom of my photo and I cut little pieces from the PL cards for the top of my page).

I fixed my title vertically on my page so that it fills that bottom right corner of my grid (underneath the front of the truck/van die-cut).

I just love the puffy stickers included in the Pocket LIfe kit this month - they are the perfect mix of colours and fun shapes!  I particularly love the red and yellow star scalloped border piece so I mimicked the design at the top of my page by using the centre pieces from the "P" and "R" alpha letters, by sticking them together they look like a pink scalloped border too!  Always fun to use those left over pieces to make something new ;)


Now it's your turn! Use the three prompts to create your own project/s and share them with us here in the gallery and/or our Facebook Forum.  I can't wait to see your take on this one!

Take care, Em xo

Meet Guest Designer Mel Blackburn

We are introducing our second guest, Mel Blackburn, as little late this month as she was 

awaiting delivery of her Citrus Twist scrapbooking kit goodie box.

Hi everyone! I’m Mel Blackburn and I’m so excited to have been invited to be guest DT for Citrus Twist Kits!! What an honor it is! I’ve always admired the CT kits and having an opportunity to design with the Sugarland project life kit is such a thrill! Here’s a little about me,  my design style is eclectic, from complex multilayers and mixed media projects to simple TN spreads, I love and want to do it all!!! About three years ago I shifted my creative focus to documenting my family’s daily activities with pocket pages.  I’ve also created 6x8 Story albums, these albums feature stories that might not be normally documented, I truly love this project. My memory keeping plan for 2018 is to continue my 6x8 Story albums and also create 6x12 weekly pocket pages spreads.

You can follow my work on Instagram   and my blog.

Today I’m sharing a pocket page spread from my 2017 album. I still have about 10 weeks to finish in that album and I plan on completing them throughout the year, as the opportunity arises. I am not worried about those weeks and will start my 2018 album. In this spread I opted to create customized cards using the pattern paper and diecuts.

Creating customized cards is a great way to stretch a kit. I especially love the black and white pattern paper (anything B&W is an instant favorite) and those prints were ideal for my pocket page and to be paired with the diecuts. This week is rather light in pictures so creating filler cards was essential. Since the patter paper prints were similar I made sure to place the black and white filler in strategic locations in my spread. I didn’t want to have filler cards in close proximity and opted to place them at a diagonal design, which helps guide the eye through my spread. Hope you are inspired to create your own filler cards!!!

Q&A

1. When did you start scrapbooking? I’ve been in the scrapbook industry for over 10 years. My love of paper started at a very young age when I started hoarding a collection of notepads and fruit scented pens. My love of scrapbooking and memory keeping evolved when I became a mother.
2. What is something most people would not know about you? In our 20s, my husband and I decided that it would be fun to take up scuba diving, so on our honeymoon we went sea diving. Although I enjoyed the experienced I was a bit creeped out with swimming last in line, not knowing what could come up behind me really creeped me out, so I always tried to stay ahead of the group. When we came back from our honeymoon my husband decided to continue with his scuba certification, I opted to watch from the sideline and enjoy the beach with a good book!
3. What are the 3 scrapbooking products you can’t live without? I would be lost without  my typewriters (either my vintage or electric), my Tim Holtz tiny attacher (this is a favorite in my house, from my youngest daughter to my husband, everyone borrow it from time to time – I really need to get one for everyone!) and finally my Staz-On ink, I use that stuff on everything but I especially like it on pictures, it really creates clear images (plus it smells good!). 
4. What do you love about the January 2018 "Sugarland" kit? What an awesome kit!!! First of all, the color palette, I’m a huge fan of a light color palette, it’s like this kit was made for me!! The diecuts are also a favorite of mine, I love using diecuts not only with my pocket pages but also in TNs, love how they can be layered without adding bulkiness. Finally the book page, I can’t wait to use it in a TN, ephemera is always a favorite of mine and this page will be perfect!!! 
5. Finish this sentence “If you could see my scrapbooking space now . . . " you would be shocked at the minimalist design of my space! I have a small table and an armoire, everything that I own has to fit in there. I no longer have a dedicate room, my work space is in a corner of the dining room. I will share more of it in another post!!!

Happy New Year Everyone!

- Mel

3-to-Inspire with Nathalie

Hi there!

Nathalie with you today for a new 3-to-Inspire!  This time i am using the beautiful "Sugarland" Main Scrapbook kit only for the challenge.

    My three prompts for this week are:

-  Use tags

-  Use a inks/paint/watercolor

-  Document a picture of you/selfie

This month's "Sugarland" kit is packed with color!, so what better way to make the colors pop than a neutral contrasting background.  A bit of  black acrylic paint -sparingly applied to the white cardstock-  is the perfect background for all the color found in the papers and ephemera pack.

I chose  to document this picture of my kids and I on the first large snow fall of winter (it is beautiful to walk under falling snow!!).   Converting the picture to black and white ensures that it will pop from all the color, but will balance the background at the same time.

The picture was then backed with some of the papers from the kit, and then layered with some of the large tags that are included in the ephemera pack.   There is so much to chose from, and it all coordinates so well, that it makes it so easy to put a page together.  A  few splatters of paint and stamped sentiments complete this page.  The following video will give you a more in depth look at how this page came together:

I hope that you are all inspired to take on this week challenge.   Remember to follow this week's prompts, and then share your finished project with today's date on the title on the CTK gallery or CTK Fan Page on Facebook.  I cannot wait to see what you create with these prompts. 

Have a great week!!!

Guest Design Suse Fish: January Sugarland PL Kit

When Trina mentioned she had a Pocket Life kit that I might enjoy playing with, I was so excited to see it; then when it arrived, I was grinning like the cat who’d got the cream! Gosh, this Sugarland kit is beautiful, isn’t it? All those gorgeous fresh shades - pinks, yellows, cornflower blue, jade green - so uplifting and just perfect for documenting a page about new starts and hopeful plans.

The danger with this spread was that I wanted to use every single item in the kit! Not being able to choose which pieces to use because you love them all is a very a nice problem to have, isn’t it? So a large part of my process was spent picking up die-cuts and thinking, “Ooh, yes that one,” only to swap it straight back out for an equally gorgeous one!

I wanted this page to reflect my hopes for the coming year - not only in my journalling, but also in the positive, fun tone of the photos. 

Because this is the year I’d like to lighten up a little and try to really relish the simple joys of each day. Life can sometimes feel a bit like a never-ending ‘to do’ list and that’s such a shame, as it’s a gift, isn’t it? I look at my daughter’s sunshine-y determination to find joy in each day and feel inspired to try to do the same.

So what are your plans for the coming year, I wonder? Do you have dreams in your heart or a vision of how you’d like your days to look in 2018? Why not make a project that reflects those goals, using colours that you love and words that reflect your heart?

Here is a Youtube video with a little rambling from me. Enjoy!



Wishing you a beautiful year friends, filled with colour, joy and of course, *lots* of deliciously sugary scrapbooking.