Pocket Life with March Life Crafted Weekender | Patricia

Hello CTK Friends!  This is Patricia using the new March Weekender Life Crafted kit in my 6x8 pocket pages.  I pulled out lots of the fun new items available both in the kit and available digitally to create a colorful and fresh spread documenting highlights of the month of May.

I first picked a title card from the kit, then trimmed one of the labels from the 4x6 card in the kit, to adhere the new gold puffy alphas to it.  I stapled that in the center with a daisy die cut tucked under it.

The next pocket has a full-size 3x4 photo.  I always love the stamps and little details from the die cuts, and easily found a cluster to stamp and add to my photo.

The 4x6 card on the bottom left, I wanted to keep simple with journaling, but I had a lot of journaling.  That is when I turn to the digital elements available with the new kits.  I could add a lot journaling while keeping it small.  I added it with more kit contents to create a cluster in the center.  LOVE the new Weekend Life stamp with that file tab!  So many possibilities!

My pockets on the right are 6-2x2 and 1-4x6.  I filled four of the 6 2x2 pockets with photos to fit, and then trimmed one of the kit 3x4 cards to fit in the other two.  

The kit contents were perfect colors and saying to add to my photos.  Some I kept simple and some like this 4x6 photo, I added a lot to it since it had negative space.  The trimmed pattern paper from the kit, helps to fill in that space of the photo and bring attention to the subject.

For the middle 2x2 card, I used a blank part of the same 3x4 card I used in the top pocket, so that I could stamp ADVENTURES GATHERINGS GOALS.  Then stapled and adhered a die cut and puffy heart to it.

Very simple spread with a lot of memories packed into it, but still light and fresh.  The kits are so easy to get this look!  Hope you get yours soon and share with us!

Sunday Sketch with Patricia

Hello lovely CTK friends!  Today is Sunday Sketch, and I had such a blast using this sketch as a jumpstart for my next story in my Life Crafted album.

I always look at the layout of the sketch.  This one is vertical, and then I notice the layers/details. For my project today, those are the elements of the sketch I focused on.  Here's how I made it my own using the February Add-On kit.

I did some fussy cutting of the numbers from the pattern paper from the Add-On kit.  I wanted to use the 125 to represent the date, Jan 25, for Chinese New Year.  I also wanted to incorporate the Starbucks Year of the Rat card into my design based on the sketch.  Using all of these elements on one page was too much.  I saw this as a way to get creative with more layers using the brand new Life Crafted Adhesive Page Strips! 

After peeling the white strip to reveal the adhesive, I pressed my numbers into place (on the back of it), then after creating a punched border from pattern paper from the kit, I adhered that next.  I added a few embellishments from the kit to finish my new layered divider!!  These strips are my new fave!!

Although I knew I would use the Starbucks card, I kept that color in mind, pulling in the green pattern paper as a beautiful complement to the red, and the back side of the pattern paper from my divider works in beautifully as well.  To help tie that pattern paper divider into my full-size page, I fussy cut flowers and leaves from more pattern paper from the kit.

Drawing inspiration from the sketch, I trimmed a lighter piece of green pattern paper to place above the Starbucks card.  I used the Paw Prints Heart cut file, removing the paws so I could use just the heart.  I backed that with the same pattern paper I used from the divider to continue building on the vertical design of the sketch.  After adding my photo, I wanted to add more layers from the sketch, by adding embellishments from the add-on kit.

Lovely choices of die cuts, chipboard and puffy embellishments to add texture and color from the kit!

After focusing on inspiration from the sketch for this side, I quickly filled pockets for the left concentrating on keeping the pockets simple to balance the heavier layered right side.  I used a combination of the Life Crafted Possibilities kit and stamp set with the add-on to finish these pockets.

Thank you for letting me share our family tradition of celebrating Chinese New Year every year using the gorgeous Add-On and Life Crafted Kits.  The sketch really was a time-saver to put this together!  Would love to see what you create in our Facebook group!

Life Crafted and Altered Frame with Patricia

Hello CTK friends!!  This is Patricia to with you today to show you 2 Life Crafted spreads and an altered wooden frame.  First, let me show you what I created with just the new February Possibilities kit.

I first cut one of the Be Mine cut file screens with the XOXOs from pattern paper from the kit.  It cuts the page to fit in your album once you punch your holes, but also cuts the entire XOXO page separate from it.  It got me inspired to not use it together and get more out of that cut file and kit contents.

So using the cut out XOXO, I layered it and stitched it to the February Digital TN paper, then layered embellishments from the kit to it.  I HAD to use the 'he is' and 'she is' from the die cuts.  I thought they would be perfect with one of the photos of me and my hubby on one of our bike rides.

For the right side with the outside part of that cut file, I thought the pattern paper I cut from looked really cool with the woodgrain pattern paper.  The paper I used to cut from also has so much lovely texture and goes with the overall feel of this memory.  I used a combination of the Possibilities stamp set that comes in the kit, the 'enjoying,' with a foam phrase & icon sticker from the kit to create my title of 'enjoying outside.'

The Life Crafted kits always have a 4x6 card with labels on it to coordinate with the kit.  I fussy cut one of those labels to stamp the 'enjoying.'  Under the photo I stamped one of the images from the the new Good Vibes stamp set and used one of the sentiments from that set to stamp at the top.  Then finished this with more embellishments from the kit and my date with the 3x4 Typewriter Alpha Stamp Set, complements my layout just right!

Once I cut up into a kit, I usually have a beautiful mess on my desk.  Well, I happened to look at the new wooden 'XO' frame I recently picked up a Target, and thought what if... So I did some tinkering and used one of the diecuts with pattern paper for inside the frame, and used the pattern paper to cover the wooden frame.  To get everything to fit, I just traced and cut.  To even out the edges of the paper on the wood frame, I used a fingernail file to smooth it out.  Very quick and simple...I just love it on my desk!!

Just like the kit, there really are many possibilities to creating with it!  Now, I want to show you a Life Crafted spread using a mix of the new Scrapbooking Add-On kit and the Life Crafted kit for this month.

I used pattern paper from the kit for my background on the left.  The woodgrain pattern paper with the punched circle has stamping and paste...that is actually leftover from my Featured Project that I'll be sharing on the CTK YouTube channel on the 22nd!  I created a cluster of Add-On and LC embellishments.  I loved that 'it will be all fine' die from the Life Crafted kit, and so happy to get to use it.  I added a bit of stamping with the Good Vibes stamp set in between the clustering. 

Another love from the stamp set in the Life Crafted kit this month is this sentiment!  Perfect for this spread.

For the right side, I used 3x4 cards from the Life Crafted kit.  One for journaling, and the other for the sentiment that tied in so well...I just added the same stamp image from the Good Vibes stamp set that I did on the left.

Thank you so much for stopping by!  Would love to hear which kits you get and see what you create with them.  Share in our Facebook group and enjoy!!

Life Crafted | Patricia Roebuck

Hello CTK friends!  This is Patricia stopping in again to share a spread in my Life Crafted album using the January Fierce & Fabulous kit.  My post for today is a clean layout using the new Fierce stamp set to emphasize my design with a touch of pattern paper and a card from the kit.  Here's how it came together.

I first stamped the frames from the stamp set in different colors of ink at the top at the bottom, knowing I wanted the photo in the center.   The top stamped image uses just the inside part of the image and a saying from the January Life Crafted stamp.  I also used the new Solid & Outline Alpha and Number stamp to create part of a title along with clusters of embellishments from the kit.  Using different inks and mixing the solid and the outline images is a great use of that Solid & Outline stamp set.

I used a small piece of pattern paper to layer under my photo, then for the stamped frame image below, I used both of the frame images, and then used more images from that same stamp set along with embellishments to create a cluster.  I used the pink puffy alphas from the kit to finish this side to ground it and create balance.

For the top right side pocket, I used one of the kit cards, traced the puffy sticker where it would go in the center, added typed journaling, then added the sticker back.

The bottom pocket is a full photo adding a puffy heart and stamping from the kit.

If you are still deciding on the extra stamps this month, hope this gives a you look at how many possibilities you can create in your albums!  Thank you for stopping by and letting me share this spread with you today!

2020 Vol 1 | Life Crafted Album | Patricia Roebuck

Happy New Year beautiful CTK friends and fans!!!  I hope 2020 brings lots of health and blessings your way!!  I grabbed some of the Life Crafted albums at the Black Friday sale and am using one to start my 2020 Vol 1 memories.  Trina will be coming out with new albums, so no worry if you don't have a fresh new album, be on the lookout for more to come!  Today, I want to walk you through how I set up the exterior of the album, the intro pages and the start to documenting the year.

For my cover, I used a combination of the new stamp set Solid & Outline Alpha and Numbers, the January Life Crafted Fierce & Fabulous kit along with the stamp that comes in the kit, and the January Travelers Notebook Stamp.  It was a little tricky heat embossing with the white for the 2020, you can see some imperfection.  A resistance powder before stamping helped a little, but with the album being fabric you will get some strays.  I'm okay with is, because I've learned to embrace imperfection!  For my spine, I used the new Solid & Outline stamp set to stamp 'Vol 1.'  

For my title and intro page, I used the new Fresh Start cut file for subscribers, cutting it in white and using vellum to stitch to the front and back of it to create a star confetti pocket using die cuts from the kit.  Then embellished the outside.

Since this is the start of 2020, at the time I created this, I had no photos, but I've printed out day 1 to share how my album is coming along so far.  This is a new look of the intro page a large photo printed in the first pocket behind it.

The vellum creates a nice softness to the very busy 'new year' photo under it, but also helps make the '2020' cut file stand out more.  I am really loving the theme of this kit 'fierce & fabulous' along with the circus feel to some of the die cuts.  This kit provides not just the die cuts and puffy stickers but fabric ephemera.  I used one on the cover of my album, hand stitching around it before adhering.

My 'new year' photo really doesn't need anything else added to it, but I did find this banner die cut from the kit that not only had the color but the saying that fit well.

My next two pages, start the everyday memory keeping starting with our traditional black-eyed peas and cabbage on Jan 1st.  The 'real life' fabric ephemera is perfect here, because as much as we would love our counter to be spotless and without a cat on it, this truly is 'real life.'

I printed the paper from our Notebook digital papers so it would fit the length of my full-size Life Crafted pocket, but used the paper with the lemons from the kit to hand cut, intentionally making it look hand cut to create horizontal lines for layering with embellishments, stamping, and the photo.

I think this is my favorite cluster with the stamps and embellishments.

Every Life Crafted kit has a 3x8 card.  I decided to use it as a divider by adding embellishments to the front, but then on the back, adding journaling and stamping.  I also corner rounded one corner to give it a slightly different look.

I wanted to share this about the new Solid & Outline Alpha and Number stamp...don't think you have to use both the solid and outline together.  It is subtle here, but I really think this is great look to add to your pages by using the solid alone and then the outline alone.  In this case, I did the month in solid in one color, and the number in the outline in black.

I used pockets on the right side for a photo at the top with a cluster of embellishments in the whitespace of the photo.

This card is gorgeous all on its own, but to create a little bit of texture and just a touch of color and a visual triangle, I added a fabric ephemera and a puffy heart.

Thank you for stopping by and looking into the first day of 2020 for my family.  Looking forward to creating memories and documenting them with you, the CTK friends and fans!  Happy New Year!!