3-to-Inspire with Desiree Lamar

Hello, my crafty friends! it's has been a while so I am certainly excited to be here with this week's 3-to-Inspire challenge.

Here are my 3 picks:

1. Life in Motion Digital Elements

2. tags

3. patterned paper

Here's what I came up with. I love that I was able to fit five pictures and journaling in my spread using those items. 

For this spread, I worked in my Life Crafted Album. I started with patterned paper from the Life in Motion Digital Papers. I decided to use the same blue grid paper for both pages to create congruency in my spread.

Then I placed my photo strip on the left page. I left it simple by adding fussy cut florals from the Life in Motion Papers and a "You Are My Sunshine" circle from the Life in Motion Digital Elements. 

Next, I pulled this older striped CTK paper from my stash and a blue tag from the Citrus Twist Shop to create hidden journaling under my photos. 

I simply cut the papers down to about 2.5 in x 5 in and folded them over vertically. Then adhered the tags under the first half of the folded paper. Adding the tag helped to make a flap that made the journaling easily accessible.

I used the Fresh Start Puffy Phrase Stickers to add my vertical "Cherish" title. I completed my spread by adding more fussy cut florals and Life in Motion Elements.

Just like that, my spread was complete. I am amazed at how such a simple spread can hold so much meaning.

Thank you for following along with me today! I hope you are inspired!

3-TO-INSPIRE with Marsha

Hey, CTK friends! It's Marsha here today, and I'm excited to share my first post as part of the CTK Design Team for this year! For the 3-to-Inspire challenge, I used the new Slow Days Mini-Kit to create a layout in my Flamingo Life Crafted album.

Here are this week's prompts:

1. Use more than one photo
2. Include circlular elements
3. Add stamping

For my layout today, I started with a white cardstock background, trimmed to fit the album. This allowed my photos and the beautiful collection designs to stand out on the spread. Next, I printed a traveler's notebook digital paper and a digital journaling card and used them as layers behind my first photo. I embellished around the photo with ephemera and a phrase sticker from the kit. 

For the other side of the layout, I printed my second photo in a circular shape using Photoshop and trimmed it with a metal die from my stash. The "Small Joys" die cut from the kit ephemera was perfect for my title. I added dimensional adhesive to the title piece and created an embellishment cluster around the small photo with floral die cuts. I also included some stamping with the Slow Days Stamp and black ink. Then, I printed my journaling on white cardstock, trimmed it out, and adhered it to a digital journal card- the card is the same design as the one on the left page, just printed at a smaller size.

I wanted to create a diagonal line of circles spanning across both pages, so I added more stamping using the Slow Days stamp. I also added stamped hearts and an ephemera heart to the center of the stamped images. 

I love how my spread turned out using the products from this month's release!

I hope you are inspired to use these 3-to-Inspire prompts for your next project. Thank you for stopping by today!

xo,
Marsha

Sunday Sketch with Kira

 Hey there!  It's Kira and I am back with today's Sunday Sketch!  Here's a look at the sketch I am using today:

And here's my take on the sketch:

 Movie nights are a big deal in our house.  My kids each have a basket that I decorate to coordinate with whatever movie we are watching.  Of course when Encanto came out, we needed to do a movie night.  Since I hadn't seen the movie yet before movie night, I gathered most of my inspiration for decorating from our local Fiesta celebration with lots of bright colors and flowers.  

 

So when I saw the flowers in the Handcrafted mini kit, I knew I wanted to scrapbook the photos of our Encanto movie night.  I started by printing out my three photos as 2" squares.  

 

I layered the three photos on papers from the Happy Heart kit.  And built an embellishment cluster with a flower die cut and puffy phrase sticker  from the Handcrafted kit and a puffy heart from the Happy Heart kit.  

On the opposite page I used the ombre alpha stickers for my title, which I stitched over the top of and layered with a puffy sticker from the Happy Heart kit.  Under the title I added a phrase sticker and a flower puffy sticker.  

 

For my journaling, I typed on top of the pink grid paper from the Happy Heart kit and used a washi puffy sticker so it looked like a note was stuck to my page.  I added the cactus puffy sticker as a nod to Isabella from Encanto.  

Thank you for stopping by!  I can't wait to see how you use this sketch!

 

xo, Kira 

3-To-Inspire with Marsha

 

Hey friends!  It's Marsha here with you today, and I'm hosting this week's 3-to-Inspire challenge.  I created a layout in my Life Crafted Album using this month's Life Crafted Legendary kit and the Scrapbooking Addon kit.  I also used the This Is Life Legends stamp and the Traveler's Notebook stamp-- it wouldn't be one of my layouts without at least a little bit of stamping!

Here are the prompts:

1. Feature one stamp or stamp set

2. Use 5 or more patterned papers

3. Use a variety of embellishments 

For my layout today, I wanted to document a photo of my sweet little niece.  I planned to use a variety of colors and patterns, so I chose to print the photo in black and white.  I began the spread by stamping the frame from the This Is Life Legends stamp using black ink onto several patterned papers from the LC and Addon kits.  I also used the packaging from stickers in the Addon kit and an ephemera die cut from the LC kit.  Next, I trimmed around the stamped images and arranged them vertically on the page.  

I embellished the stamped frames with additional stamping and stickers.  I also added a floral die cut below the frames for a bit of extra interest.

On the left side of the spread, I trimmed a patterned paper from the LC kit and adhered it to the edge of a white cardstock base.  I added my photo and did some simple embellishing using ephemera, chipboard stickers, and puffy stickers.  I also added another one of the stamped frames so that the pages would feel more cohesive.  

I love how the layout turned out using this month's kits and stamps! 

Thank you for stopping by today!  I hope you are inspired to create a layout based on these prompts!  

Documenting Fall with Shannon

 

Hello there, friends! Shannon here with a spread that I made in my Fall Favorites travelers notebook. When the October add-on kit arrived at my door I knew that it was meant for fall pages. The muted colors and gold are just perfection. I made this travelers notebook myself using cardstock filler and patterned paper for the cover. Since I made it myself, I took some creative liberty and made a few 3x4 "flips" within the notebook. This spread features one of them! I used the dictionary paper as a backing on the flap and then layered it up with a tag, patterned paper, and a ribbon. The blue house grounds it all and ties into the theme of this layout - which is my fall decor.

The opposite side features a photo of my front door. I didn't want to embellish over the photo so I used the 4x6 Bailey alpha stamp to add a sentiment at the bottom of the photo.

The right side of the spread features photos from around my house arranged into photo strips. At the bottom of the strips, I used the October Travelers Notebook stamp and the Ready for This stamp to fill in the white space. I tucked a few pieces from the October add-on kit behind the photos because I can't ever stop layering! And that deer? Well, I'd wanted to use that from the minute I saw it.

The left side of the spread acts more like my title page. I made my title pop from the background by placing it on a piece of darker patterned paper. The gold leaf ties into the gold accents on the opposite page. I knew that I wanted to use the house card on this page so I backed it with the same woodgrain paper for continuity and then added some details around it. The pieces of ribbon add subtle finishing touches. 

And here's a look at the full spread. I really love the contrasting papers backing each side. I tried to stick with mostly neutral colors since there is so much color in my photos.

Did you grab yourself an October add-on kit? I can't wait to see what you make with it!

Sunday Sketch with Kira

 Hey there!  It's Kira and I am back with another Sunday Sketch!  I am using the February Life Crafted Kit and working in my Life Crafted album.  Here's a look at the sketch I am using today:

And here's a look at my completed layout:

I have been starting every layout in this album with journaling, some of my journaling is a story I am telling to Folsom (my dog who passed away, and who the album is focused on), but a lot of my journaling is a letter to someone whom the story relates to.  In this layout, it is a letter to Hobbs, my dog that was a few years older than Folsom, who died a few years back.  I typed out the letter on white cardstock and cut down to 4.25x8.25. 

Then on the reverse page, I stuck fairly close to the sketch.  I had one photo of Folsom, sized at 3.5x3.5.  I used some patterened paper from the LC kit, and placed my photo tilted on the paper.  Instead of a label, I used the die cut bird as my embellishment. 

I used some more patterned paper as the bordered strips on the layout.  And I used some machine stitching to add some texture. I also brought some of the strips of paper to the journaling page, since I had about an 1" of white space at the bottom of the page. 

I wanted to include a photo of Hobbs dog to the layout, so I printed out a photo that would fit in the die cut frame.  Then I adhered that on top of a journaling card that I punched to fit in the LC album

. 

Thanks for stopping by!  I can't wait to see how you use this week's sketch!

xo, Kira

Travelers Notebook and Bible Journaling with Patricia

Hello beautiful CTK friends!  I hope you are enjoying or soon will be enjoying your kit(s).  The colors and patterns of the papers in the Life Crafted kit, inspire me like crazy.  They inspire me also to try something I don't normally do, and that is to use a very vibrant and busier pattern paper for a background.  

So picking out my background pattern paper, I adhered that into my Traveler's Notebook on the right side.   Before finishing that side, I went to the left side and used another pattern paper, but in a neutral color and less busy pattern.  Then using the Let's Wander stamp set with the color inspiration from the pattern paper on the right, I started stamping.  I did some stamping right on the pattern paper, but did a lot of stamping onto more pattern paper and then detail cut out.  That soft orange really complements the right side.  

For my photos, I used the This is Life digital stamps available this month in Photoshop Elements for my photos.  If you don't have software to work with your photos, you could also stamp directly onto your photo, like I did on my pattern papers.  I was able to create a clipping mask, so the photo shows only within the first circle and have a border.  If stamping, it would not have that white circle border.  I filled in with a little bit of embellishments and stamping to finish it, but since it covers most of the page, I turned to the subscriber's Explore Cut Aparts, using one of the labels to type my journaling in Photoshop Elements.

Then back to the right side, I printed a larger photo, layered with the same pattern paper I used for one of the circles on the left, added some die cuts, and the puffy stickers from the kit.  

Keeping the details on this side lighter, lets the photo and the paper be balanced.

I love the vintage feel but also modern feel of this spread.  I have another project to share with a video!  Inspired by all of my leftovers, I decided to share a Bible Journaling entry with you today.

I used a combination of the subscriber cut file for this this month called Find Joy Everyday, using just the three hearts from it, die cuts and alpha stickers from the Life Crafted kit, the Crate Paper stickers and die cuts from the Add-On kit, the Let's Wander Stamp, The Travelers Notebook Stamp, and the Typewriter Font Stamp.  With those items picked, I started by stamping "wisdom," adding the hearts cut file, watercolors, journaling and then added in the stickers and die cuts.

I stayed with lots of blues and greens, but I love that tiny bit of the pink from the die cut heart.  To highlight my verses, I used the watercolors.  I was only going to do one side, but since part if it carried over, and I had my supplies out, I kept going!  

I used the Floral Circle cut file from this month to start this side, but used the clear gesso that I use to prep my pages as the glue for this larger piece.  I did the same as I did on the left side using the watercolors, and then added the die cuts, stickers and stamps.

If you do any kind of art journaling, Bible Journaling, anything other than documenting, this is a fun way to use your leftovers and try a different creative process.  You can watch my video on my YouTube channel here in HD or below.  Thank you so much for stopping by!!  Happy creating!