Sunday Sketch with Patricia

 

Hello CTK Friends!  I'm using the gorgeous new May kit full of My Mind's Eye with today's Sunday Sketch in the Life Crafted album.

As soon as I saw the sketch, I see the vertical and all of those wonderful layers.  So I grabbed a few sheets of the pattern paper from the kit and just starting randomly trimming them and then layering them.

I started with the background being the cream colored cardstock from the kit, then just placed my cuts of pattern paper to see how I liked them focusing on the less busier pattern paper to be on the top.  

To add a mix of layering effect, I added a large die cut from the kit under my photo.  It coordinates with the papers I chose, but it also brings a balance of small, busy, and simple pattern papers, bringing the eye right to that area by the photo.  I love the pattern paper with the strips of phrases, so I trimmed those to stitch the left of my layering, as inspired by the sketch.  Continuing with the sketch inspiration, I added smaller die cuts to the right and left of the photo.  For another layer of texture and a pop of color, I used one of the chipboard pieces and used one of the May Cut Files from the green cardstock from the kit.  The pops of color work great with the neutral background.

For the right side, I chose the 3x4 pockets, and just trimmed more pattern paper to fit, then added a die cut over it.  I loved the 'a few of my favorite things' die cut, but it was too large, so I just stitched it to the outside along the middle of these two pockets.

I trimmed more pattern paper that is more solid and less of a pattern, then layered a torn piece of vellum over it to add my typed journaling.

Gorgeous kit!  So vintage, but modern.  Hope you grabbed one of these before they sold out.

3 to Inspire With Lisa Varshine

Hi friends! I can't believe it's August already. Today I'm here to share a quick 3-to-Inspire challenge using the August kits, including the add-on kit. I can't wait till you guys get these kits, they are gorgeous!

I've been using one of the newest Life Crafted album colors to collect stories about myself. These stories are few and far between for me, since I spend the majority of my crafting time telling stories about my two young kids. These new colors are so vivid and cheerful, exactly what I need right now.

In these pages, I'm talking about my photography degree and the long and winding road I've taken to finally decide to enroll. I was so inspired by the florals and soft colors in the beautiful Crate Paper papers, die cuts, and chipboard stickers. So, for this spread, I'm challenging you to create a layout using 1) a photo of yourself, 2) florals, and 3) a muted color palette.

I'm going to be really honest: taking a good picture of myself requires a ton of shots. Telling a story about pursuing photography doesn't naturally bring to mind dynamic photo options. I obviously included a shot of my two main cameras. But, I also thought it was a good opportunity to get myself in my albums.

I'm not typically a florals girl, but these completely changed my mind. It was also a great compliment to a very feminine picture of myself. The die-cuts from Crate Paper include a few transparent acetate flowers and I like the idea of trimming this one slightly so it would slide into the pocket, add a little interest, repeat the floral pattern, and add an interactive element (it can be slipped out of the pocket very easily). It does double duty by slightly obscuring any thoughts or stories you have that may be more personal.

To repeat the florals and carry the beautiful colors across the page, I trimmed two tags and stapled them together on the bottom of my picture. I'm really happy with how this spread turned out and I cannot wait to indulge my new obsession with florals. Thanks for letting me share these pages and I hope you find a little inspiration for your next project.