Tuesday Tutorial: Using Packaging in Project Life

Hello lovelies!

For my first blog post as part of the Pocket Life DT, I decided to show you one of my favourite techniques - stretching your scraps and kit to the limit!

Today I am showing you how I used some of the packaging from the exclusive stamp and acetate letters to create PL cards for my spread. The best bit - it's easy and stretches your kit even further!

First, search through your packaging to see if there's any backgrounds that catch your eye. For me, straight away I'm a sucker for anything polkadot or grid, and BAM both of them were in this month's PL kit. #winning

Then, simply cut down your packaging to size. Even if your packaging isn't quite large enough, you can always use some of the 6x6" papers included in the Pocket Life Kit to add the extra length you need.

Finally, embellish with your favourite bits and pieces from the kit! Add some doodly borders and splatters for some extra fun. I really enjoy using the labels from the cut apart sheet on my cards, both as layering pieces and journaling spaces.

You can always use actual pieces of packaging ephemera from your week as PL cards too!

Head over to the Citrus Twist YouTube channel to watch my process video (and even get a sneak peek of the bunnies and baby Archie!) and don't forget to subscribe to watch more fun videos from other members of the Citrus Twist Design Team!

Happy scrapping!

Sunday Sketch with Aimee Dow

Does it seem like where here a lot? It honestly feels like I am doing a sketch every month right now and god help me I have actually come to enjoy it. I know, I know, I swore I was the anti-sketch scrapbooker - yet here we are. When it came to picking my sketch this month I was second to last to pick and for the first time ever I picked the 'most challenging' one. So you're really in for some fun!

I stuck pretty closely to the sketch this month. I did add an extra triangle and strip of paper purely to balance the layout. As per usual I used the this months main and sprinkle kit. Now YOU go forth and create!

Oh and if you finish early I'm also hosting today's iNSD Sketch Challenge over on the Facebook page.

Now it is your time to try our sketch too! So join in on this challenge and share what you create using today's Sunday Sketch by posting your creation in our gallery and/or on our Citrus Twist Facebook group! Remember to put today's date (4/23/17) in the title! You could win a $5 gift certificate to Citrus Twist so please show us what you make with this sketch!

3 to Inspire

Hi everyone! It’s Melissa Renkawitz, your Guest Designer for May, here to provide you with this week’s 3-to-Inspire challenge.

 

First let me share my overall layout with you, for which I used the May "Brighton" Scrapbook Kit. The main kits are really versatile, and can be used for so much more than traditional layouts!   I actually used the main kit only, to create this Project Life layout.

 

In lieu of pre-made journaling cards, I used a lot of labels throughout the layout.  The Pinkfresh die-cut pack in the kit included several labels which I used, in addition to some labels from the Citrus Twist cut-apart sheet.   Sometimes I’m not in the mood for lengthy journaling and labels are the perfect size to add just a bit of info.  So that’s your first point of inspiration- use labels!

 

 

A side note, that base card under the giraffe photo above is actually a piece of packaging from the puffy sticker set in the kit! 

 

Below, the card on the left shows another use of a label, this time just acting as the base for a small cluster of words and embellishment.  The card on the right brings us to our next point of inspiration- use stamps as journaling prompts!

 

 

To create this card I used a few stamps from the stamp set provided in the main kit, stamped them on a scrap piece of cardstock, and cut them out.  I then adhered them to a watercolor background using pop dots to give them some dimension, and added my handwritten journaling in-between.  I really love how this card turned out!

 

Finally, we move on to our last point of inspiration.  On my photo below, you will see a very subtle stitched frame.  I liked the photo, but wanted to highlight the center of the image a bit.  Using a copper thread (to coordinate with other copper accents in the layout), I hand stitched 2 “boxes” to create a frame around the area I wanted to highlight.  Then like “string art” I randomly added stitching between the inner and outer box.  It’s a subtle effect but adds a nice bit of interest (especially with the metallic thread!).  So that’s your last point of inspiration- stitch directly on a photo!

 

 

Here are your 3-to-Inspire items for this week:

1. Use labels
2. Use stamps as journaling prompts
3. Stitch directly on a photograph

Now go grab some supplies and play along, we’d love to see what you create! For a change to win some happy mail from Citrus Twist, create a project using the three prompts and upload it to our gallery with today's date (5/6/) in the title.

Pocket Life Sketch Friday with Diane

I really struggled with what colours to use this week, but I was drawn to the 4x6 card with yellow, grey and coral so that was the theme I went with! All the papers, cards and embellishments were kept to those colours and I love how it brings out all the yellows in my photos.

Here are a few details ...

And here is the sketch for you to work with...

Thanks for visiting Pocket Life Friday, where every week we share PL sketches and a chance to win. For your chance to win, create a layout based on the sketch in this blog post, post your layout to our Gallery or our Facebook Fan Page by Friday, May 12th 2017. Be sure to include PL 05/05 in the title!

Kit Love - Unboxing Video with Jen Chapin

Hi everyone! Today I'm sharing a short video with you featuring the May pocket life and sprinkles kit. Don't forget, any new sub that is signed up through May 7 will receive a free stamp! I show this in the video as well.

Thanks so much for watching and have a great day!

Tuesday Tutorial | Repeat stamping

I LOVED the stamps in this month's Pocket Life kit and I REALLY wanted to create my own 6x4 card using some repeat stamping. As you'll see from my process video below, my first attempt was less than satisfactory. But my next attempt was exactly what I was after.

To create a repeat stamping pattern, all you need to do is pick out a stamp you love and stamp, stamp stamp! Try diagonally, vertically or horizontally!

I used one of the bolder arrow stamps, a pretty coral-coloured ink to match my photos and some white card from my stash. To add some interest, I used a slightly different colour on one of the rows of stamping.

Here is the tutorial video of how I put this page together...

May Guest Designer

Hi everyone!  My name is Melissa Renkawitz and I am thrilled to be a Guest Designer for Citrus Twist Kits for the month of May!  Allow me to tell you a bit about myself… I am an architect living in upstate New York with my husband and our 13 year old daughter.  They are both total goofballs and always entertaining me with plenty of memories to document!  I began scrapbooking nearly 14 years ago and in 2012 discovered the Project Life format.  Being an architect, I have a love for the balance of form and function, and the Project Life format really emulates that for me.  Plus, I find it’s a great way to document everyday moments that my traditional scrapbooking doesn’t. 

 

Here’s a peek at my work space.  Most of my work is done at this L-shaped desk… 

 

 

Above my desk I have a pegboard for easy access to my go-to supplies.  Along the top of the pegboard are hanging buckets to hold pens, hand tools, etc.  On the lower shelves I have a collection of small bins to hold items like spray ink, small stamps, acrylic, glue, roller stamps, etc.  The closed cabinets above are usually a mess of paper pads and miscellaneous stuff (for fans of the TV show Friends, it’s a “Monica closet”).

 

 

At each side of my workspace I have a stack of drawers.  The drawers on the left are all paper (and are long overdue for a purge!).  The drawers on the right hold items sorted by category, like wood veneer, flair and cork, with punches, stamps, ink pads and mixed media in the larger trays above.   

 

 

On the opposite side of the room I have a couple cube units that hold albums and lesser-used supplies.  This area also acts as a lay-out space for my current album or other projects.  At the far right I keep my IKEA Raskog cart, which holds current kits on the top, and past kit leftovers and 6x6 pads on the lower bins.

 

Here’s a little Q&A session, to get to know me a bit more…

 

1. How long have you been scrapbooking and why did you start?  I’ve been scrapbooking since my daughter was born, nearly 14 years ago.  Like many new moms, I had a desire to photograph and document every moment, and I’ve always been artsy and creative, so scrapbooking was a natural progression.  In 2012 I began working in the Project Life format, and I absolutely love it!

 

2. How would you describe your scrapbooking style?   I’m an architect, so I tend towards a balanced & clean design, an organized color palette and a bit of artistic interest.  Balance and repetition are design elements I utilize frequently, both in architecture and scrapbooking.  While I do scrap traditional 12x12 and other formats, I do most of my work these days in the Project Life format.  I really like that it pushes me to capture the “everyday” parts of our lives- little details I know my daughter (and future generations) will want to recall when she is older- like the TV shows we watch, things around the house, social media posts, etc.

 

3. What scrapbookers have influenced you most?   This is tough one, as I’m inspired by so many in the scrapbooking community every day!  I love Adele Toomey (Inkie Quill) and am thrilled to see she will be joining the CTK design team!  I’m also a big fan of Diane Williams (Dearly Dee).  I think her style is a bit similar to mine, and who doesn’t love her sweet puppy pics!?!  I’d also have to say Becky Higgins has influenced me by introducing the Project Life format.  It really transformed my approach to documenting everyday life.  And lastly, Ali Edwards has been inspirational in motivating me to tell the “story” behind a photograph, although I continue to struggle with journaling!

 

4. What is your favorite thing about kit clubs?  Kit clubs (and Citrus Twist in particular) have completely renewed my excitement for scrapbooking.  I love that they are a complete package of supplies to work on projects, so I spend less time figuring out what products coordinate with one another and more time actually scrapbooking!  I also love that they are a compilation of various manufacturers and products, so my layouts don’t seem too matchy-matchy, but still have an organized, coordinated feel.  Plus… I just love happy mail!!!!

 

5. What are your 5 favorite scrapbooking items you can't do without?  Beyond the boring necessities of glue and photos, I can’t live without… 1) Spray ink for splattering- Heidi Swapp “Gold” and Studio Calico “Clay” are my go-to.  2) Needle and Thread- I stitch almost everything lately.  I actually don’t own a machine and do all my stitching by hand!  3) The mini stamps from Citrus Twist kits- these have definitely become a staple of my supplies.  I keep an open bin of them on my desk, along with a mini stamp block and ink pad.  They are so versatile!  4) Acrylic- I’m a sucker for acrylic pieces and they frequently find their way into my work.  5) Puffy stickers- especially alpha!  I find it’s the perfect amount of dimension & texture, without adding bulk. 

 

6. How would you describe the Citrus Twist May "Brighton" scrapbook kit and why will people love it?  When I first opened the “Brighton” scrapbook kit I gotta say… I squealed!  I’m drawn to metallics and I just LOVE the coppery accents in this kit- the Pinkfresh alpha and die-cuts!  Combined with the color palette in the paper and other embellishments, this kit is simply GORGEOUS!  I would describe it as- “springtime in the city”…. Bright spring colors, with a bit of floral and a coppery shine! 

Now I hope you all visit the Facebook Citrus Twist Kits Fan Page and join in the festivities that we have going on for NSD 2017!  Each day we will be posting 2-3 challenges to get you inspired and cropping. The Citrus Twist Design Team Members along with me, your May Guest Designer, will be hosting challenges throughout the week to share with you. Expect everything from Sketches to Scraplifting to Journaling to Faith challenges. Each challenge host will post the details for their challenge and their take on the challenge. We invite you to play along daily (or jump in at any time during the week) to earn chances to win lots of prizes!

To get you all started I am going to share my NSD Challenge both here on the blog as well as on the Facebook Fan Page! My challenge is a sketch challenge! Here's the sketch:

For my take on the challenge I used the May "Brighton" Scrapbook Kit:

For my layout, I adjusted the proportions of the sketch to an 8.5x11 size, as it will become an “insert” in my Project Life album and I wanted a slightly smaller scale.  The May scrapbook kit included a great paper from Pinkfresh with lots of bold words and text.  I was drawn to the “remember” portion of this paper, and used that strip down the left side of the page.  For the remaining area, I used the lovely woodgrain paper from the Oasis collection and stitched these 2 papers together.

 

To add additional interest to the base page, I added a mixed media background over the woodgrain.  I didn’t want to compete with the busy patterned paper I planned to add, so I kept it simple with white acrylic paint and just a bit of a pink ink splatter.  To ground my photos, I layered a few pieces of patterned paper together.  I really love the bold tropical floral from Maggie Holmes, which I balanced with the exclusive teal pattern.  The top piece I also added stitching to, and I pulled up the edges of this paper, for some added texture.  All my stitching on this layout is using a copper thread, which coordinates really well with the alpha stickers and adds a bit of shimmer.

 

My favorite item in the May scrapbook kit has got to be the puffy alpha from Pinkfresh.  I love the font and that copper color makes me swoon!!!  I didn’t want my title to get lost in the patterned paper, so I added it over the mixed media area of my background, and added an enamel heart as a period.  The rest of my journaling I typed out on the computer, printed and cut into strips.

 

 To add a bit of interest to the top of the page, I added a cute puffy butterfly. 

 

One final detail for this layout… Because this will be inserted into my Project Life album, I wanted to add a small tab along the right side edge.  I used one of the Pinkfresh die-cuts from the kit, which has the word “noted” in copper foil, and stitched it in-place.  I’ll cut a slit in my page protector to allow this to stick out.

 

 

Make sure and hop on over to the Citrus Twist Kits Fan Page to see the "official" thread for my Sketch Challenge and to see what the other Design Team members have for you! Looking forward to seeing your take on the sketch!