Curled Up Here with Patricia Roebuck

Hi Everyone!  As much as I do love to get out and travel, I have to say I am a homebody, so this months 'Around Here' kit fit perfectly with my hanging out memories or in this case a curled up memory with my cat   =^..^=

Totally in love with this pattern paper with the multi-patterns, has such a nice homespun look to it, and a perfect base for my girl curled up on me while I took a nap.  I used the filmstrip image from the Routine Stamp set by stamping it three times to create a 'strip' look, then detail cut it completely out to hold my photos.

I wanted to continue that repetitive pattern paper look from the background, so I backed the butterflies I used from the Own Your Magic subscriber's cut file with different pattern papers from the kit.  I cut them in the original size and a smaller size.  And for that added cozy look, I added one of the bows from the K-Bows cut file, which I am obsessed with, they are amazing!

For a filler card on the right, I created a repetitive pattern with the chair image from the Around Here stamp set using different ink colors I pulled from the pattern papers on 3/4ths white cardstock, then added one of the foam phrases from the Foam Phrase & Icon Stickers from the kit, trimmed the excess from the edges, to be able to slip it into the pocket.  Then I used the Around Here stamp set to stamp randomly over the chair images, and under the 'Loving.'  I used the same stamp set to stamp onto my my stamped 'film strip.'

For my journaling, I used one of the cards from the kit to type directly onto.

I finished the spread with the 'Smile' from the Smile Sparkle Shine subscriber's cut file, and some hearts from the Foam Phrase & Icon Stickers.  Thank you for stopping by the CTK blog today, hope you grab your kit to document and share your curled up memories with us on the Citrus Twist Kits Fan Page.

Pocket Life Challenge With Theresa | Hybrid Pocket Pages!!!!

Hi friends, Theresa here with a Pocket Life Challenge for you today! I am using the June Around Here Life Crafted kit, along with the stamp set, the Traveler's Notebook stamp set, and the This Is Life Routine stamp set. We are going to use some digital elements along with our physical kits so let's get started!

One of my favorite things about the Life Crafted Kits is that each month you also receive the digital versions of the journal cards and digital elements such as tags, labels, and word strips that are perfect for for pocket pages. Today I want to inspire you to use both, physical products in your kits and the digital elements for a true hybrid pocket page layout!

I always begin my hybrid layouts by dropping journal cards and photos into a template. If you are familiar with Photoshop it is pretty easy to create your own template using rectangle shapes and clipping masks! Since I am going to print these and slide them into pockets, it doesn't really matter where I place each card or photo, I simply am making sure the photos I want are included. You can see above what my layout looked like before I printed it. Check out below the finished layout!

My challenge for you today is as follows:

1. Let's use digital stamps on a photo!
2. Let's layer journal cards to create our own unique cards!
3. Let's layer digital tags and labels to add fun embellishment clusters!

Using digital stamps on a photo.

Adding a digital stamp to a photo before printing is a fantastic way to tell more of the story on our layouts, and it has a secret benefit: you can resize the element to suit your needs! Notice in the photo above I added the "stories to tell" element and then sized the floral element to match. 

You can see how I did this in Photoshop CC: I layered my photo and clipped it to my clipping mask with a white border. I use a 50px stroke for my borders. Then bring in your digital stamps and place them as you would like. Use your Move tool to resize and make them fit into the space you need. You definitely can't do that with physical stamps! Also, the digital stamps give you such crisp lines so you don't have to worry about smudges! It's a win-win!

Layering journal cards to make your own unique cards.

This is where hybrid scrapbooking really becomes as unique and individual as you are: being able to take already designed cards and patterns to make a journal card that works for you! 

This card came about because I absolutely LOVE the wood grain patterned paper in the kit this month! I really wanted to include it in my layout and noticed it was available as a traveler's notebook sized paper. I decided to layer it over top of the journal card that had this quote. This quote perfectly describes our life sometimes! Ha!

Getting this card and patterned paper to look right took a little bit of manipulating, but the Layers menu made it easy-peasy. I began with the journal card and positioned it within the clipping mask so the quote was closer to the bottom of the card. Then I brought in the patterned paper and sized it down a bit so the scale looked right on a 3x4 card. Sizing patterns down is another option that hybrid gives you! Yay!

Layering digital elements to create fun embellishment clusters.

I won't lie, I absolutely LOVE physical embellishments and textures that scrapbook supplies offer! Every month when I receive my kit I am so excited to open all the pretty things and immediately I begin dreaming about what to create and how I want to use them! Hybrid scrapbooking is so much fun because you get to use fun digital elements AND your pretty physical products together! It's like the best of both worlds!

This is one of my absolute favorite ways to do hybrid: create a fun embellishment cluster! My photos here were pretty off, color-wise, so I turned them to black and white and then added colorful embellishments to make them pop on the layout. On this photo I have used a digital circle element and then I added the physical embellishments: the puffy heart sticker, the letter A, number 10 (those are puffy alphabet stickers from the May Excursions kit) and the red puffy star sticker.

Once again I placed my photo into my clipping mask with a 50px stroke, and then I added my circle element. I sized it up a bit using the Move tool, so it looked a bit more to scale. The circle element is outside of the clipping mask so it shows layered over top of the white border. 

Want to see the layout all together? Ok!

The left side, beginning with date card, sets the tone for the layout. Our stories for this week were mainly about back to school, as we had open house for our four kiddos. I was able to get individual photos of them in their new classrooms, plus I had a photo of all the school supplies we purchased. This layout is part of our 2013 album.

I am all about using supplies that have the hard work done for you, and the date card is just that. The notebook papers add a layered look and provided easy spots for the week number, date, and some additional stamping. Of course I had to incorporate that adorable chair stamp!

This was the first year my husband and I bought school supplies for all four kiddos together. It was quite a hilarious, overwhelming, and happy experience! I am so glad we stacked everything up to take a picture (and I'm pretty sure that isn't even all of it) because it tells such a story! The little grey circle saying Excuse the mess is perfect for this situation!

Highlighting each child is important to me in documenting our family memories, and each year for back to school I try to include a photo of each of them. Creating special embellishment clusters makes it so easy to mark their initial + ages at that time. For Nick's photo above, I used the teal digital tag and then added his initial and age above. 

Addison's photo and cluster is perfect on the layout! Notice how I have used the 1-2-3-4 card to note each child's name and the grade they are going into. That is one of the Subscriber Bonus cards, definitely worth subscribing! Look for fun ways to include the details in your details in your layouts.

The right hand side continues the colors, patterns, and embellishment clusters. These pages are so bright and happy, and the Around Here kit just makes that so easy to accomplish.

I have made this side a bit more feminine to highlight the girls and simply because I love using floral patterns in my pocket pages! Our daughter Emberlynn is on this side with a fun red label that I have stamped using the Full Heart stamp in the Traveler's Notebook stamp set. I also ran out of E's on the puffy sticker set (is it me or do those E's always go first?!) but the upside down 3 did the trick.

Notice the journal card with the tab and tickets layered on top? That card was sort of the jumping off point for this entire layout. I knew I wanted to use that card and so I repeated that layering on my photos as well.

The 4x6 journal card is another example of layering cards to make your supplies work for you. I love that floral card and wanted to be sure to use it, but also wanted a bit more journaling space so I turned a 3x4 lined card on its side. I also added the pink and teal leaves just as a bit of texture. You can also see how the wood grain card came together: I added the Around Here die cut and love how that turned out!

This has been so much fun to create and share with you! You are now challenged to go use some digital elements to create a hybrid pocket page this week along with your beautiful June kits. We would love to see what you create, so be sure to share and tag us when you do! See you again soon!

Sunday Sketch with Kira

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

And here's my take:

I started with a single photo instead of two, because it was sized larger (almost 4x6), I thought it filled up the space well.  I used a few patterned papers from the add-on kit, along with a bit of packaging from the add-on die cut pack as my layers.  I softened up the lines of the papers by adding in a doily, cut in half, and layered above and below the photo.

I used the dainty floral paper included in the add on kit for the paper strip down the left side of my page.  I adhered it down, and then stitched over top, although it's barely visible due to the busyness of the pattern.

I used some of the die cuts and puffy stickers from the add on kit to layer along the side of the paper strip.  I also used some foam behind some of the die cuts to give some additional dimension.

I added some embellishments on the photo as well, since there was a lot of white space around my two subjects, my son and his tiny duckling friend. My title, "Ducky Love" was created with the foam alphas included in the add on kit.  I added some additional texture to my page by creating a couple of thread nests with yellow and white thread.  Then I finished the page by adding some splatters.

I can't wait to see how you use the sketch today!

Thanks for stopping by!

Kira

KIT LOVE

Hi there friends!

June is here, which means time for a new kit, stamps, and embellishments. We love the fun vibes the new Life Crafted "AROUND HERE" kit brings to our documenting. We hope you all have had a chance to see Trina's KIT LOVE video, just stay tune here to be taken to see as she unveils all the contents of the kits for us.

Since today is Saturday, and we always have a 3-to-Inspire challenge on Saturdays, we asked our CT members to help us show you the kits in a fun way, so we give them these three prompts as inspiration:

1. Patterned Paper
2. K-Bows Cut file (we are all fanning over creating our own bows)
3. the kits (yes, anything in the kit goes!)

And here are the results:

 Alena used the AROUND HERE Life Crafted kit and the Subscriber's Elements cut apart digital file.

Amanda used a combination of both the Life Crafted -AROUND HERE- and the June Add-on kits.

Anna used this month's Add On kit to create her layout.

Diane used the AROUND HERE kit as well as the This is Life -Routine- Stamp set.

Kira's beautiful layout features the  Around Here Life Crafted kit as well as This is Life Digital Stamps.

Nathalie used the Around Here kit and this month's Add-On stamp set  -the title was created with a previous subscriber cut file -

Theresa used the AROUND HERE kit, This is Life Stamp set and one of the new page protector configurations.

Thank you so much girls for the beautiful projects; make sure to check their blogs, and social media channels to read more about how they created their projects.  We hope these have inspired you to check this month's AROUND HERE Life Crafted Kit, stamps, and Add-ons, and then use them to create a project of your own.  Remember to share with us what you create, we love to be inspired by you.

XO,