Inspired By...

This month's Creative Type challenge was to take your inspiration from a magazine spread. I don't really read magazines, but I love wandering through the NEET online Magazine each month. So I captured the following spread, and went to work.

And here is my layout...

I really loved the simple grid layout of the photos alongside the table of contents. And I immediately thought of a hand-cut title when I saw the floral lettering on the right.

Making this layout also made me think a lot about my style and how I create a page (from start to finish). This is what the layout looked like in its super early stages.

And I think it'safe to say that this is not my style! Where's the doodles and the ink and the mess? Even if all my layouts start out simple like this, I now know how I like to build layers and what materials are my go-to ones to make things look just the way I want them!

I have also discovered my new go-to technique... those ink splatters made with the Lindy's bottle and dabber attachment. Looking to a number of the pages I have made recently, including art journals, I noticed a pattern forming! HA!

I did up another layout for the challenge, but it's not scheduled to post until next week (I think...). It's on Flickr, if you're interested.

Oh, and if you've never read NEET before, get on it okay?

later loves

Halloween and a Challenge!

I was printing photos like crazy yesterday! I finished a couple of pages I started the night before, and even started in on my Halloween photos! When I read the Creative Type challenge for this month, I thought I would put a little funny twist on it, and scrapbook a photo of Russ & I in our costumes!

 

Creative Type Challenge: Finish the phrase: "The best advice I ever received..."

My journaling reads: "The best advice I ever received is to marry someone that really "gets me." Someone I have lots in common with. Flo, meet Patient Zero."

It's a joke...get it?

Though, I honestly did get this advice...from my Dad!

Russ never gets this "into" Halloween. He made a big deal out of going shopping for his costume, and was super excited when he picked out this Zombie getup at VV. He even wore makeup! Maybe I'm finally rubbing off on him. I'll have to start working harder on Lucas!

Here are some of the TM Girls at Kirsten's party! We all looked very fabulous! My costume was a bigger hit than I thought it would be. I even got a high-five from a fat, cross-dressing cheerleader. Yay?

More Halloween pics to come! I got some terrible ones of Lucas before we hit the town!

Layout deets

Pattern paper: American Crafts Midnight Moon & Nightcrawler, Studio Calico Betsy & Midway

Big letters are all American Crafts Thickers. Small ones are Glitz Design.

Banner & Yellow Heart are from TM Exclusive Celebrate Boy printable

Brad is American Crafts, "Gimme!" sticker is super old Making Memories

TM DT Layouts

I actually love being on my one "design team"...the TM Team! There's no pressure to create, I can use what I want (within reason) and I only ever have one deadline a month! Yay!!

This month I was giving some of the *new Webster's Pages to play with, specifically from their "All About Me" line. I had run out of photo paper, so I didn't have any printed photos to use, but the rest of the girls were charging ahead and I just had to catch up! I pumped these layouts out in an afternoon so I could prove I'm still a contender...hey, they were teasing me...usually I'm the eager beaver who gets everything done the day after it's assigned! HA!

And would you look here...the first layout is the one I started in my Inking Techniques Vlog! Hazaah! These photos are from Athabasca Falls, in Jasper Park.

These next photos were taken on Whistlers Mountain. We took the Tram up, and enjoyed the view for a long time. Jacob liked all the rocks and snow, and Lucas loved jumping in and playing with the snow! It was a beautiful day.

 

These are from Mt. Edith Cavell and Angel Glacier. This is my favourite place in the world, and I love that I got to share it with my favourite people in the world! I love the photo at the bottom, with the heart-shaped rock and Russel's silhouette blurred in the background. I did add some journaling to those seemingly-random paper strips at the bottom!

I've got another one coming, but I forgot to print those photos with the other batch I did on Friday! I also finished a couple more layouts (with my new product) at the Late Night Crop...I'll post those soon!

Love Lisa

Paper of Three

This time around, I thought I would attack another lurve of mine...clothing last week and pattern paper this week. I have a weak spot in my life for a beautiful sheet of pattern paper. It's a terrible habit to have and an impossible one to break. It's the cheapest scrapbooking supply to buy, and it's so damn gorgeous!

So I bought these three sheets of paper as soon as they hit the shelves at TM a couple of weeks ago. The colours are just too good! And the patterns simple enough that I can make them work in lots of different ways.

So my Rule of Three this week is showing you how to use these three sheets of double-sided pattern paper on three completely different layouts! This was way too much fun!


Pattern paper deets: Crate Paper's Random Textile, Jillibean Soup's Homemade 6-Bean Soup Barley Pearls, Sweet & Sour Soup Shredded Cabbage. These are the pages I used, but feel free to do this with whatever you have at home in your own stash!!

Layout #1: What the Truck? Can you spot the three papers?? I used them in classic-Lisa-style...cutting them into tiny strips! The orange numbers on Shredded Cabbage are a great way to make the date part of the design. And I think those spools on Barley Pearls are just screaming to get cut out and used as an embellishment themselves, don't ya think?

Layout #2: T & Me. On this layout, the papers are front and centre. I was thinking of quilts when I created the hearts & squares grid that takes centre stage. These are super simple to create: grab a square punch and a heart die cut and off you go. You could do a few rows of these and really make a statement!

Layout #3: What Ya Looking At? Can I just say that I lurve all the orange going on here!? I used a bunch of my new-to-me Studio Calico (tags, FabRips, stickers) and some nice big strips of my "Paper of Three". The colour combo of the moment - grey, aqua & orange - is really brought to life!

 

On all three layouts I used some of the *new Studio Calico "Classic" line. The papers are the perfect neutral prints for backgrounds! And the embellishments aren't too shabby either (the small star rub-ons and stickers in layout #3, and the woodgrain and house stamps in layouts #1 & #2).

So here you have three completely unique layouts, with three completely different themes and photos and colours in photos that are united by their pattern papers! This was a super fun project, one I can see duplicating in the future. Kind of like making a kit out of your own supplies, this is a great technique to get you to see your supplies in a new way! And help you make the most out of them as well!!

Busy...busy

I have been super busy lately! School is back in full swing, which means field trips and PAC meetings. The League is also back from the summer break, so there are more meetings, more minutes and more stuff to do there. I've signed up to help with a Worm Bin presentation at a local school next week, in preparation for doing one solo at Kameyosek in October. I've got new blog-stuff on the go, exciting classes I'm doing the prep work for, and lots and lots of ideas for the future!

Here is a layout I did up in response to a Creative Type Challenge! YAY!I love me a scrap-related challenge, don't ya know.

 I also love me a messy background! There is so much going on here, I can't even begin to describe...looks like that's another technique post I'm going to be writing up!!

I used a lot of Washi Tape on this layout...here you can see some Hambly and Tim Holtz layered all happily together. And you get a better idea of the layers in the background.

Crafter's Workshop stencils used: Swiss Dot Small, Wonky Circles (Balzer Designs)
Distress Inks: Chipped Sapphire & Scattered Straw
Glimmer Mist: some orange one...I can't remember
The letter stamps are *new 7 Gypsies, and the stars (rub-ons & stickers) are *new Studio Calico

That's all for now peeps. I'm going to get back to enjoying my birthday...

Creating

New things! It's been fun. This change of seasons is very inspiring to me. The colours and tone of the trees and the sky, the chill in the air that has nothing to do with the wind, and that fact that all the darn fruit flies that have been making a home out of my home are outta here!

I've finished a couple of layouts, a tag and one-point-five canvases. I even opened up my Smash Journal last night, which hasn't seen the light of day since my Studio Calico arrived...it's been hiding under the box!

So, without further ado...

This first one features the new stencils from Julie Balzer and Crafter's Workshop. Can I just say that I am in lurve with them!? I bought most of the small ones that Julie designed, and Chan put one of the large ones (see below) in my "challenge kit" for the month. I'm making it my mission this month to sell that wall!

I used Distress Stains in three colours to ink the ferns, before stitching their stems (with the machine). The small fractured flower is made up of paper that I traced and cut to match the stencil. It took an hour or so to get it right, but I think it looks so cool! It would be much easier with the larger one...maybe next time!

Stencils-Crafter's Workshop small Fern and small Fractured Flower. Paper-American Crafts, Hambly,
Crate, October Afternoon, Webster's Pages,
Letters & Cloud Rub On-Studio Calico. Distress Ink-Wild Honey, Scattered Straw, Peeled Paint.

This one is a completely different colour scheme, but I used the same stencil pattern. All of these stencils come in a large and small size, depending on what you want to use them for. I think I will do a post dedicated to these 'bad boys' because there are just so many cool things you can do with them. I also feel a Make & Take coming on...

This time I filled in the stencil with two colours of Distress Stain. I was surprise at how little this bled, as the stains are 100% liquid. But it only bled at the top there, and the rest of the watermarks I made on purpose later. To add more texture to the stains, I went over them with a red ink, blending foam, and the Chevron stencil. You can really see it in the areas that are the lighter honey colour.

Stencil-Fragmented Flower & Small Chevron. Distress Stains-Wild Honey, Barn Door.
Paper-Crate, Webster's Pages. Letters-Studio Calico & Glitz. Twine-My Mind's Eye. Ribbon-?
Washi Tape-Hambly. Mist-Studio Calico. Stamps-Technique Tuesday.

Funny thing Lucas said: He was wondering where my body is in those pictures I have of my feet. And I told him that I like taking feet pictures, and that I got a photo of him at Auntie & Uncle's as well. He asked if his body was in it, or just his feet!

I also made this tag last night while I was sitting in my studio thinking of other things I should be doing. I whipped this up, then went to finish those other things. Very satisfying.

 It's pretty much all leftovers from my table, with some Distress Stains on the back for good measure. I think it will make it's merry way on to a layout today.

And I've also been working on a second canvas to accompany my Lovely Lady Mixed Media class. This one will be purple + its colour wheel contrast (does anybody know which colour that might be?) I forgot to bring the stencil home to finish the lady part of it on Monday, so it's very unfinished! Here you can see the stencils in all their paint-filled glory!

That's all for now. I am off to the store today to finish this canvas, and the second October TNT class. I've also got some work-blogging to do, and groceries to buy. My list is long and varied! But I have all day to get it done...have I mentioned it's weird being a stay-at-home Mom with no kid around? I need a hobby...oh wait...never mind!

listening to Peter Bjorn & John...super energy to get me through the day!

p.s. TAKE MY CLASS!!

Feature Friday...

On the Inspiration Blog last week was Chantel and this week it's ____________.

I love seeing the ladies' pages up in the store, so it excites me to know we can now share them with the World Wide Web! Yay technology!

I thought I would share another layout I completed with my staff kit this month, one that accompanies the pages on my Feature Friday.

This is meant to be a "double page layout"...not that I do many of these anymore. I like how this one turned out because it matches, but it's not "matchey"...please don't ask me to explain this concept. I used the same papers and embellishments on each side of the layout, but didn't try to make them match in the middle or mirror each other's layout or anything. The green ribbon and funny Instax photo help continue the story on the second page, and I left myself lots of room to write about the moments that made the day special.

Here's a thought...why not add some memorabilia to your next scrapbook layout. Last week at the LNC Kerry showed me a great page she's starting to make, on which she's going to incorporate her wedding invitation in a really unique way! I absolutely love this idea, as it really takes me back to how scrapbooking started. Yay nostalgia!!

T-minus twelve hours and counting until Lucas' birthday bash begins...goodbye sanity...

unfinished business...

all that it's missing it a photo...oops!

 

This is my Valentine's Day layout, go figure. I did it in response to a Twisted Sketches challenge..."soft" from way back in February. And I lurve this layout and the colour combo (my two favourites) and my new favourite stitching "technique" is at use...lots and lots of zigzags!

I also used my new Martha punch, that was on sale at Michael's when I went in a couple of weeks ago. I never go to Michael's and nothing is ever on sale that I would actually buy...except for this one time! So I took advantage of it, I would have been crazy not to!

check back later skater alligator for the complete layout!

"Hide"...a Layout

Just because I'm not on the DT anymore, doesn't mean I can't play along!

This is the Twisted Sketch to welcome the new sisters...check out this post for the original sketch. The twist was "map" so I cut out a piece of an Albertan map approximately where I think Spring Lake is (location in the pictures).

See how clever I am!? I used the "h" and the "i" from the alphabet on the paper to form part of my title. Tee hee! Journaling reads: "Lucas went through a phase when he really didn't like getting his picture taken. Here he is trying so hard to hide behind Gma...but they were giggling so hard it turned into a game. Hiding Lucas is like trying to hide an elephant."

 I really love how the background turned out. It started as a bright green border, as I was trying to de-paint my brush after finishing another project! Then I added some Colour Wash and Mister Huey (the grey spray is so yummy!), and Distress Ink and those stamped circles. The larger circles were made by misting through the holes made when I punched the letters from their sheet. They are randomly placed and randomly sprayed...just the way I like it!

Supplies List:
Pattern paper: Studio Calico and Cosmo Cricket                       Letters: Graphic 45 (die cut) and Basic Grey (small)
Chipboard: old Scenic Route                      Label: Art Chix               Rub ons: Basic Grey
Stickers: Sassafras, CI                  Brads and Baubles: My Mind's Eye, Webster's Pages                  Stamps: Stampin Up
Inks: Ranger Distress Ink and Colour Wash in Lettuce. Studio Calico Mister Huey in Warm Calico. The green paint is my own concoction. 

Wander over to the site to check out the layouts from the New Sisters, and say hi for me!

later skater alligator

p.s. One of the things I really love about this new blog layout is how large I can make my photos without it being too overwhelming! So much better than before! HEY GUYS...you would be a total help to me if you found any dead links, or misspellings and let me know...thanks in advance! Any suggestions you can make on what you would like to see on not ladylike in the future are always welcome as well!

GoodBye...and Hello!

So last week was my last challenge as a Twisted Sister. Anam chose a gaggle of great new scrapbookers, and I can't wait to see what she has in store for us! And with this new DT, she has given me so many more blogs to check out. Yikes!

This means I won't have a TS layout for you every second Thursday for you. So I have to "step it up" and bring my A-game and get some layouts done on my own! HA!

I actually had a wave of inspiration and energy on Saturday night (a couple of weeks ago now) and completed a couple of layouts. Russ was at his buddies house playing computer games (he takes his own computer...yep, it's that serious) and Lucas was snug in our big bed (I guess it's more comfy) so I had the house all to myself!

These photos are from our day of action and Gingerbread House Decorating back in December. It is a double-page spread. I kept it pretty simple in terms of embellishments, but I really like the texture of the lace, and the fun little gingerbread people!

The left side layout was (loosely) inspired by Sketch #11 in the Sketches 2 Scrapbook app. Very (very) loosely inspired, but it did get me going!

Supplies: Pattern Paper: old KI Memories and old SEI. Journaling stickers: October Afternoon and 7 Gypsies. Gingerbread people sticker: KI Memories. Brad: My Mind's Eye. Flower thing: Webster's Pages. Lace: Value Village

Plus I'm saving the other ones I finished on the same day so I can keep the posts short, and so I don't run out of posts within a week!

later skater alligator