Creative Thursday ~ SOS/Sketch and "They Call Her Icebox" part 1

Hey there! It seems I'm in my niche with a very busy job and a very busy life at the football fields lately! But if I can squeeze out a page, you'll probably still see the kids. :-D

Here is my cutie all ready for football practice!

Come on back this weekend to read the entire story of how we got here and page two of this layout...

But for now, here is a SOS-sketch inspired page!

They Call Her Icebox by Lindsey Krauss.
Supplies: Paper: Junkitz, Crate Paper, Inc.; Cardstock: Bazzill, other; Stickers: Making Memories; Chipboard: Heidi Swapp, Twiddleybitz, Best Creation, Inc.; Markers: Sharpie; Ink: Staz-On, Marcella By K; Mist: Tattered Angels; Rub-ons: DCWV; Sketch: Rochelle Spears for Scrap Our Stash.

And the Scrap Our Stash sketch...

Creative Thursday ~ If It's Groovy, and it's day 1, grade 4!

So the challenge for the team was to design our own paper.

I wanted to run for the hills. and I did.

But when I came back, I put stash to paper and here's what happened. I'm still unsure about it, I'm not sure it's groovy, but the techniques may intrigue someone out there...

Day 1 * Grade 4 by Lindsey Krauss. Supplies: Paper: Making Memories, Brads: Making Memories, ZvaCreative.com, Snaps: Making Memories, Ribbon: Jenni Bowlin, Scenic Route Paper Co., Letters: Making Memories, Marker: Sharpie, Chalk: Inkadinkado, Ink: StazOn by Tsukineko, Template: Creative Memories, Other: star buttons, paper flower, latches.

Design your own paper! Last time I tried this technique, I scanned my favorite bag, printed it out 8"-1/2x11", and used its pattern as background paper - it was a huge success! This time, I tried a few different methods. First, I extracted color from my son's shorts and designed my own plaid paper in PhotoShop. It was just a matter of creating lines in different widths and colors and layering and relayering until I got the plaid effect I liked. I printed it, cut it, inked it and pasted it. The second method I used was to trace and edge of a Creative Memories Storyline Guideline template and ran brads, buttons and snaps along the traced line. This creates a pattern, some color, and a frame for otherwise plain cardstock. The third and last thing I did was a little light doodling. I didn't go too crazy because the page called for clean lines and subtle movement, so I drew stitching and chalked the corners. The possibilities and combinations for creating your own paper are endless, go for it!

http://ifitsgroovy.blogspot.com/2012/12/design-your-own-paper-lindsey.html

Tuesday Special ~ Paper Secrets & If It's Groovy!

Sometimes I just want a little extra space to fit in some thoughts or scrapbook pages, so I'm adding Tuesday Special to the lineup. Anything goes!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Paper Secrets~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I just completed this layout Sunday and wanted to share. I wasn't liking it much at first, but it's growing on me, despite its many imperfections. Thanks to my husband for snapping these pics as I was busy having a blast while coaching a bunch of amazing little kids!

This is the November 1 sketch from Paper Secrets that made these pics come to life. Thought the banner-style was pretty perfect for some sports pics. 

Team Red Bulls by Lindsey Krauss. Supplies: Paper: CherryArte, Sweetwater, Junkitz, Cardstock: Making Memories, Bling: Heidi Swapp, Sticker: Scrappin' Sports & More, Marker: Sharpie, Bic.

*No, I'm not kidding about CherryArte and Junkitz - I told you I haven't bought supplies in a while! Really working the stash now!*

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~SoS~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I'm delighted to accept a design team position on the If It's Groovy blog! I jumped right in and joined their challenge to create a hand-cut title - I don't do this nearly enough anymore!

Have fonts - Will use. 

So I chose one of my fav pics of the fall and went from there. Here's a little how-to (how I did it - ) in pics:

Step one: I chose a good bubbly font and resized it to fit in the space I had planned. I printed in black, but could have printed in brown.

Step two: I printed out a leafy picture which would become the title, making sure it was large enough to cut the font-title out of it. 

Step three: staple the font onto the picture. Staple in the white space, in the space that will not become the title) good ol' preschool teacher trick!)

Step four: Cut another title (title mat), leaving about an 1/8'' around the font. Place the cut title onto the font (it easily relieves any little imperfections in my cutting). :)

Step five: Make sure it fits. It fits! Distress, embellish as you wish!

Jump! by Lindsey Krauss. Supplies: Paper: Bella Blvd., Xerox, Cardstock: Bazzill Basics, Sticker: Bella Blvd., Pearls: Kaiser Crafts, Mist: Tattered Angels (Tsukineko), Paint: Making Memories,  Other: leaf vellum, brown ribbons, heart button, raffia. Font: Brody.

Design note: To create this hand-cut title, I printed out a picture with leaves large enough to fit in the space I planned on my page. I then found a nice, bubble font and printed that out a few times in black on another sheet of paper. I stapled the font to the leafy picture in its white space and cut the title with a craft blade. I simply cut around the black font, about 1/8" out. I laid the picture-title on the white paper-title (I like the ink behind the title because it covers some little fussy-cutting imperfections.) Although as you can see, I think imperfect layouts are pretty perfect, too (RUSTIC, we call it!) :)

Creative Thursday ~ Fall in Winter {2012 page 3}

Okay, all you scrapin-istas, no making fun! I accidentally went all old school on this one. I found the background page (BoBunny) while rummaging through my autumn supplies. I intended on using this old vellum (K&Company) to stamp or paint images, but I decided to use it as because I loved how it complimented the BoBunny background paper. After I took that leap back in time, I resisted the urge to use flowers or bling and instead went with leaf stickers and sticker letters (Creative Memories), shaped buttons, and those round Doo-Dads (Colorbok). Those doo-dads were a rak given to me by a friend in our old Yahoo group some 7-8 years ago. And I had never opened them, lol! (Hey it took me six months to even open my first kit of Basic Grey!)
Hey, no use wasting those old supplies, right?!

Check out this layout in its sketch form from Love My Tapes. I think they do cards over there, but I really wanted to shape this photo (there was a lot of background stuff to crop out) and thought this would be a fun design.

Fall in Winter by Lindsey Krauss. Supplies: Paper: Bo Bunny, Vellum: K&COMPANY, Letters, Stickers: Creative Memories, Round buttons (Doo-Dads): Colorbök, Brads: Making Memories, Ink: StazOn by Tsukineko USA, other: orange ribbon, star buttons. Sketch: Love My Tapes.