LaLa Scraps

A New Beginning

For a variety of reasons, I decided a few weeks ago to start a new blog that will encompass not only paper-crafting, but other creative pursuits, as well.

I'm already enjoying this new venture, and I hope you'll enjoy joining me.

Please visit and say hello!

The Studio Challenges - Flowers

Check out the current sketch challenge over at The Studio Challenges:

So digging all those circles.

Here's my page inspired by the sketch:

(Supplies: Buttons by JHB International. Brads by Making Memories. Cardstock by The Paper Company. Glitter by Stickles. Pearl paint by Ranger. Patterned paper and stickers by Basic Grey.)

Basic Grey's Kissing Booth is such a fun collection to work with. I used hearts cut out from patterned paper as two of the circles to emphasize the Valentineyness (it's a word, now!) of the subject. I dig all those reds and pinks all cuddled up together, and the sketch is one of those really versatile ones I plan on using again.

Happy Mistake

Sometimes, it just happens. I'm working on a layout, and I'm in my creative zone, and all of a sudden, I make a mistake.

That's what happened today when I was finishing up a 2-page layout I've been working on for a few days, now. I was writing the journaling, and I made a major mistake that I would not have been comfortable crossing out. I don't mind quirky pages with some not-so-perfect elements, but journaling cross-outs are not okay with me.

So, I started to remove the cardstock serving as my journaling block, only the adhesive was stubbornly...well...adhering. A layer of cardstock was left behind, and as I looked at it, I thought, "I wonder if I could just journal on that?"

Turns out I could, because I did, and I dig the result.

(Supplies: Kraft cardstock, recollections. Vanilla cardstock, Stampin' Up! Alpha stickers, American Crafts. Border punch, Martha Stewart. Buttons and doilies, unknown. All other supplies, Crate Paper. Scraplift: Charity Hassel, Creating Keepsakes magazine, the October, 2010 issue.)

Another Holiday Layout Done!

I did a lot of scrapbooking throughout the holiday season, but there were a few layouts I wanted to do that just didn't make it into that hectic schedule.

I'm still catching up.

Here's a two-page layout I finished yesterday with photos of my family putting up the tree:

(Supplies: Kraft cardstock by Recollections. White cardstock by The Paper Company. Dimensional stickers by Jolees. Alpha stickers by American Crafts. Gems by Me & My Big Ideas. Spray ink by Glimmer Mist. Green ink by Tim Holtz Distress. All other supplies by October Afternoon. Scraplift: Stephanie Howell, Creating Keepsakes, July/Aug., 2010.)

Over at Two Peas in a Bucket, Shimelle Laine--who is probably my favorite scrapbooker of all time--is doing a series called Glitter Girl. Check out those videos here. The current video's topic is creating embellishments by altering plain chipboard, and there's a challenge involved. :)

I incorporated the challenge into this layout by using a chipboard Christmas tree that came with a package of embellishments from October afternoon. Here's a detail shot:

First I used the direct-to-paper technique to cover the bare chipboard with Distress Ink. I let that dry, then followed with a few sprays of Glimmer Mist, which added a gold shimmer. Once that dried, I added red gems as "ornaments" on the tree, and it was done. Easy-peasy, and it made me want to do more with chipboard. I have some swirls that might show up on pages in the near future.

I'm pretty sure that wraps up (ha-ha!) the holiday layouts for 2011. Feels good.

Basic Grey Sketch Challenge - February 2012

This great sketch from Basic Grey...

...inspired me to create two pages. For this page, I turned the sketch upside down:

(Supplies: Patterned paper, stickers, alpha stickers by Basic Grey, the Kissing Booth collection. Epoxy stickers by Paper Studio. Dimensional stickers by Sticko. "Happy" stamp by Girls Paperie. Craft thread by Iris. Embossing ink by VersaMark. Perfect Pearls by Ranger. Buttons, unknown.)

Oh, how I love that Kissing Booth collection. So versatile. I don't do a lot with Valentine's Day, though that's what this layout happens to be about, but I can't wait to utilize those papers and stickers for other topics, as well.

The Basic Grey blog also inspired me to use a technique on this page. Check out that post here. I stamped the word "happy" in a line across the bottom and up the side, let it dry a bit, then brushed on gold Perfect Pearls for a watermark look. I dig how that little hint of gold perfectly compliments the theme and patterns of this page.

But to be honest, I think I like the other page I made just a little bit better:

(Supplies: Patterned paper and large alpha stickers by Basic Grey, the Curio collection. Small alpha stickers by October Afternoon. Die cuts by K&Company. Vintage buttons, unknown. Photo anchors by Stampin' Up! Brads by Girls Paperie. Line stamp by Technique Tuesday. Ink by Tim Holtz Distress.)

Originally, I'd planned to use October Afternoon's Farmhouse collection with these photos, but I wanted to create another page with the Basic Grey sketch, so I chose patterned papers from the very vintagey Curio collection, papers which I think add a masculine air to the layout. I also flipped the sketch on its side so the photo orientations would work.

The journaling was written months ago during a class I took at Big Picture. I was thinking about these photos of my father, and the words just poured out. I totally dig when that happens! I enjoyed playing with this sketch and making it work for the photos I wanted to get onto pages.

Cocoa Daisy Sketch Challenge - February

Take a look at this great sketch from Cocoa Daisy's February sketch challenge:

As I mentioned previously, I just joined Cocoa Daisy's kit club, receiving my first box of luscious goodies a few weeks ago. I created my page based on the sketch with supplies from my January kit.

(Supplies: Large alpha stickers by American Crafts. Chalk ink by ColorBox. Small alpha stickers by October Afternoon. Pearls and gems from E. by Prima. Rope twine by Stampin' Up! Mulberry paper, unknown manufacturer. All other supplies from the January kit by Cocoa Daisy, here, and the Red Velvet add-on, here.)

One reason I signed up for a kit club, other than the total excitement of receiving a box of goodies every month, was that I wanted to stretch my creative comfort zone by using products I might not choose when shopping at a scrapbook store. I wanted to expand my style.

See that cloud background paper? That is probably my least favorite color ever, but I made it work, and I enjoyed the process of making something that I like, even with such a large amount of a color I don't like very much.

My February kit from Cocoa Daisy is sitting in the box, waiting for me to have time to open it and drool a little. :) And I still have quite a bit left of the January kit, so I'm gonna be doing some fun creating in the next few days.

A Card Embellished

Yesterday, I posted a card that was just a bit too simple for my taste.

I fixed that.

(Supplies: The Paper Company cardstock. American Crafts patterned paper. Prima pearls. Little Yellow Bicycle and Marcella by K gems. Archivers flowers. Stampin' Up! marker.)

I might add just a little bit of glitter to the flower petals, but other than that, this card is done.

And I dig it.

Neopolitan Cards

So, remember yesterday when I posted the new goodies I got from the Dear Lizzy Neopolitan collection from American Crafts?

Well...last night, after dinner, I sat down with those new supplies and created a few cards.

(Supplies: The Paper Company and Recollections Cardstock. Glimmer Mist spray ink. Tim Holtz Distress black ink. VersaMark embossing ink. American Crafts stamps and patterned paper.)

So, here's the story on this card. I wanted to do a subtle background, so I used that lovely little camera stamp with embossing ink on kraft cardstock, then sprayed Glimmer Mist over it and wiped off excess. At first, it showed up...sort of, but when it dried, the images became very faint. Still...a cute card. I was going for simple, and aside from rocking the "Smile" stamp a bit to cause that fading in the image, I dig it.

Next a very simple card that I ended up embellishing a little bit more today.

(Supplies: The Paper Company cardstock. Tim Holtz Distress black ink. American Crafts patterned paper.)

Again, I was going for simple, but I thought this one was a bit too sparse, so I added some flowers and gems and pearls. (Photos to follow when the gloom lifts again.)

Last, my favorite of the three:

(Supplies: The Paper Company Cardstock. Tim Holtz Distress black ink. All other supplies, American Crafts.)

The background is so full of joy and fun. I cut it out of a piece of patterned paper with lots of individual cards, rather than a solid sheet of pattern. Those adorable crocheted flowers were part of last year's Dear Lizzy collection and coordinate so well. I was delighted to find them in my flower drawer.

So much fun to just grab some supplies and play sometimes. I enjoyed making these cards, putting new goodies to use in an innovative way.

Artful Delight Sketch Challenge

Check out the great sketch for the current Artful Delight sketch challenge:

Nifty, no?

Here's my rendition:

(Supplies: Recollections cardstock. Pink Paislee alpha stickers. MAMBI and TPC Studio gems. Stickles glitter glue. All other supplies by Basic Grey.)

Admittedly, I wasn't feelin' it at first. I struggled a bit with the placement of the circles, and I had a whole different thing goin' on for the bigger circle, which I took away because it just wasn't working for me. Stitching a circle instead, then coloring with a green marker, and finally adding some glitter fixed it all up for me.

A closeup on the detail:

I so dig the glitter!

And I'm happy with this page, so different from the other one I did with similar photos. Great sketch, thanks Artful Delight!

Dear Lizzy Neopolitan

Yesterday, I stopped by the nearest Archivers and bought just a little taste of the new collection from American Crafts, Dear Lizzy: Neopolitan.

Such cuteness, no?

I cannot wait to play with it. I love, love, love that camera stamp, and I know it's going to show up in lots and lots of my layouts, probably cards, too.

Lately, I've been feeling like I really need to institute a no-buying policy for awhile because I have so much yumminess in my stash that needs to be used.

Then CHA happened, and I watched the videos over at Paperclipping.com and read Shimelle Laine's coverage of the show on her blog, and I just saw so many wonderful new things that I know it will be very hard to resist. That's why I only allowed myself a little taste of this collection, because as much as I love it, there's so much more to come. And soon!