Time for the next NSD challenge! It requires a stamp or two, but it’s simple as can be!
Select the photos for your scrapbook page and also an image or two to stamp. Stamp your designs onto paper scraps or plain cardstock, fancy them up in any way you like (colouring, embossing, glittering perhaps!), cut them out and embellish your page using these stamped images right on top of your photo!
I went for a little scattering of Lawn Fawn Easter eggs for some simple embellishment down the side of the photos. Guest artist Jossie Segura has a super cute twist for this one…
She stamped hats for the people in her photos!
I really loved this picture and knew it had to be used on a layout. This photo is of my daughter and niece. They were inseparable when they were little but are now growing into their own. This photo for me captures them being silly and young at heart. I went a little crazy stamping the bunny ears then cut around them to make it appear as the bunnies were hiding behind that beautiful Starshine washi. I also loved using the Starshine clear stickers. I did my journaling on the adorable notepad that comes with the Starshine rotary phrase stamp.
Your turn! Stamp your favourite image and find a way to pop it on top of a photo. Share your page with us here!
Happy (inter)National Scrapbooking Day! Time to get started with challenges and sharing new scrapbook pages! First off, we’re looking for texture. Instead of just paper and stickers, throw some fabric or lace into the mix and see how it works for you.
Stitch it, pin it, staple it, or just glue it, but see how these textile textures work alongside your favourite papers and photos for a bit of contrast.
Fabric pieces on layouts don’t need to be an overwhelming focus. The hot pink dot pattern to the bottom left and right side of this layout are small fabric remnants, and just the small detail of a few loose threads and a softer texture makes for a twist to the layering without creating a page that is sewing-machine-themed from start to finish.
For a second idea to get you started, guest artist Karla Der goes with lace!
This is a photo of my little girl when she was just a few months old and beginning to give big smiles. I just love how the rays of sunshine worked so perfectly behind her.
I printed these photos on a 4×6 print and then cut it down the middle to make it look like a photo strip. I didn’t want a mat around the photo, but I wanted to separate it from the paper and give it a softer look. I used two types of lace trim and layered them behind the photo strips. The paper is from Crate Paper Notes and Things. The embellishments are a mix of Shimelle’s Starshine and True Stories, Evalicious and Maggie Holmes.
-Karla
Happy Friday! It’s nearly time for us to kick off a weekend of scrapbooking fun for NSD, but first one more look at arrows! Contributing designer Leigh Ann Odynski has a beautiful page to share, along with a brilliant technique for combining clean cutting with an etched shape in the cardstock, using the Silhouette cutter. Let’s get to all those points!
For the Arrow Challenge this week, I wanted to use a photo of our local landmark the High Roller. Looking at the photo, I knew I wanted to try circles as a design element to highlight all the circles in my photo. I found the sunburst background cut file at the Silhouette Design Store and thought the rays mimicked the cables on the wheel. So now, before I even started the page, I had a direction for the layout.
When I cut the pattern on my Silhouette, I forgot to change the depth, and it didn’t cut all the way through my paper. It was a happy accident though, because it led me to use an Exacto knife to cut out every other ray on the design. The other rays are subtly etched into the cardstock for a unique detail. This arrangement gave me fewer rays to fill with punched circles and worked out better as far as how many colors I wanted to showcase. You can use 5 different sized circle punches to punch out different Shimelle Starshine and True Stories papers. It was so fun to pick from the large variety of patterns you get in each color. Arrange them behind each ray and adhere. I used quick dry glue to adhere just a part of each circle and lifted up the edges for added dimension.
I stitched around each sun ray that was backed with circles, and around the edge of the Starshine Mariner paper. Fold down the top portion of the blue patterned paper and pick cut apart strips to add around your journaling block. The title in white glitter Thickers makes sure that the colors on the layout stand out and adds another texture and sparkle!
Did I forget about the arrows? No, I added arrows to point to the photo on the sun rays without the circles. You can add enamel shapes or any Starshine Embellishments you like in between rays.
I added mine on the edges of the stitching to give more texture and interest to the layout.
Add a doily or other circular paper behind your photo and pop it up on dimensional foam. Then stitch underneath the title, and you have a completed page.
I like to try to think of new ways to use my supplies, and I hope you enjoyed this variation on the sunburst design. What ways can you think of to use cut files other than they were intended?
Happy crafting and I would love to see your pages shared below when you try this challenge out for yourself!
The above posted with much irony. I am not feeling very hip or fancy or cool lately! But it doesn’t mean I’m not still having fun. Today I packed a lunch with everything except the broccoli cut into the shape of train cars. That is totally the definition of cool, right? I should scrapbook train shaped sandwiches. That would take it to a whole new level of cool.
But what I’m really meant to draw your attention to is not the ‘cool’ of it all but that big arrow! I challenge you this week to scrapbook with arrows. Arrows with stamps, die cuts, patterned paper, stickers, chipboard, or paperclips, perhaps! Everything else is completely up to you, so you can take your inspiration in any direction you like!
A few years ago, Marcy Penner shared this tutorial for creating arrows from patterned paper scraps, and there’s also this sketch and video in the archives, if that helps you get to the point with your page design. But for brand new inspiration for this week’s challenge, take a look at these examples from contributing designer Heather Leopard and guest artist Mandi Holmes.
Bryan and I recently went to Santorini, Greece as part of our anniversary trip. One of the most memorable things we did was ride donkeys down the Caldera cliff to the dock and back up again. The cable cars were not operating out so we figured we’d be adventurous. Because it is a very treacherous cliff, it meanders back and forth across the mountain. I thought it would be fun to tell that story not just with the pictures and words but also through the design of my arrow.
I designed it so that it leads you back and forth up to the top. I wanted the arrow to lead to the photo and then I included another “Is this for real?” arrow to lead to the photos, then another arrow pointing to the top of the cliff. I rounded it out by including a small film strip of other memorable photos from the ride.
- Heather
I created this page because I have a love with old buildings and items that were once popular. I love capturing these moments in a scrapbook page because it helps keep their history alive.
For the journaling on this page I wanted to have it hidden since there were a lot of facts about the windmill. That gave me a good place to start with the arrows, and I stitched one to point toward the hidden journaling and make it a bit more obvious so it can be read. Then a second stitched arrow points to another important element on the page – the photographs!
- Mandi
You have a week to complete the challenge and share a link – but of course you’re welcome to set your own time schedule. Whatever keeps you happy and creative!
Today’s Guest Artist: Mandi Holmes loves cooking, doilies, and coffee. You can find more from Mandi on Instagram, Facebook, and her blog.
A brand new online class starts Monday – The Scrapbook Process! It’s never too late to join in, but this weekend would be a great time to sign up if you want the full live class experience, of course.
You can find the full written details about the class here, and the video above gives that information in a bit more conversational style!
To sign up in US Dollars:
To sign up in UK Pounds:
In other announcement type news: we’re just one week away from National Scrapbooking Day! Next weekend, there will be a full schedule of challenges here to keep you inspired! Challenges will remain open for the full week and following weekend, so you’ll have about ten days to participate if you like! Hope to see you then too.
Last weekend, I was in Germany to teach some scrapbooking classes on strong design without spending a fortune on embellishments. One thing I love about that concept is it automatically answers one of the most common reasons I hear for people taking an interest but not actually trying paper crafting: ‘it’s expensive’. Like many things in the world, it can be expensive if you want to take those options but it definitely doesn’t have to be! I came back from Germany to find contributing designer May Flaum with such a complementary train of thought, and today she’s here to share her philosophy for introducing new crafters to the glorious world of pretty paper.
Crafting with people who don’t normally craft, or who are new to it can be quite the challenge. You want to make it inviting and fun, yet not overwhelm them. Hey there, May Flaum here and today I am excited to share an idea and video with you to make card making fun with yourself or with a group!
I often get asked how I teach my kids to craft and my short answer is: I don’t. The thing is I try to encourage them to play, explore, and discover on their own. One key idea is to come up with a simple formula as I have here (shape + paper scraps + simple sentiment + embellishments) and give just enough structure that people aren’t left wondering where to even begin. You want to inspire a person to try, to play, and to have fun. You don’t want to bog them down with rules and too much structure. Ah, but you don’t want them without a starting point either!
Clear as mud? Don’t worry, I’ve got a video to help explain as well as show you how I’ve made my card. Here is my video tutorial for creating a card like mine:
I just love how this card turned out, and that it has the benefits of using up scraps and bits of my stash as well as giving a lot of creative freedom to the teens, tweens, and anyone else I might happen to want to create with.
I also love this as a warm-up for myself when I’m not feeling especially creative, or a maneuver to avoid cleaning off my desk. Just use the scraps! I hope that you’ve enjoyed this video today and that I’ve inspired you to go make some cards with someone today. Crafter or not – we can all enjoy playing with pretty papers and fun embellishments.
Do you need a crafty warm-up today? Give May’s formula a quick try and share it with us!
I recently purchased a Minc machine for metallic foiling and have used it easily enough for cards and gift tags, but I’m at a loss as to how to use it on my scrapbook pages. I have plenty of foil, so it seems only right to make this investment work for all my paper crafting, including my layouts! Glitter Girl, can you help?
Of course I can! This week, Glitter Girl takes on the challenge to use the Minc on her pages by customising 3×4 Project Life cards with metallic foiled fish to match some toddler artwork that needs a spot in the scrapbook.
I have the full size twelve inch Minc but the foiler is also available in a smaller six inch machine if that better suits your budget, your space, or your needs! This project would work perfectly fine with the smaller size, since the journaling cards are 3×4 inches. Do be sure you buy the Minc for your part of the world: as it plugs in and heats up, you’ll need the version with the right plug. They are available!
Other supplies for this page include the Color Chaos collection and Sand & Surf papers from Bella Blvd, enamel dots from Doodlebug Designs, letter stickers by October Afternoon, word stickers by My Mind’s Eye, flair badges by American Crafts, and a variety of washi tapes.
In terms of kids and artwork, I can already see why this becomes such a challenge over the years! He’s only just turned two and of course I already have a significant stack of paint strokes, colouring sheets, and other creative projects! (Stickers are big here. Of course stickers are big here.) We have a big art-student-style book with plain pages to paste things in and leave a little label with any relevant notes, but I’d like to include just a sprinkling of the actual pieces in our chronological family albums, and it struck me that it will work perfectly to include things that are a) the right size for a 12×12 page and b) have a corresponding photo that helps tell the story. Aside from letting him doodle on a card in my Christmas journal, I’m pretty sure this is the first page where his artwork appears right in the album. It was a delight to show the page to him when it was in the album and he clapped! That’s probably the biggest accolade I’ve ever had for scrapping, so I’m flying high now!
I’ve long had the Paislee Press Mini Masterpieces project in my bookmarks, thinking that big student portfolio may become unwieldy over the years to come and thinking a Photo Book would be a lovely way to keep the evidence without the complication. I’d love to see other ways you’ve kept child art, be it in your scrapbooks or another system of saving things. If it’s something you’ve shared online, by all means leave us a link in the comments. Or feel free to just share a thought of what has worked for you. I’m sure many of us go through this stage of wanting to find some sort of guidelines for which pieces we keep and which ones go from the fridge to the recycling bin!
And of course, links to your projects with the Minc are also welcome! If you have the Minc, do you find you use it more for small format projects like cards and gifts or is foil becoming a definite design theme in your scrapbooks?
Disclosure: Product links in this post are affiliate links. All are supplies I use and enjoy! Affiliate commissions on shimelle.com blog posts pay the guest artists who share their work here. Thank you for your support.
It’s so exciting when one idea leads to another and another, and I love it when that happens in crafting. I love it when it happens for other crafters too so we can see their train of thought and how one idea jumps to another and another. That’s why this post from contributing designer Sheena Rowlands made my day. I hope her series of ideas sparks a few for you too!
I’m a real lover of books. I really enjoy reading when I get the chance, I like how they feel in my hand and the smell of the pages. I also like to collect books specifically to use with my hobbies. These are usually out of date or damaged or bought from markets or second hand stores. I like to think I’m giving them a new lease of life when I use them in my projects. I always use a digital copies of photographs in my scrapbooks so I’m not concerned that the books I use are not acid free. Here a few of my favourites.
I like to use books and book paper in a variety of ways and today I’m sharing with you four different projects showing how versatile and easy it is to use.
For this scrapbook page I wanted to use the book paper to help tell a story from my childhood. The journalling reads – As the daughter of an avid gardener, I spent my summers outside & my winters surrounded by gardening books and seed catalogues galore. This was the feel I wanted to get across when I looked at this layout. I took pages from an old gardening book,inked the edges lightly to evoke the look for being well thumbed and layered them up.The book cover is cardstock providing a base for the pages. To create the open book look I’ve cut the pages at a slight angle to give the impression it was intentionally open at these particular pages. I also cut some of the flower illustrations from the book to embellish the layout. The pastel tones of the Starshine papers and embellishments were perfect for matting my grainy old photos on giving a lovely spring feel.
For this Project Life spread I wanted to evoke the feeling of distance, travel and culture. Two of my children travelled to Japan last year for the World Scout Jamboree. They brought back with them from their trip booklets, tour guides, maps etc. Rather than use the originals for this page I scanned and copied pages so not to damage their souvenirs. Whenever I go travelling I always try to pick up a book in the launguage of the country to add to my collection.
I created a pocket to hold journalling tags with a train map and punched decorative circles from text paper to embellish my journalling all adding to the overall feel of the Project Life spread.
Book paper is great for making embellishments with too and for this card I made one large embellishment for the front using old school maths text book paper.
I drew out the star in pencil on the back before hand stitching around the edge. When I had sewn two thirds of it I added a little toy stuffing between the layers to add dimension before sewing it up. The background features the star stamp from the Starshine Collection heat embossed in clear on white cardstock before adding water colour paint over them. The Starshine chipboard sentiment finishes it off perfectly.
Finally an off the page project. I’m a scrapbooker first and foremost but I do like to dabble in other crafts, like I need another hobby! but I thought I would share a book fold I did as a gift for my Brother & his bride last year. There are lots of free patterns out there on the internet & its really easy to get the hang of once you get started. I’ve covered the covers of this book as they were damaged but you could also theme your fold with the book you choose too.
I’d love you to join me and create incorporating book paper, please share with us your creations.
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