Music Makes My Heart Sing

I've had this unfinished layout lying around forever now. I loved the background paper -- although I did add a different border to the center to get the colour combo I wanted. But then I was stuck, as I couldn't come up with a layout design I liked.

Lol -- I settled on a circle. It's quite interesting -- when I first started scrapping, I didn't really like circles in my layouts. I was working mostly with squares and rectangles...until one day a circle layout just came together, and I've been hooked ever since. Now, when I get stuck, the first thing that comes to mind is a circle!!! And bling -- lots of bling!!! :) TFL.

It's a Dream

Coming up with the background for my layouts is one of my biggest challenges when I'm scrapping. I love using circles...and I tend to try using some in every layout I create -- and then getting frustrated when it doesn't work out! LOL

I tried something new with this layout -- simply using two different papers. I love the look of the darker border blending in with the paper on one side...and then standing out on the light paper! I was going for simple...yet different -- I think I accomplished it! :) Added a little bling...and a quote with letters from my stash and it was done! I especially love the way the "dream" stands out! TFL

Gotta think outside the box!

My printer is still out!!! UGH!!! And unfortunately there's not a whole lot I actually do without it!!! I'm constantly printing one thing or another for both my cards...and my layouts as well!!!

So I had to find other means...to get some scrappin' done!

My sister found a great stamp set while garage sale-ing last week. And yes, she bought it just for me -- sometimes it's really nice to be the only one in the family that actually scraps and stuff!!! LOL Everyone is constantly thinking of me when it comes to the good stuff!!! :)

So, my sister brings home a "Stampin' Up!" baby stamp set.  Man, was I impressed!!!

I've had a baby picture of my best friend's baby on my "to scrap" pile for a long time. And after trying to make the printer work for like 2 + hours this afternoon, I finally just gave up on it...and decided to try something new.


I stamped the "quote" from my new stamp set...and embossed it with gold embossing powder.

....then I copied and cut out some letters...and lifted them...to give them a 2D look...

I also bought some more fabulous rub-ons yesterday, and found a few that fit...



Finally I added some punched flowers I made with my Fiskars daisy punch...and some buttons I won in a blog candy. :) The layout is still missing the birthdate, weight and length...but that'll have to wait for the printere! I'm thinking of writing it in brown...along the left-side of the photo -- strip journaling style.

It's amazing what you can do without a printer!!! TFL :)

Hidden Journalling

Hi there! I've been participating in an online crop on Fiskateers the past two days. Been having a fab time -- and it's just soooo much fun to go through the gallery and see everyone else's uploads and stuff. Tons of inspiration to be found there!!!

So, we were challenged to lift one of three scrapbook layouts. I've been wanting to scrap a page with us working in our greenhouse. I had made a flower pot card in recent months, and had decided it would be perfect for a layout! So I thought I'd give the layout with the most number of photos a shot...and this is what I came up with. (It's still missing a title, but I'll get to that later.

I was introduced to hidden journaling awhile back...and was pretty impressed with the various forms you can use. Since the flower pot is a card, it's perfect for that! The pot itself is a pocket...and you simply slide the flowers -- attatched to the journalling out and then slide it back in! Simple...yet it something that you wouldn't actually see/know unless someone pointed it out! I love it! :) TFL

How the flowerpot-hidden-journaling works: (no, I haven't added the journaling yet) LOL

I'm entering this layout into some challenges:
Pollycraft: Make Your Own Flowers
One Stitch At A Time Challenge: Flowers
Die Cuts Dream Challenge #45: Make Your Own Flowers

Matting Styles

The way you mat your photos in a layout can make a big difference. Here are some basic scrapbook matting ideas:

Single Mat Variation 1:

Single Mat Variation 2:

Double Mat:

Triple Mat Variation 1:

Triple Mat Variation 2:

Broken Mat:

Wide Mat with Embellishments:

Single Mat with Multiple Photos:

No matting:

I don't use this very often as I like the whole matting look, but sometimes a layout doesn't need the pictures to be matted -- especially when you have multiple photos on a page.