Summer Fun

For this months stamping challenge, I decided to stamp script on my chipboard stars.  First I inked the stars with red VersaMark, then covered them with clear embossing powder.  I repeated this 3-4 times.  I then used my script stamp with clear VersaMark and added white embossing powder.  When I used my heat gun, because there was such a thick layer of clear embossing, the white power kinda slide around, making the script a little blurry.  I really like the way that made it look, better than if it would have been sharp.

I love the photo editing available with Instagram, my favorite is Earlybird.  The only problem in Instagram is that the photos become square, and when you try to print them, unless the photo lab has square printing available, it forces a 4x6 crop (or whatever size your trying to order).  To work around that, I used Photoshop (or any advanced photo editing software) to enlarge the canvas of the photo. Then all you need to do it cut the excess background when printed.

  

Love

Hello fellow scrapbookers!

The featured technique for Auntie Em's design team this month is stamping. I must admit, I don't stamp much. However, I do own stamps and really, it's high time I use them! Following the July sketch in the PageMaps calendar, I created this layout:

It's no secret: I love my little guy! Unfortunately, I don't have that many pictures of the two of us. Most of the time, I'm the one taking the pictures. So, the pictures I used in this layout are close-up but that's because I took them myself. Yes, I have long arms! But, short of nagging my husband, it's the only way I'm going to get pictures.

I digress...The Saturdays collection from Little Yellow Bicycle was a perfect fit for these pictures because it's the right mix of masculine and feminine.

I used stamps in three different areas of the layout. The first is on the circle piece of chipboard. I used Glimmer Mist on the chipboard. Here's a tip: when stamping on top of Glimmer Mist, make sure the mist is really really dry. Or else, your stamping will bleed (trust me, it happened to me!).

The used a second stamp on the bottom of my journalling box. 'Consider yourself hugged' just seemed appropriate.

I used two different stamps to create the title piece. First, I used the shape stamp and cut out the shape using my Tim Holtz scissors. Next, I used white pigment ink to stamp the word 'Love'. I'm really happy with the result!

Now it's your turn! Submit your layout following the PageMaps sketch of the month to Auntie Em's for your chance to win a prize!


Happy scrappin'!

Copic Class July 28th with Lorena

Copic Techniques class at Auntie Em's July 28th

Join me on July 28th at Auntie Em's Scrapbooking for my next Copic Markers Techniques class.  You asked for it, and I have put together a class where you will come out with a finished product while still learning valuable new techniques.
We will be making this beautiful card featuring a Magnolia stamp "Tilda and Peony Tails" (hey I didn't name it, LOL) and an older Bo Bunny collection "Winter Joy".  We will be colouring our own flowers with the Copic Airbrush system.  If you are curious how the airbrush system works and want to try it out this is the class for you.  I will be teaching two techniques for colour co-ordinating your flowers in fact!

This class does NOT come with Copic markers included.  But I have provided the suggested markers that will be used in the class in order to match the paper line perfectly.  These colours will be available at Auntie Em's.  Check your collection to make sure you are not duplicating. 

E21 Baby Skin Pink

E29 Burn Umber
E51 Milky White
E57 Light Walnut
BV00 Mauve Shadow
V09 Violet
B00 Frost Blue
B24 Sky

Also I used R20, YG03, and YG07 but these can be substituted for similar colours.

Double Trouble

I love the look of a well planned and balanced double page layout.  However most of the double page sketches that are out there have too many photos for my liking.  This months pagemap challenge had just two photos on it, which is great.  But I had three photos that I wanted to use. So... I stretched the sketch into a double page.  And using a technique that I saw on "Live With Prima" a few weeks ago, of building your double pages at the same time (can't believe I've never done that before) I thought I would give it a try.  Well I must say it came together very quickly and it does hold it's balance and continuity well.

I didn't put a title on my page (I may later) but I have dubbed it Cake Face.  These are photos of my son at his first birthday party and the next day when we were just hanging out at the local garage getting the oil changed in the car - he wanted to climb in those stacked tires so bad!

Using the Little Yellow Bicycle collection called Saturday's made it so easy to make a boy layout (or two) and the theme of this month's challenge is to use stamping on your layout to create your own embellishments.  I did just that with the previously naked chipboard circles and stars, and I also stamped and fussy cut (I know what were you thinking Lorena?!) a 'little yellow bicycle' .... psst it's actually a Prima stamp!  On some of the chipboard I did three layers of stamping - see the first photo where I did stamping and embossing on top of embossed background on top of a brick wall stamp.


You too can participate in this challenge, simply bring your layout based on the sketch to Auntie Em's scrapbooking by the end of the month and make sure you use stamping somewhere on your layout to enter!  There's going to be prizes!!!


Hope you enjoyed,


~Lorena~

Snow village in July

This month's challenge was to use a stamp as an embellishment. I decided to scrapbook my very first Valentine's day date with my boyfriend. It was by far the best date and surprise of my life so I wanted a page to remember the little details.

Following the sketch I chose some images of our visit to the ice hotel in Montreal. (in the picture of the 2 of us we have no noses LOL cause the cold was affecting my iphone camera but it's still one of our favorite pics together so I kept it in the layout) I decided that a snowflake stamp would be perfect as an embellishment so I stamped and embossed the snowflakes and added some stickles and cut them into circles. I used them across the layout and popped every second one up with a pop up dot to add dimension.

I used my cricut once again with some custom fonts using Sure cuts a lot. I used Impact as the font for snow and Lavanderia for the word Village. Click on the links to download the fonts.

I decided to use a nice magenta colour since I had some nice cardstock leftovers from emma's and a gorgeous sparkly ribbon in the same colour. I finished it off by using some old stickers I have had forever which were headed for the garage sale if I didn't get to use them and voila another challenge I am super happy with.

The journalling says:
On february 16th, 2012 we left Cornwall early for my Valentine's surprise. You kept telling me to dress warm but I had no clue what you had in store for me. After a bit of shopping you revealed the surprise. Dinner at the ice hotel! It was an amazing night. All in all you really are the bomb.

The last sentence is kind of an inside joke from that night and it's nice to have it on the layout cause it makes us both smile.

Give it a try this month who knows maybe you will be the lucky winner.

Nancy

July PageMaps Challenge - Your Design Team - Stamping

July is upon us and your Auntie Em's Design Team has been put to the challenge of using the July PageMaps sketch and using stamps to make your own embeslishments.  Featuring the Little Yellow Bicycle collection "Saturdays".  Here is what your design team girls have come up with!

Sarah's take:

I like to use stamps to as accents. On this layout, I used a stamp to create the 'Love' title. I stamped on a scrap piece from the Saturday collection and then used scissors to create my very own personalized die cut. I also stamped on chipboard that I first covered with Glimmer Mist. Finally, I stamped the words 'Consider yourself hugged' on the bottom of the journaling box.


Lorena's Take:

I decided to switch it up this month and convert the one page layout into a double! I used various stamps to add layers to my chipboard pieces including several Prima Marketing stamps and My Mind's Eye .  Infact my "little yellow bicyle" is a Prima stamp too!  Although I have not put a title on this layout, I've been calling it "Cake Face" if you read the journaling - you will see why! 

Stephanie's Take:

For this challenge I decide to stamp on the chipboard stars.  I don't like stamping directly on my pages because I usually end up messing it up.   Although the stars don't look like I had imagined they would, they actually turned out better.  For Instagram users out there, the photos were printed after being processed with Instagram and a little editing with Photoshop, because the photos are square, online printing wants to make them 4x6. Check out my individual post in the next couple of weeks for a full description.

Nancy's Take:

This months challenge was fun and easy the thing I love about stamps is that you can use them in so many different ways it's incredible. Oddly enough my july layout is all about the snow village but eh there are no rules as to when you have to create your pages as long as they get done :)

YOU can participate in this challenge too by bringing your layout based on this sketch to Auntie Em's Scrapbooking before the end of July.  Make sure to use stamps somewhere on your layout to qualify! There's going to be prizes!