Before cutfiles there were laser cut backgrounds

I can't think of the word I want to describe this

and its making me crazy.

Anyway, I had this laser cut background forever

and it also had a chunk out of it but I wanted to 

use.it.up and get it out of my stash.

 Backed in on white cardstock and broke out

some SpareParts flowers and Tim Holtz ephemera

a bird here, a butterfly there with a watch face.

 Used some gold mists in the background

to add a bit of color for the

b&w photo of my Aunts Ruthie and Toot.

I have no idea why they have kimonos on - so I used

that entire pack of flowers I had forever,

more stash down - woohoo!!!

Studio Calico, Creative Imaginations, Spare Parts.

Another Mini Album

It appears when the mojo hits the road that

doing a project such as a mini album

helps getting back on track.

Sort of.

I picked this mini up at Michael's for $2.50 😊

I know RIGHT.

 It is a gardening album, but, in my humble opinion, it doesn't need
to be totally about flowers, plants, etc.

It's gonna be a gift for someone at sometime so shhhh!!!

 I did add some of my own die cuts and

used cardstock for mats for consistency throughout.

 The mat sizes are 3.5x4.5 and 2.5x3.5

shaking it up a bit with two on a page - but can also

be used for one big photo

if so desired.

 Everything is adhered in such a way that a photo

can be slid under.

 Two tags just hanging out and why not.

I really miss this style.

Used to be my go to until I had boy grandkids.

Styles do change.

 The seed packets can be used for extra photos

or journaling on the back since it's plain white.

Those little charms came with the kit.

Don't they make you swoon.

Recollections.

Transparencies on a page

I actually built this page without a photo in mind.

I started with the 12x12 transparency overlay

that is soooo pretty, then 

backed it on a cream colored card stock  with my

tiny attacher and that cream color 

gave it a boldly soft look.

Then I began to build some layers for a photo mat

that in the back of my mind support a

4x6 photo or smaller.

 I didn't know when I'd ever use that adorable cat

from My Mind's Eye so there it is

actually adding a bit of whimsey to the page.

I mixed up the kraft flowers with some Spare Parts

flowers - and love how they layered together.

 Then I had this 4x6 transparency rolling around for awhile

and so glad I finally got to use it to cover

the photo which is a photo of photo from back in the day

so it helped cover some things.

Attaching it with a tiny staple.

Love that transparency and it totally rocks the b&w photo

of Nick and I from waaaay back.

The title is from QK Spicy Chicken and

I'm glad to get back in using my die cuts again.

Studio Calico, My Mind's Eye, Tim Holtz tiny words, 

QK spicy chicken, Spare parts.

ET Returned from the wayback box

LOL!!!

This was fun to do.

What's ET without the bike and moon.

Tucked my journaling into that little pocket.

 Used a bit of the packaging technique.

Not sure what I'm doing wrong but most is covered up.

Yay!!!

This is a photo of my favorite eldest son meeting ET.

He looks amused.

So back in the 80's there was a radio station Q105

which had the ever popular Q-Zoo.

They decided to host an ET  party downtown

and I thought it would be a good idea

to stand in line with a 7 month old to have his photo

taken with ET.

(I think my pal Emily went with-not sure).

Anyway, we did have a great time- Nick was a 

great baby that stayed awake for his photo op

and those are Scott Shannon's hands holding him up.

Studio Calico, envelop-paper studio & bike spare parts.

Layers and tissue paper

Used quite a bit of layers behind the photos.

Love that and adhered it to some tissue paper - as sort of a base.

 And here's that cute, adorable bunny again

peeking out. He is sooo stinkin' cute.

 Those itty bitty pearls were a pain to put on.

They kept rolling around and my fat fingers had a hard time
and using the tweezer bees LOL - Good thing there
were a lot in the pack. I ended up wearing quite a few too.

 Of course I agonized about the title.

I really couldn't find the color I wanted, nor the size
nor the actual words. I tried princess - but arrrghh.
Then I decided her name was royal enough.

I found some paper that sort of matched everything

and broke out my QK - anyone remember

the Emily font???

I only have the lower case but I think

they worked out - its a beautiful font and back in the day,
 I used to be quite the font junkie.
Didn't matter dies or stamps.

Studio Calico, QK, Spare Parts flowers, Tim Holtz

phrases. Unknown butterfly.

Using every beach die cut I have technique-sort of

Since it works for stamps I figured I'd give

it awhirl for die cuts.

I got carried away cutting them out but in the end I

did use some restraint in putting them on the page.

 I also got carried away with the spare parts flowers.

Originally, flowers were not even remotely a thought to go on the page.

BUT, I needed restraint on the die cuts because

it started to look cartoony.

 So therefore, there is one of each die or maybe a couple of the same.

 The title is Studio Calico and it was a gold-like

color or maybe khaki and it blended in way too much with 

the netting so I dabbed white paint and 

shabby chic'd it up so it can be seen.

I'm also liking the 3 of the same photo going on.

I'm not sure I've ever done this.

Anyone remember? LOL.

And how about working it in on a "background" paper.

Points for that.

Using really old scrapbook paper

Basic Grey and it pains me they

are no longer in business.

I was a big fan.

Loved all their papers and have quite the collection.

 My friend Holli's daughter had a baby and of course

I crocheted a blanket and made a baby album

among other things for her shower and of course I took

photos of one but not the other.....

 Holli graciously took a photo of Kayli wrapped in my 

blanket and I decided to scrap it and it

needed this paper from the LilyKate collection was perfect.

I really wanted something soft and pretty to meld with the photo.

The K&Co embellishments have been around forever too.

Add it with a doily, a die cut border with word stickers and pretty flowers from

Spare Parts 

and well....Love the page.

 I also kept the invitation because the baby album I made (see here)

was keyed off the invitation and of course the shaker box heart.

Therefore I attached the invite to the back of the page

added the journaling (because I really didn't want it on the front)

and called it a day.

Less is more like the little black dress

I love this paper from Studio Calico and

when I laid this photo on it,

the photo just exploded off of it.

 I knew that a mat and bunch of layers behind the photo

would pull the photo away from

this gorgeous paper.

So......I decided to not mat the photo.

I know!!!
It's a really different look for me.

 I also decided to keep all embellishments to a minimum.

Until I tossed some of this sew easy copper 

thread around - I wanted some movement and the stars

on the paper are sort of a coppery gold.

Well I used some glossy accents to hold some of thread

in place and it left blots. (FYI...)

Well to cover up the blots I used some gold sequins wherever
 those blots were because you couldn't miss them.

A couple feathers, a tag from HL Spare parts some

paper issues swag bag stars and a Studio Calico phrase made

it all come together.

Lil Miss Annie at 3 years old - tying on her ballet shoes.

Another collagy page

I warned you this would happen.

I took these photos were taken as we relaxed at Babcock Webb

Wildlife Management Area and while

I could've scrapped each individually - however, some of

these photos wouldn't stand on their own

or there are really no stories behind them, i.e., bee on a flower, 

bird in the grass or a dead snake, etc.

The snake story might be amusing though as it was lying
on the side of the road-dead with its head and rattler cut off and
how macabre is that....

- seriously
we mostly relaxed in a chair,
I took the most of the photos from said chair

what more is there to say.

So.....

They look awesome in the collage,

they look great in the album not taking up a bunch of room, 

and bonus ding ding
 no one is bored because Lynn's storytelling is slacking.

Silver and sequins and feathers

What a combination. 

Always fun on a date, a go-go dancer or a scrapbook page.

This page was so much fun to do and I really tried not to over think it.

Which, for me, is tough to do.
It started with the silver doily - mostly because I wanted to use it.
And you can't have silver without more bling going on.
I actually misted first and the sequins were a last minute touch

letting them drop where they may and quickly gluing them done.
One.at.a.time.

The vellum envelop had been floating around for awhile and with some journaling
I thought it would be perfect for the page.
I can remember when vellum envelops were as popular as
the word strips for titles that I referenced in Going back old school.
Its fun to see some of the "old" stuff make a come back.

For the title I took my cue from the bows next to Anniegirl.

Annie loves Minnie. Annie makes an adorable Minnie.

And how fun is that?

I hunted down that heart in my grungeboard stack and added some
liquid pearl. Both items were from stash older than dirt so I'm
really impressed with myself that stuff like that is finally getting used.
The blingy pink thickers is in that stash too.
Why I hoard that stuff - I don't know.
Raise your hand if you do the same.
I know I'm not alone!!!

On a side note :

I think I used to puchase stuff like that because everyone else did and then I had no idea

what to do with it. This was also back in the day when anything new

came out I jumped all over it. Mostly because I worked at a SB shop and tried

to keep up with all the new stuff in case customer's had questions.

 I'm a lot pickier on what I purchase now, learning a lot

from those I follow in using my purchasing power more wisely and not

having a lot of stuff laying around unused.

Although....just sayin'....

My stash is like a bowl of spaghetti - it just keeps growing no matter how

much I use. I'm thinking another purge is in order.
AND

 I am almost done with my August SC KIT which is soooo cool.

WOW!

Studio Calico, thickers, Tim Holtz grungeboard, dear lizzy stamp, american craft bow, spare parts, heidi swapp mists and liquid pearl.

New challenge at Off the Rails Scrapbooking

And you too can join in the fun!!!

Here's the color pallette and the sketch.

Here's my version......

which was by the seat of my pants and you can read the

rest of the story here

which I hope you do because it was an adventure.

I sometimes have the strangest adventures in scrapbooking.

Also you'll get a look at my pal Erin's take!!!

Awesome!

Off the Rails Scrapbooking Challenge Revealed

A sketch and color challenge combo...

by Diana Gonzalez

AND ta - da 

my version

You are my sunshine.....

I concentrated more on the orange with some stamping

and more on the pink with some flowers from spare parts.

The doilies are the gold ones that I used in a previous

page here and I used some MM paint - manila

to change up the color to match the challenge.

I also changed up the elements at the bottome of the

sketch - using the flower to emulate the same kind of design

as in the top.

Brought in some green because I liked it.

Click here to see what the rest of the team created

and join in the fun!!!

Unintentional gold rush - page 2

First off I want to say that this photo makes.me.swoon. It is soooo Norman Rockwell and I'm also soooo jealous that I didn't take it.

(And the sequins are gold not orange).

I love this paper from Studio Calico. Its soooooo WOW and pretty.

Behind the photo is another transparency and I popped the pix up to give it more dimension.

And then wa-la the second gold doily. (I now have 2 more curtesy of Studio Calico for re-upping for another 6 months- I love their kits so it was a no brainer).

Of course it needed some flowers. Lots of blingy flowers from Spare Parts. And then some gold washi tape - curtesy of Studio Calico. Again. And the sequins. And actually the title - though I changed it up for the fancy gold paper because the preprinted tag wasn't snazzy enough So I made my own and used my own handwriting because stamping wasn't working out. I tucked a lil gold tag behind the flowers that can be pulled out and journaled on.

I wanted to keep the page simple and elegant to let the photo shine through.