New Scrapbook

I've started a new scrapbook about N's first year. I'll be posting pages from this for a while. This is the first time I've done anything with an 8x8 format. A while back, I chose the scrapbook as well as some possible papers and embellishments.

Last week I spent some time choosing pictures and sent them off to Shutterfly. When the pictures came in the mail, I decided which ones to use and slid them in the page protectors.

Here's the first page, using a photo taken when she was only a few days old. I love the way the light coming through the window illuminates her precious little face! I layered some textured white cardstock with a watercolor-look paper (edged with blue ink). The rub-on at the bottom of the page is one I've had for a while. The flowers came in a package; they're made from an iridescent fabric. The flower center was punched from a scrap of pink paper.

I think this project will come together pretty quickly, now that I've got all my stuff together. Enjoy!

Immi

The Results Are In

I want to share my very first "from scratch" digital layout. I used one of my freebie papers as the background. I also used a brush set, coloring it with a color I picked up from one of the photos. I experimented with adding drop shadows to the photos. The label at the bottom is another brush, with text added inside. (I realized after I sent it off to be printed that the date should have been August, but I decided I could live with it.) Finally, I played around with some of the default brushes that come with Photoshop Elements to add the color around the outside edge of the layout. This is not an outstanding layout, but I was happy with my first try at building from the ground up.

If you are interested in experimenting with digital, you can find some great free digital products out there to get started. One of my favorite sources is DesignerDigitals. You have to join their online community to have access to the freebies, but they are very generous. They also have a vast selection of items to purchase, as well as some tutorials.

The online printing service I used is ScrapbookPictures. The service is easy to use, and the turnaround is quick. I sent two layouts to be printed, and I'm quite pleased with the way they look. I was concerned that the layouts would look too flat, but that's not the case. I'm not ready to give up my paper, but this is a fun and creative alternative. It's also nice to have a very thin layout to slide into my album.

Try something creative today!
Immi

Paper and Tulle Flowers

Here is an experiment I tried recently and enjoyed very much. I saw a tutorial for this on a website. It involves cutting circles of increasing (or decreasing, depending on your perspective) size from paper and tulle.

The paper circles are layered, with tulle circles in between each layer. The stack is sewn together with a button on the top. I roughed up the edge of each paper circle with a tool containing a razor blade, made especially for such use. This gives a little more texture and interest.

The end result is fun, colorful flowers to use as accents on a card or scrapbook page. AND, of course, I love the fact that I'm using up odds and ends of my stash!



















Happy crafting!
Immi

Halloween 2008

Here is a layout using a photo from 2008. N was only a few days old - she's filled out quite nicely since then! Love the ninja costume - perfect for a boy with an active imagination!

Somehow this picture didn't "feel" very Halloweeny to me, so I chose to forgo the usual Halloween colors. Instead, I picked up colors from the couch and costumes. It sure feels great to get photos out of a box and into my scrapbook!

Today would be a good day for you to do something creative!

Immi

Gotta Love That Smile!

Here is another page, using an older photo I had of A. He's got such an expressive face! This page came together pretty quickly. The base is a textured cardstock. I wanted part of my title to be computer generated, so I cut the color blocked paper to 8.5 x 11. I placed a text box where I wanted it, and printed a test page before using my "good" paper. The "SMILE" comes from a set of stickers I had. As per my usual good planning ahead, I was part-way through placing the stickers when I realized I didn't have an L. EEK!! I sacrificed a B, cutting off the parts I didn't want to make an L out of it. You'd think I'd learn to be more careful! The question mark I'd had for a while; it just seemed to fit the picture. I don't have any idea what to call the blue loosely woven material I used. It's not fabric, and it's not paper. It's just another random thing I picked up somewhere. The ants were a last-minute addition, and I really like what they add.

Happy crafting!
Immi

Bandana Boy

Here is a recent scrapbook page featuring A, using a photo taken when he was younger. I had this photo in a frame for quite a while, and planned to put in in my scrapbook when I switched pictures. The background paper is from a boy-themed kit I bought a while back, as is the chipboard sticker I placed on the photo. The grunge edge around the photo is from a set of rub-ons.

The stamps I used are acrylic, which offer some advantages over wood-mounted stamps. (Traditional stamps have their own strengths,too!) The word "BOY" was originally in a vertical format, but I wanted to use it horizontally. I cut the letters apart, and placed them on my acrylic mount the way I wanted them. It doesn't hurt the stamps at all to do this, and now I have the freedom to stamp this word either horizontally or vertically. The other stamp I used is a saying. I bent it into the curve I wanted on the mount before stamping. Neither of these options would have been available had I used traditional rubber stamps.

This page was very quick and easy - the rub-ons took more time than anything else.

Keep on crafting!
Immi

All-Digi Layout

Here is my first all digital scrapbook page. This is from a free lesson available on Jessica Sprague's website. Any beginner (like me!) could do this. The template is already created. All that is necessary is to drop in a photo and add the journaling. There is a video that accompanies the tutorial with very clear instructions. I think I may try a few more of these and send them off to be printed. (I don't have a large format printer here at home.) If I wanted to print them at home, I could change them to 8x8, but I generally prefer to use a 12x12 format. I'm curious to see what I will think of the finished product once I see it in person. I don't know if the "depth" will disappear, giving it a flat look or not. If you've ever wondered about how digital scrapbooking works, I highly recommend this free tutorial!

Happy crafting,

Immi