Designer Showcase: Throwing Punches

No, we're not really "throwing punches". We're just sharing some projects using paper punches. Cathy here today for the Designer Showcase.  OK, let's not pull any punches, and get right to it (I promise, I'll stop with the puns!) hehehehe!!!

First up is this page by Vicky.  She used a circle punch to create a detailed edge to her page. She simple punched a medium circle every so often around the edge of her patterned mat. By placing the circle punch just half way onto the paper edge, it creates a look similar to a postage stamp.  It's really neat how it allows the background paper to show through. Using a coordinating top paper really is key to making this a classy look.

Marlene used a few punches to create this beautiful page.  She punched and layered the heart - with a detail punch in the center too. The polka dot paper mat is edge punched with sweet little hearts too. The photo mat is border punched with some wavy music notes.  I really like the way she set that mat tilted and on top of darker paper, it really highlights all the details.

Cindy has shared some really cool, and easy to create cards using border punches.  On this first one, she used two punches that have about the same size repeat.  In the black and white colors, this makes for a really elegant card.

On this card, Cindy has taken the cuteness factor way up. She used the same bubble punch that was used on her first card. This time she added a strip of red paper on the edge.  Check out this neat little trick, Cindy gathered up the confetti  from the bubble punch and used them to create the dots on her card. Isn't that cool?  I can just see this card making a Disney fan very happy!

This is another simple card that I made (many years ago). I used a large circle punch to create the stroller bottom and top. I folded a full circle in half to form the card base.  The stroller top is 1/4 of the circle.  Small circle punches were used to create the wheels.

On this altered birdhouse, I used a dew different border punches.  I punched many strips of paper with the apron border punch and then layered them to create the roof.  A lacy border punch frames the soffit on the front. The grass around the bottom was created using a scalloped border punch. Even the butterfly is a punch.

I hope you've enjoyed seeing some ideas of ways to use your punches. They are a tool that comes in handy whether you are scrapping a layout, creating cards, altering home decor or any paper/mixed media projects.

Designer Showcase: Paper Pleating/Folding

Yep, it's Wednesday again. Cathy here to bring you this week's Designer Showcase. Our topic this week is paper pleating and folding. Now don't get "bent out of shape" over this one. Just had to make you laugh! :-)

Vicky shared this beautiful folded gift bag.  She used a classic color combination of pink and black to make this a really classy package.  The scalloped circles add interest to the edges of the fold-over top and side.  The elegant watch hangs from a beautiful button closure.

Gael shares two layouts with us this week.  Check out the lovely bows that she created using paper pleating. I love the circles that she included at the center of each, they give the look of buttons.

In this layout, Gael created these cute curtains!  By pleating the paper on the sides, she created the panels.  The little ribbon tie backs are darling!  Gael rolled some paper to create the window sill. What a creative way to frame a photo.

I used paper pleating in this iris fold design for this Christmas Cards.  I used a simple circle as my iris. I pleated shimmery papers to help give the look of snow.

This gorgeous page is by Pam.  She pleated the blue paper as an accent strip for her page. I like the way she has the one edge of the paper overlap her photos. This is a great technique to use instead of ribbon on your pages.

Pam has also shared this beautiful card that she made.  This is a great combination of patterns. The pleated rosettes look great set against the darker colored pattern paper mat.  The buttons are a great topper for the rosettes.  This is a great way to make flowers from scrap strips of paper you might have left after a project.

I hope this gives you some fun ideas for pleating and folding paper on your next project.

Designer Showcase: Beach/Pool/Water

Hi all. It is blazing hot here today which is the perfect reason to share some water pages with you.  I know these will kick start any ideas you might have to scrap water themed pages.

 First off is Marlene's adorably cute page. She created this "beach bums" page using some festive waves and neatly designed fish. I like how the background mimics the beach colors and then the waves comes from the bottom of the page. This is a great idea for those beach photos you might have laying around.

Vicky did an amazing job capturing her adorable daughter near the water. She embellished her page with sweet flowers and doilies with folded pages and a bit of distressing. Also check out that butterfly and how she created it!!

Anupama used a vintage photo of her father, a marine engineer, in this water themed page. There are so many neat aspects of this like, the map background and the vintage items. Also check out the postcard ship in the background, just perfect for this photo. The black frame is the perfect addition to her page.

Cindy created this layout of her son taking swim lessons. I like how she designed this page a lot. There are lots of action photos, but this is not crowded at all. She also used a monochromatic look except for a few orange accents. Cool idea!

The next page was also created by Cindy it features some more fun swimming photos. Again look at the design of her page. So easy to follow and the photos aren't crowding the page. I love how she used the main photo in the middle of her son! Cindy also used a piece of ric rac and a title to offset her main design block.


Now it's time for you to get scrapping those water themed pages!!

Designer Showcase: Vacation/Travel

Hello there, it's Cathy again to bring you this weeks Designer Showcase theme. This week we are sharing vacation and travel themed projects. So sit back and relax and take a little trip with us!

Before going on vacation we have to pack our bags.  I made this suitcase box to hold a mini album that I created of a road trip that my family took last summer.  I made it using foam board, a grocery sack and digital and traditional scrap supplies.  You can find my step-by-step tutorial on my blog Scraps of Life.

This is the cover of the mini-album. I created the cover digitally, printed it out and decoupaged it to the chipboard album cover.  Using photos from our trip, I created the look of post cards from the states that we visited.

Here is a sample of one of the interior pages. You can see that I included photos as well as memorabilia that collected too.

Cindy shares 2 pages that truly showcase her style. This one and 2-pager are very clean and simple.  This is a great tip for getting your vacation pages recorded quickly. Blocking the photos and journaling helps to fit many pictures on the page. Cindy also keeps her embellishments to a minimum, which keeps her pages from looking crowded and allows the pictures to shine.

Vicky created this beautiful page that shows off a gorgeous photo from her travels. She tucks some pretty lace patterns behind the main mat paper and repeats it at the frame of the photo.  The flower cluster is wonderfully balanced by the detailed work of the chipboard faerie.

There are a lot of little details on this page by Marlene.  Let's start with her clever use of a patch that she acquired during her travels. She has placed it on her page as a featured embellishment. Great idea!  She has included a strip of map paper. On the black patterned paper she has border punched and done some blanket stitching. She has added an ornate top to the photo matting, and placed some cute buttons on the side.

Anupama created this beauty. I really love how she has brought the soft pink colors from her photo onto the page. I like how she has created a photo corner out of the title word "dawn". She adds dimension to her page with the strung seashells and chipboard accents.

On this page Anupama used a travel related patterned paper as her background.  The paper is filled with labels and could be an overpowering background. But Anupama has calmed it to help her photo stand out by ripping the paper and separating it on the page.  What a great technique.

These 3 pages from Gael showcase chateau's in the Loire Valley.  Each is a beauty all on it's own. In the top one she has framed the photo with the fussy cut paper flowers and set the chipboard like a gate leading the the chateau.  In the 2nd one Gael has created a raised frame around the gorgeous picture. Her clustering of flowers across the bottom gives the page a look of being in a garden.  The 3rd one does a great job of replicating the colors of the land and sky by bringing out the browns and blues.  Her 3 scalloped circles on the top pull the sky upward.  The one scalloped circle at the bottom visually extends the walkway.

Wow, I feel like I've traveled around the world and collected some new techniques to try out on my next vacation. I hope you've enjoyed this showcase as well.

Designer Showcase: Dimension/Texture without Bulk

Happy Wednesday!  It's Cathy here with you today to bring you this weeks Designer Showcase. Do you love to add texture to your layouts? But not like all the bulk that goes with it?  We've got a few ideas to share with you that add yummy texture, but keep your layouts on the then side, able to fit nicely in your albums.

Cindy created this really sweet page with some neat tricks to give it dimension. She used tone-on-tone to add dimension to the circles, banner, star and journaling. Gives a really nice deep look without the bulk. Nice, huh?

Check out this two pager. Cindy created a really deep look and gave lots of texture to this page by using a few well coordinated colors. She repeated the pattern at both ends of the page which gives both the look of depth, as well as the feel of texture. There is some hand stitching that really gives nice texture too.  Cindy calls herself a "bulk-phobe" (so cute!), she loves the look of dimension, but not the hassle of bulky layouts. So she finds lots of ways to trim down her layouts. The title on this one is made from chipboard letters. But, Cindy peeled off the bottom layers of them to make them thinner.  So cool!

Doesn't this page by Nancy look so rich and deep? It makes me just want to reach out and touch it! Nancy has some buttons and brads on her page, which area always a great way to add dimension to a page.  The real depth to this page is accomplished through the layering of the papers.  The patterns and colors play together nicely, and the really cool part is the bit of shape that Nancy added to them, She trimmed a pennant edge to the papers. Great way to add detail, dimension and texture to a layout, while still keeping it skinny!

If you've been following our blog, you know that Vicky is well known for you bulky textured dimensional beauties. She even came up with a layout that has lots of detail and texture without a lot of bulk.  Vicky used doilies as the background of your design. They add so much to the page. She also used some thin chipboard and die cuts too. By repeating the pattern of the doilies on teh page, Vicky has created dimension and texture and set up a visual stimulating page!

Lesley has some great techniques for for making your page textures without bulk.  She used a punch to create a border which gives the page intricate detail and texture. She added another border on the left side of the photo mat and ran that through her Cuttlebug to emboss it to give added dimension. Lesley added great dimension and detail to her background paper. It started out white, then she blended Pan Pastels and added some Glimmer Mist. What a great way to add the feel of texture without any bulk.  The title and verson on her page were added using stamps - another great way to add the look of layers and dimension as well as the feel of varying textures with no bulk at all!


Another tip that Lesley shared is that although this page appears to be 5 layers of paper, she actually cut away the hidden parts of paper behind each layer. Making her finish page only 1 paper of thickness!  Clever idea!  Plus you can then use those scraps for other projects!

Sometimes you might have a piece of memorabilia that you want to add that is bulky.  Like I did on this page. I wanted to include the cozy wrap from my coffee.  To keep the page from being too bulky, I carefully pulled apart the cozy and spread it across the page as a large element.  I also included a used gift card. By not layering my elements too much on top of each other, I was able to keep the page from getting too bulky. Ohhh, I used to love coffee. I gave it up cold-turkey 18 months ago.  Glad I made this page before I quit that habit!

Another way to keep your pages skinny is to make hybrid pages. By hybrid, I mean a combination of digital and traditional paper scrapping. That's how I created this page.  The background of this page was created digitally. It includes the large photo at the top merged on to the digital paper on the bottom with the honeycombs, "paint" spray, journaling, smaller photo and date.  I then printed that out as one piece of paper. I layered that on a 12x12 Kraft paper.   The only "bulk" to this page is the pocket that I created for the lower right corner. I again designed that digitally and printed it so it is one piece of paper. I then glued 3 sides of it to the lower layer. I was able to stuff our tickets and wrist bands from this great exhibit into the pocket and still was able to place this layout inside a sleeve in my album. Sorry the photo is so wobbly. I was laid up following surgery when I finished this and actually took the photo while it was laying on my lap!

We would be remiss if we didn't mention digital scrapping as a way to accomplish dimension, and texture without bulk. I created this layout completely digitally.  I created a lot of layers on this page and used elements that have the look of rich grungy, and sharp textures.  The secret to getting this look digitally is playing with shadows.

We hope we've given you a few ideas on how to help your pages lose the bulk, but not the look!

Designer Showcase: Dad Themed Pages

Hi all! It is Father's day in the US this week and so we are showcasing dad based layouts. Remember you still have time to create a special layout or card for that dad/granddad/etc in your life!

Vicky created this layout about her husband. This could be a great page idea for the photos you take on Father's Day. Check out how many cool things Vicky did on her page. From the chicken wire to the curled on folded paper, she really did a great job on this page. I also like the masculine color palette for her photo.

Cindy created the next two pages. This first page is so adorable and make me say, "awww." The photos share the close relationship between dad and son. Notice the brown monotone look and the green outline paper. That green really brings out the photos!

Cindy's next page features more photos of dad and son. These are show us how her son is being daddy's little helper. The circles add a visual triangle while the vertical strips help bring focus to the main photo block.

Here is one I created in which I scrapbooked my son and husband together. I used hearts to signify the love between them. My husband, Kevin is such a good father, I wanted to capture that!!

I hope your family has a great Father's Day!!

Designer Showcase: Outdoor/Nature

Hey all, it's Pam again! Do you love the outdoors? I sure do. I have so many photos of the outdoors and it is taking up a lot of memory on my computer! LOL. Today, I am sharing contributor pages of the outdoors which inspire me (and I hope you too) with lots of ideas on how to scrap those outdoor photos.

Dolores is sharing out first batch of pages. This first page is bursting with nature. From those beautiful mountain photos to the background leaves and flower, you really feel like you want to go there and enjoy that nature walk as well.

Dolores' second page features kayaking in the clear waters of Colorado, She used a nice design to feature these photo along with colors on her page which accented those photos nicely.

On Dolores' third page, she shares a gorgeous beach scene with us. I feel like I am almost there with the white wood paper and beach like accents. This is a gorgeous beach themed digital page.

This next page is by Vicky. It features a outdoor photo with lots of great accent and curled corner. Notice how well the frame does at highlighting the photo. This is a sweet way to showcase this outdoor page about brothers.

Cathy created our next three pages. This first page features a cool technique which is dipping leaves in paint to create the background. That is one cool idea. She also did a great job of showcasing so many photos without looking crowded.

On this next page, Cathy shares some adorable photo with her son and cows. I just love all of the farm themed digital items she used on her page like the barn, chicken wire, a fence, and many animals which are digital felties. This turned out so adorable!

Cathy's third page is all letter boxing which looks like a blast. She showcased the main photo in a decorated frame and put the rest of the photo below the wood textured title. I like all of the nature items coming out from under the photos.

Cindy page here tells a story about her son who had allergic reaction which required them to stop camping earlier than they expected. Poor guy. She wanted to include as many photo as she could of them before the left. She did a great job of doing that. It looks like they had so much fun while they were there.

Cindy's next page shows us that you don't have to journal every time. Sometimes the photos speak for themselves and do a great job with the story telling. Cindy did a nice job of blocking her design and using the perfect colors which complimented her page.

Nancy's page features photos of the solar eclipse and her family watching as it occured. She also included actual photos of he eclipse which is such a cool idea! I like how she put a few photos of the bottom of her family and the sun photos on the top! Nice! I am glad I got see her experience of this.

Lesley scrapped the last three photos. Her first page was inspired by my "beach template". Notice how cool it is with that paper which resembles water coming down, love that. She put fish and a wave on the paper which makes it look even cooler.  She showcases adorable photos of her grandson enjoying the beach front.

On her next page, Lesley captures the beautiful mountains and the snow capped trees. The white background is just perfect for this page as it looks like real snow falling. She also accented her page with a burgundy deer and title.

On Lesley's last page, she shows us the nice view of the town she lives in. I must say I would love to live there, it looks so peaceful. She accented her page with lots of beachy items like a neat, shells, birds, and a beach color palette. She did a great job of scrapbooking her town!

Thanks for visiting the blog today. Hope this inspired you!