Saturday, February 25, 2012

One Sketch, Two Ways

Posted by Sue Althouse

You can download and print this sketch over at the Sketch Support blog. 


Here's a great sketch for Valentine photos! Of course, it is easily adapted to other themes, which is what I did. Flowers, stars, jewels and buttons work just as well as hearts!

A few minor tweaks to the sketch, and I created this page about warmer weather and outdoor lunches at one of our favorite local places. This is what I changed:

  • added more patterned paper strips in place of the big heart
  • mounted all the page elements on white cardstock, trimmed and matted that onto a patterned paper background
  • substituted flowers and stars for the heart embellishments





The basic design of this sketch is especially versatile, so I used it again. This second page came together quickly. I love using a sketch more than once!

Here's what I changed to create this layout:
  • rotated the sketch
  • substituted patterned paper for the smaller photos and journaling block
  • added punched border strips to both sides of the collage
  • moved the title, journaling strips and embellishments onto the collage
  • omitted the big heart background
  • substituted jewels and buttons for the hearts




If you use this sketch to create a layout, please consider adding it to the Sketch Support Flickr Gallery!



Flowers: Basic Grey 
Other: yellow ribbon


Supplies for When 2 Became One Page -

Alphabet: American Crafts, October Afternoon  
Stamp: Technique Tuesday  
Other: black chalk ink, buttons, white thread

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Friday, February 24, 2012

Friday Picks

Posted by Sue Althouse
Friday Picks is a regular blog feature, showcasing my favorite scrapbooking finds for your surfing pleasure.  Click on the thumbnail photo of each pick to go to the link. Enjoy!


#1 I love using a template or sketch, where the design is started for me and I can focus on photos, story, and products. The template is really just a jumping off point, as the Simple Scrapper demonstrates in "Twisted Templates: Thirteen Easy Ways to Tweak Templates".


#2 Monochromatic scrapbook pages are a favorite of mine, because they tend to come off clean and classy. Get It Scrapped! shows how to get the most out of these color schemes in their article, "5 Ways to Rock Monochromatic Color Schemes on Your Scrapbook Pages."


#3 It's Vintage Photo Week over at Write.Click.Scrapbook. Sometimes I want to scrap a vintage photo, but may not know the story or have anyone to ask. Here's ways to still use them in this piece, "Vintage Photos: Meaningful Layouts without a Story."


#4 Are border punches a must-have tool in your stash? I consider them essential! In "Tool Talk: Border Punches", the Create blog displays a few of the newer border punches out on the market.


#5 Over at Crate Paper is a new monthly feature, CP Creative Weekly, a 5-day marathon of design team projects based on a topic or technique which highlights a crafty trend. February's focus is "Collage". Oh, and there's a giveaway!


I've greatly enjoyed my Winter Break. If the weatherman is correct, we will wake up to several inches of snow on the ground Friday morning. (I'm secretly hoping bad weather will allow me to cancel my morning appointment at the dentist.) 


The only event to disrupt my week of scrapping happiness was when our 14-year old cat, Lucky, had another episode of vomiting and lethargy. I took her to the vet, and so far the only thing they've found is arthritis in her knees. They found no tumors, and her heart and kidneys are in great shape. We're expecting results of the blood work tomorrow. We have a prescription canned cat food to help with her arthritis and hopefully put some weight back on her, since she's lost 1.5 pounds in the last 8 months. She's eating it up, for which I'm very thankful. Have you ever tried to get a cat to eat something she doesn't want?
   
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Monday, February 20, 2012

Take Twelve: February 2012

Posted by Sue Althouse
I missed the deadline over at Ella Publishing, but after the crazy weekend we had, I'm pleased to be posting this page at all! Just the way life goes sometimes. The theme for February's Take Twelve is "Signs of Love". And I love these scenes Phil and I captured.
After 30 years of marriage, it's things like helping each other out around the house and taking care of the cats that we treasure. Small acts of kindness to be sure, but they add up and speak volumes. When a man will fold socks, that's love.

Earlier this month, I mentioned that I'd joined a monthly kit club. My first package arrived some time ago, so I'm behind on this, too. I've hopped on the Studio Calico bandwagon!
Besides the main kit, I ordered some extra neutral cardstock. Not super exciting, I know. This photo made the cut because of Lucky. She's one of those cats who loves boxes and bags, so she was intensely nosy pesky annoying curious as I was opening my kit.
Love the color palette of the main kit cardstock!
Here's the rest of the main kit, spread out on the table in my basement scrap room, where it's been sitting for a few weeks now. This morning I finally made a layout. I am determined to use this for at least a few pages before the March kit arrives on my doorstep!
I told myself that the main kit would provide plenty of supplies each month, but after seeing the March sneak peaks and add ons, I am wavering on that big time. (like that's a surprise) Anyone else a Studio Calico fan? What other kit clubs do you belong to?
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Friday, February 17, 2012

Friday Picks

Posted by Sue Althouse

Friday Picks is a regular blog feature, showcasing my favorite scrapbooking finds for your surfing pleasure.  Click on the thumbnail photo of each pick to go to the link. Enjoy!

#1 I admire scrappers who can take inspiration from real life and turn it into a page design. Amy over at October Afternoon started with a CD cover, made it into a sketch and created a fantastic layout!


#2 Divided page protectors: I have quite a stash, so why don't I use them more often? Thank you, Melissa over at The Green Frog Studio for the reminder and the inspiration!


#3 Scrapping little pieces of paper, mixing different patterns, while still having a clean design? It is possible with color block technique, as Stephanie illustrates in her tutorial over at Studio Calico.


#4 Two-page sketches are not just for two-page layouts! The Creative Team at Sketch Support proves the point with some outstanding single page layouts based on the monthly two-page sketch.


#5 Suffering from CHA withdrawal? Quick, view these three eye-candy videos from Basic Grey showcasing their new lines in a Virtual CHA Winter 2012 Booth Tour!



Crazy. Busy. Weekend. Looks like little to no time for scrapping, which makes me very sad. Thankfully, I have next week off because my piano students are on Winter Break, so I plan to make up for lost time. Hoping to get in lots of craftiness and treat myself to a nice shopping trip at my LSS, Scrappy Chic. Have a great weekend!

   
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Wednesday, February 15, 2012

A "Love"ly Layout

Posted by Sue Althouse
If you have a pet, especially one that's been with you for more than a decade, you'll totally understand this layout about my love for my cat. Lucky is 14 years old and beginning to show the signs of her age. She was losing weight and I was worried.
I'm happy to report the situation is returning to normal, thanks to her love of chicken breast. Now I prepare a meal for us and a small plate of chicken for Lucky. She will eat her cat food as well, and she is gaining some weight back. We're entering the stage where I am monitoring her health more closely and looking for any changes in her behavior.

There are more "love"ly pages over at Practical Scrappers, 14 to be exact, since Valentine's Day is on February 14th. And no one else chose their pet as the subject, go figure!


Supplies:
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