The Enchanted Tiki Room

I don't usually redo layouts. But when I was attacking my pages in progress pile, there were a few layouts that I just couldn't finish. I didn't love the products I had used. I didn't like the photo placement and more. 

So I decided to start over. The only thing I kept were the photos. Here is the layout from this do over.

After I pulled all of my photos from the old layout, I went through some sketch books in search for a layout design. I had in mind to used the floral patterned paper and the Shimelle Box of Crayons sticker folder to start. Things I was excited to use.

Luckily one of the first sketches from Scrapbook Generation's I ran across was going to work with the photos I had. It was in their travel sketch book.

Instead of a title, I used the photo of the sign in the park in its place. Shimelle's stickers were the perfect embellishments for this page!

For one of my border strips, I used my Martha Stewart fringe scissors to add some texture to this layout. A technique I have been wanting to try for some time. I also used some gold sequins that already had adhesive on them from one of my SCT sampler kits to add a bit of bling.

I created a bit of a photo collage with some 2x2 and one 2x4 photos to keep everything together. Love that toucan sticker!

The border is made up from a red 6x6 paper from my stash, yellow washi I backed with cardstock to make more visible, and the fringed paper.

Created a journaling block and embellished with more awesome birds from Shimelle's sticker folder. Love them so much!

So there you go. A page out of my pages in progress pile and I turned it into one that I LOVE! Once I gave myself permission to start over, this layout came together in no time!

Thanks for checking this out! Have more layouts scheduled so keep an eye out for more!

Explorer

Some of the page kits are so darn cute from Just Kitting, you just have to make them work! This layout with Randall from Up, I couldn't pass up!

The only modification on this page that I did was I added some epoxy stickers on the photos and journaling spot.

Love the flocked paper used on the dog!

So much detail to Randall, and so fun to put together! There is even a bit of movement to the binoculars on his arm!

This one is another that just needed the journaling and date added, but I had come across the stickers and found them to be a perfect finishing touch and felt this one done.

Thanks for checking this out!

Bakery Tour

The layout I have to share today is another from Just Kitting.

I don't remember what the original to the kit design and where I used my own stuff. I know I put a ton more photos on here than was intended. 

Gotta love this paper piecing from Ratatouille though, right!

This page had been done, was just missing the journaling and date. Now it is complete and in my album! 

Thanks for stopping by!

You are One!

I don't even remember when I started creating this layout! I know I selected the photos and had them printed back with Scrapbookpictures.com, with their 2x2 photo prints, so it was quite a while ago!

I do not know who made the patterned paper on the background. But the photos and paper foundation was created and has been on my pile to complete for a long time. I finally created the title for this page, added the journaling and the finishing touches.

 I created the title using some word phrase Thickers as well as some chip board alphas from Bella Blvd.

I used some hearts from the word phrase Thickers set as well as some stickers from the Hooray! collection as a finishing touch.

My son recently just celebrated his 13th birthday, so I am so happy to have this finished and included in his baby album!

Off to finish some more layouts! Will have another to share with you soon!

Saucer Boy

Here is a layout I recently found when putting layouts away in albums that I realized I had never shared here. I also realized it didn't have a date on it so I finished off with the date. Here is my son at 9 months old. He loved his saucer!

The papers I used here are from SEI. I created this so long ago, I want to say this layout design was inspired by a sketch, but I can't remember. 

 

This layout uses stamps and coordinating punch from Stampin' Up! as well as stitched buttons and metal brads. 

The title was created using these plastic tiles that are super fun from my stash.

Thanks for stopping by to check out this oldie but goodie layout!

Finishing Layouts

See this photo? I took it during Stash Bash as Simple Scrapper that I participated in in 2014. If I would have taken a photo of that same paper tray before this year's Stash Bash, it would have pretty much looked the same. Sure, my craft area is no longer in this space, since I had to move down in the basement of my home, giving this room up for the baby I had in 2015. I also no longer store it on my work space. But the number of layouts on this hasn't really changed since then. There may have been some pages on there completed, but I am sure I have added to it as well.

During October at Simple Scrapper's Refresh, it was all about finishing. I had quite a few pages that needed finishing. This pile has been there for way too long and I was finally ready to address it.

Most of these layouts needed journaling. A handful, just the date. Some needed to be reworked a bit, in need of a title or finishing touches. 

I came to realize, most of these pages I made at a crop. I have since learned to have my journaling written before I create pages at a crop, or they will wind up in a big pile, needing to be finished. For the past few years, I have been starting with the story so the journaling is the first thing I do, so I don't have as many pages left in progress. 

My style has changed a bit as well as I stopped receiving as many predesigned kits to start from. The layouts I am sharing in this post came from my mom's scrapbook kit business at www.justkitting.citymax.com

Most of her kits are theme based and have paper piecing on them. That is her niche and she comes out with 20 original designs every other month!

I found that I was moving away from two-pages and themes, and with limited time to scrap 2 children, plus the 2 more I have had since, I wanted to scrap my way and do the creating myself with the products I love using techniques I love.  

She still creates amazing kits, especially Disney themed pages, so check her out if you like what you see.

When I saw this layout kit, I swore my mom designed it with these photos of mine in mind. Once I got the journaling completed and added to the tags, I stamped the date and called this one done.

For this layout, I modified it to have the circle cut out on the first page. My son had made and invitation to the show and they handed out programs that I wanted to include. I am usually horrible about including memoriablia, so this was a win for me!

Here is the view from the back of the layout.

I also modified the title which was drummer boy as well as the paper piecing to fit my story. I also added a few finishing touches with an Ali Edwards banner stamp on the journaling block as well as some Elle's Studio circle dies.

Glad to have this one in the books as well!

I have more Just Kitting layouts that have just a few more finishing touches and can share soon as well as some other layouts I have finished that were in that big "pages in progress" pile.

Thanks for looking!

One Day at a Time

This layout has been sitting on my desk in need of journaling for way too long!

The conception of this layout came from Ali Edwards' Hello Story class using the story structure of time. I knew I wanted to document going past due with my third pregnancy and how I had to take it "one day at a time".

My daughter is now four. It took me forever to get the photos printed, find the time to scrap them make the selection of products and then figure out how to get the words on the page. Relieved that it is finally complete.

I used product from a Dear Lizzy paper pad as well as a chipboard frame from my stash for the majority of this layout. The journaling card was from a Kelly Purkey kit I had in my stash that I was thrilled to be finally using.

I used a brush included in the Hello Story class on my main photo. I also used some clear stickers from Dear Lizzy's sticker book that I first mounted on white cardstock and fussy cut out.

I used some white glitter enamel dots as a finishing touch.

I really struggled with my journaling on this layout. I actually had twice as much, I had an added journaling card, under the frame, but hated how there was way too much text everywhere with the text pattern paper and words on the photo. I went back and edited the story down and shrunk the font a bit so all of it would fit on the 3x4 card. Even though it doesn't have as much detail, the gist of the story is still there.

Glad to have this layout complete and the story told. I am pretty happy on how it turned out. 

Soon I should have a steady stream of layouts to share here. If you look back at my old blog posts, you will see the infamous pages in progress pile. I have officially started to tackle this in earnest! I have lists and goals in place to get it down to a stack, if not gone by the end of the year. So far, I have tackled 8 layout projects from this pile! I have at least 20 more to address. 

Stop by to see more of those soon!