Pebbles Inc. Layout & cards

I'm excited to share a few of the projects I've been busy working on!  I'm sure it's no secret that Pebbles Inc. has a design team call that is due today and I couldn't wait to play with all their fun products I've been hoarding and give it another try this year.  As is my blog tradition with tryouts, I thought I would celebrate getting my entry finished by sharing a few of the extra projects that didn't make the cut.  :)

My first layout showcases papers from Pebbles Basics collection, a chalkboard "smile" sticker & some of their corrugated ABC stickers.  I love me some basics so my first thought was to go a bit crazy and use several of the patterns, but in the end I decided it was going to be plenty busy and settled on the Mini Dot print.  For my Chevron Striped Background template I used a wonderful Silhouette Cutting File designed by Sarah Hurley.

I've had several people email me asking about my background which I sort of failed to talk about so I thought I would edit my post to include step-by-step instructions on how I created it:

• Duplicate the overall chevron background shape.  Set one aside to cut from the white cardstock as your overlay and then ungrouped the second one and remove/delete the outside outline.  
• Regroup them by rows and using the offset feature, offset them by .04 or something like that so you have a little extra border to glue to the back of the white cardstock.  
• Cut them out 2 rows out at a time from each of the colors (since there are two blue rows, two green rows, etc.).  They stack nicely inside each other so it uses only a couple inches of each color of patterned paper. 
• As you pull them off your cutting mat quickly number them on the backs so you can remember which order they went together (to avoid becoming a puzzle later).  
• Then find some downtime to assemble.  I put my pieces in a ziploc baggy with a Zig glue pen and took it with me to do during some downtime that I knew I would be having and glued a little bit as I went.  I think it took me about an hour, but I didn't mind since I was going to be sitting idle anyway.  It's a really great activity take on the go while at the doctors office, a sporting event or while watching TV with the family.  

As an alternative you could try offsetting them by a little bit more like I did with my butterfly in this tutorial I shared HERE and save even more time by having each row connected.  To do this you would just need to create more vertical space between each the rows before offsetting to avoid your rows being welded to the row above or below.  

As my embellishment I altered some Studio Calico Canvas butterflies with pigment ink and tied baker twine with knots for the antennas.  For my text I printed it on the computer using a black text box with white lettering and just made sure to leave excess black around my text so that I had room to cut out the pennant shape to match my V's.

For my title I didn't have the right color of ABC stickers so I actually painted my black ones with a couple coats of pink paint.  It worked really well.  The script portion of my title was cut out on my Silhouette using the free font "Marketing Script".

Next up is a quick little card I made using Pebbles Walnut Grove collection.  A few patterned papers, some stickers and it was done.   I wanted to give the Tim Holtz bracket label some pop, but with the way I tend to go overboard with foam tape I decided it would be more cost effective to go another route.  I decided to diecut the label a second time from some scrap chipboard to give my card the extra dimension I was looking for and it worked really well.

Lastly, here is a sweet little greeting card using one of my all time favorites, Pebbles Family Ties collection!  I can't seem to get enough of the fresh colors and cute images from this line!  For my shaped base I used This edger die by Papertrey Ink.

Well that about wraps it up.  Win or lose, I will be back soon to share my other projects after the team has been announced.  Cross your fingers (and toes) for me!  ;)  Hope you all have a fabulous weekend!  

A Simple Stories Summer Fresh Card

Hi there!

How is your summer going so far?  I am madly working on a handful of projects that I can't share quite yet, but I thought in the meantime I would pop in and share a fun little card I made using Simple Stories Summer Fresh collection.

This one went together pretty quick and easy with the use of the stickers and journaling card (for the sentiment).  I had a lot of fun making it.  It was actually my first time cutting into the Summer Fresh collection which I had been hoarding for quite some time, but had never found the time to use.  I must make more time to create a layout too, because it's sooo CUTE!

Hope your are enjoying some sunshine in your neck of the woods.  ;)

A Lori Whitlock Perfect Summer Layout

I have layout up on Lori's blog today using the "A Perfect Summer" collection she designed for Echo Park! 

I will admit that I really struggled with this one. I started my layout with the 12x12 balloon patterned paper for my background, but then scrapped that idea because it felt busy and like too many of the balloons were only partially showing.  That led me to the kraft background and using the 6x6 paper pads with the smaller print as a border behind my photo mat.

After deciding on that I still struggled to figure out which colors to pick from the print to create my other elements.  It felt like I must have cut them out a dozen times while trying to decide, but after much debate I finally I settled on a primary color scheme.  For the longest time I thought I would go with a navy and pink vibe, but I could never get it to look quite right...

I used Lori's popular Hot Air Balloon cutting file for one of my squares which I popped up with foam tape for a little extra depth. 

I also played with her awesome new "Ready Set Go" Title which fit my space perfectly.  The title she designed came in one layer, but for fun I cut it out four times from different colored paper, then cut off the extra words from each color and pieced it back together for a bright look.

For today's layout I used the following cutting files available in Lori's shop:

• Cheerful Titles
• 8 Tabs
• 3 Borders (only used outer outline)
• Relax Summer is Here (hot air balloon choice #1)
• Hot Air Balloon Card (hot air balloon choice #2)
• Four Seasons Layout: Summer (hot air balloon choice #3)

Thanks for hanging with me today.  :)

A Pebbles Let Freedom Ring 4th of July Banner

It occured to me that I never got around to sharing a banner that I had published this past spring in Paper Crafts Handmade Home Décor special issue.  Given that 4th of July is right around the corner I thought what better time than today.  :)

I made this using Pebbles Let Freedom Ring Collection.  This line of papers and embellishments was one of my favorite patriotic collections to come along in years.  It came in a variety of both kraft based patterns and those with white backgrounds.  Honestly I think I bought it all, but this little project focused on the kraft papers.

I embellished the banners with a variety of borders, pennants and stars which I cut out using my Silhouette Cameo. The July 4th title was designed by Lori Whitlock and can be found HERE.

A bit of machine stitching, some hand-stitched buttons and some Pebbles Ribbon to tie the banner together and I was done.  It was really a pretty simple little project.

I had a lot of fun making this and it will be a great basic that can decorate my mantel for years to come!   Thanks so much for stopping by and taking a peek.  ;)

Lori Whitlock's Summer Blog Hop

 

Welcome!  You should be arriving here from Corri's blog.  If you are just jumping in you can see all the inspiring projects by starting out HERE. 

I thought today I would share a sunny layout I created using Lori's "A Perfect Summer" collection which she created for Echo Park.  After getting my basic photo arrangement planned out, my real jumping off point came from the adorable little journaling card found in the collection kit.  I thought it would be fun to mimic the clothesline look as a sort of swimsuit banner in my top, right-hand corner using Lori's matching cutting files.

For my title, I utilized one of her many great summer titles available in her shop.  I love being able to customize these in any color scheme to match the project you're working on!  :)

To create my layout I used the following cutting files which can be found in Lori's shop and also in the Silhouette Store:

'clothesline' Swim Suits (Silhouette Store only)
'the perfect summer day' phrase
Banner Flag Set

Lori Whitlock
Brigit Mann
Christine Ousley
Corri Garza
Mendi Yoshikawa (you are here)
Traci Penrod
Chrissy Guido
Haley Ney
Kim Lund
Lisa Bell

Thanks so much for hopping by.  Your next stop will be Traci's blog.  :)

A Couple of Diecut Washi Tape Cards with Hearts

How are you?!  I thought I would share a couple bright cards I made using diecut washi tape used on a transparency for a fun look!

For this first one I merged a circle and a rectangle on my Silhouette to create the hot pink curved shape and then diecut a circle in the center to create a window.  I also cut my blue card base on the Silhouette so I could cut a circle which would be perfect lined up.  I then sandwiched a piece of clear transparency in between the layers for my window. 

To create my heart I lined up rows of colorful washi tape on a sheet of parchment paper and then ran them through my diecutting machine with a Papertrey Ink Heart die.  The parchment paper allows the washi tape to easily pull off without falling apart.  I then mimicked the look by lining up the same washi tape on a piece of white cardstock to slip under my pink paper. 

For this one I used the same technique, but went for a full clear card front.  I used a variety of washi tapes from several manufacturers including Doodlebug (blue & pink dots), My Mind's Eye (green chevron, blue chevron, pink lace), Queen & Co (yellow stripes) and KI Memories (clouds).

The sentiment for both these cards was taken from Technique Tuesdays "Incredible" by Ali Edwards stamp set.  I think this is hands down one of my favorites of hers.  Such a great versatile set!  :)

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend!  I will be spending mine helping my Mom with a yard sale (fun, fun).  ;)

One Last Echo Park Bundle of Joy Layout

I hope you all had a wonderful weekend!  Mine was nice and relaxing spent watching a couple of old Cary Grant/Alfred Hitchcock movies and finally getting some random summer items of my daughters finally listed on Ebay (I had been putting off for two months too long).  LOL!  :)

Today I have one last layout I made over National Scrapbook Day weekend using Echo Park's bundle of Joy collection.

For this one I wanted to showcase as many stickers and patterns from this adorable collection as possible and still not overwhelm the photo.  It was sort of a fun task of figuring out what element to put where.  I stitched on a few (of course) and popped them up with foam tape for extra interest.

Thanks so much for stopping by.  Hope you have a great week!  This week is my last full week of having the kids and school and I plan to savor it.  ;)

Doodlebug Flower Box Guest Projects- Day 2

I'm back again today to share the rest of my layouts using Doodlebug's Flower Box collection!

This Rainbow Umbrella layout I think is my favorite of all my projects I made.  I was thrilled when I came across these old photos of my youngest daughter on my computer that I somehow missed printing out years ago.  I diecut the pieces for my umbrella using the sized down prints from the collection's 6x6 paper pad and this umbrella cutting file found at the Silhouette store. 

For my title I searched Pinterest for good rainy day quotes and titles and I came across this phrase which is so perfect (but unfortunately I can't seem to find it now to give proper credit).  I found a good chunky font and repeated the rainbow theme with the same 6x6 papers.  Perhaps it's because I'm a child of the 80's but rainbows just make me so happy!

My second layout features some photos from a couple years ago and I was just waiting for the perfect papers to come along.  The Flower Box Tiny Tulips paper was my jumping off point and I pulled in the green and red tone-on-tone prints to match.

A happy accident occurred on this page.  I had everything planned out, but when I went to adhere all the pieces I realized I had shifted everything down too low resulting in a 1/2 border along the bottom and over an inch up above so the layout felt quite lopsided to me.  I looked for something to add to the top to help balance it out, but I came up empty handed.  It sat on my desk for over a week with me feeling quite bummed about it when all of a sudden I had the bright idea to trim off the top a bit and add a strip to the bottom with patterned paper!  I totally love that little detail now.  Sometimes it really pays to take a step back and sit and mull over a problem waiting for the right solution to pop into your head.  ;)

I layered the spring title sticker onto solid cardstock and fussy cut it out.  I had originally planned to leave it as it is, but when I put it down on my page it felt a little dark and I wanted to add some more color.  I diecut the word "welcome" and the circle framing my photo on my Silhouette Cameo.

I used the 4x6 inserts (which are great for project Life style albums) as my journaling card, topping it with a little yellow Doodlebug button from my stash for extra dimension.  :)

For these projects I used the following items available at 2Peas and many other retailers:

Flower Box 12X12 Paper Pack

Flower Box 6X6 Paper Pad

Flower Box Mini Flowers Craft Kit

Flower Box 4X6 Album Inserts

Flower Box Tags Stickers

Flower Box Doodle Twine Assortment

Flower Box Icon Cardstock Sticker

Flower Box Fancy Frill Cardstock Sticker

Flower Box Flower Brads

Flower Box Take Flight Doodlepops

Flower Box Jewels

Flower Box Mini Pearls

Thanks for visiting me today and thanks again to Doodlebug for featuring all my projects on their blog!  Hope you all have a wonderful weekend!  :)

Doodlebug Flower Box Guest Projects- Day 1

Pinch me 'cause I think I must be dreaming!  Today one of my all time favorite manufacturers Doodlebug is sharing a few of my creations from their Flower Box collection on their blog.  If any one company could sum up my love for all things cute they would be it.  In fact I still have some of their papers dating back to 2002 because I just can't seem to part with them.  LOL!  :)

I was so lucky to win this amazing collection on their blog when the line first came out and I almost cried tears of joy when I opened the box and saw all the goodies awaiting me in there!  I could hardly wait to dig in! 

For this layout, the sketch I had already planned to go with these photos had a cute little banner border so I was happy when I found the banner stickers from the collection matched my photos perfectly.

I used some American Craft Thickers to finish my title and was surprised when the tops of my letters started falling off.  Oops!  I had completely failed to realize I had picked up DIY thickers that were meant for adding glitter and such!  I really wanted them to be white so I ended up sprinkling them with white embossing powder which resulted in this interesting bubbly, textured surface.  Not exactly what I was expecting, but something fun to remember when I might want this look in the future.  ;)

For these projects I used the following items available at 2Peas and many other retailers:

• Flower Box Mini Flowers Craft Kit
• Flower Box 12X12 Paper Pack
• Flower Box Tags Stickers
• Flower Box Doodle Twine Assortment
• Flower Box Icon Cardstock Sticker
• Flower Box Fancy Frill Cardstock Sticker
• Flower Box Spring Tree Doodlepops
• Flower Box Primrose Doodlepops
• Flower Box Take Flight Doodlepops
• Flower Box Jewels
• Flower Box Mini Pearls
• Flower Garden Washi Tape
• Houndstooth Washi Tape
• Dash Of Color Washi Tape

If you don't already follow the Doodlebug blog make sure to hop over there and sign up for their email updates.  Their design team wows me every single day with amazing creations!  :)

Thanks so much for stopping by.  I'll be back tomorrow to share more detailed images for two more layouts I made using this fun and happy collection.  :)

A Set of Lori Whitlock Spring & Summer Cards

I'm back today sharing some fun Spring and Summer themed cards that I've made in recent months using Lori Whitlock's fun cutting files and various paper collections!

This first one uses one of my favorite papers from Lori's older Summer Days Collection which she designed for Echo Park.  I also utilized her SVG Cutting Files Spring Is Here Title, 6 Clouds & 9 Starburst Seal Set (for the sun).  The stamps are from Technique Tuesday's I Love School Set and Handwritten Alphabet by Ali Edwards.

For my second card I turned to Echo Parks Dots and Stripes Neapolitan Collection and Lori's adorable Ice Cream Cone cutting image.  I spelled out the word cool using her Happy Font.  The sentiment stamp is a fun one from Technique Tuesday's Awesome set.

My last card uses Lori's Hello Summer collection which she also designed for Echo Park (and just so happens to be the theme of my blog).  ;)  I paired her Summer Fun Titles and 6 Clouds with a fun sunshine sticker from the set.

Well, that about wraps it up.  I hope I've spread a little sunshine your way!  :)