Crop Chocolate Designs: Masterpiece

I am sorry to say that I have been quite lazy as of late. Have several projects to video and post, but I have been catching up on my reading instead. Just finished Corpse Suzette. I will be back in the saddle soon. To ease my conscience I am sharing another of my designs for www.CropChocolate.com.

This posed the greatest challenge. I was using the papers that were sent in my kit and wanted to incorporate some of the fibers. After staring at it for a bit, I pulled out my stamps and some ink. I know, shocked aren't you? I cut down this 12x12 piece to create an 8x8 page. These polka dots are on back side of the 5th Avenue Sophia Harlequin paper used on the Green Calendar. The extra bits were used on another project. Waste not want not.

I used a small stamp to create a border around the polka paper. I tried to center each flower over one of the polka dots. Those flowers in the center were my test flowers. I knew the center would be covered by the photo. This gave me an idea of how the ink would react and how much pressure to use to get the look I desired.

The flowers from a glitter kit offered by CropChoc were used to add a border to the right. My own fine pee wee glitters were used on the transfers. I also cut a piece of Bazzill card (leftover from the Greeting Card) to use for my journaling and inked the edges in blue.

This is a photo of the glittered flowers and the quote added to the bottom of the page. It is a Heidi Swapp quote that I cut apart to make it work on my blue strip. My camera catches great detail, but the cut lines are not obvious to the naked eye.

I finished the flowers by adding a dot of liquid pearls to the center of each one. These small dots help each flower make an impact individually and collectively. You are also seeing a sneak peak of the Basic Grey fiber that was used. The color was perfect for the cardstock.

 

 When I created the mat for the photo using the Making Memories Kids collection Ethan Plaid, I inked the edges in blue. I then adhered the fiber and secured it with a glue dot.

The entire piece is raised on two sets of foam dots so that the journaling can be hidden behind the photo. When you are doing smaller pages with larger photos, it is sometimes difficult to find a place for the journaling.

 This is a nice close up of how all of the elements came together. I am not usually the subject of my scrapbook pages. Once I saw the colors of the papers, I knew I had the perfect photo.  Although the design is very simple, I am loving the non-cluttered look of the elements. Everything has texture, but it is soft and fitting for the photo. This one did not make the CropChoc page, but I am pleased with it. My journaling for this was about how I used myself as the focal point in a design and how freeing I felt after doing so.

My inking was kept to a minimum but, it is there nontheless. Each page for me does not have to be over the top. If I like it, then it is a winner.

Keep inking in the name of love.

Until then.

Crop Chocolate Designs: Nature

This layout definitely fits its title. My son loves the outdoors and trying to see what he can discover. This is a small park near city hall and just up the street from our family dentist. We had lunch in the park and of course he took time to explore. I had my camera and was able to capture the moment. I used the photos to design a project for www.CropChocolate.com.

I started by inking the 8x8 base with brown around the edges to create a slight distressed look. This striped piece if the other side of the double sided Making Memories Hillary Lace Flower. Isn't it neat? I love the boldness of it.

Then I cut the Making Memories blue Watercolor Collection (Ocean Simple Sponge) paper to 4x8 and inked around the edges with blue ink using a cut n dry foam pad for a softer look. Using my craft mat makes this job easier.

Basic Grey Fiber ribbon was adhered to the back and brought around to the front and tied into a knot set off center to the right.

This is the 8x8 page with inked edges, middle layer inked and fibers attached and tied at the top. This creates the base for the remainder of the project.

Close up of quote embellishment.

I used the adhesive back Basic Grey Granola chipboard for the title and added additional chipboard elements for the frame and as accent pieces. There is a companion page showing us having our lunch in the park. That is the page that will contain the journaling.

What amazed me was being able to get in three photos to help tell the story. Simple and quick. That is my kind of crafting. 

No matter if it is fast or you labor for days, just make sure you ink it with love.

Until then.

Heritage Scrapbook Pages

My dear grandmother is 92 years old and still as fiesty and active as ever. She is the first one in line since she is the eldest. My oldest sister tells me that she recalls when that photo was taken. She went to the session with them. When you visit my grandmother, she makes certain that you are comfortable and well fed. For years I have wanted to try her recipe for rolls. They turn out so light and fluffy that they melt in your mouth. There is no additional need for butter...just a dollop of her homemade jam and there is a party in your mouth.

Each time I visit I always find myself going through her photo albums. There is a story that accompanies each and I love hearing about them. My grandfather and my gram both kept albums. She is now the keeper of his albums and stories.

During one of those visits I begged her to allow me to borrow some of the photos  to create some heritage pages.

 I had black & white copies made through Shutterfly. They are an excellent online photo service that does quality work and stands behind their product. Turnaround time is incredible and the software is very user friendly.

An album was created for my gram, my mother and or course for me. I used an 8x8 format and papers from a Cosmo Cricket kit with additional embellisments from my stash. This card stock is so thick that I was able to use both sides of the double sided cards. I just had to compose the pages in such as way that brads and eyelets did not go through to the other side.

My gram went through every photo with me and gave me the history behind it that I diligently recorded.

I learned an unbelievable amount of information about my family that I never knew and no one talked about.  My eldest sister told me that it is really my gram's sister who is the keeper of the family history she is at the end of the line but is not the youngest. She knows EVERYTHING about EVERYONE. A visit with her is next on my list.

They are from a very large family as am I. My great grandparents had 14 children---7 girls and 7 boys. Five of the sisters are still living, they had their last brother's homegoing two years ago. I had the fortune of knowing and remembering eight of the siblings and of course my great grandparents.

That is one of the reasons that I scrapbook. I want future generations to know their history and the thoughts, dreams and ambitions of the people who came before them.

If you have access to old family photos, let me encourage you to get some copies made and record that valuable information.

Once your pages are created, you can scan them into a file at Shutterfly and have additional books made as gifts for your family members. I wanted to share a few pages from my album. Hopefully they have inspired you to pull out those old b&w's and jazz them up with a bit of ink. Keep  preserving your memories and inking in the name of love.

Until then.