Baby's First Birthday Layout

Today, I am showcasing the final layout I created for Baby Sawyer's album. 

Eek! Isn't it cute?! I have been saving those monkey die-cuts for probably 10 years or better. The price tag on the back of the package is to a store that is no longer in our area. 

Recipe:
Paper: Skylark (retired), Footloose (retired), Sweet Leaf CS, Kraft CS, White Daisy CS (CTMH)
Stamps: Perfect Fit Birthday, Friendship Alphabet-small (retired) (CTMH)
Inks: Flaxen, Lagoon (CTMH)
Tools: Paper-Piercer, Micro-Tip Scissors, Stitch Guide Ruler (CTMH)
Other: Lagoon, Antique Copper, White Daisy Brads (retired), Chocolate Embroidery Floss (retired), Chocolate Washi Tape (retired), Cork Alphabet (retired), Monkey Die-Cuts (Jolene's)

I was talking with a friend about this layout and, more to the point, this entire baby album and how I am having trouble parting with it. My son's first year album is no where near this cute, but it also showcases a time when I scrapbooked without sketches. I didn't even know there was such a thing. So Jack's album shows how I have evolved in my scrapbooking. 

Let's discuss WASHI: Washi tape is something that leaves me baffled. How do I use it? Do I place it on cardstock or not? Do I make the ends even, or do I make it look like I ripped it on a tape dispenser? Ack! I overthink washi. I deliberately made myself just cut random pieces (no measuring, breathe, Casandra, breathe) and place it down willy-nilly. Have you guessed yet that I am a perfectionist? Yup...with a touch of OCD thrown in for good measure (great pun, eh?). My dad is this way, and guess what? I passed these traits along to my son Jack. Poor kid. 

Well, this is the end of my baby album postings for Baby Sawyer. Hope he loves it as much as I do.

Casandra.

Baby's First Easter Layout

Good morning. I am back today with an Easter layout I made for a baby album.

I used retired Balloon Ride paper and even chose the template that was used in the Spring/Summer 2014 Idea Book with the workshop on the go. I made some modifications to mine. I was looking to add color, but I think this layout really won't pop until the photos are attached to it. It is way prettier in person. 

Recipe:
Paper: Balloon Ride (retired), Cashmere CS, Colonial White CS, Juniper CS, Crystal Blue CS (CTMH)
Stamps: Friendship Alphabet-Small (retired), A Hop (retired) (CTMH)
Inks: Crystal Blue, Sorbet, Chocolate, Desert Sand, Buttercup (retired), Garden Green (retired) (CTMH)
Tools: 2" Scallop Circle Punch (retired), Micro-Tip Scissors, Paper-Piercer, Stitch Guide Ruler (CTMH)
Other: Chocolate Embroidery Floss (retired), Cork Alphabet (retired), Balloon Ride PML Card (CTMH)

Just one more layout to share with you and I saved the best for last, so stay tuned for tomorrow's birthday layout. It was all "monkey business". :)

Casandra

Aspen Winter Layout

I am home today with a sick princess. After being up since 3am, she is finally resting. 

I thought I would post a layout I completed, last week, using the retired Aspen kit.

This layout was inspired by Scrap with Sue. I made some minor modifications to my layout. What I like most about Sue's layout is the photo placement and sizes. 

I have just a couple more layouts to share from my baby album before I send it to its final destination. If you just checking in for the first time here, please be sure to look back through the past 5 weeks or so blog posts. They are dedicated to a baby album I created as a gift for cousins.

Recipe:
Paper: Aspen (retired), Outdoor Denim CS, Colonial White CS, Flaxen Paper Fundamentals (Whimsy Collection) (CTMH)
Stamps: Snow Flurries, One of a Kind (retired) (CTMH)
Inks: Glacier, Flaxen (CTMH)
Tools: Paper-Piercer, Micro-Tip Scissors (CTMH), Snowflake Punch (Martha Stewart)
Other: Aspen Stickease, Clear Sparkles, Aqua Dots (CTMH)

Thank you for stopping by today. I hope to get the rest of my posts done this week. 

Casandra

Use Your Chipboard UYSBH

Do you have lots of chipboard hoarded hiding in your stash? As I was contemplating this next layout, I stumbled upon one of the first packages of dimensional elements I had purchased...hearts. It was featured with long ago retired Topstitch kit. I like these dimensional elements because you can sponge ink on them, like I did, stamp directly to them, or layer paper on them. There's much more that you can do, but I touched on just a few that make these chipboard elements so wonderful.

If you have come here from Katy's blog, you are on the right track. Katie creates beautiful artwork, and I have had the pleasure of watching her grow artistically since even before I became a consultant.

I have been wanting to create this Wild About Love layout for some time now and I thought it would be perfect for the baby album I'm working on. 2 foxes meet, fall in love, and then along comes baby fox. Cute, right? 

The Wild About Love left page was scraplifted with a few changes from the S/S 2014 Idea Book. I used Reflections pattern #1 for the right page (title topper) but made a few adjustments to the pattern to best mirror the left page. I thought this would be a great February/March layout for the baby album. I think this is one that I may recreate for my son's album. I love it that much, and if you haven't yet purchased our Paper Fundamentals cardstock, what are you waiting for? It's awesome!

Products Used:

Paper: Basic Paper Fundamentals, Crystal Blue CS, Outdoor Denim CS, White Daisy CS, Desert Sand CS (CTMH)

Stamps: Wild About Love (retired), Field Trip Alphabet (retired) (CTMH)

Inks: Outdoor Denim, Sunset (CTMH)

Tools: Paper-Piercer, Micro-Tip Scissors, Stitch Guide Ruler, Cricut Art Philosophy, Glue Pen, Journal Pen, Scallop Border Punch (CTMH)

Other:Foam Tape, Glue Dots, White Embroidery Floss (retired), Gold Polka Dot Washi Tape, Triangle Durable Studs, Hearts Dimensional Elements (retired) (CTMH), Epoxy Alphabet (K&Company)

If you have any questions, please leave them in the comments below.  

Your next stop on the hop will be Shirley Ross' blog. Please be sure to visit all the blogs among this hop for more inspiration on how to use up that chipboard.

Thanks for stopping by! 

Casandra

Sweet Florentine Layout

Here is another layout I made for the baby album I'm working on.

This layout was inspired by a layout made with Magnifique paper that was featured in a previous idea book. I decided to keep this one as simple as possible so that any photos could be used with it. Tons of hand-stitching and yes, my fingers hurt. I may have to get a thimble if I keep this up. :)

Until I made this layout, I never realized how similar retired Brown Bag is to Saddle (ink/paper colors). Even the new Champagne is quite similar to Vanilla Cream. I hope this layout doesn't seem too girly because it's going in a baby boy album. 

Recipe:
Paper: Florentine (retired), Brown Bag CS (retired), Vanilla Cream CS (retired) (CTMH)
Stamps: Unity (retired), Love Life, Headline Alphabet (retired) (CTMH)
Inks: Champagne, Lagoon, Twilight (retired), Chocolate (CTMH)
Tools: Paper-Piercer, Micro-Tip Scissors, Stitch Guide Ruler, Glue Pen (CTMH)
Other: Basic Bitty Brads (retired), Chocolate Embroidery Floss (retired) CTMH

*Sniff* I miss Twilight. I hope we can back with a very similar color to it sooner rather than later. Wishing I'd stocked up on more than 2 packs of it before it sold out. I don't know why I get so attached to colors and papers, but well, Twilight will forever hold a special place in my heart as one of two first ink pads I ever purchased from Close To My Heart. Even the paper-piercer was the first tool I ever bought from CTMH. 

Thanks for stopping by today. Hope your day is SWEET.

Casandra

Autumn Cutie Layout

If you are here for the first time, I have been working on a baby album for a cousin. Following is another layout that I created for it.

I was inspired again by a layout in a previous idea book. I was looking for a pattern to use, and I like this one because it uses mainly 4x6 photos (4 of them can be cut down to 4x4). It was a little painful using some of my hoarded Twitterpated paper, and there was a moment where I wanted to keep it instead of gifting it, but this baby will be a year old before I ever finish it if I use that philosophy. Teehee.

Okay, so this layout uses Imagine: Ensemble Piece template. It is one that I've often dismissed in the book. But gosh, this paper is super cute with it. To highlight the separate photo spots, I added some stitching. I painstakingly pierced each hole using my piercing tool and stitch guide ruler. 

I would like to thank my friend Celina once again for another gift she sent me a while back, but this is the first time I've had the pleasure of using it. The title "Autumn" comes from a new stamp set "Handwritten Print" alphabet. I have many alphabet stamp sets, mostly retired now, and this really was the best fit for this layout. LOVE IT! Thank you again, Celina. You are AWESOME, my crafty friend. 

I added liquid glass to the little dots on the sorbet print paper. It never photographs well, but you get the idea. 

Recipe:
Paper: Twitterpated (retired), Chocolate CS, Sweet Leaf CS, Colonial White CS (CTMH)
Stamps: Keyboard Uppercase Alphabet, Handwritten Print Alphabet, Twitterpated WOTG (retired) (CTMH)
Inks: Chocolate, Sweet Leaf, Sorbet (CTMH)
Tools: Paper-Piercer, Micro-Tip Scissors, Liquid Glass, Stitch Guide Ruler (CTMH)
Other: Twitterpated Buttons (retired), Chocolate Ribbon (retired), White Daisy Embroidery Floss (retired) (CTMH)

I would like to enter this layout into the Use Your Stuff Challenge #157. Twitterpated is one of my very first Close To My Heart kits dating back to 2009, and of course, I didn't buy just one. Happy Fall, Y'all!

Casandra

Twinkle Twinkle Little Star Layout

I have been busy trying to finish up my layouts for the baby album I plan to gift. This next layout had a lot of fussy cutting, stamping and glue pen action.

H2H has a great challenge going on this month called "Guilty Pleasures". So what is my guilty pleasure? If you haven't guessed it already, it really is papercrafting. It's great therapy, though I can't decide if it saves more money than seeing a doctor. LOL But it does keep me balanced and happy.

I used two Reflections patterns and drew initial inspiration from a Zoology stamped layout in a previous idea book. From there, I decided to go with the Twinkle Twinkle Little Star theme. Can you see all the hand-stitching and glue pen/prisma glitter action? It's rediculous the amount of hours I spend sometimes on a layout, and I think nothing else can possibly top it, but then another one steals my heart. 

I probably could have taken the easy route and cut the alpha's out on my Cricut, but I love stamping, and I truly don't mind fussy cutting. There's something relaxing about it at the end of a long work day. 

Recipe:
Paper: Miracle (retired), Outdoor Denim CS, Crystal Blue CS, White Daisy CS (CTMH)
Stamps: Babycakes (retired), Trinity Alphabet (retired) (CTMH)
Inks: Outdoor Denim (CTMH)
Tools: Paper-Piercer, Micro-Tip Scissors, Prisma Glitter (retired), Glue Pen (CTMH), 2" Circle Punch (Fiskars)
Other: Silver Stars (Jo-Ann's), White Epoxy Stars, Glue Dots, White Embroidery Floss, Outdoor Denim Chevron Ribbon (retired) (CTMH)

I have several other layouts I need to share with you that I've been working on. Meanwhile, don't forget we have an awesome promotion going on all October called "Ribbon Revelry". It just so happens I used some of the chevron ribbon that is part of this promotion in the above layout. You can find out more about that here.

Casandra