Life is a Beautiful Journey

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It might have been better if I had named this layout "Life is a Beautiful Accident", because that's totally what this layout started out as.

I had a vision, I wanted to use the My Mind's Eye Lost & Found Union Square paper line to create a cut-out background as my base. So I pulled out the paper and ran it through my Silhouette Cameo (how I ever lived without this machine I will never know!). But....the background I ended up with was too delicate. It didn't fit "the vision", and now I had used an entire piece of paper and created something I might never use. So.....I downloaded an individual shape pattern and created my own, more spacious background instead using the Silhouette Studio software and my trusty Cameo. Voila! Vision achieved.

Then I wanted to stencil over the top layer using a lovely Memory Box damask stencil. So I pulled out my grey and black paint, but fortunately, before I could apply paint to paper I decided that would be too dark. So I grabbed a nice crimson red instead. I sponged my paint with different pressures through the stencil and I was a bit skeptical about the result at first, but I pressed on.

I added my other paper layers, also from the Union Square paper line, distressed the edges and added my photo and I was really liking the direction, but something was still missing. And then I pulled out the original background paper I had cut......what a great little extra layer of dimension it added, by snipping out pieces of it and applying them. And then, I got extra points by using the negative bits left over from the original background cuts. I sponged the edges of them, popped them up on pop dots, and adhered them in little groupings around the photo. Below is a photo of the tile pop ups:

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In the end I love how the whole layout turned out, and I hope you like it too! Comments are always welcome, and don't forget to follow us here on the blog by clicking "Join this site" over on the left!

Supplies

Paper: My Mind's Eye - Lost & Found Union Square, Echo Park Dots & Stripes
Silhouette Cameo
Colorbox Ink - Black
Tim Holtz Distressing Tool
E6000 Spray Adhesive
K&Company word stickers
Memory Box damask stencil
Acrylic paint

Pretty in Pink

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Hey folks - I'm back with another 12x12 layout for you. Clearly the weekends are turning out pretty productive for me lately.

This picture is just so pretty, with the pastel tones and country cottage feel, that I knew I just wanted to put it in a layout. I know my style can sometimes be a bit busy, so I tried to dial back a bit on the embellishments this time round and I think the result is pretty successful. Hope you like it too - comments are welcome :D

I also used the E6000 Spray Adhesive glue for the first time. Although it took me a bit to get the pump on it working properly, once I did I have to say this stuff is soooooo easy to use, and makes gluing on those pesky intricate dies so much easier. I will definitely be pulling this out more often.

Supplies

Paper:Echo Park- Victorian Garden, My Minds Eye - Lost & Found Madison Avenue, Bazzil Cardstock
Dies: Tim Holtz Plaque & Postage, Cheery LynnVine/Leaf Die
Silhouette Cameo
Echo Park stickers from "Be Mine" collection
Liquid Pearls in White Opal and Petal Pink
Martha Stewart Swirly Lace Punch around the Page
Lost & Found Madison Avenue flower embellishment
E6000 Spray Adhesive
Lace trim
Dollar store flowers

If you cannot find any of the products listed in our online store, please email Kristy directly at scrapbookingcafe@aol.com. She can usually track down and order anything you might be in search of.

In The Garden

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I have a confession - I love to scrapbook, but I'm not a great photographer and sometimes you have a paper pack that just cries out to be used but you have no photos to use with it. In those instances I will sometimes print a nice picture I have found online, just for the sake of being creative and adding a pretty layout to my personal album. Such is the case here.

I was inspired to do this layout by Gabrielle Pollacco (see her layout and video tutorial here). You will probably see a lot of similarities between the two because I absolutely loved her layout - but I also tried to make it a bit my own.

Hope you like it. Comments are welcome.

Supplies

Paper: BoBunny "Enchanted Garden"
Stamps: BoBunny "Stitches", Stampendous, script text stamp (I can't remember the company)
Martha Stewart Swirly Lace punch around the page
Jolee's Boutique Lilac stickers
Tim Holtz Tattered Florals Die
Sizzix Flower Layers #7 Die
Cheery Lynn Large Lace Fairy Queen Butterfly Die
Cottage Cutz Garden Fend & Gate Die
Provocraft Embossing Folder "Texture"
Crafters Workshop Template/Mask
American Crafts Ribbon
Prima Mini Roses
Gelato Squid Ink
K&Company Dragonfly embellishments
Studio18 Chipboard Elements
Stazon in Dove Grey and Stone Grey
Silhouette Cameo for the title

If you cannot find any of the products listed in our online store, please email Kristy directly at scrapbookingcafe@aol.com. She can usually track down and order anything you might be in search of.

The Red Viper

This is for all the Game of Thrones fans out there...

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 I am loving the distressed style right now so you might see it on a lot of my layouts in the future. This combines a bunch of different paper brands, some inking with stamp pads and acrylic paint, and then lots of fun embellishments. I hope you like it.

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Here is a close up of one of the embellishment areas. I tend to always buy my flowers in white so that I can dye them any color I want using Glimmer Mists, Dylusions, or any other spray I might have.

Paper:
Reminisce - "World Map"
Creative Imaginations
S.E.I - "delicacy"
DCWV - "Tradewinds"
Cardstock - Bazzil

Inks:
Ranger Distress Ink
Stampin Up

Other:
Prima flowers
Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist
Studio18 - Chipboard accents
Spellbinders shapeabilities - Heraldry
Acrylic paints - black, dark chocolate, bronze and pure gold
EK Success gems
Mosaic Tiles
Jewelry bits
Fabric Trim - unknown

If you cannot find any of the products listed in our online store, please email Kristy directly at scrapbookingcafe@aol.com. She can usually track down and order anything you might be in search of.

Cha-cha-cha-cha-changes

Hey everyone and welcome to the new look for the Scrapbooking Cafe Online blog! My name is Susan and I will be working to help Kristy at the Cafe maintain and update the blog.

So who am I? 

Well, I am a mom of one, a web developer by trade, and most importantly a scrapbooker and mixed media dabbler. I LOVE to try new things and experiment with new products and I love sharing this hobby and art with others. I do not work for, or at, the Cafe but Kristy is my "go to girl" for all my scrapbook and mixed media supplies, so I offered up my web skills to contribute new projects to the blog.

I hope to post at least twice a month - new projects, techniques, new products, challenges, whatever I can think of to share. If you have questions or suggestions please feel free to comment...I don't proclaim to be an expert, but if I can help find an answer for you I certainly will.

Lastly, I hope you will share your projects and inspirations with us as well from time to time. Be sure to follow us (see the link at the top of the left column) as we work on getting creative, probably messy, and hopefully have a lot of fun!

New projects coming soon.....