I love Disney Parades!

Well the thing is that even though we LOVE watching and taking photos of the day or night time parades at Disney parks, we don't usually love scrapping them. There are so many photos and when you know it will take 10 pages, and you don't really feel like working on a 2 pager.... you just skip it and go to an easier photo. Lately I have been scrapping some of my parade photos and they are really fun.  You get to add texture and sparkles, flags and banners.

This is my page example for the November Sketch and cut file at Disney Scrappers:
http://disneyscrappers.ning.com/forum/topics/2016-november-sketch-challenge-and-cut-file

  I used the Pink Paislee Fancy Free stack of papers and the dotty paper totally makes me think of a parade. I drew some sparkles and added tiny rhinestones.

Happy Thanksgiving -NEW DCWV Autumn Leaves Stack

Today I finished a layout using the New Autumn Leaves stack from DCWV. I really don't get the fall weather here but I do love fall colors and I decorate for Thanksgiving. I just love the papers in this stack because they have very pretty rose gold foil accents. Unfortunately it is a real struggle to take a photos of the foiling and it tends to look black in photos unless you lay the layout on an angle. So I am going to show you the angle shot first.

 

For my background I used a feather design paper from the DCWV White Embossed Stack. Also I have cut a wreath of fall leaves from a Rose Gold paper using my Silhouette. 

"Why, Mom?" - DCWV Halloween Night

Happy Halloween a bit early! If you like the sparkly pretty halloween decor and candy colors, check out the NEW DCWV Halloween Night Stack. It's one you need to go see in person really because it has copper foiling in some of the paper designs and it doesn't photograph all that well but its so pretty! Since I can't make the boys dress up cute, I had to give it a go with Savvy.....

You can see how he felt about giving a mouse a ride, and Figaro thought he was nuts! LOL! Savvy is a very good sport. I hope you can see the bits of copper foil detailing. The kitty is a journaling block which just made it so perfect. Here is a close up so you can see the copper paper under the photos a bit better.

Catitude! Background stitching part 2

I wanted to share another example of hand stitching on a background. This idea would be awesome with stars, circles, triangles, mickey icons....or any shape of punch you have.

  I began by hand cutting a heart from a scrap of paper but using a punched shape would be great. I traced around the heart with a pencil on my background. I was at a crop so I put the background paper on one of the firm cushion chairs so that I could puncture the holes.

 
Next I used Kreinik threads to stitch the hearts in colors that would coordinate with the papers I chose for my layout.

Hand Stitching on your background

Hand stitching on layouts has become very popular lately and I have seen incredible pages with entire backgrounds stitched. Whether you want to do an entire background or just an accent, it's something that really makes a page special especially if you use metallic threads like the beautiful threads by Kreinik Threads (HERE)

Have you tried hand stitching on your layouts? Yes, it takes a little time but it is totally worth the trouble. This is my first of 2 tutorials about hand stitching to hopefully share a few tips you haven't heard and inspire you. For this first feature I would like to talk about stitching directly on your background to create a design or title.
Here is my first example. Rather than just a decorative background I wanted a stitched title that would also be decorative.

Tip #1 - Choosing a needle. First we will be puncturing holes with a larger diameter sharp needle, and then when you actually stitch, a traditional non-sharp embroidery or cross stitch needle is perfect. You can use a mouse pad upside down or folded towel on your scrap table to put under your layout to puncture the holes. Pre-puncturing holes will speed up your stitching time and you can sit on the couch and watch tv while stitching :) So punch holes with sharp, stitch with dull.

Tip #2-  You can surely go freehand stitching but I prefer to lightly draw my design with pencil. You can trace around silhouette cut designs, punched shapes, or even around alphas like thickers. After puncturing your holes, erase the pencil lines before stitching.

Since I am scrapping Disney photos I really think the threads need a little pixie dust sparkle so my Tip #3 is to use some metallic threads to make the stitching pop a little. There are many you can use but some are super thin and when you start having to double up strands, metallic threads tangle badly. I choose a thread byKreinik called Very Fine Braid #4  and it comes in so many colors. You can use this thread single or doubled and it really shows up well. If you do not want any sparkle, 3 threads of a traditional embroidery floss are the perfect thickness (embroidery floss is made up of 6 threads).

Tip #4 -Knots: You can make a knot in your thread to start and finish your stitching but because this is a scrapbook page, the knot is extra bulk behind the layout and kind of makes the page lumpy in your album. I use washi tape to tack my end when I start and finish a strand so that it is flat. There won't be alot of wear and tear on the layout inside of your page protector so the washi will hold it fine.

Now for some step by step photos to help you out.
For the page above, I could have hand drawn a title, but I don't like my handwriting so I cut the script title from printer paper using my silhouette and used it as a template to trace.

 Next I used a large sharp needle to puncture holes along the pencil lines, making them closer together where the tight curves are in the letters.

 Before beginning the stitching, I erased the pencil, and then painted and splattered some gold mist on the background. I wanted to show you a close up so you could see how awesome these Kreinik threads look. I was going to do one word in each thread color but I thought a more varied color change would be more fun.

Here is the finished stitching. I hope you will give it a try soon. 

It's all about paper

Today I am sharing 2 recent layouts and I have noticed that with less options for scrapbooking products and embellishments, I am creating my own embellishments more and more by paper piecing and fussy cutting from patterned papers. For my first layout I have used the gorgeous tropical DCWV Watercolor Stack and the background is DCWV Embossed White Stack. I used Sketch #170 from Sketch Savvy

I hand cut the sunshine from one of the papers, hand cut out a flamingo, and used my silhouette to cut out the palm frond and title from patterned papers.

 

My second layout uses some older Journey paper by Crate Paper and I used smaller pieces that I fringe cut. Its a great way to use up scraps and create texture and interest. I hand cut the feathers from one of the papers. I also decided to start trying to use my Cricut to cut more Disney characters for my pages so I cut out Meeko and the title. 

New DCWV Coastal Stack and Beach Club Resort

You just have to see my new fave DCWV Stack - the Coastal Stack! This is a phone photo but you get the idea - gorgeous pearlized foiling and colors that make you want to redecorate your house.

I thought it was perfect for these photos of the beautiful Beach Club Resort pool at night with it's sandy bottom. I used Sketch #169 from Sketch Savvy HERE. 

I cut out the title and coral using my silhouette. Hopefully this close up photo will show the paper details a bit better. It's a must have stack.

and one more

Love R2! *New DCWV Gilded Grey Stack

How can you not love R2!? I took this photo in 07 in the Star Wars Weekends Parade at MGM Studios (Disney's Hollywood Studio) and somehow never printed it, so when I found it I just had to scrap it. He seemed so real. I used the NEW DCWV Gilded Grey stack along with a couple of pieces of DCWV vellum and gems. This is for Sketch #171 at Sketch Savvy HERE.

The blue strip of paper is from the new Copper Blues stack. I used my silhouette to cut out the R2 and the circles in the vellum. The title was cut from a black print that has a pearl foiling (Minty Lace Stack). 

and here is a look at this awesome stack

May Member Challenge at Scraptastic Club

Its time again on the Scraptastic Club Blog HERE to have a member challenge. The members come up with ideas of how to challenge a few of the Design Team Members. This month the challenge was to use the digital cut files. I know that you know I love the cut files so I definitely played along. I used the May Cherry Pie kit, Add on Kit, Cherry Pie digital cut file, and Eloise Stamp set.

I have to also add that I am a bit sad because this is my last layout for Scraptastic Club Design Team. I have stepped down from the design team to spend more time scrapbooking on my own with friends at Disney Scrappers. It was such fun working with such a talented group of ladies and playing with all the gorgeous kits and stamps, so I will miss it for certain.

 
I used a few of the stamps from the Eloise Stamp Set, because my layout is about my other hobby, adult coloring books. I color in the morning while I have tea and Savvy is very very helpful. I use Prismacolor colored pencils when I color so I used them for these cute stamped images.

EPCOT *DCWV Watercolor Stack

Today I was working on a challenge layout about using a photo as a letter in a large title and I decided the DCWV Watercolor Stack coordinated perfectly. I wanted to use a paper from their White Embossed Stack and a coloring page from one of the DCWV Color &Create stacks. Here is the finished layout:

Its been kind of overcast so excuse the dull photo of the page. I colored the page below from the DCWV Color and Create Stack to match my papers. The images are great to color just for fun, but I knew I would want to use it for a layout.

I also used some gold dotty vellum from the DCWV Confetti Stack and some black tiny DCWV Gems. I love the way it all works together so well

Good Morning *Scraptastic Cherry Pie kit

It's always a good morning when you wake up at Walt Disney World and even better when you start the day with friends at Chef Mickeys at the Contemporary Resort before going to rope drop at the Magic Kingdom! Actually we just missed rope drop. For my layout I used Sketch #167 from Sketch Savvy and the April Cherry Pie kit and Add on kit from Scraptastic Club.

I also used vellum from my stash and the little fork, knife, & spoon cut file from the March TLN digital files HERE

April Sketchy Thursday *Scraptastic Club

Are you ready for some Sketchy Thursday inspiration? I know I have said it before but what I love about Sketchy Thursday is seeing the different ways everyone uses the sketch. Click here to see what our designers did with the sketch.

For my example I used the Cherry Pie kit, Add on kit, and Stamp set, as well as the Eloise Stamp Set. I also flipped the sketch.

 

I watercolored some sunshiny yellow following the patterned patterned paper design and layered patterned paper and stamped images. 

 I stamped the word bubble and star images from the Cherry Pie set onto vellum and heat embossed in black. The cute typewriter is from the Eloise stamp set and I stamped in black on white cardstock and watercolored it before cutting it out.

Stormy with Drops of Jupiter from Scraptastic

One last page using the March Drops of Jupiter kit and Add on Kit from Scraptastic Club. As inspiration, design team member Aleksandra Gadji chose this pinterest image to inspire our layouts today for Pinterest Monday.

 

I loved the sun, clouds, and thin lines of rain so I found a photo of me on our last day at DisneyWorld when it started to storm just as we left the park for the last time. Terribly sad and the weather followed. I used thick watercolor paper for my background and cut the sun and clouds from watercolor paper as well so I could paint and not worry about too much warping. 

I hand stitched rain lines with sparkly Kreinik threads. I stamped the little circle icons with white and tinsel gold heat embossing powder on vellum and punched them out with a pinking edge circle. 

 

March Sketchy Thursday at Scraptastic Club

It's that time again. Are you ready for a new sketch? This month I really enjoyed my sketch and I am hoping that it works for you guys too. Also hop on over to the Scraptastic Club Blog to see what our designers did with it. I am amazed every month at how different everyone uses it. This month it has one 4x6" photo but you can easily make it work for a 5x7, two smaller photos or even 2 4x6's if you cover up a bit more of the white space. Also think of flipping it or rotating it.

For my example I used the March Drops of Jupiter Kit, Add on Kit, and Stamp set and I used the sketch pretty much as is.

I just had to work this Scraptastic exclusive "limitless" splarkly title into my title. I know my photos today aren't great because it was cloudy out but hopefully you can see how pretty it is in person. I stamped and embossed the little icons with sparkly gold embossing powder on vellum and punched them out.

 

Imagination *Scraptastic Club Drops of Jupiter

When I first look at a kit, I try to figure out what Disney World pages I can scrap with it. I have several trips worth of Disney photos that need scrapping and lately I have been really trying to finish the first trip I took with my husband and boys in 02. This Scraptastic Club Drops of Jupiter kit has space themes and also I just loved the circle paper with all the dots and then I saw the transparency die cut word "imagine" - totally the colors of the Imagination pavillion in Epcot. I found this really nice old photo to use back when there was not only the Journey into Imagination ride, but the Honey, I shrunk the Audience show.

I used a white dotty cardstock from my stash for the background and cut the circle motifs from the patterned paper to create a block of dots below the photo. Once I finished I wished I had put a few on pieces of foam tape for dimension, but really my albums are already so thick it's probably best I didn't. I love the look of the white on white title so its not overwhelming.

Mission Control *Scraptastic Drops of Jupiter

The Scraptastic Club Drops of Jupiter kit this month has this fun background paper with star chart designs so I used it to scrap a crazy looking photo of me in the Mission Space queue at EPCOT. I wanted to work with the circles in the design so I added stars that I punched from patterned paper scraps and vellum from my stash.

 

I also used the great sticker alphas over one of the rings of the design to create my title. 

 

Spring kit for a holiday page *Scraptastic Club

This month, the Scraptastic Club design team was challenged to use our kits in a diverse way. Meaning, if it was a Christmas kit, we used it for a page that wasn't about Christmas! Or, a really feminine kit for a boy page. We hope you enjoy our projects, and thank you for issuing this challenge!

I used the February Gale Song kit and Add on Kit. This kit has florals, spring time colors, and hearts, but she used it to create a Christmas time layout. The background cardstock is from my stash.

Hand cutting holly leaves and berries and punching out a few snowflakes turns any paper into holiday paper. Sometimes using non-holiday papers matches your photos better than traditional holiday collections.