On a brighter note, I'm back to share another layout about the girls' birthday. I plan on doing a page for both the girls- a 'Maren' one and an 'Addison' one, as well as the rest of the festivities that took place on the actual day of their birth (Friday, in case you missed that crucial piece of information).
I wanted to create another playful and festive layout, and this paper caught my eye as soon as I sat at my desk, browsing the February 22nd file on my home computer, for the pictures I wanted to print. It was peeking out from my scrap paper filing system, and I just couldn't resist. Except for the base of my layout- the pretty blue card stock- everything here is scraps! Does anyone else use up their scraps as frequently as they can? How does it make you feel? Do you have a sense of self-satisfaction, like I do, or do you just feel relieved that you got that paper used up and you didn't have to throw it out?
I was at a bit of a loss as to where to put the date and/or journalling on this layout. I didn't want to use large alphas, like I had for part of the title, if I was going to add the date, and I didn't want to add extra paper for journalling (or write directly on my layout). In the end, the best place for it- and I think it (thankfully) doesn't take away from the overall effect- was adding it directly to the paper strips underneath the title. It was the perfect size! I love it when a plan comes together!
I mentioned today in a Point to Ponder, that a person should hang on to their bubble wrap and use it as a stamp rather than throwing it out. I also mentioned that it would serve as today's Mojo Monday inspiration. Have you ever tried a technique like this? Have yhou eIt actually makes a really fun stamp, and adds a unique touch to your project. You can find an example of one that I made in the past HERE. (OK, so the stamp I used here is actually a polka-dot stamp. I'm using it as an example to mimic the look of bubble wrap. I know I made a layout using this technique, but I can't find it right now. Sorry!!) You can find another example HERE. Looks cool, doesn't it? If you want to take the easy way out, stamps that are made to look like bubble wrap are available for sale, and you can find them probably anywhere, but I found one by Donna Salazar at Scrapbook.com. If you're more interested in the cheaper route, go looking for bubble wrap! I've got a good stock of it here. I'll lend you some if you need any!
Would you use this technique on a project? You could do so much with it! Create your own background, create an accent, border, frame. There's no limits! How would you use it?
You may have also noticed that on the layout of mine that I shared the link for, part of my title was made using 'block alphas'. (So there's no confusion, here's the link again). This technique is really easy to recreate! Take your stamp alphas (if you have a set of the alphabet), stamp out the word you want to make, and cut them out in the shape of a square. Easy peasy! You can also ink the edges of the paper for a more defined, polished look. For a while, it was one of my most favorite go-to techniques. I challenge you to try it out sometime, if you haven't done so already. When you do, link up your project to my Facebook page- I'd love to see how these techniques inspired you! You never know, you may inspire someone else through your creativity! If I've been able to do that for you, then I've succeeded in my mission- to inspire people!
And, before I forget, everything on this layout was made with Carta Bella's Alphabet Junction collection, except for the blue card stock, which is Recollections (Moroccan collection), and the stamp and ink that I used to create the title mat.
I hope everyone enjoys their week back to work, and for those moms that are at home with their babes, hopefully getting back into a regular routine isn't too insane for you!! This week will be a crazy one for us- I have appointments on Wednesday and Friday, then I'm heading into Edmonton for the weekend. We are celebrating my Oma's birthday on Sunday, so I'll have a few pictures to eventually scrap and share with you! Hopefully the weather holds!
Thanks for visiting. I really appreciate you all. Take care, and have a good night!