Sweet'n'Silly Pencil Lines Best Creation

First of all a bit THANK YOU to Best Creation! I won the entire Jubilee paper collection on their blog. These colors and motifs are just so adorable and perfect for my little princess.

This LO is based on the sketch 226 by pencillines. It was so inspiring to block the different papers instead of layering them and the examples of the Design Team were really beautiful.

We are still in the middle of winter and I needed a color boost. Hence the pink overkill.

Here is an example of the color blocking. To separate it a bit more, I stitched in between. See those cute, cute strawberry brads? You can get them here.


The title is very simple. I just printed the title on the color paper, ran it through my cuttlebug with the nestabilities and done. A few pearls here and there (love the ZVA creative basic strands)


With the paper, I did a bit of extra: I first cut with my exacto knife along the swirls printed on the paper. Then I used my paper piercer and poked the holes. A final step (while reading books to DD) I stitched all the swirls. I really like the effect but since it is very time consuming, this is really only something for vacation time. Too bad my week off is over.


Thanks for stopping by and leaving me a comment. Head over to pencillines and participate in the sketch challenge. There is a great price waiting for you as well.


All the best,
Elisabeth

Hybrid tutorial Nr 3 Snips and Snails Grandma's treasures

Look at this yummy kit! (Click on the picture and it will take you right to the shop. Just 2 USD for the entire kit!!!!!) Perfect to display thoses fabulous treasures of yours. I used this stunning kit to display our treasure - our little girl. The fun thing about hybrid scrapbooking is that one can combine the best of both worlds. The stunning papers in just the right size, the cute embellishments that come with it as well as the fun physical things, such as Prima flowers, ribbons and pears. I also used a screen print from creative imaginations.

Now for the tutorial:
It is all about layers and adding dimension when you decide to scrap hybrid. In this layout, I have done some serious distressing to the edges. I roughed up the edges a lot and I did not mind about tearing it a bit. Remember, it is all about different textures! I then used my favorite ink to give it a bit more color.

Very often, there are cute, cute embellishments in the kit e.g. ribbons. Of course, you are not going to print out and fussy cut it - just go through your stash and see what you have. Probably one of your "real" ribbons will work! If not ribbon, what about some embroidery floss, as in this picture? I used the strip from the kit and added floss and pearls.




For me, a digital kit is such an inspiration. It suggests to add items I would not have thought about in the first place. For example have a look at this flower. I would have NEVER thought of adding some tulle to my flower. But when I printed out the different flowers from the kit, I saw the cool tulle. Off I went, cut up of my tulle and added it to my flower. Again, it is all about different textures.

To get another kind of texture: get your printed flower damp - really only DAMP not wet, otherwise the color will be on your hands and not your flower (been there, done it - don't laugh!) and crumble up the flat flower. That's what I did with the white one. I really like this effect!

Thanks for looking and don't forget to head over to snips and snails to see what the other girls came up with! All the best, Elisabeth

Hold Still - Frosted Design Sketch Challenge

Being on vacation is a great feeling. I am getting a lot done in the apartment, have tons of time for my family and I get to scrap! I played along with Frosted Design. I changed the positioning and the amount of photos, but followed pretty much the sketch.


The cute baby on my DD's lap is Emma, the daughter of a middle school friend of mine! My DD insisted on having a photo with her. However, this desire was not really shared! Therefore the title HOLD STILL!!!!

Here are some close ups: And here the journaling. I finally got some nestabilites die cuts. They are fabulous! I love using them.



Thanks for stopping by and leaving me a comment!
All the best,
Elisabeth

Wedding Invitation

My youngest sister will get married August. They have asked me to design their wedding invitation. Her colors will be soft purple and ivory. Since she is a cello player and the groom is a viola player, they have chosen this motif. Isn't it cute? Looks just like the scrolls of the instruments.

This is my suggestion for their invitation - not sure if they will like it or if they want anything changed. I will also design their guest book and do their wedding album. At last, my hobby does come in handy.

I am on vacation now for one week! YEAH! I so needed it. My job gets very intense at times and this week off is exactly what I need. Hopefully I can catch up with the household, spend lots of time with my family and get some serious scrapping done.

Thanks for stopping by!
All the best
Elisabeth

Cautions! Read the instructions manual completely before using

My DSL had her third baby on Valentine's day! They sent me this super cute picture of her new toes, still all wrinkly and stretching for the first time. Ahhhhhh. I then had to giggle when I read the warning label of the scale she was on. Cautions! Read the instructions manual completely before using. I thought this is so appropriate! My DSL is a wonderful mother (her other two kids are just perfect) and I am sure they have read every single manual there is.

Making this layout was so much fun as I was on skype with my eldest sister! She lives in Columbia and I in Austria. Although there is an ocean apart, it was as if we were working together. She baked a cake and I made the layout. We discussed positioning of the flowers etc and had a really good time. Got to love technology!

Thanks for stopping by!
All the best,
Elisabeth

The best of times SWIRLYDOOS

Two weeks ago, I visited my Aunt and Uncle. On their pinboard in the kitchen, I saw this picture. However, it was all torn up, corners bent with lots and lots of wholes from years of putting push pins into it to keep it on the wall.

I asked to borrow it, cleaned it up with iphoto (no photoshop here - that's the next learning step for me!) and made this simple layout with my latest Swirlydoos kit.

I am actually quite pleased with the end result, although I had many versions of this LO. I added and removed about 4 different flowers. It just did not "click". Then I focussed more on the picture, not too many embellishments and now I quite like it. The new embossed papers from core'dination are just a dream to work with.

Oh yeah, I did not tell them that I would make a LO, I just said I would clean it up. They should get it in the mail today. I wonder if they will like it.

Have a great day.
All the best,
Elisabeth

Hybrid Cards -tips and tricks for beginners

Creating cards with hybrid kits is fantastic. You can just resize the papers you have and match the pattern to the smaller format.

Since everything comes out flat from the printer, the key is to add texture and layers to make the cards special.

Some items you might want to consider are

• border punches
• glossy accents
• 3d glue dots
• pearls
• bling
• diamond dust

Here I printed out the pretty button, added glossy accent in the middle and added lots of pearls around it. Use 3d glue dots to raise it again and the effect is pretty cool

• 

When you print out flowers, just print out several flowers, cut them, layer them, attach a brad in the middle and then bend those petals!




And here is my card using the super sweet Forest Love collection by snips and snails. You can get it here. I printed the heart pattern once big and once small. I cut the heart out, added lots of diamond dust and raised it on 3d dots.

Thanks a lot for stopping by and leaving me a comment!
All the best,
Elisabeth

Hybrid Tutorial for Beginners- Snips and Snails

What is hybrid scrapbooking and why bother with it?

This fancy name means simply combining traditional scrapbooking with digital elements. The reason why I started hybrid scrapbooking was a very practical one: I live about 45 minutes from the next scrapbooking store. Since I live in Austria, it can take up to 30 days for my goodies to arrive, which I order from the USA. Hybrid scrapbooking is a fabulous solution. I scrap with my normal papers but I often miss a fancy alpha, or neat flowers or the right paper accents for my layout. I am NOT a patient person and I hate it when layouts lay around unfinished.

So, I just go online, download the missing items, print them, cut them and my layout is finished.

It is really simple to use the digital kits, especially if you happen to work with a Mac. Make a new folder on the desktop (I call it digital kits so I find it again), double click on the kit and it will download it. The file will be „zipped“ or compressed. Another double click on the zipped file and it opens up. Since I am not a technical person, all I can handle is MS WORD. I simply drag the image to the word document and then I can copy it, resize it etc. I try to get as many pictures on a page to save paper when I print.

Depending on the purpose, I either print it on normal paper, heavy cardstock (for flowers) or transparent foil.

Double clicking on the picture gives the option to change the layout. Choosing „behind text“ allows me to get many more pictures on one page.

It is very useful to give the color printer a good clean to get really crisp pictures. Find the utility and give your printer a deep clean.

You will be amazed what a difference this makes.

Here is my first layout which I made as member of the creative team of Snips and Snails.

This kit is called „forest love“ and is only 3,50 ! You can download it here. http://divinedigital.com/boutique/product.php?productid=15565&cat=0&page=1

All I did is use a pink cardstock, add a ribbon, some pearls and a brad. Everything else is from this digital kit. Isn’t it cute?

Thanks so much for stopping by!

All the best,

Elisabeth

16.1.2011 SWIRLYDOOS Creative Scrappers 141

Finally, I am scrapping the birthday pictures of my little girl. I love this month's Swirlydoos kit. So vintage, but still enough color to also work with little girls!


I love the border punches I own. They just add the perfect touch of texture to each layout.

This LO is based on the sketch 141 by Creative Scrappers. Just love their site.

Thanks so much for stopping by.
All the best,
Elisabeth

Because it's Hanukkah

I know, it is a weird title for such a layout. It is actually the text of a song. DD loves to sing and she sings really well. She was chosen to sing this song in the Kindergarten assembly as well as the big Christmas assembly (200 people in the audience). She loved it and enjoyed every second of it. I wish I was as cool as she is on stage! (and I am a musician!!!)


This LO is thanks to Melinda . She had a fabulous RAK give away on her blog. I was the lucky one and she sent me the treehouse collection from pebbles. I LOVE it. Thanks, Melinda!!!
All the best,
Elisabeth

1956 Vintage Layout Swirlydoos

I have not done a vintage layout for a while. Just too busy with the current pictures. This one is the graduation photo of my mother in law. Unfortunately, she died just two weeks before our daughter was born. Since she never met her, I am putting together a heritage album for her.



The February kit from Swirlydoos was perfect for this photo! Love the vintage feel to it!

Thanks for stopping by!
All the best,
Elisabeth

3 kings

This is the photo of a wonderful colleague at work. Her entire family is so sweet (I teach her older son). She just celebrated a very special birthday and this is my gift to her. She calls the men in her life "her 3 kings" and asked it for the title.

Thanks for stopping by and leaving me a comment!
All the best,
Elisabeth

My first publication!!!

Tooting my horn, here! I got published in scrapbooking.com. I am pretty excited about it. You can read the article here.

All the best,
Elisabeth