Graphic 45 February Place in Time

It's no secret that I love designing with Graphic 45.  The vintage themes are so inspiring!  

When I saw the "Place in Time" collection, I wanted to use every single piece of paper, so I decided to create a 12 x 12 album for my mother, using photos from her scrapbooks.

My mother's precious scrapbooks

Her birthday is in November, so I have lots of time  to design the layouts.  Although I am teaching this album as a class at The Urban Scrapbook using double page layouts, I will only share the single pages and some techniques here on my blog each month. 

Here is my February layout...

Whoa Mom!  Two men...not one!

The large distressed heart in the top right is made with Tim Holtz Ideology Tissue Wrap and chipboard.  Here is how I created this special page element.

First, I cut a heart template from scrap paper and traced it onto a piece of chipboard.

 I tore off a piece of Tissue Wrap that was larger than the heart.

Using a foam brush, I applied Mod Podge all over the heart in a thin layer.

Crumple the Tissue Wrap and press it down all over the heart, scrunching it into wrinkles as you do so. 

Flip the chipboard heart over and apply Mod Podge to edges only.

Trim off excess Tissue Wrap and press down flat along the edges of the heart. 

Rub the entire ink pad of Aged Mahogany Distress ink across the Tissue surface of the heart.

Because the Tissue Wrap is somewhat resistant to colour, I rubbed off the excess ink with a dry baby wipe.

I wanted the colour to have more of a brown tone, so I added some Vintage Photo Distress Ink.

Remember to wipe off the excess ink.  You can continue to layer the ink like this until you achieve the desired colour.

On my layout, I backed the heart with a heart doily, that I found in the Dollar Store.  

I hope you have someone special in your life that you can give your own heart to this month :)

Winter Wishes from Echo Park

This year, Urban Scrapbook is going to create monthly kits with paper collections that correlate with a calendar theme.  So, January's kit is featuring the cutest collection from Echo Park called "Winter Wishes."

To get my scrappy brain in gear after our 2-week Christmas break, I turned to a PageMap sketch, from November 2012.

I was also inspired by Tracey Gregory's layout from this month's ScrapThat! kit club that has cut out circles in the design.  You can click HERE to visit Tracey's blog and see her wonderful layout.

Here is what I came up with...

There are a couple of ski hills right here in our city, and we sometimes go to the smallest one for some serious sledding action.  I took this photo of BabyOfTheFamily during on of our trips to the hill.  Sad to say, most of my sledding pics did not turn out great that day.

The kit includes this awesome sticker sheet, along with patterned papers, Bazzill card stock, ribbons, bling, glitter paper, vellum snowflakes....

A close up of the vellum snowflakes, cut with the new Tim Holtz die...

Here is a closer look at the cut-out circle windows...

I designed a winter scene with the stickers to create a title element...

I thought I'd share how I designed those circle windows..

My 'old school' Coluzzle....to cut out the circles.

Scrapbook Adhesives 3L 'Crafty Foam Tape' works really well to lift the entire piece.

Square pieces of Winter Wishes patterned paper.

The white paper with circles is placed on top.

A closer look at the circle windows

Then I just took my sticker sheet and went crazy adding sticker elements to each circle.

Prima Crystals are also in the kit...which I added to each circle window scene.

This January kit is now on sale at The Urban Scrapbook, so drop in or shop online to pick one up.

You can click HERE to visit the Urban blog where all the staff January layouts are on display.

Happy New Year!

I can't help it....I love the beginning of a year and totally buy into the idea of starting fresh, having resolutions [breaking them] and creating new opportunities.

One idea I had for a class to start off the New Year is to design an album using Graphic 45's "Place in Time" collection.

Here is the first layout of the album....I'll share the others as the months go by.

January

This is a photo of my mother back in 1955, in winter, headed out with her skates.  I didn't know my mother skated! 

Everyone thinks most Canadians skate, and I suppose many of us do...except for my daughters and me!  Yes, I took skating lessons as a child, but the ice and cold are not my friends, and my girls agree.

Some close-ups...

I layered these banner strips in the background.

Distressed and inked edges.

A snowflake Sizzix die and glitter

Glittered tags and dyed ribbon.

I am really excited about creating an entire 12x12 album with Graphic 45!  If you would like to join my class and live in the area, call The Urban Scrapbook or register online.  

If you live far far away and would like to take the class by purchasing a kit or registering for online videos, please get in touch with me by sending me an email at kelly@klapstein.com .  

Christmas with Carta Bella

Our monthly staff challenge and December kit at The Urban Scrapbook features wonderful papers from Carta Bella's "Merry and Bright" collection.

I love the non-traditional colour palette that has pink and pale turquoise!  So cute!

Here is Lynette's sketch and my layout...

"Made with Love"

There is a story behind these photos of BoyGenius at Age 2, his second Christmas.

While I was pregnant, I knit that sweater for my baby's first Christmas.  Well, it turned out a little on the BIG side, so it ended up fitting him for his second Christmas.

I was SO excited about my baby boy wearing something that I had knit.  I'm actually not much of a knitter, and when I look at these photos, I think, "Huh?  How the heck did I ever knit that?" 

Christmas day arrived and I gave BoyGenius his precious sweater, with camera in hand.  Of course, there was NO WAY he was going to wear it.  He refused to put it on.  [To say that BG is a strong-willed spirited child is an understatement]  

Did I mention I was 9 months pregnant with his sister at the time...and she was due on Christmas Day?  I gave up trying to convince him and left the room in tears.

Moments later, Daddy and BG came to find me and he was wearing the sweater!  Ok, so it was only for 15 minutes, and a few snapshots later he pulled it off, never to be worn again.  It wasn't the Hallmark moment I was imagining, but at least I have a scrapbook page now. ha ha!

Now back to the page design and this kit...

These raw chipboard letters were cut with a  Sizzix alphabet die.  I painted them red and covered them with Glossy Accents.

I used the Prima Metal Trinket Typo Bulb as a template and traced more bulbs for my banner on American Crafts glitter paper.  The silver tops of the bulbs are cut from silver glitter ribbon.

There were 2 large flowers in the kit. I cut the petals off my green flower to make my Christmas tree.  I simply adhered the petals to a triangular piece of green card stock.

I used the petals from my red flower to make the 3 hearts.  The border is a Martha Stewart edge/corner punch set.

I tucked a journaling tag under the photo, with the story of this Christmas Sweater

This sweater pretty much ended my knitting career, and I haven't knit anything since.  

But I have it carefully stored away, and when BoyGenius has his first child, you can bet Grandma is going to be wrapping up a very special sweater for Christmas! 

To see what the rest of the Urban Design Team has created with this kit, please click HERE.

Graphic 45 Nutcracker Sweet Christmas Cards

I don't design very many card classes, but last year when I began teaching at The Urban Scrapbook, my first class was Christmas cards, using Graphic 45's "Christmas Emporium" collection.  Click HERE to see the blog post about those cards.

Before their 2012 collections were released, I already knew there was a good chance I would be working on G45 cards again this time of year.  When I saw "Nutcracker Sweet" I swooned.  Those lovely ballerinas.....so elegant and beautiful!

Well, the whole ballet theme took hold in my brain and I came up with 5 cards, 4 of them featuring ballerinas!

Here are some close-ups and details about each card...

"The Nutcracker" 

Yeah, he looks a little too serious to be nestled in white and pink chiffon. ha ha!

The base of this card is Tim Holtz Black Kraft Core Coredinations, which I embossed with the Sizzix wood grain embossing folder. I also embossed the green polka dot piece for the card's interior with the Christmas words folder.

Using my craft knife and ruler, I cut a window into the front of the card.

I adhered the embossed green paper inside.

I cut out the Nutcracker and adhered him inside so his head would appear in the window.

Using this Martha Stewart branch punch, I created some greenery below the window.

I coloured seam binding with Fired Brick Distress Stain, crumpled and let dry.  Then tied a bow and adhered with liquid glue.

 "Winter Wonderland"

The background is Bazzill "Pansy" purple card stock stamped with snowflakes, then glittered with "Lavender" glitter using Ranger's new Sticky Embossing powder.

This is the first time I used this Sticky Embossing powder and it's awesome!  But you  have to work fast because it cools quickly and then loses its stickiness.

I cut this American Crafts glitter paper to look like snowy hills.

Diamond Stickles came in handy for adding sparkle to the blue ballerinas...

I also added stickles to the Winter Wonderland tag

These dancers are popped up onto foam squares.

Yes, I know this card does not reflect reality and our ballerinas here in Canada do not dance in the snow like this! [But I do wish our snowflakes were purple!]

"Sugar Plum Fairy"

I cut the mini music sheets from the "Enchanted Journey" patterned paper.

The edges are sparkling with chunky clear glitter

 Here is how I created those glittery edges...

Add Glossy Accents or other clear drying adhesive along the edges of the mini music sheets.

Pour chunky glitter over the wet Glossy Accents.  Let dry for about half an hour.

I fussy cut the Sugar Plum Fairy and adhered her with foam squares, then added Clear Diamond Stickles to her wings and shoes.

Pink tulle is threaded through 2 punched holes in the bottom corners and tied in a bow.

 
"Clara and the Mouse King"

All images are cut from the "Holiday Magic" patterned paper.

To make the little vintage storybook, I cut apart the small book pages from the "Enchanted Journey" paper, misted them with water, crumpled, uncrumpled and then let dry. 

[Why oh why does Blogger insist on rotating my photos???]

After inking the edges with brown chalk ink, I layered the mini book pages using Sookwang adhesive tape.

 The top pages of this book are actually cut out together as one piece, then folded in the centre so it appears to look more like a book. 

I punched lacy borders along the bottom with a Martha Stewart edge punch.

I also misted Clara and the mini book with Perfect Pearls "Biscotti" spray to give them a pretty glimmer.

"The Blue Ballerina"

I used a scalloped edge punch around a piece of glitter card stock, then attached tulle to it before adhering the blue ballerina.  

 

The doily in the background is also misted with Biscotti Perfect Pearls spray. Plus, I added clear Stickles to her headband, skirt and shoes.  

Actually, this blue ballerina card could also serve as a birthday card for a little girl (or a big girl!)

 So tell me, which card is your favourite? I'm having a hard time picking mine! 

Hope you enjoyed looking at my Graphic 45 Christmas cards....I really enjoyed designing them :)