3 Double Page Spreads

Today I have 3 quick 2-page spreads to share.  They are in response to a challenge on a message board that I frequent.  The challenge was to "make a kit" for a scrapbook page: choose papers, and embellishments from our stash (including lumpy ones) to make a kit, and then use that to make a completed page.  This challenge took me back through stash I've had for a long time as I searched for what I needed to make my kits, so it ended up being a bit of a "stash buster" as well as incentive to create some scrapbook pages.  

Here's my first kit:

There are wonderful papers (like this top one with sand and a beach towel) that I didn't even remember having, but found when going through my stash!  I have no idea where I got it or who made it, but it was perfect for the pictures I had in mind.  I found a variety of embellishments ranging from old "Brad Buddies", punch out elements, and an alphabet sheet from HOTP, to stickers from EK Success and others, to items I had printed myself.  All came together to make a fun kit that I then used to create the double page spread you see at the top of the page.  Here's a closer look at the individual pages:

Kit #2:

This second kit was more plain - subdued papers and a few embellishments - including some chipboard alphabet pieces.  I know some of the papers came from HOTP, but I'm not sure who made the yellow paper.  Similarly, I don't know who made much of the stash of embellishments.  The only ones I know for sure are that the brads and metallic embossed pieces (which I ended up not using) all came from HOTP.  From these I create the following spread.

I used the chipboard alphabet & numbers for the title and date - but what a pain it was to glue paper to them, fussy cut around it, and ink the edges!!!  The first page is mostly our "flight certificates".  Here's a closeup of the 2nd page:

The focal picture is matted using a Spellbinders die called "Luscious Labels One".

Kit #3:

I'm not certain, but I think all of this paper came from HOTP.  I know the sand paper is theirs.  To this I added a bunch of embellishments.  Many, like cut-out and punch-out sentiments and the Brad Buddies are from HOTP.  But there are likely other companies represented too - just not sure as they've been in my stash for ages.  Here you see the double page spread:

I think I need to move the placement of one of the pictures (the top one that is partly on the sand and partly on blue) in order to be happier with this spread (not sure if that's possible or not), and maybe add a 2nd mat to the focal picture to make it stand out better, but the basics are here. You can see closeups of these pages below:

Once again I've used the Lucious Labels One die to mat the focal picture.

It feels good to get some scrapbook pages made.  They're not as carefully thought out and prepared as I've done in the past, but they're done and hold some wonderful memories for us!

Merry & Bright ACK Part 2

Back to the Merry and Bright ACK (Artful Card Kit - HOTP), we decided to work with the elements that have the greenish pattern that you see on the Christmas tree.  My first card for this one uses so many elements from other things that you can hardly tell it's from the ACK, but I LOVE the way it turned out!  I learned a lot on the last window card I made, and that really helped me here.

Card #1: For the card front, in addition to the elements from the kit (bicycle die cut and glimpses of stuff that are on the inside), I used the following: Mini Bricks stencil (The Crafters Workshop), Child at Fence Fronts-N-Backs (Art Impressions), Spellbinders D-Lites Window 2, Tim Holtz Happy Holidays: Script dies, Raspberry Sorbet Luster Polish (Cosmic Shimmer), Inktense pencils, Watercolor pencil.

Inside:

When you open the card you see the little girl peeking in the window to see this cosy scene.  The red & white patterned paper and Christmas tree are from the ACK.  The little girl and window are the same as used for the card front.  For the rest I used: Cosy Fireplace embossing folder & stamps from Cardmaking and Papercraft Magazine Vol 174, Stampscapes stamp & Iced Spruce Distress Oxide Ink for the carpet, Inktense pencils and water brush to color the various pieces before cutting them out and placing them in the scene.  White card stock for embossing the fireplace, craft knife for cutting, black card stock for inside fireplace.

Here are closeups of the inside of the card:

Card #2:

Here I had just a couple of frames to work with from the set (I saved one for the inside). Since the frame had musical notes, I started thinking of singing and decided to add a cardinal (HOTP Dazzles - I used black marker for the eye & yellow marker for the beak).  The rectangular frame was leftover from a Hunkydory kit and I decided to add it.  The greeting is Dazzles on a die-cut label (HOTP - 9 Tiny Tags & Little Labels), matted on gold poster board.  This was all set on an embossed background (embossed card front using 5X7 Entwined Holly folder from Crafter's Companion) and colored the raised areas with two colors of ink (Peeled Paint distress oxide ink & Mowed Lawn distress ink).

Inside: 

This second frame had a blue print center & I didn't think it went very well - so I cut it out using one of my basic circle dies.  I stamped the sentiment (from JustRite's Christmas Vintage Labels One) directly on the card & heat embossed with clear powder - then added the frame & cardinal (another Dazzles sticker - backed with green glimmer paper so the leaves are green).

Card #3:

For this card I first embossed the card front using an embossing folder from Crafter's Companion (Scattered Holly 5X7).  I opted to leave it white this time.  I added border, sentiment & stocking die cuts from the kit, and finished it with a bit of holly berry stickers & leaves in the bottom right corner (Dazzles)

Inside:

Inside is more of the same border and a couple more greetings from the set.  A scrap of paper forms a border at the bottom.  The stocking was an extra made and not used in the first card (Cosy Fireplace set from a Cardmaking and Papercraft magazine).

Card #4:

For this card, all but the card base & black border strips were from the kit - a quick and easy card.  I inked the edges of the background paper & then simply added black card stock & the die cuts from the kit.

Inside:

Card #5:

Another quick and easy card, here I simply inked the edges of the background paper before gluing it to the card base.  Then added a bunch of die cuts and cut outs from the kit.  The greeting on the dark red tag was stamped and heat embossed with white powder (stamp from HOTP Happy Elf Small Stamp).

Inside:

Inside is more paper with inked edges and another couple of die cuts.

Card #6:

The last card in this set is another really quick card, made quite similar to the last one.  Inked edged background paper has a red ribbon attached for a border.  Two die cuts were put together to form the focal, and a cut out greeting added (all from the kit).  I DID add a few Jewel Dazzles (HOTP) to finish it.

Inside:

Once again, the inside is much the same - background paper, die cut, and Jewel Dazzles.

So, we have 6 more cards from this ACK, for a total of 10 cards so far - and still more elements in the kit.

Birdhouse Birthday

Today I have a quick & easy card made for someone who likes birdhouses.  The background paper and birdhouse/birds/flowers all come from HOTP.  The latter are part of the Birds and Blossoms 3-D Foil Papier Tole. The sentiment was die cut from silver poster board using a die from Spellbinders Joyous Celebrations Collection.  This was matted on a white strip of glossy card stock.

Inside:

Sympathy Card Kit Part 4

Card #1 (above): Here are the rest of the cards I made with the part of the kit that Mom shared with me.  This first one was made by cutting the main image into 5 strips & then matting each on a silver piece of poster board.  The sentiment was from a cutting die that my Mom has (not sure who makes it). Thin Dazzles  borders run horizontally at the top and bottom.  Jewel Dazzles finish the card front.

Inside:

The inside is simply a sentiment from the kit that was matted with silver poster board.  It says, "So wonderful to think of . . . . So hard to be without."

Card #2:

The die cut frame is die cut from Spellbinders Heirloom Legacy 5X7 Card Creator set, matted on a light green from my stash.   I matted the sentiment from the kit with silver poster board, and added a silver bow from my stash.

Inside:

Inside, the sentiment is matted on a piece of silver poster board die cut & embossed with a die from Spellbinders Fleur De Lis Rectangles.  It says, "A butterfly lights beside us like a sunbeam, and for a brief moment, its glory and beauty belong to this world . . . but then it flies on again. And though we wish it could have stayed, we are so thankful to have seen it at all."

Card #3:

My third card in this set is another sympathy card.  Similar to others, it uses a die cut from Mom's die, silver poster board, and a ribbon bow.

Inside:

For the inside, I used another sentiment from the kit, quadruple matting it on pink (Spellbinders Lattice Rectangles die), silver (Spellbinders Fleur De Lis die), green oval (Spellbinders Heirloom Legacy die (cut from card #2 above), and a silver oval (Spellbinders Grand Ovals die).  The sentiment says, "Tears are prayers that travel to God when we cannot speak".

Card #4:

This final card from the materials Mom shared with me is a get well card.  The frame is made by cutting a piece of pink card stock with a Spellbinders die called 5X7 Renaissance Jeweled Frame.  Using another die from the set, I cut the inside piece into the frame you see on the inside of this card.  I drew around the die cut and fussy cut a piece of white paper to form a backing for the frame.  The smallest die in the set was used to back the sentiment, which I had matted with a narrow pink mat.

Inside: