Cherish This Moment

 Here is a fall layout I lifted from Stacy Cohen here. Again another paper technique I just had to try. It was way more difficult then I imagined, she made it look so effortless. It was a beautiful fall day and in a rare moment we got a quick picture of the grand kids with Nana and Papa. Do they all have smiles or are even looking at the camera for that matter? No, but we still managed to get a very beautiful picture and we captured a moment in time that will never be forgotten.

 I hide the journaling behind the picture and I think it works. It is very rare for me to do a scrapbook page without journaling on it. I feel that it is very important that someone can look at one of my pages and know the story without me being there to tell it. Do I love my handwriting and want to see it on a page all the time? No, but I would hope that someday when I'm gone someone would appreciate it. So anyways the moral of my little story there is...write on your pages people. Journal, tell your story so that the page tells the complete story!

I wanted to picture to be the focus so the title is done in a similar color so that it is faint like a dream hanging in the background. I added a few i-rock jems for a slight little bling in the background. I think it turned out lovely. I' m sure I won't be doing the paper rolling technique again but i do so very much enjoy this page. Thanks for checking it out and don't forget to journal people! ha ha!

Leah

What a Hoot!

 What a hoot these 4 are all together. I just love them so much. This page was a challenge to use school themed paper on a non school themed page. The paper had crayons on it so I cut them out and strung them as a banner on top of my page...so cute I think!

I lifted this from Davinie at twopeas here. I loved her paper folding technique and knew that I just had to try it for myself. It is very simply just takes a little bit of time. I just punched a bunch of circles and made myself a little square template that I put in the center of the circle and folded the sides around it. I then took the square out and moved to my next circle. Super cute and fun way to add some a texture and depth to your page.  

And of course the page isn't complete without a little owl and some journaling of my adorable little niece, nephew and children. Not sure why but this picture reminds of me of those little See no Evil, Hear no Evil, Say no Evil monkeys! Thanks for checking out my page hope you enjoyed!

Leah

One of my favorite Peeps!

I saw this adorable project over at Eighteen 25. They have the free printables and a tutorial. Not sure if you have been over to their blog or not before but you should. They always have super easy projects that are beyond awesome! Elly and I made these treats for her class. I just love how sweet and cute they are but oh so easy to make. Elly and I really enjoyed making them so much that i think we are going to make a few more for her cousins Easter baskets! Such a simple project but oh so cute! Hope you enjoy and go check out Eighteen 25.

Leah

Ride

 Okay here is another layout I did and just have to share. I think it turned out very cute it might just have something to do with the fact that it has my two favorite guys ever in the picture. This picture was taken Easter or 2010 and yes don't judge I just scrapped it a month or two ago. I lifted this page from Piradee's blog here and mine isn't anywhere near as beautiful as hers but I still think it turned out really nice. I used the Pink Paislee Old School Collection, I love all the colors in this collection and no it doesn't need to just be used on school pages.

What I really love about this page is the picture. I printed one picture in black and white and one is color. I then cut out around the image of my handsome boys in the color photo. When completely cut out I pop dotted it over the black and white picture. I think it really brings all attention to them and really draws you in. Isn't my little guy so handsome in his sweet pink tie? Aww...mommy loves you little man!

And here is the completed page. I love it!

Thanks for taking a peek!

Leah

Cuttlebug Quilling Flowers Tutorial





I'm going to attempt my first tutorial on how to make these beautiful cuttlebug quilled flowers. These are simply stunning and very simple to make. These are the two flowers that I have the chrysanthemum and the daisy. I love that the kit that you purchase comes with a sample of what the flower looks like.

The kit comes with the 4 dies needed to make these flowers of which one of them is leaves for your flower. Each flower kit has a different type of leaf which I think is awesome as you can interchange them as you feel fit. The kit also come with a quilling pen. So all you will need is your cuttlebug, the flower kit of your choice, a quick drying liquid glue, the white spacer A, plate B, plate C, and 3 strips of paper of your choice 1" x 8 3/4". That's it, its that simple!

First your going to put plate A and C down and put your first die (it doesn't matter which one you do first as I like to cut all my papers and then assemble.) with the paper on top at an angle with plate B on top like pictured above. I like to make sure that the paper is pointed towards the B plate as it will mark up your plate and it is easier to replace the B plate then it is the C.

After you get done you will have cut these strips. I will only use one of the cream colored strips.

 I start by rolling from the inside out. The quilling pen has a slit down the middle and you will put the first strip through the slit and start rolling.

You will roll it tightly until you get to the end where you will just dot it with the liquid glue and glue the end down. Hold it for a moment until the glue is dry.

 Then you will glue the next piece on top, hold for a moment and continue to roll tightly until you reach the end and you will glue like above.

You will continue these steps with each layer.

You will then gently pull the quilling pen out from under the flower.

 The flower will look like this. You will then start from the outside and push the petals gently down.

Your flower will look like this. Beautiful and so simple. The fun part is you can change it up. You want more of the paper in the center roll more or you don't like the center and you want more layers of the pink, you just cut and roll more. You can have so many different looking flowers just from one kit. I hope this little tutorial helped a little. I think I'm going to try to cut a bunch of papers so the next time I'm sitting down to watch tv I can just roll and glue together some beautiful flowers. I'm so excited about these flowers and have already used them on several layouts, a bunch of cards, and a tag. I hope you enjoyed the little tutorial. Thanks!

Leah

Adore

I love this layout...I know I said that about the last one but I do, I just love it. I saw a digital layout that someone had made with circles in the background like this and new that I just had to lift the idea. (Here is the layout I lifted... http://www.twopeasinabucket.com/gallery/member/79412-gennifer/1698714-shake-things-up/?c=t) I used the beautiful Imaginisce Garden Party Collection. I love the colors in this collection and I thought it worked perfectly with this adorable picture I have of my niece Amanda and my darling daughter Elly. I punched a bunch of circles and then used the sewing machine (which I'm loving lately) and sewed them into a grid like pattern.

 I then matted my picture a couple of different times and pop dotted it up off of the page to give it some dimension.  I then used a white party streamer and ruffled that at the bottom of my photo.

 Layer the beautiful rose Maya Road ribbon on top of that. Then comes my favorite part of all. The flower....swoon! It has to be my favorite thing I have purchased this year, or possibly in a long time. It is a die that you cut with your cuttlebug and then quill. It is made by cuttlebug and you don't need the extended pieces to cut it out!!!! They have 3 different flowers: a daisy, a carnation, and a chrysanthemum. This one just so happens to be the chrysanthemum...I purchased the daisy as well!!

I might need to do a little tutorial on here for you all to see how easy and fun this is. I'm so addicted. I have made a couple of projects and cards using this flower it is so beautiful. When I first saw it I was impressed that someone had taken the time to cut a strip of paper and fringe cut it and roll it into the flower. (I was in fact going to try this method) But then the ladies at the fabulous Picture This were like "oh no, oh no, it is much easier then that". They showed me how it worked and I was sold. Would have bought all 3 if I had more money and I knew my hubby wouldn't freak out about it. He freaks out about pretty much everything scrapbook related! I will try to take some pictures and post on how this flower works. The kit comes with everything you need, including the quilling pen to roll your flowers. The leaves were also included in the kit. Loving it, so much fun!

Well I hope you enjoyed the layout. I will try to post something on the flowers soon. They are so adorable and I know that you are going to just love them.

Leah

Love, Love, Love

I have been wanting for the longest time to make those rolled paper roses and form them in the shape of a heart in a picture frame to hang on my wall. The idea has been running through my head for years, well maybe not years but a really long time. So in February when I went away for the weekend for my scrapbooking retreat I made this. It was actually a challenge that we had during our weekend away. We were all given a plain white photo mat (like the ones you put in a picture frame to go around a photo) and were to make a layout using the frame. A few people cut it apart , some kept it whole, one person journalled on hers (which was stunning I might add) some covered it in paper. Every ones turned out so different and so beautiful. But as soon as I saw the photo mat I knew what I had to do. It had to have rolled paper roses in the shape of a heart in it.

First thing I did was cut out some flourishes using the Cricut and placed them in 2 corners of the mat. I than painted white over the top of them. When the paint dried I distressed the frame and used a little "Timmy Holtz" distress ink (antique linen). I was already in love...love love love! Then came the long process of cutting out the roses and rolling them. (I used the beautiful Imaginisce Garden Party Collection) That was nothing compared to forming the heart though. I moved flowers from here to there and there and back again. It took me way to long to get my flowers to even form a heart shape. To tell the truth I almost gave up and tears were very close from flowing from my eyes. You know that feeling when you have the most amazing idea in your head and you just can't figure out how to make it work. Yup that is where I was at. But just as I was about to give up...it worked. It worked and it looked amazing.

 I added some pearls randomly inside the heart filling in any blank spaces. I still felt like it was missing something so I punched out some butterfly's using my Martha Stewart butterfly bunches and placed them on the heart and along the outside of my layout. I then went to add white lines along the outside of the layout and messed up..my pen slipped off the ruler and I totally messed up. So what do you do but make random lines all over to make it look like it was done on purpose. I hated the way it looked so then I decided to journal on the white lines and wow...it looked perfect!

 I added a favorite photo of my son and I a few years ago at a family photo shoot with a little ribbon and the page it complete. I LOVE LOVE LOVE the way it turned out. I'm pretty sure that this will go on my wall above my scrapbooking desk.

So the almost tears and tiny little tantrum was all worth it in the end. The page turned out beautiful and will be one I will remember for a long time. Not so sure how I feel about making another heart out of rolled paper roses any time soon to put in a frame for my wall though!

Leah