Sweet Tweets Easter Layout

This layout sketch is a copycat from one of the February 2023 Album Retreat layouts that I will feature soon here on the blog and that my ladies and I made for the April scrapbooking class.  My layout uses the Flower Shoppe collection; the April stamp of the month, Sweet Tweets; and the Floral Blooms stamp set and Thin Cuts.  

Here are close-ups, so that you can see the coloring of those sweet birds, and the stamping on the Thin Cuts.  I stamped the Capri flowers on White Daisy, but the other two were cut directly from Raspberry and Ballerina cardstock, then stamped with black ink.  The clouds were leftovers from another Thin Cuts project.  How do you like that little cardstock fence?  It was made with 0.5"x6" strips of White Daisy cardstock.

I did stamp the title with a retired stamp set that I still love. (Close To My Heart offers such great quality products that last and last!)

Today is your last chance to get the April Stamp of the month, Sweet Tweets, so grab yours HERE!

Eating Our Way Through Spain

 This layout was so much fun to make!  I love how it uses cardstock and stamping.

The left page features a collage style stamping and one 4"x6" photo.  (Too bad my red banner is a little crooked but oh well!)

The right page was the best part!  I didn't follow the instructions exactly (Shocker, I know!) because I needed more journaling spots.  The bottom row of photos is a mini album (and I added an extra page to incorporate all of my photos).

Here are a few of the pages opened up:

I decided to number each circle and number the corresponding journaling spot.

Finally, I stapled the mini album to my base page so that it would be secure and then I cut the page protector to make a flap to open the album easily.

I hope this inspires you to add more photos with a mini album on your page!

Sweet Tweets Happy Birthday Card

While getting ready for my recent card class, I had some scraps of this beautiful Mist foliage pattern paper from the new Cosette collection.  I decided to create a monochromatic card with these scraps.

I ran the center cardstock panel through my embossing machine with a retired embossing folder, then sanded over the top to reveal the white core. I trimmed down the shimmer trim by cutting it in half length wise to create those thin sparkly bands.

After stamping the bird in Mist on French Vanilla and fussy cutting, I used my Mist shimmer brush to add a little more sparkle on the eye, the flower center, the wing, and the tail. Unfortunately, sparkle and shimmer does not photograph very well, so this card is much prettier in person.

Remember, this adorable stamps, that is only available through the end of the month! Get yours here!

Málaga Market

This layout of the beautiful Malaga Market has such fun design elements that would be so easy to recreate with your own photos and whatever color palette you chose.

Notice the envelope as a pocket to hold 4"x6" photos (I only had one, but you could add several).  Then, there are three more 4"x6" photos, a 3.5"x3.5" and a 4"x4" photo, plus a cute circle element with journaling strips.

I also like how we tore zip strips (the little 1/2" strip at the top of the patterned paper) to look like washi tape.  Finally, do you notice the dots stamped onto the Avocado strips?  The little randomly stamped clusters with the various embellishments?

Finally, be sure to check out those gorgeous Irresistibles alphabet stickers that we sponged with Glacier ink!

Loving Málaga & Spain

 This layout came together very quickly with the awesome recently retired Are We There Yet? scrapbooking workshop.  Each of our featured paper suites comes with an exclusive cardmaking workshop (complete with exclusive stamp set with Thin Cuts) and an exclusive scrapbooking workshop to create three two-page 12"x12" layouts.

The featured technique on this layout was sponging, which you can see on the fun tag accents (that were all either die cuts that were ready for me to use or stickers from the workshop kit).  Fun and easy!

Malaga Cathedral Layout

This two-page layout because a four-page layout with the addition of pocket pages 12"x12" Memory Protectors Design 3, which allowed me to add journaling and 13 more photos.

The base pages use Peach cardstock and again the recently retired Are We There Yet? collection.

I love how the triangle Thin Cuts from the scrapbooking stamp set are used as embellished without the corresponding stamp from the stamp set.

Be sure to look at the shapes of your Thin Cuts to see if they can be used in additional ways!

Cardstock-Only Sweet Tweets Card

This sweet tweets card was super easy to make with only card stock, black ink, black, onyx pearls, and a few little embellishments.

My color palette was inspired by the Flower Shoppe collection: Flamingo, Sage, Capri, and Honey Butter. I stamped the birds in black and then added some Onyx Liquid Pearl dots for the eyes, flower centers, and music notes. I like how fast and easy this came together, because coloring images is not my most favorite thing.

Remember, the April’s team for the month, Sweet Treats, is only available through the end of the month! You can find more here.

Sweet Tweets "Just a Note" Card

This card was inspired by two different challenges and a coloring class I recently took and uses the April Stamp of the Month, Sweet Tweets.

This cute sketch was popping up all over my social media feeds, so I decided to try it myself.  (It's the Tuesday Morning Sketch #702.)  I was also inspired by the Color My Heart Color Dare #544- Triple Play color combo of Peach, Harbour, and Rosemary.

I hope that my coloring (with Spectrum Noir TriBlend markers) ties these colors together.  I cut the Harbour scalloped circle with my Thin Cut of the same name, which I popped up with 3D foam tape.  I mounted the rectangles on the lighter side of Charcoal cardstock to anchor all the pieces together.

This close-up shows you some of the coloring techniques that I used.  (I really like how it turned out!)

In honor of our Close To My Heart current Cardstock Carnival special, this card uses cardstock only.

Alcabaza de Málaga Layout

This layout is so striking because it uses black base pages to make the photos pop!  I also love the addition of white gel pen doodling details.  (This layout could also be recreated just with cardstock in celebration of this month's Cardstock Carnival special.)

The left page features three 4x4 photos (I like to order mine through Persnickety Prints) and paper tearing.

The scalloped border of the photo mat is a pretty feature. 

Flip flaps are probably my favorite way to add extra photos to my layouts, plus they make them extra fun by being interactive.

One tiny but fun detail is that I also added little dots of white gel pen in my embellishment clusters.  These pens are fabulous!

Over Malaga

One of the many perks of being a CTMH Maker is the opportunity to receive products early with project instructions (and Facebook Live events to make them with CTMH Corp).  This layout came from the Jan.-Mar. Idea Book catalog launch event featuring the recently retired Are You There Yet? collection.  I can rarely participate live, but they are recorded (which is still lots of fun). 

Because I had so many photos, I decided to add five more 4"x6" pictures using a Pocket Plus Memory Protector (Design 1).  Here is the left page with the additional Pocket Plus Memory Protector.  (You can find all our options for pocket scrapbooking HERE.). I love that they really don't add any more "bulk" to your books.  Also note how I added a skinny journaling strip directly to one of my photos to tell a little more about that particular one.

Here's the back of the Pocket Plus Memory Protector and the right page.  I did add an Are We There Yet? Picture My Life 4"x6" journaling/artwork card.

Consider adding more photos with Pocket Plus pages!

Málaga Beach Layout

Last summer, I actually made this layout in preparation for my Europe 2022 trip (learn all about it HERE), and finally got pictures and journaling added to it.  

After putting it into my album, I realized that I needed to add the location, since it's the first layout of the new "chapter" in Malaga, so I added the city name as a banner on the bottom of the left page.  

I really love how it turned out!  I inked up the top half of the letters in Capri and the bottom in Bluebird (with the tail of the "g" also inked in Sapphire) to achieve this ombré effect.  I think it added the perfect finishing touch.

Don't be afraid to stamp directly onto your layouts, but if you are worried (or need the contrast like I did here), stamp on another piece and then added it to the layout.

Change of Plans Layout

This last week has been my spring break, and I spent a lot of it on various cleaning projects around the house and scrapbooking my trip to Europe last year.  This simple layout features a lot of journaling- I had such a story to tell that I decided to type it then print it onto White Daisy cardstock.

I used Papaya and Sapphire cardstock and pieces of the Are We There Yet? recently retired paper suite.  I also stamped my title with a favorite retired alphabet stamp set.

Don't be afraid to mix a variety of old and new; and stamped, printed, and handwritten journaling.  There's no "right" way to preserve your stories, photos, and memories!  But please be sure to preserve them!  Let me know if I can help you in any way.

Add a Video to Your Layout

Recently I was in a class by Stacy Julian (Google her if you don't know her!), and she showed how you could add videos to your photo layouts by adding QR codes.  GENIUS! 

I decided to give it a try on this layout featuring photos of our visit to Seville when Macey and I stumbled upon a group giving a flamenco performance!  (I was happy to tip them since we hadn't been able to get a flamenco dinner reservation.)  Such a fun, unexpected moment!

This layout was made with the Are We There Yet? Scrapbooking Workshop kit.  If you hurry, you may still be able to find it on my website!

To add your own videos via QR code, follow these steps:

1. Upload your video(s) to YouTube.  You can make them private or public.
2. Copy the YouTube link.
3. Find a free QR code generator, and add the link there.
4. I pasted my QR codes into a Google Doc so that I could measure their size to fit my space.
5. Print the QR code on cardstock or photo paper.

That's it!  How easy peasy is that?  How fun would it be to listen to baby's first words, watch a dance recital clip, and so much more!  What do you want to try this with?

April’s Stamp of the Month: Sweet Tweets

Happy April!  Close To My Heart has a beautiful April stamp of the month, Sweet Tweets, a set of 17 individual stamps.

In honor of our Cardstock Carnvial special, to make these two cards, I had fun with cardstock (only) and distress oxide inks, a paintbrush, and water. 

For the first card, I swiped Mustard Seed, Spiced Marmalade, and Pickled Raspberry distress oxide inks only a large block and then added water with a paintbrush.  I smooshed my cardstock panel onto the block.  The first two were smooshed one after the other.  For the third one, I added more water and then smooshed.  (I used the first one for my card.)

Here are the colors I chose to quickly color the sweet bird:

And the finished card (with Flamingo shimmer trim and yellow dots):

I follow the same process for the second card using Mowed Lawn, Peacock Feathers, and Seedless Preserves distress oxide ink, but chose the second panel for my card.

And my marker selection:

And the card, finished with Grape shimmer trim and purple dots:

Sending YOU happy thoughts!

Hello, April!

Can you believe that we are already a quarter of the way through 2023?!?  No fooling on this first of April!  As always, CTMH has some exciting specials to offer this month. 

Let's start with the unveiling of the new April-June Idea Book!  So much spring and summer goodness in there!  Read all about it HERE.

First up is the April stamp of the month, Sweet Tweets, an adorable set of 17 bird-themed stamps.  Of course it's a favorite of mine!  Learn more HERE.

Our famous CARDSTOCK CARNIVAL celebration is back again this year!  In addition to great savings on cardstock, check out the awesome die cut collections!  Read all about Cardstock Carnival HERE.

Our National Scrapbooking Day Celebration isn't just for scrappers!  This two-day virtual event on May 5 & 6 features five different product bundles and projects.  One great thing about CTMH virtual events is that you can always watch on replay at your convenience if you can't join live.  Learn more HERE.

If you're a scrabooker, then you should definitely consider investing in the upcoming Virtual Album Retreat.  You will NOT regret it.  (I've participated in two- and am currently finished the second one.)  Reach out if you have questions, but first learn more HERE.

Happy spring and happy April!