Be clever...

 One image stamp (with a sentiment, both from Unity).

One background stamp (from Stampin' Up).

One design (from me).

Four different cards.

Sometimes, having limited time to create

means that you have to be clever. 

Efficient.   Creative.  Versatile. 

This Unity Stamp set is clever.  And perfect for quickly creating some masculine cards quickly (did I mention I needed some cards quickly?).  By changing the direction of the sentiment, the layering of the image and the photo corners, and "popping up" different 

elements, I took one simple design and created 4 different looks. 

Clever.  Efficient.

  Creative.  Versatile.

Desperate.

Go take a peak at Unity's Friends with Flair Friday--- there are lots of clever creations to be inspired by.

~Kelly

 

Be a stamper...

Sometimes, I get so caught up in the pretty paper, hordes of stickers, embellishments, and assortment of punches and dies that I forget to stamp on my scrapbook pages.  I've just always found it easier to use my stamps on cards than on pages.  I think I get distracted and overwhelmed easily.  I think it comes with being left-handed.

For the page above (which was a Liftateer project over at Fiskateers), this fabulous patterned stamp (from Stampin' Up) makes a vivid background anchor for the photo and glitter star/flowers.  I went back and forth for a long time trying to decide if this page needed "something else", but I couldn't decide what,  so I left it simple.  I like that too.

I used that same background stamp for this companion page, but stamped off some of the ink first to give a lighter impression.  This page, is for inspiration for the 1-2-3 Recipe Challenge going on at Scrap It Girl this month.  Use 1 stamped image, 2 punches, and 3 patterned papers to creat your project and then link it on the Scrap It Girl site for a chance to win a prize (see it here).  For these pages, I think simple is better so as to not compete with the bright, colorful photos from Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.

So what are you waiting for?  Go!  Go!  Go!

~Kelly

whatever I love and whatever I don't...

Things I love about this layout...

-these patterned papers from Authentique's line, Genuine.  I could wallpaper my house in these papers--and I don't usually love a whole collection, but with this one, every sheet makes me happy. 
So, Authentique, if you are listening (or watching or looking or reading), how about starting a line of wallpaper?

-the yellow polka dot paper from Close to My Heart...
polka dots make me happy too

-the sandpaper I used to cut out the letters in BEACH. 
Guess what they remind me of?  SAND, sandpaper, get it?

-the pattern from this grid stamp (from Stampin' Up) that I stamped with clear embossing ink under the glitter

-the triangle banners at the top of the layout, with the twine underneath. The shape is from Fiskars new XXXXL "Banner Year" Lever Punch. I had previously questioned why I would need a punch that makes triangles when they really aren't that difficult to hand cut, but let me tell you...pop, pop, pop--3 triangles all the same size in 3 seconds, I was wrong...I LIKE it!

-the white lacy leaf from Kaisercraft tucked under the right side of the photo

-this cute photo of my son sitting in one of the many holes in the sand that he made that day

-the mini alphabet, Tiny Type, stickers from Cosmo Cricket--
I could collect these in every color!

-the compass overlay from Me and My Big Ideas that is to the right of the photo

-that this "Quilt Block of the Month", it's #7, from Smitha Katti over at the Fiskars site is much easier to replicate in paper than #6 that had me tearing up over triangle cutting and placement. (I'm exagerrating a little...but just a little).

-did I mention the papers from Authentique? 
Oh, so worth mentioning again.

-the sparkly gold glitter, with that grid pattern, ooh la la!
In Florida, the sand really is sparkly!




OK, now things I don't like about this layout...

there is just one...

-the sparkly gold glitter

Oh, did you notice the sparkly gold glitter ended up on both lists?
(I bolded it for you just in case you didn't notice). 

Actually, that sparkly gold glitter ended up on my barefeet, on the photo, on my fingers, on my clothes, in my hair, all over my scrap dungeon, on my camera, on the front porch (where I took the photo of the layout), do you get the idea? 

I am reminded why I don't like glitter and why I don't use glitter.  I tried that old high school art class trick of spraying hair spray over the glitter to help it set--didn't work.  Maybe I need to use super duper Aqua Net, circa 1987?

Oh well, this layout is one of my favorites. 
So much so, I could almost forgive and forget about the glitter. 

Almost.

Hope you have a sparkly day!

~Kelly