Ustream - June 3, 2013

Please join Tonya Gibbs & Flamingo Scraps on Monday, June 3 at 8:30 est on Ustream as Tonya creates a layout using this sketch shared by Flamingo Scraps Designer, Melissa Williams, earlier last week. 

This sketch is going to get a masculine twist when Tonya uses Heidi Swapp and Pink Paislee papers and embellies from Flamingo Scraps. 

Make sure you join the crowd, http://www.ustream.tv/channel/gibbst early.

There will not be a kit this month. As always, we will do our best to record the show for those who can't make it live.

More sketchy goodness from Flamingo Scraps!

Good morning Flamingo Flock!

With the end of May approaching, I'm finding myself spending less time in my scrapbook space and more time outside, which I love and hate at the same time. I like to make my pages quick and easy once summer hits, and we all know that sketches are one of my favorite ways to speed up the scrapping process. I made one up, especially for Flamingo Scraps, this month, utilizing a combination of 4x6 and square photos (something like an Instagram photo, if you'd like)! 

So, for my take, I used the actual image I took, in black and white, plus the photo I uploaded to Instagram, as well. I'm really loving how this turned out, what with the Teresa Collins Now & Then Collection to give my page its color combo, the background paper masked and misted with Heidi Swapp Color Shine in Tropicana Teal and Sweet Cherry, then masked again with molding paste.  I used some Tim Holtz Distress Stain in Broken China for the larger splatters. My embellishments were a Websters Pages tree charm, a Studio Calico Wood Veneer Banner, a few pieces of Studio Calico Wood Veneers that I got in Sampler Pack 1, and some Maya Road Cording (available in cloud in the store, it can be colored whatever color you'd like to match). I painted the veneers with Tim Holtz Distress Paint (available via special order) in Broken China and Fired Brick, and used some little paper clips to hold my little paper embellishments from the Now & Then Collection in place. 

I just love the bright grunginess of the background. Here's a closer look: 

And I kept the title small, as compared to my sketch, just because I liked the idea of putting it on the banner:

I shared the sketch with the rest of the design team, in case they wanted to join me, and Kathleen came up with this:

Studio 490 Wendy Vecchi Water Faucet Handle andSmall Fashion Glasses.  Heart from Maya Road Love Mini Chipboard collection. Heidi Swapp Vintage Chic Just Dots,12x12 paper

Not only that, but Tonya is going to use this sketch on her uStream on June 3rd, so make sure you tune in if you want to see sketch creation in action! 

Scrapping Another First

It seems like the first two or three years of Trevor's life I scrapped nothing but his 'firsts.'  First bath, first solid food, first tooth, first steps, and the list goes on and on.  The firsts happen less often now that he's 5, but there are still plenty to scrap.  Here is Trevor doing his very first homework assignment.

From Flamingo Scraps: Pink Paislee patterned paper, Crate Paper patterned paper, 
Crate Paper letter stickers

Other: Paper Loft patterned paper, ColorBox ink

I used this sketch by Shannon White. 

The yellow lined background paper is (appropriately) from the Old School line by Pink Paislee.  The dotted paper is from the same line.  It was left over from this layout:

I love the way the same paper can read so differently on two different layouts!

My Many Manufacturer Challenge

I'm not a very product-heavy designer.  My layouts tend to be very simple, with just cardstock, some patterned paper, a little ink, maybe a punch, some letters, and a simple embellishment or two.  In that regard, this layout is no different:

From Flamingo Scraps: Fancy Pants patterned paper, Tim Holtz grungeboard

Other: BasicGrey patterned paper, Recollections cardstock, Fiskars border punch, Marvy circle punch, ColorBox ink, Making Memories stamp, Rubber Stampede stamp, Stampin' Up pen, Sketch by Shannon White

But this layout is actually very different from what I usually make.  Every component of this layout is from a different manufacturer.  In fact, 10 manufacturers (and one sketch artist) are represented on this simple page. 

I didn't originally set out to do this.  I knew I wanted to work with BasicGrey patterned paper.  I happened to have some of the gorgeous Fancy Pants scraps from a previous project still out and I loved how they looked together.  I punched some circles from the Fancy Pants using a Marvy punch, then used a Fiskars border punch on Recollections cardstock.  As I was picking up my ColorBox ink, I realized that I'd already used six manufacturers without even trying.  How many others could I use?  I added the Tim Holtz grungeboard and stamped the words "So" (Rubber Stampede) and "Together" (Making Memories).  I did my journaling with a Stampin' Up pen.  That makes ten!

The layout is based on a sketch from the always-fabulous Shannon White.  I rotated it 90 degrees.

I really enjoyed my own little private Many Manufacturer Challenge.  I may just have to challenge myself to beat my own record.

My Inner Daredevil!

This layout was done for a challenge over on one of our FAVE sites Sketchy Thursdays!  In addition to using the sketch, the project had to use red, orange, and/or yellow, have a summer subject, and have a journaling spot!

I chose one of my all time favorite collections, Cosmo Cricket's Circa 1934 (I have been hoarding these last few sheets!), for the colors and the journaling spot.  And for the summer theme, I used some pictures from last summer's family vacation to the North Carolina mountains!   The flowers were die cut with my sizzix and were stacked with pop tape for dimension.  The two smaller pictures are also pop taped for depth!

Supplies from Flamingo Scraps --  Cosmo Cricket Circa 1934 collection; Tim Holtz distress ink in Black Soot; Glitz orange bling;  Other Supplies -- black glitter alphabets; black cardstock; black paper tape; pop tape; Sizzix flower die.

As the journaling notes, I am a notorious chicken when it comes to thrill rides like rollercoasters and even ferriswheels!  But weeks before this trip, my middle brother (who, by the way, is a thrill chicken as well!) started baiting me about going down Sliding Rock!!  

When I actually saw Sliding Rock, I really think I was more afraid I was going to slip on the rocks and fall on my face (or other end!) before I got to the sliding part!  But just to show my brother, I went down nature's rollercoaster!

Am I glad I did it? -- YES!!!!  Would I do it again? -- probably!!!!  Will I do the next thing he dares me to do ....... thinking .... still thinking!

But I just may have found my inner Daredevil!!!!!

How about you -- are you a daredevil????

Guest DT Heather Landry: Remember When...

Hi everyone! It's Heather again and I'm back with the last of my guest design team posts. I'd like to thank Suzanne and Susan for having me. It's been a wonderful experience working with everyone here at Flamingo Scraps!

The layout that I created this time was inspired by a sketch from Sassy Lil' Sketches.  I used the March 14th sketch. They also create card sketches to share at the site and if you struggle with card making you'll love them!

From Flamingo Scraps: Cosmo Cricket Salt Air paper, doilies, chipboard, and stickers; Prima Sweet Taffy flowers, E-Line gems, and E-Line flowers

I used several different punches to anchor the leaning photo block. I also added a large crochet flower from the Sweet Taffy collection for the same reason. I thought that it would really work well on a page about my grandma because she crochets and is very crafty. I altered the photos by converting them to black and white because the children were wearing really bright colors that clashed with the paper I wanted to use. I like the way it turned out because it matches the vintage feel of the "Salt Air" collection. I also added "Rock Candy" Stickles to the chipboard to give it a bit of shimmer and interest.

In this last post, I'm sharing the links to the rest of the sketch blogs I've found. I hope that you enjoy them as much as I do!

1. PageMaps:  Becky Fleck has been creating sketches longer than I've been scrapbooking! She's always up on the latest styles and has amazingly detailed designs.

2. Sketch Savvy: Susan Stringfellow creates really great sketches with clean lines. She does a great job with sketches that include a lot of photos.

3. Inspired Blueprints: This site has an amazing design team! I am always awed by their creations with the wonderful sketches that are available there.

4. Creative Scrappers:  I really love that this site features sketches that are made by different girls. If one sketch doesn't fit your style, the one next week probably will!

5. Helen Croft: She has sketches and awesome tutorials on her site as well as really neat giveaways.

6. Once Upon A Sketch:  A new sketch blog that is only a few months old. They've attracted an amazing design team. I love going to peek at what they've created.

That concludes my list! If you know of any other ones, feel free to link them in the comments. I'm always looking for more inspiration.

More of Heather's work can be found here on her blog!!

Scrapping CHA

I took 683 photos during the Craft and Hobby Association (CHA) tradeshow back in January.  It was really difficult to select which ones I would scrap, but I eventually printed my favorite 30.  Those had been pushed to the back of my desk as I worked on other assignments and projects.  But when I saw the latest sketch from the Scrapping Stamper, I thought it would work really well for my CHA photos.

Obviously, there were WAY too few photos on the sketch for my 30 pictures.  I narrowed down my favorite photos even further and fit 18 on the page.  It was somewhat busy, so I removed the matte that is behind the 6x4 focal photo in the sketch.  Keeping the focus on the photos, I decided to make my embellishments monochromatic.  I also reduced the number of embellishments from 9 to 3.

Here's what I made:

 From Flamingo Scraps: Fancy Pants patterned paper

Other: Bazzill cardstock; Scenic Route chipboard; Family Treasures flower punch; American Crafts pens

I was able to use the Fancy Pants "Beach Bum" paper (blue and striped) that I fell in love with at CHA.  I love the way it looks paired with the Fancy Pants "Summer Soiree" (orange with red accents).

This was a really fun layout to make!  At a glance, it reminds me of all the fun I had at CHA and the fabulous friends I made.

Guest DT Heather Landry: Just Add Water!

Hi everyone! I'm back with the next in my series of guest design team posts here at Flamingo Scraps. I have a lot more sketchy inspiration for you to check out today.

I created my second page using a sketch from The Scrappiest. Liz creates sketches with clean lines and interesting details. I've saved all of them to my hard drive for later use because they are that great!

I don't usually layer photos on top of one another so the sketch really made me think outside the box. I tend to be a very linear scrapper.

Supplies: I used the Cosmo Cricket Salt Air paper, doilies, chipboard, and stickers that I purchased at Flamingo Scraps to make this page. I used the Seafoam Green Maya Mist again to lightly mist the background. I also used Prima E-Line Gems and Flowers.

As I worked on my page, I came up with a quick tip for altering Thickers on layouts with a water theme. I placed these yellow Thickers on my page for my title, but I thought they were too plain. To dress them up a bit, I added diamond glaze on top of the letters. Even when the letters are dry, they still have a wet look that works really well with the photos! I've included a close up photo so you can see the details.

Here are your links to two more inspirational sketch blogs! Be sure to bookmark them for tons of inspiration when you are ready to use your Flamingo Scraps goodies.

1.) Ideas For Scrapbookers-  You can find sketches from many talented ladies all in one place on the Ideas For Scrapbookers blog. I may be a tiny bit biased since I'm on the design team! You can find sketches that I've created here as well as tutorials much more by an amazingly talented group of ladies.

2. Pencil Lines-  I really like this blog because the sketches are really easy to work with and the design team members are usually some of the first to use new products. It's a great way to get a peek at what all of the new lines look like in action around CHA!

More of Heather's work can be found here on her blog!!

Guest DT Heather Landry: Splash!

Hi everyone! I'm really excited to be back here on the Flamingo Scraps blog as a guest designer! I thought it would be fun to spotlight sketch blogs with each of my guest design team posts this month. In each post, I will include a layout that I created that was based on a sketch. It will also include links to two more sketch blogs in each post. I thought it would be a good way to let the readers know what's out there for inspiration!

The first layout that I made is based on a lovely sketch by Sketch Support. Click on the link to go to the website and see all of the wonderful pages by their design team too! I particularly love the sketches on this site because they appeal to my love of clean, graphic design. Here is the layout I created...

The only thing on this page that didn't come from Flamingo Scraps is the Kraft paper! I used the Cosmo Cricket Salt Air paper, doilies, chipboard, and stickers that I purchased. I also used Salmon Maya Mist to change the color of the Prima flower. It used to be white. The white was too bright and clashed with my page so I sprayed it. I really love how the glitter still shows through! The background was also misted with Maya Mist in Seafoam Green. It adds a watery look that I thought went perfectly with the layout's subject matter. I used old Prima packaging from my last order from Flamingo Scraps on this page too! It works really well as a mat for my large photo. I made the clear packaging stand out by inking the edges with more mist. I sprayed the mist into a paper towel and then rubbed carefully around the edge. I also embellished the layout using a Prima e-line flower and some Prima gems.

Here are your links to two more inspirational sketch blogs! Be sure to bookmark them for tons of inspiration when you are ready to use your Flamingo Scraps goodies.

1.) Sketchy Thursdays  I love the fact that their sketches usually feature lots of white space. They really challenge me to use my supplies creatively!

2. ) Sketch Inspiration Not only do they have sketches there but they also have an amazing community where you can upload your creations to a gallery. I get lots of comments on my pages there because the ladies are so friendly.

More of Heather's work can be found here on her blog!!

One Sketch, Two Looks

I love working with sketches.  Before I tried them, I used to think that they would limit my creativity, but in fact, the opposite is true.  Sketches often take me out of my comfort zone and challenge me to work with shapes or layouts that I wouldn't typically come up with on my own.

This is a sketch by Rebecca Peck:

It's really simple, which I like.  I decided to see if I could make two cards, both based on the sketch, that look completely different from each other.

For my first card, I used Prima's Rebellious collection.  It follows the sketch fairly closely.  I didn't want to cover up the cute bird paper with a solid circle, so my solution was a semicircle of Stickles dots, connected with a pen. 

From Flamingo Scraps: Prima patterned paper; stickles

Other: Bazzill cardstock; Fiskars border punch; Zig pen

For the second card, I used Prima's My Mommy and Me collection.  I love the embossed leaf paper and didn't want to cover it with a solid circle either!  I laid out a piece of embroidery floss with the intention of hand-stitching a semicircle, but I couldn't get it to lay flat to see if I liked the design.  Then I realized the curvy floss would make such a cute balloon string!  In the end, I used a pen to draw the string and ditched the floss (and the semicircle) altogether. 

From Flamingo Scraps: Prima patterned paper

Other: Bazzill cardstock; Fiskars border punch; LePen marker; vellum; ColorBox ink; Hero Arts stamp

This sketch was so much fun!  As far as making two cards that look completely different from one another... mission accomplished!

Happy Valentine's Day!!

In honor of today's holiday, I thought I'd share a page about love today.... puppy love! :)

From Flamingo Scraps: Basic Grey Curio Patterned Paper and mini mono stickers

Other Supplies: October Afternoon Campground Patterned Paper; Sassafrass Lass Entwined Blooms (Rosey); Making Memories Je t'adore Patterned Paper; KI Memories Hot Strips Over the Rainbow border stickers; KI Memories 3x3 pockets; Stampin' Up! Black Journaling Pen; Stampin' Up! Scallop Border Punch; Studio Calico Love Stamps (January 2011)

This is my Scarlet with her boyfriend, Mr. Clark Kent.  They are too cute together!!  I used this week's sketch from Sketchy Thursdays - love it!! 

Happy Valentine's Day!! ♥

Guest Blogger Heather Landry: FP Like Father, Like Son -- Not Just for Boys!!

Did you know that Fancy Pants Like Father Like Son line is not just for boys? I'll show you a girl themed layout with it in a bit! But first, I wanted to share one that I made of my son at the beach. When I first saw the colors in this line, I immediately thought of these beach photos. The navy paper with the swirls reminded me of waves. I had a blast grunging the papers up with Tim Holtz distress ink.

Don't you just love the rich colors? I so totally do! I also created a sketch based on my layout to share with all of you in case you would like to use it. You can right click, and then click on "Save As" to download the image to your computer.

Here is the girl layout I decided to do. I thought that the masculine colors would work well on a layout about being outdoors even with a feminine subject. I used photos that I took of my daughter on the same trip to the park. Since I scrapped both sets of photos with the same paper line, they will look really great as companion layouts when I put them in my scrapbook!

From Flamingo Scraps (for both layouts!): Fancy Pants Like Father Like Son Paper, Tim Holtz Weathered Wood Distress Ink, Tim Holtz Peeled Paint Distress Ink, and Prima E-line Gems.

Thanks again to Suzanne, Susan, and Amanda for having me! I had a wonderful time creating for Flamingo Scraps!

We thank Heather for joining us yet again to share even more of her fantastic work with us!!  To view more of her layouts and read about her adventures of three adorable kiddos, please check out her blog! 

Guest DT Jill Sarginson: Incorporating your Computer into your Scrapbooking

Hello everyone!
For my 2nd blog posting, I decided to make a sketch exclusive to Flamingo Scraps. When my mojo is MIA or I need a push in the right direction, I find sketches are the best way to get the creative juices flowing!

And here is the layout I created using the sketch:

From Flamingo Scraps: Pink Paislee 365 Degrees pattern paper, Pink Paislee Expressions Glitter Alphabet - Cherry.
Other Supplies: Fiskars Apron Lace border punch, images from Google, black ink and edge distresser

My theme this week is incorporating your computer into your scrapbooking. We all have them and we all use them but did you ever consider using them for your embellishments or journaling?

Tip #1: Embellishments from your computer

On the layout above, I was almost done and then realized I needed an embellishment for the finishing touch. So what do you do when you need an embellishment and can't find anything suitable in your stash? Go to the internet of course - simply go to google.ca (or .com) and click on "Images". Enter what you are looking for. In this case, I entered "art pallet" and voila, a perfect embellishment for my page. Simply print it out on cardstock or photo paper. It is easiest to print circular or square images as this avoids intricate cutting but keep in mind that you can always ink the edges to hide any imperfections if you choose to go with an image that is somewhat harder to cut out. Add pop dots to give it more dimension, ink the image if the cutting isn't smooth and consider mounting it on a co-ordinating piece of pattern paper so it fits in with the rest of your layout. Please note that you may need to resize images found on the internet - most of mine resize to around 2 inches by 2 inches. You can easily do this in any image editing program or you can download a free program called Easy Thumbnails that will allow you to specify the width and height of your image.

To see another example of using an image printed from Google, click here.

Tip #2: Journaling on your layout using your computer

There are many times when you may want to use computer-generated journaling on your layout - you may not like your handwriting or you may have so much to write that it's impossible to get it all on there unless it's in a small font. You may be thinking how can I print on my layout if I don't own a 12 inch printer. You just need to get a little creative and plan it through. In the layout above, I wanted the journaling to be computer-generated and I wanted it to fall at the bottom of my piece of light blue pattern paper. I arranged all of my layers and cut them as I wanted them - since I was following the sketch, that was easy. I then figured out the size of the light blue paper that I had cut - it was 6 x 8.5 inches). I opened my word processing program (Word) and made the margin at the top 6 inches wide. I typed out my journaling. Since I wanted the text to be at the bottom of my page, I also needed it to be at the bottom of my page in Word. I added several returns before my text and printed it onto a regular sheet of paper. This paper has no use and will eventually be thrown away so let's refer to it as the junk paper from now on. The sole purpose of the junk paper is to view how the journaling will look once it's on the piece you want to print on. This is trial and error - you may need to print a few junk papers - you may want to increase or decrease the text size, you may wish to add more text or place it along a different margin. The junk paper is just to experiment so that you don't ruin your pattern sheet and then have to run to your LSS.

To test my junk paper, I placed my blue sheet over the junk paper to make sure the text wasn't too wide. I also placed my photo at the top to ensure I had enough room to place my title once it was all printed. When I was satisfied, I adhered my blue sheet on top of the junk paper. Do this carefully - make sure everything is centered. You will need to used double sided adhesive but don't press down really hard. Place the two papers in the printer correctly and then run it through. When the job is done, you will have your journaling on the piece you want on your layout - you just need to delicately remove it from the junk paper. Gently tearit off - don't worry if some tears, you'll be covering it up anyway.

I hope that helps you with your scrapbooking! If you use the sketch, please leave a link so we can leave you a comment or if you have any tips on using your computer while scrapbooking, share them here!

To view more of Jill's work, please visit her blog!