As Christine mentioned, Becky Fleck's new release PageMaps is full of design ideas for all page sizes. I myself had attempted a few two-page layouts in the past, but after an hour or two of total confusion, usually abandoned them for the traditional 1 pager. My desire to make some two-page layouts never really faded though. Going into my 3rd (and possibly final) attempt, I felt an underlying confidence that I hadn't previously had. Things were going to be different...because this time around I had a PageMap!

Page inspiration: Last spring I took a trip to Mazatlan, Mexico with a group of friends (the trip was a surprise Christmas gift from Eric...something I'll spend the rest of my life trying to trump!). The trip was awesome and I had so many favorite pictures that I knew I couldn't pick just one or two. So, I picked a two page sketch with slots for more than a handful of photos.

I had such a good time challenging myself on this page. Having the sketch as a guide really eased the process and made me feel more confident in my decisions as the page came together. Have you tried using a sketch lately? Try your chances at a free copy of Becky's book by leaving a message on MyCraftivity.

Happy Crafting!
Eileen

My parents have recently taken on a new title of Grandma and Grandpa to my daughter Brianna. They prefer to be called G-MA and G-PA. G-PA has a serious addiction to my daughter and can't seem to get enough of her. I promised him I'd do a layout of the two of them awhile ago. Last Friday at F+W we had a group crop (so much fun). I just had to keep my word and create a layout for my dad.

This adorable picture was taken at daycare one day when my dad went to pick Brianna up...I just LOVE the facial expressions. The photography definitely captures the joy of the moment. It's one of my favorites. Inspiration: Brianna is such a ray of sunshine to have in the house, bringing smiles to many different faces. Her light hearted, radiant behavior rubs off on us...so I tried to portray these quailties/feelings in this G-PA layout.

Also, Brianna and I have a fun lil' song we sing..."G-PA, G-PA, he's our man, if he can't do it, no one can." It has a nice rhythm to it. Brianna always smiles and laughes when we sing this song. Of course I had to incorporate this lil' jive on the page.

Enjoy,
Kelly

The journaling reads: A visit to Jenny's house wouldn't be complete without a trip to the Pink Room, that magical place where she keeps all of her thrift-store finds. Hats, dresses, scarves and purses. All the things girls young and old (and a little boy or two) love to play with .

The patterned paper is My Mind's Eye; the letter stickers (which I think add a nice sense of playfulness) are from Doodlebug.

Until next time,
Christine

Embellishing Felt with Glitter
1.    Cut self-adhesive felt (such as Queen & Co.’s Felt Fusion) to desired length. Cover work surface with scrap paper.
2.    Peel off backing from felt. Sprinkle exposed adhesive with glitter.
3.    Shake excess glitter from felt onto scrap paper. Pour extra glitter back into container.
4.    Adhere felt side of embellishment to layout.

I used this technique for the flower head above. I actually applied a second layer of glitter to the flower by adhering it with dimensional adhesive, like Ranger's Glossy Accent. Can't get too much glitter.


Adding a Glossy Effect to Ribbon
1.    Cut ribbon slightly longer than desired. (This is because sometimes the ends curl and need to be trimmed.)
2.    Apply dimensional adhesive (such as Glossy Accents) to ribbon surface in desired pattern.
3.    Set aside to dry. Once dry, trim ribbon to desired length.

This is the technique I used on the ribbon above, again adding a bit of glitter to the Glossy Accents before it dried.
  

Personalizing Glitter Embellishments
1.    Peel yellow backing from adhesive sheet (such as those created by Scrapbook Adhesives) and apply to desired paper.
2.    Cover work surface with scrap paper. Peel white backing from adhesive sheet.
3.    Sprinkle glitter over exposed adhesive and shake excess onto scrap paper. Pour extra glitter back into container.
4.    Use a template or draw freehand a design onto back of paper. Cut out the design with scissors.

For this one, I didn't read Crystal's instructions before I started. So I cut my wave shapes from the adhesive sheet, removed the backing, placed the sticker on my paper, and then added the glitter. It was a bit tricky to remove the adhesive backing from the wave shape. But it is do-able with a little patience, and I really like the way it turned out.

Hope these inspire you to bring out your glitter and glue and play a little!

Until next time,
Christine

Our recent project at the F+W weekly knit-a-long was a super cute heart pin (check here for the free pattern). Being the novice knitter that I am, I never did get two hearts to match up in size quite right...so...I made cards with them! Here's a tag that I plan on putting with the gift I got for my husband. Since the heart was kind of tattered looking, I decided to make it a theme by incorporating some grungy cardboard and less-than-perfect outlined acrylic letters. Definitely a gift handmade with love. (And here's a pic of two staffers getting in on the fun at last weeks gathering)

    Of course it's that time of year again when everything in Hallmark stores are Red, pink, and white...filled with warmth and love. Valentine's day is such a nice holiday to spend with the ones you truly appreciate and love. This will be my daughter's first Valentine's day, and although she really doesn't grasp the concept of this special day, I want her first card to be unique and obviously HANDMADE. So I gathered a bunch of scrapbook supplies and paint and created a Lucky Love card. I'm so blessed and LUCKY to have her in my life. Inspiration for the title of the card came from a four leaf clover made of hearts. Hopefully some day down the road, she'll cherish this piece of artwork and will save it for sentimental purposes. I hope this Valentine's Day treats you with lots of hugs, kisses (hershey kisses that is), and of course TLC.

Kelly