One Pic Wonders

Recently I was going through some scrapbook layout pictures for a design team call (fingers crossed! LOL) and I noticed a trend...I tend to only scrap 1 picture on a layout.

I tried to figure out why I do this and here's the 2 answers I came up with: 

1) I like products...so, if I have too many pictures, it just doesn't leave a lot of play room.

2) I tend to only print out pictures that I absolutely LOVE, so I don't usually have multiples from one event on hand when I start a project (and who wants to stop working to run and pick up pics from a 1 hour place!?)

Here are 2 of my most recent "One Pic Wonders!"

"Cheryl"

The Beautiful Lady in this picture with me is the fabulous Cheryl Boglioli. I met her a few CHA's ago and there was an instant connection. She is my birthday twin (March 13th!), my soul sister and my mentor. She has been amazing to answer all my questions as I jumped into trying to "be creative" for a living. She has supported me in taking steps that were scary and is just all around fabulous.

I used Glitz's Design's "Color Me Happy" line because the name and colors were just so appropriate! 

I wanted to layout to feel like it was a bunch of pictures kind of just thrown on a desk, so I cut my paper all in similar sizes and shapes to my picture.

Getting the whole story of us on a page was going to be a little difficult, but I didn't want to do "hidden journaling" since the whole purpose of this layout was to tell about us. So I decided to journal in sections around the center focus and then connect them with a "follow" arrow, to make it easier to read the journaling in order.

Adding a little washi tape (by Queen and Co and The Paper Studio) added some fun elements and a splash of color to finish it off.

"You're Never Blue When You have Cousins"

I made this layout for a color challenge for Scrapbook News and Review Magazine, but I wanted to go beyond the obvious of making it blue in color, but since BLUE can also mean sad, I had to think kinda hard to come up with some way to use it that wasn't depressing! LOL.

I came across this picture of my two oldest kiddos and my nephew and I love it because they are SSSOO HAPPY together...hhmm...I thought...happy is the opposite of sad...sad means blue...that was my angle!

I started with a sheet of Pink Paislee's Mistables Paper in a hexagon shape and used a couple colors of Tattered Angels mists to make my background. Using lighter and darker blues gave my background depth instead of one flat color. I also left some places white to give it a little bit of a distressed look.

For this layout, I dug in my stash and found some yummy embellies that I had owned for a while, but had never used:

* Acrylic Photo Cover from My Mind's Eye-It added my border and my flowers to my picture!

* Canvas tag by Basic Grey (on left side)-Added some great texture

* Metal "Happy" (Pink Paislee) and "Three" Tag (Jillibean Soup)-these act as almost a "second" title

* Metal Flowers Brads and Acrylic Letters-The Paper Studio

* Grunge Key (Tim Holtz) and Wooden Letters (Pink Paislee)

I finished it off with some sprinkled and splattered blue Tattered Angels glaze (because kids are messy right?) and these fantastic little silver dots from a company called Candi Dots (this is a company out of the UK...check 'em out!)

What about you? Are you a one pic wonder or a fill-the-page kind of scrapper?

I would love to see your style! 

Leave me a comment!

Until next time friends...stay ONE-derful and stay creative.

XOXO,

KERI

To keep it simple or not? Why do we have to choose!!??

As a creative person, you know a question that always makes me blubber like an idiot? 

"Describe your style?"

WHAT? UUMmm...well..ya...you see...

That is pretty much what my brain does when it's asked that question.

Really...my "style" depends on my subject! If' I'm scrapping, my subject is/are the picture(s.) If I'm doing a canvas, it's the paper or the phrase I have in mind for the project. If it's a gift, it's the person who is going to receive it.

I guess you could say, I like to keep it interesting!

Today, I wanted to share with you a few scrapbook layouts that were all done by me, but are all VERY different in their composition.

This has got to be one of the "simplest" layouts I have ever done, but one of my favs. It consists of: paper from Hobby Lobby (the butterflies were "pre-embellished"), foam Thickers, journaling spot from Jillibean Soup and a little paper trim from Doodlebug to "frame" the picture. That's it! I probably had it done in 10 minutes. Sometimes it worth paying a little bit more for your paper if it's going to make your job easier.

Now this one...is what you would call BUSY! LOL. There are paint splatters, chipboard circles, washi and glitter tape, butterflies, stamps, journaling...there is a lot going on! The reason? I wanted to convey the fun of CHA and my EXCITEMENT over being there. The pictures are kept in a circular pattern so that not one is highlighted and circles in the background help support that idea, along with keeping up the fun without going CRAZY with the color. (and yes...that is the FABULOUS Becky Higgins, along with Maggie (aka Mid-Western Sewing Girl) and Lindsey both of Heidi Swapp's Media team and Trisha of Artsy Adventure!)

This layout, to me, is "middle of the road." Yes...there are "clusters" of a lot going on, but the colors are all uniform in tone, compliment each other without one particular one sticking out (the patterned paper is from My Mind's Eye's Miss Caroline line.) Even using the bold chevron from Heidi Swapp in the background isn't overpowering because the color itself is very soft and it blends well with the other colors. 

I do have to do a shout out on this one...see those ADORABLE little bows? They were designed for AccuCut by my friend Vicki Chrisman. They were so easy to make and really added to the feminine feel of this whole layout.

So there you go...three layouts...all very different, but all from the same mind (as crazy as it may be! LOL!)

If you like simple, then be simple. If you like crazy, then be crazy! If you wanna do it all, then do it all and let your individual project be your guide.

Be you...be true and be creative.

Until Next time friends...

XOXO

KERI

NEW Layout and NEW Book!!!

Did you think I had fallen of the blogger-sphere? :) 

Summer has begun in our world and that means 3 kiddos that need to be entertained. Sound familiar? But! I will still find time for me..or I might go crazy over the next 10 weeks. 

Wanna know one way I'm gonna do that?

I was browsing Barnes and Nobles one day and came across this book:

I was intrigued...list making as a way of self-discovery? And I thought...."I L-O-V-E lists! But how can it help me discover anything? My lists are usually To-Do lists." (which usually only helps me discover how little time there is in a day!)

But as I opened the cover and started reading some of the topics, I realized there were a lot of things I didn't know about myself. Like..list the biggest turning points in your life...list all the activities you would do if you weren't so afraid...list your biggest dream and most recurring nightmare. 

Have you ever thought of these things? I haven't. 

And not all of them are super deep..some are ways to remember what you've forgotten ... Like " list everything you can remember from your parent living room growing up" or "list some important things you lost over the years."

And some...well...they're just fun: List the types of people you think should never get behind the wheel or List this regular everyday items you wish you never had to buy again.

Are you ready? Let's do this journey together....

Today's List: List the situations that always make you cry.

My list: 

Break-ups in movies

Death of a child

People achieving their dreams

Feeling out of control 

I'm excited to take this journey and hope your excited to take it with me!

And now....you didn't think I would leave you without a little creative inspiration did you?  

Today on the Scrapbook News and Review Blog, it's Color Inspiration! 

Can you be inspired by this:

I loved the unique color combo so I chose to focus on that for this Layout called "It's a small world" about the worldwide friends I've made through CHA.

You can't go wrong with Heidi Swapp and Pink Paislee, right?

Until next time my friends, let's continue on this creative life together...and discover all we can be. 

God Bless.

New Layout and FIRST time on the SNR Blog!

I am so excited to be featured on the Scrapbook News and Review Blog today for their Color Palette of the Week.

This week SNR is focusing on the color NAVY!

Navy is such a classic and versatile color. Just by what you pair it with, you can go masculine...feminine...sophisticated or fun!

Here is this week's color palette:

I have to admit..the quilt is not something I would ever have in my house...it's just not me. LOL!

But, when I saw this color palette, I INSTANTLY remember a collection by Teresa Collins called Now and Then. 

To me, the collection was a muted, feminine version of the color palette I had to work with. The only thing missing was that golden/camel color at the beginning. So, I added a little My Mind's Eye Lost and Found hexagon paper and some Pink Paislee Wooden Letters painted gold.

Here's a quick tutorial on the flowers!

1) Cut your flowers from whatever die or punch you have available in 3-4 sizes. I used Tim Holtz's Tattered Flowers by Sizzix. The die has 4 different sizes on one block, so it made it super easy to cut a lot a one time.

2) Lightly spray your flowers with water and then scrunch them up.

3) Let them dry completely (hit them with a heat gun if you need to speed it up!)

4) Once they are completely dry, ink them if you want and layer them up! Plan out your flowers BEFORE gluing because you don't want to get to your last flower and realize you have 2 that are the same size or pattern.

5) I added 7Gypsies silver studs for my centers, but you can use buttons, crystals, stickers...what ever you have on hand. 

I hope you enjoyed this quick little post! I can't wait to show you more of my Creative Life!

NEW Memories...NEW Project...NEW Series!!

It's time for another round of NEW-ness here at The Creative Life!!

NEW MEMORIES!

This past Saturday I did something NEW...I ran my first 10k!

 I started running back in August with the app Count-to-5K for 2 reasons: (1) I wanted to be an example of a healthy lifestyle to my kids and (2) I had my SILs and some great friends who had started running and I was totally inspired by the confidence it had been giving them.

So I just...started running. The Couch-to-5k (and eventually the 5k-to-10k app) really helped hold my hand through the process. Being someone who's never been "sporty" I had no clue where to start.

I had a lot of cheerleaders like my SILs Kelly and Leslie, my sister Leslie, and my friends Kristen and Kelly, but my biggest was this girl right here!

My friend Deana has already run a half-marathon and a full-marathon and was my go-to person for all my questions, my "OMG...what am I doing?" moments and my confidence builder when I was injured a few weeks ago and wasn't even sure if I was going to be able to run at all.

We ran the 10K together and even though she finished about 10 minutes ahead of me, she made her way back on the course after she had crossed the finish line to run the last 1/4 mile with me. 

Here is my first metal:

And here is where my family and I went for my "victory" breakfast afterwards!!!

So what next? Well...this race was my "practice" race for a half-marathon I am scheduled to run in just 2 weeks. Since my injury put me behind on my training schedule (I had to take 2 weeks off), I am a little more nervous now than I was when I ran 10 miles 4 weeks ago, but I'm not going to give up!

NEW PROJECT...NEW SERIES!!!

Heidi Swapp's Color Pop is one of my FAVORITE new things out there in the paper-crafting world. I've always loved the "resist" products, but where as all other products resist white, Heidi has taken it up a notch and made her resists BRIGHT Colors and Fun, Bold Patterns.

In her Color Pop Collection, she has her trademark Memory Files in all sorts of yumminess like Teal Chevron, Pink Polk-Dot and Black Diagonal Stripes, shown here in front, which is what I used to make MY first ever Memory File!

I decided I wanted to do a fun Yellow and Black color scheme, so I used Tattered Angels' Jingle Bells Glimmer Mist on my folder.

I wanted my Memory File to be all about my hottie hubby and me, so I had this really cute picture my SIL had given me of us from a few years ago. From there it was just all about adding fun. I popped a lot of it up to give it a lot of depth and allow me to "tuck" embellishments here and there. (See below for a complete supply list!)

So fun, right? 

You can join me over the next few months in my NEW SERIES as I add to my File and join me in building more memories!

Until then my friends...enjoy YOUR Creative Life...where ever it may lead you.

Complete Supply list of today: Memory File: Heidi Swapp; Patterned Paper: Echo Park, Glitz Design and My Mind's Eye; Chipboard Arrows: Pink Paislee; Washi Tape: Sandy Lion and Recollections; Enamel Dots: Teresa Collins; Lace: May Arts; Title Card: Glitz Design; Stamps: Fiskars; Glitter Dots: Mark Richardson; Button: Teresa Collins; Gem: Paper Studio;  Paint: Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist in Jingle Bell; Misc: Harlequin Felt (had it so long....no idea who made it! LOL!)

Putting Myself Out There is Scary!

Like any artist it is ssoo hard for me to put myself out there and let people critique what I do, but if you don't will you ever get any better?

 

I've decided not to live in fear of the unknown and put myself out there...no matter how scary!! LOL

 

In 9 days I will be submitting projects to audition for Jillibean Soup's Design Team!

 

They requested 2 layouts and 1 "other project." Below is a sneak peek of one of my layouts. Afterwards...I'll post the whole thing.

 

This actually features the My Mind's Eye Miss Caroline-Dilly Dally line. I've had the 6x6 pad of this for a while (got a GREAT deal on it on Peachy Cheap!) and since the projects don't have to feature Jillibean, I thought this was a perfect opportunity to use it since it is similar to Jillibean.

 



Had a lot of fun making 3-D Flowers and playing with lace. I only had off-white lace, so I got out my trusty Tattered Angels Glam in "Be Positive" and just changed it up!

What I also did that was fun was to head to my local Walmart Paint section and grab some paint swatches in coordinating colors. This is a fun (and thrifty!) way to add the perfect solid colored accents to any project.

Are you interested? Here is the Jillibean Soup Blog for more details: Jillibean Soup Blog-Design Team Call

Deadline is September 15th, so get on it and step out without fear! (Or at least in SPITE of it!!)