The Times They Are a-Changin'

Change is in the air. No, not literally, it's still 106 outside. I'm talking about a change within. Taking new roads. Trying something different.

I've always been a purist with my scrapbooking style: clean lines, coordinating themes based on my photos, never mixing, always matching. It must be the heat, because I decided to mix it up a bit. Gasp!

I challenged myself to create a layout using non-traditional colors, distressed embellishments and simple structure. I adore these pictures of my daughter talking with Santa Claus and I wanted them to play the starring role, instead of being overshadowed by the typical Christmas patterns. Looking through all my papers, I went with the muted tones featured in the Happy Travels collection by Glitz Design. Using burgundy and turquoise for a holiday layout instead of red and green, and not a tree or ornament in sight. But wait, there's more - I even hand wrote on a journal tag! Pigs must be flying outside, if they can bear the heat!

Second challenge: use a simple focal embellishment. None of the flowers I had on hand would cut it. So I took another chance and made my own! Using techniques I found online, I created two flowers using the Happy Travels papers. I'm bananas over how they turned out! Who needs to buy flowers when you can make such fabulous ones yourself! I love the texture and how they ended up looking like soft leather.

Step 1: Punch and distress.

Step 2: Assemble, adhere and then pinch yourself for never doing this before.

Step 3: Take a bunch of pictures of the flowers. Why? Because they're just so darn pretty!

Ta da! My finished double-paged 8x8 layout. Forgive me my amateur iPhone pictures. Next time I'll beg Mark to let me use his snazzy Canon.

Here's to new beginnings and trying something different! This was the perfect trial run for the Paris layouts I'll be working on next summer. Au revoir!

Supplies used:

Glitz Design Happy Travels papers, journaling stickers and giant rhinestones

Cricut Storybook and Simply Sweet cartidges for the flowers, letters and flourishes

Tim Holtz Distress Ink in Tea Dye

Little Yellow Bicycle paper lace doilies

Martha Stewart Deco Flowers punches

{Most of the supplies I used are available at Happy N Scrappin - my favorite online shop. They have great deals and lovely customer service!}

Hello Friend!

I haven't added a new post to my blog in almost a year, but seeing this set of scrapbook papers inspired me to start again. Hello Friend is a gorgeous collection of papers, stickers and embellishments from Glitz Design.

Who can resist such delicious prints? Not me!

The Hello Friend scrapbook layout above, that Glitz Design published on their blog, is simply adorable. I can't wait to take just the right photo during my upcoming trip to Paris and use it in a similar layout of my own.

What draws me most to this collection are the beautiful, candy-like, soft colors: coral, turquoise, cream, raspberry and coffee. The prints on the Bokeh paper blend the colors together in such an inviting way.

Bokeh 12x12 paper

Glitz Design has a few trademark embellishments, such as the Whatnots, that I am smitten with. They layer so beautifully and add a whimsical touch that sets their collections apart.

Whatnots

I'm not a rhinestone kind of gal. In fact, if you say the word rhinestone to me, images of hair-sprayed and spray-tanned Las Vegas showgirls cloud my vision. But Glitz has forever changed my mind about the dazzling embellishment that is a rhinestone. The prints they use for their Giant Rhinestones are scrumptious. If they were candy, I would pop each piece in my mouth and savor its sugary goodness!

Giant Rhinestones

The Paper Garlands are new additions to the Glitz collections, and oh, the possibilities of what to use them for!

Paper Garland

Is this a shameless attempt to market a scrapbook company and revel in my favorite hobby (besides reading)? Yes. I won't deny it. But just as other girls post pictures of their fire-engine red Louboutins, I like to share my love for pretty paper. Is that so wrong?

It's all about the details.

Hello Friend Collection