Layouts⎪XoXo

Hello there! I have been lazy with maintaining my blog again this month. I have this layout sitting in my draft folder for weeks and now I finally push the publish button to show you guys here!

I am totally in love with these dies by Amy Tangerine and Dear Lizzy when American Crafts just launched the new die set. I used these dies a lot for cutting patterned papers, vellum, felt and even cork sheet. *Enabler aper* you can get yours at Citrus Twist Kits store too!

For this layout, I want the XOXO die-cut to be the focus of the layout so I die-cut as many as I could with blue, pink patterned papers and some vellums. Then used them as background. I believed I have channeled the awesome Paige Taylor Evans in me when I piece all the XOXO die cuts together. I love how Paige's layouts are always quilting inspired and the way she uses a lot of patterned papers in her pages. Okay, my layout is no where to be as pretty as hers, but i really love how the die-cut background turned out.

More close-ups of the die-cuts. It was quote painful (Ahem, I mean tedious) to roll the die cuts again and again. But it is also very fun and therapeutic when you keep repeating the same things ;)

I also add some machine stitching to every XOXO die cuts because I didn't use much adhesive to stick them on my page and want them to be floating on the background. (Not sure if it make any sense ;))

Thanks for looking! And now, go here to get this set of dies! Its one of the must have dies, I kid  you not!

XoXo,

Project Life⎪Week 43 *Citrust Twist Kits*

Happy Friday! This is Sam today to blog about my Pocket Life spread using Citrus Twist November kits. I only used November PL kit + PL embellies kit, along with some of the dies, embossing folders and gelatos from my own stash to add some texture to my PL spread.

Does adding textures and paints to your PL spreads sound intimidating (or super messy) to you? Here's my PL Week 43 with a lot of texture without making my fingers inky.

Here's my left spread:

Here's my right spread:

I am loving the photo frame paper that came in the Dear Lizzy 6x6 pad. I wanted to dress up some of the frames with different patterned papers. Some I cut out the centre with my X-acto knife and some I simply add some colours with my Zebra Mildliner (pastel colour highlighter). 

I wanted to add more pink & orange to my left spread so I painted some 3x4 white card stocks with Gelatos.

I emboss one of the 3x4 white card stock with my embossing folders from Lifestyle Crafts. I love adding subtle texture to my journalling cards with embossing nowadays. The tags are die cut using Avery Elle's dies with coloured card stocks and Dear Lizzy papers. Can't bare to throw away the pretty twine that came with the kit so I upcycled it and tied it to one of my tags.

Keeping my embellishments and layering pretty minimal for my recent PL spreads. Die Cut geotag is from my own stash.

This spread showing the day we sold our old car in Singapore and gotten a new car in Malaysia.  the die cut cars and tags are from my own stash too. 

I love the 'Good Stuff' but it was in vertical 3x4 journalling card. So I cut it out and adhere to my 4x3 card stock.

I know some of you love using sketch when making PL spreads. And I am kinda hook to follow Kasia's sketches that came with the kits too! Here's my PL sketches for this week: 

Thanks for looking! I hope this spread would inspire you to think out of the box and add some fun texture to your weekly spread. 

XoXo

Project Life⎪Week 45 *Citrust Twist Kits*

Hello there! It's Wednesday and I am sharing a llayour-cum-PL on Citrus Twist Blog today. Just a quick note: this month I made total 4 weeks Project Life spread + a layout using just the PL kit + PL embellies kit. Cant believe that? I only sneak in 2~3 pieces of 12x12 patterned papers, white card stocks, Thickers and gelatos  (which are my staples whenever I work on my projects) and ta-dah! 4 PL pages and 1 layout is done.

I total spent 35 minutes on this simple layout (which doesn't include the time I print and edit photo).
30 minutes - looking for the Dear Lizzy 6x6 pad
5 minutes - on a layout

Gentle reminder to self: Keep my supplies organised so that I would spend more time scrapping than looking for stuff ;) Since I only spent 5 minutes working on the layout, I would share with you how I did it. This is actually the left page of my PL week 45.

I decided to make it in a 12x12 layout this week simply because I am lazy to work on each individual pocket. Don't get me wrong. I love decorating each and every pocket but sometimes I do have time constraint in keeping my PL up to date and I found this 5-minute layout works extremely well for me.

Steps:
1. Print 4 photos of 2.5'x2.5'. Gotta be smaller than 3 inch each so that we could fit 4 photos on a piece of 6x6 paper.
2. I just work on my routine - laying white card stock on a piece of 12x12 paper from my stash. These are my staples that I breath, eat, drink my white cardstocks. It shows how important they are to me.
3. Once background done, I tear 3 pieces of 6x6 papers from the paper pad. Ok, these ar emu last 3 pieces so I have no choice at all! *LOL*
4. Layer the 3 pieces of papers as photo mat, then arrange the printed photos in grid style. You can never go wrong with a grid layout right?
5. I didn't have much embellies on hand, so I hand cut and punch out some shapes to create my own banner. And also added a fussy cut flowers from the paper pad at the bottom right to create a cluster.
6. Can never call it done without some mist splatter right?

Note: the title '45' is from the June/July CTK kit.

Making your own banner is always easy. Cut some square, triangles and rectangle, punch out some half-circle then stitch them down. You have your own cute little banners. Easy way to perk up any page!

Fussy cut flowers and exclusive wood chips to create a simple cluster.

A few days after I am done with the week 45 spread, I was thinking why not making this into a double page layout since I have a few more photos form my Week 45. Then I used the same steps but now working on 9 photos for the right spread. And this took me total 10 minutes! I absolutely love this week spread because i only sent 15 mins to get it done and it also looks different from my usual weekly spreads in pockets!

And here's the right page of Week 45: 

I typed the journalling with my pink tappy. The cursive font is to die for! Did you notice that I didn't stamp the specified date on each of the photo? Because all these happened in week 45 so I guess I shouldn't be too particular with the exact date. Else stamping the date might take up another 5-10 mins of my time ;)

Thanks for looking! Do share with me once you have created a 5-10 minutes layout!

Layout⎪Little Little Moments *Citrus Twist Kits*

Today I am sharing one of my layout using the 6x6 paper pads that came in November Pocket Life kit on Citrust Tiwst Kits blog. I am in love with the Dear Lizzy Polka Dots Party collection because it is mainly in pastel colour - Pink & Mint! These two are my favourite colours!

I love all the papers so I started cutting up papers in 2 inch height of various width. I want to make a grid layout with a huge photos! This photo measures A5 sized, which is a challenge that I have set for myself, to scrap large photo layouts in November. 

Inspired by Kristina Nicolai White's video on Two Peas to doodle your own title. So I combined the alphabet sticker sheets and my own doodle to create this title. I know my handwriting isn't perfect but it added some personal touch to my layout.

Loving the stamp set designed by Fabstagram!

I added the number 1.2.3. wood chips to guide the flow of the layout.

p.s. Everything is from Citrus Twist Kits - November Pocket Life & Embellies kit. I only sneak in a piece of mint patterned paper and white card stock to use as background.

Thanks for looking! Have a great day ahead!

Layout⎪ You're Mommy's Squeaky Toys *Let's Get Sketchy*

I am up on Let's Get Sketchy blog this week again by creating a layout using this pretty multi-photo sketch. And yes, I cheat a little. I stick to this sketch and created a single photo layout ;P

More layout using Dear Lizzy Lucky Charm collection, and I hope you are not bored with'em yet!

I basically created this layout using whatever laying on my craft table - Dear Lizzy Lucky Charm papers, Prima Flowers, Die cuts, Martha Stewart Paint and Elle's studio tags (that I left over from doing my PL spread)

I subsitute the extra two photos with the cute Jars that I fussy cut from one of the lucky Charm paper.

My son always squeak and squeal during his first month and thus my hubster jokingly says that baby boy is my squeaky toys.

Thanks for looking. Do hop over to Let's Get Sketchy blog to check out other pretty projects using the same sketch for more inspiration. XoXo.

Layout⎪ Today We... *About A Boy*

This layout is inspire by Dear Lizzy roller stamp with the quote 'today we...' and also the challenge by About A Boy which is to create a layout with the colors of red, white & blue. Red isnt the usual color that I would pick for my projects so this is quite a challnge to me.

Here's my take: A layout with hint of red & blue ;)

I have created at least 5~6 projects using Lucky Charm collection and still have quite a number of papers left. I love the title TODAY WE... as this picture bascally captured the daily things we do. Sometimes we read, we play with flash cards,, tummy time, sing & dance, watch nursery rhymes, laugh and cry together. I want to document all the precious moments with photo and even video. 

I pulled out all the embellishments and die cut in Blue & Red then stack them under or around the photo. Love this cute photo of Ivan who stared at the girl in the flash card in a funny expression. I couldn't help giggle whenever I see this picture. 

I also added some Amy Tangerine die cut and puffy stickers in my stash. Those puffy stickers are so cute that I wanna hoard them all!

Do hop over About A Boy challenge blog to check out the rest of the Red/White/Blue layout by other ladies. I hope you do play along with us! Thanks for looking, XoXo!

Layout⎪ Wild Thing I Love You *Let's Get Sketchy*

I love this week sketch up at Let's Get Sketchy although I hardly scrap more than 1 photo layout. Love that I am doing something a little different from what I normally do. That's why I love joining skecth challenge as it does push me work out-of-the-box and out of my comfort zone. 

Here's the sketch:

I love how the title is placed right below the photo and also the little embellished top right corner. 

Here's my take:

As you could see, I still couldnt get over the pretty papers and embellishments from Dear Lizzy Lucky Charm collection. Love that the embellishments are more suitable for baby boy layout, yet it has my favourite colours - Pink and yellow incorporated. The background is done with Martha Stewart Acrylic Paint, I think it looks pretty awesome and it is actually easy peasy. I will definitely share the tutorial on creating faux watercolor background soon.

And some of the close up: 

The horse sticker is too cute and I have been saving this for a suitable baby boy layout!

Using Versafine Gray ink here to create a softer look. Something different from my routine, as I always stamp with only black ink ;)

I am still not done with the sequin craze! I got this pretty pearl white sequins from Spotlight and I have been using it everywhere on my layout, cards and project life.

Thanks for looking!  I hope the awesome sketch does inspire you to create a layout or two and remember to post it up on Let's Get Sketchy blog. Do hop over to see the awesome projects by the rest of the ladies! XoXo.

Layout⎪ So Loved*

Hello there! I am posting another layout of Baby Ivan. I completed three layouts of him in 2 days time. My instgram bestie Evelin is right, being a mum makes us a fast scrapbooker. Don't ask me how I manage to scrap and craft so much even with a 2 weeks-old newborn. The truth is I have a supermom who helps me take care of baby while I nap. Sometimes I steal time in between feeding sessions to scrap or work on my Project Life. Sometimes I forced myself to scrap because I have some DT assignments to work on, but most of the time I scrap to keep myself stay awake and de-stress. All moms know how demanding a newborn can be right?

Here's 3rd layout of Ivan. I think I would need to run to our local scrapbook store to get two more new album dedicated for baby's layout. 

A simple layout inspired by Maggie Holmes & Janna Werner's layout of creating banners in layout. I also stitched a layer of white crepe paper on the background to create dreamy effect as Ivan was dreaming away in the photo. 

Loving this Amy Tangerine semi-transparent alphas. They look yummilicious when stacked together. 

Using lots of Dear Lizzy Lucky Charm here. The papers are just perfect for a baby boy layout. Keep layering the arrows, banners and stickers. <3

Love this 'Hello, my name is' tag. Too cute!!

Oh by the way, I have completed my Week 15 spreads yesterday and made another layout today. Super proud of myself being so crafty. And super blessed to have mum to help taking care of baby when I craft away. Next month when I go back to Singapore, I am on my own again.

Thanks for looking, XoXo.