Archives for October 2009

I just love the inspirations I can get from Shabby Chic Designs.

The awesome romantic and softness it portrays. The ideas one can get from pictures like these below are endless, portrays a sense of calmness within us, which is when I find I can create more…no distractions of any kind.

I can see simple, lots of white space and very minimalistic layouts being designed.

Notice in each picture how certain aspects are highlighted in the pictures. As if to draw your eye to it immediately. For example if you look at the last photo above your eye goes straight to the butterfly swirl design. Like a single photo on a layout makes more of an impact than many.

Everything looks so dreamy and heavenly, like it’s a place you could go and loose yourself in, even if for just a few hours.

The only advice I can give you is to try using these ideas on your pages, keep it simple with clean lines.

At the end of the day, these two below are what inspires me to Scrapbook.

I certainly hope I have been able to inspire you with this week’s inspirations and get your creative juices flowing…

**Edited** For those of you interested in where I got the photos from, credit is due at Shabby Chic Blog.

Hi, Sophia Allison here and I will  be your Blog Host this week, all the way from South Africa.

My challenge for you is to create a MOBILE to decorate your Studio or even your child’s room. It adds a wonderful touch and you can make it with whatever colour combos you like to match with your decor.

In my project below, you will see that I have used a wooden hoop, which I painted cerise. Used clear fishing nylon to thread the paper butterflies onto, Chip shapes, beads and jewels. This sure will add a great feature to one of my little girls room.

Liz Qualman made this little beauty from the Lil’ Miss Collection. She focused on the super cute stickers that come with the line and stuck them to brown cardstock to add some thickness to them. Then she cut them out, tied them to string and attached a Pebbles Chips flower for some weight. She used an embroidery circle for her mobile frame, tied string and ribbon to it and then wrapped the paper design around it.

Samantha Sibbert used only 3 large butterflies and added the Chips scrolls as the butterfly feelers, what a great idea.

Then, just for something different…Mimi Leinbach altered a box and this was the end result. Using the paper as ribbons twirls, adds a wonderful touch to the little box.

Now, I hope that we have been able to inspire you to create your very own masterpiece. It sure is a great way to use up your scraps you have lying around…

Congrats, Josh!

Josh and his wife, Mandi, are expecting baby #3–a little GIRL!– on February 14th! They couldn’t be more excited!

Congrats!!!

So, why create a double layout? Double layouts are great for when you have too many photos to fit on the one page or have a more detailed story to tell. Usually I reserve double layouts for special occasions…birthdays, Christmas, weddings etc. Sometimes, one page just won’t do! lol.

There are many ways that you can create a well balanced double page spread. You can unify the two sides by using coordinating colours, by spreading embellishments across both pages, or by using the same techniques. You can also create a mirror image of the left and right sides. Another way is to spread your title across the two pages. A double layout will have more impact and feel more balanced if the elements and your photos are brought in close together. The layouts below by the Pebbles Inc team show you how…

Sketches are another great way for you to create a well balanced layout…the hard work has already been done for you! Sketches in this post are courtesy of PageMaps.
I have used the sketch above to create my layout. Even though the elements are off centre, because they are drawn close together, they create a sense of balance. Here’s my layout…I have used papers from the Lil’ Buddy range to create a wintery layout. There’s definitely more to the Lil’ Buddy range than little boy pages. I added more chipboard flourishes and flowers across the layout in coordinating colours.
Here’s a few detail shots…
Liz Qualman also used the Lil’ Buddy range to create her double layout. Liz had these photos of her son and couldn’t figure out how to use them on just one page, so the double pager was perfect to show the moment. Liz has balanced the different sized photos with the two stacked on top in the middle and the journaling and strips of paper on the ends. This layout is Liz’s own design.

Samantha Sibbet has used the sketch above to create her double page, also using the Lil’ Buddy range. You can see that Sam has spread three flowers across her layout. This little trick of placing your embellishments (or colours) in a triangular formation is a basic design principle. By using things in three’s, you will create a sense of balance.
Check out the adorable hanging frame and handmade flower Sam has created!
The next few layouts have been created using this sketch. Even though all four layouts have used the same sketch, they look and feel different because of the colours, patterns and embellishments used.
Gaelle Fauglas has created this layout using patterned paper from the Skipping Along range. Gaelle has spritzed her layout with glimmermist…by using the same technique across both sides, this unifies the pages to create a successful double layout.
Akiko Kuroki used the Lil’ Miss range to create her layout. The striped patterned paper that extends across both pages of her layouts ties the two pages together. Akiko has also added embellishments in pink on both sides, further balancing her double layout.
Cherie Nymeyer has used the bright patterned papers of the Downtown range against black cardstock. Using black and white photos with bright colours is very effective. Cherie has mirrored the use of yellow and houndstooth papers on both sides, and tied both sides together with the stripped and polka dot patterned papers.
Last but not least, Christa Paustenbaugh has converted the sketch to suit an 8.5×11 format. Christa has used the strips from the bottoms of the Lil’ Miss patterned papers to create a fun strip across the top of her layout. Christa has also swapped out one of the 6×4 photos for a smaller photo and a piece of art created by her daughter. The drawing has been framed using Pebbles Inc chipboard that has been trimmed to create glittery photo corners.
Here’s a close up…
Double layouts can be fun to create and enable you to tell a more detailed story of an event or moment. Just use the tips above and you’ll be creating gorgeous double layouts in no time.

I’ve had a blast hosting the Pebbles blog this week and hope you’ve enjoyed it too. Until next time…cheers! Lis.

There are so many inspirational things out there in the world, and here are just a few inspiring me at the moment.

I keep a copy of this postcard on my desk at work (red and white though). Its a great reminder and has a nice simple design. Duck egg blue and grey are also a favourite colour combination of mine, and most of my house is decorated this way.
This pillow just speaks to me…I can see myself creating ruffles out of white Pebbles Inc ribbon and adding it to a layout real soon! Just loosely stitch through the centre of the ribbon and pull the threads to create a ruffle.
Sarah Richardson is one of my favourite interior designers and I look forward to watching her shows every Tuesday night. The way she combines colour and pattern is just amazing! This nursery shows how you can successfully combine different weights of pattern (the large leaf, small polka dot, and even the medium stripe in the cot, together with neutrals). I can see this as a great jumping off point for a layout – perhaps using a bit from both Lil’ Buddy and Lil’ Miss ranges.
I first came across Australian Birdhouse at my local creative trader’s market. Sal creates unique baby clothing – she hand screenprints each design and completes each piece with vintage buttons and fabrics. I love that one-of-a-kind, whimsical look…something I can definitely see me incorporating into my scrapbooking.
Although my favourite colours are duck egg blue and chocolate, I’m very inspired by bright colours and love to combine lots of fun colour and pattern on my layouts.
1. org polka reversible a line dress, 2. Angel Suzie, 3. child’s room, 4. polka dots, 5. Pink mobile, 6. button art, 7. Pretty Monarch Butterfly 003, 8. My Fav. Swirl, 9. Bookcase for childrens books

Drawing from my inspiration pieces above, I have created this card. The orange polka dot dress reminded me of the Downtown range, and I have used Pebbles Inc flower chalk stencils to replicate the screenprinting used by Birdhouse. The end result is a fun Fall card, just perfect for one of my Northern hemisphere friends.
I have layered the buttons and finished them with twine, like the centre of the pear t-shirt above.
Finally, like most mammas, my main inspiration comes from my children. They are the reason I scrapbook, the reason I have so many wonderful memories and the reason for almost everything else in my life. Photograph by Janine Kaye.
Thanks for indulging me (lol). Check back on Friday for some fun tips for creating a double layout! Cheers, Lis.