scrapbook layout: Christmas in the sand

This layout was published in the Winter 2021 issue of Scrapbook & Cards Today Magazine!

In 2019, my husband’s parents invited us all to join them in Sanibel Island to celebrate Christmas. This was a completely new experience for me– growing up in the northeast and marrying a midwesterner meant that every Christmas I’d experienced up until that point was cold! It was surreal to be warm, surrounded by palm trees, and spending time at the beach instead!

I thought it would be fun to capture that juxtaposition by using Paige Evans’ “Summer Wreath” cut file and backing the icons with Christmas patterns. It took quite a bit of time, I will admit, but in the end, the layout didn’t need much more embellishment once the photo was in place! I added some stickers to vary the dimension around the wreath, and I splattered gold mist and white paint on the background for texture.

I just have to say. I love everything about how this layout turned out. It is one of my favorite layouts I’ve made recently, and it really captures the feeling of the whole trip for me.

The title is inspired by the Colbie Calliat song — it was running through my mind while we were there, and also while I was making the layout!

The layout will have a home in my 2019 album, which is mostly pocket pages. For such a standout occasion, I wanted to include a full-page layout! I intend to eventually tell the whole story of our trip in a digital album project to add to my collection of beach vacation photo books.

supplies:
patterned paper: Close to My Heart “Comfort & Joy” and “Mix-In (Mar-Apr)”
cardstock: American Crafts, Close to My Heart
stickers: Close to My Heart “Comfort & Joy”
alphas: Pinkfresh Studio “My Favorite Story” puffy alpha stickers, Glitz Design Teeny Alphas – gold
cut file: Paige Evans Designs “Summer Wreath”
journaling pen: Spectrum Noir ArtLiner .005
other: Silhouette Cameo 3, Scotch ATG adhesive, craft foam, white acrylic craft paint, Heidi Swapp Color Shine – gold

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See my layout in SCT Winter 2021!

At the beginning of 2021, I challenged myself to submit at least one layout for each of the Scrapbook and Cards Today magazine quarterly calls.  Only in my dreams did I allow myself to consider that I might be selected for a single issue, and my *wildest* dreams have come true: I have a layout in all four of the 2021 issues!  Today I get to share that I have a layout on page 72 of the Winter 2021 issue, which you can see in print or online at the SCT website!  I am so very thankful, and the layouts I submitted this year are some of my favorites of all time.  

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scrapbook layout: “It was awesome!”

This is the very first first-day-of-school layout I’ve ever made! I guess it’s because it seems like the first day of school is a fairly momentous occasion each year… and I didn’t even tackle her VERY first day of kindergarten…yet. I decided to start with first grade!

This layout is published in the Fall 2021 issue of Scrapbook & Cards Today; you can see it on page 65!

I’ve had this title planned ever since that first day of first grade– “It was awesome!!” was her immediate answer to my “how was your day?” upon getting off the bus that day! In fact, I jotted down a little sketch almost right away, which I’ve saved all these years! The end result is completely different, but that’s ok! (and yes, I finally recycled this scrap of paper as soon as I finished taking this photo!)

As you can see, my original thought was to make this a single page layout, but when I started looking back through the photos, I wanted to include so many more than would comfortably fit (and still be big enough to see well!) on one 12×12. I expanded my design to 2 pages, using nine 3″x2″ photos and one 4″x6″ feature photo.

left side

right side

Even though starting school makes you think of fall, in our area, it is still very much summer weather! I decided to use a color palette that bridges the two seasons– and included a lot of red because our red front door is hard to miss in the pictures!

I arranged the small photos in a grid and filled the spaces with a dark blue patterned paper. I stitched around the perimeter of the blue pieces to add a bit of texture. These blue spaces were also the perfect spots to add embellishment clusters.

I stamped and heat embossed cameras in white on aqua patterned paper and cut them out to be the feature embellishment in each cluster. To bring in more of that fall flavor, I die cut leaves from textured orange cardstock and golden yellow patterned paper to add to each cluster, along with bright yellow puffy stars!

I combined three different alpha sets to make my title and subtitle: I used all capitals for the main title, and lower case alpha for the subtitle, and the tiny letter tiles unify them.

Supply list:
patterned paper: Close to My Heart “Mix In” (Mar-Apr), Close to My Heart “Blue Skies,” Echo Park “Spring” (Journaling Cards –B-side is striped)
cardstock: American Crafts (white textured), The Paper Studio (orange textured)
vellum: The Paper Studio
alphas: Amercian Crafts Thickers (Daiquiri white foam), Close to My Heart (white alphabet foam stickers), Glitz Designs Teeny Alphas (white)
stamps: Shimelle “Head in the Clouds,” Hampton Arts “Vintologie”
puffy stickers: Close to My Heart “So Much Happy”
label: print-and-cut via Silhouette Cameo 3
cut files: SCT Oct 2020 freebie, Kerri Bradford Studio (“Leaves”)
font: Gill Sans Light (bold)
other: machine stitching, craft foam, ATG adhesive, Zing embossing powder (white)

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See my layout in SCT Fall 2021!

I can hardly believe that I get to say this again: I have another layout published in Scrapbook & Cards Today magazine! The Fall 2021 issue came out today!

As usual, the print version is lovely with thick pages and super high quality printing…and you can also download the entire magazine digitally on the SCT website (for free!). Turn to page 65 to have a look at my layout!

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See my layout in SCT Summer 2021!

Guess what?!!! I have a layout published in the Summer 2021 issue of Scrapbook & Cards Today magazine!!  I am so very excited — and honored — to be included in the Inspiration Gallery! This issue is gorgeous in print (seriously, it’s a very luxurious quality!), and you can also read the full issue online!   

You can see my layout on page 70!

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See my layout in SCT Spring 2021!

I am so delighted to share that I have a layout published in the Spring 2021 issue of Scrapbook & Cards Today magazine!!  It is such an honor to have such a very special layout chosen to be within its pages.  Not only is this a beautifully produced physical magazine, but you can also read the full issue online!   

You can see my layout on page 72!

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Article appearance: “Most Meaningful Projects”

Just wanted to drop in and share that a couple of my projects were included in a scrapbook.com article about crafters’ most meaningful projects.  I filled out a survey at scrapbook.com quite some time ago, and they asked me to elaborate on my answer so that they could share it in the article.  I’m flattered to be included!  I am #7 on the list, and there are many other wonderful projects shared by quite a few other crafters.

Read the article HERE!

P.S. The projects I shared are this quilt and this layout.

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My bag on Sew Mama Sew!

Have a look at this post at Sew Mama Sew, where my summer metallics bag is featured with two other challengers’ bags!

http://www.sewmamasew.com/2016/07/manchester-metallics-summer-bag-challenge-anne-from-annezplace-natalie-from-vegetablog-sandy-from-upstairs-hobby-room/

 

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I’m back!

Hello!!

July was a month full of new experiences and adventures as a family of four!

This month (August), I’ll be getting back into blogging more regularly (not sure how frequently yet, as we continue to adjust), and I thought I’d start by sharing that my pink ombre card was featured on the Paper Crafter’s Library blog in an article about the transparency trend!

~

I also have learned in the past couple weeks that I can’t stay away from crafting projects!  Even though my life seems extra full at the moment, I have still been sneaking in some craft time for myself– whether it is working on digital or physical projects.  These projects help keep me sane, and help me to feel like “Natalie” when my mommy role is extra strong at the moment!  I hope to be sharing some of the projects in the coming weeks.

 

P.S.  This is my 900th blog post!! Wow!

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Boy, was I surprised when I saw my layout featured in a Mondays with Megan article on the Scrapbook and Cards Today blog!  Thanks, Megan, for the feature!  I am so flattered!

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