Beauty in Bloom

It's Spring time on the American Crafts blog. I created this layout for this week's theme and I had so much fun creating it. The Texas wildflowers are blooming and the butterflies are starting to make their appearances. I thought it would be fun to sprinkle flowers across the layout.

I started this page enamored with the lovely little banner floating in the clouds. I knew I had to use it for this sweet photo of my littlest. This photo was taken right before she took off running in the bluebonnet fields. 

I used a two of the alphas from the Day Dreamer collection and then I wrote the word beauty in my handwriting and then cut it using my CAMEO.  You can download the "beauty" Silhouette file HERE.

Next, I cut some flowers from both a 6x6 paper pad and 12x12 papers to create a cluster of flowers border. I sprinkled in pinwheels, buttons, brads, die cuts, rub-ons, enamel dots and other embellishments to add variety. 

I saved my favorite bit of the flower cluster border to use an an anchor for my photo.  I took a wood veneer bit that had the outlines of flowers and leaves and I painted them with water colors. I had to be a bit careful during the painting process because I knew that it might bleed on the wood grain. So, I always started in the center of the flower or leaf I was working with and filled it in carefully until I got to the edge.  I set it aside and then added it to the layout once dried.

Oh and if you look closely at the blue paper behind my photo, you can see that I used one of the new embossing folders from the Day Dreamer collection to tie it back to the "lovely" banner at the top.

I hope I've provided a bit of inspiration for you today.  Now, take a look at the American Crafts blog because I also posted a cute little Spring themed butterfly card.