Embroidered Scrapbooking Layout | Challenge Yourself

Hi everyone, this week over on the Pebbles blog is all about challenging ourselves. I went about tackling this by doing something relatively new to me – Mixed Media – and something I LOVE to do but never make the time to do – Hand Stitching.  Take a look at this embroidered scrapbooking layout and then keep reading to see how it all came together.

As you can see, I did not shy away from this challenge. I just fell in love with the floral patterned paper and absolutely HAD to create an embroidered scrapbooking layout.

To get started, I trimmed the upper right and lower left triangles of my layout. If I had been machine stitching a pattern, I would normally have stitched the entire thing but I knew I didn’t want to embroider something that I would have to cut apart. I added a small cluster of die cut flowers and a wood embellishment to the top portion of the layout.  Just a little since the embroidered patterned paper was quite busy enough.

This is the lower half. As you can see, I spent way too many hours poking holes and threading the needle doing what I refer to as a regular stitch and french knots. If you are thinking about doing this, I suggest finding a comfy spot of the couch and binge watching your favorite show. Or if you have a road trip (and your the passenger) or a long flight.

I added two photos to the layout. I was originally going to tuck them both under the pretty embroidered patterned paper so I wouldn’t have to cover any of it up but it didn’t look right so I tucked one under and another over. That’s when it felt right!  I also added some layers of patterned paper and vellum and die cuts, 3D stickers and regular stickers.

Oh, the mixed media…I added white gesso to the yellow patterned paper background and then applied watered down mist to the gesso. I just needed to soften up the background slightly and add a few pops of color. All I need to do now is add my journaling – private words to my daughters will be written on those lines above!

There you have it – my labor of love, literally and figuratively!  I hope you have enjoyed seeing how I challenged myself this month and hope you will try something just a bit outside of your comfort zone very soon!

xoxo, Heather
YouTube | Blog  |  Instagram  |  Pinterest

Supplies:
My Bright Life Bright Life Patterned Paper 733858My Bright Life Stitched Flowers Patterned Paper 733859
My Bright Life Fresh Picked Patterned Paper 733859My Bright Life 6×6 Paper Pad 733892My Bright Life Ephemera Die-cuts with Gold Foil 733884
My Bright Life Cardstock Stickers 733882My Bright Life Dimensional Stickers with Gold Foil Accents 733883

Hawaiian Luau Party Decor

Aloha everyone, I'm here and with summer fully upon us here in the States, I’ve been daydreaming about Hawaii. I figured why not throw a little Hawaiian party on a random Friday?!?!

The new My Bright Life collection has the perfect mix of colors to pull this Hawaiian Luau Party off. The decor I created includes garland I cut and strung, cupcake holders and toppers to resemble a pineapple and a few goody bags. Let’s take a look at how it came together

Lei inspired garland

The backdrop features a lei inspired garland. To get this look, I cut plumeria flowers out of two different patterned papers as well as palm leaves in two different sizes and then large yellow circles. I created 7 garland strips each containing 10 pieces (a mix of flowers, leaves and circles). Once I had 10 pieces for each strand, I ran them through my sewing machine with a straight stitched until I got to the end. I repeated that process 6 more times.

Pineapple cupcakes

So I cheated with store bought cupcakes and they’re a mix of chocolate and vanilla – not pineapple but I dressed them up as pineapples.  Using a cut file I purchased, I simply cut cupcake wrappers and pineapple toppers using my electronic die cut machine.

The wrappers have little cuts in them and when you bend them back slightly, it resembles a pineapple.

The pineapple toppers can be inserted right into the icing. So easy and oh so cute!

Goody Bags

Since Hawaii is known as the rainbow state and “Somewhere Over the Rainbow/What a Wonderful World” by Israel “IZ” Kamakawiwo`ole is one of my all time favorite songs, I made Rainbow tags for the goody bags.

They are cut into squares and feature a scallop circle and “Mahalo”, the Hawaiian word for Thank You. I decided to add some palm leaves and a flowers as well.

I hope this mini Hawaiian Luau party I am hosting for my girls this weekend has you daydreaming of Hawaii as well.

Mahalo,

Heather

Supplies:
My Bright Life Stitched Flowers Patterned Paper(733859)
My Bright Life Field of Flowers Patterned Paper (733879)
My Bright Life Bright Stripes Patterned Paper (733869)
My Bright Life Flower Rows Patterned Paper (733862)
My Bright Life Fresh Picked Patterned Paper (733875)
My Bright Life 12×12 Paper Pad

Time Saver Tips | Butterflies Scrapbooking Layout

Hi everyone. Heather Leopard is here with a multi-dimensional butterflies scrapbooking layout! This was super fun and it was super easy to put together. While it was relatively quick to create in about an hour to an hour and a half, the speed scrappers could forgo the multiple layers and sewing and really whip this out quickly. Let’s take a look and I’ll share some TIME SAVER TIPS…

To make this layout really come to life, this butterflies scrapbooking page includes mixed media, a die cut, layers of die cut “fillers” and machine stitching!

Let’s get started

I knew the page was going to be slightly busy so I chose a patterned paper background that was a bit more simple.  I wanted to wash it out just a bit more so I applied white gesso. Once dry, I added teal and gold mist that I sprayed and dabbed around the page using plastic packaging material. TIME SAVER TIP: skip this step and save on drying time. Just make sure to avoid a busy background for a more appealing design.

While the background dried, I cut the butterfly cut file from Paige Evans out of white cardstock. Although it’s quite subtle, I applied clear gesso and pink spray to the white butterfly cardstock once it was cut out. While that was drying, I disassembled the cut file and cut the inside “fillers” out of multiple patterned papers. I cut double the amount needed so I could double layer many of them, as seen in the photo above. TIME SAVER TIP: save time by not adding the additional gesso over the die cut and only cutting one layer of butterflies.

I applied the butterfly cut file only in the middle because I wanted the cut file to lift up here and there. I knew I’d be stitching over it soon enough anyway.  I then added the butterflies to the background with just a little dab of liquid adhesive so they’d stay in place in the sewing machine. I stitched each and every butterfly; some as a straight stitch and others with a zig zag. TIME SAVER TIP: adhere the butterflies with more adhesive and skip the sewing.

Lift the butterfly wings up to reveal the multiple levels. The butterfly cut file lifts ever so slightly, then the bottom wing lifts to reveal the background pattern and the top wings lift to reveal the lower wings! I suggest adding foam adhesive under the wings to keep them popped up.

Next, I added my photo. I kept layers around it to a minimum because hello….butterfly layers galore! Then I finished it off with a title, a few more butterflies here and there around the page and journaling.

Thanks so much for stopping by today. I hope you enjoyed this butterflies scrapbooking layout and the TIME SAVER TIPS I shared today!

xoxo, Heather
YouTube | Blog  |  Instagram  |  Pinterest

Patio Party Supplies:
Patio Party 6 x 6 Paper Pad with Foil Accents (733775)
Patio Party Breezy (733050)
Patio Party Flutterflies (732965)Patio Party Thickers – Wood Words (932777)
Patio Party Butterfly Stickers (733053)Sticky Thumb Adhesive Foam Dots (340272)
Textured Cardstock White (71081)

Little Cutie Floral Wreath Scrapbooking Layout

Hi friends! I am here today with a labor of love with this floral wreath scrapbooking layout.  If you like fussy cutting and if you like mixing and matching die cuts and flowers, this is a layout for you.  Take a look at the project and then check back next week for the process video I created for this project.



All those flowers came from one gorgeous piece of patterned paper from the Patio Party collection. That's a lot of fussy cutting, don't you think? Want to know a little secret??? I didn't actually fussy cut all those flowers. I used my Silhouette CAMEO and Pixscan to trace and cut all those flowers.  I can't say it really saved that much time since I had to set it up and trace it, clean it up, cut and weed it but it sure did save my hands from getting tired.



To create this floral wreath layout, I used two pieces of patterned paper for the base, cutting an 8" circle from the middle of the top sheet and layering it over the 2nd paper.  Then, I applied gesso and spray mists to give the background a bit of texture and color. Once dried, I stitched around the circle 3 times.



I also used a cute file from Paige Evans. It's an adorable floral / leaf bundle, which I cut out of white cardstock and backed the leaves with green patterned paper while keeping the flowers plain.  I did that because I knew I was going to stack the fussy cut flowers over the top. I like the mix of materials here.  I also added a few fussy cut gold butterflies to the mix.



I left plenty of room to add a title and journaling and then sprinkled a few gold hearts around the openly stitched areas so they wouldn't feel lonely. Please check back next week for my follow up blog post, which will include the process video, showing how I scanned the flowers all the way through the finishing touches.

Thanks for stopping by today.
xoxo, Heather
YouTube | Instagram  |  Pinterest

You can shop these product using my affiliate links below:

Pebble Patio Party paper and embellishments at Scrapbook.com http://shrsl.com/szbx (full list below)

Thickers Foil Foam Letter Stickers (Pebbles - Night Night Collection) http://shrsl.com/szck

Sticky Thumb Adhesive Foam Dots http://shrsl.com/szcb

Textured Cardstock White (71081)

Silhouette CAMEO 3 http://amzn.to/2HJhjjX
Cricut Maker  http://amzn.to/2ooYvhL
Cricut Explore Air 2 http://amzn.to/2GIjtyO

*You don't pay extra for using these links, but I get a percentage of your sale. Thanks for your support!

Masculine Cards

Hi everyone.  I'm here to share a few Masculine cards for the men in your life.

Yes, there’s a bow or two and even a flower but these were made with men in mind so they are Masculine-ish. I mean men often bring their ladies flowers, am I right?!?!

For the first card, I selected three 2″ x 2″ cards with sentiments that remind me of every day with the father of my children.  They are perfect for this with their wood grain, grey concrete like backgrounds. I alternated them placing two on the left at the top and bottom and one on the right in the middle.

Next…bugs!  I added elements in the blank spaces, including a dragon fly, bees and a bow.

Here’s the final card.  I love how simple, yet detailed it is.

For the next thing, I covered the card with a blue background and used a 3″x4″ wood-grained card, backed with a patterned paper.  I then added the stringed lights banner to the card using 3D foam for dimension and added a bow.  I thought I was done with the card at that point but I decided to cover the white flowers printed under “stay awhile” with colorful flowers, also adhered with 3D foam.

Thinking back on it, I think this card could be more masculine by not adding that colored flower and sticking with the white printed flower cluster but I also love this version and many guys wear pink with confidence!

Thanks so much for stopping by today.

xoxo, Heather
YouTube | Blog  |  Instagram  |  Pinterest

Supplies:
Patio Party Shady Spot (732910)
Patio Party From Me To You (732960)
Patio Party Patio Life (732966)
Patio Party Breezy (733050)
Patio Party Accent Stickers (733781)
Sticky Thumb Adhesive Foam Dots (340272)American Crafts Premium Ribbon
Textured Cardstock White (71081)

Patriotic Home Decor

Hello everyone, in honor of the upcoming Memorial holiday in the States where we honor the fallen from our armed forces, I created a patriotic home decor piece.  This can be used for anything Patriotic themed of course, but we are displaying it this coming weekend in memory of those who aren’t coming home.

America…land of the free, because of the brave!

So I found this awesome wooden cut out in the shape of the United States at my favorite dollar spot last year.  While I’ve used it in the past as part of the decor, kind of kept plain and in the background, it was time for this baby to take center stage! All it needed was a little imagination and creativity.

I will have a process video for this coming within a few days but until then, I’ll walk you through my process…

I started out with the idea to add a statement or phrase to the board but it’s a little bit on the small to medium size and more on the small size so I trimmed it down to one word. I considered “home”, “U.S.A.” and a few others but ultimately decided to state the obvious and go with “America”. I wrote out the word in my die cut machine software and sized it to 2″ h x 8″ w and cut it out of patterned paper.  I knew I wanted to re-use the board, so I adhered it with a temporary tape runner adhesive.

Next, I cut a selection of 3D flowers.  Some are layers upon each other like the red one assembled above and the red and blue trio of petals above that are patiently waiting to be assembled.  The others  are quilled paper flowers in various sizes.

These fun super dimensional flowers start off looking like a spiral.  I used a quilling tool to easily roll them up. You could also use a pencil or pen to roll your flowers. You simply insert the “tail” of the spiral into the slit in the metal part of the tool or wrap it around and pencil and start rolling it up.

I wrap mine tight for the most part and then pull the tool or pencil out and release the flow, letting it unravel a bit.  I used liquid adhesive but to speed up the drying process, you may want to use a glue gun. The glue gun also helps ensure the flower stays in place better than the liquid adhesive.  Knowing I wanted to re-use the board, I applied a small amount of glue dots behind each flower to adhere them to the board. Did you notice that I used one of the small ones as the dot for the “i”?

I wanted to add additional elements to it, similar to how I would a scrapbooking layout so I went into my stash and pulled out some stars I had leftover from another project and tucked them into the flowers.  I had to lift a few and re-stick them here and there but I was able to use the same glue dots so it was easy peasy.  I also added some puffy dots around the board.

So there you have it, a fun and easy piece of home decor that I plan to use this week and next to commemorate Memorial Day and celebrate the 4th of July.

Thanks so much for stopping by today.

xoxo, Heather
YouTube | Blog | Instagram | Pinterest

Supplies:
Land That I Love Land That I Love Patterned Paper
Land That I Love Boom Sparkle Pop Patterned Paper
Land That I Love America Patterned PaperLand That I Love Oh! The Place We Go! Patterned Paper
Land That I Love Fireworks Patterned Paper
Land That I Love United We Stand Patterned Paper
Land That I Love Patriotic Blooms Patterned Paper
Land That I Love Red, White, and Blue Dots Puffy Stickers

Oh My Stars Patriotic / General Cards

Hi everyone.  I'm here today with a couple of cards I made. While these may be in a Patriotic red, white and blue theme, I specifically made them generic so they could be given to anyone for any reason.

Aptly called "Oh My Stars" and "It's a Star Spangled Kind of Day", these can be given as a thank you, pick me up, graduation, etc...



I'll post a process video to my YouTube channel and do a couple of blog posts to show you how these came together, which was rather quickly I might add.

Star Spangled Kind of Day

As I was trying to figure out what to make, I kept staring at a pile of stars I had leftover from a Stars and Stripes Scrapbooking Layout and Process Video I created. I saved those stars for a reason and this is one of them.


I also had this scrap of stars cut from white cardstock so I combined the two to create this card.  To create it, I backed the cut out star areas with slightly larger stars, then layered star outlines  over some of them and popped up other stars using foam dots.  I then added a few rub-ons, the sentiment, and a couple of puffy stickers.  It was quick and easy and done in no time.

Oh my stars card

This one started out with an attempt to create a background for the firecracker die cuts but as you can see, they never made it on the card.



The card base consists of stripes that I cut from patterned paper that already has this pattern on it.  You could simply cut the background the size of the card base if you want to make it easier.  I chose to cut them for 2 reasons - 1. I wanted to add the strips so that the words were going in different directions and 2. I wanted to be able to bend the strips up after I cut them, to add a bit of dimension. Once I completed the stitching, I added it to the folded card base. I did this so that the recipient wouldn't see the stitching on the inside of the card.



Next, I added the blue star paper strip from the same patterned paper I cut the red/white stripes and added a border that is actually the border strip from the same paper.  So one piece of paper (with plenty leftover and one card base and this card it almost complete. To finish it off, I added the die cut "oh my stars" sentiment.



I hope you've enjoyed a bit of card inspiration today. The designs for these can be used for any theme so I'll share the process videos for these cards here and on my YouTube channel below later this week or next so check back soon.

Thanks for stopping by today.
xoxo, Heather
YouTube | Instagram  |  Pinterest

You can shop these product using my affiliate links below:

Pebbles Land That I Love paper and embellishments (full list below) at Scrapbook.com

Sticky Thumb Adhesive Foam Dots http://shrsl.com/szcb

Textured Cardstock White (71081)

Silhouette CAMEO 3 http://amzn.to/2HJhjjX
Cricut Maker http://amzn.to/2ooYvhL
Cricut Explore Air 2 http://amzn.to/2GIjtyO

*You don't pay extra for using these links, but I get a percentage of your sale. Thanks for your support!

Land That I Love Products:
Land That I Love Land That I Love Patterned Paper
Land That I Love Boom Sparkle Pop Patterned Paper
Land That I Love America Patterned Paper
Land That I Love Oh! The Place We Go! Patterned Paper
Land That I Love Fireworks Patterned Paper
Land That I Love United We StandPatterned Paper
Land That I Love Patriotic Blooms Patterned Paper
Land That I Love Thickers
Land That I Love Icons and Accents Stickers
Land That I Love Ephemera
Land That I Love Red, White, and Blue Dots Puffy Stickers
Land That I Love Rub-ons