Making Marks

Hi folks, 

So hopefully, you all have gotten...or will be getting this months's

 BELONGING kit...it's seriously gorgeous!!

I wanted to share with you some alternate ways of using the

Ranger Distress Marker in Seedless Preserves. 

Now, of course, you can use it just to write:

But, why stop there?

These markers stay wet a little longer, so you can smear, paint, etc. with them as well. 

I wanted to use mine for some painty techniques.

I started by coloring on to my craft sheet....you could use any piece of plastic.

Then I used a water brush (there's a tube in the handle that holds water---you could use just a wet paintbrush) to paint borders, make splatters, and lay down color.

For my little 4x6 canvas, I just colored all over the surface directly with the marker and then used a brush and my fingers to spread the color around.

I was pleasantly surprised at how versatile this little marker ended up being!

Be sure to check out this month's GALLERY including our 

teen GUEST DESIGNER, Heather Adams!

Come visit and chat with us on the FORUM!

Like our FACEBOOK page for updates!

I hope you're feeling a real sense of BELONGING this month!

Using nontraditional materials in scrapbooking

Have you noticed the trend in scrapbooking these days, of using things like graphic journal cards that look like subway art, or billboards and finding their way onto layouts?

So how do you go about incorporating these into your layouts if you haven't used them before. There are different ways of using them, but here's just a few:

• use journaling cards as a layer under your photos
• use larger poster type pages by tearing them into strips and using them to add texture to your layout
• if the card contains word art, cut it out if you like it. You don't have to use the whole card.
• cut the letters from the card or paper individually, and use them in a ransom style title
• use your punches and punch out interesting shapes from the cards

Here are just a couple ways that I used journal cards and subway art inspired paper from the Ambition kit:

So have fun playing with your journal cards, subway art, book paper and other nontraditional embellishments and show us what you did!

Approaching Ambition

Hi there, people!

Are you feeling more Ambitious yet?

I thought, for this month's tip, I'd take you through my process of creating

specific to the month's theme.

Each month, the design team receives the kit and the theme. 

We don't have the benefit of the INSPIRATION PAGE yet, so I have a little "process" I

use to begin exploring the emotion.

I start with Google and look for synonyms, definitions, and even opposite ideas.

Then I head to Pinterest and start searching! I use words in the search bar like "quotes about ambition" or "being ambitious" and start looking for quotes, images, etc. that speak to me or that

might speak "for" me---say what I need to say. 

(PS---we start building the Pinterest board at this point, usually)

I then take some notes and start to plan out what my projects are going to be. 

So...these pins:

inspired these layouts:

Just a little sneak peek into my brain! :)

Don't forget to get your AMBITION KIT!

Head over to the GALLERY for some inspiration! 

Join us on our FORUMS for a little chit chat!

I hope your September is going wonderfully!!

Mix it Up!!

Hi there people!

LORI here with a quick tip. 

Do you ever run out of letters in the middle of your title?

Of course you do!

So....just mix up those fonts!

I try to keep the same phrase in the same font, but sometimes

 it's fun to mix 'em up a little!

Thanks for reading!

Make sure to pop over to our website 

for tons of inspiration!

Journaling: After the Rough Draft

Hello there!

Last month we took a moment to focus on journaling and where to begin. We discussed removing the fear of being grammatically correct. That might make some of you cringe but, in all honesty, it's something you need to let go.

The next piece of advice I am sharing this month is to allow yourself to "go there". If you have ever sat in a therapy session, your therapist has probably recommended keeping a journal. There is something freeing about letting out what is inside your head and translating it into the written word.

The same can happen with your "INSIDE OUT" layout or art journal page. GO THERE.

Layout by Melissa Elsner

I cannot tell you how many times I have ended up in a blubbering mess after spewing out all I had to say in writing. Even though I was a blubbering mess, I felt freedom. I felt healing. I felt satisfaction. I had a new perspective on the situation or the thoughts I had.

Layout by Lori Wilbanks

So here is an exercise you can do this month:

Think about the emotion of the kit you are working with. 

Get your pen and notebook ready. Or your word processor. 

As the thoughts come, let them out. Don't hold back. 

Pretend no one is ever going to see them except you. 

Of course, you probably ARE going to be the only one unless you are brave enough to share. Which I strongly encourage you to do someday. The lives you can touch and encourage by doing so is amazing and wonderful.

If you feel the emotion coming to the surface, let it. 

Joy. Sadness. Grief. Celebration. 

Layout by Nicole Martel

Wherever you are in your walk of life, I can tell you from experience, that journaling can and will be one of the most rewarding and healing things you can do. Why not begin the process using the prompts on our site? Get a kit. Use your own supplies. We're happy to support you in your journey.

Layout by Melissa Elsner

Subtle colour creates cohesion

Hi everyone! Kiki here with another art journal post for you. This time with a little twist. Lori has a fabulous challenge going on over on the message board right now. She's already provided some wonderful techniques for you to follow to get your first art jouanl page done using the fabulous kits you get here. You have everything you need to do mixed media, scrapbooking or art journaling. 

Most people that ask me about art journaling have told me that the reason they shy away from art journaling is because it's messy, or disorganized, or just doesn't "feel" right to them. They might think that it looks like a "hot mess". You might be one of those people.

I challenge you to try Lori's art journal challenge this month and if you find that you are getting uncomfortable, try this technique: use some subtle colour over many areas of the page, because it helps brings a page together. For example, in my art journal page below, you'll notice that I used the pink Distress Paint in many different areas of the page.

I used the stencil provided in the Fortune kit this month to add some colour to the blank page (which incidentally also frightens many people away from art journaling). I used quite a few scraps of paper from the different patterned papers this month and layered them on with a glue or medium, depending on the texture I wanted. Although the kits are well thought out and the patterned papers work well together, not everyone is comfortable with using many patterns on their page. So how do you make it feel like it all works together?

• Use the same paint over papers that feel too bright.
• Add the paint to other mediums, like I did with the glass bead gel.
• Paint over some embellishments, like I did with the tag.
• Add paint splats or drips to make the page more cohesive.

A variety of ways to use the same paint to make the layout cohesive.

So the next time that you do your art journaling, and something just doesn't feel right, try adding some subtle colour in different ways to bring your page together in an eye-pleasing way.

Hope to see your pages in the gallery as you complete Lori's art journal challenge this month!

Journaling: Where to begin?

Perhaps one of the most valuable components of our "inside out" layouts is the journaling. We can bring product, symbolism and photos into it all we want but it's the words that add that final piece of value.

Layout by Melissa Elsner

Sometimes, though, I find myself at a loss for words. They are there. Right at the tip of my tongue. I can visualize the pictures but the actual words just won't come out.

What do we do when we have "journaling block"? Well, I'm going to share with you some thoughts, ideas, suggestions and exercises that will, hopefully, help you as much as they have helped me.

Layout by Diana Brodeur

#1: Remove any fear of being grammatically correct.

All you English majors out there, I know this is hard for you. Punctuation and all the other rules of language are very important to you. Good for you! We all have our strengths, right? Well, I am not an English major and I'm sure you have noticed that in this blog post already. 

But seriously, get over the fear of "sounding smart" or having the comma in the appropriate place. It doesn't matter. (No it doesn't English majors!) It is YOUR layout. These pages are your visual journaling pages. 

Layout by Jen Matott

Here is an exercise for you to try: 

Take out a sheet of notebook paper. Look at our emotion for the month - FORTUNE. What comes to mind? 

Write it down. 

Keep going and see where the words lead you. You might be surprised! Then, you can copy what you write or use that notebook paper on your layout. Fold it up and tuck it behind something for some hidden journaling. 

This exercise has helped me tremendously when I think I have "writers block". The pictures and visuals floating around in my head, soon become actual words and I'm able to get it all out. Process it. See it in words and enjoy the process of this sort of therapy.

Layout by Lori Wilbanks

It's amazing what this simple exercise can do. It seems so easy - almost trivial. But I dare you to try it out.

Other tips?

Don't worry about your handwriting. I can tell you that finding old notes that were handwritten by my great-grandmother were such a special find. It was so cool to see how she wrote. I find it so much more personal and personable. Of course, there is truly nothing wrong with typing what you have to say. Sometimes our hands don't move as fast as our brain when it comes to holding a pen to paper. Just don't let that delete button become your best friend. :) 

Oh, and did you notice that there was not a "#2 rule"? That will come next month as we continue to chat about journaling on our Inside Out layouts. 

Using Vellum with Diana Brodeur

I was cleaning, or should I say reorganizing, my scrapbooking stash when I came across a couple sheets of vellum that I forgot I had. I kept them out so I could use them on some layouts. I decided to start printing my journaling on them. I love how it still allows you to see the patterned paper underneath and how clean and fresh it looks. Now I can't seem to get enough of vellum!

For this kit, I used vellum journaling on two of my layouts. This one....

And this one...

You should give it a try. I think you will love it too! 

-----------------------------------------

Here are some tips on adhering your vellum, as discussed on our SFTIO Forum:

1. You can use an adhesive specifically for vellum. There is spray, glue dots and tape runners.

2. Use a very small amount in the corners. It might still show through, though.

3. Use staples or brads.

4. Stitching! 

5. Or use a very thin line of glue around all the edges. It will give a cool "matte" look. 

Hand Cut with Mary Jo Rhoda

A common thread I noticed in all of my pages using this month's Release kit, is how I love to cut pieces from patterned paper!

For Set Them Free, I cut a sunburst style block from the "Chestnut Boutique" paper by Crate Paper. The line also has a fabulous piece of patterned paper with faux tape strips on it (Pistachio Market). I actually hand cut several of those pieces for a different layout as well! The white boxes for my journaling and title were cut from the American Crafts "Think Good Thoughts" paper. Very handy and easy!

I cut a large flower from the "Almond Grove" patterned paper by Crate Paper to accent my photo in this simple style layout. I loved the large floral paper, but found it hard to use in large portions. And now I have several smaller flower embellishments all cut from one single piece of paper.

More faux washi tape strips cut from the "Pistachio Market" paper by Crate Paper.

And finally, the big one! Lots of hexagon shapes cut from the "Tradition" patterned paper by Cosmo Cricket.

I just love using bits and pieces of my patterned papers to use as embellishments!
Have you tried hand cutting portions of your kit papers to use as embellishments?