Layout Love Linky - June 2012

Here we are at the end of another month! So, that means it's time for another Layout Love Linky! This is a place for us all to share our previously un-blogged layouts. 

Last month, we did something special and even linked up layouts we had already blogged, but that we were particularly proud of. I liked that! Let's do it again! And, for even more fun - let's just open it up to all types of projects. Layouts, cards, home decor...have something to share? Link up!

Did someone win from last month? Perhaps...

You will have to scroll down to see :)

So, here are some of my un-blogged layouts:

During this month, I finished out the Cover to Cover class with Shimelle and began Camp Scrap with May Flaum. Many of the layouts you see here were scrapped for various challenges and sketches from these classes. Click on soapHOUSEscraps over there in the left to see all the details in my Two Peas Gallery.

Thanks to everyone who linked up last time! I hope your layouts received some love. If you haven't checked out the gorgeous link-ups, click on over here to take in the beauty!

Oh yeah...Did I say there might be a prize? YES, i did! And, there is! Congrats to Sue, our random winner! 

Check out her amazing LO! Seriously, the symmetry and the stitching details - amazing:

Sue, I have sent you an email and can't wait to send you your October Afternoon Cakewalk Miscellany Pack!  

Alrighty - Let's party and share some love! Link up below and be sure to check back and share the love with everyone else too! A link back is always appreciated :) You have a month to play along and I can't wait to see your un-blogged or most favorite projects. I wonder what the prize will be next month???

Two Scrappers Take On One Sketch

The other day I was chatting with my dear scrappy friend, Jennifer from Live Teach Create, and she asked me if I wanted to do a start to finish sketch with her. Sometimes I struggle a bit working from sketches as I usually work without any sort of plan at all. But, it is always good to work outside of one's comfort zone and when she showed me this awesome Echo Park sketch from Kandis Smith, how could I say no?

To keep with the Echo Park theme, I pulled some papers from the This & That collection to go with this hilarious picture of me with my first cell phone:

 Oh, the irony of having the sketch pulled up on my iphone - LOL!

 All righty...here we have all of the elements cut and at the ready:

But first, let's do some fun things with that background! Some white acrylic paint and a mask might just do the trick:

 Oh yes! I like it!

 While I impatiently wait for that to dry, let's get into the spirit of Camp Scrap with May Flaum and punch some butterflies out:

 OK, paint is dry...now for some distress:

 Ooooooh, pretty!

Let the layering begin! I am not totally loving the horizontal strip touching the edge, so a little curling up does the trick and adds a bit of texture:

 Banner element is in place...let's add some fussy cut flowers:

OK, this is the point where I start to struggle with this. Things are just seeming to static and stiff. Hmmmmm....
I am in love with this Collage Paper from Pink Paislee and think it will be perfect for some layering. Perhaps that will soften things and add some more texture:

 Ahhh, yes!

 It's coming together...

 Title done!

 Butterflies in place!

 Washi time!

Hmmmmm.....
Things are starting to look a bit brown. Let's try some vellum to lighten it up a bit:

 Pretty!

 After some journaling and such...I decide to call it done.

But, it's just not quite right. I ponder, and ponder some more....
After a night's sleep, I head back to the studio and take another look. The space between the photo and journaling card is just bugging me. So, I pull up the photo and move it to the right. Then, add some more pen work and washi for contrast, as well as some more paper scraps...

Well, I do like it a bit more...

OK, I have tortured this enough and shall call it done! 

It's not my most favorite layout, but I do love trying new designs and such!

A super fun sketch and a super fun way to work outside of my comfort zone! Thanks so much for the challenge, Jenn! Now, be sure you head on over to Live Teach Create to see the gorgeousness that Jennifer created using this same sketch. She rocked it out, indeed!

What about you? Do you like to work from sketches? Or, do they take you out of your comfort zone too?

The sequins go round and round!

I just bought some sequins - LOTS of sequins! Amy Tangerine first peaked my interest and May Flaum sealed the deal in Camp Scrap. They are fresh out of the package and I need an excuse to use them. 

Let's go!

After stamping some white acrylic paint with one of my favorite stamps, I get to threading:

Once a decent amount of those fabulous little sequins are threaded, a glob of glossy accents here and there makes one long line turn into little sections...

Likey so. The idea is that I can snip in between these sections and have 3 separate pieces of threaded sequins to work with on my layout. The key to this (hopefully) working, is the use of the craft mat for the glossy accents to dry on...

While I wait on that, it's time to spruce up that background a bit more. Hey, look - I'm using circles!!! Yay me!

Sequin sections have dried (successfully) and now we can carry on. The photos are matted and placed:

Let the layering begin!

And some more....

Pen work time!

More circles! Goodness, what have these sequins done to me?

Speaking of sequins, here are my sections laid out...

I am thinking brads might be just the thing to attach these with.

Oh bother! I broke my thread!!!

Phew! Glossy accents to the rescue. Once the layout is all said and done, no one will ever know...except you of course :)

Yay! Pretty!

All three attached:

Another amazing idea from May is to do a confetti burst of sorts with various sparkly things. I am in LOVE with this idea and can't seem to stop doing it. So, here we go again with that:

It's coming together...

Title done!

An arrow here and there:

And some twine, of course!

After my journaling and some more pen work...Ta Da!

Round and Round the sequins go. LOVE it! 

I may have a new addiction. I am totally OK with that. 

Thanks for stopping by the Mailbox today. See you next time!