Tuesday, March 27, 2018

Get It Scrapped | The Expat Life

Hey everyone,

have you seen my latest layout for get It Scrapped called The Expat Life?
The assignment was to make a layout using emojis.

What I love about DT assignments and especially the Get It Scrapped assignments, is that they make me think outside the box. I don't just tell stories, I think of better stories to tell and of better ways to tell them!

So while thinking about a story I could tell with emojis, I thought to myself "well, if I want to use emojis, the story better have some emotion!" The first thing that came to mind was my over sensitive daughter, but I didn't feel like using emojis was very appropriate to scrapbook a serious subject like that one. The second thing that came to mind was the Expat Life I've been living since 20 years! That's emotional I thought! And just the right level of emotions, positive and negative, to add emojis without it being inappropriate. You know what I mean?

What the emojis and the story brought me to think of is a roller coaster, with ups and downs and twists and turns! And I had the vision of making the silhouette of a roller coaster in black paper. I googled "roller coaster" and chose the best picture I found that I could possibly convert into a cut file.


I wanted the title to follow the ups and downs. I chose 2 different fonts. One for the title and one working as a subtitle. Both are gold.





I wanted to add lots of small photos representing the past 2 years we've spent her, in Prague. I wanted pictures of ups and pictures of downs, and pictures of favorite things. My pictures go hand in hand with my journaling.


And even though I tell all the stories of the pictures in my main text, I added tiny sticker labels to sort of identify each photo/story.


I also tried to align the photos with the text. So that when I talk about a story/an idea, the photo would naturally be there where the eye is looking. It wasn't easy and I had to reprint and recut my journaling a couple of times.

Throughout my text, I sprinkled emoji stickers (from my Potpourri collection, sold by Pretty Little Studio). I didn't do this randomly. I really wrote my text and placed the emojis where they would go, have I been writing a text message to a friend.

When I write I often add little hearts here and there with and through the emojis. So here too, I added the hearts.


I added some dimension to the tiny pictures, using foam adhesive and stitching.

I also left the smileys half stuck to the page and I stitched all the journaling strips, one by one. Again, this was a tough job! As I was stitching I had to make sure my strips of paper were staying straight, and I had to make sure I wasn't taking more space then wanted because I would have gone over my roller coaster silhouette.


To break the harsh black and white contrast at the bottom of the page, I decided to fit some of my small pictures in the back and front of the roller coaster. Again adding stitching, to keep the continuity with the top of the layout.



I had to put my last sentence at the bottom of the page, over the roller coaster silhouette. I did it because space was running low, but I'm glad it ended up like this because that strip kind of attach the top and the bottom of the page together.






Have you ever made a layout using emojis? If so, link me to it. And if not and you want more ideas, check this link to the Get it Scrapped blog where you will find more fun ideas for using emojis.

Also, don't forget to visit Pretty Little Studio to shop for emoji products and my Potpourri collection. :)

Marie


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Thursday, March 8, 2018

Pretty Little Studio | Welcome Home Maple

I can't believe I haven't blog since last October!!

But here I am with an awesome creation I made with my new Potpourri collection available at Pretty Little Studio!


Here's the whole page which was put together with 95% of products available in the Pretty Little Studio shop!! :) Let me break it down for you.


I used 3 pieces of paper: gold glitter (this is a must have in your paper collection! I adds a beautiful accent to any layout.), one colorful paper and a black and white paper, both found in the 8x8 Potpourri Paper Pack. The Combination of these 3 styles is perfect to give bling to my central photo!!

I stacked the papers on foam tape to leave some space to add small embellishments between the papers: leaves shape sequins (also from my Potpourri collection!), small star die cuts and some foiled die cuts in heart shape.


I've placed my photos on a diagonal and added the journaling in the space created by that line. I filled the small spaces with more label die cuts, stickers and wood veneer.


I the right space I loosely added leaves in a way that they look like they are falling. I sprinkled some sequins, playing with the colors and I added some stitching to add some more details.


At the very top of the page I have a large cluster of die cuts: large vellum leaves all stitched down with two lines of thread. I added a gold foiled banner on which I stamped my title in black ink. I adhered the banner with foam dots. Same thing for the speech bubble. I stitched all around the white heart in the middle of the speech bubble. Stitching is so easy with the sewing machine and it adds so much details!!! I added small wooden buttons and brads in the tones of the Potpourri collection.


Here's another perspective to see the dimension and the shimmer of the gold foil.



To sort of mat this first picture of the cascade, so that she doesn't go unseen, I added a colorful vellum leaf under it and a sticker and flair button on top of it. I then sprinkled some sequins. The check mark is really coll because it's simple shape and the fact that it is black and white is pulling from the black and white patterned paper I used under my main photo. Also the checkmark symbol is going hand in hand with my picture where my little one is checking the days that have passed and the ones left until she gets her biggie!.



On the far right, I added a fun cluster of die cuts, leaf sequin, wooden brad and wood veneer and a squirrel paperclip. Isn't it the cutest?!!

Also notice how I layered the pink label, left blank, under the gold foil banner. It just makes the banner pop even more.

I finally added a small chipboard piece, some word stickers  and more gold foil die cuts.


I've been asked how I use sequins on a page. I use them to highlight some groups of embellishments. Just like confettis. I like them way more than the enamel dots because they are sparkly! :)

I hope you liked my walk through!!

Talk to you soon with more beautiful layouts. I promise!!

Marie