to this…….?

You use some fabulous myStampBOX stamp sets, that’s how!!!!!!

Here’s a list of favourites that I used for this project:

Lovely Houses, Enjoy your latte!, Repeat After Me, Striped Stems, symbols, Sigh Gush Gasp, Snapshot, What’s your number?,  Border Lines, Itty Bittys, Neighborhoods, Floating Leaves & Colorful Companions.

Now I just have to think of the perfect place to hang it.

Happy Stamping.

ALMOST 6

For this layout I began by using some patterned papers from the Bo Bunny line, Gabrielle.  This line happens to have an orangy-pink tone used in it but I took some rich orange mists and added them to my papers to make the tone appear more orange – obviously a more manly colour than pink!

To create some of my back ground elements, I used the Timelines stamps and all the fun number stamps I could find (Lots of Numbers, What’s Your Number?, Splash Me a Little).  I stamped all the numbers with Versamark ink and then embossed them using clear embossing powder.  This allowed me to mist and ink right over top of them and have the green background paper show through.  You can see this to the left of my large photo.

I used the Tall Outlines alphabet stamps to create my tall title!

For second layout, I began with a black base and build up a fun background.

MUST BE A BOY THING

For this layout I used a variety of stamps to make a “dirty” back ground.  For that I used; Backgrounds and Repeat After Me.  I used a variety of inks, paint and embossing powders to get a grungy appearance.  I also used the Seal It! set for some of the circular elements on my page.

So the next time you need some inspiration to create that masculine page, just think like a boy… and get dirty!

On the first day of Christmas my true love gave to me: an advent calendar!

I just love advent calendars! They help you count down until Christmas. They make the time go by faster, when you are waiting. They are such a beautiful decoration! I grew up having an advent calendar every year. My grandmother used to make one each for me and my brother. It contained all kinds of sweets, chocolate, marzipan potatoes, gummy bears and many other yummy things.

I continued this tradition with my own children and made wooden trees and small cloth pouches for them. The little sacks used to have a lot of tiny toys in them, playmobil accessories, marbles, toy cars and also sweets, but in the last couple of years the kids have found different things besides chocolates: little coupons for 1 iTunes song, nice pens, erasers and other practical stuff.

For my mother I have made a different kind of advent calendar this year. I wrote out 24 Christmas poems and printed them on the backside of one-sided scrapbooking paper. It’s a great way to use of a bunch of coordinating papers that have had little use so far – without feeling guilty about it.

First I cut the paper down to 8.5×11″. The scraps can still be used for cards and small projects. Then I ran them through the printer (2 poems fit on each paper, I needed 12 papers). Each of the poems was rolled up and closed with hemp twine.

To decorate each roll I stamped the numbers 1-24 on the scraps and embossed with gold embossing powder. I doubled the papers to give them a colourful backing. The numbers only needed a small hole punch. I added the numbers to the rolls and trimmed the hemp twine.

To display the poem rolls, I lined a basked with red hemp cloth, distributed the rolls evenly and added pinecones, golden stars and mini christmas balls to the mix.

This is a fun Christmas decoration! You can use any type of papers that suit your style or holiday colour scheme. I hope you will enjoy making your own calendars! What are you placing in yours?

11 more great ideas to celebrate the Holidays to come in the next few days! Check out our blog every weekday.

Happy Stamping,

]]> http://mystampbox.com/2010/12/12-days-of-christmas-day-1/feed/ 13 http://mystampbox.com/2010/10/at-home-with-colour/ http://mystampbox.com/2010/10/at-home-with-colour/#comments Wed, 06 Oct 2010 04:30:26 +0000 Jill http://mystampbox.com/?p=5717 read more »]]> Jill here……..taking design inspiration from something that sparks my creativity everyday………..Home Decor.

I have a love affair with home decorating {especially after a few years of home remodelling/home re-decorating in our own house}.  One of my very best friends & I take every opportunity to visit home stores, vintage shops, fabric stores……..& will someday be able to grace the aisles of huge Flea Markets in the States — we’re still waiting for THAT opportunity.

So…..from this love of home decorating, colour & design, I took my inspiration for creating four fun mSB layouts this month and focussed my thoughts on the COLOUR COMBOS that were used.

Inspiration:  Grey/Black/Turquoise/a little splash of Green:

Layout:  “Another Reason Why”

mSB stamp sets used: What’s your number? & mini letters.

Inspiration:  Brown Tones, Orange & White

Layout:  “All Grown Up”

mSB stamp sets used: Rustic Outlines & Wishing you Sunshine

Inspiration:  White, Hot Pink & Yellow

Layout:  ” 2 girls at the lake”

mSB stamp sets used:  mini letters & funky flowers

Inspiration:  White, Tan, Turquoise, Yellow & a hint of Orange

{ Style at Home – magazine cover}

Layout:  “towards the NorthWest”

mSB stamp sets used:  mini letters

I hope you have been inspired today to look around your own home for Colour Combinations that will pop on your layouts. 

Keep smiling.

I thought I would challenge you today to get your paints out of the closet…….or out of your rubbermaids…….or borrow some…..or just plain buy some to “slap some on” the next layout you create. You’re not scared already are you??!?  i LOVE using my paints on my creations — sometimes I have a plan……but most times I don’t {it’s the best way actually}.

So here are some ways that I use my paints — to help inspire you today.

My Sunkissed Angel:

The first addition of paint to this layout was the wash of white paint to the centre and around the machine stitched sun.  I brushed right over the edge of my photo, around the rays of the sun and down into the {right hand} corner of the layout.  Once dry, I could start adding my title and embellishments.

I love adding a little sparkle to a layout whenever I can, so…..I stamped my title with two different mSB letter stamps {Rustic Outlines} & {Colour Me} in three different colours of paint before adding a little tinge of lime green glitter to them.  I simply stamped with paint (I used a paint brush to add the paint to the stamps — I didn’t “dip” into paint) and then sprinkled the glitter on the letters while still wet.  I tapped the extra glitter off carefully into the garbage.

Here’s a closer photo of it:

I also added some flowers stamped in paint to the background of the layout.  I used the {a flower for you} stamp set.  I stamped both flower images right after the other, not re-applying more paint inbetween.  The second stamped image is more subdued — love the effect!!

The second way you can use paint on a layout is to create a whole background with paint.

THREE divers:

I started with a plain white piece of cardstock and stamped the “THREE 3″ images with black dye ink.  I used the combinations of mSB sets: {Tall Solids I & II} and {What’s your number?}.

I then used three different paint colours to create my background paper {plain cardstock just wasn’t cutting it for me}, painting right over the stamped title I had just done.  I really just “slapped it on”, not really thinking or planning where I wanted the paint in relation to everything else.  Once I had the background complete, I could add all the other layout elements.

I then was able to use the {Colour Me Not I & II} stamp sets to finish my title with red paint — “Divers”.  I love the look of mixing textures:  the flatness of the inked images with those done with thicker paint.

I even added a shell embellishment, salvaged from a broken necklace we picked up in Costa Rica on our family vacation.  Pop-dotted & blinged up; it’s the perfect addition to the layout.

I hope you have been inspired today to bring out your paints.  There are so many ways to use them and……………they are NOT scarey at all!!!!!!  Just slap it on and see where your creativity takes you.

smiles,

One of my greatest joys in life is walking into the Kindergarten classroom and all the kids running up to me to give me hugs.  There’s no better feeling on a Monday morning, I’ll tell ya’.  And one of the best parts of the Kindergarten day is “Show & Tell”……..always an interesting part of the day.  So…….it’s only fitting that this Kindergarten substitute has the privilege of sharing my “Show & Tell” with you.

For all three of the layouts I’ll be sharing today, I used the Mini Letters stamp set AND the Your Story stamp set (with a few additions of other mSB stamp sets).

Crazy Kids: 8 x 11 inch single-page layout

mSB stamps used:  Mini Letters, Your Story, Borderlines, Bold Blocks.

To create the “Crazy Kids” title on this layout, I carefully inked the stamp from the Bold Blocks set, making sure I didn’t get any ink on the word “STUFF”.  Then I hand wrote the word “kids” to create the title.  I doodled around the whole thing to make it stand out.

Happiness: 8 x 11 inch double-page layout

mSB stamp sets used: Mini Letters, Your Story.

Using the Mini Letters set, I stamped the word “run” three times on a dictionary paper heart and then stitched under each word with my sewing machine.

Finders Keepers: 12 x 12 inch single-page layout

mSB stamp sets used: Mini Letters, Your Story, What’s your Numbers?

If you look closely, I used the number “1″ stamp from the What’s your Number? set to create the turquoise rectangles and the little yellow squares for “check marking”.  I stamped only the outside border of the journaling block from the Your Story set around the rectangles, making my own personalized journaling tag.

Hope you’ve enjoyed a journey back to Kindergarten this morning with a little “Show & Tell”.

smiles,  jill

I’m not one to read high-fashion mags or watch all the FashionTelevision shows on TV.  I do, however, catch the odd episode of America’s Next Top Model or Project Runway.  I think if I wasn’t a farm-wife, mother-of-three & teacher……I would have been a home decorator or fashion designer.  Oh, you laugh, but I know I could have made it {so easy to say while I sit here in my butterfly pajama pants sipping a diet pepsi — lol).

So…it is only fitting that I created some layouts for this month’s post that were totally inspired by the colours & textures of the fashion industry.

Layout #1 was inspired by this 1960’s number — I can just imagine my mother & aunts in this outfit.

And here is the layout:  “LIVE”  –  this layout has a clean & crisp look with a retro feel.  I used the colours RED, WHITE & a touch of BLACK; all inspired by the photo.   I used the myStampBOX stamp sets: Your Story & Border Lines.

Layout #2 was inspired by the colour & textures of this photo.  Notice how the outfit is somewhat monochromatic, with lots of layers and dimension.

And here’s the layout:  “DISTANCE”  –  by using vintage lace, a handmade fabric flower & jewel accents, I created a monochromatic layout, much like the inspiring outfit.  I stamped the title “DISTANCE” multiple times down the centre of the layout in both white and brown ink.  I used the stamp sets: Tall Solids I and Tall Solids II.  I outlined the title in black marker to give it definition.

My 3rd layout was definitely inspired by the colours & incredible patterns of this next runway outfit:

If anyone knows me, I love pattern paper — really… anything goes … any colour, any pattern, any paper.  I love mixing bold colours together and all kinds of patterns in my layouts & projects.  So… you can only imagine how this outfit inspired the bold colours of this next layout:  “I love 35″.

I chose four {quite} different pattern papers — in colour & design — and used them on this layout.  The three circles are hand-cut from bold floral prints and the square border, from a more whimsical print.  I used the Wishing you Sunshine stamp set to create flowers, adding Ranger’s glossy accents for dimension.  I created part of the title using the What’s you number? stamp set.

And, lastly, who couldn’t be inspired by this incredibly beautiful dress?

I was instantly drawn to the gorgeous, pink, flowing fabric on the bottom of this dress and the tailored, silver lines of the top.  I wanted to create a “pretty”, soft layout that was airy & fresh.

The Sigh Gush Gasp stamp set was the perfect choice for creating this layout.  I added hand-journalled writing inbetween for some interest.  The shiny,  silver pearls and vintage, grey paper & ribbon really pick up the colours of the fashionable top; while the pink, tulle flowers are a great addition for a soft look.

I hope you have enjoyed MY TAKE on creating layouts inspired by yesterday & today’s fashion-on-the-runway.  You can visit the myStampBOX gallery to see more close-up photos of these layouts.

I challenge YOU to dive into your own closet to find inspiration for your next layout.

smiles,

jill

One of the great things about the Border Lines set, is that it gives you the look of “doodling” without the “stress” of actually drawing on your page – LOL. I know so many scrappers who are afraid to doodle because they don’t want to ruin their layout….if you’re one of them, then Border Lines is for you

On my layout, I used the set twice. First, I used the photo corners stamp to make my own photo mat. Then, I used the straight stamp to make my own border that spans the width of the page. To do that, I just carefully lined up the stamp with the image and kept stamping until I had the length that I wanted.

Instead of using ink, I colored the images using Sakura “Puffy” 3D pens. It gave the page a fun, 3D effect and it was so easy to tie the whole page together because I could pick exactly the colors I needed to match my papers perfectly.

I made my own 3D butterfly embellishments by cutting out some paper butterflies, then stamping images onto them using the Colorful Companions set. I used some Helmar Premium Craft Glue to attach the top butterfly to the bottom butterfly.

I added another 3D element to my page, by stamping my date using the What’s Your Number set. I stamped the images on the same patterned paper that I used as my background, then I cut the images out. Using Helmar Liquid Scrapdots, I attached them to a chipboard piece for another interested element.

But I digress, so let’s go back to our Border Lines set for a moment.

To make this card, I used the photo corners image to create a border all the way around my paper. By just inking one side of the stamp, you can use it to create a straight line instead of a corner.

I added my sentiment using the Many Many Thanks set, and attached my “flower” to the card with Helmar Liquid Scrapdots.

Thanks for Stopping by today. Happy Scrapping!
Marci : )