I used a piece of patterned paper recently and realized that the main aspect I loved about it was a double stitched border. The thing is, I paid a lot more for that stitched border than I would have for a normal piece of patterned paper. The other thing? I have a sewing machine and can easily stitch my own borders! I did a lot of stitching on my Remember This projects. Something about the My Mind’s Eye Papers is just begging for stitching! I stitched on three different borders for this layout:

Even a basic stitch all the way around the paper creates nice texture:

I also stitched on this card:

Again, I know it is just a plain stitch and a straight border, but it does kind of add a nice finished touch, doesn’t it? Of course, you can add different thread colors and types of stitches, but I am really happy with a plain stitched border right now:

So before you spend extra on a pre-stitched page, remember it really only takes a few minutes to add your own unique touch to your layouts and cards. And if you don’t have a sewing machine, stop by a friend’s house and stitch up a few pages!

Rebecca

Hey there Elizabeth here to share and talk to you today about edges. I am not sure what they are “really” called but that’s what I call them! These days most companies are making usage of each tiny space on their papers so that we can use all the goodness up! For me, it really isn’t about doing something cool, decorative, or even new to the edge part of the paper. I just like it. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, take a close look!

I used MME’s Follow Your Heart papers shown below. However, I left the “edge” on!

This is the layout I created using this piece of paper. You see the “edge”? It’s on the bottom. It’s normally the area where the name is on it and tells you what the name of the paper is too. Well its so cute and fits that I’ve been leaving them when I see fit! Check it out below!

Here is the finished layout so you can get a full view!

It just goes with everything I have created on this page and the title says a lot about the page as well so I decided to keep the “edge”! Some companies have even taken to create something you can cut out and use them, but I think I like to just keep them on as a decorative part of my layout! Just as an info. buster here, be mindful as your layout will be bigger than 12×12 when you stick it into your page protector. But to me that doesn’t matter!

Don’t be afraid to try something different and use that “edge” too!!

Elizabeth

When I first opened the Remember This kit I was instantly in love with SO many of the amazing papers! In an effort to really use them to their limits, I decided to create a couple of cards where the papers are the star of the show!

To create this card I cut a portion of the My Mind’s Eye Follow Your Heart – Be Amazing patterned paper – the AWESOME part with the bike image and used that as the starting point for my design. I carefully cut the kites from the paper with a craft knife and adhered the panel to a kraft mat. I the added the cut-out kites back where they were using foam adhesive to make them pop off the card.

Because this portion of the paper was so beautifully designed, I added a quick butterfly and die cut circle from the October Afternoon Farmhouse Flour Sack and one of the gorgeous buttons from the My Mind’s Eye Be Amazing Button Card. I finished it off with a bit of the chunky yellow twine and there you have it! I love the way the paper did all the work for me on this one! Sentiment and ALL!

Don’t worry…it’s not cheating, I promise! Let that awesome paper be the star of the show! It’s worth it!!!

Remember This, the February kit, reminds me of blue skies and sunshine. All of the pretty blues and yellows make me happy, especially since we’ve had gray, wet days in my neck of the woods recently. As I was opening my box, the Natasha Bedingfield song – Pocket Full of Sunshine – popped into my head. When I pulled out the two Whisper Graphics chevron bags from the kit, I just knew what our next challenge would be. Challenge #25 is to incorporate a pocket of some kind in a layout. You could use the bags from the kit or make your own, but a functional pocket must be a part of your design. Here’s my take:

I decided to use the blue chevron bag as my pocket. I thought turning it upside down and letting my design “fall” out of it would be fun, especially with all the great October Afternoon embellies in the kit. I glued the twine in place to help add to the feeling of falling, making sure to tuck one end into my pocket.

Ready to play? Here’s how:

1. Create a layout inspired by the challenge. We would love to see a Scrapbook Circle kit in action, but any materials will do.

2. Post your layout to your blog, a gallery, or our Facebook page. Come back to this post and leave a comment with the direct link to your posted project.

3. Deadline to enter is Wednesday, February 15th, 9:00 pm Pacific.

You could win a $15.00 Scrapbook Circle credit. Wishing you a day with pockets full of sunshine and happy scrapping!

Congratulations are in order for…

CHAS

…who created this beautiful layout using the You + Me kit:

Well done, Chas! Please email me at precociouspaper (at) yahoo (dot) com with your contact information and we will get you hooked up with your $15.00 store credit.

A new challenge will go live very soon! You’ll definitely want to play along in hopes to pocket the prize. Hint, hint .

Before we say goodbye to January and move on to a new month (and new kit!), let’s take a look at one of my favorite papers from You + Me. Seriously, how cute is the Be Mine paper by Fancy Pants? You know, the one with all the little tags?

Melissa put it to use in such a creative way:

I love how Melissa cut apart several of the tag images, notched the ends, and created a banner. It makes a great border for her photos and a fun place for subtitles.

I also love how Melissa used one of the fussy-cut tags to create a journaling spot for her date. So cute!

What did you do with the Be Mine paper? Did you think like Melissa, or go a route of your own? We would love to see! Just upload your layouts to the Facebook page and we will come check them out. We always get excited to see what you do with the kits . Have a fabulous day!

Have you ever made a page and thought to yourself – I like it! I want to make another like it… or I wish I could change it a little bit this way….?

Well, I had that exact feeling this past month. So, I decided to take another stab at a layout I had done using the December kit from Scrapbook Circle!!

Remember this page:

I decided to do another take of this page - this time, using  the January kit instead!  I wanted to make the page similar, but a little more masculine as my son was in the photo too this time! I also wanted to keep a little pink on my page too… just for fun … here is what I came up with this time:

If you are in a time crunch … why not inspire yourself… take a dive into your stash of pages.. pick a fave or even one that is just bugging you to be redone!  Give it a try and share them with us on our facebook page!

I used to be a multi-photo layout scrapper for ages. Couldn’t do a layout without at least 3 or 4 small photos.

Then one day I shot a beautiful photo of my girl and thought it would be nice to scrap large photos!

When I decide that a photo is worth being printed in a large format, I enjoy scrapping it!

But with large photos, you need different designs, and you really need to think about balance!

On this layout made with January YOU+ME KIT I used the beautiful Fancy Pants heart paper to balance the design and space on my layout:

So, do try this out with your most cherished pictures and see if you enjoy the result!

And if you do, please post your creations on our facebook page !

Have a fabulous, creative day!

How could I not make a layout about my sweetheart with the fabulous January kit You + Me?

I kept this simple, so as to not appear sappy, which makes me vomit a little in my throat. I know, I know…. I scrapbook, therefore I’m sappy, right? Well, with the scrapbook circle kits, you can be stylish and sentimental without the accompanying sappiness. Not sure if I’m making up words here, but I do love my husband, and I rarely do layouts about us that don’t include our kids in some form or another. And, with us celebrating 13 years of marriage during January, well, I couldn’t let this fun photo pass by un-scrapbooked. (Okay, now I know I’m making up words). Even though I look like I’m on the prowl and he’s just annoyed, I guess that is exactly how we both feel sometimes, so why not capture it! Happy January everyone. Look for fun updates as we head out early tomorrow for CHA!!!!!!

Sophie has been playing along with our latest challenge, Love Lists. You’re going to love Sophie’s journaling treatment. Take a look:

I just love the patterned paper strips!

The slight diagonal lines are so fun and they lead you in an interesting way through Sophie’s list. Fabulous design, Sophie!

If you would like to play along with Challenge #24, you can find the details here. There’s a $15.00 store credit up for grabs. Happy scrapping!