From Pinterest to Scrapbook Page | Circle Inspired

My Pinterest boards are overflowing with inspiration for fashion, cooking, home decor, and of course, scrapbooking! But it's not just layouts and sketches that provide starting points for my page designs. Recently I cam across this pin, featuring a giclee print available on Etsy:

I was drawn to the series of circles, each with their own unique texture. And since I am a huge fan of grid designs, the 3x4 arrangement of elements was a composition I knew I could replicate on a page.

Using the  October Papercrafting Kit, I cut circles slightly smaller than 3 inches in diameter from the kit papers, as well as two photos of my kids in the pumpkin patch. To mimic the texture in the inspiration piece, I added simple twine stitching to some of the circles.

So what is inspiring you on Pinterest on lately? How could you translate it to a scrapbook page? We'd love to see what you create! And don't forget to check out the JBS Pinterest Boards for lots of inspiring layouts, cards, projects, and more!

July Kit Video with Lisa Dickinson

The July kits are in the store and ready for your summer scrapping! To give you a peek at the kits and get you motivated to start creating, I've put together this video that features the contents of the Papercrafting Kit and my process for creating a layout with it.  Enjoy!

      

For more kit inspiration, check out the Design Team Gallery and don't forget to grab your kit and add-ons in the Mercantile Store!

Summer Scrapping: Circles & Squares

We're celebrating all things summer this month at JBS, and I couldn't be happier! I love the bright colors and fun themes that accompany warm weather scrapping. Today I'm mixing some pieces from the June Mercantile Kits (Papercrafting and Historian - both of which are still available!) with Modern Mercantile papers and wood veneer. In addition, I'm combining rectangles and circles for a fun, energetic look.

I snapped this shot of Riely and her best friend Cassidy a few weeks ago on the last day of school. They were excitedly discussing all their big plans for summer, which included lots of playdates, sleepovers, and attending theater camp together.

S U P P L I E S :

InLinkz.com

For the base layer, I used the Plus One stencil and some acrylic paint to add a bit of color and texture to my cardstock.  Then I layered some paper scraps and journaling cards to form a loose grid around the photo.

The heart on one of the journaling cards was a perfect place to type in a bit of journaling. Then, to add a sense of motion and energy to the page, I cut some thin circles from coordinating cardstock as well as cutting out a circular title for my page. I arranged these three circular elements in a triangle around my photo. Both the circles and the rounded corners on the papers and photo help to soften all the straight lines and add a "flow" to the page.

A few simple embellishments - a sticker, a vintage ticket, and wooden buttons (that also relate to the circles!) are all I needed to finish this page.

The combination of circles and squares can work with so many summer page themes, from baseball to beach balls, bike riding to frisbee games, pizza parties to road trips! Together they can help you create a dynamic, lively page to tell all your summer stories.

Happy Scrapping!

White + Ivory + Gold

I recently challenged myself to try the elegant color combo of white, ivory and gold. I've seen beautiful layouts using this color scheme but haven't had quite the right photos to use with it. So when I saw these shots of our new tortoiseshell cat, Scout, I knew I had no excuse not to try it out!

I found the perfect supplies in this month's Mercantile Kits and several of the new JBS releases. On the ivory background, I used the new Scattered Stars and Pennant Rub-Ons.  These go on so smoothly and easily - just like butter!

I mounted my photos on a set of the wood veneer Book Covers, which provided a great matte that coordinated with my colors and provided a little dimension. I also layered several generic shipping tags and a Printed Kraft Tag, along with one of the Studio Calico acrylic overlays.  I love how they add a subtle touch of white but let my background show through. I used machine stitching to hold everything down and to form some subtle frames around my two photos. All of these supplies are from this month's Mini Album Kit !

 

For a finishing touch, I tucked in several pairs of the Crystal Clear sequins around the page (also in the Mini Album Kit ).  I really love their iridescent shimmer and shine!

So if you're inspired to try out the ivory + white + gold color combo, the new JBS projects are a great place to start! Several of this month's Mercantile Kits contain the new releases, and they are now available at several online retailers.

Happy Scrapping!

One Little Word: Balance

The new year is always a chance to begin anew - setting goals and resolutions, planning for new ventures, and plotting just how to get it all accomplished. This year I decided to make one word my mantra:  BALANCE.  I documented this on my blog in early January and decided that it also deserved a scrapbook page as well.  The February JBS Mercantile Kits were the perfect inspiration for getting my One Little Word down on paper.  Here's the layout that resulted!

Using the contents of the Papercrafting Kit (which goes on sale tomorrow at midnight!) I created this layout that features the text from my blog post along with a photo of the bracelet I bought, which is stamped with letters spelling out balance.

I used the kit stencil to trace the small heart pattern with colored pencils. The three circles of stitching help give the design balance and reinforce my theme.

 

Do you have a word/mantra/theme for 2014? Document it with a special scrapbook page that will help remind you of your goal throughout the year.

Happy Scrapping!

The Things Kids Say

Halloween is one of my Favorite holidays. The October JBS Mercantile kits managed to capture everything that embodies the holiday and the season. I have been so inspired to pull out older Halloween photos in order to get them scrapped. Most of the photos include the typical Halloween costumes and Trick or Treat candies. However, I had one set of photos that certainly didn't fit in that typical category.

Most years, my son wore his costume as soon as we acquired it. By the time Halloween would come around, it would be well worn and loved. This time, he decided the costume he had chosen was't particularly comfortable. He wouldn't pose for a decent photo. In fact, the wig was off before he even started down the driveway. He was supposed to be Yu-Gi-Yoh but without the wig, many grown ups assumed he was Sgt. Pepper from the Beetles' song.  This caused my son to proclaim at each and every house that he was not Sgt. Pepper. Just like that, a scrapbook page title had been born.

I wanted supplies that embodied both his statement and the fun atmosphere of Trick or Treating. I chose most of my supplies from the October Mini Album kit. I loved the bold traditional colors mixed with the playful patterns. The mini album pages were easy to layer into the layout and provided ample space for journaling.

I added in a few of the Halloween Bingo Cards  along with some sparkly buttons and enamel dots from the Artisian kit. Using the pre-cut elements of the mini album kit was a real time saver for me.

The things kids say can help change an ordinary event into something unique. Have your kids said something especially memorable about Halloween or Fall?

Christy

carve pumpkins

Pumpkin carving pretty much tops our list of favorite activities  for autumn as a family - yes, we set aside a Saturday in October when we grab pumpkins (either from a local farm or grocer) and carve them together as a family. Time goes into choosing a personal design, and as the years pass, we have to help the boys less and less.

It's always fun to see their creativity shine through when we're finished!

I have loved this Halloween collection from Jenni for so long, it was amazing to have the opportunity to work with it this year! The navy blue is the perfect compliment to the bright orange, and by adding just a few neutral sheets from the Haven and Modern Mercantile collections, my page just pops with that dark photo... A few touches of orange ink to the alterable alphas and remember this sticker, and I just love how this came out.

Do you have any traditions surrounding autumn activities or pumpkin carving?

October Kits | Papercrafting + Historian

The October kits are packed with everything you'd need for documenting your fall and Halloween, but they are also versatile enough to use for lots of other page themes as well! I've used the pie chart Kit Cut (free with purchase of the Papercrafting Kit) to make a layout about a typical day in the life of our dog, Shinerbock:

The bulk of the supplies on this page are from the Papercrafting Kit, but I've added in a label and die cut from the BasicGrey waterfall set in the Historian Add-On. These waterfall packs have a seemingly endless supply of die cuts, journaling cards, labels, and mini alphas (and everything coordinates perfectly!)

The pie chart was a great way to incorporate several of the fun patterned papers and bright cardstock in the kit. You could use this graph concept to illustrate your favorite things about autumn, the different types of Halloween candy your kids got trick-or-treating, or the variety of leaves that have fallen in your yard...the possibilities are endless!

 Happy October!

Spotlight On: August Project Kit

I absolutely adored Tina's project kit for August - and even if you're not in need of a small mini to document your summer fun, the supplies were perfect to create layouts with as well! You see those rectangular pieces that make up my photo mat for this layout? They are actually covered pages from the mini album! The only thing I added was a stick and embroidery floss from my stash...

We travel back and forth to see family in the Midwest several times a year, and we always have to grab a few photos in Chatanooga, Tennessee. It's a 24 hour drive, so the "are we there yet?" sign, is a perfect addition to this layout...

More documenting our road trip fun. It's always a bit chaotic, so I felt the random goods on the page were fitting!

Hope you're inspired to create something fun with the kit! Even if it's not the gorgeous mini album that Tina put together!

P.S.  Leah designed the September Mini-album Kit (which contains exclusive flair badges designed by her as well).  Only ONE left in stock at the last check!  It is awesome!  and inspiring!

P.S.S. Don't forget our September Customer Appreciation special!  Members get 20% off orders!

Layering Madness, September Papercrafting Kit Style!

Hello!  Tina here today with a layout using the September Papercrafting Kit!

The September Papercrafting Kit is chocked full of awesome COLOR, die-cuts, and fun little metal embellishments!

I love using color and pattern on my layouts and one of my favorite way to use all of this color is by starting with a white background.

 

I start building color and pattern by adding a bit of splatters and spray mist to my white cardstock, and the exclusive Quilt Star stencil (in the September Papercrafting Kit) is perfect for this!

 

I build on the background by adding die-cuts, patterned paper, and small little embellishments.  I even re-colored the metal embellishments with Distress Stain for a different look.

So that my photo wouldn't compete with all of the color and pattern, I changed it to Black & White.  I also hid unwanted sections of the photo with die-cuts and embellishments.

Don't be afraid to use those die-cuts and patterned paper!  And always use COLOR, COLOR, & more COLOR!  :)

Thank you for stopping by today!  I hope you have a great week!