Pretty as a Picture Scrapbook Layout by Candice Windham

Pretty as a Picture

Designed by Candice Windham 

Pretty as a Picture - 

My friend Andrea Nash is one of the most beautiful women I’ve ever known. With her Elizabeth Taylor/Suzanne Pleshette good looks, she attracts people instantly, but this beauty is not just skin-deep. Andi has a big heart, quick smile and a laugh (that sometimes turns into a snort) that just energizes any room she is in.

To top all this off,  her voice is a powerful alto that brings solo power and harmony richness to the vocals of Sorghum Hill, the band that my husband has been a part of for too many years to count. I’m so lucky that they practice at my house, because I get to hear those sweet harmonies live more than anyone else in the world.

I snapped this photo of Andi at the Hemman Winery in Brazeau, Missouri. It’s always been one of my favorites. I hope she enjoys this tribute as much as I enjoy her friendship.

Using the KellyCraft™ products made this project come together quick and easy and I don’t have to second-guess my alignments! All the papers came from my scrap box, which means I don't know the manufacturers and many may be discontinued, for which I apologize.

Here’s how I made it:

Materials: 

KellyCraft™ - Get-it-Straight™ Laser Square

                      - Multi-Mat™

Cardstock: 12” x 12” Dark Orange and Striped Patterned Paper, 8 ½” x 11” Cream, Dark Orange

Paper: Green Patterned Floral Paper, 12" x 12"

Paper scrap patterned paper assortment in Autumn colors- tan, brown, gold, green and orange 

Sizzix - Big Shot® 

           - Dies: Tattered Florals, Tattered Leaves (Tim Holtz Alterations) and Flourish/Floral With 

            Leaves

QuicKutz Die Cut Alphabet 

Ranger Walnut Distress Ink 

Photo

Glue Dots, medium and large

Beacon ZipDry Liquid Adhesive 

Double-stick Adhesive, 2" or doubled up 1" 

Circle punches, assorted sizes, 1/2" to 1"

Computer and Printer

Viva Décor Copper Pearl Pen

Directions:

Notes: 

1. I did not use the powerful magnets that came with the Multi-Mat™ because I lost them during this photo shoot. I would have used them to hold my layout in place as soon as I put the background papers together to avoid having to make sure my papers were still in place every time I used the Get-it-Straight™ Laser Square.    It's okay Candice - we are all only human!  Hope those magnets show up soon lol! 

2. I always use a lot of sponging in my work. I think the only pieces that weren't sponged were the background papers and the layers of the photo; that's because I forgot. 

On a full sheet of dark orange 12” x 12” card stock, layer a piece of striped patterned card stock trimmed to 11" x 11".

Cut a piece of card stock 1/8"  larger all around than the photo. Add an additional layer of patterned paper 1/8" larger all around than the photo, attaching only at the top and bottom with 2" double stick adhesive to create a pocket for the journaling tags. Attach the photo with double stick adhesive, centered and about 1 1/2" above the bottom edge. 

Print small title block on cream card stock with computer and

printer (Font: Mistral). Trim out and layer onto green card stock  
cut 1/8” larger all around than the small title block. Center and use the Get-it-Straight™ Laser Square to line it up just over the bottom of the photo.

Cut three sets of flowers from scrap papers and card stock with Big Shot. Sponge all the flower edges with Walnut Ink and curl the edges. Layer smaller flowers onto larger flowers with medium Glue Dots.  Punch copper card stock with circle punches for flower centers (the copper flower centers were created with a piece of copper paper texturized with a texture plate that was in my scrap box) and attach with Zip Dry adhesive.  

Attach the center flower to the layout first using a large Glue Dot, place the right flower second and a little lower than the center one, then use the  Get-it-Straight™ Laser Square to align the flowers on the left.

Cut printed postcards from paper stash paper or use cream card stock. Sponge the edges with Walnut Stain Distress Ink. Punch flowers with Sizzix Tattered Florals Die and attach them to the tag sides. Slip a tag in each side of the pocket created with the 2"double-stick tape.

Cut headline with QuicKutz dies and use ZipDry Adhesive to attach it just above the small title block.

Cut four swirls from dark orange and green patterned paper and attach to both sides with Zip

Dry adhesive, using the KellyCraft Get-it-Straight Laser Square to get the swirls the same height from the bottom of the page on both sides. Add a couple of flowers from the Tattered Florals die.

Add dots randomly with Viva Décor Copper Pearl Pen to give this layout a little more pizzazz and that's it. Quick and easy, but it will be appreciated for a long time!

I think this would look great in a shadow box frame. It will also make a nice Christmas gift for Miss Andi!  (Spoiler alert!)

With a Nod to Andy Warhol

Pete was the best dog. When he was a pup, I would let him sit in my lap while I worked at the computer. He had a knack for hitting the delete key frequently. When he grew to 80 lbs., he thought he could still sit in my lap. By then his feet were so big that he could type and delete at the same time with one fell swoop. He was definitely a dog of many talents.

I wanted to make a memorial page for our sweet pup who we lost last week after 15 + years. I didn’t want to dwell for too long over this page because I am already having enough trouble being without my sweet Pete.

I turned to three of my all-time favorite tools, the KellyCraft Get-it-Straight Laser Square, Viva Décor’s Glitter Pens and Duetica Lettering Arts Studio software, to make a quick page that was everything Pete was without getting too sentimental. (The fact that I have every collar and tag he ever wore and a bazillion photos is bad enough. I didn’t want this to turn into a shrine!)

Here’s what you need:

KellyCraft Get-it-Straight- Laser Square

Duetica Lettering Arts Studio

Computer/printer

Paper cutter

Black cardstock, 12” x 12”

White cardstock, 8 ½” x 11”

Four white and four colored cardstock scraps, approximately 5” x 5”

Black acid-free pen

Kool Tac Premium Extreme tape

Note: I used Adobe Photoshop and InDesign, but you can use any type of photo-altering  and layout software..

1. Set the type using the Duetica Lettering Arts Studio. I used the Tin Whistle font. I set each line separately so that I could manipulate the type layout. Open your largest phrase (“Pete”) in Photoshop. Change the colors and crop to get rid of excess space around the edges. I saved it as a jpg. file since I didn’t need to worry about a transparent background. If you want the background transparent so that you can place it on top of another image, save it as a png file.

2. Open the second line of type. I purposefully left this one black, then reduced it to fit under the larger word. Print on white cardstock and tear all edges as closely as possible.

3. Open the photo you wish to use.  Use the posterize  function in your image file to convert the image and save it (save as).  Use the color balance function to change the colors three more times and save (save as) after each color change.

3. Open a 12 x 12 page in your photo/drawing or layout program. Place the four photos, adjusting them to fit. Add the headline and make sure it will all fit on a 12 x 12 page (Don’t forget to allow for the layers behind the photos and headline.).

4. Unless you have a 12” x 12” printer, you will need to print these images and the title on 8 ½” x 11” cardstock. I was able to get the title and two photos on one page and the two additional photos and journaling on the second.

5. Trim headline and photos and cut background layers.

Headline

1. Cut one additional layer of one of your colors 1/4” larger all around than your title block. Cut a different color additional piece 11” wide. Adhere the headline to the smaller piece of cardstock, applying your adhesive top, bottom and right side to allow for a journaling tag. Mount the entire headline on the 11” piece of cardstock to placing it ¼” from the right edge..

2. Measure the height of your headline (white portion only). Use your computer to set or hand-write your journaling type. Trim closely Mount this to a piece of black cardstock trimmed to fit inside the journaling pocket. Round the edges of both pieces on the left side and glue together. Insert this piece between the two pieces of colored cardstock. Use the Viva Décor Hematite Glitter Pen to draw the puppy foot.

3. Using the KellyCraft Get –it-Straight Laser Square, line up all the layered photos and the title block and glue them to the background paper.

4. Finish it off by outlining the large letters for more contrast. This doesn’t have to be perfect. With a cool typeface like Tin Whistle, you don’t have to be so wary of making sure you have perfect lines. In fact, this headline could probably use a black ink blot or two!

Do you have a special pet? Make a quick and easy page so the world will know how special your pet is. This page came together in less than an hour, proving that it doesn’t require a lot of time to make a great page when you have good tools.

Note: I received product from KellyCraft, Viva Décor, Kool Tak and Duetica Lettering Arts Studio. However, I would have used them anyway. I never endorse something unless I believe in it completely.

Thinking outside the box....literally!

I have a love affair with boxes. There. I admitted it.

Boxes can hide secrets, contain fragile items, or my favorite, hold precious memorabilia. Using KellyCraft Get-It-Straight Laser Square meant lining up all those rectangles and squares was as easy as pie.

Here's the side view showing the trim.

The finished box, which began as a Goodwill find, is designed to holds precious memories: a child's small toy, pretty rocks from special places, travel souvenirs or just about anything you can think of.

Here's how I made it:

Supplies
Makin's Clay, Black, white and yellow (I knew I was going to paint it so wasn't too worried about the base color.)
Makin's Clay tools (texture sheets, cutters, misc. tools)
Box
KellyCraft Get-It-Straight Laser Square
Viva Décor Inka Gold (Orange, Lava Green, Violet, Steel Blue, Gold, Silver)
Sophisticated Finishes Copper Paint, Triangle Coatings
Brush
Mold N Pour
Buttons
Tim Holtz' Alterations dies, Vintage Lace and Tattered Florals
Big Shot die cutting machine
Martha Stewart Glaze, Black Coffee
Green card stock, Bo Bunny Olive Dots card stock
Burgundy paper, My Mind's Eye
Black card stock
Aleene's Original Tacky Glue
Black acrylic paint
Wooden knobs, 4
Fancy Knob, Advantus - Tim Holtz - Idea-ology Collection - Curio Knobs

Directions
1. Trim burgundy paper to fit 1/2" inside box lid edges. Trim Olive Dots to leave a 1/2" border of burgundy paper. Trim black card stock to leave a 1/2" border of Olive Dot.
2. Condition one pack of clay  (I used white), run through pasta machine and apply texture sheets. Trim out rectangles to cover black card stock and overhang edges at least 1/4". Be sure to cut and texturize one extra piece of clay for your title tag. Set aside to dry.
3.  Roll out 1/2 package of clay (I used yellow) and run through pasta machine on #2 setting. Sandwich between two pieces of waxed paper  and use Textured Florals die to cut flowers. Apply texture sheets to each flower. NOTE: Be sure to remove any clay that may become lodged in your die immediately.
4. Roll out 1/2  package of black clay and add texture with texture sheets. Trim to 1/2" strips and set aside to dry.

The Get-It-Straight Laser Square makes it easy
to line up the rectangles.

5. Press clay scraps into Mold N Pour molds created with vintage buttons (or use buttons or embellishment for flower centers). Mold N Pour allows you to create molds from jewelry, buttons, etc.. Check it out here.
6. Die cut Vintage Lace trim from scrap paper and apply orange Inka Gold.

7. When all clay pieces are dry, apply Martha Stewart Metallic Paint to all clay rectangles for the box top. Paint Tattered Florals die cuts with Sophisticated Finishes Copper Paint Allow all to dry, then apply Inka Gold to all pieces, including the black strips.

Line up and adhere the paper layers, then add the clay layer last.

8. Arrange rectangles on the black card stock, using the KellyCraft Get-It-Straight Laser Square to line up the pieces. Glue pieces to black card stock and set aside to dry. When dry, flip the card stock over and trim the excess clay. Touch up visible trimmed edges with copper paint.
9. Assemble paper and clay layers and adhere to box lid.
10. Adhere floral die cuts to box lid.
11. Create "Memories" tag on printer and adhere to the extra piece of clay from step 2.
12. Adhere two strips of Vintage Lace paper trim to each side of box. Trim black clay to 1/4" and lay over trim seam. Attach glass knob to lid.

13. Paint wooden knobs black and adhere to box bottom.


I think you will agree with me that the Get-It-Straight Laser Square is one of the best inventions of the year.

Ruth and Olin's Girls

Created by: Candice Windham

When I saw the KellyCraft Get-it-Straight Laser Square at summer CHA, I was hooked.

My background experience includes a four-year stint as a draftsman, which means I worked constantly with graph papers and parallel bars on my drawing table, and more than 30 years as a graphic designer, back in the "olden days" as my son used to say. In the olden days, we didn't have a computer to get everything straight. We had t-squares, parallel bars and our own eyes to make it all work. I have to admit that I was pretty good at eyeballing the alignment on all the reams of typeset copy and the photos, but 20 years of working on a Mac will definitely spoil you. Everything is always lined up at right angles unless you don't want it to be, so I have come to rely on digital scrapbooking.

However, you don't always want to create digital pages. A case in point is this page I created about my sisters-in-law. I have a 12" x 12" family album, and while I could create it as an 8" x 8" layout on my printer with additional layers to make it fit the book, that's not always an option and it's a waste of paper as well.

Enter the Get it Straight Laser Square. This is the coolest tool I've seen in a long time. It makes getting things aligned so much easier.

I have to admit that, although I was good at lining things up when I was creating magazine layouts, those years on the computer have made me dependent. I used to be able to step back and see if an alignment was off, down to 1/16th of an inch. Now, I can't spot a 1/4" error while I'm working, but when I come back to the page once it's in a book (and glued down) it stands out like a sore thumb.

NOTE: I know that there a couple of pieces that look like they are slightly off, but that is due to the camera operator, and I have to admit that it's me, not the Get it Straight Laser Square.

Here's how I made this page:

I trimmed my patterned paper so that I could layer it onto brown card stock. Lining it up with the Get It Straight Laser Square was a breeze.

I wanted a vintage look to go with my vintage photos, so I sponged Walnut Paper Soft Color from Viva Décor on all the edges before layering. I then layered all the photo and journaling elements on brown and green card stock, using the Get it Straight Laser Tool to make the alignment easy.

I placed my largest photo first, moving it up and down until I had it where I wanted it. I then turned on my Get It Straight Laser Square and the beam showed me where I needed to straighten it.

I added the second photo using the Get It Straight Laser Square to guide the placement.

The third photo was added, but since I wanted to use it as a pocket, I only added the adhesive on the sides and bottom. My journaling will tuck in here.

Once again, lining up the title bar was so easy with the Get It Straight Laser Square.I made the title block using Duetica Lettering Arts Studio's Piper font. I was able to make this title my own by adjusting the letters using Duetica's great software. The font's alignment variety helps break up all the right angles of the other elements.

With all the nice straight edges, the title block wasn't enough contrast. I rounded the corners of the sub-tutle block and, instead of layering the sub-title straight on, I fanned the layers out.

My journaling tag was inserted behind the photo on the left, with a tiny pull tab made with the Craft Geek Pin It tool and the Solstice Pin It set. Here's what it says:

"I never knew my sister-in-law Janell at an early age and never even knew Betty. By the time Larry and I met, Janell was in her thirties and Betty had been tragically killed in a train/car crash. Looking back on these photos taken in happy times gives me a glimpse of the wonderful life they lived while growing up in Arkansas. I particularly love the photo of them sitting on the bumper of that old car. Betty is politely smiling for the camera and Janell was giggling. I can just imagine her saying, “I have ice cream and you don’t!”"

The gold in the Craft Geek Pin It tab stood out a little too much, so I cut some flowers, leaves and swirls from metallic gold paper using Sizzix dies and a Big Shot. They were the icing on the cake.

The finishing touch was to use a Viva Décor Gold Glitter Pen to add some dots around the page.

Watch for my next Get it Straight Laser Square post which will involve 45° angles!