Sonoma "Reflections" Triple Play Tagline

When I make a layout, I rarely pick it out with pictures in mind. I usually do so because I like the paper and layout. I add my pictures afterwards, or pick pictures out after I have decided what to make and then figure out a way to make it work. I have wanted to create this layout from the first time I saw it when Reflections first arrived at my house. So, when I was getting to the end of my layouts and had lots of scraps left, but not many full sheets of paper, I decided, I was gong to make it. I never once considered the photos. I knew I had a lot of little pictures of my dad, but never dreamed that when I made 16 small squares I would have 16 small pictures of my dad. SURPRISE!!! I was so happy that the two worked together.

The Crop-A-Dial made this so much faster than the old way of pounding in eyelets with a hammer and the setting tool, quieter too. Just remember 3-C for standard eyelets. To punch your holes, it's real scientific. I eyeballed where I wanted my holes to be, drew a dot on my cardstock, grabbed 4 pieces stacked together, punched the hole, and then with my Crop-A-Dial still squeezed together, set the guide on the hole punching side so each other hole would be punched at the same depth. No more measureing. To set the eyelet, it's as easy as unlocking your front door. You need to put your key in the hole in your door to unlock your house. So with your Crop-A-Dial, you need to put the "stem" of the crop-a-dial or "KEY" in the hole of your eyelet, and the eyelet in the hole of your paper, before you squeeze and "unlock" the magic of the tool, by setting your eyelet. SIMPLE!

At the top of each piece of Close To My Heart's Background and Texture paper, are Zip Strips. One side of the Zip Strip contains identification information on the paper pack that the paper is from, such as colors used in that paper pack and the product name and number. The other side is useable with a printed border, alphabet, or words. When my layout was complete, it needed something else, I added the Zip Strips to the far left and right edges of each side and purple Sparkles to the Zip Strips.

Something else I have decided to do, thanks to my friend Candice is start using some of my old letter stickers. WOW were they a waste of money. I have gotten so used to using My Acrylix clear Stamps, Quickutz, Sizzix, and even Sandy's Accucut, that I just quit using the gazillion stickers I had bought over the years before these great machines and my clear stamps. This layout used five letters and I would have had to buy one alphabet just to get those 5 letters. Those days are over. PLUS with CTMH's My Acrylix and our blocks, they're super-simple to align. Our blocks have a laser cut line etched into the block. It is going to be hard using the stickers, but I'm determined to use some of the things I spent money on and get rid of them--creating more space in my craft room. We'll see how long that lasts! 

Products Used

X7143B Sonoma Paper Pack
C1465 Unscripted
Z1686 CTMH Cricut Art Philosophy Cartridge (For the little title tag on the right page.)
Exclusive Inks Stamp Pads: Z2100 Amethyst, Z2114 Cocoa, Z2137 Olive and Z2147 Smokey Plum
Z1326 Sparkles--Red, Pink, and Purple Assortment
Z1360 Designer Brads
Z697 Sponge
Z534 Microtip Scissors
Z1471 CTMH Ruler
Z1151 3-D Foam Tape
1772 Glue Dots (sometimes old photos have a hard time sticking to a page and I use a Glue Dot to keep them down.)
9031 Reflections (Check my website for availabilty. These books are being discontinued and are only available while supplies last. They are FANTASTIC resources!)

Discontinued CTMH Embroidery Floss Green Assortment
Discontinued CTMH Eyelets
Crop-A-Dile (The ONLY way to set alot of eyelets!)
Assorted Cardstocks used on other layouts
K and Co stickers

I am so NOT computer saavy!

Something I've always wanted to do is take a picture a day. I even remembered to start that this year. So tonight I decided I would update my Blog and share my Picture-a-Day photos. My computer ate them, including my Christmas photos! Oh well, it wasn't meant to be I guess. One less thing to scrap.

I have a monthly group of ladies who meet, In the past, as majority wanted, we made 4-5 cards. The majority now wants to incorporate cards as well. Personally, I was bored with the cards we were making so I'm ready to step things up a notch. I tested this out with my October and November groups and it went well. My December group was thrilled with the new format. (I will share that project on another day. I'm making it for a non-scrapper and just received some of the photos today.) But I do have a card from November that I can share with.

First: The pattern is from Stars & Stamps, Operation Write Home. It is the Trifold Shutter Card tutorial. They have a fantastic handout that you can print complete with dimensions. I just changed a few of them; it was easy to make the adjustments I needed for my card.

This was made using the CTMH Olivia Workshop On The Go (WOTG). The WOTGs are great. You get a paper pack, an exclusive stamp set that goes with the papers, an embellishment, a multi-page/multi colored brochure filled with instructions (including all dimensions) and tips to make cards and scrapbook pages using all elements within the kit. Everything matches and it's all ready to go in one spot, making your projects faster, simpler, and easier!

On the center greeting . . . the one with the green button in the top, left corner, you will notice that the greeting is stamped on a neutral paper, while the back side has a design. For this effect, I just cut out two pieces of paper out, the same size: a neutral-colored Cardstock (CS) and a Background and Texture (B&T)paper. Then I glued the two together. Not only does it give the nice pattern on the back side when the edges are distressed, but it also adds thickness to the B & T paper and I think makes it easier to work with.  

I also used the Stamp of the Month (SOM) for November, "A Little Thanks." A SOM set is only available during a specified month; if you like the set, get it while it is available. The best part is during their month, you can get them at a discounted price or even free with a qualifying purchase. You can read more details about this program and the current SOM at my Website. Just select the top, square box on the right--that's the spot for the current Stamp Of The Month.