Sweet Home Workshop

We always have such a great time at these workshops! Thanks, Gals, for another awesome evening! This time our palette was the Sweet Home collection. I have my designs below and can tell you that all of them came from the Imagine book by Jeanette Lynton! I love putting these together! It’s like making a big puzzle to use the paper and leave very few scraps!

I know the pictures on these are all the same. As you can see, I have 3 girls – hence, three extra albums besides my own that I update regularly. I have a son, too, but now that he’s in college (okay, that’s a whole ‘nuther topic!) I only add to his album events in which he’s involved. No school pictures for him this year!


This first layout was probably the hardest to cut, requiring a lot of turning, but the rewarding effect was lots of paper layers! That looks so cool on a layout! Because this is an Imagine pattern ("Serenade" from page 36) I can't really give all the cutting instructions - copyrights, you know! But I can tell you how we embellished it. Down on the bottom left corrner with added a gathered ribbon. I've used this before and it's really easy but it has a great effect! Use the ribbon (from the Buttercup collection) that has the cream thread running through it. Your going to pull the thread and push the ribbon along it about and inch and then tie a knot in the thread. Then, from the other side of the ribbon, begin the same way: holding the thread tight, push the ribbon along the thread until it reaches the length you want. We started with a 13-inch ribbon and ended up with about 5 inches in our gathering. Once you've gathered it just as you want it, tie a knot in the untied end. Then spread the gathers evenly over the thread. At that point, you'll just adhere the ungathered edges (I had about a half-inch on either side) to the back of the red, 4 x 12 inch print (the design paper at the far left of my double layout.) My other embellishments were the "Top Coat Frame Ups" and the Swirly ribbon, from the Buttercup ribbon round collection, tied in a bow. We also used one of the crocheted flowers from the White Daisy Mini Accents up by the title.

My second layout will be the one for my own album. It's hard to say which of the first two I like better, but I lean more toward this one. I really like the way the paper flows together - especially the stripe up at the top. I think if I had it to do again, I would continue the yellow ribbon onto the second page. I may even add it! The layout is from the Cherish book. It's the "Dreamy Look" on pg. 52. This time we used a thinner ribbon and added some ribbon slides and a little tag and flower brad also from the White Daisy mini accents. We also used the "Top Coats" again. The white flowers framing my twins in the horizontal focal photo is what I mean by "Top Coats." They are printed transparent overlays. I love using them, and even, actually cut one in the square picture that the ribbon cuts across.

I used the "Top Coats" and the ribbon slides again in this layout. I like how the buttercup polka dot ribbon looks with the blue polka dot paper. Besides another picture for the bottom left corner, though, I think this layout needs something. I think I may experiment with some monochromatic stamped images on the blue cardstock, especially between the two pictures on the right side. This design is from Imagine, pg. 78, called "Safe and Secure."

This last layout is actually covered in the workshop brochure. I'm bummed that the journal card slipped out of its pocket as I took the pic because the red print behind it makes such a nice frame.

Again, i used the "Top Coats," but this time I had to do a little wiggling. See the overlays are all 4 x 6, but the picture of my red head was 5 x 5 (I cut down a 5 x 7). But it was a simple fix. I just cut out the parts of the overlay that I wanted to use! Easy-peasy! This is another layout that I'll add some stamping to, especially the plain white piece in the center. Think I'll layer that with stamped images and cut images, maybe even on some 3D foam squares to give an extra dimension of layering?

In all, we started at about 5:15 and finished right about 7:30. Pretty good for 3 full, embellished doubles! Next month, we're working with the You're a Star paper pack on March 28 (Sunday) at 5PM. I have 3 seats open for that one, so let me know if you want one! Deadline is March 15.