Love This Photograph {Bramble Fox & CSI Cold Case no. 287}

I made this page for Bramble Fox using several of their gorgeous Perspextives. And I also used our June Cold Case from CSI: Color, Stories, Inspiration as inspiration for my layout:

Here are the Case File and clues:

I chose the magic number 11 and landed on a BasicGrey Clippings paper pad and chose colors that were in The Scene. Some other clues I used: use mesh, tear paper.

Here are some details. The silver title piece is from Bramble Fox's Favourite Photograph set, which has the two words (favourite and photograph), so you could use them both on a layout or on two separate layouts, as I did. The cool black chevrons are from the Arrows V2 set. Don't you love the shimmer in that silver? That word was so perfect for this beautiful photo of my friend's son.

I usually like to add more *stuff* to my page, but I just felt like these photos called for clean and simple. I kept trying to add stuff, and it felt like too much, so in the end, I thought the details I included were enough and perfect for the photograph.

The stars are also Perspextives. I cut the cameras from an old Echo Park paper an popped on some old brads.

Here's another shot that shows these cool Perspextives stars that have a mirror like shine. The paper behind the white is actually from an old BasicGrey Christmas collection, and I thought the colors coordinated well with the papers from the paper pad.

I hope you'll come play with us at CSI. We've got 6 sponsors donating awesome prizes this month.

Bramble Fox is a U.K. based company, but if you're in another country, don't let that deter you, as their international shipping is very reasonable, especially if you subscribe to the Fox Box, which I highly recommend, as you get a nice assortment of Perspextives, including some exclusives each month!

Winter Walks {CSI Case File No. 272}

Our February challenges are live CSI: Color, Stories, Inspiration. We've revealed all three of our February challenges. Here's my layout for the first one:

Here's the Case File that inspired my layout:

I used the following traditional clues from the Case File: Evidence: plaid, tripes, dots, BasicGrey distressed patterns, leaves, winter elements, woodland animal, string, mist, metal, and wood. Testimony: Document something about winter. I used the colors too.

I used this sketch from Sketches in Thyme:

Here are some details: I started my layout with that plaid paper, by BasicGrey (from the Arachaic collection and then found some other old BasicGrey papers that coordinated. The red snowflake paper is by Photoplay, from last year. The brown chipboard letters are old Heidi Swapp. I can't believe how many of those letters I still have! I found that cute little mitten stamp in my stash and must've combined a dozen different green stamp inks until I got a color close enough to match my papers. I cut the word "walks" Silhouette Cameo.

That chipboard deer is glittery. He's been in my stash for a bunch of years. I added the heart to him for the wood clue. That chipboard frames are super old. I think they're by BasicGrey, from when they first started making chipboard stuff. I colored it with a Pitt pen. I love it when I can find just the right phrase stickers! These are by Simple Stories.

The leafy bits are a Tim Hotz die, and the metal snowflakes are super Making Memories. The snowmen are stickers from Simple Stories Winter Wonderland collection. Those giant chipboard snowflakes are from the same pack as that glittery deer. I splattered some white ink by Dylusions on my page to mimic snow.

I didn't set out to use all this old stuff, but I'm glad I did. I always get a thrill when I use my older stash! In case you didn't know, we have a new challenge at CSI each month featuring a special Case File designed to get you using older stash.

I hope you'll come play in our challenges this month. We've got prizes from six generous sponsors:

Love You to the Stars and Back {Paper Issues Pinspire Me Challenge}

Yep, I'm back with another page for one of my students! Spring break is the BEST!

I played again at Paper Issues. Love their challenges. This one was for their Pinspire Me challenge. Here is the mood board for this challenge:

I drew inspiration from the black backgrounds and the space elements. Here are some details. 

I started planning my page with the rockets from an old BasicGrey collection called Oh Baby Boy. I knew I wanted to use a black background and added some white splats with Dylusions ink to make the background look like stars. The awesome cut file is from Paper Issues. It's called "Star of the Show," and I backed the stars with papers from the BasciGrey collection. I cut out some stars from the rocket paper and adhered them to the sold stars in the cut file. The planets are cut from a paper by Best Creation. They're accented with a sort of glittery varnish. 

I used a variety of letter stickers for the title.The blue stickers are by BasicGrey, as are the tiny yellow ones. I found some sparkly blue Thickers in my stash, and the yellow ampersand is by Cosmo Cricket. I adhered the cut file, rockets, and photo to the background with adhesive foam.

Here's a last close-up showing the another rocket cut from the BasicGrey paper.

1st Trip Around the Sun {Stuck?! Sketches February 1 Challenge}

We've got another awesome sketch challenge over at Stuck?! Sketches. Here's the page I created:

And here's the sketch Laura created for us to play with:

Here are some details. I fell in love with this picture of my friend and her sweet son on his birthday. The caption she had written for this picture on her Facebook page was "his first trip around the sun," and I immediately had an idea of using a sun in place of the doily in the sketch. I found a sun cut file at the Silhouette store. I used some old BasicGrey papers in two different yellows.The journaling was also on my friend's facebook Facebook page. I think the orange brad is by October Afternoon.

I thought the constellation paper from Echo Park's Just Be You collection would be the perfect backdrop for this page, and I cut out a rocket from an old BasicGrey paper. I made some tags with paper scraps to coordinate with the colors on my page, and I found these cute little alien stickers in my stash.

Since I only had one photo, I decided to substitute a title block for the other photo in the sketch. That alien is from the same pack as the other one.

I hope you'll come play with us. We've got prizes from three sponsors up for grabs!

You Shine {CSI Case File No. 245}

Happy New Year! We've got a new Case File at CSI: Color, Stories, Inspiration, and in case you haven't heard, we're changing up our challenge a bit this year. You can either solve it the traditional way, with the clues, or you can solve it your way, drawing inspiration as you see it. Here's our current Case File:

Here's the page I created. I used the traditional Scheme, Evidence, and Testimony clues. Evidence clues I used were wood, polka dots, bunting, stars, trees, winter elements, moose, houses, and I created a 6-word memoir using word stickers, for my Testimony clue.

Here are some details. The house/tree and banner cut files are from the Silhouette store. I just had to tuck that little moose, from Simple Stories, onto my page because it's so cute and it was a clue for this Case File.

I chose to use some shiny gold Thicker words for the title and to go along with the "shine" title, I decided to add rhinestones to my banner. All the patterned papers, including the little cut-out snowmen, are old papers by BasicGrey.

I love that little snowman peeking out from behind the tree. I thought those wood veneer stars sort of look like snowflakes, and I also added some white Dylusions ink splatters to mimic snow.

Here's one last shot so see all the snowmen.

I hope you'll try out this challenge. Don't feel like you have to use these colors--check out Natsuko's bright cheerful layout which uses pink as a main color. She Freestyled the Case File.

And to make it even more fun to play, we've got prizes from 12--count them--12 awesome sponsors:

Cozy {Stuck?! Sketches January 1 challenge}

Happy New Year! We've got a brand new sketch for you over at Stuck?! Sketches. Look at this awesome sketch Laura made for us:

Here's the page I created. I'm making pages for a friend who also happens to be one of my pastors at my church. She has the most adorable dogs. When I saw the photos, I thought of BasicGrey paper, for some reason. I think the distressing on their papers has a warm and cozy feel.

Here are some details. I substituted the diamonds at the top of the sketch with this tree branch and ornaments. All of the cut files on my page are from the Silhouette shop.

After I added the ornament element, I felt the page needed a little something extra, and I found this exquisite winter village die cut at the Silhouette store. I initially envisioned keeping it just white with the background paper showing through, but it wasn't showing up the way I wanted, so I backed it with various BasicGrey papers.

Here's a shot of the other side. It's hard to tell from the photo, but I used Icicle Stickles on the roofs of the houses. The snowflakes are by Jolee's.

I hope you'll come play with us. Not only is this an awesome sketch, but we've got prizes from our generous sponsors!

Live Is Not Measured in Minutes But Moments {Stuck?! Sketches December 1 Challenge}

Our newest challenge is live at Stuck?! Sketches. Check out the awesome sketch Laura made for us:



Here's the page I created:

Here are some details.  I dug out some old BasicGrey papers from the Marjolaine collection. Those leafy elements are from one of the papers, and the love sticker is also from that same collection.

That beautiful chipboard title is by 2Crafty. I coated it with gesso and then lightly rubbed some pale green stamp ink over it. The clock elements were from Hobby Lobby. I was going to try to put enamel dots or something like that on my page, and then I noticed the little blue flowers on one of the papers and decided to cut those out and scatter them about.

I hope you'll come play along for a chance to win prizes from our sponsors:

Plus, look! Bramble Fox is offering a discount to Stuck?! Sketch players: