Christmas Tradition | CSI Case File No. 400

Merry Christmas!

Today I'm sharing a layout I created for CSI: Color Stories Inspiration's first December challenge.

Here are the Case File and clues for this challenge:

I had fun searching my stash for Evidence clues and managed to get ALL of them on my 8 x 8 page. I also used the colors from the Case File as well as documenting Christmas.

I was really inspired by the overall look of the Scene--the round scale face, the white on white snowflakes, and the pretty Christmas flowers and leaves. I didn't have a scale, but I had a large clock ace and a clock hand that mimicked the look in the Scene. I used Carta Bella's Hello Christmas collection for this page. One of the papers had tags that I fussy-cut I added some ancient eyelets and baker's twine for more detail and texture. 

I selected that brad because of the metal clue and also it has stars for the stars clue. I added the red glittery heart because I always add hearts to the pages I give away. And how fun are those red and white beads that I found in my stash? They look like peppermint candy to me! I love finding the perfect little bits for my pages!

Bows were a clue, and I found this sparkly red bow in my stash. The holly met the foliage clue. That beautiful red acrylic title is from Bramble Fox. You can see I managed to find some lace, which is sort of a kind of ribbon to add to the vertical strips in the background.

It's hard to see, but I sprinkled some shiny white star sequins on my page. I also added some rub-on snowflakes, which was another clue and of course another brad for the metal clue and the circle clue.

I really have fun poring through my stash in search of the perfect things for my pages and love to challenge myself to use all of the clues on my pages! I hope you'll come play with us for a chance to win a gift certificate or a guest designer spot. 

Hello Sunshine | CSI Case File No. 388

I made this layout last month for CSI: Color, Stories, Inspiration, featuring a picture of my friend's daughter. 

Here are the Case File and Clues that inspired this layout:

The beautiful Scene was found on Pinterest.

I was inspired by all the florals and greenery in The Scene, as well as the wreath. In addition to using the colors, I used the following Evidence clues: stripes, flowers, greenery, layers, wood, paint, jars (in the photo), hearts, wreath, circles, lemons, cursive, flair.

Here are some details. I started with a free cut file from Paper Issues called Bud Wreath. I love white on white, but the cut file was getting lost on the background, so I added some yellow ink with a blending brush and some paint splatters, and it still wasn't standing out enough, so I cut it a second time in green and mounted the white on top of that, and that did the trick. 

I looked through my stash for yellow floral paper but couldn't find any, so I decided to use some Vicki Boutin flower stamps to add to my wreath. I used alcohol markers to color them in. The title is from a Simple Stories foam sticker pack. I always add a heart (or more) to the layouts I give to my friends, and I found a perfect flair badge to add, which met the heart and circle clue. And I found a paper in my stash with lemons for the lemon clue and fussy cut those to add to my floral clusters. In retrospect, I wish I had flipped the design because it looks a little top heavy, but I don't always see these things until they're on the computer screen and it's too late.

Once I had all the flowers arranged, I added some more details, like the branches made with a die from Simply Graphic, some phrase stickers, and some rub-on phrases. I tried to add dimension to the stamped flowers and leaves by adding some folds in them. I stitched the white page onto a green background--that paper is really old, by K&Co. Some wooden hearts and enamel dots finished off my page.

Even though this challenge is over tomorrow, we've got new challenges every month at CSI, so I hope you'll come play with us!

Sparkly | CSI Case File No. 337 + Paper Issues Sketch

Here's my page for our second November Case File at CSI. I also played along with a sketch challenge at Paper Issues.

Here are the Case File and clues for this challenge.

I obviously used the color scheme, but I also used the following evidence clues: solid paper, florals, puffy stickers, fabric brads, silver metal, frames, rhinestones, transparent elements, and circular elements. The slant of the roof in The Scene led me to choose the sketch.

Here's the sketch that inspired my page: 

Here are some details. I used lots of old stash on here. Those slide mounts are among the earliest embellishments in my stash, which means they're nearly 20 years old. That old metal Making Memories frame has been in my stash forever too. Do you recognize that alphabet paper inside that frame? It's by ki Memories. Since gray was in the color scheme, I left some of the chipboard frames raw.

The green chipboard frames are also pretty old, by Making Memories. I found some purple sparkly letters in my stash that were perfect for this fun photo of my friend's daughter. Then I found some shaped Thickers in the same glittery purple. Perfect! That purple flower thing met the transparent element clue.

Some more purple sparkly embellishments from that Thicker set and some shiny metallic purple stickers finished off my layout.

Celebrating Freedom | CSI Case File No. 325

I created this layout for our second July Case File at CSI: Color, Stories, Inspiration.

Here are the Case File and clues for this challenge:

Does anybody ever read my blog posts? I've decided that for my CSI layouts, I'm just going to share about the clues I used because it takes a lot of time to write up my blog posts, and I'm not sure anybody's even reading them anymore.

I'm making layouts for a friend and I was so excited to find these photos of her darling children to use for this Case File. I brightened up the color scheme for my page and used a lot of the Evidence clues, including stripes, stars, wood, 4th of July-themed elements, jar, flowers, flags, elements, and metal. I had cut out a tricycle from the same patterned paper I used, but I just couldn't make it work, so I changed it to a wagon. From the Testimony clue, I obviously am documenting 4th of July and also using the Inspiration word "freedom."

So here are some closeups:

Take Note| CSI: Case File No. 324

Our July challenges are live at CSI: Color, Stories, Inspiration. Here's the layout I made for our first July Case File:

Here are the Case File and clues for this challenge:

I had some Bramble Fox Perspextives sitting on my desk, and the colors were perfect for this Case File, so I used that as my starting point. I used Cocoa Vanilla's beautiful Unforgettable collection, which has the same basic palette as the Case File, and of course all the lovely florals, which met the flower clue. I added paint (which is a clue) to the texture paste, and used a Bramble Fox stencil to put the hearts on the background, and I also sprinkled (another clue) some pink and magenta watercolors on the background. I added the brad to meet the metal clue.

My background paper is old BasicGrey, which is a clue. The title is also from Bramble Fox, and I put bow from the Cocoa Vanilla collection on it. Enamel dots are a clue too. Another clue is a pattern with multicolored dots, and I found a paper in this collection to meet this clue.

How cute is that little Bramble Fox typewriter from the Retro Comms set? I snagged the journaling from my friend's Facebook page and loaded it into the typewriter. I found another brad to add to tis cluster balance out the brads and circles in the top left.

I hope you'll come play with this challenge. It's always so fun to see what everyone makes, and be sure to add your layout to our Facebook group so you can be eligible from a prize or gift certificate from our seven sponsors this month:

Berry Cute Kids | CSI Case File No. 319

Our mid-month reveal is live at CSI: Color, Stories, Inspiration. Here's the layout I made:

Here are the Case File and clues for this challenge:

I used most of the Evidence clues: wonky dots (a pink paper in the layers behind my photo), chevron/arrow pattern (in the banner), crosshatch pattern (also in the banner), cutesy elements, animals, clouds, flowers, fruit, stamps, sprinkle something, enamel dots, banner, stars, transparent item.

Here are some details. I loved the cutesy look of The Scene and wanted to echo that on my page with these two cuties. The puffy bunny stickers were the perfect thing to add to the cute factor. I found several strawberry elements in my stash.

I just combed through my stash looking for papers to match the color scheme. Most of them are older papers. An old transparent Heidi Swapp label, cut in half, transparency clue.

Banners were a clue, and I made my own banner out of twine and washi tape in colors to match the color scheme. That zig-zag blue border is an old Doodlebug Frills. Remember those?

And remember when Prima flowers first came on the scrapbooking scene with their mulberry flowers in the little milk bottles? I still have a bunch, including those teeny-tiny ones. I was happy to use one up on this page!

I hope you'll come play along for the fun of it and also for a chance to win a prize from one of our 7 generous sponsors! Share your creations in our Facebook Group for a chance to win!

You Put a Song in My Heart | CSI Case File No. 309 and Paper Issues Free File Free-for-All Challenge

We've got a brand-new challenge live at CSI: Color, Stories, Inspiration. All three of our Case Files are open, but we've revealed inspiration for the first February challenge, and here's what I created:

And here are the Case File and clues that inspired my page:

Evidence clues I used: tone-on-tone pattern, distressed patterns, stripes, bird, birdcage hearts, quote stickers, branches, flowers, sunburst, metal, white rub-ons, cut files, hang something. Tstimony clues:I used the inspiration word song and made my journaling serve as my title. I also used the color scheme, except I substituted dark brown for the black because of the tree branch I wanted to use.

I always love to combine my CSI challenges with Paper Issues challenges since I'm on their design team, and I especially wanted to do so this month because they're sponsoring CSI. I decided I'd play in the Free File Free-for-All challenge because I knew I'd be able to find the perfect cut file in their hundreds of FREE cut files. The Sunset cut file was perfect for what I was envisioning for my layout, which was to try to recreate the look of The Scene.

I used older distressed and tone-on-tone patterns to meet that clue, and I added white BasicGrey rub-ons.

I was going to use some flowers to add to this felt Prima tree branch that's been in my stash forever. One of the clues was metal, and when I went to look for some brads, I discovered I had these orange metal flower brads, so I decided to use them for my flower clue. I found the bird cages on an old American Crafts paper and fussy cut them. I always put a heart on the pages I make for the kids in my world, and I found a sweet green heart brad.

I raided my alphabet stash to find the perfect colors. BasicGrey never disappoints, and I used some old Heidi Swapp chipboard letters and some super-old Chatterbox letters (the white circles).

I love it when I can find all the perfect accents in the perfect colors. The little blue bird brad has been in hmy stash for a while. I also found a bird punch that matched the birds on the American Crafts birdcage paper.

I hope you'll come play along with CSI this month. Look at all the awesome sponsors donating prizes:

And of course you could win a second gift certificate at Paper Issues for playing in one of their challenges. Check out all the free cut files, and if you shop the store, please use my code Debbi (no e on the end) and you'll get 20% off your entire order!