#patternedpaper

Brrr

~ dddesignz ~ 2 Comments

Here we are in a new year, with new possibilities and hopes for a brighter future for all of us! In my neck of the woods, we are still in lockdown – we’re to call it a “Stay Home” directive. Call it what you will, we are in for a long winter for sure. So what’s a girl to do to relieve the monotony and distract herself from the long, cold days ahead? You got it – SCRAPBOOK! I’ve always found this hobby extremely therapeutic, so I plan on scrapping a lot in the coming months.

I’ve been having fun this year playing with Peartree Cut Files (https://www.peartreecutfiles.co.uk/all-products/shop/). This is the first of several layouts I plan on sharing. For this layout I utilized two of their files – the Brrr title cut file and the Snowflake Corner cut file.

When I was designing this page, I really wanted the snowflake corners to mimic a snowbank. To achieve this look, I cut the file twice from AC white cardstock. Using Foam Sticky Strips from Taylored Expressions, I carefully backed one of the files to create the dimension I was looking for. The photo below illustrates this. These strips worked wonderfully, and they were easy to use. I’ll be stocking up on more in the future!

Here’s an additional shot to help demonstrate the layered Snowflake Corner border once completed.

I cut additional snowflakes from the Brrr title cut file to allow for more dimension in the upper portion of the layout and to help provide more overall balance. Again, I put the Foam Sticky Strips to good use on the backs of these snowflakes.

The patterned papers and tag used in this page come from Carta Bella’s Winter Market collection and their coordinating Frames & Tags embellishment kit. The background patterned paper is the “I Love Winter” page, and the main Brrr title was backed with the backside of the 3 x 4 Journaling Cards paper.

I’m delighted with how this page turned out. Sometimes, the simple things in life can be the most rewarding.

Thanks for checking out my blog – I wish you all good health and Happy Scrapping!

Reindeer Games

~ dddesignz ~ Leave a comment

Is there anything more magical than watching a child anticipate the arrival of Santa? Remember those days of dreaming and wishing that Santa would bring you something special? The days leading up to Christmas seem endless to a child. It’s so much fun to watch children anticipate this holiday.

This Christmas was tough for all of us – as adults, we knew we were entering a lockdown on Boxing Day. We were discouraged from having big family Christmas gatherings. Holidays are the epicenter of family gatherings worldwide, but we all understood the importance of staying safe to curb the spread of this nasty virus. Therefore, Christmas – with all it’s usual fanfare and celebration – was quiet this year.

We did our best, however, to make sure Christmas was as magical for the children/grandchildren as possible amidst a pandemic. Maintaining as many special traditions as possible, was the priority of our few days together. Each Christmas Eve, our three grandchildren magically receive “Magic Reindeer Food”, from Cocoa – their Elf on the Shelf. It has been fun watching them spread this magic reindeer food and listening to them talk about how Santa and his reindeer will see the food and come down to their home. A few years back, Owen’s teacher – Ms Jacobson – gave the children in her Kindergarden class Reindeer Whistles. Owen loves to blow this whistle on Christmas Eve, and this practice has become part of his Christmas Eve tradition. With Owen about to turn 8 in a couple of months, I wanted to be sure I captured this magic moment while I still had the opportunity!

The background to this page was created with the “HO HO HO” patterned paper from the Photoplay “Christmas Cheer” collection. I used “Walnut Cream” cardstock from Bazzill on the top portion of the layout to provide a clean backdrop for the title. I cut the tile using the “Blossom” font from an old QuicKutz collection in my scrapbook stash. I used the same red glitter paper to cut the page title and the reindeer’s nose. I wasn’t happy with the bland background under the title, so I splattered white paint for snow, and cut small snowflakes from vellum to help fill in the area. My hopes were to mimic what I saw in the patterned paper below, and I feel it pulled these two sections together nicely.

The Reindeer element was not a specific cut file, but a drawing I found on Pinterest. I simply traced and cut it in Silhouette software to my liking. The list of reindeers, on the far lower right, came from the Cardstock Ephemera package from the Christmas Cheer collection. Once the photos were added, the final touch was to add some journalling to help tell the story.

Watching Owen blow on that whistle, and look to the sky, will be a memory I’ll hold onto for years to come. I’m glad I’ve documented it to share with him in the coming years. May you all stay safe and well and never lose the magic!

Happy Scrapping!