Category Archives: Layouts

Authentique Frosted Memories Winter Layout

Authentique Frosted Memories Winter Layout: It’s a Wonderful Life

Hello, Friends!  The inspiration for this Authentique Frosted Memories Winter Layout started with a photo of the home I grew up in.  My parents bought this home on the hill in Central Vermont in 1956, 10 days before I was born.  To call it a “fixer upper” is to be an optimist.  The yard was nothing but dirt, the wrap around porch was rotting and falling apart and the interior plaster walls were cracked with age.  But Mom had a vision, a strong work ethic, and incredible creative skills.  By the time I was old enough to recognize the house as “home” it was easily the prettiest one on the hill.  It was surrounded by a white picket fence, the porch (repaired by my dad) was a wonderful place to play on a rainy day, and flower gardens filled every corner of the yard.  The walls had been beautified with paint and wallpaper.  Windows sparkled.  It was a wonderful life.

Many years have gone by since I lived in that humble home.  Imagine my surprise when I spotted this photo in my Facebook feed.  One of my childhood friends had posted it…and there was no caption…but my heart immediately recognized that bend in the road and that frosted home perched on the top of the hill.  I could instantly smell the freshness of the snow and the pines, feel the bite of the icy winter air on my cheeks, hear the squeak of the snow beneath my boots and remember the joy of walking through that door to smell Mom’s bread coming out of the oven.  Although I rarely create 12″ x 12″ layouts, I knew I had to scrap this photo to display in my studio to remind me that it really is a wonderful life.

Authentique Frosted Memories Winter Layout: A Picture’s Worth a Thousand Words
Authentique Frosted Memories Winter Layout by Kathy Clement Photo 01

Lucky for me, I had Authentique Paper’s gorgeous Frosted Collection Kit in the house.  I can’t think of any papers that would work better for this photo.  So here’s how I created this layout, layer by layer.

Authentique Frosted Memories Winter Layout by Kathy Clement Photo 02

 

This is the original photo, and while it looks great online, it printed out very dark and blurry.  So I began this project by cleaning up the photo in my editing program.  I decided to remove the telephone poles, streetlight and wires because these things were not installed when I was growing up “on the hill.”  Once I had the photo cleaned up, I got down to the fun part of creating this 12″ x 12″ layout.

Authentique Frosted Memories Winter Layout: Layer by Layer
Authentique Frosted Memories Winter Layout by Kathy Clement Photo  03

 

  • First, mat a 11 3/4″ x 11 3/4″ square of Light Blue Linen Cardstock on a 12″ x 12″ piece of Blue Denim Linen Cardstock.
  • Next, trim Frosted Three to measure 11 5/8″ and stitch the three layers together on a sewing machine.  (All the edges are lightly distressed and inked with Hickory Smoke Distress Ink.) Leave the threads long in the upper left hand corner so you can tie a little silver charm there.
  • Now cut an 11 1/4″ x 9 1/4″ panel of Frosted Two and mat on slightly larger panels of the same Light Blue and Blue Denim Linen Cardstock.  Stitch around the edges once again. Center and adhere to the main panel.
  • The next step is to cut an 11″ x 3 1/2″ panel of Frosted Five.  Mat this as before.  Before you adhere this to the page, die cut 4 sets of white snowflakes using Tim Holtz “Snow Flurries” On the Edge Die.  Adhere the snowflake borders above and below the panel, then adhere to the page.
  • Now cut a 5 1/2″ x 11″ panel of Frosted One and mat as before.  Adhere as seen in the photo.
  • My photo is printed 4 3/4″ x 5 1/2″.  For stability, I backed it with a layer of chipboard, then adhere it to the snowflake panel.
Authentique Frosted Memories Winter Layout: Adding the Details
Authentique Frosted Memories Winter Layout by Kathy Clement Photo 04
  • Create embellishments by fussy cutting images and sentiments from Frosted Six.  Back these with dimensionals to make them pop.  Add sentiments from Frosted “Elements” Die Cuts.
Authentique Frosted Memories Winter Layout by Kathy Clement Photo 05
  • Die cut mittens from Frosted Three and Four. with a Spellbinders Smitten Mitten Steel Contour Die.  To create the contrasting cuffs, cut along the cuff line of the die and adhere  as seen in the photo.  Join the mittens together with an eyelet and bit of ribbon.  Place dimensionals between the mittens and adhere as seen in the photo.
Authentique Frosted Memories Winter Layout by Kathy Clement Photo 06

 

  • Die cut custom flowers from Frosted Four and One using Tammy Tutterow’s Shabby Posy Dies.  Add vintage buttons or purple stamens to the centers and adhere in the corners of the photo.
I’m so thankful that I had the opportunity to share this layout and these memories with you
here today.  Hopefully, I shared some tips, techniques or inspiration that you can use in your
own crafty adventures.  If so, I’d love to hear from you in the comment section below.
Thanks for stopping by!

Cheerio,

kathy

Supply List:

Authentique Supplies:  Frosted Collection Kit, 2 sheets each Blue Denim and Light Blue Linen Artisan Cardstock
Other Supplies: Tim Holtz Snow Flurries On the Edge Die, Spellbinder’s Smitten Mitten Steel Contour Die (retired), Tammy Tutterow Shabby Posy Die,  white pearl cardstock from my stash, purple stamens, Snowflakes on Silver Grosgrain RibbonSilver Metallic String, Buttons and charms from my stash

Little Birdie Crafts Sweet Life Mixed Media Canvas Tutorial

Little Birdie Crafts Sweet Life Mixed Media Canvas Tutorial

Hello, Friends!  If I had to name my crafting kryptonite, I think it would have to be the 12×12 layout.  It’s just soooo many inches!  Usually, I try to avoid 12×12 layouts at all costs.  But this year has been all about moving myself out of my comfort zone.  So I pulled my Brave Boots out of the Closet of Shame and went about creating  this Little Birdie Crafts Sweet Life Mixed Media Canvas Tutorial to share with you today.

Sweet Life Mixed Media Canvas Tutorial by Kathy Clement for Little Birdie Crafts Photo 01

Summer is waning here in North Carolina.  The days are getting shorter, but they are still hot and humid.  It’s a dreamy time of year. The light at this time of year has a wonderful golden quality to it.  And fat bumblebees have had so much nectar from all the flowers that they stagger from flower to flower. Sunsets are unusually spectacular this time of year as well.  I wanted to try and capture the rich, golden hues, the bursting flowers, the drunken bumblebees and the glorious sunsets in this canvas.  How did I do?

Little Birdie Crafts Sweet Life Mixed Media Canvas Tutorial: Pretty Pictures

Sweet Life Mixed Media Canvas Tutorial by Kathy Clement for Little Birdie Crafts Photo 02

I’ve prepared a video tour and tutorial of the project for you, so I won’t belabor you with a lot of words here.   instead, I’ll just share a couple of photos, then we can dive right into the video tutorial.

Sweet Life Mixed Media Canvas Tutorial by Kathy Clement for Little Birdie Crafts Photo 03

Sweet Life Mixed Media Canvas Tutorial by Kathy Clement for Little Birdie Crafts Photo 04

Little Birdie Crafts Sweet Life Mixed Media Canvas Tutorial on YouTube

One thing I am learning about mixed media.  It all starts with a vision and then you just play with various mediums and elements until you have something that you are happy with.  There is always something new to learn, and that’s really fun.  I have a long way to travel in my pursuit of mastering mixed media, and this canvas is far from perfect.  But I feel like I expressed part of what I wanted to say in the color palette and composition on this one.  And that feels good.

I hope I shared some tips, tricks and ideas that you can use in your own crafty adventures!  Thanks so much for joining me!

Cheerio,

kathy

Little Birdie Crafts Sweet Life Mixed Media Canvas Tutorial Supply List

Please note: some items are not yet on the Little Birdie Website, so I could not link them here.

Authentique Alpine Bundled Up With Love Layout

Authentique Alpine Bundled Up With Love Layout

Hello, Friends!  I’m hoping you all had a very Merry Christmas yesterday!  By now, the presents are probably all unwrapped and there are nothing but crumbs left on the cookie plate.  That’s as it should be.  This Authentique Alpine Bundled Up With Love layout is filled with beautiful shades of blue and gorgeous vintage images and patterns.

Authentique Alpine Bundled Up With Love Layout by Kathy Clement Product by Authentique Photo 1

A few weeks back, I received a surprise package in the mail from my sister in law.  To my great delight, the envelope contained lots of old family photos, including this one of my big brother, Doug, enjoying his first sledding party.  This was taken in 1946 on my grandmother’s farm in Williamstown, Vermont.  I just had to capture these sweet photos in a layout.  Doug passed away very suddenly in 1990 at the tender age of 44, so these pics are especially precious to me.

A Very Fun Mom

Authentique Alpine Bundled Up With Love Layout by Kathy Clement Product by Authentique Photo 2My mom was the most fun mom in the history of mom-dom.  She loved to play in the snow as much as we kids did.  Some of my fondest memories are of zipping down our great big hill on a sled with mom holding me firmly between her knees.  She would whoop and holler just as loudly as we did as the wind nipped our noses and the sled sent the snow flying all around us.  The faster we went, the better she liked it!  So it makes perfect sense to me to see this innovative box sled that was rigged up for Dougie, her first born, so that they could play in the snow together.

Alpine Bundled Up With Love: Lots of layer!

Authentique Alpine Bundled Up With Love Layout by Kathy Clement Product by Authentique Photo 3This image of the mom and her child was the inspiration for my Alpine Bundled Up With Love layout.  The image is fussy cut from Alpine Eight, and backed with waste chipboard to give it extra dimension.  My mom always wore a kerchief just like the one depicted here.  So nostalgic!

Authentique Alpine Bundled Up With Love Layout by Kathy Clement Product by Authentique Photo 4I created lots of distressed layers for this layout.  Here’s what that looks like:

  • First, Authentique Spectrum Cardstock in Antique Lace Two left at 12″ square
  • Next, Dark blue calico from Alpine One trimmed to 11.5″ square
  • Then, Country Village print from Alpine Three trimmed to 10″ square.  Mat this on a slightly larger piece of Antique Lace Two.
  • Now, use waste chipboard or foam tape between the layers to add lots of dimension
  • Next, use Spellbinders Grand Labels One to cut out the cute winter hats from the Alpine 6.6 Bundle
  • Then, die cut a a large circle (Spellbinder’s Grand Circles) from Alpine Three. Cut the circle in half and tuck each half behind the die cut label
  • Create the snowflake center by staggering two 8″ square lace doilies in the center of the layout
Alpine Bundled Up With Love Layout: Fun with Embellishments!

Authentique Alpine Bundled Up With Love Layout by Kathy Clement Product by Authentique Photo 5

Once I had all my layers in place, I was ready to embellish.  I started by fussy  cutting Winter is a Wonder from the top of the mother/child image.  This was then backed with cardstock and tapped with grit paste to give it a snowy appearance.

Authentique Alpine Bundled Up With Love Layout by Kathy Clement Product by Authentique Photo 6Stickers from the 12×12 Collection kit make great embellishments.  I simply backed them with cardstock, added foam tape or waste chipboard to the backs and tucked them in and around the layout.

I dug through my stash of novelty buttons and winter embellies to add lots of playful elements to the layout.

So if you are looking for the perfect collection for your winter fun photos, Alpine is it.  I’ve barely scratched the surface of all the gorgeous patterns and images it provides.

Creating this layout stirred up so many happy memories for me.  I hope it inspired you to break out your paper pretties and capture some memories on paper.  If so, I’d love to hear from you in the comment section below.

Wishing you a happy and restful day after Christmas, with time for family fun!  Thanks for stopping by!

Cheerio,

kathy

Product Links for Bundled Up With Love Layout

NOTE: I will provide links to products whenever possible. Some items have been in my stash a long time and may no longer be available.  Or I may have forgotten where I found them.  But I’m sure you have lots of goodies that you can substitute where needed.  Thanks for understanding.

Authentique Products:  

Other Products:

  • Spellbinders Grand Nestabilities
    • Grand Circles (die # 4) (retired)
    • Labels One (Grand Labels Die #4) (retired)
  • Petaloo White Mixed Blossoms Large
  • Ranger Distress Grit Paste
  • Berries, Pine cones, Novelty Buttons and charms from my stash

 

Ciao Bella Layout Tutorial with Graphic 45 Typography

Ciao Bella Layout Tutorial with Graphic 45 Typography

Hello, G45’ers!  As a card maker, I have sometimes shied away from creating scrapbooking layouts.  Of course, I CAN do it…but the 12×12 format can feel intimidating for me.  Well, today’s post is all about eliminating the intimidation!  I’ve created this Ciao Bella Layout Tutorial with Graphic 45‘s Typography Collection.  Even though it is retired, it is still my all time tip top favorite from G45.   If you don’t have it in your paper stash, never fear.  This layout is so simple to make that you can easily use it with any of your favorite collections.  Let’s get this paper party started, shall we?

Ciao Bella Layout Tutorial Typography by Kathy Clement Product by Graphic 45 Photo 1

 

This photo of our daughter Liz was taken on one of our mother/daughter jaunts to the mountains last fall.  Ever since Liz was a young girl, my pet name for her has been Bella, which means “beautiful” in Italian.  (We are not Italian…I’m Irish…but nicknames don’t always have to  make sense, do they?)  I’m the only one who calls her by this name.  When I decided to scrap this photo, I remembered the Ciao Bella journal card from Typography.  That’s the inspiration for this layout.

Creating Contrast in a Simple Layout

Ciao Bella Layout Tutorial Typography by Kathy Clement Product by Graphic 45 Photo 2

There are many ways to create contrast in a layout.  Color is an obvious path to take, and I’ve certainly done that here.  But have you ever considered varying the size of your patterns as a way to create contrast?  It really works!

Ciao Bella Layout Tutorial Typography by Kathy Clement Product by Graphic 45 Photo 3Throughout this layout, I’ve alternated 12×12 papers with 8×8 papers.  The scale of the images and the text creates instant contrast.  For instance, my background paper is 12×12, while the paper that the photo rests on is an 8×8 sheet of text paper.   The borders are from the 8×8 pad, but the bold black sentiment is from the 12×12 pad.  Instant contrast.  This creates visual interest even in a simple layout like this one.

Ciao Bella Layout: Expect the Unexpected

Ciao Bella Layout Tutorial Typography by Kathy Clement Product by Graphic 45 Photo 4

Add fun to a simple layout by creating a hidden journal tag.  This 4×6 journal card has been cut down to fit the Black Staples Tag.  Then I elevated the photo with strips of cardboard to create a nifty little pocket to hold it. You’ll see how that mechanism works in the 60 second video tutorial at the end of this post.

Ciao Bella Layout: Create Simple layers

Ciao Bella Layout Tutorial Typography by Kathy Clement Product by Graphic 45 Photo 5

It honestly took me longer to photograph (and edit) than it did to make this layout.  The key is to a speedy layout is to create simple layers.  Orienting the papers on the diagonal created a sense of drama.  The bold, black sentiment panel on the right draws the eye to the focal image.  The layered borders help to form a frame.

Ciao Bella Layout Tutorial Typography by Kathy Clement Product by Graphic 45 Photo 6

This Staples Metal Door Plate & Knob is dabbed with Rusty Hinge Distress Paint to add another simple layer to the composition.

Ciao Bella Layout Tutorial Typography by Kathy Clement Product by Graphic 45 Photo 7

I also layered the typewriter key “e” over the chipboard button.  Placing this in the corner unified the paper layers as well as added dimension.

Ciao Bella Layout: Frame and Feathers

Ciao Bella Layout Tutorial Typography by Kathy Clement Product by Graphic 45 Photo 8This sentiment describes the way our lovely daughter lives her life.  To give it more of a presence on the page, I “framed it up” inside the chipboard frame element from the Typography collection.  Then I hot glued it over the peacock feathers to hold them in place.  The black satin bow helps to draw the eye to the sentiment, and it also balances out the sentiment panel on the right.

Ciao Bella Layout Tutorial Typography by Kathy Clement Product by Graphic 45 Photo 9

Ciao Bella Layout 60 second video tutorial

Graphic 45 challenged me to make a 60 second video tutorial of this Ciao Bella Layout.  Let me tell you…60 seconds goes by really fast!  Still, I  managed to put together a simple process video that will show you the steps I took to build this layout.  I hope you enjoy.  Don’t blink, or you’ll miss it!  LOL

I hope I’ve inspired you to get out your favorite photos and document beautiful memories today.  If so, I’d love to hear from you in the comment section below.  Thanks for stopping by!

Cheerio,

kathy

Ciao Bella Layout Supply List

Nature Sketchbook Natural Beauty Double Layout

Graphic 45 Double Layout Challenge: Nature Sketchbook Natural Beauty Double Layout

Hello, G45’ers!  I’m a bit excited about today’s post, as I’m sharing something I’ve never done before.  As you probably know, May is National Scrapbooking Month.  To help celebrate the occasion, Graphic 45 issued the #G45Layout Challenge with a $100 prize pack up for grabs.  You can read all about it HERE.  A double dare was issued to each member of the G45 Design Team: create a DOUBLE layout.  So that’s how this Nature Sketchbook Natural Beauty Double Layout came into being.

Natural Beauty Double Layout Nature Sketchbook by Kathy Clement Product by Graphic 45 Photo 1

A Walk in the Woods

My dear daughter Liz occasionally kidnaps me and carries me away for a few days of R&R.  One of our favorite destinations is at the Biltmore House in Asheville, North Carolina.  While the house is magnificent, what we really love is the gardens and the wonderful walking trails.  We escaped here last October and enjoyed a full day of rambling along the gorgeous paths that meander all through the grounds.  We were blessed with near perfect fall weather, and had loads of fun taking photos along the way.

Double the Natural Beauty: A Few Tips and Tricks

Natural Beauty Double Layout Nature Sketchbook by Kathy Clement Product by Graphic 45 Photo 2

The surroundings and the company were both Natural Beauties!  Can you believe I snapped this photo with my I-Phone?  Technology certainly has come a long way!

Natural Beauty Double Layout Nature Sketchbook by Kathy Clement Product by Graphic 45 Photo  3

Nature Sketchbook was the perfect collection to capture these memories.  For my background paper, I chose to use a monochromatic print from the 12×12 Patterns and Solids. I knew I was going to add a lot of flowers and other embellishments, so I wanted to keep the background simple.

First, I prepared the background by adding a honeycomb design with stencils and gold texture paste.  As the paste dried, it caused my paper to warp, so I knew I was going to have to mat the pages onto a solid surface.  I painted a 1/2 black border around two pieces of heavyweight chipboard with Black Soot Distress paint.  Then I used a Nature Sketchbook stamp to add white stamped text all the way around the border to add some interest and another layer of dimension. Now my pages lay flat, and as a bonus, they can stand up all on their own!

Clusters of Flowers for Natural Beauty Double Layout

Natural Beauty Double Layout Nature Sketchbook by Kathy Clement Product by Graphic 45 Photo 4We could not have asked for a more perfect day.  I managed to snap this photo of the fall foliage and the bright October blue sky captured in the still waters of the Bass Pond at Biltmore. To draw attention to the photo, I created a cluster of Nature Sketchbook Flowers, altered chipboard pieces, fussy cut butterflies and Petaloo Flowers.

I ran out of the Nature Sketchbook die cut flowers, but no worries!  I simply used the empty flower sheet as a template and traced the outline of the flowers onto 12×12 Patterns and Solids Paper. Then I cut them out and shaped them.  Perfect match!

To give chipboard elements extra depth and texture I like to paint them with Distress Paints.  While paint is still wet, I sprinkle with embossing powders and heat set.  Once the embossing powder cooled on the ferns in this layout, I went back and stamped over the tops with Jet Black Archival Ink and a Nature Sketchbook script stamp.  I have a Snapguide Tutorial from an older project that outlines this process for you. 

Meet Me in the Middle of this Natural Beauty Double Layout

Natural Beauty Double Layout Nature Sketchbook by Kathy Clement Product by Graphic 45 Photo 5

One of the biggest challenges in designing this Natural Beauty Double Page Layout was creating a good flow between the two pages.  Create a “bridge” by using a large image that spans both pages.  First,  I fussy cut the large image from the signature page of Nature Sketchbook.  Then I flipped the pages face down and pushed them together side by side so there was barely a gap.  Next I hinged the pages together with strips of washi tape.  Then I flipped the pages face up, and used a ruler and craft knife to carefully cut the two pages apart.  It worked like a charm!

Natural Beauty Double Layout Nature Sketchbook by Kathy Clement Product by Graphic 45 Photo 6

Natural Beauty Double Layout Nature Sketchbook by Kathy Clement Product by Graphic 45 Photo 7

I have this Natural Beauty Double Layout on display in my dining room, and every time I see it, I remember this glorious adventure and smile.  What a beautiful world we live in!

I hope I’ve shared some tips and tricks that you can use in your own crafty adventures.  If so, I’d love to hear from you in the comment section below.  And I hope you’ll share take part in this fun #G45Layout Challenge and share your projects with us on the Graphic 45 Facebook page.

Thanks for stopping by!

Cheerio,

kathy

Nature Sketchbook Natural Beauty Double Layout Supply List