Keeping Calm & Carrying On

KA: A Designer Tape Layout

Thank you for all the well wishes over the weekend both here on my blog and on facebook. It's comforting to hear your stories and know that you are keeping my family in your thoughts & prayers. Thank you for the emails, comments and texts about my brother-in-law and also the wonderful encouragement as I ran my second marathon just a couple of day ago (more on that to come :)

For this layout I created patterned stripes using both my patterned papers and Designer Washi Tapes from my collections-Bella Blvd. It's a pretty simple page, with neutral colors and a pop of red.

Keeping memorabilia, if just a little, is always a nice touch. This little 2x3" card was inside our program for the Cirque show.

Baptized in Love: Single Page Layout

I'm really groovin' on photo enlargements lately. It has 2 great purposes for me. 1: It helps me narrow down my most favorite photo, which means I mean printing less and keeping events to either single or double page layouts. And 2: It makes scrapbooking simple with enlargements!

For the title I used my Designer Washi Tape as a background before adding my sticker alphas. Do you remember these sticker alphabets? They were my very first with Bella Blvd, and named "Carla."

A feather, a Doodlepop (Doodlebug), a Crochet Heart and rhinestone cross later, and wha-la. Finito!

October Already!?

September seriously flew by, and there's a list of things I'm excited for this month including decorating our home for the first time for Halloween/&Fall, traveling to Puerto Rico, celebrating birthdays and more! To kick off the first day of October I have this Halloween layout for you! The 12x12" single page layout includes products that I've mixed and matched between my Too Cute To Spook (2011) and new Trick or Treat Collections with Bella Blvd.

I'm simultaneously working on Lauren's first-year album. I've been creating layouts for her album as I finish mine. Making progress here, to her first Halloween when she was 6 months old. Crochet Hearts and Designer Washi Tapes are layered here to create a cluster of journaling.

Happy October. What are you looking forward to this month?

Free Download: The Bella Buzz Newsletter

Bella Blvd is back with a fresh new issue of The Bella Buzz: September 2013. Today is the official release date, so check your inbox for your free copy, or click here to download today!

The Bella Buzz took a brief hiatus during my crazy wedding season, and now it's back with some awesome and fresh new ideas, created solely for the newsletter. The layouts featured by the Bella of the Ball and the Designer Challenge have never been seen before! Enjoy! Happy Monday!

and pssst......don't miss the newsletter giveaway this time!

Pre-IU: Last Call to Purchase!!

Happy Saturday everyone! Aren't you thrilled that the weekend is finally here?! In less than a week I'll be headed to Nevada to Inspiration Unlimited 2013. Teresa Collins and Ginger Nelson put on quite the spectacular event, and I can't wait to reunite with industry friends and scrapbookers too, it's going to be great!

Consider this the "last call" on Pre-IU kits! We've sold out of some already, and only have a few, and I mean a FEW left of each of these. Unfortunately for my friends that can't make it to IU all the mail-order kits are SOLD-OUT. Only thing left are class seats at the actual Pre-IU event.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR OVERWHELMING SUPPORT with these workshops! 

Penny for Your Thoughts Mini album have just about a handful of spots left in class.

The workshop price is $29.50 and takes place on Thursday, Sept. 19th from 10:10am-12:30pm.

Reasons to Relax is the only Layout workshop I'm teaching during Pre-IU. There's only 3 spots left in class, so act now if you want a chance!

The workshop price is $27.50 and takes place on Thursday, Sept. 19th from 8am-10am.

 

And this little gem, the Insta Love Mini album workshop sold quick! We only have ONE SINGLE SEAT left in class for you to join us.

The workshop price is $29.50 and takes place on Thursday, Sept. 19th.

To access the Down To Details Store and sign up for my workshops, click here. You can also email Ginger if you have any questions or requests. Email her at gingbugg {at} cs {dot} com

Thank you again for all the purchases and sign-ups! These workshops are some of my favorite ever and I cannot wait to teach them for the first time. And wait, there's more great news!!!

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT FOR IU PARTICIPANTS!!!

 For those of you that have missed out on pick-up kits and won't be at the IU event until Friday, we may have, just may have, prepped a few extra kits of each workshop (even the sold-out Dec. Daily album workshop) and will available for purchase at the Bella Blvd table in the IU store next week! The price is a bit higher than the listed workshop prices were, as we always encourage class sign-ups, but rest assured you will still secure a great deal on the retail value of the kit contents, plus step-by-step color directions will be included. While supplies last, first come first serve basis at the IU Store at the IU event at the Green Valley Ranch! 

See you there. Mwwa! (kisses!)

First Swim: A Bella Blvd Layout

Gosh, Lauren is so teeny tiny in these pictures it makes me "ooh" and "ahh". She's 2.5 now and getting so big. All the more reason to scrapbook it all as time passes so quickly!

My Sand & Surf products are the basis for this layout. Uncle Steven and Dan took her into the pool @ Riverbend for her very first swim at only 3 months old! 

I love a little washi tape on any layout, and the Bella Blvd Punch Dot Designer Tape was just the perfect poop of color for the layout.

For the title I layered a chipboard border underneath the Sienna Pickle Juice Chip alphas, after distressing them with brown ink (of course;). 

The Sand & Surf collection is still available from Bella Blvd. The collection includes patterned papers, stickers, Stick pin Flags, Designer Tapes and more!

For more ideas with the Sand & Surf collection, visit the Idea Gallery here. 

Dream: A Bella Blvd Layout

I try to stay on top of creating layouts documenting each CHA release. It gets hard for me sometimes because the photos generally look the same---the booth, us girls, etc. For this page I used a heart punch to keepsake some of the new patterned papers with the release from Summer CHA July 2011. These patterns help me remember which collections were brand new for the show.

Inside the kraft pocket on the page I included wallet-size (2.5x3.5") photos of each product panel within the CHA Booth, capturing all the new products for that new release.

There is never a day I take Bella Blvd for granted. It's such a blessing. Hope you have a beautiful week...remember to count your blessings :)

 

Hidden Springs: Single Page Layout

Another 12" enlargement is the base for this layout. I absolutely love this photo of Steven and Carson in the paddle boat up at my parent's lakehouse. My parents own a home in Neshkoro on Hidden Springs lake. It's rustic and beautiful and incredibly quiet and relaxing.

We don't get there as often as I'd like...it's a good 2 hour drive from home so when we go we want to be there for the entire weekend. We don't get any internet or cell service, so it's incredibly relaxing and forces us to enjoy the nature around us, each other and a good campfire or two! The large sticker letters spelling "hidden springs" are some Basic Grey alphas from my stash. I mixed and matched a lot of greens and products from my stash for this layout.

I wanted to keep it pretty monochromatic with earth tones.

This weekend I hope we'll be camping again....as it's supposed to be nice out. What are you up to this Labor Day weekend?

Single Photo Saturday

Good times in La Romana, Dominican Republic at the very end of our honeymoon. 

LuLu: A Bella Blvd Sunshine & Happiness Layout

Although I don't typically post on Sundays, I've been scrapbooking all weekend and really wanted to share something scrapbook related today to cap it off.

Let's face it....sometimes you need to get pages done quickly and make some progress, instead of spending hours on just a couple page layouts, right? This k.i.s.s. feature is to inspire you to do just that. Check out this color blocking layout I created with my Sunshine & Happiness Collection.

I mixed some old with new here including new Daily Chevies Bella Pepper giant chevron (top row), and more recent Crochet Hearts too. For the layout design I simply split the 12x12" base paper into a 4x4" grid and trimmed all my photos and patterns accordingly.

Then I color blocked monochramatically within the patterns sqaures: adding Yellow embellishments to the yellow block, Blue Sienna Chip alphabets to the blue patterned block, a purple flower sticker to the purple patterned block, and so on and so forth.

Keeping the embellishments in the color-line helps make the photographs pop more. Try this on your next page if you're looking for something simple and clean!

For more Sunshine & Happiness inspiration check out the Sunshine & Happiness Idea Gallery here.

For more Crochet Hearts ideas check out the Crochet Hearts Idea Gallery here.

Six Flags Today & A Layout

Today Steven and I are enjoying a day with the kiddos at Six Flags in Illinois. When was the last time you rode a roller coaster? The give me butterflies and make me nervous much more now that they ever used to...something about growing up I guess :)

In 2011 We took the kids to Six Flags and then to Hurricane Harbor water park the following day. I just finished this layout from that adventure and thought it was perfect to share today!

I don't carry my camera with me on roller coasters, much less at water parks....so I was lucky to have a stranger snag one shot that day! It was hot, I remember buying ice cream and it melted way too fast and was just a disaster! 

The Layout features a little bit of Bella Blvd Daily Chevies papers (black star, giant yellow chevron) and lots of Feathers and Crochet Hearts too! I mixed it up with American Crafts Thickers and October Afternoon paper an stickers also.

I wanted to Feathers to be more subtle and be a pop of color off the black background. I tucked them underneath the patterns so just the edges were sticking out!

Making memories with my nieces, nephew and cousin are what the good times are all about. I loved that on our wedding video Anabelle said that one of her favorite memories with Steven & I was the time we took them to Six Flags. I knew we had to do it again....so that's where you'll find us today! This time...Carson's tall enough & brave enough to ride and come along!

Christmas in August: Bella Blvd Projects

Look at that cute little face! Our niece Lauren is growing up so quickly, I just had to capture her facial expressions and excitement from last December when Steven and I gave her a stocking from St. Nick! She's full of facial expressions and is just the happiest little girl!

The layout features papers and stickers from my brand new Christmas Countdown collection (You can see the Collection Reveal here). Added some Crochet Hearts & journaling to top it off.

I definitely feel like this layout is all about the photo so I wanted to keep it as the focal point. The full supply list, along with some additional details and photographs are being featured over at Bella Blvd today on the Studio Blog.

This card I created for CHA as well. Love me some of those new Paper Pieces die-cuts!

Looking for more Christmas Countdown ideas? Click here to see the current Christmas Countdown Idea Gallery. Hope you have a great Friday. I have the day off from work today to get going on some errands necessary to officially change my last name to Smokovich, and then I'm headed to my mom and dad's lake house with my sister and bestie for a nice relaxing weekend of peace and quiet, movies, games and relaxing fun :) Happy Friday!

Remember This: A Bella Blvd Trick or Treat Layout

My new Trick or Treat collection is now shipping to stores all around the world! It's perfect for capturing and documenting little kids Halloween events. The bright colors and pop of teal make the designer in me happy :)

Seriously...she's the cutest lady bug ever, right?! Check out this layout of mine being shared over at Bella Blvd today. The photo is from my niece and God Daughter, Lauren's, very first Halloween.

I'm so excited about the new Paper Pieces die-cuts with the new collections. They have fun cut-out pieces like this circle "2DAY" one. Check out more photos and details about this layout today over at Bella Blvd. For more ideas using the new Trick or Treat collection, visit the Trick or Treat Idea Gallery here.

Squeak Squeak: A Puppy Layout

A Couple Instagram photos of our little rascal I wanted to create a page with. This little pup is like our child...he's so spoiled, and we just love him to pieces.

I drew the colors of paper to use from the pop of red in the one photograph of Mio's "squeak squeak" toys: Where's Waldo. (That's his favorite one)

I purchased this fun printed craft bags at a local stationery shop a few months back. I thought the neatrals were perfect for this layout.

My sticker letters are compliments of Doodlebug.

I printed my journaling on a piece of white cardstock and trimmed it to tuck inside the bag.

Yes, we are one of those crazy dog couples :) until we have babies :)

God Parents Layout

Sometimes it's more important to keep the memorabilia that include a ton of photographs. Keeping the church bulletin from the day Lauren (and Sarah) were baptised includes special memories including the pastor's name, hymns sung and current details about the church.

That's exactly why I matted the bulletin and used it as the main piece of the layout. I curled up the lower right corner to intrigue a page-turn and included my 2 favorite photos from the day.

This is Steven's first honor of being a God Parent and my second. It's such an privilege to be asked such an important thing. Today's reminder for you is to not forget the memorabilia. Don't hide it, instead show it off when the time is right :)