The One with February 2012 American Crafts and Hambly Layouts

I'm up to my ears in assignments and projects and side jobs and what not! Lots of scrappy goodness coming up over the next month. Here are my February 2012 layouts for American Crafts and my "extra" layout for Hambly. 

HIKE 2 HOLLYWOOD

Journaling says: When my parents came to visit in January of 2012 of course we had to hike to the Hollywood sign. The very next day some man's decapitated head was found on the same trail.... (Yes, I realize the journaling is morbid and doesn't quite fit the feel of the layout, but I want to remember this weird story!)

How to: I altered a frames die I downloaded from Silhouette so it wasn't as detailed and then cut it from white cardstock. I backed each of the frames with a photo or patterned paper/vellum. After gluing the finished frames piece to a cloud vellum paper background, I added some embellishments to the edges and then straight and zigzag stitched around the border. Next I wrote journaling with a black pen in one of the frames, add a title using letter stickers, Thickers, and a "2" fabric brad, all on a tearaway strip.

Supplies: Cardstock, patterned paper, patterned vellum, tearaway strips, brads (epoxy, fabric), stickers (hearts, letters), wooden epoxy button, chipboard star, pen, adhesive: American Crafts; Sewing machine: Brother; Thread: Coats & Clark; Die cut machine (Cameo), frames die (Silhouette): QuicKutz

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BEST BUDS

Journaling says: No one can make Fox laugh like his daddy can. All the sound effects during story time really sets him off!

Note: Most of the pictures I take in our house are in the living room on the couch which is red red red - I don't use much red in my scrapbooking so I converted my pictures to black and white - now they match anything!

How to: Cut a piece of dark gray cardstock into three 4" strips. Trim various sized strips (three strips of each) from a variety of patterned papers. I used the Chap line by American Crafts - one of my all-time favorite lines! Adhere the strips across the cardstock blocks then straight stitch across each strip. Adhere the stitched strips to a cardstock layout background. Layer black and white photos on gray cardstock over lined paper and layered journaling spots. Trim a chipboard frame in half and tuck the halves under the top and bottom edges of the photo strip. Crumple three pieces of baker's twine (yellow, aqua, and blue) and tuck them under the photos. Make a title on a notched gray cardstock strip using yellow foam Thickers. Write journaling on a journaling spot sticker with a black pen and place it on the bottom right corner. Add the year number stickers to a tab and clip it to the top right corner of the photo block. Drop dark blue spray mist across the layout. Notch the corners of the layout to finish.

Supplies: Cardstock, patterned paper, journaling spots, chipboard frame, stickers (journaling spot, label, letters, numbers), tab, pen, adhesive: American Crafts; Baker's twine: The Twinery; Spray mist: Tattered Angels; Sewing machine: Brother; Thread: Coats & Clark

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SWING SWING

Journaling says: We've been going to Eddie Park ever since Fox was a tiny baby. He's always loved swinging in the swings. We haven't quite graduated to the big kid swings yet, but we're practicing and soon enough he won't need our help!

How to: Die cut a bracket shaped page from yellow cardstock and a doily from scrap cardstock. Place the doily on the background, spray over it using white mist, then remove the doily. Stitch the background onto a white woodgrain transparency using aqua thread. Stitch three sets of three "x"s using aqua floss around the edges. Punch 1" squares and cut triangles from patterned paper and transparencies then arrange them in this quilt-inspired pattern:

Back the hexagons with black and white photos then stitch around each "circle" using aqua thread. Fill in the empty hexagons with journaling and embellishments. Tuck two stickpins into the top. Add green alphabet stickers to the top and bottom for the title. Apply cloud rub ons to the top right and bottom left corners.

Supplies: Patterned paper, patterned vellum, patterned transparencies, rub ons (airplanes, clouds, hexagon, moth): Hambly; Cardstock, fabric brad, dog paper clip, wooden button, adhesive: American Crafts; Alphabet stickers: October Afternoon; Number sticker: Making Memories; Stickpins: Pebbles; Epoxy brad: Crate Paper; Star paper clip: Urbanic; Star jewel: Mark Richards; Floss: DMC; Sewing machine: Brother; Thread: Coats & Clark; Spray mist: Studio Calico; Square punch: Marvy Uchida; Die cut machine (Cameo), dies (doily, shaped background) (Silhouette): QuicKutz

I can't wait 'til tomorrow - it's the official ultrasound day when we find out for sure the gender of baby #2!