Well, hello, hello, hello and welcome to the second Crop Circles Blog Hop. (Check out the first here, if you are so inclined.) Crop Circles is a wonderful group of paper crafters, scrapbookers, mixed media mavens and all around amazing ladies; I am so happy to be in their company. A lot of the group is based in Newfoundland, and some, like me, grew up there and have family, friends and plenty of other links back. If the projects in this hop are as good as the first, you have a lot of inspiration ahead of you! As with any good hop, there is a prize! 🙂 Leave a comment on each post to enter; you have until April 12th.
You should have arrived here from Natasha’s blog; if not, you can go back to the beginning with Cathy and make sure you don’t miss anything.
My project is a bit of a mess. If we’re being honest here, as scrappers, we never love every page. There’s even a photo floating around Facebook that says, “Not every page has to be a masterpiece,” and it’s true. Would I love every page to be a masterpiece? Would I love to channel my inner Shimelle Laine (my scrappy idol ;)) every day? Of course! But does it work that way? Umm, no.
I started out with a random idea and a few odd products. I had saved the covers of a broken notebook because I loved the design – a colourful chevron. I had also pulled some pieces from an Amy Tangerine day book. I figured some Amy Tangerine Sketchbook paper would make sense, so I pulled scraps from that line as well.
Perhaps the products got in the way of the plan, I’m not sure. I knew I wanted to use the notebook cover (a thick see through acrylic) but it was a bit of a challenge. Using it to mat a photo was fine, once I convinced my trimmer to cut it. I also ran a piece of it through my Big Shot (twice). The adorable die from Wplus9 was just asking to be used.
I jumped in after that, with no plan past the die cutting, oops! I used a second translucent piece, from the daybook, behind one photo, since the larger one already had the notebook piece, and kept playing with other layers.
At this point, I was still enjoying the colours together; I liked the vibrancy and playfulness. (Not sure when I changed my mind …) I was having a hard time using the die cuts, so I cut a piece of the green paper you see above to back the translucent pieces. That made each piece stand out just enough. It was at this point that I made a fatal “stick before you think” error and then had this to deal with:
(Insert your favourite pseudo-curse word here.)
That, my friends, was annoying. It was already late, the page had already gone off the rails a little and taken many detours so this was just the last stop. I cut my background page into pieces (saving the work that was already done but getting rid of that little mishap) and backed the whole thing on a piece of Stampin’ Up! kraft resist wood grain paper. (I added distress ink in Squeezed Lemonade and Spiced Marmalade first.) Since I was so done at this point, I chose a title that is simple and slightly boring, added a few Elle’s Studio bits and walked away.
Supplies: Amy Tangerine for American Crafts paper and daybook, Stampin’ Up! paper, notebook cover, Wplus9 die, Sizzix Big Shot,
Dear Lizzy for American Crafts chipboard stickers, Tim Holtz distress ink, Elle’s Studio tags
Now, here we are, a day later, very close to go time for the hop and I have only this to show you! Yikes. I had high hopes, friends, of completing a second spring layout to share, but the universe had other plans. Such is life.
I’ve posted layouts I don’t love before, I’m not really afraid to do so. And it’s never about fishing for compliments, it’s about admitting that we all have them, stashed away in albums and we all wonder what someone else would do with them. So maybe that’s the point, then. It happens to the best of us! Not every page is a masterpiece. What would you have done with this page?
Your next stop is Catherine, who probably does not need your help! 🙂 Enjoy.
Here’s the full blog hop list; you won’t want to miss any of these projects!
In the Cat Cave
Sara Things
Michelle’s Scrap Bits
Because Scrap Happens
This and That
Scrapstorian – You’re here!
Catherine Loves Stamps
ReAson
My Tattooed Paper Heart
It’s about Time
Comment before the end of the day April 12th and be entered to win this Daily Creativity Journal! Thanks for stopping by.
Scrapstorian 
Cheryl…loved reading this post! It was quite humorous into your thought process. Good save on the mishap! I like the bright colors on your layout and the pics are adorable! Beautiful!
Thanks! I think “humorous” might be a bit of a euphemism for my thought process 😉
[…] Sara <– you’re here! Michelle Kymberley Natasha Cheryl Catherine Rhea Darlene […]
I think it looks great – but we’re always harder on ourselves than others are! Bright side for you, it’s done! 🙂
Ha, exactly!
Love this page Cheryl !! Its so disappointing when a mistake happens on a page … and then you really have to get your creative juices flowing to try and fix it, right ?? I think it turned out great !! TFS
Thank you!
Sunny colours make this LO.
Thanks for coming to check it out!
haha – loved reading your process!!! Love the colors and oh my, that die cut!
I know, the die is ridiculous.
Well Cheryl I would be ecstatic if my pages looked like your “mishaps”! I of course love the page and as with all your work, I love your touches, spattering, stamping, free hand drawing etc. Those pocket dies are to die for ! (pun intended 😉 )
I can’t take credit for all of those touches, the background paper had water colouring and paint splatters already! Haha, the dies are super cute.
I love your designs – you are so “Artsy” and have the ability to work with so many different mediums! Oh yeah, and those dies are TOOOOOOO cute for words!
Thanks! This one didn’t require a lot of artsy-ness, the Amy Tangerine paper had a lot of water colouring and paint already added. Total cheat 😉
Love your layout and yes sometimes things happen and it’s so nice to know that it’s not only me that tries to take up something that I have glued down only to tear the paper! Love those dies…so sweet!
We all do it, don’t we, even though we know it will not end well! 🙂
Love the bright and cheerful mix of colors and patterns. Very “springy”.
Thanks!
Looks great to me! Those dies are darling.
I had to have them. The die was actually the only thing on my last order from Simon Says Stamp!
Love the brightness.
Thank you!
I like it! It has a fun whimsical look! you are too hard on yourself, LOL, but then aren’t we all!
Very true! I know it’s just fine, it just happens to not be the way I saw it in my mind. 😉
Love all the color and those photos are super cute!
Thanks!
Well, I think your layout is absolutely gorgeous!! I would make those mistakes all the time if my pages turned out looking like this! Love all the bright colors. You have a new follower 🙂
Aw, thanks!
We all have those layouts/projects that we don’t really love…but, hey, it’s done right? LOL I happen to love the layout, love the photos and who doesn’t love a little Amy Tan? 😉
Exactly!
Omg Cheryl! this is hilarious!!! Love that you shared your mishaps with us …there are never mistakes in scrapping…just opportunities to move in a different direction! Great Lo …and I know how you feel…there’s LOTS of Los in my stash that I ‘m not a 100% pleased with …but as I always tell people… in a hundred years time when your descendants look at your Los , they’re not going to say ” oh look at the mistakes great grandma made…” NO! they are going to be so estatic to find this record of your life!
You are so right! Thanks for the reminder.
See….when I look at this layout I just love the ‘scribbly’ velum border, the DIES (adorable), the title, the…….
And, you are SO not the only one who has had to tear apart a layout partway through. Those pics are adorable too 🙂
Heh Cheryl, it worked out great!!! To layer different pattern families AND different colours together GOOD FOR YOU!!! how does the wing spread feel!!! most of us stay in a-like products/a-like colours/a-like themes and You went A-RTIST! Awesomeness!
You always makes me think outside of “a-like” box!
You are too kind, my friend 😉
Thanks!
Loved your layout and the story that went with it. Thanks for sharing. Those die cuts are so cute.
I think your layout is wonderful. Again, not everyone has the same taste in things. I love all the colors you used and the different patterns.
Thank you!