i was planning on sharing how i scrapbooked the trip i took to utah 2 years ago. finished the layouts, printed the pages of journaling, took photos of everything. and then the power went out tonight. it was only about 30 minutes. but that never happens to us, and it threw us off the rest of the evening. lol! so i'll be sharing that on wednesday. instead, i'll share a two page layout with you. i know a lot of you asked to see more 2 page layouts. and lucky for you, creating keepsakes magazine has really been focusing on 2 pagers for quite a while now, because they know it's what their readers want. so the majority of my assignments for them are 2 page layouts :)
as seen in the July/August 2010 issue of Creating Keepsakes magazine. copyright creative crafts group. posted with prior permission from the publisher.
i got asked to do this assignment last january. the magazine knew that i was attending the winter CHA show that month. they were going to choose their top picks of the show, and then have a few designers create projects with those products. on the last day of the show, i kept asking the editors if they had chosen their top picks yet. i was anxious to see what i was going to work with. but i had to wait until i got home from the show, and a few weeks later, the new queen bee collection from pink paislee showed up on my doorstep.
when i first saw this collection at CHA, i thought it was gorgeous. and the decor for that part of their booth was incredible. the flowerbed, and display area, for this collection was one of my favorite parts of the show. but. i wasn't sure it was my style. i can appreciate something being gorgeous and pretty. but i also know what comes naturally to me. and i wasn't sure what i would do with this collection.
then i remembered these photos i had taken of michaela. michaela was my very first daycare baby. she was only about 4 weeks old when i started watching her. i also watched her older sister, alison, who was about 2.5 years old at the time. there's just something about babies that gets me. some more than others (sorry, is that bad to say?). and she was one that just stuck on me. i could eat her up, loved taking care of her, kissed and snuggled on her baby rolls (and she had TONS of rolls. lol!), and just truely bonded with her from day one. even though they've been gone from our daycare for years, they're still a part of our lives. we don't see them often, even though we live super close to each other. but when i do see them, it takes me right back to why michaela was a special one to me.
once i had these photos picked out and printed, the rest of the layout just fell together. and i was able to play with all the gorgeous product in the collection, without thinking twice about any of it. i think i managed to use a little bit of everything they sent me. the pattern papers, die cut paper, glitter chipboard alphas, ribbon pleats, flip notes journal, bella brads, cork buttons, punch out die cuts, the press ons, and even the 6x6 pattern paper pad. i was pretty proud of myself for working so much fun stuff on these two pages.
for the flowers, i used the ribbon pleats. they come in a long strip, 12 inches in length. but you can easily shape them into a circle, or how ever you want to work them. once i got it in a circle, i added a bella brad to the center of a cork button, and added that as the center of the flower. for the stems, i used the parenthesis from the chipboard alphas, and just trimmed them into a stem and leaves.
Gorgeous layout Laura...love the color tones...and that flower...yummy!
Posted by: Lynn | September 14, 2010 at 02:53 AM
Hi Laura,
I hate it when the power goes out, especially at dinner time. I have this layout in my binder and have always thought only you could pull this off. It is fancy and full of goodies. The photos are so so cute of her. I love the flowers but know mine wouldn't come out that easy, lol!! Thanks for telling us about the stems, would never have thought that.
Posted by: dawn | September 14, 2010 at 03:01 AM
Just beautiful! With my spunky little granddaughter, I'm sure I have pictures that would be perfect for this theme. Will scraplift for sure.
Posted by: Sandra A | September 14, 2010 at 07:55 AM
I love how you turned that trim into flowers, Laura. Pretty!
Posted by: Lisa | September 14, 2010 at 08:19 AM
O for the LOVE of color!!!! Wow! Seriously stunning lo Laura!
Posted by: Sierra | September 14, 2010 at 12:09 PM
This is gorgeous, Lsura!!!!
Posted by: Suzanne | September 14, 2010 at 01:57 PM
WOW--this is GREAT! I agree this line is breath taking but makes me stop and rethink--How am I going to use it? :)
Posted by: Diana | September 14, 2010 at 02:07 PM
this is just a gorgeous LO and what a cute girl! I totally know what you mean about thinking something is pretty but not know if you could use it right.
Posted by: Carla | September 14, 2010 at 02:50 PM
That stinks that the power went out but I'm glad you got to share this beauty with us! The LO is absolutely gorgeous! And I know what you mean about appreciating the product. Happens to me all the time! ;) I have to say your memories of her made me mist up. It's wonderful to hear how she touched your life!
Posted by: Sara Rossi | September 14, 2010 at 08:01 PM