CSI Case File 162 for Creative Embellishments!!!!!

Hello fellow crafters!!  Brandi here again with another layout created as guest designers from Creative Embellishments for CSI this month!  Here's a look at the case:

And here is my take (all evidence and testimony is in red):

This is a picture of the hubs and I on our one year wedding anniversary :-)  I used the Simple Stories "Homespun" collection which matched the scene perfectly!!!

I started with a textured solid white cardstock base and lightly splattered black distress ink across the page.  I used a circle stencil from the Crafters Workshop and distress markers to add circles in random areas.  

I mixed some molding paste with Tim Holtz Alcohol Ink in "Butterscotch" until I achieved my desired yellow color, I used the paste mixture over a Tim Holtz Sunburst layering stencil to the left of my photo!

I outlined all my papers with a thin black sharpie (one of my favorite techniques) to help the colors stand out against the all white background.  I used the Circle Bokeh Stamp and Versa Ink to clear emboss the pattern on my chipboard photo frame from the Together Frame Set. After heated, I used Ranger distress ink, Lindy's Flat Black Tornado, and Black Soot distress ink to color the piece. I dried it, then misted with homemade glimmer mist (made from water and perfect pearls) for some  shimmer :-)

I used the same black ink to color the "Love" title from the Everlasting Love title set (the smaller one) and various sticker letters from the collection to make my title (inspired by the "space" theme).  

I did my journaling in the "Q&A" format :-)  

I finished the page with some flowers by Prima and Petaloo, stickers, and die-cuts from the collection! 

Well gang...  Thanks so much for stopping in and have a LUCKY day :-)

Tutorial Tuesday with Frosted Designs: How to Create a Pocket Mini Album!!!

Hello again crafters!  It's Brandi here today with a quick and easy tutorial on making a simple pocket mini album using this month's "Spring Gardens" kit for your favorite photos, sayings, inspirational quotes, etc.

Here's a look at the completed album:

And here's the tutorial:

Check out How to Create a Pocket Mini Album by Brandi Matos on Snapguide.

Well gang....  Thanks so much for stopping in and have a LUCKY day :-)

Designing with Creative Embellishments for Scrap Around the World!!!!!

Hey there folks!!!!  I have some very exciting news today:  Creative Embellishments is guest designing over at Scrap Around the World this month!!!!  Isn't that fabulous?!?!?!?!  

Here is this month's amazing mood board over at SATW:

I LOVE the colors and the overall theme of the board. I used several aspects to create the following page of my oldest daughter:

As you can see, I clearly was inspired by some of the colors (greens, browns, and whites!).  The bottom three pictures give me an overall "explore" feeling so I included that as my title, using the pattern of colors from the boat to color my actual title piece!  I used lots of flowers, drawing inspiration from the first photo, and a "wood" background from the bridge in the middle bottom row!

I used several CE goodies on my page, altering them in different ways!

I started by creating a background using black distress inks and the Binary , Distressed Burlap, and Distressed Checkered   Stamps from the store.

I drew some squares with water color pencils, adding small amounts of water to soften them out, then added a number of nesting Squares around the page, coloring them with different distress markers!

Using a stencil and molding paste, I added some texture to my page, stamping over top for more depth :-)

I used the Explore title from the Adventure Word Set, coloring it with distress markers, then adding a coat of crackle paint in rock candy for some texture!

I finished the page with a big heap of various flowers to throw in some color and girly-ness!!!!!

Well gang...  Thanks so much for stopping in and have a LUCKY day :-)

Making Your Pages "Pop" Tutorial for Frosted Designs!!!

Hello everyone!!  It's Brandi here today to share a quick tutorial with you on how to really make your pages stand out!  It works really well on this month's kit with the soft pinks and light hues of the papers and embellies :-)

Here's another look at this month's "Sweet Love" kit:

Yum, yum, yum!!!!  In love with this one!!!

And here's a look at my page:

See how everything just "pops" against the background?!?  Doesn't it look fabulous?!?  Want to know my trick?!?  A sharpie marker!  Yep, it's really that simple!  No mess, no fuss :-)

Here's a little tutorial to show you how to achieve this result :-)

And here are some close-ups:

I LOVE the zipper pulls in this month's kit!  They truly add a touch of elegance to every page!

I even use the sharpie to outline my stickers and die-cuts!  

Using a butterfly punch and papers from the kit, I created 3D butterflies :-)

I used stickers from this month's kit and goodies from past month's kit to create my large flowers cluster under the photo!

And there you have it!

Thanks so much for stopping in and have a LUCKY day :-)

Mixed Media Canvas with Forever Yours January Kit!!!!

Hey there gang and HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!  Yes, 2015 is upon us!  Let's make it a scrappy happy year :-)

I'm here today to show this month's beautiful new kit from Frosted Designs as well as a mixed media canvas I made with it!

Here's a look at the kit:

This kit features Prima's "Romance Novel- Chapter 2" as well as goodies from Fabscraps, Petaloo, and much more!

I used the canvas from the kit to create a small wall hanging for a close friend.  Here's a look:

I just LOVE the colors and papers here... Absolutely LOVE!!!!!  I included a brief tutorial on making this as well :-)

Check out How to Create Mixed Media Canvas by Brandi Matos on Snapguide.

And here are some close-ups:

Well gang... Thanks so much for stopping in and have a LUCKY day :-)

Products used from the Frosted Designs Store:

So Beautiful Layout with "Rustic Beauty Kit" and Creative Embellishments Goodies!

Hello there fellow crafters!!! It's a new month which means a new kit and new kit challenge over at Frosted Designs!!! This kit is absolutely beautiful... Seriously, I LOVE it more and more each time I look at it!!!

Here's a look at Rustic Beauty:

This kit features the FabScraps "Industrial Chic" collection, as well as goodies from Prima, Maya Road, Ranger and more!!!

I am also up on the CE blog today so there are all sorts of Creative Embellishment goodies on my page!!!

Here's a look:

This is my youngest daughter when she was only six months old (she's four now!). I LOVE how the blue in her eyes stands out in the photo, so I decided to add pops of blue in my page as well!! 

I started my background work using various gelatos for contrasting colors, gesso to tone it down, then stencils with molding paste and india ink. I also used the Circle Bokeh Stamp to add some depth and one of the cages from the four piece bird cage set:

I cut up some pieces of the Mini Brick Panel and colored them using white mist, then added them behind my photo with strips of paper and one of the white tags from the kit.

I created a large flowers cluster down the page using various flowers from the kit and some from my stash, tucking in odds and ends from the kit as well as a piece of Butterfly Flair for detail!

I finished the page with one of the fussy cut plates from the kit and part of the She's So Beautiful title from the CE Store, colored using white mist and a blue gelato!

Well gang...  Thanks so much for stopping in!  Have a LUCKY day :-)

Somewhere in Time with Colorful Creations!

Hello everyone!!!  It's that time of the month for a brand new sketch up over at Colorful Creations!!!

Here's a look at the mid-month sketch:

I used a whole slew of goodies from previous Frosted Designs Kits to come up with this masculine page:

This picture of my husband was taken from our balcony aboard a cruise ship on our honeymoon!  It's one of my favs of him :-)

I started with some papers from the "Enchanted kit" and added a large circle die-cut which was misted and inked.  I grabbed the wooden ATC card by Prima from the "Capture the Moment" kit and misted it with Lindy's Stamp Gang Starburst pearls, inked the edges with distress ink, then added black splatters using Dylusions spray!

I'm a HUGE fan of Creative Embellishments chipboard for a number of reasons:

The styles they offer, the "alterability" of the chipboard without losing it's shape, and the overall look it adds to ANY project!  So I grabbed some gears and my title (both from CE) and started to work on them!  I used "white picket fence" Dylusions spray to give them a white coat, then added various LSG mists for a distressed look.  I finished them off with a dab of crackle paint for texture :-)

I even added some to the clock that was printed on Prima paper, then fussy cut and added behind my photo!

Here's a look at the title using the same techniques!

The page looked quite simple to me so I added additional gears and sprockets, using brads from the "Capture the Moment" kit to hold them down, and Tim Holtz rub-ons from the Enchanted kit in various circles!

No page is complete without flowers so I threw on some flowers by Prima and Recollections to finish it off!

Well gang... Thanks so much for stopping in and have a LUCKY day :-)