The Story, The Layout, What I Learned!

I'm sitting here in front of the computer waiting for my first cup of coffee of the day to finish brewing thinking "Coffee cures all that ales you!"  LOL 

After the New Year e-newsletter clean up from my mail box I'm being inspired by the newsletters I still get and the ones I've subscribed to since.  I've been receiving Nat Kalbach's Scrapbook Trends from the beginning and it never fails to inspire me.  March's newsletter has a very wild and wonderful layout created from Nat's own paperline eMOTions.  The layout that Heidi Kelley created had so many elements and an awesome photo arrangement.  Well, it was time to try.

The Story
Make no mistake these photo were staged.  Jacob had a project at school I believe for his Spanish class.  He had to have pictures of himself around the house "doing."  I did not have any recent photos of him doing the things he does around the house as a typical Senior in High School.  So we staged them.  (1)  Jacob cooking.  Not much, but he likes to cook for his girlfriend and her family.  (2)  Studying hard.  (3)  Playing games.  It may shock you to know that last photo was not staged.  LOL

The Layout

What I Learned
Note:  this was a huge learning curve as I had to figure out just how to get the look I wanted.

• In order to place the photos vertically in this pattern I drew a light pencil line down the middle of the page.  Then I placed the photos.  I nearly didn't figure this one out.  I kept placing the photos and did not get the right placement.  The line help guide me tremendously!
• I picked out a pattern paper that already had that Shabby Chic/Distressed look.  These pattern papers are from Bo Bunny.  It certainly cut back on doing so many things.
• There were elements I wanted to add so I pulled out my acrylic paints and Wendy Vecchi's Studio 490 stamps and proceeded to paint stamp the dots on the right hand side in a brownish color and the white.  I added a little to the left.  In order to "meld" it into the paper I took sandpaper and sanded over the paint.  Very cool look.
• Do not count anything out when looking for elements.  I have the matching Bo Bunny journaling pad.  I cut the shield and wing from the cover of the book!  It works.
• Stickers are always bad.  The titles and the boarder cuts are from Bo Bunny.  I added distress ink to the boarders and I distressed the edges of the title sticker and then inked it.  Not a bad look.
• I used Fiskars squeeze punch Twinkle Twinkle to make my stars and inked the edges and add a little 7gypsies rub-on to one of the same stars.
• Hardest part was to glob paint on my layout and photo.  I didn't do it right, but I learned a bit more about doing it.  Use the right brush and the right paint. 

This was a very happy layout inspired by a newsletter.  Please do go the Nat's blog and sign up for yours today.  She only sends out one mailing per month. 

FYI:  the coffe is very good!

Have a Happy Crafting Day!

Gratitude List
1.  Jay's sense of humor
2.  time with my granddaughter
3.  energy to do it all
4.  the abundance of love in my home
5.  the gift of love and laughter from God