We are very LUCKY (Irish luck?) to team up with Ella Publishing for a blog swap. What is that you ask? Well since it is new let me explain. Two companies share products with each other, and then swap projects to share with their readers. Oh, and they do a giveaway too. Check out the projects inspired from Ella eBooks that are made with the My Mind's Eye products. Check out both blogs for chances to win, and to see more projects.
Ella Publishing Team
This layout uses the Quite Contrary line from My Mind's Eye, and I copied a sketch from the Ella Stretch your Sketches eBook written by Donna Jannuzzi.
I didn't have a circle cutter large enough to really fit the sketch, so I traced a dinner plate on the back of the patterned paper and trimmed it out. This was probably one of the quickest layouts I've ever created, because I had plenty of coordinating products to choose from in the Quite Contrary line, and I didn't have to mess with my design. Here's how it came together: I chose my topic, narrowed down my photos from a recent girls' weekend, and then I searched for a sketch from the Stretch Your Sketches eBook that fit the five photos I chose. Since I had four landscape photos and one portrait photo, it was easy to adapt the 3-photo sketch to make it work. (The reason it was so easy? Tami Morrison's layout in the eBook took this exact approach with one vertical photo four horizontal photos.)
I LOVE how sticky-strong the flocked chipboard letters are - I am usually unhappy with chipboard letters because they don't stick very well - but these are like superglue - seriously strong stick! Thumbs up! My layout is inspired from the latest eBook, U2R Cr8ive by Stacy Julian. She shares so much information about living creatively and she is such an inspiration, I always want to scrapbook my life after I read anything written by her.
I used the My Mind's Eye Blog Sketch for inspiration and copied it almost exactly except it was pink and this is green.
Journaling reads: Mac & Charlie tore down the 10+ year old herb garden (Mac particularly enjoyed the destruction process) and rebuilt it for me; and at my son's last doctor's appointment I was shocked that he only has one foot to go to be as tall as me!
* Remember to Wear Green;
* My Grandma Grace Flavin was Irish!;
* I grew up on Kermit & the Muppets;
* We are growing vegetables;
* My dad was a farmer & composter & an environmentalist;
* I kissed the Blarney Stone in Ireland in 1992;
* Its what we call cash;
*Your eyes, like mine, are greenish brown.
Journaling reads: St. Patrick's Day is almost here - so just in case you are wondering - Yes! We are Irish and here's why we celebrate!
Supplies: My Mind's Eye: Lush; QuicKutz Flower die cut; word stickers and journaling blog by Colorbok; journaling pen in brown: sharpie.
I used the Ella Book “Quick & Creative Quizzes” – especially the final quiz in the back - was what I used for my inspiration. The quizzes are a good starting point to make you think about what you want to say. I ended up doing my own questions, only because I fall into an odd bracket for my teenage years and I grew up in Ireland so it was a very different scene to the USA.
I downloaded the 20 Simple Secrets of Happy Scrapbookers. My layout is based on prompt #3 - tell others how important they are to you. After reading the book, i flipped through a pile of photographs on my desk and this one caught my eye. Kensie is an amazing help to me, no one could ask for a better daughter. I have been meaning to make a layout for her for a while now but haven't gotten around to it. This was just the push that i needed. I really enjoyed this book. I have several layout ideas that i want to get working on from these prompts. I love how clear and simple the messages are - very inspiring without being overwhelming.
I downloaded the "Text Tricks for Scrapbookers" ebook from Ella Publishing. It was full of creative ways to use titles and text in your layouts. I was inspired by {Text Tip #3} Mix and Match: combine color and fonts. I used two different styles and colors of MME alphabets: the yummy flocked blue and the green chipboard (I made it shine with a touch glossy accents).
Want to win a copy of UR@ Cr8ive OR Stretch Your Sketches? We have two copies of each to give away. All you have to do to win is leave a comment on this blog post telling us one thing that makes you LUCKY between now and Tuesday, March 23. We’ll announce the WINNER on Wednesday, March 24.
For a chance at winning our Quite Contrary collection, visit the Ella Publishing Blog and tell them your top three daily (online) reads.
