Lily Bee Finds

Challenge on Tuesday | Scraplift a Member!

Good morning Lily Bee fans! Today, I have the lovely and super talented Cindy Liebel and Diana Fisher with me for this week's designer's challenge!

The challenge this week was to scraplift a page we found in the Lily Bee Design Flickr Gallery. This is the page that was chosen and we all used it as inspiration for our pages today.

Beach Girl | Megan Beaubien

Great inspiration right!! Now, let's see what our designers did with this challenge.

First up is Cindy with this lovely page:

Supplies: Pinwheel (Flip Flop, Apricot Tree and Kit Strings, Chit Chat Stickers, Circle & Tag Stickers), Destination (Atlas, Bon Voyage & Souvenier, Chat Chat Stickers, Circle & Tag Stickers), Sweet Shoppe (Letter Stickers, Embellishment Bundle & Chit Chat Stickers)

Here is what Cindy had to say about her page

"The members layout, Beach Girl is just adorable. I especially loved how she framed the photo on top of the stacked layers of pattern paper, giving it a lot of depth and focus. It inspired me to add lots of texture to my page using staggered layers of white on white embossed cardstock.

Like the original layout, I surrounded my framed photo with little bits of embellishments for additional pops of color and framed the entire white background with a dark blue background to compliment the blue jeans in the photo."

Next up is Diana and look at her take on the scraplift!

SUPPLIES: Sweet Shoppe: Pattern paper (Gumball, Marshmellow), Chipboard Stickers, Label Stickers, Chit Chat Stickers;
Pinwheel:  Pattern paper (Flip Flops), Letter Stickers; Destination: Pattern paper (Bon Voyage), Circle & Tag Stickers

Check out what Diana had to share about her project:

"I loved the layout Nicole chose for us to work with today. I wanted to make sure I used the off-center paper layering in the layout we are lifting, as well as the top corner cluster in the right corner.

I also liked how the title was off to the side, so I used a combination of Lily Bee Letter stickers and a cut on my Cameo for my title. I also used all of the Lily Bee papers that had hearts on them and mix & matched the collections. I loved how the final combination looked. "

I just love how both Cindy and Diana stuck to the central layered design on the page and yet their pages are so unique too!

For my page, I was inspired by the design of the page along with the beachy theme of the page:

Supplies: Sweet Shoppe (6x6 Tiny Tablet, Gumball paper, Candy Stick paper, Embellishment bundle); Pinwheel (6x6 Tiny Tablet, Kite Strings paper, Jump Rope paper, Flip Flops paper, Chit Chat stickers, Circle & Tag Stickers, Label Stickers); Destination (6x6 Tiny Tablet, Chipboard Stickers, Circle & Tag Stickers, Embellishment Bundle); Autumn Spice (Clear Stamps)

I cut a title from my Cameo and also the circular background to layer over the heart bokeh background.

Like the other gals, I also layered up the Lily Bee papers behind my photo, just as Megan did in her original page:

Like Diana, I also layered on lots of circle & tag stickers from a few collections to the corner of my photo:

Now, it's your turn to inspire!

We'll pick one winner from all our challenge entries this month to win a Lily Bee prize package. Here's the details:

- Your card must use mainly Lily Bee products (approx. 50% - 60% older or newer lines to showcase Lily Bee Design).
- Post your layout to our Facebook Page or Flickr Gallery to be eligible for monthly challenge prize. 
- Title your post " September 10 Card Sketch Challenge" so we can find it easily and then leave a comment on this blog post letting us know you've entered.
- Deadline is September 30, 2013, Midnight CST
- One winner from all the challenges will be announced in next month's Kristen's News feature

Good luck and have fun! Can't wait to see your interpretations :)

Focus On Monday: Scraplifts

 

Happy Monday everyone!  This week we are celebrating the scraplift!  A scraplift is when you take direct inspiration from the idea behind a layout or design, and copy or modify it for your own layout.  It is a fun way to get your creative juices flowing and to replicate a great design with your own twist.

To kick off the week, Leslie has scraplifted a fellow design team member and I have chosen to lift a fan.

Leslie gained inspiration from Adrienne Alvis, a Lily Bee creative team member. Adrienne's page:

Leslie states, "I chose this layout by fellow DT member, Adrienne for the way she used a GIANT photo. I decided to change my layout up a bit by making my photo be vertical.

Leslie explains, "My title is going vertically along the side of my layout and I clustered embellishments to the right on my photo."

 

Supplies:  Sweet Shoppe (Chit Chat Stickers, Circle & Tag Stickers, Label Stickers, Chipboard Stickers, Lemondrop Paper, Marshmallow Paper, Gumball Paper, Licorice Whip Paper); Pinwheel (Letter Stickers, Embellishment Bundle, Chipboard Stickers, Circle  Tag Stickers, Cherry Blossom Paper); Destination (6x6 Tiny Tablet, Letter Stickers, Chit Chat Stickers, Circle Tag Stickers).

 

I went to the Lily Bee Flickr page and picked a layout that was created by a fan.  I chose this beautiful page by Aleksandra Gadji.

 

Here is my take on her page.  I used the same overall design with the long horizontal line along the top third of the page.

I replicated Aleksandra's cluster of hearts by using the globe, airplane and buttons along the right hand side of the page.  I used the baker's twine to make the chipboard airplane come to life.

Supplies:  Destination (Papers:  Boarding Pass, Tickets, Landmark; Chit Chat Stickers, Label Stickers; Chipboard Stickers; Embellishment Bundle); Persnickety (Paper:  Finicky) 

Scraplifting can be a fun practice!  Be sure to either ask permission or give credit to the orignal creator of the design.  Then simply have fun making it your own!

      
   

  

 

  

 

Challenge on Tuesday | Card Sketch

Hey Lily Bee Fans! I am here to share a few easy cards today based on a sketch and a twist!

Since this week's theme is 1 item, 2 ways - I used this one sketch, to make 2 cards that are similar, yet still a little different too!

Here is the sketch for this month:

Here is the first card I made, using lots of Sweet Shoppe:

Supplies: Sweet Shoppe (6x6 Tiny Tablet, Embellishment Bundle) Destination (Embellishment Bundle), Pinwheel (Label Stickers), Autumn Spice (Clear Stamps)

I used a combination of wood buttons from both the Destination and Sweet Shoppe collections to embellish some of the layered circles:

I still can't get enough of the Autumn Spice stamps, and the "happy" stamp is great for cards ! Just add a few bits of happiness to a label sticker and you are set!

My next card is fairly similar, using a few of the same papers and I added in different papers and changed the placement of the title!

Supplies: Pinwheel (6x6 Tiny Tablet, Embellishment Bundle, Chit Chat Stickers, Letter Stickers, Label Stickers), Sweet Shoppe (Embellishment Bundle, 6x6 Tiny Tablet), Persnickety (6x6 Tiny Tablet, ABC Stickers)

I just love the new Letter Stickers in the Pinwheel collection - they are perfect for cards!

 and my other favorite are the Chit Chat stickers! I added a few birthday like words along the top and bottom row of the card - just the right touch to make it a little more "birthday" than the card was!

Ok, that's it for me - so let's see what YOU can do with this sketch! We would love to have you join our sketch challenge this month - show us how you will interpret the card sketch by sharing it with us in the Lily Bee Flickr gallery.

We'll pick one winner from all our challenge entries this month to win a Lily Bee prize package. Here's the details:

- Your card must use mainly Lily Bee products (approx. 50% - 60% older or newer lines to showcase Lily Bee Design).
- Post your layout to our Facebook Page or Flickr Gallery to be eligible for monthly challenge prize. 
- Title your post " September 10 Card Sketch Challenge" so we can find it easily and then leave a comment on this blog post letting us know you've entered.
- Deadline is September 30, 2013, Midnight CST
- One winner from all the challenges will be announced in next month's Kristen's News feature.

Good luck and have fun!

Focus on Monday | Use it Two Ways

Hi Lily Bee fans and welcome to a new week and theme.  We are calling this week’s theme “Use it Two Ways.”  Think using patterned paper two ways, using embellishment two ways, very open to interpretation and a fun way to get you unstuck and scrapping again.

Here’s how I applied this theme to my layout.

I started with the floral Cotton Candy paper by cutting out diamond shapes from the pattern paper.  Then grabbed my scallop punch and punched from the same paper, but used the reverse side of it to adhere on top of the clustered diamonds.

Next, I used twine from the Embellishment Bundle both horizontally and vertically, and then used it again to thread through my button and tie a bow (that was 3 ways, but if you are on a roll, go with it).

I used the chipboard, brads, and stickers two ways as well.  The brads leading down the page, and the chipboard and stickers as clusters to frame the photo.  “Use it Two Ways” really helped keep the supplies limited and made this page come together quickly.

Supplies:  Sweet Shoppe (Cotton Candy Paper, Pink Mint Paper, Embellishment Bundle, Label Stickers, Circle & Tag Stickers, Chipboard Stickers), Pinwheel (Ice Cream Truck Paper, Chipboard Stickers, Embellishment Bundle, Circle & Tag Stickers, Destination (Passport Paper, Circle & Tag Stickers)

Be sure to check back this week for more inspiration on how to "Use it Two Ways".

Cards on Wednesday | Mixed Media, Paint & Texture

It's time for Cards on Wednesday! I'm Lisa Dickinson and today I'll be continuing the mixed media theme with a fun watercolor technique.

Lily Bee supplies: Sweet Shoppe  (6X6 Tiny Tablet, Letter Stickers; Chipboard Stickers; Embellishment Bundle)

To create the polka dot background, I borrowed a set of my kids' watercolor paints and used an acrylic stencil to quickly paint a rainbow on a scrap piece of white cardstock:

Once I applied all the colors, I washed off my stencil with water and let the paint dry. Then I placed the stencil back over the painted cardstock and used a black fine-tip pen to outline each of the small circles.

Then I trimmed the piece down to fit on a black card base and applied a die cut butterfly and letter stickers to finish off this simple card.

So don't be afraid to pull out some paint for your next project - it doesn't have to be complicated! We'd love to see what you create!

 

 

 

Challenge on Tuesday | Layout Sketch

Hello Lily Bee fans!  I'm here today with Diane and Wendy with a sketch challenge to jumpstart your creativity today!

We're also continuing with the theme for this week which is using mixed media on our pages.  Here's what Diane came up with...

Diane says, "For my mixed media layout I wanted to try a technique I've never done before...melting wax/crayons.  I decided to use a photo of my daughter when she graduated from pre-k to tie into the elementary theme."

For this technique, all you need are some used crayons and a heat tool.  Attach small pieces of crayons to a scrap piece of paper then adhere the scrap paper to your layout using removable adhesive (or washi tape).  Holding the layout upright, heat the crayons until they melt and drip down your page.

 

Diane also melted individual colors of crayons onto parts of her photo and layout.  

Supplies:  Pinwheel (Lemonade Stand, Apricot Tree, Lime Rickey, 6x6 Tiny Tablet, Letter Stickers, Chit Chat Stickers), Sweet Shoppe (Label Stickers, Chit Chat Stickers, Embellishment Bundle), Destination (Letter Stickers, Circle & Tag Stickers, Embellishment Bundle)
 

Here's how Wendy interpreted the sketch...

Wendy stuck very close to the sketch, but turned it from a 12x12 into an 8 1/2 x 11.  Wendy said, "I just love a great sketch and this was definitely a fun one!  I love the spattering of embellishments and the nice clean lines."

Wendy used Christmas cards leftover from last year and cut off the "holiday" portion on this simple, yet beautiful, layout.  

Supplies:  Pinwheel (Apricot Tree, Jump Rope, 6x6 Tiny Tablet, Letter Stickers, Label Stickers, Chipboard Stickers, Chit Chat Stickers, Circle & Tag Stickers)
 

 And here's my take...

I used modeling paste and a stencil to make the honeycomb effect on my page, which adds a lot of texture and dimension. 

Then I used a brush and dipped them into my spray ink bottles to color in some of the hexagons to coordinate with the colors on my layout after the modeling paste dried. 

Supplies: Destination (Atlas Patterned Paper, 80 Days Patterned Paper, Label Stickers, Letter Stickers), Pinwheel (6x6 Tiny Tablet, Flip Flops Patterned Paper, Label Stickers), Sweet Shoppe (Embellishment Bundle, Chit Chat Stickers)

I hope we've inspired you to use some new techniques and mixed media on your next project!  And don't forget that you can join us in this month's layout sketch challenge!  We'll pick one winner from all of our challenge entries this month to win a Lily Bee prize package.  Here are a few things to keep in mind:

- Your layout must use mainly Lily Bee products (approx. 50% - 60% older or newer lines to showcase Lily    Bee Design).
- Post your layout to our Facebook Page or Flickr Gallery to be eligible for monthly challenge prize. 
- Title your post "9/3 Sketch Challenge" so we can find it easily and then leave a comment on this blog       post letting us know you've entered.
- Deadline is September 30, 2013, Midnight CST
- One winner from all the challenges will be announced in next month's Kristen's News feature.

Don't forget, you can enter multiple times so the more you play, the better your chances are of winning!

Have a great day and thanks for stopping by!

    

 

Focus On Monday | Mixed Media Paint & Texture

Happy Monday, Lily Bee fans!  And a happy Labor Day to our friends in the U.S.  Christine here today to kick off Focus on Mixed Media week here at the Lily Bee blog!  I have been experimenting more with mixed media techniques on my layouts lately.  It definitely is fun to get your hands a little dirty and add a little texture to your layouts or cards!

For my layout I used colored mist, acrylic craft paint, modeling paste, watercolor, Stickles glitter, and chalk ink to create several different textures.

Supplies:  Destination Collection (Luggage paper, Postcard paper, Embellishment Bundle, Chipboard Stickers, Label Stickers, Chit Chat Stickers, Circle & Tag Stickers, Letter Stickers); Pinwheel Collection (6x6 Tiny Tablet); Sweet Shoppe Collection (Label Stickers, Chit Chat Stickers, Letter Stickers).

My first step was to use some colored mists and spray onto my background cardstock with a mask.  Then I used a different mask to spread some modeling paste onto the layout in the shape of stars.  Modeling paste actually dries pretty fast, so you need to work fast with it.  After the modeling paste stars dried, I painted them with some acrylic craft paint.

I outlined some of the sprayed stars with my Sharpie pen to emphasize some of them.  I also painted additional stars and circles onto the layout using craft paint, chalk ink, and watercolor paint. 

The random smattering of paint clusters gives the layout a carefree look.

Lastly, I added some letter stickers for my title, and added some journaling.

 

I hope you have enjoyed looking at some ways to add mixed media paint & texture onto your layout.  I can't wait to see how the rest of the Lily Bee team use mixed media in their projects this week!  Happy Monday, and happy September!

Cards On Wednesday | Living Large

Hello everyone! Lisa and I are here to share some cards inspired by the "living large" theme this week.

Lisa says, "Simple shapes like circles, stars, or even an apple are perfect for enlarging and creating shaped cards. After creating my card base from kraft cardstock, I cut pieces of patterned paper to fill the apple in with color. A die cut sentiment layered over brown patterned paper and embellished with a brad and some twine completes the card."

 

Lily Bee Supplies:  Destination (6x6 Tiny Tablet, Embellishment bundle); Pinwheel (6x6 Tiny Tablet, Embellishment Bundle)

I decided to make a couple cards using some of the largest elements from the chipboard stickers included in the Lily Bee collections.

This card features the chipboard butterfly layered over a doily along with an oversized banner piece and a simple greeting.

Supplies: Pinwheel Collection (Sprinklers, Lemonade Stand, Chipboard Stickers, Letter Stickers).

For my second card I created a sky scence complete with the large chipboard cloud and a kite.

I added a simple greeting over the string to mimic a real kite string.

Supplies: Sweet Shoppe Collection (Lemon Drop); Pinwheel Collection (Ice Cream Truck, Chit Chat Stickers, Letter Stickers, Embellishment Bundle).

Digital Download | Digital Cut File Freebie

Hello Lily Bee fans!  Nicole and I are here today with a couple of layouts to share with you that are continuing this week's theme of "Living Large".  

Nicole says, "I normally only scrap 3x4 or 4x5 photos, so this 5x7 photo was much larger to work with."

Nicole created this background using the heart shape by Lily Bee, which you can download for free here, and then layered different tones of red/pink in behind the heart pattern to create this page. 

Then she added the title directly to the larger photo to fill up some white space. 

Supplies:  Destination (Ticket paper, Chipboard Stickers, Label Stickers, Circle & Tag Stickers, Chit Chat Stickers), Sweet Shoppe (Cotton Candy paper, Pink Mint paper, Letter Stickers, Label Stickers, Embellishment Bundle, Chit Chat Stickers), This & That (Postcards paper), Pinwheel (Chit Chat Stickers, Circle & Tag Stickers), Persnickety (Index Journaling Cards, Clear Stamps), Autumn Spice (Clear Stamps)

I normally use smaller photos on my layouts too, but I really enjoyed using this 9x7 photo of my family that was taken at my father's 60th birthday party this past June...
 

I used the heart cut file from Lily Bee for the tiny vellum hearts I scattered on my page and also used the "celebrate" and "happy day" cut files from Lily Bee that can be downloaded here and here. 

I also added a few vellum butterflies that you can download here and layered them on top of some that I cut from patterned paper like I did for my title.  

Supplies: Pinwheel (Lemonade Stand paper, Cartwheels paper, Chipboard Stickers, Embellishment Bundle, Letter Stickers, Circle & Tag Stickers, Chit Chat Stickers, Label Stickers), Sweet Shoppe (Marshmellow paper, Label Stickers, Embellishment Bundle) 

Thanks for stopping by today and I hope we've inspired you to use some of these fabulous cut files on your next project and to break out of your small photo routine and LIVE LARGE!

 

                           

Focus On Monday/Living Large

Happy Monday everyone!  We are living large this week on the Lily Bee blog!  Creative team members will be sharing projects that emphasis large embellishments, big ideas or oversized photos.  To kick off the week, Wendy Sue and I are showcasing layouts that incorporate bigger than usual photos that hold lots of meaning!

Wendy Sue gives us some valuable insight into how to build a stunning layout like the one below.

 

Wendy Sue says, "Sometimes a picture tells a story.  Sometimes a story needs a lot of words.  Sometimes I choose both.  This photo holds a lot of meaning for me and I wanted to be sure to emphasize it's importance by printing it out BIG."

"I also wanted to make sure my feelings were recorded - so I typed out my journaling (instead of hand writing it like I usually do) because I had a lot to say.  Big photo, big story, and a little sprinkling of fun right on top of the photo!"

Supplies:  Destination (Bon Voyage Patterned Paper, letter stickers, 6x6 tiny tablet, chipboard stickers, chit chat stickers, circle and tag stickers, Button and twine from Bundle); Pinwheel (Button from Bundle)

I used a 5X7 photo of my children, nieces and nephews from a few years ago.  When using large photos, I think balancing the rest of the page is important.  

I used a strong patterned paper along the side of the photo, incorporating an entire sheet of the 6X6 Tiny Tablet.  I also added big pops by scattering the speech bubbles.  Don't be afraid to layer embellishemnts right on top of your photos, especially when you are working with bigger sizes.

I added some unique, dark elements along the bottom of the clusters and to the right of the page to achieve balance.  I always like to add in a hand cut element like the Destination paper featuring the chicken wire pattern.

Supplies:  Destination (Paper:  Passport, Postcard; 6X6 Tiny Tablet; Chipboard Stickers; Chit Chat Stickers; Tag & Label Stickers; Letter Stickers); Pinwheel (Flip Flop Paper; Embellisment Bundle Button and Twine)

Who is ready to go big all this week?  Come back each day to see inspiring projects from the team!

Tutorial Friday | Image Transfer

Happy Friday Lily Bee Fans!

Cindy with you today capping off this weeks theme, unique paper techniques. My technique uses clear tape packing tape to create an image transfer from pattern paper and stickers. To make these elements, you will need is a bowl of tap water, clear packing tape and/or scotch tape, a dry cloth, a paper towel, gentle fingers, possibly an apron and vacuum, as this technique can get a little messy.

Below I've shown a variation of ways on how to do this technique and it's all super simple and easy!

First, trim pattern paper to size of packing or clear scotch tape and add a few strips of adhesive to back of strip and press down on table mat. This insures the paper will not move while adhering the tape to the image you want to transfer. Start from one end to the next when adhering the tape to prevent air bubbles. Submerge in a bowl of tap water. Tape paper will curl when ready. This only takes about a minute.

Gently use fingers or a dry cloth to remove the backing from the damp tape. Do not wet the dry cloth to remove backing or the entire image will be removed from the tape. The second photo shows an example of the difference between the orginial pattern paper strip and the transparent strip.

Another way to is to cut out digital die-cuts, adhere them to a strip of the packing tape and submerge into bowl of water until the strip curls. Then use scissors to trim off excess tape around the design. This allows ease of trimming while tape is not tacky. Then gently remove backing from tape to reveal the transfered image look.

A quicker and easier way to create clear embellishments is by punching out design from taped pattern paper. Working with smaller designs can cause tape to rip if removing the backing too hard.

Creating a word strip while maintaining the sticky back is another easy and fun way to spruce up a project. For this technique, I randomly added lots of Chit Chat stickers to a strip of white cardstock that was trimmed to the with of regular scotch tape. Cover word strip with clear scotch tape and submerge in bowl water for about two minutes. This takes longer because it's layered. Remove from water and gently remove all of the white cardstock and sticker backing. When the strip is dry, the exposed tape will regain it's stickiness. Viola, you've just created a word strip, similar to washi tape.

Lay all transparent embellishments to air dry on a paper towel. While drying, embellishments will curl a bit and that's ok. When ready to use on a project, secure using vellum adhesive.

If you prefer not to use an element that is not photo safe or archival safe, this image transfer project is perfect for all those altered projects or journal keeping, such as, but not limited to, covering glass jars with a decorative strip and embellish with twine or ribbon or make window decals, etc.

As you can see, the the embellishments give off a lovely shine to the stark white page and add a burst of color to the design. Using transparent scotch tape is a good idea for achieving a more matte, opaque look.

So glad you could join me today and I hope you have a chance to experiment with your favorite stickers and pattern papers to create your own transparent embellishments.

 

 

Cards on Wednesday | Unique Techniques

This week at Lily Bee we are focusing on unique techniques. Wednesdays are card days, so today we are looking at something unique you can do with your cards. Leslie and I decided to think of the cards from a 3-D perspective and from there we got to crafting. Here are the cards from Leslie.

I know shaker cards have been around for a while now, but this is my first time to ever attempt one (well, two in this case), and I LOVE how they turned out! On my first card, I used vellum as my "window" box cover and inside you'll find an airplane chipboard, some punched "earths" and a couple of tiny chipboard "banners."

Have A Great Trip! supplies: Destination (Letter Stickers, Circle & Tag Stickers, Chit Chat Stickers, 6x6 Paper Pad, Embellishment Bundle, Chipboard Stickers, Boarding Pass Paper, 80 Days Paper) Pinwheel Collection (6x6 Paper Pad) Sweet Shoppe Collection (Chipboard Stickers)

I used an unusual cover for my second card. I wanted half of my card to be the "shaker" so I coverd it with tulle — then added two chipboard butterflies, some cut out "hello's" and a couple of "hello, hi" stickers. This one is my favorite because it looks like butterfly netting. I had so much fun with these cards. Thanks so much for letting me share with you!

Oh, Hello There! supplies: Pinwheel Collection (Chit Chat Stickers, 6x6 Paper Pad, Letter Stickers, Flip Flops Paper, Lime Rickey Paper, Chipboard Stickers) Sweet Shoppe Collection (Chit Chat Stickers, Licorice Whip Paper) Destination Collection (Souvenier Paper) Persnickity (Mixed Stickers)

Below are the cards that I made for today's unique card technique.

I made a shaker card and I know it's really easy to just fill it with sequins and move on, but I also added paper confetti using the same papers that are on the card itself. It helps to pull in the final look when you shake it around.

 

For my second card, I made a little springy card. I didn't have those springs that are made just for paper projects, so I worked with one from a clicky pen and cut it down to fit. 

I took the pen spring and adhered it using really strong craft glue (Helmar or Beacon work well). One side of the spring is fastened to the back of the "celebrate today" circle and the other side was threaded through the "&" circle and also glued down to the label. 

If you flick the "celebrate you" circle with your finger, it bounces.

Supplies: Sweet Shoppe Collection (6x6 Tiny Tablet: Strawberries and Cream, Licrorice Whip, Marshmellow Label Stickers, Circles & Tags, Chit Chat Stickers, Letter Stickers) Pinwheel Collection (Letter Stickers)

Unique Paper Techniqes| Revisiting the August Sketch

Hello again!

Christine Newman and I are here today to share some fun things to share with you. 

Summer is quickly drawing to a close and some have already headed back to school. Before we completely switch gears from Summer to Fall and all of those Fall-inspired activities we thought it would be fun to share some ideas of how to scrap some more of your summer photos. We've combined the challenges of using the August sketch, unique paper techniques and scrapping Summer photos. 

For our challenge this week we are once again revisiting Cindy's awesome August sketch:

Here is Christine's take on the sketch:

Supplies:  Destination Collection (Luggage paper, Atlas paper, 6x6 Tiny Tablet, Label Stickers, Chit Chat Stickers, Letter Stickers, Embellishment Bundle), Sweet Shoppe Collection (Candy Stick paper, Jelly Bean paper, Licorice Whip paper), Pinwheel Collection (6x6 Tiny Tablet).

Amazing, right? She has quite a way with patterns and using just the right embellishments to accent her projects.

Christine says, " The circles toward the bottom of the sketch reminded me of portholes.  And since my layout is nautical/ocean in nature, I thought it would be perfect to make them look like underwater portholes!  My paper technique here is that I used a 1.75" circle punch to punch five circles directly out of my background paper.  Then I used a 2" circle punch to punch vellum and patterned paper circles to fill the holes.  I filled the holes with sequins, wood veneers, and papers to create little underwater scenes."

Here you can see how Christine used her Silhouette digital cutter to cut out some wave shapes with patterned paper to adhere behind and in front of her photo to create movement. Isn't her attention to detail amazing? I really like how fun her page is and how the elements help your eye to move around the page. I like how she placed the title letter stickers on the curve of the wave and think the little fish are adorable!

Christine hand-cut a fish and attached some twine from the embellishment bundle to it.  She dropped some color mist onto her layout to make it look like water splashes and air bubbles in the ocean.

Here is a closer look at the potholes at the bottom of Christine's layout. This is so fun! I like how she made each one different and brought in the circle elements at the bottom of Cindy's sketch.

Here is my take on Cindy's sketch: 

Supplies: Sweet Shoppe (Candy Stick, Embellishment Bundle), Pinwheel ( Sprinklers Paper, Picnic Basket Paper, Chipboard Stickers, 6x6 Tiny Tablet, Embellishment Bundle, Circle & Tag Stickers, Chipboard Stickers, Label Stickers, Letter Stickers). 

One of my favorite additions to the Lily Bee collections is the larger font size of stickers. I enjoy mixing both the small and large alphas as I did here in my page title which was inspired by a favorite childhood song of mine that goes something like this: "Three little fishies in an itty, bitty pool. Three little fishies and a mama fishy, too..." I added some blue sequins to mimic water bubbles. I thought it was an interesting coincidence that both Christine and I ended up with "fish" on our pages! My fish, however, are my silly daughters who had quite a bit of fun swimming in our tiny pool one day. 

I incorporated the circle elements of the August sketch through the sun and additional embellishments at the top left of my page. I also added a little bit of watercoloring which I did with spray mist, a Copic marker, a paintbrush and just a little bit of water. It is fun to experiment with this fun technique until you get the desired shade of paint. 

I followed Cindy's basic sketch design with the movement across the top of the layout, the accent in the top left and a focal area on the bottom of the page. Instead of circles, though, I incorporated waves that I cut on my Silhouette machine which I then backed with patterned paper. I used the extra waves as additional accents on my page. 

We'd love to have you join us in the August sketch challenge! 

Here are just a few reminders about the sketch challenge rules: 

We will pick one winner from all our challenge entries this month to win a Lily Bee prize package. 

- Your layout must use mainly Lily Bee products (approx. 50% - 60% older or newer lines to showcase Lily  Bee Design).
- Post your layout to our Facebook Page or Flickr Gallery to be eligible for monthly challenge prize. 
- Title your post "8/6 Sketch Challenge" so we can find it easily and then leave a comment on this blog post letting us know you've entered.
- Deadline is August 31, 2013, Midnight CST
- One winner from all the challenges will be announced in next month's Kristen's News feature.

Don't forget, you can enter multiple times! The more you play, the better your chances of winning!  :)

We hope you'll play along with us!

 

Focus on Monday | Unique Paper Techniques

Welcome Lily Bee friends to the first day of a fun filled week of unique paper techniques. Today's layouts feature fun techniques from myself, Summer and my fellow Lily Bee design Team member Stacey. Let's skip the small talk and get right down to business.

I really wanted to come up with something fresh and eye catching so I decided to go with a paper basket weave effect on my layout. I chose one of my favorite Lily Bee lines: Destination an cut 1x12 inch strips and wove them together to create a background. I originally tried this with 1/2 inch strips but I found the pattern got way too busy for my liking.

Lily Bee Supplies: Destination (Patterned Paper: Luggage, Atlas, Boarding Pass, Tickets, Landmark, Port, Souvenir, Interstate, Postcard, & Bon Voyage, Embellishment Bundles, Circles & Tag Stickers, and Label Stickers)

Stacey used an Iris Folding technique to create a fun peek-a-boo window on her layout. It is so simple, yet really adds a wow factor. She cut out a square using a craft knife on her 12 X 12 background paper. Then she cut 1 inch rectangles using three different patterned papers and folded each one in half. Then she layered the folded rectangles behind the square cutout, working diagonally across the corners first and then along each side of the rectangle.  Continue the pattern, leaving room in the middle for an embellishment.  This technique really adds texture and color without overwhelming your layout.

Supplies:  Pinwheel (Papers:  Jump Rope, Sprinklers; Chit Chat Stickers; Label Stickers; Chipboard; Embellishment Bundle Twine; 6X6 Tiny Tablet); Persnickety (Paper:  Finicky); Sweet Shoppe (Paper:  Strawberries & Cream)

We hope you have enjoyed our fun unique paper techniques. Have a happy Monday.

Cards on Wednesday | Back to School

Hi Lily Bee friends!  In keeping with this week's theme, Summer, Lisa, and I have created some "back to school" cards to share with you!  When I saw Summer and Lisa's cards, I thought it was so fun that we had each chosen a recognizable "school" icon to feature in our design - but each card is very different than the others!

First of all, here's Summer's fun card:

Summer chose to use the iconic apple on her card - I just love the little button detail and those dimensional leaves are the perfect finishing touch!

 

Supplies Used: Pinwheel (6x6 Tiny Tablet & Letter Stickers) and  Destination (Embellishment Bundle)

 

Lisa took her use of "iconic images" a step further and didn't just use an icon - she used actual crayons on her card!  Here's what she had to say:  "Why not try incorporating a school supply into your next card? Notebook paper, graph paper, paperclips, or even pencils and crayons can make cute embellishments for cards. And the bright and happy colors of the Pinwheel line is perfect for Back To School themes!"

Lily Bee supplies: Pinwheel line (6x6 Tiny Tablet, Chipboard Stickers, Letter Stickers)

My card is geared toward an older recipient...the globe is the icon I chose to use on a "first day of school" card for a college student.
Supplies Used: Destination Collection (6x6 pad, letter stickers, chipboard stickers, circle & tag stickers, label stickers)
Thanks for stopping by the blog today!  We hope we've inspired you to create some fun "back to school" themed cards for the students (or teachers) in your life!