Gossamer Blue: Swim Style

One of my favorite pieces of paper in the June Main Kit from Gossamer Blue, is the hearts and graph paper combo from Pink Fresh Studios. I really like the rainbow colors on the bright white background along with how the graph paper creates a natural spot for photos and embellishments. When I cut this paper down to 9x12, I decided I didn't want to go for my usual paper layering. Instead, I wanted to fill the blank space with the cute frames and square stickers from Simple Stories using a grid design.

As I was working on the grid using my photos and frames, I did not like the weight of the classic 2x2 grid and how it was "overfilling" my page. My solution was to modify my grid and only include 3 squares. After making this change, I felt much better about my layout and it reminded me that it's okay to let go of ideas that just aren't working for you.

Thanks for stopping by today!

Michelle

Gossamer Blue: June Kits

Hello! Is anyone else completely confused about how we ended up in June so fast?? Really, it feels like time fastforwarded three months! My brain is still in March! Ha ha.

One of the only benefits of time moving fast though, is that it always seems like I am getting a new scrapbooking kit and today I am wanting to share my latest creations with the new June Kits from Gossamer Blue.

This month the kits are a mix of Simple Stories, Fancy Pants, and Pink Fresh. The products in the kits had me creating in no time and even though I am finished with my DT projects, I still have loads leftover and am looking forward to getting back to kits:).  Here are a few of my projects:

This is my FAVE. I was one of those confused people who really did not see the potential or relevance of pie charts when they started making an appearance in scrapbooking supplies. Now though, I am a believer! First off, they are circles which I am pretty comfortable with and second, they are a good medium for displaying all the beautiful patterned paper. Yup, I will be using pie charts again.

This black floral paper from Simple Stories is the BEST. It is so pretty and I refuse to part with the little scraps I have left of it! I also love the bits of green in this layout. Lately I have really been drawn to this color and I was so happy to find lots of it in the June Kits.

As I was creating with these kits, I found that they were really working well as a kit that will lead you from Spring to Summer. I scrapped photos from this spring, but I also was able to feel in some gaps in photos from last summer. I love it when a kit does double duty like that!

Wishing you a great day!

Michelle

Gossamer Blue: Here + Now

Hello! Today I want to share a new layout featuring the beautiful May Kits from Gossamer Blue. Before I can go any further though, I must admit that when it comes to my creative process, I am very happy working inside my comfort zone. I know what I like and I like what I do, so why try something new, right?? Every once in a while though, I actually get the wild idea to go a little outside my box and create something that isn't quite so typical of my usual projects and today's layout is a such an example.

Circles. I am a little obsessed with this fabulous shape and it makes regular appearances throughout my scrapping. However, despite my love for all things round, I have NEVER once cut a photo into a circle. Now, this certainly isn't a ground breaking technique, but it definitely requires a little more thinking than just printing the photo as a square or rectangle.

When it came to cutting my photo into a circle, I went with my manual diecutter. My first thought was to use an app to make my photo into a circle and then cut it out with scissors after printing. However simple and quick this method is, I don't have the greatest scissor skills. Using a metal die would guarantee a perfectly round circle, so this was the method I went with.

To continue the circle theme of my layout, I cut two similarily sized circles out of patterned paper from the Bit's and Pieces Add On Kit and used them to create a visual triangle. Using the triangle as a guide is a simple, surefire way to get good placement. With the bigger elements in place I went to work on the embellishing.

Cutting my photo into a shape was a pretty simple technique, but I sure felt bold doing it! While it's certainly okay to hang out in your comfort zone, I really believe we need to push our limits a little from time to time. Anytime I try something new, I never have regrets for doing it even if things don't turn out as planned. 

Thanks for stopping by today and I hope I have inspired you to try something new!

Michelle

Gossamer Blue: May Reveal

Hello and Happy May!  The beginning of the new month at Gossamer Blue brings the reveal of new kits and projects. This month the kits are full to the brim with new products from Pink Paislee and Simple Stories--products I have been waiting not-so-patiently to get my hands on.  When I opened my packages a few weeks ago I gasped! Really, these kits are literally what my scrapbooking dreams are made of! LOL.

Here's a look at my projects:

The diecut heart from Pink Paislee's Fancy Free, found in Add On Kit #2, was one of my favorite pieces. The heart comes with an already made background, but I altered it a bit by adding in a few pieces of patterned paper from the 6x6 paper pad in the Bits and Pieces Add On.

The glassy "shine" acrylic word really made this layout! 

This layout set the personal record for scrapping multiple pictures. I fit seven pictures on this "year in review" layout for my youngest! One of the things I have learned when scrapping these types of photos, is to use a patterned paper that features mulitple colors and the circle paper from Pink Paislee was just the ticket. 

To see even more projects made with May's kits, make sure and head on over to the Gossamer Blue Gallery!

Michelle

Gossamer Blue: April Reveal

Good morning! Today I am super happy to finally be able to share my first three projects that I made using the gorgeous April Kits from Gossamer Blue! This month the kits are full of a great mix of products from American Crafts including Pebbles, Dear Lizzy, Amy Tangerine, Maggie Holmes, and Shimelle.

When I was working on my layouts I was like a kid in a candy store, having so much variety really made it difficult to narrow down the products to use on each layout because I wanted to use it all at once! As a result I have three very unique projects. Here they are in no particular order:

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They couldn't be anymore different, right??  To see more projects made with the April Kits make sure and check out the Gossamer Blue Gallery!

Michelle

Gossamer Blue: March Reveal

Happy March!  Today is reveal day at Gossamer Blue and I am super excited to share my projects with you this morning!

The March Kits are full of all new releases from Crate Paper, Pink Paislee, and MME! This kit was incredibly motivating and my layouts came together with ease--a sure sign that the kits are great :).

This first layout is a combination of the Main Scrapbook Kit, Add-On #2, and the Main Life Pages Add-On:

If I had to choose a favorite layout from my projects this month, this would be it.  So many things that I love about this layout--the color scheme is just so spring;  the cut file, which is included in March's batch of printables and cut files, is so pretty and delicate; I totally surprised myself by not using any cardstock; and it features my dog Rincon whom I believe to be the coolest dog out there ;).  

For my second layout, I pulled products from both the Main SB Kit and Main Add-On:

I had been hoping that MME's new collection On Trend 2 would make it into the kits and I was not let down! The word "Smile" is a beautiful glassy gold and had me wishing that I several packages of the word phrases and shapes (also from MME.)  

The last project I am sharing today is a match up of the Main SB Kit, the Life Pages Add-On #3, and Add-On #2:

This colors in this kits, as I am sure you can tell, are very springy, but they work well with all subjects including these very wintery pictures of my daughters.

Well have you seen anything that you like?  Personally, I think I hit the jackpot with these kits! It's almost as if I handed Lori (owner of GB) my wish list from CHA and she put it all together for March!

If you have the time, please head on over to the gallery--the projects created by the Design Team are pretty terrific!

Happy crafting!

Michelle

  

Gossamer Blue: February Inspirational Blog Hop

Welcome to my stop on the February edition of the Gosssamer Blue Inspirational Blog Hop!

I know that the "kit world" moves pretty fast and when most of you are receiving your kits the design team is receiving the next month's kit which means sneaks of the new kits start happening.

At Gossamer Blue we know that this can be pretty overwhelming, so we've come up with a solution-each month on the 15th we are going to inspire you just as you are receiving your kits!

This month the February Kits featured a soft and earthy color scheme and I truly had a lot of fun creating with them. Today I want to share a layout that features the February Main Add On Kit and February Life Pages Kit.

One of my memory keeping goals for this year is to tell more stories--journal more often, give more details, and be more specific with my thoughts. Of course, when I chose this darker background I wasn't really thinking of writing space until I got further into the project and at this point there was no turning back. That is when I pulled a pretty journaling card from the Life Pages Kit, cut it down in size, and found a place for it on my layout. Voila! Instant writing space!

Now as much as I hope I have inspired you to drop everything and get those February Kits out, I want to encourage you to continue working your way through the hop because there is an amazing amount of talent in today's line up and I wouldn't want you to miss a thing! Here are the links:

Andrea Gray

Chantal Philippe

Eunyoung Lee

Diane Payne

France Wisniewski 

  Heather Leopard 

  Jill Keller

Kellie Winnell

Kelly Xenos

Michelle Wedertz<-----You are here!

Patricia Roebuck

 Rebecca Luminarias 

  Sandra Dietrich Sian Fair 

Thanks for stopping by!

Michelle

Gossamer Blue: February Reveal

Hello everyone! The first of February came way too fast and the only upside to this is that it means I can reveal the new layouts featuring the latest kits from Gossamer Blue!

This month, the February Kits are full of beautiful papers and embellishments from Basic Grey, Fancy Pants, and Heidi Swapp that had me scrapping a variety of stories, including our most recent snow and a desert hike.

This project feautures the Main Scrapbook Kit as well as Add-On Kit #2. The woodgrain hearts is so pretty in person--I really like the darker finish.

For my second project, I dived into the 6x6 Dear Heart Paper Pad from Basic Grey (from the Bits and Pieces Add-On) and built my layers with it. 

Make sure and stop by the Gossamer Blue Gallery--I am lucky and get to peek at the projects early and I am always impressed by what the girls create!  

Looking forward to sharing the rest of my projects with you real soon!

Michelle

Gossamer Blue: January Blog Hop

Welcome to my stop on the January edition of the Gosssamer Blue Inspirational Blog Hop!

I know that the "kit world" moves pretty fast and when most of you are receiving your kits the design team is receiving the next month's kit which means sneaks of the new kits start happening.

At Gossamer Blue we know that this can be pretty overwhelming, so we've come up with a solution-each month on the 15th we are going to inspire you just as you are receiving your kits!

This month the January Kits were pretty fantastic and I truly had so much fun creating with them. Today I want to share a brand new layout that features both January's Life Pages Themed Add-On and the Main Scrapbook Kit:

I really wanted to feature the wood veneer title from Crate's Shine Collection and went with a basic grid design. I also went a little wild with the hearts and took a "more the merrier" approach as I was deciding how many to add!  Here are some closeups:

Now as much as I hope I have inspired you to drop everything and get those January Kits out, I want to encourage you to continue working your way through the hop because there is an amazing amount of talent in today's line up and I wouldn't want you to miss a thing! Here are the links:

Alex Hunter

Anabelle O'Malley

Andrea Gray

Brenda Weaver 

  Chantal Philippe 

  Diane Payne 

  Emily Spahn 

  Eyoung Lee 

  France Wisniewski

Heather Leopard 

  Jill Keller 

  Joy Taylor 

  Kasia "Antilight" Petrus 

  Kathleen Graumüller

Kellie Winnell

Kelly Xenos 

  Michelle Wedertz 

  Olatz Garaiyurrebaso

Sandra Dietrich 

  Sian Fair

Thanks for stopping by!

Michelle

Gossamer Blue: December Reveal

Hi guys! Today's blog post is all about the December Kits from Gossamer Blue! Yay!

This month the kits really inspired me and I was a happy scrapper as I put together new layouts use the lovely mix of products that include the newest products from Crate Paper, Pink Paislee, and Seven Paper (aka Studio Calico).

First up is layout featuring a super happy girl standing on Main Street in Disneyland. This was one of my fave photos of the day and that meant I had a little anxiety about creating a layout that really complimented the photo. With the help of all the beautiful colors in the kits, I gave it my best shot:

Seriously, the sheet of heart patterned paper from Seven Paper was one of those where I felt super torn between keeping it whole and saving forever or cutting it up and using everywhere! I chose to cut it up ;).

I sort of surprised myself with this next layout. Early on as I was beginning to piece together the basic design, I had the crazy idea to switch up my usual white thread to BLACK and stitch all over. I was super happy how that random thought turned out!

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I really believe that my change in thread color took this layout to a new level. Funny how such a simple change up can make a whole lot of difference!

Well, that's all I am sharing for now, but I won't hold out on you too long! If you want to see a sneak peak of my other projects as well as check out the rest of the design team's work, you can head on over to the Gossamer Blue Gallery where there is loads of inspiration! 

Wishing you a great day!

Michelle

Gossamer Blue: November Blog Hop

Welcome to my stop on the November Gosssamer Blue Inspirational Blog Hop!

I know that the "kit world" moves pretty fast and when most of you are receiving your kits the design team is receiving the next month's kit which means sneaks of the new kits start happening.

At Gossamer Blue we know that can be pretty overwhelming, so we've come up with a solution-each month on the 15th we are going to inspire you just as you are receiving your kits!

This month the November Kits were amazing and I truly had so much fun creating with them. Today I want to share a brand new layout made with a mix of the November Kits:

This layout, which is a mix of both the Scrapbook Kit and Life Pages Kit, is really a result of my love affair with my square punch! I started by wanting to use up lots of patterned paper and punched enough squares to fill the page. After pushing them around for awhile I felt this configuration worked the best.

The "Hello" card from the Life Pages Kit was the perfect place for the title and the mix of the gold foil script with the colorful Thickers made for a fun combination. With all the patterned paper going on, I opted for simple embellishments like the puffy heart and wood veneer flowers.

My daughter's album, which this will go into, is a mix of both traditional and pocket pages (all 9x12) and after completing this layout I went right ahead and filled the adjacent pocket pages using the November Kits.

This spread was really simple and straight forward due to it being pretty photo heavy. As a result I went light with my embellishing, but made sure to include some stitching to dress it up.

Embellishing this journaling card was as complicated as it got-I simply stamped a sentiment from the Amy Tangerine Roller Stamp, placed a sticker, and glued down a wood veneer. 

Now as much as I hope I have inspired you to drop everything and get those November Kits out, I want to encourage you to continue working your way through the hop because there is an amazing amount of talent in today's line up and I wouldn't want you to miss a thing! Here are the links:

Amy Challis
Andrea Gray
Diane Payne
Emily Spahn
Eunyoung Lee
France Wisniewski
Jill Keller
Kasia Przybyt
Kellie Winnell
Kelly Xenos
Michelle Wedertz <---You are here!
Olatz Garaiyurrebaso
Sandra Dietrich 
Stephanie Buice

Thanks for stopping by!

Michelle

Gossamer Blue: November Sneaks

Hi all! Wanted to jump in here today and share some sneaks of my projects featuring the upcoming November Kits from Gossamer Blue!

This month I worked with both the Main Scrapbook and Life Pages Kits, along with the Life Pages Main Add-On and Add-On #3. Here's a little look at what I did:

Will be back on Sunday with the full reveal of my projects!

Michelle