Another layout from NSD weekend - based on an ACOT challenge with the theme "what makes you smile", and Fiskateer challenge to use the word "bee" in your title. Those two challenges coupled with the "Outside the Bubble" frame by Magistical Memories provided the mojo for this layout.
I knew I had to reach for Bo Bunny's Love Shack collection. Bright colors alone make me smile, and there was plenty of it in my favorite shades of pink, green and blue in this collection! I love the cardstock stickers as well, and have lots of fun layering them. Pop dots are a MUST have in any scrapbooker's stash - it seems I seldom create a layout without them. I am not simply referring to glue dots, but the 3D 2-sided foam adhesive that gives your product a boost by about an 1/8". Granted, I have yet to find a good "in the box" album that can hold more than 20 of my layouts, but I simply love dimension on my projects.
In the flower below I used a flower punch with Love Shack paper, and layered a cardstock sticker on top, topping that with a pearl.
In this next flower I started with a Heidi Swap white flower base (inking edges in green), topped with a large Love Shack sticker, topping that with a Prima and gem sticker. The foam adhesive placed underneath in several spots will help prevent your flower embellishment from compressing when it is placed in an album. Note the new flourish shape, which is one of the new releases from Magistical Memories!
The real challenge in this layout was creating a "bee". I did not simply want to spell out the word, but make it come to life. I used the Magistical Memories scallop oval plate, cut off one end, and covered it with yellow paper from Love Shack. I used craft wire to shape wings, wrapped with tulle and secured under the "abdomen", and added pearls and beads to short antennae (afterall, this is a bee, and not a butterfly). I don't believe I have created any winged insect other than a butterfly before, so this was a bit different for me. To create the stripes I simply used a black Sharpie. Pretty cool embellishment, don't ya think?
I love craft wire - if you don't have some on hand I strongly recommend it if you have any desire to make bugs. Having two children who adore bugs, it's a necessity in my stash. If you are curious about the finish on my frame, I started by painting a base of Gecko Green, coated with DecoArt Crackle Finish, and applied a top coat of black acrylic stroking in the opposite direction. A tip for those of you who desire more crackle than you sometimes achieve - simply take an exacto knife and slightly scratch your top coat, being careful not to scratch into the bottom color.
I finished the layout with my journaling using a Love Shack journaling card - the set has a number of gorgeous options! I added some Itty Bitty Primas and more pearls to add some dimension to the card.
I admit this layout itself makes me smile - I just love the bright colors, am crazy about circles, and it contains the faces I love. Other things making me smile this week is the fact that I have only TWO modules left, plus exams for each, in my new job training. The end is in sight, and that makes me smile, knowing I can turn my attention more to the marketing aspect of running the office. Another reason to smile is that today, for the first time, my entire family pitched in with helping me work in the flower beds for spring clean up. We pretty much finished every planting group in the front yard in 3 hours, and it would have taken me several days to accomplish it on my own. It's great that the kids are old enough to help now. Of course Abby is ever so helpful. She finds a pulled dandelion (which she loves), and takes its bent stem and "plants" it again in the lawn. I try explaining that that won't work -does she get it? I don't know, but it makes her happy. Kyle is doing a lot of the lifting I would have done in the past, so as of this moment my back is feeling pretty good. Despite the heavy winds the song birds were singing - we enjoyed orioles, bluebirds, grosbeaks, mourning doves, the wren (still have not seen his girlfriend, but surely she is here), thrush and something I could not make out on the edge of the woods. Family and song birds, passed exams, bright colors and circles...now that makes me smile as I continue along this wonderful journey - what a blessing it is!
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