Blog of the week-Ashley’s Craft Room

It is almost the last day at the Ashley's Craft Blog on our Mom-Stuff Blog Tour. The mom-stuff team has really enjoyed visiting Ashley's great blog. She is a great resource for moms with young kids who like crafts. WE still have a few spots left on our Mom-Stuff Blog Tour if you want us to highlight your blog let us know. dianne@mom-stuff.com


Scrapbooking
You Warm My Heart


Instructions:
-The first thing I do when designing a scrapbook page is choose the pictures I want to use.
-The next step is to choose the background paper and contrasting colors that match the pictures. -The next step is the most important step in making a scrap book page. What is the theme you want for your page? What do you want your page to express?
-For this page I wanted to make a Valentine page for the mom-stuff web site. I wanted it to use some hearts and borders from the mom-stuff, kids craft project, Valentines Made From Hearts in the Family Fun Section.

The pictures I wanted to use did not have many colors in them so red and white became the dominate colors, with yellow and green as the accent colors. I was lucky enough to find some red paper with white dots. This paper was a close match to the fabric of the dress.

I bordered the pictures in white, using about the same width as the ribbon on the dress.
The next step is to design the page (or pages).
First decide on the title. I look first at my Cricut Cartridge’s for ideas. I love to use my Cricut because then the colors will match perfectly, because I can make my title out of the same paper I am using on the pages. For this page I used Cricut, Beyond Birthdays. I cut “you warm my heart” on the 2 inch setting.

(Note: when I am designing a page I use some construction paper to cut out my designs from first. This lets me experiment with the size without using my scrapbook paper. I also use the construction paper pieces to design my layout. I place them in different places on my page until I am happy with the placement. I identify the construction paper with the cartridge name and size of the cut to reference for cutting. After you have designed your page you are ready to cut out your pieces.

Cut with Cricut Cartridges
Cut in white:
Beyond Birthdays-you warm my heart-2 inch-cut one.
George-daisies -cut four 2 ½ inch, cut two 2 inch and two 1 inch, Heart-cut one 2 inch and two 1 inch.
(heart)You-cut one 2 inch
Cut in red with white dots:
Locker Talk-flowers and ribbon-4 inches
Cut in green:
Stretch Your Imagination-Flower stem- cut one 3 inch and three 4 inch. Cut off the flowers. I used the flowers to crate more color by cutting the loops into a “C” shape and placed them by the flowers.
Cut in Yellow: Twelve ¼ inch heart punch.
Boarders-I used the scrapes from the Valentine heart project but to make boarders-cut in white-George-nine 1 inch hearts, cut with paper cutter, leaving 1/16 inch edge. Repeat step. Glue on to red dot paper leaving a 1/8 boarder on both top and bottom.
Place everything on to your twelve by twelve card stock and make sure you are pleased with your layout. When satisfied with placement, glue in place using scrap book glue.

Options:

Shading:
I love to shade some of my cutouts for affect. On this page I shaded the daisies with yellow, the letters, hearts and ribbons in red. The most common way to shade is to use chalks, but I like to use water color pencils. I color around the edge of the paper about 1/16 wide. I can color all of the pieces in the same color. I take a wet Q-tip and blend the color. This is fast, easy, and controllable.

Line work:
I use sharpie markers to add accents. On this page I used two sizes of pens extra fine and extra, extra fine. I used black to line everything on this page. I lined between the letters and added accent lines to the centers of the flowers. I made stitch lines on both sides of the boarders, and around the ribbon and around the outside edge of the hearts. I also added some detail lines to the flower stems.

Don’t be afraid to try these options. They are easy and fun. They give your cutouts a special look.

We are so grateful to Ashley for sharing her blog with us. Visit Ashley’s Craft Room often and leave her your comments. She has visitors who have made special requests and she has done her best to help them.

Visit Mom-Stuff for your best resource site for moms. We are busy right now posting Valentine ideas. Come and visit us. If you have a great Valentine ideas share it with us. We love to hear from you. email us at contact@mom-stuff.com