Hello Life Idea-ology Layout

Hello friends!! I hope you enjoyed your weekend! I've been playing around with some new stamps, which I'll post later this week. Today it is Monday and our new Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge is 'In the Middle'. Such a fun topic! I am looking forward to seeing everyone's interpretation of this. 

The challenge topic made me think about grids and I did a grid layout with the focal point right in the middle. I had such fun using new Tim Holtz idea-ology papers and embellishments, and of course some stamps and dies. The photo is one of the first photos of the two brothers together. I love the tiny little feet sticking out and big brother's proud face. The new Pocket Cards serve as building blocks for my page. These great cards are double-sided and contain both patterns and sentiments. They are meant to be used for pocket scrapbooking, but of course, you can use them for so much more. I really like the smaller patterns and the great sentiments. 

For the background, I used a sheet from the Correspondence Paper Stash and whitewashed it with a layer of gesso. The edges were distressed and inked and the whole sheet was adhered to kraft cardstock. I picked out a bunch of cards and moved them around until I was happy with my design. All the cards were sanded around the edges and inked.

One piece of mat board was covered with Eclectic Elements fabric and a second piece with tape from the Correspondence set. I die cut hearts from the two pieces with the Heartfelt die. Fray the edges of the fabric slightly.

I like to customise patterned paper with stamps, to make it my own, and to fit with my project. These papers were stamped with stamps from the Correspondence, Documented and Watercolor sets, using Archival Potting Soil and Jet Black inks, and Simon Says Stamp Soft Navy ink. I also used some ephemera pieces.

'Happy' is cut from a card and 'moments' is die cut from Navy cardstock. The flash card was sanded and inked.

The number 2 was stamped with Soft Navy ink on mixed media cardstock and mounted on mat board, to make it look like a number tile.

I wanted to use this lovely sentiment from the Life Quotes set and it called for a moon on the layout. However, the moon from the Crescent Moon & Stars die was too large. The solution was to die cut it from shrink plastic. I stamped the moon and stars with one of the stamps from the Documented set. After shrinking them, I coloured the back with alcohol ink and painted it white once dry, to make them less transparent. The front was coated with Glossy Accents, which gives them a great finished look.

More stars and a sentiment from the Small Talk stickers. There are so many great sentiments in that pack, I love it.

The Simon Says Stamp Heart Parade was die cut from Navy paper and used as a border under the photo. 

I also used the 'happy' die, to repeat the same word more than once.

I hope you will take part in our In the Middle challenge. As you probably know, one random participant wins a $50 gift voucher from Simon Says Stamp.

Thank you for visiting today!

Happy crafting!

Anna-Karin

Supplies:

Tim Holtz Sizzix Die HEARTFELT	Tim Holtz Sizzix CRESCENT MOON & STARS	Tim Holtz Sizzix HANDWRITTEN JOURNEY	Simon Says Stamp HEART PARADE	Simon Says Stamp LIFE FAMILY LOVE
Simon Says Stamp HAPPY	Tim Holtz WATERCOLOR	Tim Holtz CORRESPONDENCE	Tim Holtz DOCUMENTED	Tim Holtz LIFE QUOTES
Tim Holtz NUMBER BLOCKS	Tim Holtz SIMPLE SAYINGS cms155	Simon Says Stamp Premium Dye Ink SOFT NAVY	Ranger Wendy Vecchi Archival POTTING SOIL	Ranger Archival Ink Pad JET BLACK
Tim Holtz Alcohol Ink AQUA Adirondack	Tim Holtz Alcohol Ink JUNIPER Adirondack	Tsukineko JET BLACK STAZON	Tim Holtz Idea-ology CORRESPONDENCE	Simon Says Stamp Card Stock 100# SOFT NAVY
Ranger MIXED MEDIA CARDSTOCK	Bazzill KRAFT Classic Paper Pack 12 x 12	Ranger Inkssentials SHRINK PLASTIC	Tim Holtz Idea-ology CORRESPONDENCE Design Tape	Tim Holtz Idea-ology Ephemera Pack EMPORIUM
Tim Holtz Idea-ology Flash Cards ELEMENTARY	Tim Holtz Idea-ology POCKET CARDS	Tim Holtz Fabric Eclectic Elements	Tim Holtz Idea-ology SMALL TALK Stickers	Dina Wakley Ranger WHITE GESSO
Tim Holtz Distress Paint PICKET FENCE	Tim Holtz Idea-ology SANDING GRIP	Ranger Inkssentials Non Stick CRAFT SHEET	Sizzix BIG SHOT MACHINE	Sizzix MAGNETIC PLATFORM
We R Memory Keepers Cropadile CORNER CHOMPER	Ranger Inkssentials INK BLENDING TOOL	3M Scotch PINK ATG ADVANCED TAPE GLIDER 1/4	Tim Holtz Tonic PAPER DISTRESSER	Ranger Inkssentials US HEAT IT CRAFT TOOL
Ranger Inkssentials EUROPEAN HEAT IT CRAFT TOOL	Ranger Inkssentials GLOSSY ACCENTS	Tim Holtz NUMBER BLOCKS

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