A Little Outdoorsy Bundle: Kit and Template

I'm back with Snail Mail Fridays, my personal card a week challenge.  This time I've got a beautiful hybrid card to share, made with the kit A Little Outdoorsy from Louise Franks Designs.  Aren't the little houses adorable?  The rolling "hills" were part of the kit so it was so easy to put together this little scene perfect to illustrate one of my favorite sayings.  See the little winding road that looks like it's going "over the hills and through the woods", leading from one house to the other?  Cute, huh?  Yeah, I'm that cheesy!

I put a little message on the inside, you know I had to use that little blue bird!  The top is blank for writing a little message.  I picked up a set of little 4 in X 5.5 in cards with envelopes and it fits perfectly inside the envelope.  Just a little note, the colors in my photos is a little washed out because it was a little overcast when I took the photos.  In person they are more vibrant and look like they way they appear in the image below.

I figured out how fit it onto one sheet of high resolution paper and fold it so that when you fold it both the front and inside message work without cutting.  Here is a visual so you can see what I did.  Just make sure you format your printer for borderless printing.

Here's a bit more A Little Outdoorsy:

This cute little kit contains some cute doodle style houses and a sprinkling of trees, cute little birds, love hearts and more.

The kit contains 2 birds, 3 buttons, 1 cloud, 1 stitched cloud, 2 frames, 1 heart scatter, 3 hill embellishments, 1 hill stitching, 3 houses, 4 journal boxes, 1 path, 1 path with stitching, 1 ric rac, 1 stitched swirl, 1 tag, 2 trees, 1 Photo clip, 4 Build A Flower components, 1 Build A Flower leaf and 1 word art tag.

Now let's see some pages!  First I used it to make this layout featuring pictures of the outside of our home during each of the four seasons: winter, spring, summer, and fall.  It was fun to combine pictures from several different years.  My favorite part is the fun little house scene I made for the journaling spot.  It's similar to the one I made for the card, but this time I tried to make it look more like houses in a neighborhood would look.

Besides the kit, Louise also released A Little Outdoorsy Template, which I used with Louise's Happy Page Kit, a kit you can get for FREE with just a tweet or Facebook post to help spread the word about Louise's fabulousness :) 

Here's how I used the two together.  The bright colorful papers look great on the template.  With all it's photo or paper slots, it was just perfect for a layout about the things that make me happy...like shopping for my post pregnancy figure, which is currently four pounds less than my prepregnancy weight.  Go me!

(Please note I added an overlay from another source over the orange space in the layout, it is not included in the page kit.)

FREE Stuff for Fans

Be among the first to find out about all sorts of opportunities to win free kits by subscribing to her blog, and get new posts emailed right to you!  Every time Louise releases a kit, she gives her readers a chance to win it.  Right now you can win the Blogwear for A Little Outdoorsy.   She also has other freebies like this cute Bundle of Joy (Boy) Quick Page or Happy Page Kit I used with the template example, free in exchange for a simple tweet or Facebook post.  Plus more so go check them out!

Because Louise knows that once you try her kits you'll love them, she gives fans lots of opportunities to get free stuff!  She is really generous and her newsletter often come with free goodies.  This month it's an alphabet that matches A Little Outdoorsy so hurry up and sign up so you can get it!  The sign up is at the bottom of her home page.



Shared at: Tidy Mom, Tatertots & Jello, Fun to Craft, Craftionary, Lolly Jane, Dear Creatives,
Disclaimer: As a member of the Louise Franks Design Team I am given access to kits to create promotional items. 

You Make Me Smile Card

One thing I hope to do this year is send more cards to my family and friends, because it's a more tangible way to let someone know I'm thinking of them than an email.  Plus it's always fun to get something that's not a bill in the mail, and you know me...I'm always about being part of the fun!  For my first version of a little sunshine sent via the postal service, I designed a card with a clean graphic look and a multipurpose sentiment that I can easily produce multiple copies of.

It's been sized to fit inside of standard style #10 business sized envelopes (4-1/8" x 9-1/2"), which we usually keep on hand, and is printed out, double-sided onto one sheet of 8-1/2" x 11"white cardstock.  Since there's not much to the design other than the text, it had to really stand out.  I knew the bold colors from Playful, one of my favorite digital scrapbooking kits by Louise Franks Designs were perfect.  I loved the funky letters of the alphabet that's included but wanted them have the bright colors of the digital papers.  So I used Photoshop Elements to clip the papers to the letters I needed and got just the look I wanted.

I also wanted to add a fun peek-a-boo element to the card.  I used a circle cutter on the front, but a large punch would make this step a lot easier.  Then all I had to do was cut and attach a photo behind the opening.  As I mentioned at the start of the post, I've saved the design so it will be really quick to print out more when I need them.  It's a simple look, but sometimes that's all you need to get your message across.

By the way, you can see more pictures of the digital kit I used and the past projects I did as a design team member in my Playful release post. 



Linked Up at: Today's Creative Blog,

Quick Teacher Gift: Gratitude Candle Wrap

This week is Thanksgiving break here in the States.  We wanted to give ER's kindergarten a little gift to show how thankful we are to have her as a teacher.   As always, I'm running short on time.  Some little glass candles in my gift closet and where's what I came up with.  It only took a few minutes to whip up these up with Louise Frank Design's kit I Smell Autumn Coming. 

Here is a close up of the quote cluster I made, the E is for the teacher's last name.  Cute, quick, and zero dollars as I used supplies I already had on hand.  My kind of gift :)  Now that I've created it, I can use it over and over just by making some adjustments to resize it for whatever kind of candle I'm using.  Fabulous!



Disclaimer: As part of the Louise Franks Designs DT I receive access to kits to create promotional items and one of these kits was used for my project.

Thanksgiving Place Cards into Mini Book

Thanksgiving place cards are such a nice touch to your table setting but they often end up being disposed of after the turkey is eaten.  I always want to make them, but if I'm going to put the time and effort into creating them, I want them to have some kind of life afterward.

To save time and money I turned to one of my favorite new kits, I Smell Autumn Coming by Louise Franks Designs.  In addition to the kit, Louise came up with some fabulous word art, also available in their own little mini kit. There's also a cute set of kraft colored alphas.  I used all three to create my place cards and the word art kit really helped speed designing along as well as the goodies like the premade frame, tied ribbon, and journaling spots from the kit.. 

You can see the different versions and all the components of the I Smell Autum Coming bundle on the Louise Franks Designs Digiscrapping blog.

Each place card has a spot for a current picture of the dinner guest, their name, the year, and a spot to write why they've been blessed the past year.  You just personalize it for each one before printing.  I made two versions with slight variations, the background paper and the word art on the front and by the journaling spot has been switched up.

Glue the place cards together, punch a hole, put the filled out cards onto a metal O ring, and you've got yourself a little 3X3 inch mini.  So easy and it's all done right after the meal, now you can relax and peruse the sales circulars to plan out your shopping for Black Friday!



Disclaimer: As a member of the Louise Franks Design Team I receive access to kits to create promotional items, these kits included.  Please note that several purchase options are available, product links will take you to the personal use versions.  Melamine plates used in photos are from Potterybarn Kids.   

I Smell Autumn Coming

I've got a couple of projects to share with in the days leading up to Thanksgiving, all using I Smell Autumn Coming by Louise Franks Designs.  Before we get to the hybrid fun I wanted to share the pages I've scrapped with them.  The first one I did for the November Online Crop hosted by my friend Maryanne.  The challenge was to scraplift a layout she shared on BlogFrog and I chose to do mine digitally. I also used it for the On a Pedestal Challenge over at Scrapping Fairytales, where Louise sells her kits.  It uses both the kit and the word art kit.

Speaking of the kit, here are the previews. It contains: 17 patterned and plain papers, 2 paper birds, 4 paper hearts, 1 ribbon/bow, 3 flowers, 5 frames, 1 index card, 3 journal boxes, 2 photo corners, 1 photo overlay, 1 pin wheel, 3 buttons, 4 buttons with ties, 1 ribbon tie, 1 staple, 1 stitched circle, 1 stitching, 1 tag and 2 twisted ribbons.  So much digiscrapping yumminess!!!

This time Louise created some extra mini kits, like these word clusters.   Aren't they gorgeous!  They're my favorite kit.  These six beautifully layered word arts that are perfect for titles.  They give any project the perfect finishing touch with no effort on your part.

I also like how Louise made two different alphabets, both add ons like the word art.  This is such a nice way for Louise to keep the cost down for her fans.  We can each pick and choose the extras we want.  The kraft colored alpha is such a great multi-use alpha that will work with many different kinds of kits.  The second alpha coordinates perfectly with I Smell Autumn Coming and features my favorite paper from the kit, one with pretty little flowers on it.

She's also released a template and a quick page made with the template.  Isn't it pretty?  I think it's a great example of how beautifully different elements of the kit works together. 

Template from Darcy Baldwin Fontography

I'll leave you with the second layout I did with I Smell Autumn Coming.  This time it's of pictures from our annual trip to our local pumpkin patch.  I just love going there every year, it's such a colorful time of year and some of my favorite family photos are always from this farm.  I picked this template from my stash because it had so many great layers for clipping several of the papers.  Love how all the colors work together.  Did you notice the second word art cluster I used?

I have two hybrid projects to share on Monday and Tuesday, I hope you'll come back and check them out!

Disclosure: As a member of the Louise Franks Design Team I receive access to kits to create promotional items. 

How to Draw a Pumpkin by ER

ER has been working on her drawing skills, a big deal since it's only been recently that she's been interesting in drawing things as opposed to scribbles.  She wanted to show off her new skills and asked me to share this on the blog...so without further ado, here is ER's tutorial.

Easy Peasy, right?  Those were her words after she showed me.  Wonder where she got that phrase from, LOL!  Now that you have a pile of pumpkin drawings, you might be wondering, "What can I do with them?"  Here's ER's solution, use them to make cards!  Can you tell she's my daughter or what!

We glued ours to the front of a simple card I made with some patterned paper.  To complete our fall scene, some grass and curly pumpkin vines have been added too.  I punched a hole and tied it to a little treat she took to her dance teacher yesterday.  And there you have it, ER's simple tutorial on how to draw a pumpkin, not too bad for her first one at five years old!

PS: If you're wondering, the kit Fabulous Fall used for the frames and cluster. It's an oldie but a goodie from Louise Franks Designs.  I'm not sure if it's still available, but you can see my past design team work with it, here.

Get Well Soon Kit & Layout of the Week

Guess what?  Before I even got a chance to share with you my layouts with the latest digiscrapping kit from Louise Franks Designs, I found out I won layout of the week with one of my layouts using it, over at Scrapping Fairytales!  I think that's pretty cool, because I am not normally someone who wins things. 

As you can tell from the layout "Playing Doctor" Louise's kit Get Well Soon has a medical theme.  While it certainly can be used to document all the bumps and bruises we get, I picked the more light hearted theme of playing make believe.  Here's a preview of the kit:

Are the little people adorable?  I like how all the papers and elements are so bright and happy.  It's always good to look at the bright side of things, especially if you really do have pictures from being in the hospital to use it wirh :(  Louise is so great, not just cause of this next thing, but it's really shows what a great heart she has - check it out:

Isn't that so sweet, like I said Louise is just the best!  Although again, I do hope you don't need a customized little guy or gal to match anyone you know!  Just so you don't think you have to have little ones to use the kit, check out what Louise did with it.  I like how she incorporated the word art into the journaling!  Here's one more layout I did with Get Well Soon.  You can find it at Louise Franks Designs and at Scrapping Fairytales.

Disclosure: I am a member of Louise's Design Team and receive access to her kits to create promotional items.

The First Week of School

We made it through the first week of Kindergarten!  Isn't my big girl super cute in her special blue outfit picked out for the first day?  We always take a picture on our front porch with her school bag, here is last year and the very first first day of school, when she started 3 Year Old Preschool.   I can't believe how tall she's gotten and how she's lost the little girl chubbiness!

Last Wednesday she was so funny as we got ready, picking out just the right accessory for her hair, "Mommy, it's has to match!"  She wasn't too happy with having to cover up her pretty music print dress up with the raincoat.  Brad came home early for lunch and the four of us walked down the block together to our bus stop.  The day was overcast and rainy so we had to wait in a drizzle for it to arrive.  But no other drops were in evidence, no tears were shed, not by the five year old or the thirty-four year old!

Our little neighbor friend was in her preschool class last year and this year they're together again.  I'm thankful that they both get on and off the bus together and will head to the same room.  I was nervous about ER riding the bus even though it's only a few blocks.   We've been watching all the "big kids" get on and off at the park in our subdivision for years.  She's been looking forward to it so much that I knew there was no way I could not let her ride the bus. 

The kids on our block are all really good and watch out for each other. She had several older siblings looking for her and they've all been making sure she gets on the bus and off at the right stop. In fact, she's beginning to be annoyed by all their care and told me on Friday that she is not a baby and can do it by herself.  She knows exactly where her house is and doesn't need me to meet her at the bus.  Then she walked in front of me, not turning around, to prove it.  I'm certainly not going to stop taking her to and from the bus any time soon but it really made me thing, wow she's growing up so fast!

After our little kindergarteners climbed up the big steps of the bus, and gosh did they look little next to the bus, we jumped into our cars and beat them to the bus loop at school.  My neighbor drove me, while Brad watched LB at home, and both our kiddos were shocked to see us when they got off.  They walked by with the other students and the principal and I waved to ER. 

I think I'm already turning into the embarrassing parent, because she gave me "the look" and then pulled her hood farther over her head, LOL!  That's what it looked like at least, she told me after school that she pulled the hood up because she was afraid I'd be mad her bow was getting wet.  Hmm...not sure which interpretation to believe but she had me and the other parents laughing.  We went into the school to peek into the classroom and saw them head off to gym class before going home.

I've gotten a little bit out of her about class itself. They begin each day with their special. Monday is Book Club, which is like storytime in the libray. Tuesday and Wednesday they have gym class, Thursday is art and Friday is music. Last week they had choice time when they came back to class followed by circle time and snack. After that she got a little vague about what happened. There should be a recess some where in there but it rained all last week so no one went outside.

She talked quite a lot about all the different rules at the specials and how the gym teacher used her as an example of how NOT to dress for gym. I thought maybe she was upset but she was excited to be chosen for this "honor". Mainly he was pointing out why you shouldn't wear a dress or Crocs. The other big thing to remember is never ever go into the supply room without being told to by the gym teacher. Because if you do and something falls on you, you could be squashed FLAT! I wish you could've all seen and heard her telling us about that, she got quite animated and clapped her hands together for FLAT.

In art the class made a book and is working on collages to put inside. She informed me that a collage is, "When you stick a bunch of stuff together on a piece of paper. It's supposed to look like something, but I don't know what. Mommy, I didn't like to ask her. I know if it doesn't look like what it's supposed to, you'll like it anyway. Cause your Mommy and it's required or something like that. And I know it will go up on fridge anyway."

The third highlight she spent a lot of time telling me was about meeting their teacher's special friend, he's a racoon and there's a book about him. I asked her if it was The Kissing Hand and she went all quiet and got a shocked look on her face, "How did you KNOW?!!!" Ah it's good to still be able to impress your child as an all knowing parent! I explained to her that when I taught kindergarten I used to read that story on the very first day of school to my new students. She thought that was very neat and I think my coolness factor in her eyes went up a couple of notches. Good to be cool to someone!

She has also been taught a new little song that she sings like a broken record:

Tootsie roll, lollipop

We were talking

Now lets stop!

I told her I hope she follows what the words to that tune mean a lot better at school then at home. Because she's been belting that out and talking a mile a minute afterward! Oh yes and just yesterday she informed me she's learned one thing so far. The letter D says /d/. I have to say it's been rather amusing for this former kindergarten teacher to hear about kindergarten from the kindergartener. Makes me wonder what my students used to say about class time!



Credits: Louise Franks Designs: School Rules Mini Kit, Flowers from Carnival, Star & Ric Rac from Playful, Button from Be Inspired, and letter from Fabulous Fall. 

FREE Mini Kit: Speedy Recovery

I haven't had a chance to scrap with this yet but it's so cute I know it's going to be a big hit.  I don't want anyone to miss out, like some of you did with the, as far as I know, no longer available free School Rules Mini Kit I used back here.  So hurry on over to the Scrapping Fairytales Forum and get the newest freebie mini kit from Louise Franks Designs.  It's perfect to use with pictures of my daughter playing one of her favorite make believes, being a nurse and taking care of her many babies. When you snag it, don't forget to look at the rest of the discussion thread for a few other coordinating freebies like an alphabet and papers.   

 Happy Scrapping!

PS: The School Rules Kit was a freebie for Louise's newsletter subscribers, make sure you sign up for it so you don't miss Awaiting Autumn the new freebie for September!



Disclosure: CT member for Louise Franks Designs

Every Man Kit Release with Quick Page Freebie

Earlier this month Louise at Adorible Digital Designs came out with a fabulous new kit, that's a very timely release for me.  Every Man is perfect for celebrating all the important guys in your life, and as you all know, we just happen to have a new little guy to love in addition to the Daddy we already do!  I used it to showcase a really special photograph, the first one of Brad with both his babies, LB was just two days old.

I have to admit, my collection of digital kits suitable for masculine pages is almost nonexistent.  While it's been possible to eek out a few pages by pulling elements from various kits it's so much nicer and easier to scrap with a kit that coordinates so well.  There are plenty of elements to choose from, my favorites are the denim embellishments and the stitched stars.  I think my husband will really appreciate the pages I make that feature him...and no pink!

I love the blues and greens as well as all the word art, that along with the coordinating alphabet have a real varsity type feel to me, lovin' that!  Louise has put together a great kit, there are stars, flowers, stitching, journaling tags, and word art perfect for quick tittles.  I'm so glad she also included words like Uncle, Granddad, and Nephew so that it really is for all the men in your life.

I also made this fun multi-photo page with Every Man to celebrate all the roles Brad has had so far...son, husband, and now Daddy times two.  I've turned it into a FREEBIE QUICK PAGE for all the Adorible Digital Designs fans!  Use the link below to access it; then right click and save to your own computer.  Your version will have four empty photo spots and an empty center journal spot ready for your own special touches.

Click Here to Download
Please remember to respect the designer - for personal use only, and leave us some comment love if you download the Quick Page.  I'd love to know what you think! 

Before you leave, I also wanted to let you know, these awesome clusters made with Every Man are also available.  They are so cool and I wish I could take credit for one of them, but the Creative Team didn't make them this time.  They would be great to use to whip up a quick mini book. There's also a Blogwear Set you've gotta check out!  I think it would look great for fall.  Every Man is so versatile, I know it'll be one kit you use over and over.

Disclaimer: I am a member of Adorible Digital Designs' Creative Team and receive access to kit, to create promotional items.