Today's highlight: Paper Trunk!

I was introduced to Paper Trunk by Twin Oaks Print & Frame in Cedar Falls, IA. As soon as I looked up the company, I was HOOKED! Paper Trunk not only has fresh, fun, funky designs, they are also eco-friendly products, from paper to ink to packaging.

I did the following layout as a sample to show my stores one option with the Krafty Collection. The collection contains 11 sheets, plus a cover sheet that has thumbnail prints showing what each of the papers in the pack looks like. I took one look at the cover sheet and thought, "Wouldn't those thumbnails be cute as journaling blocks or punched out shapes?" That's exactly what I did. Take a look:

Along the right hand side you'll see lots of scalloped circles, regular circles, and a square. Those are the thumbnails from a sheet you might be tempted to throw away. Look how cute the thumbnail of the polka dot paper worked as a journaling block. (It's the shrunken version of the paper I used as my background sheet.)

Another close up below:

It was really fun to work with, and I still have oodles of pieces left from the kit. I've used them to make other projects, layouts, and cards. I'm in love!

Quick Quotes Private Reserve

In October of last year, my friend Laura and I embarked on a CRAZY road trip to Dallas, TX for a Quick Quotes Private Reserve weekend. Quick Quotes is one of 11 scrapbook companies I rep, and I was so excited to attend this event. The Private Reserve weekend is jam packed with classes. I think we took 7 classes in 3 days, AND we had time for cropping in the evenings.

The first class I'm posting is a two page layout class with a tropical escape theme. (I chose this one first as it made me think of warmer places right now...)

Page 1: We used laser cut chipboard for the "escape" title, and stamped it with any stamp we wanted, using Quick Quote's Blue Hawaiian inks. (I LOVE their inks. They are chalk inks, designed to dry quickly and add a bit of distressing or color. They also happen to perfectly match their papers!) I added Stickles to the stamped image to give it a little sparkle. The paper line is called Summertime Blues. With a little sanding along the edge of the photo mat, I exposed the white core of the paper. I thought it gave it a nice pop!

Page 2: This also used a laser cut chipboard for the compass rose. The phrases are cut from a 12x12 sheet of paper with several quotes that are appropriate for all areas of life, not just tropical destinations! My other favorite part of this layout is the giant flowers with the giant brads in the middle. Supersize me!

There's the whole layout together! Isn't it cute?

But wait, there's MORE! With the scraps left over from the layout, we were able to put together this adorable mini-album. The album itself is made from 4x6 pieces of canvas. We punched the holes using a Crop-o-Dile, and it went through like butter.

Get Creative!

New year, new blog! I'm starting over with a better attitude and more ideas of what to post. I am going to attempt to focus on creative stuff, so what better way to start than with pics of my creative space!
This is where the "magic" happens. I have my old dining table from years ago as my workspace. It was a great repurpose because it gives me lots of room to spread out, and the surface is durable. Behind it you'll see my cubes. I love my cubes. Best purchase ever made! My room is light and airy, with plenty of natural light.

This space also doubles as an added guest room, so the futon can be folded out into a bed. When it's folded up, I use it to plop down and read a scrappy thing or two, or spread out items to organize, use, etc.

The cubes are full of all kinds of goodies, and I have decorative jars and projects on top of them to add a little decor to the room. This is my favorite room in the house, and coincidentally, was the first one finished when we moved in over four years ago.

I'd love to see your creative spaces! Leave a comment and post a link or a pic and share. :)