Fixing Mistakes - Sketchabilities

I actually had enough free time this weekend to work on an extra project.  And after going through my new loot from the Two Peas website, I decided to use some of my BASIC GREY papers from the Aspen Frost and Paper Cottage Collections.  I wanted a layout that could be a little Christmas-y without being all in your face about it.  I also REALLY liked this sketch from SKETCHABILITIES (because it had banners, of course!) and decided to use it to create my layout.

 

I picked out my papers, knew which picture I wanted to use, knew exactly what I wanted to say - had my layout 90% complete (or so I thought) and then...all I had to do was add a little journaling - that's right, the very same journaling I had already figured out - I juuuuust needed a place to write it down.  I tried writing it off to the side of the picture, where I have it now, but directly onto the paper.  Did I bother writing it in pencil so I could make sure I liked it?  Nooooooooo.  I wrote it out in permanent marker, not just a little bit, but all of it.  Aaaannnd - I decided I hated it.  Absolutely hated it and couldn't stand to have it there!  So, while I was trying to figure out exactly what I could do to cover up my boo-boo, I decided to write the journaling in a different spot - this time under my picture.

Now, you would think that I learned my lesson from not even five minutes earlier and would write in pencil the second time, right?  Right???  WRONG!  I wrote my journaling out, in permanent marker again, directly on the paper under my picture.  And I decided - once again - that I absolutely hated it!

 

So, flash forward an hour or so later and several ideas that I will not elaborate on except to say they didn't work, and I have two extra tags on my layout that would not have necessarily been added except that I needed to cover up my mistakes.  And, you know what, I have decided that I like them there quite a bit, thank you very much!  LOL!  There is certainly something to be said for desparation inspiring creativity!

Here are a few close-ups:

I used a "grunge-star" frame that I cut with my Silhouette Cameo.  The flags are by Basic Grey; I simply tied a piece of string around one and glued a small painted heart onto the second one to dress them up a little.

 

If one banner is good, then two is better, right?  I was a little too lazy to get up and take my layout over to the sewing machine, so I faux-sewed instead (otherwise known as doodling).

I like how the top banner looks with a chain of stars interspersed along it.

That's it for me tonight, but I would like to know:  Have you ever made a mistake or fixed a mistake on a project and decided you liked it better than what you started out with?  Tell me about it, I would love to hear your story!

LCOM Sketch Site

Have you been keeping up with all the supercallafrajalisticexpialadocious new sketches that LCOM's SKETCH SITE is cranking out each week? The sketches are so much fun to use and are the perfect starting point to give you a little creative nudge or to follow exactly if you choose. There are two weeks of scrapbook sketches and then one week with a card sketch mixed in. And the different layouts that everyone comes up with are completely different and provide the BEST inspiration. I normally am not a big user of circle-shapes on my layouts - so SKETCH 132 was a challenge for me. Not gonna lie - I pouted just a little when I saw ALL the CIRCLES on it. But then I started looking through my papers and realized that my May BIRDS OF A FEATHER KIT had exactly what I needed. And the rest was a lot of crafty fun!

I totally stole borrowed the idea of the different colored alphas (using the exact same alphas in fact) from the marvelously talented HEATHER LEOPARD. And while I loved the hot pink flower that came with my BOAF kit, I didn't like the more formal pearl and blingy center it had. So...I ripped it off and added a simple button. Did I throw away the center? Heck no! It's waiting on my worktable for some future project where it will be the perfect embellishment.

Can you tell I had a lot of fun with my layering and bits of randomness? Remember how I told you I have been loving the LCOM sketches...apparently, I like them so much that I even play with them during my "off weeks" when it's Team A's turn. Here is my take on SKETCH 131. The pic was taken of my wonderful children (and my soon-to-be son-in-law) after a wonderful lunch that they treated me to. And the papers were Basic Grey's new line, which I am completely, madly, deeply, truly loving!

As soon as I saw the balloons on the pages, I knew there would be some fussy-cutting going on!

Just in case you are looking at the title and wondering if (a) I was drunk, (b) I was using some unknown foreign language, or (c) I suddenly forgot how to spell - the answer is (d) none of the above. Seriously. It's from a poem by Lewis Carroll called Jabberwocky - a poem that I have loved and had memorized since I first heard it when I was twelve. You can find it in his book Through the Looking Glass (which I highly recommend) or you can simply click on this LINK to read the poem and the history/meaning/details about it. For those who don't want to read or link to anything, frabjous means "fair, joyous, fabulous" which quite accurately described my Mother's Day. One last close-up before I head back to my crafting table...

Wishing you a frabjous weekend!

Saturday Challenges with BOAF

The BIRDS OF A FEATHER February Kit is full of goodies that include papers from Basic Grey's Kissing Booth Collection. So, when I found some free time yesterday to play along with the BOAF February Challenges, I first took a peek over at the Basic Grey site for a little inspiration. I found this great SKETCH (and you know how much I love sketches), and decided to use it for the February Color Challenge.

Lately, I have been gravitating more towards layouts with the placement of "random" bits of paper and odds and ends, and this sketch definitely fit the bill! I edged everything in orange ink that came with this month's kit, and I added pop dots to various parts to add dimension and layers.

I also created this layout using a picture of my older daughter and her fiance that I found by stalking Facebook.

Not exactly the most brilliant idea for a journaling challenge when I have no idea where the picture was taken or anything else about it, other than the date it was taken and who is in it!

I loved fussy cutting these hearts and putting pop dots under them to make them stand out. I also added a few little charms.

A few punched stars to the ends of my flourish, and I was done.

Today, my schedule will once again focus on housecleaning, laundry, and grocery shopping. But I really enjoyed taking a break from chores yesterday to challenge my creative side. I hope you have had time this weekend to challenge yourself, too!