Even though Valentine's Day has come and gone, chocolate lovers everywhere are likely still enjoying their sweet treats. Yes when it comes to love, I add chocolate to the mix.
Hey, the French say it's good for your heart, right?
While on the subject of hearts, I thought it would be nice to share a few scrapbooking projects that are close to mine.
This is indeed the best of times, which is the title of the layout below. I love these pictures of Cameron and Jordy, which were snapped right after one of Cameron's ballet recitals.
The driving force behind this layout was the adorable main picture of Cameron planting a big kiss on Jordy's cheek-and Jordy actually looking like he didn't mind. Rare occasion.
These are some of my favorite pictures of these two cutie-pies and it was great to see this layout in the pages of in 601 Great Scrapbook Ideas published by Memory Makers Books.
Rather than printing a typical journaling block, I combined some computer printed sentences with pre-printed sticker words. I simply mounted each sticker onto a tiny red mat to make the world stand out even more against the surrounding sentences.
I also try to incorporate some sewing machine stitching somewhere on every layout if I can.
Cameron and Jordy are just like any other brother and sister. They get into their little scrapes with each other, but they also adore each other as these pictures demonstrate.
Of course when they're sweet like this, that makes mom very happy.
While on the subject of siblings, take a look at the page below featuring another pair of siblings-my mom and her sister. This scrapbook layout also appears in the 601 Great Scrapbooking Ideas publication.
In the "now" photo, my mom is on the right. In the "then" photo, she's on the left.
I think the 1941 black & white photo of the two of them as young girls is simply priceless. I have a twin sister and I can definitely attest to the special relationship that sisters share.
You can probably tell from my scrapbook pages that I love to use lots of embellishments. I think the trick is to make them all work together without making the page look too heavy, crowded or overdone.
Rubons are another favorite supply. They're really easy to use and there are thousands of rubon choices on the market. I think that these phrase-rubons add a perfectly elegant touch to the layout .
Once again, you'll find a little chipboard somewhere on most of my pages. In this case I painted a chipboard scroll as well as chipboard letters to spell out the title Sisters to match the red in the pretty patterned paper selection.
My mom and my aunt were both thrilled with how this page turned out. I think both photos in this layout are just perfect and so sweet.
Did I say sweet? OK, now I'm ready for that piece of chocolate pictured at the beginning of this post.
Sorry I don't have enough to pass around this time, so the least I can do is share this delicious page below which features lots and lots of sweet goodies.
This 2-page layout features photos I snapped from my favorite candy shoppe. I highly recommend a stop at the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory if you're ever in downtown Libertyville, Illinois.
The shoppe is also conveniently located right across the street from my daughter's dance studio, so I think you know what that means. The owner was nice enough to let me snap a few photos so I could create this scrapbook page.
With hundreds of selections of the finest handmade confections, this local shoppe is always a feast for the eyes and… um… the taste buds and tummy too.
I call this layout Decadent because the delicious choice of sweets in this shoppe are just that. The title for this page was really simple to create too. All you need are some foam letter stamps, acrylic paint and a fast drying ink-jet transparency.
Simply apply the paint to the foam stamp, and spell out your word onto the transparency. Allow to dry completely. Trim excess transparency from around the word and apply the title over your layout using very thin strips of double sided tape.
Thanks to the transparency, your photos will show through and the word will appear to be spelled right over the pictures. I think using this effect is also safer than stamping directly onto your photos. If you make a mistake it's so much easier to re-stamp a transparency than it is to re-print all the photographs.
For another example of this transparency title technique click here.
When it comes to that trusty chipboard there are also many ways to dress up this staple of a supply too. For the lead letter in my journalizing below, I painted the chipboard "b" pink and then applied a tiny piece of the rubber stamp image onto the letter in two areas. I think this is a great little extra detail.
Meanwhile, a great alternative to the standard-size scrapbook page can come in the form of a mini-book. I decorated the mini-book in the photo below with pictures taken on my wedding day.
This particular book measures about 7" X 4 1/2", but don't be fooled by the small size. You can still fit a ton of photos and embellishments in these little books and they can be just as illustrative of a special day or event as the larger scrapbook albums.
For one of the side-by-side pages, I decided to keep it pretty simple. After covering the page with patterned paper, I machine stitched around a pre-printed "cherish" definition which was on a piece of vellum. Then, I simply mounted the vellum phrase onto a piece of pink cardstock and added a heart-shaped die cut.
This was a really fun project to create, mostly because it took very little time at all to complete. For those days you don't feel like spending hours and hours on a page, this may be the perfect project.
Taking a closer look at the outside of the mini-book, you can see once again that chipboard is a great accent. In the photos below I used several layers of self-covered chipboard hearts as well as chipboard letters to spell out the sentiment of the day.
This mini-book project was featured in the book Ask the Masters-Making the Most of Your Scrapbooking Supplies published by Memory Makers books.
As you can see, sweet things come in all shapes, sizes, projects and for that matter… taste buds. Now that has me thinking of chocolate again.
True chocolate lovers always know how to bring the conversation back to chocolate, don't they?
Like I said, love is in the air and that's always delicious.
Yes, you’re right, chocolate will always find its way into the conversation.
The kids are precious. I have a similar picture of my teens, but one looks totally disgusted that her sister is planting a kiss on her cheek!!!
LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE your LO’s! I also love the tip about stamping on transparency! I need to make my way to an office supply store! LOL
Hey L!
Simply AMAZING work as always. Thanks so much for sharing some of your techniques. It’s fun to see how those looks come to be. You have an adorable family, and your layouts bring your pictures to life! I started a blog challenge. If you have a recipe you like to bring for a potluck, stop by and post it. I’d love to have some new recipes to try! Have a great week!
Okay – choc anything Yum! The scrapbook layouts are great. I especially love the one of the kids. They are very photogenic and have love in their eyes.
Karla
yummy & gorgeous.
All are cute – but the Sisters page is PRICELESS!!!
Oh, my! Your layouts are simply gorgeous. Can I come scrap with you? 🙂
gorgeous pages lisa..love the one of your aunt & mom-beautiful photos!!
Oh my lady, your layouts are simply artwork! Just B-utiful!!
your scrapbooking layouts are all gorgeous, as well as your mini! Love all the detail!
Love your scrapbooking layouts and the chocolates are a bonus , yummm tempting!:)
Lisa, your pages are great! I used to do scrapbooking when I was pregnant and after that I just kept my supplies. I don’t have much, mostly papers. Maybe one day I will make some pages. I like the ideas you show here! I see how much those children love each other. They are cute!!!
AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH….so much goodness…WHAT is a girl to do???? My goodness honey….you are on chocolate FIRE!!!!! Everything…absolutely everything is just stunning!!!!!!
Thanks for the stamping on transparency tip! It brought that back for me and I think I’m going to use that technique today!!!!!
Chat with you soon sweetheart!,
-Karla
Hey, we went to the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory on my daughter’s last day of dance class in January! Both she and my son had ice cream, yum. (She obviously went to the same dance studio as your daughter). I usually take ballet classes there too. I am taking a little break and she is now taking a class at the park district where I teach a dance class (and my husband and I teach swing dancing) in Grayslake. It is a really nice program for a park district. I will probably send her back to DCN when she is a little older.
Oh my goodness – these pages are just beautiful!! It’s a good thing I don’t scrapbook too – we’d be completely broke! I just love how creative you are with all these pages. And don’t get me started on the chocolate. I was wishing I could reach through my screen and grab some!!
Your kids are so cute! I love that picture! Your scrapbook pages are great!
Manuela
Lisa! How are you? I am here sipping my coffee and enjoying this absolutely beautiful post. The colors and layouts of everything are just beautiful!
And the photo of your children? OH MY GOODNESS, that is priceless. What a treasure!
Have a great Thursday! Yummy chocolate!
xoxo
Oh Lisa! I just love it all! Everything here is so beautiful and so meaningful-just the way scrapbooking should be! I can’t say it enough that I LOVE this post and I’ll be coming back to it time and time again!
Gorgeous pages Lisa! You have a beautiful family!
Barbara
Lisa, You are so creative. I really enjoyed looking at your blog. I will be back soon. Thank you so much for visiting my porch. I would love to see you again. xo Rachel
These are great. I don’t know where you find the time with the kids!! I LOVE that pic of your mom and her sister!
JEn R
Hi Lisa,
Another great post by a great designer. Not only are your children, Mother and Aunt beautiful, but so too the projects. Especially like the mini-book.
All the best,
June
Such beautiful work you do! What stands out to me is that the photos take center stage and are enhanced by your creative embellishments. The Sisters page especially stands out to me because you can immediately grasp their special relationship. I’m always so happy when I stop by your blog.
the eye candy here made me have to stop was I was doing to eat a bag of m&m’s…those layouts are so beautiful and thanks so much for the tutorials!
Hi Lisa,
I thought about you when I was CHA last week – I can’t be sure, but I think I saw some of your work featured. It looked like your style 🙂
These new pages are gorgeous.
I’m tagging you too…
http://artisticlifestyling.blogspot.com/2008/02/blog-tag.html
Wow. Your blog is amazing. The photos that you took wow.. amazing color and the set up on some of them.
Great job on the pages.
Jessica Lynn
These scrapbook treasures are wonderful. You are lovely at doing this. Thanks for stopping by my blog. Your blog is filled with lots of lovely things, and chocolate too. Karen
Oh, I love your scrapbooking pictures…and the chocolate isn’t half bad, either!!
hugs, bj
Hello again!
Well, I ended up here again because you have been tagged by Lise! :o)
Always great designs and yummy stuff…And this time cute photos.
Gabriela
I love your dolls especially and if I did not have a trillion things started I would try my hand at scrap booking. your work is inspirational and you have a real talent for layout!
just delightful!
Your scrapbook pages are amazing. They are soooo beautiful. You do wonderful work. They make me want to whip out my stuff!
love chocolate….love it! actually passed a Rocky Mountain Chocolate store today in the mall in Greenville SC….
Love the scrap books…
Penny
Hi Lisa!
You amaze me. (and thanks for making me hungry with the chocolate!) Beautiful photos as always. Thanks for stopping by and taking the survey! Have a wonderful day!~xo
WOWOWOWO – Fabulous LO’s and I think I am now craving chocolate 🙂
I just love seeing all of these blogs that are so beautiful and inspiring. Now I see why you liked my cupcakes, your chocolates are beautiful. Your children are gorgeous. I especially loved your daughter’s little nose all squished up on his cheek and his cute little toothy smile. You are very lucky! I want to add you so that I can learn more from your very educational blog. Thanks
Mmmm, what a delicious (and gorgeous) post! Someday I’d like to try scrapbooking, but frankly I’m intimidated! Everyone’s pages look so beautiful. Chocolate, though, that I get. I read the other day that chocolate is MORE effective on a cough than codeine (not just any chocolate, though, 80% cocoa or higher). Isn’t that amazing?
~Angela 🙂
You do such gorgeous work. I am a newbie to scrapping. I have bought tons of stuff. Unfortunately, my CPU is on the brink. I loved looking at your published work.
That chocolate looks SO GOOD! LOL
Your pages and mini album are absolutely GORGEOUS! I love your work!
E-mail me when you have a minute. I just wanted to send you a picture of something ( a project)I saw that I thought you would like for your embroidry (sp??) machine.
interesting reading and wonderful layouts.especially the valentines and sisters layouts… and then you mention RM chocolate factory…to die for!! i am always searching for ideas and you had some nice ones. Please take a moment to visit my friends blog at mccplg.blogspot.com and tell her cowchipper sent ya. Keep up the great ideas and posting of them!
I love it! Gorgeous layouts and chocolate all in the same post. Heaven!
Lisa you are such a beautiful lady and your work is so awesome i love your blog and your children are so darling but growing up way too fast thats not fair which must mean im getting younger correct. Again Wonderful . I would love to see how to make the apron you made for Stampington Mag the pink see thru apron. my email is bookilou4you@cox.net if you ever want to come to Las Vegas area we are from Huntington Beach Cal now in Henderson I love any thing pink because im a Consultant in Mary Kay Cosmetics Thank you again Have a great week end all the best and the lords blessing for you and yours