Anna At 11 Months : Scrapbook Layout & Glass Bead Gel Embellishments
Today I am telling a little story about Anna at 11 months.
This layout is a good example of combining a bunch of different techniques on one page: photo enlargement, hybrid scrapbooking (printing out some of my new twill strips from Designer Digitals and adhering them), playing with Golden Glass Bead Gel and UTEE to create my own heart embellishments. All this while telling a story about what's happening with Anna right now.
Here's a look at my process:
STEP ONE : Re-size an image to 12 inches wide in Photoshop (300dpi). Change the canvas size to make it a few inches taller to accommodate the twill strips. Open, drag, and drop the twill strips onto the large canvas. When I can I like to get a couple things onto a page at one time before printing.
STEP TWO : If you have an over-size printer you can print at home or upload to your favorite developer. Here at home I am using the HP Photosmart B8550 Inkjet Photo Printer
and the above image was printed on 13x19 photo paper from Office Max.
STEP THREE : Trim your photo and twill strips and grab a 12x12 sheet of cardstock for your background. This cardstock will be completely covered so it doesn't matter what color you choose.
STEP FOUR : After printing and trimming and cutting a strip of cream heart pattern paper I decided to play around with some of Tim's Grungeboard heart shapes (from the Elements package).
STEP FIVE : Paint all the hearts. I used Delta in Antique White.
STEP SIX : After letting the paint dry I coated three of the hearts with Golden Glass Bead Gel. Above you can see an image of what it looks like inside the container - essentially it's a gel medium (basically an adhesive) mixed with tiny glass beads. I applied it liberally with a paint brush and let it dry.
On the other three medium sized hearts I used a small dot stamp and embossed with clear UTEE (ultra thick embossing enamel).
STEP SEVEN : I printed my journaling onto the cream heart pattern paper and after all the hearts were dry and the beads were set (I let them sit overnight) I adhered them with foam dots.
Here's a look at the scanned image of the layout (scallop ribbon from American Crafts):
click to view larger
JOURNALING : January 10, 2010 : My dear sweet Anna girl, today you are 11 months old and man how we love you so! Here are some of the things you are doing right now: (1) Crawling super fast, especially when attempting to get into your brother’s bedroom and get your hands on his legos. You are definitely speedy but you also like to stop along the way to see if anyone is watching - this is also a very quick stop + look move. (2) When you aren’t crawling you are standing & cruising along furniture and grabbing at anything and everything. You seem especially fond of magazines, books and computer cords. (3) You got a fun push toy for Christmas and have been having a fun time walking with that around the living room and up and down the hallway. (4) Eating so many things! You pretty much eat what I eat and you drink from a sippy cup (but you definitely want my glass of water instead). (5) You have developed a fondness for a white stuffed cat and a little giraffe-blanket we call your snugglie. (6) You LOVE looking outside and going outside and always seem ready to venture out. (7) And the books. One of my favorite things is your interest in looking at, turning the pages, and being read to anytime. It’s so fun to watch your interests changing and growing and your personality developing. Love you.
Anna is a darling girl!!
Going to try the glass bead stuff if I can find it here, I like sparkle without vacuming up a ton of glitter...my usual messy approach to such things!
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Thank you for this glimpse into your life and for simplifying/explaining the process of just getting the story told.
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so sweet - Anna and the layout.
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Pretty much 12x somethingish (I love that). 12 x 7.5 :).
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super sweet. thank you for sharing. i love coming to your site each day, you always have such a fresh and inspiring approach. such a sweet baby girl.
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This is beautiful... And I love the large-size photo as part of your layout. I will DEFINITELY have to try that! Fantastic!
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It's amazing what a difference a big picture makes. Such a sweet layout.
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Beautiful layout, Ali! Love the technique on the hearts.
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I love the large photo!! Even smallish, the photo would've been great...but that size? Totally FABOO!!!! Thank you for the links to the printer and paper. I want a good photo printer for home (for large photos). I've not priced them yet and was pleased to see how reasonably the printer, and most importantly, the ink were priced. Do you find you're replacing your ink cartridges often in relation to the number/size photos or digi elements you're printing?
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Great photo and layout...your documentation and capturing the moments are always an inspiration to me! I have an epson stylus pro and have been printing 8.5 x11 and also 13 x 19, but I haven't picked up any 12x12s yet. I would think it would be easier for 12x12 albums and less waste on 13x19s. Do you ever use 12x12s....I know Epson sells them... pricey, though.
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Thanks for sharing how to combine digital and paper techniques. I am new to digital and have been working on figuring this out. Your page is an inspiration.
Thanks,Leora
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I can not believe how fast your little beauty is growing! She is precious! Oh and the layout is gorgeous too! Love the simplicity of it.
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Wonderful Ali! Jo x
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sweet journaling
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hi ali, thanks for sharing your documents and details of this process. she is so cute, she looks like my daughter to sip my glass of water. it's so funny. Did you do your handwritting with your computer??? or scan it...
ricka
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Love the layout and the step by step instructions. I really appreciate your efforts. Did you edit your photo in photoshop/elements before printing?
I hope everyone sneeig this is enjoying the new format!If anyone runs across any issues with the way it displays on their screen I need to hear about it. You can contact me at larry@lwsdesign.otherwise . . . enjoy :0)
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I love the hearts...adds such great dimension...simple & elegant.
Yet again you have inspired me to get moving and start scrapbooking. Reading your journaling completely sparked a memory of my now 9 yr old son and when he first started to crawl. I remember him scooting down the long hallway, stopping every few feet to see if I was following him. Oh the giggles and sequels he would have when he saw me. I have now added this "memory" to my book of "things to scrap." Being a newbie to the craft, I'm still doing the daunting task of organizing the photographs from the past. I can remember an image of my son that I took of him sitting in that hallway waiting for me to "catch" him. Just need to find that image for the layout.
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Ali, thanks for sharing your process, it makes it seem like I'm more likely to achieve it! The layout would look nice as a canvas layout hanging on the wall.
Karen
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Congratulations!!!
Very cute, very nice.
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Ali:
What a beautiful page. Your daughter is so precious. Thank you for sharing.
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Fabulous photo. Thank you so much for photographing and explaning your process. What fun!
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Love the look of the glass bead gel.
Can't believe Anna is almost a year. It's been fun watching snippets of her growth.
Thanks for sharing your life.
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Ok, so this pretty much an unrelated comment but I'd like to applaud you for keeping the birds with the birdhouse in the picture. We have the same toy and I found a bird at my parents this weekend about 50 miles away from the birdhouse.
The glass bead gel looks intriguing!
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Love that bead gel. I hadn't seen that before :o)
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Ali
Oh this is so sweet. Anna looks so much like my DD at this age. Even their skin color is the same. I will be happy to email you a photo:) Your journaling is so true to a mom.
I am going to pick up some of these projucts to make some embellisments on retreat this weekend. Your ideas are so fresh.
Sandi N.
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