January 2013 Kit - Layout 7

Apple Magic

As I've mentioned in previous blog posts, my word for 2013 is writing, and each month, I'm focusing on a different aspect of the craft. For February, my focus is on writing exercises, and the journaling/title for this layout came from a writing prompt.

I love when my two creative pursuits overlap that way!

January 2013 Kit - Layout 6

Salon Day

I probably could have done more with the circular area of embellishment, but I couldn't really find anything that fit, so I let it be. While I really enjoyed working with this kit, and I am really liking the way working with a kit inspires me, the drawback is the self-imposed limit of embellishments that might work. With future kits--and I'm working on assembling my February kit now--I may want to increase the number of embellishments I include. It's not like I don't have plenty in my stash!

January 2013 Kit - Layout 5

Up, Up & Away

Probably the most remarkable thing about this page for me is the background paper which I've had for I don't know how many years. It's from a Little Yellow Bicycle travel line, and I've been hoarding it, trying to find the perfect use for it. Since I made it part of the kit and really wanted to get as much of the kit used as I possibly could, I matched these photos up with it, and I love the result.

Other supplies not included in the kit I assembled are brand new letter stamps from Recollections, which I bought on sale at Michaels a few weeks ago for $5. The set includes both upper and lower case, along with some symbols, and I really dig the font. I also used the word stamp "daydream" from Close to My Heart, along with a sentiment and camera stamp from Hero Arts for Studio Calico. Ink is all Archival black from Ranger.

This one's a favorite, and it's the second layout for the tenth anniversary album.

January 2013 Kit - Layout 4

Happy

To be honest, this page did not turn out how I envisioned it. I wish I'd gone with a different green marker for the foliage I colored. The green I chose is too dark, but I do like the sort of homemade feel of colored stamped images, and the photo is one of my favorites of my mother from her birthday party last year.

I also realized when putting this layout together, that I don't have nearly enough flower stamps. Hmm...wonder what I need to do about that... :)

Speaking of stamps, the ones I used are Hero Arts, stamped with Archival ink from Ranger, colored with Stampin' Up! markers.

January 2013 Kit - Layout 3

Blur

One of the patterned papers in my January 2013 kit was printed to look like layers of patterned paper pieces, with a old Polaroid "frame" at its center. I brought out my craft knife and cut around some of the  faux layers, then adhered the paper to card stock and added dimensional adhesive to make the layers look more real. I also added additional patterned paper pieces to make the design more my own. I cut apart a sticker to create the title, completing it with letter stickers. The numeral element was the remnant of a die cut I used in the second layout from this kit, which added to the idea of the layout, time passing on New Year's Eve.

When I first saw that patterned paper, part of a kit club subscription kit from awhile back, I wasn't totally enamored of it, but I made it work for me, and I like the way this layout turned out.

January 2013 Kit - Layout 2

This Man I Love

Although this is the second page I made from my own January kit, it's the first page of an album I just decided to put together, our 10th anniversary. I took a lot of pictures. A lot. I used to do mini books of our anniversary adventures, but I feel like the number of photos I took during this one day Daniel and I had together would be better suited to a whole 12x12 album.

For this page, I used another brilliant Shimelle sketch, which I'm certain to use again.

January 2013 Kit - Layout 1

Middle of last month, I shared a photo of the kit I assembled with both new products and stuff from my stash. Click right here to read that post. Here is a photo of my own January kit:

Creating from this kit turned out to be even more fun and productive than I expected. Here's the first page I created from these supplies:

I followed a sketch by Shimelle Laine, and I'm really digging how this mix of supplies works together.

Coming soon: more layouts from this kit!