Fab{U}lous God-daughters

[Note: this was written November 2012 but it's taken this long to get the photos uploaded. I did say I was catching up... ;)]

It's been a lo-o-o-o-ong dry spell in terms of my craftiness, but I'm ready to let loose my crafting freakiness right quick! Okay, so maybe it's not freakiness, but I am happy to back playing with paper and glue and glitter and my Cameo and pearls and buttons and... well, you get the picture.

I saw this November monthly kit at a local scrapbooking store, Scrapbook Memories and More. Since I have always loved Simple Stories's paper designs (this comes from their Fab{U}lous line) and a recent photo of my 'adopted' daughter popped into mind as soon as I saw the papers... well, I just HAD to scrap. Playing with the paper and ribbons and buttons and charms... well, it didn't take long to come up with this:

And best of all, I had enough supplies left in the kit to do a second layout, this one inspired by my original muse's sister:

And for the details...

I used my Cameo (I totally heart my Cameo) to cut rosettes and the photo matting on both layouts. The zigzags on the second layout were created by placing the pointy rosettes strategically opposite each other as I laid out the Cameo cuts. Yup, you figured me out. I am cheap frugal and want to use EVERY inch of paper possible. Here's another bit of trivia about my crafting style: I would also rather have hair torn from my body before having to cut paper manually with actual scissors. While I go wax my Movember 'stache from existence, see if you can figure out why the orange frame on the first layout is special.

On the first layout, Liquid Pearls highlight Sara's face and both butterfly charms, provide a 'path' for the upper butterfly, and colour the centre of the lower corner rosette. If you saw that rosette centre before I mentioned it, I bet you find Waldo in 2.6 seconds or less too. Glossy Accents gave Sara's name some pizzaz, and adhering it with foam tabs literally lifted it off the page.

Another detail you might not notice, even with the clue above: The orange frame is actually the reverse side of the layout paper! Silhouette Designer software let me create and cut a reversible frame right where I wanted it with my Cameo.

Who'd a thunk that I just picked up the cut piece, flipped it over, stuck a photo and paper doily underneath, and... TA-DA... I was able to use the back of the  paper? Next challenge: Find where I used the centre of the frame...

I usually giggle gleefully right about here in the process. And yes, I am grinning as I write this. Whatcha don't see is the journalling on the reverse of the page that describes how proud I am of Sara for growing into a self-confident young woman who no longer stresses about every detail she can't control. "Que sera, sera" came to mind when I saw this photo of her - even before I thought of the layout! - so it was natural that it became the layout title, with a twist.

The second layout was a little more of a challenge only because I hadn't thought about doing TWO layouts when I was giggling and grinning over all the stuff I could use for the first.

Just as Sara and Morgan are two very different personalities, I was challenged with doing a design that 'fit' Morgan as nicely as the first complemented Sara. T'was easy when I saw the "Fab{U}lous" journalling card and a big ol' "YOU" that was just beggin' to be fussy cut out of its frame. There's no way Morgan is a butterfly blown around by errant breezes - she's usually the one CAUSING the breezes when she stretches her wings to inspect whatever has caught her eye at the moment.

This page uses many of the same techniques as the first. Did ya spy that bottom photo mat is the centre cut from the orange frame from the first page? And those blue gingham and orange polka dot chevrons are the scrap paper from between the rosette cuts. Told ya that I try to use every square inch... HA!

So now I have to take photos of the Christmas cards flying out of my craft room, and a really cute birdhouse inspired by a dollar store find - but that's for another day. It's good to be back!!