8546262476_db899548a2_z

I don’t often use sketches, but as you can tell, I’ve been doing some over the past few weeks. I kinda felt like my pages were all really similar to one another, so I’m using sketches for awhile to break out of my rut. It worked for cards, so I thought it ought to work for layouts too, right? Speaking of cards, here are a few I did yesterday.

IMG_3708
Owl Always Be There cards (A2)

I cut the owl at 3 inches from the Create a Critter cartridge.  I forgot to cut a layer (cut 2 shadows by accident and left out the base layer), but it looks ok with the shadow as the base, so I just left it (lazy these days, lol!).  I used a sentiment from Amy R’s Critter Sentiments stamp set (I luv her work, and follow her blog religiously, so I finally got to pick up a set of her stamps from ATS).  I used a reverse stencilling technique that I learned ages ago, but hadn’t been using for a long time… and I forgot how nice it looks to have the ink along the embossed edges of the nestability die.  I find the spellbinders so much easier to use with the Grand Calibur (compared with the Cuttlebug, which isn’t all that hard to use in the first place!), that I’m reaching for them more and more these days!  Papers are from the Cosmo Cricket Material Girl 6X6 pad.  I stamped the sentiment in Dusty Durrango by Stampin Up! and used matching Dusty Durango ribbon.  One of the knots turned out wonky, but again, laziness prevailed, so I left it.

IMG_3710
Book Lover card (bigger than A2)

This card is bigger than most of mine (made to fit to an envelope I had, not sure of the size).  The stamp is from Stamping Bella and I coloured it with Copics, which I’m still learning.  I used a sketch from MFT Stamps.  Sentiment is from Papertrey Inks, and stamped over a swipe of white paint to help it pop out.  In retrospect, maybe cream paint would have been better.  Papers are from the Fly a Kite collection by October Afternoon.

I also did some scrapping yesterday.  I used this sketch, which I love, from Sketchy Thursdays:

And this is what I came up with:

IMG_3700
Grocery Order Layout (12X12) Sketchy Thursdays

IMG_3702
I did lots of Glimmer Misting (key lime pie, SWAK, Tattered Leather) with a (Crafter’s Workshop) mask, and doodling around the mask.  Then I just stacked the elements into a vertical arrangement, and added some strips underneath.  I used a Cosmo Cricket paper from the Social Club collection, journalling cards from Glitz Designs, border stickers from Crate Paper, and a Chipboard sticker from Cosmo Cricket.  All those elements are from the Scarlet Lime April kit.  I used Basic Grey and Making Memories letter stickers.  Oh, and I found another use for those strips on the bottoms of designer papers. I used the strip from the background paper as parts of 2 of the strips that go behind the photos and journalling cards.

This is what I love about sketches… I would have never made a layout that was so long and thin if it were not for the sketch.  I always try to balance everything out, but I forget that imbalance can be a design element.  I really need to try more unique layouts like this.

Mercy Tiara

Mercy Tiara

You may be wondering who is Mercy Tiara, and why the name? MercyTiara is an anagram of my first and middle names, Tracy Marie. I discovered this name in the 90's in grad school when we were all coming up with alter egos for one another in a lab one day. I've used it ever since, but you can call me Tracy or MercyTiara, or anything you want... just don't call me late for supper!

more posts