My very first PAPER Scrapbook page ever!!

The theme for all of my projects this week is Valentines Day (with the exception of Wild Card Wednesday). This layout was inspired by those large heart boxes of chocolate with the ribbon and all those ruffles around the edges with a big red bow on top.

I can't believe that I haven't completed a paper scrapbook page in the six+ years I have been playing with paper!! It's almost shameful if you knew how many pictures I have to scrap!! I'll never tell....... :) I learned how to Digital Scrapbook this summer using Photoshop and it's helped me a great deal to get some layouts done. I decided for this layout I would include a tiny bit of digi-ness on it (just a little!).

What could be a better picture to scrap for Valentines day than that of of my daughter blowing smoochies to me?? I opened up her photo in Photoshop and using a heart brush I stamped the vine hearts all around her photo. I printed this onto 8 1/2 x 11 white cardstock and set to work on my layout.
I chose a rich chocolate glitter embossed 12x12 paper from My Minds Eye for the base of my LO. I grabbed some satin pink ribbon and 'wrapped' my page. I don't have a sewing machine so I used adhesive instead. I made sure to anchor the base of the ribbon and then I would glue in between the folds to make it look like a ruffle. Who needs a sewing machine?? :)
Next using my gypsy I selected the Scalloped Heart Frame from Gypsy Wanderings and sized it to: 10.25W x 10.81H, and cut it on pink glitter paper (of course!!).

Non Gypsy users could select a similar heart from any of these cartridges: Accent Essentials, Ashlyns Alphabet, Graphically Speaking, Hanna Montanna, Lyrical Letters, Paper Pups, Simply Sweet, Tie the Knot, Wild Card and Zooballoo. Just make sure when you select your image on your cricut you choose the FIT TO PAGE OPTION for it to fill as much of the page as you can.

After the heart was cut out I placed it over the photo of my daughter and traced around it with pencil, and cut it out with a pair of scissors. Set this aside as you are going to make your journaling tags next.

I used the tag from GW as well as the tag frame for this project. (You can see them in the image above). The tag and matching frame is sized at 1.37"W x 2.28"H. I selected the tag and tag frame 10 times. I cut the tags on pink bazzill cardstock, the frames were cut using grey cardstock from SEI. Once cut out you can glue the frame to the base and set your 10 tags aside for now.

Next you can use use any tag pocket from any cart I know there are some on Tags bags boxes and more, also Fabulous finds...and for some reason I'm having trouble thinking of more. Or, you could simply make your own by cutting a rectangle to fit the width of your tag, fold it in half and glue the sides (that's what I did). In todays Gypsy file I have included the tag from TTBM sized to fit, so you don't have to go hunting for it :) Once you have your tag pockets assembled slide your tags inside.

Take your scalloped heart and place it face down so the back of it is facing you. Take your tags and arrange them how you like around your heart. Be sure to mark with pencil so you know where you should glue your pockets down. Get out your pop dots and place as many as needed around the edge of your heart (be sure not to put one where your tags are going to be placed). Be sure to add pop dots to the center of the heart as well.
Next I got out co-ordinating ribbons and tied them around each tag. I also used some fishing line and threaded a single pearl onto the tag for as well.
Speaking of pearls....how about the inside of that heart?? I just love it. I got out my trusty Wacky Tacky Tape and taped along the outline of the heart, close to the inside edge but not over lapping it. I took my strand of pearls and -LEAVING THEM ON THE STRING I arranged them around the inside of the heart. The Wacky Tape will hold your pearls in place while you go around the base of them with your zip dry glue and fill in all the gaps. Snip the string off the end of the pearls and pull it out (after glue is dry). These pearls do not budge, no wiggling....this method really stuck them down :)




I made sure to include lots of tags for journaling on my layout as I tend to write a lot. I also like the interactive aspect to this page by doing the tags this way :)



Well folks- my first layout....out there for you to see......To be honest this project got away from me and now I'm going to have to find a 12 x 12 shadow box for this little piece of art...it's way too thick for a page protector LOL!!!
I hope I haven't scared you all off with this one ~ tomorrow is Fancy Card Friday and boy did I get Fancy!! I have several new techniques I can't wait to share with you!!