Today we are going to tidy up a layout instead of our scrapbook space (much more fun, don't you think?)

How do you make a layout look clean and tidy, but fit everything that you want onto the layout??

If you are a follower of this blog then you know by now that I am a very simple AND clean scrapbooker. This is a perfect example of my layouts. This is actually one of my favorite layouts. I love love love typography, but I do not like the time it takes to try and get words to fit right on your layout running it through the printer. My favorite stamps of ALL time are our small word print stamps within the sentiments stamp sets. And my VERY favorite thing to do with them is just to ink up the words themselves and stamp across the layout. There is something about a very clean layout and typography mixed together that makes me giddy inside. Another tip that I love to do is to add shadowing to a layout. Very simple, I just traced around the while of the layout with a light grey marker and I have instant shadowing. So some very simple ways to take computer tricks into your stamps and inks

It is Monday and I am missing my family after the weekend. So today I thought I would do a layout to put on my desk. I am a vintage shabby chic kind of girl so I thought hmmmm I would LOVE a layout that really reflects my style AND incorporates my children.

So lots of DITTO mixed with a bit of Crate paper did just that. I love the DITTO product used here. The new card edged in my FAVORITE shade of green is one of my new best friends. I love the paper flowers, the grey and tan happen to be my favorite colors. I added a green tag, and then stamped a few of my favorite phrases. I then added 2 sheets of Crate patterned paper and 1 cardstock. And I now have this layout on the wall in my office. It just makes me feel happy.

And I love hiding my journaling. It keeps the feeling of the layout very clean and simple. So the journaling is inside the card.

For today's technique I wanted to show how to use our tags and cards on layouts. I LOVE how this brings instant color and a pop to your layouts. Not to mention it makes completing a layout super fast and easy. Here I started with a journal page on a 12x12 cardstock. I added a pink card to the top of that. Don't you just love the edge on that card??? Next I added a journal insert, with the pink bottom, this was perfect for adding some journaling onto it already had the lines. I next stamped onto 2 tags and added to the layout. Then simply finish with your photos. See simple, fast, and easy :)

I want to share a product with you today. It is our Spritz Boards. It is textured chipboard. It starts white and as you add color the design resists the color leaving the white pattern. I LOVE ading bright and vibrant colors to the boards.

You can see a few different boards on this layout. There are shapes and alphabets. Just think you can customize your boards to match your layout. My favorite product to use on the boards is Spritz and Smootch. The color is vibrant and very easy to wipe off.

I was determined to make something green today for the first day of March. So what better than a birthday card? Using one of my favorite stamps. I simply stamped the birthday image onto a cream colored cardstock for more of a vintage feel and then cut the image out. On the grey cardstock I stamped a background using the Flourish & Bloom Kelly Panacci Clear Stamp, I love how the end result turned out. I used the grey ink from my Cat's Eye Classic set.

To put it all together I first used a 6x6 base as the card, and then added a patterned paper on top. To that I added a Ditto Circle label, and then used pop dots for my birthday image to pop. A little bit of trim and bling to finish it all off and I have a very sweet Happy Birthday card for a March Birthday.

Flourish & Bloom Kelly Panacci Clear Stamp

And here is the card in the process of being made.

I wanted to share a project from Facebook. I LOVE this album!!! Ditto works great for kids. Got photos, got 10 minutes? It's just that easy...and what's even better, you could win a nice set of Ditto for yourself. We are drawing winners from all your comments on Friday, so please keep them coming. We enjoy hearing from you. Refer a friend to like Hampton Art and get your name entered twice for our great DITTO GIVEAWAY. Just have your friend let us know you sent them.

Simplicity. Today is all about getting back to the basics. So what are the basics? Really all you need is a photo and a pen, everything else is just added art to your project. How many times do we forget the words because the artistic part is so much fun? I know that is me more often than I want to admit. I love filling the page up with color and fun things, and many times when I am finished there is no space left for the words. I really thought hard today about what anyone would know if I passed away. Would they know the story behind each photo? Would they get to know me and what I believed in? So I am trying to make sure with this project that there are more words. More detail of what I am thinking and how I feel about the person. Trust me there will still be art and colors and fun, but balanced with thoughts, feelings, and words.

I have a way that you can test yourself. Browse through you most current album. Pretend that you are a stranger looking at the album. Are there enough words on your pages to tell a story? If not try and write more going forward. If the answer is yes then AWESOME!!! Keep up the great work.

We are getting ready for DUCK season at my house. Spring Duck photos means...deep cleaning, Spring planting, new backdrops, Spring props....so out the door I go to get it all done.

What do you have on your plate for Monday?

On the layout above I have used

DITTO TAGS

8.5x11 DITTO Journal Inserts

8.5x11 DITTO ALBUM