Episode Five - Let's "Plump" It Up!

Sparkle & Shine by Meredith Cardall

Hey! You came back! Awesome. Today is our final work-out in the Get Fit Layout Lift series. In this work-out, we are going to combine some of our skills honed in earlier workouts and put the focus on two scrapbook layout trends - the journal-focused LO and clustering. Lace up those Scrappy Work-out Sneakers and.... "Let's Lift A Layout!!" *grunt grunt grunt grunt grunt*

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Step #1 - Select a background and a medium-sized photo.

**Trainer's Tip** - For great photo editing tools beyond the ones already found in your MMS Software, I like to use Picasa with their addition of "Picnik". Picnik has a lot of free photo editing tools and then "premium" ones that are available at a really low cost. In this photo, I used the free "cross-process" development tool and the vignette setting with a blueish black color.

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Step #2 - Let's get some more papers in there! I've made three over-lapping photo boxes on the right side of my LO. Then just drag and drop your background paper choices in! Don't forget shadowing. I think these are x:0 y:0, -80% Opacity, 5% Blur. I've also added a box behind the photo and will drag a paper in there too.

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Step #3 - Swirlies!

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Step #4 - Using monograms or word art, put something at the base of the photo. I've also added a sprinkle spill behind the word for more layers and to make a nice backdrop for the clustering and embellishments to come! I've temporarily grouped the monograms together so I can move the word around when I need to. I will ungroup it later so I can layer embellishments between the letters if I want.

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Step #5 - Embellishing embellishing embellishing. I myself am a minimalist by genetic design but I LOVE the look of clusters and layers. So I find I have had to figure out how to convince (force?!) my brain to let me just throw a bunch of things on there and let whatever happens happen. What happens in cluster-land, stays in cluster-land.

**Trainer's Tip** A good general embellishment rule, what you might want to try is to start big and get smaller. Using this LO as an example, I would start with the bigger flowers first and place them in the back layers. Then I would add medium sized flowers and then small flowers. Now I would go back and repeat with big/medium/small buttons. This kit came with little sparkles and sequins so I did those last to fill in the gaps and add that little extra pizazz. I think layering is key too and you can see I've tried to make use of the three papers on the side to layer in and out of as well. Vines and leaves are GREAT for layering and often look best tucked in the middle/back somewhere. I did them going up the side behind the second paper and one underneath the word "pretty". SHADOWING is also key. You need to spend time trying different settings and levels until you get the look you want. 

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Step #6 - Journalling. In somewhat complicated situations like this, I find it helps to create several text boxes. I made one for the top half and a second for the bottom quarter of the page. I've left large blanks for certain words throughout the journalling to highlight those with tabs and a different font (see final LO picture or next step to see how that will turn out). You don't have to do this but it sure adds a nice *pop* to the page. You can never have enough good journal fonts and, as mentioned before, there are thousands available online for free. I've left a large margin around the outside because I know that later on I am adding a border around the outside. We're getting there team! Stay with me!

**Trainer's Tip** You might want to try to choose your font and size RIGHT AWAY. In complex journalling where you are dodging elements and photos, you will be fiddling with it forever if you just start with Arial size 10 and then switch fonts types and sizes. You can save yourself some trouble by deciding what you want first and then as you type you can make sure you are weaving around all the obstacles the first time. 

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Step #7 - Here are the special words I have highlighted in my little journalling essay. I just used a tab box element from the kit and shadowed it. I picked a different font/color for the text I added over top. If you don't have tabs, you could make a little photo box or shape with rounded corners and fill it with a fave color or paper.

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Step #8 - As icing on the cake, I added a frame around the outside. You could do this right from the start but having an element that size on the LO really gets in the way for adding everything else and drives me CRAZY, so I wait until the end to top it on top. Don't have a frame? Try making your own like in the first work-out OR using stitching. You could even make a text frame by using the square text box option.

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I can't believe you stuck it out to the end! I'm so proud of you all and love the work you've been posting on our Facebook page. It was really fun to create these workouts and I hope they've helped. 

Your challenge for today: Try using more embellishments than usual! Go for the gusto! Instead of just a few big ones, use a whole bunch of small ones! If you are looking for an extra challenge today, try journalling something less-than-perfect or challenging in your life right now... Break the cheerful scrapper mold and try a LO that lets out that thing (or things) that is really on your heart. I find scrapping can be very therapeutic and healing - like a visual journal of sorts.

You guys rock my scrappy world - thanks for all your feedback and hard work.

Jen

Episode Four - Doing The Splits

"Patchwork of My Life" - Meredith Cardall

Welcome to Work-Out Episode Four. If you're still here, it means I haven't killed you yet - but still have two more chances to try!! Whoohoo!! Come on, I'll be your Biggest (Scrappy) Loser "Jillian"... with a lot less yelling and basically no psychological harassment. Today was cleverly titled "Doing The Splits" because we are going to lift a layout that spans two pages and connects a cluster from one page to the other. Turn up the thermostat and forget the Hot Yoga - it's Hot Layout Lifting! *grunt grunt grunt grunt* (If you don't wanna feel like a wish bone on Thanksgiving, you could just lift one page or the other!)

 

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Step #1 - Select a bold patterned paper. Then create 2-3 light colored rectangle shapes (or use photo boxes and papers). Place accordingly. You can always adjust where the gaps are later to better suit your layout. Or just start with a solid square and then break it up later when you have a better sense of how your LO is going to turn out. As you can see below, I also added an inside border made of stitching that "holds" all my broken paper pieces down. Repeat this process on a second layout page.

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Step #2 - Set your background papers using photo boxes and then dragging and dropping your paper choices in there. You can see at the top left that we are preparing to do the splits over to the next page! Don't rip your pants... If you have a large enough computer screen to maintain this for the rest of the instructions, change your "View" to "Page Windows" and open both pages of the layout and line them up so you can arrange your bleed elements from one side to the other. If your screen is small and having both pages up makes them too tiny, just do one page at a time and then at the very end, open them both and adjust a little bit here and there to make them match.

**Trainer's Tip** To ensure an EXACT match with boxes or embellishments, just copy and paste the element or box from the one page on to the other. In the case of this layout, I had an element that was too short to do what I wanted and I had to copy and paste it a few times to achieve the look I wanted. (the white/blue box at the top middle).

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Step #3 - Add those photos! Since I already had a white background, matting and adding shadows was especially important for me. On the right-hand page, you can see I have basically the same photo 3 times. It's a fun way to take advantage of the fact that we take 5-10 of *almost* the exact same photo with digital cameras.

**Trainer's Tip** - Jesus saves, but it's photos that cover your scrappy sins. Up in the middle you can see how the photo covers my doubling-up on the element behind them. Now it looks like one uniform white/blue box - when really, I know that it's two. (PS I love the Lord, hopefully that silly reference didn't offend anyone!)

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Step #4  - Take a swig of your Gatorade and then let's get embellishing! I used some swirls in the same direction as my paper, added some tabs with word art over top and tucked a few flowers behind the photos. I've also added text on the left page and some monograms on the right.

**Trainer's Tip** - Using monograms can be a pain in the tush. But it's worth the extra grunt work because the results are great. I find that once I have them set where I want and aligned (see first photo below), "Grouping" (see second photo) is my new BFF. One they are grouped, I can move the whole word wherever I want.

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Step #5 - My last move here was to add some fastener tabs here and there on the page. These little "real-life-like" add-ons give that "I-paper-scrapped-and-then-scanned-my-work-just-because" kind of look.  I like it.

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Okay sports fans! Another LOL (Lay Out Lift - not *lol* because I'm sure you are too busy reaching for the ol' inhaler right now to laugh) in the bank. Tomorrow will be our final work-out so don't be late and take those unmarked pills I handed you all on the way out of class yesterday. They're just "vitamins"... I promise... ; )

Keep fit and have fun! (I will give three virtual gold stars to anyone who can tell me where that tag-line is from... you're gonna have to think Canadian...)

Love you guys!

Jen

PS To post your two pages together, google how to take a "screenshot" (here is a Windows link and a Mac link) of your computer screen with the two page windows open side by side in MMS and post that jpeg OR get Picasa, use the "collage" function and create your own size collage at 12x24 and put the two pages there and post your exported collage jpeg that way! If neither of those work for you, just post the pages separately!

Episode Three - Choose Your Own Adventure

"Love Is In The Air" by Meredith Cardall

Okay, does anyone remember those "Choose Your Own Adventure" books? Classic. Today's episode is a CYOA layout lift. If you're still feeling pretty sore from yesterday, you can go the easy(ier) route and lift the first one - it's just a two *grunt* kind of page. If you are feeling especially buff, I have detailed instructions for the second one - it's a level 3 *grunt*er. I made this LO as a two-page spread for my daughter's 2-month page.

CYOA #1 - Light Liftin' Double *Grunt*

Steps #1-5 - If you've browsed your MMS Templates recently, it's probably a good bet that you noticed this one and have even used it a time or two. These are GREAT when you have a bunch of photos you want to get all on a single LO. In this case, all I did was: (1) add a background layer of paper, (2) fill each photo box with a paper from the kit and then zoom in on it a few times to highlight the pattern, (3) add smaller photo boxes in each square and drag-n-drop photos, (4) put a frame over those photos, (5) add middle frame, word art and embellishments! Easy peasy. Barely broke a sweat there. 

**Trainer's Tip** Sometimes when having this many photo boxes on a page, my MMS gets a little slower. Just remember to save often (which you should do anyway every 5 moves).

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CYOA #2 - Bigger Load, Bigger Reward - The Triple *Grunt*

It's not as bad as it looks. It's helpful for this lift if you find a kit with a banner-like element or something else good as a connector piece. If you don't have anything in your collection that suits this lift then GET TO THE MMS STORE AND BUY THIS KIT ALREADY!!! (every Trainer has to break down and yell *some* time...right? Hahaa!)

 

Step #1 - You know the drill. It's background time! I have three layers of backgrounds here - the big and medium box were papers and the third white box was just a shape. Don't forget to shadow them! 

**Trainer's Tip** See that squiggly lined square? I've also used a page border as small embellishment. Don't be afraid to use a box... to think outside the box! Da dum dum ssss.

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Step #2  - Now, let's add-on (if you've ever done step aerobics, you know what I mean! Mmmmhmmm). Add your photo boxes and frames. Put a big vertical element behind the frame and photo. Don't have one? Try making one from a background paper. Or go freebie hunting online. Or, do your own thing and forget my idea entirely! It's YOUR page!

**Trainer's Tip** Freebies are great...for awhile. Eventually you will start craving the amazingness that is a full, well-designed kit. If you compare it to what you would spend on paper scrapping, digiscrapping is a huge savings! (Tell that to your hubby when he looks at your PayPal account and freaks out...). Our MMS Store is always open! : )

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Step #3 - Here you can add a couple circle frames or shapes off to the bottom left-hand corner and some long swirlies out the bottom and top. I am going to copy this idea for the mini-frame on the left which you will see later.

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Step #4  - Here is a couple views of what is going on. The second is a "behind the scenes" kind of look. Here you can add fat ribbons or other similar elements vertically. I have one coming out horizontally from the left to support the mini photo and anchor the banner going across. The banner really brings the little frame on to scene!

**Trainer's Tip** To spice up a ribbon, add some stitching!

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Step #5  - Don't quit on me now! Only three more sets! (yeah, right... they *never* mean it when they say that!). Add your photos to the boxes and do you base embellishments. I've chosen mostly flowers here and varying size. 

**Trainer's Tip** You want balance on your page - so if something looks off, try resizing or moving them around a bit. If it looks wrong, you're probably on to something and need to fiddle around a bit.

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Step # 6 - Layering in more embellishments. I added some ribbon bows and buttons!

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Step #7 - It's text time! Fill the white space with journalling. I haven't used any monograms or word art here - but don't let that stop you! If you have something that fits, go for it!! 

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The End

Thanks for "CYOA" with me today! I hope you found a work-out that suited your needs. If you have the gift of insight and intuition you will probably be thinking: "Does that mean tomorrow is a FOUR GRUNT LO?!?!". Yes. Yes is does. So eat your Wheaties tomorrow mornin' soldiers - it's gonna be all-out, scrap-til-you-puke layout liftin'. Don't forget to post your lifts on our FB page!

Your challenge for today: Spend some extra time on your journalling. Is there a poem or quote out there that might suit your needs? What's on your heart? What were you thinking when this/these photo(s) were taken? What's the back story? Use what you've learned from the other Suite Peep's awesome challenges earlier this week!!

Jen Scraps

PS I will give a gold star and some undying gratitude to anyone who can telling me how to spell "journalling"... Two Ls or one?!?! I think I do it differently every time. It's not actually a word according to my spell check!

Episode Two - "And repeat...repeat...repeat..." - Photos in a Series

"Such A Hoot" - Meredith Cardall

Alright Suite Peeps! Today it will be helpful if you pick a kit that has a frame for two or more photos in it and straight ribbons. Browse through your photos and find enough to fill your number of frame slots. Get that 70s sweat-band on, roll up your sleeves and "Let's Lift A Layout!!" *grunt grunt*

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Step #1 - To create a "matte" look for the page, I selected an off-white cream background and then layered a paper over-top and made it quite opaque to give that "vellum paper" look (you ex-paper scrappers know what I'm talking about, mmmhmmm). As mentioned in our first work-out, I like to use photo boxes and then drag-n-drop the background paper in to them from my resource bar. I've changed the shape of this box to have rounded corners.

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Step #2 - In keeping with the theme, I've added several layered rounded corner boxes to my page and filled them with my choice of background papers. I reduced the opacity of the top layer of paper in each direction to again create that "vellum" look and to give the eye a better sense of what's happening on the paper below it. 

**Trainer's Tip** To make your life simpler, after creating the larger photo box, just copy and paste it and then grab a corner and reduce it a little horizontally and vertically simultaneously to go in front as the next layer rather than making a whole new box that is never exactly the right dimensions.

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Step #3  - Stay hydrated! It's photo and frame time. Here I've added my 3 photos behind their frame and also added another complementary frame behind. Most of my shadows so far on this layout are barely any blur, high % opacity and x:0 y:0.

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Step #4 - Ribbons! Hopefully your kits has lots of ribbons - if not, refer to our first work-out for how to turn lovely papers in to little strips that can serve as embellishments! Here I've layered my ribbons so that they weave in and out of all our frames and paper. Just play around with it until things look good! 

**Trainer's Tip** In real life, short-cuts during a work-out are a big no-no. In scrapping, they are your BEST FRIEND. Learn the short-cuts for basic steps you do all the time such as layering and copy/paste. They are usually pretty basic - but if find that you struggle to remember them, write them on a couple post-it notes and stick them on the side of your monitor. 

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 Step #5 - Work off those scrappy jelly bellies with a good dose of embellies! (hehee) I've weighted my main embellishments to the left bottom side and added one fun one to the top right that has a long skinny polka dot spill coming from it (for spill shadow tips, see our first work-out).

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Step #6 - Here I created my own word art using the monograms from the kit and some extra fonts. I had a fair bit of space that needed filling on the left, but there is no need to fill it all! A little embellishment on the word art really set it off too. I squeezed a bit of journaling in around the outsides.

**Trainer's Tip** Fonts are like scrap crack. Once you start downloading them, you won't be able to stop. And I'm a total enabler - go to www.1001freefonts.com and get downloading! Make sure to move the files in to your computer's font library and they will show up in your MMS Software (as well as your MS Word or iWork Pages etc etc). In this layout, the words "will you" are a font called "cheri".

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Whew! You made it! Another goal star for your work-out chart. If you need something for your scrappy muscle, there are some frozen peas in the freezer. Alternate hot/cold every ten minutes for an hour and then get that page up on our FB site - I wanna see your sweaty labor of love! And remember, if your end product looks nothing like this, that's awesome! Lifting is all about just getting new ideas and then running with it in your own direction.

Your challenge for today: Try to make your own piece of word art using text and/or monograms (the alphabets that come with kits). See what you can dream up!

Until tomorrow,

Jen

Episode One - KISS (Keep It Simple, Suitey!)

Kit used: "Sweetcakes" by Meredith Cardall

**Please note** This series assumes that you have at least a basic working knowledge of MMSv2. If you are a total 100% this-is-my-first-day-with-MMS newbie, you might want to start by going through some (or all) of the amazing tutorials found at http://www.mymemoriesblog.com/2010/05/march-into-mms-video-tutorials-links.html and then come back and do this series when you are feeling ready! Or... just try and dive in anyway! That's a great way to learn too : )

Now, I'm sure you've done your stretches, jogged a few laps around your computer chair and are all warmed up - so, let's go! We're starting out nice and light for our first work-out with a few of my fave little tricks thrown in there. Estimated calorie burn: 200. I hope this layout shows you how "less can be more" and the power of empty space in a layout! I want to remind you right off the start that the purpose of lifting (or copying) a layout is *not* to make exactly the same page as someone else, but to use their ideas to help inspire your own creativity! Don't let my design ideas box you in - just use them as a launch pad to create your own, uniquely YOU, layouts. It's not like there is really anything that great about my layouts, they are just what I have to work with to make a series where I could break down each major step.

So.... you ready? "Let's Lift A Layout!!" *grunt*

Step #1 - choose a paper with a small & busy pattern (or just a pale solid color could work too).

**Trainer's Tip** Sometimes you will love a pattern on the paper BUT not want it to be so bold. To adjust that, go to "Background Papers" and reduce the OPACITY until you are happy with the look. You can always adjust it later when adding text. You can see below that I reduced it to just below 20% for this page.

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Step #2 - Add photo and frame. Here I am also adding a strip just below and behind the photo. To do this, I created a photo box and drag-n-dropped my choice of background paper in there from the resource bar on the left (not shown in my photos). Then I cropped the paper to suit my needs. To crop, double click the photo or click "crop".

**Trainer's Tip** Great papers can serve as their own embellishments by cropping key parts of the paper and using it in a creative way! (see below)

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Step #3 - It's sprinkle time! Many kits come with "scatters" or "spills" or "sprinkles" that make great background embellishments. Here I have copied and pasted a sprinkle spill and "mirrored" it to use it going in different directions. In this step I also added a background ribbon and shadowed it.

**Trainer's Tip** To give your spills a little "pop" off the page, good shadowing makes all the difference! Keep the blur low and the distance close (see below). Here you can see I went with no blur and about 60% opacity with X:2 and Y:1. Did you know you can adjust the shadow by using your arrow buttons OR by grabbing the shadow and moving it with your mouse?

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Step #4 - Add larger embellishments over the spill. You can see I made the top and bottom cupcake smaller and the largest one to hide my ribbon ends and balance the look of the page. I kept it simple with the flower - you could always do more there! As with any lift, in the end it's your page and you can make whatever adjustments suit you and the kit you are using.

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Step #6  & 7 - Add word art and text. As for the frame - often we set our background and then layer a paper over top of it. In this layout, I set the background and then made a frame using a paper from the kit and a photo box in the frame shape. (see below)

 
So you can see I just added a photo box, changed the shape to the frame, expanded it to fit my page and then I drag-n-dropped the background paper from my resource bar (on the left, not shown in this photo) that I wanted in there. Last step was to add a shadow at X:0 Y:0, Blur -4 and 95% opacity. This gives a slightly different look than the paper over the background which we typically use.

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Hopefully all you Suite Peeps aren't TOO out of breath right now! Just take a few minutes to cool-down and do your stretches again and then post your page to our FB site while basking in the sweaty glow of your first completed work-out. I expect to see you tomorrow in our Scrappy Gym - take a couple Advil if your scrappy muscle is a little sore ; ) If that was way too easy for you, just hang on - I promise to kick it up a notch soon!

Your challenge for the day: Spend an extra few minutes on your shadowing - it can make the difference between good and GRRRRRRREAT! : D  Also, try and embrace the white space today. Don't feel like you have to fill your page. Experiment with keeping it clean and simple - you just might like it!



PS Got comments or questions? Leave them here on the blog, post them to our FB page or email me at jengscraps(AT)gmail(DOT)com.