Love Your Face Layout by Missy Whidden

Tuesday, April 25, 2017

You can always tell when you're looking at a Missy Whidden layout! She has a definite style that always includes lots of bright colors and fabulous mixed media techniques! Today's layout is no exception! Take it away, Missy!

Hello again, friends! Missy here to share a fun and bright layout featuring the Oh My Heart 12x12 Paper Pad. It has most of the 12x12 papers in it and it also includes more of the gold foil designs as well as several white die cut papers! These are perfect if you don’t own an electronic die cutting machine because these are already cut for you. I chose one of the geometric designs and used it as a background design. I backed about half of it with papers from the Oh My Heart 6x6 Paper Pad. I backed the entire thing with white cardstock and I used lots of colorful gelatos and some spray inks to create watercolor splotches. I wanted the right half of the page to be artsy while the left side is more ordered. Mixing and matching messy with neat is so fun!

Like I’ve done with my past few pages, I mixed and matched items from each of Paige’s collections. I used a few wood veneer pieces from Fancy Free all around my photo. I topped it off with a shiny gold heart Chipboard Sticker from Take Me Away - I had to use it since my daughter’s face is definitely “wild,” haha! I machine stitched around all the hexagons with white thread. Before I added any gelatos or inks, I covered most of the area with white gesso - this allows the mixed media products to blend and smooth together really easily.

I decided to create a big flower cluster over on the upper right area. The colors just popped and that space was perfect for them. I fussy cut them from the 12x12 Paper Pad and layered them up. I also added a few around the page. I love how you can really see the shapes on the background through the gelatos. Smudging that color over the tone-on-tone white makes them stand out. For my title I combined some of the scripty words from the Oh My Heart Chipboard Stickers and the Take Me Away Thickers.

I wanted to bring in some of the rose gold elements from the 12x12 Paper Pad so I fussy cut the words “hey sugar.” I split them up and used the “sugar” right underneath my title. Here you can see how awesome the different patterned papers look behind the cut file. This is one of my all-time favorite techniques. To add the finishing touches around the page, I placed some different colors of tangled thread.

I hope this inspires you to check out the Oh My Heart 12x12 Paper Pad! There are some really beautiful things that you simply must have! Thanks for stopping by and have a great week!

SUPPLIES: OH MY HEART: 12x12 Paper Pad, 6x6 Paper Pad, Chipboard Stickers, Acrylic Stamps; TAKE ME AWAY: Chipboard Stickers, Thickers; FANCY FREE: Wood Veneer

Blog: littlenuggetcreations.blogspot.com Instagram: @missywhidden Pinterest: @missywhidden
Facebook: missy.whidden YouTube: Missy Whidden

I haven't used the die cut papers from the 12x12 Paper Pad yet and now I want to run to the kitchen table (which is where I scrap!) and start playing with them immediately thanks to Missy's page!

Sand & Sun Layout

Monday, April 24, 2017

It's Ampersands Week on the Pink Paislee blog and here is the layout I made to kick it off:

SAND & SUN by Paige Evans

DESCRIPTION: I was thinking of an idea to begin with featuring ampersands and glanced over at the wall where I have the layered paper hearts I made for my Spring Decor class at Big Picture Classes. I thought, hey, instead of using hearts, I could use ampersands, and skip the foam adhesive between all the layers to keep it pretty flat! Done and done :)

JOURNALING SAYS: I don't think I've ever seen you so happy as you were here swimming in Nice, France. You love water!

HOW TO: Pick an ampersand and then offset it to make 7 layers. Die cut the first layer from smooth white cardstock then each additional/bigger layer from patterned paper. Machine stitch around each ampersand to add texture and help define the edges - otherwise they just get lost together in a jumble of (beautiful!) color. On a textured white cardstock background, lightly trace the ampersand piece and then use the packaging technique to smudge watercolors around the image. Adhere the ampersand on top then go to town with the photo, title, journaling, and smattering of embellishments!

SUPPLIES: Patterned paper, stickers (chipboard, mini alphabet, paper), die cuts: Oh My Heart by Paige Evans / Pink Paislee; Cardstock, pen, adhesive: American Crafts; Watercolors: Loew Cornell; Die cut machine: Silhouette Cameo 3; Sewing machine: Brother; Thread: Coats & Clark

Monaco

Sunday, April 23, 2017

After exploring the Italian Riviera it was time to dive into the French side, but first we stopped to check out the micro-nation of Monaco!

Fancy Monaco plate on a fancy car.

We got lost a million times trying to find somewhere to park and then figure out how to get up to the old town, but thankfully eventually we found the long ramped walkway up to Monaco-Ville.

Built in BFFs.

Rick Steves patronizingly criticizes Monaco for having a "Disneyesque" vibe. However, we are HUGE Disney fans, so we found that a definite pro instead of con! So enchanting, magical, pastel, clean, neat, and tidy!

Statues along the walk.

Emerging into Palace Square. | Flowers.

At the top of Monaco-Ville (the old town portion of Monaco), is the Palais Princier - the residence of Prince Albert, the ruler of Monaco. In medieval times there was a castle here that helped protect the country, but it has been upgraded into something a little more comfortable.

This portion of Monaco high up on the rock with the castle gave birth to this principality in 1215 and it's managed to remain an independent country for most of its 800 years. Monaco-ville was the fortified stronghold that withstood invaders and attackers over the centuries.

There are great views over the principality from up here. In this picture you can see them setting up the track for the famous Grand Prix and the casino that put Monaco on the map: Monte Carlo.

Chris and the kids. I miss having a stroller to prop up the camera for family selfies and I'm too shy to trouble people to ask them to take our photo!

Enjoying the sunshine and the views.

Disneyesque is right! And it's awesome!

About 30,000 people live in Monaco, two-thirds of whom live here because there is no income tax. Nooice. The remaining 10,000 are the native Monegasques.

Monaco used to be known as a "sunny place for shady people," due to its tax haven status. But Prince Albert has been doing his best to clean up the reputation.

Speaking of the Prince, he walked right by us! By the time I got my camera out he was heading into the palace, but he really did pass right by us with only minimal security around him.

Monaco's royal family is descended directly from François Grimaldi, a renegade Italian who captured Monaco in 1297 and began the dynasty which today has the distinction of being the longest-lasting dynasty in Europe.

The American movie star Grace Kelly became Princess Grace after she married Prince Rainier, the then ruler of Monaco, in 1956. She first came to Monaco to star in Alfred Hitchcock's 1955 film To Catch a Thief. All around the city are photos of the handsome couple.

They wed here, in the Cathédral de Monaco, which was rebuilt in 1878.

The interior is beautifully lit.

Past rulers from the dynasty are entombed behind the altar, including Princess Grace and Prince Rainier.

After leaving the cathedral we dipped into the wonderful and shaded Jardin Botanique.

These cliffside gardens are an oasis of color and pristinely maintained.

Then we hopped a city bus and rode over to Monte Carlo, Spanish for Charles' Hill, named for the prince who presided over Monaco's 19th century makeover.

This part of the micro-country is home to Europe's most famous casino.

Ferraris, Lambos, Rolls, Bentleys, and more were all parked out front. Swaaaaaaanky.

In the mid-1800s, olive groves stood here. Then, after Monaco lost two-thirds of its territory to France, they were granted the right to build a casino. After the construction of the casino designed by the famous architect Charles Granier, spas, a nice road, and train access, Monaco was on the map as the place for vacationing aristocracy to play. What was once one of Europe's poorest countries now has the highest per-capita income on the continent.

We decided to forgo riding the bus back to our car and strolled down the hill of Monte Carlo towards the harbor.

I don't even know how buildings can be built right on cliff edges!

Peek into the harbor.

Warmth and sunshine = good for the soul. Feeling like we were walking around Disneyland was awesome too!

Since 1929 cars have raced around the port, in front of the casino, and up and down the hills of the country in one of the world's premier auto races - the Grand Prix de Monaco.

Set up was well underway for the race which will be held in May. Just missed it!

Monaco shenanigans:

Our family in Monaco on Monday April 3rd 2017. It was very sunny.

Next: Nice, France!

Genoa, Italy

Saturday, April 22, 2017

To help break up the drive from the Cinque Terre to Monaco we stopped in Genoa, Italy (or Genova in Italian, why do we drop the "v"?) to explore a little bit.

Italy's largest sea port acts a gateway to the Riviera for tourists today, but in the past it was a major Mediterranean power. During the 12th and 13th centuries the Most Serene Republic of Genoa ruled the region and contended with other major powers such as Florence and Pisa.

Today, vestiges of its past are evident in the grand architecture and fabulous palaces throughout the city.

The city's Cathedral of San Lorenzo is a Gothic and Romanesque mix dating from the 12th century. It narrowly escaped being destroyed during WWII when a British bomb fell through the roof but failed to explode.

I love the stripes on the Romanesque columns.

Checking out a side chapel.

Back out on the street, we soaked in the sunshine and amazing architecture.

Classic Italian paint colors and alleys.

The ancient city gate of Porta Soprana marks the boundary of the old medieval city.

Cloister ruins.

Christopher Columbus' house! He was originally from Genoa but sailed for Spain and is buried in Seville.

Then we hopped on the metro and rode a couple stops down to the Porto Antico. This port once controlled a small empire. Now it is simply a wonderful place to stroll.