Summer Means...Sunshine & Sun Hats! (OUAS)

My blog is full of wild & crazy, brightly colored layouts at the moment.  I think it's time for something a bit different, simply for the sake of variety.  So today I'm sharing a layout with softer, gentler colors.

Supplies: all papers by My Mind's Eye (Follow Your Heart collection); ink by Tsukineko; large alphanumeric stickers by October Afternoon; small alphabet stickers by Bella Blvd; pearlescent paint by Ranger; brown pencil by Faber-Castell; pen by Sakura.

I created this layout using the sketch below.  This single-photo sketch was the perfect vehicle for showcasing one special vacation photo.  Unlike my other vacation photos, this snapshot was not of the landscapes and sights that I saw on my trip.  Instead, it's a glimpse of a sweet family moment.  Creating this layout allowed me to tell the story behind the photo.  The journaling says: "A. and I both forgot to bring sun hats on vacation.  The stores in the small town we were in did not have much selection.  So, we ended up getting matching hats.  We had fun being 'hat twins'.  Matching hats, matching hearts!  Pine River, Minnesota, summer 2011."

 

This sketch is for the current challenge at Once Upon a...Sketch.  The topic this month is seasons, and you can focus on any of the four seasons.  Naturally, I chose to focus on summer, since all of my blog posts this month are summer-themed.  And what could be more summery than a vacation page?  :)

On this layout, I challenged myself to use up the leftover bits and pieces from my Follow Your Heart (MME) mini pad.  I used these pint-sized patterned papers to make my own embellishments.  Above, you see some little pinwheels that I created.

I fussy cut around some hexagons, then cut the hexagons in half to form the banners that you see pictured above.

Using some paper strips and two more hexagons, I fashioned a fancy flower.

In order to draw the eye to my title block, I placed two strips of diagonal-striped paper together to form chevrons.  The chevrons are like an arrow, pointing downward to the woodgrain number two.

It was fun making my own coordinating embellishments with the mini pad.  An added benefit is that I've reduced my scrap pile a bit as well.

If you would like to play along with Once Upon a...Sketch, the challenge runs through the end of the month.  Happy crafting!