The Creative Design Team had many requests asking us to extend the Love Your Stash series, so we decided to continue challenging ourselves to use our craft stash all year long. Our Love Your Stash challenge began with a weekly video collab in February. Each challenge required us to use a specific item in our craft space. We have enjoyed this challenge just as much as you have and will be continuing to add to the playlist at the beginning of each month. Make sure that you subscribe to our channels so that you don’t miss each month’s mini-series.
Not only has my goal been to use up some of my craft stash, but I am also trying to use up some of the many Craft With Heart kits I have tucked away in my closet. Two years ago, I started receiving my Craft with Heart kits in the mail and, at first, I struggled with the designs. I want my pages to be original and match the theme of my photos, but I felt like the kits were too structured and wouldn’t work for my designs.
Instead of canceling the subscription, I decided to take another look at the components in the kits. I realized that I don’t have to follow the instruction sheet, I can add to the kit, and I can rearrange the pages to match my photos. That is exactly what I did for my Dam Tower Layout.
Before I share my process video with you, I want to show you a few of the changes I made to this scrapbook kit.
In the kit, I received a preprinted background sheet, some photo mats, stickers, and die cuts. The original July 2020 layout was designed to look like this.
A few of the components that came with the kit worked perfectly for my design – the title, the blue stripes and tags, and the paprika-colored elements. This kit also contained some bright green elements and spaces for horizontal and smaller photos. My photos are vertical and I didn’t want to trim them down to the smaller size plus bright green didn’t seem to fit the mountain theme.
My first step was to cover up the smaller blue photo mat on the pre-printed background. I chose an outdoor-themed pattern paper from my stash and added a strip of it to the page. I have to admit, the photo mats on the backgrounds are something I wish were left off the kits. They don’t always match the size or orientation of my photos.
To match the pattern paper, I matted my photos in Toffee cardstock and added them to the page. I did trim down one of the photos to match the vertical strip of photos on the original design. Under one of the photos, I used the little flag and banner stickers that came with the kit.
I also used the blue tag that came with the kit because it matched the beautiful blue sky in the background. The round tag was created using one of the kit’s photo mats. I liked the look of the round tag on the original design, but it was that bright green color, so I chose to replicate it using some tag thin cuts.
The photo mats that came in the kit were designed for those 3×4 photos, which I didn’t have, so I used the pattern paper mats to create that round tag and to replicate the flag on the left page.
On the flag, I added some pine tree stickers from my stash. These photos were taken in the mountains and I wanted to create an outdoor feel on the pages. The addition of the pine trees, “wonder” tag, and wood shapes give you a feeling of being outdoors on a little road trip.
The title on this layout was perfect for my design, so I kept it. I simply moved it over a little and added some little additions from my stash above it. I also used up some acrylic shapes and some brads from my stash. Brads are one thing I have SO MANY OF, and it felt good to use up a few on these pages.
If you wish to recreate this layout or see a few tips and tricks for reinventing a scrapbook kit, you can view my process video. In the video description, I have added links to all the other Creative Design Team channels so that you can view their May Love Your Stash videos.
I hope that you enjoyed this month’s Love Your Stash video and that you were inspired to take another look at your Craft With Heart kits.
If you would like to learn more about these monthly scrapbook kits, you can learn how to subscribe on my website. You can also view the current kits available so that you can see what you will be receiving in the mail. It is easy to do and you have multiple subscription options. Each kit comes with everything you need to make two full-size layouts plus memory protectors. All you need is adhesive and a journaling pen.
Thank you again for view our Love Your Stash challenge and for all the kind comments to continue the series. I hope that you are enjoying all of the inspiration each month.
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