My Design Debut at TheBugBytes: Scrapbook page or Wall Art?

I'm deeply honored that Pam aka TheBugBytes asked me to design something for her blog.

Sometimes scrapbook pages are just too wonderful to keep in a book. So why not take out a page that will "stand" on its own and put it on the wall. Of course you can also make things that you only intend to display on the wall. If you want to rotate your displays, you can store the ones you aren't using in a scrapbook lol.

Because I couldn't get a better picture in the frame (I should have done this outside when it was light out lol), I took another picture of the layout out of the frame since the glass just doesn't come out of that shadow frame!

Layers are something I hadn't fully utilized on my Gypsy until I made this project. In fact, I stopped using them all together after the Thanksgiving/Christmas update that rendered them unusable (and I didn't update until latest version). So when Pam told me about what layers could do now (especially the moving them around part), I knew I had to start really using them.

So without further ado, here's my take on a layout for displaying the cousin side of the family tree. You can download the gypsy file here. For this project, I used the Heritage cart and my Gypsy.

In a complete turnaround of my typical Gypsy usage, each aspect of this file is on it's own separate layer (have I mentioned that I love the new layers??).

I usually use the Return to Design option after the cut is finished. That way I have a chance to doublecheck the cut before I take it off the mat. I just use the buttons around the cut button to move the cutting blade assembly (I usually keep a cart in my Expression).

Since I used the same paper for the title and the frame, and because I hit the Return to Design button after the title cut, I just went to the frame layer and moved it near the cousins to save paper and hit cut. Using the Gypsy means I don't have to worry where the cutting blade is when the cutting starts (knock wood lol).

Here's the breakdown of the Heritage cuts, Gypsy techniques and papers by layer.

Title
Heritage: Frame Feature (row 1, image 8 on p. 31), Word Feature "Cousins" (row 4, image 7 on p. 60)
paper: dark brown cardstock from stash
Gypsy techniques: "Cousins" height 1", Frame height 2.29". Welded "Cousins" inside the frame and used hide contour feature to hide the holes on both sides of frame.

Since I used the same paper for this and the frame, after I cut this out (and used "Return to Design") I just went to the frame layer and cut that (after I moved it to an optimal paper-saving location). After I glued this to the title background, I distressed it with a fine grain sandpaper.

Title Background
Heritage: Frame Feature (row 1, image 8 on p. 31), height 2.29".
Paper: the only name I could find on this was "handmade", but I have two different pads with this in the left hand corner.
Gypsy techniques: I used the hide contour feature to hide everything except the outside contour.

I cut the frame background right after this because it used the same paper.

Frame
Heritage: Charm Feature (row 4, image 2 on page 55), height 5" (adjust to fit picture).
Paper: dark brown cardstock from stash.
Gypsy techniques: flipped upside down and hid the hole with hide contour.

Frame Background
Heritage: Charm Feature shift (row 4, image 2 on page 55), height 5".
Paper: the only name I could find on this was "handmade", but I have two different pads with this in the left hand corner
Gypsy techniques: flipped upside down and hid the hole.

Tree
Heritage: Basic Feature (row 1, image 1, p. 24), height 11"
Paper: Tim Coffey by K&Co.

Tree Background
Heritage: Shadow Feature (row 1, image 1, p. 24), height 11"
Paper: Best of Brenda Walton by K&Co.

Leaves
Heritage: Basic Feature shift (row 1, image 1, p. 24)
Decided the design didn't need them, but forgot to take it out of the file lol.

Background
Paper:  Ivory & Black by K&Co. This was the paper I "had" to use, the starting point for it all lol. Can you see the sparkle in those flowers?