Guest Designer | Amber Leal

Hi everyone!

It is a happy Thursday indeed! I’m pretty new to the Felicity Jane blog so let me take a moment to introduce myself. My name is Amber and I am so incredibly excited and grateful to be a guest designer today! It is such an honor to be able to share with you a couple projects I made using the gorgeous FJ “Lola” kit.

A fun fact about me is that I’m actually a Registered Nurse by day… but a scrapbooker just about every other moment, ha! I live in sunny Arizona and wouldn’t want to live anywhere else – I just love the warmth and sunshine. I have been with my high school sweetheart since I was just fourteen years old! My favorite scrapbook projects to make are 12x12 layouts and mini albums. Although I do absolutely love a creative challenge to make something totally new and different!

I adore scrapbooking because it’s my way of creative expression where I get to indulge in dreamy colors and all the pretty paper things. I also love that it can be just as meaningful as it is pure fun. Whether it’s a picture you’re documenting to remember a special memory, or a gift your crafting to love on someone else, scrapbooking can be a way to make things that are pretty, purposeful, and even practical sometimes!

Today, I’m sharing a 12x12 layout and a couple fun interactive mini pages! For the layout, I couldn’t resist using the beautiful floral-patterned paper as my base. I am completely obsessed with flowers and floral patterns – they’re kind of my thing. I decided to document a picture of myself taken during a brand photoshoot for my upcoming blog, Aspire by Grace, that’s due to launch in just three days! It was such a fun memory because it really helped propel me forward in creating my blog. Plus, the hues of green in the background of the picture really flowed well with the subtle green colors of the paper.

 I mounted my photo on a piece of white cardstock, which is something I do to almost every picture I document. To the left of my photo, I layered a couple of the pretty journaling cards together. I chose the green and blue striped cards since their colors matched the floral paper. I used one of the label ephemera pieces to bring in a splash of yellow to tie in with my yellow kimono in the photo. On this label, I used the puffy alphabet stickers to add the date when this photo was taken. Below the date on the journaling card, I journaled about that special day and how it was such a big step in my blog journey.

To cradle my photo and journaling, I used the lovely tissue fringe trim! I layered the pink on top of the white to add a little dimension. I put the title of the layout – “Dreamer” – on top of the fringe trim below my photo and journaling. The polka dot chipboard alphas are to die for! They are so simple, subtle, and elegant – truly perfect for any layout. Then I began adding my ephemera and chipboard pieces!

I absolutely loved the chipboard word pieces. I chose a few that really captured how I was feeling in this photo – happy, passionate, and creative. I put them partially directly on my photo to the right side. I love the dimension and flair it added to the layout. I also used the pretty chipboard flower – again, I couldn’t resist the floral! – and the cute polka dot bow. To add in another splash of yellow, I cut the branding strip off another paper and adhered it to the top of my paper. Such a sweet layout that captured a really special day.

For my next project, I needed something to house the interactive mini pages so I decided to use an old pink planner shell I had. I then trimmed down some mini pages to clip inside it. I used the pretty coral pink paper and the tiny black hearts paper. I used a couple more journaling cards to create a dimensional and interactive element for each page. I layered each with ephemera pieces, chipboard pieces, and puffy stickers to add some fun color and dimension.

For the blue striped card on the left, I decided to make a pocket. I used adhesive tape to secure only the sides and bottom edges down, leaving only the top of the card open. I stapled the two side edges to make sure it stayed securely in place on the page. I then adhered the floral tab ephemera piece to the top of a small picture of myself and my boyfriend of 9 years, and tucked the picture into the pocket!

For the pink polka dot card on the right, I secured only one edge of the card to the paper using some yellow washi tape I had in my stash. This created a little flip card, and underneath I stuck down another photo. I used more of the darling ephemera pieces and even added a little journaling to the backside of the flip card. I also used the “remember this” stamp to help highlight that precious moment.

These little interactive pages and the layout were so much fun to make, and the Lola kit was simply perfect with the most darling pieces to help me create soft, but vibrant and cheerful vibes. I am so thankful that I got a chance to use this lovely kit to create some pretty magical things. I hope you’re inspired to use the colors and pieces from this kit to paint a scrappy creation that highlights something special to you!

Thank you so much for being here, friends! I hope I can share some more projects with you in the future! Happy scrapping!

Amber