Hello pad friends!!Today I am sharing a layout I created for this month's template challenge. The Lilypad hosts a template challenge each month with a FREE template generously provided by one of our designers.This month's template was provided by Scrappin' with Liz and is perfect for scrapping a page with lots of photos or a series of photos!I made just a few changes to this template, but I loved it so much that I kept much of it the same. Instead of using the two photo strips, I used a photo strip/frames by Allison Pennington. Here is a preview of the set I used:I only used one strip to scrap the four photos I wanted to use on my layout, but I duplicated it and left some peeking out under the frame with the photos.I used this great template to document our first day of homeschool this year. I always take a photo of each of my kids with their grade. This … [Read more...]
Howdy, August BYOC?
Happy Friday, Pad Scrappers!Polly Liana here, super excited to introduce you to the BYOC for August. What is BYOC, you ask? Great question! BYOC stands for Build Your Own Collection. On the first Friday of every month, the Lilypad releases a collection of products from all of our talented designers. They create using the same palette so everything coordinates but because we have such a phenomenal range of designer styles, the products have something for everyone. Let's take a look at the collection, shall we?First, beautiful papers:Diverse elements and kits:Helpful templates:Clever alphas and word art:And for you pocket scrappers out there, awesome journal cards:And best of all, it's all on sale this weekend! And you can save with our Buy More Save More program. Check it out:So slide on over to our store to scoop up some of this goodness, … [Read more...]
Thoughtful Thursday: What Makes You Happy
Hello friends!!Today's blog post is inspired by the August Journaling Challenge. Journaling challenges give us a change to dig into our stories and make them the center of our layouts. I love a good journaling prompt as a jumping off point for a scrapbook page.This month's challenge is a simple one that gave me a lot of positive inspiration. The challenge was to simply create a layout with journaling about something that makes you happy.After reading the challenge, I went looking for a kit that shouted "happy" to me and I found it in Moments Like This by Pink Reptile Designs. The bright, cheerful colors and elements really gave off a "happy" vibe that I knew I could incorporate into a layout with this journaling. I even decided to use the Moments Like This template set.I chose photos of my four kids having a water balloon fight on the Fourth of July this year … [Read more...]
Creating Paper Folds in Photoshop
Hello everyone! I am dropping in today with a quick tip for creating a folded paper look in Photoshop (or PSE). You can see the tip in action on this page: Notice what appears to be paper folds across the background paper? Those were created with several paper strips shadowed only on one side. I used the background and paper strips from the "oh so awesome" Fiddle-Dee-Dee's The Magic of You {Dressed Up} templates. All you have to do to create this effect is place a background paper on the bottom. Then clip the same paper (in the same location) to each of the paper strips. When you add the drop shadow it makes it look like the paper was actually folded in a flattened accordion style. Here are the drop shadow settings I used: And that is all there is to it! I hope you have fun creating your own accordion fold backgrounds. … [Read more...]
August Challenges
Hello everyone! It’s Polly Karen back again to give you a quick overview of all the new challenges for June. Each month we have 8 brand new challenges that are posted in the forum Challenge Pad on the 1st day of the month. (the BYOC Challenge is posted on the 1st Friday of the month.) You can use the challenges simply to inspire you to keep creating new layouts OR you can also earn yourself a fabulous coupon for your next shopping trip in the Lilypad Store. (2 challenges = 10%, 4 challenges = 20% and 6 challenges = 30%). Those who complete at least 7 challenges will be entered in a drawing for a $50 gift certificate! Isn’t that an awesome prize?!?! You’ll get lots of great memories captured in your scrapbooks AND you could win a fat gift certificate prize!!! Pretty great, right?! So let’s take a look at this month’s new batch of challenges!1. Template Challenge - … [Read more...]
Welcome to August MPM!
Hi Pad Scrappers!Polly Liana here to ask you a question: After everything our world has been going through since mid March, how are you feeling? Up? Down? A little of both? I've definitely had a lot of both. Lately, I've been caught in a funk. Too long indoors, too long away from friends and family. For anyone who is stuck in a similar situation, August's MPM is for you. What is MPM? It stands for Memory Pockets Monthly. Every month around now, a team of our most talented pocket designers release a collection of pocket cards and coordinating elements that are centered around a central word or theme. For August, the word is "BLAH." It's absolutely perfect for those days (weeks? months?) when you need to do some therapeutic scrapping. Sometimes the best thing you can do is take your funk and create something with it. Journaling and creating can be so cathartic when … [Read more...]
July Challenge Spotlight
Hello everyone! I hope you are all staying safe and healthy these days! It’s Polly Karen here bringing you another monthly Challenge Spotlight post. Once a month I have the privilege of looking through the challenge galleries to find just a few of my favorite layouts and shine my spotlight on them here.If you aren’t familiar with the challenges, here’s a little information about them to get you started. We offer 8 monthly challenges in the forum each month. If you play along with these challenges you can earn yourself a coupon to use on your next Lilypad shopping spree. You will earn as follows: 2 challenges = 10% off, 4 challenges = 20% off and 6 challenges = 30% off. Also, if you finish at least 7 challenges, in addition to your coupon, you will be entered in a drawing for a chance to win a $50 gift certificate! Now let’s look at some of the standout pages created … [Read more...]
Template Tuesday : July 2020 Template Challenge
Hello, friends!!Today I want to highlight the incredible Template Challenge for this month. Each month The Lilypad hosts a template challenge that includes a FREE template from one of our designers. This is such a great way to add to your stash of supplies and work with a great template!This month's template was graciously offered by Elif Sahin Designs and is the perfect template for a clean and simple layout!!In the spirit of Christmas in July, I created a Christmas themed layout using this template and the Christmas Day collection by Elif Sahin Designs. I kept the template much the same, except adding a patterned background paper underneath a solid background to add in a little more color.Here are some other layouts from the template challenge that caught my attention... The Template Challenge is … [Read more...]
Template Tuesday : Using a Recipe in a Photo Spot
Hello scrappy friends!!I love using templates in new ways. For the Christmas in July Scrap Challenge to scrap a favorite holiday recipe, I used a recipe in a photo spot to bring extra attention to the recipe.For this layout I used a template from Fiddle Dee Dee Designs A Summer Day Dressed Down collection.I loved the large photo spots in these templates and thought they would be perfect to fit a recipe inside, just like a recipe card.I added a large background photo of the cookies in the recipe and embellished the remainder of the layout using the template as a guide.I've never thought to use the photo spot in a template in this way, but it worked great for this recipe layout!!How do you think outside the box when you're using a template? … [Read more...]
Gradient Tool Blending in Photoshop
Hello everyone! I'm dropping in today with a tip for blending two designs together with the Gradient Tool in Photoshop. I love using journal cards on my digital scrapbooking pages - but sometimes instead of one perfect card, I find that I want to combine parts of two different cards. I did just that on this page (click on layout for gallery credits): Notice the focal card in the middle of the page? That is actually two journal cards that I combined with the Gradient Tool. Here is the Before and After: This technique is easy to accomplish in Photoshop. Step 1. Place the two journal cards directly on top of each other. Activate both journal cards in the layers palette by clicking one then, while holding down the Shift or Ctrl key, click on the other. Now use the alignment tools at the top of the workspace. I … [Read more...]