Creative ways to use our January Kit -Part I

We'd like to share with you some layouts created by members of our design team, using our January kit.  You can use this kit to create layouts with many different looks, as you'll see below.

Be sure to check back Thursday when we'll have more layouts to share with you.

"So Lovely" by Kristie

"Fascinating" by Beverly

"Air" by Leslie

"1st Show" by Valerie

"Good Times" by Kay

Wow, so many looks from just one kit!  This kit, featuring paper from 7 Dots Studio sold out quickly.  To make sure you get our kits in the future, head over to our website and sign up to become a member!

Waterlillies

Design Team member Kristie Taylor created this great flower tutorial for us. 

How to make paper waterlilies:

Your completed waterlilies will look something like this:

Step 1 - gather supplies and punch flowers
Choose your punches. These are the punches I used, but you can use any that are similar:

 You will need:
- four large flowers with five petals
- two medium flowers (I used snowflakes)
- two small flowers (I used daisies)
- large marker
- paintbrush handle or stylus tool
- something soft like an old mouse pad or piece of bubble wrap (I used a padded envelope because it was close and I didn't have to get up from my comfy chair).

Step 2 - Stirring
Place the four large flowers on your soft surface.  This step is called "stirring" which means that you place the round end of your marker in the center of each large flower and "stir" it in a circular motion while pushing down. This will make your flowers curl upward.

Step 3 - Curling
Continuing with the four large flowers, the next step is called "curling".  This means that you rub the round end of your marker down each petal of your large flowers until they "curl" slightly, but not too much because you will need room for stacking the petals.

Step 4 - Pinching
Now you will pinch each petal of the four large flowers to make a "v" shape. It's pretty easy and it doesn't need to be perfect. (Please excuse my  paint crusted fingernails.  I have been creating all day.)

After you pinch the petals,  they should look something like this:

Step 5
You will need to complete this step if you used something similar to the snowflake I used.  You will need to make each petal smaller to resemble a stamen, so snip each petal in half.

Step 6 - Repeat
Repeat - you will now "stir" and "curl" the two medium and two small flowers

Step 7 - Cupping
Using the two medium and two small flowers,  you will need to do the "cupping". This means that you will place the tip of your stylus tool (or paintbrush handle) in the center and push downward to make the flower petals "cup" the tool.  Sometimes you may need to help it along with you fingers.  Push all the petals up like this:

Step 8 - Stack
Now you're ready to "stack em up".   Stack the pieces, staggering each flower between the petals of the flower below it.  You can either glue them together or use a brad to hold them together. You could place a small gem or button in the center, if desired.  I also like to spray them with glitter, spray ink, and maybe add some Stickles, too.

You should have something that looks like this.

Here are some of these flowers used on a layout created with the January kit:

 

I hope you liked my tutorial and I hope you decide to give it a try.  If you do, please post it so we can see your beautiful work!

Challenge Update

I hope you're enjoying this first week of the new year, and if you made any resolutions for 2012, hopefully you haven't given up yet!  First, I'd like to announce the winner of our "Holiday Layout Challenge".  We saw some great smiles on the Christmas layouts that were submitted.  In a random draw, Jenifer was chosen as the winner of this challenge.  We know her as Jennaroo in the forum and gallery.  Here is her winning layout.  Wow, isn't this beautiful?  Congratulations Jenifer.  You will receive an RAK from C'est Magnifique.

 

Now it's time to announce our new challenge:

 

Are you familiar with Ali Edward's One Little Word?  If not, you can read all about it on her blog. This week's challenge is to create a layout or canvas to let us know about your "one little word' for 2012. If you're not officially participating in Ali's concept, that doesn't mean you can't participate in this challenge. Just create a layout or canvas with a one word title, and somehow let us know how this word ties into how you live your life, your goals, your dreams, etc.

The winner, selected by a random draw, will win an RAK from C'est Magnifique. You have until Sunday, January 15 at midnight EST to post your layout or canvas. Your entry must be posted in the forum in this thread AND in our gallery in the "One Little Word Challenge" folder. If your project is not posted in both places, it will be disqualified.

I'm excited about this challenge because I think it will let us find out a little more about each other. So, get busy and create a layout or canvas about 'one little word'. Since it's 'one' word, you may only submit layout for this challenge.

 

~~~Valerie Serfozo

Our January Sketch Challenge

Design Team member, Nadia Cannizzo, has generously agreed to provide us with a sketch each month, made exclusively for C'est Magnifique. Nadia's sketches are both inspiring and easily adaptable to any style of scrapping. We'd like to start 2012 with her first sketch.

Take a look at what Nadia created using her sketch.  Isn't it beautiful?

We would love to see what you come up with using the sketch. Submissions are due by January 31 at midnight EST.  The design team will vote to determine the winner. You don't need to be a member to participate in our sketch challenge, and you're welcome to use any paper and embellishments you have in your stash. However, if you are a winner and it is obvious that you used any one of our kits, the prize will be doubled. The monthly prize is a $10 gift certificate to the C'est Magnifique store (or a $20 gift card for those who use a kit). The winning layout will be featured on our blog and in the forum.

TO BE ELIGIBLE, you must upload your project to our gallery and place it in the January 2012 Sketch Challenge folder. You must also post the layout in THIS area of our forum. Your layout will not be eligible for consideration unless it is uploaded both places.

Have fun. We can't wait to see how YOU use the sketch!

~~~Valerie Serfozo

January's Guest Designer

Please give a warm welcome to Pamela Young - our January Guest Designer! Pamela is a designer for multiple companies and we were lucky she agreed to design for us! She openly admits that she has her own style and I wholeheartedly agree. What's really nice about her though is that she scraps in different ways using what's at hand. You can view her blog here - http://pamelasworldofscrap.blogspot.com/, but here is a photo, a short bio and some totally rockin' layouts using our January kit "My Soul's Canvas".

Thank you so much for awing us with your talent, Pamela!

Pamela Young

"I am honored to be guest designing at C'est Magnifique Kit Club. My main passion is scrapbooking, although I do other projects as well. I have been scrapbooking for about 10 years. My style can only be called the "Pamela style"...not really defined by any other so called style. You can find my work in several different magazines, including Cards, Creating Keepsakes, Memory Makers, Scrapbooks and Cards Today, Scrapbooks Etc, Scrapbook Trends, and more.

 I am currently designing for BasicGrey, Fancy Pants Designs, We R Memory Keepers and The ScrapCake. I live in the US in beautiful Colorado, and I am a stay-at-home mom to two wild boys, ages 8 and 6, and a 2 year old girl. They grow up so fast. I am enjoying life right now, even though it can get a bit chaotic."

Introducing...My Soul's Canvas

I sure wish everyone could have had a chance to work with this kit! These papers were just so fun to play with because they really were like a canvas just waiting to be sprayed, spritzed, painted - you name it!

Unfortunately, this kit has been sold out for a couple of weeks now and if you are thinking of joining - now's the time as we only have a couple left for February.

Anyway...here is "My Soul's Canvas"...

Run, Play, Splash by Kristie Taylor

Kristie's description:

This page was super easy to put together with these colorful papers by 7 Dots Studio! I started with the background, but I wanted to tone it down just a tad so I dry-brushed it with gesso.

I then cut a circle from one of the other sheets and sprayed on some mists in a concentrated fashion, allowing it to drip down the paper. Then I started building layers, distressing the edges with Vintage Photo Distress Ink.

The paper directly behind the photos is the packaging from the Prima flowers, which is in the add-ons. I also added the Dusty Attic cogs and the title.

Add-Ons Used:
Dusty Attic Cogs - SOLD OUT

7 Dots Studio: Dreamer: Stickers