Lovin' the die cut papers!

My latest layout is a take off of The Scrappiest sketch challenge #31. If you haven't visited that site yet, make it a point to go this week! The work from the Design Team over there is awesome - I will definitely be using Arlene's technique with the lace cardstock sometime very soon!


Anywho, here's my take on it:

Die cut papers are so much fun to use (my faves are the bracket-y sorts, like on this layout), but I have two problems with using the decorative designed paper:

1) I have a hard time figuring out how to actually use it as a layout. Which is strange, really, because it's just the same, in most instances. I guess I get a little nervous.

and

2) Its so dang expensive! I have a hard time justifying the extra cost for a fancy edge (most of the time), so I use my favorite shapes as templates over and over again.

On this layout I used a die cut sheet from Jenni Bowlin as my template and traced it onto my Twitterpated paper from Imaginece. The Twitterpated papers are great - double-sided designs that are embossed on one side. I cut out the little fox and bird from one of my scraps from the Daddy's Girl layout a few weeks ago, and crafted a tree to "match" the Twitterpated line. Since all of the Twitterpated trees have the cute flowers in them, I used the matching rub-ons in my tree to tie it in. Everything got ink distressed in coordinating colors before I glued anything down. I topped it off with some puffy Thickers and a little office clipy-thing with a bow.