Echo Park Fresh Face Challenge

Hello Everyone,

I was so excited when I read on the Echo Park blog that they were having a "Fresh Face" contest to be a guest Design Team Member.  As many of you know I LOVE Echo Park paper.  So far I have bought every line that has been made and I have used every drop of paper from each line.  I never throw any of it away.  I save the smallest bit because you never know when you might need it.  I teach a monthly sketch layout class at my lss and the people always laugh because I always want to do a class using the Echo Park paper.  May's class used the Playground line and I can't wait for July's class because we will be using Summertime collection.  The paper is so versatile and I just love the designs and especially all the embellishments.  Ok enough of me raving on about how much I love Echo Park and let's get down to the businesss of my 3 projects.  It was really hard for me to pick only 3 since I have so many but these are some of my favorites right now.

My first layout is "King For A Day".  This layout  was published in the May issue of ScrapStreet EMagazine.  I was so excited that my first publication used the Echo Park paper.  When the release came out of the Little Boy line I called my lss everyday until it arrived. I was crazy but I bought 3 paper packs of this line.  I have 2 boys and I just fell in love with the wonderful colors and designs.  I have made so many fun creations using this line.

Jack, my son, was playing with a King's hat and I snapped these photos.  When I got them developed I knew that the Little Boy line was perfect.  The first thing I did was cut a 10x10 square of the paper and pulled out my sewing machine. I love to sew on my layouts.  Next, I cut several strips of the paper all 2 inches in width and used my EK Success border punches and layered them.  I love the look of layered borders.  To anchor the ends I used a button just to tie it together.  I then cut out some random circles and layered them. I placed a button in the center just to finish it off.  I used my Silhouette and cut a King's Hat to add an an embellishment.  One of the things that I love the most about Echo Park is that the alphabet stickers are always so fun and the fonts are awesome. I placed it all together and then added my journaling block.  I did add for just a little touch a tab created by using the Ali Edwards stamps.  I love to include a bit of stamping on my layouts.

Supply list

paper-echo park

buttons and twine-paper trey ink

tools-silhouette, ek success border punches, coluzzle, sewing machine

stamps-ali edwards

ink-hero arts

sketch- liz qualman for scrapstreet

My next layout is one of my all time favorites. You will always be my little boy was created using my son's fall school picture.  Again when I saw the picture I knew exactly that this collection would be perfect.  This layout shows my love of pattern paper.  I love to layer it.  It just adds so much dimension to the layout without adding all the bulk that heavy embellishments can create.

Again I used all my scraps from other projects.  I used the navy sheet as my base and then kept adding layer upon layer to add brightness to the brown.  I tucked little pieces under the picture at different angles. I also tucked the candy stripe on each end of the brown.  I cut a small sliver of paper of the different stripes and used my border punch --love those punches.  At the bottom of the layout I used my scalloped punches again to tie the two together. 

For fun I paired the Echo Park paper with Jillibean Soup journaling spots.  The spots were perfect and they matched the paper perfectly.  I love the one I tucked under the photo that says "smile".  It was just perfect for the layout.  I also loved layering the spots.  I added some stamping (of course) and stamped my journaling spot with ali edwards stamps, and I also stamped the month spot. My son is 5 so I just tucked the five spot underneath.



supply list
paper-echo park
journaling spots-jillibean soup
title-echo park
stamps- ali edwards, jillibean soup
ink-hero arts
button- paper trey ink
tools-ek success border punch

My third layout today is "Catching Snowflakes"

For this layout I combined Echo Park with Core'dinations cardstock.  The colors with the Core'dinations matched perfectly with the colors in the patterned paper.

1.  Using my Martha Steward Score Board I scored around each side 2 times creating a frame effect.  I then lightly sanded the score marks to bring out the lighter color.
2. Next I cut a 2 1/2 inch strip of the red cardstock and punched it using my EK Success border punch (I am totally addicted to my border punches). 
3.  I then scored the paper 3 times and again lightly sanded the scored marks.
4.  I attached the 2 border pieces to a 10X10 piece of Echo Park paper.
5.  Using my Silhouette I created my title and snowflake.
6.  For the snowflake I used Tim Holtz distress ink "Stormy Sky" and with my blending tool slowly added some color to the die cut.  I didn't want the snowflake to be too dark so I used my Ranger mat and worked my blending tool on the mat and slowly moved onto my snowflake.  This gave the flake just a hint of color.
7.  Next I added just a hint of bling on to the edges of my snowflake.
8.  When I say I am an Echo Park addict I mean it.  I don't throw any paper away no matter how small.  The rest of the layout I used my scraps from other projects.  I first matted my photo and touched the edges again with the Stormy Sky.  I then matted the picture again with a larger piece of Echo Park paper.  I then had some left over pieces that I tucked underneath. 
9.  Finally I used a journaling spot and inked the edges with Stormy Sky.  I added again just a touch of bling to the center of the snowflakes.

I have to say that I love this layout.  The Wintertime collection was just so pretty and the colors were incredible. 

supply list

cardstock-core'dinations

paper-echo park

journaling tag-echo park

bling- I Rock- imaginisce

tools-martha steward score board, sand paper, ek success border punch

I had so much fun putting my layouts together for the fresh face contest.  Winning would be such a dream and a huge honor!  I love everything about Echo Park.  If you check out my blog you will see tons of layouts and projects--here are a couple more links to some of my favorites cube, mini album, bigfoot, and first snow.  I have so many projects that it is so hard to pick just 3.

Thanks so much for stopping by!