A Boy and His Rocks

Isn't it funny how the smallest things entertain little kids? This is definitely true with my boys and rocks-- they could throw rocks into the lake at my grandparents' cabin all day and be perfectly happy! I think I need to take a lesson from the them, relax a little bit and have fun just throwing some rocks.

I used the Mr. Campy Collection from Cosmo Cricket for my page this week. I loved the muted colors in these papers and the fun patterns. I got these a couple of weeks ago from the Clearance section at The Beary Scrap. Unfortunately, it looks like they are gone now but make sure to check out the great deals Kimm has there, there are paper lines from lots of companies marked 20%, 35% and even 50% off! Besides Cosmo Cricket, I especially like the papers from Bo Bunny, Scenic Route, and the My Mind's Eye Just Dreamy papers so definitely take a look and scoop up some bargains!

A few tips & tricks I want to point out about my layout:

****To highlight the rocks and the movement of my little boy's hand while throwing, I created some circle frames to put right onto the photos. I used various circle punches, punched a circle, put aside the actual punched out paper and then carefully cut around the circle that was left in the sheet of paper to make a thin frame. This could be easily done with squares and ovals as well and is a different way to use your punches.

****I didn't have the exact color of aqua letters that really matched the paper, mine were a little bright and so I inked all over them with Tim Holtz Distress Ink in Vintage Photo to tone down the bright color. It takes a bit longer to dry because the letters had a smooth finish but it turned out just the right color. You could also use some paint to do this. So next time you think you don't have the right color of letter stickers, just see what you can do to alter them instead of getting new ones. It's good to use up your stash!

****I decided to make my own rock accents, this was definitely an experiment! I drew a rock shape on a scrap piece of brown paper with Stickles Glitter Glue in Cinnamon and then filled in the inside of the shape with Glossy Accents clear, dimensional adhesive.When it is filled in, it looks like this and it takes quite awhile to dry, I let mine sit about 5 hours before they were truly dry so this is not something you can just throw together for a quick page or card. But the dimensional adhesive is pretty cool and dries to a hard, clear, glossy finish that I was hoping mimicked the surface of a wet rock. My 6 year old daughter knew exactly what is was when I showed her and said "What does this look like?" so I was pretty pleased with the results.

****Lastly, I used Teardrop Rain Drops from Fiskars for the water splashes-- which were not quite as wet as the splashes that hit me while I was taking these pictures.

I hope you have some boys in your life to celebrate this week with either a card or layout-- be sure to check back tomorrow for more STICKS & STONES ideas! Don't forget to check out all the great bargains at The Beary Scrap in honor of National Scrapbooking Day (May 1) and our brand new challenge which will be posted first thing on the 17th!!