Author: Liz Jutila

Hello and happy Sunday! I hope you are all having a fabulous crafty weekend. I enjoyed my tour through the galleries today, and have lots of entertaining, fun, and when-will-winter-end layouts to share with you. Come take a look!

This is Liz J., and these are my picks.

40th anniversary by donnatopia

That yellow and gray makes a delightful combination for this anniversary page, I was drawn right in. Love the big heart set against the doodly background paper. Wonderful comparison photos! This is such a romantic, wonderful page, I love it. The flag dates and mixed font word art are very eye-catching. Congratulations on 40 years, wishing you many more wonderful anniversaries together!

Friends by Gemma

This one made me laugh, because yeah, who didn’t love that show? And I thought it was an unusual and amusing topic to scrap about. It’s a fun way to shout out hey this is how I like to be entertained, and really, isn’t that a great, quirky thing to add to a scrapbook?! I love that city scene she created and the cool movement the sketchy circles provide. I enjoyed this one.

Snow Day by kythe

There are lots of wintery pages in the galleries right now, and this one just called out to me. I love the photo treatment. The textured background with the paint and translucent snowflake were the perfect accents. She created a scene that made me want to walk right up the stairs into the warmth of whatever is beyond. Very nice.

where did all the color go? by TheBeachGal

Here’s a fun, different take on winter, a real-life paper page done with lots and lots of buttons, sequins, flairs and do-dads! I love the washed-out rainbow idea to express this. I also really like the hand-written text, it adds such a great, personal feel. Fun alpha work on the title. The framing of the photo goes nicely with the overall theme here.

cat’s eyes by gduncan

I love when a designer releases a new template, and we see lots of variations of how to use it. This was my favorite use of this template, with the soft squares of patterned paper popped off the page. Fun word art and text art running throughout the piece. That photo is very striking. Great title work to go with the theme.

i’ll love you forever, Scotland by beehive 50

This page makes quite an impact with that amazing big, big focal photo. Love the use of the white space for the word art, and the little just-the-facts text using the white space of the grass equally effectively. Sometimes less is more, of which Debi is the master. Great travel page, this would make a wonderful cover for an album.

I hope you enjoyed today’s standouts too! If so, please click on the linked title to leave the artist some much-deserved praise. Enjoy the rest of the weekend (and for those of in the states, enjoy your holiday tomorrow!)!

Hello all you wonderful creative people! Today is the last scheduled post for 2018, and it is my pleasure to wrap up the year’s standouts with you. First, I want to thank our dedicated Gallery Standout bloggers for an incredible year of blogging! We are all volunteers participating on this blog, many of whom work full-time, or have life events that we work around in order to blog each day. It takes really special, generous people to give of their time and enthusiasm in such thoughtful posts every day. For those of you lucky enough to receive their attention throughout the year, I hope you will join me in saying a very big thank you to the Gallery Standout bloggers for bringing so much joy to our inboxes all year long!

We will be taking a much-needed hiatus through the first week of the new year, to enjoy the holidays and refresh our creative minds. We wish you all joy, health and happiness through the holidays! We look forward to being inspired by you once again when we pick up the blogging again in January.

I tried hard to find a good mix of styles for this post; naturally there are a lot of Christmas and holiday pages gracing the galleries at this time of year. But we also have some humor, a dog (of course!), traditions, friendships, and as always, great designs. I hope you’ll enjoy today’s picks, come take a look!

This is Liz J., and these are my picks.

Hello Winter [cold day] by katell

This artist had more than one layout in the galleries that really appealed to me, but I saw this one first so it gets the mention! I love the clean design of this page, which (frankly), is unusual for me, as I’m usually drawn to a more clutter-it-up style. The little squares alternating patterns and photos got me to take a close look at each one, and I felt the placement of each square and element really had its own purpose. I love the vertical dot leader line next to the squares, leading us down to the title. Very appealing design, well done. And I’m definitely feeling the winter brrr here!

Holding On To Family Traditions by mamaestes

Here again is a clean and simple design, with a powerful family message about tradition. Love those cut-out bits for holding the patterned paper. Converting the photo to black & white was a nice touch here, it gives it a homey, nostalgic look. Love the kraft for the background. The best part about this page is the heart-felt journaling. Her grandkids will enjoy reading about and continuing this lovely family tradition in years to come.

Lifelong Friends by shannonroller

This is everything good about scrapbooking. It doesn’t get better or more important than this: documenting those special relationships in life. I love the word art, and the text, and the design. The rich history of the friendship just flows from this page. There are some great elements used on this page that set just the right tone — the boots were a great touch! The text is a loving tribute to a life-long friend, who will clearly be missed. I loved this one.

Merry & Bright by ouisiekelly

This page was apparently made for a make-a-tree challenge, and I love that she actually included two on the page! The little berry tree well-shadowed on the bottom right is a fun touch. But, what really appealed to me about this creation was its whimsy! Adorable drawings that create a magical tree scene. This page could easily be printed and used for a Christmas card, don’t you think? Very versatile design, definitely a stand-out.

Finn by JennMcCabe

This is so stinkin’ cute I can hardly stand it! That face! But, also, it’s a great design. That right-leaning cascade of wood wonky hearts leaves no doubt that this puppy is loved! I love all of the elements, so carefully placed – the string, the vellum word strip tucked under the dot word art, the flowers, the letterpress X’s representing kisses, the key… I definitely stopped long enough to take a close look at this one! Too cute, Jenn, love it!

Days of December — 5 December 2018 by carollee

Could documenting December be any more hilarious than a daily newspaper account like this one?! I don’t know how Carol is going to keep this up for an entire month, but sign me up for a subscription! If you’re looking for an inspired idea for the ever-popular daily December layouts (which I admire greatly but will never, ever attempt myself!), this is the best one I saw in my travels through the galleries. The black & white newsprint style is, of course, perfect for this. Too funny!

I hope you enjoyed today’s picks; please remember to click on the linked title and leave the artist some well-deserved love. Happy holidays, everyone!

Hello and happy Saturday! Today’s post is all about textures and shapes and the fun we have mixing it up in our designs. I had a lot of fun looking through the galleries today, and I hope you will enjoy the standouts I found to share. Let’s take a look!

This is Liz J., and these are my picks.

Trick or Treat by digi371

There were a lot of super cute Halloween pages in the galleries today, but this one was far and away my favorite. In part, because the elements are not cute, but are really pretty and elegant. It made for a really unusual background for those adorable trick-or-treaters. I like the way Sherry effectively used the corners on this page, very clever!

Totally Booked by scrapapicture

Any page about books is going to get my attention! Love all the little bookish elements. The grid style helps keep this page from being too busy, and allows nice little spots for each patterned paper and element. I like the bookcase running vertically behind all of the other elements, that’s a fun touch.

Tough Cookies by MelissaMarti

When a particular kit is released, we often see lots of different takes on the kit, which is fun to look at as a whole. I liked this one a lot, because the focus was on these tough little cookies gearing up for ski season. The big, bold scallops make quite an impact. I like the real-looking elements with the deep shadow-work on this one too.

Adventure Wanderlust by NAdams

This is a stunningly beautiful scene she captured! Such a wonderful travel page. Love the textures and the fun alpha bracelet tiles for the word art. The text brush is a nice touch. The rainbow peeking out of the photo is the perfect accent all on its own.

Irma 1939 by Craftytamm

This page made me yearn for simpler times. I love the vintage photo set against the light wood background. There are a number of elements that stand out for me on this one, but I particularly like the sprinkling of stars. The painted border rounds out the color scheme nicely, matching all of the paper supporting the photo. Really lovely page.

Around Here by Ernie88

This page is just adorable! I love how the bright patterns in the papers light up the dark background. Very fun patterns too, accented in the arrows leading us across the page. I like the combination of the closely cropped photo on the bottom with the bigger angled view of the top photo. Together they paint a fun picture of what Erin’s son is up to!

And those are the standouts for this beautiful autumn day. If you enjoyed these as much as I did, please click on the linked titles and leave the artists some well-earned love and praise! Thanks for stopping by, and have a great weekend!

Hello and happy Wednesday! So, here we are with autumn all around, and I am going to show you… beach pages! And dogs! And yes, one really gorgeous autumn page, which could not go by without a mention. Oh, and don’t forget those great hybrid projects! So much to see! Come take a look at today’s standouts, I know you will love them too!

This is Liz J., and these are my picks.

Feeling Homesick by joelsgirl

I went back to this page twice in my search through the galleries today, and that is always a sign that I am getting a strong feeling from a project. You couldn’t ask for a better example of a page that comes straight at you with its words leading the way. I liked the tone of the journaling, no whining, no complaining, just a direct statement about how she and her family are feeling about where they live, and where they want to live. I like that shaped spot for the journal paper, it provided a lot of space to say what she had to say. Nice elements and title work, but it’s the text that makes this one so special.

A day at the beach by krumZ

Coming from Southern California, I am drawn to beach pages (really, I’m on the lookout for ideas I can pilfer for my 8 billion beach photos!). Imagine my surprise when I saw that this particular beach page used photos from a beach not that far from me. Pismo Beach is pretty amazing, and I enjoyed how this artist showcased the magic of it. The netting over the right-hand photo is what initially drew me in, that’s a cool element and an even cooler use of it. I really like the look of the background paper to support the theme. Those gulls flying through the page are an amazing touch. And, of course, cute dog!

Picture Perfect by ElodieL

This is a truly innovative real-life-paper design! You just know that took some work, cutting out and placing all those circles on the page! It really worked though, so it was worth the effort. I love the soft touches on this page with the florals, which are not necessarily what you’d expect on a beach page, but again, it totally worked for this design. The little word strips used to create the sun rays are a great touch too.

You are Golden by kellynoel

There are a lot of planner pages being posted these days, and many are really thought-provoking and inspired. This one appealed to me for a couple of reasons. There is a song by Lady Antebellum called “Golden” (which I am now hearing in my head) and this is a phrase from that song. I wonder if this artist was inspired by those lyrics, or if it’s really just because that dog is clearly beloved! Anyway it’s a fun play on words for the dog’s breed and coloring. Love the stamped word across the bottom of the photo, all the great word art and banners, and the adorable line-up of stamps along the top and bottom.

colorfall by nhudao

This design really appealed to me. I like the mix of patterned paper, and I like the placement too. She left plenty of white space to rest your eyes, so the patterns do not overwhelm. The photo is not a typical fall-splendor type of photo, to me, but that’s part if its appeal, actually. The background in the photo appears to be quite arid and maybe even a little bleak, but the trees by the house bring such color and joy to the scene! It is a wonderful contrast. Love that wood word art! The black and white wreath balances the wood word art nicely.

Sandyhills by kikimama

I love what the sketched bit adds to this page, between the clouds, the ocean and the beach, it made for a great backdrop . That vertical split of the vivid portion of the postage-framed-photo is genius. And, of course, I love the way that Chrissy told the story, not too much, not too little. But enough so that her kids will look back on this page and remember how much fun they had on that beach. Which, to me, is the reason we scrapbook.

Weren’t those fun?! Please click on the linked titles to leave some well-earned praise for our standout artists today! Have a great rest of the week!

Hello and happy middle of the week! I was cheered up considerably after perusing the gallery for today’s standouts. Such a lot of talent out there! Today’s picks are all about clever. Come take a look, I think you’ll agree these are a lot of fun.

This is Liz J., and these are my picks.

Z by shaynesgirl

I love a good use of photo fading! This page has a cool look achieved both vertically and horizontally, that had me really looking close. Love the color combination with the b&w photos. The elements work well on top of the repeat photos and repeat tags. I like the way the buttons and stitching off the page on the left tie it all together.

Simple Autumn by Kam

This is just lovely! The colors are wonderful, and I enjoyed the placement of each element. Love the big newsprint text as a backdrop to that beautiful photo. All the leaves, under and over, really add to the feel of this. The bar code word art was a fun touch. I like all of the drawn elements and doodles to round this one out.

It’s fall by jesskab

I got a big kick out of this one! It’s vibrant and fun and colorful, all pointing to a fun fall pumpkin patch adventure. The split page design is a clever idea. I like the doodly circles behind the photos and elements, it provides this with great motion. The photos are my favorite part, a little imperfect, candid, and true life. Nice brushwork on this page. The journal strips are the perfect final touch.

point click perfection by kiana

The muted colors and use of white space on this page really drew me in. I enjoyed the fun series of selfies, from serious to silly. What did we ever do before selfies? Great shadow work on this page! The little cluster of beads, paper and word art strips on the top right balance the page nicely.

Cabin Camping by anrobe

This page pops out from that light gray striped background, such an effective choice! Love the color choices, and the stitched circle frame is perfect for that photo. I like the arrangement of cute stitched and stapled elements. The banners on the top right worked beautifully for balance.

50 Thousand Shades of Gray by Squeak

There are some storytellers who possess a remarkable ability to weave a tale about a seemingly innocuous topic, and Shirley tops that list! Part of the fun of this page is reading all of the responses from all the other people who suffered over paint colors. The journaling is hilarious, the paint cans are cleverly represented, and the humor cannot be topped. Thanks for my laugh of the day. Oh, and the double entendre in the title: too clever!

So, was I right? Clever stuff, huh?! If you enjoyed today’s picks, please click on the linked titles and leave the artist some praise, they’ll appreciate it, I’m sure! Have a great rest of your week!

Today in the states we are enjoying a day off, saying good-bye to summer, and hello to autumn. There was a lot to celebrate in the galleries today as well. Come take a look, I think you’ll enjoy today’s standouts.

This is Liz J., and these are my picks.

A Ruff Weekend by Jaye

Everything about this is so stinkin’ cute. Love the title, of course. The angled photo strip is a clever way to draw us into the page. It’s a great life for this dog, and I enjoyed the telling of the weekend plans. I like the whimsical drawn heart in the middle, that grounds this page nicely. The photos of the dog with its “stuffies” made me smile big time. Doesn’t every dog deserve its own scrapbook?! Love it.

A Tale of Two Cities by musicmom3

This is an excellent travel page, and it’s actually part of a two page spread. I enjoyed the Dickens allusion about the socio-economic circumstances she witnessed. The text was fascinating. Great idea to break up the photos by converting some to black & white (which you can see on the accompanying page). The rich blues on this page make quite an impact, particularly combined with the gold and brass colored elements.

The 21st Yes by Jill.S.

In this season of back-to-school, I was thrilled to find such a marvelous page from a teacher’s perspective! And, it’s a hybrid page! I love how she did the text with all that great enthusiasm and dedication emphatically highlighted with the red “YES” repeating throughout. The text direction is fun too, and works well with the long strips of “a day in the life of a teacher” photos. Love the wonky banners, bubble title work and elements at the edge.

well hello there by earlofoxford

That color combination is so striking, and is really perfect with the black & white photo. Love the cut out circles leading us through the page. Great word art for the title. I like the depth Linda created with the stacked mat behind the photo frame. The multiple lines of page frame stitching are a fun touch, and the date strip is too.

Just Perfect by frani_54

This is delightful. I love the dreamy quality she created, and after reading the text I see we are really looking at this little girl’s dream. Love the use of the black strips on the right to balance the page, and the wings are a nice addition to that area of the page. It’s an interesting and fun digital accomplishment to make all of those shapes and word art work so artfully with the masking of the photo; I really stopped and studied this one. I love that she told us the story on the page too, the story is the best part!

10k training by HeidiMcGregor

I love bold use of patterned paper, and this was a great choice. The horizontal cut of the paper is then intersected by the vertical line of circles, and it created such cool depth. Love all the word art setting the tone of the page. The bookplate framing the date stamp is a fun touch.

I hope you enjoyed today’s picks too! Please click on the linked titles to see each project in its gallery, and to leave some well-earned praise to the artist. Have a great week!

Hello and happy Wednesday! There was lots of fun to be seen today around all of the galleries! We have shapes and clever use of text and joy and wonderful quotes today. Come take a look, I know you’ll agree these were all stand-outs.

This is Liz J., and these are my picks.

Be Fearless by g8rbeckie

She had me at the title, naturally! I love any page that uses that hexagon shape well! Very fun patterned paper and cute little cactus elements, among other whimsical embellishments. Love the page border to ground it. And, that smile! Such great word art for this one, it totally worked.

Reckless Love by craftytam

I love this one so much. Using text this way, over the top of an entire photo, is a wonderful technique, but actually not so easy. You have to have the right photo, and the right font, and the right tone in the text. And you have to make it fit around the main focus of the photo. I wanted to hear what she heard in these lyrics, so I watched and listened to the song on YouTube, and got a little surprise when I realized that she had modified the lyrics to make the song about her loved ones. This one is very special. Well done, truly. The elements bordering the page add the perfect beach feel, in a very elegant way.

Cobblestone Paths by AnitaH

This page really got my attention. To me, it looks like one of those amazing old-fashioned prints that you find in rare edition books. I would love to see the original photo (assuming this originated with a photo), to see the evolution of the page. I like the way the framing makes the image pop. The word art was just right. This one made me smile.

Gratitude quote (traveler’s notebook) by SusanB

I first saw these traveler’s notebooks and planners about a year ago, and was intrigued then, as I am now, about all the ways people use them. With all of these types of journals it so marvelous to see the artistic license it gives people to create their personal canvases, all in the confines of a small book they can carry around. This particular quote is one that I love, and it worked nicely to cut into the quote strips for the right-hand side of this spread. I love the beautiful hand-cut florals this artist popped out and adhered onto the facing page. This made a beautiful statement, I really enjoyed it.

us by Ferdy

That popped up cut file made all the difference on this page! This just shines love. I really appreciate that the picture shows the logo from the jazz festival, it lets us know so much about the moment. Great use of elements, love the border work with the tag along the bottom. The sprinkles are a nice touch against that kraft background. This is a fun selfie moment, and I know they will be glad to have captured this event later.

glorious Fall by tammielsmith

The clever angle on the long triangular papers on the left side really drew me in to this page. I love the tag photo, so striking. This page uses nice brush work to extend the photo, and has great shadows. The title work with the mixed word art and alpha look great together. Love that little sprinkling of sequins, like seeds from the flowers. Beautiful design.

I hope you loved today’s picks too! Please take a moment and click through the linked title to leave the artists some well-deserved praise. Have a great rest of the week!