Hello! Kelly here today with my first design team project! I’m so excited to be part of this amazing team and to share my first layout so let’s jump right in! For my layout today I’m using the 2016 September Kits. I started with the bold, blue pattern paper from the Maggie Holmes Gather Collection that is included in the September Main Kit. After I had my background chosen I grabbed multiple project life cards from the Project Life Kit and clustered them together to create a mat behind my photo. My theme for today is ‘focus on the story’. I don’t tend to journal on a majority of my layouts (I know many of you are gasping right now!!) so I knew using the project life cards would ensure I had a journaling spot on my layout.

 I then started grabbing embellishments and grouping them around the photo mat. I added multiple pieces from the Main Kit including Maggie Holmes Gather ephemera pack, stickers from the Maggie Holmes Gather Thickers sheet and I also fussy cut a floral and leaves from one of the Gather pattern papers. I also added a couple Crate Paper Cute Girl tassels from the Embellishment Kit.

 Because my theme is ‘focus on the story’, I wanted to include more detail about the story of my photo using embellishments. I positioned the numbers from the Gather ephemera pack and from the Gather Thickers sheet to help bring attention to the story. My photo was taken on the day my son lost his first tooth, but he actually lost two teeth on the same day. So by positioning the numbers around the layout it helps add more detail to the story behind the photo.

Now I needed a title! One of my go-tos when searching for a title is to use cut files. After I chose the cut files I wanted to (as Missy would say) jazz it up a bit so I went to the items included in the Color Kit. While the cut file was still on my Cricut mat, I used the Echo Park stencil and white modeling paste to create a little texture on the white cardstock. After the modeling paste was dry I used the Shimmerz Great Fruit Creameez to add a little color to the white cardstock. Once the paint was dry I peeled the cut file from my Cricut mat and positioned those pieces onto my layout.

 For more detail I added a few enamel dots clustered around the page and also threw in a couple ephemera pieces from Simple Stories Posh ephemera pack that is included in the Project Life Kit. I wanted to highlight the journaling a little more so I added gold tiny word stickers from the Maggie Holmes Gather collection that are included in the Embellishment Kit.

 I had so much fun making this layout with the fabulous 2016 September Kits! I do have a process video showing how all of this came together!! As I mentioned above I am a Cricut user so I’ve included a quick tutorial on how I used the cut files with my layout!