Sometimes you just need to push work to the side and clear the cobwebs in your head. Today I did just that! I’ve been drooling over some of the new papers, templates & tools crossing my desk. I’ve also been quietly whining, and sometimes not so quietly, about work-work-work. You know what they say? All work and no play makes Toiny a grumpy cat!

I grabbed some of my favorite pictures (Mittelaltermarkt), and some of my favorite new products:

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SnickerdoodleDesigns Stitching Collection: Brush & Styles

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Jen Maddocks: My Favorite & My Best {Story} 6 Templates

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SnickerdoodleDesigns String Styles

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Jen Maddocks: Bricolage 104 {Papers}

This layout came together in a snap! OMG! I love working with Jen’s templates & papers! Just.WOW! I’ll be honest, I was a little intimated. Her work is a little out of my comfort zone, and yet every layout I’ve seen passing by my Facebook feed and the gallery have left me awe-struck. I had to try… and I’m so glad I did!

I started with Jen’s My Favorite & My Best {Story} 6 and I grabbed the first template:

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My Favorite & My Best {Story} 6, Template #1

I slid paper #3 from Bricolage 104 {Papers} in as the background, and used my own photo over the grunge mask to personalize it. I added a couple more photo’s in the template frames, journaled & titled. I used an Eduardo Recife font, Dirty Ego, for the title work. I love his grungy style!

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Medieval Christmas Market Layout v. 01

I thought it looked pretty good already, but all I’d done was add a paper, font & pictures! I wanted to added just a little extra ooomph to it. A little bit of a personal touch. Then I remembered SnickerdoodleDesigns new stitching brushes!

I turned off Jen’s staples in my Layers Palette, and added in Karen’s stitches. I just dragged her brushes across my screen (I used both the Stitching Basics and the Stitching Cross Stitch). So quick. So easy.

For a final touch I used one of Karen’s String Photoshop Styles, already loaded in my Styles Palette. Just like that my layout was done and my grumpy mood has lifted!

FINAL

Medieval Christmas Market Layout v. 02