April's "Mid-Month-Pick-Me-Up"

It's the middle of the month, and it's time for a little inspirational shot in the arm to get you scrappin' with your April kits before we all start getting psyched for the new May kits in a couple of weeks.

This month's "Mid-Month-Pick-Me-Up" tidbit is brought to you by Brenda Carpenter. Her layouts ALWAYS inspire me and make me want to spend my day scraplifting. Take a peek below at Brenda's fun idea for taking some of your April layouts to the next level.

By Brenda Carpenter:
Want to add some extra style to your layouts? Here is an easy way - add some hand stitching details and stitch-on buttons. The layouts below are all layouts that I completed for the April Gallery, taken to the next level by adding some buttons and stitching. I used a paper piercer and a foam matte (or you could use a needle and a mouse pad) to make the holes for my stitching. I used 3 strands of white embroidery floss to back stitch around the flower and on the stem of the flower. To find more information on how to backstitch, check out this tutorial: http://www.wikihow.com/Backstitch

Step 1: Poke your holes with a paper piercer or a needle; space holes as evenly as possible.

Step #2: Backstitch through the holes. (Visit tutorial link above for backstitching how-to.)

See how the flower accent really "POPS" with the white backstitching details.

I added backstitching details here to simulate flight and add an additional layer of dimension.



And, while I don't always take the time to thread my buttons, it does add a nice additional detail when I'm looking for a little bit of extra "pop."

If you've never hand-stitched on your layout and you're looking for a little extra "umph" on one or two of your layouts this month, grab a needle and some embroidery floss and stitch a few of your own details right onto your page. You'll love the way it looks!