A Dino-Mite scrapbook layout!

At a recent workshop, we had fun making a darling Dino-Mite layout.  Even though dinosaurs seem very boy-ish, they can also be used for girls.  Take a look:

Here are some step-by-step instructions on how to create this layout.  All papers, tools, and supplies are from Close To My Heart. 

First we will start with the boy version.  The ink colors used are Desert Sand, Pacifica, Pear, Sunset, and Colonial White.

This is the cute "Roar!" stamp set.  Don't you think this will make cute cards, too?

A special tool used in this workshop is the Spray Pen.  Fill it with a re-inker and water mix to add a fun textured look to your projects.

Basic stamping supplies include clear blocks (mine are obviously well-loved and well-used!), scissors, adhesive, and Glue Dots.

Don't forget the stamp cleaning supplies:  spritzer and scrubber.

Now for the papers and embellishments.  The base pages are Kraft paper, and the rest of the cardstocks are in the same colors as the inks shown above:  Pear, Pacifica, Sunset, and Colonial White.  For specific cutting instructions, see the Reflections book by Jeanette Lynton.

To start, line up the two Colonial White papers and stamp the dinosaur images in the various colors.  You'll want to pay attention to spacing between the dinosaurs so that you have enough room for the next dinosaurs!

Here are a few tips for stamping solid images: 

1)  Ink up the stamp really well, and do some test stamping on a piece of scratch paper.

2)  Place the foam piece (from the stamp set) under your stamping area.

3)  Try tapping and twisting the stamp set on the ink pad.  Twisting usually gives me the best results with solid stamps.

Here is a look at how mine turned out.  Yours will look different if you mix up the colors.  Were stegosaurus dinosaurs really blue?  Who knows.  My son is absolutely sure that I got the colors wrong.  "The Triceratops should be blue," he says, "and the Pteranodon was orange."  He also says that both the T-Rex and Stegosaurus were shades of green.  Well, let's just say I took some artistic liberties with this one!

Feel free to ink the edges of your papers with Desert Sand ink.  Just dip a piece of sponge in the ink and swipe it on the paper edges for a more finished look. 

Note:  This step is why my fingertips and fingernails look brown-ish in the next few photos.  Inky fingers mean you are having fun, right?

Next, make a water/re-inker mix in your Spray Pen and spritz the stamped papers.  This technique works really great with the dinosaurs because it looks a little sandy, as if we were on an archaeological dig.

Next, adhere the stamped papers to the blue mats, then adhere to the Kraft paper background.  At this point we are on the home stretch with this layout!

Add some embellishments.  Here I used the Pacifica Mini-Medley Accents Collection.  Since the frame and tag are metal, Glue Dots work the best.  I don't have a photo yet, so I only glued down the right side of the little frame.  That way I can still slip a photo underneath.

To keep grosgrain ribbon from fraying, slightly heat the edges.  This is ribbon from the Sunset Mini-Medley Accents Collection.

To embellish the upper right-hand corner of the page, add a button and ribbon.  Then stamp some cute dinosaur bones in the Colonial White ink (which is more like a paint).  Allow plenty of time for this to dry, or heat-set with a Craft Heater tool.

Stamp an extra dinosaur on a scrap of cardstock, then trim.  This little guy is going to hang out on the small frame.

One more stamp (You Rock) and this page is essentially done.  Ready for a photo and title.

On the second page of this layout I decided to add three tags, which could be used for photos or journaling.  For now I didn't worry about spacing since I will tack them down after adding the additional photos.

The final product!  I hope you have as much fun making this as I did!

Check out page 89 of the 2012 Spring/Summer Idea Book to see the layout with a photo.  The awesome-looking title was made by swiping Colonial White ink on Color-Ready Cork Alphabet letters.  Again, allow to dry or heat set after using the Colonial White ink.

Look for the pink version of this layout coming soon!