who are you and what have you done with lauren?

it's a really fun challenge this week at shopping our stash, it's called "OPPOSITE DAY" and we want to see you try something that is the opposite of your usual style. for example, if you're a CAS kind of girl, try using a few different patterned papers... together! on the other hand, if you're the queen of collage layers and embellishments, why not attempt something a bit minmalist? will you be out of your comfort zone? yeah, maybe, but one of the great things about playing along with challenges is that they are meant to challenge us! (hence the name, lol.) in my case, i ♥LOVE♥ seeing other people do super-pared down, minimalist designs; but i find those to be realllllllllllly hard. so obviously i had to take a shot at it:

you can see i've made giftbags, for my lovely young friends carlos and isabel. they are brother and sister, both have birthdays in april, and i generally give them their presents together, so i really like their gifts to look quite obviously equal, but still personal. i saw these cool stamped burlap bags online a few months ago, and loved the fact that they had big bold letters, but running sideways. i didn't have enough huge stickers to spell both names, so i did what i usually do in these cases: format the text in a font i like... (this is impact) at the correct size... (about 2-2.5" in height) and then use a print out of the names to use as a template. yes, it takes a bit of extra time and effort to hand-cut them, so if you have an electronic diecutter, just feed it your choice of paper and have it do the work.

i knew right away that i wanted to use pages from a fun fractal calendar i've been hoarding; my friend emma creates these for her mom's birthday each year and i am lucky enough to be given the past years when they are finished... and permission to cut them up (because yes OF COURSE i ask first!!!) i figured the bold colors and intricate designs would make AWESOME patterned paper; plus they're printed on heavy, glossy cardstock that is perfect for something like this.

the other SOS gals have been stretching out of their comfort zones, as well, with amazing results; you should go and see those right now! ♥