Echo Park

Open on December 25: DT layout for Stuck?! Sketches

December 1, 2016 By Janice Daquila-Pardo 4 Comments

Today Stuck?! Sketches launches our first challenge of December! Grab the sketch and play along for prizes from Crafty Ribbons and CutMania.

The story

These 1967 Christmas morning photos are so sweet. Look at that tinsel-covered tree and the homemade stockings on the back of the front door. And I love the light fixture and television in the background of the right picture.

That delighted little imp about to open her first big present is 13-month-old me.

Product/technique notes

The background patterned paper is from Echo Park’s Merry Christmas collection, and the other patterns are from Heidi Swapp’s Believe collection and American Craft’s Wish List 6×6 paper pad. The embellishments are from Pink Paislee’s Yuletide (the tags) and American Crafts (the Santa clothespin). The gift diecut I used behind the photos is from Silhouette. I wish you could see better in the photo that I brushed Wink of Stella clear glitter pen all over the ribbon top on it. It looks beautiful IRL.

Meet me in the sunshine

July 29, 2016 By Janice Daquila-Pardo 4 Comments

Last August Mom had knee surgery, so I flew out to stay with her, and my brother and I collaborated to take care of her during the recovery period. On the day we snapped this selfie, we were at the bus stop waiting to catch a ride to UNC Hospitals to visit her. It was a gorgeous (hot) day, and we were just enjoying being out together in the sunshine.

Product/technique notes

I used patterned papers from Echo Park’s Hello Summer collection and a Thickers foam title. I used this Let’s Get Sketchy sketch as inspiration.

Take a hike: DT layout for Stuck?! Sketches

July 15, 2016 By Janice Daquila-Pardo 2 Comments

Today Stuck?! Sketches launches our second challenge of July! Grab the sketch and play along for prizes from DCWV and Creative Embellishments.

The story

I was home visiting my mom and brother in North Carolina in the summer of 2014. One day we decided we needed to get outside and see something new. So we did a little online research and found what looked like a good fit for our needs: It was a park with multiple hiking trails and a picnic area, and it was within an hour of Mom’s house.

We packed the essentials, donned walking shoes and sun hats, grabbed our cameras, and hopped in the car. Our moods and hopes were high as we sped toward an afternoon of adventure and oneness with nature.

And it wasn’t all bad. I wouldn’t have you picture it that way. But it wasn’t exactly rich with adventure and oneness, either.

As a family unit, we don’t usually get an early start to anything. So, by the time we got to the park it was already pretty late in the afternoon. It seemed nearly deserted, and that was really no surprise considering it was late-August-in-the-south hot and humid. We set up and ate our picnic lunch, and that was nice.

Now full on sandwiches, salad, and ranch-flavored Doritos, it was time for us to take a hike. We loaded up on mosquito spray, grabbed our water bottles, and headed into the woods.

That lasted for all of 10 minutes—and seven of those were excruciating. It was just too much. Mom’s bad knees weren’t faring well on the rocky, root-riddled path. The mosquitoes were epic. And did I mention that it was like visiting Satan’s vacation home in the southern part of hell (Chapel Hill, where my mom lives, has been called the Southern Part of Heaven since a book of that name was published in 1950 by William Meade Prince.)?

Were we wimps? Oh, yes. Did we achieve the health and wellness benefits of a strenuous hike surrounded by the beauty of God’s creation? Not exactly. Did we rescue the disappointing experience with a well-deserved stop for ice cream on the drive home? What do you think? 😉

Product/technique notes

The Echo Park Happy Camper collection was perfect for these photos, so everything but the title came from it. I hand stitched the circle.

BSides Austin: DT layout for Stuck?! Sketches

June 15, 2016 By Janice Daquila-Pardo 3 Comments

Today Stuck?! Sketches launches our second challenge of June! Grab the sketch and play along for a $20 gift certificate from Evalicious or two large pieces of chipboard from ScrapMatts.

The story

We did it! Matt and I took over the planning of the security BSides conference, and we made it bigger and better than ever. We had about 400 attendees, standing room only for the keynote speech, and a Dual Core show to round out the two days. I’m not gonna lie—it was hard work. But I’m proud of how we worked together to make it great. Now we have to decide whether to organize it again next year. Ugh!

Photos, L-R:

Matt in front of the 400 attendees giving the opening address
Standing room only for the keynote (Ed Skoudis)
The registration desk during some down time
Dual Core singing us home

Product/technique notes

I used patterned papers from Echo Park’s All About a Boy collection. The two pieces of flair are from different BasicGrey collections (Aurora and Fact & Fiction). And I traced the logo for the conference and cut it with my Silhouette for the title.

Living in a cool city: DT layout for Stuck?! Sketches

May 15, 2016 By Janice Daquila-Pardo 4 Comments

Today Stuck?! Sketches launches our second challenge of May. Grab the sketch and play along for a $20 gift certificate from Evalicious or a $25 gift certificate from Creative Embellishments.

The story

Austin, where we have lived for going on 15 years, is pretty well known for being cool. For years it has made it somewhere onto many of the myriad “best places to live” lists. In fact, it famously celebrates its odd residents and culture with the unofficial slogan of “Keep Austin Weird.”

We’re well educated, high-tech, entrepreneurial, and fun. Well, at least as a whole we are. And we have tons of things to do for fun on any given day of the week.

You may have heard of a little music/film/interactive festival called South by Southwest (SXSW). Or perhaps you have friends who’ve been to the Austin City Limits music festival. Those are kind of a big deal. And there are so many other big beautiful events throughout the year that it’s impossible to keep up.

Matt was downtown one day during the mid-March interactive week of SXSW and snapped a few photos of the Mr. Robot Ferris wheel that they inserted into our skyline during the festival. And I thought for about the millionth time how cool it is to live in a place that celebrates in so many ways throughout the year. So I designed this page with images of two of the many (SXSW and the Kite Festival) ways.

Product/technique notes

I used patterned paper and stickers from the Echo Park Scoot collection and designed and cut the title and circle grid with my Silhouette Cameo. To mimic the look of the Ferris wheel I laced embroidery thread across the backgound circle like spokes.

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