Happy May, CSI Investigators! We're excited to bring you a new month of fun and inspiring scrapbooking challenges and lots of beautiful inspiration from our design team and guest designers.
For this first reveal, we'll be sharing inspiration for our first Case File. On the 15th, we'll be sharing inspiration for our second Case File.
GUEST DETECTIVE SPOTS
We'll be inviting some players whose work catches our eye to serve as Guest Detectives along the way. We'll investigate the albums on the 4th of the month, so if you're interested in serving as a Guest Detective, make sure you have your layout in the album by the 4th. (But feel free to use past Case Files as inspiration any time.)
We'll be inviting some players whose work catches our eye to serve as Guest Detectives along the way. We'll investigate the albums on the 4th of the month, so if you're interested in serving as a Guest Detective, make sure you have your layout in the album by the 4th. (But feel free to use past Case Files as inspiration any time.)
And you never know, if your work really wows us, you might even be asked to join our talented design team.
CASE FILES
This month, we're celebrating Get Caught Reading Month and Gifts from the Garden Month with our Case Files. As always, you don't have to scrap these topics. Draw your own inspiration from The Scene on the Case File, or you can use the traditional clues, which can be found at the bottom of this blog post.
Image credit: Briarwood Lane
The traditional CSI clues can be found on our Facebook page in the first entry under the album. Just click on the Case File images above. They are also posted at the bottom of this reveal.
To submit your layouts, click on the Case Files in our sidebar, which will bring you to the individual albums in our Facebook group.
INSPIRATION
And now, are you ready for some serious inspiration?
A reminder of our first Case File...
CSI DETECTIVES
Here's what our design team created with this month's first Case File. We will share creations for our other Case File on the 15th of the month. Check our our posts on Instagram for closeups and details.
GUEST DETECTIVES
These ladies' work caught our eye in the Case File albums, so we've invited them as Guest Detectives this month!
I am currently loving scrapping single page 12x12 layouts with the occasional double page spread. I’ve been scrapbooking since I was in late Elementary school when my Aunt got me started with 8.5x11 albums to hold my Girl Scouts memories and photos. I quickly moved to 12x12 and have too many albums to count! My husband jokes he’s a little concerned about what it’s gonna look like years from now, especially having so many photos of the boys to scrap!
I love using sketches or other design prompts to get started. My favorite part of the process is definitely picking colors and mixing & matching papers & embellishments to create the perfect combo, which is why I love the case files here at CSI, digging around my stash to match the color palette is so fun!
Here's how Brandi solved the Case: For my layout for Case File 434, I immediately thought of these adorable little animal die cuts from My Minds Eye alphabet soup. I was able to pull a lot of inspiration from the list of evidence: animals, birds (owl), a pencil, mushrooms, books, sun, cloud & circular things (flair & buttons). I also thought this Paige Evans cut file was the perfect choice to represent the geometric patterns/triangles prompt. These photos of my younger son reading to his sloth stuffie were the perfect choice for the reading theme as well!!
Genna Phelps
I am Genna Phelps from Lancashire UK. Mother of 2 whom I can thank for my love of scrapping as I came across this hobby whilst looking for baby book ideas. During my busy schedule, the scrapbook table is my happy (although not always peaceful) place 
, otherwise you'll find me outside climbing one hill or another. I'm so thrilled to have been invited to solve this case file...
, otherwise you'll find me outside climbing one hill or another. I'm so thrilled to have been invited to solve this case file...Here is how Genna solved the Case: Following the image closely, I started with trying to replicate the book at the bottom with everything jumping out... Using banners, leaves, branches, rainbow, pencils, clouds and small jewels. Documenting my daughters dress up for World Book Day.
Here is how Julia solved the Case: I was inspired by the colours and have actually used a travel themed collection to make this page which I'd just purchased! I also felt the theme in the scene lent itself to scrapping a photo from my son's childhood. I've documented about his love of workbooks and comics when he was small which is written on a little book journalling spot. From the evidence I have included geometric patterns, a book perspextive, animals, flowers, string, pencil, sun, something fuzzy and spme circular things.
Here is how Kate solved the Case: I solved Case File No. 434 by being inspired by the scene, theme, imagination, and books. The colours reminded me of the graphics from One Day, which was one of my favourite books, and I have just finished the series on Netflix this week – such amazing writing and performances. I selected my evidence by starting with the colour theme, pulling out embellishments in those colours that reminded me of the story, and then matched distress oxide inks to the colours and painted some white cardboard alphas and wooden stars to match. I stamped a book shelf and relevant story/currently journalling, added in a map card that reminded me of Edinburgh, a cute coffee girl that looks like Em from the series, banner inspired by the bunting in the scene and greenery, then used Testimony to reference the Tennyson “Sly and Unseen” quote from the script.
My name is Tatiana. I have two adorable kids that I love to scrapbook! I’m a nurse but currently a stay-at-home mom enjoying the everyday things I do with the kids! I’ve been scrapping for over 5 years now and I enjoy all the things!! For more inspiration, you can follow me at t_scrapsalot.
How Tatiana solved the Case: Hello everyone! I’m delighted to be the guest designer for this month! I loved May’s CSI challenge. The scene inspired me to use: geometric patterns, animals, trees, flowers, triangles, books and pages. I used a cut file to make the book and wrote a short prompt of a “once upon a time’ of how I read to my kids then. I can’t wait to see what everyone makes with this month's case files. Have a great day!!
CASE FILE CLUES
Choose as many or as few as you are inspired to use! You don't have to use all of the categories of clues. Use what inspires you, or challenge yourself to use as many clues as you can. Or just use the image to inspire you as you wish!
Testimony Links: May prompts
Testimony Links: Journal Jar prompts
We trust we've provided enough clues for you to solve the Cases! You have until June 4, 2024 (and beyond--read about this in the Guest Detective section), to solve both cases. We can't wait to see what you'll create! Upload your creations in our Facebook Group (album links in sidebar).
