{Free} Template Tuesday: Frame it Up

Hello, hello! I continue to fly by the seat of my pants this week. Getting back into the school routine is tough. But the good news is Shelby is so, so happy to be back at school. She loves her teacher. She’s happy with her class. And she’s thrilled to see her friends all the time.

Adding to my “we’re back to school having to get up early, as well as do homework” stress, is the fact that Cooper is sick (again) and I had a last minute trip to Denmark (for next week) added to my schedule … and I’m in full on melt mode.

With that said, I’m trying my hardest to be not melt. I’m trying to put everything in perspective. I’m trying to listen (and act) when Cooper asks to cuddle on the couch or when Shelby wants to tell me at length about what’s going on at school. I’m not very good at this. I have trouble slowing down and just living in the moment … but I’m trying, so that’s what matters, right?

Anyway. Here’s this week’s free template. It features a framed border. I’m a huge fan of creating “frames” on my page. I often layer two pieces of paper on top of each other to create a back ground and mat effect. Then, I go a step beyond that and add a significant stroke to each paper to “frame” it even more. I like frames!

Download this fully-layered, Photoshop template here.

And here’s the layout that inspired this template:

Journaling reads:

Shelby has always been artistic, but lately she's been more interested in drawing and creating. I recently brought her a sketch book signed by an artist she loves. She's lovingly filling it.  

The little Moleskin journal Shelby is holding up in the photo is the creation of Chickadee Road, a venture by my sweet friends Kelly and Liz. Kelly is one of the most amazing artists. I love, love her work  … and Shelby does too. She’s been know to “mimic” Kelly’s style and has some of Kelly’s “girls” around her room. At their site, Chickadee Road, you can buy Moleskin journals featuring an original illustration by Kelly on the cover. I picked up a couple in June when I was on retreat with Liz and Kelly!  

Since I’ve been trying to limit the amount of technology time she gets, it’s not uncommon these days to see Shelby sitting on the couch drawing. She has a really artistic and has a great eye for design.

Shelby’s creativity doesn’t end with drawing or painting. She’s quite the story teller. She comes up with the greatest stories. Just yesterday she was sitting quietly for about 15 minutes and then busted out with a idea for her favorite TV show. She wanted to know if she could write Disney to give them suggestions on what some future episodes should be. She had fully developed a number of show ideas. How cute is that? She’s a clever, clever girl.