The new life cycle of the Close to My Heart books is 2 months which means, every two month you will see a brand new Idea Book with at least two new paper packs, embellishments, stamps and so much more. Today I would like to introduce you the the super cute paper pack "Spruced Up" X7253S. Here is a look at the paper pack:
has all the materials to create 3 double page layouts. If you click on the link above you can see the original 3 double layouts which you can create with this kit. I often change up a few things to make the pages work even better for my pictures or to add extra photos to the layout. You can change anything you like which is the beauty of these kits. I added three cardstock sheets to the set too make a few extra changes.
Here are my first two pages:
Both of these pages were meant to be single layouts but I converted them into a double page layout. All elements you can see here came with the kit. I added a sheet of Mink and Espresso cardstock for my backgrounds. 
The original design of this page used the "chickadee" paper as a background, which was cute, but a bit busy for me. I changed it to the solid mink cardstock and used the design paper to create a new piece for the top of the frame. The original has a green piece but I thought I needed a little birdie cheer in this one. Otherwise, the rest of this page is just like the guide describes it.
The second page is also exactly like the guide asked for beside the background. It calls for a vanilla cardstock which I found a little to light so I changed it to the Espresso color which made the frame and trees really pop. I also used a "Clear Shimmer Brush"Z3293 on the tips of the trees and the snow on the bottom.See pages 3-6 in next Fridays post and find out what the other cute paper pack looks like. If you are interested in the "Spruced Up" papers and extras, make sure to order them soon since they will disappear on February 28th. They are now on while supplies last.
