Pink Paislee Paige Evans Bloom Street - Ice Cream Challenge

Hello. Karen C here again. I hope you're having a good summer despite the damper that the pandemic has put on a lot of the things we usually like to do at this time of year. As I'm writing this, the sun is shining though and an ice cream van has just driven up the road. I'm reminded of our holiday in Wales last year when it was also sunny and we enjoyed lots of ice-creams. My layout today is my last one one using the Pink Paislee Paige Evans Bloom Street collection and is all about those ice-creams eaten in Wales.

I started with a sheet of  white 12x12 Bazzill Avalanche cardstock.  I layered up pieces of the #5 paper, #9 paper and more of the white Bazzill cardstock and stuck these in the middle of the layout. I machine stitched with white thread around the edge of the pale pink paper.

Using Paige Evans' cut files I cut two huge ice creams from white cardstock and backed these with peach coloured scraps of cardstock and scraps of the #15 paper , #7 paper and the #5 paper. The ice creams were placed either side of the layout with some foam underneath to add dimension. 

I matted my three 3x4 photos on the white cardstock and positioned these between the ice creams, again with foam underneath,

I added the title to the top of the layout using foam and puffy alphabet stickers from Pink Paislee and Pinkfresh Studio.

To embellish the layout I cut some word strips from paper #13 and stuck these on top of the ice creams. Paper #13 is so useable. I think I've used word strips cut from that paper on most of the layouts I've created with this collection and there are still loads left.

Journalling was typed on the computer and printed onto white cardstock and stuck to the bottom of the layout. To make the elements on the layout standout, everything was then outlined with a black gel pen. 

Finally I added some tiny stars punched from some of the patterned paper and scattered these about the layout.

You can find the Bloom Street collection in the shop as well as lots of other new collections which Vanessa has been busily adding.

Take Care, I'll be back soon.

Karen x x

You are Fab!.... Kate and Ash by Simple Stories

Hello again!

It's Anita here with you today to start a new week off with a fab and funky new collection of papers, Kate and Ash by Simple Stories ....it is accompanied in the shop with a fantastic co-ordinating range of stickers, washi tape, brads, enamel dots, chipboard and other embellishments. Pop over HERE to see the whole range!


During Lockdown  both of our daughters became Body Shop @ Home Consultants, mainly to help keep them occupied ( one of them was furloughed and the other one worked from home but was enticed into it after seeing how much her sister loved it!) I have already scrapped our eldest daughter HERE and when I saw the new Kate and Ash papers I thought they were perfect for our youngest.

Here is a list of products used on this layout :-
4 x 6 Elements ( I used both sides)
4 x 4 Elements
3 x 4 Elements
Whatever
Combo Stickers
Raven Bazzill
Smooth White Bazzill

The style of the layout has been inspired by the work of Georgia Keays, a scrapper that I used to admire and follow several years ago, alas I don't think she scraps anymore.
The colours and designs in this collection are so bright, funky and vibrant, both sides of the sheets are gorgeous and the hardest thing is which to choose to work with! The black matting really makes the colours *pop*
So, the layout is based on a sheet of Raven Bazzill with a sheet of white smooth on top. 10mm sliced off one side and the top so it leaves a fine black border showing and I also matted each of the panels, photos and some of the stickers with Raven. The 'Happy Girls' panel was cut from a sheet of 4 x 4 Elements 
Lots to pick and choose from on the element pages, some really great panels.

I stuck each of the panels down and then splattered some black ink blobs across the page before placing the photos, overlapping them slightly.
There is a 12 x 12 sticker sheet available to match the papers and I chose a few hearts, word strips and make up items to add to the page. The word 'Flawless' is also from the sheet and I matted this to make it stand out more.

I cut the letters for the FAB part of the title from a panel on the sheet of 3 x 4 elements and the rest of the title was made using various letter stickers from my own stash...the Bodyshop at Home was also from some old teeny letter stickers......I have to admit to being a bit of a craft hoarder.... so it actually felt good using letters I have literally had for years, sitting untouched in their packets. I REALLY need to do this more often!!

I finished the page off with some strips of journalling printed onto smooth white card. Journalling is definitely something else I need to do more of....lots of my pages don't even have a date on, let alone the info behind the photos.....I have got into some bad habits!!

So there is my 1st layout using this great collection, I will be back in August with some more to follow.
Over in the SHOP there is huge variety of collections from Simple Stories to choose from.... and lots of other wonderful ranges, embellishments, inks, paints and everything else you could possibly want!

Happy Crafting xx

Warmest wishes
Anita xx

'Woodland Wander' and 'Memories in the Woods' - using Shimelle's 'Never Grow Up' Collection

Hello, Rebecca here with you this morning to share my final two layouts which I've created using the 'Never Grow Up' collection by Shimelle for American Crafts. I have absolutely loved working with this collection - it's full of bright colours and has an 'outdoorsy' feel to it so it's been great for documenting all our recent photos.

 I've recently treated myself to a silhouette cameo 4 so for the first layout I've used a cutfile and focused on the Acetate Sheet.

I selected black cardstock for the cutfile as I really wanted the colours in the acetate to stand out against the white background. I backed the larger circles in the cutfile and all of the stars using the acetate sheet. 

I focused on the darker shades on the acetate as they went really well with my photo. I've saved the orange and yellow sections to use on another layout.

Next I applied drops of Glossy Accents into the circles I hadn't backed, and added sequins in co-ordinating colours to complement the acetate sheet. I wanted  it to look like the sequins had been randomly placed so I overlapped some of them. 

I adhered the cutfile to my cardstock using black foam pads to add dimension and shadows to the page. I trimmed the cardstock down on either side and distressed the edges and then added torn strips of the 'Forever Young' and 'Past Bedtime' patterned papers to help frame the page.

I matted my photo onto layers of white and black cardstock and added it to my layout with a layer of adhesive foam behind it so raise it off of the cutfile slightly. I then added a couple of stickers from the Accent and Phrase Stickers sheet and created a tab which reads 'Let them be Little' from the Forever Young patterned paper.

I finished off with my title using mini alphabet thickers from my stash.

This layout was really simple and came together quite quickly (for me!). I love the way the colours in the acetate look really crisp against the white really 'pop' off the page.


Here's a look at my second layout:

I've used the 'Summer Adventures' patterned paper at the top and bottom of my layout. I tore the edges and distressed them to give the layout a rustic feel. I also downloaded a cutfile for my title and cut it using the same paper. 

I mounted my photos onto cardstock which co-ordinates with the collection and added a couple of journalling cards from the 'Life is the Bubbles' patterned paper underneath.

I embellished the layout using some pieces from the Floral Ephemera pack and some stickers from the Accent and Phrase stickers sheet, creating 3 clusters to form a visual triangle around my photos.

I finished my layout by adding a chipboard leaf by Tando Creative, which I've painted with acrylic paint and a scattering of green sequins.

I hope you've enjoyed seeing the layouts I've created with this collection. There are still some of the patterned papers and stickers available in the shop so be sure to head over and take a look. 

I'll be back next month with a new collection!

Take care,

Rebecca x

'Fresh Air' - 12x12 Layout using Shimelle's 'Never Grow Up' collection

Hello, Rebecca dropping by today to share another layout I've created using the gorgeous 'Never Grow Up' collection by Shimelle. This collection has been great for documenting our recent days out now that the Covid-19 restrictions have been relaxed slightly. We've been back out enjoying our National Trust membership so I've not been short of photos to go with this amazing collection.

I started this layout by cutting and distressing a strip of the 'Forever Young' patterned paper (B side) to sit vertically down the centre of my page. I then added strips of the 'Past Bedtime' patterned paper (B side) either side of it as I felt that the two papers contrasted really well with one being light and the other being quite dark.

In the photos, my little boy is sat on a rustic tree swing made of a plank of wood and some ropes, so I decided to try and mimic this texture on my layout by adding some twine materials. I have a reel of twine netting which I added so that it was peeking out from behind the patterned papers on both sides, and some actual twine which I wrapped around the centre of my cardstock vertically so that they crossed over in the middle. I then dug out an old 12x12 stencil by Kaisercraft of a fisherman's net and pressed some texture paste through it in certain places on my background. Once this was dry I adhered everything down. I used Glossy Accents to stick the twine down as I find it really strong and it holds really well.

I matted both of my photos on white cardstock to help them pop off the page, and then on two different patterned papers from Shimelle's 'Field Trip' collection as the colours complemented the layout perfectly. I distressed all the edges using the blade of my scissors to try and continue with the 'rustic' feel of the layout.

I cut out and distressed a few of the journalling cards from the 'Life is the Bubbles' patterned paper (B side), and tucked them behind the twine so that they would be visible above and below my photos. I then adhered my photos to the layout, adding a layer of foam behind them.

Now on to the fun part of embellishing! I started by painting a ''Tando Creative Chipboard Leaf' with green acrylic paint. It took a matter of minutes to dry, so I adhered it straight away using glossy accents to keep it in place.

I added some flowers from the Floral Ephemera pack, and a couple of insect stickers from the Puffy Stickers sheet.

I finished the layout with some stickers from the Accent and Phrase Stickers sheet, and my title using some mini alphabet thickers by Elle's Studio from my stash.

And that's it from me! I love this layout - the colours, the textures... and of course the photos! I do have a couple more layouts that I have created using this collection (once I received it I just couldn't stop creating!) so there will be a 'bonus' blog at some point next week - so keep an eye out!

I hope you've enjoyed this layout. I really am loving this collection and it's 'outdoorsy' colours and feel. So perfect for us! It's selling fast, so be sure to check it out in the shop whilst you can!

Take care,

Rebecca x

Photoplay ~ We can just stay home #1

Hello all :) It's Anna back today with a new collection to share with you! I have been working with a new collection by Photoplay - We can just stay home! It has been released alongside the 'Living the Quarantine Life' collection (which has just flown off the shelves its been so popular!)

Between them they are great for documenting the last few months.

For my first post with this collection I have made a layout titled "Home is where the heart is".

I hand drew a heart onto some white cardstock and cut it out. I also trimmed down the cardstock and backed it with the PJs all day paper, which I gutted first to save the middle of the paper for another project. I also adhered the reverse of the Read a Book patterned paper to the back side of the cardstock to fill the heart shape.

I hand stitched around the heart and mounted my photographs. I adhered them using 3d foam pads to get the height right allowing for the change in dimension for the heart.

I cut out some clouds a rainbow and a phrase from the Stick together paper and the family fun paper and again adhered them with 3d foam pads.

For my title I used the Cocoa Vanilla Studio foam title stickers for "home" and "the" and some black alpha stickers from my stash.

To finish I added some Pebbles Sun and Fun  Puffy Dots and a Bare Basics wooden heart.

Thank you so much for looking!

Take care, I'll be back with another post using this collection soon! See you then.

Anna

X

Lockdown Top 3 - Pinkfresh Studio Noteworthy Collection

Hi everyone, 

It’s Claire here and I'm back with you today to share my second layout using the beautiful Pinkfresh Studio Noteworthy collection.

I don’t know about you, but lockdown has had some real highs and lows for me. Crafting has definitely given me a great escape and a creative outlet to document these unprecedented times.  As things gently start to creep back to a ‘new normal’, I thought I’d use the opportunity to capture 3 of my favourite memories from the last few months.

The Lovely Moments paper was absolutely perfect for this.  It contains a wide range of cut apart elements and the numbered sections of the paper lend themselves to any list you’d like to document; favourite books, films, foods – the list is endless!

For my base, I used Bazzill Basics Powder Blue paper. It’s a really soft shade that makes a nice change to my traditional white cardstock that I automatically reach for.

I fussy cut the first three numbered sections to create the basis for my page and distressed the edges for a bit of texture. I also cut out the extra strips of paper that look like washi type on the page to give the effect that they’d been used to stick my list to my paper. There really are such lovely colours in this collection and I had so much fun fussy cutting and layering to create dimension.

Sections 1 and 3 were layered on to a piece of the yellow gingham ‘Happy Thoughts’ paper which you can find here, and I added a small strip of this to the bottom of section 2 to help tie it all together.

For section 2, I drew around a tag that I had in my stash and cut it out of the b side of the Lovely Moments paper, adding a bit of gold twine I had on my desk. I also fussy cut one of the strips that looks like floral washi tape and raised that on to foam pads.

To make sure my photos sat comfortably alongside the list, I printed them in 2.5” squares. That’s quite small for me but I really liked that it meant I could scrap multiple photos on one page. They were backed with Crate Paper Cute Stuff paper. It’s a lovely shade of pink that works really well with the Noteworthy papers.

Across all three sections, I added some of the die cuts from the ephemera pack, some enamel dots and used a circular chipboard flair from my stash.

Finally, I placed my title down the side of the page on top of a piece of white tissue paper to help it stand off the blue background. I used Pinkfresh Super Cool Puffy Alphas and some pink chipboard alphas I had on hand.  The page was finished off with a doodly border around the edge.

I really enjoyed the concept of scrapping a list and think this may well be something I do again in the future – it can be applied to so many different things.

You can check out the Noteworthy collection in the shop here.  Until next time, happy crafting!

 

Claire xx

July Papermaze Kit

Hello, Lynn here with the pretty Papermaze Kit for the month of July. Lovely pastel shades of lemon, lilac, aqua, blue and pink, with much bolder purple. Together with the extra Bazzill pack, the kit is available in the shop from today.

Here are my first two layouts:

Before I explain how the layouts were made, here is a list of what is in the kit.

Patterned Papers:
Kaisercraft - Amethyst collection - Flutter & Gem
Pink Paislee - Bloom Street collection - #08 & #19
Fancy Pants Design - Cherry on Top collection - Flavour Burst
Heidi Swapp Art Walk collection - Escape
Bazzill Basics Cardstock: Pansy & Avalanche

Reverse side of papers:

Embellishments:

30cm Washi tape, cheesecloth, 30cm lace, 3 Tando butterflies, 2 wooden feathers, 2 strips Doodlebug jewels, 3 cherry blossom flowers, 1 Prima flower and Pinkfresh puffy word stickers, 2 pieces Pinkfresh acetate ephemera

As always there is a pack of four sheets of Bazzill available as an optional extra. 

Ocean Breeze, Chiffon, Tutu Pink & Purple Palisades

The Good Life - This photo of me was captured recently in the garden by my husband - he says it's me in my element! We certainly have plenty of garden here in our Suffolk home to keep me busy!

The layout was inspired by the cut file which I cut once as it is presented, then flipped horizontally for a second cut to give me a mirror image. The cut file is from Handipaper and the inspiration from a layout by Nathalie DeSousa.

Starting with the Bazzill Purple Pallisades, I cut it into three pieces 30cm x 10cm. Setting one piece aside for later I flicked ink over the other two pieces. For this I used Dylusions Ink Spray in Black Marble and White Linen (flicked rather than sprayed), and diluted Distress Oxide Ink in Wilted Violet and Shaded Lilac (giving a chalky effect). Once dry, these were glued vertically to either side of a scrap sheet of 30cm x 30cm paper.

I cut a piece of Kaisercraft - Amethyst collection - Gem to measure 30cm x 10cm and this was placed in the centre of the Bazzill.

Using the cut file I cut the two floral borders from Avalanche Bazzill and placed them along the edges of the patterned paper over the Purple Pallisades Bazzill, to give some dimension and movement I only used glue along the straight edge. 

From the remainder of the Purple Pallisades Bazzill I trimmed both 30cm sides with a Martha Stewart Border Punch, then trimmed them to give me two strips 2.5cm wide. These were glued into place overlapping the cut file pieces by adhering the straight edge only, leaving me room to tuck something underneath later

I took the cheesecloth from the kit and opened it out. Then I wiped Distress Oxide, using the two purple shades onto the craft mat and spritzed with water. I dragged the cheesecloth back and forth through the ink until I had some of both shads and a mix of the two showing. I also left a few parts white.  This was left to dry, then I cut strips and tucked them under the trimmed Bazzill as shown in the photo.

I cut six of the smaller butterflies from the Kaisercraft - Amethyst collection - Flutter paper, inked the wings and placed then randomly onto the page with 3D foam. I added Nuvo Glitter Drops to the wings and Nuvo Crystal Drops to the bodies.

From the kit I used the Doodlebug jewels to scatter over the page, together with some lilac Dew Drops from my stash.

My title was made with Pinkfresh Studio Joyful Day Puffy Alpha Stickers.

Daisy Girls -  These photos of my girls were taken in 1993 in the garden when Nanny was visiting and she made them each a daisy chain.

I made the border by gutting a sheet of Pansy Bazzill, leaving a frame of 2.5 cm. Then I trimmed the Pink Paislee - Bloom Street collection - #08 paper to measure 29cm x 29cm.
Before attaching the paper to the Bazzill frame. I used the Vicki Boutin Wildflower and Honey Stencil and some texture paste to apply some daisies to the background.

While the texture paste was drying I set about fussy cutting the largest butterflies from the
Kaisercraft - Amethyst collection - Flutter paper. I inked the edges with Wilted Violet Distress Ink, then I sculpted some shape into the wings with the blade of my scissors. I attached some pearl stamen to each butterfly for antenna. The butterflies were attached across the middle of the page with 3D foam.  I added some Diamond Stickles to the veins on the wings, and I found some gold pearls to stick to the daisy centres.

Finally the title was made from Purple Pallisades and Pansy Bazzill using Tonic Studios Uppercase Alpha Die Set - Windsor.

So that's all for today! I will be back with more from the July kit in two weeks time.
Thanks for looking
Lynn x

Pink Paislee Paige Evans Bloom Street - Favourite Moment

Hello, Karen C here today with another scrapbook layout using Pink Paislee's Bloom Street collection by Paige Evans. The colours in this collection are so pretty and could be used for so many themes.

The starting point for my layout today was a sketch from Pagemaps from January 2019. The sketch was for an 8.5 x 11 size layout but I adapted this to make a 12 x 12 layout.

I used a sheet of 12 x 12 textured white Avalanche cardstock from Bazzill for my base and on this I layered several patterned papers. A 6.5 x 7.5 piece of the stripey #16 paper from Bloom Street  was stuck to the layout and below this a 6.5 x 3.5 piece of the yellow floral #14 paper. A scrap of ledger paper from my stash (I think this is from the Simple Stories Sn@p Basics collection) measuring roughly 4 x 5.25 was layered on the left side. I used a notebook border punch on the lower edge of the ledger paper to add some interest and also printed my journalling onto the paper using my computer before it was attached.

I used another border punch on a strip of the pink  #09 paper and stuck this horizontally across the layout to create a shelf for my photo to sit on. Finally a thin strip of the #16 paper was added. I machine stitched along all the edges and round the edge of the white cardstock with white thread and roughed up the edges.

The 4 x 6 photo of my daughter was matted onto white cardstock and then stuck to the layout.

I die cut a circle from white cardstock and a slightly larger scalloped circle from yellow cardstock and layered these to create an embellishment and to give somewhere for my title and embelishments to sit.

A wood veneer butterfly from my stash was stuck to the edge of the circle and the word 'Favorite' (Shame about the american spelling 😕) from a sheet of Pink Paisleee Bloom Street Flutter Puffy Phrase Thickers and the word 'moment' from Pink Paislee Whimsical Happy Life Foam Thickers were used to make the title.

I embellished with some Dear Lizzy Delightful Chipboard Thickers, some Prima Surfboard Flowers and a phrase cut from paper #13.

I made a tab to tuck in the side of the photo by using a label die and another one of the phrases from the #13 paper. 

The layout was completed with a scattering of yellow sequins and the date was added using some foam numbers.

Thanks for popping by today. I hope you like this layout and I'll be back soon with another.

Take Care,

Karen x x