May Papermaze Kit - Part 1

Hello, It's Lynn here today with the May Papermaze kit (a little later than usual due to holidays). The kit this month is full of brightly coloured patterned papers and cardstock - great fun! I have used mine to make four layouts of my children's activities back in the 1990's. The photo below shows the first two of these layouts.

Before looking at how the layouts were made, here is what you will find in the kit.

Patterned Papers:
49 and Market - Vicki Boutin - Artful Moments - Starters Paper #2 & #9
Simple Stories - Colour Me Happy - Okie Dokie & The Details
Simple Stories - Say Cheese Happiest Place - Adventure
Simple Stories - Take Note - My Favourite Things

The image below, shows both sides of the patterned papers.

Embellishments:
Doodlebug doilies - cupcake & mint, Pretty Little Studio - sunkissed word titles, Pebbles - Sun & Fun puffy dots, Jen Hadfield – Reaching Out – Rainbow Clip, P13 chipboard stars, Vicki Bouton – Bold & Bright puffy stickers, Rosie's Studio – Jubilee die cut sentiments, Studio Light Essentials washi tape

Bazzill Basics Cardstock - Raven, African Daisy (included in kit), Ocean Oasis, Bazzill White, Berry Sensation & Intense Kiwi (extra pack).

Crazy Cozy Coupe - The children on their 3rd birthday, with the gift of a Little Tikes Cosy Coupe. 

For this layout I chose the Starters Paper #2, and keeping the barcode strip at the bottom of the page, I trimmed the same side strip from the top of the paper instead - so I still have a 12" x 12" piece of paper.

I printed five small photos of the event, and arranged these across the base of the page - leaving room to tuck items under the photos in places. I purchased an extra sheet of paper from the same collection - Starters Paper #8, this one is made up of 24 colourful tags, I cut out nine tags in colours to match the paint strips on the background paper. I inked the edges in Black Soot Distress Ink, and added a Pebbles - Sun & Fun puffy dot to each tag (from the kit).

The tags were arranged across the layout above the photos, in the same colour order as the paper beneath. I added journalling, the Vicki Bouton Bold & Bright puffy stickers, and Rosie's Studio – Jubilee die cut sentiments (both included in the kit). 

With my much loved, Spellbinders Dies Say Cheese Classic Mouse - Classic Mouse Alphabet set, I cut the title and the #3 from Raven Bazzill, and some scraps of glossy photo paper. These were layered up to make shiny letters with black shadows. Finally, I outlined the letters, tags and stickers with a black marker pen. 

Artists at Work - The children playing with paint, paper and easels in the garden.

I built the background of this layout, using Bazzill Basics Cardstock in Raven and Bazzill White. I gutted the white so I had a 1" deep 12"x 12" frame and a piece 10" x 10", I trimmed the black to 11" x 11" and gutted it to make another 1" frame. These were then built up to create the background as seen in the photos. 

I mounted two landscape photos 4.5" x 3.5" onto a piece of white card, trimmed to make a very narrow border. This was then mounted onto the Ocean Oasis Bazzill, and then again onto a piece of  The Details paper. This was placed to the left side of the layout.

I used the Starters Paper #9 in several different ways, first of all I cut eight banners from the rays of colours. These were roughly 3.5" long and as wide as printed. I inked the edges with Black Soot Distress Ink and arranged them in rainbow colour order to the right side of the photos. 

The other way I used the paper, was to stamp on, to make the colour palates and brushes etc. 
I used Clear Stamps by Eileen Hull Swatch Cards and stamped the images on the white grid part of the paper. I cut these out and then stamped onto the coloured part of the paper to produce the paint colours. These were cut out and placed over the corresponding areas on the swatch cards. I also stamped the brush tips onto the coloured areas, and added them to the brushes. 

I used some of the washi tape from the kit and chose the word ' Creativity' and ran this between the photos and the coloured banners. Then I arranged all the stamped images I made. 

Finally, I used scraps of  Raven Bazzill, and die cut letters and numbers for the date and title. These were positioned over the coloured banners.

That's all for today, back with more from this kit soon.
Thanks for looking.
Lynn x

March Papermaze Kit - Part 1

Hello, Lynn here today with two layouts created using the March Papermaze Kit. Full of pretty floral and rustic papers, colour matched cardstock and embellishments. For my first two layouts I have picked the farmyard style papers from 49 and Market's Whispering Way collection.

Before looking at how the layouts were made, here is what you will find in the kit:

Patterned Papers:
49 and Market - Whispering Way collection - Farm Fresh & Sunshine Days
Carta Bella - Pressed Floral collection - 3 x 4 Journalling Cards
Carta Bella - Feels Like Home collection - Floral Frame & Cottage Floral
Simple Stories - Simple Vintage Junk Drawer collection - Willow

The photo below shows both sides of the papers

Embellishments: Mintay Chippies Titles - 1 line, 3 Prima Cherry Sweet flowers, 6 Uniquely Creative Bohemian Escape Vellum, 2 Kaisercraft Frames, Kaisercraft Rhinestone Flower, Bo Bunny - Beautiful Things - Candy Dots, Hero Arts Clay Hearts, 12" Lace.

Bazzill Basics Cardstock - Twig, Rosewood (included in kit), Classic Smooth White, Quartz, Guacamole and  Yukon Gold.

Cobtree Museum - When the children were on their school summer holiday, we spent a Day at The Cobtree Museum of Kent Life, Maidstone. They enjoyed playing in 'The Darling Buds of May' set. Here is my daughter on Pop Larkin's Truck.

I chose the Farm Fresh paper for this layout, I has some rustic farm yard images centred around a big circular egg farm symbol. You will see from the photo below how I gutted this paper, so that I could use the brick work print from the 'B' side as a mount for my photo. I was careful to trim around the 'Fresh Farm Eggs' sign and milk churn. I cut the cut-out piece into smaller pieces and 'built' a brick wall around my photo. Then tucked the photo under the sign and churn. As with all cut edges on this layout, I inked the edges with Brushed Corduroy Distress Ink.

Using a BIGZ XL alphabet die (Wonderland) and some greyboard from my stash, I cut the letters for the title. The letters were painted with two different coloured coats of Distress Paint (Ground Espresso and Brushed Corduroy). Once dry I added a layer of Cracking Medium, allowing this to dry naturally and cause the top layer of paint to crack, giving a weathered wood effect. I protected the letters with a thin layer of Glossy Accents.

The letters were arranged following the line of the circular design printed on the paper. 

I made a subtitle using Sizzix Thinlits Alphanumeric Label die set to cut letters from the Yukon Gold Bazzill in the kit. I arranged the letters inside the larger title. 

I cut more letters and numbers for the date, these were arranged of two small tags cut using the Sizzix Framelits Tag Collection Die set. Using another small tag, I added some journalling. Fine jute twine was looped through the holes in the tags. 

I purchased a pack of 49 and Market Laser Cut Elements from the Whispering Way collection, I selected a few images, and along with the tags, applied them to the layout using 3D foam pads. Small pieces of raffia were tucked under some of the pieces. 

Badsell Farm Park - A day out for the Children with Twin's Club friends, after winning tickets for the Badsell Farm Park, Paddock Wood. Andrew loved all the farm machinery he was able to climb onto and pretend to drive.  

This time I chose the Sunshine Days paper, from the Whispering Way collection. I added more chicken wire to this page using Aged Mahogany Distress Paint mixed with Texture Paste, and worked through a stencil (TCW259S). This was set aside to dry. 

The title letters were cut using another Sizzix BIGZ XL die (Block Tall Capital) and more Greyboard. I treated these with a coat of Aged Mahogany Distress paint. Brushed Corduroy Distress paint was blended with Texture Paste and this was plastered over the painted letters, leaving a rough finish, and allowing the Aged Mahogany to show through. 

Once dried, the letters were arranged around the top of the circular image on the paper. 

I selected images from two packs of 49 and Market Laser Cut elements (Krafty Garden and Whispering Way). 

I tucked in a few 49 and Market Vintage Bits Essential Tickets - Sunbeam.  

Finally, I used some old rub-ons for the date. 

That's all for today, I'll be back with more from this kit soon.
Thanks for looking.
Lynn x

Oh What Fun! Crafty Christmas Layout

Lynn here today, with a little extra post for Christmas. I purchased a selection of Doodlebug Designs - Oh What Fun! papers and embellishments when I attended the Papermaze Christmas crop last week. I wanted to capture some of Florence's Christmas adventures this season.

The layout shows an afternoon with Florence, making Christmas cards, we cut her a star and a tree from a sweet potato - we didn't have a potato handy! With poster paint, glue, pom-poms and stickers, she had a lovely time with a little help from Mummy and Nana!

I decided to use a double page layout sketch from Pagemaps (June 2024).

I used:
Doodlebug Designs Inc. - Oh What Fun! - Deck The Halls, Merry Magic & Festive Flannel 
Doodlebug Designs Inc. - Oh What Fun! - This & That Cardstock Stickers 
Doodlebug Designs Inc. - Cute & Crafty - Chit Chat
Doodlebug Designs Inc. Alphabet Soup - Bubblegum, Bumblebee & Blue Jean 
Distress Inks - Candied Apple, Mowed Lawn & Mustard Seed
Smooth white Bazzill 
Gold enamel dots

With the two sheets of cardstock and the Distress Inks, I splattered watered down ink over the cardstock. I inked all my papers with more of the Candied Apple Distress Ink.

I cut the Deck The Halls paper into two pieces 6" x 12", these were placed 3" down from the top of the cardstock on both sheets of cardstock.

From the top of the Festive Flannel paper (avoiding the 24 icons), I cut two strips 10" x 1". These were placed above the previous papers. Then I topped this with one of the scalloped 12" stickers (cut in two), from the This and That sticker sheet. I cut a smaller scalloped sticker and placed it beneath the paper. 

I cut the 'Christmas Memories' piece from the Merry Magic paper, and placed it vertically on the left page. 

My photos were mounted onto some white card and arranged in place. I added details to my journalling spot and the date at the bottom with the Alphabet Soup stickers. 

I selected more stickers from the sticker sheet adding hearts, stars, a few phrases and the large 'Merry Christmas' sticker to the layout. 

From a pack of Chit Chat, I selected two words to use as a title and sub title. Then I embellished with gold enamel dots from my stash. 

Thanks for looking
Merry Christmas
Lynn x

Sizzix - Eileen Hull Collection - Colour Wheel, Swatch Cards and Rainbow Wheels

I recently purchased a set of Sizzix products designed by Elaine Hull from Papermaze. They included: A5 Clear Stamps Set 24PK - Swatch Cards, Thinlits 9PK Die Set - Rainbow Wheels and Layered Stencils 3PK - Colour Wheel. This collection together with my Distress Inks gave me a variety of possibilities. There are plenty of ideas on the Sizzix web site including links to some You Tube videos. 

Here is a selection of things I made using these new tools:



First of all I made a layout, based on an idea by Jess Jones of Sizzix and changed to meet my plans. 



I cut some scrap paper down to 11" x 11" and placed it in the centre of the 12" x 12" Smooth White Bazzill, I had selected for the layout. I used the smaller piece as a mask, and with a blending tool I inked Distress Inks around the edge of the layout in a rainbow sequence. I removed the mask and flicked some of the colours over the page.  

I stamped the above image onto watercolour paper, and  cut it out with the largest circle die. Then I used Distress Inks, watered down on the craft mat and painted the segments. 

With the stencils I created the colour wheel above onto watercolour paper, then covered it by cutting the overlay from white cardstock and sticking it in place over the top. I trimmed the stencilled wheel from under the die. I stamped the small wheel with 12 sections (also watercolour paper), and cut it out with the smallest circle die. I painted each section with more Distress Inks.  I cut three silver arrows using the dies, and attached them to the colour wheel centres, with small brads. 

I stamped the swatch card onto watercolour paper, and painted each panel as before, I stamped the 'colour swatch' phrase into place. I cut the card out with scissors. I also stamped three paintbrushes, painted them and cut them out. 

With a set of alphabet dies I cut my title from more watercolour paper, and painted each letter with a different colour of Distress Ink. All the elements and the photo were arranged onto the page and stuck in place. I added the date with some Doodlebug Designs Rubons. 

Next, I made a set of three Birthday cards using similar techniques to the layout, various card blanks and some scrap patterned papers. 

I decided as the small colour wheel has sixteen little pallets and the Distress Ink and Distress Watercolour Pencil tins each hold the same number of inks or pencils, that I would use the stamps and dies to organise and label my tins.

The pencil tins already have an acetate sheet to protect them, so I attached the colour wheels to this, so it shows through the lid. I wrote the initials of each colour over the inked colour. For the Distress Inks, I cut a piece of acetate to fit over the inks, and rounded the corners with a punch. I used this to attach the colour wheels.

I hope this has been useful and interesting. 
Thanks for looking.
Lynn x