Fabulous Fall Vibes - Simple Stories - Simple Vintage Autumn Breeze Collection

Hi everyone,

It’s Rebecca here on the blog today! I’m feeling a bit torn about September… On one hand, I’m excited for autumn and all its beautiful colours. But on the other, I’m really sad to see summer go! One thing that always helps ease the transition is seeing the gorgeous new autumn collections arriving in the shop—and this month, I’ve been working with Simple Stories “Simple Vintage Autumn Breeze.” You can find the full collection in the shop here. I always look forward to the Simple Vintage lines as we head into autumn, and this one definitely didn’t disappoint!

 

To start my layout, I tore strips from two different patterned papers. I chose a subtle, neutral paper for the top layer, backed with a more colourful one for contrast. Down the left-hand side of the page, I arranged a cascade of Polaroid-style frames, which I fussy-cut from the Crisp Days patterned paper.

I hollowed out the centre of one frame and backed it with my photo, adding foam behind it for dimension. Placing it centrally among the other frames helped it stand out. I also tucked a larger piece of ephemera from the Ephemera pack behind the framed photo to add some extra detail.

 

For my title, I chose the word ‘Fabulous’ from the Foam Stickers, and placed it to the right of my photo—raised up on foam pads for added depth. Underneath, I added a smaller foam sticker to extend the title. I love combining fonts like this—it adds visual interest and a playful feel to the page.

With the larger elements in place, I started embellishing. I fussy-cut some tags from the Tag Elements paper, punched metal eyelets through each, and arranged them around the layout for extra texture and charm.

 

Next, I turned to the Floral Bits & Pieces. I selected a few floral clusters and layered them around the layout, including a sticker from the Elements Stickers to complete the cluster in the top-right corner.

At this point, I needed to decide on a background. I’d been building everything on Premium White Cardstock, but it felt a bit too stark—it just wasn’t making the elements pop. The great thing about adhering your layout pieces together first is that you can lift them off and try different backgrounds underneath!

After testing several patterned papers, I fell in love with the bold orange Journal Elements paper (B side). It really brought out all the other colours on the page. It was a bit of a daring choice for me, but I’m so glad I went for it!

To finish off the layout, I added a couple of tabs from the Bits & Pieces and some mini heart foam stickers. I love how these tiny, last-minute touches pull everything together without overwhelming the page.

Thanks so much for reading—I hope you’ve enjoyed seeing how this layout came together. I’ll be back later this month to share my second layout using this stunning collection.

Take care, 
Rebecca xx

@preciouspagespapercraft

Simple Stories ~ Happy Travels 🧭 #1

Hi everyone, it’s Anna back with you today. 

This month I’m working with Simple Stories Happy Travels which you can find in the shop - here. 

This collection has been out for a couple of months now, but it’s still available in the shop and it is perfect to document your post summer holiday travels.  

To create this layout I gutted ‘Travel Buddies’ and trimmed down some white bazzill cardstock, leaving about an inch on each side. I adhered the cardstock to ‘Travel Buddies’ creating a border. 

I then printed my photos and mounted them onto coordinating cardstock in strips. 

I cut out some journaling elements from ‘Journal Elements’ and placed them alongside my photo strips to use as my journaling boxes. 

I added some element stickers around the layout, including the ‘Let’s go exploring’ title, at the top of one of my photo strips. 

I wanted to add in some extra detail to the top right of the layout. So I cut out a small section of paper from 3x4 journaling cards, along with a couple of element stickers. 

Thanks so much for looking! 

See you later in the month with another layout using this collection. 

Anna 

@acraftylifewithanna

August Papermaze Kit - Part 2

Lynn here today with the bright, summery August kit, which has been great fun to work with. Here are the first two layouts I have created with this kit. The kit is now available in store and online. Two more layouts featuring my granddaughter, one with all four generations and the other from a few weeks ago, washing her favourite soft toy. 

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

Patterned Papers:
Doodlebug Designs - Butterfly Kisses collection - Happy Thoughts & Garden Party
Echo Park - Have a Great Summer collection - Best Life Butterflies
Lawn Fawn - Bitsy Blooms collection - Begonia
Photoplay - This Happy Life collection - Sweet Hello
Simple Stories - Crafty Babe collection - Live. Love,.Scrap

The photo above shows both sides of the papers.

2 Doodlebug Designs cupcake doilies, Pretty Little Studio Berry Sweet Word Stickers, flair button, strip of jewels, 6 SS Simple Vintage Flower Shoppe Sentiment Bits & Pieces, Pretty Little Studio Word Cut Aparts You Are My Sunshine, Rosie's Studio 2 chipboard pieces Born to Bloom and 6 Doodlebug Designs All Aflutter stickers

Bazzill Basics Cardstock - Fussy, Aqua (included in kit), Granny Smith, Tangelo, Pollen and Coconut Swirl (in extra pack).

It's a Girl Thing! - This layout is for my sister's album and shows her with Florence, with all four generations. 

I started this layout with the Coconut Swirl Bazzill, then built up the design with several other papers from the kit.

The edges of all cut papers were inked with Distress Inks. I cut a 3" x 11" strip of Best Life Butterflies paper, and placed this to the left of the page. Then layered an 8.5" circle of Garden Party paper on top. 

I gutted the Begonia paper and saved the 1" frame for the next layout. The photos were then mounted onto the grid side of the remaining paper. I placed the photos onto the layout. One of the cupcake doilies from the kit was positioned under the left side photo. I cut a 2" white card circle to place over the centre of the doily, and wrote my journalling onto it. 

For the title I used a set of Doodlebug Designs Foam Stamps 'Simply Sweet' and some black acrylic paint to stamp the word 'Girl' onto the green side of the Garden Party paper. I cut these letters out and placed them onto the layout. Then with Doodlebug Designs Rub-ons 'All Mixed Up' Large Beetle Black, I added the rest of the title. 

Using more Doodlebug Designs Rub-ons 'All Mixed Up', this time small and Medium in Beetle Black, I spelt out the date and the subtitle. Also, from Doodlebug Designs I used some Sew-Easy Rub-on Stitches.

I created a large and small cluster of flowers to reflect the flowers on the papers. I used Bazzill cardstock from the kit and a few other shades from my own stash, and some old leaf and flower dies from my stash.

Bathing Bea Bee - My daughter decided Florence's soft toy bee needed a wash, so decided rather than take it away from her to do this, she involved her in the process of washing and drying the bee. She had a lovely time!

I made a frame for the layout using Begonia, before starting the first layout, and I'm using it here, daisy side up. I trimmed some Coconut Swirl Bazzill to 10.5" x 10.5" and heavily inked the edges with Distress Oxide Ink in Speckled Egg, as this is a great match for the paper.

I used the second doily from the kit over where my smaller photos will go on the right of the layout, and inked through and around it, to create a lacy pattern. With more ink mixed with a little water, I flicked more ink over the page.

Using various patterned paper scraps from the kit (Live. Love,.Scrap, Garden Party and Begonia), I cut some strips and placed them, overlapping one another to the left side of the page. My large photo was placed in the centre of the layout, with two smaller photos to each side.

The title was cut from Black and Pollen Bazzill, using the Spellbinders - Simple Stories - Say Cheese Classic Mouse Alphabet Die Set. These were mounted over one another, to create a shadow, and then arranged on the layout using 3D foam pads of alternate letters to add some texture.

I embellished the layout with items from the kit -  Pretty Little Studio Berry Sweet Word Stickers, flair button, strip of jewels, 6 SS Simple Vintage Flower Shoppe Sentiment Bits & Pieces and Rosie's Studio 2 chipboard pieces Born to Bloom.


This concludes the August kit, although there is still plenty of papers card and embellishments to create another layout.

I'll be back with the September kit very soon.
Thanks for looking.
Lynn x

Simple Stories Book Fair- School Days Scrapbook Layout-Rebecca Bee

Hello everyone! Rebecca Bee here today aka Scrap Paper Uk and today I have a layout using Simple Stories Book Fair.

 With the new school year looming next week, this collection is absolutely perfect for documenting back to school photographs.  

I have documented two of 2024's back to school photographs in this layout. The vivid colours in the Way to Go paper were perfect for my photos and for cutting apart & rearranging as colourful striped panels on a piece of Bazzil Blue Oasis cardstock. I have punched the edge of one of the panels using a notebook edge punch to add a scholastic feel to the page.

A little foam adhesive adds some simple dimension, and some white acrylic splatters add a little contrast and texture to the deep background cardstock. For my next layout using the collection and as a self confessed book worm, I am excited to use the book imagery in this collection to track some of the great books I have read so far this year...until next time! 

I've added a perspex piece from my stash to form a title, and some twine threaded through one of the cut apart tags in the Tag Elements paper to add a layer in the clusterb to the right hand side of the page.

I hope you join me to see what I make next with this lovely colourful collection! Rebecca XOXO

Simple Stories ~ Fun Times #2 🎈

Hi everyone, it’s Anna back with you today. 

I’m sharing my second layout this month using Simple Stories Fun Times - take a look at the collection in the shop here. 

You can find my previous double page layout using this collection - here. 

🙂

To create this layout I focused on the ‘Tag Elements’ paper. I chose 8 that would work well with my photos and cut them out. 

I chose to use mostly the plain side of the tags so that I could add a title, journaling and element stickers to them.

This collection is great for so many things, its main focus is to document theme parks/amusement parks. But with the balloons and other fun elements, I wanted to have a go at using it for a birthday layout.

I printed four pictures and mounted them on to coordinating cardstock. I then lay the tags out on my Bazzil white cardstock, with four along the top and four along the bottom. I left a gap in between the tags and placed the photos in the middle. 

I punched small holes in the tags and then threaded some twine through each tag. 

On one of the tags, which was lined, I added my journaling along with a couple of stickers from the element stickers. 

With the remaining tags, I added element stickers and a title. 

Thanks so much for looking! 

See you next month. 

Anna 

@acraftylifewithanna 

🙂

August Papermaze Kit - Part 1

Lynn here today with the bright, summery August kit, which has been great fun to work with. Here are the first two layouts I have created with this kit. The kit is now available in store and online. I have been working with photos of my granddaughter's recent visit to us in Suffolk. 

This is what you will find inside the kit:

Patterned Papers:
Doodlebug Designs - Butterfly Kisses collection - Happy Thoughts & Garden Party
Echo Park - Have a Great Summer collection - Best Life Butterflies
Lawn Fawn - Bitsy Blooms collection - Begonia
Photoplay - This Happy Life collection - Sweet Hello
Simple Stories - Crafty Babe collection - Live. Love,.Scrap

The photo above shows both sides of the papers.

2 Doodlebug Designs cupcake doilies, Pretty Little Studio Berry Sweet Word Stickers, flair button, strip of jewels, 6 SS Simple Vintage Flower Shoppe Sentiment Bits & Pieces, Pretty Little Studio Word Cut Aparts You Are My Sunshine, Rosie's Studio 2 chipboard pieces Born to Bloom and 6 Doodlebug Designs All Aflutter stickers

Bazzill Basics Cardstock - Fussy, Aqua (included in kit), Granny Smith, Tangelo, Pollen and Coconut Swirl (in extra pack).

Ball Pit Fun - We took Florence along to a toddler group where she loved playing in the big ball pit. These colourful photos were ideal for the papers in this kit.

 

I stared by cutting out the tags on the Doodlebug Design Inc. Happy Thoughts paper, and matching them with my Distress Inks. 

Once I selected the colours, I diluted a little ink of each colour on the craft mat with some water. I used a small jar top, to mimic the balls, and stamped circles all over the Coconut Swirl Bazzill. I wriggled the jars a little on the cardstock to make the ink move around. I also flicked some of the wet ink over the page.

The 6 tags were all treated in the same way, using the corresponding colour ink and other items. I inked the edges of the tags, punched a hole in the top, and attached an acrylic flower (which I have had in my stash some time, but I think were from Doodlebug Design Inc.), with a matching brad.  

A photo was placed onto three of the tags, my journalling was written on the fourth. The other  two were used to add the date and the title. For the lettering I used Doodlebug Designs Inc. Alphabet Soup puffy letter stickers in colours to match the tags, inks and other items. 

I found some Bakers twine in my stash in yellow and pink and used a length of each to join the rows of tags together.

I decorated each tag with a phrase from the Berry Sweet Word Stickers supplied in the kit.

Finally, with a black pen I did a little doodling and added the Doodlebug Designs All Aflutter butterfly stickers, from the kit.

Pebbles - Florence discovering pebbles on the beach at Aldeburgh. 

For this layout I selected the Aqua Bazzill from the kit for the background. Then using some scrap white, I found this cutfile on the Cricut and cut the whole image to use as a stencil for placing the coloured pieces into place. Then I cut the pieces I wanted from the Tangelo and Pollen Bazzill as well as the Live. Love,.Scrap and Begonia papers. I distressed and inked all the pieces before putting them in place on the Aqua Bazzill.

I mounted the photos onto some white card, and arranged them onto the layout. 

I made a banner from a length of Baker's Twine and the Word Cut Aparts You Are My Sunshine from the kit. I raised the flags on 3D foam pads.

My title was made with Dear Lizzy Thickers Treasure.

With a selection of pearls and gems, I added a little sparkle to the layout.

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