Mintay Paper - Summer Highlands - Crimson Days

Hi everyone, Karen here. I’m so excited to be creating with the gorgeous Summer Highlands collection from Mintay Papers this month. If you love peaceful holidays in the countryside and outdoor adventures, this one is for you. The colour palette is a beautiful mix of reds, browns, beiges, and creams, packed with images of mountain landscapes, vintage maps, daisies, poppies, wild strawberries, hiking boots, cameras and lots more.

For my first layout I trimmed paper #4 and layered it onto red cardstock to create a narrow border. After adding some black paint splatters to the background, I let it dry completely before adding anything else.

Next, I machine-stitched a straight line around the edge using red thread, then glued down some red gingham ribbon from my stash just inside the stitching for a double-border look.

I matted my square photo with paper from the 6x8 Add-On Paper Pack and placed it in the top right corner.

Using more paper from the Add-On Pack and some red cardstock, I created eight rosettes in varying sizes. A tip when making rosettes - always use hot glue to secure your rosettes! Because it dries quickly and holds strongly, you can easily gather the centre of your paper fans without them springing open.

In the centre of each rosette, I attached some old Card Candi from my stash (buttons, enamel dots, or gems would work perfectly too). I then clustered the rosettes around the photo, mixing up the colours as I went.

I cut some poppies from paper #10 and tucked them under some of the rosettes.

I cut a title on the Silhouette from red and cream cardstock and placed this in the top left corner fo the layout.

For journaling, I printed the "where and when" onto a tag, tied it with twine, and layered it on top of one of the rosettes.

A few scattered enamel dots finished off the layout.

I'm really enjoying this collection and look forward to sharing another project with you soon.

Take Care,

Karen x x

Pinkfresh Studio ~ Crafted Moments by Paige Evans ☀️

 Hello everyone and welcome back to the Papermaze blog! 

Today I will be sharing my second layout using Pinkfresh Studio’s latest collaboration with Paige Evans - Crafted Moments. 

You can find the collection in the shop here. 

I began with a sheet of pale pink bazzill as my base. 

I then cut out a selection of hexagons from 'Crafted Moments' which is in the 12x12 paper pad. 

 

I fussy cut a couple of suns from ‘Made of Sunlight’ which is in the 12x12 pad. After mounting my photographs I began positioning everything on my layout. I adhered the hexagons in a pattern across the page, added my photographs and placed the suns in position too. 

I added some stickers around my layout including a journaling box which were from the Cardstock Stickers.

I added a title to the bottom right hand side of the layout which balanced the page out.

Thanks so much for looking! See you soon with another layout using this collection soon. 

Anna 

@acraftylifewithanna

Tides & Treasures - Simple Stories - Simple Vintage Sand & Sea Collection

Hi everyone,

It's Rebecca here today, sharing my first layout and blog post of the month. This month, I'm lucky enough to be working with the beautiful Simple Vintage Sand & Sea collection from Simple Stories. I'm always drawn to coastal and nautical-themed collections—probably because my parents live surrounded by coastline, so whenever we visit, we spend lots of time at the beach! The full collection will be in the shop for you to purchase very soon!

To begin, I selected the two striped patterned papers from the collection—one red and one blue—which work beautifully together and provide a lovely contrast. I cut small sections from each paper to create two fishtail banners, making one slightly smaller than the other. After distressing the edges for added texture, I layered them at an angle on a sheet of Premium White Cardstock. I then positioned my photo on top, printing it twice and mounting it on white cardstock to add extra dimension and interest.

Next, I created clusters on either side of my photo using pieces from the Bits & Pieces pack, including a sandcastle, a large crab, and a starfish. I didn't want to over-embellish around the photo, as the striped papers already add plenty of visual interest. Keeping the embellishments simple helps ensure the focus remains on the photo rather than the surrounding details.

Above and below the patterned paper banners, I added several tags from the Tag Elements paper along with florals from the Floral Bits & Pieces pack. I chose tags in coordinating colours and arranged them into two clusters to help balance the design. Adding metal eyelets to the tags provided an extra touch of texture and detail.

For my title, I used one of the Foam Stickers. I love the dimension these stickers add to a layout, and they make creating titles so quick and easy. I placed the title to the left of my photo, filling a space I had intentionally left open during the design process.

To finish the layout, I scattered a few tiny heart die-cuts from the Bits & Pieces pack around the page for a subtle final touch.

Thank you so much for reading. I hope you enjoy my layout and that it inspires you to get creative yourself. With the summer holidays fast approaching, I know I'll have plenty more beach-themed photos to scrapbook, so this certainly won't be the last time you'll see me working with this gorgeous collection! 

Take care,

Rebecca xx

@preciouspagespapercraft

Simple Stories - Rustic Legend - Epic

Hi there

Claire here today. This month I'm creating with the Rustic Legend collection from Simple Stories and I'm loving it! 

This collection has a masculine feel to me and is full of fun Vintage icons that you can use for almost any photo. For my layout I'm documenting a trip we had to a karaoke bar is Nashville last year.

I added some stencilled arrows to my background to add to the rustic feel and to help anchor my layout. I chose papers to match the colour in my photo (Be Bold and Low Key Awesome) and cut these I to a fishtail banner and pennant layered on top of each other. I alsoayered a 'ruler' strip underneath which I cut from the Level Up paper.

Around my photo, I embellished with a tag from the Tag paper, a few small stars from the Cardstock Sticker sheet and some icons from the Bits & Pieces pack.

On the other side, I cut a large cassette tape from the Journal Elements paper and added some of the Bits and Pieces and a cardstock sticker arrow to finish the cluster.

There are SO many fun icons in the bits and pieces pack, I couldn't help but keep adding which is very unlike me! So to the top of my photo, I added a few extra stickers from the Cardstock Sticker Basics to help balance the colours across each cluster. 

I also added a bit of extra texture with some nuvo drops along the top which brought this layout to a finish.

I really would recommend this collection. It's such a fun one to use. You can find it here, but don't wait too long as it's proving very popular! 

See you soon. 

Claire

@scrappysoulmate

Uniquely Creative - Ultraviolet Delight - Spring Awakening

Hello everyone, Karen here! Today I’m sharing my final layout featuring the gorgeous Ultraviolet Delight collection from Uniquely Creative.

For my base, I chose a sheet of the 'Very Violet' patterned paper. Because the paper is already so beautifully detailed with pretty florals, I decided to keep things clean and old-school with a simple, four-photo layout and minimal embellishments.

 

I started by trimming the patterned paper down slightly and matting it onto a sheet of white cardstock to create a narrow, crisp border.

I printed my four photos with a white border and arranged them in a loose L-shape, aiming for a casual, scattered look on the layout.

In the open space at the top of the layout, I added my title, which I die-cut from gold mirror cardstock using my Silhouette.

For the journaling, I printed in purple ink onto a fancy vellum label, also cut with my Silhouette.

Since vellum is notoriously tricky to stick without the glue showing, I layered some Vellum Creative Cuts over the top to securely attach the label and embellish the layout at the same time.

I fussy cutting some fitting words from the 'Simple Life' sheet, and put them on the photos.

Finally I scattered a few gold sequins around the title.

Thank you for having a look at the blog today. I hope you like this layout and that I've inspired you to use the Ultraviolet Delight collection in your craft projects. 

Until next time, Take Care

Karen x x

May Papermaze Kit - Part 2

Lynn here today, with the second post sharing very colourful May Papermaze kit. I have used the kit to make four layouts of my children's activities back in the 1990's. The photo below shows the second pair 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 photo below shows both sides of the 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, Rosies Studio – Jubilee diecut 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).

First Term - Here are the children during their first term at primary school. 

I made a 1" (12" x 12") frame using the pink grid side of The Details paper. I stuck this onto a scrap 12" x 12" paper. I  trimmed a sheet of Smooth White Bazzill to 11" x 11" and distressed the edges. With a set of Vicki Boutin Bold & Bright, Full Circle stamps, I created some circles and blots onto the cardstock, using Distress Oxide Inks in Mustard Seed, Broken China, Picked Raspberry and Bundled Sage (the nearest colour matches to the shades of Bazzill, supplied with the kit). I also diluted some of these inks and splashed them over the cardstock. 

Once dry, I attached the white Bazzill to the centre of the frame made earlier. I printed my photo and trimmed it to 5" x 6", then mounted it onto white and black Bazzill. I added the photo to the very top right of the layout.  

I cut some scalloped strips from the Okie Dokie paper, and tucked them under the white cardstock onto the frame. 

I cut the pencil border Peartree Cutfile from Raven Bazzill, then backfilled it with African Daisy, Ocean Oasis, Berry Sensation & Intense Kiwi Bazzill and scraps of white card. I placed this across the layout overlapping the photo. 

With a piece of lined paper and a notebook edge border punch, I made a little journalling spot for my title and the date. I used a selection of Doodlebug Designs - Alphabet Soup stickers for the title (Bubblegum, Bumblebee, Swimming Pool & Limeade) & other Doodlebug Designs Alphabet stickers from my stash. I added some black rubon numbers and letters to the stamping.

Finally, I trimmed the photo with a bulldog clip from 49 and Market Artful Moments Laser Cut Outs.


Wildlife - The children and I visited the Wildflower Centre near Holt in Norfolk for a very good day out - the first of many visits we made there over the years.




I purchased another sheet of Raven Bazzill and trimmed it to 11.5" x 11.5", I placed it over a 1" frame cut from the black and white floral side of My Favourite Things paper. I flicked some drops of colours I used for the previous layout over the Bazzill.

With the gutted remains of My Favourite Things paper, I fussy cut all the flowers, including some incomplete ones. Once they were all cut and shaped with the scissor blade, I set them aside for later.

I mounted my photos onto some white card and placed them in the centre of the layout without sticking them right to the edges, allowing room to tuck flowers under later. 

I created my title and subtitle with some old glittery Thickers from my stash I spelt out the word 'Wildlife', then with a pack of American Crafts Paige Evans Adventurous - Mini Alphabet Thickers I added 'Wildflower Centre' and the year. 

I added four paintbrushes from the 49 and Market Artful Moments Laser Cut Outs, two either side of the title. I then arranged all the flowers up the sides of the page to look as if they had been painted there. I matched the colours of the flowers to the paint on the brushes. Once all in place I punched some leaves from the Intense Kiwi Bazzill and scattered these among the flowers.

Finally, I scattered the butterflies from the 49 and Market Artful Moments Laser Cut Outs, along the top of the layout, matching up the colours as before. 


That's all for the May kit, I'll be back with the June kit soon.
Thanks for looking.
Lynn x

Family Time - Uniquely Creative - Paperbark Blooms Collection

Hi everyone,

It’s Rebecca here on the blog today, sharing my second layout using the beautiful Paperbark Blooms collection from Uniquely Creative. With the sudden heatwave we’ve been experiencing lately, it was so nice to retreat to the coolness of my craft room and spend some creative time scrapping! You can find the collection in the shop here.

This layout was inspired by the Cut Florals patterned paper. I loved the hexagon designs, so I carefully cut them out and arranged a selection of them across a sheet of premium white cardstock. I chose a diagonal composition with plenty of my signature white space to keep the design feeling clean and balanced.

To build the focal point, I layered my photo over a couple of patterned papers from the 6x6 Collection Pack and distressed the edges to add extra texture and depth.

Continuing the diagonal flow of the hexagons, I created two floral clusters using the Floral Creative Cuts. I popped the elements up with foam pads to add dimension and shadow to the page. I also tucked in a couple of animals from the Creative Cuts Ephemera, which suited the photo perfectly as it was taken during a visit to a wildlife sanctuary with my son and parents.

For the title, I combined two words from the Creative Cuts Ephemera and positioned them in the top left corner to help balance the overall design and draw the eye across the page.

Thanks so much for stopping by today. I hope you’ve enjoyed the two layouts I’ve created with this stunning collection and that they’ve inspired you to get creative with Paperbark Blooms too!

Take care,

Rebecca xx 

@preciouspagespapercraft