Papermaze February Kit - Part 1

Lynn here today to introduce you to the romantic February Papermaze Kit. This beautiful collection is ideal for St. Valentine, Wedding and other romantic photos, but they are also perfect for heritage layouts. As the weather is cold and miserable, I have been working on my family tree, and making new links on Ancestry. I came across these lovely photos of our family ancestors. I will add details of these characters on my own blog (should you wish to read about them). 

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

Patterned Papers:
Simple Stories - Simple Vintage Junk Drawer collection - Notes And Things
49 and Market - Dennis Burton - Nostalgic Memories collection - Moment & Forever
49 and Market - Vicki Boutin - Curiosities in Willow Grove collection - Starters Paper #5
Graphic 45 - Journalling Through Time collection - Wild Flowers & Golden Rod Pattern & Solid Sheet

The photo below shows both sides of the papers. 

Embellishments - 49 and Market Nostalgic Memories chipboard words, 49 and Market Colourswatch Tickets, 12" lace ribbon, Bare Essentials wooden domes, assorted flowers, Mintay paper stickers phrases - beige: & Simple Stories Simple Vintage Woodlands floral bits.

Bazzill Basics Cardstock - Touch of Pink, Mocha Divine, (included with kit) Apricot, Ivy, Fawn & Beeswax (extra pack).


Laura Susannah - A recently discovered photo of a great grand aunt on my husband's side of the family. 

I gutted the Notes And Things paper, making a frame of 1"x12"x12", which I set aside for use on another layout. From the gutted centre I cut a 9" circle from the centre. Then I placed this onto the Fawn Bazzill and gently pencilled the circle onto the cardstock. Using a Tim Holtz Layering stencil (THS077 - Floral) and some Embossing Paste I created the flowery design so it would peep from the circle. I used Stampendous Frantage Shabby White Embossing Enamel over the paste and heat embossed it to fix it in place, making a raised sparkly design. 

I took the circle, cut earlier and punched holes with the smaller hole on the crop-a-dile, 1cm in from the outer edge, and 1 cm apart. Using some cream crochet cotton and a 3.5mm crochet hook I croched around the outer edge of the circle. I worked double crochet stitched through the holes all around the circle first, then my second round was 1 dc, 3tr, 1dc, into each dc created on the first round. The circle was placed onto the centre of the Fawn Bazzill.

I added the photo to the left side of the circle. With the Sizzix and a Tim Holtz Bigz XL die (Wonderland), and some scrap greyboard, I cut the letters for the title. These letters were embossed with Sizzix Caramel Toffy embossing powder. The letters were arranged inside the crochet edging. 

I used the 49 and Market Nostalgic Memories chipboard word from the kit along the base of the photo, I raised this up on 3D foam pads so it sat happily over the crochet. 

From the kit I used the assorted flowers and the Simple Stories Simple Vintage Woodlands floral bits. I trimmed the white halo's away from the butterflies and toadstools, as I felt they looked better this way for a heritage layout. The butterfly wings were raised up on 3D foam pads, while the bodies were glued in place. 

The Kiff Family c1905 - This photo was sent to me by a someone I have linked up with through Ancestry. It shows George and Irene Kiff with Charles, Leonard, Irene, Thomas and Dorothy.

I started making this layout with the Moment paper, I cut off the barcode strip and set it aside for later. I turned the paper so the flower borders ran down either side of the paper, rather than across the top and bottom. Then I cut a piece 5" x 12" from the Golden Rod Pattern & Solid Sheet paper. I glued this down the centre of the Moment paper, leaving the very edges unstuck.

I cut the 12" lace ribbon in half lengthwise, at tucked this under the edges of the Golden Rod Pattern & Solid Sheet paper. I then glued some cream velvet ricrac trim over the join. 

My photo was placed to the right side, again leaving room to tuck embellishments in later. I used the 49 and Market Colourswatch Tickets and some skeleton leaves down the sides of the photo.

I built up the floral areas by adding a selection of paper flowers and leaves, coiling the wires. I added a key embellishment to both areas, using the flower wires to hold them in place. 

Back to the barcode strip - I cut the two phrases apart, then I cut both of them into two lines. I distressed the edges, and added the phrases to the side of each cluster of flowers. They were raised up on 3D foam pads. 

I used some old domed resin stickers from my stash to add the date to the layout. The title was also made with some old stickers from my own collection.

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

Simple Stories - Game Night - Twist & Shout

Hello, Karen here. I’m sharing my final layout today featuring the Simple Stories Game Night collection. This is a clean, simple layout that you can easily adapt for any theme or occasion.

I began the layout with a sheet of white cardstock. I trimmed this down slightly and then matted it onto a sheet of black cardstock leaving a narrow border around the edges. 

Next, I cut 5.25-inch squares from the It’s Your Turn and No Cheating! papers (two of each). I arranged them on the background, leaving a border between the pieces. For texture I used white thread to machine-stitch a straight border around the edges of each square.

I printed a photo collage of four photos, double matted it with white and black cardstock and placed it in the middle of the layout. In the middle of the collage I added some words cut from the Journal Elements paper which was also matted with black cardstock.

Strips of the No Cheating! paper were tucked underneath the matted photo collage.

An image from the 2X2/4X4 Elements sheet was added in the top right corner.

I cut a title from cardstock on the Silhouette and added this to the layout.

My journaling was printed, cut into strips, and layered onto the page. 

After adding the date to the bottom left, I used a circle punch on some coordinating cardstock to create some coloured dots, scattering them around to complete the layout.

Thank you for dropping by today and I hope I've inspired you.

Take Care,
Karen x x

Carta Bella - Pressed Floral - Our Happy Place

Hello everyone

Today I'm sharing a layout documenting a day out to Highclere Castle (Downton Abbey). The gardens there are beautiful and this photo was the perfect inspiration to create a page filled with pretty florals.

I chose the Pressed Floral collection from Carta Bella. I immediately fell in love with the Full of Magic Floral Frame paper, but wanted a central design. I used a scalpel and scissors to cut out the frame, inverting the corners to place the floral clusters in the middle, brushing dry Distress Oxide into the centre of the page through a stencil to anchor the design. 

Using a frame from the Ephemera Frames and Tags pack, I mounted my photo, poitioning it right in the centre of the floral cluster.

Next, I wanted to add extra florals and foliage for depth. I fussy cut a selecion of flowers from the 3x4 Journalling Cards paper, complementing this further with some die cut leaves using the Fern Valley Craft die and Branch Mix Die set from Arden Creative Studio. 

I slotted some in under the floral cluster, raising some on foam for dimension. 

To create my title, I chose two phrases from the Ephemera Frames and Tags pack, aligning these along the edge of the inverted frame. 

Thank you for joining me on the blog today. I hope you've enjoyed it. You can check out the collection here. I'll be back in a few weeks with another layout for extra inspiration. 

Happy scrapping! 

Claire x

@scrappysoulmate 

A Moment in Time - 49 and Market - Nostalgic Memories Collection

Hi everyone, it’s Rebecca here, and today I’m kicking off February with a brand-new collection from 49 and Market – Nostalgic Memories. This is such a beautiful collection, and I can easily see it working across any season. I’ve used it to document a photo taken last autumn, as I loved how perfectly the colours echoed the leaves scattered on the ground. You can find the full collection in the shop here.

I began by selecting a patterned paper for my background. I’m always drawn to designs with subtle detail—something that adds interest without overpowering the layout. Once I’d chosen my background, I picked out a couple of contrasting papers and cut small hexagons from them using my metal dies. I paired a busy floral pattern with a solid paper featuring very soft detailing, then arranged the hexagons in a tight, central design across two rows.

On top of the hexagons, I positioned my photo. Normally, when I use a repeated shape on a layout, I like to mirror that shape with my photo. However, it just didn’t feel right this time, so I opted for a smaller square photo instead. I printed the photo twice and layered them with white borders to help them stand out against the deeper tones of the collection.

To the right of the photo, I added my title from the Chipboard Words pack, raising it on foam pads to create some dimension. I love how both the title and the photos feature white borders—this small detail brings a lovely sense of consistency to the page.

Around the photos and title, I embellished with some of the elegant florals from the Laser Cut Florals. The colours work beautifully with the leaves in my photo and almost feel like they’re flowing straight out onto the page.

To add even more detail to the background, I applied some of the Blendable Rub-On Transfers. These are such an easy way to add delicate detail with minimal effort, and they really elevate the finished layout.

To tie everything together, I finished the page with Distress Oxide Ink in 'Victorian Velvet', applied with a blending brush around the edges of the page and lightly over the rub-ons for a soft, blended effect. I then completed the layout with a few ink splatters in the same shade.

Thank you so much for reading. Don’t forget to check out this gorgeous collection in the shop.

Take care,  
Rebecca xx

@preciouspagespapercraft

Simple Stories ~ Take Note #2 🗒️

Hello everyone, it’s Anna back with you today after a short break due to some technical issues! 

I’m now able to share my second layout using Simple Stories Take Note - which you can find in the shop here. 

To create this layout I’ve used a cutfile by Peartree Cutfiles which is a repetitive 2026 circle. I cut the cutfile out of white bazzill cardstock and then backed the stars with pieces of yellow patterned paper from ‘Focus on the Day’ before adhering it on to some navy bazzill cardstock. I also kept the off cut from my cutfile, which made a great border. 

I backed the circle in the middle of my cutfile with the b side of the ‘4x6 elements’ and then cut out another circle to layer on top using the b side of ‘get it done’. 

I then mounted my photo on to the a side of ‘get it done’ and adhered it off centre. 

I picked out a selection of flowers from the floral bits and pieces and tucked them above and under my photograph. 

I used the element stickers to create clusters of embellishments around my photo. 

Finally, I added some more floral bits to the edge of my border on the top right and bottom left, by just cutting them in half and tucking them in. 

Thanks so much for looking! 

I’ll see you later on this month with one final layout using this collection. 

See you then. 

Anna 

@acraftylifewithanna

Simple Stories - Game Night - Shuffle, Roll. Laugh, Repeat

Hello, Karen here with my latest project using the colourful Simple Stories Game Night collection. For this layout I went for a grid design and used the Tag Elements paper. I challenged myself to use the majority of the tags as the foundation for my layout, and I love how it turned out. 

I began the layout with a sheet of white cardstock. I trimmed this down slightly and then matted it onto a sheet of black cardstock, making sure to leave a narrow border around the edges.

To add some texture I machine stitched a straight stitch round the outside of the layout with white thread.

I fussy-cut the tags from the Tag Elements paper and paired them up. I stacked them in doubles to create a 3 x 2 grid right in the centre of my layout, giving the layout a fun, game board feel.

On five of the tag piles I added a small photo. When I choose to use this collection I hunted through my photos to find as many game related photos as I could. We often play games on holiday and at Christmas so there were quite a few to choose from.

The tags were embellished with die cuts from the Bits and Pieces pack and a few images cut from some of the papers. The photos and the die cuts were raised on 3D foam to give some dimension.

The names of the games were printed on the computer using a font called 'KB Chatter Box' , cut into strips and added to each tag cluster.

To finish them off, I threaded some black and white baker's twine through the top of each tag

I purposely left one of the tags unembellished, so that the words served as the title for the layout.

Finally I punched a few stars from some co-ordinating cardstock and dotted them around the layout.

Thank you for stopping by the blog today. I hope this grid design inspires you. If you’re ready to document your own family gaming traditions, make sure to head over to the shop to grab the Simple Stories Game Night collection before it’s gone.

Take Care

Karen x x

Papermaze January Kit - Part 2

Lynn here today, sharing the second set of DT layouts I have made with the January Papermaze kit. This time I extended my first layout over two pages to make a double, featuring Christmas and a single with a winter theme. 

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

Patterned Papers:
49 and Market - Vicki Boutin - Curiosities in Willow Grove - Starters Paper 7
49 and Market - Vicki Boutin - Mistletoe & Memories - Staples Paper 5
Mintay Papers - Cottage Heart - #04 & #06
Echo Park - Snow Day - Cozy Plaid
Graphic 45 - Deck the Halls - Calm and Bright 

The photo below shows both sides of the patterned papers:

Embellishments: 
Pink Paislee - 5th & Monaco - Puffy Words
Craft Consortium - Enamel Dots
Rosie's Studio - Full of Wonder - Snowflake
Nellies Choice - Snowflake Stamps
Buttons Galore Sparklets - Starry Sky
Prima - The Home Baker - Ephemera
Super Ribbons - Blue Ribbon 

Bazzill Basics Cardstock - Touch of Pink, Evening Surf (included in kit), Jade, Aqua, Twill and Coconut Swirl.

Merry & Bright - Several photos of my grand-daughter at home on Christmas day, with her mum and dad. I had plenty of papers left over after the first page, so changed the orientation and with another sheet of white Bazzill, I made a second layout to include my favourite five photos of the day. 

I will describe how I made the first page, the second is more or less the same, but with the papers laid horizontally across the page.

With the Coconut Swirl Bazzill from the kit, and without sticking anything down, I cut and arranged the placing of papers, before proceeding to the stencilling. I tore a strip (about 4" wide, spot side up), from the sheet of Staples Paper 5 and placed this vertically down the centre of the Bazzill. Then I turned the Staples Paper 5 to the textile side and tore another narrower strip to tuck under the first. I also used a scrap of Cozy Plaid left over from my first two layouts. I tucked this in line with the others. 

I removed these papers from the Bazzill, and with the Tim Holtz Layering stencil (THS029 Festive), I worked some berries, leaves and cones onto the white background, vertically down the page so it will flow from under the papers. Distress Oxide inks and a blending tool was used for this - I chose Iced Spruce, Weathered Wood and Peeled Paint. I spritzed more of the inks watered down, over the left side of the page. 

While the ink was drying, I stitched along the straight side of the Staples Paper 5 with some gold metallic thread. Then all the papers were glued into place , together with the photos.

The title and some phrases for both pages are chipboard words from 49 and Market's Evergreen Season collection. 

I made some bauble decorations for the layout using some Scrapiniec light chipboard pieces. I inked them with Distress Embossing Ink then coated them with several coats of Distress Embossing Glaze in Weathered Wood and Peeled Paint. 

I glued the baubles to the page, and added narrow gold ribbon hangers down the page to each bauble. I cut bows using the Jade Bazzill, and Tim Holtz, Sizzix, Thinlits Wreath and Snowflake Set. I placed a gold dome sticker in the centre of each bow.

Finally, I scattered the Buttons Galore Sparklets - Starry Sky over the page. 

The two layouts side by side. 

Winter Wonderland - Florence loves to be outside, whatever the weather, here she is all rosy cheeked on a cold day early in January.

I chose the  Calm and Bright paper for this layout, and liking both sides, I cut  the paper in two! I used the white print at the top of the page (12" x 5"), and the blue print at the bottom (12" x 7"). I glued these to a spare piece of 12" x 12" paper, to hold them back in place as one sheet.

I mounted my photo onto some white card, and glued this in place onto the layout, omitting any glue from the edges, allowing me to tuck embellishments in later. 

Here is where I went to town with some stash busting from my winter / Christmas stash. I used some cardstock stickers from Doodlebug Designs Frosty Friends collection for the scalloped border and the trees. I chose white pom-pom braid, and used this with the scalloped border sticker across the centre of the page where the papers were joined.

I created Mr Frost with a Tim Holtz Sizzix Thinlits die set and a selection of scrap cardstock. I selected colours to match Flo's hat and coat and the papers. I attached him with 3D foam pads.

From the kit, I chose the Craft Consortium - Enamel Dots to add decorations to the trees, and the Rosie's Studio - Full of Wonder - Snowflake was placed at the top left of the photo.

I created my title with some silver glitter paper and the Spellbinders, Say Cheese, Classic Mouse Alphabet die set for the word 'Winter'. Then I added ' Wonderland' with some Doodlebug Designs Alphabet Soup alphabet stickers in Lily White. 

In my stash I found some old 'peel-off' snowflake stickers, and scattered these over the blue area of the paper.

That's all from the January kit, off to make a start on the February kit now!
Thanks for looking.
Lynn x