All Creatures Great and Small - Simple Stories - Simple Vintage Woodlands Collection

Hi everyone

It’s Rebecca here today, sharing my first layout using the beautiful new Simple Vintage Woodland collection from Simple Stories. This collection is absolutely stunning—ideal for a wide range of photos, but especially perfect for woodland or autumn-themed memories. You can find it in the shop here.

To start, I chose a few of my favourite patterned papers and cut them into strips of varying lengths and widths. I spent a little time playing around with different arrangements before settling on a design I loved. I decided on a darker, wider strip as the base layer, with lighter, softer colours layered on top for contrast.

With my landscape photo placed in the centre, I felt it needed something to anchor it visually. I added a horizontal strip of patterned paper beneath the photo, creating a "shelf" effect to ground the image.

I'm a big fan of the 'Tags' patterned papers from Simple Stories collections and love incorporating them into my layouts. I selected two tags, punched gold metal eyelets through them, and tucked them along the vertical edges of the darker base strip—adding a nice layered touch.

With the larger elements in place, I turned to the smaller details. For my title, I used a die-cut from the Bits & Pieces and popped it up with foam pads for added dimension.

I then selected a couple of woodland-themed die-cuts from the Bits & Pieces and tucked them on either side of the photo. These larger shapes are great for forming the base of embellishment clusters, giving a solid foundation to build on.

To add more interest and texture, I introduced some subtle stencilling in two areas. Using a stencil from my stash and a blend of 'Mowed Lawn' and 'Rustic Wilderness' Distress Oxide Ink Pads, I softly added colour to the background. On top of the stencilled areas, I adhered a few fussy-cut butterflies, creating delicate trails behind them using Nuvo Drops.

To tie everything together, I finished the layout with a few ink splatters using the same Distress Oxides—bringing cohesion and a touch of whimsy to the page.

Thank you so much for stopping by. I hope you love this layout and feel inspired to get crafty!

Take care,
Rebecca xx

@preciouspagespapercraft

Determined - 49 and Market - Rust & Revs 2.0 Collection

Hi everyone!

It’s Rebecca here, and I’m excited to share my first layout of the month with you. This time, I’m creating with the Rust & Revs 2.0 collection by 49 and Market—a stunning release designed by Dennis Bruton. Whether used on its own or paired with the original Rust & Revs collection, it offers incredible versatility and creative potential. You can find the collection in the shop here.

I instantly fell in love with several of the patterned papers in this collection and knew I wanted to showcase a few of my favourites. I chose three designs and used metal nesting dies to cut various-sized circles. These were then layered onto a sheet of Premium White Cardstock, creating a central focal point. To finish the layered look, I added a circular photo right on top.

Below the photo, I positioned my title, which I chose from the Chipboard Words and Phrases set. Since the title has a bold, blocky shape, I trimmed the bottom of my photo and circles in a straight line to mirror its structure and give the design a more cohesive feel.

With plenty of space on either side of the photo, I dived into the embellishments. I selected several Laser Cut Elements from the collection to build two main clusters. To add depth, I used foam pads under some elements. I also tucked in a tag from the Die Cut Elements and even repurposed a film strip from the laser-cut packaging—such a great way to squeeze a few extra goodies out of your supplies!

Once my clusters were complete—but before adhering everything to the background—I added some mixed media to bring the layout to life. Using Distress Oxide Inks in Twisted Citron and Black Soot, I rolled colour onto the cardstock with a mini brayer, making sure it peeked out from behind my main design.

To finish, I added Rub-On Transfers and bold black paint splatters for extra texture and drama.

Thanks so much for stopping by! I’m absolutely loving working with this collection and can’t wait to be back at the end of the month with another layout to share.

Take care, 
Rebecca xx

@preciouspagespapercraft

Paris - Carta Bella - I'll Meet You in Paris

Hi there

Claire here today sharing my first layout with the Paris collection by Carta Bella. 

I have a few photos from trips to Paris and have never really documented them so was excited to get stuck into this collection and it didn't disappoint! 

To start, I cut out a large circle from my white cardstock and added foam to the back before adhering a piece of Explore Paris paper to the back, letting the pretty blue B side pop through the aperture.

Next, I cut a large Eiffle Tower on my cricut, using a file from the Cricut library. I inked the file whilst still on the mat, adding depth and shade with three different Distress Oxides and some blending brushes.

To mount my photos, I cut up and layered some of the 3x4 Journalling cards paper picking different colours to frame my photos.

I used a selection of the Element Stickers around my photos to bring the page to life.

I also used these for my title, creating a small cluster at the top of my circular design. 

As a final touch, and to bring an extra pop of red, I framed the aperture with nuvo drops. 

This has been a fun collection to use and a great prompt to get those older holiday snaps documented! 

I'll be back later this month with a second project to share. 

Until then, happy scrapping! 

Claire x

@scrappysoulmate 

Nature - P13 Paper Products - Into the Woods Collection

Hi everyone,

It's Rebecca with you on the blog today sharing my second layout of the month, created with the gorgeous 'Into the Woods' collection by P13 Paper Products. You can find the collection in the shop here.

This layout was entirely inspired by one of the images on Paper #05. I really loved the circle image with the toadstool and decided to cut it out and create a layout made of circles.

Using a set of metal nesting dies, I cut circles of varying sizes form several of the patterned papers. I adore the green tones with the contrasting bright orange. I arranged the circles onto a sheet of Premium White Cardstock and adhered them together - but not to the background as I knew I wanted to come back later and add some mixed media. 

With the circles in place, I added a circular photo. I made sure to cut my photo larger than the other circles on the page to help it stand out. I fussy cut some toadstools from Paper #03 and arranged them among the circles, raised up on foam pads for dimension. To embellish further, I fussy cut a hare and some florals from Paper #07 and some butterflies from Paper #01. To build up the embellishment clusters further, I selected some leafy elements from the Flower and Leaves Ephemera Pack.

For my title, I rummaged through my stash and selected a perspextive title by Bramble Fox. The green colour was a perfect match for the green circles on this layout. Simple things like that make me really happy! 

I finished off embellishing with some phrases from Sticker Sheet #1.

With everything in place and adhered together, I was able to move everything off my background as one piece. This makes adding the mixed media much easier as I don't have to keep rebuilding my layout to see if I've added enough ink.

Using a brayer, I added some colour to my background using a Distress Ink Pad in the shade 'Peeled Paint' and a Distress Oxide Ink Pad in 'Iced Spruce'. Once this was dry, I returned everything to the centre of the page and adhered it with a layer of adhesive foam behind it.

Thanks so much for reading. I hope you like my layout and it offers you some inspiration. This collection is selling fast so grab it whilst you can!

Take care,

Rebecca x

@preciouspagespapercraft 

Wild Life - P13 Paper Products - Into the Woods Collection

Hi everyone, 

It's Rebecca with you today sharing my first layout created with the stunning 'Into the Woods' collection by P13. It's been a long time since I've created with a P13 collection and I'd forgotten how much I love them! You can find the full collection in the shop here, but be quick - I have a feeling this one will sell fast!

Paper #02 immediately caught my eye with it's triple frame design. I knew instantly that I wanted to use the frames to house my photos, but I didn't want the frames to sit flat on the page. For this reason, I decided to fussy-cut the frames, including the toadstools and snails and centre them on a sheet of Premium White Cardstock with adhesive foam behind them. This helps to create some dimension on the page and makes layering elements a little easier and more aesthetically pleasing.

I gutted the centre of the top and bottom frames and then backed them with my photos. We took a recent walk through Parkhurst Forest on the Isle of Wight, which is well known for red squirrel sightings and so I was able to get some cute photos of my (not-so-little anymore!) little one who has an obsessive fondness for red squirrels! This collection was perfect to document this memory as not only is it wood themed and perfect in colour, it also has some really sweet little squirrel images - albeit grey not red!

I left the centre frame as is as it has a light coloured script paper so it offered a nice contrast with the darker colours of the frames and the photos. On this frame I placed my title - an acrylic piece from Bramble Fox which matches the colour of some of the toadstools in the collection perfectly.

As with all P13 collections, Paper #07 is full of individual elements which can be fussy-cut. I cut out several leaf clusters, toadstools and a squirrel to use as embellishments. I created several clusters, and then added to these using some florals from the Ephemera - Flowers and Leaves and some stickers from both Sheet #1 and Sheet #3

I knew before I started this layout that I wanted some mixed media on my background so I made sure to stick all the embellishments to the frames, and not to the actual background cardstock. This meant that I could move everything on and off the page in one piece, until I was happy with the mixed media.

I reached for two Distress Oxide Ink Pads in the shades 'Iced Spruce' and 'Forest Moss'. I watered down some of the ink on some plastic packaging and then applied them to my background using a small brayer. 

Once this was dry, I adhered the embellished frames to the centre of the page. In some areas, I slotted in some chipboard elements by Dusty Attic. I opted for leafy elements to match my woodland theme. These chipboard elements come raw, which make them fab for colouring and putting your own stamp on. Two of my favourite ways to use chipboard is to either heat emboss them, or as I've done here, cover them with Crystal Nuvo Drops.

I finished off the layout by cutting away small sections of the background paper on either side, and then backing this area with Paper #04 to add a bit of darker colour to the outer edges.

Thank you for reading. I hope you've enjoyed reading about my layout and it offers you some inspiration.

I'll be back later in the month with my second 'Into the Woods' layout.

Take care,

Rebecca x 

@preciouspagespapercraft 

June Papermaze Kit - Part 2

Lynn here today, with two more layouts using the Papermaze Kit for June. This kit gives you Bazzill and patterned papers in bright cheerful colours. I have used them along with the embellishments included to make pages featuring some 1960/70's Kodak square format photos.

 
Patterned papers:
American Crafts - Rainbow Avenue - My Feelings
Echo Park - My Little Girl - Pretty Girl Plaid & Bright Floral
Pinkfresh Studio - Picture Perfect - Write your Story
Pinkfresh Studio - The simple things - Rays of Sunshine
Simple Stories - Summer Snapshots - Take the Shot

The image below shows both sides of each of the papers included in the kit.

Embellishments: 1/2 sheet Paige Evans Blooming Wild puffy stickers, Strip of Vicki Boutin Speciality Acetate Discover and Create, 1 Paige Evans Blooming Wild Chipboard Mini Frame, 4 Doodlebug Designs All Aflutter butterfly shape stickers, 3 Masterpiece Design '12 months label mix', 3 Pretty Little Studio ephemera pieces Sunkissed - Smell the Flowers, Pinch of Pinkfresh clear drops - Blush, & Strip of Doodlebug Designs washi tape - Bunny Hop Pastel Plaid.

Bazzill Basics - Coconut Swirl & Classic Yellow (included in kit). Passionate, Aqua, Marmalade Blast & Wild Pansy (in Extra Bazzill Pack)

Oh Snap! - Photos I took myself with my first camera at the age of 11 on a year 6 school trip to The Isle of Wight. These appear to be the only two photos that have survived from that holiday. So, the Vicki Boutin Speciality Acetate and the Simple Stories Take the Shot paper was ideal for recording the memory.

Starting with the White CS Bazzill, I flicked some watered-down Distress Oxide Ink (Carved Pumpkin and Salvaged Patina), over the page.

The next step was to cut apart the sheet of Take the Shot paper into individual 'Polaroid' style pieces.  I arranged these over the layout, together with the photos, giving me colourful spaces to add my title and journalling.

I carefully trimmed each colourful slide from the VB Speciality Acetate and arranged these around the existing elements.

In addition, I used a few short lengths of Tim Holtz Idea-ology Filmstrip Ribbon, placing these randomly around the layout.

I wrote the journalling over three of the colourful paper pieces. The title was created with some old foam Thickers (Dear Lizzie Cordial) from my stash, and the year was made with LDRS One Fine Day small puffy alpha stickers, also available from Papermaze.

Summer 1969 - My baby brother with my dad, on the beach at Seaview on the Isle of Wight, summer of 1969.

This time I prepared the Aqua Bazzill, using a Tim Holtz Layering Stencil THS006 Dot Fade (an old one but still a useful favourite), and various colours of Distress Ink to match the papers.

I cut the PSF Write your Story paper into coloured strips and trimmed them to different lengths. I spread these across the middle of the cardstock, in a rainbow effect, then I glued them into place.

This time my embellishments were selected from Pretty Little Studio, Hey Summer Beach Bits Die Cuts. I arranged these around the page, adding my journalling to the little label in the pack. The title is made with Pretty Little Studio Sunkissed - Fun in the Sun Word Titles.

The date was cut using a Sizzix XLBigz Alphabet Die. I cut the numbers in various colours and also in black, I stuck them above the title creating a shadow by overlapping the colour and black.

That's all for today, but I do have another layout to share later.
Thanks for looking
Lynn x

Simple Stories - True Colors - All About Me

Hi everyone,

Claire with you today, sharing my second layout with the True Colors collection from Simple Stories. You can find it in the shop here. 

I really love the bold colours in this collection, and today have quite a simple but striking layout to share with you.

To start, I wanted to create a subtle background to my smooth white cardstock that came in the Matchmaker Pack. I pulled out the Little Getaways Stencil from Vicki Boutin's Where to Next collection - I had treated myself to these for Christmas. Using a dry brush I added some Distress Oxide in Black Soot.  I brushed very lightly, slowly building the colour.  Most of this will be covered, but you see a small hint of the stencilling as the base layer which helps create depth on the page.

I really love the Chipboard Frames in this collection - they're so fun and have great designs that make creating easy. I opted for this square frame, and cut two squares of the Can't Get Enough patterned paper into 4" squares - the same size as the frame.

I layered these on top of each other, slightly offset and raised on foam to give extra separation. To help the patterned papers stand out, I added faux stitching with black pen around the edges.

Cutting a thin strip of pink cardstock from the Matchmaker pack, I used a punch to create a scalloped edge and ran this under the photo frame. I used this to house my title, created using the Foam Stickers.

On opposite corners of the frame, I created floral clusters, using the Floral Bits & Pieces. 

I curled the edges of the florals to create movement, and adhered some on foam and some flat for layered dimension.

To the bottom cluster, I also added a small phrase sticker from the Cardstock Sticker sheet.

To the right of the frame, I added a tag from the Tag Elements paper, attaching a eyelet and twine from my stash.

As a final fun touch, I stuck a clip from the cardstock stickers to the edge of the frame. I really like the extra pop of yellow this brings and think it finishes the page really nicely.

I can't recommend this collection highly enough. It's been so much fun to create with and I'm sure it won't be in stock for too long, so get your hands on it here.

See you next month.

Claire xx

@scrappysoulmate

Remember Family is Forever - Simple Stories - Remember Collection

Hi everyone, it's Rebecca with you today and I'm really excited to be sharing my first layout using Simple Stories new Remember collection. It's a stunning collection full of beautiful colours and elements. It's the perfect collection for documenting memories and honouring those who are no longer with us, but it's also versatile enough to document the everyday moments as I've done here. You can find it in the shop here.

I started by cutting hexagons from 3 of the patterned papers. I chose papers which had colours to match my photo, selecting one stronger pattern (the hearts) and two more subtle papers. After arranging the hexagons horizontally across the page, I liked the way they looked and decided to add a hint of mixed media to my background. Very faintly with a pencil, I drew around the outer edges of the hexagons so I knew where to add the colour. I rummaged through my stash of Distress Oxide Ink Pads and settled on 'Iced Spruce'. Using a Tim Holtz texture stamp, I added the colour to my background.

Once the ink was dry, I adhered the hexagons to the page with a layer of adhesive foam behind them to help lift the layout a bit and introduce some dimension. I then positioned my photo off centre and with a layer of navy Bazzill Cardstock behind it to help it 'pop' off the page. 

As is always the case with Simple Stories - the Floral Bits and Pieces in this collection are elegant and beautiful. I chose several of the larger floral elements and arranged them in 3 clusters to create a 'visual triangle' around my photo. 

For my title, I reached for my favourite Simple Stories product - the Foam Stickers. I always love the different fonts and styles and the versatile titles. I extended my title using one of the phrases from the Cardstock Stickers so my title became 'Remember Family is Forever'.

With all the larger elements in place, I shifted my focus to the smaller, finishing details. I fussy cut a few butterflies from the Beyond Blessed patterned paper and added these with the wings folded up, and then finished off with a couple of small floral stickers and some Enamel Dots.

Thanks so much for reading. I really hope you've enjoyed this layout and it inspires you to create with this wonderful collection.

Rebecca x

@preciouspagespapercraft