Don't Forget To Use These

 Hi, Lisa here,

Today we are using our beloved craft punches.

Do you forget to use yours too?

Do you have a good stash of them?

Today is your prompt to use them again : )

I've used 3 different border punches here to make this cute pocket.

I was inspired by this cute journal card that I cut from this 12x12 sheet.

It's from a really cute collection by Echo Park called Mouse and Me.

Take a look here.

These pockets are such a fun way to add photos.

I do have a video here if you'd like to see this page being created.

And I've used the Element Stickers from this sheet to embellish.

Look how cute!!

I love how this journal spread turned out.

It's been so much fun using my punches again.

If you are feeling tempted by a border punch, there's a good selection in the shop here.

The EKSucess punches are my favourite.
They always punch so well and they flat pack too.

I highly recommend.

Have fun with your punches.

Lisa xx

Combining Scrapbooking & Journaling

 

Hi, Lisa here today.

I'm talking about journaling scrapbooking style today.

I was a scrapbooker for years before I started journaling.

And years later, although I don't create 12x12 style now,  would say that quite often my journaling is heavily inspired by my scrapbooking.

Today I'm creating in my weekly journal.

It's this paper here that has inspired this LO today from Pretty Little Studio.

And I'll add the link to the video here if you'd like to see me creating this page on my YouTube channel.

 

I wanted to make like a patchwork effect as a background.

But I wanted it to look rustic. So instead of cutting the paper, I tore down with a ruler.

I love this effect so much.

I love how this looks. Sticking each square down individually with the rough edges.

For my title work, I cut up one of the die cut papers here from Echo Park.  

Taking the, 'sunshine makes me happy'.

 

And I've continued over on the other side with the same design and this time adding some of the Echo park Element stickers.

This page is so simple but looks so effective.

The perfect Springtime LO.

I hope this has inspired you today.

Have fun with your Spring LO's.

Lisa xx

Creating that gives you a BIG Boost

Hi, Lisa here with some sunshine for you today : )

I find creating with happy colours and sunshiney things so mood boosting so that's what I want to share with you today.

 I have been inspired with this very happy collection from Echo Park - You Are My Sunshine

You can see the whole collection here.

Aren't these just the happiest papers ever??

And you can see these pages today being created on my YouTube channel here.  

I created a smaller flip page using the photos and journal card 12x12's.

It was such a good way of displaying lots of photos.

And I embellished with some of the matching stickers.

These make a huge difference. They are so joyful.

I also wanted to create another page and make a pocket for a receipt.

I've stuck down 3 sides and popped in the receipt here.

On the other side I have another pocket and this time I've cut out some of the 4x4'' cards and turned them into photo cards.  

Adding the photos on the backs.

Such a fun way to add photos.

I'm so happy with these pages and they made me feel so happy whilst creating.

Wishing you lots of sunshine today.

love

Lisa xx

Echo Park ~ You Are My Sunshine #2 🌼

Hi Papermaze followers! 

It’s Anna back with you to share one final layout using Echo Park - You are my Sunshine. 

You can find the collection in the shop here. 

For my second layout using this collection, I wanted to create a large circle on my page. 

I used the b side of Sunshine Skies as my base. 

I then cut a circle out of Powder Blue bazzill cardstock and adhered it to centre of the patterned paper. I mounted my two photos together on to some coordinating bazzill cardstock and positioned them in the middle of the bazzill circle. 

I then grabbed all of my leftover scraps from this collection as well as some coordinating bazzill cardstock and I got punching! I used all of the flower punches that I have a punched lots and lots of flowers. You can view Papermaze’s range of punches here. 

I layered lots of the flowers together and added enamel dots to the centres. Once I had quite a few flowers ready, I started adhering them around the left edge of the circle. 

I then added some element stickers - a rainbow, cloud and sunshine to the top right of my layout. I also added a couple of bunting pieces and some phrase stickers at the bottom of the photographs. 

The title ‘So Epic’ and a couple of the word phrases come from Say Cheese Epic Cardstock Stickers as I was documenting a visit to Epcot. 

Thanks so much for looking!

See you in April with a brand New collection! 

Anna 

@acraftylifewithanna

Echo Park ~ You Are My Sunshine #1 ☀️

Hello everyone, it's Anna back with you today. This month I'm working with Echo Park You Are My Sunshine - a fabulous collection to brighten your day, with bright colours, florals and plenty of sunshine! 

You can find the collection in the shop here. 

To create this layout I used a sheet of white cardstock as my base. I wanted to use the b side of sunshine floral, as the green pattern matched well with my photographs. 

So I trimmed it down by around an inch on each side and adhered to the white cardstock. 

I then chose a coordinating colour thread and hand stitched around the sunshine floral patterned paper. 

I then grabbed the 3x4 journal cards and chose four of them that would work well with my photos. I had 5 pictures that I wanted to get on this page and arranging them with the journal cards is one of my go to ways to fit multiple pictures on a page. 

I arranged the photos and journal cards together and adhered them to my layout. 

I then added my embellishments, I selected a few element stickers. I tucked the large florals under the right edge of the photo and added a sunshine sticker at the top, alongside my title.  

I fussy cut a couple of florals from Sunshine Floral and tucked them under my journal cards next to some small florals from the element stickers. 

Thanks so much for looking! See you later in the month with a second layout using this collection! 

Anna 

@acraftylifewithanna

Using Up Your Scraps

 Hi!!   It's Lisa here.

I'm here today to encourage you to create and make the most out of your lovely stash.

I have some great tips for you today.

I do have a video here if you'd like to see the layout come together.  

This is one of my favourite ways to create.

I love going through my stash and piecing together a little mood board.

It's like making a jigsaw with your scraps and bits and pieces.

Laying everything out like this you can really see what works together.

I love doing this so much. 

And I end up with something like this.

It works really well if you are working with a colour combination and also a good way to see that you have all the elements, title, wording, papers, somewhere to add journaling etc...

Then you use it all to create the page.

  

This yellow heart paper here really caught my eye. Isn't it stunning?! 

And I had lots of Rosie's Studio pieces like this here that I added.

I love the pinks and blues.

These are stickers from Echo Park here.

 

I also used some bits and pieces from Pretty Little Studio here

I also really enjoy the 'Cut Aparts' from Pretty Little Studio here.

You cut them up so they work out better on the budget compared to stickers.

And I quite often I will use the wording from the branding as it goes so well. 

That's what I've done with this one here.

You can also get really creative. I took this paper from Simple Stories here.

Don't let the Christmas theme put you off, you can cut around and create your own pieces.

Like I have done here I love this little addition.
I cut the word strips out from the card too.

It's such a fun way to create, piecing so many different things from different collections together.

I hope this has inspired you today.

I encourage you to play and bring lots of bits and pieces together on your pages too.

Have fun!

Lisa xx 

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