Seaside - Simple Stories - Simple Vintage Sand & Sea Collection

Hi everyone! 

It's Rebecca with you today, sharing my second layout of the month created with the Simple Vintage Sand & Sea collection from Simple Stories. The collection is now live in the shop here.

Whilst tidying my desk this week, I came across a photo of my son that I instantly knew would look fabulous with this collection. I pulled out the two striped patterned papers and cut a large triangle from each, making sure the stripes ran in the same direction. I positioned them in the centre of a sheet of Premium White Cardstock, slightly overlapping them with the points facing outwards. I then mounted my photo on craft foam and placed it over the top, adding dimension while ensuring it remained the main focal point of the layout.

Around the photo, I layered embellishments from both the Bits & Pieces and Floral Bits & Pieces packs, tucking and layering each element to create plenty of texture and dimension.

I had originally planned to use one of the Foam Stickers for my title, but the ones I had left felt a little too blocky against the lines of the triangles. Instead, I got creative and cut the word 'Seaside' from the Combo Elements patterned paper to create my own custom die-cut title. I popped it up on foam and positioned it to the left of my photo.

As my photo contains some darker tones and this collection has such a light, airy feel, I wanted to introduce a few subtle pops of black to tie everything together. Using a black gel pen, I lightly traced around the edges of the triangles, title and embellishments, creating a soft hand-doodled border. I deliberately kept the lines loose and imperfect to give them a rustic, slightly shabby look, and I was really pleased with the finished effect.

To finish the layout, I added a few hearts down the vertical centre of the page, helping to soften the strong lines of the triangles and bring the whole design together.

Thanks so much for reading! I hope you've enjoyed taking a look at my layout and that it's inspired you to create with this gorgeous collection. 

Take care,

Rebecca xx

@preciouspagespapercraft

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

49 & Market - Beach Vibes - Go with the Flow

Hi guys,

Claire back today with another summery layout using the Beach Vibes collection from 49 & Market.

For this layout I'm reverting back to my white cardstock and applying gesso to help me create a watery mixed media base using watercolours and a brayer. 

Whilst the design is a simple one, I'm going all out with coloured layered embellishment clusters to showcase two photos from a recent holiday. 

I chose some driftwood frames from the Die Cut Elements and offset these behind my photos.

Next, I pulled out some leaves, florals and icons from the Laser Cut Elements. To create depth and dimension I lay some flat and added foam if different thicknesses behind others to draw you eye into the photos.

To create balance, I tried to add the same colours in each cluster, as this makes the layout feel more cohesive. I also curl the leaves around a pencil, giving them movement. 

I reached for the Chipboard Words to add a title across the bottom of each photo, with an extra small subtitle for a sunny pop of yellow.

This was a lot of fun to make and I'm sure will be making a lot more with this gorgeous collection. It's so perfect for beach days and summer vibes. It's already proving very popular so grab it here. 

Until next time, happy scrapping! 

Claire xx

@scrappysoulmate 

Keep Your Light Shining - Mintay Papers - Lighthouse Collection

Hi everyone, it’s Rebecca here with my final layout of the month.

Can you believe how fast July has flown by? This month, I’ve been working with the beautiful Lighthouse collection by Mintay Papers, and I’ve absolutely loved it. The deep, moody colours in this collection are so inspiring—it’s been a real joy to create with. You can find the full collection in the shop here.

For this layout, I decided to be a little brave and chose Paper 05 for my background. It’s much darker than what I usually go for, but I was really drawn to its rich shades and intricate details. I just had to give it a go!

I started by layering several papers from the 6x8 Add-On Paper Pad, carefully selecting lighter tones to contrast with the dark background. I distressed all the edges to add texture and visual interest—the white torn edges reminded me of ocean foam, which felt perfect for this coastal theme.

To enhance the beachy vibe, I incorporated some hessian, netting, and cheesecloth into my layers. These textures brought the layout to life. I used a couple of staples to secure everything, making sure to place them in the centre of the pieces so they wouldn’t be visible once the layout was complete.

No beach layout is complete without a lighthouse, right? I fussy-cut one from the 6x8 Add-On Paper Pad and nestled it into my paper layers. For the photo, I mounted it on a lighter patterned paper to help it stand out against the dark background.

Around the photo, I added embellishments using pieces from the Paper Die Cuts and Paper Elements packs. There are so many goodies in these sets! You can even stretch the collection further by fussy-cutting images from Paper 09 to create your own unique embellishments.

For the title, I chose a phrase from the Paper Stickers Words sheet and popped it up on foam pads for dimension. I placed the title in two staggered lines just beneath the photo to create a balanced look.

To finish the layout, I added lots of metallic gold and white splatters across the page. I love how the splatters help break up the dark background and bring light and energy to the design.

Thanks so much for stopping by! I’ve had such a great time creating with this stunning collection, and I hope you’ve enjoyed following along. It’s available in the store now, and I can’t wait to see what you all make with it!

Take care,
Rebecca xx 

@preciouspagespapercraft

Echo Park - Summer Vibes - Beach Vacation

Hi everyone!

It's Claire here and today I have a bit of a different blog post for you, designed to help you use those last few leftovers from a collection. In this post I'm using the fun Summer Vibes collection from Echo Park. You can find it in the shop here.

It often happens to me that I have oddly sized scraps of patterned paper and a whole host of ephemera pieces leftover that sit on my shelf waiting to be used. So, before I move on to a new collection, I'm challenging myself to use those scraps - and I love the final result!

I started with a crisp clean sheet of Premium White Cardstock and then went to rifle through my scraps. The piece of paper I came to first was this Cool Shades paper which has a cute wave pattern on the B side. It's roughly 8"x4".

I distressed the edges and wrapped a piece of twine round the top to mimic rope you'd find at the beach. 

The next scrap of paper I came to was an L shaped piece of the 4x4 Journaling Cards - Again on the B side, this paper has a bold stripe which I love! You probably know by now that I can never resist a stripe!

I knew I wanted to try and use three photos but because of the shape and size of the scrap, they wouldn't all fit. To make it work, I mounted 2 photos with the stripe horizontally and one with the stripe going vertically. It was a happy accident born from necessity, but I love how this breaks up the pattern behind the photos.

I raised the paper and photos on foam, adhering them in the middle if the page to create a central column.

Next came the embellishing! I had some leftover Chipboard Phrases, some stickers from the the Element stickers sheet and the Sticker Book from this collection as I loved the icons so much, so there was ample to choose from. In reality I only need a few pieces - I would have had more than enough with any of these options.

I wanted my title to sit at the top of the page, so using 2 stickers from the sticker book. I raised both of foam, with the beach arrow slightly offset across the edge of the pattern paper. A snorkel from the chipboard help finish the title. 

Around the photos I made three small clusters. To the left, I opted for surfboards - one from the sticker sheet and the other from the chipboard.

In the centre panel, I again mixed the embellishments using that cute van from the Elements Sticker Sheet with a small circular subtitle from the chipboard. 

And to the right, both the lilo and flip flops are from the chipboard pack. The lilo is stuck flat whilst the flipflops are raised on foam for extra dimension. 

To bring the page to life, I wanted to create some sand and help anchor the design by brushing on some dry Distress Oxide ink in Fossilized Amber. I love it! It's the perfect shade to match this collection!

I didn't need to gesso the paper first as the ink is relatively dry, applied in small circular motions with a dry mini stencil brush.  

To create a mottled effect, I splashed a few drops of water over the ink with a small paintbrush, left for 30 seconds and then dabbed it up with a paper towel. The water reacts with the Distress Oxide ink, removing it from the page, giving the page more depth and interest.

As a finishing touch, I grabbed a few of the Pinkfresh Studio Matte Gold Pearl Essentials, scattering around the design.

I hope you've enjoyed this bonus layout, and it has inspired you to get the most from your collections.

You can check out the Summer Vibes collection here.

Until next time, happy scrapping!

Claire xx

@scrappysoulmate