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

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

Seaside Vibes - Mintay Papers - Coastal Memories

Hi everyone, it's Rebecca with you today, sharing my second layout created with the stunning Coastal Memories collection by Mintay Papers. The gorgeous aqua mixed with neutral tones make this collection perfect for beachy photos with white sand and blue ocean. You can shop the full collection here.

The horizonal lines in my photo inspired me to use the stripy side of Paper 02. After trimming a piece measuring 8 inches wide, I tore along the top and bottom to create some texture, and distressed all the edges with the blade of my scissors. I adhered this flat to the centre of a sheet of Premium White Cardstock using double sided tape. 

I took my 3x4 inch photo and mounted it on two shades of Bazzill cardstock from the Bazzill Matchmaker Pack to help it stand out on the page. Underneath my photo, I placed a floral cluster which I'd fussy-cut from Paper 01. I adore the nautical themed elements in this cluster.

I love that these clusters are so big that they embellish a lot of the layout for me! I used a craft knife to cut out the more intricate details, and then raise the entire cluster up on foam pads.

I embellished further using elements from the Paper Die Cuts, layering some of them on top of my fussy-cut cluster to add some depth and dimension, and nestling some around my photo. 

For my title, I've used some of the Paper Word Stickers, raised up on foam pads.

I then added some of the smaller word stickers in 3 areas on my background to create a 'visual triangle' around my photo. I love how well these phrases work with my photo.

To bring in a bit more texture, I took 1/4 inch off each side of my background, distressed the edges and then backed the layout with Paper 04. I like how this ties everything on the layout together and frames the page.

Thanks for reading! I hope you like the layout I've created. Don't forget to check out the Coastal Memories collection in the shop.

Take care,

Rebecca x

@preciouspagespapercraft