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

Echo Park - Summer Vibes - Summer Vacation

Hello everyone, and welcome back to the Papermaze blog,

Today I'm back to share my second layout made with the Summer Vibes collection from Echo Park. You can find it in the shop here.

I'm really enjoying working with this collection - the colours in particular are right up my street. They're warm and earthy and work well for beach retreats and lazy summer days, it's a really easy collection to create with.

This time, I'm using it to document a poolside photo from my recent trip away.

I started with a piece of Premium White cardstock and added a thin layer of gesso to prime the paper as I knew I wanted to add mixed media.

While the gesso dried, I selected four patterned papers and cut them into triangles by cutting them into 4" squares and then halving and halving again. I chose:

• Cool Shades (b side)
• Surf's Up (b side)
  
• 4x4 Journaling Cards (b side)
  
• Bake in the Sun
  

I adhered these to the page to create a column down the right hand side, alternating patterns to replicate a patchwork effect.

Along the outer right edge, I stuck a long wave sticker from the Element Stickers to soften the edge and reinforce the watery feel of the page.

Next, I double mounted my photos using blue, yellow and orange patterned papers:

• Surfs Up
  
• Heat Wave Essentials
  
• Tropical Vibes
  

Once I had decided where the photos would sit, I added some watercolour paint in blue for my photos to sit on.  This helped to extend the swimming pool in my photos directly on to the page. I love this effect.

I waited for it to dry before placing my photos, and then I started with the embellishments. I created two small clusters, one either side of my photos. 

The cluster on the left uses stickers from the Element Stickers, with some laying flat and some on foam for dimension. I particularly love that fun umbrella so positioned it slightly over the photo to draw the eye in.

I used the cluster on the right to house my title, mixing Element Stickers and Chipboard Phrases to add interest and texture to the page.

To ensure the design was cohesive, I lay the title (made from Chipboard Phrases) right across the top of my photos, extending on to the patterned paper panel, drawing all elements on the page together, and I love how this looks - that title really has my heart!

And with that, the page is complete!

I hope you've enjoyed this blog, and are enjoying the Summer Vibes! 

Until next time, happy scrapping! 

Claire x

@scrappysoulmate

 

Echo Park - Summer Vibes - Vacay Vibes

Hello everyone!

Welcome back to the Papermaze Blog! It's Claire here with you today and this month I am working with the Summer Vibes collection from Echo Park.

This is a really beautiful collection, full of warm tones, fun patterns and lots of ephemera perfect for documenting a wide range of summer memories.

For my first layout, I'm scrapping some photographs of a visit to a local restaurant on a recent trip away. The photographs have lots of warm orange tones, greens, blues and yellows and seemed to match this collection so beautifully, I couldn't resist!

I started with a piece of smooth white Bazzill Cardstock in Coconut Swirl which came with the Matchmaker Pack.

I cut four strips of patterned paper with approximate sizes as follows:

• Heat Wave Essentials, 1.5"
• Pool Pals, 1"
• Tropical Vibes, 5.5"
• Surfs Up, 2"

I distressed the edges of each piece ad drew a white border around the outside. For extra interest, I used a punch to add some decorative elements to the 2nd and 4th strip.  To create a shadow, I adhered each strip to my page with foam tape, replicating the evening shadows from the sun.

To draw your eye into the photos, I used a piece of 4x4 Journaling Cards and Pool Pals papers to double mount the photos, pulling the different colours in the collection together.

I created two clusters on either side of the photos, mixing materials by using the Element Stickers and Sticker Book, along with some icons from the Chipboard Phrases.

I complemented this with some small phrases from the Element Sticker sheet, raising some on foam and sticking some flat.

For my title, I opted for this fun Vacay Vibes piece from the Chipboard Phrases, layering stickers underneath. For a little extra drama, I also added a long border sticker from the Sticker Book along the top edge of the Tropical Vibes paper which takes your eye across the page to the title.

I love how this turned out. It's been so much fun to create with this collection, and I'm looking forward to sharing another layout with you soon.

Check out the collection in full here.

Happy Scrapping!

Claire x

@scrappysoulmate