Simple Stories - Boho Sunshine - You are my Sonshine

Hello, Karen here. I hope you're having a good summer and taking lots of photos to capture those summer memories. Today I'm sharing a layout using photos I took of my son one summer, and once again I've been using the fabulously sunny Simple Stories Boho Sunshine collection.

I started my layout by using a free cut file from www.happinessishomemade.net. The cut file said 'You are my Sunshine' but I altered it in the Silhouette Studio to say 'You are my Sonshine' before cutting it from a 12x12 sheet of smooth white cardstock.  

The words in the cut file were backed with a piece of the Happy Day paper and the sun rays were backed with pieces cut from the Groovy and Smile Big papers. 

Behind the sun shape I created a shaker pocket using acetate. I searched my stash for as many yellow sequins as I could find. I didn't find many, so I also punched a few tiny hearts and stars from yellow cardstock to bulk out the shaker pocket. 

The backed cut file was then trimmed to 11.5" x 11.5", attached to a bright yellow piece of 12 x 12 cardstock and machine stitched round the edges with white thread.

Using 6 strands of yellow embroidery floss I chainstitched lines between the sun rays. This added more texture to the layout.

I printed two small photos of my youngest son and stuck these onto two tags from the sheet of Tag Elements. 

The tags with the photos, and two others, were stuck to the bottom of the layout - two pointing up and two pointing down.

The tags were strung together with white string.

Finally, a few sequins and a smiley face sticker from the Sticker Book were used to embellish the tags .

I hope you like this layout and it has inspired you to scrapbook your summer photos using Boho Sunshine from Simple Stories which can be found here in the shop.

Until next time, Take Care

Karen x x

Spooky - Simple Stories - Spooky Nights Collection

Hello, it's Rebecca with you today and I'm really excited to be sharing a Halloween layout with you! I absolutely love Halloween - it's possibly my favourite theme to scrap and this month I'm working with the 'Spooky Nights' collection from Simple Stories. You can find the collection in the shop here.

I started my layout with torn strips of patterned paper across the top of the page. I used the B side of 'Gone Batty' and the A side of 'Spooktacular'. Next, I cut a few of the sections from the 'Journal Elements' patterned paper - using two of them as staggered layers behind my photo and using a 3rd to create a sequin shaker pocket. I backed my shaker pocket with the orange bazzill cardstock from the Matchmaker Pack to bring in more of the colour to the page. 

I had the idea in my head to build the layout to the left hand side of my page with elements cascading down, so once I had my photo and shaker pocket in place I worked on my mixed media - keeping it to the left of the page.

I used Distress Inks in 'Dusty Concord' and 'Twisted Citron' to apply some colour to my background using the packaging technique, making sure to add enough colour so that the inks would show underneath my embellishments. 

I cut two of the tags from the 'Tags' patterned paper - choosing tags with colours that worked with my colour scheme. I distressed the edges and placed them under my photo, dangling down. I then added some embroidery thread through the holes to introduce a bit of texture and to help extend the design further down the page.

I embellished the layout with a few elements from the Bits and Pieces pack - I added a ghost wearing a witches hat above my photo, and a pumpkin, headstone and spiders web below. The 'Gone Batty' paper I've used at the top of the page has clouds, moons and bats on it so I also added corresponding pieces from the bits and pieces pack.

I further embellished the layout using a 'Trick or Treat' banner from the Combo Stickers sheet and fussy-cutting a haunted house from the 'Let's Get Spooky' patterned paper, in green to match the 'Spooktacular' patterned paper. 

The design I'd chosen offered an obvious spot for my title - which I added using one of the Foam Stickers which says 'Spooky' and I finished this off by dangling a spider from it which I found lurking in the 'Bits and Pieces' pack.

I finished my layout off with a scattering of sequins and some black splatters, using watered-down black acrylic paint.

Thanks so much for reading, I hope you've enjoyed my layout and it inspires you to have a play with this collection. If you'd like to watch it come together, there's a process video up on my YouTube channel, which you can find here.

I'll be back later in the month with another 'Spooky Nights' layout.

Take care,

Rebecca x