March Papermaze Kit - Part 1

Hello, Lynn here today with two layouts created using the March Papermaze Kit. Full of pretty floral and rustic papers, colour matched cardstock and embellishments. For my first two layouts I have picked the farmyard style papers from 49 and Market's Whispering Way collection.

Before looking at how the layouts were made, here is what you will find in the kit:

Patterned Papers:
49 and Market - Whispering Way collection - Farm Fresh & Sunshine Days
Carta Bella - Pressed Floral collection - 3 x 4 Journalling Cards
Carta Bella - Feels Like Home collection - Floral Frame & Cottage Floral
Simple Stories - Simple Vintage Junk Drawer collection - Willow

The photo below shows both sides of the papers

Embellishments: Mintay Chippies Titles - 1 line, 3 Prima Cherry Sweet flowers, 6 Uniquely Creative Bohemian Escape Vellum, 2 Kaisercraft Frames, Kaisercraft Rhinestone Flower, Bo Bunny - Beautiful Things - Candy Dots, Hero Arts Clay Hearts, 12" Lace.

Bazzill Basics Cardstock - Twig, Rosewood (included in kit), Classic Smooth White, Quartz, Guacamole and  Yukon Gold.

Cobtree Museum - When the children were on their school summer holiday, we spent a Day at The Cobtree Museum of Kent Life, Maidstone. They enjoyed playing in 'The Darling Buds of May' set. Here is my daughter on Pop Larkin's Truck.

I chose the Farm Fresh paper for this layout, I has some rustic farm yard images centred around a big circular egg farm symbol. You will see from the photo below how I gutted this paper, so that I could use the brick work print from the 'B' side as a mount for my photo. I was careful to trim around the 'Fresh Farm Eggs' sign and milk churn. I cut the cut-out piece into smaller pieces and 'built' a brick wall around my photo. Then tucked the photo under the sign and churn. As with all cut edges on this layout, I inked the edges with Brushed Corduroy Distress Ink.

Using a BIGZ XL alphabet die (Wonderland) and some greyboard from my stash, I cut the letters for the title. The letters were painted with two different coloured coats of Distress Paint (Ground Espresso and Brushed Corduroy). Once dry I added a layer of Cracking Medium, allowing this to dry naturally and cause the top layer of paint to crack, giving a weathered wood effect. I protected the letters with a thin layer of Glossy Accents.

The letters were arranged following the line of the circular design printed on the paper. 

I made a subtitle using Sizzix Thinlits Alphanumeric Label die set to cut letters from the Yukon Gold Bazzill in the kit. I arranged the letters inside the larger title. 

I cut more letters and numbers for the date, these were arranged of two small tags cut using the Sizzix Framelits Tag Collection Die set. Using another small tag, I added some journalling. Fine jute twine was looped through the holes in the tags. 

I purchased a pack of 49 and Market Laser Cut Elements from the Whispering Way collection, I selected a few images, and along with the tags, applied them to the layout using 3D foam pads. Small pieces of raffia were tucked under some of the pieces. 

Badsell Farm Park - A day out for the Children with Twin's Club friends, after winning tickets for the Badsell Farm Park, Paddock Wood. Andrew loved all the farm machinery he was able to climb onto and pretend to drive.  

This time I chose the Sunshine Days paper, from the Whispering Way collection. I added more chicken wire to this page using Aged Mahogany Distress Paint mixed with Texture Paste, and worked through a stencil (TCW259S). This was set aside to dry. 

The title letters were cut using another Sizzix BIGZ XL die (Block Tall Capital) and more Greyboard. I treated these with a coat of Aged Mahogany Distress paint. Brushed Corduroy Distress paint was blended with Texture Paste and this was plastered over the painted letters, leaving a rough finish, and allowing the Aged Mahogany to show through. 

Once dried, the letters were arranged around the top of the circular image on the paper. 

I selected images from two packs of 49 and Market Laser Cut elements (Krafty Garden and Whispering Way). 

I tucked in a few 49 and Market Vintage Bits Essential Tickets - Sunbeam.  

Finally, I used some old rub-ons for the date. 

That's all for today, I'll be back with more from this kit soon.
Thanks for looking.
Lynn x

Heidi Swapp - Set Sail - Unchartered Escape

Hello everyone,

Claire here, back to share my second layout this month using the beautiful Set Sail collection from Heidi Swapp.

For todays layout, I'm featuring lots of ephemera, offset against a mixed media background.

I took a piece of Premium White Cardstock and applied a generous coat of Gesso all over to help it handle the paints and water I would add to the page.

Once it was dry, I took a large leaf stencil from my stash (similar stencils can be found here and here) and positioned it diagonally, knowing my photo would sit in the middle of the two leaves. I applied some clear embossing paste, leaving to dry.

Using the colours in the collection as a guide, I mixed some blue and peachy watercolours and painted directly onto the paper, using a medium sized paintbrush to guide the paint around the page.

When the paint hits the dry texture paste, it acts as a resist, so you can see the image of the leaf coming through the colour. This is a lot clearer at the top of the page where the paint is darker. When the paint was dry, I added splatters in white and gold to create a bit more interest.

I repeated the paint colours in the top right corner to help balance the page.

I backed my photo using the Strip Page paper and a piece of blue cardstock from the Matchmaker pack. For a bit of extra seaside sparkle, I also added a gold foiled ephemera journaling piece which I used as a layer underneath the top edge of my photo.

To create an anchor for my photo, I tore 2 strips of the Cut Aparts paper as the 'b' side is a sandy coloured paper with a textural pattern. I thought this would look good as sand!

I placed my photo on top, raising on foam and then pulled out all those lovely ephemera pieces to create some clusters.

I used a combination of shells from the Cardstock Stickers and fussy cut from the Logo Cut Apart sheet. I stuck some of these flat, and raised others on foam to create height.

I layered some deco web, art stones and moss around the cluster to create extra interest, and added some small chipboard embellishments from P13 and a ticket, fussy cut from the Tags paper.

To extend the height of my cluster, I pulled out the palm trees form the Ephemera Pack and tucked these into the top of my cluster.

I also added a few small banners just above and of course, one of those lovely seagulls on top.

On the other side of the photo, I extended the ripped paper by adding some strips of coloured paper which I cut form the Strip Page paper. 

I cut the ends into fishtails to create a banner shape, and added some more chipboard pieces from P13.

For my title, I added some of those gold foiled puffy stickers - wow! These are really beautiful, and are such a statement piece for your layouts. They really elevate the page.

To finish, I added some ephemera and a fussy cut ticket into the top cluster, to stretch the design and balance the layout.

I have totally fallen in love with this collection! The colour palette, the ephemera, the gold foiling...really beautiful. 

I hope you've enjoyed seeing the layouts made.

Until next month, happy scrapping!

Claire xx

@Scrappysoulmate

January Papermaze Kit - Part 1

A new Year! and a new kit for January 2023! A mix of subtle and some brighter colours. the kit contains patterned papers, Bazzill cardstock and embellishments there is even a clear stamp included too. Here are my first two layouts.

Patterned Papers:
Simple Stories - The Simple Life collection - Tags & Gather, Eat, Laugh
Pinkfresh Studios - Simply the Best collection - Worth the Hype
Mintay Papers - Blissful Time collection - #09
American Crafts - Paige Evans - Garden Shoppe collection - #08
American Crafts - Vicki Boutin - Print Shoppe collection - Floral Display
Bazzill Basics Cardstock - Capers & Fig Swirl

Reverse side of papers

Embellishments:
Woodware clear stamp, strip heart pearls, Dusty Attic chipboard trim, Floral Bits & Pieces, Twine, Prima Flower, Type print phrases, 49 & Market Vintage Bits Essentials - Sage

Extra Bazzill Basics Cardstock - Aqua, Stonehenge, Quartz & Pear


Lady in Red - My daughter at a friend's wedding a few years ago.

Using the Pear Bazzill as a base, I stencilled the centre of the page with some texture paste and a Vicki Boutin Stencil from the Fernwood collection. 

While the texture paste was drying, I tore two strips from the Garden Shoppe paper and applied these to the top and bottom of the page. Then I cut hearts using my Cricut. I took a basic heart shape (approx. 9cm wide and 8cm tall) and duplicated it so I had two the same, then I cut a smaller heart from the centre of one, to give me a heart shaped frame. I cut five solid hearts and four heart frames. I used more of the Flower Shoppe paper (both sides), plain white card, Caper Bazzill and some acetate.

I placed the frames over the top of the solid hearts for three of these pairs. For the fourth heart I created a shaker box with white card as the base, the frame was backed with the acetate and the two sandwiched together with foam pads. I popped beads and sequins inside before sealing up the edges completely.

I placed the photo in the centre of the layout and arranged the hearts around it. Then set about adding clusters of daisies. With the Tim Holtz, Sizzix Thinlits, die set - Funky Foliage, I cut flowers and leaves from cardstock scraps to represent those in the Flower Shoppe paper.

Finally, I added my title using Rosie's Studio - Hearth & Home - Puffy Alphabet Mini Stickers.

New Home - This layout records our house before we purchased it, using the photos taken for the Estate Agent, which I changed to black and white to work better with the photos. I think I will make a second layout with photos taken in the same rooms five years later, to show how much the place has changed.

I started off with the Stonehenge Bazzill, and three 2.5cm x 28cm strips of the 'Gather, Eat, Laugh' paper. I stitched the strips to the Bazzill using the sewing machine and black sewing thread, to create pockets to hold the tags later.

My title was placed just under the second strip of paper. I used some chipboard alpha stickers with a glitter finish.

I cut all 15 of the tags apart from 'Tags' paper, and inked the edges with Forest Moss Distress Ink. I wanted to use some of the images as they were, others I added mini photos to. I used the blank or lined sides of the tags to write my journalling and add the date.

Holes were punched in the top of each tag and eyelets attached. I used the twine from the kit, plus more from my stash to thread through the eyelets to make ties.

I placed all the tags into the pockets, and then fussy cut some of the tiny butterflies from the 'Gather, Eat, Laugh' paper and arranged these onto the layout.

That's all for today, I'll be back with two more layouts soon.
Thanks for looking.
Lynn x

February Papermaze Kit - Part 1

Lynn here today to share a new kit from Papermaze. This is the February kit, full of subtle natural colours and here are my first two layouts. You will find the kit in the store from today. 

 

Before looking at the layouts in more detail, this is what you will find included in this month's kit.

Patterned Papers:
Simple Stories - Simple Vintage Weathered Garden - Journal Elements & Fills My Heart
American Crafts - Vicki Boutin - Fernwood - Gather
Carta Bella - Gather At Home - Garden Guru
P13 - There Is No Planet B - #02
American Crafts - Maggie Holmes - Market Square - Home & Garden
Bazzill Basics - Aqua & Cinder

Reverse Side of papers

Embellishments:
P13 Alphabet Stickers, 1/4 sheet Simple Stories Foam Stickers, 2 Simple Stories Chipboard Clusters,49 & Market Chipboard Frame, 2 exclusive wooden fern leaves, 12" linen ribbon and 12 Pinkfresh pearls

Extra Bazzill Pack - Yukon Gold, Twig, White & Avocado

Kool Kiwi - This layout has hidden journalling telling the story of the Kool Kiwi mascot and a special teacher the children had from New Zealand.

The base for this layout is the beautiful 'Gather' paper from Vicki Boutin with a wreath of fern leaves. They reminded me of the All Blacks rugby logo, so set me thinking of this lovely story. All I had to do was build my layout within and around the wreath.

I used the fern leaf stencil from the same collection as the paper to add several large leaves to the centre of the paper using Forest Moss and Brushed Corduroy Distress Oxide Ink.

I made a folder for my journalling which doubled as a mat for the photo. I used the P13 '#02' paper (I gutted this paper first as I wanted it to frame my next layout.) I also cut a tab adding the word 'lift' with stickers (AC Thickers Happy Life foam letter stickers); to indicate there is something to see inside. My journalling was typed and printed onto white paper and placed inside the folder. I glued the folder into place with the photo attached.

I made a large cluster at the base of the wreath with wood slices cut from Kraft Bazzill and the Tim Holtz Tree Rings Mini Bigz die and embossing folder set. I inked the slices with Ground Espresso Distress Oxide Ink to highlight the rings and bark. 

To the cluster I added the two wooden fern leaves and some of the chipboard words from the kit. I added a few small blossoms from my stash, and repeated these in small clusters around the wreath. I cut leaves, wood and flowers from the #2 paper to add too. You can also see a chipboard butterfly at the top of the wreath. I tucked the date in here with more of the foam letter stickers.

For my title I used a Sizzix BigzXL alpha die to cut the letters twice, from Kraft and Yukon Gold Bazzill. I inked Brushed Corduroy Distress Oxide through a Tim Holtz Layering Stencil (Burlap THS007) onto the Kraft letters and offset them over the gold letters.

 

Walking the Walls - The girls and I walked the city walls on our recent trip to York. 

For this page I used the frame of #02 paper I cut earlier, and mounted trimmed and distressed Twig Bazzill over the top.

After working out where the photos would sit and my title would go, I drew a faint pencil semi circle onto the page and stitched over this with two strands of brown DMC embroidery cotton.
Then with a brick stencil and some Distress Texture Paste I created some rough brick work to fill the semi circle. The Distress Paste was unevenly coloured with Distress Oxide Inks. 

Once the paste was dry I was able to add my photos. I placed the cut-off strip from the 'Gather' paper along the base of the photos and finished this area off with a chipboard piece from the kit. 

I cut three butterflies from the 'Journal Elements' paper and after curving these I added them to the stitching. My title was made with the letter stickers from the kit and I created a shadow with a marker pen. In the same way I placed the date at the bottom of the page. 

That's all for today, I will be back with more from this kit soon.
Thanks for looking.
Lynn x