Scrap the Girls October Challenge!

Hi all! Back again for the second time today! It seems like FOREVER since I last played along with a challenge! I seem to do plenty of them every month, but they are always for the various teams I am on and not as a participant.

Lucky for me I had a little time up my sleeve, which allowed me to play along with this month's gorgeous mood board for Scrap the Girls...

And here is my take on it...

The colours of this board are what grabbed me right away - definitely right up my alley! I was also inspired by the beach sunrise photo, which reminded me of watercolours with the way the colours blended together.

Based on that, I decided to create a watercolour background, with some subtle texture added. Now, the obvious choice here would have been to replicate the brick texture pictured on the board, but I decided to think outside the square and draw my inspiration from the circular shape of the photo itself and used my retro circles stencil. (I used Heidi Swapp Color Shine and Tattered Angels Glimmer Mists with the plastic packaging technique to create the look I was after.)

I also added some circles that were hand-drawn and cut from patterned paper, a printed die cut and some enamel dots to repeat the circular element and add some extra interest.

The papers and die cuts used for this layout are all from the Hello Lovely collection by Cocoa Vanilla Studio. The alphas are American Crafts Thickers and Jillibean Soup Alphabeans. My journaling was printed on a scrap of white cardstock and then cut it into strips and scattered around my layout, as I wanted to avoid the heavy look of a large block of text.

So many yummy layers - Cocoa Vanilla Studio papers, die cuts, vellum heart and flair; paper doiley and some cotton thread. All topped off with a liberal sprinkling of gold Heidi Swapp Color Shine.

Thanks for stopping by today so I could share this with you. I am so happy how this layout came together, thanks for the inspiration Scrap the Girls!

More D-lish Scraps October Projects!

Hi all! I am here today to share a couple of my other D-lish Scraps projects for October.

The first is this layout I created featuring a photo of my boys when they finally came home from hospital (10 weeks after being born). I wanted to create something soft and pretty, because I don't think you can get anything more deserving than a newborn (or two!)

{Papers by Studio Calico; Kaisercraft and Websters Pages}

I used lots of D-lish embellishments to create layered clusters framing my photo. Products used include Pinkfresh Studio - Up in the Clouds gold foil die cut; a flair button; Green Tara mini heirloom flower; a paper rose and a Forget Me Not. I also attached a Journal It's - Wordfetti strip to my photo with a small gold wooden peg.

More beautiful paper roses; grey paper doily; Pinkfresh Studio - Up in the Clouds gold rub ons; D-lish Dots; washi tape; and a Freckled Fawn Wood Chip arrow word (coloured with gold paint pen). 

My final cluster featured many of the same elements repeated, as well as some more strips cut from the Journal It's - Wordfetti, a handmade heart embellishment (from Charms Creations), and then I finished it all off with a gorgeous gold sequin bow. 

My next share is a completely different style - bold and graphic, with limited embellishments and an emphasis on the journaling.

{Papers by Shimelle; Heidi Swapp and a Kaisercraft Captured Moments pocket card}

Here you can see the journaling with a cute little D-lish Dot enamel heart shape at the end of it.

To tie in with the idea of the journaling being the most important feature, I wanted the wood veneer title (from a previous Just Add Paper Kit) as the standout embellishment so I coloured it black using a Sharpie pen.

I added a simple cluster of embellishments next to my photo - green Dip Dye Printed Tag, green D-lish Dots, and a cute flair button from a previous Just Add Paper Kit.

To finish the layout I added a strip of washi tape and a couple of pieces from the Journal It's Wordfetti - Boy oh Boy sheet, which I adhered with staples.

Thanks for popping in today so I could share these with you. I hope I have shown you that there are plenty of treasures to be found in the D-lish Scraps store, regardless of your personal style!

Til next time, happy scrapping! X

Scrapbooking Memories Product Showcase

Hi all! Another share from me today, and one which I am sure a few of you have already seen. This layout was created as part of a product showcase I was asked to take part in for last month's issue of Scrapbooking Memories magazine. Myself and three other SM contributors were each sent a package of products from Close To My Heart and asked to create a project with them.

Here is what I created...

I had been hoarding this photo of the kids and I for some time, which was taken on Mothers Day 2013 (my first Mothers Day as a mum of 3!) And now I am glad I did as the colours worked perfectly with this collection. (I am not usually a fan of purple, but happy with the result.)

In addition to the papers, stickers and stamps from CTMH; I also used wood veneer pieces from Cocoa Vanilla Studio and flowers, flair button, glitter washi and coloured wire from D-lish Scraps.
(Sorry, no close-ups today - I forgot to shoot them before I mailed it off!)
Thanks for stopping by.
Til next time, happy scrapping! X

D-lish Scraps October Inspiration Board

Hi all! Just popping in to share one of my D-lish Scraps October projects with you. This layout was based on the current 'Summer Fiesta' Inspiration Board Challenge, which looks like this... 

"Summer Fiesta is cute, sassy and something that just makes you want to grin from ear to ear. It's fun and playful colour scheme of bold yellow, red and turquoise with a touch of rustic wood panelling is gender neutral and lends itself to a world of possibilities." 

And here is what I created...

This was a really fun board to play along with, and although I created a boy themed layout, I think the palette lends itself equally well to both genders.

Many of the items on my layout came from this month's Summer Fiesta Just Add Paper Kit. I used the exclusive Hello Sunshine wood veneer from the kit as my title and kept it raw to suit the woodgrain element from the board. Alongside it, you can see a scattering of loose sequins, which added to the fun, playful nature of the layout.

Here you can see a number of embellishments from the Just Add Paper kit - red polka dot paper doiley; mini wooden peg (from the kit packaging!); journal strip; printed washi tape; wood veneer pinwheel and a mini metal flower. (I love the way these kits make a layout come together so easily!)

Alongside my photo, I layered together more washi, some of the twine and one of the flair buttons from the kit, and also added a Freckled Fawn Wood Chip Arrow Word.

More journal pieces from the kit; along with a D-lish Dots enamel shape, Freckled Fawn paper clip and piece of Coloured Wire (which I attached simply with staples) completed my layout.
The patterned papers I used on this layout are by Glitz Designs and Echo Park.

Thanks for stopping by today so I could share this project with you. I hope I have inspired you to enter this month's Inspiration Board Challenge if you haven't already? There is a store voucher and a Just Add Paper kit up for grabs for two lucky winners.
Til next time, happy scrapping! X

You & Me - Life is Beautiful for Cocoa Vanilla Studio

Hi again everyone!
Just popping in to share my latest project using the stunning Life is Beautiful collection from Cocoa Vanilla Studio that was featured on the blog yesterday.

This layout features a photo of my mum with one of my boys taken on her birthday. My mum isn't a big fan of the camera, and when I recently realised just how few I had of her together with the kids, I insisted we take some.

It was one of the reasons I chose to use this sentiment from the Mixed Bag cut apart paper as a complimentary focus to my photo - it serves as a reminder to seize every opportunity to make and record our memories together. (Mum is going to be pushed in front of that camera more often now, whether she likes it or not!)

I used several papers from the collection on my layout. The 'B side' of the Mixed Bag paper was the base, with portions of the In Bloom, Beautiful Day and Heart Song papers layered over the top. You can see them here topped with pieces from the Die Cut Ephemera pack, Accessory Stickers and some Little Pretties resin flowers.

I love how easily the elements from this collection are to layer together. I used the 'you & me' script words from the ephemera pack as my layout title and the gorgeous 'happy days' Flair Button to anchor this cluster.

More layers of paper and ephemera, some extra Little Pretties for dimension and a sprinkling of the coordinating Enamel Dots completed my layout.

I am loving this collection so much! It's so easy to work with, and the wide range of embellishments available ensures you don't have to look far for that perfect 'thing' as a finishing touch. If you would to purchase your own bundle of Life Is Beautiful to work with you will find it in the Cocoa Vanilla store HERE, or please ask your favourite retailer if they have it in stock.
Until next time, happy scrapping!

Show Us Your Stuff October Challenge!

Hi friends! Back again today to share yet another of my Design Team layouts for October, this time for Show Us Your Stuff.
This month's challenge was designed by the super talented Leanne Jago (and yes, that's  her own photo in the graphic). Check this out...

Besides the "no people allowed" criteria, as always you must include a handmade embellishment. (I squeezed on four this month!)

Here is my layout (warning: I've gone a bit way out this month)...

{Papers by Close To My Heart; Prima and a Project Life card)

I had so much fun creating this layout, with it's messy layers of gesso, acrylic paint, water soluble pastels and mist for the background. I was inspired by the work of Celine Navarro, who is AMAZING when it comes to using paint.
I scrapped one of my recent photos I posted on Instagram. (You can find and follow me on Instagram under the username @sue.plumb or simply click the link in my blog sidebar.)

Here's a closer look...

{Heart by Charms Creations; flower pin by My Little Bit of Whimsy; die cut ephemera by Heidi Swapp and Dear Lizzy}

{Freckled Fawn paperclip, flair button and enamel dots all from D-lish Scraps; die cut ephemera by Heidi Swapp and Amy Tangerine}

This layout really was something different to what I have been creating lately and it made me happy. Not only the end result, but simply the process of creating it, where I let my mojo run wild and free.

I hope I have inspired you to join in with this month's Show Us Your Stuff challenge. There is a fabulous prize from the lovely Agnus at {scrAp this!} up for grabs. So get scrapping! X

Scrap the Boys October Challenge

Oh dear! I just realised that I wrote this post and forgot to schedule it! Anyway, here I am (finally) sharing my take on this month's fabulous mood board challenge at Scrap the Boys.

Here is the board...

And my layout...

{Papers by Shimelle; Dear Lizzy; Glitz Designs and Heidi Swapp PL cards}

As you can see I went for a clean, layered look for this layout, which features a gorgeous photo of Kaden on his first trip to the beach. 

I used stickers, flair button, wood veneer pieces and a charm all from Cocoa Vanilla Studio.

Aren't those Cocoa Vanilla wood veneer clouds the cutest? I love them! The die cut ephemera pieces are by Shimelle for American Crafts.

Thanks for stopping in today. I do hope you will join in with this month's mood board at Scrap the Boys. There are some awesome prizes up for grabs from Imaginarium Designs and A2Z Scraplets up for grabs for the winners. Entries close 31st October.

Happy scrapping! X

Tis the Season for Cocoa Vanilla Studio

Hi everyone! Just popping in today to share my latest work using the new Tis the Season collection from Cocoa Vanilla Studio.

The colour palette of this collection is a little different than the "traditional" ones usually reserved for a Christmas range, but not so much that it doesn't have the right festive feel to it. It really is gorgeous!

For my layout, I used the Good Cheer paper for my base; then layered it with pieces cut from All Is Bright (both sides) and Holly Jolly. I love how the different designs look stacked together.

I used lots of pieces from the Die Cut Ephemera pack and some of the Accessory Stickers layered under and around my photo to frame it. I love all the little interesting details they add. I topped this cluster with one of the coordinating Flair Buttons.

I used a Santa flair and more ephemera pieces in my layered journaling cluster.
I don't have a typewriter, (but I SO love the look of old type fonts), so I printed my journaling onto the woodgrain look tag from my computer. (Print it onto a piece of paper first, then adhere the journal tag over the top with a tiny bit of tape and run it through the printer again.)

To finish my layout, I added one of the super cute Bitty Bows and a scattering of Tis the Season Sequins to add a sense of movement to my design.

Thanks for stopping by today.
Did you know you can find Cocoa Vanilla Studio on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter AND Pinterest? Make sure you are following along so you don't miss a thing!
Til next time, happy scrapping! X

D-lish Scraps Announcement & September Projects

Hi all!
I am very pleased to announce that I have been accepted back onto the D-lish Scraps Design Team for another term! I am so excited to be staying on with the store, and I look forward to working with all these amazing girls...

Now, time to share a recap of the projects I created for D-lish Scraps during September, which were all very different.
Starting with a layout I created based on the "Take Flight" Inspiration Board Challenge...

{Papers by Studio Calico & Heidi Swapp} 

I used a number of items from the Take Flight Just Add Paper kit. These include gold foil doily; feather print washi tape; flair badge; Corbett Creations swallow wood veneers; ombre dipped journal tag; handmade foil & vellum feather embellishment; and Green Tara mini heirloom flower. (There are still some extra kit bits available in the store, you will find them HERE)

In addition to the items from the JAP kit, I also used a few little D-lish goodies from my stash. These included Resin Forget Me Nots and D-lish Dots...

With so many new and restocked flowers in store, my next layout was something gorgeous & girly to showcase some of them...

 {Papers and die cut ephemera by Kaisercraft}

Pictured below are a flair button from the Woodgrain Hashtags set; Cherry Blossoms; Cosmos Daisy; Forget Me Not; Freckled Fawn paper clip; glitter washi tape.

So many of my personal favourites here - Sequin bow; roses; wood veneer heart; gold foil doily; Forget Me Nots; mint stamens. There is also a flower from the Little Birdie - Boutique Elements (Strawberry Fields) pack, which I have altered by colouring the bead in the middle gold with a paint pen. I used the same pen to colour the wood veneer heart also.

For my final piece, I decided to have a bit of mixed media fun...

 {Paper by Heidi Swapp}

Below you can see - Freckled Fawn wood chip arrow word; silver spot tissue paper and teal chevron tissue paper (both from Just Add Paper kits); glitter washi tape; 2 printed washi tapes; silver punchinella; grey hand-dyed muslin; teal paper doily and sequins (from the loose pastel mix).

Yes. That really is 10 different D-lish products packed into that small space!

Thanks for stopping by today (especially if you made it to the end of my post!)
I have my fingers crossed that with a return to school for my big girl tomorrow, I will get back into routine and on top of all my blogging soon! X