Feminine Layouts | Scrapbooking Memories magazine

Hi everyone!
Just popping in today to share the two layouts that were published as part of my 'How To: Feminine' Creative Team article from Scrapbooking Memories magazine Vol 20 No 2. In my article I discussed some of the techniques and materials I often use when I create feminine layouts.

For my the first page I took a typically traditional girly approach, using both pinks and flowers to convey a sense of femininity...

"Fabulous"

I used Cocoa Vanilla Studio materials for this layout; mixing up items from both the Hello Lovely and Free Spirit collections.

For my second layout, I used a largely neutral colour palette (the colours could have been equally at home on a masculine layout); but despite this, I was able to achieve a sufficient level of femininity through the use of other elements...

"Scrap Sistas"

I used a wide variety of materials for this page, using up lots of older supplies including papers from Crate Paper and My Mind's Eye; and embellishments from D-lish Scraps. I even dusted off one of my old Martha Stewart punches! (I love a good stash-busting layout!)

The new issue of Scrapbooking Memories magazine is due to hit shelves any day now, so be sure to look out for my next Creative Team article inside which is all about masculine style scrapping.

Until next time, happy scrapping! X

Together | Colour Blast

Hi everyone! Sue Plumb here to share my latest Colour Blast design team project with you. Today I have a 12x12" layout that can only be described as a colour "explosion". I love using bright colours, and exploring different combinations of colour; and that is exactly what I did for this piece.

"Together"

I took these fun snapshots of one of my besties and I together that I found on my phone, and converted them to black and white so I wasn't restricted by colour in any way. I wanted to use Colour Shimmer Dusts in two different colours for my background so I selected a couple that blended together well.

I started with Peacock Colour Shimmer Dust, which I mixed with water and then splattered onto my white cardstock using a brush. I then took a straw and blew the paint randomly around the page to form starburst type patterns. (Think fireworks.)

Once I had a sufficient amount applied, I set it aside to dry before repeating the process with Lollipop Shimmer Dust. (Note - it is important to remember to choose two colours that will mix well, as the first colour will reactivate when it mixes with the second. In this case I knew it would produce a purple, which also happens to be one of my friend's favourite colours.) 

After both colours had dried, I decided to highlight the purple that had been created by adding another shade of purple using Royalty Colour Paste. I applied it using the 'Bubble O' Fun' stencil from Flutterby Designs, which provided a good contrast to the patterns formed by the Shimmer Dust.

I then added an extra layer of interest by drizzling some white Flutter Colour paint over the top of the Colour Paste and then set it aside to dry again.

Whilst the background was drying, I pulled out a few pieces of paintable ephemera that I wanted to use on my layout and I coloured them using some of the left over Peacock Shimmer Dust I had mixed earlier.

At this point I decided I wanted to add in a small amount of another colour to provide some contrast to my page, so I used Sunshine Colour Shimmer Spray, which I splattered around by removing the nozzle from the bottle.

Once all my mediums were dry, I then began constructing my layout. I created a layered mat for my photos to sit on using a variety of patterned paper pieces, a paper doily and some hand-dyed muslin.

I added assorted ephemera pieces, including the pieces I painted, which I clustered around my photos. I added Flutterby Designs flair button, which I nested on some messy cotton thread.

Yellow enamel dots added subtle dimension to my page amongst the Sunshine yellow splatters.

My feature embellishment was a handmade heart from Charms Creations. This provided the perfect pop of yellow I needed to bring it all together; and I used a foam Thicker word for my title.

With the addition of the black foam pieces, I knew I had to add some subtle black splatters to help tie the black in, so it was a few quick flicks of my trusty Road Base Colour Spray and I was done.

I so love how all these colours came together on this piece! Just look at this deliciousness...

Thanks so much for stopping by today (and if you made it through to the end of this long post). I will be back again soon with another project to share.
Until then, happy scrapping! X

100% Boy | Cocoa Vanilla Studio

Hi everyone! I am here today to share my latest design team project for Cocoa Vanilla Studio with you all. This week we have been celebrating boys on the CVS blog, with the design team all sharing masculine themed projects. Yesterday was my turn, so I created a layout featuring the new 'You Rock' collection and a mixed media background.

I was inspired by the "unique" quote on the cut apart sheet for my page, which went really well with these silly snaps I had of Hunter, so I decided to make a feature of the red colour. For my background I started with the B-side of the Night Sky paper, which I brushed with some Colour Blast Sunset Colour Spray, then I added some stamping using some of my stamps from Viva Las VegaStamps and black ink to provide some extra depth.

Next, I started creating some layers behind my photos. I used pieces from several different papers - Night Sky; Starshine; Stripped; and Random. I also added some frayed gauze to provide some texture.

Tucked in amongst my layers, I also added pieces from the die cut ephemera pack, and I also added the "you rock" one directly to my photo, along with a flair button, which I nested on some messy cotton thread.

To reinforce the humorous theme of my page, I used a number of small word stickers from the accessory sticker sheet around my page. I also added some wood veneer pieces, which I coloured black (using a Sharpie pen) to help make them pop.

To tie in the black on my page even further, I also added some small pieces of torn black washi from the washi stickers pack. (There is such a good range of patterns in this pack and they tear perfectly!)

To finish off, I added a starburst chipboard sticker; stamped the date and a few phrases using one of my stamps from Typo; and then a splattering of Colour Blast Road Base Colour Spray and I was done.

For anyone that has been waiting to get their hands on it, the 'You Rock' collection will be released into the Cocoa Vanilla Studio online store on Friday 26th May.

Thanks for stopping by today so I could share this with you. I will be back again soon with another project.
Until then, happy scrapping! X

Beware of the Crazy Cat | Flutterby Designs

Hi everyone! Sue Plumb here with you to share my latest design team project for Flutterby Designs. Today I have a 12x12" layout that is a bit of a different style for me. I used a combination of the new 'Xtreme Teen' collection along with the 'Fur-ever Friends' collection. (I was obviously channeling a tabloid journalist on this day.)

*WARNING - SWEARING AHEAD*

"Beware of the Crazy Cat"

I used a sheet of black cardstock and a piece of newsprint patterned paper from Cocoa Vanilla Studio as the base for my page. I then used pieces cut from both the 'Xtreme Teen' and 'Fur-ever Friends' Everyday Etc cards to create the headline, quote and some of the subtitles.

My journaling on this layout consisted of the story, told in newspaper style;and I simple printed it to fit the columns on the patterned paper. The green quote stickers and danger sign are from the 'Xtreme Teen' Sticky Quick Quotes sheet, and I also included a black Snippet Strip.

I also used the green skull flair button from the 'Xtreme Teen' set # 1; and the "family" and "this week" tabs from the Photo Cut Outs 'Bright Directions Tab 3' sheet.

I am really happy with how this page turned out for something a bit different. (It's nice to mix things up sometimes isn't it?)
Thanks for stopping by today so I could share this with you. I will be back again in a couple of weeks with another project. Until then, happy scrapping!

Grow | Scrap the Boys May Challenge

Hi everyone! Popping in today to share my design team layout for this month's challenge at Scrap the Boys. As Mother's Day falls in May here in Australia, the challenge at Scrap the Boys is this...

This also means that we bend the "boys only" rule a bit this month and allow mums into the photos. Here is what I came up with...

"Grow"

I chose to document this photo of one of my boys and I when we were in the NICU. I decided to create a mixed media layout for this one, and with no real colours to dominate my colour scheme, I went with blue (as it's now his favourite colour).

I started by creating my background. I first did some stamping using stamps from Carabelle Studio and Viva Las VegaStamps; then added some Colour Blast Colour Shimmer Dust in Duke over the top. I then added some hearts using Colour Blast Colour Paste in Dusty Charcoal and one of my Flutterby Designs stencils; and some black splatters using my Colour Blast Colour Spray in Road Base.

Once dry, I added some small pieces of torn washi tape to my background before I then started adding my layers to go under my photo. I used some Cocoa Vanilla Studio patterned paper; a paper doily; black punchinella; and frayed gauze. I also added some Cocoa Vanilla chipboard frame pieces to give the layers some extra dimension and to help frame my photo.

Once I had my layers down, it was time to add all my embellishments. I used wood veneer pieces from D-lish Scraps and Cocoa Vanilla Studio, which I coloured black; as well as a ribbon bow, flair button and some small phrase stickers from Cocoa Vanilla. The large heart I used on the corner of my photo was from Charms Creations, and I layered a wood veneer arrow on top.

To finish off, I added my handwritten journaling and a scattering of Cocoa Vanilla sequins around my page.

I hope that lots of you will play along with us this month at Scrap the Boys. You don't have to have a son of your own either - you might like to scrap a pic of your mum with your brother; your husband with his mum; or any other male with his mum.
Until next time, happy scrapping! X

Epic Summit | Colour Blast

Hi everyone! Sue Plumb here to share my latest design team project for Colour Blast with you. Today I have a mixed media 12x12" page to share, featuring photos of one of my boys at our local park. This park has miniature versions of the Glass House Mountains that kids can climb on; and as my hubby climbs the big versions of these mountains all the time; Kaden thought he was awesome climbing to the top of "Mount Beerwah" just like his dad.

"Epic Summit"

I started this layout background with some white cardstock and Colour Shimmer Dusts. I first mixed up some Paris dust with water; and then used a wide brush to paint it onto my background. Whilst it was still wet, I took another small dry brush and dipped it into my pot of Lush Colour Shimmer Dust and then flicked it onto select areas to add a little extra depth of colour. (As the powder hits the moisture of the paint, you can see it activate and the colour comes to life.)

The next step in my process was to add some splatters of colour around my page. I first used Rainforest Colour Spray, then Coffee Colour Spray, and applied them both by taking the nozzles from the bottles and flicking them about. I then set my page aside to dry.

Once my background was completely dry, I took my Sienna Colour Paste and a woodgrain pattern stencil; and used a palette knife to apply the paste through the stencil around my page. (You can see how the look of the Colour Paste changes from these process photos to the finished layout. Once dry, it becomes rich, vibrant and shimmery.)

Here you can see how the Sienna Colour Paste has dried to a beautiful copper finish.You can also see the areas where I sprinkled the Lush Colour Shimmer Dust have dried to reveal a beautiful mottled pattern.

I used patterned papers from the Cocoa Vanilla Studio 'Totally Rad' collection for the layers behind my photos. Into my layers I also tucked a paper doily and some frayed gauze; and then used some copper wire to form a frame over my photo, which I attached using staples. (The doily and wire were both from D-lish Scraps.)

My other embellishments (die cut ephemera, stickers, enamel shapes, woodie and a flair button) were also from Cocoa Vanilla's 'Totally Rad' collection. I loved the chance to use up some bits and pieces I had left, and used them to cluster around my photo.

For my title, I chose some shiny copper coloured Studio Calico alphas I have had in my stash for ages (I knew I would need them one day!), as they worked beautifully with the copper tone of the Colour Paste. I adhered them directly across my photos, and with that, my layout was done!

Thanks for stopping by today so I could share this with you. I will be back again soon with another project. Until then, happy scrapping! X

Wild @ Heart | Cocoa Vanilla Studio

Hi everyone! Popping in today to share my latest design team creation for Cocoa Vanilla Studio using the Wild at Heart collection. For this layout, I opted to scrap a recent photo of my hubby mountain climbing. I must admit, seeing photos of him like this fill me with a mix of happiness, pride and fear. First, I am happy that he is doing what he loves. Second, I am proud that he is out there pursuing his hobby and getting better at it with every climb. But I can't help the fear - mainly because he is a "free climber" and doesn't use ropes.

I started this page with the gorgeous Artisan paper as my background. (I so love the beautiful watercolour effect and quirky hand drawn accents on this paper!) I then created a mat for my photo using a piece of the Memento paper. I trimmed it to make sure the phrase "aim for the stars" was showing just above the photo.

To help make my photo pop, I mounted it up on some cardboard and then added two woodgrain photo corners from the die cut ephemera pack. I then added the I just can't get enough (you don't know how true this is of him!) phrase sticker from the accessory sticker sheet.

To help frame my photo, I created clusters at two of the diagonally opposite corners using layered pieces of ephemera, messy cotton thread and a few Sparkles enamel dots. I used foam mounting tape to lift a few pieces and help give some dimension. I also added a fussy cut butterfly from the Mariposa paper nearby.

Given the "nature" theme of this photo, I wanted to include some wood veneer pieces for natural texture, and I couldn't go past using the collection name from the wood veneer words pack as my title. The cute little cloud I used was from the Endless Summer collection.

To finish off my page I added a small cluster in the bottom left corner of my page using a label, sticker, wood veneer heart and anther fussy cut butterfly. I then added some small phrase stickers from the sticker sheet around my page and I was done.

Thanks for stopping by today so I could share this with you. I will be back again soon with another project to share. Until then, happy scrapping! X

You Stole My Heart | Scrap the Girls May Challenge

Hi everyone! I am here with another design team project to share today, this one for Scrap the Girls. This month, in honour of Mother's Day the challenge for Scrap the Girls is entitled "Mother" and it includes this board for inspiration...

To enter, you simply need to create a layout that includes a photo of a mother. For my layout, I chose to scrap a photo of me, on my very first Mothers Day. I had only been home from hospital for 2 days with Brielle, after having been in there for 2 weeks. And she still wasn't officially due for 3 weeks at this point in time, so it was a very quiet day at home that day.

"You Stole My Heart"

I used the Cocoa Vanilla Studio 'Love Always' collection for this layout; and aside from the full sheet I used for my background, the remaining paper was all from my bag of scraps. 

Amongst my paper layers I also included some paper doilies; a small paper bag; and a dip dye tag, which I tied with twine (all from D-lish Scraps). I also added some frayed gauze and messy cotton thread to add some soft texture.

To add some dimension to my layers, I used some of the coordinating 'Love Always' chipboard stickers and puffy stickers.

I also included a matching flair button, small phrase stickers from the Accessory Sticker sheet and a few Sparkles enamel dots placed around my page.

To finish off, I added some handwritten journaling, some stamping, and a few subtle splatters of Colour Blast 'Stormy Weather' Colour Shimmer Spray.

Thanks for stopping by today. I do hope you will enter this month's challenge at Scrap the Girls - you simply need to create a layout that includes a photo of a mother. And how fortunate that I used Cocoa Vanilla Studio goodies for this layout, as this month's lucky winner will win a $25 voucher from Cocoa Vanilla Studio! Head to the Scrap the Girls blog to enter!

Until next time, happy scrapping! X

Whatever Mum | Flutterby Designs

Hi everyone! Can you believe it's May already? The year is certainly whizzing by! Today I am sharing my latest design team project for Flutterby Designs using the brand new 'Xtreme Teen' collection; and let me tell you, it's a cracker! Don't think that this collection is only for those moody teens though - it's perfect for for all those attitude-fueled, smart-assed toddlers, pre-teens and husbands too! ;)

Here's what I created using the newest additions to the Flutterby range...

First - my background. I started by dry brushing some 'Grape Soda' Flutter Colour paint over my cardstock using a wide brush. I then used the new 'Matrix' stencil to apply some Colour Blast Colour Paste (I used Dusty Charcoal) to select areas of my page, then drizzled some 'Bahama Blue' Flutter Colour paint over the top. I also added some splatters of Colour Blast Colour Spray (Road Base and Lagoon), then set it aside to dry.

Once dry, I started constructing the focal area of my page. I started with a few of the 'Xtreme Teen' Everyday Etc filler cards, which I cut and layered together as a mat for my photo. I then added a few fussy cut elements which I cut from the 'Xtreme Teen' Everyday Etc cards; including the Whatever Mum title.

I love embellishing directly onto my photos, so I stapled on a tab from the Die Cut Bits & Bobs pack; and added a lightning bolt sticker from the Sticky Quotes sheet. Alongside the photo I added one of the new 'Xtreme Teen' tickets. (These are cool - there are sixteen different designs, which you simply snip apart.) I also added DANGER from the die cut pack; and the barcode sticker from the Sticky Quotes sheet.

To finish off my page I added a few of the coordinating wood veneer pieces from the collection, which I coloured black. I also added some stamping and a little handwritten journaling and my page was done!

Thanks so much for stopping in today so I could share this with you. If you love this cool new range as much as I do, then make sure you visit the What's New section of the Flutterby store HERE and grab some for yourself!
Til next time, happy scrapping! X