Happy Wife Happy Life | Flutterby Designs

Hi everyone!

Today I am sharing my latest design team project created for Flutterby Designs - a mixed media scrapbook page created using Flutter Colour paints and the recently released 'Happily Ever After' collection. It also features a photo of my hubby and I (taken on our twin boys first day of school earlier this year).

I began my page by creating my background. I was inspired by some of the multi-coloured patterns featured in the 'Happily Ever After' collection and wanted to make a background using the same colour palette. I used Flutter Colour paints - Aquamarine Dream; Tropicana Teal; Green Limousine; Yellow Zest; Raspberry Punch; and Grape Soda. To apply the paint I worked in layers, adding swipes of colour with an old gift card and drying them off in between. I used horizontal and vertical swipes to help add to the "randomness" of the design. 

Over the top of the paint, I used the 'Happily Ever After' stencil, and applied some Colour Blast "Snow White" Colour Paste though it, which is lovely and subtle and perfect for backgrounds when you don't want the words or images overwhelming your page. 

I also added some torn pieces of the rainbow heart washi tape from the kit; and splattered some Colour Blast 'Calypso' Colour Artist Ink around my page.

I chose the multi-coloured square that had inspired my background from the 'Blanket Thief' 12x12" patterned paper as a mat for my photo; then added some extra layers using Everyday Etc filler cards from the range and some paper doilies.

I wanted to add an extra layer to my page, but didn't want to overwhelm the paint or papers I had used; so I added some die cut suns that I cut from white cardstock using a die from Uniquely Creative. (I thought the suns worked well with the "happy" theme and the shape looked great layered over the painted background.)

I also added fussy cut geo heart that I tucked into my layers.

I then added my title, which I had fussy cut from one of the Everyday Etc cards from the collection and placed it above and below my photo. (The little hearts piece was fussy cut from another card.) The snookums die cut was one I had left over from the 'Mad About You' Die Cut Bits & Bobs pack, and it worked perfectly here. I also added a white Tiny Sticky Quote above it.

I decided my hearts needed balancing with a third heart element on the left of my page; so I chose a Charms Creations handmade heart to add a little texture to the page.

To finish it all off, I stamped the date and used a grey felt pen to add my handwritten journalling. (I usually use a black pen, but I felt that the black would have dominated the page too much, so went with the soft grey instead.)

That's all from me today. Don't forget that with the annual Flutterby Designs 'Create by the Lake' retreat on this weekend, that the online store is closed until Thursday 26th July.

For all those attending I hope you are having an awesome weekend! (I am shattered I am not there with you all and to support Neet this year, but am there in spirit.)

Until next time, happy scrapping! X

Hello Sunshine | Cocoa Vanilla Studio

Hi everyone!

Popping in to share my latest Cocoa Vanilla Studio design team project with you. Today I am sharing a "stash-buster" layout I created using various bits and pieces from SEVEN older Cocoa Vanilla collections. This page was inspired by the photo of my daughter and son together that I had printed some time ago but never got around to creating a page for. (So it was a photo stash buster too!)

The initial inspiration for my design came from the colours in the photo, which were dominated by the warm coral and the lime green of their t-shirts. This wasn't a traditional colour combination though, so I knew it was going to take some creativity to make it work. I decided to focus on the coral as my primary colour so I turned to the Endless Summer collection, knowing that it had the colour I was looking for. 

I chose a sheet of the 'Coastal Chill' paper for my background, using the reverse side with the subtle floral print on it. I then added some Colour Blast 'Tangereen Dream' Colour Shimmer Spray using a wide brush to spread it, and then a few splatters using a fine brush to the focal area of my page. 

I then gathered up some paper scraps to create a layered mat for my photo. In addition to the Endless Summer collection; I also used pieces from Colour Me Happy; Life is Beautiful and Totally Rad. The lime stripe of the 'Mix Tape' paper from Totally Rad was just what I needed to bring some of that colour into my page.)

I then popped my photo in place and began building the layers around it. I fussy cut a doily from the Endless Summer 'This & That' paper; along with some floral pieces from the gorgeous 'Aloha Sunshine' paper; adding a few extra leaves from the coordinating ephemera pack. 

I used a variety of stickers from the Endless Summer; Free Spirit and Life is Beautiful Accessory Sticker sheets. (Stickers are always one of those things I have left over, so it was great to use up so many to add extra layers without being bulky on my page.) The sweet little banner and the adorable pink pineapple were both from the Free Spirit die cut ephemera pack. 

I then added a few little eclectic touches - a pink & white striped bow from the Life is Beautiful Bitty Bows pack; a beautiful printed button from the Hello Sunshine fancy buttons pack; and an acrylic heart from the Free Spirit little hearts pack.

To finish off I added some enamel dots from the Hello Lovely; Life is Beautiful and Colour Me Happy packs.

Thanks for stopping by today so I could share this with you. I hope I have inspired you to go on your own stash-busting treasure hunt and see what you can create with some of your own left-overs. (You will be amazed how easily items coordinate across different collections once you start mixing them together!)

Until next time, happy scrapping! X

Feeling the Love | Viva Las VegaStamps

Hi everyone!

I hope all my Aussie friends are staying warm during these chilly days; and for all my northern hemisphere friends, that you are enjoying your summer. I am popping in today to share my latest design team project created for Viva Las VegaStamps. This mixed media scrapbook layout features an abstract painted and stamped background, and a photo of one of my most treasured scrappy friends and I taken at a retreat last year.

I began this page with some heavy weight white cardstock and a few Dylusions acrylic paints. I used a brush to apply the paint randomly in a few different directions; simply following my instinct and a rough idea of where I was going to put my photo.

Once I had the paint in place and it had dried, it was time to add some stamping to the background. I started with stamps from one of my very favourite plates, #1495. I used the Rows of Numbers and the Typeset Scallop to add some vertical and horizontal structure to my page using black Staz On ink. I then used the Cross Marks Background stamp with Ranger Archival Ink (Paradise Teal) to add some extra depth. 

Next, I added my photo to the page using Miracle Tape and then began building layers around it. I started with a few Jane Davenport patterned papers, which featured gorgeous painted style backgrounds. I used the Large Butterfly Gossamer and stamped out a couple, then fussy cut them and set them aside. I then repeated the process with the Whimsical Leaf and the Leaves stamps. I then began assembling my page.

I used the fussy cut leaves and placed them along the horizontal line created by the scallop stamp, tucking the ends in under the photo. I layered the whimsical leaves and tucked them in beneath the photo.

The two butterflies were adhered along the body only, allowing the wings to be bent up away from the page. I then took some white cotton thread and added some on top of each one, wrapping a few strands around the wings.

My page still need more though, so I took the opportunity to use up a few old Heidi Swapp acetate ephemera pieces that I had in my stash. These were perfect for layering over the painted and stamped background as they allowed the colours and patterns underneath to still be visible, while adding an extra layer over the top.

To finish off my page I stamped some Scribble Hearts with Vivid Chartreuse Archival Ink. I also added some scribbles with a Stabilo All Pencil; and some tiny splatters of Colour Blast 'Mermaid' Colour Artist Ink.

Thanks for stopping by today so I could share this. I hope I have inspired you to get inky too!
Until next time, happy scrapping! X

VLVS stamps used:

- Rows of Numbers

- Typeset Scallop

- Cross Marks Background

- Large Butterfly Gossamer

- Whimsical Leaf

- Leaves

- Scribble Heart

Take Me There | Colour Blast

Hi everyone!

Sue Plumb here to share my latest design team project with you. Today I am sharing a fun spread in my altered book art journal using Colour Artist Inks and Colour Paste. This page was inspired by the image of the hand holding the cocktail glass (those that know me, know how much I love a cocktail!); that I cut from a magazine advertisement. 

To create my page I began by roughly smearing some white heavy gesso across the book pages using an old gift card. I didn't go all the way to the edges of the pages, or worry about complete coverage as I wanted to show some of the original book paper.

I then added some colour to my pages using Oasis Colour Artist Ink, which I brushed on and then used a little extra water to move it around before using my heat gun to dry it off.

Once I had the base ink colour down, I wanted to add some contrast and texture using Fire Engine Colour Paste and a stencil from Flutterby Designs. I applied the paste through the stencil using a palette knife in 3 small areas close to the edges of the page; creating a "visual triangle" around where my focal image and words were going to be placed.

Once I looked at the red paste against the blue ink, I decided that it the contrast was too great, and I needed another colour to bring the two together. The obvious choice was a colour that met somewhere in the middle, so I looked for a shade of purple and chose Berry Colour Artist Ink. Again, I used a brush to apply the ink, dabbing it over and around the areas where the paste was to tie the colours together.

Once I had dried the background off, I added the large focal image that I had fussy cut from a magazine; along with the take me there quote that I had fussy cut from a Flutterby Designs Everyday Etc card; a Flutterby Designs sticker and a line of text from a magazine. I then used a Stabilo All pencil to outline them all, before blending it with a water brush.

To finish my page I added some white highlights using a paint pen; some stamping using a roller phrase stamp and the Doodle Dots stamp from Viva Las VegaStamps. 

And last but not least, a single sweet little heart sticker.

That's all from me today, thanks for stopping by so I could share this with you. If you are an art journaller (or even if you aren't...yet); I would encourage you to keep an eye out everywhere for items you can use in your journal. (I keep a folder specifically for collecting things of interest that I find.)

Until next time, happy scrapping! X

I Love You From My Head Tomatoes | Flutterby Designs

Hi Flutterby peeps!

Sue Plumb here to share my latest design team project with you. Today I have a 12x12" scrapbook layout to share that features the recently released 'Happily Ever After' collection and a snap of one of my boys and I that was taken at a party last year. (This particular one isn't fond of selfies with mum, so the fact that I got this pic was quite an achievement! haha)

For my layout I really wanted to use the cute I love you from my head tomatoes quote so I built my page design from there. I fussy cut the cute tomato and quote from the Everyday Etc card; and then pulled the gorgeous bright mixed media style cards from the Filler card pack to form a mat for my photo. (The background paper is from the 'You Rock' collection by Cocoa Vanilla Studio.)

On top of my photo mat, I added some strips of the XO washi tape from the May kit; then mounted my photo on some cardboard before adding it on top. I also added some cardboard to the back of the tomato and the quote, before adding them as well. 

Tucked in behind my photo I added one of the 'Happily Ever After' Page Tabs. Using this particular page tab meant I needed to add something else to bring in more green, so I used a coordinating filler card and a punch to add some circles to my page. (I also wanted to tie in the circular shape of the tomato.)

To the left of my photo I added the selfie wood veneer, which I coloured black with a Sharpie. Below that I added the appreciate the moment Snippet Strip and above it, the cool sticker from the 'Xtreme Teen' Sticky Quote sheet. 

Above my photo I added the asshole sticker from the 'Happily Ever After' Sticky Quote sheet (this sticker was perfect for this page, as being an asshole is one of this boy's specialties! hehe) I also added the you're my weirdo sticker from the same sheet at the bottom of my page.

To finish off my layout I added some Neon Enamel Dots and Rainbow Heart stickers; some splatters of Colour Blast 'Soot' Colour Artist Ink; and a few stamped phrases and date. 

That's all from me today. Thanks for stopping by so I could share this. I will be back again soon with another project. Until then, happy scrapping! X

Shine Brightly | Scrap the Girls July Challenge

Hi everyone!

I am popping in today to share my take on this month's challenge for Scrap the Girls. This month Krisy has put together a challenge called "Dark Inside" that looks like this....

I really loved this board, which may seem intimidating to some at first glance; but once you strip back the layers and focus on something that inspires you, really isn't that hard at all. The first thing that grabbed me was the colour palette - black, white, grey, pink, red. I was also taken with the grungy, painted look in the background behind the poppies. The other main influence I took from the mood board was the sad faces of the girls, which reminded me of a funny SnapChat photo I had taken. Now I had a photo, a colour palette, and a style & technique decided, I was off & running.

Here's what I came up with...

I started my page by creating my background. I used Flutter Colour paints from Flutterby Designs, which I swiped, smeared and smudged around my page using a palette knife, a brush, and my fingers. Once dry, I used stamps from Viva Las VegaStamps to add some structure and depth to my page.

I then used some Everyday Etc filler cards from the Flutterby Designs 'Flawsome' collection, that I cut and tore into pieces and layered on the background, along with some frayed gauze. I then cut around the silhouette of my photo and added a some scrap cardboard to the back before adding it to my page.

With my photo in place, it was time to add my title. I fussy cut the large shine brightly words from another of the Flutterby Designs 'Flawsome' cards.

I then added the rest of my title using a Flutterby Designs Sticky Quote, alphas, die cut; and some Cocoa Vanilla Studio alphas.

I wanted to tie in the "shine" part of the title a bit more; so I added some silver glitter foam asterisks from a Thickers pack; scattered sequins; splatters of Colour Blast 'Steel' Colour Shimmer Spray around my page.

Finally, I added some splatters of Colour Blast 'Soot' Colour Artist Ink around my age and I was done. 

Thanks for stopping by today so I could share this with you. Don't forget you have until the end of the month to join in with this month's challenge. Up for grabs for our winner is a prize from The Resin Rainbow - so get those entries in!

I will be back again soon with another project to share. Until then, happy scrapping! X

Hello Awesome | Cocoa Vanilla Studio

Hi everyone! Popping in today to share the second of my pages from my recent class at the Brisbane Scrapbook & Papercraft Expo using the ‘Boys Rule’ collection from Cocoa Vanilla Studio. Having a set of rough and tumble twin boys (who just turned 6 last week), I get super excited every time a new Cocoa Vanilla boy collection is released and I just can’t get enough of this one!

For this page I decided to document these photos of my boys doing their best “super hero” poses. (Usually, if I was doing a multi photo page I would print my photos smaller, but as this page was designed for a class, I decided to use two 6×4″ photos so it would be easier for the participants to have the right sized photos.)

I started with the reverse side of the Happy Go Lucky paper. I so love the grungy look of this dark wood grain / chalkboard pattern and I contrasted it with pieces of the striped Straight & Narrow paper. (I chose to use the stripes running vertically, rather than horizontally, to match the fence palings in the photos.)

I used a large piece from the Expressionist paper as a mat for my photos, which I layered with a variety of frames and a tag from the Die Cut Ephemera and Miscellany packs; as well as some Clear Stickers to add depth to my focal area. I then mounted my photos using scrap cardboard before adding them on top.

On top of my photos I added the super hero piece from the Die Cut Ephemera pack using foam tape. Beneath my photo, I also added a couple of stars from the pack, also using foam tape for dimension.

In the top left corner of my photo, I added a sticker from the Accessory Sticker sheet; which I layered with a rubber charm from the ‘You Rock’ Rubber Charms pack. (I love that you can easily mix and match items from other collections!)

Along the bottom edge of my page, I used the words hello and awesome from the Die Cut Ephemera pack to form my title; adding a star and an arrow from the same pack as well.

To finish off my page I used a watercolour pencil to add some grungy shading in places around the edges of my photos; then added some tiny splatters of Colour Blast 'Soot' Colour Artist Ink.

Thanks for stopping by so I could share this page with you, I hope you are feeling inspired to dig into your stash and create something today. Until next time, happy scrapping! X