Bloom & Grow | StencilGirl®

Hi everyone!

I promised I would be back again soon, and it seems I have some catching up to do! Today I am sharing a project I created for the StencilGirl® Creative Team last year. For this one, the team were challenged with "Gift It or Grid It", so I decided to go with "Grid It" and create a scrapbook layout. Grid designs are often used in scrapbooking, and are particularly effective when creating layouts that feature a lot of photos, as it provides structure and prevents the page from looking too cluttered.

With my daughter just started high school this week, it's an appropriate time to share this scrapbook layout documenting all her "first day of school" photos from each of her seven years at primary school. It's such a lovely way to reflect on how much she has grown.

Because I knew I was going to be using a grid design for my photo placement, I wanted to created a background with less structure to contrast against the squares of the photos. As purpose of the layout was to document my daughter's growth, I decided a floral pattern would be perfect so I chose the Deconstructed Floral Bouquet stencil designed by Traci Bautista. As it didn't entirely fill my 12x12" cardstock, I also used the Deconstructed Zinnia and the Deconstructed Double Zinna to fill the remaining space (both also designed by Traci). 

I used three Distress Oxide ink pads (Spun Sugar, Tumbled Glass and Squeezed Lemonade) and some small make up sponges to dab the inks onto the page through the masks. (I chose a mix of colours that would also blend to create other colours on the page.) Once the page was completely covered, I lifted the masks to reveal the background.

I then used the Numbers stencil (designed by Seth Apter) to add the numbers 1-6 on my background in a few different places using Lovely Lilac Distress Oxide and another sponge. 

I then repeated the process with the smaller row of numbers from the same stencil.

Once my background was complete, it was time to set out my grid placement for my photos. I used squares of patterned paper (this one is from the Cocoa Vanilla Studio 'More Than Words' collection) as a mat for each photo. I used a small dab of liquid adhesive to hold each square in place. 

I then added some scrap cardboard to the back of each photo (to help pop them up from the page) before sticking them down on top of the paper squares.

With my photos all in place, it was then time to embellish my layout. I chose another paper from the Cocoa Vanilla Studio 'More Than Words' collection, this time it was one that featured some beautiful sketched flowers and fussy cut several pieces that I tucked in around some of my photos.

I wanted some leaves to go along with the flowers, so I used the Leafy Doodle Border stencil (designed by Valerie Sjodin) and some black ink to stencil some flowers onto a sheet of vellum. I love the sectioned design of this stencil as it means it can be used in a number of different ways. 

Once the ink had dried (it takes slightly longer on vellum) I fussy cut a number of them, then added them in with the flowers on the page. 

For my layout title, I used some Cocoa Vanilla Studio foam title stickers, which I placed in the middle section of my grid. I love the way the bold black ties in with the photos and the stencilled leaves; providing contrast against the pastel colours of the background.

I was so happy with how this layout turned out, and the way the theme inspired me to capture these memories of my daughter's progression through primary school. I hope I have inspired you to get some supplies out and get creative too.

Here's a linked list of all the stencils I used in my project:

L352: Deconstructed Floral Bouquet

S290: Deconstructed Zinnia Mask and Stencil

S296: Deconstructed Double Zinnia Mask and Stencil

L184: Numbers Stencil

L736: Leafy Doodle Border

Thanks for stopping by so I could share this with you. Until next time, happy creating! X

Love is Love | Scrap the Girls January Challenge

Hi everyone! Well the kids are finally back at school today, so at last I can get back to some sort of routine...and some serious craft time! hehe
Today I am sharing my take on the first challenge for the year at Scrap the Girls. This fabulous "Touchy Feely" challenge features an inspiration board that is full of colours, patterns and textures and provides plenty of scope for interpretation. 

Here's a look at it...

I couldn't go past the warm tones featured prominently in the first image, so I pulled out my Gelatos to create a background to start my page. I had some photos of my daughter and the fabulous sculpture she created for our school art gala that I wanted to document, as I knew they would work well with the bright colours.

I drew a freehand abstract design on my page with the Gelatos, then used a baby wipe to blend the colours around the page. In keeping with the inspiration images, I also added circles which I highlighted using my Stabilo All pencil, also adding some scribbles and marks. I also added some tiny black splatters of ink. 

Once I had my background sorted, I turned my attention to my photos and embellishments. For the photos, I grouped them together and then added some cardboard to the back to pop them up from the page. 

Underneath my photos I added some layers using small paper doilies (which I thought worked well with the circular elements pictured on the board); and a paper bag that featured a brushed blue tribal style pattern. This provided a great contrast to the red / orange / yellow that I already had on the page.

To help define my focal area, I used a couple of paper straws that I cut into pieces and tucked under the edges of my photos. This helps draw the viewer's eye into the photos. I also added a textural element to the page by tying the straw pieces together with twine.  

I dug through my stash and found a "vintage" lollipop from Charms Creations, that featured layers of felt and hessian, and added it on top of the circle to the right of my photo. I then turned it into a dream catcher style feature, by drawing with my All pencil and adding a few self adhesive red rhinestones.

To the left of my photos, I added another Charms Creations handmade embellishment, this time a yellow heart, which I topped with a flair button from Cocoa Vanilla Studio. For my page title, I couldn't go past using the title of my daughter's sculpture, and I used simple Cocoa Vanilla black alpha stickers.

To finish off, I added handwritten journalling using a black felt pen; then some epoxy heart stickers scattered around the page. 

I hope I have inspired you to join in with our challenge this month. Our fabulous sponsor for all our Aussie entries is Corbett Creations, so get your entries in to be in the running to win. You can see what else our DT created for this challenge by visiting the blog HERE

That's all from me today, I'll be back again soon with another share - I have some catching up to do!
Until then, happy scrapping! X