Rad Robot | Cocoa Vanilla Studio

Hi everyone!

Popping in to share another Cocoa Vanilla Studio design team project using the brand new 'Legendary' collection. This 12x12" layout I created was to document some photos of one of my boys and the awesome Lego robot he made with his dad. Building Lego is one of the activities they really enjoy doing together and I love seeing what they come up with. I couldn't resist snapping some shots of this robot, it was very impressive!

I began my layout with the reverse side of the Brave Heart paper which features a fabulous painty style pattern. I then stacked a variety of pieces taken from the Wild One; One Way; and Explorer papers to define the focal area of my page and form a mat for my photo. These were topped with the strip featuring black and white arrows that was cut from the Total Legend cut apart paper. 

Once the papers were in place, I added some lines of black machine stitching to help define the horizontal structure of the stack and also add some extra visual interest. I also added a rough stitched border around the outer edge of the page to help connect the background with the foreground, before adding my photo on top of the paper stack.

Now it was time to turn up the fun factor by adding some embellishments. (I usually have trouble deciding which pieces to use when I receive a new collection, as there are always so many to choose from.)  

I began to the left of my photo, creating a small cluster using the die cut geo bear and a star from the Die Cut Ephemera pack, as well as a few Enamel Dots. 

To the right of my photo I created my title cluster using the round frame and another star from the ephemera pack; the word RAD from the Die Cut Titles; a few enamel dots; and some small alphabet stickers I had left from the Made of Awesome collection. For an little extra pop of colour I also added the orange paint splat from the Clear Sticker set. 

I created a third small cluster (because - visual triangle and rule of threes!) above my photo using the tag and phrase stickers from the Accessory Sticker sheet; with the small die cut flag layered over the top. I brought further balance to my page (and my mind) by adding an extra die cut star below my photo, which completed my secondary visual triangle. 

I also created a small cluster for my journalling at the top of the page to counteract the fact that my page was so "bottom heavy". The label and the strip of stars both came from the Epic Tales cut apart paper. I then finished off my layout with some black stamping using texture and phrase stamps and a few well placed tiny staples. 

Thanks for stopping by today so I could share this with you. I am so enjoying creating with this new collection and I hope I have inspired you to get creative too.

Until next time, happy scrapping! X

Forever Friends | Dust It Off challenge | March homemade kit

Hi friends! Today I am here to wrap up my March homemade kit series, sharing the last of my projects created using this kit. From the scraps that were left in my box, I managed to squeeze out one final layout and a card and I think I can now officially say this kit has been killed! 

Here is my final layout...

(Click on photos for a better view)

For this layout I decided to document a photo of my gorgeous girl and her best friend of many years that was taken the night of their primary school graduation. I had nothing left but scraps to work with, so I used a white cardstock base and added some paper layers from what I had left, including a piece of the Hambly Screenprints heart transparency. I also added in a paper doily from my stash.

Once I had the paper layers in place and added my photo on top, I turned my attention to the embellishments. I had a limited number of Pebbles 'Patio Party' die cuts and stickers left to use up, so I started with those. To the left of my photo I used the forever friends die cut piece, which also served as the title for my page and tucked in the cute floral beetle in behind it.

I created a second small cluster above my photo using a die cut and a sticker, plus I added a die cut butterfly nearby. One of the other items I had left in my kit was the tiny wood veneer hearts, so they all got added to my page as well.

To the right of my photo, I created my third small cluster (gotta have that visual triangle!) using some stickers, more wood veneer hearts and a Freckled Fawn arrow paperclip.

I finished off my page with splatters of 'Bahama Blue' Glimmermist and some stamping using one of the Dear Lizzy roller stamps.

Once my layout was complete I looked into my kit box to see what was left. I spotted one piece of coloured paper I thought might be big enough for a card front and had a few remaining stickers, so I thought to myself why not? and then put this card together...

I think I will keep this aside until I need it for a girl's birthday and then use Thickers to put the age number in the top left corner.

So my final tally from this kit was seven 12x12" layouts; one traveler's notebook spread; and three cards. I have quick flip through video so you can see them all together and so I can show you what I had left over.

You can watch it here:


I have so enjoyed the challenge of using my kit this month, and am looking forward to Khristina's new list for April. I hope some of you will join me!
Until next time, happy scrapping! X

The Real Deal ~ a mixed media artwork | StencilGirl® Products

Hi everyone!
Time for a catch-up project from me and a bit of a change of pace. Today I am sharing a mixed media artwork I created a little while ago as part of the StencilGirl® Creative Team. For this round of projects the team were challenged to "Frame It or Fill It With Circles". I decided to go with "frame it" and create a lovely mixed media piece with the intention of framing it for display.

The artwork I created was a good example of how plans can change once you start working on a piece. Initially, my intention was to create something that was A4 sized; but through the evolution of my process, I ended up with a finished piece that was 12x12" instead. (That's what happens when you follow the creative flow!)

I began my project with one particular stencil in mind - Strength Face by Pam Carriker. I knew I wanted to create something that featured a face as the focal point, and after looking through all my stencils, this was the one I kept coming back to. Every time I looked at it I immediately thought of John Lennon (I think it is the circle around the eye that makes me think of the glasses he used to wear); so I knew that I wanted to capture that by incorporating something musical into my piece as well.

I started with my background, using Distress Oxides to create a watercolor effect. I simply swiped the ink pads onto my non-stick mat, spritzed with a little water, and then placed the cardstock over the top to absorb the ink. I started with 'Faded Jeans' then repeated the process with 'Iced Spruce' over the top. I love the moody, mottled effect I got on the page.

Next, I turned my attention to the "frame it" theme, choosing to frame my page with a matching border, also in "Iced Spruce" Distress Oxide. I chose the 9x12" stencil from the January 2019 StencilClub set designed by Mary Beth Shaw and Seth Apter. I used the section of the stencil that features a long row of soft-edged squares and stenciled the pattern around each edge using a sponge dauber.

Next, I reached for a music paper stamp and used black ink to lightly stamp the motif randomly around my page; taking care not to press too heavily (I didn't want a "perfect" image).

I then turned my attention to creating the focal point of my page using that amazing face stencil designed by Pam Carriker. I continued with the black ink and stenciled the face in the lower right corner of my page, again using a sponge dauber. 

I then added the third Distress Oxide color I had chosen - "Seedless Preserves", by mixing a little with some water and then using a small brush to paint some contrasting color across and around the face. 

Once I had the focal image in place I knew my page needed some texture. I wanted to keep the texture subtle however so I chose the Starlight 6x6" stencil designed by Lesley Riley and used it to apply some gold texture paste using a palette knife. The combination of this stencil and the paste created stunning, fine golden details; which I cascaded down and across from the top left corner of the page. I also moved the stencil around to add some extra randomly placed detail.

I was extremely happy with how the layers were looking together at this point, but it was right about now that my plan for this piece took a bit of a turn. To further reinforce the "Frame It" theme, I decided to mount my existing A4 sized piece onto a sheet of 12x12" colored cardstock. I wanted to keep the frame size consistent around though, which meant that I had space alongside left to fill. I found a sheet of music paper from my stash and tucked it underneath the edge to balance the page. 

To finish off, I found a pack of die cuts that featured lots of floral pieces in colors that matched, as I wanted to use the flowers to bring some softness to the piece.

The die cuts in the pack also featured some gold foil pieces, which tied nicely in with the stenciled gold details I had added earlier.

I couldn't resist popping a few butterflies on there - three of them (of course, I must have balance!) Finally, to finish off, and smooth the transition between my original A4 piece and the additional sheet of music paper, I added a clear floral sticker and I was done.

I popped the completed piece into a white 12x12" shadow box frame and now it proudly adorns a space in my home.

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

Yum | Dust it Off Challenge | March Homemade Kit

Hi all!

I can hardly believe I am saying this, but I have another layout to share using my March homemade kit! This brings my total number of projects from this kit so far to six, which is more than I thought I would create when I began! If you have been thinking about putting a kit together from your stash, I have to say that based on my own experience, I would highly recommend doing it. (I used the March homemade kit recipe from Khristina Sorge - you can read all about it and find a printable version of it on her blog HERE)

For this page, I really wanted to try and use up some of the Pebbles food themed die cuts from the kit, so I printed out some photos of my boys having hot chips after a day at the beach from a few years ago.

Here's my layout...

(Click on photos for a better view)

I decided to make an effort to use the Gelato set I had included in the kit, so I began with white cardstock. This time, I wanted to use all 4 of the colours so I grabbed the small floral stencil from the kit and I used a stencil brush to add some flowers to the background so it looked like this...

With the flowers done, I turned my attention to all the paper pieces I had left in the box. I grabbed an assortment of smaller sized scraps and starting layering them randomly across my page (trying not to cover up too much of the stencilling I had just done). 

Amongst my layers I also added half of a paper doily; a couple of transparency scraps;  and some paper lace strips that I punched from scraps with the Martha Stewart punch I included in the kit. One of the other items I had in my kit was clips, so I pulled a couple of brightly coloured arrow ones out and slipped them onto the edges of my photos before sticking my photos down.

Next it was time to go a little embellishments crazy! As I mentioned earlier, my goal was to use up some of the Pebbles food themed die cuts, so I began by tucking several of them into the paper layers and around my photos. 

I also grabbed the roll of leaf print washi tape that had made it into the kit and added several pieces around the page. 

Next on my hit list was the Prima chipboard, as I had hardly used any of the pieces from the kit so far. (And frankly, due to the "cutesy" nature of them, I don't think I will be using many more, so it will be off to school with them at the end of the month.) I did manage to use one though, a floral piece featuring the word hello that I slipped in under the left edge of my main photo.

Looking into my kit, it was clear there was something else that I had clearly been ignoring - flowers. I had a small assortment of paper and resin flowers, as well as a couple of fabric daisies that had come from the D-lish Scraps 'Just Add Paper Kit'. So I pulled them out and started sticking them down.

I thought the page needed a bit more vertical flow, so I created two small clusters at the top and bottom of the page using some scraps of paper and some of the flowers.

To finish off my page I dug through the kit to find a few more items. I used the Martha Stewart butterfly punch to punch out three different paper butterflies; added the date with a small journal tag, and splattered some of the 'Bahama Blue' Glimmermist around. I used the small lime Thickers to add the title and then pulled a different roller stamp from my stash to stamp the sweet life around my page. 

And with that I was done! It turned out to be a very busy page full of colours, layers, and fun elements; but most importantly, I used up a heap of stuff AND documented a memory so that made it a winner for me!

Thanks for stopping by today, until next time, happy scrapping! X

Holiday Hair | Dust It Off challenge | March Homemade Kit

Hi friends! 

Can you guess what I have to share today? That's right! It's yet another layout using my March homemade kit. (This is number five!) For this page, I decided to document some photos of my daughter and her purple "holiday hair" as I knew I still had some purple paper left in the kit. I also wanted to use up the remaining pieces of the round die cut specialty paper I had cut into for my previous layout. 

Here's what I came up with...

(Click on photos for a better view)

I began my layout with a sheet of white cardstock and the purple and pink Gelatos from my kit. Rather than going with a wet method, I decided to use a dry application instead so I used them to add some abstract scribbles around the page, which I then blended out quickly using a baby wipe - so easy! 

Then I started on my paper layers - grabbing the large piece of the die cut paper first to use as my anchor point. Next, I added pieces of purple and pink paper running vertically, with a piece of the arrow print paper horizontally over the top. I then tucked a small piece of pink brocade print Hambly Screenprints transparency in under each end; and a small yellow paper doily in amongst the top layers.

Next, I mounted my three photos on top of the arrow paper, adding a white mat and some scrap cardboard under the centre one to help it stand out. At this point my I decided my colour palette needed a bit of a lift, so I threw in some pops of yellow. I used the Martha Stewart border lace punch from my kit to punch a strip of paper lace. I cut it into two pieces, tucking one to the right of my photos and one below. 

Now it was time for some embellishments!

I dug into the Jen Hadfield 'Patio Party' die cuts and stickers again, and began by creating a layered cluster above my photos. At this point I wasn't too fussy what the actual motifs were - as long as the colours worked, I was determined to use them up!

To the right of my photo I created another cluster comprised of die cuts and stickers. This time, I also added a small yellow ribbon bow that came from the D-lish Scraps goodies in my kit. I also added a purple arrow paperclip from the kit onto the edge of my photo mat.

I added a second arrow clip below my photo, plus a few more stickers and die cuts. I stuck the gold puffy hello sticker along the bottom edge of my main photo, then used fabric Thickers for my Holiday Hair title. (I had to alter a couple of letters to get exactly what I needed.)

And voila! That was another page from my kit complete. I still have enough left in my kit to get a project or two more done, so I will be sure to share whatever I create.

(I might even do a quick video when I am done to show all my layouts and show what I have left from the kit.)

Until next time, happy scrapping! X

Family Fun | Dust It Off challenge | March Homemade Kit

Hi friends!

I don't know if you are getting sick of me yet, but I have really been on a creative roll lately so the shares just keep on coming! Today I have another layout to share that I created using my March homemade kit. This is the fourth page I have created with this kit and if you are a fan of clean and simple, then this won't be the one for you! I find as I dig deeper and deeper into this kit, I am more determined to make as much use of the items in it as I possibly can, so this one is quite the "layering extravaganza". 

Here's a look at my page...

(Click on photos for a better view)

As you can see, it's a riot of colours, patterns and layers - and was a lot of fun to put together! And great news for everyone who has been asking me about process videos too - I actually made one for this page so you can see exactly how I created it (and listen to me babble on too).

Here's a link to my process video:

I would love for you to take the time to pop over and watch my video, and I welcome any constructive feedback or comments you might have. (Because I am certainly no expert when it comes to process videos.) If you could give me thumbs up and / or subscribe to my channel so I know you have been there, that would be greatly appreciated too!

And if you aren't a fan of watching process videos, never fear - I have some close up images of my layout to share with you here and I will add a few brief details too.

My background was created using a combination of Glimmermists, Gelato and a stencil. I used a combination of papers from Studio Calico, My Little Shoebox, Kaisercraft, and Hambly Screenprints  (including specialty papers - the March product focus for the Rediscover Your Stash Facebook group).

I used lots of items from the D-lish Scraps 'Just Add Paper' kit I had included in my kit including the small floral stencil;  journalling pieces; a doily; wood veneer; flair button; and ribbon bow.

Other embellishments included Pebbles 'Patio Party' by Jen Hadfield die cuts and stickers; large paperclip; and a punched butterfly using my Marta Stewart punch.

For my title I used a combination of a Jillibean Soup word sticker and some Thickers; and a Dear Lizzy roller stamp for the phrases around my page.
So there you have it - a very busy layout indeed!

That's all from me today. Don't forget to let me know your thoughts about my video or if you have a suggestion for something you would like to see me use for my Dust It Off challenge - I love to hear from you.
Until next time, happy scrapping! X

Yay | Redefined Kreative - monochromatic green challenge

Hi everyone!

Popping in today with a quick extra share for you. In honour of St Patrick's Day, the lovely Khristina from Redefined Kreative & The Secret Not Secret Kit Club, threw out a challenge to people to create a monochromatic green layout. I love a bit of green, and never one to back down from a challenge (especially when I am asked so nicely) I sat down and put together this page.

(Click on photos for a better view)

My watercolour background was created using Distress Oxides (Twisted Citron and Mowed Lawn); and then I stamped over the top using some Viva La VegaStamps.

In keeping with my recent mission to stash-bust, I used only old papers and embellishments on this page. My papers included Cocoa Vanilla Studio, Jillibean Soup, Kaisercraft and Echo Park. I also added some torn strips of green leaf washi tape and messy black cotton for contrast and texture. 

The embellishments included Jillibean Soup stickers; D-lish Scraps journal spots and flair button; a green Freckled Fawn wow paperclip; and some Thickers. 

This was a fun challenge to do (although had it not specifically been a monochromatic challenge my instinct would have been to add a secondary colour - I was itching to add some navy!) I managed to use several items I still had left in my March homemade kit, so that was an added bonus! (If you haven't already joined, make sure you pop over to the Rediscover Your Stash group on Facebook.)

Thanks for stopping by today. Until next time, happy scrapping! X