Just Breathe | Kitaholic Kits May 2021

Hi everyone, 

Today I am sharing my fourth and final project created with the Kitaholic Kits May kit, and it is also my final project as a member of the design team. For this layout I wanted to focus on the Heidi Swapp goodies and play on the earthy tones of the kit, so I decided to document a photo I took at the Grand Canyon a couple of years ago. 

I started my page with a sheet of patterned paper from the Heidi Swapp 'Carefree' collection, which featured a soft, sketchy floral print. I wanted to add some extra warmth to the background, and also tone down the print in the centre of my page, so I applied some yellow and white acrylic paints using my brayer. 

For my papery layers under my photo, I also used pieces of the Heidi Swapp 'Carefree' papers, as well as one of the white paper doilies from the kit. I also added some frayed gauze for texture, then popped my photo up on some cardboard to help separate it from the background. I added a phrase sticker along the bottom edge of my photo, which is something I often do. 

I used papers from the kit to trace and cut my own tags, which I tied off with bakers twine and tucked into the layers behind my photo. My journal card came from the 'Carefree' ephemera pack and I tucked that into my layers as well. I added the wander far & wide vellum piece to my journal tag using a Kmart tape runner (which is my preferred adhesive for vellum pieces as it's virtually invisible). 

 To the right of my photo I created a cluster using more of the ephemera pieces and a wood veneer heart from a previous kit. Below my photo was where my title was placed and I used a combination of one of the die cut words from the ephemera pack as well as some of the raw chipboard Thickers from the kit. 

I finished off my page with some of the Bo Bunny enamel dots, a few stamped butterflies using the Pink Paislee stamp set, and a little bit of inky splatter.

If you would like to watch how I put this page together, you can watch my process video here:

I have really enjoyed the challenge of working with these kits, and am happy with the projects I made with them. I have no idea what is in store for me next on the creative front, but I'll be sure to keep you posted here.

Thanks for stopping by today, I'll see you again soon. Until then, happy scrapping! X

Feelin' Fine | Cocoa Vanilla Studio

 

Hi everyone, 

Today I have another Cocoa Vanilla Studio design team project to share with you. Recently our team were challenged to pull out some dies or punches from our stash and use them in a project. It's been a little while since I used my dies, so it was fun to dig through them and choose some to use. I had already decided to use the 'Sunkissed' collection, because I thought the beautiful bright colour palette would work well with this fun series of photos of my daughter and her friends.  

I began my page with a sheet of 300gsm white cardstock. This cardstock is by House of Paper and is my absolute favourite to work with. It's a great weight, takes mediums well, is a beautiful bright white, and it's super smooth and silky to the touch. And the best part? It's now available in the Cocoa Vanilla Studio store! (Also available in 250gsm for those who don't want it quite as thick.) If you want to grab some and try it for yourself, you can find it in store HERE

I started by adding some colour to my background using a brayer and a Dina Wakley sky blue acrylic paint. I also added pink, orange and yellow splatters using Distress Oxides (Kitsch Flamingo, Carved Pumpkin and Mustard Seed). 

With the paint dry on my background, it was then time to start adding some paper layers. I chose the blue striped pattern from the Bright Side paper, and the blue tiny floral print from the A5 Paper Stack. (This paper is exclusive to the stack and not available in the 12x12" size.) I also had a scrap of a yellow chevron print that I layered over the top. I matted my photo strip using the heart print from the Feelin' Fine paper and added frayed gauze before sticking my photos down. 

When it came to incorporating the dies into my project, I didn't really consider exactly how I was going to use them before I cut them out. I just grabbed some small scraps of paper that I had left from previous projects and cut each of the different shapes from different patterns. 

If you know my work, you would already know that I love using doilies on my layouts. So it should be no surprise that one of the dies I chose to use was a small doily design. I cut two of them using the Feelin' Fine paper, and tucked them in under my photo mat at the top left corner and along the right edge. I also had a sweet little butterfly banner that I had cut, which I added on top of the yellow chevron paper. 

I had some large butterflies that I had cut using a die and the Summer Lights paper, which I layered with some punched butterflies using the same paper. I had also punched the same butterflies in the small blue floral paper, which I added at the top and bottom of my page. 

On the right side of the layout, I tucked some die cut banners in under my layers and then placed my feelin' fine title piece (fussy cut from the Fun in the Sun paper) popped up on some foam tape. 

I added a few flowers from the Floral Ephemera pack, as well as a few phrase stickers from the Accessory Sticker sheet. I finished off with handwritten journalling and a few small hearts from the Puffy Sticker pack. 

I love challenges like this that remind me to get out some of my under-used tools and put them to work. I ended up using four different dies for this page, as well as a punch, so I'd say that was mission accomplished! (And the best part was, I hardly used any extra embellishments because the dies, punch and papers did most of the work for me.)

I've got a process video for this layout so you can see it all come together here:

Thanks so much for stopping by today so I could share this with you.

Until next time, happy scrapping! X

Memories | InterNational Scrapbook Day Live Scrap for Cocoa Vanilla Studio

 

Hi everyone! Today I am popping in to share a recent layout from the Cocoa Vanilla Studio InterNational Scrapbook Day (INSD) celebration. This layout was actually created during a live scrap that I hosted in the Cocoa Vanilla Studio Community group as I tackled Melissa Vining's mixed media challenge. Prior to starting, we ran a poll for members to choose what collection I used for my layout and the 'Sunkissed' collection was the winner. I decided to document a sweet photo of my mum and my boys together from a few years ago.

This was the criteria I was working with...

And this is the layout that I created...

I started with a bit of mixed media on a sheet of cardstock for my background. I used Kitsch Flamingo Distress Oxide, which I mixed with water and brushed onto my page. I then added some Naples Yellow acrylic paint using a brayer over the top. I also added some subtle stamping using a ledger style stamp from Viva LasVegaStamps and my Kitsch Flamingo Distress Oxide again.

I used a mix of both 12x12" and A5 patterned papers to create some layers in the focal area of my page. As I have been often lately, I used tearing and distressing as a way of adding extra texture to the page. Amongst my layers I tucked a pink polka dot doily from my stash, and I also added frayed gauze before sticking my photo on top.

When it came to embellishing my layout, I used the coordinating embellishments from the collection. I started with a couple of elements from the cut apart paper, as well as pieces from the Die Cut Ephemera and Floral Ephemera packs. 

I also used Clear Stickers, Puffy Stickers, Wood Buttons and Accessory Stickers. My title was one of the beautiful Glitter Foam Title Stickers. (Which I love even more than I thought I would because they don't shed glitter all over my desk!)

I finished off my page with a little journalling and splatters of black Liquitex acrylic ink.

This layout turned out colourful, fun and pretty busy - perfect as a tribute for my mum as I know she would have loved all the little bits and pieces. 

If you have some time on your hands and want to watch a full length replay of this page coming together, I have just loaded it to YouTube. (Warning - it contains lots of my waffle, a couple of small swear words, a reference to herpes, and probably a few other questionable moments. Sorry if any of that offends you, but that is the unedited me.)

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

Unplug | Kitaholic Kits May 2021

 

Hi everyone, 

Today I am sharing another design team project I created for Kitaholic Kits using the May kit and mixed media add-on kit. The May kit is full of the beautiful Heidi Swapp 'Carefree' collection, which features a soft, muted colour palette. Whilst the mixed media add-on kit features a set of Vicki Boutin stencils and some of the new VB gel crayons, which are quite bright and vibrant. My challenge to myself was how to marry the two together on a layout whilst still achieving a cohesive design.

The first thing I did was to do some experimenting with the crayons to see how different methods of using them would achieve different looks. This is something I try to do anytime I receive a new medium to work with, because the best way to learn is to play! I tried a mix of wet & dry applications and different blending techniques until I finally settled on the method I wanted to use for this layout. 

I finally settled on a dry application, and used a mix of the pink and orange crayons to achieve the colour I wanted. To apply them to my page, I first scribbled them onto my non-stick craft mat, then used a foam blending tool to pick up the pigment and then gently blend it onto my page to give me a subtle result. 

For the next layer on my background, I used one of the new Vicki Boutin 'Color Study' stencils and some plain texture paste and just added some subtle stencilling over the top. I then used the gel crayons again, but this time with a wet application, by mixing some of the pigment with a little water and then using a paintbrush to add splatters on my page. 

 For the paper layers I used a mix of the Heidi Swapp papers, starting with a piece I had left-over from my previous project using the kit. I also used labels from the HS 'Carefree' cardstock sticker sheet to add extra interest to my layers. I had matted the main photo of the three that I had chosen for my layout, and used soft, messy cotton thread to add texture to the page.

My title came from the 'Carefree' ephemera pack, and I popped it up with some foam tape to help raise it up to the same height as my photos. I used a few other pieces from the same pack, including the cactus plant embellishment which I chose to use simply because the colours and shape worked on the page. 

A few extra stickers, a scattering of Bo Bunny Candy Dots, some stamped phrases and a final splatter and my page was complete.

You can see how it all came together in my process video here:

Thanks so much for stopping by today, I'll be back soon with another project to share.

Until then, happy scrapping! X

What the Fun | Cocoa Vanilla Studio

 

Hi everyone, I have a recent design team project to share with you today that was created for Cocoa Vanilla Studio. This layout was actually inspired by one of the InterNational Scrapbook Day (INSD) challenges that we ran in the Cocoa Vanilla Studio Facebook community group. (These challenges have since closed.)

Here are the challenge criteria I was working with:

For my page I decided to document a fun photo of my boys that I took at SeaWorld. I used a combination of the 'Sunkissed' and 'Boys Rule' collections, and went bright, bold and a bit messy! 

I started with a sheet of the Summer Lights paper from the 'Sunkissed' collection, which features a stunning colour gradient that runs from yellow at the top, through orange and pink, and finally to red at the bottom. It was absolutely perfect to match with my photo. (In fact, when I took this photo I thought of this paper right away - that's when you know you are a true scrapper! haha)

I began by dry brushing on some black acrylic paint using a wide brush. This not only provided some great contrast, but also defined the focal area of my page. Over the top of the paint I added the white die cut star background. This left-over piece was actually part of the 'Boys Rule' Large Die Cut and Backing Kit. I like the way it added interest to the background right away.

Next, I added more patterned papers with a variety of different sized pieces from both collections that I cut and tore then layered together. I also added a green paper doily and some frayed gauze from my stash and used staples to secure my stack down on the page. I then added my photo on top. 

When it came to embellishments, I wanted to ensure that I ticked off the sticker criteria first. I used  mix of Accessory and Clear Stickers that I had left-over from 'Boys Rule'. I also used some Chipboard Pieces and Die Cut Ephemera from the same collection. The sweet little Wood Button was from 'Sunkissed'. To the right of my photo I added a handmade star embellishment which I topped with a Flair Button. 

To add some extra interest to my background I added some stamping using a small stars background stamp and a roller phrase stamp.

Now it was time to finish off my page and tick off the remaining criteria. For something gold I added a few pieces of gold twisted wire, which I stapled down onto the page. For stitching, I added small hand stitched crosses using white embroidery thread. And finally, I added some splatters of white acrylic ink and that was all five criteria covered. 

I had a lot of fun putting this layout together and I love the end result too. (Unfortunately I don't have a process video as my camera was not behaving on this day.) 

I'll be back soon with another share. Until then, happy scrapping! X

Together | Kitaholic Kits May 2021

 

Hi everyone, today I have another Kitaholic Kits design team project to share using the May kit and mixed media add-on kit. My inspiration for this project came from one of the Vicki Boutin stencils in the mixed media kit - the floral pattern. As soon as I saw this stencil it had a real "retro" vibe to me, and I knew I wanted to pair it with an old childhood photo. I found a photo of my sister and I and thought that the painted style paper from the Heidi Swapp 'Carefree' collection in the kit would work well as my page background. 

I used a sponge applicator and my Tattered Rose Distress Oxide to add some of the floral pattern through the Vicki Boutin stencil in three areas of my page. I love the way it added extra depth to the background paper and I was impressed with how the Distress Oxide looked on top of the colour variations on the paper.

Next, I moved onto creating some paper layers for the focal area of my page. I added some torn pieces from some of the other Heidi Swapp papers in the kit, and added a mat to my photo as well. I layered them together, adding a paper doily from the kit and some frayed gauze from my stash, before placing my photo on top. 

To the left of my photo, I used a gold foil edged journal card from the 'Carefree' Ephemera pack with my typed journalling on it; along with a circular gold foil phrase piece and leafy branch from the same pack. Along the bottom edge of the photo I added the gold foil happy with you phrase sticker.

To the right of my photo I added more ephemera pieces including a tag (which I tied with twine), gold foiled flower and small gold heart. I used the word together from the Cardstock Sticker sheet as my page title, adding some foam tape under it to pop it up from the page. The wood veneer heart was from a previous kit and I think the small splash of natural texture it brought to the page worked really well.

 I finished off my layout with some stamped butterflies from the Pink Paislee stamp set in the kit. I used Bundled Sage and Stormy Sky Distress Oxides for them. The final touch was splatters of Heidi Swapp Color Shine in Navy and Dina Wakley Gloss Spray in Mineral, plus a few stamped phrase using a roller stamp from my stash. 

If you would like to see it come together, you can watch my process video here:

Thanks for stopping by, I'll be back soon with another project to share. Until then, happy scrapping! X

Fresh Cut | Kitaholic Kits May 2021

Hi everyone,

Today I have a mixed media layout to share for Kitaholic Kits using the new May 2021 kit and mixed media add-on kit. For this page I was documenting some photos of one of my boys that I took just after he got his haircut; which I had collaged together to form a 4x4" square. Taking my colour cue from the photos, where the green grass in the background was the dominant colour, I decided to create a layout with green as the dominant colour.

So I began my page with a sheet of 300gsm white cardstock and some acrylic paints. The first one I started with was a Heritage Green from Kaisercraft. I used my Kmart silicone spatula to spread the paint over the background, then applied Mont Marte Titanium White over the top using a brayer to strip the colour back a bit in places. This also provided me an area where I could add some stencilling using one of the Vicki Boutin stencils and the green gel crayon.

The stencil I chose had (what I describe as) a basket weave style pattern, and I applied the colour of the gel crayon through it using a stencil brush. (You can see exactly how I do it in my process video below.) In addition to the stencilling, I also added some extra detail to my background using navy ink and some floral stamps from the Pink Paislee stamp set that is included in the main kit. 

For my paper layers, I used a mix of different paper from the Heidi Swapp Carefree collection from the main kit. I layered a few pieces that I had torn and distressed, along with a white paper doily that was also from the kit. On top of the paper layers I added some frayed gauze before sticking my photos on top.

For my page title, I used the raw chipboard Thickers from the kit, which I coloured using Chipped Sapphire Distress Oxide, then added some stamped detail using one of the leafy stamps from the Pink Paislee stamp set. I love the way this tied them into the background detail. 

For my embellishments, I kept things relatively simple due to the how busy the layout was already from the papers and background. To the left of my photos I placed a handmade heart embellishment from Charms Creations, which I topped with a Heidi Swapp sticker and a few staples. I also added a few more stickers and pieces from the coordinating ephemera pack, including a phrase along the bottom and a tab above the photos; a small rainbow and some chevrons. I used a label for my journalling, adding simple handwritten details with a felt pen. 

I really love how this layout turned out, and despite how detailed it may appear, it came together pretty easily. If you would like to see how I put it together, you can watch my process video here:

If you do pop over to watch my video, I would love it if you could give me thumbs up, leave me a comment or subscribe to my channel while you are there. Having people interact with my content helps me to build my channel profile and it's also great to know that you like what I do and want to see more.

Thanks for stopping by today, and for everyone who continues to support me. Until next time, happy scrapping! X