Bloom | Scrap the Girls March Challenge

Hi everyone! Today I am sharing my layout for the March challenge at Scrap the Girls, which is called "Bloom From Within". It's a super cool inspiration board that looks like this...

Isn't it awesome? I love all those beautiful images! I knew immediately that I had the perfect photo for this challenge - a shot of my daughter that I took a little while ago while she was dressed up in a Cosplay costume. 

There were several elements from the board I wanted to include - a white background; the colour palette of green / pink / red; lots of florals; typed text; and hearts to represent the human heart.

Here's what I came up with...

(Click on photos for a better view)

How perfect is that photo with all the blooms growing out of her skin? I love it! In hindsight, I am so glad I took these photos of her in this costume.

Now onto my layout. I began my page with a sheet of white cardstock, 'Worn Lipstick' Distress Oxide and the 'Distressed Grid' stencil from Dusty Attic. I added some subtle stencilling using a sponge to begin building my layers from. I then used my 'Grass' Colour Artist Ink from Bee Arty to add some large splats, and 'Soot' to add some tiny splatters. 

Next, I added stamping using black ink and some fabulous floral stamps by Vicki Boutin from her 'Wildflower and Honey' release (which I was able to borrow from my friend Amanda Hartmann during a scrappy girls weekend away). At this point I was pretty happy with the mixed media layers on my background so I moved onto adding some papery ones.

I chose to use the Vicki Boutin 'Color Kaleidoscope' collection again (are you getting sick of it yet? I'm not! haha), as I knew the rich tones and florals would be perfect for this page. I chose a couple of patterned papers - one teal and one kraft (which featured typed text) and cut some pieces to add as my layered photo mat. 

Now it was time to embellish my page! I gathered up a variety of pieces from the 'Color Kaleidoscope' die cut ephemera packs and set to work tucking them in around my photo. I also added lots of small green leaves that I fussy cut from one of the patterned papers from the range. 

For my page title, I used a clear sticker that said bloom from one of my MAMBI sticker pads. The hot pink on the sticker really stood out from the page, as it was a slightly different pink to everything else I had already used, so I added a couple of small coordinating watercolour flower stickers from the same pad to help tie in. I also added some small pink and green heart stickers and I was done! 

I am SO happy with how this page came out; it's fun, quirky, multi-layered and a little bit messy - much like my daughter is. (And yes, she loves it too and has already asked me if she can put it up in her room.)

I hope you will play along with us this month at Scrap the Girls, we have Cocoa Vanilla Studio on board as our sponsor (and who wouldn't want to win themselves a CVS prize?) For all the details, and to see what the rest of the design team created for this challenge, head over to the STG blog HERE

Until next time, happy scrapping! X

Good Times | Scrap the Girls June Challenge

Hi everyone! 

Today I am sharing my take on this month's challenge at Scrap the Girls, which has affectionately been named the "Nanas" challenge. It is all about mismatched patterns and colours that somehow create their own style.

Here is the inspiration picture...

I stared long and hard at this picture before deciding what I was going to chose as my inspiration starting point. Eventually, I decided to begin with a strong geometric print, which I found in the Paige Taylor Evans 'Whimsical' collection.

I also started with a white cardstock base and a photo of my daughter and her friends ready to head off to school camp (which I had printed in black and white so that I wasn't restricted by colour).

Because this challenge was all about mismatched patterns, I decided to use a strong vertical design to clash with the horizontal nature of the photo and subjects. I used strips of the geometric print paper which I contrasted using the small cross print and the solid yellow. (The yellow was a special nod to the clogs in the inspiration picture.)

I chose another pattern (a small star print) to mat my photo with; and I also added a small strip of the same paper that I punched with a heart edge punch along the left side of my design. To give my photo some separation from the busy background I popped some scrap cardboard underneath before sticking it down.

At this point I turned back to the inspiration picture and decided that the additional of some flowers would help break up the solid, graphic nature of my design. I chose a large floral design paper (again, from the Paige Evans 'Whimsical' collection) and fussy cut some of the flowers. I tucked them under the diagonally opposed corners of my photo to give the page some flow and draw the viewers eye through it.

To add a little text to my page, I added a few phrase stickers from the coordinating 'Whimsical' sticker sheet and a sweet little butterfly from the ephemera pack for some dimension.

At this point my layout looked a little too clean for my liking, so I pulled out my Faber-Castell watercolor pencils to add some extra detail. I used the pencils to add some scribbled colour around and under the edges of the fussy cut flowers along the right side of the page, then used a water brush to blend the colour out a little.

I finished off my layout with a few tiny ink splatters.

Thanks so much for stopping by today so I could share this with you. I hope you can play along with our challenge at Scrap the Girls this month. We have D-lish Scraps sponsoring for our Aussie winner, and as always Scrap Accent for our international entries. For all the challenge details, or to see what else the design team created for this one, head to the Scrap the Girls blog HERE
Until next time - happy scrapping! X

Be You! | Colour Blast

Hi everyone!

Popping in today to share my final design team project for Colour Blast. Yes, after two and a half years on the CB design team, the time had come for me to step down. After a lot of time and effort devoted to this team over the past couple of years, this now gives me some breathing room and the freedom to look for some new creative opportunities and avenues.

So today I am sharing the last layout that I created for CB using the 'Limited Edition' collection. The theme of this collection is all about being yourself so I thought I would document a couple of cheeky selfies (which pretty much sum me up. hehe)

Here's a look at the supplies I started with...

I began with the One of a Kind patterned paper from the 'Limited Edition' collection as my page background. The first step was to add some White Heavy Gesso to the area I decided was going to be the focal point of my page. I did this using a small brayer.

Whilst the gesso was drying, I gathered some pieces of the 'Stand Out' patterned paper and layered them together to form a mat for my photos. 

I then went back to my background sheet and added some stamping around the edge of the focal area using the Peony Dreams stamp set from the 'Spread Your Wings' collection and 'Faded Jeans' Distress Oxide.

Next, I wanted to add some subtle texture to the page. I used the 'That Way' stencil from the 'Going My Way' release with 'Apple of My Eye' Colour Paste; applying small amounts randomly around the page using a palette knife.

At this point I felt my layout needed some black to tie in with the black in my photos and also to provide a some contrast. I used 'Soot' Colour Artist Ink, and simply used the dropper from the bottle to drip some directly onto the page. I then set my page aside for a little while to dry. 

Once it was dry, I added the layered mat I had created earlier; bending up the edges of each of the pieces to give the stack more dimension, before sticking my photos on top.

I then took the Floral Cluster cut file from Cut to You and tucked them in under the edges of my photos. I also created a circular frame using coloured wire, which I stapled on top of my photos. 

With all of the main structure in place, it was simply a matter of adding some finishing touches. I added some messy black cotton thread, which I tucked in amongst my layers.

I fussy cut three small bees from the Glorious Tags paper and added those to the page.

 I finished off my layout by adding three phrases cut from the Exception Word Sheet paper, placing two above my photos and one below.

That's all from me today, thanks for stopping by. Until next time, happy scrapping! X

Love.Repeat - Art Journal Page | Viva Las VegaStamps

Hi everyone!

Today I have a mixed media art journal page to share that I created recently for Viva Las VegaStamps. This piece was inspired by a gorgeous art journal page shared last month by Jenn Engle. (You can see Jenn's page on the VLVS blog HERE) I really loved the balance between colour and white space on her page and wanted to create something similar - but with my own twist, of course.

I was working in my 9x6" Jane Davenport journal for this one (it has watercolour paper pages and takes wet media fairly well with no bleed through). I started by putting down multiple layers of Colour Blast Colour Artist Ink; drying between each one with a heat gun to get the "hard" water lines.

Once I had the colour down, I began adding some structure. I started with the Punchinella/Sequin Waste Border; which I stamped vertically using black Staz On ink.

Next, I used the Double Coffee Rings stamp with 'Mowed Lawn' Distress Oxide; stamping it several times over the top.

I then used the Cross Marks Background with black Staz On to add some marks around the edges of the colour.

Now it was time to add some texture to my page. I used small torn pieces of washi tape and some snippets of punchinella.

I also added a piece of paper doily, some plasterer's tape, and some frayed gauze - all layered in the central focal point of the page.

I then stamped out the focal image for my page using the Squiggle Heart stamp and Staz On ink onto some white cardstock and fussy cut around it. I used a shimmery watercolour paint to colour the heart before sticking it down onto the page.

To finish off, I stamped the sentiment Love.Repeat a few times and then splattered a little bit of blue ink around the edges.

I was really happy with how this page came out - thank you Jenn for the inspiration!

That's all from me today, thanks for stopping by. I hope I have inspired you to get inky too! X

VLVS stamps used:
- Punchinella/Sequin Waste Border
- Double Coffee Rings
- Cross Marks Background
- Squiggle Heart
- Love.Repeat

F*ck the Road Not Taken | Viva Las VegaStamps

Hi everyone!

Popping in with my latest Viva Las VegaStamps design team project for you. Today I have a mixed media scrapbook layout to share that features a gorgeous poppy stamp and some photos documenting my tutor display at last year's Brisbane Scrapbook Expo here in Australia. Anyone who knows me, knows that I am not one for blindly following the rules, nor am I about being "fake". This layout celebrates the fact that my display was all about representing ME.

To create my page I began by brushing and splattering some black Dina Wakley acrylic paint onto my cardstock. (In hindsight I should have changed my shirt before doing this...another one ruined with paint splattered up my sleeve! haha)

While the paint was drying, I took the Poppy stamp and stamped it out several times onto another sheet of white cardstock using black StazOn ink. I then added colour to each of them using a small brush and a selection of Colour Blast Colour Artist Inks before cutting them out and setting them aside. 

On the same sheet of cardstock, I also stamped out the Triangle Banner stamp using 'Shaded Lilac' Distress Oxide, then fussy cut each of those out as well.

To assemble my page, I started by adding my photos, using some cardboard underneath them to pop them up from the background; and a few pieces of messy white cotton thread for texture. I then arranged the poppies and banners around my photos, using foam tape under some of them for extra dimension.

Alongside my photos I stamped the words Somebody Stop Me! (can anyone, really?) then I also stamped The Road Not Taken sentiment three times onto my page. I also added the Fuck You stamp to finish my title, which led into my handwritten journalling. (Which just explains about how I probably broke some of the unspoken etiquette rules about tutor displays but accurately represented myself.)

I finished off by stamping the Doodle Dots stamp randomly around my page used 'Picked Raspberry' Distress Oxide.

VLVS stamps used: 

- Poppy

- Triangle Banner

- Somebody Stop Me!

- The Road Not Taken

- Fuck You

- Doodle Dots

Until next time, happy scrapping! X

Abstract Floral painting | Colour Blast

Hi everyone!

Popping in today to share a Colour Blast design team project with you. Today I have something a bit different - an abstract floral painting I created using Colour Artist Inks. 

This painting came about one day when I was having a bad day. I felt like losing myself in something creative, but just wasn't sure what I wanted to do. As I was sitting and looking out the window, I was staring at some flowering bushes over the fence in my neighbours yard. That was enough inspiration to get me started, so I pulled out a sheet of watercolour paper to see what would come out.

The result was an abstract floral painting, inspired by the colours and shapes of my neighbours plants...

I took photos along the way to document my process so I could share it. These are the supplies I started with - a sheet of watercolour paper and a range of Colour Artist Inks in warm tones (Slipper, Cranberry, Sunburnt, Citrus, Cider, Barley, and Spice.)

I started my misting my paper lightly with a water spray bottle to make it a little wet, to help the inks to wick out as they hit the paper. 

I began with the lightest tone - Citrus as my base, and then built on it from there; adding some smaller areas of Cider over the top; then smaller again with Cranberry. I used a small round brush and a gentle dabbing motion to apply the ink to the page, allowing the paper to naturally draw the colour from the brush.

You can see in the close up below how the inks wick out with the use of the water (bleed / spread across the page) and then in the second shot below how they look once they had dried.

Once the base colours had dried, I again used my small round brush, but this time used a sweeping stroke to apply some of the pink Slipper ink to the page. As these are dye based inks, they will reactivate and blend when wet, so I added the strokes into the spaces around and between the other colours.

I then allowed the Slipper ink to dry completely before adding more detail. The next colour I used was Sunburnt - used to apply the narrower sweeping strokes over the Slipper ink and the clusters of small dots. I used Spice to apply the small, short strokes. 

Now it was time to add my "fence" to the bottom section of the page. I used Slipper for the base colour, then Sunburnt and Cider for the detail and highlights over the top.

With all the inks in place, I left the page to completely dry before colouring in the background. I wanted a soft tone so as not to draw away from the focus of the picture, so I used Stormy Weather Colour Shimmer Spray (a nice soft, shimmery grey) and simply dipped my small brush into the bottle and painted in the remaining blank area of the page. I took care not to overlap any of the inked areas so as not to muddy the colours.

Once the background was dry, it was time to add the final details. I used my Stabilo All pencils (black and white) to draw in the detail over the top.

I started with the black pencil, using it to trace the lines around and between the colours; following the naturally occurring lines formed by the inks. I also used the black pencil to colour in any remaining spots of white around the edges, between the flowers and also on the background.

To finish off, I added a few highlights with the white pencil.

(I was so happy with the result of this painting that I even framed it!)

And there you have it - a fun, simple project that you can try yourself with very few supplies. You don't need any particular artistic talent to be able to create a project like this, just play with your supplies and see what comes out.

Until next time, happy creating! X