Jolly as F*ck | Scrap the Girls December Challenge

Ho, ho...no!

Can you believe we are on the final countdown to Christmas?! If you are one of those people I affectionately refer to as "Christmas freaks" then you have probably been ready for the big day since mid-June and have had your tree up for at least a month already. (You are probably also the sort of person that thinks hot cross buns DO belong on the supermarket shelves at the beginning of January?!) *mumble, mumble*

If you are more like me however, then Christmas always seems to creep up waaaaay too quickly every year, you've only just put your tree up, and at some stage next week you will start preparing everything else. (Look away now Christmas freaks! hehe)

So all this Christmas talk has led me to the latest design team project that I have to share. This page was created for Scrap the Girls for the "No Traditions Here" challenge this month. This is the image inspiration we were provided with the instructions "could be colour, what you see or what you read".

I bowed to the Christmas theme, and in keeping with the challenge title, there was nothing traditional about my page...

I used the gorgeous Cocoa Vanilla Studio 'Happiness' collection for this page, which I combined with my own watercolour background.

I started by fussy cutting the beautiful wreath from the So Fresh paper, which I backed with some scrap cardboard to help pop it up from the page, and then set it aside to create the background.

I used a Colour Blast 'Deep Water' Shimmer Cube (unfortunately these are no longer available, but you could substitute any watercolour paint) to create a ring on my cardstock where my wreath was going to sit. Next, I added some small splatters of gold, green and pink inks before sticking my wreath down over the top.

I then added my photos, tucking them under the edge of the wreath on the left side of the page.

For my title, I used the Jolly as Fuck Christmas ornament (with gum leaves - also available in a bottle brush version) from Kinder Kreations. These ornaments have a hole so you can add string or ribbon to hang them, but I couldn't resist giving this one a starring role on my layout instead. I painted it with a metallic gold acrylic paint to give it a festive feel and added some twine to the top of it.

To compliment my gold title, I grabbed a few cut file leaves I had left over from a previous project and painted them to match. I then tucked them in under the edge of the wreath, leaving some of them white as well. (This leaf design is from the Cocoa Vanilla Studio 'Colour Me Happy' cut file set.) To help blend my title with my page I stuck a small flower and butterfly from the 'Happiness' Die Cut Ephemera pack onto it.

 To finish off the page I added two flair buttons to my wreath from the 'Happiness' flair button set and some handwritten journalling with a felt pen.

I hope you will join in with our challenge this month - you can make your layout as Christmas-sy as you like (or not), just be inspired by the image! Make sure you visit the Scrap the Girls blog for all the details of this month's Australian and International sponsors and to see what the rest of the design team created.

Until next time, happy scrapping! X 

Sweet Evil | Viva Las VegaStamps

Hi everyone!

Popping in today with a design team project that was created for Viva Las VegaStamps for you. This mixed media scrapbook layout features some of the creepy themed stamps from the last release and a photo of my sister and I dressed up for a "bad taste" theme night at a scrappy retreat. 

I began my layout with a sheet of white heavyweight cardstock, and created a watercolour style background using Distress Oxides. I did this by swiping the ink pads on my craft mat then spritzing with water, before laying the cardstock over the top to absorb the ink. I did this first with 'Iced Spruce' then dried it off and repeated the process with 'Carved Pumpkin'.

Once I had my background colour in place, it was time to add some stamping! I started with the Palmistry Palm, which I stamped over the top of the Distress Oxides.

I then stamped the Pirassoipi Bicorn and the Poison Caution stamps onto my background as well, using black StazOn ink again.

Once I had the stamping done, it was time to add my focal image, which was the photo of my sister and I that I had cut out. I mounted the image onto some scrap cardboard to help pop it up from the page.

To embellish my page, I stamped out the Cross Statue stamp three times onto some black cardstock using embossing ink, then heat embossed the images using gold embossing powder.

I then fussy cut around the crosses and added them to my page around the base of my photo.

Next, it was time for my title. I love a mixed font title, so I used a Kinder Kreations chipboard word hello, which I also embossed with Colour Blast 'Bling' Colour Embossing Powder; then the wood veneer word sweet from Corbett Creations; and then some Cocoa Vanilla Studio alpha stickers.

To add a little extra detail to finish off my page, I used the Sky of Stars Background stamp to add a few little stamped stars, then added a some wood veneer stars that I had coloured black with a Sharpie. I also added some small gold mist splatters.

And with that, my page was complete! Thanks so much for stopping by today so I could share this with you. I hope I have inspired you to get inky too.

Until next time, happy scrapping! X

VLVS stamps used: 

- Palmistry Palm

- Pirassoipi Bicorn

- Poison Caution

- Cross Statue

- Sky of Stars Background

Happy Days | Colour Blast

Hi everyone!

Time again to share another design team project with you. This mixed media scrapbook layout was created for Colour Blast and features Colour Artist Inks; Colour Paste; and a Colour Shimmer Brush Marker.

To create my page, I applied drops of Colour Artist Inks in Oasis, Calypso, Mermaid and Marine directly to my messy mat using the dropper. I then placed my cardstock on top to soak up the ink. I also added some splatters using a small brush.

Once I had the ink down on the background, I used 'Singin' the Blues' Colour Paste through a stencil in a few areas to add some subtle texture.

Next, I added some papery layers behind my photo. I used up some old Echo Park papers from my stash, along with some frayed gauze for texture. I also used some of the coordinating Echo Park stickers, and some puffy stickers from Cocoa Vanilla Studio.

Alongside my photo I added a Charms Creations heart embellishment, topped with a Cocoa Vanilla Studio flair button. I also added a couple of Cocoa Vanilla resin hearts to my page.

For my title, I used a Kinder Kreations wood veneer, which I coloured by painting it with 'Marine' Colour Artist Ink.

I used a fine tipped white paint pen to add some details to the title, before adding some shimmer with a Clear Colour Shimmer Brush Marker. 

To finish off my page I added some final splatters using 'Marine' Colour Artist Ink and a small, stiff brush.

If you would like to see exactly how I put this page together, you can watch my process video on my YouTube channel here:

Until next time, happy scrapping! X

Been There Rocked That | Scrap the Girls August Challenge

Hi everyone!

Today I am sharing a super fun scrapbook page I created for the Scrap the Girls August challenge. This month's awesome board is called "Wild Women Do" (which I totally love!) and it looks like this...

Our challenge this month is being sponsored by Charms Creations, and Charm kindly supplied us with some special embellishments to use on our pages. Unfortunately, with so many DT commitments I was working well ahead of time, so my page was complete before I received them. (Rest assured though, they WILL appear on a future page, you know I love my Charms embellishments!)

Here is my take on the challenge...

As soon as I saw the zebra print in this board, I couldn't resist scrapping these fancy dress retreat photos for it. (Given Mandy was wearing leopard print tights - that's close enough, right?!) I took the opportunity to do some stash-busting as well, using up lots of old supplies.

I used a sheet of black cardstock as my page base, adding pieces of some old Heidi Swapp and Shimelle patterned papers; and some music paper to create my design.

I wanted to include several extra photos besides the main focal image, so I printed them in strips and created a small pocket in the corner of the page to tuck them under; and then popped a paper doily behind them. In keeping with my music theme, I also added some music themed Shimelle ephemera pieces around the page.

For my page title, I used an awesome Kinder Kreations chipboard piece, which I painted white and highlighted with a small Cocoa Vanilla Studio wood veneer arrow (also painted white). (Seriously, could that title have been any more perfect for this page?) Around my page I added a few more Cocoa Vanilla Studio wood veneer arrows and stars just to add a little dimension.

To finish off, I sourced the Poison band logo online and then printed it out and cut around it, before adding it along the bottom edge of the page. I also added a few small splatters of white mist.

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 challenge and be in the running for the Charms Creations prize. (And if you have any Charms Creations in your stash, be sure to include one for bonus points!)

Head over to the Scrap the Girls blog HERE to link up and see what else the team created.

Until next time, happy scrapping! X

Born to be Wild | Viva Las VegaStamps

Hi everyone!

Popping in today to share my first project as an official design team member for Viva Las VegaStamps. (I can't tell you how excited I am to be able to say that!)

So I thought I would start with what I do best - a mixed media scrapbook layout featuring a fun SnapChat selfie.

To create this page, I started by laying down my background colour onto my cardstock using  Colour Blast Colour Artist Inks. (I used Berry, Oasis & Marine.) I first spritzed the cardstock with water, then used a small brush to apply the inks and a little more water to move the colours around, before drying it with a heat gun.

Once dry, I decided I wanted more hard water lines; so I went back and applied more ink & water to my focal area; as well as some splatters with a small, stiff brush; before again drying with the heat gun. 

Next, it was time to add some depth to my background. I used Staz On ink along with a couple of my favourite mark making stamps to add structure to my focal area:

- Row of Distressed Lines

- Punchinella / Sequin Waste Border

I also stamped a few quotes randomly around my page:

- Add a Little Whimsy

Next, I turned my attention to the focal piece of my page. I fussy cut my photo away from the background; and I also cut out two rabbit images I had previously stamped onto tissue paper to use on either side:

- Creepy Rabbit by Tera Callihan

I adhered them all to a piece of cardstock using acrylic matte medium, before cutting around them, leaving a white border. (You will note the tissue paper simply disappears into the background using this technique.)

To add a bit of colour to my gorgeous creepy little rabbits, I used Faber-Castell watercolour pencils, which I applied roughly, before blending them out with a water pen. Once coloured, I mounted my photo up on some cardboard to raise it from the background and then moved onto to putting the page together.

Underneath where my photo was going to be placed, I added a die cut glitter frame, that I had cut in half; along with some messy purple thread. 

I then added a few torn pieces of washi tape to my background, and also tucked a piece of paper doily in behind my photo before sticking it down.

I used a chipboard title from Kinder Kreations, which I coloured simply with black ink.

I then stamped some scattered stars using purple ink:

- Star Sliding 

To finish my page I added a wood veneer arrow (also inked black) to the left of my photo.

And to the right of my photo, I added a cute handmade rabbit embellishment from Charms Creations.

Here's a linked list of all the VLVS stamps I used:

- Row of Distressed Lines

- Punchinella / Sequin Waste Border

-  Add a Little Whimsy

- Creepy Rabbit by Tera Callihan

-  Star Sliding 

Thanks for stopping by so I could share this - I hope I have inspired you to get inky today! I will be back soon with another project to share. Til then, happy scrapping! X

Shameless | Scrap & Chat Retreat Challenge

Hi everyone!
Just a quick share from me today of a layout I completed whilst at the Scrap & Chat retreat in Victoria last weekend. It was one seriously AWESOME retreat with such a fabulous talented crew and I am already counting down until next year!
Here's our group photo...

Now, onto my layout. This page was completed for one of the many challenges we had available to participate in. We were each given a stencil, wood veneers and a DIY fabric button from the lovely Jo at Kinder Kreations that we had to use on a project.

Here's what I created (and yes, there is a swear word on it)...

I went with a black cardstock background for this one and then used some Colour Blast 'Sienna' Colour Paste, which I smeared around with a palette knife. Once dry, I applied 'Dusty Charcoal' Colour Paste using the Kinder Kreations alphabet stencil over the top of the 'Sienna' paste.

I then added some texture to my background using some plasterers joint tape and some frayed gauze, before adding my photo on top, which was mounted on some cardboard to give it extra dimension.

I then took the Kinder Kreations wood veneer stars and added some subtle colour to them using a Colour Blast 'Singin' the Blues' Colour Shimmer Cube and a small brush. I also added a few random painted spots to my background to provide some contrast. (The shimmer showed incredibly well on the dark background!)

While I had my paintbrush out, I also added a small swipe of the same colour to the Kinder Kreations fabric button, as well as some stamped words.

To finish my page I added some copper coloured wire (attached with staples); white ink splatters and my handwritten journaling using a white gel pen.

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