Best Day | Pinkfresh Fridays YouTube Hop

 

Hi everyone, 

I'm back with another new mixed media layout to share today. This one was created recent for the Pinkfresh Fridays monthly YouTube hop that is organised by my sweet friend Joanne Bartell. Each month, a group of scrappers create and share videos using Pinkfresh Studio products and I was delighted to be able to join in this time. 

I don't have a huge amount of Pinkfresh products in my stash, but luckily for me they often appear in the Hip Kit Club scrapbook kits, so I do have some. The products I used for this layout all came from my June 2021 kit, and were from the 'Happy Blooms' collection - a perfect choice to document this series of photos of my daughter with her Valentine's Day flowers from her boyfriend. 

I went quite product heavy on this page (why not - no use hoarding it, right?) and added lots of luscious layers, including a bunch tags that I cut from patterned paper.

My mixed media background was created using Distress Oxides - first applied with an ink blending tool, then stamped, then splattered. 

I added a couple of my signature elements (I guess they could be called that now?) with a paper doily and then frayed gauze for texture.

I was happy with how this one turned out and it was certainly fun to put together. You can watch my process video for this page via the link below. If you would like to see what everyone else created for this hop, be sure to open my video in YouTube and you will find a linked list of the other participants in my video description. 

While you are there, I would love it if you would subscribe to my channel so you don't miss any of my upcoming videos. (Or check out my back catalogue of videos - there are lots there to choose from!)

Until next time, happy scrapping! X

Enjoy Together | June 2021 Hip Kit

 

Hi everyone, today I have a layout to share that wasn't created for anyone other than myself. (Yes, sometimes it actually happens!) If you watch my YouTube channel, you may have recently seen that I did an unboxing video of my very first kit from Hip Kit Club. Subscribing is something I have been wanting to do for a long time, so my sister Mandy and I decided to bite the bullet and just do it. (It helps that we can split the shipping costs.) So I subscribed to the Scrapbook kit, and she subscribed to the Pocket Life kit. 

The layout I am sharing today is the very first layout I created from my very first kit. I was working with the June 2021 main scrapbook kit, as well as the add-on embellishment kit that I also purchased, which gave me TONS to work with!

The photo I was documenting is of me and my family when we were out celebrating my boys' birthday with lunch at the local pub and I think it worked well with the contents of this kit. The June kit consists of a mix of Pinkfresh Studio 'Happy Blooms' collection as well as Hip Kit exclusive products and they all coordinate beautifully.

For my layout I decided to create some subtle, pretty mixed media as the basis of my design. I used Kitsch Flamingo Distress Oxide mixed with water and then brushed it across my cardstock to create a light pink wash. I also used Mowed Lawn Distress Oxide mixed with water and a fine paint brush to add splatters.

I used the purple crosshatch style patterned paper from Pinkfresh Studio to back my cardstock and create a border for my layout. I then used a mix of the Pinkfresh papers to create layers on the focal area of my page. I also added a paper doily and some frayed gauze for texture before adding my photo on top. 

Alongside my photo was a small pocket style envelope from the Pinkfresh Studio Journaling Bits pack, with a journal card tucked inside.

 I used pieces from the Pinkfresh Floral Ephemera pack to add clusters in the top right and bottom left corners of my photo, with a third floral element (the flower tucked under the edge of the pocket) coming from the Hip Kit ephemera pack. The little heart button was also a Hip Kit exclusive. Along the top edge of my photo I added the pink banner to help cover up some of the background distraction.

For my title, I used one of the large Hip Kit chipboard phrases combined with the green Pinkfresh alphas. I also used several phrases from the Hip Kit clear sticker set to add some extra text to my page.

On top of the journaling pocket I added one of the sweet little Hip Kit fabric bows. These bows come deconstructed in a pack (which I didn't mind), and only require a minute and couple of dabs of glue to put one together. I also used my typewriter to add my journaling to the journal card.

I was really happy with how this pretty page turned out, and very happy with my first Hip Kit! I am looking forward to getting stuck into it again as soon as I have a chance. 

If you would like to see how this page came together, then you can watch my process video here:

Thanks for stopping by today, happy scrapping! X

Thankful | Kitaholic Kits December 2020

 

Hi friends! Today I am here to share the second of my projects for Kitaholic Kits using the gorgeous December kit. For this layout I decided to use the beautiful blue paper from Pinkfresh Studio as the starting point for my page, and document a photo of my hubby and kids that was taken a few months ago on Father's Day. 

I was really drawn to the beautiful foliage print around the edge of the Pinkfresh paper, which was contrasted by a constellation style print in the centre. And whilst I loved each of the patterns individually, the mixing of the two didn't sit well with me, so I decided to cut the centre of the paper out and put it aside for another project. I then replaced it with some white cardstock instead.

For the focal point of my page where my photo was going to go, I used another of the Pinkfresh Studio papers, as well as a piece from Amy Tangerine. These were complimented with some extra pieces from the Pinkfresh Studio cut apart paper, including the Moments that Matter phrase piece.

My embellishments were a mix of items from the kit, as well as some of the subscriber exclusive floral printables from November. These are super easy to simply print and fussy cut out. The wood veneer hearts and the Pebbles puffy dots from the kit were some of my fave things this month.

I also used an extra embellishment from my stash - the lovely hessian and felt heart from Charms Creations, which was easy to match with such neutral tones, and the perfect spot to add the Pinkfresh sticker on top.

You can watch my process video for this layout on my YouTube channel here:

 I would love it if you could pop over and watch my video, and please leave me a thumbs up and subscribe to my channel if you haven't already. And a BIG thank you to everyone who has already subscribed and supported my little channel - you guys rock!

Until next time, happy scrapping! X

Yum | Kitaholic Kits November 2020

 

Hi friends! Sadly, this is the last of my Kitaholic Kits guest designer layouts for the month using the November kit and mixed media add-on. This is the fourth layout I have created from this kit, along with some extra pocket pages, and I still have some left to create with!  

For this layout, I decided to document some photos of my daughter that were taken almost 10 years apart - to the day! The focus of my page was the remaining pieces I had of the cut apart sheet from the Crate Paper 'Marigold' collection and one of the subscriber exclusive cut files designed by Anita Bownds.

I used white cardstock as the base for my page, and added the Pebbles Jen Hadfield black and white checkered paper from 'The Avenue' collection over the top.

For my embellishments I used a mix of the Pinkfresh Studio floral ephemera, puffy alpha stickers and one of the subscriber exclusive cut files,which I coloured using watercolour paint.

I also used some stickers from the Heidi Swapp 'Old School' collection and added some sparkle with Ranger Stickles Glitter Gel.

I have a process video available for this layout on my YouTube channel if you would like to see how I put this one together. And if you haven't already, I would love it if you subscribed to my channel while you are there. 

Until next time, happy scrapping! X

Frank | Kitaholic Kits November 2020

 Hi everyone! I am here today to share the second of my guest designer projects for Kitaholic Kits using the November scrapbook kit and mixed media add-on kit. If you recall my first project, I documented some photos of my son dressed up as a character from a story he wrote, so for this page I decided I had better create a layout of his twin dressed as his story character too.

I used white cardstock for my page base, then layered it with the Crate Paper wood grain paper and the Jen Hadfield (for Pebbles) text print paper, which I punched with a notebook style punch. (I thought this would work well with the "story" theme.)

I also added a row of stencilled lines across the top and bottom of the page using one of the new Vicki Boutin 'Storyteller' stencils from the mixed media add-on kit. 

As with my previous project, the story was an important part of the page, so I used another of the Pinkfresh Studio pockets and a journal tag to be a prominent feature of my design. I also added almost identical journalling, just changing the relevant details to personalise it for him. I also added a QR code to the back of my tag that linked to a video of him reading his "Frank the Zombie" story. 

For the embellishments, I used a mix of the Heidi Swapp cardstock and phrase stickers; a few of the subscriber exclusive printables; and some of the Pinkfresh Studio floral ephemera pieces. I also used the Pinkfresh puffy alphas for my title. 

I have a process video available  if you would like to watch how this layout came together. (If you like what you see, I would love it if you would become a subscriber of my YouTube channel too.) 

That's all from me today. If you would like to check out the Kitaholic Kits shop, or investigate about becoming a kit subscriber so you can receive your own box of happiness each month, visit the Kitaholic Kits website HERE

Until next time, happy scrapping! X

Baking Memories | Kitaholic Kits November 2020

Hi everyone!

Today I am happy to be sharing the first of my guest designer projects for Kitaholic Kits using the November kit and mixed media add on kit. This month's kit is filled with products from Heidi Swapp, Pinkfresh Studio, Crate Paper and Pebbles; and the mixed media kit with products from Vicki Boutin and Ranger. (If you would like to see exactly what is in the kit, I have an unboxing video on my YouTube channel HERE)

For my first project, I found myself drawn to the Jen Hadfield leaf print paper, which I thought would work well with some outdoor photos. I was also drawn to the Pinkfresh Studio journalling bits, so I knew I wanted to create a page that had a good story behind it. I came up with the idea of documenting a series of photos of one of my boys that were taken during our remote learning period. On this day, my boys had both written Dr Suess style stories, and then we did a dress up photo shoot of the main character from each of their stories. This is Hunter dressed as "Fred the Dragon".

I chose to keep the leaf print paper to use as a border for my page (because I thought it gave it that "story book" vibe), and used a sheet of white cardstock with brushed acrylic paint for my background.

Layers of torn and distressed patterned papers mixed with a paper doily, frayed gauze and Heidi Swapp stickers formed the basis of the focal point of my design. 

I used the Pinkfresh 'Days of Splendour' floral ephemera to create clusters for my page, which I brushed with the Ranger Stickles 'Moon Dust' Glitter Gel for a touch of sparkle.

I then added more stickers, a few rhinestones, and a punny title by altering the title printed on the Pinkfresh envelope with puffy alpha stickers. 

To finish off, I printed my journalling and stuck it onto the tag.

Below you can see where I have added a QR code on the back of the journal tag that links to the private video on my YouTube channel of Hunter reading his story. This is a great interactive element to add to layouts and helps share more of the story than you can fit on the page.

So there you have it! If you would like to watch me put this page together, I've got a process video on my YouTube channel: 

Thanks so much for stopping by today so I could share this with you. I have plenty more to come from this kit, so stay tuned!

Until next time, happy scrapping! X

Happiness & Cocktails | Scrapping Clearly

Hi everyone!

Today I am sharing another of my guest designer projects created for Scrapping Clearly last month.

For this one I wanted to go "back to basics" and create a fun 12x12" scrapbook layout that was focused on paper. (My love of paper is, after all, which first led me down the rabbit hole of scrapbooking.) I chose to document some fun photos that were taken a year ago at my retreat on the Sunshine Coast. 

The collection I chose to pair with my photos was the 'Good Vibes' collection from Crate Paper. This collection is full of bold, playful patterns - perfect for pairing with my retreat photos!

I began with a sheet of the Girls Night paper as my layout base, which I topped with a sheet of white cardstock, that I trimmed down to measure 11x11". This left me a nice, even 1/2" patterned paper border all the way around the edges.

I then turned to my other papers and was immediately drawn to the gorgeous All Good paper, with its rich colours, florals and sweet bird motifs. I cut a large rectangular piece which I placed vertically on the left side of my page. I then cut a smaller piece of the Hashtag paper and layered it horizontally over the top.

Next, I cut one of the stripey pattern strips from the Passion paper, which I added on top to provide a strong, horizontal line on which to place my photos.

I still wanted more layers behind my photos though, so I cut two tags from So Chill cut apart paper; punching a hole in each and then tying them with twine. These were then tucked in underneath where my photos were going to go. I also tucked a small white doily into my layers before sticking my photos down.

For my page title, I cut the large "happiness" piece from the Big Heart foil accent specialty paper and placed it below my photos. I then used some blue Pinkfresh Studio 'Boys Fort' Mini Alpha Stickers to complete my title. (These are such a cute size, and there is also a sheet of both tan and green alphas included in the pack.)

With so many busy patterns at play, my layout required very few embellishments (as the papers had already done most of the hard work for me). I reached for the remaining piece of the All Good paper I had used earlier and fussy cut one of the little birds from it. I the added it to my page using foam tape to give it some dimension.

Above my photos I added a gorgeous 3D butterfly embellishment from the One Canoe Two Globe Gallery range.

To finish off, I added a scattering of blue sequins from the Teresa Collins Urban Market Sequins pack. (These were the perfect match for the blue of our cocktails!)

That's all from me today, I hope I have inspired you to get back to basics too and create something featuring lots of pretty papers too. 

Until next time, happy scrapping! X

For the Boys - Traveler's Notebook Spreads | Scrapping Clearly

Hi everyone! Back again today with another of my guest designer projects created for Scrapping Clearly last month. As my first project was a pretty floral 12x12" layout, I decided to go in an entirely different direction with some boy themed traveler's notebook (TN) spreads.

My love for TNs has really grown over the past 12 months, as I approach this format quite differently to the "traditional" layouts I do. These little books are less about the process, and more about getting the memories down so I include a lot more journalling. For today's post I was working in one of my sons books and getting a couple of stories recorded for him.

I started this spread with a piece of leftover patterned paper from another project, so I thought I would take the opportunity to use it up on this. (This is a great way to use up scraps.) The paper I used was the I Love You paper from the Simple Stories 'Heart' collection, and I placed a piece on either side of my spread as my base.

The next step was to arrange my photos and my printed journalling. (I pre-print my journalling so I know exactly how much space it will need on the page.) Just like a larger layout, once I have those things in place, it's simply a case of filling in space with embellishments. For this spread I was working with the Ephemera Pack from the Pinkfresh Studio 'Boys Fort' collection. 

All the embellishments you can see on this spread are from the same Ephemera Pack; and I simply shuffled through the pack and found ones that work work to fill the spaces on my page. The final step to finish off my spread was to add some spots to the white space using a very fine grey felt pen.

For my second spread, I again began with my background. This time I used a scrap of the Treasured Memories paper (also from the Simple Stories 'Heart' collection); along with a scrap of the Happy Go Lucky paper from the Cocoa Vanilla Studio 'Boys Rule' collection. 

This time I also matted my main photo with the same Cocoa Vanilla Studio patterned paper to help it stand out more on the page. Again, I placed my photos and journalling before turning my attention to the embellishments.

I used the same Pinkfresh Studio 'Boys Fort' Ephemera Pack to embellish this page as I did for the previous spread. This time however, I needed an extra pop of blue so I fussy cut some blue stars from the Starshine paper from the Cocoa Vanilla Studio 'You Rock' collection (using my awesome limited edition gold Fiskars scissors).

I finished off my spread by stamping some little banners using StazOn black ink and a roller stamp from my stash; and with some doodling using fine tip felt pens.

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

Happy Days | Scrapping Clearly

Hi everyone!

I was so excited to be invited by the lovely Kylie to be this month's guest designer for Scrapping Clearly. For anyone who doesn't already know, Kylie's fabulous bricks and mortar store is located in Gundagai, New South Wales (Australia) and for those who can't make it to the store, she also has an extensive online store filled with products for both papercrafters and mixed media artists.

For my first project I thought I would start with what I know best - a 12x12" scrapbook layout to document some photos that were taken at the Cocoa Vanilla Studio retreat back in May.

I began my page with a sheet of Bazzill 'Marshmallow' Smooth Heavyweight cardstock; choosing the heavier weight cardstock because I was going to be applying a wet media to it to add some subtle watercolour detail to my background.

I started with Ranger 'Stormy Sky' and 'Tumbled Glass' Distress Oxide ink pads, which I swiped onto my non-stick craft then spritzed with water until large droplets had formed. I then used my fingertip to swirl the water through the inks, blending them together in a few places before laying the cardstock over the top and smoothing it down to absorb the ink.

I then set my background aside to dry whilst I turned my attention to the patterned papers. The ones I had chosen to work with were all from the gorgeous 13Arts 'Blue Magnolia' collection. I cut a large piece of the striped Evening Letters paper and added it to the right hand side of my page, leaving my watercolour work visible on the left side of the page.

Next, I added a small piece of teal paper for a mat for my photos. I used the reverse side of the Forever in My Heart paper from the Simple Stories Heart collection and then added my photos on top using some cardboard underneath to pop them up from the page. 

Now it was time for some fussy cutting! I took the Flowery Day paper (also from the 13Arts Blue Magnolia collection), which is full of gorgeous elements to cut out. I cut a few floral pieces and added them to my page with foam tape so that they formed a "visual triangle" around my photos. I also used black cotton thread in each cluster to add some soft texture to my page. 

In the bottom right corner I added a fussy cut branch with a sweet little bird perched on it; then three butterflies (also cut from the same sheet) which I placed to form a secondary visual triangle on my page.

For my title piece, I used the happy days die cut from the Pinkfresh Studio 'Boys Fort' Collection Ephemera Pack, which I also applied using foam tape for dimension.

Next, I added a simple doodled border using a black Fude Ball pen; a small strip of paper along the bottom edge to record the details about my photos; and finally, a scattering of black and white sequins from the Teresa Collins Urban Market Sequins. To finish off, I couldn't resist a few tiny black splatters of Indian Ink.

That's all from me today. If you haven't already checked out the Scrapping Clearly online store, pop over and have a look - there are LOTS of goodies to tempt you! And stay tuned, because I have a few more guest designer projects to share with you.
Until next time, happy scrapping! X