Remember This | Colour Blast

Hi everyone! 

I've got a mixed media scrapbook layout that was created for Colour Blast to share today - this one is a bit soft and pretty (and probably a bit more minimalistic compared to what I usually do). It features a combination of Colour Spray, Colour Shimmer Spray, and Colour Paste. It also features a photo of my kids that I took at Easter time at school last year.

For this layout I decided to pull out some products that I hadn't used in a while - my sprays. (Since the Colour Artist Inks were released I have tended to use those more often as I like the brighter, more vibrant colours and they also tend to fit better with the techniques I use.) However, I didn't want my older supplies being totally neglected so I decided to re-visit them for this page. 

I began by sticking a stencil over the top third of my page, masking off the areas that I din't want sprayed with the Colour Spray using scrap paper. (I always stick my stencils down with old washi tape, as it makes removal so much easier afterwards.) I started with a light spray of Lagoon, then added a little Saffron over the top. 

Once I had applied a light covering, I carefully removed the stencil and allowed it to dry. You can see how I chose a stencil with a very "organic" pattern, and how when I masked off the top edge I did it with paper torn unevenly to avoid a straight edge along the top.

Next, I want to go for a completely different look in the bottom portion of the page. I selected some complimentary Colour Shimmer Sprays (Deep Water, Sunshine and Apple of My Eye) and applied the spray directly from the bottles using a brush. I added small amounts of colour along the bottom edge of the stencilled section of the page, holding the cardstock vertically and allowing the colour to run down the page. 

I started with the Deep Water spray, then followed with Sunshine and Apple of My Eye. I allowed a short time for each colour to dry a little before moving onto the next one. I also tried to place the colours to limit the amount of blending that would occur, as I wanted each one to be visible. (You can see how they look once dry in the bottom photo below.)

With all my "runs" in place, it was time to work on the line where they met the stencilled pattern above on the page. I wanted to add a little texture, and also define the focal point for my layout, so I chose a stencil so I could apply a single floral line. Just like the sprays I had used, I also wanted a combination of colours so I chose Sunshine, Singin' the Blues and Apple of My Eye Colour Pastes. 

I used a narrow palette knife and started with the Sunshine paste, applying it to the stencil without covering it completely. I then added the Apple of My Eye and Singin' the Blues pastes, filling in the gaps I had left and overlapping the colours. 

The result was a gorgeous mix that showcased all three colours within the stencilled design, and blended perfectly with the sprays I had already applied to the page. I then left the paste to dry.

Once dry, I was happy with my background and set about creating the structure of my page. Again I did some stash-busting and used some older supplies (this time some scraps of a Jillibean Soup collection from long ago) that matched perfectly with my colour palette.

I added a torn strip of paper along the focal line of my page, as well as a couple of strips along the top edge of my page. I then used various pieces of paper, along with coordinating die cuts and stickers to create layers under and around my photo. 

Next, I fussy cut a number of butterflies from one of the patterned papers, which I adhered along the paint runs in the bottom section of the page. I stuck each butterfly by the middle section only, allowing me to bend up the wings away from the page to give it dimension.

To help balance out all the butterflies in the bottom section of my page, I also added a small embellishment cluster near the top edge of my layout. 

To finish off my layout I used a roller stamp and some grey ink to stamp out the word smile repeatedly near the butterflies. 

That's all from me today, thanks for stopping by. I will be back soon with another project to share. 

Until then, happy scrapping! X

Easter Selfie | Colour Blast

Hi everyone!

Popping in with my latest Colour Blast design team project for you. Today I am sharing a mixed media scrapbook layout that features a combination of Colour Spray, Colour Paste, Colour Shimmer Spray and Colour Artist Ink.

I created this page to document a series of fun SnapChat selfies I took with my kids last Easter. (I hadn't intended on taking a series, but once you do it with one of them, they all wanted a turn being a bunny!)

Here is my layout...

And now for my process.

I began this page with a sheet of white cardstock trimmed down to 11x11" as I intended on matting my page using patterned paper. I started by applying some 'Indigo' Colour Spray to my page with a wide brush using a vertical stroke and keeping the top third of my page free from colour.

Once the spray was dry, I added some 'Punch' Colour Paste to my page, which I applied using a palette knife through a heart stencil from Flutterby Designs. I added the paste in three small sections, which I kept fairly close in to where my photos were going to be placed.

Once dry, I added some small pieces of torn washi tape to begin building the structure of my page. At this point my layout was looking like this...

Now it was time for the photos and embellishments. I dug through my stash and found some old Amy Tangerine supplies I thought would work well, so I added a few bits and pieces as layers before adding my photos on top. I then matted my page onto a sheet of coordinating patterned paper. 

As a number of the pieces I had used had gold foil on them, I decided I need to add a little gold to my background to match. I used 'Bling' Colour Shimmer Spray to add some gold splatters, which I did by flicking the end of the nozzle around my page.

Next, it was time for my page title, which I added along with my handwritten journalling, in the bottom right corner of my page. 

I still felt as though my layout needed a little extra "something" to add colour, so I used 'Grass' Colour Artist Ink and a small, stiff brush to add some very fine splatters around my page.

And with that, my page was complete.

You can see how the addition of the green ink worked in with the green that featured in the embellishments, helping to bring all the elements together.

The placement of the 'Punch' Colour Paste above and below the photos helps to draw the eye through them.

This was a fun page to put together for some fun photos. I hope I have inspired you to get some of your own memories documented too. 

Until next time, happy scrapping! X 

Bloom and Grow | Cocoa Vanilla Studio

Hi everyone!

Today I have something a bit different to share with you - a whimsical style page I created recently for Cocoa Vanilla Studio using the gorgeous 'Midnight' collection and a fabulous Cut to You cut file from Created by Gwen. 

The inspiration for this page came when I took this photo of my daughter in her new swimmers. The sun was shining on her face and her legs were in shadow; and as soon as I saw it, I immediately thought of the stunning 'Sunset Strip' paper from the 'Midnight' collection. (Please tell me that I am not the only one who sees a photo and it makes them think of paper that would match?! haha)

So my page began with a sheet of 'Sunset Strip' as my base and a sweet photo of my daughter. I wanted to remove as much distraction as possible so I fussy cut around her silhouette to remove the background from the photo. Looking at it made me think about how quickly she was growing up, and blossoming - so the idea to turn her into a flowering plant was born.

I decided to use the 'Open Leaf' cut file from Cut to You as my branches / wings and coloured them using Ranger 'Stormy Sky' Distress Oxide. (If you don't have a cutting machine, you can purchase these cut files already cut HERE and Gwen will send them to you!) I then backed them using the beautiful tiny floral pattern on the reverse side of the 'Inky Depths' paper and set them aside. 

I used the gorgeous little mason jar from the Chipboard Accents pack as my "pot", and then placed my photo so she was growing from it; adding the sweetness label from the Die Cut Ephemera pack and a little chipboard heart on top. I then created a little layered "garden" around my pot using assorted blooms from both the ephemera and chipboard accent packs. 

I then tucked the two branches in behind the photo, positioning them so that they would look like a pair of wings. I then cut a small floral feature from one of the ephemera pieces, placing it on her head like a flower crown and topping it with a small chipboard heart. I also added some extra leaves from the ephemera pack, tucking them in around the edges of the wings.

I used the bloom and grow piece from the ephemera pack as my page title, adding it in the bottom right corner of my page. I then added a few flowers from the Clear Stickers pack to the edges of the wings, and two little heart stickers to the points where the wings joined her body.

I used some small word stickers from the Accessory Sticker sheet to add the sentiment onto the wing, and a small butterfly sticker just beneath it. 

To finish off my page I splattered some Colour Blast 'Bubblegum' Colour Spray, and added a scattering of pale blue sequins that I had left over from the 'Hello Lovely' collection in my stash. 

That's all from me today, thanks for stopping by so I could share this with you. 

Until next time, happy scrapping! X

Show Us Ya...Paste | Colour Blast

Hi everyone! Popping in to share my latest Colour Blast design team project with you. For today's post I was inspired to create a page that not only featured Colour Blast products, but a photo of some of the Colour Blast team as well. This snap was taken at a scrapbooking retreat last year, when we were posing for photos and decided to have a bit of fun with our Colour Paste stash.
(I love these chicks!)

I decided to do a bit of stash-busting for this page - using up some old Crate Paper papers and stickers I had in my cupboard. It's amazing how you can give old products a new lease on life by simply adding some mediums to them!

I started my page with a patterned paper background, but livened it up by adding some swipes of Black Heavy Gesso to it. This gave me a clearly defined focal area to work with.

Once the gesso had dried, I added a little extra colour using Sunset Colour Spray and Bling Colour Shimmer Spray by splattering them around my page.

Next, it was time to add some papery layers. I cut a few assorted pieces which I layered together and then secured with staples, then adhered it to my page.

Once I had the paper layers in place; I added my photo on top and then some various stickers around it. I still wanted a hint more colour though, so I took some Rainforest Colour Spray and added some extra splatters before I began adding my title and embellishments.

At this point I decided my layout needed a little more contrast, as well as some subtle texture; so I took my Bling Colour Paste and smeared some around the page using a small palette knife. (And I could hardly have a page featuring a photo of Colour Paste without using it on there could I?)

Let's take a closer look at some of the details.

I used the fun when in doubt, whip it out! phrase stamp from Viva Las VegaStamps! to stamp randomly around the page.

I used foam tape under some of the stickers to give a little dimension.

I also added some scattered enamel dots around my page for a little extra colour and visual interest.

I love a good mixed font title, so I used a combination of Jillibean Soup alphabet stickers and some script style foam Thickers.

That's all from me today. Why not have a look through your own stash and see if you can be inspired to use up some old supplies by mixing them with Colour Blast products?

I will be back again soon with another project.

Until then, happy scrapping! X

Together We Can Rock the World | Flutterby Designs

Hi everyone! 

I am here today to share my latest design team page for Flutterby Designs using the recently released 'We Run the World' collection. This page features a photo of my sister that was taken on a theme night at a scrapbooking retreat. (When we dress up, we ALWAYS commit!)

I started this page using the 'Connie' paper from the 'We Run the World' 12x12" paper pack. Because the paper had such a bold pattern, I used a little 'Arctic White' Flutter Colour paint to tone the pattern down in the centre of my page first. I then gathered together a few different 'We Run the World' Everyday Etc filler cards, which I cut and placed over the paint to create a layered photo mat.

After I had my mat in place, I added one of the tabs from the 'We Run the World' Die Cut Bits & Bobs pack; before sticking my photo on top. I then used a Colour Blast Colour Shimmer Cube to add some watercolour highlights around the edges of my mat.

To the right of my photo, I added the quote from one of the 'We Run the World' Everyday Etc cards, which also served as my title. Above the quote I added the camera sticker which came from the 'Mad About You' Sticky Quotes sheet; and a heart sticker from the 'We Run the World' set. (I popped the heart on a bit of foam tape to give it some dimension.)

Below my photo I added more stickers from the 'We Run the World' collection; before scattering a few tiny hearts from the same sheet around my page.

To finish off, I added some splatters of Colour Blast 'Love' Colour Spray.

(I found it challenging to keep myself from adding more embellishments, but as the paper pattern was so bold I didn't think it needed any.)

Thanks so much for stopping by today so I could share this with you, if you are looking to top up your stash of Flutterby goodies, now is a great time to do it! Anita has just added a new 'clearance' section to the website, and added LOTS of lines to it, so you can snap up plenty of bargains!

Pop over and check them out HERE

Until next time, happy scrapping! X

Bloom Grow | Scrap the Boys January Challenge

Hi everyone - happy new year!

Time for my first design team share of 2018, and I am kicking off the new year with my take on the January challenge for Scrap the Boys. This month's challenge looks like this...

And here is what I created, using a recent photo of my boys from their kindergarten graduation. (I can hardly believe I am saying that and they are about to go to school - it's been a long 5.5 years!)

"Bloom Grow"

As soon as I turned my attention to this challenge, I knew I wanted to use the 'Bohemian Dream' collection from Cocoa Vanilla Studio. (With a floral that good, how could I not?) I kept my page relatively understated, because I wanted to make sure the floral elements would shine.

I started with white cardstock as my base, but left it clean to begin with. I then double matted my photo using the B-side of the Gypsy Heart paper; and the miniature version of the Kaleidoscope paper from the 6x6" paper pad.

I then fussy cut 3 large floral pieces from the Abundant paper that I used to frame around my photo. I also used 3 mini chipboard frames from the 'Wild at Heart' collection that I tucked in behind my photo to add dimension and some structure. I also added the quote piece that was cut from the Boho Bits cut apart paper.

Next, I added some soft watercolour to my background using Colour Blast Colour Shimmer Cubes in Royalty; Lovely Lilac and Singin' the Blues. I used a small brush to apply the colours around the edges of each of the floral pieces.

For my title I used the wood veneer words bloom and grow from the 'Wild at Heart' collection, along with 3 wood veneer hearts; which I inked using a midnight blue ink. I applied the ink roughly, leaving a little of the raw wood grain to show in places to mimic the chalkboard sign in the photo.

To finish my page, I added some small phrase stickers from the 'Bohemian Dream' accessory sticker sheet and a coordinating flair button to one of the chipboard frames. I also stamped some phrases and the date; then added some Indigo Colour Spray splatters.

Thanks for stopping by today so I could share this with you. Don't forget you have until the end of the month to enter the challenge to be in the running for a prize. You can get all the details on the Scrap the Boys blog.
Until next time, happy scrapping! X