A couple of "just because" layouts using Vicki Boutin supplies

Hi friends!
I'm popping in today to share a couple of "just because" layouts with you. I recently had a weekend away to enjoy some crafty time at my sister's place. The ability to spend a couple of days crafting with my favourite person, without any cries of "muuuum" or the inevitable distractions of everything that needs to be done around the house is just bliss!

I had very limited time when I packed for the weekend, and one of the things I grabbed was my treasured box of Vicki Boutin supplies. This included my stash of the "Let's Wander" collection, that I unashamedly admit I had been hoarding. To "break the ice" I decided to start with a quick A4 sized layout featuring my sister and I.

"Remember This Happened"...

(Click on photos for a better view)

I love this selfie of us that I took when we went to see Bohemian Rhapsody at the movies. We are both huge Queen fans, and love a good dress-up as well. (We've also been known to whip out moustaches and bust out Bohemian Rhapsody at random times.)

To create this layout I started by adding a splash of colour to my white cardstock using my Faber-Castell Gelatos. I simply scribbled the colour where I wanted it to be, then blended it out using a baby wipe. 

I then began to cut into my precious papers - adding a strip of the of the fun glasses print to the top and bottom of my page, and also a smaller strip of the navy abstract print. I then created a simple mat for my photo to sit on, adding a paper doily for extra interest.

I embellished my layout using a combination of die cuts and stickers; added simple typed journalling to tell the story and then finished with small splatters of black ink.
I love how it turned out, I think it's super fun!


Here is my second layout, "Grand Adventure"...



This time I opted for the same size and chose to document some photos of my hubby mountain climbing. I love these photos so much (I get way less scared seeing him like this now), and I love the tones of the sky in these shots that were taken at dusk. They also show some of the beauty of our local area.

Because of the colours in the photos, I was immediately drawn to the ombre style sheet of patterned paper from the 6x8" paper pad that I thought echoed them perfectly. Rather than cut into it, I decided to use it as a whole and simply used my brayer to add some Payne's Grey paint onto the cardstock before I stuck it down on top.

Not wanting to overwhelm the photos, or minimise the impact of the paper, I kept my embellishments relatively simple, again using a combination of stickers and die cuts. I created a small cluster in the top left corner of the page to include the quote that also doubled as my title.

With the exception of the title piece, I deliberately kept the remainder of my embellishments in black and white. This was to ensure that the colour photos and paper remained the focus of the page. I finished my layout by adding a simple doodled border using a Sharpie.

So there you have it - two "just because" layouts using my precious Vicki Boutin supplies. Now I have finally cracked into the "Let's Wander" collection I am keen to get stuck back into it. Stay tuned!
Thanks for stopping by today so I could share these with you. Until next time, happy scrapping! X 

Live in the Moment | Cocoa Vanilla Studio

Hi everyone!
I know things have been a bit quiet around here, I have been super busy the past couple of weeks with lots happening with my boys' birthday, school holidays, etc. So today I thought I would kick off my catch up with a mixed media layout I created for Cocoa Vanilla Studio as part of the recent scraplift theme that our team did. For this theme we were challenged to choose a layout from all the International Scrapbook Day challenge entries to inspire us to create our own version. There were so many amazing layouts I found it really hard to choose, but I kept coming back to this super cool page by Rachel Dutko...

There were so many elements I just loved about this page - the textures of the torn, layered papers; the eclectic mix of embellishments; the use of white space; and the touch of mixed media - it just drew me in. For my scraplift, I really wanted to capture some of Rachel's main design features, whilst still creating a layout that was my own style. I even decided to re-visit one of my all-time favourite collections, 'Bohemian Dream'.

Here is my layout...
(Click on photos for better view)

I decided to create my page with a similar theme to Rachel's, by documenting a selfie and focusing on the message of being yourself and unique. (This pic probably accurately represents me...haha) I then grabbed some white cardstock and added a splash of colour, just as Rachel had on hers. I used blue and purple Distress Oxides, which I mixed with a little water and then applied to my cardstock to achieve an abstract watercolour background.

Next, I chose three patterned papers, which I tore and layered across my page. The papers I used were Dreamer; Gypsy Heart; and Abstract. I also added a few torn pieces of a washi tape sticker from the 'You Rock' collection and an extra paper strip cut from the reverse of the Dreamer paper.

Just as Rachel did, I used two layers of paper to mat my photo (these were from the 'Bohemian Dream' 6x6" paper pad); along with a small yellow paper doily and some frayed gauze for texture. I then began working on the embellishments to cluster around my photo. 

I had a sheet of the gorgeous floral print Abundant paper that I had already cut into previously, so I fussy cut three floral pieces to tuck into the layers around my photo, adding a couple of extra little leafy branches from the Die Cut Ephemera pack. 

Then it was time for a little stash-busting treasure hunt as I looked through my stash of Cocoa Vanilla embellishments for some extra bits and pieces. I found a couple of gorgeous blue paper flowers I had left over from the 'Hello Sunshine' collection that matched with my blue ink perfectly, so I added those to my clusters, tucking the edges under my photo. I also found some cute little blue puffy stickers from the same collection, so onto the page they went too. 

The one of a kind Flair Button that I added to the corner of my photo was from the 'Bohemian Dream' pack, and was perfect for my page theme! The small mint acrylic heart was left-over from the 'Free Spirit' collection; and I also used some blue enamel dots from 'Life is Beautiful'. 

Rachel had some pretty little butterflies on her page, so I had to include some on mine too. (I know, since when do I need an excuse for butterflies, right?!) I added a blue one from the 'Bohemian Dream' chipboard near the top of the page; then a smaller pink one from the Die Cut Ephemera pack near to the bottom. 

To finish off, I added the live in the moment sticker for my page title (popped up on a little foam tape), and a few small phrases from the Accessory Sticker sheet. A little splatter of some navy mist and I was done. 

A big thanks to Rachel for inspiring me with her fabulous layout, I am really happy with how mine came out. (Even though I am clearly incapable of showing the same level of restraint that I so admired about Rachel's page...haha)

Until next time, happy scrapping! X

Lucky You | Dust It Off Challenge | May Homemade Kit

Hi everyone! Today I am back to share another layout using my May homemade kit, and yes, it's another birthday layout! My wonderful hubby recently celebrated his birthday (just a quiet one at home), so I took the opportunity to snap a couple of photos of him with the kids when he sat down to open his presents.  

Here is my layout, "Lucky You"...

(Click on photos for a better view)

Besides creating a birthday page (so I could tap into some of the celebration themed embellishments in the kit), the only other idea I started this layout with was to use one of the sheets of Kraft cardstock I had included. (Yes, Tam Buckler - I used the Kraft!) I figured the best way to tackle the Kraft cardstock was by using the acrylic paints that were also in my kit. 

I used a spatula to smear some white, aqua and metallic gold paints randomly around my page, leaving some parts a little "chunky" for added texture, and then left my page to dry overnight. 

Once dry, I added some stencilled detail to the background using the Crazy Quilts Calm & Frenzy stencil from StencilGirl that I had included in my kit. I used a sponge dauber and some grey ink to add subtle depth, then I also added a little bit of stamping using black ink and my fave Doodle Dots stamp from Viva Las VegaStamps. 

I then began creating some papery layers, starting with a printed paper bag from my stash (it wasn't included in the kit but sometimes you have to take a little creative license, right?) It featured a gorgeous triangular pattern in shades of blue and I decided I had hoarded it for way too long! In addition to the paper bag, I decided to use tags instead of patterned paper on this page as this was also one of the items in the kit. I used a large foiled Kraft tag from Heidi Swapp, as well as some smaller printed tags from Rosie's Studio and Pretty Little Studio and tied the tops of each one using different coloured twines. 

To draw in some more gold onto the page and add extra interest to my layers under my photos, I also added a gold foiled chipboard frame from Crate Paper. Then, once my photos were in place it was simply a matter of adding my embellishments.

From the Crate Paper 'Confetti' chipboard sheet I used the large aqua balloon and the gold bow. From the Vicki Boutin 'Color Kaleidoscope' Thickers, I used the small memories tab, the circular arrow piece, the you are loved label, and the super cute teal bunting (which I cut into two pieces and placed either side of my bottom photo).

I also used a D-lish Scraps flair button; phrase stickers from a Simple Stories Carpe Diem sticker pack; a puffy heart sticker; and then finished off with the fabulous Studio Calico gold chipboard asterisks that I scattered around the page. Some quick handwritten journalling details and a stamped date and I was done!

So what do you think? Did I do the Kraft cardstock justice? 

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

Hooray | Dust it Off challenge | May Homemade Kit

Hi friends! I am back again today with another layout using my May homemade kit. (Yes, I know it's June but May totally got away from me with the kids at home, and I am determined to use this kit I put together!) For this layout I decided to focus on the 12x12" chipboard sheet I had added into my kit, which was from the 'Confetti' collection by Crate Paper and scrap a birthday themed page. As my daughter recently celebrated her 12th birthday, I had some fresh photos and thought I would document a couple of her with her birthday cake. 

One of the other items in the kit was acrylic paints, so I thought I would put them to work and create a quick background with them. Using a sheet of white cardstock and my brayer, I simply rolled on some paint working from top to bottom and allowing the paint to fade away naturally towards the bottom of the page. The colours I used were a Mont Marte Dimensional paint in 'Naples Yellow' (these are beautiful full bodied paints); and 'Aquamarine Dream' Flutter Colour paint mixed with some Naples Yellow to get that gorgeous sage green. I then allowed my paint to dry naturally whilst I started working on my layers. 

I gathered together a variety of Crate Paper patterned paper scraps from my kit and layered them up with a small paper doily to form the matt for my photos. I also added a little frayed gauze on top then stapled the whole stack to my page. 

To embellish my layout I used some stickers from a small Webster's Pages sticker sheet that had a celebration theme, which I tucked into my layers above my photos. I also used a few pieces from the Crate Paper 'Confetti' chipboard sheet, including the candles, small heart, and the numbers for my daughter's age.

To the left of my photos I used a handmade chevron embellishment from Charms Creations, which I topped with the big smile phrase from the chipboard sheet. To the cluster on the right side I also added a flair button from Cocoa Vanilla Studio and a printed acetate heart from Heidi Swapp.

To finish off my page I used the vellum hooray title from the 'Confetti' ephemera pack; a couple of die cut butterflies from my Reject Shop ephemera pack; a fussy cut butterfly; and some small Carpe Diem tiny phrase stickers. I then stamped the date and a few tiny black ink splatters.

I love how this birthday themed layout came together and the fact I got to use up some things that I have been hoarding for FAR too long! 

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

You Are My Sun | Cocoa Vanilla Studio

Hi everyone! Today I am sharing a mixed media layout I created recently for Cocoa Vanilla Studio using the 'Legendary' collection. I had these two cute photos of my equally cute boys dressed and ready for their end of year party day at school. 

Here is my layout "You Are My Sun"...

(Click on photos for a better view)

I began my page using a sheet of white cardstock and some 'Mowed Lawn' Distress Oxide. I used my go-to method of applying the ink to my messy mat, adding a little water, and then laying the cardstock over the top to absorb the ink. I then allowed it to dry before I repeated the process with some blue ink, then added some stamping with black ink using a stamp from Viva Las VegaStamps that featured tiny stars.

Once the inks were dry, I added a small tear along the top edge of the cardstock, then folded the edges of the tear back and fastened with tiny staples. I then backed the tear using some of the green print from the cut apart Total Legend paper. To balance it out, I then added a torn piece of the green striped print from the Explorer paper, adding a little torn marble print washi tape from my stash over the top.

 I then turned my attention to the main focal area of my page, adding pieces of layered papers to create a photo mat. The papers I used included the blue star print from the Offbeat paper; more of the green stripe; the bold orange from the One Way paper; and the multi coloured stars of the All Star paper. I also added some more of the torn washi tape, frayed gauze, and a charcoal coloured paper doily from my stash.

After fastening all my layers in place and then adding my photos on top, it was time to get busy embellishing! The first piece I added was my title piece, which I fussy cut from the Epic Tales cut apart paper. I don’t tend to add my titles before other embellishments, but because this was a large piece and it had to be placed to the left of my photos (to hide the straight edge along the right side of it), I needed to place it first.

Now it was time to add “the sprinkles” – because that’s what embellishments are, right?! The sweet little morsels we add to finish things off. First and foremost, my layout needed STARS! (What else was I going to use with a title like that?) I fussy cut a handful of various sized stars from the All Star paper and scattered them around my page, bending the points up for extra dimension.

To balance my title, I needed a cluster to the right of my photos so I added a moon, the incredible label and an arrow from the Die Cut Ephemera pack (using foam tape to pop them up a little from the background). Above my photos I added a little star banner (also from the ephemera pack) and the little hey there phrase from the Accessory Sticker sheet. I then finished off my page with a splattering of navy mist.

Thanks so much for stopping by today so I could share this with you, I hope you are feeling inspired to pull out your supplies and get creative to. Until next time, happy scrapping! X

Everyday Ordinary Life | Scrap the Girls June challenge

Hi everyone!

I am popping in today to share my take on the June challenge at Scrap the Girls. This month the challenge is a sketch (which was designed by ME) called "Welcome to the Party", and it looks like this...

And here is my take on it...

(Click on photos for a better view)

When it came to tackling the sketch, I aimed to incorporate the main structures of the sketch which were the vertical and rectangular elements; multiple photos; and embellishments placed to the left, but I used a mixed media background to achieve a more organic overall look. 

I began with my background which was leftover from a bubble painting session I did a little while ago. It was created using a mixture of acrylic paint and dish soap and I just knew the look of all those cells would help soften the structure of the page. Not to mention they immediately make me think of science, which is perfect for a school themed layout. I added further detail by stamping with a jumbled text stamp over the top.

For the papers and embellishments I dug into my precious Vicki Boutin stash, using the Color Kaleidoscope collection. I had already printed my photos in black and white, so aside from working with the blue on the background, I knew I had free run with my colour choices. The first thing I did was look through the collection and gather a few things that I thought would work for the theme of the page.

I started by creating the vertical elements as the base for my page using a piece of paper with patterned strips on it, a small grid print paper bag, and a border sticker featuring arrows. These formed the anchor for my design and gave me a point to build on. I then layered the larger square and rectangular pieces over the top, adding a small paper doily and some frayed gauze, before placing my photos on top.

For the embellishments I used a selection of die cuts from the ephemera pack which I tucked in around my page using the sketch as a rough guide for placement. To the left of the photos I added a Charms Creations handmade star embellishment, which I topped with a cute typewriter flair button. 

For my page title I chose the everyday ordinary life sticker, which I popped up from the page using foam tape. I also added the large die cut arrow to help draw the eye into the action in the main photo - where my daughter and our cat were both using the touch pad on her laptop together (so cute!) I then added my handwritten journalling, stamped the date, and added a few black ink splatters and I was done!

If you would like to play along with us at Scrap the Girls this month and have a go at my sketch I would love to see what you create! Our Aussie sponsor this month is the lovely Paige from BeeArty, and for our international players, our new sponsor Tanya Leigh Designz. 

Until next time, happy scrapping! X

Darling | Dust it Off Challenge | May Homemade Kit

Hi everyone!

I've got another layout using my May homemade kit to share with you today. For this layout I decided to scrap another photo from a recent series I took of my daughter dressed in one of her Cosplay outfits. (I have no idea where she gets her love of dressing up from?! hehe)

Here's a look at my layout...

(Click on photos for a better view)

This page was a little different to my usual style, in that I opted for more dusty, muted tones to work with the vibe of the photo. I began with white cardstock, adding a little bit of pale pink / coral mist by spraying it onto my messy mat and then laying the cardstock over the top to pick up the colour. 

I then went to work on the papers. I chose the peach patterned paper from Crate Paper as the anchor for my design - cutting a piece to run vertically down my page and then layering it with a couple of other papers and a paper doily before adding my photo on top. I then fussy cut the large floral piece from a Heidi Swapp paper (from the 'Wanderlust' collection) and tucked it in under the left edge of photo as a feature.

With all the main components in place, it was then time to add the embellishments. I used a few die cuts from a pack I got from the Reject Shop (a discount store here in Australia, in case any of my international friends were wondering). 

I mixed these with some Heidi Swapp printed acetate hearts, and a Crate Paper vellum heart. The large acetate title that I ran along the bottom edge of my photo was from the Crate Paper 'Confetti' ephemera pack.

I finished off my layout with some tiny splatters of black ink.

And there you have it - two layouts down from my homemade kit and a number of items used that would have otherwise still been collecting dust in my stash. Winning!

Until next time, happy scrapping. X

Epic Wish | Cocoa Vanilla Studio June Challenge

Hi friends!

I am super excited to be sharing this with you today - Cocoa Vanilla Studio now has a new monthly challenge that will be held in our Cocoa Vanilla Studio Community group on Facebook. (Yay!) Each month the design team will take turns to collate a mood board to be used as inspiration and I am so happy to say the June mood board was put together by me!

Here's a look at my "Rustic Trails" board...

And here is the layout I created that was inspired by the board...

I decided to draw on the travel theme that was represented in the board by documenting a selfie I took at the Grand Canyon. This was taken at the moment I first walked up to the edge, and was a moment I had dreamt of for most of my life. The Grand Canyon had long been #1 on my travel wish list, so to finally be standing there was almost beyond belief (and may have even caused me to shed a few tears). 

I began my layout with the wood grain paper from the 'Legendary' collection, which was inspired by the image of the gorgeous timber table on the board. (I love this paper so much!) I then set about adding some paper layers. First, a piece of the map print, which is the reverse side of the wood grain on the Outdoors Type paper. I trimmed down a rectangle shape so that there was only a little green showing and it was largely the warm, earthy orange tone I was looking for.

Continuing on with the wood theme, I used the white wood grain paper from the 'Wild at Heart' collection to mat my photo. I added a second layer, again using a paper from 'Wild at Heart', that featured a pretty blue watercolour to tie in with the blue sky in my photo. I also tucked a grey doily into my layers before stapling the stack together and sticking it onto the page. To add some texture, I added frayed gauze, then stuck my photo down on top. 

Now it was time to draw in those beautiful rustic flowers from the board by adding some fussy cut floral pieces. I used a floral paper (again from 'Wild at Heart'), and tucked them in under the edges of my photo to frame it. 

At this point, I really wanted to add an extra floral element, and I also wanted to draw in the white from the board, so I used the beautiful 'Bouquet' cut file from Cut to You. This is a fairly large piece, so I actually cut it into sections so I could tuck it into my layers and add to the diagonal flow of the page. I topped the cut file with a couple of vellum flowers from the 'Love Always' collection.

Now it was time for some smaller embellishments. First my page needed a title, so I used the word EPIC from the 'Legendary' die cut tile words combined with the wood veneer word wish from the 'Make a Wish' collection. I really wanted to draw in the hearts from the board, so I also added a few wood veneer hearts from the same pack, a Charms Creations handmade heart and a few white cardstock hearts I had left over from previous cut files. 

I found the perfect flair button in my stash to pop on top of the Charms heart, which came from the 'Made of Awesome' collection. (This boy collection is no longer available in physical form, but you can purchase it as a digital bundle to print and cut yourself at home HERE)

I finished off with some splatters of gold Heidi Swapp Color Shine and some splatters of 13Arts white acrylic ink. (And yes, some of them got on the photo but I don't care - I was standing in the snow anyway!)

If you would like to watch this page come together you can check out my process video on my YouTube channel here:

That's all from me today. If you love the look of my "Rustic Trails" mood board and would like to join our challenge, make sure you are a member of the Cocoa Vanilla Studio Community group. Simply upload your entry into the challenge album there to go in the running for a $25 store voucher.

Happy scrapping! X