Today Layout

Hello friends! Are you ready for summer? I know I sure am because the summers are so short and the winters are so long where I live. I wanted to celebrate summer so I thought today I would share more of a mixed media layout. I created this summery layout for A Flair For Buttons.

I added the pink "Live" flair button from the Inspirational Words set

and the orange "Good Life" flair button from the My Life Flair Set 4 set to the middle of two of my flowers.

To create the 3 dimensional flower background, I found a beautiful cut file designed by the talented Bea Valint and cut it on a 12X12 inch piece of white textured cardstock with my Silhouette Cameo.

After it was cut out, I took my Faber Castell Gelatos and scribbled the lipstick type tubes of creamy goodness onto my craft mat and spritzed some water on each color and with a fairly thin paint brush, I carefully painted the petals and leaves.

Once the petals and flowers were dry, I added a darker shade of color to the inside of the pedals and once again let them dry. To make them even more dimensional, I bent each petal upwards to make them pop out even more.

I also added another piece of white cardstock to the backside so that the bent petals wouldn't show through to whatever surface was behind it.

Next I added a 2X3 black and white photo that I popped up with dimensional foam squares and matted on some pink paper from the Pink Paislee Moonstruck Collection and I also added a small paper doily behind the matted photo to soften the photo and separate the background more from the photo. I didn't want to have too many embellishments to this layout because I wanted the floral watercolor background to be the focal point of the layout so I added some gold foam stars, enamel hearts, chipboard stickers and the black foam phrase "Today" for my title. I quite often like to add a pop of black to my designs because I think it completes the layout.

I am very happy how this layout turned out. These colors speak to me and flowers are one of my favorite things.

Thanks for stopping by and be sure and check out all the flair buttons in the A Flair For Buttons shop. Have an awesome day!

Flair Buttons On This Layout

Inspirational Words

My Life Flair Set 4

Easter Memories

Hello friends! I'm back with another layout today for My Creative Scrapbook using the fabulous May Main Kit.

I wanted to create a custom background for this page so I began with a white 12X12 piece of white textured card stock that I brushed completely with some clear gesso. Gesso works like a paint primer and gives the surface some toothiness so that paint adheres better to the surface and it also absorbs the paint better so that the card stock doesn't get too saturated from the paint. 

With my Gelatos, which are creamy pigmented sticks that can be used with water,  I painted with the colors light pink, bubblegum pink, yellow, teal, green and light pink across the card stock and let it dry. Once the background was dry, I splattered it with white acrylic paint thinned down with some water and flicked it with a paintbrush.

Now moving on to the title. For my "Easter Memories" title, I used the cut file that was included in the May kits and went ahead and created the large title in the Silhouette Studio software and then cut it out with my Silhouette Cameo first on several different patterned papers and then I offset the letters and and cut it out again on white card stock and placed the patterned paper over the white card stock and added some of the cute Easter buttons to the center of the "a" and two "r's" and stuck them down with glue dots.

With my antique sewing machine, I stitched over the large letters three times with pink thread. This ensures that the letters aren't going anywhere and also gives the layout some texture and a homemade feel. 

I printed the 4X6 photo of these cuties and tucked it inside the "Easter" and the "Memories" words of my title.

Some phrase stickers, were added to the bottom of the page as well and the glittered wavy stickers were added to the top and bottom of the page.  I fussy cut out some of the eggs from the patterned paper and added them to the left and right side of the photo with some pop dots to give them some layering and dimension. 

I also added some puffy stickers and some teal glittered triangle stickers to direct the eyes to the photo. 

The bunny stickers were also pop dotted on the left and right side of the "Easter" word.

I hope you enjoyed my layout. It's fun to create custom backgrounds with a little paint and also fun to create a large title for the layout that makes it the overall focal point to the page.

Be sure and order your May kits at My Creative Scrapbook today.  Have a lovely day!

Glorious Moment

Hello friends! Today I am sharing this layout at Just Nick Digital Cut Files of my daughter and her passion for flowers and gardening.   

I began the layout by using the Posie Swag Cut File and cutting it on white card stock with my Silhouette Cameo and then hand stitched the flowers with pink embroidery floss and also the leaves and stems with green embroidery floss. Yes , there is a LOT of hand stitching on this layout, but I find it incredibly fun and relaxing. 

The background paper is a 12 X 12 piece of white textured card stock that I applied white gesso and let it dry. I added a coat of light pink water color paint applied with a water brush. I placed the Posie Swag Cut File that was hand stitched and painted with Gelatos and a water brush on top of the background paper.

I added a photo that was matted with some patterned paper and machine stitched the background white cardstock with a sewing machine onto a piece of Bella Blvd. floral patterned paper to give it a border. A few paint splatters with some Heidi Swapp Colorshine in Navy and some enamel dots from Pinkfresh Studio were added. The title was a die cut that I popped up with some dimensional foam squares and a sticker that I added an arrow sticker and a charm. Finally I took a black fine line pen and added my journaling.

My daughter loves flowers and loves to garden so I thought this cut file was perfect for this layout.

Thanks for stopping by and be sure to check out all the amazing cut files in the Just Nick shop today.

Cut File Used:

Posie Swag

Make Your Own Sunshine

Hello friends! Yesterday I blogged about the new design team announcement at Just Nick Digital Cut Files and for the two weeks or so, each design team member will be sharing a layout to introduce themselves.  Here is my layout:

Flowers are one of my favorite things and I was inspired to create a layout with the Doodle Daisy Background.

I painted the white cardstock background with Gelatos, which are creamy tubes of color that remind me of a lipstick tube.  They come in several colors and can be used as is or with water to give a watercolor effect.  For my layout I used a paintbrush, water and three colors of Gelatos.  I then proceeded to add some splatters of Heidi Swapp Colorshine in navy.

After the background was dry, I cut out the Doodle Daisy Background on another piece of white cardstock with my Silhouette Cameo and then backed each negative shaped petal with some pretty plaid papers from a 6X6 paper pad of Perfectly Plaid papers from Lawn Fawn.  For the solid shaped flower petals, I colored the petals with a Gelato and smudged it with my finger.  I didn't have to use water with this technique.

 To embellish the flowers, I added enamel dots, chipboard pieces or a flair button.

 Here is the fabulous cut file I used for my layout.

Be sure and check out all the cut files in the shop because from now until July 4 you can get them for 30% off and there are hundreds to choose from.  Simply use the code July30 at checkout.  

Have a great day!

Wood Veneers Layout

Hello friends! I hope you are having a fun Saturday doing something you love.

Today I was in need of some serious inspiration as I feel I have gotten myself into a creative rut so I decided to check out a class at Big Picture Classes.  Ashley Horton is teaching a new scrapbooking class called Texture Techniques.

I have always loved Ashley's work and she is one talented girl. When she first started up The Cut Shoppe, I was on her first design team and loved it.  She always has some great ideas..  I would like to hang out in her creative head for a day. LOL.

I have so many wood veneers in my stash and it felt so good to use up a few of them to create this layout of my niece.  She is a barrel racer and cowgirl and the other day I did some scrapbook shopping and found this wonderful scrapbook paper by Authentique.  It's from the Homestead
Collection.  I thought it was perfect for a country/farm theme.

Recently I went to a Crop and Create event and bought some more Gelatos so I colored some of the wood veneers in some colors from the Bright Gelatos pack.  

 I love flair buttons and I have had these flair buttons in my stash FOREVER.  They were from The Paper Bakery.  

This was so much fun to create and it felt good to create for me.  I have been so busy with design team assignments lately which I love, but I also like to try something new too. 

Thanks for stopping by today and enjoy your weekend!

Sk8er Dude Layout

Hello followers! Hope you are having a good weekend so far.  Today I am sharing a boy layout of this handsome little guy Quinn using the Sk8er Cut Files at Just Nick Digital Cut Files.

I chose to use some fun, bright colored patterned paper for my layout.  It is from Bo Bunny's Lil Monster Collection.  

I added lots of flair buttons from A Flair For Buttons and also some machine stitching to give it more texture and interest.

The wood veneer stars and ampersand were altered using Gelatos.  I love the rich color it gives the wood veneers.  They look like a tube of lipstick.  I just color them like I would color a paper and then smudge it with my fingers.  It doesn't need water.

I created a skateboard "ramp" with the patterned paper and machine stitched across the edge and also machine stitched over the diecut title and popped up the skateboarder diecut with foam squares for dimension.

Here is the cut files I used for my layout from Just Nick Digital Cut Files  

Sk8er Cut Files

This was fun to create a masculine layout.  Be sure and check out all the cut files in the Just Nick shop.  There are so many and there are new ones added each week.  

Happy creating!

Practical Scrappers - 10 Things Watercolours

Hello friends!

Today at Practical Scrappers we are sharing a few ideas on using watercolour techniques on your projects.

I chose to create a layout honouring my mom.

  I created a watercolour effect with my Faber Castell Gelatos and an acrylic stamp for the flowers at the bottom of the layout.  The stamp is coloured with various colours of gelatos and then lightly misted with water and then stamped on the card stock.

 The other watercolour technique is the diecut flowers that I cut out with my Silhouette Cameo and then used  a variety of Heidi Swapp Colour Shine Mists.  With this technique first I sprayed some mist onto a splat mat and then took a water brush and painted the flowers, leaves and stems.

 Here are some other photos of my layout.  I misted the "you & me tag" and the "mother" diecut title.  I love Heidi Swapp Color Shine Mists.  They are such pretty colours and I love the pretty shine they have.

I hope I have inspired you to try some stamping with Gelatos and painting with your mists to create watercolour effects on your projects.

Thanks for stopping by and have a good day!