Stash Busting: Frames

If you're like me you probably have a pretty decent stash of scrapbooking supplies- and most likely somethings more than others. In my stash one of those things is frames. I love having frames to add a home on my page as a feature, a home for my title or some embellishment feature, or just to frame an image. But I always seem to end up with a bunch of frames that are just too small for my photos or titles or just don't work for whatever reason. I gathered a bunch together in similar colours and tones from a couple of Cocoa Vanilla lines and found a fun solution.  Apologies for the quality of the photos I was scrapping at night so the light wasn't great for photography.

Here's my initial plan with the 9 frames I started with. There's a few gaps and it's not quite balanced. Nothing is stuck down yet.

I carefully added some light pencil marks and lifted my photo off.

I trimmed off the parts of the frames that would be hidden under the photo and used those off cuts to fill the holes and add the balance I needed.

 

Here's the 'behind the scenes' shot. My adhesive of choice for sticking photos and paper down is Henzo photosplits- they are just what I started with 22 years ago and I am a creature on habit in this case... so all those little blue tabs are photosplits. Some of the frames were chipboard so I glued them with Tombo Mono multi green.

Here's the completed page- once again apolgies for the photo quality. 

  Supplies used: Paper, Frames here and here, Flowers here and here, title: Always, Family, Flair, stickers, word art Expressions, Nuvo drops.

New Stock, just arrived!

Just arrived - New range from Colour Blast - Arty Farty Collection.

This new range is full of beautiful colours and quirkiness... Find the range in store here - Art Farty

Quick Tip: Paper Strips

Buy a cheap vase or spaghetti jar to store your paper strips. Keep it on the corner of your table and then just slip them in with your tidy up at the end of the session. Use them when you need just a highlight of colour on a page. Alternatively layer them, or weave them for a background on your page.

Gallery Pick - Pauline T

Each month on our Facebook chat we host the albums for the monthly and Cybercrop challenges. There is such a great wealth of inspiration in those albums I wanted to pick some scrapbookers work to share each week.

This week we have 3 beautiful layouts from Pauline T from our May and June challenges. Pauline has done some smart scrapbooking by using the same design two ways. Why reinvent the wheel right? Her bold colour designs make her pages look really striking! Her ANZAC page has the same simplicity with the red plus black and white- a perfect combination for her sepia toned photos and her flower and title add curves and softness to a memorial page. Thanks for inspiring us Pauline!

Saturday Share: Wonderful

A dozen ideas for your weekend creating...

1.  Double Mat a photo
2. Use a die cut for a quick title
3. Make a cluster of embellishments
4. Use butterflies for a fun and carefree family
5. Add metallic hints with Nuvo drops
6. Design on a diagonal
7. Use a light patterned paper with a dark photo
8. Don't forget to add a date
9. Skip the journalling
10. Make a feature of a pretty patterned paper by giving it lots of space
11. Use hearts as a motif that represents love
12. Use gold on black for a bold impact

Happy Scrapping! 

Product Spotlight: Cocoa Vanilla Bohemian Dream stamps.

Ever brough a packet of stamps and wondered how you might use them?

I brought these sweet little Cocoa Vanilla Bohemian Dream Stamps a while back here's how I have put them to use...

I've stamped the little twig frame in Blueprint Sketch to match the Navy floral paper onto white cardstock. Then added the 'Love This' word stamp in Vintage Photo Distress ink to tie in with the gold in my title. I've popped it up on foam dots for more dimension.

I've used both heart stamps to make a background on my patterned paper. I opten to use Pumice Stone Distress ink which is a similar tone to my patterned paper. I stamped one heart in Candied Apple red to match my sons shoes in the photo and add some interest by being unexpected.

For this page I stamped the bird stamp in black on some cream carstock. Cut out the bird and nested him in the centre of my flower- looking onto my outdoor scene.
Birds are symbolic of flight, freedom, travel, animals, mothering, and nature. This bird could be given a red chest for a Christmas Robin, or stamped in blue for a 'good luck' Blue bird.
Also think about bird related ideas like:

• A little bird told me
• Twitter/Tweets
• Feathered Friends
• The Early bird gets the worm
• Laving the Nest
• Night Owl
• Lovely weather for ducks
• Taking Flight
• Spread your wings 
• Under my wing
• Birds Eye View
• Free as a bird

I've used the 'Little Moments' word stamp on my labels on this page. This is probably one of the most versatile stamps in the pack. I'd be tempted to mount this one on a block and keep it in a little bowl of stamps I keep on hand for easy use.

Finally I shared these three cards earlier in the week which also use four stamps from this set. 

New In Store: Pink Paislee: Indigo and Ivy

The latest range in store is the delightful Indigo and Ivy line from Pink Paislee. Because of it's neutral base this line has a lot of options and it mixes well with other lines. The almost fabric like patterns give the paper some delcious textures. Flowers, leaves and butterflies add whimsy. This line will work equally well for feminine and masculine pages. You could use it for layouts about the garden, nature, or the beach. The gold elements in the stickers, titles, and phrases give it a pop of glitter and metallac sparkle. I was going to say that the Navy floral was my favourite- but then I remembered those layers of watercolour green and the lovely watercolour blues- and realised there was no way I could pick just one!

Cards

 Three simple cards I whipped up using my scraps and a single stamp set.

Quick Tip: Baking Paper

Keep some baking paper close on hand at your scrapbook table. It's perfect for placing your titles and stickers on so you can see how they will look, or if the will fit in the space on your page. If you decide not to use the sticker/alpha you can easily retrun them to their sheet. 

Love this Boy

 

 I've taken a simple patterned paper and added difference with a repeated stamped image to develop a whole new background. I've picked up the red in my sons shoes to add some interest with disruption of what was expected.

Supplies used: Bazzill Cardstock White, Pink Paislee Indigo and Ivy: Paper six and seven, and Phrases Expressions, Cocoa Vanilla: Bohemian Dream Stamps and Endless Summer Stickers, Tim Holtz Distress Ink: Fired Brick and Antique Linen. 

Gallery Pick - Judy O

 Each month on our Facebook chat we host the albums for the monthly and Cybercrop challenges. There is such a great wealth of inspiration in those albums I wanted to pick some scrapbookers work to share each week. This week we have 3 beautiful layouts from Judy O from our May and June challenges. Judy has such great versatility as a scrapbooker, her designs are lovely and she's great at combining colours and textures.  I hope you're as inspired by these LO's as I am. Thanks Judy for participating!