Today Was Fun / Hip Kit Club + DT News

Hello again, friends!  I'm sharing my newest layout for Hip Kit Club.  I used the beautiful 2018 February Hip Kits, and I also used one of the new heart cut files.  I decided to try something different here and I cut it on black patterned paper instead of my usual white cardstock.  At first I wasn't sure I would like the end result, but I wound up loving it!

I sifted through all the patterned papers in the Main and Paper Kits and chose small sections of them to back the open hearts.  This color scheme turned out so pretty.  I used a sheet of the mint cardstock from the Cardstock Kit as my background.  I coated a lot of it with white gesso using a palette knife and then used the items from the Color Kit to create all that messy color.  I used the Cracked Pistachio Distress Oxide with a blending tool as well as watering it down with plastic packaging.  I also used the Peony Blush Dylusions, and I mixed the Dina Wakely Lemon Acrylic Paint with some of the Peacock Feathers Distress Oxide.  (That one came in the November Color Kit).

To add even more detail, I machine stitched around each heart using a mint colored thread.  I also popped up the cut file with some adhesive foam.  I think adding dimension can make all the difference :)  I embellished here with some of the Pinkfresh Studio die cuts and a wood button.

I love these leave die cuts from Pinkfrehs...such a rich green.  I also used a few pieces of the Paige Evans Pick-Me-Up Chipboard Stickers.  That little white heart with black dots is one of the epoxy stickers from Pinkfresh Studio.

I used some of the Pick-Me-Up Rub Ons around the page as well.  They rub on so smoothly!  I also added in some various colored thread to add pops of color and texture.

I love this photo of Reese...she just looks so adorable :)  I used some of the Pinkfresh Studio smaller black alphas here at the bottom. That black and white striped scalloped sticker is from the Pinkfresh Leatherette Stickers, and the hearts on the right are from Amy Tangerine.

I finished my title with some of the Pick-Me-Up Mini Thickers.  They are my favorite because they're small, they're foam, and you can easily color them if you want.

Here are a few more close-ups because I just couldn't stop taking them...haha!

This was a lot of fun to put together...I hope you are inspired in some way!  Be sure to check out my process video if you'd like to see this page in action:

And before I sign off for today, the new Hip Kit Club Design Team has just been announced for the new term!  I'm thrilled to stay on again and work with these seriously talented ladies!  Thank you to Kimberly for continuing to put up with my messy shenanigans!

Thanks so much for stopping by, and have a great day!

Bright Sunshiny Day / Paige Evans DT

Hey, friends!  Happy Tuesday :)  I have a new layout to share today for the Paige Evans Design Team.  I used a lot of the Pick-Me-Up Washi Tape Book. I used Paige's Bright Star cut file and enlarged it. I cut it from white cardstock using my Silhouette Cameo and then traced it onto some scrap cardstock. I cut that shape out, layered on strips of the Washi Tape, and then I trimmed it up and attached it to the star cut out. The Washi Tape is awesome because it’s full of colors and patterns and there are even spots with gold foil. Once I got the star finished, I machine stitched through some of the strips and around the perimeter with gold thread. I decided to make my own mixed media background on white cardstock and I did that with clear gesso and several colors of Distress Oxide. I tried to match the colors in the Washi Tape and really make it stand out. I wanted to tuck my photo under the “bright” on the cut file and to make the title stand out I colored it with Distress Oxide as well.

Here you can see the detail of the Washi Tape and how well all the colors work together.  I decided to add some of the moths from Pick-Me-Up Paper 14, so I fussy cut several of those and scattered them around the page. I added some adhesive foam behind the big star to add dimension and some colored thread peeking out from underneath for the perfect finishing touch to the background.

I love the dimension here. The shadow effect is so cool!  Here you can see one of the Rub-Ons and fussy cut moths.  I like to overlap embellishments on top of my photos when there is room, like here on the side.  I love how the stitching turned out, too!

I also added in a few of the Pick-Me-Up Chipboard Stickers and Rub-Ons. I used a larger chipboard moth on the right side and a phrase Sticker here above the photo. There are a few spots around the page where I added some Rub-Ons. Here you can see the subtle star cluster I added above the photo.

I love mixing and matching alphas for titles.  These two Pick-Me-Up alphas are a perfect blend, and it's even cooler when you can work them into your cut file!  This cut file helped me get my title going.

I played off the word “bright” for my title. It’s very textured because at first I colored it pink. It blended in too much and didn’t stand out, so instead of throwing it away and starting over, I covered it with white gesso to make it white again. I went back over it with a yellow Distress Oxide and love how it turned out. Big difference! I completed the title with some of the Pick-Me-Up Mini Thickers and Chipboard Thickers. There’s also another Rub-On peeking out down there!

Here's one more close-up of all the pretty goodness :)

I hope this inspires you to create something fun with the Pick-Me-Up Washi Tape Book!  There are so many possibilities with it!

Check out my process video to see how I created this from start to finish:

Thanks for stopping by :)   And don’t forget to check out Paige’s awesome cut files in the Silhouette Store!

Have a great day!

Love You / Hip Kit Club

Happy Monday, friends!  I am excited to share my first layout today for the Hip Kit Club using the new 2018 February Hip Kits!  They are truly gorgeous (as always).  I am also featuring one of this month’s subscriber cut files designed by Kim Watson.  I cut it twice…once on patterned paper and once on white cardstock.  I wanted to create a shadow effect, and it turned out really cool.  I used one of the Pinkfresh Studio papers from the Main Kit as my background.  I covered a lot of it with white gesso and then used some of the Cracked Pistachio Distress Oxide from the Color Kit as well as some of the Peacock Feathers from the November Color Kit.  I used a small foam blending tool to smudge the ink down dry.  I added some ink splatters using the same Oxides as well as some Shimmerz sprays and some gold Color Shine (most from previous Color Kits).

This cut file is one of my favorites!  It makes a great title as well as nice large design element.  It takes up most of the width of the page, so it made finding a home for my photo pretty easy.  Here you can see how nice it looks over the blue background.  I did stitch through it with gold thread.

To add a rainbow of color here, I traced each open heart onto either patterned paper or a Project Life card.  I cut the hearts out, stitched through some of them, added adhesive foam and thread under them and then glued them down.  I offset them so you can still see the cut file outline behind them.

I created a cute cluster to the right of the photo here.  I fussy cut that beautiful floral element from a Project Life card and added some Pinkfresh Studio embellishments around it.

Here’s another look at it.  I tucked the LOVE circle sticker in there and added a Leatherette sticker under it.

I created another little cluster at the top using a strip of lighter blue patterned paper, some bits from Project Life cards, a Paige Evans Pick-Me-Up Rub-On from the Embellishment Kit and a Pinkfresh Studio wood veneer button and puffy heart.  All the colors of the page are represented here.

Above the photo I added a few more Pinkfresh Studio pieces.  On this label sticker I created a row of chipboard hearts from the Pick-Me-Up Chipboard Stickers.  I machine stitched through those as well.

Here’s one final close-up of the pretty cut file and all the awesome texture and dimension.  I added to the title using some of the Pinkfresh Studio puffy alphas.

I hope this inspires you and gives you some ideas to try with the February Kits!  They are so pretty, and the cut files are so good!  I have a process video here that shows how I created this from start to finish.  I hope you enjoy!

Thanks so much for stopping in, and have a great week!

Good Times / Paige Evans DT

It's Friday....yeah!!  I'm so ready for the weekend :)  Today I have a new layout to share for the Paige Evans Design Team.  I used Paige's new Pick-Me-Up collection, which is just so bright and beautiful.  I often use white or light backgrounds for my projects so I challenged myself to use a dark blue patterned paper as my background for this page. I used Pick-Me-Up Paper 15 and also Paige’s Faux Flower Background cut file. I cut the design first and then left the paper on my Silhouette cutting mat to add some mixed media to it. I first smudged some white gesso over the cut file area with my fingers. I knew I was going to add a lot of color to the page, so I used several coordinating colors of ink sprays over the gesso to create a watercolor effect. Once it all dried, I carefully peeled it off the mat and punched out the shapes. Next, I used nine different patterned papers from the collection to back all of the open spaces.  I love how all the colors pop against the dark blue and all of the ink sprays just add to the color explosion.

For added texture and dimension, I machine stitched through every line of flowers with different colored threads. This collection is excellent for backing cut files because there are so many colors and patterns to choose from. In fact, it was hard to narrow down which papers to use! I used several pieces from the Pick-Me-Up Ephemera Die Cuts to embellish.

To add layers under my photo, I used some pieces from the Journaling Spots and Ephemera Die Cuts. Those floral clusters are my favorite! To the left of the photo I created a small title using the Mini Thickers which are perfect for these dark backgrounds - the white just pops off the page. Then I created a little cluster of goodies underneath it: I fussy cut some small word and phrase bits from the 6x6 Paper Pad. I also added a sticker from the Stickers and a few Puffy Stickers.

I created another fun cluster on the left side of the page. I used more of the Ephemera Die Cuts, Stickers, pieces cut from the 6x6 Paper Pad, as well as a circle element cut from one of the 2x2 Paper Pads.

The Ephemera Die Cut pack has this adorable hat included, and it just happened to fit my daughter's head in the photo...haha.  I just had to add it to her...I think it's cute (and funny!) :)

Here's one more close-up of all the awesome goodies!  I just love the Mini Thickers...they're the perfect size, and if you want to color them, you can!

I hope this inspires you to step outside of your comfort zone and use a dark background! It was a challenge at first, but once I got going with the embellishing, it quickly came together. And it really makes those bright colors stand out!

Be sure to check out my process video here if you'd like to see this page in action :)

Thanks for stopping by!  Have a fantastic weekend!

Love / Shimmerz Education Team

Hey there, friends!  I'm here with a new layout to share for the Shimmerz Education Team.  I used mostly white cardstock on this layout...no patterned paper at all.  I used quite a bit of Shimmerz Inklingz, Creameez and even some Blingz to create this pretty Valentine-themed page.

I began by cutting this cute Flower Heart cut file by Paige Evans on white textured cardstock.  I covered the entire thing with clear gesso before peeling it off the cutting mat.  I used a variety of pink, red and purple Inlingz to paint all the flowers.  I blended colors together.  I used water to help them run together and lighten up in some areas.  I let them dry and then added even more color.  I used Inklingz Hot Stuff, Bahama Mama, Plum Crazy, Beets Me, Lover's Lips and Gosh Garnet.  For the leaves, I combined Creameez Pining for You, Lettuce Get Together and Jolly Green Giant.  I used the same colors on the right side and then added in some splatters from Inklingz Miner Miner 49er.

Once everything dried, I very carefully machine stitched around some of the flowers using gold thread.  I love the texture and extra pop of shine it gives.  Here you can see how the paints shine in light!

I cut a few more flowers in varying sizes and created a cluster here on the right.  I used the same colors to paint these as well.  I used an old Martha Stewart leaf punch for these smaller leaves.  I also tucked in some red & pink thread and a few older gold Amy Tangerine epoxy hearts.

To add some lift to my photo, I added some adhesive foam behind it along with some tissue paper.  I love how this creates such great depth once I tuck bits and pieces under the edge like I did these flowers and thread.  I also machine stitched around the edge of the heart here.

I reached into my stash and found some very old Pinkfresh Studio puffy scalloped border stickers which I tucked in at the top and bottom of the photo.  The color matched perfectly.  See how the Miner Miner 49er shines?  I just love it so much!

Check out these gorgeous colors.  Here you can see on this larger flower the gold hints from the Gosh Garnet color.  It's mixed with Lover's Lips here to create more of a red tone, but the Gosh Garnet is actually more of a pink than red.  And it has gold powder mixed in, so it always dries with a golden shimmer!

Here's another angle of all the dimension on the left side.  I went simple with the title and used a matte gold Thicker from my stash.

One more close-up of all the shine!

I hope this inspires you to create a layout "from scratch" and just paint something pretty with only cardstock.  You don't always need a bunch of patterned paper and embellishments.  Make them yourself...woo hoo!

Check out my video here to see how I made this from start to finish.

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Supplies Used:

Inklingz--Hot Stuff, Bahama Mama, Plum Crazy, Beets Me, Lover's Lips, Gosh Garnet, Miner Miner 49er

Creameez--Pining For You, Lettuce Get Together, Jolly Green Giant

Blingz--Gold Glimmer

Crazy Love / Hip Kit Club

Happy Tuesday, friends!  It's a great day because it's my birthday...woo hoo!!  I wanted to share my newest layout for the Hip Kit Club today featuring the 2018 January Hip Kits.  This week's theme is "love and hearts," so I picked out lots of heart goodies from the kits.  I was thumbing through the Project Life cards and found one with a tic-tac-toe design on it.  I was inspired to create my own grid design and use my photos as the diagonal focus.

I used some of the Tutu Pink cardstock from the Cardstock Kit as my background.  I used a palette knife to scrape some white gesso over the paper and then lightly drew a grid design of nine squares.  I used the Distress Oxides from the Color Kit to add lots of watercolor goodness to the background.  I also added in some Shimmerz sprays from past Color Kits to add some color variation.  Once that dried, I machine stitched along the lines with black thread.

I used a heart punch from my stash to create four large hearts.  I used a few of the patterned papers from the Main Kit and added lots of embellishments.  I used several pieces from the Crate Paper Main Squeeze collection and some dimensional hearts from Pinkfresh Studio.  I also added a few of the Vicki Boutin watercolor stickers, which I colored blue.

I really love a grid design like this because you can "decorate" each square as a separate mini layout.  Here I machine stitched around the big heart and then added a Main Squeeze die cut.  I actually trimmed it down because it's quite big.  I punched some smaller hearts from patterned paper and then touched it up with some Pinkfresh Studio Puffy Heart Stickers.

How cute are these Crate Paper gold hearts?!  I created a little banner with them and then stitched through them with gold thread.

I love all the dimension from all of these bits and pieces!

This paper here is from Crate Paper Main Squeeze and it's only in the Paper Kit.  I cut "You Rock" from a Crate Paper Good Vibes paper.

I overlapped those awesome red & pink Thickers under the middle photo.  I love the pop of bright red they give!

I hope this inspires you in some way.  Grid designs are awesome, and I find them really fun to make and embellish.  Check out my process video here to see it come together.

Thanks so much for stopping by!  Have a great day!