Today Carpe Diem / Shimmerz Paints

Hello, friends!  I'm back with a new layout for Shimmerz Paints featuring lots of yummy Shimmerz :)  I pulled out the Simple Stories Carpe Diem collection from 2016 and built my color scheme from that.  I first started by fussy cutting the large floral cluster & days of the week circles from patterned paper.  I chose matching Shimmerz to add to the background.

Colors Used:
Vibez--Elfin Magic, Palm Reader, Glorious Day
Spritz--Cotton Candy, Caribbean Sunset, Granny Grey
Creameez--Boogie Boardin' Blue, Refresh Mint

My background is thick white cardstock, which I coated with clear gesso first.  Once I arranged the circles and decided where my photo would go, I  started adding color.  I wanted the colors to look like they were running from each circle.  I sprayed each color on to some plastic first and used a brush to paint it on like watercolor.  As each layer dried, I did spray a few directly on to the paper.  I used a brush to paint on the Creameez since they come in little pots.

I love how these soft muted rainbow colors blended into each other in such a subtle way.  That happens because of gesso :)  I popped up all the circles to create some dimension.  I just got my hands on some beautiful Kerri Bradford alpha stamps, and I used them here to create a large title.  Since this collection is all about seizing the day, I wanted a smaller title of Carpe Diem below the large title.  I used some older Bella Blvd alphas stickers for that.

I did a lot of fussy cutting here...florals and feathers.  I almost didn't add the feathers, but they matched so well.  I liked how they looked cascading down from the circles.  The larger ones are from the Sticker Sheet, and the smaller ones were from the 6x6 Paper Pad.  I added adhesive foam behind them as well as some yellow and blue thread.

I love the different shimmer effects from all the Shimmerz products.  Here you can see the pretty shimmer from the Vibez.  Since I added water to them, the shimmer was diluted a bit.  Without water added, the shimmer is even stronger.  And I wanted to add that out of all the Shimmerz I have, I didn't have this exact green color.  I mixed and matched two colors to create it.  That's what I love about these paints...if you need a certain color that you don't have, you can use a few to create it.

I added foam under the big floral cluster and then added some stickers to the left of it.

It was a lot of fun to match up the Shimmerz colors to these circles.  I love making color washes like this...just soft colors blended into each other.  I wanted to soften up the colors on the bigger feathers, so I smudged some white gesso over them to give them a faded look.

Here are a few more close-ups of all the goodness :)

Instead of using papers to layer under the photo, I used the Cotton Candy Vibez.

I hope this inspires you today!  It was a lot of fun to make.  Be sure to check out the Shimmerz store to purchase any of the colors used here.  There are also Dotz, Stencilz and more in the store!

Here's the link to my process video:

Thanks for stopping by!

Cut to You Anniversary YouTube Hop / Love Our Crazy Life

Happy Weekend...yay!  I am sharing another layout today that I created for the Cut to You Anniversary YouTube Hop.  Thank you to Gwen again for having me!  Don't forget that throughout July, you can get 20% off anything in the store using the code CELEBRATEMISSY. 

I used the Love Our Crazy Life cut file.  This cut file is perfect if you are struggling to come up with an idea because it gives you the exact spot for a photo.  I cut the design on textured white cardstock first.  I decided to go with a rainbow color scheme (surprise...haha), and so I sorted through some random bits and scraps I had lying around.  I used some Project Life cards, a Vicki Boutin paper, some Heidi Swapp 6x6 papers, and a few from Webster's Pages.  I traced all the letters onto papers and then cut them out.  I wound up adding adhesive foam behind the cut file to raise it up and gluing the letters flat to the background.

I used thick smooth white cardstock as my background, and I coated it with clear gesso.  I lightly traced around the edges of the cut file so I knew where it was going to be.  I used a rainbow variety of Distress Oxides to create the color.  I lightly scraped each color along the tracing of the heart and then spritzed it with water.  I used a brush to help spread the colors and blend them together.  Once that dried, I used a very old thin lined stencil with some modeling paste to create some subtle texture over the colors.  Here you can see the dimension from popping the cut file up...I love that effect!

I embellished with a few fussy cut flowers, some Vicki Boutin die cuts, a piece I cut from a Paige Evans paper, and even some Heidi Swapp heart stamps.  I stamped those onto some scrap white cardstock and then cut them out.

I placed some of the stamped hearts inside the cut file hearts.  I went back and forth trying to decide what to put there and finally decided on these.  I used a black fine tip Sharpie for my journaling.

I dug through a bag of random papers and things that I had on a shelf and found all these goodies I used.  I thought these watercolor flowers were so pretty, so on a whim they made it onto the page.  I also used some matching threads in a few places.

Ahhhhh texture and color...my favorite!  Something as simple as skinny lines can make the coolest results.  I think this was the first stencil I ever bought and to this day it's probably the one I've used the most over the years.  I think it's from Crafter's Workshop.  I got it at a local scrapbook store that closed years ago.  I wound up adding some Maggie Holmes clear stickers in several places, and these black hearts were cut from a Kaiser Craft paper.

I really love how the background turned out.  It is time consuming sometimes to add adhesive foam to back of things, especially something like this because there are so many skinny areas.  But the result is worth it to me.  I love how this looks.

I added some black splatters at the end...some of them spread a bit once they hit the lines.

To add splatters of each color, I used Shimmerz sprays that matched the oxides.  What I didn't plan on was the inks pooling around some of the lines.  I actually love the effect of that even though it was an accident!  I think it adds to the interest a lot.

Here are a few more close-ups of everything :)

 I hope this inspires you today!  Be sure to visit the Cut to You store and check out Gwen's cut files!  I promise you will love them!  Use CELEBRATEMISSY when you check out to get 20% off through the end of July.  Even if you don't have a way to cut these digital files, Gwen will cut them for you and send them!  Great deal!

Here's my process video for this:

Thanks for stopping by, and have a great day!

Feelin' the Summer Vibe / Hip Kit Club

Hey, friends!  I have a new layout to share for Hip Kit Club :)  This is my first page using the 2020 July Hip Kits, and they are full of bright summer goodness.  I was inspired by everything, so it was hard to pick where to start.  I had to scrap a pool photo (of course...haha), and since it had so much blue in it, I chose contrasting colors to design with.

Most of the goodies I used are from Dear Lizzy.  I tore a few pieces of patterned papers to use as part of the background.  I used white textured cardstock for the base, and I coated that with clear gesso.  I smudged some white gesso on the pink paper behind where my photo is.  I used several products on the bottom part here, and it was quite an adventure (you'll see that in my video).  I used the orange and blue Prima Ink Pads from last month's Color Kit.  I pulled in some navy blue Shimmerz from a very old Color Kit to pull in that color.  I used some of the pink Art Philosophy Watercolor from the April Kits...just a big combination of various products to get all those colors.  I even splattered some gold at the end from the Jen Hadfield Gold Glittler Spray from back in November.  It took a while to get it just like I wanted, but in the end I love how it looks behind the title.

I used a lot of the Dear Lizzy vellum stickers as embellishments.  I stuck them to white cardstock first and then fussy cut them so they'd be true to color.  I popped them up with adhesive foam and added some thread. I fussy cut most of the title from Pocket Life cards.  The "summer" I cut from an exclusive die cut.

I fussy cut a few large pink flowers from a Jen Hadfield paper to tuck in around the photo.  I wanted to bring in another pop of the navy blue, so I did that with 

These are more of the Dear Lizzy stickers. I just love the rich deep colors!  At the end of the layout, I added a few Maggie Holmes small phrase stickers.  Behind my photo I layered some white tissue paper and a few Pocket Life cards.

One of my favorite things to do on bold papers is add white splatters.  The easiest way to do that is to water down some white acrylic paint and use a brush to flick it onto the paper.  It dries beautifully, and it really stands out.  Here you can see the softening effect of the white gesso behind the photo.  I just fades out some of the pink color and makes the photo pop a bit more.  I decided to pull in some purple since there is some of that color in her swimsuit.  I used a purple flower on the other side and some purple thread on this side.

Yay for cute flamingos!  I almost forgot to mention that I added some ink to some of these "summer" letters.  I just rubbed the orange & blue ink pads from last month onto the blue and orange letter.  I had originally glued them down, but decided to peel them up and add adhesive foam behind them.  That's why they look a little weathered...haha.

I distressed the edges of the Pocket Life cards here for added texture.  I also added in more of the clear stickers.  I stuck these right to the pink background instead of backing them with white paper.  It just depends on the sticker, the color and what you're sticking it to.  If you can see through the sticker, anything colored is going to change the color once you stick it down.

A few more close-ups of all the pretty goodies!

Oh, I also forgot to mention that I fussy cut the little sun up top from another Pocket Life card.

I hope this gives you some ideas to try with your July Kits...they are chock full of summery beauty.  And there are a ton of summer cut files coming, so be on the lookout for those!

Here's my process video:

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

Just Hangin' / Pinkfresh Studio

Happy Monday, friends!  I'm so excited to share my newest layout for Pinkfresh Studio because I just love it so much!  Surprise surprise...another rainbow page...haha :D  I can't help myself.  This layout was inspired by the 3x4 rainbow card that is part of a 12x12 patterned paper in the Let's Stay Home collection.  I wanted to use it as a starting point to extend the rainbow using inks and watercolors.

I first coated the white cardstock background with clear gesso.  I decided where the card was going to go and then used a pencil to lightly draw the rainbow arcs on both sides of the card.  I used the Mini Ink Cubes to add color.  I just scraped each color right onto the paper and then used a water brush to lightly add water and make the inks run and blend.  I added a bit of the Liquid Watercolors as well to tweak the colors.  Once that dried, I machine stitched through each arc using matching thread. 

I added some sparkle to the rainbow with the Essentials Jewels Mix...these are beautiful flat-backed rhinestones that are the perfect little embellishment.  I matched up the colors and glued those down.  Each color has three different sizes.  I added a blue card behind the rainbow card here and distressed the edges.  I also added adhesive foam underneath to raise it up off the page.

I used the Intricate Mandala Die here.  I cut it on a yellow patterned paper and tucked in two of those.  I went through all the Let's Stay Home stickers and die cuts and used some of those in various places.  I tucked in some tangled thread in matching colors as well.

Ahhhh this just makes me happy!  Rainbows...watercolor...sparkly jewels...my favorite!

I went back and forth with what to add to the open area of the photo here.  I finally settled on this Slow Days die cut.  I actually trimmed it and cut it apart so I could rearrange it for the space here.  I didn't want it too close to her face, so I ran it off the side of the photo.  I created another little cluster here with more stickers as well as some small hearts that I fussy cut from a patterned paper.

I decided to give the rainbow a little bit of a sky, so I again used the Mini Inks and Liquid Watercolors to do that.  I thought the big yellow die piece resembled a sun :)  I free hand cut some cute wonky clouds and popped them up with adhesive foam.  I also added a touch of the watercolor to the edges.

I love how the rainbow extends from the card.  Do you ever get inspired by a single piece on a patterned paper?  Or a die cut?  That is where most of my ideas are generated.  I see one thing and think, "how can I use watercolors or inks to enhance this?"  And thus this rainbow was born :)

I used the small puffy alphas to created my title.  I used pink and light blue since I had yellow and dark blue here in this area.  I used a gold metallic pen for my journaling.

Here are a few more close-ups because I always take a lot :)

I love this Mandala Die...so pretty and detailed!  It  makes a great layer, and in this case....a great sun!

I hope this inspires you in some way today and gives you some ideas to try on your next project.  If you're struggling to come up with an idea, look closely at your papers & embellishments.  See if there's something that sparks interest and build from that.  This entire page started from that little 3x4 rainbow card!

Here's my process video:

Thanks for stopping by, and I'll see you soon!