It's the Little Things / Shimmerz Shortz Layout

Happy Weekend!  And Happy Spring Break....yeah!  A whole week of slowing down and not being on such a tight schedule...woo hoo!  Today I'm sharing a bonus layout for Shimmerz that I created for this week's Shimmerz Shortz video.  As part of the Education Team, I create these short videos every Thursday showing how the Shimmerz products work, demonstrating different ways to use them, and offering tips and techniques.  You can find these videos on the Shimmerz YouTube channel as well as my channel.

My focus on this video was to show how you can create a fun background using the black Dazzlerz texture paste.  It's called Licorice Stick, and it's awesome.  I used an alphabet stencil from my stash and a palette knife to smooth the Dazzlerz onto the white cardstock.  It's very striking and bold and looks fantastic!  I then created all that watercolor using Vibez Jeni B Bleu, Coloringz No Yoking & Oh Say Can U Sea, and one of the new formulated Shimmerz paint called Anchors Away.  I finished it off with some Coloringz Night Moves, which is a black spray.

Once my background was finished, I went through my stash and picked out a few papers and several embellishments that matched.  That's a lot more challenging than I thought it would be!  It's so much easier to use a collection, but I didn't do that here.  I pulled a few pieces from Simple Stories Carpe Diem, B-Side from Basic Grey, Captured from Basic Grey, and a few MAMBI stickers.  I also added some yellow thread for more pops of that color.

Here you can see how the thread does a great job of adding color.  I love doing this!  I added a few more MAMBI stickers and that yellow circle is from Simple Stories.

To get that watercolor effect, I used the plastic packaging technique and my water brush.  You get such different looks using the plastic versus the brush.  Both are awesome...it just depends on the look you want :)  That cute flair button is from A Flair For Buttons.

This blue & green striped paper is from Basic Grey Captured, and I added some washi tape, a few more MAMBI stickers and another flair button.

Here's the Shimmerz Shortz video that shares how I created this background.

There are 30 more Shimmerz Shortz that I have created over the last year focusing on lots of different products and techniques.  Be sure to check them out as well as all the other Education Members' videos!

Thanks for stopping by!

You Are Sweet / Hip Kit Club + APRIL KIT REVEAL!

Happy Thursday, friends!  I'm back with another layout share today for Hip Kit Club.  I got in one more layout using the 2016 February Hip Kits.  I still have lots of product left over, so I'm excited to keep on creating with it all!  I decided to create a fun tilted grid design for this, and I've been wanting to use one of those shiny gold Amy Tangerine frames.  They look great in a grid design, and so do the Project Life cards!  I cut two other patterned papers the same size and the grid came together really fast and easy.

Once the grid was in place, the embellishing was really fun.  I used a little bit of mixed media products to create the watercolor look...both of the Shimmerz in the Color Kit plus a few from my stash.  I did lots of machine stitching, and I used bits and pieces from Amy Tangerine, Shimelle, Pink Paislee, Maggie Holmes and Studio Calico.

I just love all of these colors and elements together.  I used some Shimmerz Dazzlerz in Lemon Drop (from the Color Kit) to color the wood veneer heart.  I added pop dots under the Shimelle chipboard flower and that tangled thread is from my stash.  The "favorite" sticker is from the Amy Tan sticker book, and I added some of those beautiful blue circle Thickers.  That amazing gold acrylic heart is from Pink Paislee...I wish I had more of those!

This cute PL card created the perfect space for a title.  I added this "Sweet" foam Thicker and my title was done.  I added a few Maggie Holmes gold stickers and another wood veneer heart to finish that area off.

The bottom left quadrant here contains even more embellishments...the cute "Ciao" frame is Pink Paislee as is the ampersand piece.  More Shimelle chipboard and Amy Tan stickers.  That cute tag is Heidi Swapp, and the enamel dots are from Simple Stories.  The sticker sentiments are from the Dear Lizzy sticker sheet.  Creating this little cluster was so much fun!

Shiny gold....yes, please!  I just tucked my photo inside the frame and stitched it down....it didn't fit perfectly, but I like how it looks.

Here's my process video of this layout being created if you'd like to check it out.  Thanks for watching, and I hope it gives you some fun ideas!

If you haven't seen the 2016 APRIL Hip Kits yet....here they are!  They were just revealed on Tuesday, and they are as amazing as ever.  Be sure to visit hipkitclub.net to get yours before they're gone!

And don't forget about the Hip Kit Club DT Call....you still have time to apply!!  It's a fabulous team, and I know you'd love it!

Thanks for stopping by!

Seriously Cute / The Cut Shoppe

Hey, friends! I hope you had a fabulous weekend!  I'm back today with a new layout for The Cut Shoppe.  I used the new What Goes Around Cut File, and I used the 8.5 x 11 size.  It's a great background file...check it out!

I decided to cut the design on vellum.  I had to be very careful peeling it off the sticky mat because I was using a brand new one.  I used my spatula to help get it off since there were a lot of little pieces.  I used a lot of the new Amy Tangerine Better Together collection.  I backed a few of the circles and left a lot of them empty.  I love how the vellum softens the bright colors.  I also did a bit of machine stitching on some of the circles.

Here you can see the vellum and pretty colors up close.  I added a few paper layers and some tissue paper under my photo.  I cut this cute "oh, hello there" piece from the 6x6 paper pad and then layered a flair button on top of it.   I did pull a few pieces from the Finders Keepers collection and a few stickers from Simple Stories.

I've been hoarding these white Thickers.  I finally broke them open and used this one!  I thought the white blended in too much with the background, so I used some gelatos to give it some color, and then I traced around the edges with a black Sharpie.

Another close up....more layers...more vellum :)

I used some of the Dear Lizzy stickers here...and I stitched through them all.  These seemed to say what I wanted to say, so I didn't do any extra journaling.

Here's my process video for this page if you'd like to see how I created it.  I hope it gives you some great ideas!

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Crazy Fun / Citrus Twist Kits

Hey friends!  I'm back on this lazy Saturday to share another layout for Citrus Twist Kits.  I created this using what I had left over from the February Main "Stories" Kit.  It's my fourth page, so I didn't have much left.  I like how it turned out, and I really wanted to use those Pink Paislee acetate numbers.  Almost everything on this layout is from Pink Paislee.

I did minimal mixed media work here...just a bit of the packaging technique with a few colors of ink sprays and then some splatters around the photo.  My favorite part are those adorable cork clouds!  Those are Citrus Twist exclusives.

I layered a bunch of things here...some of the printable cut-apart sentiments, an exclusive sticker, a Pink Paislee tag and puffy stickers, and and an exclusive cork piece.  It's fun to go through all the embellishments and mix and match them.

These cork clouds were perfect since my photo is of Paige in the pool!  I easily stitched through them with my sewing machine.  I wish I had more of them!

These acetate numbers are so cool!  I just overlapped them and used them all up...no rhyme or reason.  I just liked the way they looked!

One more close up of the left side.  I layered in some tangled thread along with a Pink Paislee cork heart and two exclusive Citrus Twist pieces.

Thanks so much for stopping by today!  I hope this inspires you to use up those last little bits in your kits and create something fun!

Have a great weekend!

Ready to Ride / My Mind's Eye

It's Friday...yessssss!  Fridays just feel good, don't they?  Today I'm sharing my latest layout for My Mind's Eye featuring the new Happy Camper collection.  I'm definitely not a camper, but this collection is great for just about anything outdoors.  We do love to go 4-wheeling around here, so these fun papers and embellishments were perfect for this picture of Reese on the Honda.

I used some spray inks, watercolors and acrylics on my background.  I really wanted to pull the pretty aqua color from the papers and stickers, so I smudged a lot of acrylic paint down using an old gift card.  I cut a cute arrow die cut from The Cut Shoppe on my Cameo and used that as a big background design piece.  I love how the pattern is choppy and scattered yet the arrows are still visible.

I used a combination of stickers, die cuts, rub-ons, wood veneer and flair here...all bits and pieces from this collection.  I love the neutral colors...definitely perfect for outdoor photos.  I love the rub-ons (as usual), and that pretty feather on the brown sticker is one of them.

I love how this cut file turned out.  I stitched through each row of arrows with gold thread and then added more under my photo & layers.  I added more stickers and pieces down at the bottom.  I love how the paint looks under the arrows!

These feathers are beautiful, and they are die cuts.  I love the pops of color, and they layered under my photo perfectly.

I layered more stickers and wood veneer here.  My title is a combo of alpha stickers and patterned paper.  I cut "Ride" on my Cameo and then added my journaling under it.

One last close up of the top...those little birds are rub-ons!  Aren't they so cute?  I used one of the date stickers here since I already had a few other circles on the page.  I finished it off with some navy blue Color Shine.

I had a great time creating this page...I hope it gives you some ideas on what you can do to scrap some of your outdoor activity photos!

Thanks for stopping by, and have a great day!

Hooray For Hilarious Moments / Hip Kit Club

Happy Thursday, friends!  I have another layout for Hip Kit Club to share with you today.  I'm still using the 2016 February Hip Kits...and I'm definitely not getting tired of all these gorgeous goodies!  I wanted to go bright and bold with this one, and I started with this multi-colored dotted paper from Pink Paislee as my background.  As usual, I added some white gesso first.  All the background watercolor look is from a few Shimmerz products, including this month's Lemon Drop Dazzlerz and last month's Pucker Up Pink Dazzlerz. 

I used one of the 4x6 Project Life cards as a starting point and then layered a few more behind that and kept layering other papers and things behind that.  I used that yellow sunburst chipboard frame from the Shimelle pack as a layer as well as a few Amy Tangerine stickers.  I stitched through a lot of it and then added a lot of Thickers at the bottom for my title.

(My mom and my sister might kill me for sharing this picture...haha!  We were together waiting for a concert to start at our local Strawberry Festival last year, and we just had to get goofy and take random silly selfies! :D )

Seeing all this amazing color together makes me so happy!  I combined lots of Thickers and stickers here.  I just love those blue circle alphas, and the Shimelle multi-colored ones are amazing!!  I used alphas from the Amy Tan sticker book to spell "moments."  My journaling fit nicely underneath it.

Swoon over the colors here!  I used a stencil from a past kit and the pink Dazzlerz here...that texture paste gives such an awesome finish!  I used some of the Amy Tan floral paper here, a few of the Pink Paislee cork & gold hearts, and some of the shiny gold stickers from the Maggie Holmes Bloom sticker sheet.

Black foam Thicker words...enough said!  Give me more, please!  That cute arrow is from the Amy Tan sticker book, and the "yep, this is great" is from the Dear Lizzy sentiment sticker sheet.  I love that you can stitch through chipboard Thickers with a sewing machine!

Those faces....faces only our mother could love....haha!  I created lots of layers here with papers, PL cards and stickers.  I love how it all turned out!

Here's my process video if you'd like to see how I put this page together from start to finish.  I hope you enjoy it!

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

Take Me Here Again / A Flair For Buttons

Happy Tuesday, friends!  I have a new layout for A Flair For Buttons to share today.  It was up on the blog this weekend, and I used some flair from two of the newest Summer sets...Enjoy Summer 1 and 2.  They are perfect for beach photos, and so I scrapped this picture of my husband and me in St. Maarten.  I used the Simple Stories You Are Here collection...it's a perfect match for these flair!

I used one of the large 6x12 cut apart pieces for the bulk of my background and then used a bit of white gesso and aqua acrylic paint.  I layered in a beautiful cut apart piece...the palm trees and sky.  I wanted it as a loose layer behind my photo.  I used a few die cuts and stickers to embellish.

I love layering thread under my flair.  This one is a favorite...it reminds me of sand.  It's perfect for beach photos.  The neutral color makes it work with so many colors.  I couldn't resist adding these pretty floral die cuts here...they're so tropical :)

I used this die cut as part of my title.  I cut it a long time ago and I finally decided to use it.  I colored it a little bit with some ink and layered this cute camera flair over it.  Again, I added some tangled thread.

Isn't this ombre flair so pretty?  It matched the blues in my papers, and to break up the blues, I layered it on top of this orange heart with pink thread.

One last close up of the top of the layout...I layered a few sentiment stickers and a die cut.  I stitched through it with aqua thread and also layered some under the photo.

Here are the flair sets I used:

Enjoy Summer 1

 

Enjoy Summer 2

 

There are so many new sets in the A Flair For Buttons shop....go check everything out!

Thanks for stopping by, and have a great day!