Today & Always / Shimmerz Education Team

Hey there and Happy Wednesday!  I have another layout for the Shimmerz Education Team to share.  I recently did a Shimmerz Short tutorial on how to use a brayer to apply paints and sprays to your paper.  I decided to create a layout using a brayer with the original Shimmerz Paints.

I started with white cardstock with no gesso added.  I used four different colors including Tickle Me Turquoise, Key Lime, Bubblegum Blast & Orange Sherbet.  It's so easy to get this look.  You simply spread a little bit of the paint onto some plastic packaging, lightly roll your brayer through it and then lightly roll the brayer over your paper in different directions.  I didn't press hard at all, and I got a really cool background.  The good thing about this technique is that it doesn't take much paint, and because of that, your paper hardly warps.

I love how this looks!  I came in with some Coloringz Heidi Ho Blue and No Yoking and some Vibez Jeni B Bleu and added some splatters.  The embellishments I used on this layout are from a variety of brands and collections.  I call it a "using whatever is in the bin on my desk" type of layout ;)

These chipboard frames are from Crate Paper The Pier.  The round stickers are from Evalicious.  The flair button is from A Flair For Buttons, and the gold glitter hearts are from Studio Calico.  I made the pink/coral colored hearts in a recent Shimmerz Shortz video showing how to use sprays on vellum.

Here's another vellum heart.  I added some washi tape from my stash, some tangled thread and a few few puffy hearts.  See how thin the paint looks on the background?  That is what the brayer does...it sort of gives you the thinnest layer of the paint.  It dries super fast this way so you're able to layer other colors quickly.

Here's the top of the page...more beautiful color!

I added in some ribbon from my stash, and this "today" piece is actually the outline of a sticker that I had already used.  I just fussy cut around the edges of the sticker sheet and glued it down.  I finished the title with a gold glitter ampersand and some Target $1 Spot alpha stickers.  This layout is literally an "everything but the kitchen sink" type of page :D

Here's my process video if you'd like to see how this layout came together.  I hope it inspires you to try a brayer!

Here are the products I used:  Shimmerz--Tickle Me Turquoise, Key Lime, Bubblegum Blast, Orange Sherbet; Coloringz--Heidi Ho Blue, No Yoking; Vibez--Jeni B Bleu; Spritz--Cotton Candy; Inklingz--Good as Gold

I hope you find some fun inspiration here...it's so much fun to experiment with these products!  Thanks so much for stopping by, and have a fabulous week!

On Island Time / Citrus Twist Kits

Happy Monday, friends!  Today I'm sharing another layout I created for Citrus Twist Kits.  I used the June Main Kit and Embellishment Kit for this.  All of the pretty papers and embellishments were the perfect colors to make an island-themed layout, and so that is where my inspiration came from for this.  I love the woodgrain Maggie Holmes paper, and I used some acrylic paints & Shimmerz (and white gesso) to create the background.  Those green leaves are from the blue map Jen Hadfield paper, but I painted them green.

This photo is of me and my husband in St. Maarten, and we were having lunch in a little restaurant right on the ocean.  You can't really see it there behind us because it was so bright, but it's there :)  I love all the yellow in the photo, and the blues and greens compliment it nicely, I think.

I used my Cameo to cut "island" out of one of the Pink Paislee Fancy Free papers and paired that with the Cocoa Vanilla wood grain alpha stickers.  I also used a lot of the CV die cuts...a lot of the flowers and this cute banner.

I did some machine stitching through the tropical leaves and added lots of tangled thread here in a coral color.  I used a few of the printed cut apart label pieces to write my journaling on, and I used the exclusive stamp set as well.

Here's a close up look at those leaves.  I found them in the Silhouette store, and they totally remind me of the tropics!  This We R Memory Keepers puffy flower was the perfect color for that spot!

Here's a closer look at those label pieces with the journaling.  I added in some of the exclusive word and phrase stickers here...that blue color is amazing!

Here's my process video for this page....I had a great time making it.  I hope it inspires you!

Thanks so much for visiting me today!

Bloom & Grow / Simple Stories

Hey there, and Happy Weekend!  Today I have another layout for Simple Stories to share.  I really love how this one turned out!  I used the new Bloom & Grow collection, and I decided to use that as my title.  This photo is really neat.  We were out riding 4-wheelers one day and we stopped to hop off and run around in the woods.  I saw Paige's reflection in the mirror and had to take a picture.  I love her little face and all the green grass in the background.  So perfect for this collection!

I created some larger flowers and leaves on my Cameo using some of the dotted patterned papers and combined them with a lot of the die cut flowers & leaves from the Bits & Pieces and Snap! Pack.  I used some white gesso and acrylic paint with a palette knife on my background.  I placed the bulk of the design on the right hand side of the page since she is looking to the left in the photo.  I also set the photo higher than half way up since she is looking down.  It looks like she is looking down at the title.

Creating this title was super easy since these pieces were in the collection.  I layered the words over this big ampersand, and I love how that wood grain looks!  I had lots of fun layering and tucking in all the little flowers and leaves everywhere.  I added in that scalloped border sticker and some tangled thread as well.



More tangled thread here...and lots of fun ink splatters.

I love to cut big statement pieces from paper on my Cameo to use as layers instead of just using a solid piece the same shape as my photo. I like the interest it gives and it goes along with the theme of the page.

I added my journaling here under the title and then added a few stickers, more leaves and some machine stitching.

Thanks so much for stopping by!  I hope this gives you some fun ideas on using this awesome collection with your outdoor photos.  Have a great day!

Life is Tough / Bella Blvd

It's Friday...woo hoo!  I hope you all have some fun weekend plans :)  Today I wanted to share my newest layout for Bella Blvd, and I used a ton of collections and papers to create it.  One of my favorite things to do is create a large title out of patterned papers.  I searched Pinterest for quotes about little girls, and I found this one.  It seemed to say everything about these serious photos of my Reesie.  I printed them in black & white since I wanted to use lots of color everywhere else, but also because it made them a little more serious and dramatic. 

I used the A to the Z alpha cut file from The Cut Shoppe and created my title.  I went through so many papers to find the ones I wanted and then arranged little pieces onto my Cameo cutting mat.  I used papers from Sweet Baby Girl, Cute Baby Boy, Fresh Market, Just Add Color, Color Chaos, Illustrated Faith What is Lovely, Simply Spring & Classic Calendars.  Even though a lot of Bella papers are themed (like in the baby collections), always check the "B" sides of the papers.  You can't tell is any of these papers are themed when you cut small letters out of them.

I added a little bit of gesso to my pink dotted background paper so I could prep it for some watercolor.  I just added a little bit of pink spray inks to create some darker pink areas.  I wanted it to be subtle and not overpowering since all those letters are full of color..  Once I glued down all the letters, I ran my paper through my sewing machine.

I wanted to break things up, so I cut "you" on plain black cardstock in a script font.  I like how it stands out.  I added a few stickers and tangled thread here.  This "You are Enough" sticker was perfect for this page.

I added a few enamel hearts to the middle of some of the letters.  I never want to run out of those!  They are the best little embellishments :)  I also added a sticker and a Cute Clip bow.  Those bows are so cute...they're attached to paper clips!

The two baby collections have several hearts on their chipboard sheets.  I used a few of them around my photos and layered them up with a die cut, another enamel heart, and a vellum heart I colored orange.  I also added in more phrase stickers and my journaling.

Here's one more look at the quote...I honestly love how this turned out!  I know I've said this many times before, but this is a great way to get lots of pattern & colors on your paper without it being too overwhelming.  Yes, it's busy, but in a cohesive way.  I think breaking up the colors and putting the right ones together makes it work.

Thank you so much for stopping in...I hope you are inspired in some way!  Enjoy your weekend, friends!

It's What He Does / Hip Kit Club

Happy Thursday, friends!  I'm back today to share my latest layout for Hip Kit Club.  This is my first page using the 2016 June Hip Kits, and wow!  It was a challenge to decide what to use first.  Our theme for last week was Father's Day, so I created a photo strip of my husband and our girls in the pool.  The colors of the photos helped me select what to use on the layout.

This 4x6 Project Life card jumped out at me, and I decided to make it the first piece of my design.  Since the arrows were pointing to the right, that's where I placed my photos.  I used a 3x4 PL card with matching colored circled on the right of the photos as a layer.  I used some gesso and the new Shimmerz colors from the Color Kit, Pink Stilettos and Mandarin Mai Tai, to create all that watercolor look. I also added in some Jeni B Bleu from last month's kit.  I stitched around the big card in navy thread to make it stand out a little more before adding all the embellishments.

Here you can see the watercolor and the texture from the gesso.  You do have to be careful on the PL cards...they really weren't made to withstand a lot of water.  After it all dried, I created the title using some of the Simple Stories alpha stickers and the Jillibean Soup alphas.  I added my journaling underneath.  I also added a Heidi Swapp chipboard sticker and some tangled thread.

This Jillibean Soup frame was fun to use...I tucked my photo strip into it so it overlapped it.  I used some Shimmerz to paint it to match and then stitched through it.  I added a Fancy Free button and Simple Stories sticker.  I also added in some of the navy paper to tone everything down.

For this side of the layout, I needed that pop of blue to match the photos, so this awesome exclusive puffy sticker was perfect.  I added a touch of green with the thread.  That cute camera is from the Becky Higgins die cut pack, and that's a Simple Stories brad.  The navy arrow is from Kim Watson's exclusive die cut pack.

Lots of different things here--Simple Stories sticker, Becky Higgins die cut, and a Maggie Holmes rubber piece.  I love these fun colors together!

For the bottom under my journaling, I added in a strip of blue paper to echo the blues, a scalloped puffy sticker, a die cut, a sticker and a brad.  I tried to represent all the colors in this area.

Here's one more close-up of the title area.  I decided on this as my title because it says exactly what it means...it IS what he does.  Being a great dad all the time to our sweet girls!  It just comes natural to him.

Here's my process video if you'd like to check that out...

Thank you so much for stopping in, and have a great day!

Good Times / The Cut Shoppe

Hey, friends!  I'm back today to share my last layout for The Cut Shoppe Design Team.  I decided to take a little break and not reapply for the next term.  I have become so busy with scrappy deadlines, and I felt like I needed to free up a little time.  My girls are home for the summer, and I just need a little extra time to be away from my desk and enjoying time with them.  I want to thank Ashley for having me!  I have truly enjoyed every second of my time here, and I will continue to use her awesome cut files!

I used the new Fresh Squeezed cut file for my layout, and I couldn't love it more!

I was in a stash-busting mood, so I pulled out the Crate Paper The Pier and Poolside collections.  This is a photo of me and my husband in St. Maarten back in December.  We were walking around Phillipsburg after lunch and stopped in at a gelato place.  In the back they had this awesome little lounge area, so we sat, relaxed and took selfies :)

I used various papers from both collections to back these circles.  I love all the fun and light colors.  I was inspired by the bright blue and soft yellow in the photo.  I worked in some wood grain as well.  I used white gesso and Shimmerz sprays on the background to create messy blue/green watercolor effects behind the cut file.  I used a ton of chipboard on this page...something I rarely do. 

I have a few retro Summer flair buttons from A Flair For Buttons that matched perfectly with this page, so I had to use them.  I love how these two collections work so well together.  And I love using so many patterns like this on one layout.

I used a chipboard frame under my photo & paper layers and also a chipboard flower cluster.  I have a ton of dimension going on here!  I added pop dots behind the title and used some tiny Studio Calico wood veneer alphas to complete the title.

These tiny wood veneers are a challenge to get glued down because they're so small!  But I got it done :)  I used a Crate Paper jounaling sticker down here at the bottom to write about the photo.

It's Chipboardpalooza here...haha!  Ice cream comes and word pieces...and I love how they all look together.  Since we had just eaten gelato, these cones were perfect to use.  I've had them for years and haven't had a use for them until now.  That is a perk of hoarding...haha!  There's another flair button as well.  I added dark blue thread under the cones to give them some separation from the busy background.  Without it, they sort of blended in.  The thread helps them stand out a bit more.

Here's one more look at the background work and the chipboard layering.

Here's my process video if you'd like to see how this layout came together.  I hope you get some fun ideas from it!

Thanks for stopping by, and have a great Sunday.  And thank you for being so awesome during my time here at The Cut Shoppe.  I will miss you all.

Love Birds / Shimmerz Education Team

Hey there, and Happy Monday!  I wanted to share a layout I created for a recent Shimmerz Shortz video using vellum with Shimmerz sprays.  This technique has a ton of texture, so if you love including that on your layouts, this technique is for you!  I included the Shortz video down below so you can see how I made all this texture.

All you need is a sheet of vellum, a little bit of white acrylic paint and whatever Shimmerz sprays you have.  Give the vellum a light coat of the paint and let it dry.  Then go to town spraying the inks onto it.  The vellum will warp and buckle and create little mountains and valleys.  The liquid will run and pool, and you can use a brush to help it spread if you want.  Once it's dry, you will have a nice crinkly and textured piece of vellum.  I did this twice...with pinks and oranges (the hearts) and then with yellow and blue (the big background piece).  The hearts punched beautifully!

Here you can see all the texture from the inks and the vellum.  I stitched this piece down and added a few stickers and sequins here.

These hearts turned out so nice!  I love the colors and how they ran and blended together.  I stitched through them and added more tangled thread just to make it more "messy and chaotic."  I added a few bits and pieces...chipboard, alpha stickers, and a rub-on.  I even used a piece of the blue vellum as a layer behind my photo in place of patterned paper.

I love this blue and green mix!  These are all truly my favorite colors to scrap with.  They are all so bright and fun!

I added a strip of patterned paper behind my photos along with a few strips of different washi tapes.  I went over that with white gesso so I could add more Shimmerz sprays.  I love the randomness of this.  I didn't use a specific collection...just random bits.  I did add in a few of the puffy cloud stickers from a recent Hip Kit.

One more close up of the bottom area here...I added in some green glitter Thickers that I've been hoarding, and I used some old alphas stamps to create "Birds."  More sequins and some Dear Lizzy stickers finished it off.

Here's the Shortz video showing you how made the vellum pieces.  I hope you give it a try...it's fun, fast and easy!  And the results are awesome :)

Thanks for stopping by, and have a great day!

Summer Goodness / Simple Stories

Hey there!  I have a bright and sunny layout to share today for Simple Stories.  Summer layouts are my favorite to make, and the new Sunshine & Happiness collection is right up my alley.  I have a ton of cute pool photos of my girls, and these two of Paige were perfect for these colors.  I used the awesome Sassy Circles cut file from The Cut Shoppe on some white cardstock first.  It's a fold & cut design, so it only cuts have the circle and heart.  Then you fold it over and put patterned papers behind the open spots.  It's so fun and cool!

 I got all the circles backed, and I did a little "out of the circle" backing with the sun and with a fussy cut flower on the third row.  I used my Shimmerz sprays and some gelatos to create some watercolor behind most of the circles in coordinating colors.  Once everything was dry, I ran it through my sewing machine and stitched through all the rows.  This was so much fun to do.

I didn't do a whole lot of extra embellishing since the circles did most of the work on the page.  I cut my title on my Cameo, added some tangled thread and some little phrase stickers here.  I like the white-on-white because it's less busy and gives it a subtle look.

I couldn't resist adding this cute little birdie down here.  I made sure he was looking in towards the layout.  I added a single line of journaling and added a few more stickers.

These balloons didn't really go with anything in the photos, but the colors were spot on, and they looked great right here.  So they made it onto the page :)  Swimming in the summer is a celebration and a party most of the time, so I guess the balloons are appropriate...haha.  I added more thread and more stickers.

I love how this turned out.  I fussy cut the sun from one of the papers and positioned it so it came out of the circle.  I painted all the hearts a contrasting color, and I am really pleased with the outcome.

Thank you so much for stopping by!  Have a great day!