Party Animals / Hip Kit Club

Hello again, lovely friends!  Today I'm sharing my newest layout for Hip Kit Club featuring the 2019 January Hip Kits.  This layout looks completely different than my page from last week using the same kits...haha.  I wanted to use the Dear Lizzy black & white striped paper from the Main Kit as a big background element, so it inspired me to go on the grungy side.  I tore a big strip of it along with strips from one of the light pink Pinkfresh Studio papers.  I layered them in the center of some white cardstock and adhered them down.  I smudged a lot of white gesso over a big area of the papers.  I used lots of the Prima Bloom sprays from the Color Kit on the background to create a really messy look.

I was inspired to scrap these goofy pictures of me, my sister and my mom at a 90s concert last year.  The package of Crate Paper Thickers are all about parties & celebrations, so I knew I wanted to use "Party" in my title.  This cute camera is a stamp from Shimelle.  I stamped it on some scrap paper and then colored it in using some black ink.  I layered some Project Life cards behind my photos as well as some Pinkfresh Studio patterned paper and Chipboard Frames.  I tucked in some tangled thread and added some silver glitter star Thickers and some Shimelle enamel stars.

I created a fun little cluster in the upper left area using another chipboard frame, some Pinkfresh Studio stickers and die cuts, and a circle YAY Thicker.  I love all the circles!  I also added in a few of the Heidi Swapp stamps...the Rating one is so cute!  I colored in all 5 stars :)

Here I mixed and matched my title using one of the Thickers and some of the small grey Pinkfresh Studio puffy alphas.  I tucked in a cute pinwheel chipboard sticker.  I did some random stamping on the background to add to the grunge factor...the circle stamp is from the Heidi Swapp set.  I also did some machine stitching with black thread on the background to add to the texture.

I love how layering the chipboard frames creates such great dimension.  It makes is easier to tuck pieces inside there!

Here you can see more of the messy machine stitching.  I get a lot of questions about stitching...I just use a Brother sewing machine with a standard needle.

Here are some more close-ups from different angles.

I originally planned on leaving my three photos together in a photo strip, but I decided to break them up so I could add this big YAY! piece.

It was so much fun to get messy and incorporate lots of black into this page!  I hope it inspires you to get a little grungy next time :)  Check out my process video for more information and details!

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

Messy Rainbows / Paige Evans DT

Hey, friends!  Happy Tuesday!  I'm here with a new layout for the Paige Evans Design Team using the Whimsical collection. I’ve been brewing ideas for using some of the fun art supplies images in this collection and I decided to scrap some cute photos of my daughter painting with her watercolors. She gets her messy tendencies from me… haha! I decided to create a bright and watercolored background to match my theme and incorporate some of the adorable watercolor & paint brush pieces as embellishments. Since the watercolor paints are circles, I used Paige’s Polka Dot Circles Background cut file to create some fun detail. I cut those on Paper 21 and backed it with Paper 05, which I pulled from the 12x12 Paper Pad.

I couldn’t resist creating a rainbow mix for my title. I used the Foam Mini Thickers which are perfect for this color scheme. I used the watercolor set from the Chipboard Stickers and several paint brushes from the Chipboard Stickers, Ephemera Die Cuts, and Stickers. I can’t get over how cute these are! For an extra pop of purple, I tucked some tangled thread under the chipboard.

I chose Paper 21 as my background because it has a lot of white. I cut the circles first and then coated a lot of it with white gesso. I wanted to add a lot of color on top of it, so I wanted to make sure the paper was ready to handle the liquids. I used a mix of Distress Oxides and ink sprays to create big splotches of pink, yellow, and blue. You can see more details on how I did this in my process video below. I decided to continue with the circle idea and fussy cut lots of them from Paper 20. I raised some of them off the page using adhesive foam. I added a few of the gold words from the Chipboard Stickers & Stickers in a few places.

I love the effect of popping up some of the circles and leaving some of them flat.  Just that little bit of shadow the adhesive foam creates makes such a big difference.  I tucked in a few Puffy Stickers here...little tubes of paint!  How adorable!

Since my photos were so bold and colorful, I didn’t do much embellishing around them. I didn’t want things to get too busy, so I just added some tangled thread in a few colors and one gold Sticker at the top.

I love cut files like this because it creates a fun subtle design on the background.   There are so many possibilities with this one.

I love how you can still see the dots from the patterned paper through the gesso and Distress Oxides.  Faded out, but still visible :)

Here are a few more close-ups of the colorful background and fun details.

I hope this inspires you to create a fun layout about art! There are so many fun images that match that theme in this collection and it really inspired me to get a little messy on this page. Be sure to check out even more details in my process video below.

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Together / Pinkfresh Studio

It's Friday...finally!  Woo hoo!  Today I wanted to share another layout for the Pinkfresh Studio Design Team.  I used the Everyday Musings collection, and I just love it.  I began the layout with a cut file by Paige Evans.  This is the Floral Butterfly Outline cut file, and the right side of it was perfect for backing with patterned paper.  I chose a soft color scheme and backed all the flowers and leaves.  I did some mixed media on some white cardstock for the background.

I created some dimension by backing the cut file with some adhesive foam.  I love the shadowing that creates.  I went simple with the title and used one of the words from the gold Puffy Stickers.  I toned down some of the brassiness of the bold by smudging some white gesso over it.

I wanted a pop of the darker blue under the cut file, so I tucked in some tangled thread.  I love the messy and whimsy look it gives.

I created a cluster over on the left side of the photo using some Ephemera Die Cuts, Puffy Stickers and Layered Stickers.  I wanted to add touches of all the colors on the right side over here on the left side.  I used some of the Journaling Cards as layers behind the photo.

I decided to jazz up the right side of the background by tearing it and adding some purple patterned paper behind it.  I like that it's crooked and uneven.

For the background work, I first added some clear gesso.  I used the Pinkfresh Studio Liquid Watercolors to add lots of light blue.  It's a really bold blue, but I softened it up by only using a little drop and adding lots of water.  I also added some light splatters of yellow and purple.

One more thing I did was use the packaging technique to add the blue watercolor.  While it was still wet, I added a few drops of white acrylic paint.  It swirled around and lightened up areas of the blue.  Once it was dry, I smudged some white gesso over parts to lighten up even more areas.  I love layering products...it's all good!

I really love how this turned out...I hope you enjoyed it!  Be sure to check out the Everyday Musings collection.  It's so bright and fun!

Here's a video for you!

Thank you so much for stopping by, and have a fantastic weekend!

Choose Joy / Hip Kit Club

Happy Thursday, friends!  I’m so excited to be sharing a new layout for Hip Kit Club using the 2019 January Hip Kits!  They are full of gorgeous Pinkfresh Studio goodies…lots of florals and pretty Spring images.  I began with one of the exclusive cut files for this month, and I cut it on white cardstock from the Cardstock Kit.  I also used white as my background.  I blended some of the Fairy Pond Prima Color Bloom from the Color Kit with some white gesso to draw a light blue heart behind the cut file.  I added some extra shades of blue with some blue Shimmerz from previous Color Kits.  I fussy cut lots of flowers from exclusive Project Life cards and embellished on the floral clusters.  I also used some of the Pinkfresh Studio floral die cuts as well as a few patterned papers from the Main Kit.

I wanted to create some dimension on these larger flowers, so I fussy cut some patterned paper pieces and added adhesive foam behind them to raise them up a bit.  I also smudged some white gesso on them to give them some depth.  I love the little royal blue flowers…they inspired me to scrap these photos of my daughter wearing a royal blue outfit.

I wanted to add more texture, detail and dimension to the heart cut file, so I hand stitched around the edge using a light blue thread.  I attached the photos first and then stitched through the parts that were under the cut file.  I also tucked in some tangled thread in a royal blue color.

I love these dimensional stickers from Pinkfresh Studio!  They’re in the Embellishment Kit.  This red one was perfect for the center of my photos.

I added a lot of colorful splatters around the page.  I used the Wild Raspberry & Spring Dandelion Prima Color Bloom sprays as well as the Frost Bite & Miner Miner 49er Shimmerz.  The Color Kits make it so easy to mix and match each month.

I went simple with my title and used some of the metallic gold Pinkfresh Studio Puffy Stickers.  I toned down some of the brassy shine by smudging some white gesso over them.

Here are a few more close-ups of all the fun texture & details!

I hope this gives you some fun ideas to try on your next layout!  The January Kits are gorgeous (as always), and it was so much fun putting this page together.  I do have a process video here, so be sure to check it out!

Thank you for stopping by!  See you again very soon :)

Live in the Moment / Pinkfresh Studio

Hey there, friends!  Happy Monday!  I'm here today with my first layout & blog post for the Pinkfresh Studio Design Team.  I am using the new Everyday Musings collection.  I just love the bright colors and all of the happy images!

For my first layout, I used the Pinkfresh Studio Liquid Watercolors on the background.  I tore the Small Things patterned paper in half and attached it to some white cardstock.  I coated a lot of the paper with white gesso to fade out some of the patterns.  This helps the watercolor to pop off the page as well as the photos.  I knew right away that I wanted to tuck my photos into a few of the Journaling Pockets.  You don't always have to use products in only one way.  I like to think outside the box...or in this case, inside the pocket...haha :)

The floral Die Cuts & Puffy Stickers are so cute in this collection.  One of my favorite pieces in this line is the sheet of metallic gold Puffy Stickers.  They're really pretty & shiny.  If you want to mute some of the shine, you can try what I did and smudge some white gesso over it.

I love this light purple color!  Here I layered in a big die cut and more puffy stickers.  I also tucked in some tangled thread in matching colors because it's my favorite :)

I created a small secondary title here under the bottom photo using the Puffy Alpha Stickers.  I love to spread all the colors around the page, so I made sure all the colors were evenly distributed.  I printed out my journaling and cut it into strips.  I used a branch cut file from Paige Evans on the background to create some more interest and detail.

I love that the Journaling Pockets can be used in multiple ways.  I embellished on top of the pockets using floral Gold Puffy Accent Stickers, Die Cuts and Puffy Stickers.  I also did some gold machine stitching around the edges of the pockets for added detail and texture.

Here's a look at the fun layers.  I used another Chipboard Frame here as well as a piece of a die cut as layers.  I love how the pretty watercolors are peeking through the die cut branch.

I also used a few of the Chipboard Frames as layers behind the photos and pockets.  They create great dimension and pops of color.  Here I tucked in more floral die cuts and puffy stickers.

I hope this inspires you to create a light and Springy layout...I am ready for Spring weather, that's for sure!  I love how this page turned out, and I hope you'll check out my process video.  You can also check out all the other designers' videos on the Pinkfresh Studio YouTube Channel.

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

The Happy Life / Paige Evans DT

Hey, friends!  I'm back again today with a new layout for the Paige Evans Design Team featuring the Whimsical collection. Are you ever inspired by cut files? As soon as I saw Paige’s XOXO cut file, I knew right away how I would use it as a design on a layout. I cut it pretty big from Paper 17. I love that beautiful pink ombre. This cut file creates the perfect little spots to tuck in a few photos. I used two horizontal black & white photos since I wanted to add in lots of bright colors with some florals. I didn’t use any blue flowers, so I made that my main color on my mixed media background. It creates a great contrast.

I fussy cut the large orange flower clusters from Paper 03. The smaller purple ones are from Paper 14. Aren’t these the most beautiful tropical colors? I just love them together. On the background, I began with some clear gesso over the white cardstock. I then used a brayer to smudge down some light blue acrylic paint as a base layer of color. I used a few aqua spray inks over it to create some different shades. I also added yellow, gold, blue, and green splatters. I used one small Puffy Sticker here under the photo.

I used several of the Chipboard Stickers. I added in orange and yellow flowers and some leaves as well as the title. I love how this “The Happy Life” piece curves at the top of the big O. It was made for that area!

Fussy cutting flowers is one of my favorite things to do on my layouts.  I always look at patterned papers to see if I can create a fun design from certain images on it.  These flowers were easy to cut, and they look great layered with other flowers.

There were a few Rub-Ons that coordinated with my tropical vibe. I used this “Good Vibes” piece up at the top. The flowers were a wonderful match. These Rub-Ons go on so smoothly, even over gesso.

I realized after I photographed my page that I forgot to stamp the date.  I will add that in before I store it.

Here's one more close-up of all the pretty colors :)  I love how this Grateful Rub-On went on so smoothly over the die cut and background.

I hope this inspires you to begin a layout with a large cut file like this! It’s fun to use the cut file to help dictate where to place your photos and embellishments. It’s kind of like putting a puzzle together… plugging in just the right pieces in the right places!

Be sure to check out my process video for all the details!

Thanks again for stopping by!!