Carta Bella It's Autumn - Autumn Colours

Whilst visiting the website for Echo Park / Carta Bella recently I stumbled across their free downloadable PDF project instructions. These projects are created by the Echo Park Design Team and each PDF is a complete guide that includes a photo of a finished project, a detailed supply list of the Echo Park/Carta Bella products used, and step-by-step instructions. I decided to put one of these projects to the test, and I can't recommend them enough. 

The project I chose was designed for Carta Bella's "On The Farm" collection, but I decided to adapt it using the beautiful "It's Autumn" collection instead. I made a few small changes to the layout to suit the papers and embellishments I had.

I began by taking a sheet of white cardstock. After trimming it slightly, I adhered it to the B-side of the Multi Journaling Cards paper, creating a narrow border around the outside.

Using white thread, I machine-stitched a straight line around the inside edge of the white cardstock.

Towards the top of the layout I layered pieces of the Pumpkin to Talk About, Color of Fall Leaves and Fall Festivities papers. On top of the layered papers I added 3 photos which had been matted with white cardstock. I added 3D foam under the photos to add some dimension.

Beneath the layers of paper and photos, I added the title. The words were cut using my Silhouette machine with papers from the collection. To make the letters in the word 'Autumn' stand out, I created white mats for each one before sticking them to the page.

Journaling was printed onto white cardstock and after punching the left edge with a notebook border punch, the journaling block was tucked beneath the title.

I embellished the layout with stickers from the Element Stickers sheet and a few enamel dots.

American Crafts Vicki Boutins Cut & Paste - Follow Your Dreams

I have another layout using the vibrant Cut & Paste collection by Vicki Boutin for American Crafts. The bright colours in this collection are so versatile and are perfect for any scrapbooking project.



I began the layout with a 12x12 sheet of black cardstock. On top of this, I layered pieces of white and teal cardstock, leaving a thin border around each.



Next, I used black thread to machine-stitch a zigzag line where the white and teal cardstock met. This detail adds texture and interest to the page.



Then, I used a mini brayer and teal acrylic paint to add three short horizontal stripes to the layout. I intentionally kept the application a bit messy to create a more textured, relaxed look.



Using paper #7 from the collection, I fussy cut some scallop border strips. I used these to create "shelves" beneath each of the painted stripes.



I matted three photos with pink cardstock and placed one on each shelf. To embellish each shelf, I used a combination of die cuts from the Ephemera Icons pack and fussy-cut flowers from paper #2. I added 3D foam underneath some of the elements to raise them slightly.



Using my Silhouette machine, I die-cut the title words from black cardstock and placed a word next to each of the three photos.

Finally I added a scattering of acrylic dots and sequins to the layout.

Mintay Papers - Christmas Blessings - Merry Christmas Bootiful

Today I have another layout to share using Mintay Paper's Christmas Blessings collection. This collection is beautiful and the colours, whilst not traditional Christmas colours, are perfect for scrapbooking Christmas memories.

I started with a sheet of smooth white cardstock and a sheet of paper #1 and layered them on top of each other with sheets of kraft cardstock between. Then with some white thread I machine stitched round the edges.

Next I took 2.5" wide pieces of papers from the 6x8 Add-on Paper Pad and cascaded them across the layout, overlapping them slightly and staggering the tops and bottoms.

I printed my photo three times in different sizes, matted them with white cardstock and layered them on top of the patterned paper pieces with 3D foam underneath to raise them up a little.

There was a space at the bottom left of the layout, so I added one of the tags and pockets from the Paper Elements pack and threaded some jute twine through the tag top.

In my stash I found an old chipboard phrase thicker and used this together with some small puffy alphabet stickers from Pinkfresh Studio to create the title.

Finally I fussy cut some stars, snowflakes and cookies from paper #9 and the Paper Pad and used these to embellish the layout together with some sequins and some tiny wood veneer stars.

Mintay Papers - Christmas Blessings - It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas

Today I'm starting to get in the Christmas mood with a layout to share  using the new Christmas Blessings collection from Mintay Papers. I was really drawn to the unusual colour palette used for this Christmas collection - beige, brown and muted blues. It has a warm and cosy feel to it which is perfect for scrapbooking a warm, homely Christmas vibe. For this layout I chose to use some photos taken of the shop windows in a nearby market town in the lead up to Christmas a couple of years ago.

I started with a sheet of beige cardstock from the Bazzill Matchmaker Pack and onto this I layered a slightly trimmed down sheet of smooth white cardstock to leave a narrow border. In the centre of the layout I added a 10" square piece of paper #5, which I had inked the edges of with a Vintage Photo Distress Oxide inkpad, and using my sewing machine and white thread I stitched a straight stitch round the edges.

I cut three strips of paper #4 roughly 1" x 9", inked the edges and placed these horizontally on the layout to create a series of shelves.



I then set about creating a cluster of embellishments and photo on each shelf.



Each cluster contained a 3 x 4 photo and images fussy cut from paper #9.



Some of the images were mounted on 3D foam to add some dimension.



I also added a pale green doilie into each cluster to give the layout a more homely feel.



In my stash I found some wood veneer stars in various sizes and added these to the clusters as well as some blue and beige sequins.



Finally I die cut on the Silhouette Cameo the word Christmas from a scrap of brown card and added this to the bottom of the layout and completed the long title with some very old teeny tiny letter stickers.

Simple Stories Winter Wonder - Hello Winter

I have one final layout made for the Scrap, Paper, Scissors blog using Winter Wonder from Simple Stories. 

I began the layout by layering sheets of white and kraft cardstock on top of each other. Careful gutting of the cardstock beforehand meant that I was able to use only one sheet of each colour.

Once I had created the base for my layout I machine stitched with white thread a straight stitch round the edges of two of the pieces of cardstock. I love adding machine stitching to my layouts. It give the layout more texture and interest.

I cut five 3x4 cards from the 2x2/4x4 Elements paper and one from a piece of the Brr Brr Brr paper.  I rounded the corners of the cards with a paper punch and then attached them in a grid design onto the background with the B sides upmost.

From some white glitter cardstock I die cut some snowflakes and placed these in a row horizontally across the middle of the layout and machine stitched through them all.

I attached photos to four of the cards with 3D foam underneath and tag from the Tag Elements paper onto another. I then set about embellishing the cards with die cuts from the Floral Bits and Pieces pack. I chose the pink flowers to co-ordinate with the tag.

More glittery die cut snowflakes were added too.

I strung the tag with some white twine and added some words cut from the 2x2/4x4 Elements paper as a title.

Using some pale pink watercolour paint, I picked out a few of the phrases on the card made from the Brr Brr Brr paper. It's quite subtle, but brings some pink to that part of the layout.

Finally, I scattered a few sequins here and there.

Vicki Boutin Peppermint Kisses - Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas

This is my final layout using Vicki Boutin's Peppermint Kisses collection which is also my final layout for 2023.

I've been working with the 12x12 paper pad this month and started my layout by layering the red candy cane striped paper and text paper onto a sheet of white 12x12 cardstock with another layer of white cardstock between.

With white thread I machine stitched a straight stitch round the edges of the papers. This is quite a flat layout, so the stitching added some texture. Before adding any elements, I also splattered some gold ink onto the background

Using some of the green papers from the collection I cut four simple triangular Christmas Tree shapes and punched some holes in a couple of them. After machine stitching round the edges of the trees, the trees were glued to the centre of the layout in a row.

I die cut some stars from gold card and added one to the top of each tree.

A piece of gold ribbon (from a recent gift) was stuck horizontally across the bottom of the layout. Three small photos, from Christmases past, were matted with more of the red striped paper and placed at the bottom of the trees.

To create a title I took the phrase 'Merry Christmas' from a sheet of Mintay Papers Chippies Christmas Words and cut it in half. Using embossing powder I transformed the bare chipboard into gold and added the two words to the layout.

The other words in the title were made by die cutting letters from gold card which I backed with some self-adhesive foam. 

At the top of the layout I placed a phrase from the pack of Journaling Ephemera and also added some phrase strips from my stash. 

The layout was finished with a scattering of gold sequins to add some Christmassy sparkle.

P13 - Coffee Break - Coffee & Cake

Here is my final layout to share using the Coffee Break collection from P13. My layout today uses always popular hexagons, including three hexagonal shaped photos.

I started by trimming 1/4" from all sides of a sheet of white Bazzill 12x12 cardstock and matted this onto a 12x12 sheet of brown cardstock leaving a narrow brown frame.

From the Coffee Break Patterned papers I cut 14 hexagons and using a white gel pen I drew some faux stitching on the edges. I also cut three photos into hexagons of the same size.

The hexagons were then arranged on the layout and once I was happy with the distribution of colours and the positioning of the photos, they were stuck to the layout with 3D foam underneath to raise them up and create some dimension.

Using a honeycomb die, I die cut some pieces from green cardstock to use as embelishments. The green honeycombs were tucked underneath the hexagons on two sides of the layout. 

From paper #7 and from the bonus pages in the front and back of the 6x6 paper pad, I fussy cut some florals and pastries and used these to create three clusters of embelishments on top of the hexagons.

The green cardstock I had already used on the layout picked up on the green in the floral images.

Using black cardstock I die cut, using the Silhouette Cameo, the title and backed this using more of the green cardstock and some of the patterned paper.

At the bottom of the layout I added a journalling strip printed on the computer.

Finally, I splattered the layout with some brown watercolour paint and scattered some gold sequins and brown enamel dots here and there.