Hey everyone, 2016 is quickly coming to a close. It's been quite a year for me, as I'm sure it has been for you too! It was a year of extreme highs and crushing lows. It was a year where started a great many journeys, where I went from barely even stepping foot inside my craft room to being on some fantastic design teams and starting my own YouTube channel. It's also been a year when my depression reared it's ugly head and I am still working on managing it as best I can, in whatever therapeutic ways I could find, as well as realizing when it was time to reach out for help. I decided this year to try and be happier with myself and happier with what my life is offering right now. As always it's a work in progress, but by being vocal about it I feel I've gained so many kindred spirits!
So in wrapping up this year and moving forward to the next I have created my favorite 16 of 2016. Below I'm showcasing 16 of my personal favorite layouts that I've created over the year. Some of them are from design teams and some are ones that I created just for myself, but they are all ones that I am especially proud of!
Didn't think I'd be back so soon did ya? Well I'm back, but not with another layout or process video, but with a special gift for all of you. So before I was scrapbooker I was an designer and illustrator. After a while I stopped drawing and creating, and moved on to other hobbies. It's been at least 2 years since I actively sketched or worked on a piece, but just recently I have had the motivation to create again, so I started with a cute printable! Since it's so snowy where I am right now I created a cute snow kitten. She is in 5x7 format, but can be scaled down to 3x4 to make a cute Project Life card. Click on the picture to download her!
Hello hello hello! This holiday season I got a chance to be part of an awesome Christmas collaboration with 11 other amazing YouTubers, all organized by the wonderful Audrey Yeager! We are doing 12 days of Christmas and Holiday videos and we want you to join us. I'm up today with my layout for Day 10. I decided to take my number prompt of 10 and use it to create a top 10 list of my favorite Christmas activities! Make sure you pop by my channel to check out my process, and don't forget to check the description of my video for links to all the other fantastic ladies! Oh and did I mention there was a prize? Yeah, there's a prize, so make sure you check out the video below and check out the descripton for your instructions on how to participate! All you have to do is create a layout inspired by any of the layouts in the series and leave a link in the comments of that video! A winner will be chosen on December 15th!
ey hey! I'm back again, and yes, I'm still suffering from a creativity rut. I don't know what it is but I just can't seem to get out of this funk that I'm in, and I really want to be creative, but every time I sit down I draw a blank. Even though I can't seem to get out of my rut I still wanted to make a new video since it's been a little while. I decided to try something new for myself, and I gave myself a challenge. I went with a black and white theme, something I wouldn't normally be drawn to, since I just love working with lots of colour, but having a set idea in mind and knowing what I wanted to use helped in deciding on papers and embellishments. Instead of taking forever to scour though all my papers I went immediately to the papers I knew would fit. It also helped that the Cool Kid collection from Crate Paper had a ton of black and white embellishments for me to use. I am really happy with the funky sketchy look of the layout, it has a very loose feel to it, and though I didn't do a ton of layering or embellishing it definitely pops!
I'm getting into the festive Halloween mood by scrapping some witchy photos of my daughter. I'm using my stash again for this one and combining lots of patterned paper!
Hey, so here I am again with another layout for Hip Kit Club. I only have one or two more of these layouts left as I am not continuing on as part of the Design team after September. I was initially saddened by the news that I would not be staying on, and of course hearing news like that while also suffering from mental illness is never helpful, but I decided my best bet was to focus on the positive aspects. I'm looking forward to getting back to doing some more of my own videos and starting a few new series as well! Meanwhile though I am still enjoying my August kits while I wait patiently (okay IMpatiently) for my September kits to arrive!
For this layout I decided to focus on some of the ephemera I had left in abundance, particularly the Crate Paper Cute Girl puffy stickers and the Pink Paislee Paige Evans Take Me Away wood veneers. I punched out some of those cute circles from the Dear Lizzy Saturday paper that came in the kit to create a fun cascade! This is a simple sweet layout that really kept the focus on the photo. I used the September sketch (picture below) and the September mood board (picture below) to help me out with my design concept! Also, I didn't actually make a process video for this layout, unfortunately, but hopefully I'll be back in the swing of it soon!
I mean, what can I say. I had a picture of my daughters cute donut shoes, and there are a ton of donuts in the August Hip Kits. How was I not going to do this! I used a fantastic donut cut file designed by Kim Watson to create my background. I then used the Crate Paper Cool Kid alphas to create a delicious title! They were so fun to make and since they were wood already it worked out perfectly! The new Amy Tangerine collection Oh Happy Life has so many donuts in it too that I had no problem embellishing my layout! Make sure you take a look at my process video so you can see how I made everything and put it all together using the awesome Hip Kits!
Hey!!! I'm ramping up for my little mini kid-free vacay but I wanted to make sure I got this blog post up before I left! This time I'm playing with the beautiful August Hip Kits and add-ons! Seriously guys, I didn't even know where to start when I opened them. I just loved all the colours and embellishments that I was scared of not using one! Well in the end I decided to create a large paper cluster with multiple papers from the Crate Paper Cute Girl collection as well as some of the papers from the Dear Lizzy Saturday collection (which is one of my favourites right now!). I love how well the papers coordinated and the exclusive ephemera pack matched spot on! I also dug into the adorable Cute Girl puffy stickers. I love how even with everything going on in this layout the picture still remains the focus. If you wanna get your hands on the kits I believe they are still available in the shop, oh and be sure to check out what's coming for September, you are gonna swoon when you see the colours!
Thanks so much for stopping by and don't forget to check out my process video!
Hey hey hey! It's almost the weekend, so I'm sharing the layout that I made for Hip Kit Club at the beginning of the week. This layout is the last one I'll be making with the July Kits because my August Kits arrived this week! For this layout I was working with a sketch and moodboard created by Ashley Horton. I loved both of them and used them as my jumping off point to get started!
So here is the sketch and board that I worked with this week:
And here is the layout that I created using these as inspiration!
Of course I also created a process video to go with it, so be sure to check it out and see how I made my layout!
Thanks so much for stopping by and have an awesome scrappy day!
Hey everyone, I'm back showing another layout that I created for JustNick Studio using her amazing cut files! This time I used 2 cut files for my layout, one for a background and one for a title. For my title I used the file No Rain No Rainbows and for my background I used the Confetti background. I used watercolours to create a funky multi-coloured effect on my title, and I backed my confetti file with a multi-colour paper to get the effect of a rainbow of raindrops! I kept my embellishments simple for this layout since I had such a bold title going on that I didn't feel it needed too much more. By keeping my photos black and white they don't compete with all the splashes of colour and every piece just compliments each other! Thanks so much for stopping by and don't forget to pop over to her shop to check out all of her files and her new releases, and make sure you scroll to the bottom of my blog post to get your code for a freebie!!!
Here is my process video, hope you enjoy!
Pssst. . . did you stick around? Great! So don't forget to pop over to the JustNick Studio shop to get your hands on this cute cut file! Use the code ALPHAFREE at the checkout!
Hello hello hello I'm back :) Here we are already headlong into August, and it's crazy! On Saturday I celebrated my 12 year wedding anniversary with my awesome hubby. We had a blast together and enjoyed some much needed child-free time together :) Of course the next day I was right back into the thick of it working on my projects for the next week. I really wish I could get ahead of my projects, but I guess I'm doomed to be a last minute scrapbooker!
Well, lets get into it then! Here is my layout for this week for Hip Kit Club. I am using the July Hip Kits again for this one, and I still have so much left! I know my August kits are on the way buy I really want to get the most out of this kit first :) For this layout I dug into my Color Kit and used the lovely Dylusions acrylic paint and the exclusive stencil designed by Kim Watson. I drew inspiration from the bright colors in the pictures I was using and went with bright greens, orange, pinks, and turquoises. I also did some simple painting to complete my title! Thanks so much for stopping by and have an awesome day!
And of course I made a process video to go with my layout, so be sure to check it out too!
Hi everyone, I'm back sharing another layout using the amazing Hip Kits! I am using the July Kits and am in love with how funky the kits are this month, the doodle inspired ephemera, the bright cheery colours, it all calls to me! As always I had no clue where to begin as I liked everything, so I was happy to take on my challenge for the week, which was to "supersize it"! I decided that I would supersize my title, and I was inspired by all the sheet of exclusive tapes that we received in the Project Life Kit to piece together the word love. I also used the exclusive heart cut file designed by Ashley Horton to create my "O". I layered strips of patterned paper along with the tape and created a giant LOVE on my background. I then added my photo and embellished around it I used lots of the exclusive ephemera and well as the puffy stickers from the Embellishment Kit. I topped it off with some of the awesome Becky Higgins Chipboard pieces too! I also created another embellishment cluster on the bottom left side of the page to offset the picture at the top right. This layout came together so quickly and easily and I barely even had to think about what I was doing! Hope you all like and can't wait to show you what I make next with the kits!
And of course if you'd like to see how I made my layout then check out my process video!!!
Hi everyone, I'm here with a layout that I created as part of a team up with Creative Scrappers! We were given a sketch to use and a fantastic cut file from the JustNick Studio shop! For my layout I backed my cut file with lots of spring inspired colors and used lots of chipboard and ephemera from the Shimelle Starshine collection to really bring out the sweet pictures of my son.
Here is the cut file that I used to create my background.
This is the Creative Scrappers sketch that I used as inspiration!
Oh and for the rest of July you can get that awesome cut file for free using this code!
And last but not least don't forget to check out my process video to see how the layout came together!
Hi everyone! I am a busy busy girl, but I did manage to squeeze out another layout for Hip Kit Club! This time I was focusing on tags, which I will admit, I have never made before. I am a tag noob so to speak :) Well, here's the scoop, if you're looking for a great way to use up odds and ends in your stash or left over from a kit this is a great way to get it done! Added bonus : Now you have a stash of tags to whip out when gift giving!
So from there I decided to use them the only way I would know how . . . I made a layout with them! I positioned them in a kind of staggered grid formation with my photo. I did some quick simple layering under my photo as well. I fussy cut out some flowers from the Simple Stories Sunshine and Happiness paper that is just gorgeous! All in all this is a busy layout with lots going on and lots to look at but I wouldn't have it any other way!
Oh and of course I made a process video! Be sure you check out how I made my layout!
Hey all! I'm popping by to show the layout I created earlier this week using the June Hip Kits! For this layout I decided to channel the sun in the hopes that it might show it's face around here! I decided to create a sunburst using the Simple Stories Sunshine and Happiness paper as well as some Fancy Free from Pink Paislee. I added some bakers twine from my stash and then topped it all off with some enamel dots and brads both from Happiness and Sunshine. This is such a simple and fun layout to replicate and a great way to use up odds and ends!
Pssst, don't forget to check out my process video so you can see how I made my layout!
Hey!!! Wow I never thought being a social media maven would be such hard work, but I am trying to keep up as best I can! Here I am showcasing my first ever layout on the JustNick Studio design team! For those who don't know, the amazing Nicole Nowasad is the owner of a wonderful online shop called JustNick Studio! There she sells digital cut files for cutting machines. I was finally able to save my pennies shortly after Christmas and I purchased myself a Silhouette Cameo. I never thought I would own one, and I have to admit, though they are pricey, I think it's my #1 favourite scrappy tool! It has expanded my creativity so much and I am able to design layouts that I had only wished I could make before.
So with that being said here I am with a layout dedicated to me, using her Live Simply cut file. I chose this cut file because I really felt the meaning of it was perfect for what I'm feeling. I have been trying my best to become a more positive person and to live happy and stress and worry less. I am also trying to appreciate the things I have in live and try to let go of my jealousy of others. On top of that I have been dealing with depression for over 10 years of my life, and sometimes I really need a motto like this to help me through! Scrapbooking, especially in the last year or so, has become such a great therapy for me, and I'm so happy to be able to create for amazing design teams and showcase my work!
Psssst . . . don't forget to check out my process video!
It really seems like only yesterday that my youngest was born, but man oh man is he ever growing up! He's already crawling, and I decided to use the June Hip Kits to capture this moment! My challenge was to "make it masculine" and since I have 2 boys to scrap, this was the perfect challenge for me! At first glance one might not think the June kits would be suited to a boyish layout, but oh boy would you be wrong ( hehe see what I did there?). There are so many different colour combinations you can create with them, and I decided right away that I wanted to incorporate the navy blue beanboard alphas from Jillibean Soup. From there I also knew I wanted to use that great woodgrain exclusive paper decided by Kim Watson. The diagonal direction of the wood was perfect to capture the motion in my picture! I decided to go with a simple colour scheme of green, turquoise and navy blue. I grabbed every embellishment and paper that matched my scheme and got to work making a giant chevron! I hand stitched down the middle of each stripe and then curled up the edges for extra dimension. I didn't layer much behind my photo, just some vellum, and then I created my clusters! I added my title and some white ink and ta da! I love how this layout turned out, it's one of my favorites that I've done! Be sure to check out my process video to see exactly how it came together and don't forget to pop on over to the Hip Kit Club website to check out their latest kits!
Here is the process video I created for this layout!
Well, it's been one crazy whirlwind of a week! My oldest son finished grade 1, and we decided to take him to Ripley's Believe It Or Not to celebrate. I also took a major tumble down some steps and injured myself :( Everyone celebrated Canada Day on Friday, except for me of course, since I was home with two swollen feet and a twisted ankle and major leg pains! On top of that the JustNick Studio design team was announced, and guess who is on it? Obviously me, cause why would I mention it otherwise!
I did have a chance to do some scrapping though, and of course that makes me happy! On top of my design team commitments I managed to make 2 of my own layouts, one being part of my 10 part Flashback Friday series!
And of course my layouts wouldn't be complete without the process videos to go along with them!
Okay, here I am, back again with another Hip Kit Club layout! I have finally gotten a chance to start playing with the June Hip Kits and I am in love with them! I thought I was in love with the May kits but the June ones are just so beautiful I may have to declare my love for it instead :) So to begin with, I wanted to use everything, but I did try to pace myself to some degree so that I just didn't end up with a colourful mess all over my page! For this layout I used 2 cut files created by Kim Watson for subscribers! I am so happy with how this turned out, and if you want to know exactly how I created check out the process video at the bottom of this post!
Pssss . . . don't forget to check out my process video!
Hey it's me and I'm back again! My blog sure gets a lot more love than it used to! So I'm back with another Hip Kit Club layout that I made using the May 2016 kits. This is my fourth layout with the kits and I still have so much that I can use it's kind of crazy! I am nowhere close to killing this kit, so I think I will try to make a few more projects if I can. In the meantime though I am here to show my latest layout, in which I took all the florals I had, seriously ALL the florals, and made a page about my daughter. I wasn't sure if I would like a page so busy and bursting with colour but I am so pleased with how it turned out! I also got a chance to use that lovely "She Blooms" paper from Bella Blvd's Illustrated Faith collection. I was a bit hesitant when I saw that we had some products from this line in the kits, as I am not a religious person, but the products we got were so versatile that I had no issues whatsoever incorporating them! I hope you enjoy and don't forget to click on my process video at the bottom to watch how I struggled but eventually triumphantly completed this layout!
Here is a closeup of one of my floral clusters!
Don't forget to check out my process video! I'm finally back from my hiatus :)
Thanks so much for stopping by, have an awesome day!
