Happy Arty Days: August 2015

Wonder Mini Album

Hi Creatives!

Hooray, it's Fri-YAY!!!

Let's kick start the weekend with a lil crafty inspiration ;)

How cute is this super sweet mini album that I've been creating with

Imaginarium Designs Chipboard

Crate Paper Inc's: WONDER Collection?

I know, could it get any sweeter?!!

This gorgeous mini album is created from Imaginarium Designs chippie tags

which have been covered in Crate Paper Inc's: WONDER collection.

This album is actually quite large, so I've chosen just a few pages to share with you today!

It also features chippie numerals & the new circles flourish coated in Bo Bunny gold paste

(which I have used as a dangling charm).

Here's that dangling charm I was talking about - so sparkly and pretty!!!

You'll also spy some new Imaginarium Designs mini hearts (inked),

as well as little alphas and the words: beautiful, trouble, sweet - covered in gesso.

So very sweet indeed!

& how awesome is that WONDER collection?!!

The papers are too fun, and the ephemera gets me everytime!

Just perfect for capturing my two darlings!

Anyways, enough chatting,

Hope you enjoyed viewing part of my sweet mini & that it's inspired you to go have a crafty weekend!

Thanks for visiting,

til next time,

Happy Arty Days,

Amanda xo

APOCD: Thoughtful Thursday!

Hi Lovelies!

Today I am sharing an absolutely uplifting Thoughtful Thursday with you! :)

How's your week been so far?

Our gorgeous Miss M has been having a bit of a challenging time of late - it seems 9 is the new 13! And friendships are at a difficult stage...

So sad when she is such a sweet and innocent soul.

So what to do?

Well, it got me thinking about the importance of positive messages and affirmations for children.

Children even growing up ones, need to be surrounded by radiating love.

In our family, we believe in the power of the mind - and literally,

"What you think, you become...."

So it's super important that we embrace our daughter's growth and change with nothing but pure positive support.

So.......

I've decided to create M an 8.5" x 11" album full of beautiful photographs

(for 'those days' when you may feel vulnerable about yourself )

lots of uplifting quotes, affirmations and wonderful memories.

I am hoping that on days when she comes home from school teary-eyed,

she can flick through this album and feel the love!

Have you seen the fabulous A Piece of Cake Designs: July Main Cake Kit ?

Gorgeous, huh?

Well, if you look carefully, you'll spy the Simple Stories: So Fancy 4x4 Elements cards -

which have some really wonderful words on them.

Perfect for a page in Miss M's new affirmations album!

Here it 'tis.....

"You are..."

Told you she was a sweetie! Isn't she beautiful?!

Hopefully, pages like these will serve as good reminders :)

And how awesome are those 4 x 4 Element cards?!

So Fancy stickers too!

Let's take a closer peak......

As this is such a 'clean' design layout, I added just a lil messy stitching for texture.

And, one small distressed panel stitched into place for dimension & interest.

Isn't that typewriter sticker divine?!!

& speaking of stickers, this one below would have to be my favourite.......

A golden patchwork heart! Soooooo prettty!

(Just like our precious Miss!)

Ooooh, and I tucked a few of those golden flower sequins under my photograph too - they're just the right amount of embellishing without being too much!

And that's where I've been at this week -

filling a new album with pretty, happy moments that uplift and inspire!

(Oh, & we've started mum and daughter yoga again -

more mindfulness, centering and focusing on strength. )

Having loads of fun and laughing as we fall out of our poses, lol!

Thanks for stopping by beautiful people,

Happy Arty Days,

Amanda xo

Cocoa Vanilla Studio: Super Star

Hello Happy Arty Days Friends!

Welcome back for more Cocoa Vanilla Studio: Made Of Awesome inspiration!

Today I am sharing another very cool boy layout,

'Super Star'

& truly, this lil guy is definitely my Super Star!

Such a hilariously fun and happy-go-lucky boy, he's a real joy to be with!

Proud mum moment aside though, let's talk Made Of Awesome!! (Because it really is Awesome!)

From very cool patterned papers to divine embellishments, this collection has it all!

I've used the CV-MA004 Lucky Star & CV-MA006 Directions (reverse side) papers for this layout & I think they coordinate perfectly! Infact, everything in the Made Of Awesome collection has been cleverly designed to mix and match perfectly!

Let's take a closer look at some of those way-too-cool embellishments.....

Where to begin - it's all soooooo cool! The tickets are just a super accessory for any layout, and I am LOVING the patterned vellum stars! They are seriously a *must have* for your stash! ;)

Told you they were crush worthy!

The Little Stars are quite special too - something I just haven't seen anywhere else!

Very cute embellies!

& let's not forget to mention the die cut ephemera, which makes creating a layout too easy!

Made Of Awesome - simply 'rocks' boy layouts!

Love, love, love!

Hope you do too!

Thanks for stopping by today & leaving a comment!

til next time,

Happy Arty Days,

Amanda xo

APOCD: Workspace Wednesday: Hello Awesome

Hi Lovelies!

Welcome back for more Workspace Wednesday inspiration!

If you're one of the awesome subscribers at A Piece Of Cake Designs,
then you've probably just started playing with the delicious new July Main Cake kit......

Prettiness overload here!
If you don't have a subscription, don't worry!
You can always try your luck on SALE night,
OR for guaranteed joy,
read all about the subscription offers here,
*So you never miss out on all this scrap happiness again*

Anyways, it's Workspace Wednesday & I spy washi tape in the new kit!
How do you like to store your washi tape?
I like to keep mine in this cute teal dish....

(um, ok, that really is a chip 'n' dip platter)
But it's super cute,
easy to reach on my desk,
And....it's teal!
(I have a thing for teal, gold and or mint accessories! ;) )

Yep, grab & go is definitely workspace friendly!

When I opened up this scrumptious new kit, I just had to get that washi into my stash pronto!

I was also immediately drawn in by these yummies...

Needless to say they're also what's on my desk today -

& here's what I created with them....

"Hello Awesome"

Such a sucker for gold & Crate Paper!

Luuurvve those arrows - bringing attention straight to my photo -

& how sweet is that photo?!

One of my faves!

Literally, 'hello awesome', hence the title.

And speaking of titles, how fabulous are those puffy gold stickers?

It's hard to believe that they're stickers! So beautifully crafted!!!
Here's another view...

Some Simple Stories, So Fancy sticker love here too!

And that oversized paperclip?! Well, it just had to go on my gold page!

Too cute!

& there you have it!

My first layout with the new APOCD July Kit - hope I've inspired you!

Thanks for visiting & leaving a comment,

til next time,

Happy Arty Days,

Amanda xo

Cocoa Vanilla Studio: Hello Handsome

Hi everyone!

Welcome back for my Cocoa Vanilla Studio lovelies!

Today I am sharing a fabulously fun layout of my Mister A for Awesome -

created with none other than the super cool, Made Of Awesome Collection!

This collection is just so bright, fun and perfect for scrapping your boys!!!

But enough chatter, let's get straight into the good stuff ;)

'Hello Handsome'

I told you it was super fun! How cool are those patterned papers?!

I am totally loving the CV-MA003 BOYS RULE paper - so versatile for all your boy pages.

To draw a little more attention to it, I split mine with a bright journal card & game spinner ephemera. So cool!

Lots of fabulous embellishments adorn my layout too;

enamel dots, wood veneer arrow, flair button and my personal fave: the die cut ephemera!

It totally rocks!!!

Let's take a closer look......

Yep! It's all Made Of Awesome, isn't it?! (Sorry, couldn't help myself!)

Seriously though, how fantastic are the ephemera die cuts?! I love my title card, "Hello Handsome" - it is just too perfect for my Mr A for Awesome.Those stars are fun & bright too!

The game spinner is from the ephemera pack also - have a closer look at it....

Loving the flair "RAD" - infact, I am a huge fan of all the flair in this collection! Have you checked them out?

It's just Cool with a capital C!

Really fun, and fabulous creating with Made Of Awesome!

Hope you feel inspired by my layout, and that you get sometime to scrap the boys!

Thanks for visiting & leaving a comment,

til next time,

Happy Arty Days,

Amanda xo

APOCD: Office Sweet

Hi Everyone!

Hope you've all been having a fun, scraptastic week!

& let's be honest,

thank goodness it's Fri-YAY!

I love weekends (who doesn't?!)

& what better way to ease into some R & R, than with a lil A Piece Of Cake Designs:

Friday Favourite.....

Without trying to sound like a bad rendition of a Julie Andrews song,

here are a few of my favourite *scrapbooking* things from this week;

*Big titles: Bold is back! Nothing like a statement title

*Negative, or white space: Clean, simple designs & exercised control

*Pastel pattern papers: So pretty, need I say more?

*Sewing: I just got a new sewing machine at loooooong last - so I am back to stitching everything

And what do all these favourites have in common?

Well.... the APOCD June Cupcake Kit, of course!

How delicious!

The Fancy Pants Office Suite collection is literally SWEET!

Here's what I created with my favourite things in mind.....

"LOVELY"

Oh, I love this photo! I can't believe how quickly she's grown up!

(This photo was from 3 years ago?!!)

But isn't she lovely?!

Such a pretty page for my gorgeous girl!

Let's talk Office Suite - divine isn't it?

I love pastel anything! I always have, so naturally this collection is a dream!

Whether you prefer block pastel colours or simple geo designs this pattern paper has it all,

And those oversized alphas are just fabulous!

Let's take a closer look them....

So cool!

As I said, I am loving big, bold, statement titles & this fits perfectly!

As stitching is a bit of a thing for me again, I've sewn the alphas into place, as well as my pattern papers.....

And can't forget to mention those super sparkly gold hearts - apart from looking incredibly sweet, they help to anchor my photo too!

So there you have it!

A few of my Favourite Things to inspire you into a crafty weekend!

Hope you liked my layout,

& if you're super quick;

there's one or two of these awesome Cupcake Kits left in the APOCD store ;)

(Quick! Shop here!)

Thanks for visiting,

Happy Arty Days,

Amanda xo

Sunshine, Happy Days & More with Imaginarium Designs!

Hello Again!

I've been having loads of fun over at Imaginarium Designs this month!

So many fantastic new chipboard designs to play with;

as well as some beloved favourites too!

I've combined my Imaginarium Designs projects this month with
A Piece of Cake Designs kits
So everything you see today is courtesy of these two fabulous Aussie companies!

Have you seen Natalie's awesome new Pinwheels?

These have gone straight to my all time favourite chippies collection!

Here's a page I've created using them.....

"Sunshine, Happy Days"

Seriously cool, huh?!

I've used the Pink Paislee Citrus Bliss collection to capture the Summer vibe that is this memory.

(Warm memories for this freezing Winter we're experiencing this year!)

The Pinwheels work perfectly as pseudo suns for my Sunshine theme & direct your eyes into my page.

Quite visually Stunning!

Let's look closer.....

Yep, I am soooooo loving the pinwheels!

I coated mine in Kaisercraft Ink: Saffron & Berry, and have a few sequins beside them to add to the fun feel of the page.

Here's another view.....

Silly as it sounds, I found myself drawn into this layout and humming "Pina Colada"....LOL!

Hurry up Summer!

& I can't go past mentioning that gorgeous title, Happy Days - check it out!

Awesomeness! This is what I mean when I say 'beloved favourite' chippies!

This title is so versatile, it could work on just about every page I've scrapped.

Life is so good! Cheers to Happy Days!

Imaginarium Designs Products:

Nat's Pinwheels (3 in a board)

Happy Days

Next up, I have this way too cute layout of my Mr A for Awesome AKA

"Happy Camper"

How awesome is this boy page?!

I totally adore that subtitle chipboard, "Treasured MEMORIES".

It's another favourite of mine because of its tiny size - it fits perfectly on tags and off the page items.

I am also loving Crate Paper's Journey collection too,

the feathers and arrows work so well with our incredible chipboards!

I partially inked the feathers in yellow, then embossed the tips in gold embossing powder.

I love the effect the gold 'dipping' creates & the feathers add balance to the gold foil stickers too.

Let's not forget those cool arrows either.....

Matte black ink is all they need to pop against all the bright colours of my layout.

They highlight my title and keep with the outdoorsy boy theme of the page. Too cool!

Imaginarium Designs Products:

Treasured Memories

Skeletal Feather (Large)

Skeletal Feather

Loolabelle's Love Arrows

My last layout that I am sharing with you today is a gorgeously girly one of my Miss M,

"Beautiful, Delightful... I Am Simply Me"

Told you it was gorgeously girly!

So many paper pretties here to look upon,

& some more new chipboards too!

Let's start with that way too glamourous, glistening gold frame -

I know, how did I get it to sparkle so much, I here you ask?

I coated that chipboard in the new Bo Bunny Glitter Paste - it's awesome stuff, but very sticky!

(Be sure to use a palette knife to ensure a smooth, consistent finish) It applies similarly to texture paste and the end result speaks for itself! Glitterama!

To partner with all those golden delights (including that gold foil washi tape!) I coated my titles in gold gelato & glossy accents.