Beautiful Memories for Mother's Day!

Hi Creatives!

Welcome back for more Cocoa Vanilla Studio inspiration!

Wishing a very Happy Mother's Day to all the special women in our lives!

In celebration of this special day, I am sharing a sweet page about my personal love of being a mum! I couldn't think of anything more wonderful to document!

Here's my layout,

"Beautiful Memories"

Nawww! Love this kiddo! He's my Mister A for Awesome!

And as this is a 'me' page, I *may* have used my all-time favourite collection, and colour! 

Wild At Heart is just so pretty & well, we all know my love of blue! 

You'll also spy all my favorite page elements; cut files, mixed media & lots of DIE CUT EPHEMERA! Everything about this layout just makes me happy! 

Monochromatic LOVE!

I begin with the reverse side of pattern paper CV-WH003 MARIPOSA. 

I adore the watercolor appearance of this gorgeous ombre blue paper! 

It's just too pretty for words! 

To this base, I add an 11" x 11" layer of white cardstock, and then apply my texture paste doily to the bottom edge of this cardstock. 

I used Shimmerz Paints, of course! 

Vibez: Jeni B Bleu sprayed once into a teaspoon of Paste-eez: Salt of the Earth to create that pretty paste. 

To the top area of my page, I add an 8'3/4" x 3" trim of specialty VELLUM. I begin by layering it with our sweet Geo Heart Cut File from the COLOUR ME HAPPY collection - let's take a closer look......

SO pretty!

To the Geo Heart, I foam mount that 'everything you need' journal card which I have trimmed from the aptly titled pattern paper, CV-WH006 FUSSY CUTS. Between and surrounding the vellum & heart layers, I include a few pretty DIE CUT EPHEMERA pieces. You'll spot butterflies, blooms & even a star! And because I wanted to keep with a pretty monochromatic page, I fussy cut some extra blue butterflies from pattern paper, CV-WH003 MARIPOSA. It's all about the blue! ;)

I also add one of those MARIPOSA butterflies to the top right hand corner of my VELLUM paper.....

Those butterflies are so lovely! And speaking of lovely, how awesome is that CHIPBOARD ACCENT STICKER?!! I combine it with the Beautiful You EPHEMERA banner to create a visual stop point in the layout. As most of us read left to right, this encourages your eye to return to the next 'line' & read that WOOD VENEER and EPHEMERA title. Beautiful Memories, indeed!

The WOOD VENEER beautiful is the most exquisitely cut title! With its cursive font & natural warmth, it really adds that something special to the overall layout design. The veneer butterflies also add balance and warmth to the otherwise cool blue page.

Note: The veneer butterflies are from our FREE SPIRIT collection - which you can view HERE.

Here's a better look at them all together.....

Those veneer butterflies!!! I have carefully positioned them so that they double up as anchors to my two sweet photos. I know, pretty AND purposeful! So perfect!

For finishing touches, I carefully splatter some blue ink,Vibez Jeni B Bleu, and even smear a little of it beneath the VENEER title for added interest!

Love it! 

Such a beautiful moment cherished and documented for years to come!

Happy (monochromatic) Mother's Day!

I hope my layout has inspired you to get creative this weekend!

Thanks so much for visiting,

Happy Arty Days,

 Amanda xo 

Paper Issues: April Cut It Up

Hi Happy Arty Days Friends!

Welcome back for more Paper Issues awesomeness with this month's edition of

I just LOVE all the FREE cut files that Paper Issues offers!

Here's the newest one which we're using for today's challenge, 

Isn't this fun?!! Love the lil bees and honeycombe too!

Here's what I created, 

"Be Kind"

Isn't this so delicate and sweet for my Miss M?!!

I've used Dear Lizzy Lovely Day & 

some extra embellishments from Cocoa Vanilla Studio Free Spirit.

Just love how light and fresh this is!

Here's a few close ups for you......

Nawww! How cute are all those bunnies??!

I adore that script title too!

The ombre heart pattern paper is just divine!

So, so pretty! 

Love it!

And that's my take on this month's Cut It Up Saturday!

You can grab all the FREE Paper Issues Cut Files here.

Need scrapbook supplies?

REMEMBER: Use my code AMANDA  and you'll save 20% off your total order - YAY!!!

See what the rest of our talented team has created here.

Thanks for visiting!

til  next time, 

Happy Arty Days, 

Amanda xo 

Cocoa Vanilla Studio: Happy, So Happy!

Hi Creative Friends!

Today I am sharing a super soft and delicate girly page on the Cocoa Vanilla Studio blog!

"Happy, So Happy"

Hello Gorgeous, indeed!

Isn't this the prettiest?!!! Such a divine colour palette with a sweet twist of fun and frivolity!

I've used the gorgeously feminine Free Spirit collection and teamed it up with some Hello Lovely sequins to  complete the look.

I have been
 hoarding - Ahem - 'saving' that DREAMY CV-FS002 patterned paper for so long now! It nearly killed me to cut it up, but gee, I am glad I did! I fussy cut a few of the bubbles to emphasise the flow of the page, it's soooo delicate & perfect for my sweet girl! I matted that sweet photograph onto a few layers of the ECLECTIC CV-FS006 paper (both sides) as it's quite subtle and works with the softness of my design. The other items I have been 'saving', as they're just too cute to use, are all those pineapples!!!

Let's take a closer look....

Pineapple Stickers, pineapple Woodies, Ephemera, Wood Veneers....Yep, it's safe to say, I have pineapple LOVE! And these pretty embellishments are just the sweetest!

Infact, there are just so many wonderful coordinating products in the Free Spirit collection, it's just a lil too easy to pull a page together.

How totally perfect is that resin Little Heart?!! And the 'So Happy' and scallop trim are so well cut it's hard to believe that they're stickers! Honestly, all the embellishments in Free Spirit make me swoon!

How fabulous is the gold glitter font on the flair button? And yes, more pineapples! I just love how the Wood Veneers are printed and maintain the pineapple skin pattern on them. Very cool!

So, if you love Pina-Colodas or pineapples in general, you NEED to get creating with Free Spirit!

I hope you loved my page of pastel prettiness as much as I do!

Thanks for stopping by & leaving a comment,

til next time,

Happy Arty Days,

Amanda xo

Imaginarium Designs: May Creations - Double Layouts

Hi Imaginarium Designs Friends!

Welcome back for another super-filled, fun month of chipboard inspiration!

Today I am sharing a few layouts which I am lucky enough to be teaching at the
Seriously Scrapbooking store.

First up, my double layout class featuring the gorgeous
Cocoa Vanilla Studio: Free Spirit collection...

Aren't they sweet?! Such fabulous painty backgrounds that are a ton of fun to create!

Let's look at each page individually though, as they're also designed to be stand alone layouts too!

"#Awesome"

Isn't he the coolest?! Truly suits his title - awesome!!! Such a fun lil guy & how he loves to ride his scooter!

It's hard to believe that Free Spirit is a feminine collection, huh?!

To create a more 'boy' look I have carefully selected chipboard that coordinates with the Free Spirit die cut ephemera, but also screams boy!

Cogs, bicycles, & stars - just perfect!

And a gorgeous blend of blues, yellowing golds, and greens for the painty background!

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

The bicycle chippie is an old favourite of mine! With Free Spirit having a navy bike ephemera, it seemed only appropriate that I stamp this one up in a royal blue ink. Just enough point of difference and yet, partnered so perfectly!

And how cool is that hashtag word, #awesome ?!! Love it! Really fun, and contemporary! I inked mine in matte black for a bold finish! 

Here's a closer look at the cog and stars....

To maintain a boy feel, I emphasized the stars by adding a few into the background with texture paste. I coated my chippie stars, and cog, in gold ink. I then continued the stars feature with a navy die cut star layered onto the cog. Very cool!

Here's my darling daughter version....

"#Wonderful"

So pretty!!! Love this! The colours are just divine!
Again, I've drawn my chipboard choices from the Free Spirit collection. I was especially inspired by that navy die cut butterfly - so naturally, I had to choose those intricate butterfly chippies!
And to tie in with my boy layout, I've used a hashtag word for the title too!
Here's a closer peak....

As this is the more delicate of the two layouts, I avoided black ink for my title. Instead, I've used that yellowing gold ink that featured on the stars on the opposite page. Stunning!

And how beautiful are those butterflies?!!

Gold ink for the larger one that supports my sweet photograph, and royal blue for the smaller one...

Just the most exquisitely cut chipboard! Divine!!!
To maintain the girl feel to this page, I used some very pretty pinks for my blended background. Otherwise, it's a very complimentary layout to my awesome boy one.

Imaginarium Designs Chipboard Featured:



Tinies - Bicycle (small)



9 Cogs on board small



21 Stars in a board



Hashtag Words



4 Small Butterflies with cut out wings in board



Butterfly

If you'd like to join me in creating both these layouts, and learn how to blend & tone your paints,
 I am teaching them at:

Seriously Scrapbooking, Colonel Light Gardens, South Australia
Saturday 28th May 2016, 2pm-4:30pm

Please call the store on (08) 82771298 to book in! Cant wait to get a lil painty with you!

My final layout that I am sharing with you today is actually my June double layout class!
You'll remember my boy version, "Little Treasure" that I recently created for the baby theme post a few months ago. Well, it was so popular that I decided to create a lil Miss version and make it my next double layout.
But enough talking, here they are.....

I know, does it get anymore divine?! 

How heavenly sweet!

Let's take a better look at my pink one.....

"Little Cutie"

Such a super sweet and delicate baby girl page!

 I've featured some really lovely chipboard here and given it a soft, gentle look with creamy lemons, and baby pink tones....

Like the boy version, I've used Studio Fouteen40 flair, Labels, & Cutz, and that stunning Kaisercraft lace template to create my page with. But it's the chipboard that is undoubtedly the star of both these layouts!
I've used solid white embossing powder on my title and birdy heart, and embellished both with flair and delicate blooms.
Here's another view....



Just sooooooo pretty!
And how cute is that lemon painted bird?!!



Love how delicate this is! Swoon!!!
I've used Versa Ink: Petal Pink on those gorgeous handrawn hearts too....

Love the sequin finish on the lemon heart - just enough bling without being harsh!

This is love indeed!

Imaginarium Designs Chipboard Featured:

Nat's Hearts 2 (12 in a board) 

Little CUTIE - new release coming soon to the store ;)

Four Birds in a board

Bird Heart & Heart in board

You can find out the details of this class at Seriously Scrapbooking too!

And there you have it! 

I hope my layouts have inspired you to get creating with our favourite chipboards!

*Don't forget to pop on over to the Imaginarium Designs blog and leave a comment to go in the draw to win a pack of chipboard*

til next time,

Happy Arty Days, 

Amanda xo 

Imaginarium Designs: April Creations & a Tutorial

Hi Everyone! 

Welcome back for more inspiring projects with our favourite
Imaginarium Designs chipboard. 

Today I have a couple of layouts, as well as a tutorial to share with you -
so let's get straight into it! 

First up, I am sharing this stunning layout featuring me and the gorgeous Louise Nelson....

"Awesome"

How cool is this? An arty explosion of pop colour, style and fun! I love it! 

I've really tried to reflect a balance between both our different styles and personalities with this layout.

Bold and black, wire, arty and stylised - that's all Lou!

 Bright pops of colour, fun, hearts and sticker love - that's definitely me!

And as for Marble is the new black, well I think you'll find that Louise and I both have a thing for gorgeous materials and marble is one of them!!!

Two arty friends having fun and sharing our passion for creating.

And the chipboard? 

Well, naturally it's designed by the talented Loolabelle herself!

Let's take a closer look..... 

How striking are those frames?!! 

Black ink for Lou, and pink for me, lol!

 Layering chipboard in bold colours creates a stunning result everytime! Love it!

Here's another view...

The black and hot pink really compliment that marble pattern paper too. The paper is from Crate Paper's Hello, LOVE collection. And those really funky and foil stickers are from Typo.

The gold stickers were the inspiration for the gold embossing on the Callout chipboard.....

Love that sparkly gold finish! I removed the inner heart and inked that in Island green to also coordinate with the pattern paper. Really cool.

I had such fun creating this layout - it really came from the heart. Thankyou, Louise! 

Imaginarium Products Featured:

Loolabelle's Criss Cross Frame 1

Loolabelle's Callouts (4 in a board)

Frame for 60mm x 90mm Photo

Next up, I have this super sweet Summery layout of my darling boy at the Seaside....

"DOWN by the SEA"

Isn't this fun?! 

It features the stunning Cocoa Vanilla Studio: Hello Sunshine collection, and is just super cute for Summer!

I've combined some of my fave chipboards here to really 'build' a story in my layout. 

Let's look a little closer.....

Soft, matte, pastel baby blue ink for those sweet clouds, bold royal blue ink for the title, and a shimmery hot orange ink and mist combination for Nat's pinwheels. So awesome!

To make those pinwheels appear to be Summer suns, I used Kaisercraft: Tangelo ink pad, and then gave a double coating of Kaisermist in Yellow. You don't see the yellow, but it toned down the orange and added so much shimmer to the 'rays'.

And how cute is that cloud with the complimenting flair? Buttons are a really fun and playful embellishment to add to your chipboard.

Super fun, bright and happy!

Imaginarium Products Featured:

Nat's Pinwheels (3 in a board)

Down by the Sea

Four Clouds in a Board

And last, but not least, here's the tutorial I promised.

I'm not much of a 'special' cardmaker, but occasionally I have something so wonderful happen that I do indulge. This super pretty card is for my darling daughter on Opening Night of the Ballet. 

(She is cast to star in The Australian Youth Ballet's production of Mary Poppins - so excited for her & want her to feel our love and support as she takes to the stage!) 

She's only just turned 10, so I've used a pretty but also very contemporary colour palette and paper collection to best suit her. 

The card is designed to not only offer words of encouragement and recogntion, but also doubles up as on Off The Page keepsake. I hope she likes it!

"Shine, gorgeous!" card and keepsake

I know, it's so pretty huh?!

And it can be recreated in various colour tones & papers to suit your recipients.

Here's how to re-create it....

1. Ink the Emma Frame - avoiding the flourishes. I've used Versa ink in Royal Blue.

2. Coat the flourishes in embossing ink.

 I find using the refill nozzle much more controlled for small, intricate details, and you can tidy up the 'blobs' with the end of a pin.

3. Add embossing powder. Dust off excess with a stiff paint brush. 

Apply heat & set the powder. I used sparkling Gold Zing by American Crafts. 

4. Attach patterned papers to frame. I've featured the Cocoa Vanilla Studio: Free Spirit collection. You'll spy that it has flecks of gold glitter in the paper - coordinating perfectly with the frame!

5. Adhere photograph. I've used Miss M's last ballet exam practice photo, so it really connects with the card's purpose and meaning. 

6. Attach to front of card with double sided tape.

7. Embellish frame with blooms, ephemera, title/message etc. I've used the Free Spirit embellishments as they really do partner perfectly with the patterned papers.

8. Last, but not least, add a few rhinestone gems and pearls for finishing touches. All little girls love a bit of bling!

Voila! 

A gorgeous card that doubles as a beautiful keepsake Off The Page creation. Just stunning!

You can purchase that divine Emma Frame here.

I hope you enjoyed my post today, and feel inspired to get creating!

*Please be sure to leave a comment to go in the draw to win a pack of chipboard*

Thanks so much for visiting, 

til next time,

Happy Arty Days, 

Amanda xo