Hip Kit Club: June 2021 Main Kit Only

 Hi Crafters!

Welcome back for more Hip Kit Club inspiration & awesomeness!

Today I'm sharing how I've incorporated punches and metal dies from my stash into a 

June 2021 Main Kit Only layout. 

Yay, such a fun challenge!  

Oh, and if you're a mom of boys (or simply just wondering how such a pretty kit can work for boy pages), read on!

Here's my darling son's newest page with the June 2021 Main Kit Only...

"Happy Memories"

 

Whoa! How awesome is this?! Super cool &  perfect for documenting my sweet boy!

You'll spy punched stars and semi circles, as well as die cut foliage pieces too! 

And my favorite die cut? Well, that would definitely be the diamond die that I used to shape my photograph with! 

Here's a closer look at it...

 

 

So super awesome! That diamond photo is really somethin'! To be honest, it dictated the vertical page arrangement and overall design of the layout. I even aligned my border papers (B sides of Hip Kit Club's Delightful: Lemon Parfait and Pinkfresh Studio's Happy Blooms: Garden) with the diamond photo before I zig zagged them into place.

 

 

The blue, teal and purple tones of this layout are so cool and refreshing that they simply add to the chilled out, Summer vibes theme. This contemporary color scheme is then balanced out with pops of striking black & white embellishments. The black and white details really cut through the 'softness' of the colors,  giving a stronger & more masculine feel. You'll notice that I've featured lots of textural elements such as messy machine stitching, distressed cardstock, those amazing Hip Kit Exclusive Wood Veneer Buttons, lots of foam tape and even curled, folded and raised embellishments for the same effect.

 

 

The Hip Kit Club Delightful Ephemera  leaves inspired me to create more foliage die cuts to anchor my photo with. I cut these leaves from the B side of Pinkfresh Studio's Happy Blooms: Garden paper, and arranged them with the Delightful leaves, as well as the banners from the Pinkfresh Studio Happy Blooms: Journaling Bits.  The Delightful Wood Veneer Buttons were perfect for added dimension and interest, but I felt like my page needed more black and white details. The solution? I used an old star punch with the B side of Hip Kit's Delightful: Strawberry Crush Paper (white paper with black dot pattern) and sprinkled them throughout the vertical design (because he's my lil super star, of course!).

 

 

My semi circle punch was used to support the two die cut clouds. A simple mirroring technique, but so effective!

 

 

All the Hip Kit Club Main Kit awesomeness!!! Love it!

I hope my layout has inspired you to get creating with the June 2021 Hip Kits today!

til next time,

Happy Arty Days, 

Amanda xo

Hip Kit Club: Product Focus - Delightful Collection

 Hi Friends!

Welcome back for more Hip Kit Club awesomeness!

Today I am shining the product spotlight on the gorgeous Hip Kit Club exclusive Delightful collection! It's no secret how much I love Kim & Kimberly's exclusive designs, and the pretties featured in the June 2021 Hip Kits really have my heart!!! From superbly patterned papers to vellum sticker butterflies, wood veneer buttons, fabric bows and so much more - well, let's just say it's just lucky I had a grid design to showcase them all, lol! Here's what I created,

"Summer"

Oh my heart! 

Grids are always for the win, but the striking color scheme combined with all those Delightful embellishments really made this page come to life! So wondrous! I've also mixed in a few bits & pieces from the Pinkfresh Studio: Happy Blooms line . I am always in awe of how perfectly coordinated the Hip Kits are! Seriously, from papers to embellishments and even the cardstock - everything is always so expertly curated to ensure crafting success!  I love the combination of Delightful with Happy Blooms, and as such, I really let them play off one another. 

Let's take a better look at my page...

 

 

As a scrapbooker, beautifully designed patterned papers are always my first love!  So needless to say, I just had to start my layout with my fave Delightful paper, Watermelon Ice. The striking black and white stripes design is so impressive! It really draws you into the page! This paper also contrasts beautifully with the pastel pretties and Summer brights of the rest of the page. I layered an 11" x 11" white cardstock base over the Watermelon Ice, courtesy of the June 2021 Cardstock Kit, to form that fabulous border trim. For the 'grid' design, I trimmed the B side of Hip Kit Club's Delightful: Lemon Parfait as well as Pinkfresh Studio's Happy Blooms: Blossom paper into 3inch squares.

 

 

I arranged the patterned paper squares into horizontal rows, ensuring that I left the center row free for my title. Once happy, I messily machine stitched them into place before adding my sweet photos and all those pretty embellishments. You'll spy that each square is adorned with a mix of the stunning Delightful Fabric Bows, Wood Veneer Buttons, Ephemera, & Vellum Sticker Butterflies. 

Let's take a better look at those decorated squares...

 

 

 

So.much.gorgeousness!!!

When it came to my title, I just couldn't get past that lovely yellow 'Summer' from the Delightful Chipboard Words. It really packs a punch!

 

 

 

For finishing touches, I used a few of the Delightful Clear Stickers from the June 2021 Embellishment Kit. The typewriter font phrases added the perfect amount of journaling to complete my page! And there you have it! Hip Kit Club's Delightful collection is truly spotlight worthy - SO good! I hope my project has inspired you to get creating with the beautiful Hip Kits!

Thanks so much for stopping by today!

til next time, 

Happy Arty Days, 

Amanda xo

 

Hip Kit Club: Father's Day Inspiration with the May Hip Kits!

 Hi Friends! 

Thanks so much for stopping by today to see my take on the Hip Kit Club's Father's Day theme week! Today's post also has the added challenges of using only the May 2021 Main Kit, strictly no pink and creating your own stripes or plaid design from pattern papers! Yay, such a fun challenge! I couldn't wait to get started on creating this layout of my son and husband - taken quite a few years ago...

"All The Feels" 

 

How awesome is this?! I just love the combination of yellow, orange and soft blue - so fresh, and contemporary and really cool for my two boys! I've combined a mix of Pinkfresh Studio: Keeping It Real - A Little Chaos paper, Paige Evans: Wonders - Paper 5, and Obed Marshall's Buenos Dias Vamonos paper for my half inch paper strips. I've arranged them in a diamond design and weaved them together to really make the design and colors pop!

 

 

Those weaved paper strips are errrrything!!!

Apart from being super cool, they also form my loose interpretation of the  required 'plaid' feature. It kinda has a plaid vibe, right? You'll also notice that I've roughly rolled up the corners of my Avalanche Cardstock ( May 2021 Cardstock Kit) and backed these areas with more of the Pinkfresh Studio: A Little Chaos paper.  This messy textured paper look enhanced the masculine theme of my page and added that extra somethin'!

 

There are so many terrific pattern papers in the May 2021 Kit, that I had to feature more! You'll spy that I fussy cut the awesome Amy Tangerine: Brave & Bold - Take Note paper to build the layers beneath my photograph. That tiger is my fave! I also fussy cut Jen Hadfield's: Reaching Out - Stick Together paper to add the appearance of some taped journaling at the top left of my page. Simple approaches to incorporate more patterned papers into scrapbook pages!

 

 

Embellishing is always my favorite part, & I loved color hunting through the May 2021 Main Kit for coordinating die cuts and stickers! The Pinkfresh Studio: Keeping It Real Ephemera pack had quite a few pieces that coordinated well, but it was that Paige Evans: Wonders  Dimensional Banner that really wowed me! I mean, seriously, so good!!!

 

 

With such a vibrant color scheme, it was important that I printed my cherished photograph in black and white, and centered it through the weaved plaid design. This ensured that my photo remained the focal point of my page!

 

 

For finishing touches, I sprinkled some black sequins from my stash - but black ink splatters would have worked just as well here.

 

 

A truly wonderful page for the special guys in my life!

I really hope my May Main Kit only layout has inspired you to get creating with the fabulous Hip Kits today! 

Til next time,

Happy Arty Days, 

Amanda xo

Hip Kit Club: April Mood Board Inspiration

 Hi Friends! 

Welcome back for more Hip Kit Club awesomeness!

 Today I'm sharing my take on this month's gorgeous mood board created by the lovely Emilie Chamel! The April mood board is super striking and has so many beautiful images to inspire you with! If you haven't seen it yet, here's what the April mood board looks like...

 

Told you it was gorgeous!!! A really stunning mood board! 

I was particularly impressed by the pop colors and contrasting black and white elements. Here's what it inspired me to create with our fabulous February 2021 Hip Kits...

"Feel Happy" 12 x 12 scrapbook layout

 

Wow! It's clear to see that I was inspired by the first image, 'Good Vibes Only'! I couldn't resist that bright watercolor background! I used watercolors from my stash, applied them to an acrylic stamp block, and literally smooshed and scraped the colors onto my Bazzill White Cardstock (February 2021 Cardstock Kit) base. I added a few flicks and splatters of color for interest too! I love how the watercolor in the mood board image really made the phrase pop, and I decided to do the same for my large script cut file title. Let's take a better look...

 

 

Oh my heart! This totally makes me feel happy! The cut file is from the March 2021 Hip Kit Club Subscriber Exclusive Cut Files, and is actually called 'Feelin' Happy'. To better suit my story, I snipped off the 'in' to form the new title, Feel Happy. Love it!

 

 

Inspired by the colors of the mood board, and even more so by the ombre tones on that cute "HUGS make me happy" Hip Kit Club exclusive Heartfelt collection die cut, I hand colored my cut file with some artist markers to match.  Such a simple approach to customizing cut file titles, but I really do love how effective it looks! I foam mounted my title onto that striking watercolor base, and then double foam mounted the "HUGS make me happy" die cut over it.

 

 

I embellished around my cut file title, with lots of the lovely Hip Kit Club Heartfelt Ephemera from the February 2021 Embellishment Kit. On close inspection, you'll spy that I have also customized a few of these items with a permanent black marker. I colored over the green wreath which I used as my photo frame, and part of heart padlock to better suit the contrasting use of color in the mood board. Again, really simple touches that make such a difference to the overall look and feel to the page!

 

That floral die cut  worked beautifully as a frame for my two darlings' photo, and to connect it with my title, I attached it with that sweet rainbow die cut. Because, well...rainbow connections and all!  With florals and black and white being such dominant features in the April mood board, it seemed an obvious choice to use the beautiful Hip Kit Club Heartfelt patterned paper, 'Say It With Flowers' to trim the top section of my page. To add more interest, and even a bit of texture to my design, I tore and distressed the edge of this paper, and then tucked a few extra die cuts beneath it. So cool!

 

 

For added interest, I also adorned the page with a mix of florals & hearts from the Heartfelt Ephemera & Die Cuts, Simple Stories: Hello Today - Decorative Brads, and even a Chipboard Flair or two from the Pinkfresh Studio: Some Days collection.

 

Hugs make me feel happy, & I hope my layout has made you smile too!

I hope you feel inspired to play along with the HKC April Mood Board Challenge! 

Please be sure to upload your creations to the Hip Kit Club Facebook Group HERE - we really LOVE seeing what you've made with the amazing Hip Kits too!

Thanks so much for visiting,

til next time,

Happy Arty Days, 

Amanda xo

Hip Kit Club February Kits Scrapbook Inspiration - Recipe Challenge!

Hi Friends! 

Welcome back for more Hip Kit Club inspiration!

Today I am sharing my take on the HKC Weekly Challenge featuring the February 2021 Hip Kits! 

This week's challenge is this super fun recipe...

 

Oh how fun is this?! Plus the Hip Kit Club Design Team have the added challenge of documenting a 'place' (no people to feature in our photographs!) Wow, that's a great challenge!

Here's what I came up with,

"This Is My Happy Place"

 

Sigh! This place, this beach - it truly is our little piece of paradise! I feel so fortunate to live in such a beautiful location & documenting it with the gorgeous February 2021 Hip Kits made it even more pleasurable! There are lots of lovely details to this layout - let's take a closer view...

 

 

So stunning! I just adore this fresh and contemporary color scheme for Summer themed pages!

If we work through the recipe check list, I used a mix of pattern paper, Pinkfresh Studio: Some Days collection Chipboard Flair, Simple Stories: Hello Today Decorative Brads and even the Pinkfresh Studio: Some Days Enamel Dots to meet the 'circles' requirement. I fussy cut the paper circles from the Hip Kit Club: Heartfelt collection paper called, Yours Forever. The blue is really striking with the woodgrain and Pinkfresh Studio: Some Days lemon Die Cuts, and who can resist a heart pattern? (especially given my love for this special place!).  So lots, and lots of circles to my design, but then with so many beautiful things in the February 2021 Hip Kits - why not?!

 

Next on the recipe list is to use at least 3 patterned papers. It's always easy to incorporate a few paper designs into every page as the Hip Kits are so carefully curated that everything coordinates perfectly! I took inspiration from the colors and textures in my photograph, and used the B sides of the Hip Kit Club: Heartfelt papers - Love Connection (woodgrain print) and Cross My Heart (soft gray print). It's no secret that I love a good woodgrain print, and this one had my heart! The third paper was the Yours Forever print, which when teamed with the lemon yellow, crisp Bazzill White Cardstock, and the soft gray and woodgrain was a match made in heaven! (or at least, perfect for documenting my paradise on Earth!) Also, to enhance the woodgrain look, I couldn't resist framing my photo with that fabulous Simple Stories: Hello Today Chipboard Frames courtesy of the February 2021 Embellishment Kit. Love it!

 

 

Those Pinkfresh Studio: Some Days Floral Die Cuts are also worth a special mention! I associate lemons with all things Summer - so they were the perfect adornment to my beach paradise page!

The next recipe item is 'hidden journaling'. I actually do this on all my layouts, normally as a letter to my children on the back of my page. That isn't particularly inspiring though, so for the sake of today's challenge, I opted for something different! I created a pocket by gluing only the very edges of the top, bottom and left hand side of my framed photo.  This allowed me to slide in that sweet  Hip Kit Club: Heartfelt Die Cut Tag  which I adhered my typewriter journaling onto. Simple, but so effective!  Here's a closer look at it...

 

Pockets are a really easy way to hide your journaling, memorabilia and even more personal photos!

 

 

The final item on the recipe is 'one big title'. There are a couple of ways to interpret this;  use only one very large word for your project title OR, make one really big title with lots of words - like I did! The soft blue color of  the Pinkfresh Studio: Some Days - Puffy Alphabet Stickers were a subtle touch to my page, and prevented that 'big title' from dominating my design.

 

 

Simple, beautiful Summer creating for the Hip Kit Club Weekly Challenge with the February 2021 Hip Kits! 

I really hope my layout has inspired you to create with this recipe too! 

Please be sure to upload your creations for this challenge in the Hip Kit Club Facebook Group HERE! Not only will you have fun and inspire others, but you'll also go in the draw for the weekly challenge prize! Yay! I can't wait to see what you'll create!

Thanks so much for stopping by today!

til next time,

Happy Arty Days, 

Amanda xo

Hip Kit Club: Color Kit Fun!

 

Hi Friends!

Welcome back for more Hip Kit Club inspiration!

 Today I have a fun December 2020 Color Kit layout to share with you all! If you're familiar with my creating, you'll already know how much I absolutely LOVE Shimmerz Paints! No surprises that I was over the moon excited to see one of my all time favorite Inklingz in the December Color Kit - Oakie Bear Blue! Oh.my.heart! Don't even get me started on my obsession with intensely pigmented blue paints!  Needless to say, Inklingz Oakie Bear Blue takes center stage in today's painty post. 

Here's what I created...

"SO Happy"

 

Whoa!!! SO very happy, indeed! From that darling photo to those painty hues and those brightly colored stripes - this layout is all kinds of happy! As well as the beautiful December 2020 Color Kit paints, I have also featured the December 2020 Main Scrapbook and Embellishment Kit. So much gorgeousness! Let's take a closer look...

 

 

Those torn and distressed paper trims at the top of my page are errrrything!  Both patterns are from the Keeping Cozy: My Happy Place paper & clearly I had difficulty choosing a favorite! Not only do they act as an anchor to balance out all the color at the base of my page, but the contrast between spots and stripes really creates a visual point of interest. Spots and stripes for the win! Yay!

 

 

I framed my sweet photo with one of the fabulous Keeping Cozy Chipboard Stickers, then layered it onto another Chipboard Sticker, and a bed of black and white Floral Ephemera die cuts from the Embellishment Kit. So simple and yet, such effective and lovely layers of interest!

 

 

But it's that mixed media layer that I just can't stop looking at! It was sooooooo much fun to create! I started by masking off the cardstock with some old washi tape from my stash at the 6 inch mark. I then added lots, and lots, of water below the masked area before using a dropper to apply the Inklingz Oakie Bear Blue color. I allowed the paint to swirl into the water pools and react, and then dried it all off with a heat gun.

 

 

I then used a round tip paint brush to apply the Shimmerz Christmas Cheer gold paint around the blue areas. Once applied, I held the cardstock up vertically & sprayed the paint with lots of water to encourage more of that drippy paint appearance. I dried this off, and repeated the same application  process  for the Inklingz Naughty or Nice color. LOVE it!

 

 

I added a few  paint splatters by flicking my paint brush over my mixed media background, and once all my paint was dry I removed the washi tape to reveal that perfectly straight edge.

 

 

I created a mixed font title with the Keeping Cozy Black Puffy Alphabet Stickers & Puffy Word Stickers from the Embellishment Kit. I also scattered some sweet black stars from the  Let's Celebrate Clear Stickers, as well as sprinkled some of the Main Kit Keeping Cozy: Enamel Dots. For a finished look, I added a few hearts, and some colored cotton thread from my sewing supplies.

 

 

So very striking and SO happy! I really hope that my playful, mixed media layout has inspired you to get a lil paint today!  

Thanks so much for stopping by!

til next time,

Happy Arty Days, 

Amanda xo