Elle's Studio: Use Your Scraps from the August Kit!

 

Hi Creative Friends! 

Welcome back for more Elle's Studio inspiration!

Today I am sharing some of my top tips to stretch the August kit & add ons! 

I only had one of the 3 x 4 inch journal cards left from my August 2021 Kit - but that didn't stop me from creating a full 12 x 12 inch page! Here's what I crafted...

"High Five" 

Wow! Such an amazing layout & you'd never guess that I was short on supplies!

 

Elle's Studio Supplies Featured: August 2021 Kit, Lizzy Alphabet Stamp, Proud Of You Die Cuts, 

Light Teal Cardstock Basic Shape Stickers, & August Labels.  

Here are my top tips on using your scraps! 

1. Add a mixed media base! A splash of paint, and some cleverly repeated stamping will create the illusion of 'more'.  I used the packaging technique to apply my blue watercolor paints, and then repeat stamped the scallop icon from the amazing Lizzy Alphabet Stamp.

2. Labels are everything! The humble label is such a useful and versatile embellishment. 

I cut a few of the August Labels (and August Kit Die Cuts labels) into half and tucked them under my photograph. So even though I only had the one journal card to mount my photo onto, I now had the appearance of a layered cluster. I also used labels to embellish my journaling (let the good times roll) and enhance the torn edges at the top of my page. Simple, but so effective! 

3. Die Cuts add interest, and dimension! Adding die cuts can really bring attention to certain page elements. I used the Proud of You Die Cuts to adorn my photo and make it the focal point. The die cuts also act as page builder, and create the illusion of a much fuller design - despite the lack of supplies. 

4. Use your stamps! Not only did I use the Lizzy Alphabet Stamp for my mixed media base, I also repeat stamped the stars from this stamp set to 'fill the gaps'. Using different colored inks or similar stamps in different sizes will also create the illusion of more embellishments on the page. 

5. Reveal 'snippets' of pattern paper to give the impression that there's more hiding! 

I tore the edges of my white cardstock base and stapled my left over paper scraps to the back of these tears. 

6. Make stickers do the hard work! The Light Teal Cardstock Basic Shape Stickers were perfect for tucking into my photo cluster. I also sprinkled some of the light teal stars around my page. 

7. Repetition is key! I opted for a simple color palette which I repeated to use in my embellishment selection. The over use of the same colors enhanced the design and gave it a more plentiful appearance. I also repeated the star shape throughout my layout. Again, the overuse of similar items really enforced the abundant look of the page.  

And there you have it! My top tips for stretching your supplies while we wait for our newest kit to arrive! I hope I have given you a few ideas to try! 

Thanks so much for visiting today, 

til next time, 

Happy Arty Days,

Amanda xo 

Elle's Studio: Scrap Your Stash Inspiration!

Hi Friends! 

Welcome back for more Elle's Studio February Kit love!!!

 I'm back to share more 'stretch your kit' or 'scrap your stash' inspiration while we eagerly await our new March products! 

It's no secret that the February Kit and add on items have been firm favorites of mine - I mean, all.the.rainbows!!! La la looooooove! Seriously though, the February Kit and new releases are so good that I created up a storm and I am now truly maxmizing my 'left overs' to create one more scrapbook page for today's post! 

Here's what I pulled together with my 'scraps'....

"I {heart} U"

Oh wow! What a bright & fun page! 

You'd never know that I was struggling on a shortage of supplies! Such a clever design!

Elle's Studio Supplies Featured: February Kit, Puffy Rainbow Stickers, Be Happy Stickers, Simply Wonderful Wood Veneer Banners, Coral Puffy Alphabet Stickers, Teal Acetate Alphabet, Love Is 6" x 8.5" Paper Stack.  

Other Supplies: Bazzill Avalanche Cardstock

Let's take a closer look at  my page, 

Naww! Such a cute page for my darling boy! 

As you already know, I used all.the.things earlier in the month and didn't have much left of anything - except those Teal Acetate Alphabet letters. I had a few of those but again, I'd used all the popular letters and there were not many word options left. The solution? Use them in a random, grid order to create a fun background for this otherwise minimalist design! Not only did this add a bright pop of color to my white base, the Teal Acetate Alphabet also created the appearance of  a 'full' page design - love it! 

To add more color and interest to my design, I trimmed the left and right sides of my 8.5" x 11" layout with half inch strips of one of the Love Is 6" x 8.5" Paper Stack papers. To create the look of an 11" inch paper, I simply butted the strips together, careful to maintain the pattern design so the join wouldn't be visible. This is another great way to incorporate the appearance of more detail in your pages with only scraps of pattern paper in your stash! 

With only a few of the note cards left over from my February Kit, I decided to use one that had a bright and colorful design, which enhanced the playfulness of my page. With so many bright details on my layout, I opted to use a black and white version of my photograph so that it would remain the focal point. For further emphasis, I foam mounted the note card so it really stood out over the rest of the page. 

I raided the last of my February Kit Die Cuts and embellished my photograph and created that mini title with the purple heart and Coral Puffy Alphabet Stickers. Love it! The Coral Puffy Alphabet Stickers are complementary to the Teal Acetate Alphabet and really pop! 

To 'fill' the gaps in this simple design, I gathered all my 'left over' stickers and positioned them on and around that fun Teal Acetate Alphabet base. I used the Be Happy Stickers as both journaling spots and to cut through some of the pop color. This helped to create balance, and encouraged flow and movement into the design. The inclusion of the Puffy Rainbow Stickers really strengthened the whimsical and playful theme of my page too!

It's the Little Things, quite literally, that can make a page! 

I hope my scrap your stash post today has inspired you to get creative with your left over supplies, & that your March Kit isn't too far away ;) 

I can't wait to share more with you! 

Thanks so much for stopping by today,

til next time, 

Happy Arty Days,

Amanda xo 

Elle's Studio: Stashbusting the May Kit & Add-ons!

Hi Everyone! 

Today I am sharing how I use up the left overs of my Elle's Studio kits! 

Stashbust, kill your kit - call it what you want! 

The point is to use it all & be creative while we wait for our next kit to arrive!

The May Kit was an absolute stunner, and I made some truly pretty pages from it. 

But now what???

When I looked at what I had left over as a whole, there wasn't a commonality between anything!

I had a few 3 x 4 cards & one 4 x 6 card, and some Die Cuts left from the exclusive May Kit. 

I also had remnants of the Puffy Hearts & Play All Day Phrase Stickers, some of the Labels, as well as the Hazel Stamp!

 I had a bit of this and bit of that.... until I grouped everything by color!

Here's what I came up with.....

"Weekend"

How fun is this?!! 

Inspired by party banners, I decided to suspend my color blocked scraps together! 

I used some baker's twine & ink from my personal stash, but otherwise everything else is from the May Kit and Add Ons.  

Here's a closer look for you....

How did I get SO many pieces?

Lots of clever cutting from the May Kit 3x4 cards.

I used the negatives from the May Kit Die Cuts as a stencil and drew the hearts, stars and tabs on the left over 3 x 4 cards. I then fussy cut them out to reveal 'more' embellishments than I actually had on hand. 

 

While I had my trusty scissors handy, I also fussy cut the arrows from the 3 x 4 card that featured 5 arrows on it, as well as the left over labels. I also trimmed up the 4 x 6 card into smaller squares to matte beneath my photo. 

 I added the Play All Day Phrase Stickers to many of these embellishments, and then strung them along the twine in color blocks. 

To keep the design more cohesive, I kept the color blocks in rainbow order. 

Tip: Having analogous colors together is more orderly and pleasing on the eye!

To strengthen the color block feature, I repeat stamped the plus sign symbol from the Hazel Stamp. I stamped at varying angles to create a confetti appearance, and used coordinating inks. This stamping works beautifully with the banner design, and brings it all together!  

I position some of the Puffy Hearts onto the twine, and scatter others around the banner in their color block. 

To ensure my photo is the true hero of my layout, I place it in the center of my final banner. 

And there you have it! 

Kill your kit with a lil creative fussy cutting, stamping and color blocking! 

Hope this inspires you to use up the last of your May Kit! 

Thanks so much for visiting, 

til next time

Happy Arty Days, 

Amanda xo 

Paper Issues:December Try It Tuesday!

Hi Paper Loving Friends!

Can you believe it's the last month of the year already?!!
Let's make it a December to Remember with this month's edition of Paper Issues

This month let's use up all those ends of papers, paper strips and even the printed barcode strips of papers to create with! 

Suggested Ideas include:

 Create a shape such as a star, heart, or snowflake with your paper strips
 Stitch your strips together then die cut out a shape or tag
 Paper piece a cut file shape with strips
 Create multiple borders or frames  
Make a diagonal feature of strips in your background

I'm sure you'll have tons of creative uses for these strips! 

I had so much fun creating for this challenge, here's what I came up with,

"JOY"

JOY indeed! Snow much fun! 

I've used the gorgeous Pinkfresh Studio: December Days collection for my sweet Christmas page.

I had quite a few off cuts and left over papers from the 6 x 6 Paper Pad to use up from this line.

 As I was creating a Christmas layout, I took inspiration from my background patterned paper Ornaments, and decided to create my own paper strip Christmas trees! SO cool!

I just LOVE how effective the paper strip trees look! 

Here's a closer look for you.....

To add to the impact, I decorated my trees with sequin stars, Die Cut ornaments, and even popped a few presents (Puffy Stickers) under the trees. 

How awesome is that Chipboard Frame too?! Loving it all!

I hope my layout has inspired you to get creating but before you do, 

check out some more inspiration from our incredible team here.

Need supplies before you start?

Visit the Paper Issues store HERE

& REMEMBER: Use code AMANDA & you'll save 20% off your total spend - Yay!!!

Love that Cold As Ice Shimmerz Paints background? 

Get yours here and type AMANDA in the comments section of your order to receive a FREE gift! 

Yay for free paint!

Creating at its best! 

Be sure to upload all your paper strip projects (cards, layouts, pocket pages, off the pages etc) in the

Paper Issues Friends & Fans Facebook Group: December Album HERE

Every new entry earns your the chance to win a Paper Issues Gift Card -

 so what are you waiting for?!!

Have FUN!!!

Thanks so much for visiting, 

til next time, 

Happy Arty Days, 

Amanda xo 

Shimmerz Paints: So So Pretty!!!!

Hi Creative Friends!

Welcome back for my second Shimmerz Paints Social Team project for September!
I am so in love with the intenisty and vibrancy of the Shimmerz Paints - SO good!!!
But rather than rave, let's allow my project to do all the talking!

Here's my fun Autumn layout,

"Fall"



Oh sigh! Isn't this just divine?!!
Such a beautiful photograph of my darling daughter!
 I really felt inspired by the colours in this image, so that's what my layout is designed around today!
And if we're playing with colour, what could be more perfect than using Shimmerz Paints!

You'll spy a light layer of Acri-Tonez: 3 Sheets to the Wind as my alternative to gesso. It dries really smooth, and is perfect as a primer for your paper projects!
I then sprayed a lil Spritz: Sapphire into a dish, watered it down just a tad, and then applied with both a brush and the packaging technique.
Once dry, I added a few splatters and light spritz of Shimmeringz: Goldie Lox - love the subtly of this golden delight!
Last, but by no means least, I used a star stencil and applied Paste-eez: Puttin' On The Glitz for added dimension, sparkle and interest.
Such a simple mixed media background, and yet oh-so effective!
The scrapbook collection I have featured today is American Crafts: 1Canoe2 Creekside, and I am just loving those fussy cut roses!!!

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

The glitz stars are such a delicate and subtle touch!

Here's another view of them....

Really sweet!

But it's the Sapphire Spritz that's the real delight....

That blue is just STUNNING!!! And can you believe that I watered it down?!! 

Imagine how intense the colour pigment is! La La LOVE this colour!!!

 I think it may be replacing Jeni B Bleu as my favorite Shimmerz Paints product!

Oh, and how pretty are the Goldie Lox droplets?!

SO much awesome going on here! 

I hope you liked my layout and feel inspired to try the gorgeous Shimmerz Paints!

And you know what?

Because these products are so awesome, 

I created a bonus layout for you today too!

(I know, right? They're truly that fun to play with!)

 For my bonus layout, I am taking a completely different approach
 and discovering how delicate and soft these amazing paints can be!
Here it is.....

"SO Pretty"

Oh swooooon! Pretty indeed!
So very delicate and divine!
A very feminine and girly page for my beautiful daughter!
For this layout, I have stashbusted my left over odds and ends from Pink Paislee's Paige Evans Oh My Heart collection, and drawn on a very soft and pretty colour combination.
You'll spy that STUNNING Dazzlerz: Tutti Frutti using a Peonies mask, as well as a lil watercolour work with Creameez: Sky's The Limit!
Don't they just look dreamy together?!!
Let's take a closer look.....

You can see why this paste is called 'Dazzlerz', just look at that shine!

To keep with my soft and feminine design, I blotted the Creameez to reduce the colour intensity.

But it's that Tutti Frutti that's the show stopper! 

The shimmer is truly just sensational!

Beautiful!

I do hope you like my soft and very feminine look, 

with these gorgeous products!

 Get all your Shimmerz Paints products here

& REMEMBER: Use my name AMANDA in the comments section and you'll receive a free gift with your order too! YAY!!!

Love those winged heart cut files? 

Get them from the FREE files section in the Paper Issues store here

Thanks so much for stopping by today!

til next time, 

Happy Arty Days, 

Amanda xo 

Paper Issues: January - New Issue - Round 1: Stashbusters!

Hi Creative Friends!

Time for Paper Issues first New Issue for 2017! 

This edition is about Stashbusting!!!

Suggested ideas:
It's a new year, so make a dent in your stash!

What are you hoarding? Is it an old collection? Is there a paper you think is too pretty to cut into? Do you have embellishments you haven't even opened? Get to work creating a project that includes something you haven't used yet or finishes off a collection by using up the scraps.

Show us anything about your New Year's celebrations.
Scrap a photo of yourself.

And with those ideas in mind, here's my layout...

"Love"

And love her I do! What a beautiful young lady she's growing into! Such a sweet girl!

So.....

I finally caved and cut up those beautiful Crate paper Cute Girl papers! 

I have been hoarding these for quite a while now... lol! 

And how gorgeous are those papers and coordinating embellishments?! 

Divine!

Here's a closer look.....

Lots of fussy cutting for this layout! 

The yellow scallops are all cut from that happy paper, Cheery & all those sweet blooms are fussy cut from the patterned paper, Storybook.

 Love how it turned out!

. 

Love those Cute Girl Wood Veneer Shapes  & Small Embellishments too!

You'll also spy some of the fabulous stickers and those Resin Hearts!!!

My favourites that I may have also been keeping for something special - ha!

So glad I used them!

I've included a lil mixed media element to my layout too - tempera paints, and a Kikki K roller stamp that I just had to buy, but only used once!

A really great effort to bust through my stash before all the New Year collections start turning up on my doorstep.....

I hope you liked my take on the New Issue as much as I do!

Looking for a lil more ideas and inspiration?

Check out the official post here and see what our amazing team has created!

It also includes the details on how to join in on the challenge and go in the draw for a

 Paper Issues Gift Card

And remember, when you're shopping in the Paper Issues store, 

use my code: AMANDA 

It'll save you 20%off everything in the store! YAY!

Thanks for visiting, 

til next time, 

Happy Arty Days, 

Amanda xo