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 

Elle's Studio: May Kit and New Releases!

Hi Everyone! 

It's our favourite time of the month - 

Elle's Studio New Releases are now LIVE!!!

Shop ALL the fabulous new things HERE

Yayyy!
You're going to fall in love with the May Kit and Add-Ons, it's SO good! 

Here's what the May Exclusive Kit looks like....



Gorgeous, huh? The color palette is just so bright & happy!
Kind Of A Big Deal, indeed!!!
And the Add-Ons are like the icing on the cake this month....

Oh.my.heart!!! I can't even pick a favorite! 

So many beautiful embellishments, & those stamps!!! SO awesome!

And if the Add -ons are the icing, then the monthly Printables and Digital Cut Files are definitely the cherry on top! 

Check these out....

Always so FUN and versatile! 

& we have something else NEW and exciting to share this month too.....

Drum roll please! 

Introducing the Elle's Studio Exclusive Traveler's Notebook Kit!  

YES!!! 

I am in memory keeping heaven right now! 

This month's kit is called Let's Go! 

& is perfect for all your Summer Vacay memory keeping!

These kits are going to sell out fast! 

Don't miss out - get yours HERE!

And now it's time for a little inspiration with the May Kit! 

Here's what I've created for today's release....

"Good Times" 

With so much magic packed into this month's kit, it seemed only fitting that I go totally magical with this hand painted Caticorn layout! 

Told you this kit was Kind of a Big Deal!

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

So.much.fun!!! 

I have layered my photo onto a few of the 3 x 4 journal cards, and embellished with the included Die Cuts. That purple paperclip is the cutest!!!

And speaking of cute, I just adore the Puffy Heart Stickers (Spring Mix) adorning the tail and directing you into my sweet pic! 

And how can I move on without mentioning THAT gold mirror Good Times Acrylic title?! It's crazy good! 

I need a whole box of these titles! So stunning! 

The Gold Shapes and Dots Puffy Stickers add to the 'magic' and add that special something! 

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

The sweet butterflies are from our new Noteworthy collection, and add to the playful nature of this design! 

For finishing touches I use our recently released Title Builder Vol.2 Stamp - love it! 

May is definitely MAGIC! 

Here's my second layout - this time celebrating Easter morning.... 

"Sweet Life"

Oh how sweet is this?!!

Love, love, love! 

And what could be sweeter than chocolate bunnies for breakfast? lol! 

Such happy memories! 

Here's a closer look............

How cool is this banner design?!

I love the suspended photographs and their layered clusters! 

So many beautiful Add Ons to embellish with! 

As well as our gorgeous May products, you'll also notice that my title is created from our recently released Title Builder Vol.2 Wood Veneer set. (available HERE) 

The 12 x 12 pattern papers featured are from our new Noteworthy collection. 

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

I just love the colors in this! SO light, bright & fresh! 

You'll see that I use the The Play All Day Phrase Stickers throughout my layout for added journaling and fun descriptors. Cool! 

So yummy, indeed! 

And that's all I can share with you for today..... ;)

Come back a lil later in the month to see more! 

I can't wait to share it all with you! 

Shop ALL the new arrivals in the Elle's Studio store HERE

Thanks so much for visiting! 

til next time, 

Happy Arty Days, 

Amanda xo

Pinkfresh Studio: A Case of the Blahs & The Mix No. 2!

Hi Papercrafting Friends!

Welcome back for more Pinkrfesh Studio scrapbook inspiration!

 I am super excited to be sharing my May Design Team creations with

A Case of the Blahs and The Mix No.2! 

One of my scrappy goals this year was to scrap more of myself, and my stories - so with that in mind, here's more of lil ole Me!

"This Is Me"

Yep! That's me.

I know, it does feel a lil weird to scrap yourself, but it's so important too! 

The turning point for me was when my children were going through all our albums, 

and asked "How come you're not in here too, mom?"

 Ouch moment!

I spend so much time behind the camera taking the photos, but I rarely get in front of the lens. 

So, needless to say, you'll be seeing a lil more of me. LOL! 

Despite being a super positive and glass half full kinda gal,

 A Case of the Blahs was actually the perfect collection choice for me!

With it's good mix of fun colors and 'real life' sentiments, what could be better?!

I've used the super cool MEH pattern paper for my base, and added a half inch strip of BLAH paper to the left hand side of my layout. 

The remainder of my layout lies in that cluster & many layers beneath my photo....

Those layers consist of square cuts from pattern paper MESSY, as well as EPHEMERA, CHIPBOARD STICKERS, FABRIC DIE CUTS, ENAMEL DOTS, CARDSTOCK STICKERS, ALPHA PUFFY STICKERS & a couple TASSEL BOWS from our Be You collection. I've mounted my photo onto a thick sheet of foam and some torn tracing paper, and tucked lots of the MESSY squares and EPHEMERA beneath it! As I'm lover of sparkly things I also embellished with a sprinkling of sequins from my stash. 

Totally loving the scalloped trim CHIPBOARD STICKER - the sentiment on it didn't quite work for my story, but I just couldn't resist tucking it into all that layered goodness! 

Let's take a closer look at a few of those layers.....

How fabulous are the FABRIC DIE CUTS?!! The always me, never perfect sentiment resonated a little too well. Totally imperfect, and I'm A-OK with that too!

The pops of black through my layout help to balance my PUFFY ALPHAS STICKERS title, especially those sweet printed CHIPBOARD STICKERS leaves.

  Speaking of PUFFY ALPHAS, here's one last look at them....

Such awesome alphas!!! 

Love the fun font, and with that stunning matte finish, they're be perfect for mixing and matching with all your favorite Pinkfresh Studio collections!  Love them!!!

----------

And now for something super cute 'n' fun with our The Mix No. 2 collection!

Here's my layout, 

"Happiness is.... in Full Bloom"

Told you this was a fun page! 

I am playing along with Pinkfresh Studio's Monthly Challenge & being totally inspired by the colours in the mood board AND also making a feature of our fabulous PUFFY STICKERS! 

'Cos seriously, who doesn't love a PUFFY STICKER or 30?!! 

Using that split heart cut file, I have filled the 'blank' side with all the puffy heart stickers that coordinate with the moodboard, as well as layered my sweet photograph over this section. 

The opposing side gets a good dose of mixed media, and is then sparingly embellished with a few STITCHED HEARTS, & the odd PUFFY STICKER. 

To create further interest, my PUFFY STICKER title travels around the heart cut file to encourage movement and flow around my photograph! 

Here's a closer look.....

All those PUFFY HEART STICKERS!!!!

Love them all! 

I've framed my sweet pic with a CHIPBOARD STICKER frame from A Case of the Blahs collection, and also embellished it with...wait for it, more puffy stickers!!!

Seriously, SO good! I may have a PUFFY STICKER obsession! 

Do you have a favorite embellishment? I *may* have! LOL! 

The PUFFY STICKERS are beautifully cut and come in so many fun colors, shapes, and designs! I love that the alphas are not too big, and as such, can be used on a variety of different craft projects!

 

Moving on from all that PUFFY STICKER love, I have also used  few pieces from The Mix No.2 EPHEMERA pack to embellish my photo with! Cute!

Play along with this challenge to go in the draw to win a fabulous Pinkfresh Studio prize! Yayyy!

And there you have it! 

Two very different, but super fun & colorful layouts with our beautiful collections!

I hope I have inspired you to get creative today! 

Thanks for stopping by today, 

Til next time, 

Happy Arty Days, 

Amanda xo 

 

Pinkfresh Studio: NICU Card Drive & Blog Hop!

Hi Creative Friends! 

Welcome to the
Pinkfresh Studio 
NICU Card Drive & Blog Hop!

I am so honoured and fortunate to be participating in this very special event! 

Emergency & Intensive Care is something I hold quite dear to my own heart too!
There have been a few close calls with my darling boy,
and I can't even begin to describe our gratitude and thanks to the amazing hospital staff! 

But enough chatter, let's get onto the good stuff!

Here's the beautiful mood board that we're being inspired by.....

Isn't this the sweetest?!

It immediately reminded me of our beautiful Escape the Ordinary collection, and as I am from the Scrapbook Team, I thought I'd create a few 'paper only' cards for you.....

I love this card set!

The mountain scenes, and the gray & gold combination really spoke to me! 

The phrase stickers in Escape The Ordinary are perfect for the strength & encouragement sentiment too!

But, if you prefer a 'newer' collection, I also created a sweet card with the very pretty Let Your Heart Decide line.....

This time being solely inspired by the color scheme - but isn't it lovely?!

Which collection do you prefer?

I am torn between these two cards - I love them both! 

But these ones are pretty awesome also....

Capable of Anything! 

You so got this! 

Here's a few more close ups....

I WILL climb this mountain - what could be more encouraging?! 

Oh that mountain paper is just perfection!!! 

It's from the Escape the Ordinary 6 x 6 Paper Pad, 

but you can also get the same print in 12 x 12, it's called DISCOVER. 

I hope my cards have inspired you, and moreso, I hope they bring some love and support to the NICU ward. 

Thanks so much for stopping by! 

 Please remember to leave a comment to go in the drawer to win a prize! 

Good Luck! 

Hop back to the Pinkfresh Studio blog HERE to see what our next talented designer has install for you! 

Thankyou!

til next time, 

Happy Arty Days, 

Amanda xo 

Paper Issues: May Scraplift Sunday #1

Hi Everyone! 

Welcome back for more Paper Issues awesomeness with one of our favorite challenges - 

Scraplift Sunday!

And yes, I know I'm a few days late - but better late than never, right?

This week we're lifting this gorgeous layout from the insanely talented Anita Bownds....

Oh sigh!!! This is simply stunning!

Such a beautiful layout! 

Inspired by the Spring theme, I have used Fancy Pants Designs: The Bright Side collection for my take on it! 

Here's my layout, 

"It's a Beautiful Day"

Oh isn't this so super pretty & fresh?!! 

I just adore this new collection! 

The Bright Side, indeed! Love! 

I have followed Anita's design, but opted for pretty florals and birds, over tags and bunnies. Cute! 

I even featured a cut file in the photo cluster just like the original. 

I used my fave Paper Issues cut file again, lol!

It's called Cherish Florals and looks like this....

You can download this fabulous file for FREE here. 

Awesome!

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

So.much.pretty!!! 

Those blooms are just divine! 

And how fabulous are those Bubblegum Pink Nuvo Drops?!! 

Happy Heart for sure! 

And there you have it! 

My take on this week's Scraplift Sunday! 

Join us in the Paper Issues Friends & Fans Facebook group to play along too! 

You could even win a Paper Issues gift card!

Need supplies before you get started?

Visit the Paper Issues store HERE

& REMEMBER: Code AMANDA will save you $$$ at checkout! Yay!

Thanks so much for visiting!

til next time, 

Happy Arty Days,
Amanda xo 

Shimmerz Paints: One Of A Kind!

Hi Creatives! 

Welcome back for more Shimmerz Paints inspiration! 

Today I am showcasing the incredible Dazzlerz paints! 

Dazzlers are smooth, incredibly shimmery, dimensional paints. 

Their paste like texture is excellent for use in mixed media, card making and scrapbooking. 

They come in a variety of beautiful colors.... including all the colors of the rainbow! 

Here's what I'm talkin' 'bout! 

Vibrant, shimmery, rainbow delight!

Background perfection! 

Here's how I created that base....

I know, nothing tricky to see here! 

Simply swipe your Dazzlerz onto the stencil/mask with a palette knife (or store card) & voila!

It's seriously that easy! 

And isn't the result just gorgeous?!!

Love how intense and shiny the Dazzlerz are! 

For this background,  I used the following Dazzlerz colors:

Pucker Up Pink

Dreamsicle

Lemon Drop

Gummy Berry Blue &

Grape-tastic 

Here's my completed page....

"One Of A Kind"

Isn't this fabulous & fun?!! 

All the rainbow stars for the win!

Here's a closer look.....

I've used the Elle's Studio April Kit & Add-Ons, including the wood veneer title One Of A Kind. The veneer looked really dull against all those bright Dazzlerz, so to jazz it up I gave it a good spray with Shimmerz Paints Vibez Before Dawn!

Here's a better look at it.....

Oh just look at that shimmer!!! 

The black is so striking against my rainbow of stars! 

And speaking of stars, to make the Dazzlerz stars pop even more you'll spy the occasional Acrylic Star and Puffy Star Sticker embellishment amongst them too! 

The sweetest!!! 

And seriously, how dazzling is that background!!!

In case you need more convincing.....

Aaaaaah-MAZING color!

When it comes to high shine, bright and beautiful color, Dazzlerz are your best friend!

I hope my layout has inspired you to try DAZZLERZ! 

You can get yours from the Shimmerz Paints store HERE 

& REMEMBER: Type AMANDA in the comments section of your order to receive a FREE paint! Yay!!!

Thanks so  much for visiting, 

til next time, 

Happy Arty Days, 

Amanda xo