Hip Kit Club: Sew Beauti-Fall Thank You Cards!

Hi Lovelies! 

Welcome back for more Hip Kit Club inspiration! 

Today I am celebrating World Card Making Day!

Ok, so I'm a few days late, but that's ok - belated cards & warm wishes are always well received! 

I mean, who doesn't love the opening their mail box to find something beautifully handcrafted inside? The September 2019 Hip Kits are perfect for creating such gorgeous treasures!

For today's inspirational post I've created a pretty trio of Thank You cards. 

They're totally inspired by the beautiful HKC October mood board, courtesy of the lovely Sophie Delorme. 

If you haven't seen this month's mood board, it's a stunner & looks like this....

SO gorgeous!!! 

A truly magnificent array of images to spark & ignite your creativity!  

Thank You & Gratitude cards instantly came to my mind - but enough chatter, let's take a look at them....

Sew Beauti-Fall Card Trio 

Sew beauti-Fall, indeed! 

Aren't they just the prettiest?! 

I love the use of sewn details, buttons,  & lace on my cards. They really enhance the hand made nature of the cards, and create a bespoke feel! Don't get me wrong, mass produced printed cards are always appreciated but nothing expresses gratitude and thankfulness than your time and attention to detail. 

Card making is such a beautiful form of art! 

For this card set, I used a mix of the September 2019 Main, Embellishment & Cardstock Kits. The cards all measure 4" x 6" and include the fabulous Pebbles: This Is Family collection, Fun Times, pattern paper as their main image. This paper really reminded me of the mood board, plus it had the added bonus of cut apart 3" x  4" note cards that all encompassed the grateful theme. 

Perfect for the upcoming Fall & Thanksgiving season! 

Here's a closer look at these pretty cards....

So very pretty! 

I LOVE a good plaid pattern (esp. for Fall!), and the Pretty Little Studio Indian Summer Ephemera Combo packaging had me excited! Yes, you read correctly - I totally fell for the packaging! 

And clearly, I wasn't the only one who loved this pattern - you'll spy it in it's full paper glory in the October 2019 Main Kit! 

Yay! Totally swooning on this one!

To soften it just a little, I layered a sheet of Bazzill White Vellum over it and mounted it to my Bazzill Lemonade card front (both are from the September Cardstock Kit).  The packaging didn't quite stretch to the base of my card, so I covered the gap with a trim of natural colored, scalloped lace from my stash. As most of you know, I love repeat design in all my creations, so I trimmed a soft pink section of the Dear Lizzy: She's Magic - Dreaming paper and used an old punch to re-create the scallop pattern. I machine stitched this trim to the top of my card, so that the top and base had a cohesive feel. 

Here's a closer view....

So sweet! 

The Dear Lizzy: She's Magic - Decorative Buttons were a gorgeous addition to the both the sewn & hand crafted look of the card. For more repetition, I threaded the button with natural colored twine and tied it in a bow. 

Such a pretty detail!

To complete the card, I foam mounted the stitched Fun Times note card and embellished with the gorgeous Pretty Little Studio: Indian Summer Ephemera Combo die cuts. Last, but by no means least, I added those sparkly Dear Lizzy: She's Magic - Epoxy Stickers from the Embellishment Kit. The pop of pink coordinates with the pink in the plaid background and that sweet little button. Love it!

With my first card completed, it then determined the design and style for the other two! 

Here's my second Thank You card....

The similarities between the cards is obvious, but on closer inspection, it's those small differences and details that make each card special & unique! I loved the softness that the vellum created in the first card, so I decide to use it again, but this time just over the plain Bazzill Lemonade Cardstock base. Super pretty! As I wasn't featuring a pattern paper background, I layered my stitched Fun Times note card onto a 3 1/4" x 4 1/4" sheet of the reverse side of the Dear Lizzy: She's Magic - Magic paper. 

That green is gor-jus!!!

To make this card a lil more special, I embellished the vase of flowers with an Indian Summer die cut bloom. I folded up the petals on this die cut to create soft texture & dimension. I also foam mounted a Dear Lizzy: She's Magic - Mini Phrase Sticker (from the Embellishment Kit) to the vase. Small & simple details that produce that extra wow factor! 

You'll also notice that I altered the position of the bow-tiful button & embellished it with a tiny laurel leaf die cut too! Super cute & sweet!

For my third and final card, I combined elements of the previous two cards as well as a couple new additions....

LOVEEE!!! That blue makes my heart happy! 

Here's a closer look...

You'll see that I swapped out the pumpkin die cuts for that lovely yellow pear, and as yellow was such a predominant color in the mood board, I think it worked in beautifully! 

The other noticeable difference is the inclusion of the sentiment tab at the top of the note card...

The Great Job tab is actually a Pinkfresh Studio: Office Hours - Cardstock Sticker from the Embellishment Kit! How cute! That soft pink coordinates with the flowers, as well as the scallop trim at the top of the card. Beautiful! 

And there you have it! 

Sew Beauti-Fall cards inspired by the fabulous October mood board! 

I hope I have inspired you to create an extra card or two this month with your Hip Kits! Be sure to upload and share your handmade lovelies in the Hip Kit Club Facebook Group HERE - I can't wait to see what you create! 

Thanks so much for stopping by!

til next time, 

Happy Arty Days, 

Amanda xo 

Shimmerz Paints October Color Kitz Inspiration & Process Video!

Hi Friends! 

Welcome back for more Shimmerz Paints inspiration! 

It's the first of the month, and that means new Kitz! Yayyy! 

Here's  what the Shimmerz Paints October Color Kitz looks like.....

So.much.gorgeousness!

This stunning kit contains the following: 

1 x Spritz: Tuscan Sun 1 oz

1 x Vibez: Hot Fudge 1 oz

1 x Creameez: Jolly Green Giant

& 

1 x Shimmerz: Pumpkin

PLUS 

 1 pkt of the Pumpkin Spice & Everything Nice Dotz

These are the perfect colors and embellishments for heading into Fall!

 And speaking of Autumn, here's what I created with the October Color Kitz....

"Happy Moments" 

Oh my!!! Isn't this just beauti-Fall?! 

I just LOVE that  Shimmerz: Pumpkin color!

Soooooo super pretty & full of shimmery goodness!
And the funny part?
 I dislike creating with orange. It's so not my color!
Give me all the blues & pinks, but never orange.
And this is exactly why I love the Color Kitz!
They encourage me to step away from my set 'favorites' & get me to try new colors that I wouldn't normally choose!
Since creating this layout, I'd have to say Shimmerz Pumpkin is going on my 'must-have' favorite Shimmerz colors list!
And it wasn't just the Shimmerz Pumpkin that won my heart....
I'm also smitten with the Creameez Jolly Green Giant!
That green is errrrything!
Absolutely divine!

But enough chatter, here's a closer look at my layout....

Such a fun & whimsical page! Happy moments, indeed!
I've combined our beautiful October Color Kitz with scrapbook supplies from Elle's Studio & sequins from our friends at SpiegelMom Scraps. They coordinate together perfectly! 

I started my layout by painting all the inset pieces of the Fox cut file (courtesy of the Silhouette Design Store). I thought the fox would really showcase that fabulous Shimmerz Pumpkin, and the florals would be perfect for highlighting the Tuscan Sun & Jolly Green Giant colors. I also used Hot Fudge to paint the nose and eyes. Super cute! 

Next, I painted up a few pieces of smooth white paper in Creameez Jolly Green Giant. I used these pretty green papers to die cut a selection of leaves & foliage, which I arranged around the inset shimmery fox.

I just love how effective this bright pop of green looks against the Pumpkin fox! Gor-jus!  

I tucked my darling photo into the curve of the fox's tail, and embellished with the Thankful Dotz from the Pumpkin Spice & Everything Nice set. I also used the floral Dotz to adorn the flower crown on the fox....

So very beautiful!

& how good does the Hot Fudge look for the nose & eyes?! 

So rich & warm! LOVE!

I embellished my layout with hearts, labels, phrase stickers & sentiments from Elle's Studio, then added a bunch of splatters with my new fave, Shimmerz Pumpkin! 

For finishing touches, I sprinkled SpiegelMom Scraps Lovely Day and Into the Woods sequins throughout the page. 

Want to see more? 

Please be sure to check out my process video on the Shimmerz Paints channel HERE. 

Thanks so much for watching!

I hope you enjoyed my video, and feel inspired to get creating with the gorgeous

Shimmerz Paints October Color Kitz! 

Don't forget to check out this month's stunning Missy Whidden Color Kitz too!

***Shop both of the Shimmerz Paints Color Kitz HERE***

Thanks so much for stopping by!

til next time, 

Happy Arty Days, 

Amanda xo 

Hip Kit Club: September Moodboard Inspiration!

Hi Friends!

Welcome back for more Hip Kit Club inspiration! 

Today I'm sharing a super pretty layout inspired by the September 2019 Moodboard which was created by our amazing DT member, Elsie Robinson!

If you've missed or forgotten the September Moodboard, 

here's a quick reminder of what it looks like....

Totally gor-jus, huh?! Such beautiful imagery!

So without further ado, here's the layout that this board inspired...

"Time Together"

Oh how preeeeeeetty! 

I have combined the beautiful September 2019 Main, Embellishment & Cardstock Scrapbook Kits to create this gorgeous layout.

You'll notice that I was inspired by the striking pops of black in the first image, as well as all the florals throughout the board! The 'a cup of happy' image really got me thinking about gratitude and thankfulness. My 'cup' is so full. I am so blessed (& happy!) and my family are my every reason! I knew I had to document and convey this sense of happy gratitude somehow on my page. 

I also took inspiration from the embroidery hoops, and framed my greatest masterpieces (my two darling children) inside the Pretty Little Studio die cut ephemera wreath. 

Just beautiful!

Here's a better look at my scrapbook page.....

So very lovely! 

Cherish this time together!

I started my layout with the Bazzill Marshmallow Cardstock from the September 2019 Cardstock Scrapbook Kit. I love a good 'white space' layout! I also love all things black & white, and that striking Jen Hadfield pattern paper (reverse side of Home Sweet Home from the This Is Family collection) completely had my heart! It really captured my attention, plus it featured florals - so win, win! The pink & white stripe branding strip at the base of this pattern paper also impressed me, so I kept it intact to act as an anchor for both my pattern paper and photograph.

The Dear Lizzy 'Magic' pattern paper was just begging to be fussy cut,  and naturally, I had to oblige! Ha! I mean, who can resist those stunning blooms?! Infact, it was this pattern paper that then dictated the rest of my color scheme for the remainder of my layout.

Those blooms are errrything! I layered them beneath & around my photograph to visually draw attention to my treasured picture. The fine black outline on them also coordinated perfectly with the Home Sweet Home paper as well! 

Speaking of coordination, the Pretty Little Studio: Indian Summer Ephemera Combo pack contained a few pretty black & white pieces too! I used that divine wreath to frame my darling photo, and tucked a few leaves beneath the fussy cut Dear Lizzy blooms. 

Gor-jus!

The warm red color tones in the Magic blooms really excited me, (red isn't my usual go-to color) & I loved using this color as an accent in my design. 

Using the September 2019 Embellishment Kit, I adorned my framed photo with that stunning red flair from the Indian Summer Love This Flair buttons pack. I also chose some of the warm red Mini Phrase Stickers from the Dear Lizzy: She's Magic collection to add a few sentiments to my page. 

To avoid too much red, I also drew on the green and blue from the Magic paper, and sprinkled a few of the She's Magic Decorative Buttons and Pinkfresh Studio Office Hours Mixed Embellishments enamel dots from the Main Scrapbook Kit. This created both balance and harmony to my layout and offered a more light-hearted and fresh look!

For finishing touches, I positioned one of the golden yellow fussy cut blooms in the center of the base of the page, and embellished with more enamel dots, buttons, a phrase sticker and my title, Time Together. The title is from the Pretty Little Studio Indian Summer Ephemera Combo pack and is the perfect sentiment (& colors!) for my page.

And there you have it! 

Simple.Beautiful.Heartfelt creating! 

Inspired by that delightful moodboard and the gorgeous September Kits! 

I wonder how this moodboard will influence your next project? 

Be sure to share with us in the Hip Kit Club Facebook Group HERE. 

Thanks so much for stopping by today!

til next time,

Happy Arty Days, 

Amanda xo

Cocoa Vanilla Studio: Unforgettable - Love This!

Hi Creative Friends!

Welcome back for more Cocoa Vanilla Studio inspiration!

Today I am sharing a super pretty layout with the beautiful new UNFORGETTABLE collection. You'll spy lots of fussy cutting, butterflies & blooms and,discover which pattern paper is my new favorite! 

But enough chatter, here's my latest creation with UNFORGETTABLE.....

"Love This" 

Sigh! Love this, indeed! Such a beautiful layout of my two darlings!

And as for my new favorite pattern paper? Well, it has to be that divine wreath paper, CV-003 GARLAND - gosh it's so super pretty!!! 

You'll notice that I actually used two sheets of CV-003 GARLAND to create today's scrapbook page!

I started my layout with GARLAND as the base, but wanted to do a little more to highlight it's magnificence. I loved the mint arc in the wreath, and decided to 'fill' inside the wreath with this very same colour (which happens to be the reverse side of - you guessed it, the GARLAND paper!). 

To fill this space, I used a Cut To You cut file called, Flower Circle and backed the flowers and leaves with an assortment of papers from the 6 x 8 PAPER STACK.  

Next, I backed the entire circle with the reverse side of GARLAND - I just love mint watercolor wash of this pattern! 

Here's a closer look....

As I'd already cut into a second sheet of GARLAND, I decided to make the most of it, and fussy cut the floral section of the wreath. I foam mounted both the cut file and fussy cut blooms, and adhered them to the layout. I positioned the Flower Circle in the center of the wreath, and layered the fussy cut GARLAND blooms around the edge of it. By doing this, it revealed the original wreath below, and created the appearance of a thicker & fuller arrangement of blooms. Gor-jus!!!

Aren't those florals just errrrything?!! LOVE!

I tucked my darling photograph into the top right section of both the cut file & fussy cut wreath, and embellished it with the 'smile' FLAIR BUTTON. Next, I fussy cut a large pink butterfly from pattern paper, CV-UF004 PRETTY BITS and tucked it beneath my photo. To enhance this decoration, I added two more butterflies around my photo - a CLEAR STICKER butterfly, and a DIE CUT EPHEMERA piece!

There's no denying that UNFORGETTABLE is the prettiest release of 2019! 

So.much.gorgeousness!!!

The new FOAM TITLE STICKERS are all kinds of awesomeness too! 

I curved my love this title around the outer edge of the wreath arc, and then embellished with a couple more butterflies...

For finishing touches, I added a tiny spot of journaling with the sentiment stickers from the ACCESSORY STICKERS sheet.

Simple, beautiful creating with the new UNFORGETTABLE collection!

I hope my layout has inspired you to get creating with some Cocoa Vanilla Studio lovelies today!

Thanks so much for visiting,

til next time,

Happy Arty Days,

Amanda xo

Technique Tuesday: September Memory Keepers Studio

Hi Friends!

Welcome back for more inky inspiration with the September installment of the 

Memory Keepers Studio 
This month's set is all about documenting life's learning!
It's officially called,

Learn New Things Stamp Set and Rectangle Bookplate Crafting Dies Bundle

& it looks like this....

Oh what fun!!! 

Here's what Technique Tuesday has to say about this awesome set, 

"The phrases in the Learn New Things stamp set and Rectangle Bookplate crafting die bundle encourage us to keep expanding our knowledge and learn from everyday experiences. If you're scrapbooking photos of your child's school days, stamp these sentiments inside a die cut bookplate to make titles and captions that reinforce the theme. Try cutting this classically shaped bookplate die and faux fasteners out of metallic cardstock and it will look like the real thing! Use these stamps and dies about about life lessons in your own personal journals to document progress and motivate you too. Never stop learning!"

Awesome!

Naturally, I couldn't resist documenting my son's first day of school!
Here's what I created.....

"Hello, Brainiac"

Oh isn't this all kinds of awesome?!!

Work hard & learn new things, indeed! 

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

So Cool!!!

You'll notice that I cut the book plate die in white cardstock three times, then backed these cuts with pattern paper. Next, I stamped the 'Hello Brainiac' sentiment in black ink onto the pattern paper. I arranged these stamped cuts so that they appeared to cascade from my darling boy's photo. Super cute, & really effective too!

Using colored inks, I stamped around my photo cluster with both the school supplies icons and the 'work hard' & 'learn new things' sentiment stamps. 

These clear stamps are super crisp and print beautifully! 

I also included the 'dots' from the Rectangle Bookplate Die Set, and scattered them around my photo cluster too! That blue is just stunning! 

For today's layout, I combined the 

Learn New Things Stamp Set and Rectangle Bookplate Crafting Dies Bundle

with the Pinkfresh Studio Office Hours collection.

They're a match made in heaven, don't you think?!

Back to School documented to perfection!

And there you have it! 

Documenting those all important school memories made easy with the

Technique Tuesday Memory Keepers Studio!

Shop this amazing bundle HERE

Thanks so much for stopping by today!

til next time, 

Happy Arty Days, 

Amanda xo 

Cocoa Vanilla Studio & Retro Hip Magazine!

Hi Friends!

Welcome back for more Cocoa Vanilla Studio inspiration! 

Today I am sharing a slightly different take on the Throwback Thursday post!

That's right folks! 

I have been getting my 'retro' on and created a Cocoa Vanilla Studio: MORE THAN WORDS delight for Issue 8 of Retro Hip Magazine! Yay!!!

Normally you have to purchase the magazine to see the full projects, but as a special treat for all of you, I have the editor's permission to share this wonderful layout,

"Sweet Thing"

Oh my heart!

Isn't this stunning?!! Throwback Thursday never looked so fresh & new! 

Such an exquisite page!

This layout was created for a special feature on how to make white space work for your designs. I just LOVE using white space to draw attention to my photos, and maximize overall design interest. I used one of my all time favorite Cocoa Vanilla Studio collections; MORE THAN WORDS, some light mixed media and a whole lotta fussy cutting to create this lovely layout. 

You can read the full article in Issue 8 of Retro Hip Magazine here, and by the way, code FRIEND10 will save you 10% off this issue!

In the meantime, here's how I made this beautiful layout....

I started with 12 x 12" white cardstock which I trimmed to 12 x 11 1/2". Next, I machine stitched a half inch strip of pattern paper, CV-MT001 PRECIOUS onto the right hand side of the layout. I used the packaging technique with Shimmerz Vibez in Pop Art Pink, and added a few splatters too! While this dried, I began fussy cutting butterflies from pattern papers, CV-MT003 GOSSAMER, CV-MT004 COLLAGE, & CV-MT006 TREASURE. I also fussy cut the sweet thing wreath from the TREASURE paper too. I then arranged the butterflies, with my sweet photo onto the peach watercolor base.

Here's a closer look....

I tucked in a few DIE CUT EPHEMERA blooms into the photo cluster, and added a DIE CUT sentiment banner onto my photograph too. SO pretty!!!

Next I added that fussy cut sweet thing wreath, and a CHIPBOARD STICKER butterfly....

So many pretty details!

You'll notice that I used a few pretty sequins from the Summer Morn' set from SpiegelMom Scraps, as well as a good sprinkling of the MORE THAN WORDS ENAMEL SHAPES. 

For the finishing touch, I fussy cut the sweet heart sentiment from pattern paper, CV-MT006 TREASURE, and layered it over one of the butterflies with foam tape. I just love how effective this looks!

Such a pretty page for my sweet girl!

And there you have it!

Simple, beautiful, elegant!

Throwback Thursday made fresh and pretty!

I do hope you'll check out my article in Issue 8 of Retro Hip Magazine for all my tips on maximizing white space for your scrapbook layouts!

**Oh, if your shopping in the Shimmerz Paints store, type AMANDA in the comments section of your order for a FREE paint! ** 

Thanks so much for stopping by,

til next time,

Happy Arty Days,

Amanda xo 

Hip Kit Club: Hello, Hello Sunshine Layout & Process Video

Hi Everyone! 

Welcome back for more Hip Kit Club awesomeness! 

Today I am sharing some inspiration with the August 2019 Scrapbook & Cardstock Kits! 

MY assignment for today is to feature an exclusive HKC digital cut file, add mixed media, and use either fussy cutting or punches. 

Here's what I came up....

"Hello, Hello Sunshine"

Wow!!!

Isn't this stunning! 

You'll spy a ton of fussy cutting from the Pink Paislee Paige Evans Truly Grateful collection, as well as those sweet bows from the new Crate Paper Maggie Holmes Heritage line. 

The cut file I chose to use is called Floral Globe and is a subscriber exclusive! 

& my darling photograph is framed with that fabulous Pretty Little Studio frame from the Indian Summer collection - LOVE!!!

You can see how this layout was created in my process video below....

Thanks so much for watching! 

I hope I have inspired you to get creating with these fabulous kits!

til next time, 

Happy Arty Days, 

Amanda xo