paper: pretty paper. true stories. {and scrapbooking classes with cupcakes.}

I’m busy in the classroom at the moment as we continue with the new Scrapbook Process class this month, but I’m delighted to share this fab Starshine scrapping project with you today, created by guest artist Paula Brown!

My most prized possession has to be my smart phone, you can pretty much always find me with it on my person. It’s not just my phone. It’s my camera, diary, phone book, anniversary and birthday check, a note pad, a reading book, a radio, mp3 player, alarm clock, encyclopaedia… in fact it does almost everything but most importantly it keeps me in touch with one of my most dearest friends in Australia no matter where I am (with no huge bill attached). With that in mind, I think it deserves a place in my scrapbook album!

I used the Shimelle Starshine range as my starting block as I wanted to document a particular reason why it’s so special, the map print seemed right. I mainly stuck with this range of supplies but did add in a few extra pieces from American Crafts, Hero Arts, Studio Calico, Paper Artsy, and Simple Stories. I clustered three areas of interested with two photographs and one shaker mobile phone embellishment made from a die and stamps, which folds out to show hidden journalling inside.

Underneath each small cluster I had stamped hearts and mini paper aeroplanes to add more detail and interested to the layout, I thought the paper planes added a ‘flow’ round the layout from the top left photographs round to the left then back to the bottom right cluster. Inside the mobile shaker, I stamped and cut emoji faces and text speak rather than just including the usual sequins or small beads.

I love using hidden journalling on a layout, especially when I have lots to say and it’s particularly heartfelt. It’s a great place to pour feelings out that you might not want everyone to read and that’s okay because once it’s in a page protector not many people would realise it’s there!
- Paula

Today’s Guest Artist: Paula Brown loves Mondays, anything creative, and going to the gym. You can find more from Paula on Instagram, and Twitter.

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Happy Monday! We have a new challenge for your scrapbooking this week! But first tell us: do you use stamps or do you just… collect stamps? This week, we definitely want to put your collection to use!

I challenge you this week to stamp a frame. It can be something quite literal like a frame-shaped stamp or it can be any stamp design added to the page in a way that frames a photo, title, or journaling. Everything else is completely up to you, so you can take your inspiration in any direction you like! The stamped frames above have a full tutorial you can see in the archives, but to get you started on this week’s challenge, take a look at these examples from contributing designer Meghann Andrew and guest artist Anastasia Muratova.

Stamping is a staple technique that I use on every layout, but typically for words, phrases or titles. On this layout, I used watercolored and stamped wave images to emphasize the importance of this photo of me as a child on the beach, by creating a frame.

To keep the “beachy” feel of the layout, I stuck with pink, orange, yellow and blue tones, and used watercolor paper to create the soft background for my stamped images. To keep the emphasis on my framed photo, I left the embellishment simple, using a few stamped stars, wood veneer, stickers and enamel hearts. The “sunny, sandy, happy” stamp was inked in three colors, stamped onto a watercolored background, cut out and placed on top of the negative space on the right side of my photo.
- Meghann

Once upon a time many years ago we used film to take photos. And then we took it to photolabs to be developed and printed. A friend of mine was learning photography and she needed a model for a photoshoot. So one (very) sunny day we set off to explore the city and chase shadows. She used black and white film and then she developed and printed the photos herself. Some of those photos turned out to be of my all time favourites, like this one.

When I saw True Stories collection I knew it would work perfecty with this photo. The colours are bright, but also a bit muted by memory and time, with numbers and cameras and text strips to cut out. I used number paper because it reminded of years passing so quickly. It also made me think of Goethe’s famous quote: “Stay a while! You are so lovely!” – and I added it as a title.

But the challenge task was to make a stamped frame for my photo. I lightly marked the frame with a pencil and then stamped words and dots and arrows along the lines. In the end I coloured the butterfly with watercolour pencils. To finish the page I added flowers I cut out from another True Stories paper and rub-ons and enamel dots from my stash. I love the end result and I love that I could use so much red, because it’s balanced with black and white.
- Anastasia

You have a week to complete the challenge and share a link – but of course you’re welcome to set your own time schedule. Whatever keeps you happy and creative!

Today’s Guest Artist: Anastasia Muratova loves summer, books and all shades of blue. You can find more from Anastasia on her blog.

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Happy Friday! Contributing designer Gina Lideros is here with a beautiful and colourful layout to inspire you. I hope you have a crafty and creative weekend!

I really loved this picture and knew it had to be used on a layout. This photo is of my daughter and son and was taken over ten years ago. Oh my! How they have grown during that time. I love looking back on old memories such as this, when they were so little. This photo captures their personalities and how close they are. I loved using the Starshine collection for this layout. I felt that the colors in the collection helped match the
colors in the photo.

To create the circle frame around the photo, I used a cut file from the Silhouette Design store called Circle Frame Lace Decoration, and doubled it to make one larger circle and one smaller circle cut out of white cardstock paper. I backed the circular design with patterned papers and then adhered it to a light blue cardstock background.

The title “My Best Crew” was created using foam word thickers from the Dear Lizzy collection. I love adding inks and mists to my pages, I achieved this by flicking drops of black spray mist and drops of white paint across my page. After the paint was dry I printed my small square photo and added it to the center of my layout.

After my photo was adhered, it was time to add embellishments! I chose chipboard stars from Shimelle’s Christmas Magic collection. Because these stars are so neutral they go with all sorts of projects not just Christmas! They are in the Starlight Thickers set, which has plenty of numbers. I also raided my scrap room for some embellishments and Thickers from Shimelle’s first collection. Those gold letter Thickers are some of my favorite stickers. I spelled out the word “love” using them and stitched over them with my sewing machine.

The last step to put the finishing touch on my page was to journal “you bunches” on a white strip of cardstock paper and adhere it under the gold letters. I also added a light pink bow from WRMK’s new Wildflower collection. The light pink mixed with the light blue add the perfect softness to my page.

I hope that I have inspired you today to scrap an older photo and use circles in a unique way! Please share your creations with us.
-Gina

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With nine challenges over the NSD weekend and our usual Monday spot, you have ten challenges to keep you scrapbooking this week! All of these are open until the end of this coming weekend – you can always check the time remaining on the link up button. Though of course you can use the challenges for your own scrapping fun any time!

If you weren’t around at the weekend, here’s a quick guide to those nine:
Scrap with fabric or lace
Add stamped images to your photos
Repeat a shape on your page
Use 3×4 cards on a 12×12 page
Make a messy background
Scrap some scenery
Scrapbook with shaped paperclips
Scrapbook with woodgrain patterns
Scrapbook with red and blue

And now, on to the challenge for this week! This week, I challenge you this week to scrapbook with square photos. Everything else is completely up to you, so you can take your inspiration in any direction you like! Some sketch posts from the archives might be useful, like this and this, and the complete page for the photo above can be found here! To get you started on this week’s challenge, take a look at these examples from contributing designer Meghann Andrew and guest artist Nancy Sinclair.

I am a major foodie, so taking photos of our eating adventures, whether home or away, is a must! A lot of the restaurants that we visit may not be conducive to snapping quality food photos, so I also try to remember our meal with photos of the outside of the restaurant or a focal wall that stands out inside the restaurant. On a trip to Boston recently, we had some awesome eating experiences, so I wanted to document our top four from the trip.

I love, love square photos, and using 3” x 3” photos allows me to easily fit four different photos neatly either vertically or horizontally across the page. To remember each of our favorite food experiences from our trip, I added small journaling labels to the left side of each photo and documented what we loved about each spot.
- Meghann

I loved the willow patterned cups that were at a small tea room that I took my mum to for Mother’s day, and I knew that I had to get a shot of them with the amazing massive slices of carrot cake. I like capturing these small details of bigger memories, like spending the day with my mum and catching up on life. Food photos are things I scrap a lot as well as include in my Project Life.

I love a busy background and the more patterns and colour the better. I grounded the bright Jillibean Soup Hello Healthy background with some inking through template and some Kelly Purkey coffee themed stamps. I then layered papers from the Galileo paper from the Starshine collection and it works great for creating multiple layers behind my photos.

I also used stickers from the original Shimelle collection which I’ve been hoarding in my stash for a long time, and it works perfectly on this page. I added some Jillibean Soup wood veener and some old flair from my stash to finish.
- Nancy

You have a week to complete the challenge and share a link – but of course you’re welcome to set your own time schedule. Whatever keeps you happy and creative!

Today’s Guest Artist: Nancy Sinclair loves paper, crochet, and sarcasm. You can find more from Nancy on Instagram and YouTube.

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Plenty of patterns and product types covered in the NSD challenges so far: I think it’s time for a colour combination challenge! Red and blue is a combination I love working with though I could count on one hand how many times I’ve used it for something even vaguely patriotic. Instead, red and blue feels bold and versatile to me!

I love how a rainbow of accents feels full of potential and energy.

And I love how softening the blue to a lighter shade makes it feel a little warmer, a little more down to earth, and maybe even a little more cuddly! (Okay. That might just be the photo. But I’m not sure it’s entirely responsible.)

Your challenge is to create a page using red and blue but also whatever other colours you feel drawn to use! For another look, please welcome guest artist Charity Feit.

This page highlights my 40th birthday gift from my family, tickets to see A Prarie Home Companion Live at Wolf Trap Performing Arts National Park. I used several pages (including the cut apart sheet) from the Shimelle Starshine Collection as well as lots of the embellishments available to match.

I used a very simple formula of using three 4×6 photos straight down one side of the page, then making three clusters of embellishments in a triangle around my photos.

This sketch from the archives might prove useful if you’re working with three images like this.

I love journalling in my own handwriting on my pages, I’m not at all fussed about perfection… they are my memories and having them in a visual way makes me happy.

Your turn! We’d love to see what you pair with red and blue to create your own unique and bold colour story.

Today’s Guest Artist: Charity Feit loves using paper and embellishments to record her family memories, knitting, and getting inspiration from crafting videos. You can find more from Charity on Instagram, Twitter, and her blog.

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Our next challenge is one I often throw in because it’s my favourite and I love any excuse to use these papers: scrapbook with woodgrain patterns! Please welcome guest artist Ida Rosberg to share her beautiful take on mixing woodgrain with other elements in your collection.

I really like children’s books. And I absolutely love that my daughter is starting to like books too! It’s so fun to watch her explore the pretty pictures in the books. To watch her point at things she recognize and hear her wonder “What is this?” I snapped some pictures when she read a very pretty book with her teddy bear. The light from the window was perfect and their clothes were matching!

Woodgrain papers are one of my favorite types of pattern papers. They are often very easy to use as a background on a layout. I hoard woodgrain patterned papers and have two or three of the same ones in my stash. For this layout I wanted to use more than one type of woodgrain. I found two types of grey wood (from Pink Paislee and Dear Lizzy) and one very light brown (from WRMK). I matched the woodgrain with papers and decorations from Shimelle – Starshine and flowers from Maggie Holmes. The wood veneer is from Shimelle’s first collection! I almost never write titles on my pages… but I often use a combination of words I find on decorations or stickers.

And now your turn: create a page with a woodgrain pattern! It mixes so well with all sorts of patterns, colours, and collections. Don’t forget to come back and share what you make!

Today’s Guest Artist: Ida Rosberg loves gin & tonic, pretty papers, and ephemera packs. You can find more from Ida on Instagram and her blog.

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For the next NSD challenge, it’s time to have a rummage in the stationery drawer. Guest artist Sam Ball is here to challenge you to scrapbook with shaped paperclips!

Teenagers of today seem to spend much of their time on social media, with Instagram and Snapchat seeming to be a firm favourites with my three step-daughters! I love the cryptic text lines that they add to their photos, many of which not only make me smile, but they prove to be the perfect title for a scrapbooking layout!

Having settled on a candid holiday photo, the recently launched Simple Stories You are Here collection seemed ideal. The quirky elements and ephemera are right down my street and perfect when teamed with an assortment of random colourful paperclips to create a fun and vibrant layout. The colours so remind me of warmer climates, mixing teal with coral pinks and canary yellow.

So if you haven’t already planned your next holiday, roll on the summer. Here’s hoping you’ll see the odd flamingo or palm tree this year! But for now: go make a page with a paperclip! Don’t forget to come back and share with us. You can post a link or upload your image directly.

Today’s Guest Artist: Sam Ball loves sunshine, strong design, and scrapbooking. You can find more from Sam on Instagram, Facebook, and her blog.

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Just one day for National Scrapbook Day is clearly not enough! We celebrate all weekend here, so there are more challenges today. And in case you didn’t catch the closing dates, you have all of this weekend, this coming week, and next weekend to share your projects for this weekend’s scrapbooking challenges!

To start us this Sunday morning, grab something scenic! Recently flipping through some albums, I realised I needed a chapter divider for a quick trip to Dublin a few years ago. I love having a dividing page that acts like a title page but just to introduce a few pages on one theme rather than a whole album. I printed this image as a giant A4 landscape image and knew I could just add that title and some embellishment to set the tone for the pages that followed.

If you follow along on Instagram and like a bit of back story, it’s this layout that made me start brushing exaggerated downstrokes in my sketchbook, like these. I wasn’t completely happy with the weight of this title and wanted to see how I could change that up. I’ll try writing ‘Dublin’ again today and see how the two compare.

And for more scenic style, take some inspiration from guest artist Anandi Raman Creath!

I’m a fairly new scrapper, having only started making layouts in 2013. (I did Project Life in 2012 and that was my gateway drug to scrapping). Over the past few years, I’ve realized a few things – I adore the 8.5×11 size and my favorite pages are the ones with a cleaner look but still use bright colors. I was super excited to find out that my theme for this project was Ireland – my family spent three weeks there in 2012 which was definitely a “bucket list” item for me. These two photos were taken by my husband at a place I didn’t see, but I wanted to capture the story of why I couldn’t go and the idiosyncrasies of traveling with a toddler.

I started with the B-side of a paper from Shimelle’s True Stories collection – a sweet tiny aqua dot on white. I absolutely love using a patterned paper background when possible, but it’s challenging to choose one that isn’t too busy or distracting. Since this is about Ireland, I needed some green, so I used the diagonal stripe paper from True Stories to mat the photos. The photos and journal card covered up the boldness a bit (I learned that trick from Shimelle’s videos!) The bright blue Amy Tangerine pattern reminded me of waves in the ocean, and I thought a golden yellow would also be a good addition, so I used the “Hannah” transparent-ish letters from Amy Tangerine in yellow, and also added a cute branding strip from one of her other papers to add a little more color.

I typed up the journaling directly onto the paper with my trusty IBM Selectric typewriter, after trying to create a journaling block on vellum and disliking how it looked when I attached it to the layout with staples. I ended up having to feed the layout into my typewriter with the photos already adhered, so the journaling got a little wonkier than expected, but I think that’s part of the charm of using a old typewriter. I write out my journaling first on paper, editing as I go, and then I do a second editing pass as I type.

To keep the layout from looking too flat, I used 3 of the awesome wood buttons from True Stories – I just love those little things! I always incorporate three things on my layouts: something sparkly or shiny, a roller date stamp, and a tiny handwritten “Love, Mama” somewhere on the page. See if you can spot those!

Your turn to scrap some scenery! Any style, any place – just landscape photos as the requirement here.

Today’s Guest Artist: Anandi Raman Creath loves rocking out on her new drum set, finishing crafty projects, and bacon. You can find more from Anandi on Instagram, and her blog.

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