Mixed Media Scrapbook Layout || First Edition Paradise Crush

Happy Saturday!

I'm back with a new mixed media layout, I think I've finally got my mojo back. This layout is made using the First Edition Paradise Crush paper pad by Trimcraft. If you're one of my American followers then you can now pick up this paper pad (and 'Storyteller') too in Michaels. Funny how we struggle to get our hands on scrap supplies here in the UK, I never think of it being the other way around!

The picture was taken at the BioParc in Fuengirola, Spain. I asked (instructed..) my boyfriend to stand under this huge building so I could take the picture. It's untitled. Not a stylistic decision, I'm afraid, I'm just bad at titles...! 

 Step by step:

1) Take a sheet of coloured, textured cardstock and using an old credit card, paste gesso in the centre of the page. Leave to dry then add a couple more layers, depending on how thick the gesso you're using is.

2) Paint watercolour paint onto plastic packaging and 'smoosh' (press down) on top of the gesso. Repeat on more packaging with co-ordinating colours.

3) Print your photo at 2x3" and mount onto patterned paper.

4) Fussy cut flowers from the paper pad and cut a coloured doily in half.

5) Arrange the cut out items behind the photo in the centre of the page and when you are happy, stick them down.

6) Using a patterned stamp, stamp in co-ordinating colours behind some of the elements of the page.

7) Finish with stickers and adhesive gems.

If you're wondering what watercolours I use, they are by Reeves. I bought them when I was in art school and I still love them. 

Today my family and I are celebrating Christmas. With one thing and another, we never actually had Christmas dinner all together so it will be good to have a catch up with everybody. Fingers crossed no one asks about uni/etc :) :) :)

Thanks for stopping by!

Emily xx

DIY Scrapbook Kit!

Hi all

A new layout and video to share today.

I have been thinking of a way to make it easier to use those paper pads that don't come with matching embellishments rather than just making projects made entirely with those papers.

So I looked at making my own kit. Here's a video I made showing what I included in the kit and how I put it together.

Here's the layout I made, I might make some more too as I love the kit so much.

Ignore my atrocious journalling - now you know why I hate it! Being left handed I always end up 'stamping' what I've written across the page and then suddenly my writing just changes angle for no reason...

Anyway... my favourite thing about this layout is the foiled elements...

Last thing now I've grabbed your attention:

My friend Katie has set up a new sketch challenge and we are looking for some people to join us on the design team. To find out more head over to Katie's blog now!

Thanks for stopping by!

Emily xx

Pineapple Tri-Fold Cards!

Hi all,

I was in serious need of inspiration last week so I went to the supermarket all by myself to buy a magazine. (Big step for me! Anxiety really is the b-word). I chose Papercraft Essentials, you may already know that I only buy a magazine if I like the free gift (because magazine content is always a bit hit-and-miss) and I'd had my eye on this one - pineapple stamps, dies and an embossing folder. I'm always on the lookout for something a bit different so this was perfect (the mag isn't that bad either. A bit die-cutting heavy for a magazine that has a sister publication called 'Die Cutting Essentials', but I digress.... )

Here's the cards I made and I'll explain a bit more about them below the picture.

For both cards I used the 'handwritten celebrate' dies by Sizzix. I LOVE them!

The card are made from single sheets of A4 cardstock with lines scored 9.9mm from either side and then a diagonal cut. On each I added washi tape to the top, I like how it leads the eye down the card.

I used a black and gold theme for this card, I think the papers are from a Forever Friends collection by Docrafts that came out last year. The front part of the card is heat embossed. I would like a decent embossing ink though, the docrafts ink pads aren't very good (putting it mildly). The mini ones are better but still not perfect. 

This one is my favourite - I finally managed to get my hands on the First Edition Paradise Crush paper pad! For some reason I could only find it on one place online, so I pounced, it arrived, and I love it. I fussy cut some of the flowers from the paper pad and added them to the plainer papers. The gold paper is not from the paper pad, I just wanted something in there to break up the patterns a little. 

Thanks for stopping by!

Emily xx