You've Got a Friend in Me | Simple Stories Howdy! Collection

Hey everyone, here is a new layout for Simple Stories using the super cute Howdy collection! This collection is adorable and so perfect for any budding cowboy!

I started off with a white background and four photos of my little boy dressed as Woody from Toy Story. He loves those movies and I have lost count of the number of times I’ve had to sit and watch them with him…I know all the words now!

I wanted to incorporate that fabulous stripy paper onto my layout so cut a large section of it. It started out at the bottom of the layout but ended up at the top! I added my four photos along the line and then added a fussy cut skyline across the join. I love the paper with the skylines on it: saloons, hotels, sheriff offices, banks – super fun!

I love the ephemera piece from one of the Bits & Pieces packs that says ‘you’re the rootinest, tootinest’ because I know that saying so well from watching Toy Story 2 and the Woody’s Roundup show! Since using this piece I ended up singing that jingle for the rest of the day! So I added that piece, and a couple of tags cut from the Tags paper. I angled them down and tied one through with ribbon.

My title is ‘you’ve got a friend in me’ which is, of course, from the Toy Story movies too. I made this title from the Woods set of Color Vibe alphabet sticker book and the navy Color Vibe Foam alpha stickers.

On the right of the layout I created a cascade down to the bottom with a chipboard horse, ‘wild west’ arrow and some more of the cute buildings and cactus at the bottom. I finished off the layout by adding little chipboard pieces, some decorative brads and puffy stickers.

This layout turned out so fun! I love using all the themed cowboy pieces and are perfect for these cute photos of my lovely boy.

Thank you so much for joining me today and happy scrapping

Niki xx

@nikiclairecreates

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So Many Reasons to Smile | Hip Kit Club | Colour Challenge

 

Hi everyone, here is my latest layout for Hip Kit Club! I’m using the May kits and have been playing along with this week’s challenge which is a Color Challenge: to use rainbow colours! What an awesome challenge!

You can find the May Hip Kits on the Hip Kit Club website here: https://www.hipkitclub.net/may-2021

And you can play along with the weekly challenges over on the Hip Kit Club Group on Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1517288525193552

I choose to go for a yellow background – I love scrapbooking with yellow, it’s so bright and happy and I am always drawn towards it. I created a folded down section at the top and then I backed the yellow sheet with white card. This gave me a good area of white space on the layout to work with.

I cut my photo into a circle shape and then went to town with my circle punches, cutting out all those fabulous circles from the Pinkfresh Studio Keeping it Real paper. I added these to my layout, raised on foam pads. There are big ones and little ones and every size in between! I also added some punched stars from the Pinkfresh Studio rainbow striped paper. I dotted these in between the circles. I also used enamel dots to fill in any gaps.

I added a rainbow title using Paige Evans phrase Thickers: So Many Reasons to Smile. What a wonderful title. I embellished the circles with phrase ephemera from Pinkfresh Studio Keeping it Read, added machine stitching around the outside of the yellow background and finished with splatters of white paint.

I really love how this turned out. Can I tell you a secret though? I looked at the wrong week for my challenge and actually made this layout for last week’s recipe challenge (squares, triangles, stars and circles) by accident – oops! Luckily it totally fitted the rainbow colour theme as I have ALL the colours on this layout!

Thanks so much for joining me today and happy scrapping

Niki xx

@nikiclairecreates

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Splash Zone | Bella Blvd | My Candy Girl

 

Hi everyone I have a new layout for Bella Blvd to share today using the new My Candy Girl collection. I wanted to create a summer themed layout today so went looking for a suitable cut file and paper colours that remind me of a sizzling hot summers day!

I picked out three papers from the My Candy Girl collection: a yellow one, a red one and a pink one. These three colours together are perfect for summer.

I then found the Splash Zone cut file in Silhouette Design Store. I opened this up in my software, ungrouped and cut the different pieces in different colours. I Cut Splash in yellow along with three splashes, Zone in red along with three splashes, and I also cut three more splashes in pink.

I arranged all the elements onto the layout together with six little square photos and a large strip of pink My Candy Girl paper. I positioned the cut file title under the torn piece of pink paper and then arranged my splashes all around the layout. I raised all the splashes up on foam pads to give them extra dimension and I also drew bubble shines onto each to make them appear more 3D. I like the effect a lot.

Once I’d added my title, splashes and six photos there wasn’t much room for anything else! I added a few My Candy Girl embellishments: a few fussy cut hearts, a red flower, an ice cream and some machine stitching at the top of the layout.

I finished off with my journaling and some splatters of white paint.

Thank you so much for joining me today and happy scrapping

Niki xx

@nikiclairecreates

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Play All Day | Lottie Loves Paper Sketch Challenge | Echo Park Paper Little Dreamer

 

Hey everyone, here is my latest layout for Lottie Loves Paper and I’m playing along with this week’s sketch challenge. I adore this sketch with the rainbow on it and instead of reaching for a paper with a rainbow already printed on, or a cut file, I decided to go freehand and use my scissors! I’m using the Echo Park Paper Little Dreamer Boy collection for this layout.

I cut a small arch from the navy star paper. I just drew out a rough arch with a pencil and cut it out with my scissors. I then used this as a template and cut the next one bigger, and the next one bigger etc. I ended up with four layers which I distressed the edges, stuck together and then I machine stitched through all the arches.  I then added this to my background, raised up on foam pads. 

I added one photo down the bottom together with a small square journaling card. I also added a larger square journaling card at the top of the rainbow. This is slightly different from the sketch but I adapted it to suit the photos and cards I had on hand. I added fussy cut stars to the photo clusters as well as some chipboard stars. I also added Bramble Fox star Perspextives and sequins by Spiegelmom Scraps.

I added clouds in the sky and a plane, and added a few stickers underneath the right journaling card plus some journaling strips. I also fussy cut out several cards and trucks and placed them on the rainbow, as if the arches were roads that they were driving along.

Thanks so much for joining me today and head over to the Lottie Loves Paper Community Group on Facebook to play along with the sketch.

Happy scrapping

Niki xx

@nikiclairecreates  

Go Anywhere | Bramble Fox | June 2021 Fox Box

Hey everyone, here is a new layout for Bramble Fox using goodies from the June Fox Box. I have focused on the Go anywhere title and the Take the Scenic Route signpost. I love the colours of these two together so much and they inspired the colour scheme for this layout.

I have used the Simple Stories Simple Vintage Coastal collection. This collection was released last year so some people may already have this in their stash and it has been re-released this year too and will soon be in shops once again. I choose a light blue paper for my background, tore a big chunk out of it and backed that gap with another Coastal paper. I used this area to add my two overlapped photos, the Take the Scenic Route signpost and lots of embellishments.

I created another cluster down the bottom of the layout with a torn strip of woodgrain paper. I added my Go anywhere title to this area along with plenty more embellishments.

I added machine stitching around the edge of the layout and to the embellishment clusters too. I also added a little frosted pink fish perspextive that I’ve had in my stash for ages! I also feel good when I get something older used up! I finished the layout with my journaling and with splatters of white paint.

I adore this layout – the Simple Vintage Coastal collection is simply stunning and the colours are so perfect for those two Fox Box Perspextives.

Thank you so much for joining me today and happy scrapping

Niki xx

@nikiclairecreates

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Sunshine in My Pocket | Shimmerz Paints | June Color Kitz

 

Hi everyone, here is a new layout for Shimmerz Paints. I’m using the June Color Kitz today. The Kitz comes with five Shimmerz Paints, a pack of exclusive Dotz, customizable die cut tags and an exclusive cut file: I’ve got that Sunshine in my Pocket which is super fun. The Shimmerz Paints colours are: Sapphire Spritz, Powder Puff Spritz, Elfin Magic Vibez, Strawberry Fields Creameez, Great Fruit Creameez. I love these colours so much, they totally remind me of summer!

I started with a sheet of Marshmallow cardstock for my background and then added the five colours of Shimmerz to the background in wide vertical stripes. I started with Sapphire on the right side. I used a wide paintbrush to get this effect but it wouldn’t fit in the bottle, so I poured some of the paint onto a craft sheet and picked it up from there. I did the same with Powder Puff, then Elfin Magic. For the two pink colours of Creameez, I added water to the pots, let them sit for a couple of minutes, then painted directly out of the pot. I left my background to dry then splattered all over it with white acrylic paint.

I then worked on the cut file. I just wanted the words ‘sunshine in my pocket’ so I trimmed the cut file so I just had the words I wanted. I backed the open words in a red patterned paper from Simple Stories Sunkissed. I then added the cut file title to my layout on the darker pink stripe. I raised it on foam pads for extra dimension.

I also painted the customizable die cut tags with the same colours and set those aside to dry.

I added my two photo to the layout and arranged the painted die cut tags in the same colour areas of the layout. I then carried on with this with the other embellishments I used. I used lots of word labels and I stuck those in the same orientation as the cut file title. I added the three exclusive Dotz to the layout, again in the colour blocking style.

I finished off with some sequins by Spiegelmom Scraps, a few more embellishments and my journaling which I wrote directly onto the painted tags! I really love how this one turned out.

Thank you so much for joining me today and happy scrapping. Don't forget that if you place an order via the Shimmerz store, add my name in the comments to get a little freebie!

Niki xx

@nikiclairecreates

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Just Beachy | Simple Stories | Simple Vintage Coastal

Hi everyone, here is a new layout for Simple Stories using the most beautiful collection: Simple Vintage Coastal. This collection was released last year and was so popular that it has been re-released this year! I didn’t get any last year due to a lack of beachy photos but I admired it from afar so I am delighted to be able to work with it this time around!

I have chosen to use that stunning woodgrain paper for my background but I cut it down a little and stuck it to a sheet of pink paper from the Simple Vintage Coastal 12x12 Basics Kit. These are fast becoming one of my favourite products because the papers are solid plain colours whilst having some texture and they are beautiful!

I arranged my two photos at the bottom of my layout together with a few squares cut from the 2x2 Elements sheet. I choose pink tones as I wanted the overall look of my layout to have warm colours because my photos were very warm in tone. I continued to build up this horizontal line along the bottom and I added lots of embellishments: ephemera pieces such as seagulls, starfish, an anchor, foam stickers, a layered sticker signpost and brads.

I created a small cluster at the top with a front branch and starfish, oar and ‘sunny says are happy days’ saying. I added some natural twine, tied in knots and added some at the bottom of the layout too.

I added the word Beachy from the foam stickers as my title. I also added the word ‘just’ using the alphabet stickers from the sticker book. I outlined these with black pen to make the stand out a little better against the woodgrain.

I finished with my journaling and some splatters of white paint. I think this collection is truly stunning and I really enjoyed how it came together.

Thank you so much for joining me today and happy scrapping

Niki xx

@nikiclairecreates

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Friends Reunited | Hip Kit Club | Moodboard Inspired

 

Hi everyone, here is a new layout for Hip Kit Club inspired by the June moodboard! This week is ‘no pink’ week and we were also challenged to use a masculine layout. I choose a photo of my boy and his best friend. I have used the May Hip Kits.

From the moodboard I was really inspired by the green and blue umbrella images. I also love circles and there were circles on the moodboard too. I combined these two elements and cut two large semi circles from blue patterned papers, then cut them into triangles. I distressed the edges, stitched around some and then pieced them into wonky circles on a white background. I kept the blue swirly paper by Obed Marshall on the left side and the cornflower blue paper by Jen Hadfield on the right.

I then cut another smaller circle from green Pinkfresh Studio paper and cut these into triangles too and pieced them back together.  I punched several circles from patterned papers and from Pocket Life journaling cards and I dotted these around the layout. My photo has a few layers behind it.

I added a few embellishments: ‘perfectly imperfect’ circle from a Pinkfresh Paper, Let’s Stay Home ephemera, Paige Evans Wonders banner stickers and some foam hearts.

I finished with lots of enamel dots and my title that I curved around the edge of the circle. I added a few splatters of green paint and my journaling too.

Thank you so much for joining me today and happy scrapping

Niki xx

@nikiclairecreates

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Boy Bond | Bella Blvd | To the Moon and Bella Besties

 

Hi everyone, here is my latest layout for Bella Blvd using the fabulous new collection To the Moon! I am mixing it with Bella Besties today and I’m focusing on making a masculine layout to celebrate Fathers’ Day!

I was instantly drawn to the Daily Details paper the second I saw it – but the B side! It has triangle quadrants in four colours: Oyster, Orange, Blueberry and Ice. I decided to get out my star punches and create a colour-on-colour layout by layering similar coloured stars over the colour blocked areas.

I have a super-cute photo of my husband and our two-year-old boy Theo. These two have a great bond and really are best pals. I adore this photo of them being silly together. The photo itself is poor quality. It’s taken on a front camera, in poor lighting so it’s a little grainy. So to make it look better I printed it small and changed it to black and white – that’s a great tip if you have a low quality photo, black and white can make it look a LOT better!

I pulled out my Bella Besties Freehand Graph and Dot papers and found the four colours. I then set about punching multiple stars using star punches. I have quite a variety of them! I used the biggest one first, then got smaller, ending up using a confetti star punch that punches out loads of teeny tiny stars. I then arranged them onto the quadrants. I cut some of the big stars in half in order to have stars cross over the lines on the paper. I raised all the bigger ones on foam pads and have layered smaller ones on top of the big ones. I filled in the gaps with the little stars.  I wanted my stars to be close together in the middle of the layout and spread out more towards the edges to form a star-burst effect.

I added my photo off centre and then found a few embellishments from the To the Moon Collection to go with my layout. I needed to keep the embellishment minimal because there was so much going on the layout already!

I added a few enamel dots from the Cooper collection and my title is made up of To the Moon chipboard and Aria puffy alphabet stickers.

I finished off by writing my journaling in silver pen and then I added splatters of black paint.

Thank you so much for joining me today and happy scrapping

Niki xx

@nikiclairecreates

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