Cuteness Overload | Hip Kit Club | Using an Exclusive Cut File

Hey everyone! Here is a new layout for Hip Kit Club using the June 2021 Kits. You can find the June kits on the website here: https://www.hipkitclub.net/june-2021. Today is Cut File Tuesday so I have used an exclusive cut file, Cuteness Overload, which you can find on the June downloads tab here: https://www.hipkitclub.net/june-2021-downloads. This cut file is actually a freebie so you don’t even need to be a subscriber to access it, happy days!

I was also asked today to use three photos. I often do use multiple photos on my layouts so this wasn’t a problem for me. I printed them small and they are of my little boy playing on a tractor at a farm we visited recently.

I really wanted to use the Nuvo Embellishment Mousses that we received in the June kits, one blue and one yellow called Angel Eyes and Lemon Sorbet. I also added another two colours that I have received in previous Color Kits: Aquamarine and another shade of yellow called Custard Cream. I made four strips on my background with the four colours, applied with a spatula and I left the mousse thick and chunky so as to have lots of lovely texture.

I cut the Cuteness Overload cut file in white and cut a backing piece in green checked paper from the June Kits. I mounted my three photos onto black card and added them across the colourful strips, with the backed cut file underneath.

I then embellished around the layout in a colour-on-colour fashion. I picked bits out from the kits in colours that would work with the stripes. I’ve got several chipboard flair by Pinkfresh Studio Happy Blooms, and several bits of ephemera from the HKC exclusives. I also added two exclusive fabric bows.

I finished off by adding black and white striped paper to either side of the layout and I also added machine stitching along these edges too.

Thanks so much for joining me today and happy scrapping

Niki xx

@nikiclairecreates

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Year 3 | Lottie Loves Paper | Simple Stories School Life

Hey everyone! Here is a new layout for Lottie Loves Paper. I’m using the fabulous School Life collection by Simple Stories.

I have one of those school class photos to use today. At our school you have to buy prints, you can’t get a digital copy, and the smallest size available is 5x7” which is not my favourite size to scrap. Of course I have two of these – one for each school child! AND I get them every year (except last year because school was closed due to Covid). Because I am not overly keen on these photos but feel I have to get them to document my childrens’ school journeys, I made it a rule that I MUST scrap them straight away, otherwise I will keep putting it off and then not do them. The School Life collection by Simple Stories absolutely made this much easier than usual!

For this layout I started with a sheet of white and the paper with all the paper clips on. I trimmed this down a little, distressed the edges and stuck this to the white cardstock. I absolutely love the paper with all the colourful rulers on it, so I cut several of the apart and distressed the edges of each. I then layered them onto the background, making a photo mat, and then added my photo on top.

I made a little interactive card to hold my journaling. On one of the journaling cards from the cut-apart sheets, I cut around the tab and the top. I was then able to slide the card under my photo with the tab overlapping the top of the photo.

I added several embellishments to this layout all from the School Life collection: Bits and Pieces, Foam Stickers, little Puffy Stickers and I also added a big foam word at the bottom: LEARN. To make the ‘Year 3’ title, I mounted tile alphabet stickers and a number 3 from the School Life Sticker Book on to white card and fussy cut them out. This is because the stickers in the Sticker Books are paper stickers rather than card, and I wanted to raise them on foam pads. Mounting them onto card first makes them sturdier and then they can be raised.

I finished off with a few sequins and I also added a couple of staples to the top and bottom of the layout.

Thank you so much for joining me today and happy scrapping

Niki xx

@nikiclairecreates

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Sunshine | Simple Stories | Simple Vintage Lemon Twist

 

Hi everyone, here is another new layout for Simple Stories using the Simple Vintage Lemon Twist collection. This collection really is so beautiful and I have loved creating with it! I love scrapbooking with yellow so was instantly drawn to the yellow gingham print paper. Gingham is my favourite type of print, so yellow gingham ticks all my boxes! I trimmed the this sheet down, distressed the edges and stuck it to a piece of white card for my background.

I then made a large rosette from folded paper. I cut three strips of yellow paper from the Basics Kit and scored them every ¼”. I concertina folded them and turned them into a large rosette. I stuck this to the bottom left corner of the layout overhanging the edges which I then trimmed off.

I then cut multiple circles using metal dies. I cut large ones with small circles cut out of them, off centre. I then backed each one with another paper and foam pads, which created circular apertures. Inside the apertures I added Decorative Brads! I love the Decorative Brads so much and it was so fun to make a feature out of some of them.

I make another half-rosette out of another patterned paper which I stuck to the right side of the layout. I arranged all my other circles to link the two and added my photos. I built a cluster of embellishments around my photo including foam flower stickers and a tag tied through with ribbon.

I added a few more embellishments to the layout: stickers, Chipboard, a layered sticker and labels. I also added a title from the Foam Stickers pack.

I finished off with lots of hearts raised on foam pads and a few splatters of white paint.

I love how this layout turned out, I think it’s really pretty and the colours are just so completely awesome! Happy sunshine everyone!

Thanks so much for joining me today and happy scrapping

Niki xx

@nikiclairecreates

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Sweet Life | Simple Stories | Simple Vintage Lemon Twist

 

Hey everyone, here is a new layout for Simple Stories using the absolutely stunning Simple Vintage Lemon Twist.

I decided to showcase one of the background papers for this layout together with an enlargement photo. I had my photo printed in 12x12 size. I carefully cut around the elements on the background paper and slotted my photo under those elements so that they framed the large photo. I did this on both sides. I started off using a craft knife and then reverted to scissors to trim around some of the detail. I had to trim my photo down to slot it in and also so I was left with a paper border.

Once my photo was in place, I secured it on the back with tape and raised up some of the elements overlapping the photo with foam pads.

I then began to add extra embellishments. Over on the right I added two tags both tied through with ribbon and twine. I also added a couple of tickets which I stapled in place.

On the left side I added chipboard elements, floral Bits & Pieces and some banners saying ‘bee sweet bee kind’ and ‘you are the sweetest’.

I added my title at the bottom of the layout using a combination of a Foam Sticker word and a Chipboard Sticker word.

I dotted decorative brads all around the layout and added some sticker hearts, raised up on foam pads. I finished by machine stitching around the outside of the layout three times to form a border.

I love how this layout turned out! The big photo and the beautiful Simple Vintage Lemon Twist collection make for a big impact!
Thank you so much for joining me today and happy scrapping

Niki xx

@nikiclairecreates 

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It's Coming Home | Hip Kit Club | Color Challenge

 

Hey everyone! Here is a new layout for Hip Kit Club using the June 2021 Kits. You can find the June kits on the website here: https://www.hipkitclub.net/june-2021. I’m also playing along with this week’s challenge which is a colour challenge: black, white & yellow.

The DT had two extra challenges: to scrap a celebration theme and to incorporate a circular, horizontal, vertical or diagonal design. I opted for circular.

For my celebration theme I decided to use photos of my boy celebrating England winning the Euro 2020 semi-final football match. I therefore decided my circular design would be a large football! I printed one using a google image which I then traced to get the rounded look of the ball. I painted the black parts with black acrylic paint and the lines too. I then added shading in some of the white areas using Copic markers. I think it turned out ok and looks quite spherical – I was worried it would look too flat.

I created my background out of black and white polka dot paper and a sheet of white card. I added the football and then my photos. I then began embellishing using all the yellow elements I could find in the kit. There were two sets of yellow alphas and some phrase Chipboards. I made my titles using those. I added two fabric bows, a chipboard tag and various bits of ephemera.

I made the little banner at the top with a triangle punch. I inked the edges to ensure they showed up a bit better and stuck them to the layout. I added black thread along the top and two little bows. Within the pennants I added the word GOAL in little yellow alphas that I outlined with a black fineliner pen.

I really like the result. It’s a bit different to what I would usually make and it was also good to document those football memories...even if we didn’t win the final!

Happy scrapping everyone

Niki xx

@nikiclairecreates

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Here Comes the Sun | Shimmerz Paints | July 2021 Color Kitz

 

Hey everyone, here is a new layout for Shimmerz Paints using the July 2021 Color Kitz. The July Color Kitz consists of five colours of awesome Shimmerz Paints, an exclusive Here Comes the Sun cut file, a set of three Dotz and a pack of paper flower Embellishmentz.  The paint colours are: Frogget Me Not Vibez, Mandarin Mai Tai Coloringz, Caribbean Sunset Spritz, Green Olive Shimmerz and There She Rose Again Shimmerz. These colours are so perfect for Summer.

I loved the 60s hippie vibe of the Here Comes the Sun Cut file. I cut it multiple times. First I cut the letters from an orange cardstock, then I cut two backing pieces: one in white and one in a coral pink coloured cardstock. I painted the white one with the There She Rose Again Shimmerz paint and then layered the three pieces together. The coral backing I just used as a narrow shadow and the orange words I popped up on foam pads. What an awesome title!

I created the background using a sheet of white for the base. I cut a starburst design from yellow paper. I then cut smaller triangles out of a sheet of white Marshmallow cardstock. I then set about painting these to achieve a ombre sunset effect. I spritzed the middle section of each with Caribbean Sunset Spritz, then spritzed the outside edges with Mandarin Mai Tai and painted the point with There She Rose Again. I blended the colours with additional water where needed but they blended pretty well! I blasted them with my heat tool to dry them off and the effect was really stunning! It worked so well! I then layered these onto my yellow triangles.

I then cut smaller pink star print triangles to go on as another layer. I distressed the edges of all layers and stitched through them centrally with my sewing machine. I then stuck them all to the background and the result is a triple layered starburst – loads of hippie vibes there and it reminds me of tie-dying!

I positioned my cut file title in the middle of the starburst. I added my photos and then began to add a few embellishments. I used a few pieces of floral ephemera, a tag and soe other ephemera pieces. Really there is SO much going on this layout that I needed to keep the embellishments to a minimum. I added two of the three Dotz: the green one with a flamingo, ad the yellow one that says ‘summer vibes’.

I painted the paper flowers using the two green paints from the Color Kitz. I began by spraying three of the with Frogget Me Not Vibez. The other three are painted with Green Olive Shimmerz. I also added some Green Olive Shimmerz details to the Frogget Me Not flowers too. The paper flowers took the paint so well. I added these either side of my photos. I also added a paper cocktail umbrella which I also painted with Green Olive so that it matched my layout!

I finished off with a few Spiegelmom Scraps sequins and some label stickers around my photos.

Thank you so much for joining me today and I hope you have enjoyed this crazy layout! Happy scrapping everyone. Don't forget if you place an order via the Shimmerz Store, add my name to the comments to receive a freebie!

Niki xx

@nikiclairecreates

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Noise with Dirt on | Hip Kit Club | Mixed Media Monday | June 2021 Hip Kits

 

Hi everyone! Here is a new layout for Hip Kit Club. I’m using the June 2021 Hip Kits which can be found on the Hip Kit Club website here: https://www.hipkitclub.net/june-2021

Today is Mixed Media Monday so I have focused on using items from the June Color Kit including the cloud stencil and the Nuvo Embellishment Mousse. I was also asked to incorporate a cut file into my layout. I choose to use the Floral Frame cut file which can be found in the June Downloads here: https://www.hipkitclub.net/june-2021-downloads

I started off by using the cloud stencil. I picked out two ink pad colours to use with it, a navy and a mint green. I used an ink applicator to rub ink around the cloud shapes to create soft rows of clouds on my white background. I then used the Nuvo Embellishment Paste and pushed it through the stencil to create two whole and textured clouds on the background. I used the blue one from the June Color Kit and a green one I received in a previous Color Kit. I also splattered the whole area with navy blue paint.

I cut the Floral Frame cut file from blue cardstock from the June Cardstock Kit. I then cut it apart, so I just had a small section of the hexagon part of the cut file. I used this as a layer and layered it over the mixed media area.

I then built the remainder of my layout on top of the cut file. I added a tag from the exclusive Ephemera, some cloud ephemeras, a few labels and some fussy cut butterflies. I used two different alphabet sets to create my title ‘Noise with Dirt on’ which I then stitched through on my sewing machine.

I finished off with splatters of black paint and some enamel dots.

Thank you so much for joining me today for Mixed Media Monday and happy scrapping

Niki xx

@nikiclairecreates

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100 Aker Wood | Lottie Loves Paper | Paige Evans We R Memory Keepers 4x4 Album & Wonders

 

Hey everyone! I have a mini album to share today for Lottie Loves Paper. I’ve used one of the super cute 4x4 We R Memory Keepers albums that are wrapped with Paige Evans’ prints. Inside the album I have used Paige’s Wonders collection.

I wanted to decorate the outside of the album so started off by putting together my front cover. These albums probably don’t really need anything on the front as they are so pretty already but I like my mini albums to be chunky and full of embellishments so I decided to make a display for the front. I used one of the tags from the Wonders collection which I trimmed down, distressed the edges and tied through with ribbon. I added a journaling card behind it, several Wonders flowers from the Floral Ephemera, some Wonders chipboard pieces and some Wonders paper flowers. I added a title using Go the Scenic Route Thickers (I wasn’t quick enough to get the Wonders ones!) which I stitched through on my sewing machine. I stuck this entire cluster to the front cover and I also added several paper flowers to the spine of the album.

Inside my album I decided to make my own pages rather than use the page protectors that were included. In each 4x4 album you get five little page protectors but I decided to save these for another day. I cut several pieces of Wonders papers to the size of the page protectors. I also cut lots of binding strips from coloured cardstock. I drew around the edge of the page protectors to get the shape right and also drew through the holes. I cut these out and then sandwiched them between my full sized pages. I then sewed around three sides to create pockets.

I also make tag pages – using those gorgeous Wonders tags. I kept the tags full size and made pages out of them in the same way: by sandwiching a binder strip between two and then stitching around the edges.

Once all my base pages were made I then set about doing all the embellishing – my favourite part! I always like my mini albums to be interactive and this one is no exception: there are pockets, fold outs, an envelope and an overlay.

I have made a process video for this album, showing my process for planning the album, decorating the front cover and for making the base pages. It then turns into a detailed flip through of the completed album. It can be viewed below.

Thank you so much for joining me today and happy scrapping

Niki xx

@nikiclairecreates 

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Adventure | Hip Kit Club | Recipe Challenge with the June 2021 Kits

Hey everyone! Here is a new layout for Hip Kit Club using the June Kits. You can find the June kits on the website here: https://www.hipkitclub.net/june-2021

I’m also playing along with this week’s challenge which is a Recipe: to use a large title, mixed media and ephemera. The DT were also supposed to use punches or dies in a clever or creative way.

I started off by making some mixed media clouds. I pushed the beautiful Nuvo Embellishment mousse through the exclusive cloud stencil onto smooth white cardstock. I used the pretty blue colour we got in the June kit called Angel Eyes, and a green that we received in a previous kit called Aquamarine. Once these were dry I fussy cut them out.

As for using dies or punches in a creative way…well my creativity did a disappearing act the day I made this layout so I have used dies and punches but not in a particularly creative way! I used a die by Bramble Fox to cut out some gorgeous star layouts and I deliberately cut these in black cardstock to make them really stand out and pop! I also punched some clouds from blue paper, punched them again in vellum and overlaid the vellum over the blue. I offset these slightly and attached them with tiny staples. So that’s as creative as it gets today!!

I added my super large title to the top of my layout layered on some blue and green paper. I then arranged the clouds, both the punched ones and the fussy cut Nuvo ones, around my square photo, all clustered on the left side of the layout cascading down. I also added lots of flower ephemera from the Happy Blooms ephemera pack. I added tiny black and white outline floral stickers too, some fussy cut butterflies and some labels.

I finished off with splatters of blue and green paints to match my colour scheme, a few chipboard flair and some enamel dots.

Thank you so much for joining me today and happy scrapping

Niki xx

@nikiclairecreates

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