You are Rad | The Cut Shoppe Design Team Layout

Hi friends!

Today I'm sharing a layout with you that I created for The Cut Shoppe, that features a photo of my nearly 9 year old son. He recently purchased a new skateboard and a hat with his pocket money that he had saved up. Usually he's not that keen for me to take photos of him, but he was super happy with his new purchases, so he was willing to let me to take some photos of him showing off his new gear! Yay for me, because I got some great photos of him to scrap!

I used the Boys Rule cut file set, which had the perfect words and accents for this page!

I don't know about you, but I find boy layouts just a little bit harder than girly ones. I think I just gravitate towards all the pretty things! But using these cut files teamed up with the Totally Rad collection from Cocoa Vanilla Studio, made creating this boy layout super easy, and I'm really happy with the end result! I love all of the files in this set, and I can see myself using it a lot for my boy layouts!

Here are a couple of closeups of my layout...

I cut the word 'Rad' from one of the patterned papers to use as part of my title, and I added some foam tape behind it to give it extra dimension. I also used the Boys Rule cut file set to cut an arrow and some stars to embellish my page. These co-ordinated perfectly with the die-cuts and stickers that I used from the Totally Rad collection! I arranged the embellishments diagonally on the layout to help the viewer's eye to travel down the page, and to keep the focus on the photo.

This cluster on the top left hand corner of my photo includes another star that I cut using the Boys Rule cut file set, as well as a flair button from D-lish Scraps, and more Cocoa Vanilla embellishments.

To finish the layout off I added my journalling as well as a few enamel dots and black ink splatters.

Thanks so much for stopping by to take a look at my layout!

Mandy

This is Love | D-lish Scraps Design Team Layout

Hi everyone!

I'm back to share my final layout for D-lish Scraps for the month, and this one was inspired by one of the current Cybercrop challenges in The Scrap Suite! Here's my layout...

I absolutely adore these photos of my youngest two together! It's so hard to capture Isaac smiling naturally in photos, he always seems to give me an awkward smile as soon as I point the camera in his direction! So I was very pleased to capture these moments of the two of them looking so happy together!

I created this layout for Sandra's recipe challenge, which was lots of fun to play along with...

I used patterned papers from the new Love Always collection from Cocoa Vanilla Studio for this layout. The soft pastel colours with the pops of contrasting black were just perfect for these photos!

I started my layout off by layering some pieces of patterned paper across the middle of my layout and adding my photos on top. I popped a cute 4" lace doily behind the bottom photo. I also added a strip of patterned paper across the top of my layout and a strip of washi tape across the bottom. Then I was ready to start embellishing!

Here are some closeups of my layout...

To the left of my photos I added a felt chevron from my stash and I popped a cute little pastel petal on top.

To the right of my photos I created a flower cluster that includes a white Kaisercraft bloom, a medium blue rose, and a die cut flower. I also tucked a journal spot under the top photo and used it to add my journalling to the layout.

I created another cluster over on the right hand side of the layout using a flair button, another pastel petal, and a phrase from the 'Everyday Moments' Wordfetti sheet. To finish the layout off I added a sprinkling of D-lish enamel dots. I also added some subtle stencilling to the background using the Dusty Attic Triangles stencil with some light pink Distress Ink.

If you haven't done so yet, why don't you pop on over to The Scrap Suite and check out all of the July Cybercrop challenges! You've got until Friday 19th August to join in, and the random winner of each challenge wins a D-lish Scraps $10 store credit!

Thanks so much for popping in to take a look at my layout! Thank you to those who leave a lovely comment as well!

Mandy

Sweet Nephew | D-lish Scraps Design Team Layout

Hello!

I'm back to share another one of my July D-lish Scraps layouts with you! I'm super excited to share this one because I've created a page about my new little nephew, Jude! He's absolutely adorable and I knew that I just couldn't wait to scrap this photo of me having my first cuddle with him!

I used patterned papers from the gorgeous Cocoa Vanilla Studio Colour Me Happy collection for this layout.

Let's take a look at some closeups...

I started my layout off by creating some pretty layers behind my photo. I used patterned papers as well as a 5x7 chevron bag, a 6" lace doily, and a dip dye tag to create all the layers. I love how the pops of colour help to make the black and white photo really stand out. You can also see here the minifetti strip that I added to the bottom of my photo. These are still one of my favourite go-to embellishments!

I attached an arrow paperclip to the top right hand corner of the photo and I tied a pretty silky tassel to the paperclip. I told you that I was addicted to tassels right?! This particular tassel was an exclusive item in the June Just Add Paper kit and is now sold out, but if you love tassels, check out the new pastel suede tassels that are now in store!

To the left of the photo I added a couple of flowers, including a black wild rose (one of my faves!) and a blue medium rose. I also tucked a journal spot in here, which I used to add my date stamp to.

To create my title, I used a wood veneer word combined with some Thickers. I painted the wood veneer word with black Heidi Swapp Colorshine. It's a super easy way of colouring your wood veneers! I finished my layout off with a sprinkling of wood veneer stars, D-lish dots, and sequins.

Thanks so much for popping in to take a look at my layout today! I hope that you've been inspired!

I'll be back tomorrow with my final D-lish Scraps layout for July. I've played along with one of the current Cybercrop challenges in The Scrap Suite!

Until then, happy scrapping!

Mandy

Lovely | D-lish Scraps Design Team Layout

Hi friends!

I'm up on the D-lish Scraps blog today sharing the first of my July projects. I've played along with the beautiful Inspiration Board challenge for July! Here's the layout that I created...

And here's a reminder of the July 'Rustic Charm' Inspiration Board...

As soon as I saw this board, I knew what photo I was going to scrap! The gorgeous colours and images reminded me of my sister-in-law's wedding a few years ago, so I chose a photo of my daughter who was a junior bridesmaid at the wedding. I didn't use the optional sketch, but I was super inspired by the colours, the wedding images, and the tassel ear-rings.

I used a cut file from The Cut Shoppe to cut the rows of hearts, and then raided my paper stash for any patterned papers in these rustic colours to back the cut file. The papers that I chose are a combination of Pink Paislee, Cocoa Vanilla Studio, and Crate Paper.

I purchased the Just Add Paper kit again this month! I just can't go past them... They are such great value and I always love the exclusive bits and pieces that come in the kits! I decided to challenge myself to use only items from the kit to embellish this page, just to see how much I could get out of it. I managed to do this easily, with enough embellishments left over to create one or two more layouts! The only thing that I added to my page that wasn't in the kit are some D-lish enamel dots.

Here are some closeups so that you can see all of the details...

I created a little cluster on the top right hand corner of my photo using a white cherry blossom, a small peach rose, and a flair button. I also attached the mini peg that came on the kit packaging to the top of photo.

How gorgeous is this wood veneer string heart that came in the kit! I knew that I had to use this on my layout! I clustered it with the lace pearl, another cherry blossom, and the suede tassel, all from the kit. I think I have a bit of an obsession with tassels at the moment because they just seem to keep finding their way onto my layouts! Have you seen the new pastel suede tassels that were added to the store recently? Go check them out, they are gorgeous!!

Another one of my favourite items in the kit this month were the layered die-cuts! I popped one of them here on the bottom of my photo! I also used the journal card from the kit to add my journalling.

To balance out the page, I added the other layered die-cut to the bottom left hand corner of the layout and finished it off with another small peach rose. Lastly, I added my title to the layout.

If you love all of the items in this kit as much as I do, why don't you pop on over to the D-lish Scraps store to purchase your own kit before they sell out!

I hope that I've inspired you to play along with our Inspiration Board challenge this month! Link up your layouts over on the D-lish Scraps blog by the end of the month to be in the running to win a prize!

I'll be back tomorrow with another one of my D-lish Scraps layouts to share with you.

Mandy

These are Good Times | Stuck?! Sketches July 15th DT Layout

Hi Scrappy Friends!!

What's the weather like in your part of the world today? Here in Australia we're in the middle of winter and it has been so cold today!! It's a good excuse to stay inside and scrap though!!

If you're looking for some fresh scrappy inspiration, you can't go past the new challenge at Stuck?! Sketches! Here's the sketch that the lovely Laura Whitaker has designed for us...

Here's my take on the sketch...

I love this selfie that my daughter took while we were on a picnic recently! The funny thing is that I tried to take it about ten times, and kept cutting someone's head out of the photo, so my daughter took my phone and got this great shot first go!

The Cocoa Vanilla Studio Colour Me Happy patterned papers were perfect for this layout... I love the gorgeous bright colours in this range!

Here are some closeups of my layout..

On the top left hand corner of my photo I added a Charms Creations DIY cloud. I love these... They are so cute, and are perfect for altering with inks/paints, but they also look great as is! On top of the cloud I've added a couple of roses from D-lish Scraps, and to the left of the photo there's a Cocoa Vanilla woodie from the Hello Sunshine collection.

Here you can see all the layers behind my photo. How pretty are all these colours together?! On the bottom of the photo I added a wood veneer word from Flutterby Designs.

Lots of pretty embellies here... A mixture of Cocoa Vanilla Studio and D-lish Scraps!

If you haven't done so already, I hope that you'll head on over to the Stuck?! Sketches blog and take a look at the gorgeous layouts that my fellow design team members have created! We would love YOU to play along with us by creating a layout based on this sketch! Link up your layouts on the Stuck?! Sketches?! blog by July 29th to be in the running to win a prize from one of our very generous sponsors:

We will also be choosing a scrapbooker from each of our challenges to be a guest designer with us at a later date!

Thank you so much for visiting my blog and taking a look at my layout! Thank you to those who take the time to leave a comment as well - it is always very much appreciated!

Mandy

Fly | The Cut Shoppe Design Team Layout

Hello!

I am so excited to be sharing my first layout as a design team member for The Cut Shoppe! I've been a fan of Ashley's cut files for a long time, so I am absolutely thrilled to now be on the design team!

The layout that I'm sharing today features a sweet photo of my two girls out enjoying the sunshine. My eldest daughter was lifting my baby girl up, and with the sky in the background, it made me think that she looked like she was flying! So that became the title for my layout... "Fly"

I used the Go Fly a Kite cut file set for my title. I didn't want the whole phrase, just the word 'fly', so I just traced that word in my Silhouette software. I like to try and think of different ways that I can use my cut files to get more out of them!

I also used the Happy Clouds cut file set to cut the clouds for my layout.

As my photo had lots of different shades of blue in the sky and in my daughters' clothing, I wanted to carry those blues onto my layout. To do this, I first created a watercolour background using Distress Inks in aqua and blue. I used the popular 'packaging technique' to apply my inks. I cut the clouds from white cardstock and I tucked some in behind my photo and others I added thin strips of foam tape to the back of to give them extra dimension.

The blues and aquas also carried through into my embellishing. I created a pretty cluster of embellishments on the bottom right hand corner of my photo, using items from lots of different collections including Maggie Holmes Shine, Amy Tangerine Better Together, Crate Paper Hello Love, as well as a tassel and flowers from D-lish Scraps. I love how well they all came together!

I intitially just cut my title on white cardstock, but I felt like it didn't stand out enough from the background, so I used the offset function in my Silhouette software and cut it out again from one of the same patterned papers that I used to layer behind my photo. I also added foam tape to the back of it. By doing this, it helped to make it stand out a little more while still keeping the light and airy feel.

Lastly I added my journalling, which is actually a poem. This poem really spoke to me and I felt that it was perfect for this photo.

Thanks so much for joining me today! Thank you for any lovely comments as well!

The Cut Shoppe Design Team Blog Hop

Hello there!

I am so thrilled to be on the new 2016-2017 Design Team for The Cut Shoppe! I love creating with cut files and Ashley Horton's cut files are AMAZING!

Starting today, and through till 10th July, the new design team are having a bloghop so that you can get to know each of us a little better!

Hopefully you've arrived here from Candace Perkin's blog. If not, and you'd like to start from the beginning, simply head to The Cut Shoppe blog and follow the links from there!

Here's the entire blog hop list in case you get lost along the way. You are sure to be inspired by these super talented ladies...

THE CUT SHOPPE

ALLIE STEWART

ZSOKA MARKO

JENNIFER MCMURTREY

IRIT LANDGRAF

CANDACE PERKINS

MANDY MELVILLE

FLORA FARKAS

NATHALIE DESOUSA

EUNYOUNG LEE

MONIQUE LIEDTKE

MICHELLE STOKES

ZINIA AMOIRIDOU

KELLY JANES

ENZA GUDOR

MELISSA VINING

WENDY ANTENUCCI

As a way of getting to know the new team, Ashley has asked us to answer these questions...

1. How many times in a week, do you work on something scrapbook related?

I probably spend at least a little bit of time scrapbooking each day, if not every other day. I have three kids, aged 12, 8, and 20 months, so they keep me quite busy, but when my little one is napping, I like to try and escape to my desk and scrapbook.

2. What’s your favorite subject to scrapbook?

I'd definitely say that my family feature most often on my scrapbook pages, especially my kids!

3. What is your favorite color to use on your layouts/projects? What is your least favorite color?

It's too hard to narrow it down to just one favourite colour! I think aqua/teal would definitely be one of my favourites, followed very closely by yellow and pink! Probably the colour that I use the least on my layouts would be brown. I find myself more drawn to brighter colours.

4. Why do you like using cut files on your layouts/projects?

I love using cut files on my layouts because they add a unique element to my layouts. I love that you can use the same cut file in so many different ways. They also provide a great opportunity to use your patterned papers in different ways. I especially love to create unique titles for my layouts using cut files.

5. What are some of your other favorite hobbies? If you were not a scrapbooker, what other hobby do you think would consume most of your time?

I have always loved reading and losing myself in a good book! And as most scrapbookers do, I really enjoy photography.

6. Tell us 5 things we don’t know about you!

I married my high school sweetheart

I'm an accountant (though I'm taking a break with my little one at the moment)

I don't like cooking

I love Paris (who doesn't?!)

One of my all-time favourite movies is Notting Hill

I also have a layout to share with you today! Some of you may have already seen this if you follow my blog or Instagram, but it's one of my favourite layouts that I've created using cut files from The Cut Shoppe, so I thought I'd share it again, for those who haven't seen it...

I used the butterfly die cut from the Love Everlasting cut file on this layout. This was actually a free cut file that Ashley designed for The Cut Shoppe and Citrus Twist product swap a couple of months ago.

For closeups and more details on my layout, you can read my blog post here.

If you'd like to have a chance of winning a $5 Gift Certificate to The Cut Shoppe Etsy store, simply leave a comment on this post by July 10th. The random winner will be drawn on July 11th and will be announced on The Cut Shoppe Blog on July 13th, so make sure you check back then to see if you are one of the winners!

Next up on the blog hop is Flora Farkas!

Together | Stuck?! Sketches Design Team Layout

Hi there!

I have another awesome challenge to share with you today... The July 1st challenge at Stuck?! Sketches! Laura has designed another fabulous sketch to inspire us...

 

And here is my take on the sketch...

How sweet is this photo of my son with my little nephew! I love how it really captures their bond! They look like they are in their own little world together.

I used patterned papers from the Pink Paislee Paige Evans Fancy Free collection. At first glance this looks like quite a feminine collection, but there are definitely patterned papers that lend themselves to masculine layouts as well!

Here are some closeups of my layout...

I created a cluster to the left of the photo using a journal spot and a flair button from D-lish Scraps, as well as a flag and wood veneer arrows from Flutterby Designs.

Some more Flutterby Designs goodies here, including the wood veneer word and the page tab. The Charms Creations chevron was the perfect embellishment to finish off this cluster!

I added a couple of word/phrase strips on the bottom right hand corner of my photo... One is from Cocoa Vanilla Studio and the other is from D-lish Scraps. I finished my layout off with some typed journalling and a scattering of wood veneer stars.

If you haven't done so already, I hope that you'll head on over to the Stuck?! Sketches blog and take a look at the gorgeous layouts that my fellow design team members have created! We would love YOU to play along with us by creating a layout based on the sketch! Link up your layouts on the Stuck?! Sketches?! blog by July 29th to be in the running to win a prize from one of our very generous sponsors:

We will also be choosing a scrapbooker from each of our challenges to be a guest designer with us at a later date!

Thank you so much for visiting my blog and taking a look at my layout! Thank you to those who take the time to leave a comment as well - it is always very much appreciated!

Mandy

Summer | Scrap the Girls July Design Team Layout

Hello scrappy friends!

The start of a new month means that it's time for some fresh inspiration from all of our favourite scrappy challenges sites! Today I'm sharing the July challenge at Scrap the Girls. This month we have a sketch to inspire you, designed by Kristine Davidson...

Here's my take on the sketch...

This was a bit of a different design for me, but I really enjoyed the challenge! I decided to stick fairly close to the sketch, just adding a few more embellishments.

I took this selfie of me with my baby girl at the beach last Summer. And the Cocoa Vanilla Studio Hello Sunshine collection was just perfect for documenting this photo!

Here are some closeups of my layout...

Here you can see all of the layers behind my photo. As I quite often do, I popped some foam tape behind my photo to give it extra dimension. The gorgeous die-cut flowers and the word 'summer' are all from the Hello Sunshine ephemera pack.

Under the top right hand corner of my photo I tucked a Charms Creations DIY cloud. These are awesome because they can be altered by adding inks to them, or they also look great left as is! I also popped a Cocoa Vanilla flair button on the corner of the photo.

I used the same patterned papers in this cluster that I used for the layering behind my photo, and then added one of the cards from the cut-apart sheet on top. It was the perfect phrase for my page!

Along the bottom of my page I added strips of the same patterned papers again, and created a little cluster using a sticker, a die-cut and a woodie from the Hello Sunshine collection.

If you haven't done so already, I hope that you'll pop on over to the Scrap the Girls blog and take a look at the gorgeous layouts that my fellow design team members have created inspired by this sketch! And this month we'll also have some inspiration from a super talented guest designer!

I hope that you'll play along with us this month! Link up your layouts on the Scrap the Girls blog by July 31st to have a chance of winning a $25 voucher from our very generous sponsor Scrapbook Boutique!

Thanks for visiting and taking a look at my layout! Thank you to those who leave a lovely comment as well! I'll be back later today with my design team layout for Stuck?! Sketches!

Mandy