Junque Journal Cover | Vicki Boutin

Hey friends!

I’m happy to be back sharing a new Vicki Boutin design team project with you! This week we are focusing on the Junque Journals, and I had so much fun adding some mixed media and embellishments to the front of my journal! I’ve been deciding on what to use my journal for, and I’m thinking that I’ll use this one as a mini album. My eldest two kids have just gone back to school after 7 weeks of school holidays, and I thought it would be fun to use my Junque Journal to document all of the fun things that we did over the summer! The beauty of these journals though, is that you can use them however you like!

Here’s a look at what I did on the cover of my Junque Journal…

I’m going to show you how I created the mixed media background for my cover by giving you a step-by-step tutorial. It was a super easy and fun, so maybe you can give it a try too!

1) Add a strip of washi tape down the edge of the spine so that you don’t have to worry about your mixed media getting on the fabric spine cover. Next, cover the entire cover with white gesso. This will give you a good base for adding your mixed media onto.

2) Choose three colours of acrylic paint – I used Juicy Pear, Blue Hawaiian, and Sugared Strawberry (these are all part of set 3 of the Color Pop Paints). Next paint the cover of your journal with one of the lighter colours from the ones that you’ve chosen. I let mine dry and then gave it a second coat, to build up the vibrancy of the colour a bit more.

3) Once the first colour is dry, apply a second colour of paint through a stencil on the bottom right hand corner of the cover and the top left hand corner. I used the Blue Hawaiian paint and one of Vicki’s new stencils.

4) Next choose another stencil that has a smaller pattern than the first one, and apply your third colour of paint through this stencil. I chose the Sugared Strawberry as my third colour because I wanted it to contrast with the cooler colours that I’d used for the first two layers. I think this really helps the background to ‘pop’! I also mixed this paint with the Vicki Boutin Iridescent Glaze to make it a bit thicker and give it some sparkle! I love how this makes it look more dimensional when applied through the stencil, and it looks so pretty and shimmery!!

5) The last thing that I did on the background was splatter some watered down black acrylic paint. This adds some more contrast, and also adds to the messy factor!

Here are some closeups of the finished cover so that you can see all of the details…

I created those flowers by stamping onto the scraps of a background that I had left over from cutting a title for a previous layout! So make sure you don’t throw away your scraps, because you can use them to create your own die cuts like this!

I used one of the phrases from the ‘All the Good Things’ Foam Thickers pack as a title, and I also added a sticker that says ‘Let the Good Times Roll’. These were the perfect phrases for this mini book!

Underneath the title I created a little cluster using one the cute birds from the ephemera pack, and a few more of my die cut flowers.

I finished the cover off by adding a couple of the enamel dots from the Finishing Embellishments pack, and a strip of thin washi tape down the edge of the spine.

Thanks so much for joining me today! I hope that you’ve been inspired to play with your Junque Journal too!

Here’s a complete list of the Vicki Boutin products that I used to create this…

Junque Journal

Gesso

Color Pop Acrylic Paint – Set 3

Iridescent Glaze

Stencils

Stamps & Dies – Set 2

Mister Bottles

Cardstock Stickers – Words

Thickers – Phrase/Glitter Foam

Cardstock Die-Cuts – Icons

Self-Adhesive Finishing Embellishments

Washi Tape

Selfie | Charms Creations

Hey scrappy friends!

Today I'm sharing a new layout for Charms Creations!

I documented a recent selfie of Isaac and I, taken when I took the kids on a little day trip during the last school holidays. I used the Paige Evans 'Turn the Page' collection to create this layout. I love the combination of aqua and red together!

I also used one of the February 15th sketches from Stuck?! Sketches as inspiration for the design of this page. Here's a look at the sketch...

 

And here are some closeups so that you can see all the details...

I added a Charms Creations Denim, White & Black Chevron to the right of the photo. These have always been one of my go-to Charms Creations embellishments! I also tucked a Kinder Kreations flair button under the edge of the chevron, and I added a wood veneer word from D-Lish Scraps underneath the photo. I love the interest that the different textures, such as the denim and wood, add to the page!

I also embellished this layout with lots of stars, because you really can't go wrong with stars on a boy themed page! I fussy cut that large red one from one of the patterned papers in the 'Turn the Page' collection, and the others are a combination of Shimelle Thickers, Felicity Jane wood veneers, and Bella Blvd puffy stickers.

Thanks so much for joining me today! I hope that you've been inspired by my layout. Make sure you go check out the Charms Creations shop for these and lots more awesome handmade embellishments! And if you're looking for a good sketch to inspire your creativity, pop on over to the Stuck?! Sketches blog!

Mandy x

Preschool Girl | Vicki Boutin

Hey friends!

Today I have a multi-photo layout to share using Vicki Boutin mixed media products and the ‘All the Good Things’ collection! I had a play with Vicki’s new stencil brushes on this page, and they are AMAZING!!

The colours in the ‘All the Good Things’ collection were perfect for documenting these photos of my youngest daughter on her first day of preschool! She looked so cute with her big back pack on! Here’s the layout that I created…

I started my layout off by applying three different colours of art crayons through the new butterfly stencil using the larger stencil brush. I started with pink at the bottom of the page, fading into purple, and then blue. I tilted the stencil a little each time I changed colours to make it look like the butterflies were floating up the page. I then added some water to the purple art crayon and splattered it onto the page using a small paint brush. This background was so quick and easy to create, and I love the subtle detail that it adds to the layout!

I adhered the photos onto a piece of white cardstock, and then matted them with three patterned papers from the ‘All the Good Things’ collection. The papers I used were… Positive Note (reverse side), Birds of a Feather (reverse side), and Blossom to Awesome (reverse side). I also fussy cut one of the floral clusters out of the Blossom to Awesome patterned paper and tucked it under the top edge of the photo strip. And I added a sticker that says ‘Fun Starts Here’, along the top of the photos as well.

Underneath the right hand side of the photo, I tucked a few of the die cut flowers from the ephemera icons pack. I added some foam tape underneath the leaves to lift them up and give them some extra dimension. 

Underneath the bottom edge of the photo strip I tucked a label from the frames pack, and then on top of that I adhered the die cut piece that says ‘Be Fearless’. I added foam tape underneath this as well to once again create some more dimension. I also tucked some leaves from the watercolour sticker pack underneath the bottom edge of the photos. Next I added my title, and the chipboard Thickers from the collection were perfect for this!

I created another little cluster in the bottom right hand corner of the page using a couple more die cuts. The birds in this collection are so cute! You can also see here that I added two strips of patterned paper across the bottom of the page, which helps to ground the layout.

I finished the layout off with some typed journaling and a few enamel dots from the Finishing Embellishments pack.

Thanks so much for joining me today! If you'd like to see how this layout came together, you can check out my process video on my YouTube channel...

Here’s a list of all of the Vicki Boutin products that I used on this page…

Art Crayons #1 – Warm

Art Crayons #2 – Cool

Stencils

Mister Bottles

Cardstock Stickers

Thickers – Alpha/B&W Chipboard

Ephemera Cardstock Die-Cuts – Icons

Ephemera Cardstock Die-Cuts – Frames

Self-Adhesive Finishing Embellishments

Mixed Media Watercolor Stickers

Double-sided Patterned Paper – Blossom to Awesome

Double-sided Patterned Paper – Birds of a Feather

Double-sided Patterned Paper – Positive Note

Love You | Cocoa Vanilla Studio

Hello friends!

Today I'm sharing a layout for Cocoa Vanilla Studio, featuring the beautiful More than Words collection! We're continuing with our 'love' theme over on the CVS blog for the next couple of days, and so I'm sharing a layout of my hubby and I, taken on Christmas Day last year! I decided on this page that I wanted to focus on the corals and blues within the collection. Here's the layout that I created...

I chose the Radiant patterned paper (reverse side) as the background for my layout, and I matted it on the Gossamer patterned paper (reverse side). I also added some machine stitching around the edge of the page to give it some subtle texture.

Next I applied some acrylic paint to my background using a palette knife. I created that lovely coral coloured paint by mixing together pink and yellow. The painted background really helps the photo to pop off the page! I also splattered some watered down white gesso onto the background for some more interest.

I matted my photo with several patterned papers from the collection. The papers that I used were - Collage (reverse side), Treasure (reverse side), Noteworthy, and Gossamer (reverse side). I also added a doily from my stash, and I tucked a tab from the die-cut ephemera pack underneath the left hand side of the photo.

I combined one of the chipboard titles from the collection, with a banner from the die cut ephemera pack, and a couple of the little word stickers, to create the phrase 'love you my darling, with all my heart, always'. This was the perfect sentiment for this layout, and it serves as both the title and my journaling. I also added a little chipboard arrow underneath the title.

Underneath the title I added a couple of die cut feathers as well as a flair button from the collection. I added some foam tape underneath one of the feathers to give it some extra dimension.

I finished the layout off with a few enamel dots, and a chipboard hearts.

Thanks so much for joining me here on my blog today! I hope that you enjoyed taking a look at my layout!

Mandy x

Sweet Happy Moments | Charms Creations

Hi friends!

Today I'm sharing a layout that I created for the Charms Creations Creative Team!

I documented some cute photos of Eleanor on this layout. She loves the little rides that are scattered around our local shopping centre, (which I'm positive are (in)conveniently located so that you can't avoid them when you're shopping with a toddler!). Whenever she gets to have a ride on one, she's over the moon, and I took these photos on one such occasion.

I used the Maggie Holmes Carousel collection on this layout, as well as some Vicki Boutin mixed media products.

I also used the February 1st sketch from Stuck?! Sketches as inspiration for my page. Here's a look at the sketch...

I started my layout off by creating a mixed media background using the Vicki Boutin art crayons. I added water to them so that I could use them like watercolors, and I painted it onto the background using a paint brush. I also stamped some circles in a darker yellow onto the background to give it some more interest.

Then I used the sketch as a guide to add my photos, title, and embellishments to the layout.

Here are a couple of closeups...

I added a Charms Creations hot pink hessian arrow to the cluster to the right of the photos. You can find all the Charms Creations arrows in the shop here. I also layered a D-lish Scraps flair button on top of the arrow.

All of the other embellishments on the page are from the Carousel collection. I used the die-cut ephemera, the cardstock stickers, and the puffy stickers. I particularly love the pretty florals in this collection!

Thanks so much for joining me today! Make sure you go check out all of the beautiful embellishments in the Charms Creations shop, and head on over to the Stuck?! Sketches blog to play along with their January 1st challenge.

Mandy x

Wonderful & Sweet | Cocoa Vanilla Studio

Hi friends!

Today I'm sharing a layout that I created for Cocoa Vanilla Studio using the stunning new More than Words collection! I just love the soft colours in this collection, and of course the beautiful florals! It's so lovely to work with, and I couldn't wait to create another layout with it!

On this layout, I documented a photo of my youngest daughter Eleanor with our new little kitten Archie. I just love the way they both look so happy and content together. Eleanor has such a sweet relationship with both our cats, and I'm so glad that I captured this moment!

I started my layout off by trimming an inch off each side of my white cardstock. I then added a thin border around the white cardstock using the reverse side of the Darling Buds patterned paper, and then matted the entire layout on the A-side of that same patterned paper. I love the sweet little flowers on that paper! I also added some machine stitching around the edge of the white cardstock to give it some additional texture.

I added some pretty layers behind my photo using a few patterned papers from the collection as well as a doily from my stash. The papers that I used are - Noteworthy (both the front and the reverse side), and Collage.

I created a pretty cluster of embellishments on the right hand side of the photo. The cluster includes a butterfly that I fussy cut from the Treasure patterned paper, some beautiful flowers from the die cut ephemera pack. a flair button, a little word sticker from the accessory sticker sheet, and a chipboard frame from the Wild at Heart collection. I used foam tape underneath some of the elements withing the cluster to give it lots of dimension! You can also see here the cute little chipboard banner that I added to the top right hand corner of the page.

I created a smaller second cluster down in the bottom left hand corner of the page. This gives the layout a diagonal flow, and helps to draw your eye from the photo, down to the title and journaling. This cluster includes more of the beautiful die cuts and stickers from the collection. Once again, I used foam tape to create varying heights within the cluster.

Lastly I added my title and journaling to the page. I created the title using a chipboard sticker from the More than Words collection, combined with alphabet stickers from the Hello Lovely collection. The wood grain look of the alphabet stickers balances out the chipboard frame in the top cluster.

That's it from me for today! Thanks so much for joining me here on my blog! Make sure you keep your eye out at your local retailer for the More than Words collection, as this is one that you will not want to miss!

Mandy x

Summer Life | Vicki Boutin

Hi everyone!

Today I'm sharing a layout for the Vicki Boutin design team, featuring Vicki's fabulous mixed media products, and the ‘All the Good Things’ collection! I got to have a play with a couple of Vicki’s new products that she released at Creativation recently, and I LOVE them! Here’s the layout that I created…

 On this layout, I documented a photo of my hubby Andrew and my son Isaac enjoying a dip in our little easy set pool that we set up in our backyard over the Summer. On this particular day we had temperatures of around 40 degrees Celsius, and our air conditioner wasn’t working, so this was the best way to keep cool, and we actually had a really fun family day, despite the heat!

For this layout I wanted to create a mixed media background so that I could cut a large title out of it using my Cameo. I had a play with the VB art crayons, the acrylic paints, and one of Vicki’s new stencils, to create the background. Here’s a peek at my work in progress, before I cut the title out of it…

And here’s a look at the title that I cut from that background. I added some small pieces of foam tape underneath it to give it some extra dimension, and then I completed the title using one of the black foam word Thickers from the collection.

Next I wanted to create a fun background using Vicki’s new stamp set. I absolutely LOVE this stamp set – the circles are so fun!! I decided to play with the pigment inks (color wheel) in the warm tones to contrast with the cool colours that I had used for my title. I chose the red ink, and two different shades yellow to stamp the circles onto my background, and I love how this turned out! Once I had finished my stamping, I trimmed down my cardstock background and mounted it on the reverse side of the Soul Food patterned paper. Then I added a strip of the Shine Brightly (reverse side) patterned paper across the middle of the layout, which provided a base for my photo and title.

I used the Pretty Words (reverse side) patterned paper, as well as a frame from the die-cut frames pack, to add some layers behind my photo. This helped it really pop off the page! I also added one of the cute paper clips from the collection to the top right hand corner of the photo, and I tucked a tab from the sticker sheet underneath the right hand side of the photo.

Underneath the left hand side of the photo I tucked some leaves from the die-cut icons pack. There are so many gorgeous embellishments in this pack!

To finish the layout off I sprinkled some of the cute enamel dots around the page, and I added a few little stickers from both the watercolour sticker pack and the word stickers.

Thanks so much for joining me today! I’ll have a process video for this layout up on my YouTube channel very soon, so stay tuned! And make sure you keep your eye out for Vicki’s fabulous new products!

Here’s a complete list of the Vicki Boutin products that I used to create this page…

Stamps & Dies

Stencils

Gesso

Oil Pastel Art Crayons - Cool

Color Wheel Pigment Ink – Warm Tones

Color Pop Acrylic Paint – Set 2

Mister Bottles

Watercolor Brushes

Cardstock Stickers – Words

Thickers – Phrase/Glitter Foam

Cardstock Die-Cuts – Icons

Cardstock Die-Cuts – Frames

Adhesive Finishing Embellishments

On the Edge Paper Embellishments

Watercolor Stickers

Double-sided Patterned Paper – Pretty Words

Double-sided Patterned Paper – Soul Food

Double-sided Patterned paper – Shine Brightly

Mandy x