The Black & White Duo - 123 Challenge Blog & Feb 15th Stuck?! Sketch

Hi there!

Today I am posting my layout that I completed for both the February 15th Stuck?! Sketches challenge and the February 123 Challenge!

Take a look at the awesome sketch, I love all the layering of patterned papers...

And this is the fun challenge at 1-2-3 Challenge Blog this month...

 

I created a double layout and used the sketch as the right hand side of my layout. Here is the entire layout...

"The Black & White Duo"

And here is a closeup of just the right hand side that was based on the sketch...

I had a lot of fun creating this layout! My Dad turned 60 this month and he had a 'Black & White' themed birthday party. Abigail and Isaac decided they wanted to wear some fun dress-ups so we went & purchased hats, ties & moustaches for their costume. They loved it & they came up with the name 'The Black & White Duo' for themselves!

If you're interested in how I created the background, read on, otherwise skip this paragraph. I tried a technique that I hadn't done before that I read about in an article by Fiona Paltridge in the current issue of Scrapbooking Memories magazine... I smeared some yellow (Mustard Seed) Distress Ink onto a piece of plastic packaging, sprayed it with water and then used a piece of scrunched up glad wrap to apply it to my background. I really like the effect! Once that was dry, I also applied some red (Festive Berries) Distress Ink through a stencil to create the red polka dots. Then to finish it off I flicked some blue glimmer mist on the background as well.

Here are some more closeups of my layout...

Here is my use of the word 'Duo' for the 123 Challenge :)

 

My journalling is hidden on my layout, so I've included a photo of it here. The journalling tag is tucked in behind the black & white chevron paper above the photos, with just the scallops showing so that it looks like a decorative strip :)

Here is how I used glitter on my layout for the 123 challenge criteria... I applied silver Kindyglitz to the yellow banner! There's also glitter within the photos on the black hats that my kids are wearing!

And here's a closeup of the cluster in the bottom ride hand corner. I haven't yet jumped into the project life world yet but i purchased a pack of project life cards and embellishments and I've used the 'You are awesome' card here as part of this cluster. The gold stars on my layout are from the pack as well. I love that huge moustache sticker... I thought I would never have a use for it, but it was perfect for this page!!

Thanks so much for visiting my blog and looking at my layout! Thanks in advance for any comments that you leave as well - I really love reading them!

Mandy

You are a Star - Stuck?! 1st Feb Sketch & Jot Mood Board

Hello!

Today I am sharing a layout that I created using the February 1st sketch from Stuck?! Sketches and the February mood board at Jot Magazine!

This is what the sketch looks like...

 

And this is the Jot mood board...

 

When I saw this mood board, I straight away knew which photos I was going to scrap - I've had these photos of Abigail wearing a red, black and white dress waiting to be scrapped for awhile, and this was the perfect motivation! I was inspired by the bright red combined with black & white stripes on the mood board. I also included the word 'love' on my layout :)

 So here is my layout...

"You are a Star"

I love these photos of Abigail! They were taken when she was 3 1/2 years old on Christmas Day. We've had a tradition since she was a baby that each year she gets a new 'Christmas Dress' to wear on Christmas Day. She loved this dress because when she spun around in circles it billowed out and looked so pretty!

Here are some closeups of my layout...

 

My title is made up of chevron letters from Typo along with Ruby Rock-It mini alphas and a Heidi Swapp word.

To create the white splatters on my layout, I mixed gesso with a little bit of water to make it a runnier consistency and splattered it sparingly across my page.

I also added a few embellishments here including a BasicGrey flair and a Heidi Swapp sticker. To create the banner with the word 'love' written all over it, I covered a rectangle of cardstock with washi tape before cutting it into a banner :) I sort of came up with this because I didn't have any coordinating red patterned paper, and I think it worked quite well!

And a closeup of the small cluster at the bottom of my page :)

Thank you so much for visiting and taking a look at my layout! Thank you for any comments that you leave as well - I do love reading them!

Mandy

Hello Sunshine - Kraft+ February Challenge

Hi there & welcome!

Well I'm sure lots of you have seen the new challenge blog Kraft+!! I must admit that I don't often scrap with Kraft, but when I saw the colour challenge for February, I knew that I wanted to give this one a go... the colours are so yummy and they look stunning against a Kraft base!! The Kraft+ Design Team are an amazingly talented group of ladies and their gorgeous projects for this challenge certainly inspired me!!

So without further ado, here is the very first challenge from Kraft+, 'Mango Breeze Colour Inspiration'...

 

 I created a double layout with photos of Abigail & I swimming in the pool when we were on holidays in Port MacQuarie 7 years ago...

"Hello Sunshine"

Here are some closeups of my layout, so that you can see the details...

I love that 'Hello' sticker from We R memory Keepers! I used my Silhouette Cameo to create the 'Sunshine' Banner. After I cut the word out, I used 3 different colours of Distress Inks to create a watercolour effect and backed it behind the banner so that it would show through the negative space.

I added a small cluster of flowers in different colours and textures, and also a flair by BasicGrey.

I used an Amy Tangerine die-cut for my journalling :)

A closup of some of the layering on the left-hand side that includes a glassine bag, a die-cut tag, a doily and a sticker.

Some more die-cuts, stickers & flowers up in the left-hand corner. You can also see that I outlined my papers with black pen to make them pop off the page more.

Thank you so much for looking at my layout and for your lovely comments as well :)

Mandy

Handsome Little Man - Show Us Your Stuff & White with 1 January Challenges

Welcome!

Well I've got one final layout to post that I completed this month!

It's a double layout, but I'll show you each side separately as I'm entering them into two separate challenges. 

So first up, the challenge at Show us Your Stuff for January was to use this sketch (and as always to include a handmade item on your layout):

 

This is what I created using this sketch...

"Handsome Little Man"

My handmade item is my title... I created the word 'Handsome' using my Silhouette Cameo!

Here are a few closeups...

So next up, the right hand side of my layout I created for the White with 1 challenge which was this:

White with 1 teamed up with Sketchabilities for January, so we also had to use this sketch...

 

Here is the layout that I created...

I had fun creating this layout... I think its the first time that I've created a layout with only one colour!!

Here are a couple of closeups...

So, the completed double layout looks like this...

Thanks so much for visiting & taking a look at my layout! I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

Mandy

You are a Dream Come True - Scrap the Girls January Challenge

Hi there!

I'm back again to share another layout with you :) This one was done for the January challenge at Scrap the Girls. The challenge this month was to use the following sketch...

 

What a pretty sketch this is... perfect for scrapping girls! Here is the layout that I created for this challenge...

"You are a Dream Come True"

I turned the sketch 90 degrees clockwise and moved the flower cluster to the other side of the photo as this seemed to work better with my photo :) Isn't my little Eleanor just so precious! She's 2 days old in this photo!

I created another layout using the same papers and similar photos that you can see here. I just loved the papers and photos so much that I couldn't create just one layout!!

I'm loving fussy cutting flowers at the moment... There's just something therapeutic about it :)

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

I used the phrase on this sticker as the title for my layout... I couldn't have said it better myself!

Isn't that butterfly gorgeous! Its a We R Memory Keepers embossed sticker... So pretty!

Thanks so much for visiting & taking a look at my layout! I appreciate your lovely comments as well!

Mandy

Cherish You - 123 Challenge Blog & Stuck?! 1st January Challenge

Hello & welcome to my blog today!

Well I'm just getting this posted in time to enter my layout into the January 123 Challenge and the 1st January Stuck?! Sketch Challenge...

This is the 123 Challenge for January:

 

And this was the Stuck?! sketch that I used...

 

Here is the layout that I created for these challenges...

"Cherish You"

I was quite happy with how my layout turned out, I love how these challenges really do 'challenge' you to create your best and to keep growing in your creativity! This is Eleanor at 2 days old :)

And here are some closeups of my layout...

I used the colour lemon in the strip across the top of the layout and in the banner behind the title. I also added a little lemon coloured heart rubon and a resin flower. For the folding criteria I made this paper rosette & popped a glittery button on top for a cute little embellishment!

I used the word 'appreciate' in my journalling. I've included a photo of the journalling here, but on my layout it is tucked in underneath the photo on the left.

I hope you enjoyed looking at my layout, I really enjoyed creating it :)

Thanks for visiting and for any comments that you leave for me! I really appreciate it!

Mandy

Today is Beautiful - Scrapmuch? and Sassy Scrappers

Hi & welcome!

I'm back today to share another layout that I created, this time using the mood board at Sassy Scrappers  

...and a sketch from ScrapMuch?

 

Here is my layout...

 "Today is Beautiful"

 

I was inspired by the gorgeous bright colours on the mood board!

I stuck to the sketch fairly closely, but I replaced the photo on the left with a journal card and added a few extra bits & pieces here and there :)

Here are some closeups...

Thank you so much for visiting and taking a look at my layout!

Mandy