Love Me | ScrappyNerdUK (Claire) | May/June 2017

Hello Friends.



As soon as I saw the KaiserCraft Daydreamer Playful patterned paper from the Lite Kit, I knew I wanted to cut the paper up and use this for my design. I love the colours in this paper and the sentiments so I got to fussy cutting these out into squares and rectangles. 

I was a little torn as I loved the B side too but the main design for my layout was based on the little squares.

I started placing the pieces onto a white cardstock background and arranging them so that the black pieces and the yellow pieces were evenly spread out so they weren't concentrated in one area.

I then decided that I wanted to bring some more of the squares into my layout but didn't want to make it too busy so I started to cut some small squares from the same paper to break up some of the sentiments. I didn't really worry about the sentiments that I used from the paper. Lets face it, if we worried about using some relevant on every layout then we'd all have loads of bicycles, ampersands and flamingos left from ephemera packs!

I chose a square photo to use on this layout and I chose to use a photo of me! I chose this photo as I knew what I wanted the layout to be about. 

If you ever struggle with what you want to scrap, my best piece of advice is to think about what story you want to tell. I'm not one for journalling much on my layouts. But, when I do journal, it is to tell a story. The story with this picture will be revealed further below. 

I felt I needed a co-ordinating paper behind my photo so I used the co-ordinating Kaisercraft Mischievous patterned paper to bring some more of the mint colour in. This also brought some of the black across to the right hand side of the page and was perfect for where I was going with this layout. I matted my photo on white cardstock and placed some fun foam behind my photo to give it some depth and shadowing.

Next I used a small sticker strip to underline my photo so it wasn't "floating" on the layout. I couldn't wait to use the chalkboard label stickers from the Embellishment Kit and the white Gelly Roll gel pen worked perfectly on this. I created some little doodle accents in each corner to create a bit of interest and to soften the edges of the label and added my journalling. This is where my story comes into the layout. My journalling reads "I've always struggled with self confidence. Scrapbooking has really taught me to love myself". I never scrapbooked pictures of myself when I first started and when I did, it really boosted my self confidence and has encouraged me to get into the pictures more, not just take them!

Above the chalkboard sticker, I added a heart from a heart form the die cut pack from the Main Kit and topped this with a Heidi Swapp bow, also from the Main Kit. Again this helped bring the black over to the right hand side of the layout and create some focus around my photo. 

I decided that although the left side was busy with the sentiments, it still needed something so I added a couple more hearts from the die cut pack (Main kit)  and a scattering of sequins, also from the Main Kit. I used the Gelly Roll pen again to outline the black squares and I even applied the same technique on the grey hearts (loved how this looked).

I completed my layout with a small title to the top right of my photo and for this I used the Heidi Swapp aqua glitter puffy stickers from the Lite Kit. I wanted some of the same aqua puffy stickers dotted around the layout also and this alpha set only came with letters, numbers and a few punctuation so I decided to use the hashtag on one of the squares to create #beinspired and also the @ symbol to the right side of the photo (just because!).

And here is the completed layout. I quickly drew a messy border around the white border and I was really happy with how this layout turned out. 

Now its your turn to see how you can create a unique layout using this paper............

See you really soon for more from this months AMAZING kits!!

Claire xx

Layout Class - Circles photos without chopping up your photos!

One trend I keep seeing popping up just lately is circular photos on layouts. But part of scrapbooking is preserving photos too and you may not always want to cut up your precious photos, especially if they're irriplaceble originals and even in the times of online storage it can still happen that one day all those saved photos could 'poof' dissapear!
To tackle this I've come up with a way to create the look of circle photos without cutting into your photos.
To start with I've measured my photo and made a strip of paper the same height. This is going across the bottom half of my layout where the photo will be but you can put it at the top too if you want to switch the layout around.

Next I've arranged where I'd like the circle to be on the photo, (this can be changed though too as I've done later on!)

To fix my die in place I've used some little bits of washi tape to hold it to the paper then slid out the photo. The paper piece, (this turquoise/dot one) was then taken away and put through my die cutting machine to cut out the circle from it. If you don't have a die/machine combination you could use a Silhouette or draw a circle with a compass or cup to cut out with scissors.

For the rest of the layout to build the top half up I've added a strip of washi tape then the upper half of the Stargaze patterned paper, (everything used is from the Lite and Embellishment June kits) and a chalkboard tab sticker in the top right.

Next I've added the 'frame' paper piece cut out earlier. My photo has been placed underneath with a little removeable adhesive holding it down then the paper piece over the top has been glued along the left edge and bottom edge only for now. the top edge will be left open for easy removal of the photo if ever required. While the right side of the paper is still unstuck it's easy to slide around the photo to place it within the cut out circle to where it looks the best. If you need to move the photo up a little you can slide it under the upper paper above.

I liked my photo more to the left than I originally planned so to fill in the excess space along the side I've added some more of the Stargaze paper, this time using the lower half with the black backing. Once it was in place I've added more adhesive to this side and pressed the paper piece with the frame down to finish.

 Now all that was left to do was embellish a little more. I've used a circle die from the Lite kit cut to reflect the circle photo and cut out another. I've cut out the 'lovely' bit from the Curious paper sheet. The coloured stickers are the Pinkfresh ones from the Embellishment kit. I've also added a little doodling to the chalkboard tag at the top with the white pen from the kit.

A few extra enamel dot touches and it's finished!

This basic idea of using a frame for your photo/s can be adapted to any shape. Maybe the shape of the country you're visiting for holiday photos, stars, flowers, even initials. You can get really creative with this!

Happy scrapping! xx Leo

Celebrating Dads

This layout features in the new kit booklet this month and here's a bit more of an in depth look at it.

The background has been created with a texture paste and one of the sheets of lace paper from the embellishment kit. They're quite thick card so they lend themselves to be used like a stencil quite well and then what's been spread over the lace paper can then be painted over or if you've used something like a spray ink carry on covering the whole lace paper piece in the spray so you get the stencil and then the coloured lace paper piece to use.



The title has been created with the hand stitching thread in the main kit. The title was sketched onto a piece of white cardstock and then an old T-shirt was put underneath to provide some cushion and then the holes made. I'm using a darning needle for the nice large eye to use with the thicker thread and it's also not sharp so there's no danger of a sharp prick!

The stitching has then been added leaving no gaps so it's easy to read your word. You just use a regular back stitch for this, (coming up with the needle on the hole before your stitch then back down the hole behind it).

Once it was completed I've tied the end and added some tape to fix all the thread ends and then cut it out around the edges.

Here's the layout base before the photo and little embellishment bits have been added. I've cut out the the texture paste section to use as a matt.

To add some extra details I've added a line of hand stitching. This was achieved using a light pencil line drawn on the layout down the left side. As with the stitched word the holes were pierced first with a needle and a soft T-shirt underneath to add cushion.

To complete the layout the butterflies were cut out from the main kit paper and some of the main kit tags and labels were added. The 'thankful for you' paper piece was cut out from one of the lite kit papers.

Hope you decide to embrace hand stitching on your projects! I made sure everyone has some thread in their kit boxes so you can have a play and the ideas here show it can be really simple to add just a little bit to your projects.

Have fun with your new kits!
x Leo

Welcome to Beijing - Natalie

Hello everyone! 

I'm back with my third layout using the Mar/Apr Quirky Kit (even if it is now mid June and the May/June kits will be here anyday)! 

I love the succulents paper from the Main Kit by Kaisercraft's Wildflower collection, so I went looking for some photos that would match this. I decided on these water lily photos from my trip to Beijing last summer. 

I used "Wish" from Pinkfresh Studio's collection "Dream On", which I just absolutely love, and I've already used it as a background before (luckily I bought extra sheets in the extras shop!). 

I cut a piece of the Succulents paper around 8 inches tall, and cut out 2 green scalloped borders from the Elle's Studio paper in the Main Kit from their "Live Laugh Love" collection. 

For my title I used an alpha set from my stash, as I thought the mix of pink and green matched the photos perfectly. And then I handwrote the rest of the title - the first time I've ever done that! 

And I added the "Happiness" ephemera piece from the Elle's Studio ephemera pack in the Main Kit. I added 3 pink enamel dots and an enamel heart (from the Freckled Fawn pack in the embellishment kit). The title is on a piece of woodgrain paper, from Elle's Studio - you could also use the woodgrain tag from the ephemera pack, but I already used that on my previous layout! I cut the piece of paper on one side to make it look like a flag banner - a theme which runs across the page. 

By placing the woodgrain paper next to my vertical and horizontal photo, I created a rectangular block, a good way to use multiple photos on a layout!

I created a cluster in the bottom left to separate the two photos. All of these pieces came from the ephemera pack in the Main Kit. And I added an enamel heart from the Marianne Designs Project NL enamel dots which were in the extras shop, and co-ordinate perfectly with the kits.

Finally I've still got an addiction to diagonal Heidi Swapp Colour Shine splatters! And added some enamel dots from the Freckled Fawn and Marianne Designs packs.

So here is my finished page, I hope you like it! 

The colour scheme is quite similar to my previous scrapbook layout "Beautiful Yangjiang", however they are from separate trips to China so will be different albums! 

Hope you are all looking forward to the new kits!! 

You Got This Girl | ScrappyNerdUK (Claire) | March/April 2017

Hello Friends,

So, we're fast approaching the next kit being released and I'm sure you're down to just a few scraps of paper left by now. I certainly am.

I absolutely loved the Bella Blvd paper, Magnifique from the Main Kit. I just couldn't bring myself to use a whole sheet as the background so I decided to fussy cut the top and bottom clusters from the paper and save the middle flowers for another layout.

I decided to make these flowers stand out a lot more, I would use black cardstock.

I love the contrast between black and the colours in the flowers. 

I next chose my photo. Sometimes I choose the photo and work my papers around the photo.  I did the complete opposite on this one. I chose the paper that I was hoarding and didn't want to use (it was just tooooo pretty!!) and had a flick through some photographs that I had printed, and I found the perfect photo. The colours in my jumper matched perfectly the light pink in the flowers and the colour of my nieces clothing matched perfectly the dark pink colour in the flowers. 

I didn't want to over embellish this layout as it was busy with the flowers. So I used one of the cut parts from Jillibean Soup, Bite Size Bits Papers. Beneath this I layered a couple of the 3x4 cards from the pocket page kit to bring in some of the yellow from the flowers. 

I created a small cluster to the top right of the photo. I used a heart die cut from the Elles Studio Live Laugh Love Bits and Pieces and layered a yellow heart sticker from the Jillibean Soup sticker sheet from the Lite Kit. I then added a square pink sticker that says "just be you" and a row of hearts, which were all from the sticker sheet. 

I added in a couple of tiny word stickers (Tim Holtz) from my stash to bring some white into the cluster and added a couple of mini staples.

Although the black cardstock gave me the contrast that I wanted, it did feel somewhat empty in the open spaces. So I watered down some white acrylic paint and splatted some over the bigger black areas on the page. This led me to thinking about doing a space type layout with the same technique!! So I jotted that one down in my book of inspiration to go back to later and revisit that idea. 

And here is the completed layout. I did add another flower to the bottom left of the 3x4 card and secured it with a brad (from my stash) and I was really pleased with out this one turned out. Its really spurred me into using the remnants of the paper on my next layout. Be sure to keep a look out for that one over on the Crafty Templates Facebook group.

If you have any questions or if you want to just reach out and say Hiya!! then leave me a message down below.

Happy Scrapping Friends! x