Aussie Scrap Source

Weekend Inspiration : BasicGrey

There's never a shortage of design team volunteers when a call for BasicGrey layouts goes up, and there's never any difficulty finding stunning examples from around the online community either.  The only real difficulty is fitting them all in one post! 

We hope you enjoy our weekend inspiration gallery, and your weekend.

Suz has used these beautiful patterns from the BasicGrey 'Pheobe' line to create this layout of her daughter Phoebe.  She's trying to move on from the fact that BasicGrey misspelled her daughters' name and focus on the positive - like how wonderfully soft and feminine they are, but with a funky twist. 

Lil Davis Crillon alphas, CherryArte chipboard and rubons from both BasicGrey and Scenic Route Paper finish off this celebration of her daughters obvious drawing talent!

 

And here's a brighter side of the Pheobe papers with this gorgeous layout by Steph Caskey-Devlin.  Clearly those flowers were made to be cut out and here they adorn a beautiful photo celebrating the relationship between grandmother and grandaughter.

 

To create this luscious layout, Donna gathered up all her favourite products by Basic Grey; patterned papers and tags, magnetic tie backs, ribbon and chipboard alphabets. BasicGrey has such an immense range of products that creating a layout using almost nothing else is just too easy!

Donna has clustered these products and a few extras in several groups around her photo creating an uncluttered, classic look that leads the eye around the page and happily back to the central focus...the photo.

 

Mel loved working with the warm, rich colours that can be found in Basic Grey's Stella Ruby collection. The large flowers were hand cut from patterned paper and a little bit of Heidi Swapp bling was added to a couple of them to give this fun page some dimension.

 

For this layout Mel has used a variety of Basic Grey Stella Ruby papers in small blocks behind the photos to create a fun, happy page. She has mixed up her lettering and embellishments and stapled ribbon in sections here and there to help balance the layout (We R Memory Keepers Comstock collection, Kitchen ribbon).

 

A big thankyou to Amanda Oates for sharing with us this delightful layout about her daughter Emily's personality. The little touch of handstitching from the flower really appealed to us and the colours look lovely with the photos of Emily.

 

 

We have the lovely Kathie Link to thank for the above layouts  Fabulous use of white space combined with some of the lovely light patterns of the Romani (Gypsy) range and attention to cute little details makes this layout one that stands out from the crowd.

 

The beautiful, rich colours of this layout by Kelly Goree was what initially captured our attention. Upon further inspection it was the pure simplicity of the design. Kelly has allowed the gorgeous Basic Grey patterned papers and her stunning black & white photographs to do most of the talking - so to speak. The design is balanced, beautiful and totally divine! Thanks for allowing us to share this one, Kelly.

 

Pose by Rachel Cohara is a classic example of how beautifully Basic Grey patterned papers compliment one another. Rachel skillfully & creatively combined the Perhaps line of papers and alphabet stickers along with loads of stitching and an eclectic mix of buttons and embroidery.

 

Amy Howe created this fun and playful Basic Grey layout. We loved the groovy photos combined with the sweet circles and splash of buttons. Such a cool layout Amy!

July Class Kits

It's time to share this months class kits created by our talented designers and a guest or two.  If you would love to do any of these as a class or even to purchase and create at home, do ask your local scrapbooking store to order them in for you.  There's no minimum to purchase and it's a great way to get to know new products and learn about new techniques.

 

 

Strike a Pose - Peta McBeth. 

Make your photos stand out with these bold printed papers by Basic Grey. Use the circles within the pattern to make your pages flow. Includes a full Scenic Route chipboard alphabet to create your own title.

Difficulty: Beginner.

Photos Required: Three landscape 6x4 inch photos. Two of which can be trimmed.

 

 

Flourishes and Flowers - Nic Howard

Simply gorgeous and more…. Create a 12x12 layout with a beautiful floral and flourish focus. It’s all in the details and this layout has it all… instructions included to create a gorgeous bookmark with the leftovers. This layout will suit any theme as a full BasicGrey alphabet set is provided to create a range of titles.

Difficulty: Beginner to Intermediate.

Photos Required:   Two 6x4 portrait orientation photos required, although this can be easily adapted to suit one 5x7 photo.

 

 

So Precious to Me - Jaimie Emmerton

Using the fabulous new Basic Grey ranges of “Perhaps” “Pheobe” & “Stella Ruby”, create this gorgeous girly double page LO, complete with 3D paper flower and beaded cluster embellishments, about that special someone that’s precious to you.

Difficulty: Beginner to Intermediate.

Photos Required: Three photos in total (B&W or colour is suitable) all portrait orientation. One 6” x 9” Two 6” x 4”

 

 

Two of a kind - Steph Caskey-Devlin

Using the fabulous new Jenni Bowlin vintage paper range, create this stunning double layout which features creating your own transparency accents and a full Heidi Swapp chipboard alphabet to create your own title.

Difficulty: Beginner.

Photos Required: Two 5 x 7” photos. One portrait and one landscape orientation.

 

 

Princess Castle Mini Album - Caroline McLachlan

Make this freestanding concertina style album in the shape of a Princess Castle for the special Princess in your life. It consists of 5 different shaped album pages complete with turrets, archway and topiary trees. Made from the beautiful textured Crate papers in the Twirl range, and plenty of Heidi Swapp bling. This album will make the perfect gift for a Birthday girl, a present for a new Baby, or just as a lovely decoration in your little princesses room.

Difficulty: Intermediate to Advanced.

Photos Required: Not required on the day. These can be added at a later date.

 

 

Christmas in July Cards - Belinda Sterns 

It’s time to get organised for Christmas. Make this fantastic set of 10 cards using BasicGrey Blitzen papers lots of embellishments like Heidi Swapp circle clips, bling and florals. Strano ribbon, Love You More brads and Hero Arts Stamps. These cards are simple to make and guaranteed to get you in the Christmas Spirit!

Difficulty: Beginner to Intermediate.

Photos: Not required.

 

 

Cherish YOU Mini Book - Donna Wild

The 'Cherish You' Minibook incorporates a wide range of products from Strano ribbon and letter stickers, to buttons and Index Tabs. Participants will take home a beautiful keepsake mini book created from scratch whilst gaining confidence in mixing-up products and using Strano's new RibbonStiff. This project will be used over and over again - the design is simple, but will have students looking like pros!

Difficulty: Beginner to Intermediate.

Photos: Not Required. Can be added at a later date.

 

 

Funky Border Fun - Chris Millar

Gather together any 7 photos from a recent event and create this colourful, fun layout with a funky freestyle border using products from the SEI Citrus Kick range.

Difficulty: Intermediate.

Photos Required: Seven Photos measuring approximately 7cm x 10cm (4 portrait style, 3 landscape style)

design team challenge: four products four ways 'baby bee'2

 

 

These are the four products in our new 'four products four ways' design team challenge.  We chose the beautiful soft pastels of the Baby Bee Collection from Crate Paper, We R Memory Keepers DipSticks, BasicGrey Oh Baby! Ribbon and the gorgeous Heidi Swapp Bird Mask. 

The design team have been having fun with these and we'll be back next Wednesday to share the full projects with you.  We've got a couple of 'early birds' in already though and there can't be any harm in sharing a sneak or two.

So here's something a little special from Steph Caskey Devlin and Donna Wild respectively just to whet your appetite!

 

 

   

Meet the Design Team: Melissa Goodsell

 

I admit it, I’m a bit of a product junkie.

I find it really inspiring to be able to sit down to a nice clean scrapbooking desk and play with fresh new products on my layouts and projects. Right now some of my favourite papers, embellishments, etc.. include treasures such as Heidi Swapp decorative tape (not new on the scene but seriously my most favourite product ever!), the new black, red and cream Jenni Bowlin range, Hero Arts quotes background stamp (so fun for journalling) and I’ve also been eyeing off all the new Hambly Screen Prints rubons - so yum.

 

 

 

 

 

As far as my style goes, you can probably see that the above two layouts are both completely different to each other. I really just choose a style that I feel suits the photo at the time of scrapbooking it. I do love to machine stitch on my pages though, I just adore the nice homely feel that it adds to a layout.

At the moment a favourite technique of mine is to use pinking shears to cut my paper. I find this gives a delightful finish to the page.

When I’m not scrapbooking, I’m usually using my sewing machine and pinking shears to create felt toys or bits and pieces for our home.

 

If I’m struggling with getting started on a page I usually head for my pile of house magazines or the latest issue of Studio Bambini (kids fashion magazine). I could spend hours looking through them and the colour combinations, fashion shoots and home furnishings always inspire me to scrapbook.

 

 

When I first discovered scrapbooking (about 5 1/2 years ago) one of my favourite things to do was to pick up a copy of Scrapbooking Memories magazine and sit down for the afternoon studying the layouts that adorned the pages. I was always drawn to Fiona Carter’s beautiful pages. I bought my first set of alphabet stamps because I admired the way Fiona used these often on her pages.

What I love about her work is the freshness it has and her colour combinations are always so enjoyable. Her journalling is always from the heart and includes everyday details and activities that can be in danger of being left out of our albums. Thank you Fiona for sharing this layout and mini album with us.

weekend inspiration: paper loft

 

The bright happy colours of the Paperloft Basics range suited the bright happy personalities of Jaimie's niece and daughter on their first meeting. Jaimie's hand drawn heart cut out in Just the Basics Fresh Cut Flowers paper broke up the rich reds of the LO, softening it just enough but not taking away from the page. Simple additions of Heidi Swapp embellishments and Just the Basics coloured monogram alphabet stickers as the title complete the page.

 

 

 

 

Jaimie created this charming mini brag book album for her Aunty for her to hold precious photos of her grandsons. She says that the album was very quick and easy to put together and was completed in less than 30 minutes! Jaimie's Aunt is able to carry the album in her bag everywhere she goes while its kept safe and neat held in its pocket.

 

Suz used the new Just the Basics Baby Girl collection here and gave this gorgeous photo a patchwork feel using the fun pastel papers punched into fun squares.  She teamed them up with new Scrapworks Shimmer Bookplates which co-ordianted perfectly and embellished with Queen & Co Bon Bon brads.

Thanks to the very talented Raylene Wilkinson Photography for the shot of the delicious mite in the cute hat.

 

Tracie Claiborne from Nashville TN told us that she has always been drawn to stickers. She says "I think they're fun and totally appropriate for kid pages. These Paper Loft sticker phrases were great to work with; thick and easy to use and the colors are some of my favorites. I don't mind a lot of pattern with a strong picture like this, so I used a coordinating Paper Loft dot pattern as my background. I finished it off with a trio of flowers, the large one helps balance out the large picture. The whole layout was very quick and easy and best of all...fun to make" Thanks Tracie

 

Mistra Hoolahan had been wanting to scrap this crazy photo of her son Kellan for a while and when a challenge came up for her to use at least 6 different methods to create frames or outlines on a layout, I knew it was perfect... something fun and different, just like her son! She has created a fabulous LO using Paperloft that draws your eye right into the centre of her page.

 

Michelle Winston created this LO as part of her DT work at Forever Always. She told us that she loves the simplicity of the look, and the dimension created by using foam tape! The Paperloft Well Worn papers, were the perfect way to add a modern touch to an older picture. The girl in the photo is Michelle's mother, and it is one of her favourite pictures. We agree Michelle you have created a gorgeous keepsake of your Mum.

we interrupt normal programming...

to share these with you because we're pretty excited about them. 

This is the official blurb from Tara Tuck, the owner of Pageframe Designs:

Clearly Cutting Edge Album - 6"x6" A new dimension in scrapbooking!!

Completely clear, this is the very first album of it's kind. Ink it, paint it, stamp it, stick on it, rub-on it and for everyone with a Crop-A-Dile tool you can even punch it!! This album is the ultimate creative tool for the scrapbook artist who accepts no boundaries. You will receive a front and back cover, four tabbed pages, three plain pages and three binder rings to hold it all together.

They sound cool, but we have a sample project created by wonderfully talented Pageframe Designs design team member, Holly VanDyne which just blew us away, and can't wait to share here.

 

 

 

 

 

You can see the whole project here.  These gorgeous 6x6" Pageframe albums are being released at CHA Summer (and we'll be scheduling a week of previews of all our brands closer to the time) but they are available for PRE-ORDER at Aussie Scrap Source now.  If you would like to get your hands on one (or more!) of these albums we recommend you ask your local scrapbooking store to pre-order them now to guarantee supply  - they're in huge demand in the US and we suspect they will be here too!

Thanks Holly for allowing us to share your stunning album.

 

four products four ways: halfway cafe

 

and we're back as promised! 

check out some of the beautiful work our design team came up with.  we start with sharing more than just the peek we gave you last week of Jaimie's gorgeous mini album.

 

 

 

 

 

The Halfway Cafe range was made to go with Jaimie's beach holiday mini album. The rich luscious colours teamed perfectly with the We R Mem Keepers Comstock Kitchen Ribbon which Jaimie used as a binder for her album as well as stapled to tags within. Topped off with Basic Grey bookplates to highlight relevant words and the Escape stamp as part of her title, she now has a lovely keepsake to treasure her trip and you have some inspiration for a mini album of your own.

 

Here is what Mel had to say about our new challenge - "I just loved the 4 products/4 ways challenge! The products chosen in the pack were all very easy to work with and complimented each other so nicely". Mel scrapbooked the front of a brown handled paper bag which is now perfect to hold all of her travel documentation and brochures from a recent family holiday. This could also double as a nice gift for anyone going on a trip. Simply add some travelling relating presents inside (stamps, pen, toothpaste, etc...)

The Basic Grey bookclips are a perfect little addition to any 'off the page' styled project. Here Mel has used one to hold the 'play' word on the handle of the bag. She has tied it into position with ribbon, such an easy little addition to finish off the project.

 

 

Mel also scrapbooked a double layout for the challenge. The word strips (from patterned paper in the paper crafting kit) were cut out, inked and then adhered onto the layout - these make fabulous mini titles to add to your project.

 

Seeing the swirly shapes in the Cosmo Cricket Die cut sheet put romantic thoughts into Chris's mind. She decided to use the Cosmo Cricket range to create a 'now' and 'then' layout of herself and her husband. Inking the edges of the papers also gave them a soft, romantic feel.

Chris also used the lovely Heidi Swapp Playbill rub-ons in her title to continue the dreamy effect.

 

 

Chris and her husband have many travel destinations they would like to experience and made a pact many years ago that they would embark on a major journey the year they both turn 40. Using the Cosmo Cricket range, including the gorgeous WRMK ribbons Chris has altered this not book where they can both keep notes about the destinations they would like to visit.

 

The subtle yellow and blues of the Cosmo Cricket Halfway Cafe papers matched the photos that Caz took of the letters that stand outside Disney's California Adventure Park perfectly. A few die-cut swirls and a die-cut circle highlighting Caz's family add a touch of interest with-out taking away from the photos.

As they wouldn't all fit on a double page spread, Caz has opted to create three 8.5"x11" pages and will make one of them a flip out page so that the whole layout can still be seen together.

Meet the Design Team: Nic Howard

Step inside my home and you will see that despite my neutral coloured home décor and noticeable lack of art on the walls, inspiration is everywhere. Motivation to create comes from the people around me, the things we do and the conversations we have. It only takes one of those ‘awww that’s so cute’ moments for me to be inspired to create something to remember it by. In that respect, inspiration for what to create my pages about comes easily to me.

Once I have the photos and the supplies my thoughts turn and I look for motivation in different places. I find myself browsing magazines and websites for interesting colour themes and general design features. A swirl down the side of an advertisement, an interesting font or perhaps the way a page is graphically designed can spark an idea. Often a group of colours such as the ones in the images below will be all it takes to have me searching through patterned paper.

 

Once I have my supplies grouped I start sketching. My desk is made of white Formica and I draw straight on there with pencil. At any given time, (to my children’s horror), my scrapping desk is covered with pencil sketching, journaling ideas and prompts that have come to mind while I have been creating. The advantage is that I can wipe it off easily every now and again and disadvantage is that my desk is normally so covered in supplies that I can’t see my any of the sketching!

Which is about where I turn to the computer. I love googling images of ‘abstract art’ or ‘fabric’ and have spent hours browsing the new Etsy stores that have started popping up. The inspiration in some of the Etsy shops is bountiful.

 

As with most scrappers, I also find my creativity is sparked by other scrappers, whether in magazines or on websites and blogs. One of my favourite scrappers is Linda Albrecht. I first noticed Linda in the ‘Freestyle’ book and have watched for her layouts since then. I love the way she layers patterned papers, adding an effect of dimension that makes the focal photos pop. Her ability to add just the right embellishments and her perfect inking and painting effects make me go back to look at the details again and again.

 

Another favourite scrapper is Candice Greenway. Candice primarily scraps pages of her pets. I don’t have pets but I am drawn into the design Candice uses, her beautiful photography, her timeless colour schemes and last but not least, her story telling. I love a page that tells a good story! Candice’s pages contain all the sentimental type stories as well as a good deal of humour.

 

As I sit in my scrap room with thoughts of colour schemes, design and photos on my desk running through my mind there is a few things that are almost certain to happen when I create the layout I have in mind. It is possible that I will take around 6-8 hours to create a layout. It is probable that I will change my mind at least 3 or 4 times on the papers I will use and after some frustrated swapping of patterns and colours I will end up with none of the patterned papers I started with. And it is almost certain that I will listen to Dido on my laptop, check my emails 400 times and stop and dance to Hi-5 at least 6 times.

With such ritual followed it is no wonder my layouts seem to have many of the same components. There are many things I love doing on my layouts and I will often go with a technique or colour scheme for numerous layouts in a row, just because I’m enjoying it, isn’t that what it’s all about?!

 

 

In the layout “Nic Style:” I have compiled many of my scrapping favs from the last year. The BasicGrey Pheobe line along with Scenic Route Laurel. The teal colour scheme along with black. Embellishing with Queen & Co beads. Strip journaling and flowers. Layering, hand cut elements and circles. It’s all in there.

 

My second layout “I can do it all by myself” is a layout I created recently that again shows some of my favourite techniques and products. The large circle is made from punching circles through all the layers and backing it with cardstock. I love using multiple pictures on a page and I love layering tonnes of patterned papers. One of my most surprising finds when I created this layout though? Heidi Swapp decorative tape. I used it across the bottom and down the left side in this layout. It is self adhesive so it’s easy to use. After I had placed it on this layout I had a small piece left – I randomly stuck it to the left side of the layout under the first photo, stood back and thought “Hey, that’s not so bad!”. And so I think I have found my next fav product – you’re bound to see it over and over on my layouts in the near future – as I said, that’s what scrapping is about, isn’t it?!

weekend inspiration: fontwerks

 

With names like black ledger, pink ledger and school ledger, the Write Line range lends itself perfectly to school photos. In this layout Mel has also included a splash of Heidi Swapp number tape, Heidi Swapp alphabet stickers (in black and white), a Basic Grey bookclip (perfect for school layouts) and the rubon is by Hambly Screen Prints (vintage motifs, black

 

 

Of course this line of papers doesn't always need to be for just school photos. There are some beautiful pinks, blues, oranges plus more funky colours in the range that work so well with everyday photos, as Mel has shown here with these little snapshots of her son and niece Bonnie.

 

 

And The Write Line papes show even more versatility in this layout by Suz Doyle.  The divine photography was by the talented Raylene Wilkinson and who could argue that this little mite is anything other than cute as a button. 

Suz  has teamed the Write Line papers up with Cosmo Cricket's Buck Naked chipboard buttons, and the stamps are from the Fontwerks Fresh Foliage II pack.  The alphas are the really cute Elsie Flanagan Polka Dot clear acrylic set.

 

 

We would like to thank Fiona Carter for sharing with us this layout of her daughter Phoebe playing the euphonium. Fiona has used the Write Line papers to cover some chipboard letters and swirls and we loved how she has mixed up the papers for the title. Such a cool layout!

 

Another awesome layout by Fiona Carter showcasing the Write Line papers. Notice how Fiona has completed her journaling in strips and then the last word of the journaling has been highlighted for large title - what an awesome idea. Such a great way to get ready for Spring - have you planted your spring bulbs yet?!

 

 

'Simply happy' by Shawn Ellars is just wonderful in it's simplicity.  A gorgeous photograph, simple strips of Fontwerks Hey Ladies patterned papers and some interest added with the cut out circles.  She has used the Fontwerks George Outline clear acrylic stamping for her title.  Thanks Shawn for sharing!

 

 

Finally, see how fresh and wonderful The Write Line can be when mixed with a bit of Hamblys and a big ol' flower.  We thank Michelle Guray who does some incredibly stunning work for this layout.  In her words: "This is my friend and me when we took Kristi Contes' class at Scrapbook Oasis (which was very cool, btw, both the teacher and the project :). Thank you to Deanna (DBird) for the photo!! Thanks for looking!"  Well - thanks for allowing us to share it here Michelle!

design team challenge: four products four ways: halfway cafe

It's our new game on the aussie blog.  we choose four products, we challenge four members of our talented design team to do interesting things with them.  And then we share them with you!

So the above is the mission Jaimie Emmerton, Mel Goodsell, Caz McLachlan and Chris Millar decided to accept. 

The patterned papers are Cosmo Cricket's distressed in a funky kind of way Halfway Cafe,  Heidi Swapp 'escape' clear acrylic stamp, white Basic Grey Book Clips (find out what on earth you do with these!) and We R Memory Keepers Comstock - Kitchen collection ribbon, which just happens to co-ordinate perfectly with the Halfway Cafe papers. 

Here's a sneak peek at what Jaimie's created.

Check back next Tuesday to see everyone elses.  If you'd like to play too we'd love to see what you come up with. 

Meet the Design Team: Chris Millar

This is another new feature on our blog - we'd like you to get to know our Designers better.  We start this week with Chris Millar, who shares a little about herself, her influences and inspirations.

 

Chris Millar

Chris shows her love for rub-ons in this layout - she thinks they are the perfect embellishment for decorating a layout without making it bulky. Using blanket stitching around the frame of her photo really draws your eye to focal point of the layout.

Chris has recently discovered a love for card making. She says it's the perfect way to use up all those left over bits and pieces from recent scrapbooking creations. She also enjoys the smaller format of creating and the joy it brings to those who receive the cards.

In her words...

It is not uncommon to find sketches and notes scribbled onto the back of an old grocery receipt in my handbag. I admit that some of my best layout designs have been formulated whilst waiting to pick up my girls after school. I also keep a note pad and pen on my bedside table in case inspiration strikes whilst drifting off to sleep. Ever since my interest in this craft became more of an obsession I find that I see inspiration everywhere I go. Recently I had to visit some display homes to for a project my husband and I are working on. The display homes were so beautifully furnished with some very funky décor. Here are a few examples of what I discovered.

Whether it be a colour scheme or design aspect, there were so many items of inspiration within the display homes. I thoroughly recommend putting aside a few hours one day to visit a display home in your area.

I am also constantly inspired by advertisements in magazines and on television. I have a folder full of torn out pages from magazines that I look through when I need some inspiration to start me off on an idea for a layout. Here are some of the magazine pages I have in my folder.

The first image here is an advertisement for shampoo, but when I saw this ad, I thought about the angle the photo was taken from and it reminded me to look for interesting photographic opportunities when I’m out and about with my camera. The second image is a funky idea for framing a photo, I could definitely incorporate this into one of my layouts by using rub-ons in the same sort of frame design as seen here. The third image is a mixture of different ‘Moroccan’ style objects and items. I love the colour combinations I see when I look at this image, there are stitched sequins, a leather stitched frame, a ladies shirt with flowers and doodling as the print and so much more.

A major source of inspiration for me is that of my fellow scrapbookers. From layouts in magazines, to online galleries and personal blogs, viewing cutting edge, fabulous pages has never been easier and more accessible. There are so many scrapbookers whose work I admire and draw inspiration from. I’ve chosen to share with you just a couple of those scrappers.

Michelle Grant’s style appeals to me on many levels. Michelle is a very organized scrapbooker, her stash is wonderfully sorted and stored. She also has the most amazing inspiration journals full to the brim with fantastic layout sketches she has designed, along with ideas, tips, magazine clippings etc. I think her layouts replicate how organized she is with how fabulously balanced and flowing they are. Michelle is also always experimenting with photoshop and can transform her photos into works of art!

Kate Mason:  I’ve been lucky enough to take part in a few classes that Kate has taught and the thing I love most about Kate’s classes and her style of scrapbooking is that she always reminds me how to have fun with this craft. She loves nothing better than to get messy playing with different mediums, techniques and ideas. She also reminds me not to measure everything! Kate has a natural ability of being able to put together the most wonderful colour combinations. I love all the beyond the page items Kate creates including her amazing mini albums.

Loretta Grayson : Hand crafted is definitely a word that comes to mind when I think of Loretta’s work. She creates such amazing designs for her layouts by crafting pattern paper into fabulous accents for her pages. Loretta’s handiwork with a sewing machine is a real talent of hers. I also greatly admire the way Loretta tells a story in every layout she creates. I find her title ideas and journaling techniques are always mind provoking and they inspire me to try come up with new ideas myself.

Weekend Inspiration: Junkitz

Something a little different from Caz using the cool Junkitz Extreme Boy range. Journaling reads -
Every now and then I like to stop taking scrapping so seriously and do a layout on something that makes me laugh or is just damn good to look at.  Johnny Depp aka. Captain Jack is all these things and more.  Mel and I went to see POTC 3 with our families last Friday. We all thought it was fabulous. Full of action, and plenty of laughs, even Jordan loved it.  The funniest part in the movie however was when Jack was hallucinating and was on a ship crewed solely by... well... Jacks.  Mel was sitting in front of us and I could see her say at exactly the same time as me - “OMG It’s Heaven!”

Chris is usually more of a 'girlie' scrapper, but she found the Extreme Boy range so much fun to work with. She loves that the whole range of papers are double sided giving her plenty of designs to pick from.

The new 'Celebration' additions to the Junkitz Salsa range are bright, funky and totally adaptable.  Suz used them here to simply celebrate the sometimes exasperating but endlessly cheerful spirit of her daughter.  The chipboard circles make for a simple but effective page accent and the 12x12 papers are also available in really cute 4x4" pads.  The patterns are actually scaled down in the pads, making them perfect for covering the raw chipboard alphas.

With many photos to scrap from her daughters birthday last month Chris found the Junkitz Celebration Chipboard Roundz perfect for housing many small photos of the special day. The colours and bling are definitely conducive to this girlie celebration.

 

Chri­s wanted to scrapbook this photo of her daughters and nephew at the beach but found that it was quite a dark photo. She chose to brighten it up with the Delight*ful range and is really happy with how fresh the layout has turned out.

 

 

“This gorgeous page was created by Nancy van den Berg from Holland who is a designer for Junkitz.  She has managed to capture the carefree warmth of a summer holiday by using papers from Janna Wilsons 'delight-ful' range. We especially love the little details Nancy has added such as the 3-dimensional flower she created from paper and a clear button, and the cute frame around the main photo.”

 

This fabulous layout by Tessa Ann Watte using the Junkitz Laguna Boy papers stands out for a number of reasons. The funky borders Tessa has added around her cardstock using black and white pen, the unique way she has added her journaling on a swirl across the top of the page, and in the lovely details on the circle accents.

Tessa has accentuated the circles with Junkitz clear buttons, Fontwerks stamps, white 3D paint and white Scrapworks conchos to make the design of the circle dots stand out.

 

Another beautiful page from Nancy van den Berg. This time she has used the Junkitz Fanciful collection which is so new it has only just hit our shores. Look for it on our website soon. And how gorgeous are those Teresa Collins alphabet Glitterz. They will add just the right amount of bling to even the most sedate page. We can't wait to get our hands on those for a play.

 

 

Finally we thank Cynthia van der Wilk for creating this so cute and 'so cool' layout of her son.  She has  made marvelous use of Janna Wilson's Flower-ful collection.  We love how she's cut out flowers from the patterned paper, inked and distressed them slightly for dimension and added cute details like the spiral in their centres.

sponsored articles: scrapbook creations - maxine

We're starting a new series of posts here on the Aussie Scrap Source blog.  Each month we sponsor a special feature in each of the three Australian scrapbooking magazines, where we commission talented artists to use our products in creative and exciting ways.

We're proud to kick off the series with the stunningly talented Maxine Hazebroek and her article which recently appeared in Scrapbook Creations.  Here she takes a load of Aussie Scrap Source products and gives them a 'cracked up' look!

In this layout Maxine covered a Pressed Petals monogram with BasicGrey Blush patterned papers and finished it with a stunning crackle effect.  The monogram is then inked and adhered to her page. 

Although this page appears neither cluttered nor crowded, there's a heap of detail in here, and Maxine makes use of Heidi Swapp French Quarter Rubons, chipboard hearts, cherryArte chipboard alphas, Lil Davis chipboard embellishments, BasicGrey ribbon and more.

Here Maxine applied crackle medium to Heidi Swapp Star Silhouettes, and once dry applied a layer of paint just to the cracks by wiping off most of the paint with a soft cloth.  Again there is much detail here to savour, we love the monochromatic use of papers from different cherryArte ranges, chipboard alphas and numbers, BasicGrey mini mongrams, and Scenic Route Paper alpha rubons applied onto co-ordinating cardstock.   

Look even closer and you'll find that the Heidi Swapp bling, Love You More brads, Sassafrass Lass bracket rubons all contribute to the wonderful whimsical feel of this layout.

In 'Comforts' Maxine applied crackle medium directly to the uncropped paper she printed her photo on, and then applied a watery layer of paint around the photo, overlapping it in some areas over the top of the photo. She then cut a border around the photo and applied stamp pad ink around the edges and into the cracks.

Maxine has used Carolee's Creations patterned papers, Heidi Swapp floral silhouettes and pink chipboard hearts.  She has applied the gorgeous Heidi Swapp French Quarter rubons directly onto Heidi Swapp chipboard - they transfer onto this with wonderful ease - as well as BasicGrey rubons, cherryArte flower rubons and alpha chipboard.  We're beginning to get the idea that Maxine likes rubons!

And how wonderfully atmospheric is this final layout by Maxine.  Here she created the painted/crackled BasicGrey background and flower and added dimension to the crackled flower by bending and scrunching the flower petals. 

Maxine has turned to the Scenic Route rubons on this page along with more fab Lil Davis chipboard words.

Product Focus: Strano RibbonStiff

And back with our design teams RibbonStiff layouts and projects, and we think you'll agree there's some inspiration here.

Caz decided to keep her colour scheme neutral for this layout as the fun photos of her son Jesse's pirate party are full of colour.

She coated a piece of the wider Strano ribbon with Ribbon Stiff and used the Quickutz Revolution Tool and Blossom Font to cut out the word 'party'. For something a little different she added one of the negative images of the letters to her title.

Donna loves a product that offers limitless possibilities and Strano's RibbonStiff does exactly that! The idea behind the creation of this layout was to create a layered ribbon to coordinate with Donna's choice of patterned paper.

Although there are many, many colour combinations of ribbons to choose from, sometimes the right colours elude us. By layering several ribbons - using RibbonStiff to meld the ribbons together - Donna has created the precise 'look' and colour combination she desired. Donna's favourite part of this layout however, is the scallop-edged ribbon. It is a small detail, but one that adds so much to the overall layout. By coating the wide 7/8" Strano ribbon with RibbonStiff and allowing to dry, she was able to use her BasicGrey Notch and Die Cutting tool to create a funky scalloped edge.

And let's not forget the simple fact that a little RibbonStiff applied to the ends of ribbons means that frayed edges are now a thing of the past and we can all use ribbon confidently without fear of 'retribution'!

For the front cover of this album, Mel cut out a large flower shape using plain paper. She then placed strips of Strano ribbon over the shape, applied RibbonStiff to the ribbon and then once dry, cut out the flower shape - which left a perfect non-fraying ribbon embellishment for the front of her mini album.

Ribbon stiff was also used to prevent fraying on the ribbon tabs on the album. The gorgeous little album used here is a Carolees Creations Adorn-it coupon book.

Jaimie wanted to create something a little different for her holiday journal cover. She used Ribbonstiff on these bright Strano ribbons, when dry she machine sewed them together and handstiched flourishes in co ordinating embroidery thread.

Heidi Swapp Family credit card slides, clear clock face and brads were a perfect combination with Carolees Creations letter stickers for her title.

Jaimie attached her cover to the journal and tied three lots of ribbon to each spiral to give it a 'full' look. She also created a funky bookmark with handsewn Hero Arts buttons and handstitching for her daughter, so she wont lose her place in her book.

Weekend Inspiration: Tinkering Ink

This weekend we seek to inspire with one of our newest ranges of patterned papers, Tinkering Ink.  Though many of these bold papers appear to be not suited to the faint-hearted, many of the colour palettes are light and used sparingly can create delicate and subtle layouts, as well as the bold and beautiful.

A great creator of the delicate and subtle, Steph loved using the Perfectly Posh range of papers and embellishments here to create a layout that looks as joyful as her daughter.

Nic took the bold beauty of the Tinkering Ink Perfectly Posh as a challenge, as it is far from her usual style. She started with a bold yet darker coloured background paper. Nic added a small frame around 2 corners made from strips of the new Aussie Scrap Source cardstock. Nic added some Tinkering ink finery, some embellishments cut from other Perfectly Posh papers and finished with Heidi Swapp alphas.

Suz used the circles on this patterned paper from the Westminster range (called Blue Blot Dots!) as journalling spots to list random things about his son, at the age where he's starting to learn the basics of addition and subtraction. 

All of the Tinkering Ink papers are double sided so finding co-ordinating cardstock is a cinch and she discoverd that SEI Grandpa's Attic buttons were a perfect match to highlight each number.  The Tinkering Ink Finery - co-ordinating felt and rubber embellishments add extra interest and texture, and Suz dimensional-magic-ed the cardstock die cut alphas for added - well - dimension.

But the Covent Garden range would have to be Suz's favourite.  The gelato colour palette suits her (and her daughter!) down to the ground.  In this layout she has teamed the papers up with new Queen & Co felt borders, a load of Heidi Swapp including the new oversized photo corners, writer's blocks, Playbill rubon alphas and the obligatory touch of bling.

"Enjoy Life" by Tessa Ann Watte The use of white space and the perfectly placed circles in this layout were the elements that first caught our eye. Of course, pair this all with the stunning colours of Tinkering Ink's Perfectly Posh, and some clever knifework and it makes for a fabulous layout by Tessa Ann Watte.

"Angel" by Emilie Ahern and Pam Callaghan There is no doubt that the Perfectly Posh papers are bold, but the statement they make in this layout is bolder. Simple colour blocking and the addition of a few Tinkering Ink embellishments makes this a visually stunning layout.

We thank some homegrown talent for the above two layotus in the form of the talented and funny Susan Johannes who we think has kicked some ass with the above two layouts.  She has shown how versatile and spirited the Perfectly Posh collection can be, and how with clever use of curves and arrows, you can still keep your focus on your photos and story with even the boldest papers.

For more amazing ideas from their own design team, check out the Tinking Ink galleries here and here.