Hello everyone!
Well my August kit box is looking quite depleted now. I still have plenty of embellishments left (which I will definitely use on other layouts), but only half a piece of paper!

I've already posted a couple of my layouts - a nice bright layout, and a more subdued one. And here's how I used up the rest of the kit...



This was actually the first layout I created with the August kits - the Bohemian Main and
the Embellishment kit. I adored all the bright ephemera pieces, but I am very fussy when it comes to which ones I use on my layouts. Luckily Manda had me covered by including the Grand Bazaar Constantinople paper, so this fussy gal got to fussy cutting! I must admit, it's not something I have the patience to do all too often, but I always enjoy the outcome!

I could have used the Persia (orange) paper on this layout, but as it's so busy, I decided to substitute using papers with some watercolour to soften it, and strips of the gold washi and the ribbon to add interest and texture.



For the next layout, I used the softer (although still bright) colours in the Chic Tags range. I had a small problem in that I loved both sides of the Celebrate paper (the one with confetti sequins), so I had to be careful how I cut the paper up. Again, I did some fussy cutting to get a unique edge. I love how the sequins give a colourful, playful feel, and they're a little representative of the bath bubbles too.


Chic Tags were so clever in designing this paper to use the reverse of the manufacturer's barcode strip to add little tags. I've noticed a lot of other people using those tags as well, either all in a line, or as flags... seriously cool, Chic Tags! Now that you know how fussy I can be, you won't be surprised to hear that I cut up all of those tags, just to find exactly the right ones I wanted to use. Thankfully, all the pieces I wanted fit back together nicely to stretch the full 12". Before gluing them down, I ink distressed around the edge of each of them, along with all the other papers. I used a cement grey that I like to use on lighter coloured layouts - it just gives a softer touch than a black, which suits this layout better.


Here's a recap of my 4 layouts using the August kits. They're all so different, which just goes to show the versatility of the kits Manda puts together. If I'm not mistaken, there may still be a couple left in the store.
Thanks for looking. I am already having lots of fun with September's kits, so I'll be posting those soon.

Love and light,
Sandra xx

In contrast to my previous soft layout using August's Bohemian kit, I went to the other end of the spectrum and embraced the beautiful earthy colours of the kit! And as it turned out, it was perfect for the two people in this photo and the type of story I wanted to tell. Raw and heartfelt.



I adored the Webster's Pages Field of Gold paper, which inspired me to fill the rest of the page with plenty of gold, including using the washi from the August Embellishment kit (sold out, sorry). {If you knew this girl, you'd know she's going through a massive gold phase at the moment, so it was perfect!} Those coral and gold Pink Fresh Studios alphabets are just so gorgeous, and I backed them with thread and outlined them with a Sharpie pen just to help them stand out from the washi.


I've been using a lot of white/cream backgrounds lately, so it was fun to change it up. Overall, the page is rich and bright. I chose just a few of the Basic Grey Grand Bazaar embellishments to finish off the page - with the amount of colour already on the layout, it really didn't need too much more.


I have used up just about all of my August Bohemian kit now - a total of 4 layouts. I still have plenty of embellishments left over, just not much of the papers. Stay tuned for the other layouts coming up soon on the blog. And in the meantime, if you haven't grabbed your kit already, do so now, there are still some left in the shop!

Love and light,
Sandra xx

Hello there Canaries..

Bernii here with you today to share with you another of my Project Life spreads, although this time I am actually using the August " Bohemian" main scrapbooking kit and a couple of the left overs from the August "Gypsy"  Pocket Life kit. I have pretty much now managed to kill both of those kits and I am so happy with all the scrappy goodness I managed to make. So let's take a look at what I created.

I am using the August Scrapbook and Addon kits but the newest kits are now out and they are stunning!!

If you wanted to have a go at the sketch you can find it here and it remains open for entries till the end of the month. Without further ado here is my take on the sketch.

Hi there Canaries!

Linda here today with another Welcome To Craft post for you!

Some scrappers (and cardmakers, and project-lifers) find it hard to get a layout or spread, to look cohesive and purposeful. I'm here today to show you a couple of tips, that help to create a 'smooth', finished look to all your projects!

So first of all I'll show you my layout


The papers in this Bohemian Scrapbooking Kit from last month are REALLY bright and busy (and fabulous) but as a scrapper who loves layers, I had to be careful to ensure they all worked and still felt cohesive as an overall layout.





OK so here is my biggest tip, and it really sounds silly, but it works.


With colours, with embellishments, with everything. Even if you're working in a grid pattern, or a circular layout, work in triangles!

Here's an idea of what I mean:


As you can see from my super technical diagram (tee hee) I've worked in three sets of triangles, just for the colours. Orange is in the top left, the larger amount in the title, and a tiny pop of it as the tag.
Pink I've used in two triangles (this still counts!), and to save your eyes, I didn't add another triangle, but there are triangles for the yellow/gold elements too!

By having the elements/colours in triangle shaped zones, it helps the layout to look even, without looking too strict or pillar-like (I always imagine big pillars when I think of two rows or columns)

If you work in twos (i.e. NOT a triangle of 3), your layout will tend to look stagnant. It wont feel natural for the 'viewers' eyes, to move around the page. With a triangle, their eyes will naturally flow, and take in all the elements.
Also, if you work in twos, everything has to be SUPER even and straight, and that will end up making your layout or card, look UNEVEN. it's a crazy thing :)

Tip #2

Don't be afraid to use slightly different tones of the same colour.

I've used yellow and gold in this way. The yellow within the arrow-tag at the bottom of the main panel is a different yellow to the yellow in the 'my happiness' along the bottom, and that's different again from the gold glitter tape, BUT, because they're not right up next to each other, it totally works.


Tip #3

Use different textures and mediums. 

 Eg the top panel of arrows

If I had only used a line of the acrylic transparent arrows, this little top feature, would have faded into the background (and therefore be pointless! BUT by adding in some patterned paper arrows, and popping in the little gold foiled 'scenes from today' phrase sticker, this vignette sits comfortably at the top of the page and does a great job of giving the page a boundary, without it looking too heavy or bulky.


Tip #4

Overlap, overlap, overlap

As you can see in this photo, I've done a LOT of overlapping, and this is just a photo of one small section of the layout.

If you overlap things (eg the tags and flags onto the photo, the patterned papers over each other, the title over the patterned paper), even if only a little, it connects all the facets of the page.

If I hadn't overlapped or butted things up against other elements on the page, it would all feel like separate, floating pieces, and the layout wouldn't feel nice to look at.

Take another look.




If the 'favorite snapshot' banner had been further left, and not overlapping the photo at all, it would have felt last-minute or needless. The same goes with the little arrow/label on the bottom right of the green panel; if it sat BELOW the green panel, in the white area, it would look like its floating aimlessly out to sea.

Last tip for today, #5

Don't be afraid to give your layout borders.

I love a good white background, I'm particularly obsessed with airy, floaty layouts (thus why I choose white cardstock as my base over and over), but by adding a small, thin, or light strip of paper, or row of items (eg the arrows) to the top and/or bottom of the layout, it gives the layout grounding. It doesn't feel floating in a bad way, it feels light and airy, but purposeful.

OK! That's it for me for today, I hope I've given you some helpful tips on how to create a cohesive layout or spread!

Be sure to stop by the store to check out the latest sneaks, and if you aren't following us on Pinterest or Facebook, well, DO SO! You're missing out :)

See you again soon!

Good morning Canaries,

I hope you all had a lovely Fathers Day weekend. I was lucky enough to have a quick visit to Sydney to visit my family. I spent the whole weekend talking! Loved it!

So today I'm sharing a Project Life spread that I created with the "Gypsy" kit & the "Nomad" embellishment kit. To add another little challenge, I decided to try to incorporate the September Sketch into my Project Life kit.  Here's the sketch.

I really love working with kits, because of the mix of fun papers & embellishments they include. There is always something that surprises me (like the arrows this month) that I wouldn't have expected to love so much. I adored this kit. Once I struck on the idea of the sketch & the black background - it really came together easily.

I believe there are still some available in the store here <insert link>. So if you haven't already, please check it out! Also, don't forget there is a fantastic offer on at the moment if you choose to start a subscription. Trust me, you won't regret it!

Hi Scrappy Canaries!