Melissa Vining

About Melissa Vining

Melissa comes from beautiful Queenstown in New Zealand where she lives with her husband and four children. She has always been creative and started scrapbooking to make her oldest child a baby book...and she hasn’t stopped since! She loves making layouts, mini albums, travellers notebooks and junk journals and adores working with Cocoa Vanilla Studio products.

Posts by Melissa Vining:

So Sweet | Happy Days | Melissa Vining

Hi everyone, it’s Melissa here and I’m back with another layout I created with gorgeous Happy Days.  My assignment was Mother’s Day, and I just knew I needed to create a layout with a heart.

I created a layout recently with a heart where I used the cut-out shape.  For this layout I took the negative heart and punched lots of small hearts from the A5 Paper Stack and glued them on randomly to cover the heart.  I trimmed around the edge, and then machine stitched around the edge.

I chose a sweet photo of my girls at our photo booth from church at our Mother’s Day photobooth in 2021.  I backed it yellow patterned paper from the A5 Paper Stack.

I embellished with lots of Die Cut Ephemera.  I used the Chipboard Words for my title, so easy and fun!

Thanks so much for looking.

Melissa

Happy Days | Happy Days Collection | Melissa Vining

Hi everyone, it’s Melissa here and I’m so excited to be back sharing the first layout that I’ve created with the brand new Happy Days collection!! This collection arrived last week, in perfect timing for my layout today! Yay!!  I don’t know about you but I always struggle with a new collection because I don’t want to cut into anything.  I decided to create my ‘go-to’ design which is to feature a large piece of beautiful patterned paper, or in this instance two!

I just had to feature ‘Definitive’ and ‘Little Blossom’.  Both sides of all the papers are stunning, and I’d highly recommend purchasing at least two pieces of all the papers! I tore the edge of Little Blossom and glued it onto Definitive.  I machine stitched the edge for texture.

The photo is a cute selfie of two of my daughters that my oldest daughter took and I discovered on my phone.  Love it when that happens!  For my title I just had to use the name of the collection from the ‘Die Cut Titles’!  So perfect!

I cut apart one of the gorgeous images from the ‘Specialty Paper’, and I just love the gold foiling.  I tucked it slightly under my photo and then embellished around with ‘Die Cut Floral Ephemera’, ‘Die Cut Ephemera’, and one of the stunning ‘Puffy Hearts’.

 

You can watch my process video below.

I hope you enjoyed my first layout created with this stunning collection using my go-to design!

Melissa xx

Days Together | Daydream Collection | Melissa Vining

Hi everyone, Its Melissa here and I’m back with a new layout.  Its Thursday which means Throwback time! Yay!! What I love the most about Throwback Thursday is going through my stash of gorgeous Cocoa Vanilla Studio and deciding which collection to create with!  For this layout I decided to use the beautiful Daydream collection to document a family photo from Mother’s Day 2021.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This collection has gorgeous florals, and for this layout I decided to feature ‘Daisy Days’.  A great way to feature a patterned paper is to tear it, and place it on a white background.  This enables breathing space against a busy paper, and the use of mixed media helps integrate the two paper and cardstock. I used a distress oxide ink and the packaging technique to create some interest.

I used lots of ‘Die Cut Ephemera’ florals for my embellishing, some ‘Accessory Stickers’ and also a couple of fussy cut moths from ‘All Aflutter’.  I bent up the edges of the flowers for interest and dimension.   I was also very happy to get one of the ‘Flair Buttons’ onto the page!

For my titles I used one of the ‘Die Cut Ephemera’, and a word from the ‘Die Cut Titles’. I love that combining the two made for a very easy title!!

I hope you enjoyed seeing a layout created with Daydream, and I hope I’ve inspired you to dig into your Cocoa Vanilla Studio stash.  If you’re like me you may want to hoard pretty supplies, but there is nothing like using up products and documenting memories!

Have an awesome week.

Melissa xx

Love These Days | These Days Collection | Melissa Vining

Hi everyone, its Melissa here and I’m back today with another layout that I created with the beautiful These Days collection.  This collection is still on sale over in the shop, so make sure you head on over and purchase it before its gone!  I was in the mood for creating with circles and I created all of these circles using my Cricut Design Space.  If you don’t have an electronic die cutting machine you could use a manual die cutting machine, a circle cutter or you could trace around circular items.

This photo is of my eldest daughter in my husband’s relatives pool in January during our summer.  The back ground paper is Daybreak and is so beautiful with all of the mixed media-look background. The majority of patterned paper circles were cut from the A5 Paper Stack, and I distressed all of the edges.  I stuck some flat to the paper, and placed others on dimensional foam for interest.

I embellished the circles with Accessory Stickers, Clear Stickers, Puffy Stickers and Wood Epoxy Buttons.  I used several circular embellishments to add to the design. The Die Cut Ephemera banner was so cute too!

For my title I used the Clear Sticker words which look lovely because they are subtle and look so good on top of the patterned paper.

Have an awesome week

Melissa xx

This | These Days Collection | Melissa Vining

Hi everyone, it’s Melissa here and I’m back with a new layout, this time created with the beautiful These Days collection, which is currently on sale over in the Cocoa Vanilla Studio Shop.  I was in the mood for fussy cutting, so I fussy cut the frames from Wall of Fame, florals from Home Grown, and butterflies from Take Flight.  The photos are of my daughter announcing a fashion show that she put on for us with her little sister.

For this layout I was inspired by the frames and decided to feature them in a  gallery wall-type design.  I also used a frame from the Die Cut Ephemera, and two of the cut aparts from The Good Life.  For my background gallery wall I used Neighbourhood and Family Ties.

As well as photos within the frames, I also used some patterned paper that I then embellished on the fames and paper within the frames. I embellished with fussy cut flowers, fussy cut butterflies and I even used three of the Wood Epoxy Buttons.

I wrote my journaling in one of the cut apart wreaths which I carefully fussy cut around.

I used a word and lots of leaves from the Foam Title Stickers for my title and extra interest.  I love adding lots of different textures on my layouts.  I also used a beautiful gold ‘Puffy Heart’.

I hope you enjoyed my layout created with These Days. If you are in the Southern Hemisphere like me I think this collection will work really well for documenting your Autumn memories.

Take care

Melissa xx

Pursue | Storyteller Collection | Melissa Vining

Hi everyone, I know its February already, but this is my first post for this year and I just wanted to say Happy New Year!  I hope that 2023 is off to a great start for you!  Today I’m sharing a layout that I created with the beautiful Storyteller collection.  Every year I create a layout about myself for my word for the year.  This year my word is Pursue.  I used an alpha cut file from Just Nick Studio, and welded the letters together on Cricut Design Space.

I used used Cross It Off for my background paper and decided to hand stitch around the crosses in white embroidery thread. Love how this adds some subtle texture.

I created backed my title cut file with papers from the A5 Paper Stack.  I always love to feature beautiful papers.  I used several of the beautiful Chipboard Stickers to embellish around my photo.  My background is created with distress oxide ink and the trusty packaging technique.

I love the Die Cut Ephemera in this collection.  The little banner with flowers was perfect on the title.  I used one the phrases from the Accessory Stickers too.

You can watch my process video below.

Thanks for looking!

Melissa xx

December 2021 | Joyful Collection | Melissa Vining

Hi everyone, it’s Melissa here and I’m so happy to be back with you today with a Christmas themed layout.  I’m using last years gorgeous Joyful collection. The cut file is from Confessions of A Paper Addict.

I knew that I wanted to use a patterned paper for my background, and chose Very Merry because I love the gold sprinkles. I painted the cut file with a sparkly powder activated with water.  The powder is pink but has hidden colour in it, which is why there is a mix of pink tones.  I actually love that it is uneven.  I used a gold powder for the present.

I fussy cut several flowers from Tis’ The Season for embellishment.  I bended up the edges of the petals for extra dimension and I love how they look scattered throughout my page. I used a couple of Accessory Stickers to help tell my story.

I backed the cut file present with papers from the A5 Paper Stack.  They were perfect with their small repeating patterns.

I hope I’ve encouraged you to dig into an older Christmas collection to document your memories.

Thanks for looking

Melissa xx

Captured | Storyteller & Unforgettable Collections | Melissa Vining

Hi everyone, its Melissa here and today I’m sharing a layout where I mixed a new collection with an older collection.  I used Storyteller for the new collection and Unforgettable for the older collection.  I used a cut file from Just Nick Studio featuring lots of leaves in a frame which was perfect for my photo of three of my kids dressed in camo and playing a game in our garden.

I used lots of the A5 Paper Stacks for backing the leaves of the cut file. These two collections worked really well together and I chose patterns that were either solid or with small repeating designs. My background woodgrain patterned paper is from Storyteller.

I used one of the Foam Titles from Unforgettable for my title.  I love how the black foam really pops! I added an Accessory Sticker from Unforgettable underneath the title.

Next to my photo I placed a cut apart from Unforgettable.  I distressed the edges and tucked it under my photo. I added a Wood Button on top of it. I embellished my photo with a cute heart Accessory Sticker.

I didn’t have too much journaling for this page, I used an Accessory Sticker from Storyteller to detail what was happening in my photo.

I hope I inspired you to mix newer and older collections!

Have a great week,

Melissa xx

Love | Storyteller Collection | Melissa Vining

Hello, it’s Melissa here and today I’m sharing a new layout that I created with the gorgeous Storyteller collection.  I really wanted to feature lots of the patterned papers so I went with a geometric cut file from Just Nick Studio called Broken Butterfly.  Rather than my go to white patterned paper background I used Ditsy Daisy.

This is a very busy page with colour and pattern.  In order to break it up I used navy ink applied with the packaging technique, and splatters in white and gold.  This separated the butterfly cut file from the busy floral background. I used lots of papers from the A5 Paper Stack to back the cut file.

The photo is my youngest daughter at our new local supermarket pushing the little trolley.  Its her favourite reason to help me shop!   I clustered several flowers and leaves around my photo from the Floral Ephemera.

My title is from the Chipboard Stickers, and was perfect because sometimes I’m too lazy to think of a title myself! I was so happy to get a Wood Button onto my page too!  I wrote my handwritten journaling onto a Die Cut Ephemera label, and the frame on my photo is also from this Ephemera.

I created a process video which you can watch below.

Thanks for joining me today.

Melissa xx

Happy Beautiful Days | Daydream Collection | Melissa Vining

Hi everyone, it’s Melissa here and in my part of the world its Spring!! This month the Design Team is creating projects that are either Spring or Autumn themed.  I was really keen to scrapbook spring photos from last year, and I decided to use beautiful Daydream.  This time last year we were renting a house on a farm and the spring blooms and growth were stunning.

I used a floral cut file from Just Nick Studio.  I coloured it with watercolours and backed it with papers from the collection.  I’m not normally a scrapbooker who matches photos with embellishments, but because only one of my photos is a close up of blossoms it works.

I used Sweet Serenity for my background paper, and then applied ink with the packaging technique.  Its a very subtle effect behind my photos. I used a torn piece of Daisy Days for my photo matt, and then layered the cut file flowers and Die Cut Ephemera in several places around the photos.

I used three of the Die Cut Title words for my title, and I love how it looks above and below my photos. I also used one of the gorgeous Puffy Hearts and a Flair Button.

Thanks so much for looking.

Melissa xx

 

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