Love You | Happiness | Anita Bownds
A big Hello to you scrappy friends! It’s Michelle back here today with a new layout share featuring an older collection that holds a sweet spot in my heart – Make a Wish. I love that this collection is perfect to document birthday memories, but is versatile enough to just create something soft, sweet and feminine. This layout documents Leila’s most recent birthday, the last in single digits.
I’d been holding onto this fun cut file from CUT to YOU for a little while now, ready and waiting for the perfect birthday photos. I wanted to keep the layout ‘fuss free’ without the massive clusters I’ve created in the past. I started with a full sheet of that wonderful woodgrain (reverse side of FRESH CUT) for the background of the layout. I added a couple of rough torn strips of HIP HOORAY to the bottom third of the layout to use as a base for the cut file and photos.
Next I cut the cut file out on white cardstock and backed it using my ultimate favourite paper of all time DAYDREAM and adhered that to the left side of the layout using foam tape for a little extra dimension,
To the right of the cut file I adhered the photos using a little of the PARTY DOTS paper to layer underneath. I also added an accessory sticker, ‘beautiful’ word strip from the PARTY MIX cut apart paper and the ‘make a wish’ came from the barcode strip on one of the papers.
Above the photos I added a cake that was cut from the PARTY MIX paper, an accessory word sticker and crystal heart and sequins from the bits & bobs pack, plus some stars from the ephemera pack.
Lastly this bottom mini cluster created with leaves, numbers strip and star from the ephemera pack, sequins from the bits & bobs plus the hat and fabulous ticket from the PARTY MIX paper. I also added a sprinkling of gold colour shine and called it done. I had so much fun creating this layout while my sweet nephew watched along asking questions about the process. I think both him and Leila might be ready for a little crafting class of their own.
Well thats all from me today, thanks so much for stopping by.
Until next time, happy scrapping
Michelle x
Hi creative friends!
It’s Tarrah here with you and today I have a Back To School themed layout to share with you. I have used mostly the awesome ‘You Rock’ collection along with a few bits from ‘Made of Awesome’ and ‘Totally Rad’!
I started out by cutting the Back To School title cut file design from The Cut Shoppe using white cardstock, I then picked some papers from the You Rock, Made of Awesome, Totally Rad and Colour Me Happy collections and backed them all behind the letters in the title. I love how all the papers look behind the title. Once the letters were all backed, I adhered it to the ‘In Line’ paper from the You Rock collection. I added a photo each of my sons on their first day back to school last year. I was lucky with the design in that it was suited to 2 photos either side of the word ‘To. 
The star underneath the star flair button, I fussy cut out of one of the papers from the Made Of Awesome collection. I like how it it looks underneath the star flair which is also from the Made Of Awesome collection. I just love the rubber charms from the You Rock collection, I added the one that says ‘So Much Fun’ to the top of the ‘B’ in the word ‘Back’. To finish, I added some of the phrase stickers from the ‘You Rock’ accessory sticker sheet to the middle of the ‘A’ in the word ‘Back’ and I also stamped the date stamp at the bottom of the ‘2 Cool’ sticker.
Thank you so much for stopping by today! I hope you are inspired by my layout in some way! Be sure to check out the Cocoa Vanilla Studio store for all the amazing collections available!
Happy creating!
Tarrah x
Hey there CVS friends! Well here is the boy themed layout as chosen by you earlier in the month. I have used a mix of Boys Rule and You Rock collections.
I love grids and this is the basis of my design.
I used Boys Rule Messed Up paper as my background paper, who doesn’t love a paper where the mixed media is done for you! I then cut a 3×12 inch of Boys Rule Straight & Narrow paper and attached vertically to my base paper. I then hand punched different sized stars from Boys Rule Star Fall paper and arranged, slightly tucking some under the green paper and added some with foam tape slightly over the green paper. I added a row of stitching on the right side of the green strip to add texture.
I decided on a grid of three which allowed me one square for my photo and two to embellish. I started at the top creating an embellishment cluster, cutting a 3×3 inch square from Boys Rule Fun & Games paper. I added some random messy machine stitching and added a paper strip from the You Rock black cross paper. I then used the die cut ephemera from Boys Rule to embellish and finishing off with a flair from You Rock collection.
I next added my photo which is 2×2 inches, I used a die frame from the die cut pack and then matted onto Boys Rule Fun & Games denim square. I finished this off with some phrases from the Boys Rule Accessory Stickers and a flair from Made of Awesome collection.
I used another die cut frame for the Rubber tag Awesome. I used another phrase die cut and finished this off with enamel crosses from Made of Awesome collection, which I also added to the corners of my base page.
My title is created using Foam titles from Unforgettable collection (they don’t count as girl on this page lol!), they add such a wow factor in strong black with added height, a close second fav of mine, clear stickers being my absolute fav!
Of course you could add more photos, make your grid with 5 squares instead of three! I hope I lived up to the hype of creating a boy layout to inspire you. I can’t wait until the new boy collection Legendary arrives.
Thanks for stopping by and see you again soon!
Rachel X
Hi everyone! I hope this finds you well and that your year has been off to a great start. I am currently a little ragged around the edges being 5 weeks deep into school holidays but the finish line is in sight! Next week my daughter will be starting her first year of high school, and my sons are both going into grade two. With this big transition for my daughter right around the corner, I thought it was the perfect time to document a photo of her and her friends that was taken at her primary school graduation last month. I paired it with the beautiful ‘Happiness’ collection, which was a great match for this group of gorgeous girls. (That’s my girl in the blue.)
For my layout, I began with the blue watercolour pattern on the B-side of the Good Vibes paper as my page base. Next, I took the oh-so-pretty So Fresh paper and fussy cut the beautiful wreath design from it. I then added some foam mounting tape to the back and positioned it on my page (without yet sticking it down).
I then matted my photo with the pink B-side of the Expressive paper before adhering it to the background sheet, then added the mounted wreath over the top. I bent the edges of the wreath up slightly from the page in some places to add extra dimension.
Above the photo, I added a small tab and some leaves from the Die Cut Ephemera pack to create a small cluster. For my title I used the words best friends from the Die Cut Titles pack, highlighting it with the row of chevrons sticker from the Clear Sticker set.
To help frame my photo and bring some extra balance to the page, I arranged a couple of phrase stickers from the Accessory Sticker sheet and the time to shine banner piece from the Die Cut Ephemera pack to create a visual triangle. I also added some extra leaves to the outer edges of the wreath by tucking in a few from the ephemera pack.
At this point I thought that my wreath felt a little “disconnected” from the background, so I drew some inspiration from my former team member Amanda, and doodled some extra leaves around the wreath using a fine white paint pen. I also added a little extra prettiness by using some tiny paper flowers from my stash, which I placed randomly around the wreath.
I finished up by creating another “visual triangle” – this time using butterflies fussy cut from the Bright & Beautiful paper. (You probably already know how much I LOVE butterflies!)
I am so happy with how this pretty page turned out, and am pleased to report it has already found a very special home. It was popped into a frame and gifted to one of the girls in the photo for her recent birthday.
That’s all from me today, thanks for stopping by so I could share this with you. Until next time, happy scrapping!
Hey Creative friends,
Gwen back on the blog today, I hope you are all well. With the start of the new school year in Australia happening very soon, I thought it would be a fun time to document a sweet photo of my husband taking pictures of our daughter on her first day of Grade 5.
For my page, I was drawn to the ‘Unforgettable’ collection with its stunning florals and the most divine shade of Pink. I also pulled a cut file from CUT to YOU and went about backing the design. To make my title, I’ve used the bright pink of the ‘Unscripted‘ pattern paper for the word ‘Grade’ and then the number ‘5’. The remaining numbers have been backed in the aptly named ‘Glorious‘ paper. I then mounted this entire piece and centred onto a piece of white card from my stash.
Next, it was time to work on my photo mat. I’ve gone with a double mount, the first being with the ‘Story Teller‘ pattern paper, however from the 6×8 paper pad. I’ve used the paper pad here as the print in the design is smaller. I’ve double mounted with some more of the ‘Unscripted‘ pattern paper and added a soft doily from my stash for good measure.
The position of my photo was limited by the fact that I could not cover the number 5 as it was part of my title, so I went with running the key elements of the page down the right-hand side. This way, most of the numbers in the cut file are still showing and I have some space to add some pretty floral elements from the Die Cut Ephemera pack because… well, who wouldn’t want to add some of those to their page :)
I decided on a pretty little cluster in the bottom right-hand corner of my photo as well as a small cluster in the letter ‘D’ of ‘GRADE’ at the top of the page to balance things out. I also could not resist adding some fussy cut butterflies from the ‘Lacewing‘ pattern paper. I just love the tone of the grey ones for this page, such a versatile piece of paper!
I’ve also pulled some elements from the ‘Accessory Sticker’ sheet such as the banner ‘Treasured’ and the typed sentiments which are so fun. Lastly, I’ve added a sprinkle of ‘Enamel Dots‘ in the prettiest shade of mint and called the page done.
Thanks for popping by today to see my latest project, I just love love love this collection so I hope my page inspires you in some way. As always, be sure to pop into the Cocoa Vanilla Studio and CUT to YOU facebook groups to share your pages, I really love to see what you make.
Until next time,
Gwen
xo
Hello everyone!
Mandy here with you today to share a layout for our ‘Holidays and Vacations’ theme, using a combination of the Unforgettable and Endless Summer collections. I documented a photo of my youngest daughter Eleanor with my niece Grace, taken when we took a family holiday together back in December. The kids had so much fun spending time with their cousins, and I just love this photo of the two girls ready to head off to the pool together.
I started with a sheet of white cardstock for my background, and then I adhered three different patterned papers, which I trimmed to 8 inches wide, down the middle of the page. I wanted papers that didn’t have very busy patterns on them, and I decided on using the pink and peach patterned papers from the Unforgettable 6×8 inch paper stack, as well as the 12×12 Natural Beauty woodgrain patterned paper.
Next I matted my photo with another paper from the 6×8 inch paper stack, and then I adhered it at the top of the page, using craft foam for extra dimension. I added a couple of stickers on the bottom right hand corner of the photo, from both the Endless Summer and Unforgettable accessory sticker sheets. The label sticker provided the perfect spot to add the photo details to the layout.
Next I layered together two of the Unforgettable floral die cuts underneath the photo, to make one longer floral cluster. The neutral woodgrain patterned paper underneath, helps these florals to really stand out.
I added my title at the bottom of the page using a die cut word from the Endless Summer collection as well as a clear sticker from Unforgettable. I love the combination of the two fonts! I also created a little cluster to the left of the title using a tag and a wood veneer piece from Endless Summer, as well as a little die cut flower from Unforgettable. Above the title I added a sticker with the perfect phrase for this layout… ‘oh I do like to be beside the seaside’, and I also added a scallop border sticker underneath the title.
To finish the layout off I added a few enamel dots in both the bottom left and top right corners.
Today is a bit of a sad post for me, as after three years on the Cocoa Vanilla Studio design team, I’ve had to make the difficult decision to step down this year due to increased work commitments. I’ve absolutely loved my time on this team, and being a part of this wonderful community, so I’m really sad to be leaving. But whilst I won’t be sharing my projects here on the blog anymore, when I get the time I’ll most definitely still be creating with the beautiful Cocoa Vanilla products, and I’ll continue to share my projects over on Instagram. So it’s kind of goodbye for now, but I’ll still be around! I want to say thank you to all of you for the support and encouragement that you’ve shown me over the year, to my fellow design team members for their friendship and for always inspiring me with their projects, and of course thank you to Zoe for giving me this amazing opportunity to be a part of her design team.
Mandy x
Hey Scrappy Friends! It’s Michelle here today sharing my first layout for 2020. I cant believe were already pretty much 2 weeks in to this new year and what better way to celebrate than to share a new layout for our ‘Holiday’ theme this month. For this layout I dipped into my Hello Sunshine collection, perfect for documenting summer memories like this one. Beach days are one of our favourite things to do during summer around the great region we live in, even more so towards the end of the season when its a little cooler and you can explore the coastline without frying/melting.
On this day we were out near a popular lighthouse along the coast where we live, but the beach was pretty quiet. Theres tonnes of rock pools in this area and it was so much fun exploring and seeing all the different creatures living amongst them. This was also during a time in Leilas life where Mario and Luigi had to come everywhere that she did. She had so much fun setting them up in little spots while she went off to explore.
There are a rare few Hello Sunshine product bundles available in the store, but once they are sold out they are gone for good. I’ve used the ‘Solar Flare’ paper as my pattern background, then layered the anchor paper and tiny triangles under the photos.
To the right of the photos I’ve added a couple of accessory stickers, ephemera, puffy sticker and woodie button to create a small cluster. (You can find the Puffy Stickers on clearance in the store for under half price here.)
And over to the left of the photos I’ve grouped together lots of different cut apart pieces from the main cut apart paper to create a title of sorts, but also to describe my thoughts of that day. ‘Fun in the sun’ , ‘The Best Summer Memories by the seaside’ , ‘So happy together’. I also added a few more ephemera pieces, puffy stickers and a woodie button to complete the group of bits.
All up this layout came together pretty quickly, some would call it a hot mess of bits and bobs, but one that I’m loving the look of. Definitely a different style of layout to my usual feminine floral designs.
Well thats all from me today, Thanks so much for stopping by. Be sure to check out the DIGITAL section of the shop where you can find this range, and many other of our past collections ready and waiting for you to print, cut and create with. Don’t forget to share with us in the Cocoa Vanilla Studio group on Facebook as we all LOVE to see what you create.
Until Next time, Happy Scrapping!
Michelle x
Hi everyone, and welcome 2020! I am so happy to be here with my first project of the new year for you. Today I am continuing on with our Holidays & Vacations theme, and sharing a layout I created using a combination of the ‘Boys Rule’ and ‘Midnight’ collections. I know what you are thinking – a bit of a strange mix of collections, right? Despite the very obvious differences between the two, they did work together surprisingly well and were a perfect compliment for the colours in my photo.
For my layout I decided to document a photo that was taken at the Cocoa Vanilla retreat that was held last May. Scrap retreats are definitely one of my favourite kinds of holidays – besides spending time with great friends, you get to enjoy a change of scenery, have a break from your everyday responsibilities, AND you get to create! What’s not to love about that?!
I started my layout with ‘Boys Rule’, with a sheet of Star Fall as my base,which I topped with piece of white cardstock, cut slightly smaller than the paper, to leave a narrow border around the edge. I then added four blocks of paper to my background using pieces of the Messed Up; Expressionist and Straight & Narrow papers. I distressed each of the blocks by scrunching and then flattening them back out; then ran them horizontally on my page to compliment the landscape orientation of my photo.
With my background complete, I then added some scrap cardboard to the back of my photo and decided on its placement on the page. I chose the beautiful floral print Bloom & Grow paper from the ‘Midnight’ collection to begin embellishing my layout, fussy cutting several pieces to tuck in around my photo to frame it.
With the flowers in place I then added the little banner that said the best from the ‘Boys Rule’ Chipboard Pieces pack, and a small black and white butterfly sticker from the ‘Midnight’ Accessory Stickers; placing both near my top floral cluster.
I created a small cluster below my photo by combining another fussy cut floral piece with a small leafy branch and heart, both from the ‘Midnight’ Die Cut Ephemera pack. In my cluster to the left of my photo, I also added the shine bright flair button from the ‘Midnight’ Flair Buttons set.
For my page title, I used the words happy and moments from the ‘Midnight’ Chipboard Pieces pack; and then I finished off my layout by typing up my journalling and applying it in strips (again tying into the horizontal theme) near the bottom of the page.
That’s all from me today. I hope you are enjoying our Holidays & Vacations focus and that you are perhaps feeling inspired to document some of your own holiday moments. Stay tuned for more inspiration from the team for this theme!
Until next time, happy scrapping!