It’s Tarrah back with you on the Cocoa Vanilla blog and today I am sharing a new layout for an ‘Add Something Black’ feature this week!
I decided to add a black cut file design from CUT to YOU for my black feature and I dug into my big Boys Rule collection!!
I cut the design out from black cardstock and then backed all the different words in the cut file with the papers from the Boys Rule 6′ x 8′ paper pad. I then added foam adhesive underneath the entire cut file and adhered it to gorgeous blue background paper. I trimmed down this paper and matted the entire layout with black cardstock also.
I adhered the photo of my eldest son in the top right corner of the page, lifting up the cut file slightly to have the file sitting over the photo. I layered a tag, a tab and some paper under the photo and added one of the awesome chipboard stars over the top of the photo. Some of the other chipboard elements I added were the pennant that says, ‘The Best’ at the top, the arrow on the left of the page and the lightning bolt at the bottom.
Some star die-cuts were also added to help fill in other spaces, you can never go wrong with stars on a boy page right?! I also added the piece that says, ‘100% Boy’ under the word moon.
Some phrase stickers from the accessory sticker sheet were added as a final touch and I also stamped the date stamp of when the photo was taken. I really enjoyed working with a black cut file instead of my go to white for this layout. I love how the black makes the colours in the Boys Rule collection really pop!
Thanks so much for stopping by the Cocoa Vanilla blog today! I hope you enjoyed my layout and that you were inspired in some way!
Hi everyone! It’s Tarrah McLean back with you today to share a layout I created inspired by one of our fellow Cocoa Vanilla fans layouts!
All this week the design team are choosing a fellow Cocoa Vanilla fan’s layout to scraplift from the International Scrapbooking Day challenges. I chose Gayle Selman’s awesome layout from Anna’s monochromatic challenge below…
To replicate Gayle’s layout, I started out by adding some blue distress oxide ink to white cardstock. I then added some black splatters of mist. Once dry, I then got a few stamps with some black ink and stamped them just like Gayle did. I don’t do mixed media all that often so when I get the opportunity to add a little bit!
I then added some paper strips from the Boys Rule 6′ x 8′ paper pad and also punched some stars with a few star punches. Underneath my photo, I layered one of the chipboard frames and used craft foam to pop up my photo. My photo is of my boys goofing around for the camera!
I added a small cluster of embellishments in the top right corner including a chipboard phrase, a rubber charm, and some stars. My title is one of the chipboard titles, I added one of the flairs above the title and lastly I added some phrase and clear stickers.
I love how my layout turned out and I hope you think it does Gayle’s layout justice!
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.
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!
Hi everyone! It’s hard to believe we are mere days away from Christmas isn’t it? I hope your preparations are going well and that you don’t have too much left to do.
Today is my turn to share some of my favourite projects that I created during 2019. I am starting off with a layout that features the stunning ‘Happiness’ collection that was released earlier this year. I adore this range, with all its bright colours and beautiful florals. This page also features a photo of myself and a few of my crafty peeps that was taken at a retreat, bringing back some fun memories too.
This layout was actually inspired by a page from my fellow team member Gwen, as part of a “scraplift” theme that we did earlier in the year, and I love how it turned out! I even got my scissors out for some fussy cutting for this page, because those flowers were just begging to be cut out! One of my other favourite things from this collection is definitely the Clear Stickers – especially all the “painty” style ones!
You probably already know that as a mum of twin boys that I am partial to a good boy page; so for my next favourite, I couldn’t go past this mixed media layout of my dynamic duo using an old favourite – the ‘Totally Rad’ collection from 2016. I actually created this one whilst I was at the Cocoa Vanilla retreat, and besides the end result, I think I also love it because I created it whilst I was so relaxed and in such good company. (Seriously, if you have never been to a retreat before, make sure you put it on your bucket list!)
Despite the fact that this collection is no longer available, there is good news for fans of this range that may have missed getting their hands on it. This collection was recently released as a digital range, which you can purchase to print and cut at home! It includes all the papers (which are easy to print A4 size on a normal home printer); all the cool elements, and Zoe has even included three A4 sized ready to print PDFs, so you just have to print them off and cut them out. You can find the bundle in store HERE
My final favourite layout from this year also featured one of our older collections – ‘Life is Beautiful’ and a photo of my daughter and one of her best friends. This range was released waaay back in 2015, and to date it still remains a firm favourite of mine. The colour palette is just SO fresh and pretty, with the navy, aqua and apricot colour combination.
This layout is also a favourite of mine because it features butterflies. (And anyone who has seen my tattoo will already know how much I love butterflies.) I created these large layered butterflies using cut files from Cut to You, which I coloured with Distress Oxides, backed with some of my precious patterned paper scraps, then topped with butterfly stickers from the Accessory Sticker sheet. Combined with fussy cut florals and just enough ink splatters, it makes my creative heart happy. (This range is also now available as a digital collection and you can find it HERE)
Finally, I have to give a mention my other favourite project from this year that wasn’t a layout at all. It was the mini album that I created recently using the ‘Boys Rule’ collection for one of my sons to document the time following his premature birth. This one invoked all kinds of memories as I put it together (both good and bad) and truly was a labour of love.
You find my post with all the details of the album HERE or watch my flip through of the album below.
That’s all from me today, wishing you & your families a very merry Christmas! I hope you get a chance to spend quality time with the people you love most, and make plenty of happy memories to document later. XX
Amanda here, & today I am sharing a super cool scrapbook page of my boy, the future pilot! As soon as I saw this photo I knew that I had the perfect Cocoa Vanilla Studio collection to document it with – none other than the awesome BOYS RULE line! This collection is seriously cool & just rocks when it comes to scrapping the boys! But enough chatter, here’s my scrapbook layout,
“Future Pilot”
Whoa!!! How awesome is this?! RAD, indeed!
I have featured the stunning CV-BR007 STAR FALL paper as my layout background, distressed & folded the right edge of this paper and stapled a trim of CV-BR009 GOOD TIMES behind it. This created a really raw, and edgy look which enhanced the masculinity of the overall design. The use of metal hardware (staples) not only attached the two papers, but also emphasized the rawness. Simple, but so effective!
I backed my sweet boy’s photograph with a few cool layers of the MISCELLANY frames and die cuts, as well as some fussy cut labels from CV-BR006 BOY STUFF paper. To these layers, I inserted in a few ACCESSORY STICKER stars and words/phrases, and then attached this photo cluster to my page. With my focal point in place, I then tucked my CHIPBOARD PIECES title ‘RAD’ into the top of the photo layers.
Over my treasured photograph, I foam mounted a couple more ACCESSORY STICKERS that featured stars, plus added I that awesome ‘king of the world’ FLAIR BUTTON.So cool!!!
To the right side of the photo cluster, I tucked in the ‘reach for the stars’ ACCESSORY STICKER – both the print and the sentiment coordinated perfectly with my page design.
More ACCESSORY STICKERS are used to adorn the bottom left of my photo cluster, as well as a few die cuts. To complete the photo cluster I foam mounted & overlapped that fabulous ‘adventure’ CHIPBOARD PIECE. Awesome!
For my title to be noticed on such a dark paper, I dove into my COCOA VANILLA STUDIO: COLOUR ME HAPPY stash and used the plain white ALPHABET STICKERS. I embellished around my title with more of the ACCESSORY STICKERS as well as two of the brush stroke CLEAR STICKERS. A few dots of white paint completed the page.
Simple, and yet so epic!!!
Scrapping the boys is made super easy (& totally awesome) with our fabulous BOYS RULE collection!
Thanks so much for visiting – I hope I have inspired you to get creating today!
Hi everyone! It’s Sue Plumb here to share my latest design team project with you and it’s one that is pretty special to me.
Today is World Prematurity Day – a globally recognised day that is aimed at increasing awareness of preterm births, as well as highlighting some of the challenges that are often faced by these babies and their families. Each year approximately 1 in 10 babies are born prematurely, including all three of my children. My post today is for all those babies born too soon.
For my project I decided to create the first in a series of mini albums for my children to document the time following their births. (It has taken me over 7 years to get around to tackling the photos of my boys and all the memories that come with them, so please bear with me for the long post today.)
I began my mini album with the fabulous ‘Boys Rule’ collection and a small 6 ring planner that I purchased from Kmart. (These make perfect mini album covers once everything is removed from the inside.) After choosing the patterned papers I was going to work with, I cut them into a variety of sizes to form the pages of my album.
I used an adjustable 6 hole punch (purchased via eBay) to punch holes on each of the pages, and then used white hole reinforcement stickers (from my local newsagency) to help protect the holes from becoming damaged through handling.
On some of the pages I added extra interest by using border punches to create decorative edges. This, combined with the variety of different page sizes, placements and patterns throughout, is what gives the album so much character.
If you are planning on giving something like this a go, be sure to mix things up as much as you can! Don’t feel like all your pages have to run vertically – a horizontal page thrown in here and there not only adds extra interest but makes the album more interactive as it is turned to be read.
Depending on the theme of your album, you will find that some pages require no more than a photo and some simple embellishments; whilst others may have lots of journaling and very little room for embellishments.
For the sake of continuity across my album, I printed most of my photos in black and white with a few colour feature shots added in. I printed them in a variety of sizes and orientations as well.
Don’t be afraid to add embellishments such as stickers or journaling directly over part of your photos, or to include pages that have no photo at all and are simply decorative. You can even punch directly through photos and use them as a page in your album.
One of the other benefits of making your pages different sizes is being able to get a “sneak peek” at what is coming on the next page. This adds to to the anticipation as you leaf through the album.
To further enhance the cohesion across the album, I typed all my journaling on my computer. When putting each page together I began with photo/s and journaling placement first before deciding on embellishments.
For an extra bit of fun, add some interactive elements such as tip-ins, pockets, or pull out tags. You can see how I used one of the small cards from the Die Cut Ephemera pack with a couple of pieces of washi tape to form a tip-in (fold out flap) to include my journaling underneath.
One of my tips for putting together each page in an album is that whilst I approach each page individually, I am also mindful of what is on the facing page. You can see how I carried across the same colours in the spread below. (Working with the same collection throughout the album helps enormously.)
The only other embellishment I included in my album were a few stickers from the ‘Love Always’ Accessory Sticker sheet, as it had a few more love-filled and generic phrases that suited some of my photos.
Another way to mix things up with your photos is to create a collage or include a series of shots taken close together. (And let’s face it, who doesn’t take 20 shots when you are trying to get the perfect one?!)
I know I have included a LOT of photos in this post, but sometimes the best way to explain things is to show them, right?
My final tip if you are going to create something similar in a planner cover or album, is to not forget about the extra pockets that are built into the cover. I made some small tags to tuck into the front of my album and added some extra photos, and in the larger pocket I included a letter to my son with some of the details about his birth story.
If you are interested in seeing a few more details of my album I have filmed a flip through of the entire thing so you can see how it all looks together:
Thanks so much for sticking with me through my long post today. I do hope I have inspired you to try creating something like this yourself. It could make an ideal Christmas gift for a loved one, or just something for yourself to treasure.
Sue Plumb here today, and it’s my turn to share my layout for the PageMaps sketch theme that our team have been challenged with this week. It has been amazing to see how all my fellow designers have interpreted the sketch so far, and the range of pages that a single sketch can inspire.
Here is the sketch we have all been working with…
This sketch is one from the PageMaps archives from October 2018; and if you would like more sketch inspiration (including card sketches) you can find them on the PageMaps website.
Despite the floral theme of the sketch, I decided to twist it up and create a boy page instead. I used a combination of elements from two different CVS boy collections – ‘Boys Rule’ and ‘You Rock’.
I began with the ‘Boys Rule’ collection – using the Star Fall paper as my page base to form a border, which I layered with a smaller square of the Entitled paper over the top.
To represent the circular element of the sketch, I cut several different sized wreaths from the free ‘Happiness’ cut files using a combination of white cardstock and the Happy Go Lucky paper for my feature circle. I then arranged them so they were overlapping each other.
Just like the sketch, I used two photos for my page (although I did use a different size and orientation). These photos of my son were taken the day after his birthday while he was testing out his new punchbag and boxing gloves.
I added the die cut what the? speech bubble from the Die Cut Ephemera pack onto my main photo.
Due to the busy pattern on the paper, and the fact that I already had the overlapping wreaths on my background, I wanted to keep the embellishments fairly simple. I dug through my stash and chose the wood veneer pack from the ‘You Rock’ collection. I liked the fact that this was an easy way to add dimension and some natural texture to the page.
I added the large You Rock title piece just to the left of the photos – just like the title was positioned in the sketch. I then adhered a selection of wood veneer stars around the page, placing them at points where the wreaths intersected and forming a “visual triangle” around my photos. I also added a small wood veneer lightning bolt directly onto my second photo.
To finish off, I added the that’s my boy rubber charm along the bottom edge of my photo; then added a small label from the Miscellany die cut pack to the bottom corner of my page and wrote my journalling with a felt pen.
Thanks for stopping by today, I hope you are enjoying our sketch feature this week. Pop in tomorrow to see another layout from our team inspired by the same PageMaps sketch. Until next time, happy scrapping!
