pocket cards

All I Want For Christmas | Joyful Collection | Danni Visser

Hi Cocoa Vanilla Studio friends! Danni here with a fun mixed media layout featuring the absolutely beautiful Joyful collection, because I still can’t get enough of it!  I have a couple of sweet photos of my little girl to document, so I decided to keep everything bright and add lots of texture using machine stitching.

I started the layout with a white cardstock base and added a border with the soft pink gingham side of Advent 12×12 patterned paper. I added a line of machine stitching around the edge to add extra security and added detail. This gave me an idea to add a quilt-inspired design to the page – I’ll explain more about that later.

I have been eyeing off the gorgeous double sided 3×4 cards for a while, and this is one of my favourite ways to use a bunch of them on a layout. I overlapped my two 3×4 photos slightly, then chose four of the cards to build a large cluster to go in the centre of the page. I distressed all the edges of the cards then layered them around and behind my photos at different heights and widths to create variety. I adhered all these together then set them aside while I worked on my background.

I wanted to add some mixed media to the plain white background, so I took some distress oxide ink pads and diluted the colour using water and some white acrylic ink. White acrylic ink is great because it mutes bright colours while also making inks more opaque. My colours ended up still being brighter than I wanted, but I’m totally ok with that. I used the packaging technique to add messy splotches of the ink to the white cardstock.

Once the paper was completely dry, I went in with my sewing machine and added lots of cross hatching lines of stitching in a quilted-style pattern. I made sure to add the stitching where it would be visible around my central cluster. Because my photo and card cluster was already adhered together, I could just go ahead and glue it down to the centre of the page in one piece.  I ended loving the quilted stitching effect peeking out from behind everything!

I finished off the ‘All I want for Christmas’ card with some small phrase stickers from the accessory stickers – I just love that shiny gold typeface font. I also took a couple of flag accessory stickers and layered them below the lower 3×4 card, plus a tab accessory sticker at the top. I embellished lightly with some chipboard sticker holly leaves either side of my photo, and some shiny chipboard sticker stars cascading down my layout.

Finally I added some puffy sticker holly leaves layered with the chipboard sticker ones, then some tiny puffy sticker stars. I love how this one turned out, I hope you did too. There is a process video linked below on the Cocoa Vanilla YouTube channel if you would like to watch this layout come together. Happy scrapping!

Danni x

 

Paperclip Mini Album | These Days Collection | Danni Visser

Hi Cocoa Vanilla fans! Danni here with a little paperclip mini album using the 3×4 pocket cards from These Days collection. This was super easy to make and looks so cute! I have been struggling with documenting lockdown memories, so I decided to focus on all the positive moments from the first half of last year. The cozy, homey elements from These Days were absolutely perfect for this project.

I have had this large paperclip for quite some time, so I was pleased to find it was the perfect size for this album. I chose a handful of my favourite 3×4 pocket cards, then cut some long thin strips of patterned paper for the hinges. I made these into loops with glue and staples before threading them onto the paperclip. You can see the full process in video on the Cocoa Vanilla Studio YouTube channel.

I printed a handful of my favourite ‘staying home’ memories and printed them to 2×3 inches. This is the perfect size for a tiny 3×4 album. I decided to decorate the pages first and add them to the hinges at the end. This made the decorating process much easier.

I decorated the cover with a puffy heart and some fussy cut butterflies. On the inside of the cover I included a fold out with a timeline of events. I secured this with a paperclip and a soft pink velvet ribbon. I love tactile elements like this in mini albums!

The inside pages were decorated with all the tiny elements from These Days collection. I used a bunch of the tiny clear stickers and puffy stickers, especially the hearts. I also used several fussy cut butterflies throughout as well as a bunch of fussy cut florals from the A5 paper stack.

I left plenty of space for journaling to be added in later. Where I had more than one photo per page, I added a hinged paper flip. The fantastic thing about this album is the pocket cards are already so beautifully decorated, I only needed to add small details to enhance them.

I just love how this album turned out, and it was so simple and quick to make. I will definitely be making more of these in the future! You can see a flip through of the finished album and a tutorial of making the hinges in the video linked below. Happy scrapping!

Danni x

Picture Perfect Moments | These Days Collection | Danni Visser

Hello Cocoa Vanilla fans! Danni here sharing my first creation with the incredible ‘These Days’ collection, and I have to say, this is possibly my favourite collection ever! I have been so inspired to create with this one that I had to jump straight in with it. This layout was inspired by the adorable mason jar 3×4 pocket card.

I started with a mason jar cutfile (there are plenty of these available on Etsy) and cut out a white cardstock outline, and solid inside piece using Family Ties 12×12 patterned paper and a lid using grey and silver glitter cardstock. I raised the jar outline and the lid on foam to create a 3D effect.

To create a filled mason jar effect, I printed two small photos and selected all the trees and houses from the die cut ephemera pack. I arranged these within the cutfile jar to echo the design in the 3×4 pocket card. I also added in some tiny houses that I fussy cut from Neighbourhood 12×12 patterned paper and some tiny butterflies fussy cut from the A5 paper stack. These are so perfect for adding those tiny details.

For the background I chose the woodgrain side of Pretty Posies 12×12 patterned paper. I love woodgrain patterns for backgrounds, and it nicely emphasises the rustic country vibe of the mason jar. To create some extra detail I splattered some white acrylic ink all around the outside of the large mason jar.

I couldn’t resist using the mason jar 3×4 pocket card on the layout somewhere, so I fussy cut it out of the card and tucked it to the right of the large mason jar. I layered it with the ‘Picture Perfect Moments’ die cut ephemera piece to use as my title. I love using these smaller pieces for titles when I already have a large statement piece on the page.

To complete the page I added some more fussy cut tiny butterflies from the A5 paper stack, as well as some of the larger butterflies that I fussy cut from Take Flight 12×12 patterned paper. I love the two sizes of these butterflies! It enables you to create so much visual interest by varying sizes on the layout. I also added a smattering of white dimensional drops as a final touch.

I hope you enjoyed this layout! I am in love with These Days. What are you most inspired by in this new collection? There is a process video linked below on the Cocoa Vanilla Studio YouTube channel if you would like to watch. Happy scrapping!

Danni x

Chill Out | Sunkissed collection | Sue Plumb

Hi everyone, it’s Sue here to share my latest design team project with you. I had some cute photos of my boys swimming that I wanted to document, so couldn’t help but pull out the ‘Sunkissed’ collection to go with them. I decided to focus on the blues and greens from the range in keeping with the watery vibe of my page.

I began my layout with a sheet of white cardstock which I had cut down to measure 11×11″, and I used some blue and green inks to create a watercolour style background. I then added some stencilled detail over the top using a small scattered hearts stencil and a darker blue ink. My cardstock was then mounted onto a sheet of the Bright Side paper, which left me with the beautiful blue border I was wanting.

For the focal area of my page I used layered pieces of patterned papers which included some from the A5 Paper Stack, as well as some of the Sunny Days and Good Vibrations papers. I also added a paper doily and some frayed gauze for texture under my main photo, then cut one of the Pocket Cards in half to add some extra layering under my smaller photos.

Now it was time to add some extra fun to my page with some embellishments! There are such a great range of embellishments that come with this collection. I started with the Die Cut Ephemera pack, choosing pieces that fit with the colour scheme and theme of my page. To the left of my photos I created a cluster using two of the palm trees from the pack, which I popped up with some foam and bent the leaves up to give them some dimension. Other pieces I tucked in around my photos included a cute cloud, a pair of flips flops, a pair of sunglasses, and the beach towel that read sunshine state of mind on it.

As I often like to do, I added a couple of stickers from the Accessory Sticker sheet directly onto my main photo. The be happy tab in the top left hand corner, and the just chillin’ banner along the bottom edge. I also added the phrase sticker make a splash to the right of my photos where my title was. My title was created using the gold Glitter Foam Title Stickers and I just love the bright pop of sparkle they give the page. I also used two of the little glitter hearts from the same pack to add one to each of my smaller photos.

I finished off my page by adding several stickers from the Puffy Stickers set, handwritten journalling, a stamped date, and splatters of black ink to tie it all together.

If you would like to watch how this layout came together, you can watch my process video here:

Thanks so much for stopping by today so I could share this with you. I hope I have inspired you to pull out some supplies and get creative today. Until next time, happy scrapping!

Memorydex Cards | Sunkissed Collection | Danni Visser

Hi there Cocoa Vanilla fans! Danni here sharing a fun project that I have recently become obsessed with – Memorydex cards! These fun little rolodex-style cards have become a crafty trend lately, and I have been loving how quick they are to make. These bright summery ones made with the Sunkissed collection are going to be included in swaps with some crafty friends x

The base for these cards is a 3x4inch rectangle. I used a combination of 12×12 patterned paper scraps, the A5 paper stack and 3×4 pocket cards. I recently splurged on a specialist punch to make the rolodex holes, but there are also dies and digital cutfiles available to achieve the same thing.

For the rainbow cards, I cut three arch shapes from the A5 paper stack and distressed the edges. I then popped them up on foam and added them to the card bases. I then layered up some title die cuts from the die cut ephemera with tiny word phrases from the accessory stickers.  I added a sun die cut and some dimensional drops to finish them off.

For the next couple of cards, I fussy cut the ‘vacay vibes’ drink, ice cream cone and rainbow elements from the 3×4 pocket cards. I layered the drink element with a palm tree, hearts and phrase banner die cut ephemera, as well as some dimensional drops.

I layered the ice cream cone with the rainbow and ‘Love This’ piece, plus a tiny word phrase accessory sticker. I added a bunch of dimensional drops to the ice cream to look like sprinkles, added a white gel pen sketchy border and a splattering of gold ink.

For the next two cards I wanted to create little tropical beach scenes. I love the ombre yellow to orange of Summer Lights 12×12 patterned paper as the base for these. I layered up pieces of beach-themed die cut ephemera next. For card 1 I used a towel, beach umbrella, bikini and flip flops to make the cutest little beach flatlay.

For card 2 I used another palm tree and the adorable coconut cocktail, plus some hearts and a few accessory stickers. Some of these I popped up on adhesive foam for extra dimension, then I outlined the hearts with white gel pen and added some more gold ink splatters and dimensional drops.

I love all the little details in these cards! They are the perfect little keepsake to swap with friends, although I love them so much I think I will have to keep at least one for myself. All of these designs would make adorable greeting cards as well, this collection is so easy to use. Thanks for joining me today. Happy scrapping!

Danni x

Memorydex Cards | Sunkissed Collection | Danni Visser

Hi there Cocoa Vanilla fans! Danni here sharing a fun project that I have recently become obsessed with – Memorydex cards! These fun little rolodex-style cards have become a crafty trend lately, and I have been loving how quick they are to make. These bright summery ones made with the Sunkissed collection are going to be included in swaps with some crafty friends x

The base for these cards is a 3x4inch rectangle. I used a combination of 12×12 patterned paper scraps, the A5 paper stack and 3×4 pocket cards. I recently splurged on a specialist punch to make the rolodex holes, but there are also dies and digital cutfiles available to achieve the same thing.

For the rainbow cards, I cut three arch shapes from the A5 paper stack and distressed the edges. I then popped them up on foam and added them to the card bases. I then layered up some title die cuts from the die cut ephemera with tiny word phrases from the accessory stickers.  I added a sun die cut and some dimensional drops to finish them off.

For the next couple of cards, I fussy cut the ‘vacay vibes’ drink, ice cream cone and rainbow elements from the 3×4 pocket cards. I layered the drink element with a palm tree, hearts and phrase banner die cut ephemera, as well as some dimensional drops.

I layered the ice cream cone with the rainbow and ‘Love This’ piece, plus a tiny word phrase accessory sticker. I added a bunch of dimensional drops to the ice cream to look like sprinkles, added a white gel pen sketchy border and a splattering of gold ink.

For the next two cards I wanted to create little tropical beach scenes. I love the ombre yellow to orange of Summer Lights 12×12 patterned paper as the base for these. I layered up pieces of beach-themed die cut ephemera next. For card 1 I used a towel, beach umbrella, bikini and flip flops to make the cutest little beach flatlay.

For card 2 I used another palm tree and the adorable coconut cocktail, plus some hearts and a few accessory stickers. Some of these I popped up on adhesive foam for extra dimension, then I outlined the hearts with white gel pen and added some more gold ink splatters and dimensional drops.

I love all the little details in these cards! They are the perfect little keepsake to swap with friends, although I love them so much I think I will have to keep at least one for myself. All of these designs would make adorable greeting cards as well, this collection is so easy to use. Thanks for joining me today. Happy scrapping!

Danni x

Naughty or Nice | Merry & Bright collection | Sue Plumb

Hi everyone, it’s Sue Plumb here today to share some Throwback Thursday inspiration with you. Throwback Thursday is the feature where our design team members take an older collection and create something new with it. For my project I decided to pull out a collection that wasn’t too far back, but it was one that I didn’t get the chance to create a lot of projects with – ‘Merry and Bright’. Now for those who know me, you might be falling over in shock, because I am not known as a big fan of scrapping Christmas layouts, but I had this hilarious photo of my boys with Santa from 2019 that I just had to document.

For this layout, I decided to create a mixed media page, so I started with white cardstock, acrylic paint and some Distress Oxides. I first used a wide paint brush to brush the diluted green Distress Oxide across the page, then used a rubber brayer to apply pink paint to the lower half of the page. Next, I added some stencilling using a star stencil, sponge dauber and a coral coloured oxide; then topped my background off with some stamping using a star background stamp and grey ink.

After the background was complete I mounted it onto the wood grain print of the Season’s Greetings paper, then started building the papery layers on my page. I cut and tore pieces of the Star Bright and Countdown papers, as well as the diagonal pink/red stripe paper from the A5 Paper Stack. I used my fingernail to ruffle up the torn edges to add extra texture.

I layered my paper pieces together, adding a grey doily from my stash and some frayed gauze for even more texture, and then secured the stack together with staples before adding my photo on top.

To embellish my page I focused on creating 3 main clusters. The first was in the top left hand corner of my photo, where I had a spot on the photo that had to be covered up anyway. I did this by using a couple of stickers from the Accessory Sticker sheet and just sticking them directly onto the photo. This cluster also featured a pair of sweet little houses and flower from the Die Cut Ephemera pack and one of the Puffy Gold Stars.

The second cluster was along the bottom edge of my photo and I again used die cuts and a gold star, plus some phrase stickers from the Accessory Sticker sheet.

The third cluster to the right of my photo was where I included my journalling, which I typed onto one of the coordinating Pocket Cards. I also added a small die cut sprig of holly; another gold star and a handmade arrow embellishment.

I finished my layout off with some gold adhesive pearls and some splatters of gold mist.

If you would like to see how this page came together, you can watch my process video here:

Thanks so much for stopping by today so I could share this with you. I hope I have inspired you to get creative too.

Until next time, happy scrapping!

Cheers to the Weekend | Sunkissed collection | Sue Plumb

Hi everyone, it’s Sue Plumb here to share a fun mixed media layout I created using the new ‘Sunkissed’ collection. For this page, I decided to document a photo of myself and my sister that was taken when we snuck off for a last minute weekend away late last year. Just us, peace and quiet, cocktails, snacks and lots of scrapping with ocean views. It was sorely needed after the forced cancellation of our annual retreat due to COVID, and pure bliss!

I started my page with the Just Chillin’ patterned paper, which features the sweet cloud print. Before I did anything else, I wanted to tone down the pattern in the centre of the page, where the focal area of my layout was going to be. I used white and yellow acrylic paint, which I applied lightly with a brayer, which softened the pattern enough, but not so much that you could still see through it. Once that as done, I turned my attention to creating some papery layers.

I started with a couple of papers from the A5 Paper Stack first – a yellow chevron, and a blue animal print. (These two papers are exclusive to the A5 Paper Stack, so cannot be found in the 12×12″ Collection Kit.) I chose the yellow and blue because the combination of these colours just screams “beach” to me. I tore both the papers and layered them, adding a strip of the pretty yellow floral from the Fun in the Sun paper on top. I then added a piece of the striped Good Vibrations paper, a small yellow doily, and some frayed gauze, before finishing the stack with my photo on top.

The next item I reached for was the Pocket Card pack. Pocket cards may not be something you would usually reach for when creating a traditional 12×12″ layout, but I love how versatile they are! I used one cut in half to add an extra layer in behind my papers; a card for my typed journalling; and a third card that I fussy cut my title from. My title was also popped up on some foam tape to give it some dimension.

To embellish my page I used several pieces from the Die Cut Ephemera pack including the small feeling fine banner; the tab and flag on the corner of my photo; a couple of clouds and the cute sun. I also used the gorgeous rainbow arrow from the Accessory Sticker sheet; a small Wood Button; some Clear Stickers; and a few cute Puffy Stickers.

I finished my page with some black ink splatters (and yes, some got on my photo! haha); and some stamped phrases using a roller stamp.
If you would like to watch how this page came together, you can watch my process video here:
Until next time, happy scrapping!

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