Raquel Bowman

My Sunshine | Daydream Collection | By Raquel Bowman

Hi everyone, it’s Raquel here with you today and I am sharing my latest layout featuring the gorgeous Daydream collection.

Here is the layout that I created:


The subject of this layout is my gorgeous girl – this was a picture I had taken of her over the summer holidays when we were on a vacation to a coastal town. She enjoyed every minute of being away together as a family, the daily walks, trips to the beach and playing board or card games in the evening. I feel like that happiness really radiates from her in this photo.

A key element of this layout is the heart floral cut file that I used from the Cut to You store. I cut the file on a patterned paper and chose a complimenting patterned paper to back the florals within the cut file design. I wanted to have a pop of colour on this layout and this was created using the yellow patterned papers and ephemera pieces.

The title was using the die cut words – as soon as I saw the words ‘my’ and ‘sunshine’ I knew it would make the perfect title for this page. I adhered the title to the page using a small foam square adhesive; just to give the title that small lift and pop. The journaling is a quote that I found and love that I have created in my usual way- typewritten and cut into strips.

The embellishments are placed in a more vertical pattern on the page – however the majority are in three main clusters  one to the top left, one to the middle near the title and one to the bottom right.

Some of the embellishments – the tiny flowers for example are fussy cut from patterned papers within the collection. This allows me to have more control over the colours I use and include on the page also as I can choose ones that fit within my desired colour palette.


I decided to add one of the gorgeous fabric hearts to this page. I thought the deep read colour was perfect.

Thanks so much for stopping by the CVS blog today – I hope this layout has inspired you to get creating with your CVS stash.
Stay safe and take care,

Raquel x

 

Time to Shine | Happiness Collection | Back to School

Hey everyone, it’s Raquel here today sharing with you a ‘Back to School’ themed layout. I decided to delve into one of my favourite CVS collections ‘Happiness’.

Here is the layout that I created: Time to Shine


I knew that I wanted to use this bright and fun collection to document the beginning of what we hope will be a great 2021 school year – for the kids at school and also for myself as a teacher. The school year of 2020 was a challenge for everyone – particularly us in Victoria who had restrictions for long durations and remote learning. It is certainly a year we hope we do not need to repeat.

The subjects of this layout are my two kiddies – posing beautifully with their ‘first day’ sign prior to heading into school  . Full of smiles which I can honestly say have been present all week. It’s such a relief to know they are comfortable and happy in their new little space for the year. I chose to print the photos in a photo strip form in a smaller size  I love the definition the white border gives.

The cut file on this layout is a school themed file from the Cut to You store. I was able to use a variety of patterns from the paper pad to back the sections within the file. I love how it turned out!
I created three main clusters of embellishments on this layout. The image below shared the largest cluster in the bottom left of the page and to the left of the photo. I used mainly ephemera for this cluster but made sure to include a variety of foam adhesives to play around with the dimension I create on the page.


Behind the cut file and photos – I used a couple of strips of patterned paper. I added extra detail by machine stitching the edges of the paper pieces and the layout too. I just love how it turned out.

The title, although small was the perfect sentiment for these two ‘Time to Shine’


My last step in the creation of this layout was to add typed journaling to the page. As always I have used my typewriter and adhered it in strip form.

I hope you have been inspired by this layout today. Raquel xxx

 

Sweet | Legendary Collection | Raquel Bowman

Hey everyone. It’s Raquel here with a new layout to share with you. For today’s layout share I decided to use the Legendary collection to scrapbook a photo of my son and our puppy together.

Here is the layout that I created:

This layout is documenting Jack and our gorgeous puppy Lola. I printed the photo black and white and used a circle die to cut it in a circular shape. I then used a maths compass to draw a slightly larger circle shape – which acts as a photo Matt.

I then added a few small embellishments to the left of the photo – to add interest.

This layout features a cut file from Cut to You – I cut the file on patterned paper. I also matted the entire layout in a patterned paper. These colours in the paper helped me to choose appropriate embellishments and colours to include.

I embellished the layout with stars from the ephemera pack and also fussy cut stars.

To finish those clusters of stars I added a small splattering of Navy colour shine.

As always I added my typewritten journaling and adhered  below the photo.

Thanks so much for stopping by the blog today, I hope this layout has inspired you.

Raquel

Captured | Daydream Collection | Raquel Bowman

Hey everyone, wishing you all a Happy New Year. I hope you have all had a lovely Christmas and holiday break. I am here sharing my first layout for the new year with you all, with the theme of ‘new’ in mind. This layout is featuring the beautiful Daydream collection. For today’s layout I have also ventured back into creating a 12×12” size, a layout size which I have not created in for a few years now.

Here is the layout I created:

The theme of this layout is around the word ‘new’. I decided to document the ‘new’ way of teaching and learning that we all encountered in 2020. As a teacher I had to adapt to implementing and supporting the learning of my class via online platforms – and as a Mumma I had to juggle teaching my class and supporting the learning of my own school ages children. It has certainly been a ‘new’ way of teaching and a challenging year for all in this current pandemic.

The photo in particular was taken after we had just finished a stint of remote learning and I had run an evening of successful Zoom parent/teacher teacher conferences. This online learning thing was so challenging for all, I think on this particular evening I was just so proud to have made it to the other side, still smiling! I printed the photo at around 3.5 x 4.5” in size via my Epson Picturemate in black and white. I printed the picture in black and white as this picture was taken in my classroom, which had a lot of bright colours and displays in the background. This made it easier to choose and use the Daydream collection to document this story.

The cut file in those layout is one from the Cut to You store. I loved the graphical look of the design and the ties to schooling in a pie chart and thought it would work well to document this story. I used a combination of the 6×8” paper pad papers and the 12×12” papers to back the cut file sections. I used the Garden Variety paper print in two sections as I wanted this layout to feature clusters of the gorgeous floral ephemera pieces. A love creating with a simple cut file like this as they are super easy to back but look really effective on a layout.

The ‘heaviest’ embellishment cluster I created was to the right of the photo. This cluster had a mix of floral ephemera and fussy cut florals from the Garden Variety paper. I also delved into my enamel dot stash from past CVS collections to add those finishing touches to each cluster created.

The title of the layout is ‘captured’ and created using a past collection ‘Unforgettable’s’ foam stickers. Love a bold title that contrasts on a page, so these black foam stickers were perfect. The other words within the pack of titles were not as suitable as this was not necessarily a time that would fit the title of ‘the good life’ or ‘the best’ – I thought ‘captured’ works well as it gives a title that is just documenting this moment in time.

As always I have documented my story on a typewriter and cut it into strip form. For something different though I have adhered it with a thin dimensional adhesive tape (I use an affordable Bunnings one I have featured here). I love how it has added a slight shadow underneath each strip of my story.

Another cluster was created to the bottom left of the journaling. This cluster helps to balance the heaviness of the photo and the cluster to the right of the photo. This cluster features floral ephemera and fussy cut flowers.

To the top left of the photo I added another small cluster of embellishments. This helps to balance the layout. You will find that on most layouts I work in groups of three; in embellishment clusters and small embellishments too.

Thank you so much for stopping by the CVS blog today. I hope you have found this layout inspiring.

 

Raquel x

 

Merry Christmas | Merry & Bright | Raquel Bowman

Hey everyone, it’s Raquel here today sharing a new layout with you featuring the stunning Merry and Bright Christmas collection. I am absolutely loving documenting some Christmas memories lately and getting their stories onto paper.

Here is the layout I have created for you today:

 

This layout is documenting the love between my two kiddies and their little cousin. This bond has been so strong since he has been born but has grown stronger and stronger by the day. To the point that the kiddies now ask to see each other nearly every day of the week.

The base of the layout is created using my go-to white card stock however I chose to frame the layout with the Star Bright paper – I absolutely adore a gingham print and this one is just gorgeous. Once the base was framed and a border was stitched I worked on my cut file. This particular cut file is from the Cut to You store. I love the design of this and that the stack of presents allow you to incorporate multiple patterned papers into it.

I used a combination of 6×8 paper pad papers and 12×12” designs. I backed each present as a single print design making this process a little easier. The holly and berries were using a patterned paper however that gorgeous red design in the berries was made using one of the 3×4 cards in the Journaling cards set.

I backed the photo in my fave print of the collection the Jingle all the Way paper – I have always loved a diagonal stripe and this one is just truly gorgeous. The bonus is that we can have this in the 6×8” paper pad and the 12×12 paper! To the approx 3×4” photo I also added a ‘sweet’ tab from the ephemera pack. I also fussy cut flowers from the Joy to the World paper to cluster to the top left of the photo.

I always love to document a story on my layouts, however the design of this layout and how it turned out while I was creating allowed little room for a lot of journaling. So I decided to use on of the pocket cards to create a tag to add my story to. I then hid that behind the photo making sure to only adhere on the edges.

To help balance the layout it needed something in the top right corner. I created an embellishment cluster featuring ephemera and a fussy cut holly and berries. I also added wood veneer stars from my stash.

How adorable are the florals in every Cocoa Vanilla Collection? I love the way we can layer and embellish a layout using the florals that have been fussy cut. I know fussy cutting isn’t for everyone, but boy the extra florals to have as embellishments are sure worth the while of fussy cutting.

I have tried on my last few layouts to use the cute Santa head and larger Christmas tree ephemera piece. They finally found their home on this layout….I love how they look on this layout. Although they are a larger embellishment, I do not feel like they overtake or take away from the focal point of this layout which is of course my photo.

Thanks so much for stopping by the CVS blog today. I hope that you have been inspired by this layout.

Wishing you and your family a safe and healthy Christmas and New year. I will see you in 2021 with a new layout. I don’t know about you but I am hoping for a much better, and happier 2021 … fingers crossed

Raquel xxx

 

 

The Most Wonderful Time | Merry & Bright | Raquel Bowman

Hi everyone, it’s Raquel here and today I am sharing my first layout with you using the new Christmas collection ‘Merry & Bright’. I don’t know if I feel quite ready personally for Christmas or Christmas documenting however I must say that I really loved creating this layout. 

The focus of this layout was to document the arrival of our Elves Chippy and Snowflake each year. This time is highly anticipated in my household and spoken about in incidental moments all throughout the year ‘Remember the time Chippy did….’ ‘I love when Snowflake did ….’. I used a photo taken during the first year that Chippy arrived and a cut file from Cut to You store. 

Here is the layout that I created:

The cut file stocking was backed using 6×8″ papers from the paper pad. I love that the paper pads come with the same patterns and designs as the 12×12″ sheets but on a much smaller scale. I just adore a diagonal stripe so I had to use that as the feature of the cut file backing. I used the text script paper under the gift tag, but also added an ephemera tag to the top of the stocking to replicate a tag on the stocking too.

To embellish the top of the stocking I used a ‘be jolly’ sticker and one of the gorgeous gold fabric stars.

The title is a sticker ‘the most wonderful time of the year’ and is a small feature off the layout.I used a mixture of foam adhesive on both the photo and the stocking die cut to add extra dimension to the page. 

The journaling for this layout was typed on my typewriting and cut into strip form.

I cannot wait to document the 2021 Christmas adventures with the elves and my little family using this absolutely beautiful collection. I hope you have been inspired by todays layout. 

 

Raquel x

 

You are Awesome | Boys Rule | Raquel Bowman

Hey everyone, it’s Raquel Bowman here today and I am here sharing a “Throwback Thursday” layout. For today’s throwback I am delving into one of my fave boy collections from CVS called Boys Rule.

Here is the layout that I created to share with you today:  

I came across the featured photos on this layout while looking through a photo box I had in my craft room. I just wanted to document them immediately. These pics are of my little man when he was only a couple of years old. His little cheeky personality sure shines through with these photos and the Boys Rule collection was perfect to document them with. I also teamed my photos with a cut file from Cut to You – my fave place to buy cut files for my crafty pages. 

I used the 6×8” paper pad to back the clip board cut file binder clips. I also backed the clip boards in a combination of patterned papers and ephemera pieces to add layers and detail. 

As well as the clipboards framing the photos – stars were another repeating element to this page. I used the stars to embellish the page but also to support your eyes to go from the photos down to the title. The title of the page was fussy cut from the cut apart patterned paper. I added machine stitching through the title to allow it to stand out even more and add extra texture. 
I love that pop of aqua blue that the title brings to the page – I am so added some fussy cut stars and the banner ‘eat sleep and be rad’ – another cute element that compliments the rest of the layout design. 

The whole layout was matted in that black chalkboard style paper – to work well with the office theme of the page. To finish the layout and add texture to the page I used machine stitching. 

Thanks so much for stopping by the CVS blog today, I hope you found this Throwback Thursday post inspirational. 

Wonderful You | Daydream Collection | Raquel Bowman

Hey everyone, it’s Raquel here with you today sharing my latest layout using the gorgeous Daydream collection.

Here is the layout that I created:

The subject of this layout is my two boys; my husband and my little man Jack. In this picture Jack was a few years old. I rediscovered this photo in my photo stash prior to creating this layout and it brought back some beautiful memories. It is just crazy how quickly time flies. 

I have actually combined another Cocoa Vanilla Collection in today’s layout. I have used the ‘More than Words’ collection to embellish some of this page. The feature element on this page along with the photo of course is the cut file which is a file by Cut to You. 

I matted the photo in a pattern from the 6×8” Paper pad and also vellum from my stash to compliment the soft colours in this layout. I also added a small 4” doily to behind the photo. 

I backed the cut file with a variety of the patterned papers – I tried to stick to softer tones and soft prints in the files. I embellished with florals, stickers, and fussy cut moths. 
To embellish this page I also added one of the gorgeous fabric puffy hearts. I added this on top of the cut file. I love the pop of mustard this gave to the layout. The wonderful chipboard word that made up this title came from the ‘More than Words’ collection. It worked perfectly with this page. 

I added journaling to this page using my usual form; typewritten journaling adhered to the page in strips. I reflected on the relationship these two have…so beautiful. The layout was very top heavy and in particular to the top right – so I added a small little floral embellishment to the bottom left corner of the page.


Thank you so much for popping by the CVS blog today, I hope you have been inspired. 

Take care, 

Raquel xxx

 

Happy Times | Happiness Collection + Monthly Challenge | Raquel Bowman

Hey everyone, its Raquel here with you today sharing some inspiration for this months Monthly Challenge that can be found in our Facebook ‘Cocoa Vanilla Studio Community’ – the winner randomly drawn will be able to score a $25 voucher to spend in the CVS store. 

Here is the layout that I created inspired by the mood board – 
 
I chose to draw inspiration from the colours, the nature and plant elements, adding butterflies to my page and also from the painted striped image at the bottom of the inspiration board. 
 
Here is the process video for this layout:

The subject of my layout is my home town of Geelong. This photo was taken pre-covid when the waterfront was very much hustle bustle even on a weekday. I think this pandemic has brought me to reflect on the good times and things that I have in my life, our little town is one of those things. 
 
The Happiness collection has soo many gorgeous floral elements and embellishments. As you can see from my process video the embellishing of this page came together so nicely and just worked. The cut file I have used on this page is another one from the Cut to You store, however this one was one of the Newsletter freebie files. I backed the file with vellum as I really wanted to showcase the beautiful florals on this layout. 
 
Can you see something different for me on this page? Yep I had a little play with some distress inks and water to create that rainbow wash background. I fully committed to the design, though I must admit, I thought I would not like the result and would end up putting the background in the bin. Much to my surprise, that wasn’t the case and I like how it turned out. 
 
The title Happy Times was found in the ephemera pack. I had played with the die cut titles pack in the collection, and really love the way the one titled ‘beautiful’ looked on the page, however, I ended up choosing the less bold and smaller in size ‘Happy Times’. 
 
To frame my photo I used the light pink cross paper from the 6×8 paper pad. This pink shade has to be one of my favourite papers in the collection.I have used it multiple times and I was surprised that I had some left to mat my photo. 
I created embellishment clusters to the left and right of the photo and also a small cluster to the bottom left of the page to balance out the heaviness on that top right side, this small cluster also served as a good place to pop my journaling. I have used mainly the florals in the ephemera pack to embellish this layout, though I did also use some of the Accessory stickers (words, hearts) and some fussy cut butterflies.
The journaling on this page, as always is typewritten and reflects my love of our town. 
I love the opportunities that layering various elements gives, allowing me to add dimension, detail and depth by using foam adhesives to varying parts of the clusters. This image below gives you the chance to see some of the layering and detail that is on this page. 
 
I hope that you have been inspired by my layout today. If you are not a member of our Facebook community be sure to join and take part in this challenge. I would love to see what you create. 

Thanks so much for popping by, Have a great week.

Raquel xxx

 

 

Chillin’ Together | Daydream Collection | Raquel Bowman

Hey everyone, Raquel here today sharing a new layout for our ‘Rainbows’ theme with you all. Of course I had to use the stunning new Daydream collection to create this layout. I have also used two cut files from the Cut to You store as the main design elements on this page.

Here is the layout that I created:

These photos I am documenting were taken on Mother’s Day this year. In Victoria in May we were in COVID restrictions so this made our Mother’s Day look a lot different to what it may have looked like in the past. Although different I was glad to be able to capture a few pics of the kiddies and I together. The photos do capture the kids personalities beautifully.

I printed the series of photos using my Canon Selphy and made them a bit over an inch wide and about 6” long. I wanted it to mimic a photo strip. Of course I printed them in black and white, one of my fave ways to print photos.

For the rainbow I used a selection of papers in the 6×8 paper pad. I started with the pinks, then used blue and yellow for the other parts of the rainbow. The backing of the cut file did take a while but the finished result was worth it. I decided that I wanted to place it on the upper area of the page and the title underneath. The cut file is adhered to the page using foam adhesive to give it that dimension.

I decided to place the photo strip to the right of the rainbow and embellish on that right side using florals that were both fussy cut from papers but also from the ephemera packs. I love the way that florals allow you to layer and create so much detail on a layout.

The title of the page is created using a cut file and a title piece from the die cut title pack. The journaling was typed on my typewriter and adhered In strip form underneath.

To help balance the top heaviness of the layout on that right side I created a small cluster of embellishments to the bottom left of the page. This really helps to move your eyes around the page from the photo to the rainbow then to the title in a triangular shape. I used one of the gorgeous hearts on this page and I absolutely adore how it looks! I was able to adhere it really easily using a liquid adhesive.

I hope that you have been inspired by my layout today.  It has been so nice having creative time amongst supporting my own children and teaching remotely for this past 6 weeks, its been a challenging time.

Thanks for stopping by the CVS blog today, take care

Raquel xxx

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