Today I have completed another layout using the Under £10 Kit featuring the Kaisercraft Charlotte’s Dream collection. This time I will show you how to give the impression that you are using a lot more layers than you actually are.

I created the impression of an extra layer of paper on the top right of this layout by drawing over the existing pattern with a black pen in the place where I would have normally added some extra papers. It brings detail without needing to use any more stash.

You see it doesn’t need to be perfect! I also jazzed-up my glossy paper by rubbing some distress ink over it. It really made the design pop out! It’s a great way to make any gloss or varnished paper stand out! Why not try this technique with an image you have clear embossed on card stock?

A great way of adding layers is by cutting out a shape in your background, backing it with some paper so that you can re-use the shape you first cut out: example with the bunting: I first cut the triangles out of the background to then re-use them by turning them over and sticking them down. Also try and make the most out of the strips that come at the bottom of your Kaisercraft 12×12 sheets.

Running out of Alpha stickers? Have you ever thought of using the “negative” image of it? It really can add interest to your title and get you out of a sticky situation! (Do you like the pun?!)

I hope I have given you a few more ideas and techniques and inspired you to try them out. Keep your eyes open for the third and last part of our “Under £10 Project”!

Emilie

We had such amazing entries last month! We were amazed by how many of you took part even though I hadn’t been very kind with the subject by asking you to Scrapbook about yourself! But you all rose to the challenge and did an amazing job. So this month I decided to be a bit kinder to you all by proposing a sketch:

There is no imposed theme – all you have to do this month is let this sketch inspire you! You can flip it, rotate it, make it yours BUT we still need to be able to see it in your design.

Please link to your creation in the gallery below before the challenge closes at 1:00pm on 12th June. We will then choose our favourite, most inspirational, representation of the sketch to win this months fantastic prize - a choice of paper packs from Kaisercrafts June collections plus £10.00 worth of coordinating products – a total prize value of about £20.00!  Wow!

So here is my interpretation of this challenge:

Let me tell you first that I am NOT a sketch person so this was truly a challenge to me! I usually end up with a layout completely different from what I had in mind before I started so following a sketch and staying true to it is very difficult for me! I used papers from the gorgeous Charlottes Dream collection including the awesome paper pad.

Here are a couple of close-ups:

I absolutely love this collection! So pretty!

We do hope that you have fun with our challenge and that we bring some inspiration your way. Here is a reminder of the rules as we would like all of your entries and hard work to count:

1. Entries should be linked to the gallery at the bottom of the challenge post (see instructions below)
2. When linking to your blog, please link directly to the post showing your entry (not just to your blog home page)
3. If you include your entry in a post on your own blog, please link back to the challenge post on our blog
4. You may enter the challenge more than once as long as each submission is with a different creation
5. Each creation entered must be “new” (not previously entered into another challenge)
6. The challenge is only open to residents of those countries to which we ship (shown here)

Entries failing to follow the challenge guidelines may be deleted. Please see the Monthly Challenge page for full details of the rules.

We noticed that it was difficult for us to view any of your entries linked through Facebook therefore we are kindly asking you if you could please post your photos on the Merly Impressions page as this should make it easier for us all to admire your work. You can also email your entries directly to us at info@merlyimpressions.co.uk and we will add them and link them through our Photobucket gallery.

All your comments and feedback are highly appreciated! Hope you will have a lot of fun with us!

Emilie

That the winner for April is GlitteryKatie with the layout shown below.

Emilie thought that Katie’s layout was quirky with lots of interesting touches such as the arrows and the repeated photos. Well done Katie – we will be in touch soon to get your prize to you but, in the meantime, here is a nifty badge to put on your blog:

We had lots of great entries for the challenge and Emilie would like to highlight the following entries as her Top Acts among the remaining layouts.

And here is a badge for the Top Acts:

We would like to thank everyone who took the time to enter our April challenge and we hope that you’ll all enter the May challenge that will start very soon.

Chrissy  xXx

No subscriptions, it is just a matter of you liking it and buying it! It is perfect for you to play along with my projects! Don’t forget there are two more layouts to come! You can find my first layout here and you can purchase the kit here. Want to see more? Well, let me tease you…

Liking what you see? Then join me with this project! It’s a lot of fun! Keep your eyes open for the next two layouts!

Emilie

The kit uses Kaisercraft’s collection called Charlotte’s Dream. This collection features a soft colour palette of light turquoise, coral and brown with exquisite vintage designs. The kit will include four 12 x 12 papers, three sheets of cardstock, Lace, Jute, Rhinestones, a Wood flourish and the NEW Kaisercraft Wood Grain Background Stamp.

The theme for the two layouts is “The Happy Couple” & “Family” but you can adapt your layouts to suit your photo’s.

The first layout, that we have called “The Happy Couple”, includes one photo measuring approx 9cm by 14cm high. preferably featuring shades of turquoise, coral and Browns. A Sepia photo would also work.

The second layout, that we’ve called “Family”, includes four photo’s, three of which measure 13.5cm wide x 9cm high and the fourth measuring 6cm wide x 8.5 high. The photos for this layout are to fit in pre-cut apertures in a frame made to replicate the beyond-the-page nine-frame photo display.  I have used Sepia toned photo’s for this layout but shades of turquoise, coral and browns would also work.

You are obviously free to alter the title (and therefore the theme) of the layouts and you can also add journalling.  We will bring a template to help you mark out the frame part of the Family layout.  We will also bring our usual supply of tools, the Cricut Expression machine, Grand Calibur and Big Shot to the crop if people would like to use it to create their own title or cut out other embellishments. Other items used on the layouts which you may need to bring are Crystal Lacquer, a journal pen and an Edge Scraper Tool. You will also need to bring a small pair of scissors because there is a little delicate cutting out on one of the  layouts. I have also used a script stamp on the “Happy Couple” layout, you can either use a similar stamp or the Wood Grain one in the kit.

We will post larger images and close-ups of the layouts after the May crop.

The kit will cost £10 on the day but is entirely optional. Because of the extended crop hours the cost for May is £8.00. The location of the crop, together with other details, can be found on our Crop Dates page.

Chrissy  xXx

What is it exactly? Well, every month I will select for you £10 max worth of goodies (P and P not included) and create a minimum of three projects with it. No extra embellishments or papers. I will also share with you my tips on what to look for when buying on a budget and on how to make the most of what you have got. Are you excited yet? So let’s start!!!

This month I chose for you elements from the Charlottes Dream collection:

We have two sheets of double sided 12×12 papers (Vision and Fantasy), one sheet of speciality paper (Prayer gloss), one sheet of die-cut paper (Contemplate), the sticker sheet and a packet of mini blooms in the sea breeze shade. It all come to a total of £9,94. Why didn’t I choose only the cheapest papers? The die-cut paper is so gorgeous you will definitely feel spoilt but it also has enough printing on it to minimise the need for extra embellishment. The glossy paper is perfect for inking and painting on as the clear-embossed flourishes will remain the same colour after you’ve played with it: it will give the illusion that you had more papers to start with. I chose the sticker sheet as it is a great way to embellish your layouts on a budget and it contain the alphas you will need. The mini blooms are here for extra dimension and texture as well making your layouts more expansive.

I used those basic tools:

Now you know the ins and outs of this new project here is my first layout:

I used five of my paper blooms on this layout and created my own paper flower out of the glossy paper. I also used some of the flowers from the sticker sheet to integrate the photograph into the background.

I mounted my photograph onto the “Vision” paper by cutting the paper like this:

Always think ahead: When cutting into a sheet of patterned paper always think of how you will want to use the remainder. Here I knew I would use the rest of the sheet as the background of a future layout. I also saved the paper that would be hidden under the photograph for a future layout. This way I can get three layouts out of one sheet of patterned paper!

A few more details in the top corner of the layout to balance the design and this layout is completed! Want to know what else I created with the leftovers? Well keep your eyes open for future posts as I have two more projects and extra tips to share with you!!!

Emilie

I used a simple design which really showcases the  gorgeous border sticker from the These Days sticker sheet.  To draw the eye to the top of the circle, I tied a big flimsy bow from vintage seam binding.

For some added detail I added tiny drops of Liquid Pearls around the stamped journal block (These Days Clear Stamps).  You can also see that I used a mask on the cardstock background. I gently rubbed Distress Ink over it to create the pattern.  I then added some random script (from the Secret Bird Society Clear stamp) to add a little more depth.

I love the lace pack which contains the prettiest crochet lace.  I used them to edge my photo and circle which adds a touch of delicacy to my layout.

Thanks for popping in.

Morag x

You see, every time I’ve seen an angel being used for home decor in the past, it was around the festive times of Christmas and let’s be honest, I am not really in a “Ho Ho Ho’” mood just yet! So I thought, how could I use this Kaisercraft Beyond-the-Page Angel so that I can keep it around the house all year ’round?

Well “Angel” led me to think of Cupid and that led me to think of that strip of photos I had of Iain and me. It was perfect too as I had in the same box the gorgeous Sweet Nothings paper pad in which was a sheet of super cute little Cupids!!! I mixed it up with some leftovers of the NSW sheet for the bottom “skirt” and the WA sheet for the wings from the Great Southern Land collection.

I am always amazed at how easy it is to mix up the Kaisercraft collections even though they don’t have anything in common to start with! A few flowers, a bit of lace and some gems to finish it all off and now this angel is proudly sitting above our television in the lounge!

I hope I inspired you to look at your BTP in a new light!

Emilie

Firstly we have the Rock Pool collection that features the shapes and patterns of coral, seaweed and waves embellished with sea creatures such as crabs, fish and sea shells. This large collection features nine double-sided 12×12 papers as well as printed ribbon, epoxy stickers, two sets of collectables, two wonderful die-cut papers, two stickers sheets and much more. If you have a beach or seaside project in mind then this collection could be for you.

Next we have the Magnolia Grove collection – featuring floral designs and pretty patterns with a vintage feel in shades of dusty pink, smokey grey and cream. This collection includes nine 12×12 double-sided papers, a sticker sheet, printed ribbon, collectables and much more. Magnolia Grove is a excellent choice for floral styled, vintage themed projects and would look wonderful used in combination with your favourite vintage photos.

We also have six new 12×12 double-sided papers and two sticker sheets to extend the very popular Timeless collection. The new papers include a fabulous Fob Watch design and a beautiful vintage style Butterfly design.

To coordinate with the classic designs of the Timeless collection, this month we also have six brand new Vintage Clear Stamps that can be used to add some gorgeous detail to your layouts.

Also new new this month are six new Texture Clear Stamps, six new Mini Clear Stamps (featuring sea creatures to coordinate with the Rock Pool collection), five new colours of Kaisercraft Ink Pads and four new Beyond-the-Page products. So much to choose from !

So I thought I would create a little mini-book to help remind me of all the things we got up to this month.

I used the Fine & Sunny collection as my starting point. The cute birdies and flowers are a perfect partner for this sort of project.

I love making mini books with a difference. I try to challenge myself to bind it in a different way or create pages with a difference. For this one, I made small pockets from cardstock which were there bound together using a concertina binding.

The pages are simply decorated with papers from the paper pad as well as collectables die-cuts.

Of course you can decorate the book with all sorts of embellishments because the beauty of the concertina binding is that it will expand as needed. I do love pinwheels which can get a little squashed in an ordinary book.

Extra tags can accomodate more journalling or photos.  I decorated mine using a variety of stickers, paper pieces and die-cuts.

I hope that I have inspired you to make a mini book of your own.  Be sure to check out the Fine & Sunny collection which is a perfect partner for your Easter projects.

Morag x