Posts Tagged ‘layout’

The Lulu and Roy collection is the perfect excuse for a little shabby chic, but that doesn’t mean that it has to be too shabby!

I’ve gone for a fairly basic layout, but the border sticker gives it that wow factor with a stunning focal point.

You can see on this picture that I backed the with a little gauze (from a bandage) which I have sprayed with ink first to add colour. To add more texture, I also punched out some leaves and used the collectables for more detail and interest.

A little bit of stamping helps to add some depth without any more bulk – I used Friends which is really versatile.

You can find the full collection of Lulu and Roy here.

Thanks for popping in.

Morag x

Overlays can add a luxurious feel to a layout and this 12×12 acetate overlay from the Lulu and Roy collection adds real impact to my layout.

Using overlays can feel a little scary as adhering it to the background needs a little forethought. I wanted to cluster my photo and embellishments and these areas are ideal for hiding the adhesive.

I normally have to connect my elements together, so I really had to break out of my comfort zone and create two distinctive areas on the layout. The border pieces from the 6 1/2″ paper pad forms the basis of this grouping. I added pieces from the collectables layering several altogether and mixing them in with punched leaves and stickers. I added more flags below the border and topped it off with a new Bijou  Button – Utterly Butterfly.

To give some balance to the layout, I replicated the embellishment cluster around my photo.

I hope that you’ll enjoy the Lulu and Roy collection as much as I did!

Morag x

What I love about the Marigold collection is the versatility and mix of patterns. On one side there are gorgeous, vintage-inspired prints while on the other they have a modern feel.

The Ornate Die-cut paper (unfortunately no longer available) is stunning and as you can see, looks like a really expensive frame!

I didn’t really need to do much to add my own twist so I used two frames from the Collectables. I trimmed around the flowers and tucked the first frame below and the second frame is mounted with foam tape.

The background paper is already lovely, but to add a little pizzazz I used the rub-ons to add a quote. I then sliced around  the edge of the frame and layered different papers below, distressing them so that they curl slightly.

To make sure the layout is balanced, I also distressed the top left corner, this time peeling back the background, placing paper from the Paper Pad below and tucking in  journal card.

Check out the Marigold collection for yourself!

Thanks for popping in.

Morag x

I am playing with the Marigold collection all month. There are gorgeous pretty patterns on one side and the reverse feature more graphic patterns which I totally adore. So for a change, I am mainly using the b-side of the papers to create my layouts.

Colour blocking as I understand it, is where blocks of colour are laid down in layers. It is something I used to do more of and I was kind of missing it. Gorgeous patterns like these really suit this style of scrapping.

Blocks can be an easy way to scrap but it doesn’t have to be boring or too simple either. I  inked the edges for added definition before sewing into position. Try using a mixture of sewing stitches for extra interest.

Layering embellishments really help to break up the blocks. You can see in this picture that the die-cuts have text running through them which I really love. There are loads of frames and gorgeous images to choose from.

I thought I would also dust off some brads to accent one of the blocks. Mixing in old stash with new is a great way to revive them.

I think that this style of block scrapping translates really well into a sketch so I thought it might be fun to share!

I would love for you to try out the sketch too and share it with us. If you have never used one before, you can use the sketch quite literally or adapt it to suit your photos. For example you may have one 6×4 photo or a portrait photo may mean that you need to flip things around.

Materials used:

• Marigold Collection: Lemon, Tawny, 6 1/2″ Paper Pad, Sticker Sheet, Collectables
• Stash Panache – The Great Outdoors

Thanks for popping in!

Morag x

One collection – so many different looks. The Marigold collection is just that. I love the fact that with one collection I can do vintage and modern layouts depending on my subject.

I like to mix up my scrapping style and for this layout I went for a graphic approach. The b-sides of the papers have gorgeous prints that co-ordinate beautifully. Chevrons are definitely the shape of the moment so incorporating those was a must.

You can draw attention to the chevrons by adding your favourite Boutique Button – mine was from The Daily Grind.

Materials used:

• The Marigold Collection – Tawny, Citron, Lemon, Straw, Collectables
• Boutique Buttons - The Daily Grind

I also made a sketch of this layout – I hope that you might try out the layout for yourself!

Thanks for popping in.

Morag x

Some of us enjoyed the recent wintry weather (perhaps some more than others). My kids definitely enjoyed it for a while at least, but without themed papers, it can be a challenge to give a layout that winter look.

I have gone for the b-side of the Marigold papers but have mixed them with more delicate touches to get a graphic look with a vintage feel (not sure if that’s an oxymoron?)

First off, I used a recently acquired stencil and pushed texture paste through before sprinkling it with glitter.

You can dress up any flowers with a little snow paste or texture paste. I apply mine with a coffee stirrer and dab the paste over the top of the flowers (no need to be neat). I then sprinkle glitter over the top and let it dry. You get a lovely frosting to flowers and leaves.

To ‘frame’ the outside of my paper, I stamped the lace pattern all the way around. You can line up the clear stamp pretty easily and if you want your corners to be quite neat, just use a piece of paper or post-it note to mask off.

I cut out one of the flower designs from the Amber paper to add a delicate touch to the layout.

Materials Used:

• The Marigold Collection - Amber, Tawny,  Maple,  6 1/2″ Paper Pad
• Stamps – Delicate Lace
• Boutique Button –  The Vintage Garden

Thanks for stopping by.

Morag x

Do you ever find  yourself with time to scrap but don’t know where to start? That was my situation recently. I sat down to scrap but really didn’t know what to do. This layout, although simple actually took several attempts to complete. It sat waiting to be finished for so long.

I think that one reason was my stack of photos was distinctly lacking because of the bad weather. Once I had managed to get out with the kids to a park, I grabbed a bunch of great photos and hey presto! I suddenly felt like I could finish what I had started.

The Secret Admirer Collection has such pretty papers, colours and images. My starting point was actually the banners. I cut out pretty doilies and combined them with the Collectables die-cuts.

Adding a touch of Ice Stickles to the doilies gave each one a sparkly touch as did setting  the Aqua Rhinestones in a droplet effect.

The stunning Sweet Love designer paper has lovely glossy detail as well as these gorgeous images. I used the Quotes Sticker Sheet which has dozens of fab quotes in different sizes.

As part of my focal point, I layered up the Collectables die-cuts before adding Mini Paper Blooms. There is a fabulous selection of blooms that co-ordinates perfectly and don’t forget to add  leaves to a grouping – you’ll be amazed how  they set lovely flowers off.

The lacing detail was easy – just cut and distress the edges, before setting eyelets evenly along the edges. Mine are about 2cm apart. Then lace and add patterned paper behind.

So if you get stuck in a scrapping void, try getting some new photos to kick start your creativity.

Morag x

The beauty of a shabby chic design is that you don’t have to be able to line things up accurately and it can hide a multitude of sins!

I love the designs of Pickled Pear – a little vintage but with some modern twists. This allowed me to add some fun details to the page.

One easy but effective alteration is to create tears in the background to reveal paper below. Simply tear the paper and curl back the edges.

Then place paper behind the hole that you’ve created. I stamped Vintage Fence  (which looks like wooden planks) onto grey cardstock using brown ink, then stuck it below the aperture.

Another easy alteration is to turn back a corner of the page, adding a new page corner behind. This is a great spot to add flowers and embellishments as I have done. If you like a little distressing, then you can crumple the corner and ink the edges.

For the main cluster of flowers and embellishments, I layered elements from the Collectables and tucked in some bandage, flowers and leaves. The fence is made from coffee stirrers and finally I added a button from The Vintage Garden.

This gorgeous set of buttons feature delightful vintage images of birds and flowers but with a modern twist, making them truly versatile.

Products Used:

Pickled Pear Collection
Boutique Buttons – The Vintage Garden
Clear Stamps – Pickled Pear, Vintage Fence, Magnolia Grove

I hope that you’ll try some of these easy techniques on your next page.

Thanks for popping in.

Morag x

Welcome back for a new challenge! Every month I am amazed by your entries and this is why every month I try to come up with a theme I hope will inspire you to keep playing along with us!

This month is no exception. I know Christmas is just around the corner and we don’t have that much money or time to invest in our hobbies so I tried to keep it “open” enough while encouraging you to use your leftovers… The theme is:

Get Stripped!

Well, not literally! Looking around in my craft room my eyes stumbled upon the pile of strips I save from my gorgeous collection of Kaisercraft papers. You know, those strips at the bottom of each 12″x12″ sheets of patterned papers on which you find the name of the collections and with some complimentary pattern on the back? Well, I want to see you use them, or something similar, on your layouts. I want to see strips of papers used in a creative way featured on your layout !

As always, here is my take on this challenge:

I weaved the strips to create this background. It add great texture! I actually hesitated quite a long time between using the front (as shown up here) or the back:

Love this too!

And here are a few close-up:

I loved playing around with those strips and I hope this challenge will give you some ideas on how to make your stash go further!

Please add your creation to the gallery below before the challenge closes at 1:00pm on 12th January 2013. We will then choose the layout that we think uses strips of paper in a creative and artistic way to win a fantastic prize – a £25.00 voucher to spend on anything you want from the Merly Impressions online store. Wow!

We do hope that you have fun with our challenge and that we bring some inspiration your way. Every month I love to look through all your gorgeous entries but please make sure you follow the challenge rules as we are sad to have on occasion to remove some entries as they didn’t follow those rules. You can find a full list of the Challenge rules on the Monthly Challenge page but we would like to politely remind readers that:

1. anyone who puts their entry on their own blog must link back to this post (http://www.merlyimpressions.co.uk/blog/scrapbooking/december-2012-layout-challenge/) so that all your visitors can find the gallery below and enjoy all the fabulous layouts being created
2. each creation entered must be “new” (not previously entered into a Merly Impressions or any other challenge)

It can be 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.

I really can’t wait to see all your entries! Have fun!

Emilie xxx

Another month has gone by… Can you believe that we are only a few weeks away from Christmas? I haven’t even made a start on my presents… But it is time for our monthly challenge and, you never know, you might win a great prize just in time to treat yourself or a friend with the very generous £25 gift voucher we have in stock for the winner!

I won’t make you wait any longer. This months challenge is: “BLUE”. You are free to add this colour however you wish: papers, paint, embellishments,… All we ask is that this colour is the main feature of your layout. You are free to choose whichever subject or theme you want, it doesn’t need to be seasonal in any ways. So to rephrase it, we want to see some blue on your layout as your main colour. And as you know I am not one to let you play on your own, here is my layout:

I used the amazing Chevron Stencil to create my background and coloured it in with Distress Stains in Chipped Sapphire, Stormy Sky and Broken China. I dried it all off with my heat gun to then go all over it again still through the stencil with the gorgeous Metallic Distress Stain in Brushed Pewter (Silver). It really gave my background a gorgeous iridescent look. At the top of my page I layered some scraps of papers I had left from different collections: Check-in, Timeless, Hummingbird and the Music paper from the paper pad of the Twig and Berry collection. To make it all come together I decided to slide some tickets from the Timeless packet of Collectables. I hope this layout inspires you to take part! I really can’t wait to see your entries!

Please add your creation to the gallery below before the challenge closes at 1:00pm on 12th December. We will then choose our favourite layout to win a fantastic prize – a £25.00 voucher to spend on anything you want from the Merly Impressions online store. Wow!

We do hope that you have fun with our challenge and that we bring some inspiration your way. Every month I love to look through all your gorgeous entries but please make sure you follow the challenge rules as we are sad to have on occasion to remove some entries as they didn’t follow those rules. You can find a full list of the Challenge rules on the Monthly Challenge page but we would like to politely remind readers that:

1. anyone who puts their entry on their own blog must link back to this post (http://www.merlyimpressions.co.uk/blog/scrapbooking/november-2012-layout-challenge/) so that all your visitors can find the gallery below and enjoy all the fabulous layouts being created
2. each creation entered must be “new” (not previously entered into a Merly Impressions or any other challenge)

It can be 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.

I really can’t wait to see all your entries! Have fun!

Emilie