I’m not sure about you, but I’m not ready to let go of summer just yet! We’ve had a wonderful summer and made countless memories that will surely warm our hearts during the cold winter months ahead. What’s better on a hot summer day than a refreshing popsicle? This layout will instantly bring back the feel of summer every time I look at it.
I used a Peartree cut file “Just Chill“, from the June 2025Pearscriptions files, as the inspiration to document this fun picture of my youngest grandson. I paired the cut file with patterned paper (Bright Side) from Cocoa Vanilla Studio’sSunkissed collection.
To accentuate the colours of the rainbow, I spent several hours stitching each colour with coordinating embroidery floss from DMC (347, 470, 743, 922 and 3848) and Anchor (066). I love the texture and layering it brought to the final product. Once the stitching was complete, the picture was adhered to the top left side of the layout.
I was looking for a bright and whimsical feel to this layout, so I backed the letters and shape in the cut file with coordinating colours of Bazzill cardstock to mimic the colours of the rainbow. To create additional dimension and texture, it was adhered to the layout using double-sided fun foam. The final element of interest was the addition of the ‘Stay Cool This Summer” tag. This tag is from Echo Park’s “Here Comes The Sun” Frames & Tags set of ephemera. It was a generous donation from Scrap ‘N Stamp to our crop bags at ScrapFest in Kitchener this past April. The orange twine at the top of the tag is Marigold Twistel. It comes from Making Memories and has been in my stash for at least 20 years. The cute colour-coordinated hearts on the tag come from a sticker sheet by Reflections, purchased at Michaels.
This layout was quite simple to create. It just took time and patience (6 hours) to complete the chain stitching on the background layout. Overall, I’m delighted with the final result. It’s just one of those layouts that is sure to make you smile every time you look at it.
Thanks again for stopping in. Until next time, stay safe, stay well, and Happy Scrapping!
Happy iNSD! For those not in the know, Happy International Scrapbooking Day! Yes, it’s a thing, and crafters are celebrating worldwide! Today, I’m sharing a page that came together quite simply. For me, scrapbooking is about sharing memories and events for my family to share and revisit. This photo is one that I can’t stop staring at. My daughter-in-law, Tanis, captured this amazing moment in time atop Roche Miette in Jasper National Park. Roche Miette is a 7,598-foot high mountain.
Imagine my heart when I saw my son running to the mountaintop edge! You can see their dog, Lillie, in the bottom right, keeping a keen eye on him too. But I must admit, who can blame him for wanting to get a better viewpoint? This view is spectacular and part of our exceptional Canadian landscape! With the enormous view, I chose to print the picture extra large (12″ x 9″) and let the picture tell the story on this layout.
I did not want to distract from this gorgeous photo, so I chose only a title to embellish this layout. Once again, I turned to Peartree Cutfiles to find the perfect title. The Exploring Nature title was just what I was looking for. After resizing the title to my page, I cut it on my Silhouette using white cardstock.
I searched through my patterned paper stash to find a paper that would complement the photo and support the word “nature” in the cut file. I found the match in paper F from Paper Rose Studio’sForest Trip collection. After manipulating the cut file and offsetting the letters in the word Nature to create the background, I positioned the new file on the patterned paper to cut along the colourful tree line.
I’m very pleased with how this paper complements the photo.
I added the location and date to complete this layout using Doodlebug Designs White Alphabet Soup Puffy Stickers. And there you have it—a simple yet visually effective layout that uses an oversized picture to tell the story.
Thanks for popping in today. If you’re a paper crafter, I hope you’ve found time today to enjoy our passion for creating. Until next time, stay safe, stay well, and Happy Scrapping!
My oldest grandson, Owen, has a keen interest in history. During the Christmas holidays, his family traveled to Stockholm, Sweden, and visited the exhibits at the Armémuseum (Swedish Army Museum). Owen enjoys getting immersed in the events he’s learning about. I love this picture of him wearing an old army coat from the exhibit. This picture inspired me to create a layout to celebrate his love of history and discovery.
I enjoyed creating this layout and drew on ten brands for the final product. Unfortunately, some of the products used have been in my scrapbook stash for years and are no longer available for purchase. The Intrepid Explorer cut file for this layout came from Peartree Cutfiles. I cut it from black Bazzill cardstock and partnered it with rusty patterned paper from 49 and Market’sRust and Revs collection. The beautiful rusty patterned paper helped highlight the rust in the base paper. This background paper belongs to Mintay Paper’sTraveller collection. When I buy a collection, I often purchase the smaller add-on paper packs, which are handy for backing cut files or cutting additional items without wasting the large 12″ x 12″ designs. In this case, the rusty, dotted patterned paper had a slightly smaller and more variegated pattern. I loved the effect it brought to the layout. I also used a nested star die set from Sizzix to cut several star shapes from this patterned paper. The stars had slightly beveled edges, which I highlighted with a thin black Sharpie marker.
I stamped several different star images from the My Favorite Things, Stars Above stamp set to give the layout more depth and texture. This stamp set is an older release and is no longer available. The script stamp came from a 7 Gypsies stamp set called Avignon and is also no longer available. The wood veneer stars are also vintage and came from Studio Calico. I sprayed them with Tim Holtz’s Rusty Hinge Distress SPRITZ to highlight the background paper’s rusty tones. As seen behind the globe, the ticket came from 49 and Market’sTicket Essentials pack (Color Swatch Toast).
The phrases on the layout, “Never Stop Exploring” and “Oh, The Places You Will Go,” are rub-ons from the 49 and MarketWherever Ride Rub-on Transfer set. The detailed travel theme ephemera belongs to the coordinating Traveller paper die-cut package by Mintay Papers. I placed fun foam and pop dots behind some of the ephemera pieces to give the layout additional dimension. I added the location and date below the title to complete the design using Doodlebug Designs Alphabet Soup Puffy Stickers in beetle black.
I am happy with the final layout and its overall look and feel. I hope my grandson’s interest in history grows and he continues to learn and discover more about those who paved the way for us today. Thanks for stopping in today, and until next time, stay safe, stay well, and Happy Scrapping!
This trip to the iconic Prater Amusement Park was on my husband’s bucket list. A long-time fan of Orson Welles’ film The Third Man, this was a must-see item on his wish list. Fortunately for us, this gigantic Ferris Wheel resides in Vienna, Austria, and is only a quick trip from our daughter’s home. While we have visited the Prater more than once, these pages document Bill’s first trip to the incredible Riesenrad.
I resized and slightly manipulated the Just the Ticket cut file to fit our tickets from our ride on the Riesenrad, and I backed the Ferris Wheel cut file to mimic the ride’s look. The Ferris Wheel was positioned slightly off the page to accommodate the picture, and I carefully trimmed the excess away. Once I completed both cut files, I adhered them to the background paper using double-sided fun foam.
The beautiful papers in this double-page layout belong to Mintay Paper’s Traveller Collection. Specifically, the background paper is the back side of sheet 02. I purchased two collection packs to accomplish this. I backed the title, Just the Ticket, using the back side of sheet 04. I typically buy a coordinating pack of 6″ x 6″ or 6″ x 8″ patterned paper in a collection to use for backing cut files. I then use these papers to back my cut files, saving my 12′ x 12″ patterned papers for additional layouts.
Before I adhered my picture and cut file on the left-hand page, I wrote the journalling for this layout in Word. I wanted to print the story directly onto the patterned paper. I did a test run on a piece of vellum to ensure my positioning was correct before sending it to print. This test allowed me to overlay the vellum onto the patterned paper and make any adjustments necessary before printing directly on the layout.
For the final touches on this layout, I added some ephemera from the coordinating Traveller’s collection. This die-cut package contains sixty elements and will provide plenty of finishing touches to several future layouts.
That’s a wrap on my design process for this double-page layout. It is a special memory for me, as this experience meant so much to my husband. Thanks for stopping by today, and until next time, stay safe and well. Happy Scrapping!
Happy Valentine’s Day to one and all! This scrapbook page is my 2024 Valentine’s tribute to my loving husband and partner of 43 years! Thank you for making me stretch my skills and push through barriers I never thought possible. I will treasure this travel memory for the rest of my life, and I couldn’t have done it without you….
We’ve had the good fortune to travel quite a bit in 2023. Of all our adventures, this five-and-a-half-hour hike in Zermatt, Switzerland, is now considered epic in our memories. We planned a day to complete the Five Lake Trail, offering unforgettable views of the Matterhorn. Our original plans, as laid out by our hotel concierge, were to take the underground funicular to Sunnegga and then switch to a gondola to Blauherd. From Blauherd, we were to follow the hiking trails down the mountain, visiting the five beautiful lakes.
But all good travel plans can quickly go awry, and this day was no exception! The underground funicular was a quick and easy ride to Sunnegga. The gondola, however, had been shut down for the season just two days before our arrival. Not being travellers to be easily discouraged, we quickly rearranged our plans and decided that if we couldn’t hike down, we would hike UP! It seemed like a sensible decision at the time! With the original hiking time estimated at two-and-a-half hours going down the mountain, we estimated it would likely take us three hours to go up and around the trail. Amateurs! Ha! If we only knew, would we have started at all?
We did not plan nor pack a lunch for our hike. Armed with water bottles and a small bag of peanuts, we hit the trail confident that we would complete the journey as planned. My husband, who moves like a gazelle on the slopes, thoroughly enjoyed his day. I, on the other hand, have a severe fear of heights. The literature describing this hike identified the hike as “easy – with a few moderately difficult sections”. Hmmm, while there were some manageable sections, there were times we had to follow the “Alpine Trail”, with very narrow dirt paths, more switchbacks than Italy, and protruding boulders that made the path extremely narrow. Thank goodness for my husband and his patience and humour that kept me going step after step! I won’t lie; we did have moments when we wondered if we would ever find our way back.
Thank goodness for Google Maps and faith that the Sunnegga station would come into view eventually. As we got closer to the station, in quite a challenging section of the trail, we came across an elderly (80+ years old) gentleman and his daughter sitting on a lookout bench. The only way these two arrived at the lookout was to climb. How he managed it, I will never know. But I was so thankful to see him there. I knew then that I, too, would make it back! Our reward on arriving at Sunnegga (aside from the fantastic pictures we took along the way) was a fabulous bowl of pasta for lunch. Add in two Gaterades and two coffees, and it only cost us the equivalent of over $100 Canadian. Nothing in Switzerland is cheap! Quite frankly, I was starved and so relieved to be back that I didn’t care what it cost then!
For those interested in my design process, I turned to Paper Rose Studio’sArtsy Print collection for the layout’s background. This paper collection is stunning! I chose the title Off on a Wander from Peartree Cutfiles. It was a phrase that assisted me in poking a little fun at our lengthy hike!
After cutting the title in white cardstock, I created another in black cardstock, offsetting it slightly to help it stand out on the page. The letters in the title were ink blended with two shades of ink from Papertrey Ink (Tropical Teal and Hawaiian Shores). I was looking for a very bold title effect on this layout and chose to outline each letter with white and black twine to achieve this effect.
I triple-matted my photo to coordinate the colours in the image and the background paper. I utilized another cut file from Peartree Cutfiles, entitled Leaves Buildable 2. Two of the leaves in this cut file became the black anchor for the cluster of colourful leaves on the bottom left-hand side of the design.
I die-cut additional leaves using Die-Namics from My Favorite Things (Grand Greenery and Grande Greenery). I cut three leaves from felt to add visual texture and interest and die-cut the remaining leaves from coloured cardstock. Once the leaves were all cut and ready to assemble, I backed one of the larger black leaves with black foam from Scrapbook Adhesives. The leaves were then layered and adhered to the background paper.
I added some paint splatters using a Tim Holtz stencil entitled Splatters using Mermaid Lagoon and Peacock Feather Distress Inks. For the final touches, I included the Day Trip ephemera from 49 and Market’s Everywhere Laser Cut Elements and the enamel dots from a mixture of Carta Bella, Your Next Stamp Gumdrops and Doodlebug Designs Winter Assortment Sprinkles.
And that’s a wrap on how I’ve memorialized this epic vacation adventure! I have no regrets about taking on this challenging and fulfilling hike. I will be forever grateful for my husband’s patience, perseverance and love that helped me overcome my fears that day. Would I do it again? Not likely! My mountain climbing days are over until the next great adventure presents itself!
I wish you all the very best this Valentine’s and thank you for stopping by to read about our travel shenanigans. Until next time, stay safe, stay well, and Happy Scrapping!
2023 was an incredible year for us. I could sum the whole year up in one simple word – TRAVEL! With my daughter and her family currently living in Austria, we can come and go as we please, and we get to travel all over Europe. It’s the sweetest deal going! We couldn’t be thankful enough for Lindsay and Jeff’s hospitality and generosity! We spent 20 weeks in Europe last year and visited eight countries. The memories we’ve made are precious, and we loved everywhere we travelled.
Two of my three top choices centred around family trips. In June, we travelled to Venice, Italy together. Taking a ride in a gondola was at the top of my bucket list in Venice, so you can imagine my excitement at bringing my daughter and grandchildren on the ride! They all loved it as much as I did, and I’d have to say, it was one of my BEST memories for 2023. In late October, we travelled as a family to London, UK. Our focus was a visit to Warner Bros Studios to see the Making of Harry Potter. I read each of the Harry Potter books to my two oldest grandchildren before they moved overseas. Having the opportunity to tour this remarkable location with them was MAGICAL! My final highlight was the five-and-a-half-hour hike my husband and I made in Switzerland. It was a gorgeous fall day with incredible views of the Matterhorn throughout the hike. It was breathtaking every step of the way!
The creation of the title was quite simple for this project. After resizing it to fit my layout, I cut it in black textured cardstock. To back the numbers in the title, I used smooth white cardstock. Each number was ink blended using three Altenew dye inks (Rouge, Velvet and Ruby Red) and adhered to the back of the main cut file. Once completed, I set it aside to work on the journalling for the layout.
I turned to my computer and printer to add the journalling to this page. To ensure the correct placement and to protect the beautiful background paper, I placed a 12″ x 12″ piece of vellum over the patterned paper and traced out the area I wanted the journalling in. Next, I typed out my story on the computer, positioning it as close to the coordinates as possible. I then printed the text on the vellum sheet to see how close I came to my coordinates. With a few little tweaks and a second test run with the vellum, I was ready to print directly on my patterned paper. As you can see from the finished project, the text placement went beautifully!
The next stage involved adhering the title and the pictures to the layout. I then moved to stamping some travel words and images onto the page. I used travel stamps from Jennifer Edwardson Creative Inc. and Recollections.
The final step to completing my layout was adding the laser-cut leaves from 49 & Market’s Spectrum Sherbert collection. I used coorinating leaves from both the Tidal Wave and Strawberry Lemonade packages. To create dimension with these leaves, I glued the centre stems down and popped up some of the leaves with 3D foam squares to create some dimension for the final product.
Thanks for taking the time to be with me today. I hope I’ve provided some inspiration to document your favourite memories of the past year. May the coming year be good for you and yours! Until next time, stay safe, stay well, and Happy Scrapping!
This past June, we experienced the delight of travelling to Venice with our daughter and family. To say that it was a magical time would be an understatement! We soaked in as much of the old city as possible in our time together. My highlight was a gondola ride with my daughter and three grandchildren. The beauty and mystique of this unique city really come to life when you ride a gondola down the winding canals. This layout was a way for me to capture the highlights of our incredible trip all on one page. I was honoured to have this layout published in Creative Scrapbooker Magazine’s Winter 2023/24 edition (page 96)!
Trying to fit ten photos on one page was no small task. When I saw the Circles Within Circles cut file from Peartree Cutfiles, I immediately visualized a way to make it happen. My first step was to cut the file from white cardstock. Next, I imported the pictures I planned on using into my Silhouette software and resized them to fit into the designated circles on the cut file. The easiest way to ensure success with this technique is to use the “Bring to Front” option in the Silhouette software. Right-click on your cut file and select “Bring to Front”. Your photo(s) are now behind the cut file. Now, you can easily resize them to fit the section of the cut file you chose. Once sized and printed, I cut each photo with a circular die to fit each corresponding position on the cut file.
I turned to PinkFresh Studio’sTourist Mode collection to design this layout. I focused on a monochromatic effect and chose blue to mirror the jewel tones of the water surrounding Venice. The next stage in creating this page involved backing parts of the larger cut file with blue-toned cardstock. I turned to the Silhouette software to assist in this task as well. By utilizing the “Fill” panel, I coloured sections in the cut file with corresponding shades of blue. Once I was happy with my selections, I copied, offset them, and cut them out using the Silhouette. Once all these pieces were adhered to the back of the cut file, the cut file was centred and secured to the background paper.
In preparation for completing the layout, I matted each photo on the page in blue cardstock with a slight offset for framing. Next, the strands of blue and white twine were secured to the layout, starting from the centre and ending at several pictures. This effect helps draw the eye to the photos and emphasizes the story of being all over the city. I secured each photograph to the page with a smaller piece of fun foam beneath. A small gap underneath the edge was filled by wrapping embroidery floss in coordinating colours.
I really stepped outside my box to create this layout. I traditionally focus on one or two photos per page when I scrapbook. I am really thrilled with the results and hope you agree. One scrapbook layout that sums up our activities in Venice! Thanks so much for stopping by today. Until next time, stay safe, stay well, and Happy Scrapping!
One of my favourite post-Covid activities is travelling! We are truly blessed to have family living in Austria that allow us to visit and use their home as a base to travel from. We made several trips overseas during the last twelve months, and have additional adventures planned ahead. I keep pinching myself that I should be so lucky! The picture in this layout is from Venice, Italy, where we met our family for more exploration and to make unforgettable memories together!
I chose the Tourist Mode paper collection and ephemera pack from PinkFresh Studio to document this romantic picture of Venice. I love how the colours in this collection complemented the beautiful colours of the canal.
The title cut file, Have Bags Will Travel, comes from Peartree Cutfiles. It perfectly encompassed my feelings for these great adventures we’ve been taking.
I was also attracted to this cut file because it let me personalize the suitcase. Many friends know I travel with a pink and red rosed suitcase with gold fixtures. This beautiful cut file allowed me the ability to mimic this look. I used an older sheet of patterned paper in my stash from Creative Imaginations called Prom Paper to recreate this look. I turned to gold foil cardstock to create the gold accents.
To achieve the blue ombre effect in the title, I offset the letters slightly and cut them from white textured cardstock. Using Altenew inks in Blueberry and Winter Lake, each letter was inked to create the overall effect. Once I was happy with the overall tone and gradation of each letter, they were adhered to the back of the title. The entire title was secured to the layout using black dimensional fun foam for added texture and visual impact.
The bottom three phrase strips came from the Tourist Mode ephemera pack. The wording perfectly captured my thoughts and feelings on this trip. The origin of the “Are we there yet?” chipboard accent is unknown, as I have had it in my collection for many years.
The foam “Fav Photo” phrase and all the coordinated foam dots on the layout belong to Vicki Boutin’s “Loving This” thicker collection. The two additional pieces of ephemera belong to the Tourist Mode collection. Each piece of ephemera was inked along the edge with a colour-coordinated Altenew ink (Orange Sherbert, Orange Cream, Caribbean Sky, and Limestone). Doodlebug Designsteensy-type stickers were used to note the date and location.
I hope everyone finds an opportunity in their life to travel. For me, it is not only educational and enlightening, it is truly life-changing. Thanks for taking this trip with me today, and until next time, stay safe, stay well, and Happy Scrapping!
Oh, the pure bliss of swimming! And what could be better than swimming in the South Aegean off Naxos, Greece?! My daughter, son-in-law, and family vacationed in Naxos this summer; as you can see from the picture, it was a huge hit! Madison has always been a water baby, so this vacation was right up her alley. When I saw this picture I knew it was the perfect match for the Happiness Right Here cut file from Peartree Cutfiles. Peartree is celebrating its third birthday this month, and this cut file is free for the month of August. You can find the free version here. Come play along with the birthday celebration!
After cutting the file from white cardstock, the letters in the title were inked using Altenew’sBlueberry and Winter Lake inks. The lighter shade (Blueberry) was applied to the top of each letter and the darker (Winter Lake) was applied to the bottom to mimic the colours in the sea and the differences you see as the light hits the water.
I chose the backside of the Seashore patterned paper from Paper House’sAt the Beach Collection to document this special moment.
The soft jewel tones and gentle waves of the sea in the picture drew me to the Waves Border cut file to compliment this layout.
Rather than cut the file from coordinating paper with my Silhouette, I chose to stitch it. My first step was to flip the file horizontally and use a sketch pen to draw the design on the back of the patterned paper. I then used a paper piercer to hand pierce the pattern in preparation for stitching. I then gathered coordinating jew tone embroidery floss to mirror the colours of the sea in the picture and began stitching. A total of 8 colours were used to complete this design (Anchor Embroidery Floss: 130, 131, 160, 161, 185, 186, 187, 188). A chain stitch was used and I randomly changed threads as I worked my way through the design. I purposefully choose lighter tones for the top of the wave, and darker tones for those below. This process took several hours, but the results were well worth it!
I’m so happy to share in the celebration of Peartree Cutfiles 3rd Birthday. Their birthday challenge was a lot of fun and made me think outside of the box. Thanks for joining me today, and until next time, stay safe, stay well, and Happy Scrapping!
Who’s in for a good roller coaster ride this summer? While visiting our family in Austria, we took another trip to the Prater, Vienna’s renowned amusement park. Emperor Joseph II opened the park to the public in 1766. It has been serving up smiles ever since! Our 10-year-old grandson somehow convinced his Mom to ride this wicked (lying down) roller coaster. I’m the one safely on the ground, filming for prosperity! This picture captures them as they pause before being loaded into a corkscrew lift to start their ride.
The paper selected for this layout is from Webster’s Pages and it is called Dream in Color – Drifting. It fits beautifully with my design when I rotate it upside down. I chose Peartree CutfilesRollercoaster cut file to document this fun event. I wanted my layout to provide the illusion of a roller coaster. To achieve this effect, I took several steps.
First, the cut file was cut out in black to help the title stand out. Next, the letters of the title were cut in blue to match the sky in the photo. The third step included cutting the file once again in red to imitate the red steel girders of the actual roller coaster. The cut file was cut once again in yellow to mimic the yellow rails the roller coaster cars travelled on. Once all 4 colours were cut, I carefully cut the elements away that I didn’t need and glued each section into place to recreate the coaster my family was riding.
To further the illusion of the actual roller coaster, I used Taylored ExpressionsBlack Foam Sticky Strips to back the cut file and provide dimension. Each sticky strip was cut in half lengthwise and then carefully adhered to the back of the cut file to achieve this look. While somewhat tricky and time-consuming, I am very happy with the result.
The sticker phrases and journalling box came from an older Echo Park paper collection called hello Summer. The large colour-coordinated FUN sticker is from Photoplay’sThose Summer Days paper collection. The final design element was adding brightly coloured stars in the sky. These stars are Puffy Stickers from Cocoa Vanilla Studio’sNo Limits collection.
I may not be a roller coaster enthusiast myself, but I certainly had a blast documenting this ride for my family. My grandson is very excited this layout will be included in one of his scrapbooks!
Have I convinced you to get out to the amusement park this summer? Be sure to take every opportunity to enjoy this glorious summer and all the opportunities it offers! Until next time, stay safe, stay well, and Happy Scrapping!
DDDesignz 