January title page with Sarah Rosse

Hello crafty friends, Sarah here with a layout for you using a number of the super duper products from the online Shop and Crop store. This layout is an 8.5X11 inch page for my family album. It is the front page for January. The inspiration for this layout was the sketch of the month as seen here...

The base of this layout is patterned paper from my stash and I have used the new Tinby Designs Color Crush watercolour powder in Sea Green to create the background. I placed some powder on some plastic packaging, spritzed it with water and turned it over on to the page. These amazing watercolour powders can be seen instore here.

I used some stamps - The Darkroom Door Arty Triangles collage stamp and Kaisercraft's 'Stains' Acrylic stamps. The Darkroom Door stamps range in store can be purchased here. The extensive range of Kaisercraft products online can be seen here. The paper and stickers used in this layout is from the Echo Park Paper Co Dino Friends collection - it can be purchased in store here Let's take a closer look.

Thanks so much for joining me...until next time....

Mixed Media Fun with Sarah Rosse

Hello crafty friends, Sarah with you today using the AMAZING June Mixed Media Kit, designed by the one and only Elisa Ablett! That girl is seriously amazeballs! I had so much fun using this kit to make the cover page our our family 2017 album. The Mixed Media kit can be purchased instore as a once off or for a 6 month subscription. A subscription brings the price down to only $36.95 per month and what great value that is! The June kit is especially one of my favs due to the exclusive graffitti stamp in the kit designed by Elisa. I used this in one of my last blog posts and I just can't get enough of it!

This layout was completed on an 8.5x11 inch page and I followed the full step by step instructions that come with the kit - perhaps this layout size is a little small in hindsight to get the full effect of kit - I mean, you want to ensure you have enough room for those gorgeous paint brushes with paint strokes at the bottom of the page. Whilst mine doesnt quite look like Elisa's, I am pretty happy with it. Let's take a closer look....

The other tip that Elisa outlines in this kit and that I wanted to bring to your attention today is using your wooden veneer pieces as stamps. As you can see below, the skull and the peace sign (both come in the kit) were used to stamp on to the graffitti wall background.

To achieve this look, I simply applied paint to the piece using a paint brush, turned it over and stamped on to my layout! What a great idea! You could use any wooden veneer pieces you have in your stash and create stamps with them! Shop and Crop have an extensive range of wood veneer products in store that can be purchase by clicking here. I'd love to see what results you get trying this technique and thinking about how we can extend and use our supplies in various ways.

Until next time, happy creating!

Exclusive Stamping....4 ways by Sarah Rosse

Hello crafty friends, Sarah here with a quick technique based blog post using the awesome graffitti stamp, exclusively found only in the June Mixed Media kit. This kit and stamp was designed by the gorgeous Elisa Ablett! How lucky are we to have her on the design team. As soon as I spied the graffitti stamp, I knew I just had to have it. The range of Shop and Crop once off kits can be purchased online by clicking here.

So here are four ways you can use this graffiti stamp to create a cool background. This stamp is ideal for multiple prints side by side, as Elisa has done in her mixed media kit. You could use these techniques to make a card background or for a scrapbooking layout or pocket page. Everything you will need to try these out is pictured above - a heat gun, stamping block, ink, embossing powder (I used clear and gold) and paint. The Mixed Media kit comes with three small bottles of paint which are ideal.

First technique is simply stamping with ink. Here I have stamped with black StazOn ink. You could however use any colour ink you like. I think multi coloured or an ombre inked look would look fantastic.

Secondly, I then added some clear embossing powder over the black ink while it was still wet and heated it with my heat gun. Shop and Crop have a wide range of embossing powders that can be found here. As you can see in the photo below, the embossing powder gives a shiny, slightly raised finish to the stamped image.

Continuning on with my love of embossing powders, this time I have applied VersaMark, stamped and applied gold embossing powder. This is then heated with a heat gun and wow, the shine is gorgeous! You can just imagine this on a wider background - lots of bling!

Lastly is stamping with paint....yes, it sounds messy and it can get that way, but the little bottles of paint provided in the Mixed Media Kit are ideal for this technique. The tips of the bottles make application to a small surface, such as a stamp, easy to do.

The lovely thing about paint is that you somewhat control where you place it. I say 'somewhat' because I find it does it's own thing and can move a little when stamping, depending on how much paint you put on the stamp. As you can see pictured above, I have used two colours, but imagine stamping with the colours of the rainbow! Could be alot of fun for a layout background.

Thankyou for joining me for today's technique - I look forward to seeing how you use your stamps to create funky backgrounds. Remember though, if you do want this exclusive stamp - be sure to order your Mixed Media Kit today and use the code SR5 for a $5 discount at the checkout!

Let's Party by Sarah Rosse

Hello crafty friends, Sarah here with two layouts using the stunning Simple Stories 'Let's Party' collection. The layouts are an 8.5X11 inch size to fit in my family album for 2017. We celebrate two family birthdays in March - the first being my mum's birthday mid month and my oldest son's birthday at the end of the month. I have designed these two so they are back to back, using only one page in my album. The Let's Party bundle can be purchased in the online Shop and Crop store here.

This first layout uses the patterned paper as the base and a second piece trimmed down to mat the photo. I just love the musical backdrop of this paper with the words to 'Happy Birthday' and the stars at the bottom. I used the Let's Party Chipboard frames to the right of the photo and layered two on each other to give a raised effect. The Let's Party clear stickers compliment the collection nicely and you can see many of them on this layout, but I especially love the little bird I added to the chipboard frames - so cute!.

On the top right hand of the layout, the 'celebrating YOU' accent came from the cut apart patterned paper sheet. A tip is to think flexibly about how to use these cut apart sheets - they are not just for people who enjoy pocket page layouts, but you can easily cut them apart to suit a traditional layout as I have done here. The party streamers to the top right of the photo are from the delightful Let's Party Bits and Pieces. All of these products can be found instore by clicking here.

For the second layout, again patterned paper was the base of the layout. The bottom strip was cut from another piece of cut apart paper - the range of paper in this collection is so versatile and creates so many opportunities for creating your own embellishments. The photo was layered and stuck on top of another of the chipboard frames. The Let's Party chipboard stickers were used to finish of the layout. I just love the 'Happy Birthday' sticker - this could be used for cards or layouts given it's size and style.

Thankyou for joining me for these projects and I look forward to seeing what you create with the Simple Stories 'Let's Party' collection!

Once Upon a Time....

Hello crafty friends, Sarah here today with the most magnificant Echo Park Paper Co. - the Once Upon a Time Prince collection. My first layout above uses patterned paper from this collection as the background with some Colour Blast colour paste, Snow White applied. The shine and shimmer of these pastes are gorgeous - the range can be purchased in store here.

The Once Upon a Time collection can be purchased in store by clicking here. The decorative brads, enamel shapes (the words prince charming on this layout) and ephemera are just adorable. To finish the layout off, I added a few splatters of yellow and white paint to pick up on the stars in the background paper. Lets take a closer look at some of the elements used on this layout.

For the second layout, I immediately saw the paper fan and knew I wanted to use a photo of my son from a recent holiday. In order to bring some texture to the page, I added some cotton behind the fan and the die cut in the top right corner. On holiday, my son was pretending the hose was a sword (isnt the imagination great!?) and of course he is full of adventure, so this collection is just his style.

The 'Royal Kingdom' patterned paper i just LOVE. The shiny elements within the paper highlights just the right areas and is not too overwhelming. I knew I had to use a large piece, so this layout shows it off quite nicely. The cut apart card is a nice accent to the main photo of Mr 3. Lets take a closer look at some of these embellishments.

I hope you enjoyed these layouts and I look forward to seeing your creations using this Echo Park Paper Co collection. For a $5 discount, dont forget to use the code SR5 at the checkout.

Moodboard challenge & Dino Friends with Sarah Rosse

Hello crafty friends, Sarah here today with two layouts for you. The first one is inspired by the July moodboard challenge as pictured above - have you given it a go yet? I had this background that I had started some time ago (I like to use a piece of cardstock to swipe brushes of left over paint on to), so I just add to it with colours that matched the moodboard. Using a stencil and ink from my stash I added some interest to the background. I also used a stencil and texture paste to add some further dimension for the background. The large range of stencils from Shop and Crop can be found in store here. Lets take a look at the layout;

Whilst the background is quite busy, I like the grungy look of it - kind of messy like my son's journey to find boxing - something he loves to do. The photo had a white border (also as per the moodboard) and matted with various patterned papers from my stash. The title - 'Follow your Dreams. They know the way.' was again inspired by the moodboard. The colourful letters used here were from the Echo Park Paper Co Dino Friends collection. This collection can be purchased in store here. The second layout for today has been created using the collection mentioned above - the Dino Friends collection by Alisha Gordon, created by Echo Park Paper Co.

The double sided patterned papers in this collection were used for the layout base and matting for the photo. This photo is of my 3 year old son trying on a dinosaur dress up costume that his older brother once wore to kinder. It's still a little big for him but nevertheless, he was still happy to pose for a quick pic. I used Dylusions paints in three shades of green to give some texture to the background, particularly around the photo area. The range of Dylusions paints can be purchased in store here. I added some white gesso around the edges of the laout and some green punchinella under the photo mats and top corner embellishment to give some extra interest on the page.

The Dino Friends collection come with a fantastic array of cut apart cards and element stickers. There are brads (I havent used them for so long and it was fun to revisit them) and they are just the cutest with a lot of bling for the diverse range of layouts and card ideas you could create with this collection. The Dino Friends collection can be purchased in store - if you click here, this will take you to the entire Echo Park Paper Co range (just one of my fav companies stocked by Shop and Crop Scrapbooking!).

I hope you enjoyed these layouts and you will give the July moodboard challenge a go - there's always great prizes to be won! Until next time....

May Crop Kit layout ideas by Sarah Rosse

Hello crafty friends, Sarah here with you with two layouts using the gorgeous May Crop Kit...and I still have lots of product left to use from the Pinkfresh Studio Live More collection! You may have seen my planner layout using this kit earlier in the month - well even after these layouts, I still have heaps of product to play with from this kit. I just love it and it's so versatile for many types of projects.

I am working on my boy's school / day care albums at the moment and wanted to create some cover pages for them. This first layout is the opening page for 2016, using the Live More patterned papers, foiled die cuts and puffy alphabet stickers. I used some paint on the base of the layout to add some additional layers. This kit can be purchased instore at https://www.shopandcrop.com.au

This second layout again uses patterned paper from the Live More collection. I have applied Dylusions Paints to the edges of the layout and to the page to frame the photos. Colour Blast pastes in Deep Water and Sunshine have been applied through stencils and the puffy alphabet stickers used again here for the title. The gorgeous puffy stars also come with the alphabet stickers.

I hope you enjoyed these layouts and they have inpsired you to use them in your next layouts.

"Epic!' and 'Pinkfresh Planner' layout by Sarah Rosse

Hello crafty friends, Sarah here today with two different layouts using some of the fantastic new products to Shop and Crop Scrapbooking. For this first layout 'Epic!' I used the Kinder Kreations chipboard for the heading and the Blue Ribbon enamel accents, now available in store. Just one tip if I may...remove your chipboard piece from the wider casing prior to applying the enamel accents. Otherwise it is a little tricky trying to get it out once dry! Lesson learnt.

For this layout, I used the enamel accents to create some shine and dimension for the chipbaord title, I stamped with it using the gorgeous Darkroom Door Arty Triangles collage stamp and drew some free hand circles as background features. The enamel accents seem to be versatile and can be applied for many uses. Whilst the triangles are not seen clearly, I like the effect that the enamel accents has for background stamping.

For embellishments I used some of the emphemera from the Simple Stories So Rad collection. I also used a gelli printed circle I had from another project and the 'Rad' stamp set from Kellie Stamps. Some paint splatters were added to complete the background. The photo was mounted on some patterned paper I had left over from previous projects (dont waste a thing!) - Indigo Skies and the Pinstripes and Petticoats 'Lad Plaid' patterned paper.

For the second layout, I used the May Crop Kit which is available in store NOW. You defintely dont want to miss out on this one! When I saw the gorgeous paperclips in this kit, I just knew I had to created a planner layout.

The base of this planner page is the A5 new horizontal planner kit from Scrapper's Delights. For more info on this, please check out my blog at www.myscrappingspace.wordpress.com. I printed the planner page on to coloured cardstock, then cut and adhered the Pinkfresh 'Live More' patterned papers. I then stamped the dates in black ink using the Echo Park Paper Co Through the Year Calendar stamp. I used the Puffy Alphabet stickers for the days of the week.

The die cuts in the Pinkfresh 'Live More' Crop Kit are foiled and so delightful! I used a number of them to deocrate this planner page, often layering them together to create clusters.

Another alternative to washi tape is using your patterned papers in their place. I just love the XOXO patterned paper and used this across the top of the pages. The paperclips of course just add a little bit of bling and class to the layout.

Thanks for joining me for this post and hope you will indulge yourself in some of the new enamel accents or perhaps the May Crop Kit....go on, you know you want to!

Petticoats & Pinstripes by Sarah Rosse

Hello crafty friends, Sarah here with two layouts using the fabulous Echo Park Paper Co Petticoats & Pinstripes Collection. With the majority of my layouts with my two sons in them, I found this collection to be so versatile - perfect for boy layouts, great for adventures but would also be fantastic for travel photos. The Collection can be purchased in store here.

For this first layout 'You are my star", I used a sketch as the foundation for my design. I often enjoy googling 'scrapbook layout sketches' and see what design ideas may inspire my next layout. Whilst my layout never ends up the same as the sketch, I find they are a good starting point to get my creative juices flowing and are great if I am stuck on getting started.

For this layout, I like how the four triangles come together to centre on the page and the photo and paper clusters to the side of it. I added the embellishments in the top right hand corner to balance the layout. You may notice that the 'You are my star' title forms the third point in a visual triangle on this layout - a design element I usually aim for. Lets take a closer look at this title using the Petticoats & Pinstripes sticker sheet.

The second layout 'Love my boy' as pictured below was completed on cardstock from my statsh, again using papers from the Petticoat & Pinstripe collection. I layered a number of the off cuts from the first layout (I dont like to waste anything!) and again used the sticker sheet for the words 'My Boy'. The word 'LOVE" is from the We R Memory Keepers High Five collection.

The border at the left of the layout is also from the Petticoats & Pinstripes sticker sheet, as is the rocket that I have mounted on some cardboard to give some dimension. I used a little tag from my stash to add some journalling - I dont often add journalling to my layouts, but I am trying to be more mindful of doing so to capture those stories for the future.

Thanks for joining me and be sure to check out the other AMAZING design team creations on the Shop and Crop blog.

Tic Tac Toe May Challenge

Hello crafty friends, Sarah with you today - feeling so inspired by the May Tic Tac Toe challenge that I have two layouts for you! The first one, as pictured above uses a red and white striped paper bag (from D-lish Scraps), patterned paper (some of the last of my Crate Paper Cool Kid collection available in store here) and cardstock (from my stash). Let's have a look at the challenge set by Shop and Crop...

For this layout I created the background smearing on Dylusions paints in Postbox Red and Campso Teal with a palette knife. The range of Dylusions paints is available in store here. I left this overnight to dry as I tend to be a bit heavy handed with paints! I then used some stamps from my stash to add a little more background interest. The Shop and Crop online store have a great range of stamps, particularly mixed media ones.

I used the paper bag in this layout as a pocket to hold a large tag. I used the small piece of vellum I had left over from the Cool Kid collection to cover the tag and wrote on the back some points about my son at the age of 3 that I wanted to remember - his favourite foods, traits about him I love, what he calls himself etc. The photo is layered on Cool Kid patterned papers and stickers from this collection were used as embellishments. That cute handmade heart embellie is from Charms Creations. Let's take a closer look...

Now for the second project, a Planner Page layout. This is a Basic Planner Kit from Scrapper's Delights. I am pleased to have been offered a position on their Planner Design team. For more information about setting up and decorating your own planner, pop on over to their website by clicking here. I designed this layout also inline with in the Tic Tac Toe challenge, I used cardstock (300gsm cardstock that the planner page was printed on), stamps and embossing powder (gold from Stampin Up).

The background of the planner pages were completed using distress ink and the 'smoosching' technique. The range of distress inks can be purchased instore here. The stamps used with the gold embossing are the Kaisercraft Captured Moments Calendar stamps - also instore here. The day and date stamps are stamped with black ink with the Echo Park Paper Co Through the Year Calendar stamp that is also available in store here. The cute bear stamps are the 'Honey Bears' by The Ton. Lets take a closer look...

Whilst I have never really been in to 'planning' in the creative sense, I am using this planner to capture my Design Team commitments and a few photos of my children week to week. For more planner layouts, please see my blog here. I like to include reminders of everyday chores, appointments, events etc - all in a pretty format that is alot of fun to design and create. Lets take one last look at those cute bears - they are stamped in black ink, embossed with clear embossing powder and coloured using Zig Clean Colour real brush markers.

I hope you enjoyed these projects and the versatility in creating projects with the May Tic Tac Toe challenge. Until next time...