SWEET LIFE | HAPPINESS | GWEN WRUCK

Hey Creative friends, I’m back on the blog today with my first share of the year for Cocoa Vanilla Studio. I’ve enjoyed having some time off over Christmas and New Year and I’m super excited to be getting stuck into 2020. What better way to start than to kick off the Cocoa Vanilla Studio Holiday/Vacations theme week. I couldn’t resist scrapping this sweet photo I took in December of my husband and daughter on our recent family getaway to Hervey Bay in Queensland.

For my page, I was drawn to the ‘Happiness‘ collection with its stunning bright blue hues and immediately thought to team it with this fun cloud background cut file by CUT to YOU called ‘Rainbow Skies’. I’ve cut the file on a plain white card from my stash and began the page by simply backing the clouds mixing and matching the ‘Good Vibes‘ and ‘Expressive‘ papers. For the rainbow, I used the B side of the Expressive paper.

Next, I’ve mat my photo using the ‘Botanical Bliss‘ pattern paper and then added some stitching around the edge. I’ve double mounted with more of the ‘Expressive‘ paper and raised everything up on foam for dimension.

I’ve mounted my white background using the same ‘Expressive‘ paper and stitched around the outer edge of my page. I find if I use the same paper in various parts of my layout, it really helps the page come together. From here, I’ve decided on the placement for my photo and the large cut file background so it was now time for embellishments.

This was the fun and easy part. With the largest elements of my page locked in, it’s really just about filling in the gaps and thinking about how your eye will travel across the page when you look at it. I decided to go from the top section in between the rainbow and the sunshine, down to the bottom centre of the page. To do this, I’ve started by creating a floral cluster in the bottom right-hand corner of my photo using elements from the ‘Die Cut Ephemera‘ pack.

I’ve then fussy cut out some dark navy butterflies from the ‘Bright and Beautiful‘ pattern paper. Next, it was time to add in my title, I’ve gone with the sentiment ‘Sweet Life’ from the ‘Die Cut Titles‘ pack. I love how it nestles down in under my photo against my flower cluster there.

Next, it was time to add in some journaling. One of my scrappy goals this year is to do more journaling on my pages. I often just write on the backs of them, but this year I would really like to include more details on the front where I can to help me tell my stories more. For this page, I’ve gone with the typewriter and some white card from my stash. I’ve also added in some more elements mostly from the ‘Die Cut Ephemera‘ pack but also from the ‘Accessory Stickers‘ sheet. I just love the typed sentiments at the bottom of these, and they match my typed journalling perfectly!

Thanks for popping by today to see my latest project, I hope it inspires you to get this collection out from your stash if you have it and make a fun summer vacay page. Also, be sure to keep checking the blog as there is a stack of inspiration coming your way from the rest of the design team over the coming week. As always, be sure to pop into the Cocoa Vanilla Studio and CUT to YOU facebook groups too to share your pages, I love seeing what you make.

Until next time,

“Summer Happy” for Scrap the Girls January 2020

Hey Creatives!

I’m back on the blog today with my very last share as part of the Scrap the Girls Design Team. This month we are using another fabulous mood board, this time with a Bohemian theme. I am crushing on the colours in this one that’s for sure! Here is my page:

and here is the mood board:

So much to love about this one! I was especially inspired by the bottom right image with the stitched circles in it and used that as inspiration to create a cut file! See, that’s the beauty of having your own Cut File store lol… if you want a design, you can just make it.

I’ve actually dug deep into my stash for this one pulling out a bunch of scrap papers and mixed and matched them to fit the colours in the mood board. Some of these are Maggie Holmes, some are Paige Evans from her first collection and there is a couple I’m not even sure where they are from! This is another reason why I do love these challenges, they really do allow you to use up your stash 🙂 Got to love that!

I just mixed and matched the pattern papers to back my cut file to create that ‘Boho’ feel from the mood board. I’ve then positioned on my page as the base of the layout, raised with 3D foam. Next, I stitched my photos and matted onto some more soft peach pattern paper and set about the layout design. Locking in the photo placement and the large title element first.

Next, more stash diving, I found these sweet layered butterflies that fit with the colours perfectly from the Notes & Things collection from 2014! They sure did feel good to get onto my page. There are also some stickers from Crate Paper ‘Pool Side’ so lots of mixing and matching of collections on this layout. I’ve also used some super fun epoxy fairs from ‘Scrappin Happy Studio‘, an ETSY store I love. They work especially well on this page with their circle shapes, a perfect match to the theme of the cut file.

So, I kept adding bits and pieces to the page until I was happy, with all the elements and I do love how this one turned out. Be sure to upload to the Facebook group by the end of the month for your chance to win a prize pack from this months sponsor.

I’d also like to take this opportunity to thank Krisy for having me these past 2 years, it has been so fun.

Until next time,

FAVOURITES | MIXED | GWEN WRUCK

Hi Creative Friends,

I hope you are all well!  I’m back on the blog today with my last share for Cocoa Vanilla Studios for the year.  This week the design team are featuring our favourite layouts for 2019.

I so love all of the pages I created this year, it really is hard to choose but I couldn’t go past this layout of my daughter and I and our Elf on the Shelf ‘Candy’. This one is not only a favourite because it is a Christmas page, but I’m also really loving the soft watercolour I’ve used on the background in this one, the cut file (CUT to YOU) and the layers of Christmas die cuts from the ‘Tis the Season‘ collection.

My second choice is “Bloom” created using the ‘Unforgettable‘ collection.  I chose this page for a couple of reasons, firstly it documents me and I really don’t do enough of that! It’s about a personal journey I’ve been on these past 2 years quitting my corporate job and starting up my own creative business CUT to YOU…how far I have come! I also love that it was a page I taught at my local store. I love teaching and to be able to do that with the stunning collections Cocoa Vanilla makes really is a dream come true.

Lastly, I’ve included this layout “Dream”.  I couldn’t help but put this in as it features my all-time favourite collection “Bohemian Dream“.  The colours in this collection will never get old for me even after using it on a stack of layouts.  For this one, I set about using up some of the smaller scraps I had; not wanting to throw any of it out!  I’ve backed this cut file (CUT to YOU) mixing and matching all of the patterns to create this bright and happy page.

Thanks for popping by today, and for your support both here and on the Cocoa Vanilla Studios blog.  I wish you all a very Merry Christmas!  It has been such a fun year and there is lots more to come in 2020.

CUT to YOU 12 Days of Christmas Giveaway – Holly Jolly Christmas Day 12

Hey Creatives,

Welcome to DAY 12  of our 12 days of Christmas GIVEAWAY!  I’m sharing for the last day and I hope you have managed to get yourself all of the other free files! I’m lucky to be sharing last and I’m super excited because today’s file is a brand new design, so I know you gals won’t have this one, be sure to get into the store and get it today for FREE!

Our last design for you is the,  ‘Holly Jolly Christmas’ cut file.

For this page, I started by cutting out the file super large.  The plan for the page I had was to have the words running down the left-hand side of the page with my portrait photo running down the right-hand side.  I am loving working with non-traditional Christmas colours this year and have chosen this fun collection by Pink Fresh Studio.  I’ve backed the file letter by letter alternating fun patterns from the collection.

Now that my cut file is backed, I’ve added some foam tape behind each of the letters as I did want it to be lifted off of the background.  I then sorted out the placement of my photo and then added some pretty pale blue watercolour to my cardstock underneath the position of the title.

Once my background was dry, I’ve added my cut file and photo on top and secured.  It was now just a matter of adding some fun embellishments.

To finish the page off, I’ve added a sweet and sparkly fabric navy bow.  I love how the cutfile really helped to get this page done quickly and I really do love the colours in this page.  I love how such a large bold cut file design can bring a page together.

Inspired and ready to create! Simply enter the code: HOLLYJFREE at checkout to get this design for free.No additional purchase necessary.

This code is only valid until midnight AEST on December 1st, 2019.  **No exceptions – Please check your time zone against ours here in Australia as we are a day ahead. 

Coupon code must be entered to receive this item for free. No refunds will be given. The design will still be available in the CUT to YOU Cut file store for purchase after the discount code expires if you miss out. AND… that finishes up our 12 days of Christmas.  

Thanks so much for joining in and I hope you love all of the files! As always I would love to see how you are using them on your projects so be sure to share on any of our social media channels and tag #cuttoyou Until next time,

CHRISTMAS | BOHEMIAN DREAM | GWEN WRUCK

Hi Creative Friends,

I’m up on the Cocoa Vanilla Studios blog today with a new share and its a fun Christmas project featuring my husband, daughter and our ‘Elf on the Shelf’ Candy on holiday in 2017. You all know how I love Christmas so this page was a heap of fun to make!

For a bit of a challenge, I decided to create the project without any ‘Christmas’ themed supplies. I really just wanted to use some things I had on hand to show that you don’t need a Christmas collection to make a pretty Christmas page. I started with my favourite collection ‘Bohemian Dream‘. I felt the cool colours of this collection would translate really well and would be perfect or those who have a cooler Christmas season.

I then pulled this cut file from CUT to YOU called ‘Roses and Frames‘ and went about backing it in a section of the papers. I’ve used ‘Dreamer‘ and ‘Abundant‘ for this. Next, I’ve added a photo mat to my pictures, also using the Abundant paper. In my usual style, I’ve raised these on foam and added a stitch detail to the edge. I really love how the black and white photos work for this page, especially once I added the silver elements.

I’ve then simply added my cut file and photos centring it all on my page. I then added a border around the page edge using the ‘Abstract‘ paper. I am really loving the grid style of this cut file.

At this stage, my page was looking good, I really just needed to add in some embellishments to finish it off. I’ve pulled from my stash some Thickers letters and spelt out the title ‘Christmas’. It was at this point that I decided to try and keep the layout very balanced which is why I’ve gone with half the title on the left, the other on the right.

I’ve continued with this balanced look for all of the embellishments, starting with two of the chipboard birds and two butterflies from the ‘Die Cut Ephemera‘ pack. I’ve also added some sentiments from this pack to both photos, I really love those little tab elements. Next, I’ve chosen some stickers from the ‘Accessory Sticker Sheet‘ which I’ve placed up on foam tape for added dimension and lastly added a sparkly silver fabric bow from my stash.

Thanks for popping by today to see my latest project, I hope it inspires you to get this collection out from your stash and try a Christmas project. If it does, be sure to pop it into the Cocoa Vanilla Studio and CUT to YOU facebook groups, I love seeing what you make.

Until next time,

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