Bella Blvd Studio Blog

Large Titles| Leanne

Hey Bella Blvd Friends! It's Leanne here today, kicking off the week with a fun idea to create a large title and make the most out of your stash along the way!

I love getting the most out of my stash and using up my chipboard alphas are no different. However, these chipboard pieces are not always the right "look or color" for my layout.

But they're chipboard, right?! So let's get creative and alter them to suit our needs.

The easiest way to repurpose them is to simply find a patterned paper that complements the layout and adhere directly to  the top of the chipboard.

1. Take the chipboard letter and place it reverse side down on the back of the paper you are using to cover it with. Trace around the outside edge of the letter with a pencil.

2. Cut the image out.

3. Add adhesive to the top of the alpha chipboard and glue the patterned paper to it.

4. Once it is dry, carefully trim around the outside edge and then using a nail file, smooth the edges to get a neat and even look.

After altering the chipboard for my large title, I placed it vertically down the right hand side of my photo cluster. The title helps draw the eye down the page without overwhelming the viewer.

To complete my layout, I've added layers of cut out hearts that have been machine stitched together.

My journaling was added to speech bubble sections and kept mostly to a limited color palette. 

Thanks for visiting the blog today..x

Freehand Graph & Dot: Cotton Candy; Squeeze The Day: Ephemera Words, Hearts Epoxy; Heart Hugs: Black & White; Santa Squad: 6x6 Paper Pad; Mom Life: Jammies All Day; Puffy Stickers: Punch Wonky Alphabet; Chipboard Alphabet: Ciao Chip Sophisticates, Amorie Alpha; Cute Clips: Pumpkin Spice; Bella Blvd Valentina Paper Collection.

Scrapping the Hard Stuff - January Mood Board

When I looked at the January Mood Board it gave me an overall feeling of pensiveness or reflection.  That makes for an odd place to jump into a scrapbook layout but as I was reflecting, I knew there was one major time in our family life that I had been putting off scrapbooking: the day my son had a seizure.  I know and believe it's important to scrapbook the hard stories because, they too, are part of the whole story.  But it's generally more fun to remember the happy moments.  That said, this was one of the most significant moments in my son's life to date as well as in my life as a parent.  It had to be done.  The colors and overall feel of the mood board gave me the inspiration to move forward and tackle this project.  Let's take a look at my creation.

You might also notice that I picked up on the color scheme and design of one of the pillows in the picture and used that as my design jumping off point.

Many times when I create I have lots of layers and lots of products but for today's layout things are clean and simple!

I started with my title "There Goes My Heart" based on the lyrics of a country song.  Adding that to the white space around one of the pictures allows it to pop out a little more and not get lost in all the patterns.

I added a couple of layers of patterned papers beneath my pictures, which are also matted with patterned papers.  Using my title as inspiration I used Puffy Heart Stickers and my main embellishment.  I wanted to have those surrounding his picture but also close to the journaling to help emphasize both of those.

My journaling is really the star of the layout.  The pictures show how awful he looked but the journaling gives a glimpse into what I was feeling.  The gray background behind it is a mood setter for that moment.  A border sticker helps to separate it from the rest of the layout and allow it to pop out.

My process video will give you a glimpse at how this all came together:

 

Thanks so much for joining me today!

Bella Besties Freehand Graph & Dot,  Florence Alphabet, Let's Go On An Adventure Patterned Paper, Puffy Stickers, Fireworks & Freedom Patterned Paper

 

January Mood Board | Leanne

Hello Bella Blvd Friends! It is Leanne here today sharing with you how I break down a Mood Board to start my creative process. I find that Mood Boards are a delicious source of inspiration when you need a quick jolt to get started. Often looking at a palette provided for you can stimulate creative ideas. This week, the design team are sharing their ideas on how we used the board below for inspiration. 

The first thing I look at are colors. I was drawn to the image in the top left corner. The navy and orange just called to me! But I have selected colors from the overall palette. The whites, mustard yellows and succulent greens feature on my finished layout.

After I have a base patterned paper color selection, I start to look at shapes from the Mood Board that I can replicate on my page. The cushions inspired the stripes down the length of the page. To add subtle texture I have used white machine stitching on the white patterned paper and cardstock.

I wanted to also implement the idea of brush strokes as seen in the Mood Board's abstract art. The clear stamps from Illustrated Faith were ideal in helping to bring this idea to life. My ink selection was based on the middle succulent image. However, just because there are several colors shown, it is not always necessary to over use and include each shade. I have stayed true to my color palette of navy, green and grey. Each stamped image has been included to run vertically down the page to complement the "cushion" stripes.

Next I moved towards creating layers at the front of my page. The stars are a subtle method link to the foreground and background together. By staggering the different sizes and overlapping the patterned paper with them, the puffy stickers help draw the eye down the layout.

Repetition is a great technique for scrapbooking. Once again I was influences by the color swatches in the middle image to replicate as a focal point. The Word Salad stickers are just amazing and the phrases couldn't be more perfect!! Aligned to help support my title, each piece coordinates with total ease. 

The same idea is used at the bottom right corner of my photo.

Finally, the Mood Board inspired me to create a Summer layout with an unusual colour palette. Another memory documented and hopefully offering you inspiration on how to look at a Mood Board differently. 

Mom Life: Jammies All Day; Make Your Mark: 6x8 Paper Pad; Mind Your Manners: Be A Good Guest, Borders; Splash Zone: Ephemera Icons, Ephemera Words; Squeeze The Day: Ephemera Icons; Florence Alphabet Stickers: Orange, White, Oyster; Puffy Stickers: Milk White Puffy Stars, Oreo Wonky Alphabet.

 

Reindeer Games - 3 Cards with Christine

I'm sorry, but I just can't imagine there is anything cuter than the reindeer in the Santa Squad collection. Fun and whimsical they can add such a lighthearted twist to a project.  I created a set of 3 cards that I'm calling "Reindeer Games" because they all feature these adorable reindeer!

First up I built one combining the tags and speech bubbles from the Santa Squad Ephemera alongside epoxy pieces and the Ciao Chip Reindeer.

I love that I was able to use epoxy pieces to coordinate perfectly with the ephemera!

Patterned paper cut apart cards are great for building your cards around and that is exactly what happened on my next two cards.  

A combination of Washi Tape and Puffy Stars round out this simple card that's packed with dimension.

I think this silly one is probably my favorite of the three!  Those ephemera reindeer along with the sentiment just make me smile!

I used my craft knife to create little slits for my reindeer to tuck into.  This adds such a fun touch of whimsy and doesn't require any fancy techniques!

Let's take a look at my process video for a closer-up walkthrough on these!

 

Thanks for stopping by today and Happy Holidays!

Santa Squad Ephemera, Puffy Star Stickers, Santa Squad Epoxy Stickers, Santa Squad Patterned Paper

 

 

Gingerbread Garland

Hey Bella Blvd Friends! It's Leanne here today! Happy December!! It is definitely time to pull out the Christmas décor and put up the tree... unless you're like me and still waiting to find the time! LOL! But I have managed to play with some gorgeous Bella Blvd goodies and a cut file to help the days start to feel seasonal!

Bella Blvd has an awesome range of Silhouette cut files in the Design Store. I have modified the Gingerbread Couple design to make a cute paper garland. All the essential bits are there, I've just made my garland more 3D with puffy stickers and cute clips.

To create one of these paper gingerbread garlands for yourself, start by using the cut file to cut as many gingerbread couples you need. I have used the Freehand Graph & Dot patterned papers and kraft cardstock as my base.

Join the Gingerbread couples together using a hole punch where their hands meet and some festive twine.

Remove the bows carefully from the cute clips and attach as bow ties or hair accessories.

Add the puffy stickers as buttons.

Use enamel dots as the eyes (these are from heart hugs) and glue pieces of twine to the arms and legs, to recreate the piped frosting. Trim excess twine to the edge of the paper.

Finally, hang your latest Christmas décor and enjoy the season!

Thanks for visiting the blog today!

Freehand Graph & Dot: Pony, Cotton Candy; Cute Clips: Festive; Puffy Stickers: McIntosh Puffy Hearts; Heart Hugs: Halloween Heart Hugs; Enamel Hearts: Cotton Candy Doodads; Squeeze the Day: Mini Paper pad. Silhouette Design Store: Gingerbread Couple ID #307189.

Christmas Countdown with Santa Squad

Who doesn't love a Christmas Countdown decoration?  I've wanted to create one for awhile and just knew that Santa Squad would be perfect for it.  Christine joining you today with a simple DIY Christmas Countdown Calendar.

 

I found a set of wood blocks at a local store that I used to decorate - but I also think it could work perfectly from cardboard boxes or even folded cardstock!

One of my favorite parts of creating this was getting to use so many patterned papers. I need each side to be different - so that let me go wild with my choices! The 6 x 6 paper pad kept the scale of the patterns smaller, perfect for a small scale project like this!  I added them using a glittery mod podge to up the sparkle factor and secure them tightly!

The tricky part with each block was determining how to keep them flat.  I kept thinking about using Bella Pops or Wonky Alphabet letters only to realize, I couldn't.  It had to be flat so that the blocks would sit flat no matter what side they were on! 

I spent the most time deciding what to use to add "Christmas Countdown." In the end the Acrylic Christmas accompanied by Florence Alphabet Letters worked great!

By allowing the word Christmas to hang over just a bit, it opened up possibility of extending my ephemera too.  I could not resist the soldiers and was so excited to get to use them in such a prominent way on my project. 

Let's take a look at how this whole project came together in my process video:

 

 

Thanks so much for joining me today!

Santa Squad 6 x 6 Paper Pad, Santa Squad Ephemera, Florence Alphabet Letter Stickers, Acrylic Words

 

 

Let's Go on an Adventure - Two Page Layout with Tutorial

If you've got an adventure-loving child, then you need to get your hands on "Let's Go on an Adventure" collection. This fun-loving line is perfect for telling the stories of those outdoor adventures.  Christine joining you today with a two-page layout showcasing this fun collection along with Bella Blvd Cut Files.

I used the cut files to create a scene showcasing trees and clouds and some very cute critters!

Cut files are great when you want to size up that ephemera or sticker from Bella Blvd or if you want it in a different color. The cut files I used are Clouds, Pine Trees, and Explore Outdoors.

Puffy stars and Acrylic shapes help to add those special little touches that you just can't accomplish with paper alone. This whole layout came together with lots of color and details - check out the full process in this video:

 

When is the last time you made a two-page layout?  They are so great for telling a big story or just showcasing a series of fun pictures!  Thanks for joining me today!

Let's Go on An Adventure Stickers, Ephemera, Patterned Paper, Cut Files; Acrylic Shapes, Puffy Star Stickers

 

 

Two Page Thankful Layout and Video Tutorial

Don't you just love this time of year? A time to reflect on all our blessings, gatherings with friends and family, and of course yummy food!  Christine joining you today with a layout that showcases my biggest earthly blessing, my family!  I decided to go with a two-page layout and share a lot of my favorite pictures from a recent fall adventure.  Let's take a look:

Not only are two page layouts great for getting lots of pictures on but also there's so much room to embellish and add some fun journaling.  

One of my favorite things about Bella Blvd is how seamlessly you can marry all the products - even mixing and matching collections.  This layout includes pieces from all of these collections Squeeze the Day, Bella Besties, Home Sweet Home, and Let's Go on An Adventure. 

By mixing and matching papers from several collections I was able to achieve that fall color scheme I was going for.

I punched out several big leaves and then folded them to add dimension. Puffy hearts in coordinating colors also made great accents.

Mixing and matching products to create a unique title is so much fun!  To make this one I combined a Florence Alphabet with two different Acrylic Words.  To give you a better idea of how this layout came together, I created a process video.  Here it is:

 

Thanks so much for joining me today!  Hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving week next week!

Patterned Papers from Bella Besties and Squeeze the Day, Puffy Heart Stickers, Acrylic Words, Florence Alphabet, Ephemera from Squeeze the Day, Let's Go on an Adventure, and Home Sweet Home

 

 

Tips and tricks when using Mixed Media on a layout!

Hey there Bella Blvd friends! It is Leanne here today sharing a fun mixed media project. I love creating texture on my layouts and the best way to achieve this is with a little paint, ink and textured paste!

Today I want to share a few simple tips when looking at creating details with mixed media products. These items don't need to be expensive and quite often you can use tools you already have available to you. For this layout I started out by playing with textured paste.

After trimming my white cardstock to size, I used a small chevron stencil and layered textured paste directly to my background. I wanted it to be rough and uneven, to create the base for my messy watercolor application. The paste took 24 hours to dry properly and while it was drying, I weighted my cardstock down to try and make it flat again. Using mixed media products will warp and buckle cardstock and patterned papers during the creative process.

To layer paint onto the cardstock, it needs to be completed in stages. If multiple colors are added at the same time, they will mix and become muddy. Allowing drying time between each color on your page, will highlight focal points rather than distract from them.

For the larger bodies of paint, add a generous amount of watercolor paint to plastic packaging. Quickly apply the plastic packaging, face down, onto the cardstock. Gently rub the reverse side of the plastic to move the paint on the cardstock. Once again, allow the paint to dry between colous. Flicking or dropping paint onto the layout also adds to the overall messy mixed media technique.

Ink is another great way to add dimension to a layout that includes mixed media. After fussy cutting the reindeer and gingerbread people, I inked the edges with a complementary brown color to grunge them up a bit. Curl the edges of fussy cut pieces to make them appear like they are lifting from the page.

All of these techniques combined create a textured look for your layout. If you have the patience and you like to get messy, I highly recommend having a little paper play fun! Thanks for visiting the blog today.

 

 

Santa Squad: Ho Ho Ho patterned paper, Ephemera Icons, Epoxy Christmas Words; Freehand Graph & Dot: Bell Pepper Freehand Graph & Dot, Pony Freehand Graph & Dot; Florence Alphabet Stickers: Pony. Other - textured paste, watercolor paint, brown ink.

Santa Squad Advent Calendar

Hi there Bella Blvd Fans! While we aren't quite into the actual Christmas season yet, us crafters are in prep mode! I'm always doing lots of little crafty projects in November to get ready to use in December! Christine joining you today with an Advent Calendar that showcases the Santa Squad collection!

I've always wanted to have an Advent Calendar that we could use from year to year and this year, I decided it was time to make one! I used a variety of products from the Santa Squad collection including the 6 X 6 paper pad, lots of ephemera, Stickers, and epoxy pieces. I also used a pre-made base from a big box store to make the whole process go a little more quickly!

As I debated what papers to use for each box, I settled on going with a monochromatic look. By doing that I was able to go a little crazier with my embellishing because my backgrounds weren't quite as busy!  

The black Florence Alphabet provided the perfect amount of contrast with the rest of the decorations. I love how adorably the pieces all work together, could that reindeer be any cuter?  

I decided that our family will use this as an Advent Activity Calendar. So each day the kids will open up the drawer to a new activity that we will do that day. Here's the list of what I am going to include:

1. Try Fruitcake
2. Buy a gift for a sibling
3. Make and mail 3 Christmas Cards
4. Bake Christmas Cookies
5. Find an ornament to make and do the craft
6. Go shopping for a family at the local domestic violence center
7. Learn the history behind your favorite Christmas Carol
8. Checkout Christmas Books at the library and read them
9. Make hot cocoa 
10. Visit an elderly friend
11. Learn the story of the candy cane
12. Make a tray of Christmas treats to take to neighbors
13. Read the Christmas Story in the Bible
14. Watch Elf
15. Try Eggnog
16. Go look at Christmas Lights
17. Make Gingerbread men
18. Write Letters to Santa
19. Decorate your bedroom door for Christmas
20. Make Paper Snowflakes
21. Watch Charlie Brown Christmas
22. Go on a Christmas Scavenger Hunt
23. String Popcorn Garland
24. Taste Test Peppermint Ice Creams
25. Listen to Christmas Music all day long

While I am not necessarily going to do them in that order, I wanted to compile a list so I could just print them off and be ready!  

My process videos usually talk you through how I made the project but today's is a longer video. I didn't want to ramble while I make each drawer - but I did want you to see how it came together - so there's some talking and some music also!

 

Thanks so much for joining me today!

Santa Squad 6 X 6 Paper Pad, Epoxy Stickers, Cardstock Stickers, Ephemera, Florence Alphabet