HAPPINESS IS HOMEMADE - Simple Stories

Hello Simple Stories friends!  Nathalie with you today sharing a new layout using the beautiful APRON STRINGS collection.   It is probably one of the cutest new collections from Simple Stories.  I don't know about you, but there is always stories that happen in the kitchen; flavors that you want to remember,  some you will want to remake, and some you will want to forget.   Well, this collection will have you documenting all those beautiful ( and not so tasty)moments in style.  Let me show you what i have created with it!

All the kitchen and rustic country feel of the Apron String collection is the perfect complement to my daughter's first attempt at cake decorating.  So,what better way to bring the feel to the page than to recreate some of the kitchen utensils with paper.

I drew the shapes of the bowls, pitcher, whisk, rolling pin, spoon and spatula on the b sides of some of  the papers, as well as the 6x8 paper pad.  I fussy cut the images, erased the pencil lines, then glued the cut images to white cardstock.  Here i used a paper piercing tool to create the stitching guide around the perimeter of the image, and used matching embroidery floss to detail - handstitching- each of the images.  I love this process, it is lengthy, but i  love the results.

After a few hours of music and handstitching, it was time to assemble the page.   First i cut a strip of the sn@p Color Vibe Lights - Blush- and punched a border along the large edge of the strip.   I glued this to the center of the Seasoned with Love  paper.   I backed the pictures of my girl with papers from the collection and set them in place with foam adhesive.  

All the stitched images were then glued to the page creating a large pile/cluster to the right of the pictures. There are so many cute embellishments in this collection, it was easy to embellish the page.  The floral images in this collection are amazing.   Finally i used one of the Chipboard stickers as the title for the page, and placed it below the pictures and stitched elements.

I just love how this turned out. The colors, design and overall feeling of the collection is so perfect for all sort of food/cooking adventures. You are going to love the new Simple Stories' Apron Strings collection!

XO

I AM LIMITLESS - Simple Stories

Hi there,
Nathalie with you today with some inspiration on documenting yourself.  I know most of us have a hard time taking pictures of ourselves/selfies which results on the lack of your presence on your documenting.   Here is where the new Simple Stories I AM 2020 comes  in to save your day.  All the papers and  designs are just perfect to bring your story forward.  Let me show you:

I started the page by, literally, copying the design the papers created when fanned out on the page.   I used the b-side of the Blooming Paper as the background for the page; then cut papers from the 6x8 paper pad, 3x4 elements and Fierce papers to create the paper fan idea on the page.  I took my time hanstitching the edges of the paper.

The starting point of the papers create the perfect spot for my pictures.  However the stitched edges of the papers are a great place to add embellishments, such as phrase stickers, ephemera, brads and enamel dots.  I even used the gorgeous foam gold alpha words to set my title in place along the stitched edge of the top paper.

I added a small  piece of vellum behind the picture and set it at the corner above the paper fans.  I pulled one of the journaling ephemera to anchor the cluster of embellishments to the layout and picture.   All the floral in this collection are amazing!!!

Just to balance the bottom cluster, i added a  second one to the top of the page.  To make the page cohesive, i repeated a few of the banner ideas in the cluster, and added a butterfly to each of the major clusters

I love how my crazy ideas turned into this colorful an beautiful layout all about ME.   I am sure the new I AM 2020 will become a new favorite of yours.   Remember to share with us what you created with the Simple Stories collections.

XO!

BUT FIRST COFFEE - Just Nick Studio

Hello there!
Nathalie with you today with a new layout that is all about my devotion/addiction to coffee.   Every time i get a new coffee mug, i always take a selfie with it, and this new mug is probably a new favorite and large enough to hold 2 cups of coffee at once :)  .. So, just imagine how happy it made me to see the new Just Nick Studio cut files, just perfect for this page!

 I started by creating the mixed media background of this page using VIcki Boutin Art Crayons and Pinkfresh Studio Liquid watercolors. While the background dried, i started working on the title for the page.





I used the But First Coffee cut file to cut the title of the page from white cardstock.  First, i set the machine to cut the "But FIrst" part of the title four times from white cardstock so i could stack them together, and create my own dimensional alphas.



I chose to stitch the "coffee" part of the title; for this, i first added an offset to the word -on my Silhouette Studio platform-, then set the inner lines of the word as a perforated line, and then send it to cut from white cardstock.  This is an easy way to obtain a stitching guide without having to pierce the holes.  I then used some embroidery thread and Espresso Liquid Watercolor - Pinkfresh Studio - to detail the word.





To continue the circle shape of the background (mug ring marks) i cut a circle frame from white cardstock using the Infinity Hearts cut file.   I used it to frame my picture and continue the look of the background.



To embellish my page, i chose to add embellishments from Pinkfresh Studio's Office Hours collection and Citrus Twist Kits.  I made sure that the embellishments stayed within a small color palette and had a circular shape.

I hope this inspires you to check the new cut files available at JustNick Studio - if you are a coffee lover, then you must get the cut file--, there is always something for everyone.   Remember you can always contact me with any questions!

xo