Cocoa Vanilla Studio | You HEART Me

Hello Friends I'm back today with my final share for Cocoa Vanilla Studio during this wonderful month of LOVE . I stepped back in time and used the beautiful More than Words for this lovey dovey share along with a family photo from a few years back. Love the sweet pastel colours within this collection that give a soft feminine feel to the layout.

I chose a fun cut file from CUT to YOU (designed by DT Member Gwen) to use as the main focal point on the layout and backed it with multiple pattern papers from the 6x6 paper pad within this collection. I used a loose rule of 3's for this to ensure I had a good balance of colours and patterns = 3 of each pattern or colour tone spaced out amongst the letters, words and hearts. I backed the entire layout on a 12x12 piece of the COLLAGE paper (reverse side) plus a little pop of the same pattern used as a layer within the photo stack.

I used foam tape to adhere the entire file to the backing cardstock - this gave it a slight pop of dimension off the page.

I adore this photo of us, Leila was so little compared to how giant she feels now. I layered some scrap pieces from previous layouts under the photo stack - nothing goes to waste here! Theres a cluster of sorts formed to the right of the photo using pieces from the ephemera pack. Love the tiny floral bits in this collection.

Another little cluster using similar elements over on the left of the page, incorporating a couple of stickers - one of which was fussy cut from a larger sticker.

Another mini cluster at the top of the layout to finish off the visual triangle I was hoping to achieve with such a 'large and in charge' type of cut file in the background. I really love how it all turned out, and felt it was complete after a sprinkling of my trusty gold colour shine.

Well thats all from me today, short and sweet but straight to the point! I hope you've enjoyed taking a look at my step back in time. I cant wait to see what next month brings - we'll all be creating with the newly released collection - LEGENDARY. Be sure to keep an eye here on the blog and on our other socials - Instagram and Facebook for more creative goodness!

Until next time, Happy Scrapping!
Michelle x

CUT to YOU | BEE my Valentine

Hello Friends, it's new layout share day for CUT to YOU. We had a challenge within our CUT to YOU HQ group on facebook recently - for Group members to choose a certain file that YOU wanted to see shared by our DT on upcoming layouts. One particular file that was mentioned, and I felt was perfect to document during the month of Love was BEE MY VALENTINE.

I LOVE LOVE LOVE how this layout came together using the BEE MY VALENTINE file along with the FLORAL WREATH cut file that I layered underneath. I used the Lucky Us Collection from Pink Paislee to continue to the lovey dove theme I had happening, and a sweet photo of my little family from many moons ago.

To begin the creating process I enlarged both designs in silhouette studio, traced, edited and cut both designs out on plain white cardstock.

Prior to cutting the Bee and title on cardstock I separated the Bee from the letter M so that I could have 2 complete pieces - Bee and Title. I did this by copying the file twice and using the eraser tool (outline selected) to cut the Bee away from the M on one, and the M away from the Bee on the other. This ensured that both the M and the Bee cut out in whole pieces and could be used on different areas of the page.

I backed the bee with papers from the 6x8 pad in the collection I used along with some velum for the wings. I also added a cut apart strip, hearts and stickers to finish the cluster

For the title piece of the cut file I used a text pattern paper for the words and 2 darker pink patterns for the hearts. I also recut the hearts squiggle on more cardstock to give a little extra dimension to the sweet hearts in the middle of the title.

I created a photo stack on a slight angle to the left of the hearts squiggle and added a couple of other heart elements to fill the gaps

I also cut a majority of the leaves off the FLORAL WREATH as they weren't sitting quite right under the title, but I felt the layout needed a circular element to bring it all together. I left the wreath flat on the backing paper and raised the Bee Cutfile and title up off the layout using thin foam tape for that slight lift and dimension.

Well friends thats all from me today. Thanks so much for stopping by. I hope you have enjoyed seeing my creation made with a file chosen by YOU. Hopefully it's inspired you to let loose with cut files and to chop them up to work with your creative ideas.

Don't forget to keep an eye out in the CUT to YOU HQ on facebook for future DT Challenges. Its also a place where you can regularly drop in to chat, offer advice and share all things CTY.

Until next time, Happy Scrapping!
Michelle xx

Cocoa Vanilla Studio | My Happiness

Hey Friends I'm back here today with my first layout share for Cocoa Vanilla Studio during the month of LOVE.. I went with a heart theme for my layout using the colourful HAPPINESS Collection and a new cut file from CUT to YOU.

This sweet girl LOVES a selfie here and there, and the perfect time to capture just happens to be night time snuggles. However I've just realised upon writing this post that the photo was in fact taken early December, the night before her birthday. The journalling for the photo could have been completely different, but much the same as the direction I took when creating.
OK, lets talk through the process of how this all came together shall we?

I resized the cut file design to around 10 inches and cut it out twice for this layout - once using white cardstock for the outline, then again for the backing piece using the MEADOW paper. I adhered the 2 pieces together where each heart joins the next and left the tops of the hearts open for a little added dimension. Then I stuck the entire piece to the backing paper SPRINKLES

I added the photo to the bottom left of the hearts wreath, layered with some vellum and GOOD VIBES paper and adhered using foam tape to lift it up off the layout. I added a cluster of EPHEMERA pieces to the right of this using different forms of adhesive for varying depth of layers.

Heres a closer look at all that pretty goodness

Top left of the layout I replicated the ephemera cluster and added a title using cardstock words. To the lower right I added my handwritten journalling, a couple of accessory stickers and of course the wrong stamped date HAHA

Well thats all from me today. Thank you so much for stopping by.

Be sure to check in with us in the Cocoa Vanilla Studio Community group on facebook to discuss ALL things CVS.

Until next time, Happy Scrapping!
Michelle x

CUT to YOU | February Newsletter FREEBIE | Best Friends

Hello! It's me back again to share a layout that was recently in the CUT to YOU newsletter. If you're not already subscribed, why not? You so should be so head over HERE  and follow the links to do so! Its released twice a month and always contains a FREE cut file like the one I've used for this layout. 

I was given the task to create something using the Sew Loved cut file that was FREE in the February 2020 Newsletter. I chose a super sweet photo of Leila and her little Bestie for this creation. Such a sweet day that was spent all together at the Zoo. I cut the design out on white cardstock and used the beautiful florals from the Unforgettable Collection by Cocoa Vanilla Studio to bring it all together. 

Heres some close ups of the layout and those two sweet little faces

Don't forget to follow these links to the CUT to YOU website so you can sign up for FREE cutfiles and inspiration too

Until next time, Happy Scrapping!

Michelle xx

CUT to YOU | You are my Everything

Hello Hello! Here I am, back again to start a new month of layout share's. Todays layout is for CUT to YOU featuring one of the fun NEW cut files released this month. As February is know for being the month of LOVE I went with a little lovey dove rainbow theme documenting my 2 loves.

We have a super sweet collection of new cut files this month, and my favourite of all is the Rainbow Love one. Perfect for documenting these 2 in their little love bubble.

I enlarged the design in silhouette studio to fill a good portion of the background paper and cut it out on white cardstock. I used multiple different pattern papers from the Dear Lizzy 'She's Magic' collection to back the individual layers of the rainbow - in rainbow order of course.

Once all pieces were backed I adhered them slightly above the centre of the layout. I had planned on adding some journalling to the layout, but felt it didn't need any once I had completed all the other elements.

I added the photo to the frame and adhered over the right of the cut file, a TONNE of foam tape was used on this layout to create different heights of dimension between all the pieces

Over on the top left I added a little cluster of elements to fill the blank space and to balance it all out. I also adhered the entire layout to a cut apart paper to give an extra pop of colours around the edge.

Well thats all from me today. But before I go, did you happen to catch our most recent Newsletter? Heres a sneak peek if you missed it.. Be sure to SIGN UP for regular updates - 2 newsletters per month = 2 FREE cut files. Who doesn't LOVE a freebie??

Thanks so much for stopping by today, be sure to check out all thats NEW in store HERE, and share all things CUT to YOU within the CTY HQ group on facebook.

As always, until next time - Happy Scrapping

Michelle x