Cricut | Papercrafting with Kelly Janes

I’m back with another layout inspired by Big Picture Classes. Ashley Horton teaches a class, Old Favorites with a New Twist, and one of the classes is shaped photos. In the class she generously gives a few cut files and one of them is a cluster hexagon file. I created two layouts using that cut file. The first I used to actually cut the photos.

I used the retired CTMH Spellbound Paper Packet and added white gesso to the polka dot patterned paper. Then using a combo of Watercolor Pencils and gelatos I created the mixed media background.

There is a lot of depth to the coloring and the photo of the layout just don’t give it justice. I matted the hexagon photos with black cardstock and then started creating clusters.

The top right is a cluster of smaller hexagons, Crate Paper- After Dark Collection, a K&Company ghost, a few CTMH Black Enamel Stars and a grouping of thread. The “Go, See, Do” is from a roller stamp I have in my stash. The bottom left corner is again filled with the same products. That photo is covered with a layer of vellum…the reason…the photo of my son running through the straw maze was really dark, so I edited it to be bright and beautiful BUT it was so bright and beautiful that is overpowered the rest of the photos. So I stitched a layer of vellum over the photo to mute it and to help it match the rest of the photos.

The title is a combo of Thickers, Keyboard Uppercase Stamps, & orange K&Company chipboard letters I’ve had in my stash for YEARS! I grounded a few of the photos and the title using polka dot washi tape from my stash. I added a little journaling, my date stamp, and the layout is complete. I created a second layout using the same cut file from BPC and here is a sneak peek!

Thanks for stopping by!
-Kelly

Please note: as a CTMH Independent Consultant I receive a small compensation if you purchase from the CTMH links above. I am in no way affiliated with Big Picture Classes. It is just a service that I use and enjoy.

Sometimes it can be the smallest thing that inspires a layout. Last night I was working on a card and I heat embossed the (retired) CTMH Funky Blossoms Stamp Set on Black Cardstock. It didn’t end up working well with the card I was making but they were just too pretty to toss aside. I’ve had this photo of my brother, my niece and my son in my work space for sometime so last night seemed like a great night to scrapbook it. Those little heat embossed Funky Blossoms were the starting point of the whole layout.

I grabbed paper out of my stash (Crate Paper, Basic Grey, Studio Calico and maybe even some October Afternoon??) I have mentioned before that I’ve recently developed a new ~~fascination~~ addiction with cut files, especially cut files from The Cut Shoppe Etsy Store. I used the Tiny Triangles Cut File on the flower pattern paper. I had originally cut the triangles as a full 12×12 sheet but I felt like it was too overpowering so I trimmed it down and layered it on top of the grid paper.

#ctmh #funkyblossoms #cutfiles #thecutshoppe

Next comes the cluster surrounding the photo. I grabbed a couple different patterns (xoxo & polka dot) and cut/tore the paper to size. I wanted to enhance the yellow that is found in the flower pattern paper so I grabbed a scrap golden piece of cardstock to mat my photo. The yellow was a little too bold so I covered the cardstock with black tulle. I still felt I needed a little buffer between the yellow cardstock & my photo. I’ve been watching a lot of Missy Whidden process videos and I LOVE the way she uses vellum to mat her photos. So I went with it and added a folded piece of vellum under the photo.

Now onto my favorite part of the layout…the embellishing! I added a tab sticker on either side of the yellow mat along with a couple strips of CTMH Black Shimmer Trim. I added a kraft flower ( I believe is from K&Company?) and I added a small ruler & the happy day chipboard pieces (unsure of the labels-they were just laying in my stash). OH, I can’t forget what started this whole layout…the gold embossed flowers tucked here and there. I also tore a grey ruler sticker (another Missy Whidden tip) and added it under the photo mat. I wanted the title to mock the gold & black from the funky blossoms but I didn’t have any Thickers that had both of those colors. Instead I grabbed CTMH (retired) color ready cork alpha stickers and used CTMH Black Exclusive Ink™ to color them. It takes A LONG TIME for the ink to dry after inking the letters so while they were still slightly wet I sporadically dropped Gold Embossing Powder over the letters and then heat embossed.

#ctmh #funkyblossoms #cutfiles #thecutshoppe

As I began adhering this all together I still felt like the flower pattern paper needed to be muted/buffered from the photo cluster. I grabbed a sheet of vellum and layered it in between. To mimic the gold throughout the layout I added a little messy gold stitching. I also added a large doily to the photo mat/cluster. After everything was adhered I added my journaling and a Heidi Swapp date stamp. I’m really pleased with how this layout turned out! I love the details that the cut files bring to the papers & layouts! So much fun!! I’m linking this layout to the November Challenge at The Cut Shoppe Blog.

Thanks for stopping by today!
-Kelly