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Autumn Colours

This layout was created using my Like Forever 'Harmony' kit, which is based around the Maggie Holmes Gather collection. I also used one of the cut file that comes with the Like Forever kit each month and my old craft robo which is practically an antique!

Find out more and watch the page being created here...

https://youtu.be/JLH_wz2khFE

Jonah

I created this layout using one of Laura Rumbles sketches that came exclusively with the October like forever kit.

I'm enjoying using 'white space's at the moment. Although when I shared the page with my mum, her comment was that it seemed to be missing a nice big photo...let me know what you think!

New Piano

Sorry for the colours in this photo...for some reason it didn't come out as lovely as they look in real.

But here's a layout of my husband playing his new piano. When I saw the piano sticker and chipboard I knee they would be perfect for scrapping this story. I even bought the music paper as an add on to the Like Forever kit to use. The black piano sticker couldn't have been a better match!

Gather Together

Lots of distressed edges and I even got my sewing machine out for this layout. Find out more about it and watch it being created on my YouTube channel here...

https://youtu.be/SiZ1SGCnrhI

Kicking the leaves

This page was created from my Like Forever 'Harmony' kit based around the Maggie Holmes Gather collection.

I came up with idea after sitting and doodling whilst watching TV (I was watching the scene in Stranger Things where Nancy enters the tree...no spoilers please!!)...I had drawn some wavy lines and turned them into a tree and I suddenly had a lightbulb moment when I realised I could make that work as a layout. I love it when a layout comes together like that.

Those bird chipboard stickers are just the most adorable thing ever....I wish I could purchase a whole bunch of them in different colours. It's things like these that make me want to practice my drawing skills so I could create my own!

Love how this fun layout has turned out.

Capture the Pokémon

The first layout I have created with my Like Forever 'Harmony', based around the beautiful Maggie Holmes Gather collection.

Pop over to my YouTube video to see this page being created...

https://youtu.be/1RNDmHgUcUU

Toby - a million little things

This is the 16th layout I have created with my September 2016 Like Forever kit. I wanted to use up the birds and feathers that came in the kit as I love those and don't want them sitting unused. I have no 12*12 papers left, that yellow stripe was pretty much the last of the 12 inch lengths, so I used a very old paper as the background and added two 6*6 papers from the dear Lizzy paper pad.

I've also had a quick tidy up of my stash...going through two boxes I put up in the loft of older stuff I didn't need accessible. I've managed to get that stuff down to one box, the other box will be taken to my son's school and preschool next week. Anyway, whilst sorting I found a few items that I loved and didn't want to get rid of, but seemed silly to put back into storage. I'm pleased to say I easily got them used up in this layout...they were a tiny scrap of colour paper, that I fussy cut the two clouds out of and the silver metal rimmed vellum frame. I should do that more often...pull out one or two pieces of very old stash and make myself use them on a page mixed in with all the new stuff.

Cuddly Dog

I love it when a layout come together. I'm still trying to use my my September Like Forever kit, and when looking at what I had left I saw I still had a few of the dog embellishments, which I love. I also used an anagram solver, putting in the letters I have left in my sticker sheet and one of the words I could make was 'cuddly'. Cuddly and dog led me to think about the photos I took a few days ago of our dog giving me cuddles on the sofa.

The diagonal striped paper was already cut into this shape, so I simple stuck it onto a background paper (I decided to use this grey geometric patterned paper from my stash instead of white cardstock) and the layout soon came together quickly.

Water fun

The best stamp cat cake ever

To see this page being created, check out the video on YouTube...

https://youtu.be/bqD0QGxjNNE

Today

To see how this layout was created, check out the process video here...

https://youtu.be/1sPc4kuSR4k

Live simply

To learn more, check out the process video here...

https://youtu.be/tleT9fEmkfY

3 boys in a tub

For this layout I recreated one of the patterned papers we got in our like forever kit this month out of cardstock. I loved the paper but also loved the reverse of the paper and thought I could recreate the simple geometric pattern in card, so that's what I did.

Make a wish

This is the second page I have created with my Like Forever kit. The photos are over two years old already so I'm pleased to get them scrapped. I am happy I found a use for the cupcake die cut as I thought that was one of the pieces I wouldn't be able to use, but it worked perfectly with these photos.

Follow me

The first page made with Septembers Like Forever kit called Central Park. It was created for a challenge on the like forever subscribers Facebook group, where you had to create a layout or project based on a mood board. I took inspiration from a pillow in one of the pictures in the mood board that was striped in the same kind of order as I made my papers....a yellow wide stripe, this aqua strip, a neutral strip then wide navy interspersed with narrow white lines. I also took inspiration from a painting on the mood board that had paint dabs...I daubed the silver texture paste on with my finger late in the process, and love the effect.

Minecraft Piñata

This is the last page I created with my August Like Forever kit. I used one of the 6*6 papers that was made of lots of squares of all different patterns and colours and cut them up into triangles. The background paper was added from my stash.

Love you

I reused an idea I've done in the past to use some of the branding strips I had left over from Augusts Like Forever kit. It's also a great way to scatter the little bit and pieces you have left over in a kit too. The edge borders were cut from one of the 6*6 papers in the paper pad and stuck around the edge.

Downton Gardens

A page that used the beautiful sequin type paper from Like Forevers August kit as the background. I just loved how the colours flowed and changed, but couldn't think how to cut it up and keep that effect so used it whole. I used some fussy cut flowers as embellishments as it was a good match to the photos I had chosen.

Amongst the primroses

So usually at this time of month I'd have a heap of layouts to share with you that I'd have created at my monthly local crop. However for two reasons this isn't going to happen in September. Firstly my September Like Forever kit has not yet arrived as there was a slight delay due to hold ups with customs and some production issues in China. And secondly, at our crop this month we decided we would spend the morning creating Christmas cards to donate to a local charity who will sell them at a Christmas market to help them raise some money.

However, I'm still using up my Augusts Like Forever kit. Here is a page I created this week. I'm down to just one piece of whole 12*12 and lots of small scraps plus several pages left in my 6*6 pad...I think I will probably create one or two more pages with this kit before moving on to my new one when it arrives.

Litter Brothers

Here is a page that I scraplifted from Paige Evans, who was this months guest designed for Like Forever. I kind of regretted doing all that stitching whilst doing it, it was trickier than usual cause it was white on white and I used all six strands of embroidery floss which meant it didn't easily pass through the holes and I had to tug it more than normal. It was a great way to use up lots of the embellishments in the kit, but maybe I went a little overboard...what do you think? Is less always more?

Sunday Funday

I got the inspiration for this layout from another Like Forever subscribers Tammy Chernobieff Goodwin. Her page, as always, was so light and airy, which I aspire too. I took the idea of having stripes of torn patterned paper running across the page, with a square b&w photo placed off centre, and plenty of machine stitching. As is usual when I start a scraplift, my page then took on a life of its own and became much more colourful and bolder than I had hoped. I was struggling for a title. The photo is of my eldest son and the daughter of a very good friend...so I wanted to avoid any soppy title and also any embellishments with hearts. Then u came across the Sunday funday sticker that came on the Dear Lizzy sticker sheet in my Augusts Like Forever kit and as the photo was taken on a day out on a Sunday, thought it was a good fit. I then added several more black and white embellishments to tie everything together. 

XOXO

I wanted to create a layout using my sewing machine, as it was sat all set up on my dining table as I'd just had to do the laborious task of sewing name labels into all the new uniform. I found a layout on Pinterest to scraplift, hand cut lots of Xs and Os from scraps from my Like Forever kit, and sewed them onto the layout. Unfortunately when I try to find out who created the page, following the link from Pinterest to Studio Calico, I get a page not found and so can't credit the original idea. 

Blissed Out

This page was created using the Like Forever Sunday Sketch. I altered the sketch to make it work with a larger photo. I thought the 'blissed out' phrase was a perfect match for the photo.

Leavenworth

I thought that the American map page that came in the 6*6 pad of the Take Me Away collection, which I got as part of the documenting bundle from Augusts Like Forever kit, would be one of those items that remained unused and probably binned. Then whilst preaching through some very old photos to find a match for the 6*6 house paper I came across a few photos from my holiday in America back in 1999. On one of the many road trips we took that summer we visited a town called Leavenworth that has Bavarian buildings. It just seemed like the perfect match to use these papers together.

Darling

One of the 'papers' that came in the more paper bundle of August Like Forever kit was the beautiful acetate from Paige Evans Take Me Away collection. However I struggled to know what to do with it....I couldn't find any inspiration online....did I cut it in half to use on two pages...but wouldn't they look very similar....should I use it with a box frame placing it on the glass in front of a layout...that just didn't look very good. So it sat in my kit box whilst I started to churn out other layouts with the City Break kit. I decided in the end to keep it whole, keep the layout very simple and just use it before the kit was killed and I had nothing left that coordinated. The photography wasnt easy and doesn't do any justice to the wonderful gold foiling on the page.

Sweet

A layout using the soft peachy colours from the August City Break kit by Like For Ever. I was inspired to use two different patterned papers vertically as they were already cut to this size from previous layouts. I fussy cut the flowers to place down the middle, covering the join and adding to the softness of the page. I absolutely love the butterfly die cuts that came in some of the kit add ons by cocoa vanilla studio Love Always....I am sad I only have one left, but am thinking I could make my own by printing on to vellum, so watch this space!

By the River

I got inspiration for the top and bottom paper stripes from a layout I found on Pinterest by Janna Werner, but it quickly took on a life of its own. It's another layout made with the softer elements from Like Forever City Break kit. I just love that I managed to achieve a light airy look, I think the b&w photo really helped to achieve this, and so plan to use them more on my pages. And I totally love the thickers that came in this kit from Dear Lizzys new Saturday collection.

Friends

Mixing up the papers from Paige Evans Take Me Away collection and Cocoa Vanilla Studio Love Always collection, both of which came with the Like Forever City Break kit. I'm so pleased I found a place to use the pink merry-go-round horse!

Langelermaatweg

An attempt at a mixed media background for one of Laura Rumbles sketches that came with Augusts Like Forever kit. I then hand wrote the title. I'm really pleased with how this layout turned out, I think it's eye catching and a unique page to add to my album. Pushing yourself to try new things is definitely the way forward in evolving your style.

Awesome

A fairly simple layout using the patterned paper from Paige Evans Take Me Away collection as inspiration to create a border. This time I used the technique of creating a little texture to the paper edges by running it along my scissors, I was trying to soften the feel of the page slightly. A large photo often doesn't need too much on a layout to make it feel finished.

Great Nan

Another layout with my Like Forever City Break kit. Sometimes when the photo is very precious to you, it's easier to use your favourite scrapbooking items ..and to pile them onto the page knowing it will be treasures for a long time. This photo of myself with my great gran taken many years ago is one such photo.

Amsterdam

When I saw this paper in the City Break kit from Like Forever, I knew I needed to use a photo from The Netherlands, after all I lived there for three years. In the end I decided on using this photo taken on a day trip to Amsterdam. Look at how well the Dutch buildings in the photo match those of the papers....perfect! As the paper houses were so dominant on the page I tried to keep the rest of the page simpler with some white space.

You are my world

This months Like Forever came with some bonus cut files, one of which was of hexagons that could be stitched. As my craft robo isn't working well I decided instead to take inspiration from the cut file and made my own hexagon template which I printed out, and the pierced the paper and stitched in many colours from the Take Me Away collection by Paige Evans. It took me a fair few hours sitting and stitching, but I do think the hard work pays off in this layout.

Smile

This page was made using one of the sketches from Like Forevers August kit. Instead of the normal pagemaps sketches printout, this month we were treated to some exclusive sketches by Laura Rumble. I love this soft peach colour, and used an old photo of me and my mum as I just felt it was going to end up a step too girly for a photo of my boys. The flowers were cut from a paper by Paige Evans Take Me Away collection, and I love them!

Like Forever August 2016 Kit: City Break

My beautiful new Like Forever kit has arrived today. This kit, named City Break, is based around Paige Evans Take Me Away collection, Cocoa Vanilla Studio Love Always collection and some bits from Dear Lizzy Saturday collection. I have to sit to buying most of this months add ons as they were all so pretty and temptation got the better of me. It's going to be great fun creating layouts from all of this new stash. I especially love the suede bows that came in the texture bundle and the Dear Lizzy thickers.

Here is a photo of just the main kit, it came with 8 papers from the Take Me Away collection, 2 papers from Love Always, 3 cardstock, thickers, sparkle enamel dots, varnish stickers, a double sided sticker sheet from Saturday and an amazing mix of 'buts and Pieces's emphemera pack from Love Always. Do check out www.like forever.co.uk if your on the look out for a UK based kit club that delivers amazing value with the latest releases plus a friendly community full of inspiration (very excited that this months Like Forever guest designer is Paige Evans!!)

Like Forever July Kit Leftovers

So this is what I have left over from July's kit. A lot of die cut scraps of paper that will be binned. I will keep a few larger bits of the paper and the large pieces of card. Of course I have plenty of the mister Huey's spray and washi tape left as well as the lovelyheidi swapp heart stencil. I have a few die cuts left, mostly pieces that I struggled to use, like the words spring and fresh...I just didn't scrap any relevant photos. I have a few of the sheets from the 6*6 pad left, but most of those are versatile like gold and white stripes so will pop them into my next kit until i find a use for them. I also didn't use the 12*12 vellum sheet that came in the ads on paper bundle, I need to be brave and get my sewing machine out for that...but again I think it will be an easy match to a future kit and I will definitely use it soon. I have some alphas left, but ran out of Os and Es. What a great kit. 

Laugh & love

My last layout using the Carefree kit from Like Forever. I die cut a bunch of hearts from all the paper scraps, then cut them in half and mixed up the patterns for added interest. I then decorated some if these hearts with what I had left from the kit...mainly puffy stickers. I layered the photo with some of the larger sized scraps, and added some die cut emphemera pieces around it. I added some stripes of paper to the page as well, many of which are the branding strips. Using my cuttlebug to due cut scraps is my favourite way to kill a kit. 

Sand & water play

A layout that used up some of the larger pieces from Elles Studio that came in my Like Forever kit. I had to search for some photos that fitted the beach theme...I struggled a bit...then came across these photos from 4 years ago of my boys playing with their friend with some sand and water and thought it would make a good match. I used a classic L shape basis for this page. It's quite busy with all the different papers, and feel it harks back to my older style where I was heavily influenced by Shimelles Laine. It's another photo I'm glad to be able to my album, and another memory preserved for the future...to me that's the main point of my scrapbooking.

18 Months

A simple layout using vertical full length stripes of paper and a large 7*5 photo. I added two clusters of embellishments to opposite corners, using a die cut doily from the emphemera pack as the background piece, and then added another more horizontal cluster to the top just to balance the page.

Toby making sweetie cakes

When my Carefree kit from Like Forever arrived, I just loved how the three cardstock colours worked so well together. I knew I wanted to put them together on a page. I cut some stripes to use down the left hand side of this page. I then went with a circle theme for the rest of the layout, even being brave and cutting the photo into a circle, matting it on to a doily. 

Yoshi

I used the 12*12 Heidi swapp heart mask from my Carefree Like Forever kit to make the background with gold lame colour shine spray. I love how it turned out. I then made a conscientious effort to use up some frames from a previous kit along with some of the die cut frames that came with this months ephemera pack. I bordered the top and bottom of the page with stripes of paper, one of my favourite ways to make sure the eye is kept from wandering off the page.

The sky's the limit.

When I came across this layout on Pinterest by Jennifer Albrecht, I knew I wanted to scraplift it and use the same die cut balloons on the page. I found an outline image of a hot air balloon that I liked, using a google search and printed it out and used it as a template to pierce my card. I finished the page off with some die cut clouds.

Grow

I tried to achieve a light airy feeling to this layout, but feel it didn't work out too well because the background of the photo is so dark. I used a block of patterned papers and added some of the ephemera die cuta to make some clusters of layouts one the page. I added the manilla tags that I bought from Tiger into my Like Forever kit.

George

I'll admit that I bought the 'More paper's add on bundle for the Carefree kit because of this diagonal striped paper. I love diagonally striped paper, and my favourite way to use them is to create a border for the whole page as I have done here. I feel it keeps your eye drawn to the centre of the page whilst still adding interest and movement at the same time. I don't feel I matched up the colours too well on this layout, but was trying to use some of the beChy summer parts of the Carefree Like Forever kit.

Bringing home Yoshi

I got out my pot of texture paste to create the background of this page, using the mask that came with the Carefree Like Forever kit. It's been sat unused and unopened for several years...only when I went to use it did I discover that it was much more textured than I had expected. I bought it from Lidls, and although it's labeled as 'fine' I suppose it was made for a different craft such as model making. It definitely adds texture to my page, but I think I'll add proper art texture paste to my 'wants' list.

Happy Birthday

A classic split paper layout, using two different types of patterned papers as the background. I like to chose one busy pattern and one much more subtle pattern for this effect. I used the branding strip as a seperater between the two. I always find these king of photos hard to scrap...lots of children way too busy to be bothered to pose or smile, poor lighting and lots of movement. I should probably print them in black and white to avoid the miriad of clashing colours, but I do fear I lose some of the important details by removing colours and its important to have at least one page from each event using colour photos to record this detail for the future.

Jonah: Picture Perfect

I scraplifted this lovely layout from a very talented lady over on the Like Forever subscribers Facebook group. I just love how its made the heart washi tape central to the page. I'll definitely try this again. Maybe it could work well using paper strips instead of the wide washi. I added the thin strips of gold striped paper to the top and bottom...one of my favourite techniques at the moment to bring the whole page together.

Bike Ride

I used this photo as the July's Like Forever kit came with a diecut emphemera pack that had two bicycles in it. But on reflection I just couldn't get this page to work. It definitely lacks something. I made this at my local crop, and I borrowed my friends cogs dies at her suggestion which I think half rescued the page...but it could have still done with a little extra. Yet it's another photo documented into my 2016 album, so that can only be a good thing.

Fotos at Rutbeek

I used my new Like Forever kit for this layout, and chose a pagemaps sketch of inspiration. I always find it hard to get started on a new kit. You have to be brave to cut into those gorgeous papers, and i worry that I may use something only to see someone else having used in a much better way and I wish I could scraplift it. It's stupid that this makes me stressed when in general I love scrapbooking as it provides a way to relax and switch off...a chance to reflect on the memories of the photo and how lucky I am....and a chance to play with glue, scissors and pretty things, something ice enjoyed since i can remember. Isn't scrapbooking just a great hobby that allows you to do all those things as an adult. I'm so happy I stumbled upon scrapbooking and gave it a go. I love how my scrapbooking has developed as the years past, trying new things...some that stay with me for a long while and others that pass quickly or don't work out as planned. Some women like to spend money in designer shoes or new clothea each season....for me it's patterned paper and embellishments...give me pretty things to create even more pretty things and I'm happy.